Questions And Answers (61-1015M)

Questions And Answers (61-1015M)

 

 

^647-1
These questions before I got to the pulpit… But Brother Moore, he
sent in an emergency call, and I thought somebody was very sick, and he
just wanted a meeting. So I was trying to get him off the phone over
there. He wanted to come down through Thanksgiving and have a meeting
down there for them at–in Louisiana. Last year when we were there,
we–the Lord started a revival, and it's never ended yet; it's still
going, the revival. Forget how many hundreds has been saved this last
year, when the–after the revival down there.

^647-2
Now, I guess it's kinda surprising, maybe, being here this morning; and
it is to me. And I didn't know, so we didn't advertise it out amongst
some of the, you know, the people, just dropped in to answer some
questions. I thought that way… Usually a pastor can find out what's
on his people's heart when he asks questions. And that way we find out
what the people's thinking about.
And I believe before we start this morning, there was someone said they
had a baby to dedicate. Billy was telling me that there's a dedication
of a baby. If that's so, why… All right. We'll bring the little
fellow up and dedicate it to the Lord; and then we'll answer the
questions, and then we're going to pray for the sick.

^647-4
I want to report that my mother is just about like usual. She… I
don't think she's any worse, though they think so. But I don't think
so; I believe she's just about like she was. And until God tells me
that she's going to die, I'm not going to believe it. And I'm going to
hold faith for mama (See?), until He tells me she's going to go.
Now, He could be taking her; I don't know. His… Might be just keeping
it from me, keep me from worrying or something; but I'm going to
believe that God is going to let her get well no matter what she is.
She hasn't eat for three weeks, but just glucose; but I believe she's
get well anyhow. See?

^647-5a
Brother Neville… Well, this is a–we hope to be another preacher
coming on here, a little Mr. Wood. Yes, sir, what's his full name?
William David. Jr, is he going to call him Jr? This is a little folk
that's been sent into the Wood's family up there, 'course he's grandma
pet, and… Little William David Jr. and he sure is a fine little boy.
And his little sister will keep him…?… though, because he's… Yes,
he's got his finger double up now, his trigger finger. Squirrel hunter
I guess…?… You're looking out of one eye at me, I guess he's kinda
backward. But we know that these are little things that God sends into
our home that we appreciate in giving us the responsibility of raising
these up. And I'm quite sure if the grace of God continues in this
family, that this baby will be raised in admonition of God. Let us bow
our heads.
Our heavenly Father, we bring to You little William David Wood this
morning, in the Name of the Lord Jesus in respect of the Scripture,
that they brought unto Him when He was here on earth, infants, little
babies that He might lay His hands upon them and bless them. And if He
was here this morning in a body of flesh, we know that our brother and
sister would take this little token of grace to Him; so that we are to
represent Him today in the way of preaching the Gospel they bring the
baby to us. We by faith lift little David to You in the Name of Jesus,
and we pray that You'll bless him, Lord. God, grant that he'll live to
be a servant of Yours, if You tarry. Grant it, Lord. Give him health
and strength. Bless his father and mother, and may if it be in Thy
Divine will that this little boy will raise up to preach the Gospel in
the days lies ahead. Grant it, Lord. We give to You this little William
David Wood for a servant of Yours, in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

^647-5b
David, I'm always so careful with them little fellows; I feel like
they're so, you know, you're going to drop them all the time.
I think little babies and old people… Get someone that's just an old
person that's been done along the line, or a little baby that's…
They're so innocent like, you know, that they–there's something about
them that I really like.
Wonder if we put on this pulpit light on here. Brother Neville, do you know where the… Oh, here we are.

^647-6
Now, in questions, we got a quite a few of them here, and I don't get a
chance to even look up the Scriptures that–of the questions that's
asked, because it was just give in this morning. And I just picked them
up a few moments ago, just kinda brushed through part of them, and seen
some questions, and wondering just how… And some of them… This is
the most sticky group I ever have gotten. So when the–looking through
them, I seen we was going to have a hard time with these.
So if I do not answer them according to your belief in these
questions… Now, always remember, that they are to the best of my
knowledge. And then sometimes maybe I–in this I'll have to just refer
to a Scripture to answer them and maybe not have time to look it up.
Then when you go home, you look it up and see. And if I've misquoted
it, well then, I–I would be wrong. I don't mean to misquote anyone,
but–misquote the Scripture, but sometimes we can do it. Maybe a word
where it would be something, then we might say it some other way. You
know how easy it is to do that.
But we're aiming–our aim is to quote them straight. And if I had to
take them say this Sunday and answer them next Sunday; then I'd have
time to look them all over through the week.

^648-9
But there's many sick people coming in, and I been real, real busy and
haven't had a chance to–to go out and make many of my calls. And I
thought today would be a good time, just let those sick people come
into the Tabernacle and we'd pray for them. And we know that prayer
changes things.
Prayer does something for us. And it's through prayer that I live
today. I live by the grace of God through prayer. And this morning
being a little tired and worn out, I desire your prayers for me, that
you pray for me.

^648-11
And then, I was at a friend's house yesterday, a Christian home where
there was some young Christians gathered. And I was talking to them,
and the–something just presented itself to me, a thought of how… I
was looking into the woods and around the trees and see them dying, and
I thought, "How pretty those trees are even though they are dying; yet
they are pretty." And sometimes a tree looks better when it is dying
than when it is when it's in greenest and best. And I wonder if that
just wouldn't picture out our conditions to our heavenly Father, for He
said, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints."
How that must be a–a–beautiful thing for Father to look down upon His
child coming home to Him and holding his position in Christ, his faith
and his confession (See?), "I am saved by the grace of God," and stand
there (See?) in the hour of–of death, yet we can hold our profession,
we are saved.

^649-13
And I believe that our Father is–loves our gallantry and believing and
holding our testimony. And it just–just isn't to testify when you're
feeling good, and healthy, and strong; it's when you're down, and weak,
and troubled. There's where your testimony counts.
And thinking on that, I was thinking of this, that death is associated
not with life. Life and death cannot exist at the same time. And the
trees has to have the sap go out of them before that the leaf can die
on the tree. So therefore, death is associated, I would think in the
realms of a human being, death is associated with sin. Because before
we had any sin, we had no death at all. But where there is death, then
there is sin; and where there is sin, there is death; 'cause death is
the results of sin.
And then, he that… The soul that sinneth, it shall die. But when
we're borned again of the Spirit of God, we have Eternal Life and not
associated anywhere with death. See? Death cannot associate with Life.
Life cannot associate with death.

^649-16
And talking to–in the room yesterday where some young Christians was,
I said, "If you were standing out here on the road and a car was coming
down the road at ninety miles an hour out of control, you would get off
that highway as quick as you could. You'd jump, slide, do anything, get
out of the way of that car." And that's the way that sin should be to a
Christian, because sin is associated with death. And as soon as you see
sin in any form, jump from it, get away from it. I don't care what you
have to do, get away from the very appearance of evil. Because
remember, to associate with sin is death. Just the same as standing
there and let that car strike you.
Don't just wait and see what it'll do; get out of the way of it. The
very appearance of evil, shun it quickly. When you see a temptation
coming up, and sin… You know, if it's something wrong, that death is
lurking after you. See? Then get away from it just as quick as you
would get away from a–an automobile approaching at ninety miles an
hour. See? You'd–you'd want to get away from it right quick, out of
the way. Jump, slide, run any way, just get away from it.

^650-18
And how that we know that we have Life, is because that we hate sin.
And we hate sin so bad, that we know that death's associated there, and
we shun the very appearance of it. Any way we can get away from it, we
jump, run, anything that we can do to keep away from sin, because sin
has death in it. And we sure don't want to associate anything in death.
We want to keep away from that.
So I thought that would be a good little thought. It struck me
yesterday talking to these Christians; and I thought that would be good
to pass to the church this morning, especially while the young people
are setting here and undergo–undergo such temptations as that.

^650-20
And then, I believe a question, if we can only get to it down here,
something another associated in that also… And just remember that
anything that is sinful, death lays right there. And when you're
partaking of that sin, you're partaking of death. So stay away from it.
And what is sin? Unbelief. Uh-huh. Stay away from all unbelief,
anything that disregards the Bible. Anything that disregards God's
Word, stay away from it. And if I get through these in time before I
have my healing service, I want to speak a little bit on that,
disrespects.

^650-22
Now, before we answer the questions or try to attempt it, let us pray.
Our heavenly Father, we come into Thy Presence this morning, in the
Name of Jesus, claiming that we have disassociated ourselves with the
things of the world, which it is said by Him, that you cannot serve God
and mammon, meaning the world; we either hate one and love the other or
love one and hate the other.
And we believe this morning that we are associated with Eternal Life as
we accept Jesus Christ by faith and have the evidence of the Holy
Spirit living in our lives guiding us. We are so grateful for this,
that when we see sin no matter how mild, how pretty it might look,
there's something within us makes us jump, keep away from it, just as
the illustration I gave about the car coming at a terrific speed. We
don't want to be caught anywhere in the–sin. Keep away from it.

^651-24
And now, Lord, feeling this morning that there is many sick and needy,
I would pray for them, Lord, that You'll give faith to these especially
in the Tabernacle this morning that will come into the prayer line,
that they will lay aside every little weight, every–all unbelief, get
away from it quickly, and flee to the Lord Jesus in faith to believe.
I pray for those that's in the hospitals and in the convalescent homes.
And, Lord, I pray for my mother. As yet, Lord, Thou has kept her with
us, and we are thankful to You for this. And with faith we reach out
with wanting hands, first to know the will of God, to see that if it's
His will for her to go. If it's His will, then we are–that's our will;
but first we want to know if Satan has did this evil and it's working
together for good to them that love us to give us a trial. Then, Lord,
we want to stand gallant at the post of duty.

^651-26
We ask this morning, Father, to remember all those phone calls and
special requests that's out there at the office waiting. Bless our
loved ones everywhere.
And today as it falls lot to answer questions, Lord, we realize that
these are deep, sincere things that's on the people's heart. They never
asked them just for folly; they asked them because that they are
interested in knowing Truth. Thy Word is Truth.
So, Father, we pray that You'll associate our minds this morning into
this Truth, the Word, and help us, Lord, that we be able to understand
better today when we leave this house of teaching, that it might be
good for our souls. We ask this for the glory of God in the Name of
Jesus Christ His Son. Amen.

^651-29
Now, it has some handkerchiefs laying here, I suppose, to be prayed
over, and we'll do that just shortly as soon as we possibly can. Now,
by right time we have about a hour and a half. I don't know exactly
whether, as I have said before, I'll be able to answer all these or
not. But what we plan for the program today is to answer the questions,
have just a little sermonette here on–for–to help the faith of the
people, then have prayer for the sick. And remember the services
tonight, and the midweek prayer meetings, the men's meetings, and so
forth.
And I don't know about next Sunday if… I have a–a subject on my
heart that I would like to bring to the church if it's possible, if the
Lord permits it this next coming Sunday, a–a very outstanding thing
that come to me this week to preach, just a message to preach on,
evangelistic message… We'll see about that a little later on as our
Lord will lead.
And pray for me now, because there's got to be some great decisions
made. Brother Roy Borders (I suppose he's setting somewhere here this
morning.), he takes care of the meetings, and he's got a book full
of–of invitations that's come in in the last few months–and of places
to go, and people that are to calling him for meetings. And so you pray
that God will let me make the right decision. On whatever I do, may it
be right, the–that will count.

^652-32
Now, to answer questions which we know is sharply… And that's the
reason I answer questions. We never advertised a healing service or
something, so it'd just be the home folks here; so we could find out
what was on their heart.
And Brother Neville's setting back here, our precious brother and
pastor; he–I'm so thankful to see him advancing on in the Kingdom of
God; I believe he's come farther in the last couple of years than he
has all the rest of the years put together. How the Lord has blessed
him. I'm so glad of that.
And I'll say not to his face; I do to his back, and you know that. I
knew Brother Neville since I was just a boy. See? And I know that if
Brother Neville… I believe this; he's subject to mistakes like all of
us are; we–we all are subject to that; we're still human. But it
wouldn't come from his heart; I don't believe that. He would be
sincere, and he's always been the highest of sincerity.

^652-35
And when he come to this Message, I've had him–brought him here by the
vote of the church to be pastor here when even he didn't understand
these things as he does now. But his sincerity to be willing to lay
down, and look it over, and approach it reverently, until I think he's
got a good solid background, that when he comes up now, he knows where
he's standing now.
So I'm very happy for the Tabernacle. And they say the other night in
the–they had a meeting here whether they would build a new tabernacle
or extend this one and make it bigger and make Sunday school rooms in
it; and the church unanimously voted for the extension, to put a new
extension to it out here, make it larger, and put Sunday school rooms
so there'd be classes for all the classes, and carpet the floors, and
put birch over it, and fix it up real nice, and Bedford stoning on the
outside. And so the church voted that. And I think the architects and
them are on the work now. There's a meeting of it tomorrow to make us
a–a bigger church, extend it on back and fix it around different. So
we'll be grateful to the Lord for that.

^653-Q-151
Now, in these questions I… Some of them I haven't even looked them
over. I may have to go easy to spell the words out to find out. It's
not your writing, but it's my education that's limited.
151. We believe in being baptized… Acts 2:38, but how can we answer
people concerning the other baptism? Are they saved or not? Also those
that have gone on and never received the light?
Now, that is a–a good question. Now, let me say again (See?) on these
questions, if you–if I don't answer them according to your thoughts…
I'm going to answer them just as close to the Scripture as I know how
to make them Scriptural.

^653-39
Now, the Scriptural way of water baptism is in the Name of the Lord
Jesus Christ, which is found in Acts 2:38 and the rest, all the Bible.
And many peoples today and nearly all the churches all the way from the
beginning, the one that started it, they baptize the people in the name
of the Father, in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy
Ghost. Now, they do that through a error. There is no such commission
as that in the Bible, nowhere at all. It's not even found in the
Scriptures.
When Peter… When Matthew was writing what Jesus said… Where they'd
taken Matthew 28:19, "Go ye therefore, teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost…"
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, that's titles, not a name. The Name of the
Father, Son, Holy Ghost is the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost… And if He… And then they baptized all through the Bible,
every person in the Name of–of the Lord Jesus Christ. On down through
history they come until the establishment of the Laodicean (I beg your
pardon.)–the Nicaean Council of the Catholic church at Nicaea, Rome.

^654-42
When the Pentecostal church… Two groups, they separated, one wanted
to stay with the Word, the written Word, others wanted a classical
church. It was during the time of Constantine's reign. And Constantine
was not a religious man; he was a heathen to begin with. But he–he was
a politician that wanted to unite… Half of Rome was Christian; half
of it was pagan, so he adopted some of paganism and some of
Christianity to a classical group; and they made up their own religion.
Therefore, to disregard the Bible, the Catholic church believes that
God gave the church the power to change or do anything it wanted to.
See? Therefore, if the Catholic church is right, if that is true what
God did, then we're all wrong but Catholics (See?); the Catholic church
is right. Then the Methodist church is right. Then the Baptist church
is right, or all the organizations are right. See? They have a right.
And who is right then? If the Catholic has power that they can change
anything the Bible wants to say and make it some other kind of
doctrines to "Hail, Mary's" and so forth, the Methodist has the right
to say, "Baptism by immersing is wrong; we'll sprinkle," and they're
everyone right, because each one can do whatever the church is; now,
who is the church then? Is it Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian,
Catholic, or what is it? See?

^654-44
So you can't–you know that God, the–the Source of all wisdom couldn't
do a thing like that. There's no such… There not even common sense in
it, let alone the intelligence of the supernatural Being. There's one
thing that's right; that's the Word. The Word is right.
So then, if the Catholic church wanted to say this morning, "We'll just
omit baptism altogether and take eating a lump of sugar each morning.
That's what we'll take for remission of sins," then that's got to be
right, 'cause it–God gave that authority to the church.
But you see, to me it's the Word is right, because at the close of the
Bible, God said this in His Word, "Whosoever shall take one word away
from This or add one word to It, the same will be taken, his part, out
of the Book of Life." So to me it's the Word.

^654-47
And there is no such a thing in the Bible as anybody ever being
baptized in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost; because there is
no such a thing. Father's no name; and Son's no name; and Holy Ghost is
no name; but the Name of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost is the Lord Jesus
Christ. Exactly what the apostles and all down through the age they've
recognized.
Now, the next question is… 'Course that's Scripturally right. That's the Truth.
And in the Bible when they found people that had been immersed some
other way besides the Name of Jesus Christ, they were commanded to be
baptized over again in the Name of Jesus Christ before they could
receive the Holy Ghost: Acts 19:5. That's right. So that is
Scripturally the Truth.
Now, there's no bishop; there's no archbishop; there's no minister;
there's nobody else can say one word against that, 'cause that's the
truth. See?

^655-51
And I asked the other day in Chicago before three hundred ministers
that stood over there to debate and to ask that… I… And the Lord
told me, He give me a vision, and told me where we'd be and what to do;
I stood before three hundred trinitarian ministers, and I said, "Now,
if I am so wrong in this doctrine, some of you men stand up here and
show me where I'm wrong by the Scriptures without textbook. If there is
no such a thing as serpent's seed or something like that that I've been
teaching, just come here and show me by the Scriptures." Nobody moved
(See?), because it can't be done. That's true. Not to be different, but
just it's the truth; it's the Word. And there's where… No one can
debate that; that's the Word of God; nobody can do it. See?

^655-52
But now, "Will these who have not…" Let me read this to be sure it's
right. See? "Concerning other baptisms, are they saved or not? Also
those that have gone on and never received the light?"
Well, I believe–I believe strictly that God called His people and
ordained His church, and all those that would be there, before the
foundation of the world. I believe the Bible teaches that. And I
believe that every man that loves God with all of his heart will seek
after Truth. I–I–I believe that, that they'll do that. Every man that
loves God will do that.
I believe if a man was baptized wrong ignorantly, not knowing that he
was baptized wrong… Now, I can't say this Scripturally. But I believe
it with my heart, that if a man did not know what to do right, and he
did something the best of his knowledge, I believe that God would
overlook that and save him anyhow, 'cause he didn't have… Remember,
back in the days of Wesley, back in the days of Luther in the
reformation, those great man of God who God honored and proved that He
honored them, they died in the faith (See?), with all the Light that
they had.

^656-55
And there may be things I believe yet like… Anybody hear Charles
Fuller this morning on "Old-Fashioned Revival Hour?" He's one of my
favorite teachers of the Bible, yet he's way, way old, and… But I
think he's a great teacher of the Bible. And he said this morning (he
was teaching on–on prophecy, I believe); he said that–that there were
great things ahead, things that the church knows nothing about would be
opened up to the people. I said, "Amen." to that. I believe that we
still have great Light coming on now that'll just flood the earth one
of these days for a short period, maybe just in a matter a months. But
I believe that there's great Light coming.
I do believe that any person upon their faith and sincerity and walk in all the Light that they have will be saved.

^656-57
Remember, in the coming of the Lord Jesus, you remember how that He
found those who walked in all the Light that they had to walk in?
Remember what happened? "Is not he a good man, even a Roman Centurion,
he's built our city–or our people a synagogue, and he's (all these
things he'd done)–he's worthy of this blessing that's being asked for
him." See, God's a understanding Father; He knows your heart, whether
you really see Light or whether you don't see Light; He knows.
Now, I truly believe with all my heart that the correct answer for this
question is that the correct baptism is in the Name of Jesus Christ,
and that those who was baptized contrary and in their heart, not
selfish, just say, "Well, I don't want to fool with that…" Now, that
person, that'll be up to them and God. But if they didn't know any
different, I believe that they're saved. I–I believe it with all my
heart, because they didn't know any different.
We could stay a long, long time on that one, but we try to get to all of them if we can.

^657-Q-152
152. Would you please explain Hebrews 6:4 and 6, and also explain
Hebrews 10:26-39? Please explain whether this refers to the Holy Ghost
people or the sanctified people; please explain the difference.
Well, let's see where the person's referring to, Hebrews 6 and 4. I
love Bible questions that just–it pulls out something in you that you
get–you get something that you wouldn't get otherwise. Because
you–you got what the other people's thinking, what's on their heart
(See?), and you know what they're doing.
Now, there's Hebrews 10, and here's Hebrews 6 and 4. All right.

Now, that's one. Now, Hebrews 10:26. All right, Hebrews 10 and 26.

^657-60
They are both about the same thing. Now, I would like to explain this
to the–the person. Now, if you notice here in Hebrews 6 and 4, it
said, "It is impossible for those that were once enlightened"…
That–that's associates with this other Scripture that's just read. If
you have been enlightened and then turn away from your enlightenment,
it is impossible for that person to ever regain his place again. See?
Now, Hebrews only tells the punishment that follows this rejection.
It's one of the horriblest things in the world is to reject Christ, is
to reject Light of the Scripture.

^658-62
Now, you notice, "For it is impossible for those which were once
enlightened and has been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, if they
turn away to renew themselves again unto repentance…" See? Here we
are. "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and
have tasted (Watch.), tasted the heavenly gift…" They been right on
the edge of it: "tasted the heavenly gifts…"
Now, you notice they never had come to the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
See? They was enlightened to it: "And tasted of the heavenly gift
(See?), but were made partakers of the Holy Ghost (by tasting of it),
and have tasted of the good Word of God, (part of it. See?) and powers
of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew themselves…"

^658-64
Now, Hebrews 10 here only gives the judgment for that. "He that
despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses.
How much sorer punishment, though worthy, who has trod the Blood of
Jesus Christ and counted it a unclean thing that they were sanctified
by."
Now, to put these two together to make the question for you, let's take
a Scripture and a person in the Bible that did this, and then we can
find…
Now, all the church today is the antetype of the type, We know that.
There's a type and a antetype. Now, when Israel was on their journey
from the land of Palestine–from Egypt going into Palestine, was a type
of the church in the spiritual today on it's journey to the promised
land… You all agree with that, don't you? All the theologians agree
with that, that that was the type.

^658-67
They left Egypt. Egypt was the world. They come out, went through the
waters of separation at the Red Sea through baptism, come out on the
other side rejoicing and praising God, went to the–got the laws, and
from there on to the promised land.
Well, did you notice just before they got to the promised land (See?),
before they were to enter into the promised land, which would only been
just a few days, ten or eleven days, maybe not that much, 'cause it was
only forty-something miles. They would've went right on into the
promised land; they'd come right up through the–the year–the
every–every stage of the journey that we've walked. And they come
over, crossed over the Red Sea; Pharaoh's army was drowned behind them.
They were free from their enemies, started through the wilderness, and
got to the edge of the promised land at Kadesh-Barnea, and there they
failed. Why? Why did they fail?
Now, Moses said to the ten tribes; he said, "He'll send a man out of
each tribe to represent each tribe, to go spy out on the land to see
what kind of a condition it was."

^659-69
Now, if that isn't exactly up to the–your place this morning, where
you come. Today you–the church has come through justification through
Luther, through sanctification through the Methodist, and now up to the
time of the promise. The promise is the baptism of the Spirit, which is
promised all through the Old Testament and New too (See?), the promise:
"Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you…" Peter said that
on the day of Pentecost.
That is the Promise. The promised land is to live in this land of Holy
Spirit. That's God's promise for the church, is to live in the power of
the Spirit. It's another world; it's another land. You have to come out
of the conditions that you been in, to come out to live in this
promised land, to receive the promise. Remember the promise, "You shall
receive power from on high, after this, the Holy Ghost is come upon
you…"?
And Peter said that the promise that was made all down through the
Testament, Old and New… You–you find promising on up, on up to that
day of the Pentecost, and then they entered into the promise.

^659-72
Now, those people had come out and had seen great signs and wonders in
Israel. And then he sent some men out to spy out, one out of each
tribe. And some of them come back to… Well, some of them wouldn't go
over. Two went over. When they come back, they had a bunch of grapes
that taken two men to pack. Now, they had never tasted grapes. They was
in–they were in the wilderness; and therefore, in that place was no
place of fruit and stuff. They was fed from manna, bread from heaven,
and quails, and wild life and what they was fed on.
But now they were going over into the land, and they had a bunch of
grapes that was so big that took two men to pack these grapes. And
these two went over into the land and had come back and give every one
of them others on the bank a taste of these grapes. What did they do?
When they went back, instead of rejoicing because they had a taste of
the grapes, instead of that, they went back to their tribes and said,
"Oh, but we have seen the great walled-in cities of the Philistines, or
the Hittites, and the Perizzites," and the–they–and all the different
'ites' over there. "Why," said, "they are giants. Why, we look like
little grasshoppers up the side of them. We can't take that land. Why
did you ever bring us out here anyhow?" See? And the Bible said that
they all perished in the wilderness, every one of them; they died. What
did they do? They were borderline believers. They come up to the real
thing, and saw the promise, and felt that they wasn't able to go over
and take the promise.

^660-74
Now, that's exactly what's come today through justification and
sanctification. See? "Has trod the Blood of Jesus Christ wherewith he
was sanctified…" it is the sanctified people that come up to a place
where they see the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and they turn away and
say, "It's fanaticism; we cannot take it. We'll be turned out of our
classes; we'll be turned out of our places. We'll be turned out of our
churches. We cannot do that (See?), because it's contrary to our church
teaching." See? Has counted the Blood of Jesus Christ that brought him
all this distance, right to the sealing of the promise, and then walk
away from it; he said it's totally impossible for them to ever be
saved. See? Not the ones that had walked over in the promised land…

^660-75
Remember, Joshua and Caleb was the only two out of that entire group of
two and a half million people that went over into the promised land,
because they went over in the promised land, and got the blessing, and
come back. And they said, "We're able to take it, because God said so."
And there they stayed. Why? Now, all those people were looking at
circumstances, but Joshua and Caleb was looking to what God said: "I
have give you that land; go get it."
And that's today; the people say, "Oh, if I be baptized in the Name of
Jesus Christ, if I receive the Holy Ghost, if–if I would speak in
tongues or prophesy, or if I would testify or shout in my church, they
would put me out." Go right ahead.

^661-78
You say, "But I'll tell you right now, I live a Christian life; I live
a good, clean, sanctified life." That's true, but you've come to the
showdown, come to the place, the borderline. And if you turn away from
that, then it's impossible for those who were once enlightened…" See?
In other words, a man comes through justification; he goes, says "I
believe I want to preach the Word." He gets saved; he said, "I'm tired
of sin." All right. Then he goes out, and first he still smokes, and
maybe he lusts or something. After while he says, "God, this is not
becoming to a Christian, especially a minister, to look upon women in
the wrong way, to smoke cigarettes," or; "I do take a sociable drink of
beer with the fellows, but–and even my congregation, but it don't seem
right. Sanctify me, Lord." And then the Lord sanctifies him, takes all
that lust away from him, everything. Then he's a sanctified vessel.
Then what God presents to him is the baptism of the Holy Ghost. To do
that, he has to come out of that bunch he's with. There's where he
shows his color; then he backs down. What does he do when he backs
down? He tramps the Blood of Jesus Christ that sanctified him, as
though it was an unholy thing, not able to take him over there. Then
it's impossible for him to be saved. And then what does it was? But on
to the fiery indignation and the judgment.
I hope that's clear. If it isn't, why, you let me know at another time. I got so many of them here, I…

^661-Q-153
153. Brother Branham, what did Jesus mean in St. John 21:15 through 17
when he asked Peter if he loved Him and told him to feed His lambs,
then He said, "Feed My sheep." and in the 17th verse he said again,
"Feed My sheep."?
Well, that is merely this. See, Christ is the Shepherd. He was going
away, and He was leaving the commission of His sheep, which any
shepherd feeds, which is His flock, His church… See? He was
leading–or leaving the commission with these disciples to continue to
feed the flock, the–to be a shepherd, feed the sheep.

^662-81
In other words like this, if–if you look out here… Here this
morning, that's what I'm doing. Now, sheep will only grow as you give
them sheep food. Now, if you'd fry up a big hamburger and give it to a
sheep, he couldn't grow on that, 'cause (See?), he don't–that's not
sheep food. See? And–and if I would fry up or be a–have a nice T-bone
steak fixed up, give it over to a sheep, it–it's not sheep food. He
just couldn't eat it, that's all, because he's a sheep. But sheep like
sheep food. Well then, when you're to feed the flock of God, don't feed
them on some manmade theology; feed them on the Word; for that's where
the sheep grow from. Feed the Word.
Be a shepherd, a true shepherd. "Feed My sheep." Lamb's is the little
ones, of course, and sheep is the adult. So both young and old, feed
the flock of God. See? And feed them with the Word. The Word (You see?)
is the Truth. Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by
every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Is that right? So
then, if man is to live and they are the flock of God, this–the
church, then they are to thrive upon the Word and Manna of God. This is
His Manna.

^662-83
In the–the Bible, we just come through it over there in the–in
the–in the church ages. Jesus is the hidden Manna; Christ is the
church's Manna. What is manna? Manna in the Old Testament was that what
come down from heaven fresh every night to sustain the church in its
journey. Is that right? Now, in the New Testament what is the hidden
Manna? "A little while and the world seeth Me no more (hidden); yet ye
shall see Me, for I'll be with you, even in you to the end of the
world." And Christ is that hidden Manna that comes from God out of
heaven afresh every day–every day.
We can't say, "Well, two weeks ago I had a great experience of God."
What about right now? See? Every day, fresh, a new blessing, a new
something coming from God, the hidden Manna coming down from God out of
heaven, Christ. And we feast upon this Manna which is Christ, and He
sustains us through the journey till we reach the–the land on the
other side.

^662-85
Now, that's what He meant by, "Feed My sheep." We'd get on that, we'd
never get to the rest of the questions, 'cause that's a good one for
me. I like that, when I talk of Christ being the Manna and the Food for
the sheep.
Feed them Christ from His Word. See? Take the Word of Christ just
exactly the way it's wrote here and give it out to the sheep. No matter
what anybody else says, "Oh, they need a hamburger." Don't you believe
it. Here's what they need right here. This is It. See? Give them This.
This is sheep Food. That's what makes them grow. The Holy Spirit, this
is His Word, His commission. The Word is a Seed. The seed brings forth
a plant; the plant we eat. Now, this is what brings forth the plant
that the Holy Spirit thrives upon, is the church. It feeds…
It–it–it feeds upon the church, the Holy Spirit does, rejoicing in
the Presence of God, because that the people is believing His Word and
letting Him work through them, giving them the very things that God
promised them that they would do. And God sees His church growing,
therefore the sheep's being fed, and the Holy Spirit's being glorified.
See? That's it. "Feed My sheep." All right.
Now, if that's not all, why, you let me know a little later.

^663-Q-154
154. Brother Branham, as I went through the prayer line a short time
ago, anointed hands were laid on me and prayer was made for my unsaved
husband. I was slain by the power of the Lord. Is this a definite sign
that he will be saved?
Well, a… It's bound to be a woman. Sister, I wouldn't–I wouldn't
think that it was a definite sign that he was to be saved, though I
believe if–that God, it… I believe he will be saved, certainly, but
to say… "Now, could you say that's THUS SAITH THE LORD?" Be careful
about that (See?), 'cause (See?), it might be the Holy Spirit blessing
you, because you have taken a place of Christ. See?

^663-88
You come here to stand for your sinful husband as Christ went to the
cross to stand for the sinful church. You see? It was a great thing
that you did. But what I would do… If you're present this morning, if
you that wrote this question, what I'd do, I'd believe with all my
heart that God was going to do it (See?)–that God was going to do it,
because whether He give you the blessing or whether He did not, that
was something extra God give you. But I believe it would–it would make
you feel good, because He blessed you.
It's just like if you speak with tongues, and there's no interpreter in
the church, why, you're not supposed to speak in the church 'less
there's somebody to interpret the tongues. But if you speak in tongues,
and there's no interpreter… Why, use… you… Wherever you're in
prayer at your home or wherever you are, speak then, because "He that
speaketh in unknown tongues edifieth himself." It gives him
consolation. See? He feels good, because he is standing there praying
and the first thing you know, the Holy Spirit come upon he or she and
they begin to speak in tongues. And their soul was rejoicing and happy,
because they–they spoke in tongues. See?
Why, that was–that wasn't just a sign that God was going to answer the
prayer that you was praying for, but it was a sign that the Holy
Spirit's hearing you. It's a–it's… He knows you; He's with you.
That's the same thing I would apply to this. The Holy Spirit's giving
you a–a blessing.

^664-91
Here some time ago. The last time I spoke with tongues, as I can
remember, was… I was… It's been about three or four years ago. I
was in Illinois, and Billy come after me for–to go to a–the prayer
line up at Zion City, And I was burdened on my heart, and I knelt down
and started to pray. And while I was praying, I–I heard Billy come up
and knock at the door. And I said, "Billy I–I can't go now." And he
went out there and set down.
And I was praying, my heart so burdened; I–I couldn't go to church
like that. And see, usually sometimes He gives me a vision show me
something's going to happen, but He didn't do it then. And I was just
praying away in the room there, and I heard someone talking. I quit
praying. I listened, and there's somebody at the door, they was…
Sounded like a foreign language, like German or Low Dutch, or
something; it was so fast, chattery. I listened again, and I thought,
"Well, somebody's come up there talking to that motel man in German;
maybe he'll answer him back."
And I just quit praying, leaning over a chair like this, listening, and
he just kept on talking. I thought, "Well, wonder why there's somebody
don't answer back." And I listened; I thought, "Well now, isn't that
strange."

^664-94
There was a weight scales down the road, and I heared that fellow down
there hollering, "Drive off." you know, and, "Drive on." I turned
around, looked out that way, and I did, I felt of my mouth… Come to
find out, I was the one doing the talking. It was me. And I just kept
real still, not knowing not one thing. I had no more control of what I
was saying than nothing, knowed not one thing I was saying, not a
thing. I just… My mouth was moving; I was speaking some kind of a
language. I just held real still. After while it quit. And when it
quit, oh my, I felt like I could scream out; I just–just so happy. I
don't know why, but the burden all left me.
So I went on to the church then, called Billy. And when I got to the
church… Mr. Baxter then was the manager of the meeting. And he was
a–been singing, waiting. I was over half-hour late. And I told him
that I was just late.
And–and he seen I'd been weeping, and he said, "What's the matter?"

^665-96
And I said, "Nothing." And I went on and just about ten minutes, a
woman come in at the back of the auditorium, and she was about to take
the place back there. And when we checked up with the woman, to find
out, she was on her road from Twin Cities (St. Paul and Minneapolis,
somewhere, one of those cities), the… She was so bad with TB to
the–the ambulance would not dare to bring her, her lungs were in such
a condition, just gel. And so a couple of brethren got an old Chevrolet
car, and took the back seat out, and fixed her a cot in there some way,
or bed, and laid her on it, and was bringing her to the meeting. She
wanted to come.
The doctors had give her up. And on the road over… They told her the
least little bump, she'll go into a hemorrhage, and that's it. And she
went into a hemorrhage. And they had taken her out and had laid her on
a grass plat. And the saints were standing there praying over the
woman. And she was just… Every time she'd breathe, just gurgling, the
blood would blow out of her mouth, like that.
And all of a sudden, she was instantly healed. And she jumped up from
there and started rejoicing, come on to the church. And there she was
back there testifying, back in the back.
I said, "What time was that?" And when she gave the time, of what time
it was, it was the very same time that that speaking was going through
me. Well, what was it? It was the Holy Spirit making intercessions for
that woman there. See what I mean?

^665-100
Now, the Bible says that. Sometimes we mutter words; we don't know what
we're talking about. But it's the Holy Spirit in there moving out,
making intercessions for things that we do not understand. See?
And the women was instantly healed. We heared from her for a long time from that. She's perfectly well, got all right.
Now, you see, God knows where those things are, and He has a way of
doing it. See? He has His own way of doing it. We must just submit
ourselves to what He does. And then–then the hard thing to do when you
get there is hold yourself from that one little knife edge of
fanaticism to a truth.
Now, if you don't watch, the devil will throw you right over into a
bunch of fanaticism and you'll lose all your experience and everything
else (See?), when you do that, but if you can just hold to solid truth,
watch the Bible, and stay with It, and stay meek and humble, God will
just keep taking you on towards Calvary, just on down the road like
that, if you just stay with that.

^666-104
And that's something like yours was, sister. God was just giving you a
blessing. It might be a definite witness that you're going to… But I
wouldn't rely just on that (You see?), say, "The Lord told me." 'cause
I said that experience because that it might encourage you to continue
to believe on. Whatever it was that God did there, brought the Spirit
upon you like that, it was for some purpose. It might've been something
else; but if it was for your husband, he'll sure come right into the
Kingdom of God, I believe that.

^666-Q-155 155. Brother Branham, is it not Scriptural that women should not speak in the church?
He's
got two questions here. That's true. That–that is true. It's not right
for women to be ministers and–and speak in the church. That is right:
I Corinthians the 14th chapter.
Of course all of the church here, you all know this. And this may be a
stranger in here this morning; I don't know. But it's not right
for–for women to–to be a–to minister. That–that is true.
I'll just read it to you here, and you–you can find out. And then
you'll–you'll know: I Corinthians the 14th chapter I believe. I'll get
it just in a minute, if I can find it. Yeah, here it is.

^666-107
Now, if you'll notice Corinth here… Many of these Corinthian
Christians and many of… The great goddess of the world in that day
was Diana, which was a Roman goddess. And she was a goddess of Ephesus.
And she was worshipped throughout all the world. And now, her
ministers… Of course, her being a woman, then that made her ministers
women. And when they were converted into Christianity by Paul… Now,
Paul was in prison when he wrote these letters, of course, at Rome.
Now, they wrote him letters (You see?), after they'd begin to speaking
with tongues and got great gifts working among them. Well, these women
thought they should continue on their ministry.

^667-109 Now, if you'll notice, you that's reading your Bible, the 36th verse he said.

Now, in otherwise, the women… Now, if you'll take the history to this
letter (See?), of the church, these women thought that they were…
continue on with their ministry just as they was a–of the priest to
the goddess Diana. God is not a woman; God is a Man. And there's only
really one, and that is a man. A woman is a by-product from a man. Man
was not made for woman, but woman was made for man. See? If you'd just
open up your spiritual understanding. You, see? See?

^667-111
Man–when man first come on earth, he was both male and female,
feminish and masculine before he become sex. See? A feminish spirit,
the lower spirit, it's the one that's timid… And then there's also
masculine man. But when He made and put him into different… In order
to reproduce the world, He brought the feminish spirit off of him and
put from him a rib from his side and made a female.
She was not to be ruler. When she first started that, she caused the
whole human downfall. See? Oh, and even it was a… She was the cause
of the fall. And then God taken her up and brought life back into the
world through Christ by the woman. But nowhere was a woman ever
permitted to–to be a minister in the church.

^668-113
On over in II Timothy the 3rd chapter, he said, "I suffer not a woman
to teach or to usurp authority over man, but to be in silence." You
see? And it isn't right for the woman to preach; that is true.
Now, I know I've seen some women that were real preachers (They could
preach too.) like Aimie McPherson and many of those women there. But
just put your hand on them just for a little while. See? It's not… I
know people who could speak with tongues this morning setting right in
this church. If there was no interpreter, they'd be daresn't to do so.
See?
You got to remember; them women was borned under a certain line, that
when they are… Your birth has a lot to do with it. It's your name,
your–all about you (You see?) has a make up to it, no matter what it
is,

^668-116
I could get out here and pull a trigger on a gun and kill a man this
morning, but I'm daresn't to do it. But I can do it all right, sure.
See, I could kill a man the same as you could a squirrel; but you–you
ain't supposed to do that. See? And that's the same thing. You've got
to watch those things, now that you do not… This is the commandments
of the Lord.
When they wrote over and said, "Why, the Holy Spirit told us." (See?),
Paul said, "What? came the Word of God out of you? And came It from you
only? If any of you all–if you got any prophets over there, they'll
acknowledge that what I say is the commandments of the Lord. (See?
That's right.) But if there's any man shows he's–he's–he wants to be
contrary, if he wants to be ignorant, just let him be ignorant. (See?)
Just let him alone and let him go on (See?); don't do any contrary to
it." But remember, she's not supposed to speak in the church.

^669-118
And therefore, there's where you can judge your pastor or whatever it
is, whether he's spiritual or not. See? He said, "If any man be
spiritual or a prophet, he'll acknowledge that what I say is the
commandments of the Lord." See?
That's the reason I command the people to be baptized over again in the
Name of Jesus Christ. Paul did that, and he said, "If a angel from
heaven come and taught anything else, let him be accursed." And this is
what's already taught here also. If any man comes… If a angel come
from heaven and said, "Let the women preach and be preachers, ordain
them ministers." the Bible said, "Let him be accursed." This is the
commandments of the Lord here.

^669-Q-156 156. Is it right for Christian men and women to kiss one another (Oh!) on greeting?
No, sir. No indeedy. No, sir. You kiss one woman, brother, that's your wife (See?), or your–your child, or what… See?
"Is it right for…" Let me see if I got that right. "Is it right for Christian men and women to kiss one another on greetings?"
No,
sir. No indeedy. That… Don't you never get that started. Yes, sir.
No, sir. You keep away from women. Shun away from them. Exactly right.
Now, they're our sisters, but don't… Now, they got that. That in…
That thing even got over in Pentecost, and it's called "free love." And
when you do–get anything like that, you stay away from it. That's
right.
I don't care how clean you are… You're my brother, and I–I believe
that you're–you might be a good sanctified, holy man. I don't care how
holy you are; you're still a man. And I don't care how holy she is;
she's still a woman. Stay away from it till you're married. You just do
that.

^669-124
Remember, the body… I'm going to speak double now, so that you older
people will understand. It's a mixed group, but I'm your brother, and
this was the question. See?
Each human being male and female have a different type of gland. A
female has a female gland, sex gland. A male has a male gland, sex
gland. And those glands lay in the human lips. That's right.
And here's another thing might be brought up, men kissing one another
in the mouth. That's dirty. That's filth. And what does it do? It
starts homosexuals. Stay away from that. You say…

^670-127
A guy asked me not long ago, said, "Brother Branham, why, they greeted
one another with a holy kiss." They kissed on the back of the neck,
fell upon their neck, and kissed them on the back of the neck. That was
before handshake come in. It's a greeting. That's the way it is. They
didn't shake one another's hands; they put their arms around one
another; they kissed one another on the back of the neck, not on the
lips, in the face. That starts a perversion. Stay away from it. Don't
never do that.
Now-a-days, we shake hands with one another. If you want to… You got
your arm around your brother, and kiss him on the neck, or he kisses
you on the neck, that's all right. But don't you kiss that woman, and
don't you let that woman kiss you. See? That's right. You take her by
the hand, say, "Wait a minute, Sister, just a minute here (See?); let's
get this straight!" And so, now you do that.

^670-129
Now, what did I tell you awhile ago when I first started? When you see
any–a car coming down the road ninety miles an hour, get out of it's
way. That's right. When you see the first twist in anything like that,
get away from it; stay away from it. And just… That's the ground you
should not be on. Satan will present something to you that'll wreck
your soul and send you to hell. Stay away from it. Shun the very
appearance of evil. That's right.
Be a man; be a woman, like… I'm going to take up for the women a
minute. That's unusual, isn't it? But they–they say, "Oh, the woman
caused it. Oh, it was the woman's fault. If she hadn't got out of her
place, well, the man wouldn't got out of his." That's true. That…
We'll say that's right. She gets out of her place. A man can't be bad
'less there's a bad woman; but remember there can't be a bad woman
without being a bad man. That's right.

^670-131
And you who claim to be a son of God, where is your principles? If the
woman ain't out of her place, aren't you a son of God? Aren't you the
one that's a higher, stronger vessel? As the Bible says she's weaker,
then if she's weaker, then show yourself a man of God. Tell her, say,
"Sister, you're in the wrong." That's right. I've done it, and other
Christians has done it. And you'll always do it as long as you're a
Christian, but show yourself. You're a son of God. You're–you have
more power over yourself than the woman does. If she is weaker,
recognize her to be weaker. Understand her mistakes, and things like
that, and try to correct her. Say, "Sister, we are Christians;
shouldn't do that." See? Be a real man; be a son of God, and watch the
women.
And there's where the great fall begin at the beginning. It was Satan
with Eve. That's what brought the whole downfall of the human race is
through that.
And if you're a son of God, be strong; be a real man. If you're not
that way, stay at the altar till you become that. And shun the very
appearance of evil. And don't start now greeting…

^671-134
Someone told me sometime ago about they'd seen that two or three times
at my church here, of… Not here in the church, but people who come to
the church. And if you're setting here this morning, I'm going to dig
this to you right good. See?
Women, young women, coming up and these men kissing these women. Don't
you do that. Don't you… You keep away from there. You remember that.
If she's young, single, or whatever she is; she'll be somebody's wife
someday. And you haven't got no business doing that. Stay away from
her. If you want to greet her, then be a son of God, shake her hand and
say, "How do you do, sister." And let that settle it right there. See?
Stay away from those things; it's filth. And it'll soon get you into
trouble. You just… Oh, that's just… Sin is so easy, and it's so
appetizing, and so pleasant. It's so easy to fall right into it. The
best thing to do is, the very even appearance of it, stay away from it.
Get back. Be a real Christian.

^671-137
And for men kissing one another, if you kiss your brother on the neck,
and you want to do it, that's all right. Don't kiss no man in the lips,
and on the mouth, or anything like that, because that's–that's not
right. See? No, that–that shows there's a little something wrong to
begin with. See? So just stay away from there; shun that. Don't–don't
start that around this tabernacle here. No, we'll certainly won't stand
for that at all. See?
You–if you want to see your brother, if you want to kiss him on the
neck, well, you go ahead and do it, but don't kiss people in the mouth,
'cause that won't work; that's not right. And it only starts a
perversion. It starts homosexuals and things.
And there's only two things that'll do in them things like that. If you
start… Let the man… I seen… Oh, many times amongst the people,
they'll come down. I've seen the churches, and the preacher'd come in,
reach, and grab every sister, and hug her and kiss her, and set her
down. "How do you do, sister, Hallelujah." Reach over and get this one
and kiss her, go right down through the church like that. To me that's
wrong.

^672-140
When I was in Finland, we was all over there… You might know this; we
was having meetings, and I was at the YMCA. There was no soap, no
detergents in Finland. And only… I had some shaving soap, and every
one of us had to stand up and take a spit bath, you know, with this
shaving soap. Only had one piece with us, and we had no soap in
Finland. And they just washed with some kind of a compound, and it'd
nearly take the hide off of you.
So then we… They told us they was going to take us over for a Finnish
sauna. And we went over to the YMCA. And we went over there to take a
sauna. That's that Finnish, famous Finnish bath. And I'd had them
before, and they were nice. But I thought "Well, we're going to… at
the YMCA, so it'd be fine."
But when I started over there, the Holy Spirit said to me, "Don't you
do it." Oh, it's so good to have the Holy Spirit. "Don't you do it."
Well, I just right then, I said, "I don't believe I want a bath this morning."
Doctor Manninen and them said, "Oh, Brother Branham," said, "my,
there's some big glass rooms"; and said, "it's beautiful." Said, "It
ain't…"

^672-142
Usually, when they do, they throw this water on these hot rocks and
make you all steamy, and beat you with birch leaves like that, and
then–and then you run right out and dive into cold water. Them Finns
go right into snow and ice and things like that. But of course they're
used to it: great, big, sturdy men. And then they come back and–and
get in this hot bath again, then from hot to cold, quickly like that.
But they just let me stand where the cool air was, and then get back,
'cause I couldn't. I was afraid it would stop your heart to do that,
and it wasn't used to it.
So I–I liked them real well, but Something told me not to take that
one up there. Well, Howard my brother, and Brother Baxter, and all of
them going up there, and the brethren, all the rest of them, you know,
all talking, you know, going up. So I kinda got a little skittish, you
know, 'cause the Holy Spirit said, "Don't do it."

^672-142a
So we went up to the YMCA, and they come in, all those men there
greeting me. And, oh, they had the–the headlines in the paper, first
and second page, every day, the meetings. And they were around.
I went into a little room and set down, and they all went into the room
to undress. And while they were in there un–to undress, here come a
lovely looking little Finnish, blond-headed girl; and they're a nice
people; they're as clean, moral people as they can be. Here she come
with the towels over her shoulder, started walk in the room. I said,
"Hey, hey, hey. Stop. Psss." I tried to stop her. She looked around and
laughed, went on in.
[Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.] "… scrub women, Brother Branham."
I said, "I don't care what they are. It's wrong. It's not right." I said, "And nature itself teach you."
He said, "Well, Brother Branham, they're raised up from children to
scrub, just like your nurses in America, things like that; they're
raised up that."
I said, "I don't care what they are; that's still wrong. Absolutely.
It's male and female, and they're to be separated, and clothed from one
another." Amen.
I don't want to start on that, I'd be preaching that after while, wouldn't I? All right.

^672-Q-156b 156b. Please explain apostolic faith.
That's one question. There's one, two, and three questions. Apostolic
faith means "the faith of the apostles." That's what apostolic faith
means, that you stay with the Bible. Now, what's called apostolic faith
today, many of them don't stay with the Bible. But apostolic means
the–the apostolic faith, the apostolic faith of the Bible. All right.

^672-Q-156c 156c… and the group that call themselves fundamentalists, are these two groups saved?
Now, I don't know. See, I wouldn't know how to answer that. Now, "Are these groups saved?" I don't know.
Explain the difference between the spirit and…
Well, that's a different question now.
Now,
"Are these two groups saved?" Let me make that just a little bit more
sensible to you and say, "I don't know. I wouldn't know."
Now, remember, here's my thoughts; it may be wrong. My thoughts is,
that if a Roman Catholic, or whoever he might be, Methodist,
Presbyterian, Church of Christ, Lutheran, wherever he is, if he
believes on the Lord Jesus Christ and solemnly trusting Him for his
salvation, I believe he's saved.
But, you see, the Roman Catholic church doesn't do that. They believe
that the church saves them. See? Their–their salvation is in the
church. Like this priest was put off the air here sometime ago for
saying, "There is no other salvation, only in the church (See?), the
Roman church." Now, that's wrong. Salvation is by Jesus Christ (That's
right.), not by the church; but by Christ.
Now, if he's apostolic, or, apostolic and fundamentalist now call themselves…

^672-Q-156c
Now, like the fundamentalist come to me, was here sometime ago, and he
said to me, said, "You kinda lean Calvinistic, don't you?"
I said, "Well, as long as Calvin's in the Bible, I'm with him." I said,
"I just go to the Bible, and if Calvin stays in the Bible, but he gets
off the Bible, then I just go along, believe the Bible."
He said, "Well," he said, "I want to say something to you. You told…
I've heard you say that if a man was once saved, that he could never be
lost."
I said, "That's exactly what the Scripture says. He has Eternal Life,
and shall never come into condemnation or judgment, but's already
passed from death to Life." I said, "That wasn't me said that. That was
Jesus Christ said that."
He said, "I want to ask you something then." Said, "Do you believe that Saul was saved?"
I said, "The Saul, the–the king Saul?"
He said, "Yes."
"Why," I said, "sure."
He said, "Now, remember, he was a prophet."
I said, "Correctly, the Bible said he prophesied with the prophets." He
had a gift of prophecy. He wasn't a prophet, but he had a gift of
prophecy, 'cause he was down there with the prophets when they were
prophesying. But we know that Samuel was prophet in that day, so–but
Saul was prophesying with the prophets.
He said, "Then if he was a prophet, then he was saved?"
I said, "Absolutely."
He said, "Then I want to ask you something." Said, "I want to ask you
something." Said, "And then you say Saul was saved, and he–the Bible
said that the Lord departed from him and he become a enemy to God, and
he committed suicide, and then say that he was saved?"

^673-145
I said, "And you're a fundamentalist?" I said, "Brother, you're just
not reading it right; that's all. You're not reading what the Scripture
said."
He said, "Well, Saul could not be saved if he become an enemy of God."
I said, "Saul was saved."
"Oh," He said…
I said, "He was a prophet; he had to be saved. See? God saved him, and
God's not a Indian giver, as we call it. He don't… Well, if God give
you the Holy Ghost knowing that He's going to lose you right down here,
why, what a foolish thing it would be for Him to give you the Holy
Ghost in the first place."

^673-147
You might impersonate the Holy Ghost and act like you got the Holy
Ghost, but if you've got the Holy Ghost, God knows your beginning from
the end. So that's right. That's a loose way to run business. God don't
run His like… He–He's infinite; He knowed the end from the beginning
and knowed everything that'd ever be here. Every flower, every gnat
would ever be on the earth, He knowed about it before the world ever
begin. So see, what would He run His business like that for. He doesn't
do that.
If you watch–if you've really got the Holy Ghost, you're saved
eternally. I can prove that through the Scriptures, and we have time
after time. But to conserve the time to get these questions, I might
say this (You see?), that this fellow said, "Well, then what would you
say about Saul?"
I said, "Sure Saul was saved." I said, "Remember, Saul backslid; I'll
admit that. He backslid and went away from God, because he was greedy.
He liked money." He'd brought up all them sacrifices and things, when
Samuel through the Word of God told him to destroy everything. But he
even saved the king, and he saved a lot of stuff, and brought it up
because… See? Instead of following the Word of God just exactly like
It says, you put your own opinion in it; there's where you backslide."
That's what I think about denominations and things; they backslide,
because they don't follow the Word. And you show them the Word, they
turn their back from It, say, "Oh, our church teaches this." That's not
right; it's what God said.

^674-151
And Samuel was commissioned to go down there–or Saul was, and destroy
everything utterly, "Everything, you destroy it all." Instead of doing
that, he saved some for sacrifice, and he spared the king's life, and
he done everything. And Samuel walked out to him and told him the
Spirit of God had departed from him and–and all like that.
And Samuel died. And about two years later, well then, Saul had got…
The Spirit of God departed from him, but he wasn't lost. Sure he
wasn't; the anointing went off of him. Now, watch, and see if it was
now.
Saul got so far away from God till when he went to the battle… He
started to go to battle. And he was worried about going to battle, and
he–he asked the Lord for a dream. The Lord wouldn't give him a dream.
There was no prophets in the land in that day: no prophets. Samuel was
a prophet. They had prophesiers, but–so forth, but they–he couldn't
get a answer from God no way. He even went down to the Urim Thummim and
asked there. And the flash of the lightnings upon the Urim Thummim
wouldn't even answer him. And what did he do? He crawled off into a
cave where there was a witch, a fortuneteller. And this witch… He
disguised himself like a footman and went down there, and he said,
"Would you divine unto me the spirit of Samuel the prophet?"
And she said–she said, "Well now, you know what Saul has said." (She
was talking to Saul, but she didn't know it.) Said, "Saul said all
that's got familiar spirits, he must be killed."
He said, "I'll protect you from Saul, but divine unto me the spirit of Samuel."
So the witch went into her enchantments, and first thing you know, when
she seen Samuel raise up, the spirit of him coming, materializing in
front of them, she said, "I see gods rise from the earth."

^675-154
That's one of the consolations. Look at old Samuel standing there. He'd
been dead two years, but there he stood. Not only… He was standing
there with his prophet robe on. Not only was he still alive, but he was
still a prophet. Hallelujah.
She said, "You've deceived me." Said, "The…"
And Saul said, "Samuel, I don't know what to do; I'm going to battle
tomorrow, and the Spirit's gone from me." He said, "I can't even get a
dream from the Lord. And the Urim Thummim won't speak to me. I'm in a
terrible shape."
He said, "Seeing you become an enemy of God," said, "why have you
called me out of my rest?" See? Samuel said that. Said, "Why did you
call me from my rest, seeing that you become an enemy to God?" And then
he went ahead and told him. He said… But however, he'd tell him the
Word of the Lord. And when he did… Now, remember, he'd been dead two
years. See? But he said, "I'll tell the Word." He told him the Word of
the Lord. Said, "Tomorrow you're going to fall in the battle, and
Jonathan your son is going to fall with you." And he said, "By this
time tomorrow night you'll be with me." If he was lost, so was Samuel
the prophet. That's fundamentalism; you can see why it's so-called.
See, see? He said, "You'll be with me tomorrow night by this time."
See? Then if Saul was lost, so was Samuel, 'cause they was both in the
same place.

^676-156
No, no. Fundamentalists, you… Fundamentalist so-called, like Church
of Christ so-called, and Christian so-called, Christianity so-called.
Today because you're an American you're supposed to be a Christian,
because you're–you're an American. See? That–that's so-called
Christianity. But a real Christian is a borned again man of the Spirit
and borned again women of the Spirit. That's really… These others are
impersonating, but real Christians are called of God.

^676-Q-157 157. Please explain the difference between the spirit and the soul.
Well,
now that's a hard one. But the first thing you are, a triune being,
just like Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is
three titles going to one Person, which is Jesus Christ. And you're
soul, body, and spirit. But it takes those three to make you. With just
one of them, you're not you. It takes the three to make you.
Like I said the other day, "This is my hand; this is my finger; this is
my nose; this is my eyes; but who's me?" Who is me that this belongs
to? It's what's on the inside of me; that's the–the intelligence.
If this eyes, if this hands, if this body stood here just as it is
today, yet I–I could… My body could be here, but me could be gone,
what I am. What–whoever I am inside of me has gone on. That's–that's
the part–part that is the spirit. The soul is the nature of that
spirit, that when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, It does not do
nothing… You… It changes or converts your spirit to a different
soul. And that soul is a different nature that's on that spirit. So the
soul is the nature of your spirit.
First you were mean, and evil, and hatred, and malice, and strife; now
you're loving, sweet, kind, and–and… See the difference? It's your
nature. We could… I'll call it that. It's your soul that's been
changed. The old soul died, and the new soul which is the new nature
was borned into you. See?

^676-160
Your brain is not your intelligence; it's your spirit that's in you is
your intelligence. See? Your brain is a bunch of matter and cells and
so forth; it has no intelligence in itself. If it did, then as long as
it laid there, whether you was dead or alive, it would still operate.
See? But it's not–it's not your brain; it is your spirit inside of
you. And your soul is the nature of that spirit. That's the soul of the
spirit that controls–the spirit that controls the body. See? There you
are.
Now, I got to hurry, 'cause we're just getting a little bit late. Now, I think that–I hope that takes care of that.

^677-Q-158 158. Brother Branham, please explain–please make clear if women should testify or speak in tongues in the assembly.
Well, I believe that if the woman is a–a preacher in the assembly, she
isn't supposed to be a preacher. But if she has a gift of tongues and
speaks in the assembly, where there are–there are prophets and–and
the gifts are gathered together, I believe she has a right to do that.
Because in the Bible we find out that they had prophetesses like Miriam
and them, and they wasn't–they had no jurisdiction… If I get to my
little sermonette here, I'll–I'll get that in there. See?

^677-162
But the women, if they are gifted… Now, the correct way that I
believe that when we come together pretty soon… When our church gets
settled a little bit more… And–and by the way, there's a new group,
a new–another church is going to unite and…?… and come with this
church as soon as we get room here for them and things. Another church
is going to come and unite with this church, not no organization, just
come as a body in a group to the church. And–and they are a bunch of
gifted people.
And now, when it comes together, the things to do, is these gifted
people must get together on certain times for themselves, and see what
the Spirit says to them. And then it could be given out from the
platform. And the people… It's for the edification of the church.

^677-164
Now, if you speak with tongues, and you know, nobody interprets it…
And then when you're in the meetings, sometimes it's so irreverence,
you know. You find sometimes… I've been standing in my congregation
making an altar call, and someone would raise up and break the altar
call speaking in tongues. Now, see, now the person might've been
speaking in tongues correctly; that might been the Holy Spirit, but,
see, without being taught to know what to do, how to hold that…
I've set right on the platform and hear a preacher preaching and see
him get to a spot… My, I wanted to get up and help him so bad I
didn't know what to do. And you've done the same thing; all of us do
that. But what is it? That's irreverent. Set down. Regard my brother.

^678-166
I heard–I heard Brother Neville preaching, and he's heard me preaching
when we'd, no doubt, we'd… Brother J. T. here and all of them,
or–and all of them, we can hear one another preaching, we think, "Oh
brother, I believe I'll get up to help him out." See? You just feel the
Spirit pouring on you, but what do you do? Hold your peace. See? 'Cause
spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophet. See? That's right.
Hold your peace. See? You do that.
But I believe if the woman… The question was if the woman has got a
gift of tongues and she wants to speak, I believe that when that time
comes on, she has a right to speak out in the gift of tongues, but not
to preach or to usurp any authority over men. When she's a preacher, of
course she is over men.

^678-Q-159
159. Brother Branham, I was married to a woman that had been married
before. We divorced, and she has been married twice since. The Bible
states that if we desire to marry–if we desire to marry, to turn to…
first wife. Now, could I turn to her who has been married before or
could I be free?
Well now, my brother, here's the only way that you could do it. Now,
this is a great subject, and someday I–I want to if–if the church
ever gets organized and straightened up into the place where it should
be, or… I–I say this with reverence. I… There's two factions of
this marriage and divorce in the churches: one holds one faction and
one the other. And to my opinion, with grace in my heart before God and
His Bible, they're both wrong. See? But there's a truth lays there.

^678-169
If you notice what Jesus said… Now, here, I got a brother, my own
blood brother, that's fixing to marry a woman. And my brother has been
married before and got a child by a good woman. And he come to me to
marry him. I said, "Not at all."
Jesus said in Matthew 5, "Whosoever puts away his wife and marries
another, saving the cause of fornications (which she had to do before
she was married and didn't tell him about it), causes her to commit
adultery: whosoever marries her that is put away liveth in adultery."
So don't do that. No, you cannot go back to your–to your first wife if
she's been married again. But if you–she divorced you and put you
away…

^679-171
Then you said, "Am I free?" Let me read it again. "I was married to a
woman that had never been married before. We divorced, and she has been
married twice (I suppose this person has remained single.) The Bible
states that if we desire to marry to turn to… first again."
No, sir. Get over in the Levitical laws. You go back to that woman,
she's somebody else's property. You've defiled and made yourself worse
off than ever. No, you should not take a wife back who's been married
to somebody else.
Now, "Could I turn to her who has been married before or should I–or
should I be free?" You are free. Stay free. Yeah, you don't go back
again. No, sir. She's married to somebody else; stay away from her.
That's right. Don't… That defiles…?… You understand. If we had a
little more time, I'd like to get into that. But just for your
question, my brother, whoever you are. No, sir. Don't you go back and
take that woman when she's been married two or three times since she
married you. That's wrong.

^679-174
I married a couple here not long ago that'd been married before, and
they divorced and went away, and–old couple. Oh, it was Brother and
Sister Puckett; that's exactly who it was. They just couldn't get along
and had a little spat between them; they divorced. She lived just as
true and single as she could be, and he lived the same way. And after
while, they seen how silly they was, and they come back and wanted to
be married. I said, "Sure." See? "That's all right, that's what you
should be." So they… Well, they was married all the time. They never
had been divorced; just give them papers to live together as husband
and wife; that's all, 'cause they was married in the beginning.

^679-Q-160
160. What do the three letters mean on the Catholic crucifix? (Let's
see.) What does the three letters mean on the Catholic crucifix?
Well, I think all crucifix are the same, if I'm not… I'd better look
that up. But it's got I-R-N-I which means "Jesus of Nazareth, King of
the Jews." See? If that's what it is, I didn't know they had any other
special or something or other on. But them letters means "Jesus of
Nazareth, King of the Jews." I-R-N-I, that's what's on the crucifix.
All right.

^680-Q-161 161. Would it be wrong to use tithes on church building funds?
Well
now, here–here's a touchy little thing for the church now. No,
correctly, tithes is to go to the minister. That's right. In the Bible
they had a box they'd set at the door in the Old Testament when
the–building. This box was a fund where the people put in there for
the repairing… You've read it many times in the Old Testament. They
kept up the buildings and things like that… All the repairs on the
buildings was taken care out of that fund. But a tenth of that went–a
tenth of the tithings–all the tithings went to their priests, their
pastors. Yes, tithings are to go for nothing else.
I know people take their tithes and give them to a widow woman. That's
wrong. If you've got anything to give the widow woman, give her, but
don't give her God's money. That's not yours in the first place. That's
God's.

^680-178
If you sent me downtown to get a loaf of bread, and you give me
twenty-five cents to get the loaf of bread, and I met somebody on the
street wanted something else, and I'd give him the twenty-five cents
(See?), I give them your money. If they asked me for something, let
them get it over here in this pocket and give them my money; but this
is your money. And a tenth of it is the Lord's. And Levi the priest
could live by the tenth.
The tenth is to be a tithing that's to be brought into the storehouse
with a promise of God to bless it and a proof. He said, "If you don't
believe it, come and prove Me and see if I won't do it." See? That's
right.
The tithings goes into the church for the pastor and so forth like that
to live on. And then the–the–the building funds and things like that
is a separate fund altogether. Now, that–that is Scriptural.
One time when we get started, I want to take a night… I've went here
some time ago before I left the tabernacle and taken about two or three
weeks and just on subjects like that and went plumb through it and
showed what tithings was in the church.

^680-Q-162 162. Brother Branham, is there anything wrong with belonging to a lodge after we have become a Christian, such as the Masons?
No, sir. You be a Christian wherever you are. I don't care where you are, you can still be a Christian.

^681-Q-163
163. How do you feel is the best way to find the Lord… How do
you–how do you feel is the best way to find the Lord's will in some
important matters?
Now, let… I don't believe I… Let me see if I can get the continuity
to it. "How do you feel is the best way (I see it should be a comma
there, I suppose.)… How do you feel is the best way to find the
Lord's will in some important matters?"
I tell you, dear friend: the best way to find the will of God in some important matters is prayer. See?
Now, let me… Here's a wonderful little thing here. If you–if–if you
have a matter that's very important… Now, here's the way I do it. I
take it before the Lord. And it's always been my strength; I wait upon
the Lord and see what He says. And I just let myself neutral to it,
don't take either side, and say, "Now, heavenly Father, it–it can…"

^681-185
'Course now, in my case most of the time, if it's very important, I
wait on a vision. But many people God doesn't deal with in visions. So
therefore, I wouldn't advise you to do that. See? Because it's just
some people that has visions and some does something else. Where you do
something else that I couldn't do, maybe–in your way of serving the
Lord, I do something that you couldn't do. See? God deals with us
different.
And so I would if I was in your place and didn't have visions from
before the Lord, I would just wait upon the Lord and say, "Lord, now
You show me what's the decision to make." And then, way you feel led to
do it, then wait just a little bit, then wait a little while longer,
and see which way, which side you lean towards, which way the Spirit…
Say, "Now, Father, in my heart You know it doesn't matter; but I–I
want to know what You want to do about it."
That's the way I do about meetings sometime. I feel kinda led to go
this way or that way, then I follow that way. That's the way to do it,
'cause it's in prayer then; you're doing the best you can.

^682-188
And I believe this, my friends, as Paul was in the–in the New
Testament in days gone by. He was between two straits, which way he
should go. And he started on the wrong road, and he got a Macedonian
call. And I believe if you are making a decision for God and do it the
best that you can, I believe God will correct you and don't–see that
you don't go wrong. I believe God will do it.

^682-Q-164
164. Let's see, Brother Branham, what happens to the people that
are–are considered the sleeping virgin when they are judged at the
judgment?
Well, the sleeping virgin will be saved of course. She'll be saved at
the judgment. She'll never be the Bride, but she is a saved group of
people that will come in the judgment, that will not be included in the
Bride. But as long as they are virgins, they are before God. See? They
are to be saved. He separates… They'll be the sheep on His right
side. And the unsaved will be the goats on His left at the great white
throne judgment.
I could spend a lot of time on that, but I–it's getting a little late.

^682-Q-165
165. Is it possible for a Holy Ghost filled person to be driven by
the–driven by the–to do minor things… influenced to do minor–minor
things that he doesn't want to do?
Oh, yes. Yes, sir. Yeah, a Holy Ghost filled person… You're right in
the place then to be–to be drove by these things. You just put
yourself up a target. When you're down there serving the devil, he just
lets you slouch around anyway you want to. But you once take a stand
for Christ; you've got on the other side then; He trains every gun
right around on you. Every temptation, everything that could be throwed
to you, then you got it. But what have you got? "Greater is He that's
in you, than he that's in the world." See?
Now, you wasn't in no battle here, you was just slopping along. See?
But now, you've–you've cleaned up; you've dressed up; you've shaved;
you've combed your hair; you put on a uniform; you've got a gun in your
hand. "Let's go." See? You're in battle, not to show off, but to fight,
fight. Sure when the temptations rise, with the spirit and the shield
of faith, buckle off and move on." See? That's right. Oh, put all the
whole armor of God. Why do you put on a armor if you're not going to
fight? All soldiers are dressed to fight, not to show off, walk out and
say, "I'm So-and-so. Now, I'm a Christian. See who I am? I belong to
so-and-so. Hallelujah. I got the Holy Ghost the other night. Sure,
nothing bothers me anymore." Huh-uh. Oh, brother, I–I believe you
better go back and try again. See?

^683-192
Oh, I'm telling you; when as soon as you say you got the Holy Ghost,
Satan's got every gun right on you, shooting you. Then you got the
whole armor on, then take the shield of faith, the sword of the Spirit
of the Word, and take the–buckle on the–shod yourself with the
Gospel, and take the old middle piece here, the breastplate, and pull
up the cinch on it, and tighten yourself up a little bit, and get ready
for it, 'cause it's a-coming. Don't you worry. Yes, sir. You're going
to have plenty of trouble. But remember, "Greater is He that's in you,
then he that's in the world."

^683-Q-166
166. What did Jesus mean in St. Matthew 16:9 and 10? What do the twelve
baskets and the seven baskets represent? Question for Sunday morning.
Let's see–let's see, Matthew 16:10. I'm not too sure just now. Let me
get where it's at, Matthew 16:9 and 10–16:9 and 10. Here we are.

^683-194
In other words like this: "If you seen God provide and do a miracle,
then can't He do a miracle again? See? See, if… In other words, like
this: If He saved you from a life of sin, can He not heal your body?
Don't you remember when you was a sinner how He lifted up your soul in
faith to believe? Can't He likewise do something great for you again?
Can't He–can't He do the–miracle or anything else for you? The five
baskets… Said, "Remember…"
Like the… When they crossed over the Red Sea, God opened up the way
like that and made the Red Sea open like that, and walked through, he
come right on the other side; and as soon as he got without water, they
started murmuring. Is that right? As soon as they got without bread
they started crying out, "We don't have no bread." See? Said, "Didn't
you consider the miracle back there at the Red Sea? Have not you come
down…" When they got–all got in a spot by the Red Sea, "Oh," they
said, "we ought to have died. Here comes the Egyptians right on us now.
Here it is; what are we going to do?"
Said, "Who smote the earth with plagues down there? Who kept the sun
shining in Goshen?" See? We must remember those things; remember God is
God. Hallelujah. Any of it, He's still God. He certainly can do
anything.

^684-Q-167
167. Will you please explain the "Body of Christ" in I Corinthians
12:27 and the "Bride of Christ" in Revelation 2:9–9. Is the new
Jerusalem spiritual here in Revel–spiritual here in Revelation?
It–it–is this the spiritual discernment of the church?
No. Now, let's see if I get this first now, I Corinthians right quick,
I Corinthians the 12th chapter, all right, and the 27th verse.

And then, where was the next Scripture? Revelations 2–21:9, Revelation
in the 21st chapter and the 9th verse. All right, and here we are.

^684-199
Yes, the Body of Christ (See?), the body of Christ was broken for our
sins, and by one Spirit we're all baptized into that Body and become
members. And where did–where did the–the body… Where did my wife,
symbolically speaking… Where did Eve come from? The body of Adam. She
was taken out of his side. Eve was taken from Adam's side. The
Christ… And she was part of his body. He said, "She's flesh of my
flesh and bone of my bones. And I'll call her woman." See?
Now, and the body of Christ was taken out of the body of Jesus, for we
are spirit and flesh and bone of Him. See? Because we are borned into
His body. And because this body here belongs to Him, yet it's born in
sin, He has redeemed it. "God will raise it up in the last days, and
I'll live in it for eternally." See? That's it. All right.

^685-201
Now, let's see, the last question here was: "Is the new Jerusalem
spiritual?" No, no, the new Jerusalem John saw coming from God out of
heaven, it isn't the discernment of the church now. You see? It's–it's
a–the… The new Jerusalem John saw descending out of heaven prepared
as a–Revelation 21 (See?)–prepared as a bride adored for her
Husband…

^685-Q-168 The last question now; I think that's all of them.
168.
The Bible says that everything works for the good to them that love the
Lord. Then if you love God and turn back to the world, would God let
you die in sin or would He let you be reconciled back to Him before He
takes you away?
The lady signed her name to it, so I'd say it was a–a lady (See?),
'cause she signed her name. Yes, sister. If you are born… Now, let me
get this. See, temporarily, minor, every one of us backslide many times
a day. We know that. We're all guilty, every one of us; there's none of
us perfected. And as long as we're in this body, we are still… No
matter how much the people try to tell, "I've got sanctified; I can
kiss this woman or do that," he's lying; he cannot. Now, that's all.
I don't try to say, "Lord, let me see how close I can go." It's, "Lord,
keep me as far away as I can get." See? Just stay as far away as…
Remember, you are still human beings. See?

^685-204
And… But now, if you make a mistake and do something wrong… You
don't willfully… If you are a Christian, if you're a borned again
Christian, you don't mean to do wrong. Your intentions and everything
is right. But if you do, as she said here, make a mistake and do
something wrong, will God let you just go on and go on and die like
that and be lost, or will He bring you back to reconciliation? He will
bring you back. That's right. He will bring you back.
And if a–and then, if you do anything wrong, it don't condemn you and
you go on like that, on out, remember, you wasn't saved at the
beginning. That's right. You–you wasn't–you wasn't saved; you just
had a make-belief; you wasn't saved. But when you're saved, you have a
different spirit; you're a different nature. You're a new creature in
Christ, and the old things has passed away, and they are dead and
buried in the sea of forgetfulness. You see?
And… But being you're living here in this world here, there's traps
set for you everywhere, and you're walking with your eyes on Christ.
And remember, that when you make a mistake, a real Christian will
always come back quickly for reconciliation.

^686-207
Look, in the ark God turned the old crow out–or Noah turned the crow
out. Now, what was he? He was a crow. Oh, yes, he set on the same roost
there with the dove. They both set in the same roost; but when he
turned the old crow out, well, the old… I imagine all the waters was
stinking with millions of people's swelled bodies rottening upon top of
the water, and horses and animals all dead. The whole world was
destroyed. And there they was, this old dead carcasses floating on top
of the water and things like that. And Noah turned the dove out, 'cause
he guessed he saw some sunshine. And he wanted to know whether the
water had receded or not, so he turned the–the–the crow out. And the
old crow flew down on an old dead body, "My, just fine; that's good."
See, eating a dead body… Why? That was his nature. He was a crow. No
matter how much he'd set with the dove, how much he'd heard Noah
preach, how much he'd set with this clean bird, he was a crow to begin
with. As soon as he got the opportunity to show his colors, he showed
it.
Now, but when he turned the dove out, when she started out, whew, she
couldn't stand that. Nowhere she could go; she couldn't find no rest
for the soles of her feet, so she come back to the ark. And that's the
way it is.

^686-209
Sometimes you might be turned loose for a little while to see what
you'd do, but you'll always if you've got the nature of a dove, you
cannot eat crows' food. That's all, it just won't digest; that's all.
Where would you go, what would you do? Tell me what you would do if you
were–if you were not a Christian. Tell me what I'd do this morning if
I wasn't a Christian. What could I do this morning and my mother laying
out there in the hospital in that condition and unconscious as she is
and laying there, and in my heart I could stand here in the pulpit and
preach, and go on the way I do, seem like I don't pay much attention to
it? Because I know my mother's saved. See? I know she's saved. I know
Who I believed; I'm persuaded He's able to keep that which I committed
to Him against the day.

^687-211
What would mama do now? Now, maybe she'd had good intentions all of her
life, that "Someday I'm going to be a Christian." But how could she be
now when she's laying there unconscious? How could she become a
Christian now? What would her children do?
The other day when we put her–taken her out there to give her glucose
out there… That's the only thing she's has in her body is glucose.
She can't swallow; she's paralyzed. And she said, "This one thing I
want you to know, Billy," She talked about me and Deloris standing
there, and about her children and things, and a couple of my brothers
drinking.
And I said, "Well, they broke your heart."
He said–she said, "But, Billy, that all goes in the wheel for a
mother." She said, "But I'm saved." And she said, "I'm ready to go."
I said, "Mama, you might've left us a home that reached all the way
from Jeffersonville to Utica, a palace; you might've left us ten
million dollars to fuss and fight over after you were gone (That's all
that would happen to it.); but, mama, you leave us the greatest
treasure that anybody could leave, the–the assurance that we'll see
you again in that land beyond the river." That's right. See?

^687-214
You're saved, and I'm so glad to know that Christ saves our… But we
may backslide; we may do wrong; we all have our ups and downs; but in
your soul as soon as you do anything, well, there's something goes
wrong in you; you know it is. Now, right there is the time to jump.
That's the time to jump. Get away from it.
Now, say you go out here today, and–and somebody comes up to you and say, "Hey, they tell me you're one of them holy-rollers."
Right quick, Satan says, "Slap him down." See?
"I don't know about being a holy-roller; I'm a Christian." See? And
always with evil, meet evil with good. And remember, now just take
this; remember this, when you meet evil with good, evil cannot stand in
the presence of good. It cannot do it.

^688-217
Now, I'm a missionary, and I been around the world, in all kinds of
evils, and all kinds of spiritualists, and isms, and all kinds of devil
worship, and, oh, everything could be thought of, where there's
everything, and I've always found that right always conquers wrong.
Listen, I don't care how dark the night is; it might be so dark till
you could feel it; you could put you hands up like this and couldn't
see a shadow of no type. The least little bit of light will expose that
darkness. Certainly, that's the way life does in the presence of death.
That's the way right does in the presence of wrong. That's the way
faith does in the presence of doubt; it scatters it away.

^688-219
How can the night stay here when the sun shine through, blessings
through? Where does the night go to? It's no more. What happened to the
night? Where is that darkness in this tabernacle about twelve hours
ago? Where is that darkness that was concealed inside of these walls
here? It is no more. It vanished. Why? Light came in. And when light
came in, darkness had to go, Yes, sir.

^688-220
You take the creatures that roam at night, roaches, and beetles, and
bugs, and things. Let the sun rise or let a light flash on, watch how
they take for darkness. That's the way the Gospel is. When it flashes
on, what happens to those who wants to call you holy-roller? What
happens to those people who make fun of you, when the Light flashes on,
they shoot for darkness as hard as they can go, because they–they're
the children of the night. But the children of the day walk in the
Light.
And then we are the children of the Light by the grace of God. So when
the Lights flashed on, we thank God and walked with our eyes open,
looking at things that you can't see with your natural eye. For faith
is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Amen. I love that.

^689-222 I haven't got time for my little sermonette I was going to speak, because we're going to have to pray for the sick.
How
many loves the Lord? Amen. Now, after we've had these questions, and
there's some of them sharp and everything, and maybe answer them…
Maybe I didn't even do the right job on it, 'cause I didn't have time
to look up the Scriptures. I'd had it wrote on the sheet of paper if I
had. I hope everybody's satisfied. If not, why, write it back again to
me. Let me have a time to study it if you don't think it was fully
answered.

^689-224
Thanks for staying. And now, we're going to form the prayer line just
in a minute. But before we do that, let's just change the atmosphere
now from answers and one answering this, and one believing this way and
that way. You see, in answering questions, sometimes it's a little
sharp, so let's just worship the Lord and sing.

Now, I want you to shake hands with somebody around you now when we sing again.

Now, let's just raise up our hands to Him like this,

^689-225
Our heavenly Father, we love You, Lord. I believe this little group
loves You. We come down to the house of the living God, a little
building, not the building, but the God that lives in the building…
Like in myself, this old body, it's got to drop one of these days, but
the man that lives inside of it cannot drop, because it's held by the
power of God.
This old building here that we worship in this morning, no matter how
much we fix it up, someday it'll drop, but the God Who lives in the
building is eternal. We're coming to face You now, Father, to give
thanks and praise.
And for these questions upon the people's hearts, we see that they were
wondering whether they should do this or that. And, Father, I trust
that in every tender Christian's heart that the answer was some way
that would make them understand what was Truth. Grant it, Lord. And if
I failed, then forgive me. I didn't mean to fail, because it's Your
children, and they're asking those questions. And I–I want to give
them all that I know, Father, like if You were standing right here to
judge me by what I said.

^690-228
Now, Lord, we're coming to face for the sick. Now, we know that in the
Bible that we only get what we believe we get. We remember one time,
Father, when Jesus here on earth, the Syrophenician woman come to Him
and said, "Lord, be merciful unto my daughter's, 'cause she's variously
vexed with a–a devil."
And we hear what He said, "It's not meet for Me to take the children's bread and give it to the dogs."
Oh, God, seemingly what a–a flat refusal, and not only that, but to
call her a dog. But instead of being arrogant about it, very sweetly
and humbly she said, "That is true, Lord." Because it was truth. She
said, "It is true, Lord, but the dogs will eat the scraps that fall
from their master's table." That's what done the work. She was willing
just to take the scraps that come from the children's table. And, God,
that's our attitude just now. We are willing to anything that You want
to do with us, Father. We're in Your hands.

^690-230
I'm so glad to know that the God of the Old Testament, Who showed
visions and give signs and wonders, still lives today. And the heaven
that they long to go to, someday by God's grace we go too, because the
same God is showing Hisself to be the same God among us.
There are those among us, Father, this morning who are sick and needy.
They're going to pass through a prayer line. May they not come and say,
"Well, I don't believe that You can do me any good. I–I…" Lord, may
that not be the attitude, but may they come remembering that God said,
"These signs shall follow them that believe. If they lay their hands on
the sick, they shall recover." You promised it; You said so.
May they come with holy reverence, believing that as soon as prayer is
made and hands have been applied to them, then may the Holy Spirit come
upon them like this dear sister that wrote the question, said, "The
Holy Spirit almost slew her mortal beings with such a tremendous
baptism of His Presence."
May that be the–may that be the effects upon everyone that comes this
morning, Lord. Grant it. May they be healed. May they come knowing,
knowing without a shadow of doubt that You promised it and You cannot
lie, and as soon as light strikes in, darkness and doubt flees away.
Grant it, Father. We commit them to You now as we pray for them in
Jesus' Name. Amen.

^691-234
Now, those that wants to be prayed for, on this side first, line up
along the building here, while Teddy plays for us, "The Great Physician
Now Is Near." Come up, right back, some of them here. That's…?…

^691-235
Brother Neville… Just keep lining up, coming. We'll be standing here.
Let all the church be praying. And Brother Neville and I will be here
together; he'll be anointing; I'll be laying hands on the sick,
right…?… Now, everybody in prayer now.
Now, what are we doing? We are coming to anoint the sick and to pray
for them. Now, let me quote the Scriptures to you. "If there be any
among you, sick, let them call…" [Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.]

^692-237
It happened just perfectly, just exactly the way it was. I had stood
there, just trembled in myself, thinking, See? May… I said, "Maybe I
should have told them that was going to be that way." But I said,
"Well, just let it go. See?"
And that happens daily. See? Something's going to happen; I just let
it. God knows that's true. See? Just something that's going to happen,
just shows it, tells it. Something will appear to me and say, "Just say
this word this a way, and this thing will happen over here." And then
I'll say, "Well, let it be like that." Then I watch; here it is over
here. See? Yeah.
Well, if He can make objects, material, something that has no life in
it, move to His Word, because we have said it, how much more can He
make you and me, associate with me. You are with me; you're my–you're
my brother and sister that's sick. And if we say these words, "Let the
power of God heal this person," why, it's got to happen. Now, that
material can't say, "No, I doubt it." It'll go ahead and do it. But you
can say, "Well, I wonder," and it won't happen. See? But if you'll just
go ahead and just stay right in line with your thought now, "I'm going
to be healed." You've got to have it. You believe in that?

^692-240 Now, let's all pray. Our heavenly Father, laying hands upon this young woman, this young mother standing here, that's… [Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.]
So
I pray that You will heal the people these handkerchiefs lays upon.
Grant their requests to them. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I ask it.
Amen.

^692-243
In deeply appreciation of your stay, and your loyalty to stay all this
time, and to wait in the church like this, while we're… But I don't
know a better place to be, do you, than in the church? I just don't
know of a better place to be. And the consolation that we have in the
respects that God, of Him being present now.
And we just, for a moment, let's just think of how great He is, and
what He's done for us. What could we have done without Him? How we have
seen Him, just not one thing has He ever told us through the… He had
give me visions. And I bring you to question, this morning, have you
ever seen one but what He fulfilled? Just exactly what He said He'd do,
right at the moment. Then He's God. Then He's our Father. He loves us.
And wherever His heaven is, we know we're bound to go there someday. We
know He's present here now. We realize that.

^692-245
We–we look at things that we don't see. Now, many of you was prayed
for, and (See?), as we just refuse any symptoms of any thing contrary
to that… See? Anything that God has promised… See, the Christian
does not look… You do not see with your eyes anyhow. You know that.
You do not see with your eyes. You see with your heart. See? "Seeing"
means, "to understand." You understand with your heart; therefore, we
look at things that our eyes does not see. See? The Christian
confession, the whole armor of Christianity is based upon that. We–we
look at things that we do not see, for Abraham called those things
which were not, as though they were, because he believed God. See?
Now, what do we do now? Now, when you're prayed for like that, then God
promised to heal you. Then right now you may not feel a bit of
difference, but He never… That–that isn't it at all. See? We believe
it anyhow.

^692-247
If you only knew, I come to the pulpit about two hours ago and I didn't
think that I'd go half way through the meeting almost. I was so tired
and worn, and felt like I was taking the flu, but now I feel fine
because that I said, "I am duty bound to God. I believe God." And I had
to fight with him. My wife there could tell you the same, in trying to
get down here this morning, and I was hoarse in my throat and
everything. I said, "How will I be able to do it?" But, honestly, I
feel wonderful now. And I–I believe I could take my text and go ahead
and preach, and that–and feel fine.
But because, you see, you've got to look at those things that you don't
see with your eyes. You see it with your heart. You believe it, and you
testify to those things that you don't see, but what you believe.
Because it is faith. "And faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen."

^692-249
I've watched, this morning, a young Christian that's been setting here
before me, And I know a decision that that person made. And I certainly
appreciate it. I wouldn't say who it was, but I–I appreciate a–a
decision that this certain Christian, regardless of even to whether it
would be an associate, a friend, father or mother, or whatever it was,
they long to stand loyal to Christ. See?
That's the way you win a loved one, is by being loyal. Being loyal is
the way you win loved ones. Stay to your conviction. Be sure that
you're right with God, and then ever remain there. Just stay right with
it. Nothing can ever move you from it if you'll just stay right with
it.

^692-251
Now, we are all going to make mistakes. Just remember. And when you're
looking at one another, don't look at the other person's mistake. See,
don't do that, because, remember, you make mistakes too. But look to
Christ Who is guiding this person. And if they need some help, then you
pray for them. That's–that's the way we get along (See?), pray. And
remember, when you are praying for somebody else in that kind of a fix,
God will honor and heal you when you're praying for somebody else.
That's right. That's what Christianity is based upon, to help one
another, do for one another, be kind to one another, understanding to
one another. Now, if you see your neighbor's mistake, you see where
they've went wrong, don't go wrong with them, but just pray for them.
Just keep praying, and God will understand that. He'll make everything
right.

^692-252
Now, I'm hoping to, if it be the Lord's will, I think Billy has got a
system, he mails everybody a card. And if mama gets along all right
this week; as far as we know now, we're not sure, but if mother gets
along all right this week, and everything, next Sunday I–I want to
speak on a–a Gospel message. If that's all right with our–with our
precious pastor here. And we'll be expecting you back if you can… If
you can come, we'd be glad to have you.
Do you love Him with all your heart? Isn't He wonderful? What could we
do without Him? Now, just what could you do? Could you tell me anything
that would be greater? If you can show me something greater than that,
then I'll–I'll–I'll sell out what I got, and long for that that you
show me that's greater than This. Yes, sir. This is the greatest thing
that I know of, to know with the assurance that we are saved, to know
that the very God that made the heavens and earth would humble Himself
and come down and dwell among us, and do for us.

^692-254
Now, here is how we know whether we are right or not (See?), because
that the very thing that He did in the beginning with those Christians
back there, the very church, the very operation, the way the Holy
Spirit moved, and the way the devil fought against them, and the way
they stood, that's the same thing that takes place right here, with the
same signs, the same wonders, the same God, the infallible proof of Him.
Tell me, in the word of science, tell me in scientific way, how that
anyone could foretell something that would happen in the years or times
to come, before it happened. Show me the power, that where it would be,
that would foreknow it before it happened. Tell me any human mind that
could drop back through anything that you want to, and show me any way
that you could see something and foretell something that happened just
the way it–it does. See? There isn't.

^692-256
So, He is God. See, He is God. And because He is God, through His grace
He comes and dwells with us, and just like He did with them men back
there who foretold these things, and every one of them happened just
the way they was foretold. Now, that same God is with us, foretelling
and showing just exactly the same things He did back there. Why, we
should be so happy, we'd be skipping like from cloud to cloud, like
that, just walking through space, almost, because that we know.
We know that we have passed from death unto Life. We know that we have
salvation. We know that we are Christians. And we know that we're going
to heaven, because God made the promise, and here He is moving right
along with us in–in a way that we see Him.

^692-258
We see Him. How do I see Him? When I see you. You see Him in me; I see
Him in you. See, I see what He does for you. Now, here I see Him here
reveal the Word to me. You say, "How can you see Him in me?" Well,
look, He is here revealing the Word to me. I see It out there, Him
giving It to you, and you keeping It. See? And then you look back, and
you say, "How'd he, how'd that ever come?" Then you come back, find out
that's right. See? So you see Him in me; I see Him in you.
And we can see Him in the sunrise. We can see Him in the sunset. We can
see Him in the flowers. We can see Him in the… We can see Him
anywhere, because that we have passed from the lower elements of this
earth-bound condition, into this high element of the glory of God, so
we can see His beauty.
A few days ago, when I was up on this trip, up in–in on the Alaskan
Highway, when I went on a hunting trip, I was back there wondering,
"Why? Why?" Watch how–how real God is. Now, there's sick people
everywhere, but yet God knowing.

^692-261
Now, tomorrow I'm supposed to leave, Brother Roy back there, and all of
us, we're supposed to leave tomorrow for Colorado, for our… going
hunting each fall where we… I've come in from the meetings, to go. I
can't go, because of mama, mama's condition.
Now, look at the kindness of the Holy Spirit. He knew that a long time
ago. So instead of letting me go, He turned around and gave me a vision
and sent me up there, and give me one of the hunting trip that I
couldn't get in Colorado (See?), 'cause them animals are not in
Colorado like that. Turned around, and gave me that by a vision, and
let me have that, knowing that He'd have to keep me away on this trip
up there to Colorado. Talk about goodness and mercy. Then why? Then a
long time ago He knew my mother was going to suffer. He knew my mother
would be in the hospital. If He permits it, then He's doing it for some
good purpose that I know nothing about. But I know it's all working
together for good to them that loves the Lord.
If we'd just stop once in a while, church, and see our God… Just stop
yourself and get away from your flusterations, and stand still a few
minutes in the Presence of His Spirit, and you can just see Him moving
everywhere. See how good He is?

^692-264
Now, there lays mama, and me wondering about her. Why didn't He just
let her go when she had the stroke? Why didn't she just die right then?
But, see, Him knowing that ahead of time, and knowing that I'd promised
to… I was going out into Colorado, and know that I love to get in the
woods like that, He just turned around and give me a better one, sent
me up there, and told me what I was going to get, and everything about
it, 'fore I even left; told me how the people would be dressed, and
what we'd do, and all about it. Then I come, told you all. Then he goes
up and see it happen, come back, just exactly the way it is. Exactly,
see, knowing that mama would be out there, know that she–she'd be
broke down at this time, and I wouldn't be able to take this other
trip. See? We wouldn't under… I didn't understand it myself then. But
if you just yield yourself to Him and watch Him, He just leads
everything just exactly right. See? He makes it all come out just
right, step by step.

^692-265
The other day I was standing by a young minister that'd had some
dreams, and he brought the dreams to me. When the interpretation come,
we stood there, Billy and I and this minister, stood there together.
There it was. Why, it was just as perfect as it could be. And how that
man stood there with–with–with awe, and how to see the Holy Spirit
could reveal those things, and bring him right straight back and show
exactly on the road and where it's supposed to do it. Oh, I tell you;
He's God. He–He dwells… He's God.

^692-266
So many of you people have made sacrifices. You've give up your
boyfriends or girlfriends, you've give up homes, and so forth, and many
of you has had to come out from amongst associates and friends, and
things, and old friends that you've knowed a long time, to walk in the
way of the Lord. I commend you for that. I think that's wonderful to do
that. Now, because that you have seen the Gospel Light, and it is the
truth, and you're–you'll walk in that Light. And whatever you do,
children, whatever you do, wherever you go, shun the appearance of evil
and walk after Christ. As long as you live, stay right on that road.
Don't move from it, it'll certainly pay off good. It's Eternal Life.

^692-267
And I see mama when–whenever she… A few minutes she can get to
herself. I say, "Mama, mama, do you hear me?" Sometimes she just laying
there, she won't. Then after awhile she'll say, "uh," shake her head
like that. I'll say, "You…" I said the other night; I said, "Mama,
you know me?" She didn't know me. I said, "You know who this is
standing here." No, she didn't know that. I said, "Mama, you know
Jesus?" And… Oh, my. Might forget her own child, but she can't forget
Jesus. That's it. Oh, brother.
You don't know what that means till you have to come to your own
family, down to that. You see? To know Him is Life. To know Him is the
satisfaction of knowing that when this life's race is run, we got a
home beyond the skies yonder. What it is, I don't know. I don't know
just how to tell you it would be, 'cause I don't know, myself. But I
know that someday by God's grace we'll journey over there.

^692-269
Pray for me this week. I'm needing it. And now, you pray for me; I'll
be praying for you. The Lord willing, being willing, I'll meet you next
Sunday. And remember tonight's service. Possible, if I don't have to
set up tonight, or anything, and be out there with mama, I'll probably
be back with you tonight.
And now, Brother Neville, our precious pastor, come up here. How I
certainly… There's–there's no one here but home folks, you know.
We're just all what we call home folks. I appreciate Brother Neville's
stand for this Gospel truth. I appreciate his loyalty and sincerity
before the people. And the other day when he was speaking, I had never
noticed it, but while he was under inspiration, giving prophecy, he
called me a prophet, under inspiration. That wasn't him calling me that
then, that was the Holy Spirit. So that give me courage and faith to
move on, deeper depths and higher heights with God. I appreciate you,
Brother Neville. God ever bless you. And till I see you again, God be
with you.