Meanest Man I Know (62-0127)
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E-1
One time Billy Paul, my son, was to speak at a–address a congregation
in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the–he is not a minister. He's like his
daddy. But he said, "The first thing, I'm scared." So that's something
on the order, I suppose, the way I feel this morning, standing here
before these men of the Lord, His servants; and getting up here after
such men as Brother Oral Roberts, Velmer Gardner, and other great
servants of the Lord has been here preaching…
And then I was just noticing the time and hearing the announcements. It
takes me about six hours to preach, so I–I couldn't have time this
morning for that. I usually start in at about seven-thirty at night and
let out about one or two in the morning. So I just hardly haven't got
time. Maybe I will try that tomorrow afternoon.
So it's a privilege of being here this morning. I deem this a great
honor that the brethren has presented to me through the Lord, that I
would be able to come here and address this wonderful breakfast this
morning. Looking out, seeing that you, no doubt, had a real breakfast,
I trust, that both spiritually and materially.
E-2
And now we have had such a glorious time in the last nine days here
through the Maricopa Valley of Phoenix, and Tempe, and Mesa, and
Sunnyslopes, with this group of ministers in their churches. We deem
this such a privilege to go… forerun this great convention,
addressing them and telling them that we're expecting the exceedingly
abundantly above all that we could do or think to happen in this
meeting.
Brother Williams has just told me that one of his relatives was saved
last night, which would been a–very much in sin, and we are… If that
man is here this morning, I thank the Lord for you, my brother, and
with all them who got saved. And pray that if there's any here that's
not saved, that they will fall right in line this morning and–and be
saved.
E-3
Speaking of visions, I have… That's more or less been the–my
ministry that the Lord gave me. Because not being sufficiently equipped
with an education and so forth, I maybe could not class myself as a
clergyman. But in this way I can be able to speak to the people and
not… Just say what I know, and then He confirms the rest of it. So
then, if that much is all right, and He says it's all right, then the
rest of it's all right too. What… They know how to speak, that I
maybe not know.
E-4
I love the Lord because He's so merciful when we're so undeserving. And
yet He is so merciful. That's been one of the marvels of my life and my
experience has been to see when we were so unworthy, and yet He visits
us anyhow. And it just rides over the top of our unworthiness and gives
us His blessings anyhow.
As all know that, many of you know perhaps that… And just learning of
another brother going through a deep time of sorrow, like I have by
losing my mother… I don't think I lost her; I think she just went
ahead of me. And I hear that Brother Rolph McPherson's daughter died.
Is that right, brother? Has anybody…? My, that grieved my heart when
some sister told me. I didn't even know it.
E-5
Usually, God in His mercy shows me my people before they go. My father,
he died on my arm, and I committed his soul to God. My brothers…
Brother Shakarian and I, many of the men here, was overseas (last year
I believe it was) there at Jamaica, Kingston, when one morning at a
breakfast the Holy Spirit came in, and I said, "Now, His Presence is
here. To know, see that lady going there with that on her arm? Call her
over here just a moment." Told her of her condition. "I see the young
man coming here now. He has a certain thing," and what's bothering him.
And just then, I looked down and I saw a person dying, and a young man
standing, having a convulsion or spitting blood. And I said, "Call
Billy Paul at once." The young man was spitting blood. "Don't let him
go up on Blue Mountain today. I don't know what it is." And then later,
we found out it was my mother-in-law dying at the same time, and my
brother-in-law standing there convulsing out blood.
E-6
A few weeks in the early part of August I'd come in, and Brother
Arganbright called me to go to Alaska with him on a hunting trip and to
establish a chapter. Well, the Lord had showed me a vision of (Now,
this is awful to have to mention this. I hope it don't sound
sacrilegious.) but of a hunting trip I was going to take, and was going
to get–what I was going to get, who was going to be with me, and why
they'd be dressed, and just exactly. There'd be a nine foot silver-tip
grizzly. It would be a forty-two inch high rack of a caribou.
And when he called me, I said, "That sounds like it, but let me pray to
Father first." And I'd announced it to the church and many places.
Hundreds of people knew about it. So going into Alaska sound very good,
but the Holy Spirit kept warning me away. And you must never go against
the leading of the Holy Spirit.
E-7
Then a few days later a man that was in British Columbia, who was just
a young convert, had a brother that, when I was up there in the spring,
that had had epilepsy all of his life. And we were back on a hunt then
after the service. He'd always asked God that I could see a vision for
his brother; he'd never been in one of the meetings.
But riding out, we was wrangling the horses. Brother Eddie Byskal
(which I think is here this morning) and I were in the back, wrangling
up the horses. And I happened to look up across the mountain. I saw his
brother, and what he looked like, and what to do for his cure. And I
spurred up my horse real quick and rode up and put my hand on the back
of the guide's saddle. I said, "Your brother…" described him.
Said, "That's right."
I said, "Go get him. Send him to come up here. And then you leave him alone until he has one of his spells."
He says, "He has four or five a day, and had all of his life."
"As soon as he does, jerk his shirt from his back, and throw it into
the fire, and say, 'This I do in the Name of Jesus Christ.' It'll leave
him."
And he got his brother. And he'd just went out of the house. He had to
start that day to–to cut places so the hunters could get in–what we
call clearing trail.
And his little wife was so afraid of… She was a little Pentecostal
woman. And way up on Racing River, about five or six hundred miles from
civilization. And the little wife… When the boy fell into the fit,
the first one (she usually clears the window), but… She was scared,
but she jumped right straddle of him, jerked his shirt off, and threw
it in the salamander, and say, "This I do in the Name of Jesus Christ."
He's never had a one since. And so he wrote me a letter and said,
"Come."
E-8
Well, up there… To serve time, save time, rather (There's many
setting here who knows. It was told beforehand.), just exactly… I got
the declaration in my pocket–nine foot silver-tip grizzly. Just
exactly the place, just exactly the time–caribou.
And the guide said, "You mean from right here? We can see to where that
man's standing with the checkered shirt on that you told us. From here
to there you're going to kill a nine foot silver-tip grizzly?"
I said, "That's THUS SAITH THE LORD."
He said, "How will it happen?"
I said, "That's not for me. That's… He's done said it. I just obey what He said."
And so, on the road down, we was in the–we was about three mile right
down the mountain, not even one tree or anything, just caribou moss,
above timberline. When we was in half a mile… He was packing the head
then. We'd take turns, about, weighed about one hundred fifty pounds.
So we were…
He said, "You say these are going to measure exactly forty-two inches?"
"Just exactly."
And when we got to the saddle, just exactly forty-two inches. And half
a mile, he said, "Well, Brother Branham," said, "now the bear is within
a half a mile."
I said, "That's right." Just turned. I said, "What's that standing
right there?" There he was, looking right at us: nine foot silver-tip
grizzly. And here's the guide's declaration I have in my pocket.
E-9
Coming home, mother was sick. It was the grace of God. I had three
other trips planned with brethren, but He knew I wouldn't be able to
take them. Now, mother said to me, "Billy, I'm going home."
I said, "No, mother." I said, "If you're going home, God's never said nothing to me."
And then on she went, worse and worse. And finally, the Lord called her
soul home. And I–just to show you what the real Pentecostal blessing
means: when she was so low… I led mother to Christ, baptized her
myself. And when she was so low that she could no more speak… She
just kept talking about the sweetness of the Lord. Said she seen me in
a vision, standing, a real old man, holding to the cross, reaching down
for her.
And then when she was going, a few moments before she went, she
couldn't speak no more. I said, "Mother, you can't speak no more. But
as your son, I want to ask you, "Is Jesus just as sweet to you now as
He was when you received Him in the form of the Holy Spirit? If…
You're dying right now, mother. You can't live over five more minutes.
And if Jesus is just as sweet to you, though you can't speak, bat your
eyes real fast." And she'd bat her eyes, and the tears roll down her
cheeks. Like a little wind came through the building, and her precious
soul was taken home.
E-10
Going home I asked the Lord why–why did He not show me. Was it because
my other people, I'd be at different places? And then I picked up the
Bible, like this, and I said, "Father…" Mrs. Domico (She's, oh,
perhaps at this meeting; she attends them all.), she'd just give me a
red letter Bible. I don't believe in taking God's Word and making a
ouija board out of it. But I was so broken up, just picking out her
clothes down there. And she was a sweet person. I pulled the Bible
down; I said, "Somewhere in here You can comfort me," and the verse,
"She is not dead, but sleepeth."
So the next morning, about nine o'clock while setting in the room
weeping, we was fixing to go down see how she'd been laid out, a vision
broke before me. I seen great masses of little crippled children being
laying together, and I was singing a song, "Bring Them In." And on the
side… The–the place was so far back that, went down like this, and
had to raise up in the back so the people in the back could see the
front. And thousands of people were gathered.
E-11
And I seen a renowned woman walk in, though she was dressed old
fashion, with a skirt down, and the little things around the neck, and
big hat turned over, and lots of hair done up in the back. So I seen
her walking up through the building and–through the place. This wasn't
a building; it was outside. And there was a box on each side, like
where the celebrity set. And she was in this box in a few moments,
bowing to the people. And I got in the pulpit and was going to preach.
And the lady turned to bow her head to me, like this. When she had her
head down, I bowed mine. I was in five feet of her. And when she raised
up, it was mother, beautiful, young.
Just then, like over here, a thunder and a lightning and a roar, and a
Voice said, "Do not worry about her no more. She's like she was in
1906." I went away and looked in the old family Bible to find out what
happened in 1906, and that was the year that she was a bride to my
father. So today she is part of the Bride of the Lord Jesus, of which I
am a member. Someday I will see her again.
E-12
And I'm sure that Sister and Brother McPherson in their loss… And I
want to say that Brother Tommy Hicks just called me a few days ago,
when I first got into Phoenix here. He lost his brother. I guess it's
been announced, one of our brethren. He was killed instantly down in
Mexico. And Brother Tommy had to fly in to identify his brother, which
was an unsaved person. And poor little Tommy was crying, his heart
would break.
E-13
And I trust that–that we'll never have that experience, but we all
might be ready at that day to meet Christ, because if we–if we're not
ready… It's not hard to go when you're ready, but, oh, when you're
not ready…
And remember, those… That was not just… You don't dream those
things; you see them, and they're actually facts. The old will be young
there forever. There'll never be no more old age, or any trace of sin,
or any trace of old age. What an encouragement it is to us to know that
there is a land beyond the river.
E-14
I would like now, that we would approach Him by bowed heads and bowed
hearts, as… I… Just for a little drama, as usually I like to give
at the Business Men's breakfast… I want to read some Scripture, and
before reading it and praying, I would like to ask if there's anyone
here that has a request would like to be remembered, just raise up your
hand to God, whatever the request is. Oh, it's–it's a needy audience,
a needy world. Let us pray.
E-15
Our heavenly Father, as we walk in and out among the people, we are
aware of the fact that someday we're going to make our last walk. We
must meet each other for the last time on earth someday. And as each
time we ministers go to the pulpit, we wonder if there will be another
opportunity to introduce You to our congregation, not knowing what time
that may come. And, Lord, we pray this morning to be merciful. And as I
read Thy blessed Word, I pray that the seed will fall into the hearts
of the people, that they will receive it.
And if there be any here today, Lord, that's not saved, may they get
saved today. May they make that all-sufficient decision this morning by
accepting the Son of God as their Saviour. Those who are weary in the
Way, and has gone out of the Way, bring them back, Lord. And those who
are in the Way, bring them joy, and peace, and satisfaction of their
great acception of–in times past of the Lord Jesus.
E-16
We know that the people has been setting here since seven o'clock this
morning, tired. But will You refresh them, Lord, with showers of
blessings from the heavenly throne of our Father. Give to them, O God,
that which is needed for the hour.
And now, with the reading of Thy Word, committing myself to Thee, O
Lord, and may the Holy Spirit bring forth the exceeding abundance from
the Word.
You know the request behind every hand that was raised. I pray Thee,
Father, that Thou will bless that request. Give to them the desire of
their heart. Bless this gathering, this time of fellowship when men and
women of all walks of life from across the nation, and out of the
nation, has gathered here at this great place called Phoenix, raised up
from nothing. May the Holy Spirit take His little church this morning,
and make a–a phoenix out of it. Raise it today by miracles, and signs,
and wonders of the living God during this convention.
E-17
Each one that's baptized out there in that swimming pool, or wherever
it may be this afternoon, may the Holy Spirit move upon the waters and
catch that person as they come out. For we know the commission is given
us by the Word of God that can't fail. Peter's great address on the day
of Pentecost at the inauguration of the church, he said, "Repent, every
one of you, be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the
promise is unto your children, and to them that's far off, even as many
as the Lord our God shall call." Lord, You're still calling today. And
we know the Holy Spirit will come down into this valley, and over this
water this afternoon, and give those people the desires of their
hearts, sealing them into the Kingdom of God. Grant it, Father.
Bless this convention, bless every man, boy, or girl, whoever may have
a word to say, and may it be fruitful to the rest of us. We ask in
Jesus' Name. Amen.
E-18
Now, for just a few moments of your time… And I'm going to ask
Brother Shakarian, or some of them that… I'm a southerner, slow to
begin with. So I was… My people tell me that I come to the world
kinda late. I've always been late. When I was preaching at a United
Brethren church not long ago, and I was just only about a hour late.
You know, they're right on the dot. So the pastor got up and said,
"Audience, I'll now introduce you to the late Mr. Branham."
I was late for my wedding. I kept my wife waiting about two hours: had
to make a sick call. Now, if I can just be late for my funeral; that's
the main thing. Well, I'm so glad that there is One on time, and that's
God and His Message: always on time.
E-19
Now, tomorrow afternoon, the Lord willing, I'll be speaking to you,
preaching; the Lord willing. Now, if you'd like to read the text, or
write it down for this morning, for a little simple drama, I would like
for you to read St. Luke 7:36.
Very simple… We're all acquainted with the story. Now, I believe that
it must've been about sundown when the courier arrived. He was tired;
his feet were dusty; his hair was matted together with dust and
perspiration, because he had run most of the day. He had a–a duty to
perform, and he had to hurry and do it. So he had probably went into
Capernaum, and they told him in Capernaum, "Yes, He was here a few days
ago, but He's gone." Then he went into Nazareth, and so forth, city
after city. Finally, along about late in the afternoon, the sun
setting, tired, feet sore, weary, he finally had met the One that he
was searching for: Jesus of Nazareth. Oh, if we could only be like
that, run city to city, place to place, until finally we're in His
Presence.
E-20
It must've been Philip… Philip was kind of the outside guard,
seemingly. They met him first before they got in to the other apostles.
Say, like Jesus setting somewhere, and there was John leaning on His
bosom, Peter, representing faith and love, was closest to Jesus. So
Philip probably brought this courier to–to, let's say Peter. Peter
brought him on into the Presence of Jesus.
And He was tired. He'd been preaching all day, and perhaps His voice
kind of husky–husk with the soreness and dust from the day, of the
people tramping on the ground and the dust coming up, and His strength
depleted, as He must've stood and talked to the people about the Word
of God. He was looking out upon them and seeing how that they were
hungering and thirsting, would explain to them how God brought about
all of His great works.
E-21
Oh, I would've loved to have been there to listen to that. No doubt, I
believe that every person here would've longed to be there, to hear
what He had to say, listen to His doctrine, what His doctrine was, how
He expressed Hisself, and what type of a voice He had; and look upon
His face and to–to see Him performing His works, and discerning the
thoughts of the people, and telling them of different things and
diseases they had, and pronouncing them healed. I would've loved to
have been there. Oh, my. I would like to have seen that.
E-22
And perhaps maybe He'd just got through with a sermon of… You know,
Jesus' first doctrine. Did you ever know what it was? "Ye must be born
again." That was His first doctrine, "Ye must be born again."
So He might've went back to Genesis and began, and said, "In the
beginning, God said, 'Let there be.' And there was. And He said, 'Let
everything that I have spoken bring forth of its kind.' And it did."
Then He might've brought something like this, saying, "Well, now that
it brings forth… But yet, you can take these seed and you can mix
them together, and you can get what's called a–a hybrid product,
beautiful, very nice, but it isn't the original. You let it go, it'll
go back to its kind again."
E-23
And a hybrid product can never stand the roughness and the treatment
that the original can stand. Why, an old longhorn would starve one of
your Herefords to death out on the prairie in the wintertime. She can
make her own way like a deer. But your hybrid Hereford, your hybrid
Brahma-Angus, it'd die out there. You have to baby them.
And He… If He was standing today, I believe He'd say something like
it to us. Not only have we hybreeded fruit, animals, but we've hybrid
religion: has to be babied and petted. It's not the original. We try to
take the Word of God and breed It into something else, and breed It
over here, and It becomes a bunch of delicate babies that we have to
baby, and they can't take the real Word. He might've been saying
something like that.
Then He might've said, "You see, really your lives are hybrid. Father
said, 'Don't touch the tree.' But Satan said, 'It won't hurt you.' So
therefore, your life now is in a hybrid condition." And that life
cannot go back to itself, because–breed back.
E-24
Like, you can take the donkey and breed it to the horse and the mare,
and it'll produce a mule. But the mule… The mother mule and father
mule cannot have a baby mule. You have to keep hybrid.
The same thing with corn, it's beautiful, but you read "Reader's
Digest," what all these hybrid things are doing to the people–cancer
and everything else. Hybrid chickens, they say that in twenty years, if
it isn't stopped, what'll happen? Women cannot have babies no more.
They're becoming stronger, closing up, smaller in the hips, can't have
the baby.
Leave things the way they are. Let God alone. That's the way with His
Word. Leave It like It is. Don't try to add something to It to fit a
creed. Keep It just the way God said It. Believe It. That will make a
husky, strong Christian, not a baby that has to be denominational
babied, petted around, letter from church, one denomination to another.
When He puts his name on the Book in heaven, it's settled forever.
E-25
Jesus might've said, "Now, in order to get back to the original, God
has to speak again." That's what He does when He gives you new birth.
Your old life is gone, and you're back to the original Word of the
Lord. If you're not, you're hybrid into churches, denominations. But
when God speaks His peace and the Holy Spirit, then you're back in the
original family of God again. You don't have to be babied then. You're
a rugged Christian who can stand it.
Go to the cross, to the fiery furnace, to the lion's den, or wherever
it may be, because the Word of the living God burning in your heart and
soul. And all can backslide, all can turn against you and everything
else, but that won't stop one thing. That rugged Word of God stays
right there when He spoke that original voice into your heart, "You are
Mine."
E-26
I suppose maybe on something like that, I don't know, but He might've
been speaking. And His voice was hoarse, His lips parched, His face red
from the direct rays of the Palestinian sun, which is very hot. And
then, maybe Philip and Peter waiting till He finished, and then maybe
He said this at the last, "Seek, and you shall find."
And about time He finished that, Peter might've said, "Lord, here is a
man that's been sent from a certain place by a certain man, and he
wishes to speak with You."
And He looked down at him and said, "Say on."
Never too tired but what He's ready to listen to anything you want to
say. He's the same today. No matter how late it is in the night, how
weary He might be, He's still ready to answer anything, question, that
you'll ask Him.
E-27
And he said… This courier perhaps thought this was a time that his
journey was over. So he said to Him, "A certain, certain cardinal,
bishop something, Pharisee, my master, is going to have a great feast.
And he's honored you; because my master is a great man, and he's
honored you, seeing the crowd that's around you," in other words, see
the way you're dressed. "And yet he wants you to come and visit him at
this feast at such-and-such a time."
Jesus always goes where He's invited. No matter where it's at, He will
come. Oh, He come to a lion's den one time, to a fiery furnace. I
believe it was David said, "I make my bed in hell, He will be there."
He will come to the poorest, to the richest, to the most immoral, to
the meanest, to the lowest. He will come anywhere He's invited. No
matter what your conditions and position in life is, He will still
come. That makes Him God to me: Humble. "I'll be there. Go tell your
master, I'll be there at that such-and-such a date. I'll be there."
That most miserable courier, how could he have done it? I wish I
could've had his place: turned his back upon the Lord and went away
with a satisfied feeling that he had pleased his master. So many times
we're guilty of that. We're so interested…
E-28
I was reading in the Nicene Fathers, the post-Nicene Council, that
where St. Augustine of Hippo, setting with St. Martin one day as he was
visiting him at the monastery. Out in the back yard in the garden God
gave him the opportunity to receive the Holy Ghost, like Martin did.
But he turned it away, so interested in the–the dogmas of Rome till he
couldn't receive the Holy Spirit. Many times we get that way, so
interested in other things. Sometimes we're so interested in time that
we're brought right into the Presence of the Lord Jesus and walk away.
E-29
A man interested me the other night on the platform when he was
speaking about going to one of the conventions and taking his whiskey
and cigars. That's all he knowed about a convention. But I'm glad that
he accepted the opportunity. So many times we don't do that: accept the
opportunity.
This courier delivering the message, and in the Presence of the Lord
Jesus, and yet was just stupid enough, if I must say it, to turn away,
and think that he had did all that was necessary. Sometimes we go to
school and get a Ph.D. or LL.D., go into a Pentecostal meeting and–to
tell them that the days of miracles is past because the bishop sent us
to tell them so, and turn away from the very fact that we're in the
Presence of Jesus Christ.
E-30
What an opportunity God gave that man, that poor miserable man. I wish
I could've stood there. I'd have fell down at His feet the first thing
'fore I said anything about what the cardinal wanted. I'd said, "Lord
Jesus, be merciful to me a sinner." That'd have been the first thing in
my life, knowing that He was Life, and the only Resource to God was
through Him. I would've accepted Him, let Him be my personal Saviour
first, and let the mission that the cardinal had give me, or the pope,
or district man, or whatever he was that had give me a mission; I'd
have sought Christ first.
E-31
I think that ought to be the sole duty of every man and woman that
attends these meetings, regardless of what somebody else said. You've
been brought into the Presence of Christ. No matter how successful, or
unsuccessful, no matter how great, or how poor, no matter what you are,
at the first opportunity, fall at His feet and say, "Lord, be merciful
to me." Then come, tell the businessmen you'd like to join their ranks.
Put God first.
This most miserable man, how we would look at him this morning if we
could pull back the curtain, and see if that was continually his
attitude, to turn from the Presence of Christ, when he'd had the
opportunity to stand by Him. What a miserable person that is yet today,
because he lives somewhere. And it might be you and I after this
meeting today. It depends on our attitude when we're in His Presence.
Always accept it.
E-32
But he turned his back upon the Lord and walked away feeling relief,
satisfied, that he had done what he was told to do. Sometimes it's not
good to do what you're told to do. In that case, it was right.
So then we find out that he must've hurried back and brought the
commission and… "I found him; I–I know who he is. I met him, and I
told him. And I've got His promise that he will be here. He will be
here. He said he would be here."
Now, there's something wrong with this scene. There's something wrong
somewhere. Those Pharisees didn't like Jesus. They hated Him. They
couldn't find His Name on their denominational roll. They could find
none of their schools of theology He'd come through. But He'd come
through one, not theirs, God's. So we find out that these Pharisees
hated Him. He had no cooperation with them. They despised Him.
E-33
And you cannot come together for fellowship unless you've got something
in common. That's the reason we love to come to these meetings. We've
got something in common: the Holy Spirit, brotherly love,
fellowshipping one with another while the Blood of Jesus Christ
cleanses all of our sins. We have fellowship; we have something in
common.
When you see a–young people with old people, you see a little girl
hanging around grandma all the time, there's something wrong: too much
difference in their age. You know, the young women, the sixteen years
old, they like to pop their chewing gum and, you know, and things like
the others, and talk about the boyfriends. And the–and the old ladies,
they like to talk about stitching, and cutting and sewing, and cooking,
and so forth. And the little kids like to–to play dolls or marbles,
tops, or whatmore. But when you see a little bitty girl hanging around
with grandma, you just imagine grandma's got a sack of candy somewhere.
Something wrong, or she's grandma's pet…
E-34
So this Pharisee must've had, as we'd call it on the street, a 'trump
card' up his sleeve to invite Jesus, 'cause he hated Him. There was no
fellowship. I just imagine he said to the other great men in his
neighborhood, "You know that so-called prophet? Our people knows that
it's telepathy. We know that he's a fortuneteller. And there's nothing
to him."
You know, all them didn't die. A lot of them still lives. "We know that
they–we don't believe Him, our–our association has done denounced it.
So you know what? At this certain feast that I'm going to have, I'm
going to see if I can get him down here, and we'll prove that He's not.
We'll prove that He's not what He says he is. So we'll get Him down
here." And that's to my opinion, was the card he held in his sleeve.
Oh, these Pharisees.
There was only two classes of people then: rich and poor. So they–they
could really put on a feast. Oh, my, how they could do it. They'd pick,
select the most suitable time of the year, maybe when the grapes was
all ripe around in the vineyards. And the night-blooming jasmine and
the orange blossoms that–that filled the air, and just made the valley
full of the fragrance of the–of the odor. And then they would take and
roast a lamb. Oh, a delicacy, roast that lamb. And–and the poor people
would smell it down in town, and their mouth would water to smell that
lamb roasting.
E-35
But you could only come by invitation. They had their yards all fenced
in and so forth. And they'd probably get out in the great patio in the
back. And it was a real selected time for their so-called fellowship
that these priests and hierarchies had together. And they just invited
the celebrity. So you see, Jesus would be out of place there. Anybody
filled with the Spirit would be out of place there. So they–they had
all their discussions of other things.
And that's one thing I like about a Business Men's meeting, not only a
businessmen, but where they set and talk about how they can get a
little on this side, and cut off a little from this one, and rob Peter
to pay Paul, they say, you know, and such things. I like it where you
come and you talk about Jesus, and about God, and about the Holy Ghost,
and about the power, and the resurrection, and the coming of the Lord.
That's what I like in the Business Men.
E-36
But this fellow, he was a different sort of a character. And he had…
He got everything ready, the selected, and no doubt sent word around to
all the high priests, and the bishops, and so forth. "Now, he's coming
down. Be here. Now, we'll just certainly one time for all prove that
there's nothing to this guy. And you all come down. You've never seen
Him. And we'll expect maybe something that we can catch Him in."
So finally everything was put in order. The right day come for the–the
feast. And the–or that morning everything was set in order and
everything ready. And oh, how they could get it ready. Everything just
touched…
That morning, real early, all the servants was up with the towels over
their arms that was going to serve. The beast had already been killed
and was being barbecued in the front yard. And the wines was all set in
the special bottles and jugs, the goblets was on the table everywhere.
And all the servants was ready to serve the crowd that come.
E-37
Transportation was a very odd thing. They had three ways of
transportation. The army come in a chariot. The rich man came on a
mule. The poor walked. So they had different ones out there to take
care of the guests as they come up. It was really set up real nice.
Now, let's keep our minds close.
And as we see, that perhaps maybe the man that was going to take care
of the soldier's chariots that came, they–they had a place they'd take
care of their–unhook their horses and put them in the stable and give
them food. And the ones for the rich to take their little donkey out
and fix him. And–and then they had another fellow there. He was called
the foot-wash. He was a flunky, the lowest paid man of all the group–a
flunky, foot-wash, lowest job of all.
E-38
And sometimes when we think that we're somebody… And the highest
Hierarchy of heaven became flesh in a foot-wash flunky when He come to
wash mortal's feet. When He come to the earth He didn't come to be a
big somebody. God always takes the–the nobodies to make somebody out
of them. That's the trouble with the people today; they're trying to be
a somebody. You want to become a nobody. God takes something that
there's nothing to, to make something out of it, and it proves that
He's God. How that this low job to wash the feet of the people, and
Jesus taken that job, the lowest that there was on the earth, to become
an–an example.
E-39
He didn't have to do that. He could reach in a fish's mouth and pull
out a coin, or–or speak to the mountains, it'd poured gold by the
billions of tons. He could pump water out of a well and turn it into
the most delicious wine in the country. He could take five biscuits and
two fish, and fed five thousand. He didn't have to do it. But He come
for an example the way Pentecostal people should be: took the lowest
job. Oh, sure, that's what… But we try to take the biggest. If we
can't be bishop, doctor, pres… or something–highest places, biggest
things… Oh, my, we're just–we're full of big things.
E-40
I don't come, when I'm invited like this, to baby and pet people. I
pray, say, "God, that's Your people. What can I say when I see the
things creeping up?" Then the Holy Spirit begins to tell me, "Strike at
this." See, we want something big. God takes something little.
Elijah heard the mighty rushing wind, the thunders, lightnings, and the
earthquake, and never bothered him. But what attracted him was a still
small Voice. That made the prophet put something over his face and walk
forth to hear God. I wonder if we Pentecostal people hasn't relied too
much on rushing winds, a lot of noise, instead of remembering, or
hearing that still small Voice. We hear so much rumble, we can't take
time to hear the still small Voice.
E-41
You know, a wagon goes out in a field, runs over humps and bumpity,
bumpity, bumpity, making all kinds of noise, squeaking and squawking
and jumping. But coming back it's loaded down with good things. It
passes the same bumps and don't make a move. We ought to be loaded. As
long as there's malice among us, as long as there's differences among
us, we're not yet loaded.
Take a weed, light-headed. But wheat comes up, holds itself up in the
air, and shakes by the wind, sticks its head straight up. But when it
becomes full-headed, it bows.
I think that's what's the matter with all of us today, the churches. We
don't associate ourselves enough in–in real humility, not a false, but
something that you stay there until something's happened to you.
Humility… Too much wind and thunder, and not enough still small
voices, I think that is true. We look and see that it's true because
the fruit that it bears upon our people. Somehow it isn't just like it
used to be.
E-42
Back to our story. We'll get that Sunday. Notice, we find these
Pharisees–this Pharisee making everything ready for his big blow out,
as we'd call it, big spread that he's going to put on. And I look at
the–the man out there ready to take the soldier's chariots, and the
one taking the rich man's donkey.
And–and in Palestine, they wear a garment on the outside, which is a
robe. On the inside, they wear a underneath garment that comes to the
knee. And as they traveled in those days, they walked up over the
mountains and–and across, making shortcuts. And when they did, the
walkers and the one who had beasts of burden, they walked the same
path.
E-43
And the beasts along the road where they walked, and–and then laying
upon the ground, the dust begins to accumulate. And where the beasts
had crossed the land, there was a smell in the dust. And as the–the
people walked, and this big garment swinging loose caused a wind, and
it picked up the dust, and it got on their limbs, on their face. And
they wasn't presentable to entertain if they were smelling like that.
So they had a–a foot-wash flunky that would meet the guests at the
door. And when anyone come up with their card of invitation, he had a
whole rack of what we would call, something like bedroom shoes, made
out of textile or–or some kind of a goods. And the sandals of those
days were sometime a piece of wood, like we have them, called the Roman
sandal, with a piece of leather that the toe went between. The–the
foot was exposed then to the dust.
And as they tread along, they'd come to this place, give their–honor
their ticket. And they would reach down and take off these sandals and
set them up in a place, with their name, and reach up on the mantle and
get another pair of soft sandals and put on their feet, which they were
ready then to go in. Oh, their rugs was sometimes were real thick and
great tapestries. They had a beautiful play in their homes. Those
people were rich.
E-44
And then the next thing this person did, he was–washed, his feet. And
then the next thing happened, he went to the next guest, and he was
standing with a towel over his arm, with a little cruse in his hand.
Then he–he would pour oil in his hand, let him rub it behind his ears
and on his neck, because his face was burning. He was dirty. And he'd
take this towel then and wipe his face off good. And–and he was all
right, the smell was off of him, and he was anointed with perfume. And
that was costly, very costly.
They get it, they tell me, from way up in the mountains where they get
these little apples after the rose is gone. And the little apples…
And it's a very costly thing. Like the Queen of Sheba brought up to
Solomon: spices, and spikenard, and so forth. And they made this
perfume out of it.
E-45
And they relaxed themselves by… they were… Feet was washed, the
smell was off of them, that burning, blistering sun upon their face…
Then they were refreshed. Then the next thing… the first step, second
step, now the third step. Now, I could preach on that awhile but I–I
haven't got the time–how that's justification, sanctification, the
baptism of the Holy Ghost.
Then, when they went in, they met the guests. They was met by
the–the–the host. Then something like this (stand up, Brother Demas).
After you see, washed, perfumed, he did–he wasn't embarrassed of the
smell. He had on soft shoes to walk on the big Persian rugs. He was
anointed; he had a good smell on him, not the stink of the animals; but
he was perfumed. Then they reached like this. (Come right here, Brother
Demas.) I've been in the Orient. Now, take this hand like this; then
they'd come this way together. Then they patted one another when the
host met the guest. Then that was called the welcoming. See, he'd been
washed, perfumed, and was kissed welcome. They kissed on the neck. He
was kissed welcome. Then he was a full-fledged brother.
That's the way it is in the church when we're washed by the Blood of
the Lamb, perfumed by the Lily of the Valley, and kissed by the Father.
Then we're welcome guests. Oh, there's so much to be said there. But to
keep you not too long, I don't want to tire you.
E-46
But when… Then kissed, welcome, he–he's at home. He didn't have to
worry about nothing. He'd go over and get the refrigerator get a big
sandwich, and kick off his shoes, lay down on the bed, and anything he
wanted to do. He was at home.
And when God kisses us welcome into His Kingdom, we're home. It's all
right. It's all over then. We've been washed by the preparation that He
prepared for us: His Blood, a sweet smelling savour, perfumed by the
sanctification that drives the stink of the world off (Hallelujah. I
feel kinda religious right now.), taking away the stink of the world,
or the desires of the world. See, if the world's still in us then
there's something wrong.
No wonder we can't have a real Pentecostal revival. No wonder there's
something missing. The guest hasn't exactly entered right. You see,
Jesus taught that one time about the robes, and He said, "This man was
found there not prepared, and he was bound and cast in outer darkness."
So much could be said on it.
E-47
But that's the way they did it. Then they were home, they felt like
they were a brother. You can't feel like you're a brother when you
still desire the world. You can't associate yourself out here in things
of the world of cheating, lying, stealing, you women bobbing off your
hair and wearing shorts and everything, then still feel at home when
the Word of God's being preached. You're supposed to be Pentecostal,
supposed to be filled with the Holy Ghost.
Someone hit at me not long ago, said, "Why don't you leave them people alone?" Said, "People think you're a prophet."
I said, "I'm no prophet."
Said, "Well, they think you are. Why don't you teach them people, them
Pentecostals, how to receive these things, how to get great spiritual
blessings and enter into the Presence of God and see visions also. If
you'd leave them alone…"
I said, "How can I teach them algebra when they won't even learn their ABC's?"
E-48
How can they accept spiritual things when they won't even have the
common decency to clean themselves up? Not to hurt you, but be honest
with you… Unhonorable things that the Bible says that you shouldn't
do, yet we associate with it. Sure. See, you can't be welcome. No, sir.
You're out of place with the Word, and He is the Word. Now, so much for
that. We'll get that some other time.
But notice, on as we go. You say, "What's the matter with you?" Well,
you men that'll let them do it, that shows what you're made out of.
Some of you women, pastors' wives, act like that and dress like that.
What is it? You're trying… Your husband let you do it? Oh, brother.
What is it? Some of these water-head haircuts you have, trying to act
like the first lady of the land. Jezebel was the first lady of the land
too. Some of their pastors wouldn't tell them about it, but they had
Elijah down there stood out on it all right. That was her pastor. She
didn't want to believe it. Led around…
E-49
Notice, we find out that they had to be ready and prepared to go in.
How did it happen? We see Him now, setting in the room, unwashed,
unanointed, not kissed welcome, setting in the cardinal's house. I want
to ask you something. What happened to that foot-wash flunky? Where was
he at? How did he bypass that? What an opportunity, and missed it. Oh,
I believe if I'd been there and knowed He's coming, I'd have been on a
stepladder somewhere watching for Him to come. The honor of washing His
feet, the honor… But somehow he just bypassed Him, let Him go.
Where was the man with the anointing oil? But somehow He was there and
was dirty. It kills me to say it, but Jesus with dirty feet. You know
the Frenchman calls Him Jesu, Jesu. Jesu with dirty feet, nobody caring
to–enough about it to wash His feet.
"What's that got to do with us, Brother Branham?" He come and He was on
time. He's always on time, never late. We call for a revival, and He
comes. Somebody starts to praise the Lord. Are we… He's put out of
the church. See? He's never welcomed. Jesu with dirty feet.
E-50
Oh, why did He get dirty? He got dirty coming because He was called to
come. And today He's also when He comes He's called holy-roller, some
scandal name. Why did He take that sort of a thing? Because we invited
Him to come, and God came down in the form of human flesh. He lived
here on earth. He became that so that… We invited God to come, and
then when He come, they don't want Him. They didn't want Him. Many
times we don't want Him. It interferes with our denominational setup.
It interferes with the social standing we have with the other churches.
God have mercy on we poor miserable Pharisees.
What we need is the power of the Holy Ghost back into the buildings,
and back into the people, that could have the old fashion Pentecostal
power that cleaned the church from the janitor to the pastor. That's
right. Amen. That's what we need. But we pray for it, and when it
comes, "Oh, no. That interferes with my social standing." See? Oh,
sure, cuts down some of the dignity. If you don't have it just
so-and-so, the people won't come. Jesus said, "No man can come to Me
except My Father drawed him." Notice again, "All that the Father give
Me will come." Keep the thing clean.
E-51
We can't never compare with the world. We're doing wrong by trying to
act like the world. We're never can compare with them. And we've got no
business out on their grounds. Bring them over on our grounds. We got
something they haven't got. We go to act like them, then they know
we–we're saying something we haven't got. Let the–let the world come
to us, not us go out after the world. Let the world…
You know, Hollywood shines, but the Gospel glows. There's a lot of
difference between shining and glowing. Glow, not shine with the
outward appearance, glow on the inside by the Holy Ghost, with
sweetness, meekness, gentleness, patience, and love. Glow, don't shine.
Shine is after the world.
E-52
The church is a whole lot like it was in the days of Esther. Esther
didn't take the perfuming of–of the women. She adorned herself with
the modest apparel, the hidden man of the heart. And the king said,
"Put the crown on her head." Esther was a type of the church today,
those who are ready to come out and adorn themselves with the sweetness
of the Holy Spirit, not the perfuming and the dressing of the world,
try to compare with them but that hidden man of the heart, that's the
one.
E-53
Notice, we find Jesu setting out there with dirty feet. They'd never
been noticed. How did He get in? How did He miss… How did the
foot-wash flunky miss Him? How'd the rest of them miss Him? I don't
know. But He was setting there with dirty feet. Nobody was doing
anything about it. Oh, Pharisee, he and the other, the bishop, and the
archbishop, and the cardinal, and all the rest of them was over there
tipping their goblets together, and drinking the–the fine wines,
and–and talking about the things of the–of Israel, but failed to see
the God of Israel.
That's today. We want the biggest building in the town or… And all
the people like to flock to the biggest building there is in the city.
All these big, the best dressed, and all this other. And some poor
little man preaching the Gospel down yonder on the street corner, or
out there somewhere in a alley, in a little church, and you don't want
to associate with him. What's the matter? There's something wrong. Go
up there where the rest of the people act like this and dress the best.
It's too bad it's getting into our realms. Right.
E-54
What we need is a humbling. What we need is a rebaptism of the Holy
Spirit, with God's love and power to take this world out of us, bring
us back to adorning again to the Word: washed by the water of the Word.
Get back to Christ, instead of fashioning ourselves of the world,
trying to act like the first lady and–and all these other things, some
of the bishops, and so forth. Don't matter about that. You want to be
like Jesus, Jesu.
E-55
Now, think of it. Everybody standing around the fence after the feast
got on, the fragrance of the lamb and–and the–everything. There was
nobody on the street. Everybody was standing, looking in, their mouth's
watering, grasping for a bite of the lamb. They couldn't come in. No.
They were the poor, the trash, outside. And here was one on the inside
dressed and looked like them on the outside. Something wrong
somewhere… Setting there, not only the decency to wash His feet,
or–or kiss Him welcome, just let Him set there, nobody around Him. His
disciples couldn't come; they wasn't invited. But here He's setting
here, looking around.
E-56
Now, listen. Way down the street, to the lowest part of the city, down
in the red light district, we turn right, go up an alley. There's a
little old creaking steps coming down the back. And as you climb it,
she squeaks and skreaks. Open the door, and we find in there a little
woman. Oh, I don't believe she meant to be bad. Maybe she had a good
parent, and she just took the road that's wrong. Or maybe she was a
good girl; some slick-haired, curly-headed Judas ruined the little
lady's reputation.
I'm always hitting at the women. I'm going to take up for you awhile.
There's a many a good girl gone wrong because of some little perfumed
Judas running along with his hair slicked down, and hold his mouth open
in front; going on with some little something of a–one of these here
Ricky or Elvis' machines out here on the street. Take some little girl
out 'cause she thinks he's cute, give her a cigarette, get her on a
dance floor.
E-57
I've met thousands of them, their poor little lives wrecked and ruined.
It ain't always their fault. Don't ever fall for a boy like that,
sister. Let him alone. There ain't nothing to him. If he ain't filled
with the Holy Ghost…
I'm going to say something (I don't mean it for a joke, 'cause this is
no place for jokes.), but just something that happened in my church.
This is a place of the Gospel. We had a girl at our church here
sometime ago, nice, pretty little girl. First thing you know, she cut
her hair. That's against the rules. Yes, sir. When she does that, the
Bible says she's a dishonorable woman. Get away from her. The Bible
said a woman cuts her hair is dishonorable. Now, that's the Word. God
knows that's right.
If the Holy Ghost is in you and won't cooperate with that, what kind of
a Holy Ghost is that? See? The Holy Spirit itself in you makes you live
what you are. If the Holy Spirit disagrees with the Word, and you call
it the Holy Spirit, then it's not the Holy Spirit of God. You got some
sort of a spirit.
Today we have all kinds of spirits. People say, "Shut your eyes, open
up your mouth, receive something." You do. But look what you got after
you received it. Don't you do that. You come to God sensibly, with all
the intelligence, holding on to the Word. Get the Spirit of God, it'll
make you walk right in line with God. Sure.
E-58
This little girl, she got to running around with some little Elvis.
After while I asked her, I said, "Martha, what–what makes you do that?
What do you see in that guy? He smokes. I've seen him standing on the
church ground, smoking."
"Oh," she said, "Brother Branham," said, "you know," said, "he's got pretty curly hair." And said, "He just smells so good."
Now, if that ain't something to pick a boyfriend. I said, "But he isn't
saved." I said, "I'd rather go with a boy that smelled like a
stockyard, and had feet like a boxcar, and had the Holy Ghost." Yes, I
would, than one of those little things. She finally ended up on the
wrong road, like maybe this poor girl did. Some boy led her wrong. Then
she started. If you've already started, sis, there's hopes if you'll
just meet this Man I'm talking about. Maybe she hadn't had the
opportunity.
E-59
So she starts down the street on her regular routine. And she sees
nobody. Where's everybody at? And she passes another corner and another
corner. Where is everybody? There's nobody today. After while she
smells that aroma. Poor little empty stomach begins to hunger. She
moves up amongst the crowd, up around Pharisee's door, and she sees the
bishop, and the cardinals, and all of them in there, tipping the
goblet. And she presses herself up to the fence, and people begin to
get away from her, some of them worse than she is. That's right.
Self-styled, don't realize that every woman went wrong had some reason
to. Every man that went wrong… And we think we're so self-styled many
times we don't want to associate with the bums on the street. We ain't
got time to stop and talk to them a minute. And then call ourselves
Christians?
E-60
Yes, she pressed her way up to the fence, and she was looking around
through there. She was hungry. And she looked, and she was watching.
Over here in the corner stood Pharisee. She could hear that great big
"Ho-ho-ho," over in the corner. Looked over and here he was tipping the
goblets with that fine fancy wine, and the lamb being roasted, and
dinner almost ready to be served. And–and looking around like that…
And after while her eyes caught somebody (Oh, may we all catch that
picture now.), setting over in the corner, unnoticed. And she must've
caught His eye. Nobody can ever look Him in the eye and ever feel the
same again. She saw Him. And she thought, "Who is that? There's
something different about Him." And there is. There never was nobody
like Him. There can never be nobody like Him. He was different from
others. And there He was setting. She looked down, and people turn away
from Him. And they–she noticed His feet was unwashed; His face was
still parched and burning.
If we could only see that today (And you know what I'm talking about.),
see Him setting in disgrace, like His people does today to the world.
They don't want no association with them. They're the same as… You
say, "Pentecost," brother, they're gone. You say, "Holy Ghost," oh, my.
They're away from it.
E-61
What we people need to do is to wash His feet, anoint Him, that we
might rise in the power of His resurrection. Take that disgrace off of
Him. Amen. Make the world ashamed of themselves, with the power of His
Life in us, as different creatures, not like them out there; that's
cannon fodder. That's nothing but atomic ashes. The church is a borned
again creature.
Here He was setting. In that kind of a crowd that's the way He looked.
And that's the way a genuine Spirit-filled man or woman looks in the
sight of such a crowd. Notice, she looked at Him. She thought, "You
know Who that is? Somebody here… Is that that prophet of Galilee?"
Oh, that's Him."
Oh, her heart begin to pound. Something when you find Jesus, your heart
goes to acting funny. It's going to get a new Master right away. Heart
went to pounding. "Oh, that's the–the One that was down there at the
well where that woman of Sychar was. That's the One that found the
woman as immoral as I, and told her that she had too many husbands, and
forgave her of her sins. Oh, He'd never forgive me. I'm too wretched.
But it's not right that Him setting there like that. He's the God of
eternity. He's the only Saviour. It's not right for Him to be treated
like that." And she got an idea. I hope you get one.
E-62
Down the street she goes just as hard as she can, down to the little
alley, up the alley to the little creaking steps. Creakety, creakety,
up she goes, pull the little squeaking door open, after she takes the
lock off, goes in, falls down on the floor. She thinks, "I'm on my
knees." She reaches under the bed, pulls out a little box, and unlocks
it, in a little piece of her stocking, perhaps. She takes it out; she
shakes it. There's all her living. That's all she's got. But she's
ready to give it.
I wonder if we're that sincere. Don't point your finger to her if
you're not. All she had, she was willing to give it. And she pulls it
up to her bosom, and she–her heart's full of joy. All of a sudden,
something's presented to her, "You know, He's a prophet. I believe He's
a prophet. I don't care what rabbi says, what the cardinal or bishop
says. I believe that He is the One that Moses spoke of. I believe that
He's the prophet that was to visit us in these days. And Him being
that, He will know where I got this money. He will know the–the means
that I did to get this money. But it's all I got."
E-63
Sure He knows you. He can tell you right from this pulpit right now all
about you. Yes, sir. You believe it? I can prove it to you. Amen.
Excuse me. He knows what you're made out of. He knows these words
sometimes scorch you. He knows all about you.
But it's all she had. That's all He expects out of you. Just give your
all to Him, your whole heart, will, and popularity, social standing.
Just throw it all on Him, no matter what you've done. But she said,
"This is my only opportunity, and I'm going to take it." Maybe it might
be your last opportunity. You better take it while you're in this
convention. Don't you go home without it, for I believe you're going to
see Him moving in the same way. He already is. You're going to see Him
greater than this. You're going to see His Word made manifest.
Notice. And she says, "It's all I got, so it's all I can give." That's
all He expects. "Brother Branham, I'm–I'm…" I don't care what you
are, how much of a hypocrite you've been, how good a church member, how
self-righteous you may stand this morning before the people. Just give
what you got. That's all He expects. He will take that.
E-64
She goes down the street, she said, "Well, easy. I'll go because
there's something in me telling me to do it." That's when it's real,
not when you're putting it on, but something real. Here she goes down
the street. And she looks around, and she remembered Lavinsky has the
best perfume shop in the city. So she enters the door. The little bell
rings and one raised up, looked to see who it was. "Well, what do you
want?" Like some of these men before they become Christian businessmen.
That's poor business.
"What do you want? (I don't like for a person like that to be in my shop.)"
"I want the best you got." (Oh, my.)
"The best I got?"
"Yep. It's for a–it's for a real certain Person. It's for a special occasion."
E-65
That's the way we want. The best that can be got, the best we can give.
Not just three minutes a day in prayer, but the best you can give. "Oh,
I want the best you got." Well, he knew a woman like that really didn't
have money enough to buy that. So she takes her little stocking top and
said, "How much is the best?"
"Twenty pieces. That's the best I got."
She pours her little stocking top out there, and–and the money
rattles. Oh, of course, that's different. He who said there's no profit
in keeping Joseph in the land, he's ready to make it you know. So he
gots up there and counts it out, "Oh, yes, exactly twenty pieces of
Roman denarii." That's what it costs.
"What are you going to do with this?"
"Oh, this is for a special Person."
E-66
So he reached up on the shelf and gives her the alabaster box. She puts
it in her bosom. She slips back up again; she looks in there; she sees
Pharisee and them all standing around in such a great conglomeration
of–of pomp. And she sees Jesu still setting there with dirty feet.
Nobody had paid any attention to Him. "How am I going to get in?
They'll throw me out when I start in the gate." But you know, there's
something inside of her, telling her to go in. She wanted to do a
service for Jesus.
And if you're wanting to do a service for Jesus, there ain't enough
bishops and cardinals on earth to stop you from getting in His
Presence. That's right. There ain't enough denominations and hypocrites
in the country to do it, or enough devils in hell to stop you from it,
if you're–want to do a service for Jesu.
Here she comes. She slips around. She sees the guard at the gate
turning his back. She sneaks under the gate. Here she makes her way
real quick. That's right. When you first get in, go right to Him. Don't
mess around. Don't go talking, see what this one says, and what this
organization says, and that says. Go right straight to Jesus. Get to
Jesu. Don't pay no attention to what these others say. Get to Him right
quick.
E-67
So she slips up real quick. She stands, the Bible said, behind Him. She
got to thinking, "Oh, oh, I'm in the Presence of God." A strange
feeling always comes over you when you come in that attitude. But if
you come in the attitude that Pharisee had, you'll have the same
feeling he had: nothing to it. But just come in that attitude if you
want to see Jesu. See what kind of a feeling comes over you. Let that
old heart melt within you this morning towards Him. Listen to His still
small Voice. There'll be a different attitude.
She slips up. He was setting there. She thought, "Oh, oh, I'm so
nervous. I don't know what to do. If I get around, maybe He might run
me out of here. Oh, what… Well, I'm nothing–I'm nothing anyhow."
Now, when you get to thinking that you're nothing anyhow. If you're
afraid you're going to ruin your prestige, then you'd better stay away
in the first place. "I'm nothing to begin with."
E-68
So she run around in front of Him and she looked. Then she was close.
That's what you want to get, just a little closer look at Him. Maybe
you're looking at Him too far away. You're looking at Him way back
yonder two thousand years ago. What about Him this morning? He's the
same yesterday, today, and forever: same power, same signs. "The works
that I do shall you also." Brother Demas awhile ago quoted it in King
James, "Greater than this shall you do." But the right translation, and
anyone knows, is "More than this shall you do," not greater. No one
could do any greater, but more of the same great works. He raised the
dead and stopped nature. Nothing else could be done any greater, but
more.
Why? He's in His church universal, the great holy Apostolic Pentecostal
catholic church, around the world: Jesu in every member. He was only in
one Man, God was then. Now, God's in His whole church. Right this hour
people's being healed. Right this very minute people's receiving the
Holy Ghost. If He was just standing here alone in a man form as He was
then, He could only be talking to this audience. But now He talks the
world over in the Holy Ghost.
E-69
So there she was in His Presence. She moved around. I can see those
little eyes look up at her, and her heart nearly failed. "There's the
Man that forgive that woman and knowed her heart. He knew that woman of
Samaria, Sychar. He–He knew she had five husbands, and He knows how
guilty I am." He does. He knows how guilty you are. He knows just how
lowdown every one of us are. He knows us.
She looked Him in the face, and she recognized it. Now, she never
looked over at Pharisee, or looked at the chart to see how many members
belonged to the church, whether she'd join it or not. She looked at
Jesu. She felt guilty, and she couldn't hold her tears any longer. And
she looked down at His feet, and the tears begin to drop off on His
feet. She was so ashamed. She fell down on her knees, she… He seen
her. She couldn't hold her tears any longer.
There's something about when you get around Jesus, you start crying,
not with a cold… I ain't go no use for these cold, starchy
confessions, and putting your name on a book and joining the church.
You got to die to yourself, be borned anew.
E-70
And the tears begin to drop off on Jesu' feet, and she didn't have
nothing to wipe them with. So hanging her head down, crying, her–her
pretty curls that she had all done up on top of her head, you know,
like this, fell down. She begin to wash His feet with her hands and
wipe with her–her hair. Some of our Pentecostal sisters, bobbing all
their pretty hair off, have to stand on their head to get enough hair
to wash His feet, to wipe them. Right.
But He–she, even in her condition… Don't condemn her. She took her
hair, begin to wipe His feet. She'd look up. Oh, if He'd have moved a
foot, if she… If He would've batted an eye, she'd have gone out of
there. But Jesu, when you're trying to do something for Him, He just
lets you do it. I love that. He just set still and looked at her. And
she tried to say, "I–I…" and wiping His feet. What beautiful water
to wash His feet: tears of repentance; better than He could have got
from old Pharisee, old self-made denominational waters. He had waters
of repentance; her great big briny tears striking his feet. Her, with
her pretty hair just washing and wiping His feet, saying, "Oh, I can't
say it." She was… "I–I…" and wiping His feet. Then it got so He
just let… "Oh, I can't say it."
E-71
My, Jesu just watched her. After while she took the alabaster box out.
She was ashamed to stand up to put it on His head. She thought, "If I
can just set at His feet, that'll be good enough."
Some of you want to be the big shots. His feet's good enough for me.
His Word is sufficient. As long as I know that I'm in Him, and His Word
in me, that's good enough. When I get over there, if I can just put my
hands on His feet, that's–that's enough. That'll be all right, that's
all I ask. I think that's the way we all feel. Washing His feet, tears
of water of repentance, that's what He wants His–His dirt washed off
with: repentance, not penance, repentance.
E-72
Washing His feet, wiping them with her hair, directly she reached in
nervously. She got the alabaster box, and she hit it, and she was so
nervous. And she broke the end of it, poured it all upon His feet, and
she was real nervous. And–and then she reached back, and begin to wipe
His feet. [Brother Branham makes a kissing sound–Ed.] "I want to…" And she looked up.
She noticed His eyes was off of her then. What's going on all the time
in the room? There's not a move made. What's the matter? Everything
stopped. Oh, I can see that self–self-styled Pharisee, the meanest
rascal in the country. Oh, he's red in the face. He's so humiliated.
Somebody said, "Amen." Why, somebody say "Amen" in his church, "Hmmm."
You disturb him. Little power of God… He happens to say a word… He
made mistake somewhere, and said, "Jesus Christ come to save sinners."
And somebody say, "Glory to God."
"Oh. Hummm. Ushers, put them out. Yeah, they disturb me." They disturb me when they don't say it.
So–so there… He was so humiliated, oh, plumb down to… Oh, he was
just a… (I have to quit.) He was so humiliated. He was looking at
Him, and he said within himself, nodding to them cardinals, "You see, I
told you. If that man was a prophet, He would know what kind of a woman
that was."
E-73
Sure, He did. She was a million times better off than him, though he
was a church member. She was a prostitute. Shame on you miserable,
poor, church members that knows no more about God than that.
Humiliated, said, "I told you, told you. See? If He was a prophet, He
was a prophet, He'd know that. He's no prophet."
But Jesus could discern his thoughts. So He raised Hisself up. The
little woman stood, her hair hanging down her–over her shoulders, down
about her waistline; the tears streaked down; and–and grease all over
her mouth from kissing His feet; great, big, pretty brown eyes. Wonder
what He's going to say? Looks down at her.
E-74
He said, "Simon, I got something to talk to you about." Oh, self-styled
poor miserable hypocrite, professing to be a servant of Christ… "I
got something to say to you. You invited Me to come here, and I come. I
left My busy schedule." He always does. That's right. He come here.
He's here now. Sure. "I left My busy schedule because you invited Me to
come. And when I got to the door you didn't wash My feet; you didn't
anoint My head; and you never give Me a kiss welcome. But this woman,
ever since she's been here, she's done nothing but wash My feet with
tears and wipe them with her hair. She anointed Me."
Now, what's He going to do? There she's standing there, her big eyes
looking up at Him. What's the verdict? O God, let that be my verdict.
Let that be what I hear when I try to do Him a service. Though I have
to say things to my people that cuts me to pieces inside, but I got to
do Him a service. It's written in the Word. I must do it. We must do
it, brethren. Regardless of what the price is, we've got to do it. It's
a service that God requires. Preach the Word.
E-75 Look at her. She was spellbound. "What's He going to do, condemn me?"
Then
He looked and He said, "And I say unto her, her sins which were many,
are all forgiven her. Her sins which were many, are all forgiven her."
That's the verdict I want to hear. I want to try through my life to do
God's work. You want to try the same. And the verdict at the end will
be the same thing, "Thy sins which are many, are all forgiven thee."
Let's bow our heads just a moment.
E-76
We have invited Him, and He's come. All through the churches this week
with my brethren, we've prayed, "Jesus, be here." I stood up on top of
South Mountain the other day, said to my wife, "Look down through that
valley. How many times in the last hour has God's Name been taken in
vain? How many adulteries was committed since last night in that
valley?"
She said to me, "Billy, why, what did you come here for then?"
I said, "Honey, but down scattered through that big Maricopa Valley
(that one day was nothing but cactus and lizards), there's been many a
prayer went up in the last twenty-four hours. Real borned again saints
of God, they're praying that the sinner will make his way to this
convention."
E-77
And He's come. He's here. I know He is. Let's make Him welcome with our
few tears from our cold, hard hearts. Let's wash His feet this morning.
Let's tell Him we love Him, going to serve Him from now on. Hear that
great eternal verdict, "Thy sins which are many, are all forgiven thee."
Going to ask you a solemn question. I want it from your heart. If
there's men and women here, which there is, that's not lived right with
God, and you'd like to hear the verdict that woman heard that day, "Thy
sins which are many, are all forgiven thee," will you raise up your
hands? Now, don't nobody look. Let me and the Lord look. Raise up your
hand. God bless you. God bless you. Bless you. Bless you, all around.
Now, church members, you here that knows that you've never been borned
again… And yet Jesu is here. You know you'd be ashamed if He'd happen
to make you shout His praise, or try to tell you to testify to
somebody. You raise up your hand and say, "Jesu, I'm sorry. I want to
be a real born again Christian from today." Raise your hand. Bless you.
God bless you.
E-78
Now, some of you Pentecostal women with short bobbed hair, shame on
you. Now, you know you're wrong. If you didn't know it till now, you
know it now. Are you ashamed of it? If you are, raise up your hand.
Don't nobody look. God bless you. That takes a real lady to do that.
God bless you. That's right. God bless you. That's right. Sure you are.
Sure you're ashamed.
You mean to tell me that you got bobbed hair and not ashamed of it?
Trying to please man instead of God? Don't you realize that as long as
you don't… You'll never from this day on ever be able to go any
farther with God. This is the thing that bypass you, right here.
Say you got the Holy Ghost, dance in the Spirit, speak in tongues?
You've relied too much on that, instead of that still small Voice. You
can have mental emotions, but your life proves what you are. Can you
get grapes on a pumpkin vine? cucumbers on a watermelon vine? You know
you're wrong. Raise up your hand. Be lady enough to do that. Many of
you haven't raised your hands, many of… God bless you, there's a host
of them now.
You men that permitting… Some of you preachers, shame on you. You
Full Gospel preachers that let your wife do a thing like that, shame on
you. God have mercy on your soul, brother, with not the very decency
enough to preach the Gospel. Are you afraid of her?
E-79
What about some of you that smoke cigarettes, still claim to be
Pentecostal, still take a sociable drink with the boss. Some of you
businessmen still haven't give up your things of the world, to–you
want to… You've got to have a little sociable drink on Christmas.
Shame on you. Shame on you. Don't you know Jesu is going to condemn you
on that day? You know you're wrong.
Some of you has even bypassed the Word in these last days. Churches are
getting formal. Something's wrong. Your congregation won't stand for…
I know some of you preachers are innocent. You go out here preach the
Word just as hard as you can. That congregation… Lay it on, brother.
God will hold them responsible.
E-80
Some of you haven't loved Him like you should. Some of you are real
honorable Christians, and you haven't loved Him like you ought to. And
you know you're guilty. You don't pray enough. I'm going to put up my
hand now. I don't pray enough. I'm ashamed of myself. I'm ashamed of my
life. I asked Him to come to this meeting, and I'm–I'm–I'm ashamed of
my life before Him. I'm with you. I'm ashamed of my life before Jesu.
Bless His heart. He came from heaven this morning to visit us, came to
us to talk to us, to speak to us. He's speaking to us right now, that
little still small Voice down in our heart. There might not be rushing
mighty winds. We've had so much of that.
Let's veil our face this morning with shame. I'm ashamed to be
Pentecostal with the life that I live. I'm ashamed I have no more power
in His Presence. I'm ashamed that I'm no more of an example of a
Christian before my people. Jesu, have mercy on me. God, I'm not
without fault. I need correcting too, and Your Holy Spirit's speaking
to me.
E-81
We want to talk to You, Lord. We want You to forgive us. We want to be
real Pentecostals, Lord. We want to be really filled with the Spirit.
We're not ashamed of tears; we're not ashamed of You in no manner. And
this morning You've visited us, and we want to wash Your feet. We want
to give You our lives. We–we want to be real Christians. We want the
fruit of the Spirit in our lives: meek, gentle, loving one another,
forgiving one another. God, for Christ's sake, forgave us. We want to
be like Him. He was our example.
All that has that desire in their hearts, that you'd just like to bow
your head this morning in His Presence, knowing that we're guilty too;
that you'd just like to wash His feet too, would you stand quietly to
your feet now. God bless you. My wife used to sing a song: Dear Jesus,
I love Thee, I love Thee. If ever I loved Thee, dear Jesus, it's now.
Let's bow our heads now, everybody.
E-82
Our heavenly Father, we–we have been so–so indifferent towards You.
We have mistreated You. We've mistreated the cause. We have been
indifferent. [A woman begins crying out–Ed.]
I pray for that poor woman just now, that the devil trying to get her
away. Go after her, Holy Spirit. Don't let her alone. Go after her,
Jesus. That devil crying, may he come out in the Name of the Lord
Jesus. May that poor lost soul be saved.
We're sorry, Lord. Move upon us with Your Holy Spirit. Fill us with the
goodness of God. Pour out of Your blessings, Lord. We're–we're washing
our hearts with the water of the Word. Come into our lives, Lord. Sit
down at our table. Set down and dine with us today, Lord. We'll take
You just now as our Saviour. We'll take You as our Guide and our King.
And let the Holy Ghost just bathe our souls in His Presence, giving us
love, and mercy and understanding.
E-83
May every minister take a new hold. May the Business Men, may this
organization, may every church member, every person in here feel Jesus
take His place in their heart just now. Grant it, Lord. We love You and
give You our lives; welcome You to the convention. We are going to
baptize the people out here this afternoon. We're going to make altar
calls. We're going to praise You in songs. We're going to praise You in
the Word. We're going to praise You with all that we've got, to let the
people know that we are not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for
it is the power of God unto salvation.
E-84
We should go from here living different lives because of Your visit
with us. We will not try to be like Pharisee. We know that You are the
King of prophets. You're the God-prophet that speaks in our hearts now.
And we pray that You'll discern our hearts, and reveal to us our causes
that's hindering the great move of God in this last day; that from here
may go anointed ministers, anointed men and women with such an
inspiration on them of the loving Lord Jesus, until there'll be a
revival break out all the way across the continent. Grant it, Lord.
E-85
We know You've come on our invitation, and we're going to make You as
welcome as we know how in each one of our lives. We stand with this
benediction in our heart, Lord, saying that we love You, Lord Jesus. We
bless You. You're above every–every organization. You're above the
things of the world. You're above our dressing. You're above our
everything. You're God. You're above our emotions. You are God. And we
love You with all of our hearts. Receive us, O Lord, as we raise our
hands to You to give You praise. The great King of glory sets in our
midst this morning. We praise Thee and commit ourselves to Thee.
Through the Name of the Lord Jesus, we bless this people.
Do you love Him? Do you reconsecrate your lives to Him, men and women?
Raise your hands and say, "Jesus, I prayed too that You'd come to this
convention. Now, I consecrate myself to Thee. From this hour on let me
be wholly Thine. May my walking, talking, and association prove that
I'm sealed by the Holy Ghost, the way I live, talk, and walk."
E-86 Give us a chord on the piano, "I Love Him." Do you really mean it? Say "Amen" if you do. [Congregation says, "Amen."–Ed.]
Do you really love this expression to Jesus as we sing it together? All
together in the old fashion way now. "I Love Him. I love Him, because
He first loved me." All together now let's go.
E-87
Just a moment, in relaxing, just keep the prelude. Satan had
interrupted the little woman, ran her from the building. The Holy
Spirit caught her out there and brought her back. She's in the meeting
now, relaxed. "In My Name they shall cast out devils." Power is in
sweetness and humility. That's what makes things great because it's
humble and sweet.
Don't you love Him? Now, all together again with our eyes closed and our hands raised towards heaven, all your heart.
