53-0614A

Earnestly Contending For The Faith Connersville, IN

1 hr 5 min 7.9MB

^E-1
The Book of Jude. It was written A.D. 66, thirty-three years after
Pentecost, believed to be thought of as Jude the… he calls hisself
the servant, yet he was the brother (foster) of Jesus Christ.
His brothers first didn't believe on Him, but after while they did. And
Jude is a prophet. For his little short letter here, which was
recognized by the Church to be inspired… He was a prophet. And he was
foretelling here and correcting the Church.
And it was written to all the churches throughout the age, and I believe specifically to this Church of this age.

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Now, the Church is always the called out, the borned again peoples.
Whether they're Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, whatever they are,
it's the called out of God.
Now, we want to look right straight into His Word and read some of this
here and see what He would say about it, see how He'd speak to our
heart. And I want every person now, to be just… Let yourself forget
about the washing tomorrow and the things we got to do. We're here for
one purpose: worship God. We're here to learn something. And I'm here
to learn something. And I'm looking to the Holy Spirit to teach me
something this afternoon, teach me how to be a better man, teach me how
to be a better minister, and through me, teach you, how to be a better
Christian. All of us together, be a better Church, that's what we're
here for. And the Word of God is for instruction and reproof, that a
man might stand before God blameless. If we follow the blueprint well,
we'll stand blameless.

^E-3 Now, Book is Jude. And I want to read a few verses of it.

Now, if I'd call it a text, it would be this, found in the 3rd verse
and the last phrase: "Earnestly Contending For The Faith That Was Once
Delivered To The Saints."
Now, I want you to notice in Jude's address to this letter, who he's
addressing. He's addressing Christians. He's not speaking now to–to
unbelievers; he's talking directly to Christians. Now notice, "Jude,
the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are
sanctified (not to the world), to them that are sanctified in God the
Father, preserved in Jesus Christ and called." See?

^E-4
Now, he's–he's addressing to the Church, telling them, just to those
that are sanctified in God, preserved in Christ and called. Now, he
said, "Now, you're the people that I'm talking to, that you will
earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints."
Now, not the… not 'a' faith that was delivered but 'the' faith that
was delivered… Did you notice there?
"The–the faith that was once delivered to the saints," not just a
faith… Some people says, "Well, that's against my faith." I…
There's only one faith: one faith, one Lord, one God, one baptism, one
faith, one doctrine.
And now, people say, "Well, I have 'a' faith and I go to my own
church." Well, that's not what Jude's speaking to here. He's talking to
the people that's to contend for 'the' faith that was once delivered to
the saints.

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Now, the only way that we're going to ever know what's… If we can
only find out what 'the' faith is, then we can earnestly contend for
that faith. Is that right? What 'the' faith… Now, that… the faith
that was once delivered to the saints…
Now, if we'll go back to where they were first called saints and find
out what kind of a faith they had, then we'll know more or less what
they contend–what to contend for.
Now, when the Church be called–was called saints, was after they were
sanctified. The word "sanctify" or "saint" come "sanctify," meaning
"clean, pure, holy, unadulterated" and so forth. Now, if… That was
the beginning of the Church when it was inaugurated at the day of
Pentecost.

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Now, let's look what they had back there, what that Church contended
for, what they had lost. Now, just thirty-three years after the
beginning of the Church…
Now, you know Jude wouldn't be talking about back in the Old Testament
under the Levitical laws. See? 'Cause they were… this… He's a
Christian. He was talking about when the first Church was set in order,
was inaugurated on the day of Pentecost.
And now, we'll notice what kind of a faith that they had. They had a
faith in a resurrected living Christ, someone who'd rose from the dead
and was living among them, just the same as He was before He ever died.
Now, that… See, they wasn't contending for some historical affair,
but they were contending for a–a living Christ, a resurrected One Who
was in their midst.

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Now, when He rose from the dead, He done the same things after He rose
from the dead, through the apostles, that He did before He died, even
greater and more of it.
Now, "Yet a little while," He said, "and the world seeth Me no more,
yet ye shall see Me (the Church, the believer), for I'll be with you,
even in you, to the end of the world." Now, that was what the apostles
believed. And they believed that what He was in the flesh, He was also,
and more, in the Spirit. And that's what they taught. That's what they
believed. And that's what they practiced, and that's what God confirmed.
But during this time, this thirty-three years of lapse, there become
many false brethren who'd raised up, and had brought in heresies, and
brought people off to theology, and–and different things like that.

^E-8
And as Paul, I think of him laying there, when they come and told him,
this little Jew with his little hook nose, laying down there in prison,
the chains around him and around his ankles and so forth, and said,
"Well, some is preaching Christ for gain and some is turning other
disciples aside." There it begin to organize and got great
organizations and so forth.
He said, here was his credentials, "How…" said, "I have so many marks
on my body that was put there. I've been in perils upon the sea. I've
been in perils among false brethren." All these different things he
showed as marks, his credentials before God, that he'd suffered for the
cause that Christ died for.

^E-9
God help us to have that type of a credential today. And let's contend
for the faith, the true faith that was once delivered to the saints.
The saints believed in the death, burial, resurrection. They believed
in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The early Church believed it. You
believe it? Then let's contend for it.
Now, they believed in signs and wonders following the believer. Now,
they begin to fall away. The… Now, Jude said that men of old was
foreordained to do this. Now, God's sovereign. Of course, He–He knows,
"He is not willing that any should perish but all might come to
repentance." But in order to be God, He has to know, and He does know
before the thing ever come to pass, who would be saved and who would
not be saved. That's right.

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So there is some people that will not, and God knew it in the beginning
they would not. And He even raised up Pharaoh and hardened his heart
for that very cause, that He might show His power. And Esau and Jacob,
to show the election of God might stand sure… Before either child
was–when they were born, 'fore they were born, God said, "I love Jacob
and hate Esau." That's right. Before…
See, you're a Christian because God has ordained that you must be a
Christian. Now, you can turn it aside. Some… God will set somebody in
your place. But your place is setting there. If God calls you, go take
it and stay with it.

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Now, how marvelous. Earnestly contending for the faith that was once
delivered to the saints, all back in the age… Now, the very faith
that they had at the beginning is supposed to be today yet.
A very fine scholar I was having dinner with, here some time ago, E.
Stanley Jones, said, "Brother Branham," said, "I see most of your
meeting is made up of Pentecostal people."
Said, "Yes, sir."
He said, "Why so?"
I said, "They're the ones that believe."
And he said, "Well," he said, "Brother Branham, I think that Pentecost
was a scaffold." Said, "That God was going to put up a building and He
put… made Pentecost the scaffold."
"Well," I said, "that's right. I'll agree with you."
And he said, "Well, see, after the scaffold work's done, we don't need the scaffold anymore."
I said, "But the scaffold work isn't done. When the building's
completed, God will take it up. So we're still working on the
building." Amen.

^E-12
Yes, sir. We still need every step ladder, every stepping stone. We
need everything. Just exactly… The building is still in making and
when it's completed, this Gospel is preached to every kindred, tongue,
and nation, then Jesus will return. That's right.
Now, we've had plenty of passing out tracts and theology around the
world. But the Gospel is not the Bible altogether. The–the Bible…
Paul said, "The Gospel came to us not in Word only, but through power
and demonstrations of the Holy Ghost."
Then when Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to
every creature," then He meant go into all the world and demonstrate
the power of God to every creature.

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And in order to preach the Gospel, before you can make it a Gospel
preach, then you've got to have the power and demonstration of the Holy
Spirit to prove the Gospel. "The letter killeth, the Word… the letter
killeth, the Spirit maketh alive."
So it's not just a ritualistic affair, but it's absolutely a real,
living reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, living among men.
And that's the faith that I'm trying my best to contend for today; that
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever and His power is
unlimited.

^E-14
If you can limit God, you can limit Christ. And if you limit the Church
today in its possibilities, you're limiting God. "But all things
whatsoever you desire, when you pray, believe you receive it, and you
shall have it." He said that. I believe it and I know it's the truth.
Now, we think of how marvelous, how God has did these things for us and
to see in this day how it's been predicted by the prophets through the
Scriptures…

^E-15
And someone asked me, it was the same man, why did I associate myself
with Pentecostal people? Now, here's the reason. Now, I know there's
many things that I think they ought to be straightened out on in some
doctrine. That's my own opinion, they might think I ought to be too.
See?
Now, but here's one thing, that I have found the people with a living
faith, with… They have absolutely caught a hold of something, God out
there that gives them a new birth, that puts God into the person, that
makes him believe in the supernatural.
Now, if you're not borned again, you do not believe in the
supernatural. And if you do not believe in the supernatural, you
haven't been borned again. Because when you're borned again, you become
a son of God. And He will… Being a son of God, you're a nature of God.
And then you take on the things, and you want to see the moving of God,
and see God move, because you're His son, and you're made in His image,
and you're borned of His Spirit. You're a part of Him. And then you've
got faith for anything. Amen.

^E-16
Notice, how from the beginning Satan has been so close. Now, a lot of
people say today, "Oh, Brother Branham, don't you think that communism
is awful?" Yes, it's awful. But that's not the antichrist. No, sir.
Jesus said the antichrist would be so close like the real, it would
deceive the very elect if possible. It's religious people. That's where
it comes in.
Now, I want… Let's go back to the beginning, way back. Go back in the
garden of Eden, even we could go before that. But let's take the first
two boys that was borned on this earth.
Cain, first, really, he was supposed to have the birthright, but lost
it just as Esau was, just as the first church of the mother church, as
you want to call it. All the way through, lost the birthright…

^E-17
Now, Cain and Abel, when they were put out of the garden of Eden
because that death had come to their–their parents and them, both of
these boys was very religious boys.
Now, if you want to find out what day we're living in, if you want to
find out what kind of a crop's going to come up out here, go back and
find out what kind of seed you got planted. And now, Genesis is the
seed or the beginning. And how that back there in the beginning, we see
the spirits move up.

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For instance, all down through the Scripture, we think of Babylon. When
Babylon first appeared, look at it down through the Bible. Babylon
appeared back there. You know, Nimrod built Babylon. First Babylon was
called the "gates of heaven." Then it was called "confusion." And
there's where idolatry first started.
Nimrod was a son of Ham, which come on back from a son of Cain. Watch
them seeds as they come up. Watch what they bear. Watch how… actions
they take, and now, we're plumb in above the skies with it. There's…
The crop has growed up. Oh, I hope God soaks that way down deep now, so
we can get a foundation. And I see something moving up now.
Way down here in the seed, watch what it's going to go to up here. Find out where your seed's at. Now… and what it is…

^E-19
Now, Cain and Abel was both very religious men, and one of them was the
type of Christ, and the other was the antichrist. Cain was just as
religious as Abel was. Amen. Notice him.
Then many times you notice, looky here, as Cain killed Abel at the
altar, so did Judas kill Jesus at the altar, which Cain and Abel were a
type of Judas and Jesus. All down through there's a pro and con.
Look in the ark. There was a dove and there was a crow, both of them
setting on the same ark, same roost. And one of them was willing to go
up… Both of them could fly. Both of them were fowls. And one, if you
notice, it was a diet.

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When they turned the crow loose, he could fly from dead carcase to dead
carcase and eat and be satisfied. But the dove could find no rest for
the soles of her feet. She… A dove hasn't got any gall, so it
couldn't digest such.
How beautiful type of the Church… A man said, "Well, I'm a Christian,
but I can do anything I want to." Brother, it shows something
another… Man is known by his works; your fruits bear record of what
you are.
And this old crow could go from body to body, and eat dead carcase, and
feel satisfied, but the dove found no rest for the soles of her feet.
She returned back home again.

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And every man that's borned of God, you might backslide or fall out,
but if you're borned of God, you're coming back to the ark sure as
anything in the world. The Church of the living God will have to move
to the ark. You haven't got any gall. God's done took it all out when
He cleansed you up and made you a new creature in Christ Jesus.
Look at the horses. The gree–gray and grizzled, the horses. All down
through, all down to Jesus and Judas. 'Bout time Jesus come on the
scene, Judas come on the scene, and they were brothers in the same
church: One the pastor and the other one the treasurer.
And look, some people only see three crosses at Golgotha. There were
four. There was a thief on one side, thief on the other side, Jesus in
the middle. And, "Cursed is he that hangeth on a tree." Jesus was made
accursed for us hanging on a tree. And Judas hung hisself on a sycamore
tree, just as much cross as the rest of them was on.

^E-22
Now here, look. Here was the Son of God, come down from the ivory
palaces of God, made flesh and dwelled among us. Here's Judas, the son
of perdition, come from hell, returning back to hell. Here's God in
flesh, come from heaven, returning back to heaven.
There's a thief on one side, said, "Lord, remember me when You come into the Kingdom."
The other one said, "If," that question mark, whether God meant it or
not, "If Thou be the Son of God, save us." There's the Gospel preacher,
preaching across to the unbeliever. Hallelujah. There you are.

^E-23
There was Jesus returning back, taking with Him the borned again,
repented Church, and the Devil going back, taking that bunch: "If You
be a Divine healer, do this. If you be this… "If this be right… If,
if, if." Always, Satan putting a question mark across the Word of God:
"If Thou be…"
"Why, if He is a Divine healer, let Him heal this one, let Him this
one. If He be, let Him be this." If, it's always… That's with a
question mark in it.
But a real true believer believes every Word that God said is the truth, and take it the same way. There you are.

^E-24
Notice, let's get back to Cain again, and get some of the faith in the
beginning. Watch those spirits, how they begin to move. It's the spirit
of anything that does the work of it anyhow. The people have to be in
this kind of a spirit to bring the latter days. The people's in the
spirit of the latter days. The nations are in the spirit of the end
time.
They got atomic weapons, hydrogen weapons, all kinds of things, because
it's the spirit of the day. The people are in the spirit of the end
time. The Church is moving together under the power and the impact of
the Holy Spirit. And the world's running out yonder, and making fun,
scoffing, laughing, and they living like the Devil every day. It's in
the spirit of the thing.

^E-25
God's getting ready to take His, and the Devil's getting ready to take
his. Hallelujah. There's no ifs to God's Word, before the Church. They
say, "It's THUS SAITH THE LORD; we believe it." Let the world say what
they want to. They always scoffed and laughed. They come from back in
the beginning. Look how fundamental sometimes we can be without knowing
truth.
Now notice, back there in the beginning, when Cain and Abel came out of
the garden, driven out, because that there was sin. Death had separated
them from God. And God put a Cherubim, Angel with a flaming sword
around the Tree to protect that Tree of Life.

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Now, here's the tree of death. I have my idea of what it was; you can
have yours. But anyhow, that whenever they'd taken this tree, they were
going to die. But if they ever taken this Tree, they were going to live.
So, when they'd taken the tree of death, that separated them from God,
and He put an Angel around that Tree to keep them from taking It.
Because the very time that they'd taken of that Tree, they would live
forever, even knowing good from evil. Is that right? All right.
Then notice. That tree was the woman, and when they… when Adam
partaken of this, it separated him… The woman still brings the–the
life in the world; it has to die again. But the Tree of Life that was
standing in there, was Jesus Christ. When He come down there at the
Jewish feast that day, and they said, "Our fathers eat manna in the
wilderness."…
And He said, "And they're every one dead. But I am the Bread of Life
that come from heaven. If a man eat thereof, he shall never die." He
was that Tree that was in the garden of Eden.

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And just as sure as we're borned of a woman, we're full of sorrow, and
few days, and die. But every man that's borned by Jesus Christ, the Son
of God, has Everlasting Life and will be raised up again in the last
day.
But it mustn't be an impersonation; it must be a genuine Holy Ghost,
regenerated birth, that makes a new creature out of him. It can't be
just a make belief, or some theology. It must absolutely be a
supernatural birth.
Just as there was pains and groaning in the first birth of natural,
there'll have to be the same thing in the second, making a man a new
creature in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah.
Oh, don't get excited. I don't… I haven't hurt no one yet.

^E-28
Look. But here, when I see Cain, Abel… they wanted and seen… mortal
they were… how mortal. They've got to get a way. They've got to find
favor before God. And they go out and get some… different ones… get
their fruits of the field, and so forth to go make a sacrifice, to
find… to try to appease the wrath of God, the judgments of God that's
been passed upon them. Cain toiled hard, no doubt, raised a nice crop
of fruit.
Now, watch. Cain was just as religious, just as much of a gentleman, in
every respect that Abel was. Now, not by good works we are saved, but
by His mercy.

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Then they both come up to worship before God. I believe it was east of
the gate. And I believe they come right up before His Presence, there
where that flaming sword was running around the east side of the gate,
like that, guarding the Tree of Life.
Look. Here it is. I hope you get it. Just as sure as man is borned of a
woman, he has to die. It's just that sure, if he's borned of Christ,
he's got to live. He's got to live. He can't help it. He's got Eternal
Life. Christ said he had.

^E-30
Now, in that day God guarded the Tree to keep them from getting it. And
now, that sword's turned right back the other way now, running them
right into the Tree, so that they will receive the Life, driving
people, herding them up to the Tree of Life. How marvelous.
There I notice, look at this. Then when Cain come up, and he built an
altar unto the Lord; both of them did. Now, if a altar is all that God
requires, or a church membership, Cain was just as just as Abel was.
Cain built an altar, just with as good of intention as what Abel did.
Well, you say, "Brother Branham, as long my intentions is good…" No, sir. That won't do it.
"Well, I joined church with all good intentions." That still doesn't do it. Cain did too.

^E-31
And now remember, Cain wasn't an infidel. Cain was a believer. This is
going to shake the gizzard out of you. I hope it does, some of you
fundamentalists, and puts a heart in you (That's right.), a heart of
belief.
Notice. Cain was religious and a believer. He come up and built an
altar to the Lord, with just as much faith, as what Abel did. "But
there is a way that seemeth right unto a man…" Now, you'll
understand, after while, why I'm a holy-roller.
Now watch. He came up and built an altar unto the Lord with the
sincerity of his heart. And he went out and got the best fruits he had
and laid them on the altar, probably decorated the altar all up with
beautiful flowers. I could prove that in a little bit, wouldn't take me
but a minute. But beauty is one of the most deceitful things there is.

^E-32
Satan got the same idea and wanted a more beautiful kingdom than
Michael, when he went over and set up his kingdom in the north. That's
the nature of him. Here's his own boy down here with his same nature.
Cain, there he was. He goes up there and builds this altar. He goes
out, probably, and gets the great big calla lilies off of that ground
that had just recently been cursed, placed them all over the altar.
Puts you in a mind of a good–of one of these modern churches today. On
Easter, everybody comes to church. They buy a little Easter flower and
lay them on the altar, all along. God don't want the Easter flower on
the altar; He wants you on the altar. The altar was made for man, not
for flowers.

^E-33
But what's the matter today, you've took the altar out of the church,
and put it down in the basement. And the only fire you got on
the–left, is in the basement. Hallelujah. What we need's an old upper
room experience, where God pours out His Holy Ghost power and fire,
like He did in the beginning.
But all we got today is what we've got in the furnace, the iron. Pentecost is getting as bad. Now, that's the truth.
Now, I notice. Here is what God did. Cain comes up. He offers in his
offering. Now, if God only requires a church membership, Cain had it.
If God requires sincerity, Cain had it. And then if God requires a
sacrifice, Cain did it.

^E-34
And then, after he got his sacrifice, his altar, his church, everything
ready, beautiful, probably a lot more beautiful than Abel's was… But
God doesn't dwell in beauty made by hands. The beauty of holiness is
where God dwells in, where the power of the Holy Spirit… Yes.
Then notice. Then after he'd made his altar, made his sacrifice, joined
church, the sincerity of his heart… "That's a pretty good fellow,"
we'd call him today. He'd make a dandy fundamentalist. All right.
Here he comes, then he kneels down. Reason I rapped that, because
that's what I was. See? Now, notice… And I am yet fundamental, but
there is some more goes with it. Like the old colored man eating the
watermelon, said, "That was good, but there's some more of it." That's
right.

^E-35
Notice. He knelt down and he worshipped God. He had a church, a
membership. He had a altar, had an sacrifice. And he worshipped God. If
God only requires you to go to church, and to be a believer, put your
name on the book, pay into the church every year, and worship God, Cain
was just as just as Abel was, and God was–was–should be condemned for
condemning Cain. That's right.
But notice. Oh, he made things beautiful. He built a great big fine
place, I guess, and fixed it all up, ignorant enough to believe that it
was apples that took him out of the garden of Eden. I said… I say
this, not for no smutty remark, but if eating apples caused the women
to realize they were naked, it's time to pass the apples again. That's
exactly right. Yes, sir. It wasn't no more apples than nothing else.

^E-36
Notice. But here come Abel (Hallelujah.), not working, but by grace,
election, calling. Here he comes along with a little lamb he picked up
out of the flock. He had a grapevine around its neck, come dragging it
along. You say, "Did he have… How do you know it?" Well, they didn't
have any hemp, so I guess it must have been a grapevine. "Did they lead
him up there?" Yes, sir. Because that was a type of Christ, and they
led Him away to Calvary.
Here comes Abel, knowing that it wasn't apples or fruits. God didn't
dwell in beauty or a sincerity. He dwells in election and calling. So
he wraps this vine around the lamb's neck and here he comes, moving up
to the altar.

^E-37
I suppose his altar was a big rock. He takes this little fellow, throws
him back on this rock like this, takes a rock, 'cause I guess they
didn't have any lances or knives in them days, pulled his little head
back…
And there was Cain up there, just a glorifying God in his beauty. "Look
what I've done, Lord. Looky here. You know my heart. You know I'm
sincere. I'm giving You all the praise. I'm doing this. I'm doing
that," all what he's doing.
And little old Abel took that lamb, threw it back like that, got a rock in his hand, begin to chop its little throat.

^E-38
If a man ever heard a lamb die, the bleeding, bleating… I see Abel's
hands become bloody. I see the white wool hanging around that little
lamb, bloody. God looked down; He said, "That's it. You've got it."
What did it speak of? Of some nineteen hundred years later. The Lamb of
God that was slain from the foundation of the earth, was led with a
rope around His neck, up Golgotha's hill yonder. Hallelujah. They laid
Him down; they beat His body into stripes for the healing. They nailed
nails in His hands, and He stuck there between the heavens and earth,
on the Rock of ages, crying out with an unknown tongue, speaking, "Eli,
Eli." That lamb was speaking in an unknown tongue to who? To the
sacrificer.

^E-39
It was setting there before Abel. And Abel didn't know what that lamb
was doing. It was bleating out, bleating out. And the people that was
killing this Lamb, the Jews that hung Him to the cross, the
unbelievers, didn't know what He was saying. He was speaking out to the
Father, "Eli, Eli." That was Abel's Lamb, slain from the foundation of
the world, His bloody locks hanging around Him.
Billy Sunday said every tree had an angel setting in it, saying, "Pull
Your hand loose. Point Your finger; we'll change the scene."
The Jews said, "He saved others; He can't save Himself. If He's that
great Saviour, let Him save Himself, then we believe Him." Why, it was
the greatest compliment they ever paid Him. Why, He couldn't save
others, and save Hisself, so He gave Hisself to save others.
Hallelujah.

^E-40
There's God's provided sacrifice. There's the faith that was once
delivered to the saints, hanging, bleeding, bleating, dying, like
Abel's lamb.
Well, there was Cain, just as sincere, just as religious as he was,
just as much altar as he had. Look at that old spirit come right on
down through the age. Look at it come down to the children of Israel.
If you'll notice for a few moments, look at Israel when they come out
of the wilderness, in the wilderness, rather, and was getting ready to
cross. Moab wouldn't let them cross the country. Now, Moab was
believers, the Moabites. You know who it was? That generation come from
Lot's daughter's child, where they lived with their father. And one of
them, the oldest one went over, and the land of Moab come from him.

^E-41
Now, here come Israel up. Talk about bad things, look what Israel had.
Every ungodly thing could be thought of was right among them. Here they
come journeying.
Now, here come the prophet Balaam, coming down to curse Israel for
Balak. What a type of today, the hireling prophet trying to curse what
God's blessed. You couldn't do it if you had to.
Here he comes, and… Why, he was–why, he was so money crazy, till he
couldn't see the Holy Spirit standing in the road with a drawed sword.
The mule knowed more about it than he did. That's right. If people just
had some good mule sense today, I believe they could see it. That's
right.

^E-42
Here was the mule. Seeing the Angel of the Lord, he shunned off to one
side. He knowed he was out of the will of God. Then notice what taken
place then. Then he gets down there and he looked out.
Now, Balaam, or Balak, rather, the king of Moab, he wasn't a infidel.
He was a believer. Sure he was. And Balaam wasn't a infidel. Balaam,
the prophet, he was a believer. But a two… Here's two sets of
believers, them same spirit, like Cain and Abel, they'd come right down
again.
Now notice, here was a man, the king of Moab said, "Come down and curse
this people," believers cursing the believers. Now, Balak come down,
got up on the hill, and Balaam showed him the most–uttermost parts.

^E-43
That's the way the Devil does. He wants to show the very worst side of
it, somebody who failed. They say, "Look at this one here. He went to a
religious fanatic because he went too far." You don't point your finger
to them tens of thousands, the same time, didn't go far enough. That's
right. That's right.
If I could go out here and ask in the graveyard, say… I know some
woman here, not long ago, a Christian Science woman let her baby die
because she wouldn't have a doctor. I different with her on that, but
anyhow, that's her faith. And if she… or–or what she believed about
it…

^E-44
Now, if I could go to the graveyard down here and say, "Every person
that died trusting God for your healing, stand up." Then, "Every one of
you that died under medical science, stand up." Which side would be the
most? So sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. See?
The same time that went across the country, telling everybody that
Divine healing was a fanaticism, not to pay any attention to it, and so
forth like that, it was nothing but–and it–it wasn't worthy, the same
time, tens of thousands of people died under medical treatment. Now, if
we lost one by Divine healing because of unbelief, and then Divine
healing shouldn't be looked upon, then they shouldn't look upon medical
science, hospitals, or anything else. Why, it's six of one and a half
of a dozen of the other. If one failed, then that–that they have to
count it all wrong? No, sir. I'd say they're both ought to be together,
working for the glory of God and the coming of the Lord Jesus. That's
right.

^E-45
Now, we notice this then. How beautiful. Then Moab come down, and he
said, "Now, go out there Balak, Balaam, I want you to curse that
people. See the back part of them over that hill there?"
"Yes." He seen it. Now watch. Balaam built seven altars. Now, he wasn't
a communist. He was a believer. Now, he's up here on the hill. And
here's Israel down in the valley. And he builds seven altars.

^E-46
And on each altar, he offered a bullock, clean sacrifice, one required
by God. And on each altar he offered a ram, male sheep, which spoke of
the coming of Jesus. Fundamental? Just as fundamental as it could be.
The same… Look. Seven, God's perfected number, number of worship…
"Six days shall I labor, seven days…" All down through the age, the
seven Church Age and so forth, seven is God's worshipping number.
And here this prophet, under inspiration, comes down and builds seven
altars, offered the forecomings, proving that they believed in the–the
first coming of Christ, offered the bullocks, just as fundamental as
they was down there in the camp in Israel. You get it?

^E-47
Here's Israel offering the same offerings that Balak's offering up here
on the hill. One's offering a ram, saying, "We believe that God will
send His Son someday in the world."
Here, up here on the hill, just as fundamental as they was, "We are offering the ram believing God will send His Son."
Notice. Then all the princes of Moab stood around the smoldering
sacrifices, worshipping God, just as fundamental as it could be,
Scripturally, just as good as the other group had.
And there's where it is today, friends. People can be just as
fundamental in your doctrine. I know men that would, and thousands of
them… Probably there's many of them setting, listening at me right
here today and I hope this cuts you till you can't stand it.

^E-48
Look. You can be just as fundamental… I wouldn't… People preach the
virgin birth, the death, burial, resurrection, second coming. That's
true. I couldn't fuss with you about that. You believe it, and it's the
truth, and I do too.
So did Balaam. So did Israel. But what Balak seen–failed to see there,
down here in this camp, they had signs and wonders a following them.
That's what they failed to say today. They're just as fundamental as we
are. They believe it just the same way we do. But they deny that there
is a resurrection power working among the people.
Well, did the Holy Ghost speak that it would be that way? Paul said,
"In the last days they'd be heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more
than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but would deny the
power thereof." Hallelujah.

^E-49
There it is back in the beginning. There was a middle age. It was that
same group of fundamental believers that put Jesus Christ on the cross
and killed Him, because He had signs and wonders, and they didn't
believe it; that same spirit lives among the churches today: a
religious people, not a bunch of infidels, fundamental, place it right
out there, and they're exactly right.
But they have the form–form of godliness, fundamentally right, but
denying the power thereof. The power of what? The power of healing, the
power of shouting, the power of speaking in tongues, the power of
interpretating, the power of the Church moving just like It did in the
beginning. And brother, sister, we are contending for the faith that
was once delivered to the saints. Hallelujah. You believe it?

^E-50
Contending for the faith. Sure I'm a fundamentalist. I believe what the
Bible said, like the Baptist, the Methodist, and Presbyterian, Church
of Christ and all them believes. But brother, you're leaving out the
real thing. You've got the thing laid out there in letter, and that's
right. But you haven't got the Spirit with it to quicken the letter.
There's where it's at. So Church, that's why I'm–take my stand today
with a holy-roller. Because it's the truth.
Looky there. Why, Balak said, "Why, they're not even organized."
Organized, that's what the people say today. "Well, I belong to the
Methodist. I belong to the Baptist." And the Pentecost, just as bad,
same thing. "I belong to the organization."

^E-51 Let me tell you something right now. God never did fool with an organization. He never did and never will. No, sir. Every…
I'll–I'll
just call any historian's attention right now. There never has been a
church in all the ages that every… failed… when they failed to see
the power of God, and get the miracles, and things out of their church,
God lays her on the shelf, and she never does revive again.
He laid Luther there, Methodists there, Baptists there, Presbyterian
there, and the Pentecost is on it's road there, right now. But out of
that conglomeration of the whole thing, God will raise up another
undergrowth there, like He did when He said, "I will restore, saith the
Lord."

^E-52
I know you think we're an awful noisy bunch. Well, brother, I can prove
to you if there ain't noisy, then there ain't no God there. Listen. In
the Old Testament, when Aaron, anointed with the Rose of Sharon, and
when he had the anointing oil that run down his beard to the hems of
his skirt, he'd taken the sacrifice and he went in to the holiest of
holies.
And when he went behind that curtain, across his garment, he had a
pomegranate and a bell, a pomegranate and a bell, so that they'd hit
together. And when he walked, it played, "Holy, holy, holy unto the
Lord." That's the anointed church of God moving into the holiest of
holies.

^E-53
And looky here, brother, the reason they did that, that was the only
way they could tell that he was alive. They listened to hear if there's
any noise. If there was no noise, he was dead. And that's what's today,
a church that's borned again, going into the holiest of holies,
anointed with God's pomegranate bell… Hallelujah. Yes, sir. You know
they're alive.
A bell ringing, "Holy, holy, holy unto the Lord." The outsiders pass
by, and say… Scoffers say, "Look at them." That's all right. Look at
them then. Hallelujah. How wonderful. "Holy, holy, holy unto the Lord."
played the bells against the pomegranates.
Notice that Balaam back there, can't leave that guy yet. Look at him
standing there. He's just as fundamental in his doctrine as they was
down there, the same doctrine. But they did not have the signs and
wonders. And this group had the signs and wonders be… all they had…
They had a–a Divine healing program on. These guys didn't know nothing
about it. If that ain't typical today, I don't know it.

^E-54
They had a smitten rock. When they wanted water, they just went and
drank. That's the way of the Church today. When you get all kind of
down in the Spirit, you go to a good old fashion Holy Ghost meeting,
and the Rock's struck and away goes the water. Everybody begins to jump
up-and-down, jump up-and-down, and bubble over. Sure, the smitten Rock
had got amongst the people. That's right. The brass serpent is right
amongst the people yet (truly.), God's requirement for Divine judgment.
The Divine judgment of God was upon Christ.
That rod that Moses had in his hand. That wasn't Moses' rod. That was
God's judgment rod. And the rod hit the rock, and there was a cleft in
the rock. And when Israel wanted something to eat one day, they went
by, and they found honey in the rock. I've found it there too, haven't
you?

^E-55
When they got thirsty, they found water in the rock. Amen. He supplied
everything they had need of. And He does yet today. There stood the
fundamental group making fun of them. God spoke to him down there. And
it's surely… how today that… Like the hireling prophet of the day.
They say, "Surely that bunch of people, a bunch of religious quacks,
screaming, hollering, and carrying on. Well, surely, a holy, moral God
would curse such a people." That's what Balaam thought.
So he goes down there to put a curse on the people. And he said, "How
can I curse what God's blessed?" When he throwed out his curse, he
found out there was a brass serpent there and a smitten rock to meet
it. He failed to see that atonement going before the Church.

^E-56
And you say, "Well, now brother, we believe in the atonement too. Well,
that's… We believe." Sure I know you believe. Cain believed too. But
God confirmed Abel's belief when He accepted his sacrifice. And when
you believe, that's fair enough. But if you believe and a true
believer, God will give you the baptism of the Holy Ghost right then
when you believe. Hallelujah. I feel religious right now. Notice, how
glorious.
There I notice then, when he got down there he said, "Now, you go back,
but you do… But you say just exactly what I say," God told Balaam.
Here went the prophet back, told to go back.
When he went down there, instead of blessing Israel, or–or cursing
Israel, he blessed Israel. He turned around and blessed them.

^E-57
Why, he said he couldn't understand that, I guess. But notice, he
blessed them because God had blessed them. And look what he said. "I
have not beheld iniquity in Jacob." And he was looking from the side of
the rock.
God said, "I've seen him from the hilltops." Hallelujah. His Church,
His group, why, they wasn't a nation. They wasn't a organized like the
rest of the people. They had organism but no–no nation. He said, "The
people will dwell among themselves. They'll not be a nation."
And that's the way of the Church of God today, the called out group of
people. It doesn't mean because you're Methodist you're… or it
doesn't mean because you're a Pentecost. It means out of every group,
God's calling people, giving them the Holy Ghost, and that's the
Church, the called out. Certainly it is. He calls them out. They're not
an organization; they're a organism. Their hearts are beating together.
They're one in Christ Jesus. Hallelujah.

^E-58
Oh, he said–said, "Well, they're… Look at them, they're not even a
nation. They're little old mission-trotters, just a typical bunch of
holy-rollers." That's right. Well, look at them. Well, here stood the
princes, the bishop, the archbishop, all the great elders. How in the
world, God can move with this Church today, I can't tell you.
Look, the highest order in the Bible for the church, the local church
is the elder. And the elder can't move until the bishop says. Has…
God has to come through the bishop, down through the, oh, about fifteen
different men before He can get to the elder.

^E-59
But let me tell you, the Church of God is led by the Spirit of God.
They move as the Spirit moves them. God didn't promise just to move
with bishops. Elders is what's the head of the church, every church.
Now, God sends a message, He'd send it to His elders. But if He has to
go out and see what the bishop says and what the district presbyter
says… And everybody in the church is a pulling to get a feather in
your hat. "Maybe I can be the district man next year if I pull a few
tricks here and a few there." Brother, I don't care about the district
man, I want to be a Christian next year. Hallelujah. Contending for the
faith that was once delivered to the saints…

^E-60
Look, when that spirit come on down… It come into the days of Jesus.
Here was Jesus. He was fundamental as they were. And they were just
fundamental as He was. But He had signs and wonders, believers,
following Him. And they refused Him and rejected Him.
And that same old spirit of Cain moving right down through, religious…
And now, notice, the Holy Spirit spoke that in the last days perilous
times would come, men would be lovers of their own selves. "I'm Dr.
So-and-so." Lovers of their… proud, boasters, blasphemers,
disobedient, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of
God, trucebreakers, incontinent, and despisers of those that are good,
having a form of godliness," fundamentally, but would deny the power
thereof; from such turn away. For this is the sort that go from house
to house and lead silly women.

^E-61
"Well, we have a stitch-and-sew party." Stitch-and-sew, yeah, you
stitch-and-sew, and sew-and-stitch, and stitch-and-sew and talk about
Miss So-and-so and everything else. Why, it's a shame. What you need is
an old fashion upper room, with a prayer meeting, where you pray down
the power of God, and the Holy Ghost begins to move. That's what you
need.
Earnestly contending for the faith that was once delivered to the
saints… What they did back there… They didn't have all these
different things, and all this here societies, and this societies, and
that organization, and this organization. They were one in Christ
Jesus. The Holy Ghost poured out His power upon them, and they went
forth doing miracles and signs.

^E-62
Jesus, the last words He said, when He left the earth, "These signs
shall follow them that believe…" That's right. His first commission
to His Church. What was it? Matthew 10. "Heal the sick, cleanse the
lepers, raise the dead. Freely as you receive, freely give." Or, "As
God shows you, do what He said do."
The last commission to the Church was the same thing. The last words
that fell from His sacred lips as He was going up, "Go into all the
world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and
is baptized shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be damned. And
these signs shall follow them that believe; in My Name they shall cast
out devils."

^E-63
We take the… "Oh, here's the sign of the believer: He goes to church.
He's a good man. He pays his debts." That's fine. I have nothing to say
about that. He educates his children. That's dandy. I have nothing to
say about that.
But that's not the sign of a believer. Even to preach the Gospel is not
the sign of a believer. Jesus said, "These signs follow the believer.
In My Name they cast out devils; they speak with new tongues; they take
up serpents; and they drink deadly things will not harm them. If they
lay their heads on–hands on the sick, they shall recover."
And today you do it, they'll laugh at you. They got a form of godliness
but denying the power thereof. Brother, I don't want to be Balaam, but
I say like Balaam. When he come back and he seen what God had done to
that bunch of holy-rollers, he said, "Let me die the death of the
righteous, and let my last end be like his." Amen. I say the same
thing.

^E-64
Call me holy-roller if you want to, but let me die the death of the
righteous. Let my last end be as God's blessings as He blessed Jacob.
Hallelujah.
I know you think I'm excited; maybe I am. But I'm having an awful good time. You ought to get excited too. Amen.
Little old woman down in New Albany, had been crippled, seventeen years
drawed up. I never knowed her in my life. The Holy Spirit told me where
she was at. She was an Armenian. Her name is Mrs. O'Hannia, Mrs.
Darrell O'Hannia. She was crippled up. And I walked in there. I seen
her. She looked like a spider, drawed up in a bed.

^E-65
Her young daughter, seventeen years old, Dorothy, they lived up there
at 1900 Oak Street in New Albany. This has been years ago. And there I
went by; I said, "Now, that's the house He showed me."
I went down to the house. The girl come to the door. And I said, "How do you do?"
And she said, "How do you do?" And I said… She looked at me real funny.
Mr. Merle, you, that read it in my book, had been healed up there at
the Saint Edward's Hospital. And it come out in the paper. Said, "Are
you that man that went down and healed that man?"
I said, "No, ma'am." I said, "Isn't there a lady here that's crippled up?"
Said, "My mother."

^E-66
Said, "Step in?" She kind of… was kind of backwards. She was a young
lady about seventeen I guess. She had on her brother's shoes. She
kindly stepped back to one side. And there laid this old woman. I said,
"That's her. That's the one." I said, "Sister, what's that you're
reading?"
She said, "It's an Armenian Bible."
I said, "Do you believe?"
She said, "Ever since I seen the paper about that man being healed, I said, 'There's hopes for me.'"
I said, "God has heard your prayer, and He sent me that I might pray for you."

^E-67
And the woman jumped out of the bed, running around over the house,
perfectly normal and well. Write to her or go see her. Many of the
people in the neighborhood heard the screaming and they thought there
was a funeral service. It was. An old person died… [Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.]… was borned again. All right.
When she come out of there, they said, "She's excited. That's all. She just got excited and let the muscles down in her legs."
About five years later, I was standing in the butcher shop, and I seen
her, through the glass, come in. She walked with her husband. She
touched me on that arm. And I acted like I didn't see her. I looked
over this a way. She touched me back here and I looked this other way.
And she said, "I fooled you, didn't I?"
And I said, "No."
She said, "Brother Branham," said, "you remember a long time ago, and they told me I was excited."
I said, "Yes, ma'am."
She said, "I'm still excited, 'cause I'm still walking." Amen.

^E-68
Then you better get excited. Brother, excitement don't heal the sick.
The power of God is what heals the sick. The times… It's the evening
lights are falling.
Remember, it was Isaac that wanted a wife. When the father, Abraham
sent the servant out, a very beautiful type of God the Father sending
out for His Bride, to get His Bride. His Servant, the Holy Spirit,
Eliezer… And it was in the cool of the evening when the beautiful
Rebekah come out to water the camel. You know the story.

^E-69
And the beautiful Rebekah come out. And he said, "Now, ever who waters
this camel" he said, "Lord, let that be the one You've chosen." And
the… Rebekah went and watered the camel, and give them a drink, and
then watered his–the animal. Look, the very animal that she was
watering… The animal represents a beast, of course, a beast of
burden, which means "power" in the Bible.
And the very animal that she was watering, was the very animal that
packed her to see her bride. Is that right? And what is watering? The
very power that we're watering now with praises, and thanksgiving, and
glory, and power, and might, is the very Holy Spirit that'll pack us up
to see Jesus someday.

^E-70
Look, it was in the cool of the evening when Isaac walked out. I… And
some people say, "What if you see Him and He is a real dark Jew. If He
is this…" I don't care what He looks like, He's my Saviour. And when
the Bride sees Him, it'll be love at the first sight. When Rebekah seen
Isaac, she jumped off the camel, and run to meet him. It was love at
the first sight.
I tell you, when we see Him, it'll be love at the first sight. Off
we'll go, and away we'll go into His arms. Certainly. How beautiful.
The Bride, the evening light's coming, the faith that was once
delivered to the saints, beginning to restore back to the Church… The
fig tree is putting forth it's buds. She begin to move out. The evening
light…

^E-71
The very same Gospel that was preached on the day of Pentecost, the
very signs that followed for thirty some odd years after that, down in
the Church, has returned back to the Church again, falling right down
to the end.
Brother, let me tell you; you can call me holy-roller if you want to;
you can say what you want to; but I see back yonder in Genesis where
that great orthodox spirit started back there, just as religious, just
as pious as it could be. And I see where that thing in the last day has
come down, all down through the Bible, where the…
[Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.]… having a
form of godliness but will deny that power thereof. He said, "From such
turn away. Get away from it." I'm glad today. I number myself with the
holy-rollers. That's the reason that I believe today in your old
fashion baptizing of the Holy Ghost with powers, and signs, and
wonders. Hallelujah. It's the faith that was once delivered to the
saints.

^E-72
Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be as
theirs. Look at that little remnant of people down through the age.
Look at it wind its way through the pages of the Bible, that little
Church, always rejected.
Look at the other side: so close it would deceive the very elect, just
as fundamentally right, just as perfect, fine churches, keeps the–the
doctrine of the Bible, so-called. They'll do it. They'll go out there
and they say, "Yes, sir. We believe in the birth of Jesus Christ. We
believe that He was a virgin born Son of God. We accept Him. We have
faith in Him." That's good.

^E-73
Why brother, it's by faith you're saved. Is that right? But listen. In
accepting of your faith, God confirms your faith by the baptism of the
Holy Ghost. If you say you believe, and you don't get the baptism of
the Holy Ghost, then you do not, it–it–your faith isn't accepted in
the sight of God. You've got a mental faith and in the stead of a heart
faith. That's right.
When you truly believe God, God's under obligation to pour the Holy
Ghost on you. And then if He does pour the Holy Ghost on you… You
say, "Well, I've got the Holy Ghost too." Well, if you do, you're bound
to believe in the supernatural signs and wonders, because you're added
to it. That's the faith.

^E-74
Then you say, "Oh, no. I don't believe in Divine healing. I don't
believe in all that racket and carrying on. I don't believe all that
shouting, praising God, and tears a running down your cheeks and
things. I don't believe in all that. There's not… or no such things
as that." Shows you haven't got it. That's exactly right.
It showed… Here was this man up here, Balaam, was just as
fundamental, and just as right in his doctrine as Moses was. But Moses
had healing and signs and–and a big Pillar of Fire hanging over them.
Hallelujah. I hope you get that. All right. A Pillar of Fire hanging
over them…
[Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.]… faith
that was once delivered to the saints. See? Now, have you got the
message? Do you understand what I mean? That we believe. That's why.

^E-75
And listen. Some of you fundamentalists here that don't know nothing
about God, no more than what you know of the Scripture. If that's all
the experience you got, I hope that you come to Jesus Christ and
receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost before it's too late.
Someday over yonder in another land, you'll watch for this little old
holy-roller preacher and you'll find out that I'm right. You'll find
out that we're earnestly contending for the faith that was once
delivered to the saints. Do you believe it? Let's bow our heads then as
we talk to Him.
Heavenly Father, it's today that we are coming before You in Your
Presence, realizing this, that all powers in heavens and earth, is
given into Your hands. We know that Thou art here and a rewarder of
those who diligently seek Him. And Lord God, we know that You have said
in Your Scripture, "It would be far better that a millstone would be
hanged at your neck and to drown in the depths of the sea than to
offend the anointed of God."

^E-76
And now, Lord, Thou knowest all things. And I pray Thee, if there be
someone here who doesn't know You in the baptism of the Holy Spirit,
may they this very day, find that faith that was once delivered to the
saints. May they take their way with the Lord's despised few, realizing
as Paul said, "Pressing on to the high calling which is in Christ, you
leave those things behind and press towards the mark of the high
calling." Grant today, Lord, that these things will take place for Thy
Glory.

^E-77
Now Father, I commit this all to You, ask You in… The greatest thing
I've ever known in my life, is to commit something to You. Now, I
commit it to You, Lord, that You'll bring Your people together, and
will take the enemy from this–the midst of the people. And may the
power of God have the right of way in every heart, for I ask it in
Christ's Name.
And with your heads bowed, if you will, just a moment. I wonder just now, how…

53-0614A

Earnestly Contending For The Faith Connersville, IN

1 hr 5 min 7.9MB

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53-0614A

Earnestly Contending For The Faith Connersville, IN

1 hr 5 min 7.9MB

(more…)