62-1209 | Remembering The Lord Jeffersonville, IN |
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1
Thank you, Brother Neville. So glad to be here, Brother Neville, and
the–the opportunity to set in these heavenly places again in Christ
Jesus. And numbers never did bother me; it always excites me. You know,
I'm more–I'm more at home when I'm with a small number, 'cause that's
what I think the Church is. Yeah, I have a Scripture for that, says,
"Fear not, little Flock; it's your–your Father's good will to give you
the Kingdom." And I would… That's the little Flock I want to be
numbered with at that day, the one that He said, "Not to fear."
2
And we're very happy for the privilege of coming down tonight. And I
didn't come with the intention of speaking. Just a few moments ago
there was someone who had come to the door, and while I was in some
study, getting some contexts ready for some text that I want to use now
right away in the oncoming meetings of Phoenix, and Tucson, and through
there. And I was just getting really fed up in the Spirit, you know, of
the good things of God, about an Ultimate, and a subject on Ultimate.
And my wife come and she told me that there was someone come to see me,
and I–I didn't get it just right, then afterwards, why, said, "Are you
going to be down at the church tonight?"
And I said, "I think so." And I went on trying to keep in the spirit of
what I was doing. And she come back and said it was a sick man was
coming to be prayed for. I said, "Well, then I'll go down to church
anyhow (See?), and pray for the sick." I always, that's…
You know, those things are… We should get to them as quick as
possible when people are sick and needy. Ever who's been sick knows how
to appreciate what it means to be healed by God's great healing power.
And such a wonderful thing it is, what a privilege.
4
Now, next coming Sunday, if the Lord is willing, Brother Neville and
none of them has anything special, I thought next Sunday morning I–I'd
bring my Christmas message to the people, because letting them–letting
them… Some of them come from far away, you know, and like Georgia and
different places, and that'll let them get back in time to do their
Christmas shopping and things.
And Billy just come out and told me, said my sister Deloris, next
Sunday evening just before service, has some kind of a little–a little
gifts for the kids, and a little program here they're going to, you
know, a little Christmas play that they want to put on before the
services start. And I said, "Well, that'll be in the Sunday evening
won't it?"
Said, "Yes."
I said, "That won't interfere a bit then."
6
Now, see, next Tuesday is Christmas eve, then if–or next Tuesday, a
week, is Christmas. So that would press the people (You see?), and then
have to go back home on Christmas eve, and on Monday, so I thought that
I… Yeah, two weeks, sister, two weeks is right. So I thought maybe
I'd come tonight and let the people know, if the Lord is willing, and
Brother Neville has nothing special. That I usually like to give my
Christmas message to the church, and my Easter message, and whatever
the Lord puts upon my heart to give. And next Sunday, the Lord willing,
next Sunday morning I give…
7
And the reason I take it of a morning instead of a evening, where the
people that comes from far away, they have the afternoon to travel so
that they can get home. You see? And I would rather have it at night; I
think the evening is much better. I–I like the evening service, when
the sun goes down, something another. It was God in the garden of Eden,
to Adam, would come up in the cool of the evening and talk to Adam.
See, and I like the evening service. But–and the way the circumstances
are here, that it would be better that I had it of a morning, and so
the people can get away.
And I'm grateful that the Tabernacle is being extended out here into
the next place out apast us here, having some more room added to it.
After all the stewing and fussing, finally we got it anyhow. You know,
old Brother Bosworth used to have a sense of humor, said, "The baby
that cries the loudest gets the most attention." So that's–that's kind
of a whole lot, you know, and so I think it pays us to cry out a little
bit once in a while, don't you think so?
9
So–and I want to comment Brother Anthony and his associates here for
that lovely music. I just walked in and heard that. And, you know, them
instruments is trumpets. I've wanted one of my children, at least one
of them to play a trumpet, I–I… And them blowing instruments.
Becky started on the piano, but she's at that little teenage something,
you know, that's–she wants to give it up now. And–and she started…
The teacher said they'd have to start on popular music, not, now, I
don't mean–you know what I mean, overtures, and so forth, of classic
music, in order to get the religious music to it. When she gets up to
her high grades in that, then she thinks, "Well, I'll just quit." And
I–I… Kids are a problem. And anyhow, it has to be a calling of God
to begin with. I believe her sister, Sarah, back there is going to beat
her anyhow, and never had a lesson. So–so then the calling of God is
better when it's gifted like that.
But I like a trumpet. I remember the–when they dedicated this
Tabernacle out there at the corner, the trumpets rang for a half a day
out here, "Down at the cross where my Saviour died, down there for
pardon from sin I cried, there to my heart was the Blood applied," when
I was dropping in my context into the cornerstone.
12
And I remember one night at Trinity Methodist church, when old Doctor
Morrison… Many of you people that lived back in my days remember
Doctor Morrison, an old sainted man. Asbury lost one of the greatest
men since Asbury, when they lost Doctor Morrison, to his age, a godly
old man. And I always loved to hear him preach. And I went over to hear
him over at the Trinity Methodist church there. And that night, two
boys stepped out in a little balcony just as wife and I were walking
up, and they were holding their trumpets in the air like that, and
those instruments there, and they played that, "Down at the cross where
my Saviour died." That big cross up on top, revolving around. I just
stood on the street and listened, with my hands in the air, just
singing to praising God right out. I couldn't help it.
There's some kind of a emotion within a borned again Christian, when It
pulsates, there's something has to happen; that's all there is to it.
Oh, I… There's nothing like an old-time Christian experience.
Wouldn't take nothing for it, my experience, wouldn't swap it for no
riches of the world, or the whole world nor all the solar system and
all, for what Jesus has taught me of Himself.
14
There's a certain man that's sets with us; every time I look back my
heart jumps. It's a man I seen taking communion the other night, walks
on a crutch. Did anybody ever tell you you look like Oral Roberts? I
tell you, every time I… How many… You've seen Oral Roberts, nearly
all of you. If he don't look like Oral Roberts… I just happened to
look back. And I–I think he's a little bigger man than Oral is. But
just to look the way he combs his hair, and his forehead and his
features, and always kind of a dignified-looking person, setting like
Oral. And so I–I always think, "Brother Oral?" Looks just something
like him.
Brother Oral's starting some kind of a Bible school out there now, I
believe, or something. I heard about it the other day. What?
University. Yes. Brother Carl Williams is one of his ultimates on it,
of some sort; I don't know just what it is now.
16
Now, now remember, Sunday, the Lord willing, we'll start, I have the
Easter–or the Christmas message. And then I'm–I'm grateful about the
Tabernacle being started. And then I hope that this will be not only an
addition to number, but it will be the addition to grace that God will
grant our church, our movement, or, not movement, but our congregation
that we have assembled together. We love it.
And–and I'd just like to say this. I'm not going to take much time.
But I have many things I ought to say, but I'm not; it would take too
much time. But I'd like to say this; it's something that I cannot say.
There's things everyone understands that you know, and it's in the Name
of the Lord, yet you cannot say it. You see, you've got to keep it to
yourself. See? But a certain event that's moving up, and has been for
some time, that's fixing to take place, that I have been alarmed at
watching the Holy Spirit move among the people to that spot, and them
knowing not one earthly thing (See?), but see the Holy Spirit moving to
that. I'll reveal it, the Lord willing, some convenient time. Now,
remember, that shows God among them.
18
As someone, I believe, brother, yes, said awhile ago, Brother Neville
said that, "God, not accounting our–our–our disorder among us, or our
misbehavings in His sight…" That the seer that went to look upon
Israel, and could see it with the natural eye, how unorderly it was,
how that they had did wrong and they should be cursed. But what the
bishop failed to see was that smitten Rock and that brass serpent
(See?), making atonement. So, you see, when–when Balaam looked upon
Israel, he saw a reason to curse them. See? But when God looked upon
them, He saw the atonement. He said, "You're like a unicorn." Amen,
"Who will put anything in your way? How godly, how righteous are thy
tents." That's the way God saw them (See?), not the way man saw them,
not the way the–the great dignitaries saw them, but the way He saw
them.
And, O God, let that be my portion. Let that be my portion, for I have
nothing within myself that I could claim. "Nothing in my hands I bring,
just simply to Thy cross I cling." See, that's all we have.
20
Well, this is prayer meeting night, or not prayer meeting night, but
this is kind of an evangelistic group here. We–we like to place the
Word. And maybe I'd like to speak to you tonight for a few minutes.
Many of you that would like to turn in the Scripture will… Well, do
you know, the strange thing, that opened just exactly to it, to the
text that I was going to read. Yes, sir. Strange. That was I
Corinthians the 11th chapter, and some notes that I had wrote down
here, somewhere in here, that I was thinking of, that if I can find it
just now, on I Corinthians the–the–the 11th chapter. Right here it
is, right here. Yes, sir.
Now, before we approach the Word, let's approach the Author (See?), Who
is the Word, that we might ask for mercy and for His blessings while we
study Him Who is the Word. Let us pray.
22
O Lord God, full of grace and mercy, Who has been willing through the
age, after man had sinned and put that great chasm between him and
Thee, one that he could not cross back by himself. He was absolutely,
totally lost, without a way back. But the God of all–full of all
grace, was willing to take a Substitute in his place, and brought him
back. That has thrilled the hearts of all that's ever known of Thee,
Lord, how that in Thy great love and grace You took a Substitute. And
as we have just got through expressing it, Lord, it's on that
Substitute that we rely on tonight, that One Who died instead of us
sinners, that righteous One Who was taken upon Him our unrighteousness.
It is in Him that we trust.
Now, we solemnly come to His Word with bowed hearts and heads in
reverence and in respect and in gratefulness. And asking that You will
send to us tonight, grace, by the Holy Spirit, and will give us
the–the Bread of Life that we need to sustain us. You know exactly
what we have need of, and we know that Thou has promised that if we
would ask we shall receive.
24
We would remember tonight, Lord, all those that we know that's sick and
needy, that the grace of God will be given to them in great abundance.
And, Father, we pray for those who have fallen away, that this
coming-on holiday will bring a remembrance to their heart, that from
where they once was, and have fallen to the outward space of Your
fellowship. God, we pray that they'll return, grant it, Lord, return to
the congregation, to the–to the assembly of the Firstborn, return back
to where there is grace and mercy, and love and kindness, and healing
of our souls, our mind, and our bodies. Grant it, Lord. Bless the Word
tonight. Strengthen us all, and give us of Thy blessings, as we ask it
in Jesus' Name. Amen.
25 Now, for just a few moments I'd like to call your attentions to I Corinthians the 11th chapter, 23rd, 24th, and 25th verse.
also delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he
was betrayed took bread:
said, Take, and eat: this is my body, which is broken for You: this do
in remembrance of me.
and when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my
blood: this do you, as oft as you drink it in remembrance of me.
If I should call this just a little text that I'd like to refer to
would be this: "Remembering The Lord." It sound like a night that–or a
message that should been preached on last Sunday in the Lord's supper.
But I want to approach it just in a little different angle for a few
minutes, while we collect our–our thinkings together, and in worship
of the Lord.
27
We could, of course, begin with the Lord's table, because that is a
good place where we all remember. Remembering the Lord at His table,
which, really, the text refers to that. But that's… Paul said that we
are to take the cup and–and to drink the–the blood, and to eat the
kosher bread in remembrance, to remember what He did for us. And as–as
you do it, you don't want to make it just a common everyday thing; you
want to really come, remembering the Lord. See? Remember that it was
His grace and His mercy, and that alone, that gives you the only hope
that you have. No matter what you would ever do, there is nothing
nowhere that can anyways come near what Christ did for you.
28
I have had a sad experience this week, and yet a glorious one. I could
call it: I buried a brother that once set with us here. And many of you
know the occasion. It was our gracious Brother Rogers, Busty Rogers, as
we called him, Everett. And Brother Banks Wood here, and Brother
Sothmann, we went together to the funeral service.
And–and I took a ride in the snow, out to the old place where I had
first buried him about twenty-five years ago. That time when I buried
him, it was in muddy water, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. As we
passed over the old familiar bridge there at Totten's Ford, I was
speaking to my brethren, and said, "One day when a certain
denominational minister had had a–a big tent there, he said, 'That
little radic' down there at the Baptist church, that's baptizing the
people in the Name of Jesus Christ.' He said, 'If any person that even
was baptized in such a way, would not even be welcome under my tent.'"
And at that time there happened to be some setting there that had been
baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus, and that was Brother George
Wright and his family. They just… Only thing they could do was not go
back.
31
So that day at the ford, oh, he just left his meeting and had come down
to kinda watch on, and his congregation was standing there. And I got
up to the place. And there'd been a rain up the hills up there, and the
muddy fields had washed in; its little tributaries had got the Blue
River very muddy. I walked out into the water, around waist deep. And
one of the trustees, or deacons, rather, handed me the Bible, and I
read where Peter said on the day of Pentecost, "Repent, every one of
you, and to be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for remission of
sin, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
32
It was that day that Georgie Carter was laying there, trying to raise
her hands, only weighing about sixty-something pounds, been nine years
and eight months in the bed without moving and had… Her people, the
church that she belonged to, had said, if anybody even come to my
meeting, they'd be excommunicated from their fellowship at the church.
And so it was that same evening that she was instantly healed. And then
she wanted to be baptized like the little Nail girl that was up there;
that I'd saw a vision, and you know the story, her hands and legs
drawed up; and went in the vision and the power of the Spirit, laid
hands upon her, there she come out and was healed. And so she had
belonged to the same. Well, it was a Methodist church. The Methodist
minister, Brother Smith, was the one standing on the bank with his
congregation.
And I started to baptizing in the Bible Christian baptism. And about
the time I'd baptized five or six people, all of a sudden the lines and
file broke up there on the hill. Here come that Methodist bunch right
down with their good clothes on to be baptized in the Name of the Lord
Jesus. And one by one, ladies in their pretty silk and summer garments,
walking out through that mud, wiping the face with tears, and lipstick
washing off, coming out to–to make–make confession and–and to be
baptized…
34
And along with that bunch, a strong, wide-shouldered, kind of a GI
haircut, wide face, sturdy-looking man walked out there with his pretty
blue serge suit on. He said, "I too, have made my decision." That was
Busty Rogers. Without anybody telling him anything… There I buried
him in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ upon his confession.
And last week I placed him under the sod at Milltown. And I spoke on
the sermon of: "The Perfectness Of The Resurrection." I… As being a
missionary and seeing the different gods and the philosophers; and
that's all any of it is, outside of Christianity; it's only a
philosophy, how that they believe this, that, or the other. But the
great Creator Who made the creation… There has to be a Creator if
there is a creation. And if there is a creation, it was made by a
Creator. And any man's work reflects himself. He's a good carpenter, he
does good work, he builds. And if he's a good mechanic, he does good
work. He… Your work only reflects you. And God's creation reflects
God. And God made everything for a purpose. And everything that serves
God's purpose, when it dies, it has a resurrection. Tell me one thing.
36
And I brought in many things, like the flowers and the trees, and how
the sun comes up of a morning, a little baby born, it's weak, its rays
is. About ten o'clock it's a teenager. And at twelve o'clock she's
shining in her strength in the beauty of woman or manhood. And about
two o'clock in the afternoon, it's getting about like me. And then
about five o'clock in the afternoon, it's getting like grandfather,
she's laying down. And finally her rays cools off from the earth, and
she dies. Is that the end of it? She served God's purpose. She raised
up the botany life as she come across the earth. All the plants that
would been dead the year before, she raised it up. Is that the end of
her when she serves God's purpose? She rises again the next morning
with a new life. Every tree does the same, everything else, everything,
moon, stars, solar system, everything promises.
And if a man serves God's purpose, there is a resurrection just as sure
as anything. Only thing you have to do, is, God's just waiting on time,
just like He is now.
38
The great leaves that just falled off the tree, fallen off, rather.
Where the red, green, blue, brown, all different colors across the
great breast of the earth, where God's nature laid dead beneath it, God
just planted out His bouquet. But He knows when He plants the bouquet,
there's a resurrection in spring. The world has to just to come around
its orbit until it gets back right with the sun again, and it will rise
in funeral flowers.
Never say this is the end, no more than the leaves, brown on the tree,
says it's the end. Only thing it has to do, is for the time cycle of
God to float around until the time of the coming of the Son of God. And
every living creature that ever died in Christ will come forth again in
His Presence, remembering Him. Oh, when I come to the end of my road, I
want to die in His Presence, remembering Him, that He is the
Resurrection and Life. He is that One.
40
Then as we come to the table of the Lord… The table of the Lord, as I
have explained it here before, is not… We believe what we call the
communion is–is the taking of the bread. We place the wrong–the–the
wrong… We place the right thing in the wrong place. It isn't the
bread that matters; it isn't the wine that matters; that's the kosher
bread and the wine. But the thing that is, is "communion" means "to
talk to," and in talking to Him, remembering Him. I think it's the most
blessed time of the services. See? Every hour of our life ought to be a
communion.
41
A communion with the Lord is like an oasis in a desert. It's like the
spring underneath the pond, that where the–the traveler coming by,
stops and drinks the water till he quenches his thirst. That's
remembering the Lord. Coming by the order of His table, where the
passing pilgrim that–that's sojourning here on earth with us together,
that we can come by His table, and there drink of His blessings and of
His grace and of His Word in fellowship around His Word, until our
thirsty souls are satisfied. And then we leave the place of worship,
refreshed, satisfied, going out to meet the desert's problems again,
the problems of life's desert. Yes, an oasis in the desert, refreshing
ourselves, making ourselves a–when we're thirsty…
42
It should be with every worshipper. It satis… It is with every true
worshipper, that they long to get together. There's something about the
fellowship that–that's Divine; it's ordered of God, and it's holy,
sacred. And the righteous are thirsting for it.
As David said, that his soul thirsted after God, like the hart did the
water-brook. The little wounded deer that the hounds has jerked plugs
from its side, and it's–it's jerked away from it. And it stands,
panting, and watching, where… Smelling with its sense that God give
it, it can smell water for miles. And it holds its little head in the
air while it's bleeding its life out. And it knows, if it can ever get
to that spring, that it can live. No one's going to catch him then. He
can ever get to water, he'll fool every dog you could put after him,
for he knows he–he's found the life-giving resource.
44
And when the church gets to that place, where that Christ means so much
to us that we thirst to get in His Presence and with each other, it's a
Life-giving Resource. No devil can ever overtake you. Even death itself
is defeated there. Oh, what a hope, what a place. Refresh ourself. And
in doing so, remembering Christ was the One Who made it possible for
us. He was the One Who did these things for us; we must remember Him.
For remember, once we was aliens and without God, Gentiles, carried
away with dumb idols. But remember, Christ died not for the Jew, but
for every creature of Adam's fallen race, Christ died.
45
As we come to remember Him at His spring of–of communion, it–it ought
to remind us of back in the time like Israel was in their journeying.
And they come, yet in the very line of duty, on their road from Egypt
to their deliverance to the promised land, and in the very act of duty,
got without water. And it was dry in every look, place, every–under
every hill that where there should be springs, there was none. And they
were perishing in the desert. And then there appeared the Rock, that
Moses smote this Rock and from it came abundance of water. Every
thirsty man, every thirsty woman, child, or even every thirsty beast,
could drink abundance of water.
46
As John 3:16, the golden text of the Bible, said, "As God so loved the
world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
(believeth, commune, remembers Him) shall not perish, but will have
Eternal Life." Remembering Christ was our Rock that was smitten to save
a perishing world, a perishing Gentile, a perishing Jew, a perishing
world. Christ gave forth His Life in abundance, that everybody that
hungered and thirst, said the prophet, "Lo, come ye to the fountain,
buy of Me milk and honey without price." Come, because it's the
communion; come in remembrance of the Lord.
47
I can think of the remembrance of the Lord again at a place of
refreshment in the well called "Beerlahairoi," which means in the
Hebrew tongue, "The well of Him that liveth and seeth me." Hagar,
misunderstood, yet in the line of duty. Misunderstood, misjudged, and
was cast out with no place to go with a perishing child, and the water
was spent in the bottle. And the little fellow was crying. And only a
mother's heart would know what it meant to hear that cry for water, as
his little tongue swelling, and his lips parched, and her baby
weakening every minute. Cast out, right in the line of duty, no place
to go… She'd done without, herself, till she squeezed the last drop
over his little parching lips. And then the bottle was dry, and she
laid it down and started on. And the little fellow screaming for water,
and he got weaker and weaker, and her only child.
48
No doubt but what her innocent heart would cry, "O God, what have I
done? What have I done?" And she couldn't stand to see the child die in
her arms, so she laid him under a bush. And she went about a bow shot,
probably a hundred yards or more, and seen a little tree, and she knelt
down and there she begin to weep. Well, she wondered, "Why?" If she did
what was right, why should this thing come upon her? Many times we
think that of our sickness and afflictions (See?), but maybe it's all
done to show grace and mercy. And while she thought, she heard the
little faint cries as they finally faded out for water.
She heard a Voice speak and said, "Why weepest thou? What are you
weeping for?" And she looked up, and she saw the well bubbling up. What
a spring of refreshment. Beerlahairoi, I may have that pronounced
wrong. B-double-e-r-l-a-h-a-i-r-o-i, which means, "The well of Him that
liveth and seeth me, Him that can't die, Melchizedek, El Shaddai, Him
that liveth and seeth me, knowing my needs, He's remembered me." And
there He remembered me as I remembered Him, and I know that He liveth
and He has sprung up here in the desert this well."
51
Oh, could we apply that in a hour's message right now, of this day now,
when the desert of the churches, the denominationals, and–and
the–the–the social gospel preachers and the–the fashions of the
world has creeped in, and has denominated and broke up…
And then to think that there stands again tonight, at the well of Him
that liveth and seeth me… That's what remembering Christ should mean
to the worshipper. Yes. Oh, she was misunderstood and was cast out.
Jesus said, when He was here on the earth, "I am the living Waters; I
am the Waters of Life."
53
And I want to draw another little thought here that comes to my mind.
When Jesus was on trial, and for nothing else but mockery's sake, by…
He was sent from Pilate to Herod. Now, Pilate didn't have to do that,
and, you know, as he tried to wash his hands of it. But once on your
hands, you got to make your decision. You can't push it on somebody
else. It's you as an individual. But He–He was sent to Herod, just
to–to make a–a mock of, because He had quite a name of being a
miracle-worker and so forth, and He was an outcast from the church. So
Pilate himself, he thought he'd just send Him over to Herod, and maybe
it would kinda straighten up the old grudge they had, one against the
other.
54
And so Jesus was taken across the streets and down through the places
till He met the higher court, Herod. And when He met Herod, Herod was
presented with his only opportunity. How foolish can a man be? If Herod
would've only knew that standing before him was the fulfillment of
every Hebrew prophet of the long and the thirst of the world, which
stood before him, the fulfillment of every sage and prophet that had
ever spoke… The opportunity to have satisfied his sinful heart with
grace and mercy, what a foolish man he was.
And yet not as much foolish as a man today that's presented with the
same thing, 'cause we've had two thousand more years of His teaching of
His mercy. But what a–a foolish thing that Herod did when he stood
before Him and never asked Him for grace and mercy, never asked for
pardoning of sin. He never knew that standing… He–I–I don't think
the man realized that standing before him was such a Person. Let's let
that soak for a minute. Because the Man had not such a–a social name
of great social standing, of–of different organizations and–and
clubs, and so forth, that He was associated with. He didn't have a name
like that.
56
But He did have, among the people that knowed the Bible and knowed the
promise. And may I go a little stronger, them that were predestinated
unto Eternal Life, they recognized it the moment He stood there.
But Herod hadn't learned this; he never knew it. What a sad thing. All
that the prophets had spoke of for four thousand years, the fulfillment
of the cry of the world stood before him. There in his presence stood
all the fulfillment. And as I might say this again, we'd think he was a
foolish man 'cause he made a foolish decision, for you notice he never
asked Him for mercy. He asked Him to–to entertain him. "Oh, I have
heard that you are a–a miracle-worker." He asked for entertainment in
the stead of mercy.
That's what the world today is expressing back the very decision of
Herod, when they see the miracle-working Christ doing the same thing
today that He did then, and the only things they require, "Let me see
you do such-and-such." You say Herod will have a bad place to stand?
The man of this day will have a worse place to stand. Herod had four
thousand years of experience of prophets and sages. We've got six
thousand, with a super teaching to what they had then. Certainly. What
a thing it did. So is it today, same thing.
59
What was the matter? Herod never give it a serious thought. He never
stopped to consider. And that's the way with the people of today. They
see this great something; it's got them startled, but they don't stop
long enough. They're trying to listen to some rabbi or some theologian
who explains It all away. And yet, how when I think of Jeffersonville,
"How oft would I have hovered you as a hen would her brood, but you
would not. How oft would I have gathered you? How oft would I have made
this the–the garden spot where all nations would've flown into, but
you would not." See, see?
Now, see what will Herod have to remember in that day? His grand
opportunity, he turned it down. And yonder somewhere in the regions of
the lost tonight, he's remembering what he did about it. It's too late
now.
62
Don't let that be to us. This is our visitation time. Let's remember
Christ, that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever: Hebrews 13:8.
Don't wait till some regions yonder in the damned, in that dimension
where you cannot go in the Presence of God, and your time is up on
earth. In the nightmare of horror you'll remember you had your
opportunity and turned it away. Let the young people take notice to
this. Let all take notice to it.
Herod never give it a serious thought. His only occasion, he only asked
to be entertained, and that Jesus might do some kind of a trick, take a
rabbit out of the hat, or, you know, or something. He thought He might
be, in otherwise, he regarded Him as like a magician. "We've heard that
you can do pranks. Let me see you do your prank now."
64
And may I say this with reverence. But how many times has so-called
ministers of this day, have said, "If there be a Holy Ghost, if you
believe that the Holy Ghost is just like it was in the beginning, let
me see you take old So-and-so over here, or this, oh, this man over
here, this woman over here. I'll go get them. Let me see you perform
it."
Do they realize that that's the same spirit (No, they don't) that said
to Jesus, "If Thou be the Son of God, take, make these stones bread. If
thou be the Son of God, tell us who hit you on the head. If you're a
Prophet, tell us who hit you," with a rag around His face. Hit Him on
the head, and then pass the stick one to another, said, "Tell us, if
you're a Prophet. Tell us who hit you; we'll believe you then. Tell us,
if you are the Son of God. We're honest in our hearts. If you're the
Son of God, come down off the cross and well believe you're the Son of
God."
66
I wonder if many people today, both men, women, young and old, are not
standing in that same spot. And you're going to remember someday, that
you were in His Presence at His Fountain; and wanted to see a prank, or
wanted to see a trick or something another, "That'd make me believe it.
Let me have a shiver over my back, and let me do this or that, I'll
believe it." (See?) some sensation, it's plain idolatry. Let me–you…
67
You know, Jesus said in one case, He asked a question. I'd like to ask
the church tonight this. Jesus said, "Why? Why? Why do you call Me your
Lord, and do not the things that I commanded you to do? Why could you
call Me Lord, and keep not My Word? Why can you call Me Lord, and deny
the things that I have commanded you to preach and teach?" What is it?
What does it? It's because that some denominational tradition stands
between them and the Word. And anything that stands between you and God
is an idol; it takes the place of God. Why call you "Lord"? "Lord"
means "ownership." Lord owns the property. And if God owns me, if I am
His, and He turned me around one day when I was on the wrong road, and
called me for a purpose, what am I to do but to fulfill His desire,
like He did Paul. How can I do anything else than to keep His Word?
"Why do you call Me Lord?"
68
I want to call another fellow here, see about him. What about Judas,
what he has to remember Him by? We're talking about remembering the
Lord. Judas tonight and, all–until he's no more, will have to remember
that he sold his birthrights. He sold Jesus for personal gain. We
ridicule Judas–Judas. We say he was a filthy, a–a–a bad guy; he's
not fit for no place or no society; he isn't fit for heaven. Why? He
sold his Lord, after he had the opportunity to even to be a–a
disciple, to be an apostle, the highest calling in the Bible, higher
than a prophet. He had the opportunity to be a–an apostle, and sold
that right for a personal gain. And now he has to remember that. That's
how he remembers Jesus: personal gain.
And I wonder how many of them tonight yet stand in the pulpit, yet wear
the robe of the choir, set in the seat of the deacon, or take the place
of the treasurer, trustee, or whatever it might be, his position in
church, or the minister at the pulpit, and still selling his
opportunity for personal praise, "Doctor, Bishop So-and-so," for
personal praise, personal gain.
70 A man said to me once, "I believe that's the Truth. But if I preached that, I'd be begging there in the street."
Do
you remember the rich man and Lazarus, what their last and their
eternal stage stood at? Though one had–was a beggar, and the other was
a rich man, but the picture changed one day and both of them could
remember. So people tonight holler about Judas that sold Him for
personal gain, and so many do the same thing today, sell Him for
personal gain.
The priest of them days will also remember they sold their chance of
Him, their chance to become His servant, to become His disciple, to
become a convert to Him. They sold it for green poisoned jealousy. They
were jealous of His doctrine. Why, when He was yet twelve years old, He
could stump them any way; and not recognize it, that that was Messiah.
They could not do the things that He did. And they were afraid that
they'd lose their prestige before the higher up-and-up people, and they
sold their opportunity. And they're just as guilty as Herod was.
73
And the church member of today is the same. If they trusted in their
denominations and so forth, them days, and was afraid of their–of
their prestige, they'd be put out of the synagogues, what was it then?
It was idolatry, worshipping a idol creed or a idol church religion,
instead of accepting the living Word which was manifested before them.
And they saw the Word of God. The Bible said, "We have seen Him and
handled Him." Human beings laid hands upon the literal, living,
manifested Word of the living God, and let traditions and creeds stand
between them, washing pots and pans, such a filthy thing stand between
them and the living God. Yes.
What was it? They were prejudice. They were prejudice against His
clean, clear-cut Gospel Scripture that He was teaching, the Father's
Word. They were jealous of Him. They were prejudice of Him. And as long
as they have a remembrance, which still in hell they'll remember,
that's the way they'll be remembered. That's the way they'll have to
remember Him.
You say, "Oh, that was the Pharisees."
76
There's a little lady that used to come to this church. Oh, I suppose
maybe many of you know her; she lives down the street here a ways.
She'd fallen away. And every time I see her, she runs to me, puts her
hands in mine, "Brother Bill, pray for me. I'm backslid." Her husband
is a… No, I think they live right up the street here. I've seen her
in the Spirit, seen the Spirit of God on her, and her dancing,
rejoicing, and so forth. And she'd fallen away. And she was laying
recently in the hospital out here, dying, they thought. And she sent
for me to come pray for her.
She and her husband was awfully good to my wife, when my wife, a
little, ragged, dirty-faced girl, and they'd buy her a little dress or
something now and then to help her to go to school. No matter how
little it is, you can't do one thing for God 'less He remembers it.
"Insomuch as you have done unto the least of these My little ones,
you've done it unto Me." And like bread upon the water, it will return.
78
There laid this poor, little, backslidden woman, crying, holding my
hand. And she… I said, "Well, sister, I'll–I'll have prayer for you."
And laying next bed to her was a woman laying there with her hands
crossed, looking at me, and her young son setting by her side, of about
twenty, a modern Ricky-looking…
So not no disregard if somebody's name should be Ricky, but I mean
that's a… You never heard of a name like that in days gone by. Elvis
and Ricky, and it's just a name of the age. You see? If you got a child
named that, call it its middle name, so–or give it one.
81
Then when she setting there like that, and looked over, and I started
to bow my head, and I seen her looking real… She said, "Wait a
minute. Pull that curtain."
I said, "I was only going to offer prayer for the lady. Aren't–aren't you a–a believer?"
She said, "I'll tell you now; we are Methodists, and we want you to pull that curtain."
"Yes, ma'am," and I pulled the curtain.
See, the same thing–the same thing today, so prejudiced, how did she
know what kind of a minister I was? I'd never seen the woman. But she
probably had heard somebody say that I believed in the healing of the
sick, and she'd been taught against it. She had nothing to do with it;
she washed her hands of it. She was afraid it would fall on her. Don't
worry; it won't (See?), no more than Pilate could wash it off of his
hand.
85
Now, that isn't saying anything disgracefully about Methodist people;
that was just one woman (See?); it might've just been her attitude. I
don't think all the Methodist people would be like that, 'cause I've
prayed for many of them. They've called me to pray for them, and signs
and wonders has been done among them. It never is the people in them
churches; it's the system that they're under, that's what does it. But
she was one of them kind. What was it? Pure green-eyed poison,
devil-possessed jealousy.
I could say something. At–at a certain meeting that was here in the
city one time, and they asked why they didn't call me to it. But I'll
just pass that because I'm at home. But–and however, no reason, it's
just jealousy; it's creed; it's idolatry. How that we would like to
throw our arms to everyone, but when you're shunned… Jesus wanted to
do it. Remember, someday you've got to remember that. You've got to
remember it.
87
Just reminds me of a testimony that was made recently. A minister, and
was on an elevator going up over here at the Heyburn Building. And
there were three men standing with this minister on the–on the
elevator, and they–they didn't know this man was a minister; I suppose
not. And as they went up, they all stopped at the eighth floor. And one
man looked around to the minister, and said, "You know what? This is
just about as close to heaven as we'll ever get."
"Well," the minister said, "I–I suppose you're right; I–I guess that
you're right, for as long as we are trusting in our own merits, this is
as close as we'll ever be." That's right. As long as you're trusting in
what you do, you're remembering what you done. And I'm sure that most
of us know we didn't do nothing, we're not deserving of anything. Said,
"I suppose if we're trusting our own merits, this is as far as we'll
ever get." Well, if we're trusting, that's as far as we'll get.
89
But, oh, I'd like to say something. If I can forget what I was and
remember what He is, if I can remember Jesus, if I can remember Him at
the cross, if I can remember what He done for me, and I can remember
the hour that He washed away my sins, and give me the Holy Spirit to
guide me, then I'm lifted above everything that holds this earth. I'm
lifted above every earthly thing into heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
where I can fellowship with Him. There in His Presence, forgetting what
I ever was, forgetting all my sins and everything, because they're in
the sea of forgetfulness, forgetting all my past, forgetting
everything, and remember that He made me His Own by His Own death… He
took my place. And I that had not a right to go nowhere but to hell, He
took my place and lifted me from hell. He went there for me. And He
lifted me up by His grace abundance, until now we are sons and
daughters of God, and we set in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ever
rejoicing and remembering Him Who brought us safe thus far. And with
pulsating faith in our souls pressing us, and by grace He'll take me
on.
90
And by eyes of faith I see His Scripture fulfilled, "All that He
foreknew, He has called; all that He called, He has justified; and all
that He's justified, He has glorified." Therefore, with this in
thought, I stand in the congregation of the people, where the Spirit of
God is, and are lifted up to set in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
looking for the hour when this vile figure of human life that's got a
mortal heartbeat, and which has to stop someday, when it'll be changed
and given a heart of the Spirit that will beat throughout all ceaseless
times beyond that, without sickness, without sorrow, without old age or
anything.
91
Remember Jesus. When the barrel gets empty at the house, and there's no
more flour, remember Jesus. When the doctor says there's no more
chance, remember Jesus. When the Devil is tempting you; as we sing our
dismissing song, "When temptations around us gather, breathe that holy
Name in prayer."
Remembering Jesus, remembering that He will come again, the same Jesus
that was taken away from us will return again in like manner as we have
seen Him go into heaven. Remember, He will return for those of His Own.
Let us pray, and with our heads bowed. And with this little broke-up
message still in your heart, would you like for Him to remember you
now? If you would, just raise your hands, and some special thing,
"Lord, remember me," as the poet said, "Remember me when tears are
falling down."
94
Our most holy Father, we have immensely enjoyed the Presence of the
Holy Spirit, as He has shown to us the Word of Life, as we remember the
pit from which we were hewn and have now been taken from that pit and
molded into God's children by the grace of Jesus Christ. I remember
Him, when a doctor looked in my face and said, "It's just a few more
minutes," I remember Jesus. I remember Jesus, when I was at the altar
crying for mercy and my soul was burdened down; I remember the load
that left me. Jesus took my burden. A few months ago, setting on the
bench, looking down the scope of a gun barrel to shoot a target, and
Satan must've thought, "This is my opportunity now." And when the gun
exploded, and the barrel, and stock, and the gun action went every way,
and the fire flew all around me, I tried to raise to my feet, and the
blood spurting, I remember it was Jesus. When the doctor, when he
looked and seen no harm done, he said, "The only thing I know, that the
Lord must've been setting there too, protecting His servant; he
should've been blown to pieces by such an explosion." O God, how we all
remember those things.
95
We come to the Fountain filled with Blood, drawn from Emmanuel's veins.
Bless us, Lord, together tonight. You know the–the objective and the
motive behind every heart that raised a hand. You know the desire and
the need. And as Your servant, Lord, I–I come with them, and–and up
out of this Tabernacle now, by faith we go, beyond the clouds and the
moon, and the stars and the–the milky white way, and now we arrive in
the Presence of God. And stretched across in front of me is a golden
altar; on there lays the Sacrifice that we remember, Jesus, that said,
"Just ask the Father anything in My Name, I'll–I'll grant it." Let our
faith fail not, Lord, but let us remember that we receive what we ask
for, if we believe it, as we remember Jesus died to secure it for us
and to make it sure.
96
Lord, we see that You're increasing our building. It was You that did
this for us, that give us this extension of the church. And we know
that it was You, Lord, Who gave us the church in the beginning. We pray
that You'd bless these efforts.
Lord, we pray for our pastor, Brother Neville, Your humble and
gracious, faithful servant. Is willing to minister in any capacity, no
matter if it's in the back seat or if it's to clean up the church.
Wherever You need Him, there he wants to be instrumental to serve You
wherever You call. We pray, God, that–that You bless him.
God, this great trial that I've just come through, and these trustees
who stood by me, and this church who–who prayed for me, and finally
the victory came. O God, I pray for them. I remember them too, Lord,
and I'm sure You do.
99
We remember the blessings that You have been to us. And we remember
Your Word, that You would never leave us nor forsake us. Old age will
have nothing to do it; You'll still remember us, when the world shall
be no more and time shall fade into eternity. It is written something
like this, "Could a mother forget her suckling babe? I can never forget
you. You're engraved upon the palms of My hands," the nails that
engraved our names. We know that You remember us, Lord.
And may You always be in our fondest memories, as our Saviour, our
Healer, our King, our Lover, our Life, our Sunshine, our All-in-All,
that inexhaustible fountain of God's grace and love to we fallen human
beings of Adam's family. Grant it, Lord, as we commit ourselves to Thee
now, going from the Tabernacle tonight, remembering Jesus. Amen.
101
Do you remember Him? You love Him? Now, I think in our little broken
message we might say this: Paul said, "Whatever we do, we do in the
Spirit." In all things we should remember Him. Let's not make a
decision until we remember Him; let's do nothing, 'cause it'll be
rashal. If the enemy smites one side of the cheek, let's remember what
He did before we smite back. Let's remember His action. If there is a
decision to be made, let's wait, remember what kind of a decision we
think He would make, then let that be our decision. If we get hasty,
let's remember He never was in a hurry. See? If we get over anxious,
remember He dwells in eternity; time means nothing to Him. It's the
motive and objective of our heart. Let's remember Him.
102
And let's remember Him now as we sing this song in the Spirit of His
Presence, "I Love Him." If you dwell in love, you dwell in God, for God
is love. They that dwell in God dwell in love. See? And love has no
hatred. Love is not jealous. Love is not puffed up. Love doth not
misbehave itself. Love is always gentle, sweet, forgiving, kind. No
matter how bitter the others is, love remains itself. Love is the
ultimate of grace. Love is God's ultimatum for us. After all other
gifts and things has vanished, our prophecies, our tongues, our
interpretations, all that we've ever done, or whatmore, when love comes
in, it's the ultimate. It's above all, 'cause all other fails.
It's–it's the Supreme Court's decision. It's the tie post. It's the
North Star that keeps the seaman level. It's the compass that guides
us. Love is the ultimate. Let's remember it as we sing, "I love Him."
103 Now, while our sister chords this song for us [Brother Branham begins humming "I Love Him"–Ed.],
let's just in sweetness of fellowship, while we're setting together in
heavenly places in Christ, now take all, everything from your heart.
And remember, God's Word says so. I am His servant. He's here. Then
let's just shake hands with somebody, and say, "God bless you,
brother." If you've got an enemy, rise up and go to him (See?), "God
bless you, brother," as we sing the chorus again and shake hands with
one another. Won't you do it now, real sweetly in the Spirit.
With our hands up now.
104 Now, let's bow our heads and hum it [Brother Branham begins humming "I Love Him"–Ed.] remembering Jesus. [Brother Branham continues humming]
Now, as our sister chords sweetly and softly, I'm going to ask our good
brother… Brother Neville, you got a word you want to say? I'm going
to ask Brother Collins back there, our loyal little brother here, one
of the associates, if he would dismiss us in prayer. While we bow our
heads, Brother Collins…