The Family Altar Audio Devotionals
Take time to get in the Word of God today…
Day 274
And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel. And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? (1 Samuel 17:22-26)
35 Every man, today, knows that he can take the Name of Jesus Christ and meet any foe at any place, any time, and he will be defeated. I’ve met witch-doctors. I’ve met demons of all sorts and never seen a time but what they’d bow to the Name of Jesus Christ. Tell you, friends, when the Church lost the Name and the power of the Name of Jesus Christ, they lost it. When they went down… When Moses went down to Egypt, if they could ever got that stick out of his hand, they had him whipped. But in that stick was where the power laid. If they ever got the stick out of his hand, they had him whipped. Remember, it was the stick that smote the rock. It was the stick that they held to the air. It was the stick that held over the waters. It was God’s judgment rod. And what—what the stick was in Moses’ hand, the Name of Jesus Christ is to the borned again Church. Amen. Get it away from there, and it’s gone. Yes, sir.
Oh, that Name, take the Name of Jesus with you, child of sorrow and of woe. When temptations around you, breathe that Holy Name in prayer. Watch demons scatter. Yes, sir. The Name of Jesus Christ…
David said, “You meet me as a Philistine, with an armor and spear but I meet you in the Name of the Lord God of Israel.” Watch. He had five stones. He had five fingers, the sling wrapped in: J-E-S-U-S, F-A-I-T-H, faith in Jesus. Here he comes. Something has to happen. I tell you, when he turned that stone loose, the Spirit of God caught into that stone and slew Goliath. Cut his head off, and all the others weakened down. And the armies of Israel took courage and they cut Philistines plumb to the walls. That’s what it means tonight: somebody who’s got an experience to stand up and to prove the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The rest of them will take courage and here they’ll come. Some of you on cots, wheelchairs, try it once and watch the group follow you. Take courage. Go on.
54-0303 – “Witnesses”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 275
And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. (1 Samuel 17:34-36)
43 And I think of the rugged training He did to David. He never so much as schooled him in some school, but He schooled him in His own school. David was a hunter and a shepherd. And in the Psalms he wrote of green pastures and still waters, because there he was alone, by himself. He wasn’t contaminated with the things of the world.
44 God has to get a man away from the things of the world, so He can get him quiet, so he can listen to God, that still, small Voice. Then, once in contact with God, he becomes fearless then. Notice that he don’t care what anyone says; he’s been in the Presence of God. He knows God in the Power of His resurrection.
45 And then, David, we see him. One day, God permitted a bear to come in and get one of his sheep. David just took after that bear. No doubt but what he prayed, because a little later on he confessed to it. And he prayed and asked God. He was caretaker over that sheep. He could not lose that sheep. And he must save that sheep, at all price. And he grabbed his little slingshot, and took after that bear and killed him. He must save that sheep. You see what God was training him for?
46 God wants His shepherds to save the sheep, regardless what he has to be called and what he has to go through. Save them sheep!
47 Then He seen that David was gallant over this bear, so He just raised the power of the animal a little greater, and He sent a lamb…a lion in and took one of the lambs.
48 And a lion is a fierce animal. Oh, in Africa, when I was hunting them…A lion can kill ten men before you can say, “Jack Robinson.” Oh, powerful, great beast! Just with a big roar and, just, men are consumed. And the one who dies under the power of a lion never feels any hurt. It’s such a scare, to hear that roar as he gives. Those great mammoth feet, just in a second, he’s tore down a dozen men.
49 And to think, of a little boy! The Bible said he was “ruddy.” That means he was just a little bitty fellow, with a little slingshot. You know what it is, a little piece of leather with a string on each side. And a hungry lion, with already the taste of blood in his mouth, run in and grabbed a sheep. David looked up to God, and said, “I can’t lose that one. You help me, Lord.” And he knocked the lion down, with the slingshot. And when the lion rose up against him, that little boy, and the lion weighing about five hundred pounds, or better, that little boy weighing maybe seventy or eighty. He pulled, from his little belt, the knife. And when the lion raised up, which would kill ten men in a couple slaps, he grabbed the lion by the beard and killed him.
50 Courage! God don’t want cowards. He can’t use you if you’re afraid to take His Word and believe Him. He wants gallant men, won’t pay no attention to nothing but what the Lord says. That’s the kind He has to move with. Regardless of what the church says, what the pastor says, what the church stands for; he stands for God and righteousness, and His Word. That’s the men we…God will send these days for His revival that His people are praying for.
58-1005e – “God-Called Man”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 276
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
(Ephesians 4:11-16)
104 But, you see, in the church there is the pastor, and that pastor is a special person. He’s built to where he can—he can put up with the fusses of the people. He—he—he’s a burden-bearer, he’s the ox of the team. He—he’s a man that can sit down when the…somebody’s got something against somebody else, and sit down with them two families (and take neither side) and reason it out and bring it right back into sweetness. See? He—he’s a pastor, he knows how to take care of things.
105 The evangelist is a special man. He’s a man that’s burning like a fireball. He runs into a city and preaches his message, then gets out of there somewhere else. See, he’s a special man.
106 The teacher is a special man. He sits back under the anointing of the Spirit and is able to take the Words and put them together by the Holy Spirit, that, the pastor or evangelist, either one, could not compare with him.
107 And then, we find out, the apostle is a special man. He’s a—he’s a “setter-in-order.” He’s a man that’s sent from God to set the things in order.
108 The prophet is a special man. A prophet is a man of whom the Word of the Lord comes to, because the prophet is so designed (life) that his subconscious and his first conscious is so close together that he doesn’t go to sleep to dream his dream, he sees it when he’s wide awake. See? Now, that’s something God has to do. See, he sees what’s going.
109 A prophet foresees way off, see, the things that is coming. He sees the cup of God’s wrath, full, before it is filled. See? He can say, “THUS SAITH THE LORD! God will destroy this city except you repent.” Why? He’s an eagle. He rides way in yonder. See? And he looks way off there and he sees that cup of wrath poured out. That’s what the prophet’s looking at. He ain’t looking what’s going on here, he’s looking yonder! He’s saying, “It’s coming!” He can go so high till he can see that shade. He said, “The world will be dark—darkness and gross darkness.” He’s up high enough, the sun’s shining now, but he sees that shade coming, and he’s—he’s—he’s saying what he’s looking at. It ain’t here yet, but it’ll sure be here! That’s right. It’s going to be here, gross darkness upon the people. He knows it’s coming, years away, yet he sees it.
63-0724 – “God Doesn’t Call Man To Judgment Without First Warning Him”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 277
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. (Psalm 116:15)
42 My own mother just passed away recently. When I stood by her side, and she said, “Billy…” All of our children was—her children was standing there, what was living: Two of us was gone out of ten. And the girl… She looked at me, and she said… First she looked at Delores. She said, “My last, and my first.” And mother was a gracious Christian, and I’d led her to Christ and baptized her many years ago.
And she said, “Delores, you’ve been good to me. You’ve helped me. You have—you have done many a washing for me when I’ve gotten old and can’t wash. You’ve come down to clean up my house. You’d do these things.” She said, “I love you, honey.”
And Delores, a young Christian, standing there choking, looking down, and she said, “Mother, it was so little.”
She said, “Billy, you seen that I didn’t go hungry.”
And I said, “Mama, how many times have you walked away from the table so I could have something to eat, when we were—had nothing to eat?” And I said, “It was just a duty, mother.”
And she said, “Then you’ve kind of been a spiritual guide to me, Billy. You baptized me. You’ve told me the way of life.”
Said, “Mama, you know our background is Catholic.” And I said, “Then I—I went to the church, but they said, ‘This is the church,’ and it was contrary to the Word. I went from church to church, and I found out it was so contrary. So I stayed with the Word, Mother.” And I said, “I’ve tried to tell you what was right and lead you to Christ.” And the dear old saint went away to meet God. And then I committed her soul back to God.
43 Delores called me, and she said, “Billy, I—I just can’t get over it.” She said, “Mother…”
I Said, “Delores, look out across the road from where you live. Isn’t there a large oak tree standing there?”
She said, “Yes.” This was just a few days before Mother died. And she said, “Yes.”
I said, “It’s coming fall now.” I said, “About a month ago those leaves were real pretty and green.”
“Yes,” she said, “Bill.”
Said, “When was… What does it look like now?”
And she said, “Well, they’re yellow, and brown, and green, red.”
And I said, “Delores, what makes them turn yellow, brown, green, and red?”
She said, “They are dying.”
I said, “When was the tree its prettiest?”
She said, “Now.”
I said, “The Bible said, ‘Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.’” See? That’s when the time comes. I said, “The life is going back. Life is a tree. We are all hanging on a Tree of Life. That is right.”
62-0621b – “The Path Of Life”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 278
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:11-13)
66 We… The Bible says that we don’t wrestle with toeholds, flesh and blood; but we wrestle against spiritual powers. Now, if you’d only realize it, as I said a while ago, we are risen with Him now. You’re not going to die. You’re already dead. See? But our Spirit is alive in Him. So we’re not wrestling against natural, scientific things; we’re wrestling against spiritual power.
You know, wrestlers, they practice on breaking toeholds and things. But you don’t break these toeholds. No. Could you imagine a wrestler come out now. My, with his fingernails polished, trunks on with all kinds of gold beads around it. Look like a pretty good wrestler, but that’s only intellectual. If he hasn’t got a hidden strength there, that when the enemy gets a toehold on him that he can pull him out of it (hallelujah), his intellectual beads around him and everything don’t make much difference. So all of our intellectual means nothing if there isn’t a hidden power of the Holy Spirit there (Hallelujah), to break the hold of the devil.
67 But we’re in a wrestling match. We’re wrestling not with fine-dressed intellectual psychology, but we’re wrestling with the power and the promise of God which can break any hold on any devil at any time. Jesus, our Lord, proved it when He was Emmanuel, God Himself made flesh among us. And when He met Satan, to show that Satan could be defeated by the Word, every time Satan would come to Him He said, “It’s written. It’s written.” Oh, how I would like to take time here on some note I got wrote here, on the things that He said—how many times that He broke Satan’s power with “It’s written.” (Oh, my.), showing that that fortified person behind the Word of God can scream out, “It’s written, turn him loose. Turn loose, Satan, for it is written,” if you’re staying behind the Word. “If ye abide in Me, and My Word’s in you, ask what you will.” That’s right. Can’t be wrong; that’s got to be right.
62-0607 – “Putting On The Whole Armor Of God”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 279
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes. (Psalm 119:9-12)
7 Now, just before approaching the Word… And I won’t keep you long. I usually get out four hours, five, something like that. But tonight, we’ll cut part off and make it thirty minutes. So then, I’ve got to go right on in other revivals, and I certainly appreciate this invitation.
Now, as I read the Word… If nothing else matters, the reading of the Word will do something for you. And I’m going to read one verse. It’s not very much. It isn’t… it isn’t the size of it; it’s what it is. That’s what counts. And it’s not the paper it’s wrote on. It’s what’s in the Word, because God’s Word is eternal. My words will fail; His words cannot fail. Mine’s a man, and His is God’s. So if my words fail to reach the place that God has intended tonight for our gathering together, and to put something with the songs to go on, then I pray that you’ll get God’s Word, and it’ll take the place, for it’s…
8 Any time that God is ever called on the scene to make a decision, and when He makes the decision, that has to forever be His same decision. Now remember, He cannot change His mind, because He’s perfect. You believe God’s perfect? You believe He’s infinite? Certainly He’s infinite. Well, if He’s infinite, well, then, He—He can’t learn any more. Now, we’re finite, so we can just keep learning, and take this back, and add something more, and take away. But God can’t, see. He’s perfect. Every decision is perfect. So you must always remember: keep your minds and hearts on His Word.
Oh, this is a terrible day we’re living in. You know, the deceiving time is the evening time. But He promised us we’d have Light in the evening time. He promised that. And as the sun rises in the east, and sets in the west, it’s not another sun; it’s the same sun that sets in the west that rose in the east. His prophet said there’ll be a time there’d be a dismal day, not neither night nor day. And… but said in the evening time it shall be Light again. So we’ve had that, and how the evening Light of the finish of the day.
9 And now, always remember that… God makes a decision, it’s perfect every time. So when He says anything, it must always remain that way. So that gives us confidence that we can put our trust exactly in what He says. It’s the truth, see.
Never vary from His Word. Keep His Word in your heart. I believe David said he’d hid His Word in his heart that he might not sin against it. Now, if we’d just remember that.
61-0128 – “Why?”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 280
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philipians 2:5-11)
26 Moses, when he turned aside, looked at the bush, God was going to send him, but before Moses knew, he said, “Show me Your glory.” You know, sometimes when God does things, He does it in such a funny way, an odd way, peculiar way to the people of this world, it seems foolish to the carnal mind. How that God does things so—so simple, it just confuses the carnal mind.
For instance, the virgin birth, and many things that’s yet got the carnal mind all broke up. They don’t know what to think about it. But God does it.
Just like when John the Baptist came. Why, the Scripture said, when the inauguration of Jesus down there, at the river that day, that the… “All the high places would be made low and the low places brought high. And the—the leaves all clapped their hands, and the mountains skipped like little lambs.” Just think of it. And what was it? An old woodsman type of a preacher, with the beard out over his face, like a fuzzy worm, and a big piece of sheepskin wrapped around him, standing on the muddy banks of Jordan, preaching repentance. Amen. (No fine, dressed lace, silks, and satins and whatever it was.)
27 And there’s where God spoke from the heaven, and he saw the Spirit of God coming like a dove, falling upon a Man Who’d been born in a manger. See, what the world call great, God calls foolish. And what the world calls foolish, God calls great. That’s right. So don’t mind to be called foolish.
’Cause remember. You can’t have the mind of Christ and the mind of the world at the same time. You can’t be in your way and God’s way at the same time. You have to get out of your own way to let God have His way. That’s the only way you’re ever going to do anything. You got to get away from your own thoughts, your own reasons. Don’t try to reason; just believe.
28 What if Mary tried to reason about the new birth, or, not the new birth, but the virgin birth. Pardon me. What if she tried to say, “Now, wait a minute. Now, look. I don’t know no man. There’s never been anyone like that. How would I ever have a child? Oh, you can’t tell me that.” She never waited for anything. She just took God at His Word and started thanking God for the baby. Before she felt any life, before she felt anything, before one sign was given to her, she just took the Angel’s Word and went rejoicing and praising God, telling everybody she was going to have a baby, knowing no man. God give us some more Marys around Phoenix here, that can take God at His Word and start rejoicing before anything happens. That’s what you need. That’s all. For she was overshadowed by the Holy Ghost. And when the Holy Ghost truly overshadows a person, they take God at His Word. That settles it, what the Holy Ghost said.
54-0303 – “Witnesses”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 281
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; (Philipians 3:7-10)
73 If anything turned me the first time against my—made me ashamed of America, was…I was in Switzerland one day, and Brother Arganbright and I had found a good place way down by Lausanne where we could get a big, fine steak, about so big around, weigh about three-quarters of a pound, I think, for around thirty cents in American money. Oh, we were living like kings! Every day we’d go down there. And all of them there drink wine, you know; their water’s no good. And I wouldn’t drink that wine, so I got me a little jug from the—a drugstore that had distilled water. And I packed that jug wherever I went. I guess everybody thought, “That boy carries his own brand.” So I had it in my hand. We went down there to this place where all the—selling these steaks, and one day Miss America drove up. About a ’28 model Chevy, had a poodle dog setting on the lap and brought that in there, and she had enough…Them two women had enough ten cent store jewelry, great big, long things, and earrings, and hanging way down, and paint; and both of them fifty years old, as old as me. And you’d thought they wanted to be fifteen. But what are they trying to do? They’re trying to drive life’s road looking through a rear-view mirror, looking back to what they used to be.
74 Now, Christian don’t do that. A Christian don’t try to be what he used to be; he’s not looking where he’s been, he’s looking where he’s going. See, see? Don’t pay no attention to what you was then; you’ve done lived that out. You’ll never return to it; that’s in the past. And any man that drives life’s road looking through a rear-view mirror will go to wreck; and so will you on this Christian road. Don’t look back what you was, look what you’re going to be. Paul said, “Forgetting those things which are in the past, I press towards the mark of the high calling.”
75 Now, but it made you ashamed. They brought this little, old stinking dog in there and set it upon the table! Now, that would make anybody vomit! And fooling with that dog right there, setting it right up there with their hands, and then going to eat with them same hands! And the waiter come over there, and blabbed off something. Dr. Guggenbuhl was with me; he started laughing, and turned his head.
I said, “What’s—what’d say?”
Said, “The waiter said, ‘Take that off!’”
They said, “No, she’s an American; let her alone.” In other words, “She don’t know any better.” See?
64-0823e – “Questions And Answers #2”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 282
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philipians 4:8)
104 And these, no reverence, no respects! The people today, they don’t respect God. They have no reverence. They take His Name in vain, and tell dirty jokes. And—and even ministers do that. You hear a—a joke, I guess would be all right. But ministers should be examples, I think, of what of—of righteousness and holiness. And that’s the reason I think maybe we—we don’t get no farther than we do; we’re not, don’t come this, the sincerity that we ought to have in it. When you’re carrying on, and going on, you lose that little grain of sincerity, you know. There is something about it.
105 You must remember that God is watching you, every hour. He watches you when you’re asleep. Now, I think the reason that people do those things is because, they—they—they, they’re not conscious of His Presence, see. But yet He is there, whether you think He is or not. He sees every look that you make, and every—every move that you make. He knows all about it. But we ought to realize that.
106 We used to have a little song, when I first come among the Pentecostals, they sang.
All along on the road to the soul’s true abode,
There is an Eye watching you;
Every step that you take, this great Eye is awake,
There is an Eye watching you.
See? You remember the song? [Congregation says, “Yes.”—Ed.] Now that is true.
107 God’s omnipresence knows what you’re doing, and even your thoughts. One time while I was in a vision, I was speaking to a Being standing by me; and He said back, He said, “Your thoughts are louder in the Heavens than your voice is on the earth.” He knows what you’re thinking. You might say you—you do this and you do that, and it, but, you see, down in your heart, if you think different, you’re—you’re doing something wrong. You should be just what you are, see, the—the heart. The mouth should speak what’s in the heart. See? And so we find that the people doesn’t realize the—the Presence of God.
108 You know, they ought to be like David, the man was after God’s Own heart. He said, “The Lord is always before me.” Wherever he goes, he remembers God is always before him. “He is on my right hand, and I’ll not be moved,” because God is on his right hand.
63-1114 – “Influence”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 283
Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. (Daniel 6:4-9)
17 And the time that… Every fellow has to come to a time where you make a decision. There’s got to be a time where you make your decision of whether you’re going to be married or not. Then the decision that you and your girlfriend has to make, whether you are going to live together or get married or not. There’s all kinds of decisions to be made in life, and they’ll linger long for a certain period, and then a time comes where it’s got to be settled. That’s the last time; it’s got to happen now one way or the other.
And Christian friend, I believe that we’re living in the end time, that when all things that was written in the Bible, it’s time now for all these things to come to pass. And I believe that the very things that we see happening now, it’s just exactly in season with God’s Word.
18 Now, there was a time when God made the heavens and earth and put men on the earth. And then when man begin to multiply, and wax great in the earth, building cities, and many people begin to be fully populated, wickedness set in among the hearts of the people, and the time came where God had to send judgment. God set a time for that judgment.
And then, He also had a preacher of righteousness by the name of Noah, who preached a hundred and twenty years and was turned down by everyone except his own family. Then the time come that what Noah had prophesied through God must come to pass. And the antediluvian destruction taken place and God floated the ark through, preserving Hisself a seed.
19 There was a time when God spoke to Abraham and told him that his seed would sojourn for four hundred years, and be evil entreated in a nation, a heathen nation, but He would bring them out with a mighty hand.
Now, before that could take place which God had said, God had to have this nation ready; He had to have the people ready; and then He had to have a Moses ready to—to go down there. God makes everything work together right, just like cogs coming together.
We see it off, sometime in the distant and wonder, “Could it ever be?” But it always happens just the way God said it would be.
And when the time of the promise drew nigh, there come a pharaoh who did not know Joseph. And then at the time of the persecution and killing of the little children, God sent Moses; a prophet came on the scene. And miracles and signs begin to happen in the age because the time of that age was finished.
20 There come a time where the Hebrew children had to make a stand, whether they were going to bow down to a heathen image or whether they were going to keep their faith in the true and living God. The time came when the decision must be made. And they made the right decision and God was with them.
The time came when the prophet Daniel had to make a decision of whether he would fail to pray, he would keep the tradition of the religion of that country, or whether he would go his regular custom, where he had fellowship with God, raise up the windows and pray towards the temple daily. And Daniel had to make his—his decision. And the time finally forced him to a place to where he had to make it.
21 God, when He speaks anything, He forces it to the place. And Daniel had to make a decision. And he went straight to his place of worship, and raised up the windows, and worshipped God. God protected his prophet. God will always do it.
56-0408e – “The Time Is At Hand”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 284
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:8-9)
125 I heard someone say the other night in a message, said that they come to…I believe it was Billy Graham, last night, was watching him as he said that he went to Israel and he went into Palestine, and he said, “I come to believe your people,” something on that order. And I certainly admired him as he appeared on that worldly program last night. Many of you turned the man down for doing that. But, look here, he got before the whole nation then. And he never took it back, he stood just exactly on what he believed. And I certainly admire him for that. And he said, “I went to Israel and I told them, ‘I worship one of your Children,’ in other words, like this.”
126 I thought, “Billy, that’s wonderful. I’d like to see that God-given power that you have to stand there in the midst of all that Hollywood glamour and give a testimony by Jesus Christ, but He was not a Jew.” Jesus was God, not a Jew. Remember, the blood cell comes from the male sex. And He was not no man, Jew or Gentile, He was God created in flesh. We’re not saved by the blood of a Jew or blood of a Gentile, we’re saved by the Blood of God. He was God, nothing less. He wasn’t Jew nor Gentile. God’s creative Blood in Him, we become…If He was a Jew or a Gentile, we’re all lost. He was God in flesh. Right.
127 I don’t worship a Jew, I worship God when I worship Jesus Christ. I don’t worship some fiction or some kind of a historical something. I worship Jesus Christ, the Presence of Jesus Christ right now, which is His Word that’s manifested in this age.
128 God in every age allotted His Word from the beginning, and every time in which one of those ages passed by, God sends down an anointed prophet for that age. In the days of Noah, days of all the rest of them, when He made the promises. I don’t care what kind of a condition the church got into, He always does that, He sends a man anointed. For the Word of the Lord comes to the prophets. And here he stood there, each prophet, and was condemned by the organizations of that day, but he stood on the Word and made the Word live.
129 Jesus was the fulness of God’s Word, for He was the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and in Him dwelt the fulness of God. God lived in Jesus Christ. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. Not Jew nor Gentile, but God! There He stood, making Hisself. How fitting! And God’s Own Blood had to shed upon the ground, from the innocent blood of Abel on down, to redeem us. He didn’t take His own life, He didn’t hold His own life; He said, “Father, is it possible this cup should pass from Me? But, nevertheless, not My will, Thine be done.” He give in to the Word.
130 Today we can do the same thing. You can either take your creeds, take your so-and-so, and go wherever you want to with it; but you can say, “Not my will, but Thine be done.” Come back to that Word of God. Take your tinsel and Christmas and do what with it you want to. But give me Jesus Christ in my heart, no matter how humble It is, and how people laugh at It, or what of It. Watch—watch its nature, see if it does just like He did. If it didn’t, and it don’t compare with this Word, leave it alone, it’s not Christ; ’cause Christ is the Word.
63-1214 – “Why Little Bethlehem”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 285
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4)
192 You want to belong in Heaven! That’s where your affections ought to be, on things above. Jesus said, “Set your affections on things above, not on things of the earth. They’re going to fail.” Stay with God. Stay with realities. God is a God of reality. He has always been, in all ages. Any time that man ever walked with God, God become a reality that performed signs and wonders and miracles with His people. It’s God’s purpose to do so. Surrender all.
193 Right here in Louisville, Kentucky, not long ago, there was a very nice family of people. They had a sick baby. Called to pray for it. The doctor walked out of the hospital. “And what about the baby?”
194 He said, “That baby is dying. There is nothing else can be done for it.” Said, “It’s got leukemia.” Said, “The baby has to die.”
195 Thought, “O God, You ain’t said that yet. You never witnessed that.” Went and talked to the parents, and the parents was crying and sobbing. Their—their—their baby was gone, as far as they knowed. But what did they do?
196 The doctor was right. He, everything that he knowed to do, he had done. Leukemia is a killer, and nothing can stop it. Said, “The baby is going to die.”
197 The old grandfather of that baby. You all know the case. And the old grandfather of that baby come along. When he heard me speak about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he said, “I used to remember years ago, when an old preacher said there would come a time that people would receive the Holy Ghost again, and signs and wonders would be done.” He went off in a little room to himself. He wouldn’t stay with his son or his daughter-in-law no more. He stayed in there, crying and praying. When the old fellow walked out of there, the sweat hanging across his bald forehead, his eyes glistening. He said, “That baby will live.”
Said, “What?”
198 He said, “Doctor, I respect you as a—as a man of science. I respect you and your intelligence that you have learned through medical research. But,” said, “I prayed and I prayed, and I prayed until I surrendered everything I had to surrender, and the Holy Spirit said, ‘The baby will live.’” It did. Why? He surrendered everything he had.
199 God got a hold of him and could talk to him, when he was willing to surrender everything. That’s what we lack. You don’t want to surrender your ways. You don’t want to surrender your societies. You don’t want to surrender the little click that you belong to. You don’t want to surrender any time, you’ve got to do this, that, or the other, instead of praying. You don’t want to surrender things to God. God wants you to surrender! Closing, I want to say this. Whole lot more here I’d like to say, but I haven’t the time. God wants a complete surrender. When you surrender everything, then you will find out what I’m talking about is the Truth.
60-0626 – “The Unfailing Realities Of The Living God”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 286
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; (Colossians 4:2)
89 When we come to the healing services, if you’ll notice on the discernment in the line, it’s constantly, “Tell people to repent.” See? There you go, till our prayers has become a tradition. We kneel down at night and say, “Lord, bless So-and-so, and bless So-and-so, and do this. And help John do all this.” You make God a—a mascot, or you make Him a—a some kind of an errand boy. “God, You do this. And You do this. And You do this.” That’s not the way Jesus told us to pray.
90 He said to pray like this, “Our Father Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thine will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.”
But we try to order God, what to do for us.
91 And that’s the reason the church is cooling off. That’s why the great revival that’s just struck the land, has put millions into the church. It’s, it, they have got to a place that they’re using these experiences, and so forth, as a tradition, instead of being godly sorrowful, and letting the Holy Spirit do the work of His office within you, and creating in you a new life, and making you so hungry to go to church that you can’t stay away from church. Then, that’s what it is. Not to sign tickets, and join, and have so forth. It’s to be have the Life of Christ in you, that you just longs to go. There is Something within you, pushing you.
92 As I was saying to a young man yesterday, in a talk, a little interview. I said, “I used to pass by a little spring, when I was a game warden in Indiana. And there was…”
93 It was always the happiest spring I ever seen in my life. Great springs in Indiana, they bubble up with that fine cold water, of limestone water. And one day I set down by the spring, to talk to it, just like I guess that Moses would have set, to the burning bush, to speak with it. And I said, “Little spring, what makes you so happy, that you’re bubbling all the time? If I come here in the wintertime, you’re bubbling. If I come spring, autumn, summer, whenever it is, you’re bubbling. Is it because that maybe, perhaps, you’re so happy that the rabbits come and drink out of you?”
94 Well, now, if he could talk, he’d say, “No, that’s—that’s not it.”
95 I’d say, “Well, maybe because deers come by and drink out of you.”
He’d say, “No, that’s not it.”
96 I’d say, “Now, well, maybe it’s because I come by, once in a while, and drink from you.”
97 “No, that’s not it. I’m glad that they all come and drink, but that’s not the reason that I’m bubbling all the time.”
98 “Well, what makes you bubble like that? What makes you so happy, always gushing up?”
99 If he could talk, he’d say, “It’s not me. It’s something behind me, pushing me.”
100 That’s the way it is with a Christian experience. It isn’t something that you’re trying to work up. It’s something behind, working in you. It’s Eternal Life that’s moving up, gushing up. Like as He told the woman at the well, “It’ll be wells of water springing up into Eternal Life.” It’s something within the worshipper when he’s been identified with Christ, because he knows that He is alive. But we don’t want it become a tradition.
63-1028 – “Pardon”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 287
I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. (Psalm 122:1-2)
331. Brother Branham, do you teach that the Bride must not attend any church unless you are there preaching, or else the tabernacle, other words, the tabernacle? (Got “else,” it means “other words.”)
332. Also, do you teach that we need not keep the—the Sunday or holidays, as working, fishing, or so forth? Or…(I’d say that was Sunday. It looked like Sunday to me. Or right at the bottom it look like…or Sunday, I guess it is, holidays or Sundays. Yeah, Sundays, that what it look like? [Brother Branham speaks to someone—Ed.] Holy days—holy days, Sunday and holy days.)
122 No! You’re mistaken. See? Let me go over and just answer it as I come by.
Do you teach that the Bride must not attend any other church unless you are preaching—preaching or else, otherwise, the tabernacle?
123 No! I don’t teach that. I don’t believe that; I do not believe it. We’ve got ministers setting here that’s scattered all around through the country, and I believe they are part of that Bride. I believe that a man or woman can go to church anywhere they want to go that teaches the Word. And I believe, if they don’t teach the whole Word, and you can’t go to church any other place where they teach the whole Word, go where they teach half the Word until you can get to where they teach the whole Word. Go to church whatever you do. Do that.
Also do you teach that we must—we must…need not keep Sunday, or any holy day, or—or working, or like working, or fishing on Sunday?
124 I believe it’s a sin to fish, and hunt, and work on Sunday when you can go to church. Now, I believe you’re transgressing the laws of God. “Is there a commandment to such?” Yes, sir! Now, in the Old Testament we had a type of the Sabbath day. It was all…And Jesus did not come for you to keep Sabbath days. The old Sabbath day was Saturday, which was the end of the week. Sunday is the eighth day, or the first day of the week, which Jesus rose on.
125 I do not believe it’s right to…Now, if you’re way away into a wilderness somewhere, and you’re out there on a hunting trip, there’s no church around, anything like that, and there’s nothing you can do; and if you was fishing, I believe that would be all right. But if you’re around in the city, or around where church is going on, you should attend church by all means, somewhere.
126 And I believe, as far as working, I believe if the ox is in the ditch, or something has to be done on Sunday, you go ahead and do it, if it’s something that you couldn’t help, it had to work that way. But if you just do it, and wait till Sunday to do it, or just do it like that, you’re wrong. See? We must not do that, we must respect that holy day.
64-0830m – “Questions And Answers #3”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 288
So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. (1 Samuel 30:3,6)
8 Here sometime ago down in Louisiana, Brother Moore, here on the platform, and I, we were going down, way down to some little city, to a little church, and have a meeting. And his beloved daughter, and wife, and all of them was along. And I was—had my suitcase that some folks give me many, many years ago, over in California, and I’d just bought me a new suit. I had it in the suitcase, and had an old one on. And he had it laying on top of his car, driving fast down through Louisiana. All at once, when we got down there, we found out the suitcase wasn’t on top; it was gone. I didn’t even have a pocket handkerchief. So he was very much discouraged. I said, “Oh, the Lord will take care of that.”
All my wardrobe, complete, was in it, besides my overalls, at home. So, he said, “Brother Branham, I’m going out and buy you a new suit.”
I said, “No, it’s all right.”
He said, “You haven’t got a chance, Brother Branham,” said, “that was lost way up, along the road there,” and said, “just… lot’s of colored people live up through this way.” And said, “Now, the first thing,” said, if some man come along the road and he found the suitcase…”
I said, “My Bible is in there, had my name in it.”
He said, “Well, if he found that suitcase, Brother Branham,” said, “the thing he’d do, is sell those suits,” and so forth like that.
I said, “Well, maybe he needs it worse that I do. ’Cause the Lord gave them to me, so maybe he needs them worse; the Lord’s giving them to him.”
He said, “Well, and if he found my Bible, and if he knew me,” I said, “he’d bring it back anyhow.”
He said, “Oh, no, Brother Branham,” said, “if a sinner finds it,” said, “he will sell the clothes.” and said, “If a Christian finds it, they’ll cut those suits up, and sent them to one another for prayer clothes.” Said, “You haven’t got a chance.” So I said, “Well, we’ll just trust the Lord.”
9 Two days past, and Brother Brown, over there, he said, “I want in on this too. I want you—I absolutely want to get you some new suits.”
I said, “No, the Lord will bring them back somehow.”
So we… Two or three days past; he said, “You see,” said, “we met a police down there, and the police said, ‘Sure, I’ll—I’ll go up the road looking for it.’ (His mother had been healed in my meetings), he said, ‘Certainly.’” One of the state police, and we’d told him we lost the suitcase up there, way up in the swamps somewhere, oh, maybe a hu—two hundred miles, three hundred, up and down the road.
So then the next day, we went over, and Brother Jack was just persistent that I was going to get a suit of clothes anyhow.
Said, “Boy, a thousand miles from home, no clothes at home, and none here.” Said, “My, what are you going to do without even a handkerchief or a clean shirt?”
Said, “Well, the Lord will take care of that.”
10 So we went over to Brother Browns, and they—Brother Brown, he was going to come out, and was going to make me go get a suit of clothes. Just about the time Brother Brown come out, the phone rang, it was an old, colored brother called up, and said, “Is—is Brother Branham there?” Said, “I’s done found his suitcase, I’s on my way.” So I… Trust in the Lord. Amen. Whatever it is, all things work together for good. You just can’t lose when you become a Christian, just can’t lose. Just trust in Him, and whatever the way goes, just keep your sails set to His Spirit. He will guide you into the harbor. It’ll all be all right.
55-0223 – “Job”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 289
If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us: Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: (Psalm 124:2-3)
244 I’ll tell you what happened the other day. I was down in Texas. ’Fore leaving…And the—the brethren here are witnesses to this. The Oneness church, seventy-two churches, sponsored my meeting. And I put Brother Petty, the Assembly of God brother, up on the platform that night. Now, you know that’s true. He’s a precious brother, Brother Petty, if any of you know him, from Beaumont, Texas. He’s one of the finest man I ever met. His wife is a converted Catholic, a real sainted woman. He’s a real man of God.
245 Tell me who is a finer man than Roy Wead, of the Assemblies of God. Mention any of these men, look here, all these brothers I know around here. Brother from the Philadelphian church here, and the Assemblies of God men, and who is any finer people? Tell me where. Tell me who is a finer man than Jack Moore? Tell me that. He’s a what they call…They belong to them. He’s not a radical. You find radical on both sides; and that’s where the people point, and that’s where the devil points.
246 But they’re all men of God. God has give them the Holy Ghost. If it wasn’t for the grace of God, we’d all be gone, with our fusses and things. That’s exactly right. But the grace of God binds us together. No wonder we can sing, “Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love.” That’s what we need, then.
247 And so you know what? The General Superintendent over the—the church, called me up, and he said, “Did you know what you did last night?” My second night there.
I said, “What?” I said, “Had a wonderful meeting.”
Said, “You had a man on your pulpit was a sinner.”
I said, “I didn’t know it.” Where was…
Said, “That Mr. Petty.”
248 “Oh,” I said, “a sinner? What?” I said, “He’s an Assembly of God preacher, brother.”
249 He said, “Yes, but he is still a sinner, because he hasn’t been baptized right.”
250 And I said, “Brother, pray tell me why.” I said, “He’s got the Holy Ghost.”
251 He said, “Brother Branham, what did Peter say? ‘Repent, and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins.’ Therefore your sins cannot be remitted until you’re baptized in Jesus’ Name.”
I said, “Is that the formula, my brother?”
He said, “That’s the formula.”
252 I said, “God upset His Own applecart then, in Acts 10:49, for, ‘While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell upon them which heard the Word,’ see, and they had never been baptized, at all. Then, God give the Holy Ghost to people that wasn’t even converted?” I said, “Where in the world are you standing now?”
253 He said, “You know what we’re going to do?” Said, “We’re drawing a little ring, and drawing you right out of our circle.”
254 “Then,” I said, “I’m going to draw another one, and draw you right back in again.” I said, “You can’t draw me out, ’cause I love you. See, you just can’t do it.” I said, “There’s too many of your—your brethren out there that love me and believe in me.” I said, “You, I’ll—I’ll…They’ll come, anyhow.” I said, “They’ll come. And you can’t draw me out. If you draw me out, I’ll draw you back in.” I said, “When you make one circle, God, by His grace, will let me draw another and pull you right back again.” That’s right, draw them right back again.
61-0425b – “The Godhead Explained”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 290
For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7)
147 And, brother, we’ve been a great nation. We’ve been a great people. We’ve been a great church. We’ve been a great everything. But, I tell you, everything mortal has to give away. And this, the time is at hand. I tell you everything is laying, and the world has become to one great big chaos of just corruption and stink, before God.
148 This nation is whiskey drinking, beer drinking. And our taxes is paid on this whiskey and stuff, which supports our nation. And it’s blood money, if you think it’s wrong to drink whiskey.
149 And you say, “Leave it alone, preacher. You oughtn’t to say nothing about drinking. It’s our American rights.”
150 I know it’s your American rights, but it’s not your Heavenly rights. And, brother, if you are willing before God, you’ll…You will be able…You will, in your heart, forfeit every filthy right that you have, to serve the Lord, and will purpose in your heart that you’ll not defile yourself with the things of the world.
151 You say, “Brother Branham, other Christians smoke. Why can’t I smoke?”
152 You might have a right to smoke, as an American citizen. But you have not the right to do it, as a Christian, because it’s a stumbling block in the other person’s way. That’s exactly right. And you shouldn’t do it; you’ll lay a stumbling block.
153 All these other things, and your dressing. Say, “Well, the rest of the women, they dress like this. The other girls, they dress like this. They do this. Why can’t I do it?” I know, it’s your American rights. “The law don’t say I can’t do it.” I know that. It don’t say hardly anything. You can do anything you want to, that’s right, just about any.
154 But, brother, it’s not in a Christian’s heart to do that. If you’ll purpose in your heart that you’ll live clean and pure before God, nature itself will teach you that those things are wrong.
155 But, here we are, we come into this place. What is it? It’s because we’re at the end road. Purpose in your heart, tonight, “Never no more, never no more, as long as the world stands,” or as long as you live, that you’ll never defile yourself anymore with the portion of the American way of life, yes, sir, American way of life, so-called.
156 Now, the old American way of life was fine; be neighborly and honest, so forth. That’s good. But this modern way, of your nakedness, and drinking, and carousing, and separation, and marrying, and intermarrying, and—and all this nonsense; purpose in your heart to abstain from all that, as long as you live.
Let us pray.
56-0902 – “The Handwriting On The Wall”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 291
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6)
19 People live today as though, just before the Coming of the Lord Jesus, if He was going to send a host of Angels down to all the newspapers, and, for a year or so, announce it throughout all the world, in the newspaper, that, “On a such-and-such a date, Jesus will arrive.” And to have it broadcast by the radio, and put on the televisions, and everywhere, just the day and just the hour that He was coming. Now that’s the way people live today.
20 But, God has said in His Word, that, “It would be like a thief in the night, coming.”
21 If that would be so, people would say, as the world thinks today, “Oh, well, there is just plenty of time. I’ll…It’ll be well announced.” And, but, you see, it is announced, but it’s a secret announcing. It’s just those who are willing to hear it. Those who are willing to consider it and, too, who loves the Lord.
22 I think now of what Paul said when he said, “There is a crown of righteousness laid up for me, that the Lord, the righteous Judge will give me at that day.” And then he stopped. Did you notice? And said, “Not only me, but to all them that love His appearing.” If we love His appearing!
23 Usually in the world today, that people think of the appearing of the Lord as a horrible, dreadful thing. Oh, the world might come to its… “Don’t talk to me about that,” they’ll say. They don’t want to know about those things. They don’t care about them; just for the present day living. But those who love the Lord, love His appearing.
24 What if one of your loved one, some of you older people, that your mother was gone on, or your father, or your baby, and they were been away for so many years, and you knowed that they might appear at any time? Why, you’d have the house all cleaned up. You would just be ready and watching down that road, for, every car light that turned in, you’d think it would be them.
25 Now that’s the way the Church ought to be watching for the Coming of the Lord. All in order, all ready, all packed up and ready to go as soon as He comes, because, “It’ll be in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye.” Just try to time how long it would take your eye to twinkle, that’s just how quick the Rapture of the Church will take place.
58-1012 – “The Sudden, Secret Going Away Of The Church”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 292
Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. (Psalm 127:1)
45 A lovely little girl that’s recently…I used to go with her mother when we were young. And she was a lovely, beautiful woman. Her name is Huff now, her name was Lee before she was married. When I used to pastor the Milltown Baptist Church, they belonged to the United Brethren Church, but, oh, they liked me real well. And she…I used to go with her. They lived way back up behind Brother Wright’s here. To…And I used to go up to their house, and the little girl was a very sweet little girl, and she was a little girlfriend to me. And Brother Lee, a fine man, loyal to the church, the United Brethren view of the church, and one night he invited me to go home with him and stay all night. And I said, “Brother Marrion, I’ll—I’ll be glad to do that.” And so after the service was over, well, the—the girl and I got in the car and we went on. And I had to open a dozen gates, I believe, going around the hillside, and up, to hit a great big old log house. Well, we set out in the yard and waited for her mother and father, and younger sister, to come up. When they come up, we all went in and had a little lunch that night. The mother had got some stuff out and we eat, and—and the father and I were sleeping together downstairs, in a great big featherbed, and—and a strawtick under it, you know, real good sleeping. It’s better than any of these old Beautyrest mattresses you get, I’ll tell you that. And so we…The mother and the two girls went upstairs.
46 And that night while we were laying there, Brother Lee had a dream. And he had always debated with me about the water baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He didn’t believe It. And he was a contractor. So he said, “Brother Branham, I just dreamed a dream.” And he said, “I dreamed I went up to New Albany. And I was building a man’s house, and he gave me the blueprint. But when I seen a certain way he cut his windows and fixed a certain place, I said, ‘That’s not right. It just can’t be right. That’s contrary. That, that isn’t right.’ So I built it the way I thought was right. And when he come back from Florida, from his vacation, I had his house almost ready.”
47 “He looks at the house, and he goes and gets the blueprint and looks at that, and said, ‘Say, you have built my house wrong!’”
“And I said to him, ‘No, I haven’t built your house wrong.’”
“‘What about this such-and-such a place?’”
“Well,” he said, “that really don’t belong there.”
48 “He said, ‘Tear it down! If you expect me to pay you, you’ll build it the way the blueprint said.’”
49 And he said, “What do you think about that, Brother Branham?”
50 I said, “There is a creek running right down below the house here.” And we went to it.
He said, “I don’t want any tearing down on that day.”
51 I said, “Get it right, now. Put it up according to the Blueprint!”
61-1231m – “You Must Be Born Again”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 293
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-4)
22 The god of this world today, the worshiped person of this world today, is Satan. And the people are ignorant of worshiping Satan, but it’s Satan impersonating himself as the church, see, as the church. They worship Satan, thinking that they are worshiping God through the church, but it’s the way Satan has done it.
“Oh,” you say, “but wait a minute; we preach the Word.”
23 Look back here at my text, tonight. Satan was the one that preached the Word to Eve, first, “God hath said,” see.
24 It’s that misconstruing that part of the Scripture that applies to the day. He’ll let you know all Jesus did was perfectly well. He’ll let you know all that Moses did was perfectly well. But when you take the promises that They gave for this day, then That was applied to another age. That’s just all he has to do, see, is to get the people to believe It that way, and that—that’s all. For, “You cannot take one Word away from It, or add one word to It.” But that’s what he does.
25 People, ignorantly worshiping Satan, thinking they are worshiping God; as we are warned by prophecy, in Second Thessalonians. That, let’s just read that, Second Thessalonians, the 2nd chapter. Let’s just get it a moment, if I can, right away. I’d like to read that. Just, I believe, Second Thessalonians. I got the Scripture here. In Second…
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of the Lord Jesus…and by the gathering together unto him,
26 Now, see, “the coming of the Lord, and the gathering to Him,” as God will gather His people to Him in the last days. “The gathering of the people to the Lord,” not to the church, “to the Lord; gathering together unto Him.”
That ye be not soon shaken in your mind, or…troubled— troubled, neither by spirit, nor…word, nor by letter as from us, as…the day of the Lord is at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin (“man of sin,” watch what he is now), the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, (that was Judas, see);
Who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.
27 That deceitfulness of the church of today! See, “the son of perdition,” the devil. “The son of perdition,” the devil. Then, people worshiping Satan in this day, thinking they’re worshiping God. But they’re worshiping him through a creed, a man-made denominations and creeds that’s brought the people right down to the greatest deception that the world has ever knowed of. No matter how much the Word of God promised for this day, is preached and vindicated, they still won’t believe It. They won’t believe It.
28 Then why? We wonder why. Why doesn’t it; why won’t they believe It? When God said He would do a certain thing, and He does it, and still they turn their back from it and turn away from it. Just as Eve knew that what God said, God would do; but she turned her back on it, to listen to what he had to say.
29 Just remember, in other ages, it’s always been the same thing. In every age, it’s always been that Satan tries to pervert that Word to them, making them see some other age.
30 Look, when Jesus come, see, Satan was in that bunch of Jewish teachers, and rabbis and priests, trying to tell them to keep the law of Moses, when the very Word said that in that day the Son of man would be revealed, see, that He would reveal Himself. So they was trying, as long as they kept them religious, and on the law of Moses. See what he did? He was trying to tell them, “That part of the Word is just exactly right, but this Man isn’t that Person.” See how deceiving he is? That’s that real day of deception.
31 It’s been, and now is, Satan establishing his kingdom in the earth. That’s exactly why he’s doing it, for he wants to establish his own kingdom.
32 As a businessman, that’s not a Christian, he’ll work every scheme he can to make you see something the wrong way. If he’s got a—a purpose and a personal gain in making you doing that, making you seeing it that way, he’ll show you everything he can, and keep you off from the truth of it, because he’s got a feeling only for himself. No matter how much he lies and cheats, and whatever more, he’s got personal gain.
33 And that’s why Satan has done this. And he has worked through the ministry to do it, as God promised he would do. Now, he began by a religious deceit in Eden, and has continued ever since.
34 Not by setting up a bunch of communists. Communists has nothing to do with this. It’s the church, that’s where you have to watch, see. It’s not the—it’s not the communists that would deceive the very Elected. It’s the church that’ll deceive the very Elected, see. It isn’t communists; we know they deny God, and they’re antichrist, sure they are, in principle, but they are not the antichrist. The antichrist is religious, very religious, and can quote the Scripture, and make It look so plain.
35 As Satan did back there in the beginning, he quoted everything right down, “God has said, ‘Thou shalt not eat every tree of the garden.’” See, quote It right out.
36 She said, “Yes, we may eat of all the trees of the garden, but there is a tree in the midst of the garden that God said not to eat, for, not even touch it; ’cause, the day we did, that day we would die.”
37 He said, “Oh, surely you’ll not die. But let me give you the reason why God said this, is because…” See, he now what? He quoted this Truth, you see. He said, “It’ll open your eyes, and it’ll make you know good and wrong. You’ll be like God then, if you can do it.”
38 That’s just what he wants to do, and that’s just the same thing he is trying to do today. There’s been a religious deceit since the very beginning at Eden, and has been ever since. In Adam’s time, it was a deceit. In Noah’s time, it was a deceit. In Jesus’ time, was the same. And now is the same, the same way, a religious deceitfulness!
39 Now, we will notice the earth, when God had it under control. Now, when God had it control…had it under His control. Then when Satan took over, by rejecting the Word of God. God one time had the earth under His control. He set it in its orbit. He put it, make it work. He done everything, had it in His control. Now we’ll compare that with after Satan took it in his control.
40 Now, it took God six thousand years. It didn’t take Him that long, but He took that long. Six thousand years, because we’re taught that “one day in Heaven is a thousand years on earth,” and it was six thousand years, or six days that God built the earth. Now, it took God six thousand years to establish it, plant it with good seeds and to bring forth everything after its kind. Everything must come forth of its kind. All of His seeds were good, and so it must bring forth after its kind. God took six thousand years.
41 Finally, when He got it all made, and finally we…finally arrived with its headquarters, of the earth, in a beautiful spot laying east of Eden, called the garden of Eden. God made the world’s headquarters in the garden of Eden, in Egypt, right at the east end of the garden was the headquarters.
42 And over the whole situation, He put His son and His son’s wife, over all of it. That’s right. That’s what God did. He put them in full control. They could speak to the winds, and it would cease to blow. They would speak to the tree, and it would move from here to there.
43 The lion and the wolf fed together, and the lamb laid down with them. There was no evil. It was perfect peace, perfect harmony, everything in perfection, and when God had it under His control. And notice, He had His…He had His world, He had all in operation. He had everything coming. Everything eating vegetations; nothing to die, nothing to be ruined, nothing to be spoiled. Nothing…It was just perfect.
44 And over it all, He placed His beloved children, His son and His daughter, a husband and wife, to control it.
45 God was so satisfied! “And He rested from all His works, at the seventh day,” and hallowed this seventh-day sabbath for Him.
46 Because, God looked it all over, after He had been six thousand years in molding it and fixing it out, making it come into existence; and put the mountains up, and make the volcanics push the mountains up, and the things that taken place in the eruptions; dried it off, and fixed it the way He had it. And it was a beautiful place.
47 There was nothing like it, the great paradises of God! And the great dinosaurs, and whatever more, crawling through it, and of the great animals; no harm in them. They were just as gentle as a little kitten. They had nothing at all; no—no sickness, no sorrow; not one disease germ on the earth. Oh, what a place!
48 The great birds swinging from tree to tree, and Adam could call them by name, and they would fly up on his shoulders and—and coo to him. And, oh, what a wonderful place God had!
49 And then made one of His attributes from His Own Body. God has attributes in His Body.
50 Like, you are an attribute of your father. And, you notice, you was in your grandfather’s grandfather’s grandfather’s. But, in that, say, we’ll take it down to like you and your father. Now, you did not know anything when you were in your father. The germ of life comes from the male. The male has the blood cell; the woman has the—the egg; now, therefore, the blood cell has the life in it. And, then, when you were in your father, you actually knowed nothing about it. But, yet, science and God’s Word proves that you were in your father, but you knowed nothing about it.
51 But then the father longed to know you. And with the union of connection with mother, then you were made known to father. Now, you are your father’s attribute. You look like him, and you’ve got parts of your body that looks like your father.
52 Now, that’s the way God was in the beginning. Every son of God and every daughter of God was in God at the beginning. You don’t remember it now, but you were there. He knowed it. And He wanted you to become so He could contact you, speak with you and love you, and shake your hands.
53 Don’t you want your own boy…Isn’t it a great day when your boy can come home and sit down at the table? When he comes back from the battlefield, or something another, scarred up; how you’ll fix the dinner; you kill the fatted calf, or whatever more, and prepare for him! It’s your own flesh and blood, and he was in you. You didn’t know him then, but you knew he was there.
54 And so God knew that we would be here, but then He put us in flesh so we would be contacted. In order He could contact, He become one of us when He become Jesus Christ, the Son of God Himself, the fullness of the manifestation of God. Therefore that was God’s purpose, to display His attributes in fellowship.
55 When I was in my father, I knew nothing about it. But when I become his son and was born of him, I was a attribute, a part of my father. And you’re a part of your father.
56 And as children of God, we are a part of God’s attribute that was in Him, made flesh like He was made flesh, so we can have fellowship one with the other, as a family of God upon the earth. And that was God’s purpose at the beginning. Yes, sir. That’s what God wanted at the beginning.
57 He had everything under control. And He turned man over into the garden of Eden, on free moral agency; say, “Son, it’s yours.”
58 What a beautiful place! God was so satisfied, till He just went back and rested from all of His works. Every tree never brought forth thorns and thistles. No berries ever come off of a thorn tree. Everything was perfect. All seeds were perfect. Everything was in perfect condition.
59 Then when He went to take a little rest, His enemy slipped in with deceit, and took it over, by misinterpreting His program to His children. When, He put trust in His Own child; as you put trust in your daughter when she goes out at night with a man; when you put trust in your son when he has to go with a drinking boy or a smoking boy. See, He put trust in His son, that he would not do anything wrong, and would keep every Word that He said. But the enemy slipped in; like that greasy slicker that would take out your daughter and misbehave himself; or—or some woman would take, go out with your son, and the same thing. See, he slipped in. The enemy of God slipped in and misinterpreted the Word to Eve.
60 Now, he, by this fall, it has took over and possessed the garden of Eden, himself. He took it over. And now he has had six thousand years of deceitful rule; deceiving the people, God’s children, as he did then. Because, they were based on free moral agency, to act any way they wished to. And believing that they would act right, or trusting they would act right, then they’ve come with the wrong act, and sold their birthrights, as Esau did, for the world. And Satan won it, and he took it over. And he’s had six thousand years to build up his Eden, as God had six thousand years to bring His Eden to a close. And by deceit, deceit of the Word, or the people, now established his own Eden in this earth, in sin.
61 God’s Eden was established in righteousness. Satan’s Eden is established in sin, because Satan is sin. God is righteousness, and God’s kingdom was established in righteousness, and peace, and Life. And Satan’s establishment is in sin, and religious sin.
62 Notice how he deceived, his deception, as he said he would. He promised to do this. Did anybody know that? Let us turn to Isaiah, if you want some of these Scriptures. If you…I ought to quote more of them, I guess. Let’s turn to Isaiah the 14th chapter, just a moment, and just see what Satan said here, just a moment. In Isaiah 14, we’ll read it, and watch what this fellow done. Isaiah 14, begin with the 12th verse.
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
For thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars (that’s sons), stars of God: and I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation,…the side of the north:
And I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; and I will be like the most High.
63 Now compare that over here with our other Scriptures over in Thessalonians, a while ago, how he said, “He sits in the temple of God, exalting himself above all that’s called God, so that he as God is worshiped as God upon the earth.”
64 There is the god of this world that I preached to you about last Sunday. Here he is today in deceit, that treacherous hour, that tremendous time that we’re living. It’s the most glorious time of all the ages, because we are facing the great Millennium again; we’re facing the Eden again. But right at this age, all the deceit and every tactic that he’s ever used and been able to deceive with, he’s gathered it all together and reinforced hisself; and come down like God, and has put hisself in place of God; religious, and can quote the Scripture and can tell you Scripture, just as Satan did to Eve in the garden of Eden. But leave out one spot of It, is all he has to do, make that gap, where the poison doctrine of the devil can pour through, like the thinking man’s Filter we was talking about the other night.
65-0829 – “Satan’s Eden”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 294
Episode Summary:
And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. (Daniel 11:32-33)
30 But He give a super Sign so that about one tenth of them would believe it. See, what man calls great, God calls foolish. And what man calls foolish, God calls great. Now, we cannot dispute Isaiah’s word here, when God said through Isaiah, “I will give them an everlasting sign (everlasting): a virgin shall conceive and shall bear a son, and call His name Immanuel. I will be in Him,” God with us, a super Sign, not a polished scholar, but a super Sign.
There’s no record of Him ever going to any seminary, no record of Him ever learning any man-made theology, but the… At the age of twelve, He was standing with the sages, disputing with them. And they couldn’t withstand His Word. Amen. There’s your super Sign: staying with the Word.
31 They say, “The days of miracles is past,” and all these things. Let them prove it. “I’ll give you a everlasting sign, the super Sign.” Oh, yes. Now, He could’ve come an Angel. He could’ve come whatever He wished to. But He chose to come as Abraham’s Seed (Amen.), Abraham’s super Seed. That’s right. The way He chose to come to show in this last days God’s super signs, a super race… Oh, yes. Not what you call a super race, but what God calls super race… Because they got what? Supernatural power, with supernatural signs, through a supernatural belief in a supernatural Word, from a supernatural God. Amen. You talk about super. Whew.
Supernatural God in a supernatural body in a natural people, giving supernatural signs… Hallelujah. Yes. A super race… They that know their God shall do exploits, great exploits, and show supernatural signs: a people, Abraham’s Seed, a sign of the supernatural Christ risen from the dead supernaturally.
32 And after two thousand years, the critics that tried to put Him to death down there, is trying to do the same thing today. But the same signs, the same supernatural Sign still shows amongst supernatural people, which is the Seed of Abraham. Amen. I feel good. Amen. Supernatural, supernatural…
You don’t believe in supernatural, how can you believe in God? Supernatural borned by a supernatural birth, by a supernatural power, talk about super? What is it in man? He wants super. So what’s he doing with his super? Going to death with it. What… God knowed that in the beginning, to give His people a super, a Super that’s humble and low to take them to Life, not to death. Oh… Amen. Supernatural…
Now remember, there was a natural seed of Abraham and a supernatural Seed of Abraham. Now, the natural seed of Abraham, according to Genesis 22:16 and 17, He said, “Thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemy.”
61-0430 – “Super Sign”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 295
Episode Summary:
As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do. (1 Timothy 1:3-4)
58 If we’re not, why don’t we just break the thing down, and consolidate with some other of our denominations, our Methodists brethren here, our Baptist brethren, our Pente-… our Presbyterian, or, why don’t you all go back and be Catholic? That’s the oldest one of the bunch of them. See, go back and be that. But if we’re Pentecostal, let’s be Pentecostal by experience. Rise, shake yourself. Yes. Said, “Go tell him. What’s the matter?” Why would the Pentecostal people…?
A girl asked me the other day, said, “Brother Branham, they’re beginning to wear scandal skirts.”
I said, “What’s that?”
“Oh,” she said, “the girls are wearing skirts that’s cut down this way that shows their underskirt. Do you think it’s wrong for a girl to do that?”
I said, “Sister, what in the world does a Pentecostal Holy Ghost-filled girl want to show her underskirt for? I would just like to ask you that.” If she’d been right with God, she wouldn’t have had to ask that.
59 I got a little Bible when I first started out, I wrote a little book; there should be if somebody say, “Is it wrong to smoke, is it wrong to drink, is it wrong to so-and-so?” Like that.
I said, “Don’t ask me foolish questions. Make this up in your mind. If you love the Lord with all your heart, you don’t smoke, chew, or drink any shine.” And that’s… I still stand by that. When the love of God’s in your heart, you have got no time for nothing else. You’re sold out.
The Bible says, “If you love the world or the things of the world, it’s because the love of God’s not even in you.” And your own life tells about it. I hope that’s plain enough, I won’t have to get any plainer. See? But that’s true. “By their fruits you know them.”
So shake ourselves. Let’s be Pentecostal or—or to be something else. If we are not Pentecost, let’s quit saying we are (See?), until we get back to the real Pentecostal experience, get back to faith, daring faith. Them disciples sealed their death with their faith. “Oh, faith of our fathers, living still, in spite of dungeon, flame, or sword.” That’s what we want, real genuine faith.
60 You Methodists need it; you Baptists need it; you Pentecostals need it; all of us need it. God’s going to say, “Why? Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there, then why? Is there no—is there no prophet in Israel, is there no God there?” Has Pentecostal lost their God? Don’t they have any more gifts in amongst Pentecostal? Have they no more prophets, gifts of prophecy, prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelists, no one else to speak in tongues and give message? One thing, you don’t reverence them gifts enough. Another thing, you don’t prove them first. Then you get every kind of spirit in there speaking. When you get that spirit that don’t say something that’s right, get it out of there. You don’t want a substitute. God’s got a real one for you.
61-0413 – “Why?”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 296
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. (1 Timothy 2:1-8)
9 You know there’s something about getting alone to yourself. Many people never pray until they come to church. Many people thinks that the only place to pray is at church, but the Bible said for men to pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands. And then when we get by ourself, we’ll usually pray different than what we would if we prayed in church. It’s the secret prayer that Jesus spoke of, saying, “Enter ye into a secret closet, and close the door, and when you have did so, pray to your Father Who sees in secret; and He that seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”
And when we’re praying like that, there seems to be something to the prayer that takes all the hypocrisy out of it. It seems like that we get in a better connection with God, to get alone. And there’s been many times in my life, as perhaps in your life, that you just have to get alone once in a while with Jesus. I’ve took my car and drove down the road and just studying. After I got to the highway where it was free, or off on some country road, till I would become so filled with His mercies and goodness, till I’d just stopped the car and held the wheel and wept like a baby.
10 That being alone… Many times I’ve climbed up into the mountains. Where every man thought (was with me), I was going hunting. Go up there, and set down on a rock, and just look up to the sky until looked like that my whole innermost being become filled with something that you could just feel… Oh, everything of the world seemed to pass away. Oh, for those precious hours alone with God.
And it’s there that when the greatest revelation and inspiration comes, is when we’re alone with God. We’d take more time on that, I’m sure, that we would live a better life, more victorious life in Christ.
And maybe Bartimaeus had pulled off over in the warm sunshine after setting in the shadows of the morning to catch the first people coming by for a coin. But he got cold, and he goes out and sits down by the side of the wall and perhaps feeling his way along till he got to the warm sun, and then leaning back…
57-0301 – “Blind Bartimaeus”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 297
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 3:16)
20 Now, we know what the Holy Spirit is. We found out, last night, that It’s God.
Now, when we think of God, the Father, as Jesus spoke of here, His Father; God, the Son, as Jesus; God, the Holy Spirit, as what we call It today, now, that does not mean that there is three individual, distinct Gods. It means that there is one God in three offices.
May we say it like this. All that God was, He poured into Christ, because He emptied Himself and poured It into Christ. “And Christ was the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” All that Jehovah was, He poured into Christ.
And all that Christ was, He poured into the Church; not into one individual, but into the entire Body. There, where we come together in unity, we have Power. All that God was, was in Christ; and all that Christ was, is in you.
“For God was made flesh, and dwelled among us.” First Timothy 3:16, if you’re putting it down, “Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: for God was manifested in the flesh, and we handled Him. God, Jehovah, made flesh, and walked on the earth, and we saw Him with our eyes.”
21 You know, in the same chapter, of John 14, Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it will satisfy us.”
22 Jesus said, “I have been so long with you, Philip, and you don’t know Me? When you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. And why sayest thou unto Me, ‘Show us the Father’?” God was made flesh.
23 Now here it is. The Father was God over you, we’re saying. We’ve been since Adam. God, the Father, was over Moses and the children of Israel, in a Pillar of Fire. Then, God with us, in Christ; walked with us, talked with us, eat with us, slept with us. God over us; God with us; and now God in us. All God was, come into Christ; all Christ was, come into the Church.
What is it? God working in you. Anywhere in the world that He would want to call on you, you’re right there, working in you to do His good will. How we ought to thank God for that! God, the Holy Spirit, is sent for the purpose of God living in His Church, moving through each age, working out His Divine will.
24 When man make fun of you, they’re not making fun of you, they’re making fun of Him that sent you. So Jesus said, “Blessed are ye when men shall say all manner of evil against you, falsely, for My Name’s sake. Blessed are you.” And, again, “All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecutions.”
For, when God made Hisself known in Christ, they hated Him. Who hated Him, worst? The church. The church hated Him, worst. They hated Him worse than the—the drunkard. They hated Him worse than all the other people. It was the church that hated Him. So, therefore, when you see kosmos, “The world order, the world knowed Him not,” means, “the church,” so-called, “knew Him not. He came to His own, and His own received Him not.”
“But as many as did receive Him, to them gave He the power to become sons of God, to them that believed on His Name.” Oh, how we should love Him and worship Him! The purpose of God, wanting to become in fellowship!
59-1217 – “What Was The Holy Ghost Given For?”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 298
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:1-5)
21 And then in there, I tell you, when we went into India, and to see those poor people laying on the streets, and starving to death. And little mothers with their babies, and begging for something. And them dying, themself, from starvation, but don’t let their baby die. And for just little, quarter, pennies, or anything. If they can get that much food every three days, they can make it. They don’t have no home to go to. Just when they get sleepy, they lay on the street. And they…old razorback hog, maybe, don’t get over about that big, and his sides pulled together from starvation, walking around over the people. And old goat, and him about to reel to pieces, too, walking over the people. And they stink. And, oh, you never seen such a conglomeration as India is in! Course, it’s practically always been that way. It’s nothing new.
22 They just got their independence about six years ago, on bankruptcy from England, as you know. And they’re—they’re a very odd people.
23 I never seen a man in all India, with the millions that I got to see, that had limbs, up above anywhere in their thigh, up here, that big around; all real skinny, bony people. And at my window, it would break the heart of a man, as my son sitting back there, listening. And he sit at the window and watched as people sitting on the streets. When they found out where I was at, and lepers with no hands on, things like little stubs raising up in the air, begging for something to eat, or anything; and no feet, and white over with leprosy. And, oh, it’s, one couldn’t help the other one, hardly. And, oh, it’s the most pitiful sight you ever seen!
24 And I said to the missionaries, I said, “I just can’t stand it.” I give every penny I had, away, and everything, on the streets. And I—I—I thought, “They got just as much right to eat as my Sarah and Rebekah has.”
25 And—and—and you just don’t realize how blessed you are, people. Now, that’s right, you don’t realize it. You know, you ought to look up and see where it comes from. My! It come…And American people is like a hog under an apple tree. You know, he…all day long the apples will hit him on the head, and he’ll eat them, and never look up to see where they’re coming from. And that’s the way we are. We never give it the thought, I mean, in whole; I ain’t meaning you people here. You’re Christians. But I—I mean the people in whole, how they just…they don’t—they don’t realize how blessed and how well off they are.
54-1003m – “The Word Became Flesh (India Trip Report)”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 299
And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king. But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house? And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing. (2 Samuel 11:6-11)
132 While walking today and talking with a young man, I said, “When I get to Heaven, one of the things I want to do was to walk up and shake hands with a certain fellow that had done a gallant thing.” And he talked about the one he wanted to see. He wanted to shake his hand, of different things, of how that God blessed the people.
133 When, Uriah, after that David had taken Bathsheba, his wife, and they sent out and got him. And she was to be mother. And brought her in, so that he could lay it onto Uriah. And he was not a Gentile…He was not a Jew. He was a Gentile, and he was a Hittite, a proselyte to the Jewish religion. And he told him to go down and stay a while at home, with his lovely, beautiful wife. He said, “God forbid that I’d do such a thing as that, and the ark of my God on the battlefield.” And he refused to do it.
134 And, brother, when I get to Glory, I want to walk up to Uriah and shake his hands, and say, “God be praised, for Your testimony meant something to me in my earthly journey.”
135 I want to walk over to Daniel, say, “You know, Daniel, when you went in there fearless before those lions, that testimony meant something to me.” Yes, sir.
136 I want to see the apostle, Peter, and say, “Peter, that night when you was in prison, and the Lord come in with a big Light and shined over you, oh, I always admired that. And you started following that Light, and the door opened before you, and took you right into the streets. You thought you were dreaming.” What a time!
137 Not going to be no quiet place in Heaven, when all that redeemed gets around There, is it? It’s going to be a marvelous thing take place up There, when all the redeemed comes marching in.
54-1231 – “Everlasting Life And How To Receive It”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 300
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:6-10)
107 Not long ago, out in the West, I was having a meeting. I went home with an old rancher for dinner. Oh, and some of his people had been healed. He had give me a check there that would have bought me forty-five of these tabernacles, if I’d have wanted it. I said, “I don’t want your money.”
108 Howard, my brother, was with me, said, “Bill, why didn’t you take that check?”
109 I said, “I don’t want his money.” Let me live day by day. Not money I’m after. I’m one to serve the Lord Jesus.
110 He stood there when that woman was healed out yonder, the Melikians, in California. You seen it here in the Louisville paper. When they come here, two of those agents, and brought a million, five hundred thousand dollars, and offered it to me when I lived in this two-room shack. I said, “I don’t even want to look at it. No, sir. No, sir.” The love of money is the root of all evil. Keep away from that stuff.
111 This rancher walked out of there, he said, “Reverend Branham?”
I said, “Yes, sir.”
He said, “You see them mountains over yonder?”
I said, “Yes, sir.”
“How far you think they are away?”
I said, “I don’t know.”
112 Said, “They’re eighty miles.” Said, “I own plumb to that, and plumb beyond that. It’s my grazing ground.”
I said, “My, that’s wonderful.”
113 He said, “I see down in there. See that city?” He said, “I own the bank in that city; I own all that ground down around there, and I own this way.” Oh, all he owned!
114 Stopped, in his little station wagon. I looked at him, very nice man. I laid my hand on his shoulder, I said, “Brother, I want to ask you a question.”
He said, “All right.”
115 I said, “Look right up This a-way. How much do you own up That way?” See?
116 He said, “Brother Branham, I’m afraid I don’t own anything.”
117 I said, “There’s where my treasures are laying now. I don’t have nothing down here. ‘But a rent tent, or a cottage, why should I care? They’re building a palace for me over there! Of rubies and diamonds, and silver and gold, His coffers are full and has riches untold.’” Yes, sir. That’s where the riches lays, up There. And where your treasures is, your heart is also.
53-0329 – “Israel And The Church #5”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 301
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
40 My little girl asked me the other night, she said…Or, it was little Joseph, he said, “Daddy, is there such a thing as a witch?”
I said, “Oh, sure.”
41 He said, “Does she have a long nose, and she rides on a broom at nighttime?”
42 I said, “No. She has a painted face, and rides in a Cadillac to a—a cocktail party.” That’s the new modern version of it.
43 And he said, “Is that a witch?” I don’t know whether I should have told him that or not, because every time on the street he sees one, he says, “Daddy, there’s a witch. Isn’t it?” Well, I suppose that…
44 You know, they used to have old Charlie Barleycorn. Some of you older people remember him, with the hat pulled down over his ears. And even a crow would be scared of him, Charlie Barleycorn. Oh, he’s changed since prohibition went out. But now he’s in a little bumper, setting in every icebox, and he’s the most popular fellow in the city. But he is still the same damnable thing that sends man’s soul to hell, and young people to the insane institution; and has got an age up here of rock-and-roll idiots and beatniks, and juvenile delinquency, till it’s become insanity. Even till our schools can’t touch them; we lost twenty thousand teachers last year.
45 Why? They are searching for Something. They are looking for It, and the church has failed to give It to them. The reason they do that, because they were made that way, to search.
46 Finally, what does it end up in? Murder and suicide. Man who thinks that he’s doing something when he gets a date with his neighbor’s wife, or would break up some home or some woman. You think you’re getting by with something, but finally you’ll end up with a pistol to the side of your head, and blow your brains out, or jump from some scaffold somewhere, or kill yourself, take poison, dope, or something, and go into a miserable condition, and die and go to a devil’s hell, because you’ve rejected the—the real Cure.
47 We got a cure. Calvary is that cure. Christ is the cure. And He is the only cure, the only foundation, the only way. There is things that you can get from Christ that you can’t get from nowhere else. Christ is the way; not a way, It’s the way. The church is fine, we love them, but the church is not the way. Jesus is the way! Can’t cast your cares upon the church, the church has no salvation. It can only point you to Jesus, Who is the only salvation. He is the Way, the Truth, the Life. The only way to the Father is through Jesus! The only Comforter, the only One Who can, knows how to care for us.
48 For, we can’t even care for one another. I read in the Scripture some time ago, where It said, “Not discerning the Lord’s Body.” And I thought, what a statement! Found in First Corinthians 11.
…not discerning the Lord’s body.
And for this cause many are sick and weakly among you…
60-0301 – “He Careth For You”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 302
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. (2 Timothy 2:3-4)
26 Someone asked me, some time ago, “Shall we seek our gifts now for our ministries?” Some Methodist brethren who had just received the Holy Ghost.
27 I said, “No. Don’t do that. When you do, then God can’t use you.” I said, “The only thing to do, is just go ahead being a Christian. If God has called you, He’ll place you just exactly where you belong.”
28 Usually, those who seek and try to get things, if God would give them something, they’d, more or less, be a stuffed shirt. Usually, the man that God calls, is the man that’s trying to run from Him, if anything; Moses and Paul, and different ones, trying to get away from the call.
29 But we find here that, God, in spite of all the failure that Moses had done, He still had His hand on him. And He called him to go, do His service, called him to his commission. And what a consolation that must have been to Joshua, when he heard God say, “As I was with Moses, so will I be with you.”
30 Although, if I’m trying, and I fail, God won’t leave me. I never have much confidence in anybody that’s too afraid to do anything. I would rather be found a failure than too lazy to try.
31 One time it was said that the Ballard and Ballard Flour Company hired a man, and he was going to sign his name, and the man had no eraser on the end of his pencil. And Mr. Ballard said to him, said, “Why haven’t you got eraser?”
He said, “I don’t make mistakes.”
32 He said, “Then I can’t use you. Because, if you make mistakes, you…You don’t make mistakes, you won’t do nothing.” That’s true.
33 God don’t hold you responsible for your mistakes. He holds you responsible for your willful sin. “He that sins wilfully, after he has received the knowledge of the Truth.” But a man that’s going to do something, is going to blunder, he’s going to fall. He’s going to make mistakes. But if he’s really Divinely called, and God in his heart, he’ll rise again.
34 Used to be, coming to the church here, years ago, and they may be here this morning, a little man and his wife. They used to sing a song that thrilled me. Goes something like this:
Forgive me, Lord, and try me one more time,
I’ll be Yours if You’ll be mine;
If I fall or if I fail, let me rise and try again,
Forgive me, Lord, and try me one more time.
35 I like that. For, any good soldier is apt to get wounded or hurt. But if he’s still a soldier, and got a purpose, and something to fight for, he’ll rise and try again. And any good soldier of the Cross will do the same thing.
60-0911m – “As I Was With Moses, So I Will Be With Thee”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 303
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
87 Don’t think you can exhaust His goodness. Could you imagine, little fish, a half-inch long, out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, saying, “I better drink sparingly of this water; I might run out”? That would be just as foolish as to try to think you could ever exhaust God’s goodness. “Ask abundantly that your joys might be full.” Believe God for anything He promised. It’s yours.
88 The prophets of the Old Testament, Daniel and the others, said, “In the last days, that, the people that know their God shall do exploits.” That’s a promise.
89 When the intellectual looks at the exploits, they’ll say, “Oh, that’s psychology. That’s mental telepathy. It’s a working of a devil.”
90 But the Holy Ghost will answer back, “Amen, that’s the Truth,” the right discernment.
91 They promised it. Jesus promised it. Jesus said, “The works that I do shall you do also, even greater than this shall you do, for I go to My Father.”
92 Paul promised, that, “In the last days,” by the Holy Spirit, that, “the church would fall away,” millions of them. “There will come a falling away, for men will be heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, and despisers of those that are good,” not the right discernment.
“Oh,” you say, “that’s the communists.”
93 That’s so-called Christian. Watch the next verse. “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” No spiritual discernment.
94 When you got spiritual discernment and the Holy Ghost is upon you, you have spiritual discernment. It says, “Amen,” to every promise of God.
95 Paul said those days would be. We got it. It’s here. It’s on us. And we look and see it. We hear it from everywhere.
96 And what do we do? It ought to draw us together. The Bible said, “Assembling ourselves together, and that the more when you see that Day approaching.” It ought to be one revival after another, and bonfires of God’s glory built in every church and every place. A great coming-together, where all the churches, “With one heart and one accord, assemble themselves together,” and forget their man-made theology, and cry out to God for spiritual power and spiritual discernment. That’s the hour we need.
59-0812 – “Discerning The Body Of The Lord”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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Day 304
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:2-4)
137 But today they don’t want to hear a Message like that. The people don’t want to hear That. They want to be tickled in their ears. Exactly what the Holy Spirit told me the day I laid that cornerstone there, said to:
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season;…
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall…heap for themselves together teachers, having itching ears;
And…shall be turned from the truth, to fables.
Said, “When the vision leaves, you read Second Timothy 4.” Said, “Don’t forget, Second Timothy 4!” And when the vision left me, standing right there on 7th Street, a nineteen-year-old boy standing there, the Voice of God spoke out in the room, and He said, “Second Timothy 4.” That’s exactly what it’s turned to be. See? “The time will come when they’ll not endure sound doctrine.”
138 People want something. The Pentecostals want something that can pat them on the back, and let them live the way they want to. And they can play the piano at forty beats per second, and jump up-and-down, and dance about it; and women do the way they want to, and man the same way. The Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, and Baptist, there is a many a sincere person in all those organizations. That’s exactly right. But that system has got them so bound down, till they think as long as they belong to that church, and their name is upon those books, that they’re Heaven bound. Your name on a book here on earth won’t mean that to God. [Brother Branham snapped his finger—Ed.] Your name has got to be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, by the Blood of Jesus Christ, that your sins are forgiven. That’s right.
139 But they want that kind. That’s the kind of pastors they want in. They don’t want nothing else. And when God in this last days has shook every Divine gift that’s recommended in the Bible, every gift that Jesus Christ promised, every gift, and every sign, and every end-time sign. Everything that was promised in this Bible, as far as I can see, myself, has already been shook before the nation, and she plunges on towards hell as hard as she can go. Tell them? They’ll run on, anyhow.
Let me just get a few more Scriptures here before closing. All right. Oh, “Set forth for Eternal destruction,” is what they are, the Bible says.
63-0623e – “The Flashing Red Light Of The Sign Of His Coming”
Rev. William Marrion Branham
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