A Man Running From The Presence Of The Lord (65-0217)

 

¹
Let's bow our heads. Dear God, we are happy this afternoon for this
privilege that we have of assembling ourselves together once more. And
You alone, Lord, knows how our hearts has yearned for this hour that
when we could stand before Thy people again here and bring this message
that we so vitally feel that it's so urgent in this hour. And Thou has
'lotted us these few days now, and we pray, dear God, that Your hand of
mercy will be upon us to guide us and direct us. And give us those
things which we have need of, Lord, for our hearts yearn to know You
better.
We see the great harvest field, white, ripe, and know the grain is
ready now for the great threshing time. Dear God, we pray that You'll
open back the shucks from around us; let us lay in the Presence of the
Son now these next few days and ripen to the Kingdom of God.

³
Bless every song that'll be sang; bless every prayer; and answer every
one that'll be prayed, Lord. Save all the lost. Call back to the house
of the living God and to fellowship those who've wandered away.
We pray, God, that You'll heal every sick person that comes under our
roof. Grant it, Lord. May there not be a feeble person among us at the
end of these meetings.
And dear God, then for ourselves, we who claim in this hour to be the
church, the Called-out, those around the world who has come from out of
Babylon and to be partakers of this wonderful fellowship in this last
day, we pray God that You'll bless our hearts in such a way. We're
truly hungry, Lord, and emptied out from all the things of the world
that we know of, Lord. We've laid aside every weight that so easily
beset us, and now let us run this race with patience, that's set before
us. Grant it, Father. And may we be fuller, stronger, better Christians
at the end of this service than we were when we entered. May God get
all the glory, for we ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen.

⁶
I think this is a grand privilege tonight that I've waited on for some
time. The other day I was telling my wife; I said, "I get so nervous
waiting to get to the tabernacle." I just… I have other friends, of
course I do, around the world, but there's something or other about
this tabernacle here. I was took out of this dust around here when God
gave me life here on the earth, and I guess if He tarries, I'll be
buried here somewhere. When He comes, He'll find me here somewhere.
But look like there's something when I go to thinking about
Jeffersonville. The other day I got so lonesome; I said to my wife; I
said, "I'm homesick, and I don't know what I'm homesick about, unless
it's those people praying for me." I said, "Well, I'll… Only thing I
know to do is go back and have a few days of meeting, see if we can't
find something from the Lord, maybe He wants us to know something." And
the great, vital subject that we got before us now is "Marriage and
Divorce." And if there is a question, there's got to be an answer.
There can't be a question 'less there's an answer. No matter what it
is, there's got to be an answer. And if the Lord willing, I want to try
to speak on that Sunday morning.

⁸ And then tomorrow night I think we're to be up here at the… What is that school called? Parkview auditorium. What, sir? [Brother Neville says, "Parkview Junior High."–Ed.]
Parkview Junior High. How many knows where it's at? Well, I guess
they'll have signs out, won't they, Brother Neville? Be… It's just
above here about–about three quarters of a mile. There'll be a sign.
You turn back off the road. It's a nice, elevated building; it's got
places where you can lay your arm out and take notes of what you want
to write and–and–and things. And I'm sure you'll enjoy it a little
more than you will be kinda crumped up in the meetings here in the–in
the tabernacle. There'll be plenty of room, plenty of parking room.
Now, I think they had a little regulation we had to promise to abide
by; that was not to come on the ground until about six-thirty? [Brother Neville relates they are not to be on the grounds before 5:30–Ed.]
And what time is the… I believe it'd be a good idea for us to get
there at six-thirty. Now, they got another auditorium here in town that
seats six thousand. If we be real good, we may–someday they might let
us have the other one sometime for a big meeting, maybe sometime this
summer when I get back from overseas.

¹⁰ And so I think we can seat up to… How many can we seat up there? [Brother Neville says, "Four thousand"–Ed.]
Four thousand. So you see, we'll have plenty of room; there'll be no
rush. And so come up at six-thirty. And then everybody can come in at
the right time, everybody together. And I'm sure you–you have a good
seat. And it's elevated like this, and–and a place here where you can
write, and take notes down, and so forth. And that'll begin, if the
Lord willing…
I think now tonight, this being Wednesday night prayer meeting, we
got… The place is just about filled up, so I think maybe we'd better
start tomorrow night. We rented it just in hopes that maybe that if we
would be enough to have an overflow here we could go up there. But I
believe it'd be best to go on up, don't you think so, Brother Neville,
to go on up tomorrow night? And how many thinks that'd be a good idea?
And then you can have plenty of–of room. It's–it's already rented;
it's paid for by some brethren here in the church. It just cost us
fifty dollars a night, which is very, very… Wished I had that
everywhere, could seat that many for fifty dollars a night, a brand new
building, fine stage, and… but we're…

¹²
'Course we will take up offerings, I suppose. And we don't want them
men to pay for that themselves; we'll pay for–pay them back. But when
we get our expenses and things, well then, of course, we stop taking
offerings. We don't…
If there's any strangers with us, we've made that a policy to never
beg, bum, push people for money. We pass the collection plate, which is
just a… That's a religious act. I've tried it many times not even to
pass the collection plate at all, but it don't work. See? Because
giving is a part of our religion. It's a part of our duty. No matter if
it's just a dime or whatever it is, or a penny, it's all…
So you remember Jesus seen a widow passing by one day where the rich
men was putting in much of their treasure in the treasury. And this
widow passed by, maybe a couple little, hungry children walking by her
side and gave everything she had, three pennies. And Jesus said, "Who
paid the most?"

¹⁵
Now, if I'd been standing there, I'd said, "Don't do that, sister.
We–we… Look, we got plenty of money." But He never stopped her. See?
He–He knew He had something greater for her down the road. So see,
after all, she had a home in glory that she was going to. And He never
stopped her. He let her put three pennies in, because it was just–she
wanted to do it. And it was… She'd had to want to do it with
children, and a widow, and only three pennies to live on. She–she had
to want to do that. So you see, when people want to give, you've got to
give them the opportunity to do so.

¹⁶
But I think of these standing, and people saying, "Who'll give fifty
dollars? Who'll give twenty dollars?" I think that's detrimental to
your–to your intelligence. I–I think if the people realizes that it
takes money to–to run a–a meeting… And I never would let them do
it, the managers. I said, "Whenever you have to do that, then it's time
for me to return back to the Tabernacle. So we won't have to do that."
But I–I do think that we have to pass the offering plate in–in order
to make it a complete religious service.
And so they probably will pass a little offering plate each night, say
something like, "Well, we're take up the offering now." And they'll
pass the offering plate, and that'll–that'll be the end of it.

¹⁸
And each night, if the Lord willing, I think the Lord has laid upon my
heart a very definite message for the church. I've been several days in
prayer. And I won't go into that, because a great phenomena happened
the other day that was really great. And I'm anxious to tell you about
it. And now, the main subject, I suppose, which most all of them, Billy
said, had been calling, was on the "Marriage and Divorce.' Which it is
a great–a great subject. And I–I didn't know how to approach it. And
I went up to pray about it, and the Lord met me. And I know that I
by… I don't have it, but God has given to me… I have it now. God
has given me the correct answer (See, see?), and I–I know that it's
true.
And so I don't know just exactly yet, maybe Sunday I might ask our
sisters just to omit the meeting themselves, but I–I don't know. It'd
be–depend on if the married women wants to come with their husbands.
There–there's some real vital things has to be told the truth about
and how… And so we want to absolutely lay it out as THUS SAITH THE
LORD, and then you got it then… You know just what is Truth then. And
I'm trusting Him to do that.

²⁰
And now, I was up here at the restaurant the other day eating, and–and
Jerry and all of them's looking for you all. They–they said–said,
"Well, we…" Some–one of the boys was up, said, "This fellow said,
'I'm going to come out pretty good this week,'" Said, "they got…
These next two weeks…" Said, "They got a–a meeting here, Basketball
or something or other," said, then said, "Branham's down there going to
have a meeting." He said, "I'll feed a whole lot of people." At the
Ranch House, one of those places up there, and they were–been really
nice.
And I appreciate you all, for they certainly didn't brag and say nice things about you…
The manager up there at the Ranch House met me the other morning. I got
in about two-thirty from Arizona, and he said, "Well, Brother Branham,"
said, "I hear you're going to have another meeting." Said, "I got some
extra help," he said. And said, "Then I want to say one thing, that
those people that come from down there," said, "they really are nice
people." Now, that made me feel real good about it (You see?), 'cause
after all, I kinda feel that you're my kids, and I–I–or children,
rather. And so, I… Kid refers to a goat, and you're not a goat.
You're my lambs. How's that? You're the Lord's lambs that He's let me
feed. And I trust that it'll–it'll–that He'll let me do that. We're
going on down the road…

²³
And about this "Marriage and Divorce," I've wanted to speak on it ever
since the time of those Seven Seals. You know, the–all mysteries was
supposed to be made known in them–opening them Seven Seals, all
mysteries of the Bible. And I'm thinking now, I… Getting kinda old,
I–I think I… I thought I'd better at least put it on tape, whether
if something would happen to me, then the church might wonder, "Wonder
what He had on His mind, what would He say?" And all those subjects
that seems to be so hard, I think the–by the Lord's help I'm going to
try to bring them to you. And then–then if something happens, and if I
happen to go before He comes, why, you–you'll have it on record then.

²⁴
I think we got some new books out. I see Sister Vayle; I don't know
whether Doctor is here or not. Is he here, Sister Vayle? He's probably
in the meeting; I don't see him, but… Oh yes, way in the back. And
Brother Vayle has wrote a book, and it's a… I thought, I believe they
said today, two. Brother Vayle, is that right? You have two here now?
Two books. Now, I don't know, I–the way I understand, that each person
gets a copy. So I… If you… That's the way I understand it. I may be
wrong in that.
And then the "Seven Church Ages" has been finished (Is that right
Brother Vayle?), and on print now. And I know you'll want to get them,
'cause they answer a lot of questions that's been in your heart. And
then after that, well, we're going to try to get the Seven Seals
opened, you know, in the book so that each one can read in form that
they–that they want to–can understand and study it.

²⁶
I think when it's wrote out, if it… First we took it right off of the
tape the way it was written or spoke. And you know, you can preach a
sermon is one thing. And then write a book is another. See, like I'd
happen to touch on a subject, like I'd say to you, you'd understand.
I'd say, "Now, the serpent's seed…" See? Well now, the reader of that
book, if you took it off, would wonder, "What is the serpent's seed?"
See? And they wouldn't know. If that happened to go into such a place
like Princeton or somewhere, and they'd–they'd think we were
unintelligent people. So I got Brother Vayle to kinda help me with this
and keep the line of the same thought and give it grammar. And I'm sure
my grammar, they–would–it would be a mystery to them, sure enough. So
the–Brother Vayle's really good on that, so he's as a…

²⁷
And then in that, I think our precious brother must've picked up a
little extra inspiration somehow, and he said he was going to write a
couple books of his own off of them like. And so he wrote one called, I
believe, "The Twentieth Century Prophet" and another one, "Laodicean
Church," I believe, or something like that.
And Billy told me tonight that I believe several thousand of them
arrived today; somebody brought them from Texas. And so they–they'll
be here. And they'll announce it I think whatever they are. I think
they're sponsored; I'm not sure. And if they are, they'd be given away
to you (You see?) to–free. And we hope you enjoy it. And if you do,
shake Brother Vayle's hand back there and tell him how much you
appreciate. I've never read them myself. If I'd read them I might
change my mind about that, so I–I'll try to read them this week while
I've got a chance if I can.

²⁹
Now, being Wednesday night, our meeting officially begins tomorrow
night. But I think in being here among you, I–I just couldn't stay up
there at the house and–and know that you all were down here. I… Just
like, you know, like some of your kinfolks come in, you know, and you
run down to the end of the lane to meet them, you know. And–and I–I
thought I'd just run down and–and welcome you to Jeffersonville. And
so this last week I was… About… No, I beg your pardon it's been
about three weeks ago, I come home; I'd been out trying to… Been on
some meetings through Arizona there. And I come back to try to relax,
and I went on a hunting trip, and–and I got the Arizona state record
lion. I run him through twenty miles of timber to get him.

³⁰
But then to think though that I never thought when I was a little
boy… Just to show how these things happen, a little place that the
Lord has given us up there for the months that we're out there, and
school for the kids. I was a little boy… I guess Jimmy Poole's here
tonight; maybe his dad's here, Big Jim. We went to school together, and
I remember setting there, was a little old ragged kid and shoes, tennis
shoes on, toes out of them, borrow a piece of paper from one, and a
pencil from another…
I used to write poetry. Mrs. Wood here had me recite that this
afternoon on tape about my old Ford, you know, and it's–it's a good
one. Now… She said, "Well, you ought to send that to Mr. Ford." I
said, "There's too much truth of it, he…" About a rattle in the front
and a grind in the rear and a Chinese puzzle for a steering gear. But
I… It's–it's a… But I always said, only thing I had to do is count
four tires and shake it enough to get it to–started and then get in
it. I said, "It was good when I'd start up the hill with it, just go
pulling real slow, saying, 'I think I can, I-think-I-can,
I–think–I–can,' then start at the other side saying, 'I thought I
could; I thought I could.'" That's the way we pull this hill like
"Pilgrim's Progress." So we…

³²
I had a little poem I wrote something like this. It said… Now, just
think; I was only about twelve years old. And standing up the other day
looking up that canyon, and thinking that lion will be setting right
here in this den room looking out the window in a glass window, I was
thinking of a little poem. I went back and picked it up, something like
this.
Just think how God… Do you believe God's in all inspiration? God has
to write a song. You believe God's in songs? Jesus said so. He referred
back to David. Don't you know what David said in the Psalms, you know?
"Has not it…"
Look at the very crucifixion. David sang it in the 22nd Psalm. "My God,
my God, why has Thou forsaken Me? All My bones they stare at Me. They
pierced My hands and My feet." You know. And that was a song. Psalms is
a–is a song.

³⁵ And in this poetry just watch how it come to pass. Standing there a little old kid with a borrowed sheet of paper, I said:

³⁶
Forty years later I'm setting right there at that canyon, that lion
looking me in the face. Oh, God, there's a land beyond the river
somewhere, friends. It's just–it's got to be there. See?
There's–there's too much speaking of it. All these things are not just
myths; they are–they're real. They're realities. I'm so glad to be
here tonight to be with these people that I'm expecting to live over
there forever with, where there'll be no more sickness, or death, or
separations. And travel will be nothing to us then.

³⁷
Now, I think no meeting is complete without reading the Word and having
a little… Brother Neville, I just walked up here. Billy said you
wanted me to speak. Was that right, Brother Neville? I maybe taken a
little too much for granted, but I–I just felt so good about it. You
know…?… So now, you that's got songs and things, you see Brother
Neville when you're going to sing, and then just have it up there, and
have just about a half hour preliminary, and let's get right into these
real deep messages and see what we can see the Lord will do. And I just
trust…

³⁸
I–I believe we have Truth. I'm satisfied with that. And I believe the
wheat is absolutely, the shucks pulling away from it. You know? And to
see… I may give a little prelude on that tomorrow night (See?), how
the shuck's pulling away from the wheat. But the wheat has to lay in
the presence of the sun to ripen. And that's what we're here for,
friends. Stay in the Presence of the Son till our little group of
people here, till it becomes so ripe to Christ, that it becomes bread
on His table. That's what I want it to do.
And now, before we approach the Word after reciting poems and so forth, let's pray again. Then we're going to take a text.

⁴⁰
Dear Jesus, help us tonight now in these few words as we wait upon
Thee. And we pray that Your grace and mercy will be with us, Lord. And
tender our hearts; move back all the shucks, the thorns, the thistles;
let the blessed sunshine of God fall in upon the Word, Lord. And may we
have such a great meeting till there'll not be an unsaved person among
us, all the children will be in the Kingdom of God. Those without the
baptism of Spirit, may they receive it, Father. May all the great
mysteries that we are supposed to know at this age, Lord, be unveiled
to us and we'll see the plainness of God, so that we'll know how to
behave ourselves and act, correcting ourselves and bringing the members
of our body into discipline to the Word, that we might know how to live
in this present day at the approaching of the Lord Jesus.
As I read of Thy Word tonight, Lord, I might by a partial education be
able to read and some of the words and maybe mispronounce others, but,
Lord God, You alone can pull the context out of there. You're the only
One that can do it. There's no–no way for a human being to ever do it;
it lays in Your hands, Lord. So give to us each night them things
that's hid in Thy Word, that we might be better Christians and live
according to the time that we're living in, as examples of
Christianity. We ask in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.

⁴²
Now, many of you, in your Bibles I want you to turn to the Book of
Jonah. It's a… We always talk so much about Jonah being a backslidden
and everything. I've always took up for Jonah. I do not believe that
Jonah was backslid. I–I do not believe that. I believe it's just that
we just sometimes use it, say, "He's a Jonah." But if we… I've
already spoke on it in another way, in telling how that I thought
Jonah, what took place.

Isn't that a sad ending? "A Man Running from the Presence of the Lord," and that's my subject.

⁴⁴
Now, first we want to think of this. Jonah was… The reason, the
principal reason that I believe that he did this great thing here was
because Jonah was a Jew, and he was asked to go to a Gentile city to
cry out against it, thinking that he would not be received; because the
Gentiles would think, "What's this Jew got to do with us?" But you see,
another thing, it gives us a great thing here to see, that God not only
is God of the Jew, but He's God also of the Gentile. He's God of all
people. He just chose the Jews.

⁴⁵
The Jews was called God's chosen people. They were chosen for a
specific cause. And that cause was to give to them the law. And they
could not keep it. And He just showed by that people, that the law
could not be kept. And if He was a–a–a God of righteousness… And
the law demanded righteousness, but there was no grace in law to bring
a man out; no penalty was paid by the law. But it taken grace to pay
that penalty unto where the law put us under.

⁴⁶
And Jonah here was called on–as this, one of the minor prophets of the
Bible, to go down to this city. And here we find an example of all of
us. Every one of us, we always are running from something. We run from
troubles; we run from responsibilities. We–we're all prone to do that.
We–we are–we're more prone to run than we are to stand and face it
out. See? We just–we–we find ourselves running. Sometimes we find
ourself prone to run from work. We don't want to–we don't want to
work. Some people just think they can make their living without
working. But I think Solomon, it was, that said we could find here the
answer in watching an ant.
You know a little ant, they tell me if that–every ant doesn't work and
lay in, that ant doesn't eat that winter either. So everybody has
to–to work.

⁴⁸
We got so many things we have to do, so much responsibility that we
have to face. Everybody's got to face a certain responsibility.
When you–when you come to–to choose your wife, to get married, or
choose your husband, you–you've got to take a responsibility. And then
you must remember… Maybe you build a home; it's a nice pretty home.
And then remember, as a married woman you got to think of the
responsibility of raising children. And you got to think that them
pretty slick walls is going to have little, dirty hand prints all over
them. Then you got the responsibility of educating your children. You
got the responsibility of clothing and feeding. Everything is a
responsibility. And so easy when responsibilities face us to shirk from
them. And we find out that marriage is a responsibility in all manners.
Even many times we find–this is hard to say, but it's true–that
ministers many time shirk a responsibility for standing for the true
Word of God when they're confronted with It. They'll shirk that
responsibility. When Truth of the Word of God is brought face to face
with we human beings, we have–we're prone to shirk back until the last
resource.

⁵²
I just got through talking to my little nephew up there. He's a
Catholic, and he… And I baptized that boy in the Name of Jesus Christ
here a few years ago, and he got with some little girl and turned
Catholic. And I held his mother's hand while she was dying over there.
She said to me, the last words, "Take care of Melvin." And he's just
been dreaming dreams. He just can't… Every–everyday the last week
he's been dreaming dreams. Said, "I'd walk into your church, Uncle
Bill; you was standing there preaching; I'd run up to start to make a
confession; I'd wake up." He said, "I–I been wrong."
I said, "Melvin, you don't need no interpretation for that. Your place is down there where you belong." And that's right. See?

⁵³
But to face up to responsibility, sometimes it takes the very hide off
of us to do that. As a father to face up the responsibility to give
your child a whipping. Them little fellows, you don't want to do that.
But as a father or mother you've got to face the responsibility of
raising that child, because the Bible said, "Spare the rod and you'll
spoil your son." And that still stands good in the sight of every
psychologist there is in the world. That still remains God's Truth. If
there'd been more of that practiced, we wouldn't have had so much
juvenile delinquency and stuff, and the rot that we got in the world
today. But the old golden rule of the home's been broken long time ago,
and they let the kids do whatever they want to.

⁵⁴
But even as I said, ministers, they'll come face to face with Truth,
and then walk away from it. See, they're–they're just have–just seems
like there's something that they–they don't want to face up to it.
Many time out there people come, say, "I know that's right, Brother
Branham, but if I did that, they'd kick me out of the church." What of
it? If you don't, they're going to kick you out up there, so you–you
got to be kicked out somewhere. See? So you might as well face up to
it. Instead of running from it and say, "Well, I'll go over here; I
won't go back." Go back, sure, listen to some more of it. Search the
Scriptures. Jesus said, "Search the Scripture for in Them you think you
have Eternal Life, and They are They that testify of Me." But we find
that people won't face up with that.
Being brought to–into the Presence of God and see when God made a
promise, and God is obligated to that promise, and when He brings that
promise to pass, then people are afraid to face up to the
responsibility of coping with the Message of the hour. We find that
everywhere.

⁵⁷
How about you Lutherans? How many Lutherans was afraid to–people was
afraid to face up to Luther's truth when he come forth with
justification? Look what it cost you, maybe your own life to come out
and confess Jesus Christ and–and become a–a Lutheran.
Looked at you Methodists, how it used to be you all were called
holy-rollers; I guess you knowed that. And they'd get under the Spirit
and jerk back and forth. And they said they–they had the jerks. The
Meth… That… No, that ain't Pentecostals; that was Methodists longs
years ago. And they jerked, and shook, and fell under the power of God.
And they throwed water in their faces and fanned them with fans,
thought they'd passed out. And now, you were considered a bunch of
holy-rollers. But you had… Your mothers and fathers had to either
accept it, face up to the truth and facts, or turned her down.

⁵⁹
What about you Pentecostals that received the restoration of the gifts?
When the baptism of the Holy Ghost come out with speaking in tongues
and the gifts of the Spirit coming back in the church, why the
Methodists wanted to kick you out, and they did do it. But you had to
face up to it. It's something you had to do.
What about the issue when it come out about the baptism in the Name of
Jesus Christ and you saw it was the truth? You have to face up to it or
do something about it. You've got a responsibility; everybody has. And
you must face up to these things. All right.

⁶⁰
And when you see then in this day now when the Word of God has made
these promises of things that we see happening now, then we've got the
responsibility to either face up to it or get away from it. You have…
You just can't stay neutral; you've got to do something about it.
Said… Some move's got to be made. You can't come in that church door
and go out the same person you come in. You're either further away or
closer to God every time you come in or go out there.
Oh, how easy it is for people to shirk these things. And I want us to
think of these when we start into the official services tomorrow night,
that I want you to notice when something is confronted, if you–if
there's a question about it… If there's a question about it, there's
got to be an answer.

⁶²
Say for instance I said I was going west, and you pointed me this
a-way. Well, the first thing you know, I run plumb a-passed my target.
And I'm too–I'm northwest. Well, what if somebody points me down this
way, and I go that way. I'll pass my target again; I went southwest.
Well, as long as there's a question of which was is west, there's got
to be a direct answer somewhere. And when these questions confront us
about the Bible truths, there's got to be the right answer somewhere.
That's right; it's got to be there.
And when we see something presented, I think instead of just running
away, say, "Oh, nonsense, I couldn't believe a thing like that; I
couldn't believe that," why don't you take the Bible and set down and
face up to it. Study It. You're here in the meeting now; just look it
over. Check it out yourself with the Word; check the Word by the Word.
That's the only way to make It tell the Truth. And It must tell the
Truth from Genesis to Revelation.
Christ is the revelation of the whole Bible. In Him, Christ, all the
Fullness–fulfilling of all the prophecies of the Bible is met
unconditionally in Christ Jesus, 'cause He was God manifested in the
flesh.

⁶⁵
Now, when we find these things though, when we're confronted and come
into a meeting, and see the power of God moving and doing things, and
doing supernatural works, and see it performed, and look in the Bible
and see that it's promised for this hour; then when we see those
things, then we are confronted with a responsibility to either accept
it, I mean, as for ourselves…
Now, many people sympathize; many people say it's right. But that
don't–that don't make it what–that ain't the thing that you're
responsible for.

⁶⁷
As I've said… What if I–if I was a young man and looking for a wife,
to be married, and here stood a girl that met every qualification that
I thought it took to make a woman, why, morally she was a queen, and
lovely, and–and a fine personality, a real Christian, everything that
I could think of to make me a good wife; no matter how much I think
she's perfect, she's exactly right, she isn't mine till I accept her
and the responsibility of her being my wife.
That's the same thing the Message is. You might say it's right or this,
that, or the other, and say, "I sympathize with it; I believe it's the
Truth," but you've got to accept it; and it's got to become a part of
you and you a part of it. You've got… Then it's yours.
When you marry this certain woman that you have chosen you are–you are
one then. And that's the way you are with Christ. When you see Him
manifested and made real, then you are part of Him, and He's part of
you; and together you're part of the Message.

⁷⁰
Oh, how many denominational ships have we got going down to Tarshish
for the Jonahs of these days: nine hundred of them, something, a ship
that takes the easy route. Don't want to face up to it. Jonah didn't
want to face up the thing of going to the Gentiles. He didn't want to
take that cruel message over there: "Within forty days you'll perish if
you don't repent." He hated to do that, and he thought, "Them Gentiles,
it's hard to tell what they'll do to me." But he had to face up to it.
See? But he took a easy ship and went down to Tarshish, went down in
the hull of the ship and went to sleep: took the easy route, the easy
way.

⁷¹
It's a popular way with the people. It's easy to take the way where
everybody can pat you on the back and say you're a good fellow, and,
"This is So-and-so, and certain…" and the world will look upon you.
It's easy to go the popular way. But when–when you have to do
something different, when you have to stand to your conviction of what
you know to be the Truth, there's where the hard part; that's the rub
comes, right there.
Oh, as we've often sang that old song:

But, oh, let the waves begin to blow; let–let the wind blow and whip up the waves, then what do you do?
Something like I was told one time that the lady said back in the horse
and buggy days that–that said. The horse run away with her going from
church. Said, "What'd did you do?"
Said, "I trusted the Lord until the lines broke." Well, that's the time
to trust the Lord, after every–after the lines is broke. You're
trusting in the lines until they're broke. Yes.

⁷⁵
And so we find out that we have many easy ways to go, ships going down
to Tarshish, for it's easy. The unresponsibilities, it just flows in;
you have everything coming, everybody likes you, and everybody–nobody
disagree with you, you disagree with nobody; now, if that ain't a
dishrag (That's right. Yes.), push over, flop over. Why, anybody, I
don't care who you are and what you're standing for… Actually, decent
thinking people will think more of you if you'll stand for your
conviction of what's right. That's right.

⁷⁶
Don't care… You take a woman, she might be ever, not very attractive
and whatever she is, but you let that woman stand for principles of
womanhood, let her stand like a lady, and if a man's got a ounce of man
about him, he'll take up for her. Absolutely, we appreciate something
that–that somebody's got that they believe that it's the truth and
will stand for what they think is right.
How wishy-washy, that's what. Too many Christians today are so
soft-soaped and everything until they think all they do is join a
church, go in somewhere, put their name on a book, or do a little
something, jump up-and-down, shout or–or something like that and call
it Christianity. Christianity's a everyday, rugged life living for God
in the–this present world. It's a constant burning of the fire and
love of God in the heart that sets you afire and puts you out yonder
with the people and making converts to Christ.

⁷⁸
Responsibility… But it's easy to go the way the world goes. It's easy
to flow down the stream. Go out there and set down in the river with
your boat. You get your oars and start pulling up against the current;
you don't make much time and it goes hard, but you just once let loose
the oars and watch how fast you pass trees going down. But look where
you're going. When things are floating easy, remember, you're going
towards a–a great cataract down there of some sort; you're going
towards the falls. And it won't be long till you'll be going over that
falls, just floating with the world, easy, the way it goes. You don't
want that. No, sir. But you must accept your responsibility.
Now, you believe it and you–you think it's the Truth…

⁸⁰
And the responsibility that God has given us in this day to bring this
Message… And as I get older and I know my days are shortening up, I
feel the responsibility greater than I ever felt: press it on. We must
do it. We must get down to it in our–everywhere we go and tell the
Message and–and tell the people that Jesus Christ is coming, that He's
God and He's coming soon. There's not a–not a hope left in the world
but the coming of the Lord.

⁸¹
Looking back there at some friends that was with me up there when the
Angel of the Lord… These boys setting here, I believe they found the
place where it happened up there. And just remember what the Lord said
that day to Brother Wood when we was walking up the hill. And–and he
was kinda weeping because of his wife being sick. And the Lord said,
"Pick up that rock, and throw it up in the air, and say THUS SAITH THE
LORD." And I did that. And Brother Wood is setting as a witness.
And I said, "Brother Wood, it won't be long till you're going to see
something happen." And the next day when we were standing there, all of
us together… And a bunch of the men standing right here tonight…

⁸³
A young preacher was there, and he was a… I noticed… I just met him
the night before; he was in our camp. He come up to be with us. And he
said to me; he said, "Brother Branham, do you ever see visions out like
this?"
I said, "Yes, sir. But I come out here to get away from it, to kinda
rest a little bit." He said… "Well," I said, "of course He shows me
things out here." And I said, "Just over the hill here where the Seven
Angels appeared down in there."
He said, "Yeah, I understand." Said, "I was one of the sponsors on your meeting over in California."
I said, "Well, I'm certainly glad to know that."
And while standing there, just then I looked around and I seen kind of
a heavy-set doctor looking into his eyes, and I heard him say, "You're
going to lose that eye, because there's a allergy in there. And I've
doctored it for two years, and you're going to lose that eye." I said,"
Reason you ask me that, because your doctor told you the other day you
was going to lose that eye."
And he said, "That's right."
And he looked around like that, and I seen his mother take off one of
her stockings and hold her foot out with little tumors hanging down
between her toes, up-and-down her leg and said, "If you see Brother
Branham, tell him to pray for this." And I said, "Your mother hand
her–stuck her foot out like that and said she had–she's got little
tumors all over her–her toes and like that, and said, 'Have Brother
Branham pray.'"
He said, "Brother Branham, that's the truth."
And I looked back, and when I did, I seen him standing there looking at
me like that with his eyes just as bright. I met him this fall; he had
better eyes than anybody in the camp. The Lord had healed him and made
him well.

⁸⁸
While I was standing there the Lord said–showed me what was going to
happen: "Judgment's fixing to strike the west coast." And He said, "Get
over there beside that fireplace."
And I had a shovel in my hand, walked over there… Brother Roy
Roberson, all of us know him here; he's not here tonight as I know of;
he's in Arizona out there. He's the chairman of the trustees here. And
I knowed him being a veteran. And something was going to happen. A
real, pretty, still morning about ten o'clock in the morning, and the
boys all around there, ten or twelve of us, letting down tents, and
skinning out pigs, and things. So we, I walked around, said, "Roy, hide
quick. Something is fixing to happen." I couldn't tell him no more. And
just the time I got over there…
And coming down from the heavens come the whirlwind of God and clapped
like, shook the hill, run inside of that mountain, cut a streak plumb
around it about five feet above my head, and cut all the tops of them
trees off as the rocks went out, went up in the air and come down again
with another big baptism, and struck across the mountain, and throwed
the rocks out like that. Did it three times, then went up in the air.
And Brother Banks come over to me and, "Is that what you said yesterday?"
I said, "Yes, sir; that's exactly it." See? And then two days after
that Alaska sunk almost up there. And up and down that west coast has
been thunders and pushings and everything happening. And one of these
days she's going to slide beneath the ocean. That's right. What is it?
We're living in the hour of the coming of the Lord.

⁹¹
And we see isms and things rising up and all these different things; we
know there's got to be a true answer to this. There's people out yonder
in the country now going into caves and things. "On the 16th of March
(you've read it in the paper) the Lord's coming." You know that isn't
so. Jesus said, "No man knows the minute or hour."
When we see all of these things and things taking place the way they
are, there's got to be a true answer somewhere. There's got to be a
Truth. There's one east and one west, but there's–one southeast and
northwest or something, but there's got to be a true answer somewhere
to the problem.

⁹³
Shirk this? We must tell the people that we're living in the hours of
the coming of the Son of God. We want–want to watch and God… Be on
the move all the time, ready to give a man a correct answer.
It's always been that way. It's–it's been men has shirked and went
away from God every since Adam in the garden of Eden. When Adam was in
the garden of Eden, when he come to the responsibility to make his
choice: Would he stay with God or go with his wife? He had to make
that–he made to make that… The responsibility was up to him. He
either had to take what his wife said or what God said. And when he
chose to go the way of his wife… And when he did that, then he lost
his original condition and brought the whole world subject to death.
When he had to take the responsibility of either accepting a new light
that his wife had found which was contrary… Oh, God. Think of it. God
only give them about eight or ten words to keep: "But of that tree thou
shall not eat." That's all they had to keep. And even with just that
much word, they broke it. Then Adam had to face up, "Will I–will I do
as my wife has said do, or shall I do what God said do?" Then he walked
out with his eyes open. He'd had to take the responsibility. That
throwed the whole human race unto death.

⁹⁵
Then there come that other Adam which was Christ, not a One like Him.
Somebody say He wasn't God. His uniqueness proved He was God. There
never was a creature lived like Him. He lived in a world to Himself. He
was borned outside of the realm of the natural…?… Hallelujah. He
was the Creator Himself made flesh. Who could ever stand where He
stood? Who ever talked like Him? Who could ever say the things that He
said? Who could ever do the things that He done? His uniqueness proved
He was God. There wasn't a prophet or nothing else could do what He
done, Who could call the dead back from the grave, and Who could stop
the skies, and do anything He wanted to do. He was God. Who could ever
stand in His place? Who–what could He be but that perfect, immortal
God made flesh and dwelt among us.

⁹⁶
Nothing ever compared with Him. He lived in a world to Himself. No man
ever spake like Him. When He just opened His mouth, there was something
about it. Something was different from anybody else. Somebody said He
was just an ordinary man. I defy that. He was God; that's what He was.
For no man ever spoke like Him; no man could speak like Him; because He
was the living Word Itself made flesh, the manifestation of the
Fullness of God.
I will admit them prophets had their message. They had them then; they
have them now. But there was the Fullness of the Godhead bodily
manifested there. He was the unique One, and He was the One that had to
face the issue with all of His great powers that He had. And He
could've absolutely been the King of the world. He will be and He–to
His saints He is now.

⁹⁸
He stood there. What man would be poor, didn't have a place to lay His
head, that even knowed where a fish swallowed a coin. Who, what man
could take them big jugs of water and turn them to wine and not have a
place to lay His head? He had to face up to the responsibilities that
had been given into His hands. What man that–could raise a man out of
the grave after he'd been dead four days and rotten? Could He not have
saved Hisself? Sure He could, but if He did He'd have not saved us. He
had to face up to the responsibilities. And because of His obedience to
the Word, where Adam's disobedience, and he took the short cut, the way
down to Tarshish, but Jesus took the way to Nineveh to the Gentiles to
get Hisself a Bride. I'm glad that He did it tonight. And we ought to
face up to the facts that we belong to Him and take the world away.
Amen.

⁹⁹
Every man had to face up to that, has got a responsibility before God.
We just take for instance Noah, he had… Noah, Moses, Elijah, and all
the rest of them of every age, had to face up to the responsibility.
And they had to do it. But that's the reason they were sent in the
hour…
Look at Noah in his scientific age, how he had to face up to a thing
that was so unscientific. Why, there wasn't a–a reason why it couldn't
be unscientific. See? It–it was unscientific, rather. Why, they said
it's going to rain out of the skies. They… Never had rained a drop
out of the heavens. Well now, he had to face up to it. God said it was
going to rain.

¹⁰¹
And then he… Then faith without works is dead. If you say, "I believe
it," and don't make no act… Just like the Message. If you say, "I
believe it," don't make no act, what good does it do? See? Noah went to
work with his hammer and built an ark to confirm what he was talking
about. That's what we have to do too. We have to go to work and prove
our faith by our works. Our works proves our faith.
Moses had to do it, and Elijah had to do it. Every prophet in his age
had to stand up and face these responsibilities. But many of them
didn't do like Jonah. He run; they didn't.

¹⁰³
Notice. Cry out against it. Oh, my. There it is; that's the subject.
Cry out against it. There's the check part. He was going to have and
tell those fellows, "Say, I come to join up with you guys. You know, I
believe, I'll tell you what I'll do; I've got just a little thing here
I believe I can make it a–bring us all together, and do this, that, or
the other," but it was cry out against it. When you have to cry out
against something… Now, he had to cry out against everything that was
down there, cry out against the city, cry out against their work, cry
out against their church, cry out against their prophet, cry out
against their ministers, cry out against their priests; cry against it,
the whole thing, cry out against it.
Noah cried out against his age (Sure he did.), up against the churches
of his age. Moses must–certainly did cry out against his–his age–the
people, the priests, and so forth. He cried all the way through the
wilderness. And every junction he cried, continually crying to the
people. Elijah was very unpopular in his day because he cried out
against that age. Certainly was.

¹⁰⁵
John the Baptist was very unpopular in his age. He cried out against
his age. He said to the king, the–the potentate of the–of the land…
He–he had–he married his brother's wife. He had to preach on marriage
and divorce one morning. So he cried out against it; he said, "It's not
lawful for you to have her." It cost him his head to be cut off later,
but he cried out, and he stood to his post of duty. He never took a
ship to Tarshish and said, "Well, I'll agree with you, Herod. It's all
right. As long as you think she's a nice woman, she's making you a nice
wife, go ahead." Oh, mercy. Them dishrags. You see? Just–just every
little thing… Why, it's nothing but to clean dirty plates with.

¹⁰⁶
But notice. John wasn't that way. He faced right up to it. He said, "It
is not lawful for you to have her." Yes, sir. And he stood out against
it.
They never run; John didn't; they stood and faced the fact. Moses tried
to run one time like Jonah, but God brought him back. Many of them
tried to get away from it; they'd start… But look, if God has called
you and you are sure that God's in the Message, there's nothing going
to turn you back. It didn't turn Jonah. No, sir.

¹⁰⁸
Amos of old cried out, said, "The lion has roared; who can but fear?
And God has spake; who can but prophesy? Who can but prophesy?" When
you see God speaks and said a certain thing will happen, and there it
is…
A lion roars, everybody's scared. Yes, sir. If you ever heard one roar
in the jungle… You hear these meowing around these cages out here,
them tame lions, but you ought to hear a real wild one roar one time.
The rocks will fall off the hill five hundred yards away. I don't see
where all that belch comes out of them lungs that… He throws his head
down, throws that fur up; I never heard anything… Like a–a cannon
going off when he belches out that big roar in his lungs. Who couldn't
be scared? They say if you're ever killed by a lion, it's painless. He
scares you to death 'fore he gets to you. See, you–you don't notice
it. He scares you with that great ferocious roar, and here he is on you
in a split second.

¹¹⁰
He said, "The lion has roared; who can but fear? And God has spoke; who
can but prophesy? When you see God doing something… You say, I might
not be a prophet… Jonah said… "I might not be a prophet or the son
of a prophet; but God has spoke, who can but prophesy?"
I might not be a prophet; I might not be this, that, or the other; when
I see God doing anything and I see in here in the Word, and He promised
it, who can hold their peace and keep still. Sure, He's done it.
Neither can we hide behind creeds, and all these here fellowships,
and–down to–to Tarshish; we don't want to go them fellowships.

¹¹³
But many like Adam, do the same thing, try to make a substitute in some
way, try to find a way out, and–and make a substitute to face God
after they know in the wrong, faced up to the truth, went on with his
wife and did exactly what God told him not to do. He went right ahead
and did it anyhow. And then he found hisself naked, she and he both in
the garden of Eden. Their eyes come open; they knowed what was right
and wrong then. And then he tried to find a substitute to kinda cover
himself up with it. Now, that's just about the way we do today, an
excuse, say, "Well, I tell you; if it was here or if this…" or, "If,
if, if;" that's just it. See, but you must face up to it. It's either
right or wrong. And if it's right, let's stay by it. If it's wrong, get
away from it. That's all. Get what–find out what is right. You don't
want to wait any longer. Let's find out now what's Truth and what's
right and stay with it. We know that's truth.

¹¹⁴ Now, we find today that our people are so… It seems like all the sincerity has gone out of the churches.
I…
In the… We're living in the house there of a precious sister that
comes to this church; she's probably setting here tonight. And she
rents it out to her–the people; and she's just been so sweet to us
about that place, about letting us have that place. And so I'd call her
name, but she might not want me to do it. And she's been so sweet to
us, well, we certainly wouldn't–wouldn't want to expose her. But she's
been a very, very dear woman. And in the house there was a television
over in one side. We got a little–two duplex. I got a big family, a
bunch of youngin's, and we–and you–you know, and they have beds and
plenty of them. And everything piled up on top, and we have to walk
through this and through that to get in and out.

¹¹⁶
And then over there they had a television. And in this television these
kids got to watching on Sunday morning some kind of hymn singing that
come on. And you know, it–it would almost make you ashamed if there
wasn't a genuine Christianity somewhere that you could put your hands
on, to see what's called Christianity. Why, it seems like all the
sincerity's gone out of it. Why, they don't–they don't seem to… Why,
it's just terrible the way they stand there and draw their fist and
fight one another on there, and try to sing hymns and everything like
that, and pull jokes that hardly would–a sailor would pull, and then
say all kinds of things, and kid and go on. You know the sacredness
of–of–of Christianity has seemed to lose its place.

¹¹⁷
Now, I go to church and–and see the pastor get up there and announce
that the–there's going to be a–a swimming bee. All the women in these
bathing suits, they're all going out there. They're going to have a
contest, these women, swimming. And they're going to have a–a party of
some sort, and they're going to fry up a lot of–of chicken, and play
bunco, and–and all these things like that. To me that takes the
genuine sincerity out of Christianity. Just get by with anything.

¹¹⁸
I seen… Coming up here… We find out… You know, we find more of
our sisters wearing shorts up here in this cold country than you find
out there in that hot country. See? It's true. Out there where it's
really hot there's not too many of them that wear them. But here
where–where it's cold they–they do it. See, it's… They don't
realize it's the devil doing that. See? Now, if it was to be
comfortable, if it was to help yourself, it'd be different. Be men. I
think it looks sickly on a man. But it–but… Yeah, yeah, You… You'd
wouldn't pay no attention to a man. But the lady, her–her body is
sacred, and she must keep it that way. And to see old…

¹¹⁹
If you can see people today… There's two spirits; and One of them is
the Holy Spirit; the other one's a unholy spirit, and one's governed by
that. And both of them religious, now, that's the strange part; they're
both religious. And just like Esau and Jacob was, both religious; like
Cain and Abel was, both religious; like Judas and Jesus was, both
religion–both religious… And we see it today, both sides religious.
See, it's the same spirit. The people die, but the spirit doesn't die;
it goes right on. Both religious, one of them is possessed with the
Holy Spirit that lives the kind of life that they should live and walk
godly and honest. They wouldn't beat you out of a penny, and
they'd–they'd do everything honest that they could to help you, and
the others just will–just as nice as they can be. And the others we
find out it's just vice versa, and yet both of them are religious
spirits. Two of them, one Holy Spirit and the other a unholy spirit.
And we–if you notice it'll… Even though claiming religion, they'll
make fun of you and call you a holy-roller; they do anything they can.
A…

¹²⁰
They ignoring the–the unchanging Word of God as though It never had
been written. See, you can say, "Now, looky here, if–if the baptism…
I have the Holy Spirit." And stand there with that cigar in your hand
smoking? "Yes, I have the Holy Spirit. I don't think it's wrong to take
a little drink. I don't think it…" See? And did you notice, "I don't
think?" But God thinks different, you see, of course, to His Word. See?
See, they–and they–they just simply as much as–as spit on It. That's
exactly right.

¹²¹
Just as much as this little, old, crippled guy that crawled out that
time when David was being excommunicated from his throne… He was
going up on the Mount of Olives, going out weeping as he went up,
looking back. And this little, old fellow crawled out there and was
spitting on him. And that guard said, "I'll let the–that dog's head
stay on him and spit on my king."
David said, "Let him alone." See, they spit on him. About eight hundred
years later they spit on his Son Jesus Christ too. And today they spit
on Him again as if there wasn't even…?… irreverent, unconcerned,
just turn up their head, and walk away from it, and laugh in your face.
Why is it? They're on a ship to Tarshish that's exactly.
Because of God you cry out against evil, cry out against sin, cry against the things that's wrong.
Now, remember, it'll be… Say, you know, this time, you know, I'm two
hours difference. In Tucson it's just ten minutes after seven. I…
That… I'm getting kinda–kinda out of my place here. All right.

¹²³
Now, remember, we're going to have to answer for it. Remember those who
spit on Christ answered for it. When David returned back from his
exile–when he was a fugitive–and when he returned back, remember this
fellow fell on his face and cried out for mercy. He spit on David going
out, but he was almost ready to bathe his feet with tears and–when he
returned back. And someday those who pierced Jesus will see it, and
those who are piercing Him today will see it also. They… Someday
it'll come back. Remember Revelations 22, He requires us to keep every
word that He has written, every word.

¹²⁴
Now, we know His Presence are here. It's vindicated. We are having it.
We're trusting in this coming week it'll continue to be vindicated
among us, the sick will be healed and great things will be taking
place. We don't want the popular idea; we want the Truth. And we
don't–we want–don't want to… We don't want to face up to nothing
but what God has said is the Truth. But be sure that your sins will
always find you out. If it doesn't here, it'll get you at the judgment.
So you're–you're… It's going to catch you somewhere. Now, that's
true.
But if–if you are a true Christian, truly called like Jonah was, God's
already got your fare paid. Get off of that ship going to Tarshish
anyhow. God predestinated you to this life. Yes, sir. If you're a true,
called child of God, come to Christ. Come into the fullness of Him.
Your way's paid to where? It's paid to Nineveh, not to Tarshish. You're
predestinated. Your ship… There's a ship leaving right now on its
road. So there's only one thing to do is get on it. And if you was like
God… You'll never have no peace.

¹²⁶
Like my little nephew awhile ago, about ten years now he's went from
pillar to post, some morning he goes to this church, this Catholic
church down here and take this one because what some holy father he
talks about over here, and somebody over here, and some over here. What
does it all amount to? See? And now he's still hungering and thirsting.
I said, "Your place is at the altar down there, son." See? There's no
way of getting out of it. When God ever takes out after you, you just
might as well give up and go on; that's all.

¹²⁷
Remember God–God was in the boat; God was in the storm; God was in the
fish; everywhere he turned, God was there. See? God's there. And He'll
just keep haunting at you. So why do we wait any longer? Let's just
start this revival right. That's right. What you waiting on? We believe
that the coming of the Lord is at hand, and He's going to have a Bride,
and it ready. And we don't want no ships to any Tarshish. We're going
to Nineveh; we're going to glory. Amen. That's right. We're going where
God's going to bless, and that's what we want to do.

¹²⁸
Lay out in the Presence of God then with our hearts, not our–our hands
so much, but our hearts before God until He's seasoned us through and
through like that with the rays of His glory and baked into us His–His
goodness, and ripened that which we have got into reality (See?) to
where we can show others that Jesus Christ lives. Oh, my. We want to be
that.

¹²⁹
And remember, where Jonah went, God was in the boat; and God was in the
storm; God was in the fish. He went on being right along with Jonah
until His perfect will was done. That's right. And if He's ever after
you, you might dodge over here and dodge over there, but you'll be
miserable until you come back and do the thing you started out for Him
to do at the first place. See? Don't go run from the Presence of God.
Face up to it. You believe it's the Truth; then let… If it is the
Truth, it's worth living for, dying for, anything else. And if He's
ever vindicated it to you that it is the Truth, then we can't run from
it nowhere; He'll be right there just the same. You can't do it.

¹³⁰
By His provided prophet, the one that He ordained to go down there and
call that message… Now, looked like He could've sent another prophet,
but He ordained Jonah. And even Elijah wouldn't have done. Jeremiah
wouldn't have done. Moses wouldn't have done. It was Jonah had to go to
Nineveh. That's all there was to it. He commissioned him and told him
to go. And when He says go there, "Jonah, go to Nineveh," nobody else
can go do that but Jonah. And when God tells you something, you've got
to do it. Nobody else… See, we just have to face up to it and–and go
do it.
We believe that we're living in the hour that when God is a-doing
something. We believe that we're living among them now. I believe
tonight I'm preaching to that congregation that's–that's laying,
waiting out there just to get ripe. I–I really believe that with all
my heart. I would say it's the same now as it's always been.

¹³²
Now, we believe that the hour has come that St. John 14:12 must be
fulfilled. We–we believe that Malachi 4 must be fulfilled. We believe
that Luke 17:30 must be fulfilled. We believe that all these prophecies
that He said would come to pass in this day, we believe they must be
fulfilled. And we believe we're seeing them fulfilled right now. That's
exactly right.
Stop running; don't get out of His Presence; just move up into His
Presence. That's right. And I know that's what you're desiring to do,
'cause I seen license out there from Texas, and Louisiana, and
everywhere. That's what we're here for, is not to run from His
Presence, but to run into His Presence. Come back; get off the… [Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.]…
been a Jonah, if you've been wondering which way to go or what to do,
come on, get on the ship with us tonight. We're going down to Tarshish
to cry out–Nineveh to cry out. We'll let that Tarshish ship go on down
if they want to. We've got a duty before God; that's a Message that
we're responsible for.

¹³⁴
So in this coming week, just a little prelude tonight to let you know
what I'm crying out. I'm solely responsible for a Message brethren. You
ministers setting here, I'm not here to hurt your feelings. And you
women and men on this marriage and divorce case coming up, I want you
to remember tonight–I've said all this to get this to you–that I am
responsible only to God. And then again, I'm responsible to you to tell
you the Truth. And I'm not going to tell you nothing but the Truth as
long as God lets me know what Truth is. Until I know the Truth, I won't
say nothing about it. And I won't say nothing about it. But I do
believe that God shows me the truth on marriage and divorce. And I–I
trust that He'll let me bring it out.

¹³⁵
And other messages I aim to have this week is, "Who is this
Melchisedec?" "Where Did God Choose to Put His Name?," and few of those
things like that, which are messages coming up. And "Birth Pains,"
and–and a few things that's on–on that order. And complementary to a
man choosing his wife, and a few things of them messages I want to
bring up this week. But I just want the congregation, where if there'd
be a minister here… I'm not here, my brethren… I don't want you
to… Or some of you members go back to your church and say, "Brother
Branham said thus and thus."
I am duty-bound to a Message that's been given to me from Almighty God.
And as I stand here tonight, and God knows that's true, that right down
on this river… There's people perhaps setting here when that Angel of
the Lord come down there and told me what He did right there in 1933,
right there on this Spring Street here. If you're a stranger here,
drive right out corner of Spring Street there where you hit the river;
and there's where it happened. That's been in 1933. It's probably been
about thirty-two years ago then. Oh, it's been thirty–been
thirty–thirty-two years ago–thirty-two years ago. And how that He's
brought that right down, everything. And we've went out, and bringing
the Message, and seen the sick healed, the blind, and–and the
crippled, and lame, and halt, and everything, and then see even the
dead that we know that's been verified raised up from the dead. There's
people die and raise right back to life again, and all these things.

¹³⁷
If a Message goes forth, there's signs and wonders, and you still see
that same old school of thought that you come up with, that didn't come
from God. God don't just have to do… And God is trying to get your
attention attracted to something.
And then, when Jesus went down there, He started healing the sick and
doing great works and things. He always–He… Jesus did it. And Moses
and Jesus done it, and the rest of them. And when He was here He did
it, and He's doing it, the same thing today. When He sends forth a
meeting like that revivals and starts a meeting in the earth, and
starts a moving along with these great signs and wonders, and then you
see come back that same old school of teaching, there–there's
something wrong there somewhere. There's something new coming forth.

¹³⁹
When Jesus came out after when… "He's a fine rabbi." He could go to
any pulpit and preach when He was healing the sick. When… Oh, they
liked to have Him over there. But one day when He set down and said, "I
and My Father are One," brother, He wasn't so popular after that. When
He said, "Except you eat My flesh and drink My blood, you have no Life
in you; but he that eats My flesh and drinks My blood has Everlasting
Life; and I'll raise him up at the last day." then He wasn't so popular
from then.
Said, "This man's a vampire. This man's a Beelzebub. That's the way he
done them things. He could tell fortunes. He looked through the–their
minds and perceived their thoughts. He's a fortuneteller." But what
was, He–He was the Word of God made manifest for that hour. And He was
duty-bound.
He said, "I do always that which is pleasing to My Father." God help us
to do the same thing: do that which is pleasing to the Father.
And I hope you all will understand. If you disagree with me on these
messages and things, that–you'll remember, at least have this respect,
that I have a responsibility, and I'm not going to Tarshish. I'm on my
road to Nineveh. And I–I got to cry out. The Lord bless you all.

¹⁴²
Let us bow our heads now just a moment. It's almost nine-thirty; I
don't want to keep you, but I want to find this if I can tonight: Is
there some here that–that just isn't exactly where you should be in
Christ, but you–you'd want to be and you desire to be, would you just
raise up your hand, say, "Brother Branham, pray for me." God bless you,
just look at the hands." I–I want–I'm here, Brother Branham, to get
closer to God." If your head was raised, my–my hand's up to. That's
what I'm here for. I'm hungering like you are.
But, oh, the other day one of the most grandest things happened, and
I–I know now what to do. And I–I pray that God will give you that
clear understanding. It's there; they… If there's a question in your
mind, there's got to be an answer somewhere to answer back to that
question. My prayer is, God, let you see that question answered during
this time.
If you're sick, may God heal you. We're going to have healing services,
I guess, practically every night, and we are going to pray for the
sick. We're going to do anything that we can to help you. And you do
everything you can to help us. And we'll work together, trusting God
will give us a great meeting.

¹⁴⁵
Now, Father God, these few little cut-up words, but they're in Your
hands now, Lord; they've been said. I'll have to meet it. Just like
them words can never die, they're going around and around the earth on
a record; someday I'll have to face it right back again. I realize
this, Lord, and I say it with deepness of sincerity.
I pray, dear God, tonight for each one of these, Your children. And O
God, I trust before the week is over they'll–they'll understand that
the question that's so great in their mind tonight will be settled.
Grant it, Lord.
There's some here who doesn't know You, Father, as Saviour yet, or
maybe has never been filled with the Holy Spirit. May this be that
night.
Lord, I cannot fill nobody with the Holy Ghost; neither can I save
anybody. I can only tell them what You said: "Blessed are they that do
hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." And I
pray, God, that You'll create such a hunger in their heart. Many, Lord,
they've got to be hungry. How would they drive these hundreds of miles
through ice and everything, and over rainy mountains, and across
deserts to come to a little old place setting here on the corner. Then
I think again You said, "Where the Carcass is the eagles would be
gathered." Feed us, Lord, upon Thy Divine Manna. Give to our souls that
what we really need. We're thirsting for You, Father. We're in Your
hands now.
And let the great Holy Spirit that come down on the mountain the other
day up there, I pray that He'll saturate every heart in here with His
goodness and mercy, with understanding. We realize, Father, that's what
we need, is to understand. For if we do not know what we're doing, then
how do we know how to do it? But we must have understanding. As Daniel
said he had understanding by the prophet Jeremiah's Writing, and,
Father, we have understanding by the Holy Spirit's Writings as He will
reveal It to us in this hour. Give to us, Lord, the desires that we
have for Thee. Tenderly we ask this, Father, for Your glory in the Name
of Jesus Christ.

¹⁵⁰
And now with our heads bowed, as our sister is chording then, "He will
give me grace and glory, and go with me all the way," I want you just
to silently pray now and ask the heavenly Father that He will grant to
you tonight that what you have…
Brother dear, sister dear, He's just as close as your arm is to you.
You–you believe me in–in other things; believe me in this. He's here
to give you whatever you have need of.
Oh, for the last few weeks I've been so hungry, so thirsty, so homesick
to see you. That's the reason I said, "Billy, let's go home."
Meda said, "What do you want to go back there, that cold country again
for, Bill? You always get a sore throat and everything. You always come
out and head cold, and you're hoarse, and you can't hardly talk."
I said, "Well, I don't know." I said to her… I see my friend Charlie
Cox setting back there; and I said, "I'm just anxious to hear Charlie
say, 'That little squirrel "clim" that tree over there.' I just get so
hungry to hear it." I–I just want to–want to be around you.

¹⁵⁴
I know my Brother Banks got real sick. And I saw a vision of him here
not long ago. And he was laying on his back, and I know he come pretty
near going from us recently. And I look at the different ones of you…
I come in the other night to the Christian Business Men's meeting,
and–international; old "Pop" Shakarian, Demos' father, he used to set
there and just keep looking till I come in; then he'd smile, and that
little wave, he'd wave at me. He wasn't there; he's gone. Then I had to
come to that family with THUS SAITH THE LORD, their daughter's going to
die too: Florence. I saw her in a vision, saw her go. And I know she's
going. And I said, "Pray, just pray. You know, there's a prophet one
time was told to go tell a king to put his house in order. And he
prayed, and He spared his life fifteen years longer." I said, "Pray,
but…?…"

¹⁵⁶
You look… And I–I come back… I stood over here in a restaurant the
other day eating. A man walked up to me and said, "Aren't you Billy
Branham?"
I said, "Yes." He probably didn't know me, 'cause this–over this bald
spot on my head I was wearing this little piece of hair to keep from
getting a sore throat during this meeting. And he walked up to me; he
said, "I thought I knew you, Billy."
I said, "Yes." I said, "Who are you?"
He said, "I'm John Warman."
I said, "How's Ziff?'"
He said, "Billy, he died." Umm.

¹⁵⁸
I was coming down though the courthouse, went down to pay my taxes.
Coming down through the courthouse, and a lady hollered at me, and she
said, "Did you know John's gone?" or some name. It might not have been
John–Ed or something. And I said… I didn't know the woman; I felt
embarrassed. And come to find out, I didn't know who she was. She said,
"Do you remember one dark night when the river was up over the banks
out here and houses washing away over on Chestnut street, and you
risked your life to go into a place to get a woman and some little
children out?"
I said, "You her?"
She said, "I–I'm the lady." She begin to scream for her baby; you know
my story. She said, "That one that I called my baby is married and got
a family." See? And here she is old and gray, and here I am too. One by
one our cards go out of the rack, as it was.
And we have meetings; and I miss this one, miss that one. We all got to
come up missing one of these days, but, brother, sister, there's a
gathering place. Let's be sure now that we're right. Will you? Don't
let all our understanding of God and so forth go in vain. Let's
believe.

¹⁶¹
Father, they're in Your hands. I'm in Your hands, Lord. We're only here
in dedication now, prior to the coming meeting beginning tomorrow
night. Will You help us, Lord? May our–may our conversation be
constantly upon Thee; may our hearts and minds be stayed upon Thee. And
you said You'd keep us in perfect peace. It's also written in the
Bible, "Lean not to your own understandings." O God, we don't want our
understandings; we want Your understanding. Give them to us, O God, and
may the revival come within our souls till this pack of people will be
just one heart and one accord. Grant it, Father. Grant this things
while we pray in Jesus Christ's Name.

¹⁶²

[Brother Branham begins humming the chorus–Ed.]
O God. If there's any of you feels like you'd like to come up and kneel
down around the altar, if you'd just like to come, say, "I'm not where
I should be, Lord; I–I want to make a reconsecration. I want to do it
tonight, Lord," you're welcome to come. We'd be here to pray with you.

¹⁶³
Let's just pray, each one in your own way now. Just–just forget time.
Let's just bow our heads in His Presence. This little lady here crying
out, "I love You, Jesus." You remember when you got saved many years
ago, you remember how sweet that was to you? He's just as sweet
tonight. Let's pray. Everybody in your own way now, let's just–let's
just all consecrate ourselves to God, just dedicate ourselves over to
the Lord.

¹⁶⁴ Dear Lord Jesus, [Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.]
"Thou the Stream of all my comfort, more than life to me, Whom have I
on earth besides Thee? Or Whom in heaven but Thee?" Dear God, we pray
now that Your mercy and grace will be sent upon each and every one of
us, Lord. We're here around the altar. Many could not come up; You'll
meet them at their seat. Whatever we offer, Lord, You're willing to
receive. If we just offer You our time, You will receive it, talent,
You will receive it. But, Lord God, tonight we're going beyond that;
we're offering all we are. All that I am, all that I ever expect to be,
all is in You, Lord. We pray that You'll take this, our prayers, into
Thy heart, Lord, and give us of the great deepness of the Holy Spirit,
that our lives will be changed; for we see that we're near the end now.
Can't be too much longer. And as we see our loved ones dropping day by
day, young and old, we know soon it must knock at our door. And
tonight, Lord, while we're in our right mind, setting here, or kneeling
here, standing here, whichever position we're in, receive us, Lord God.
Take me, Lord. I ain't nothing, but whatever I am, Lord, if You can get any use out of me, I dedicate myself to You.

¹⁶⁶
I pray, dear God, for each one of these, these dear people that I stood
yonder Lord, in the mountains in Arizona and cried about. And here they
are, knelt around the altar with us tonight, praying, consecrating our
lives. We love You, Father, more than our own lives. We love You more
than our families. We love You more than wife, children, father,
mother, sister, brother, husband, wife. We love You, Lord Jesus. Make
that so real in our hearts, Lord. Pour in the oil of gladness this
week, Lord, in our souls. Give us a bathing, a washing of the Word, by
the water of the Word, dividing unto us Truth.
Many here tonight, Lord, and will be here, that's confused on these
subjects that's vital. O God, open that fountain in the house of God
that's–that's for cleansing us. I pray, God, that You'll wash us and
cleanse us in Thy Blood and make us new creatures, and give us grace
and strength to bring forth the Word of Truth in its Divine revelation
of the Being of Jesus Christ. May He appear before us, Lord. May He
come and heal our sickness, forgive our sins, fill our hungry hearts
with good tidings of great joy, the Gospel made manifest in our life.
Bless every pastor, every song leader, every Sunday school teacher.
Bless us all together, Lord, for truly we love You. And now, we're
Yours, Lord, in this dedication. In the Name of Jesus Christ use us now
according to Thy own will…?…

^167a

You love that? Let's sing again.

Does that make you feel good? How many likes to sing them old songs? I–I just love them, don't you?

Now, let's stand up now as we sing it, shake hands… one another.

Let's raise our hands up now to God.

Doesn't that make you feel wonderful? My, my. Oh, let's just raise our hands and just praise Him in our own way.

¹⁶⁸
Lord Jesus, Thou Rose of Sharon, Lily of the Valley, the Bright and
Morning Star, Fairest of ten thousands, Thou the Stream of all my life,
more than life to me, how we love You. Dear Father, oh, how we praise
Thee. Bless these, Lord, bless Your…?… Grant these things, Lord.
Grant it…?… [Brother Branham continues praising and worshipping God–Ed.]

Somehow or another I just feel we're going; there's something laying
right ahead for us. I go to…?… I believe I'm prophesying. Great
joy…?… leave…?… many sad in heart will be made… Great
mysteries will be made clear, and people who are sad will be turned
into joy.

¹⁷⁰
As John of old, when he got too old to preach, he would just set and
scream, they tell me, with all of his might, "Little children, love one
another." Love one another. Don't let nothing come among you. See? Keep
all, everything away from… You don't… No matter what it is, face up
to it. We're on our road to Nineveh. See? Don't get on that old ship of
Tarshish that takes you out of the company. Let's move right on up the
stream of God's blessing. I believe we're going to have it; I believe
our Father.

¹⁷¹
Feel better now, sister? That's fine; that's the way I like to see
children borned, that's…?… I can just think of years ago right on
these grounds how many thousands has been borned into the Kingdom of
God right on this ground. How little did we know when we was standing
with a–eighty cents in our pocket to build the church with… Oh, He
said, "I the Lord hath planted it; I'll water it day and night." And
He's done it; He's done it. God bless you.

¹⁷²
Now, when we bow our heads… Now, tomorrow night, remember, the
services will be held up at the school auditorium here, and if… We
will have somebody posted here now to show the people how to get there,
'cause new ones would be coming in.
You love Him say, "Amen." [Congregation says, "Amen"–Ed.] Oh, isn't He wonderful?
I stand down here on the bank and sing that old song:

And many I baptized that evening are over there now. When they stood
there and witnessed that Morning Star coming down out of the heavens,
circling around like that, said, "As John the Baptist was sent forth to
bring the–to forerun the first coming of Christ, your Message will
forerun the second coming." How could it be thought? But all God's
words are true. All God's words… We're living in the Presence of the
great King. God bless you.
While we bow our heads, I'm going to ask Brother Neville, our precious
pastor, to come here, dismiss us in prayer. God bless you, Brother
Neville.

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