The Law Having A Shadow
56-0621, The Law Having A Shadow, Philadelphia Church, Chicago, IL, 73 min




All things are possible, only believe.
Only believe, only believe,
All things are possible, only believe.
Only believe, only believe,
All things are possible, only believe.
Good evening friends. And shall we just bow our heads while we're standing to speak to our Lord. Our heavenly Father, we're so grateful to Thee tonight, for this privilege that we have of gathering here, this lovely, big, Philadelphian church to meet a big group of worshipers and our dear, beloved pastor, Brother Boze, and many... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
And good evening, great Philadelphia church, and all of it's members, and staff workers. And it's certainly a privilege for me to be here tonight, to speak to you in this service. I'm very warm, but that's what we like, a warm meeting, nothing like one.
Thanks to our dear, beloved brother for the token of welcome here, also. For the flowers that was given to brother and I. There's... You know, flowers preach sermons, did you know that? That's right. It's an expression of love, what flowers is. But they preach a sermon, too, because they're something that God has made. And they're beautiful.

And some things that's really legitimate, and don't make any difference what you have to do, Joseph don't care. He's just all right anyhow. You know, anybody could be your friend when you're in the right. But when you--you're in the wrong, he's still your friend; that's a real friend.
I remember, used to have a little poem in school. Many of you my age can remember it, I suppose. Some--I don't get, just the last part or something about:
A man of words and not of deed,
Is like a garden full of weeds.
Is like a garden full of weeds.
Something on that order. And dry weathered friends is very many, but real friends that stick as close as a brother, they're--they're appreciated, and very, very fine. We appreciate it; I appreciate it.

And--and then from the... I believe another group of... Got the YMCA to have a delegation meet there, from Non-pentecostal Ministers of Greater Minneapolis, and many other different things. And the meeting is going to be a very strange one. As far as advertisement, we're--no one's advertised to speak. Well, I have the breakfast. But all the rest of it is just to be the way the Holy Spirit leads. And it's supposed to be Mr. Roberts, Tommy Hicks, and many of the other wonderful brethren that's on the field. Just to set in the meeting, and what the Holy Ghost say's, "Do," go do it.
I believe that ought to be pretty good, don't you? I just think that's right. Get the formal out of it, and let God have a chance one time, to say what He wants to say. We preachers always saying what we got to say, then let the Lord have a chance to say. And I'm...

I've got--they got pictures; I don't know whether they'll be showing those or not. They got the pictures of some of the Zulu tribes and the heathen rage, and many of those things which would be very interesting in meeting these brothers. And that's tomorrow night, isn't it, Brother Joseph? My, I'm sorry to... [Brother Boze introduces someone--Ed.]...?... Well, that's very fine. The brother, sister Masarino and family, we're certainly glad, I am, to have you here, I know, along with this congregation.

I said, "That's right." I said, "I was even about two hours late for my wedding. Now, if I can just be a few years late for my funeral, well, it'll be all right."
So I had to hurry, but I got to hurry up and hear one of their songs, I believe, the door was part of the way open when I was in the pastor's study, of "Onward Christian Soldiers." And I tell you; that was really wonderful. I've heard much of them; I'm sure you'd be enjoying their music.

I really love singing and music. I know we all do. How many knows what the order of battle is for the Lord? You know what the first thing went before the battle? Singer's and musicians went forth singing, not weeping and wailing. They--they went forth singing; then after that come the Ark of the Covenant. So they went before the ark. And then after that come the fighters. So that's a good thing. It's a very Scriptural order for a religious service. The first thing the music, then the Word, then the battle. So it's all ordered of the Lord.

I believe John Wesley said that the whole world was his parish, is that right? So that's the way it is. I feel that you're my brothers and sisters in Christ, and I certainly appreciate the time of fellowship with each and every one of you.
Now, I love the Word so well. I just love to talk on it. And tonight I thought maybe it would be appropriate, for just a little while, being hot, and--that we just have a good old fashion, Sunday school lesson on Thursday night. Wouldn't you like that, just to teach a little from the Word? I like Sunday school, and I like the teaching of the Word.

The book of Hebrews was to the Jews, separating law from grace, as Paul wrote to them here. There'd been many disputes in the church whether they should eat meat, or whether they should associate with the Gentiles. And I think Paul, writing this epistle here to the Hebrews, is one of the most outstanding letters in the book. It's to me it's great, because it's--it's showing the law of--and grace. It's separating the two.
And now, may the Lord add His blessings to His Word, and come and visit with us. And now, be much in prayer as we go to try to teach. I'm not a teacher. And my gift in the church is praying for the sick. [Hebrews 5:12-14]

The girl was born deaf and dumb, never heard or spoke a sound in her life, and the Lord Jesus gave her a perfect hearing and speech right at the platform before most ten thousand people. Isn't He wonderful? And now, the... [Brother Boze interrupts--Ed.] Yes, Brother. [Brother Boze gives a testimony of a man healed of cancer--Ed.] Uh-huh. I got a letter of that in my office; that was right, sir. [Brother Boze gives a testimony of a lady healed, having a tumor--Ed.] Isn't He wonderful?

And he said that while he was setting there, he said, "I'll send you a picture, Brother Branham, both before and after." And said, "I just caught the idea." Something happened in Indianapolis that I--had never happened before. After going through a long prayer line and just weak enough till I could hardly move, then all of the sudden, something picked up. And I looked up here, and here was a vision of people kinda screaming down the line.
And you who were in Indianapolis know there's hundreds times hundreds circled down to that altar and gave their life to Christ. He said he was setting there like that. And he said, "You know, I now understand what the man's talking about." And he begin to feel something tingling and a burning in his hands. And it was his fingers just coming open like that and open went his hand; he was--he was healed. "And--and see, on the road..."

"While Peter yet speak--spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on them that heard it." They were ready. And it's massive healings; it's not great long worn-out prayer lines. It's right while the Presence of the Angels of God and the Holy Ghost to bring perfect deliverance for anything.
The world's got to be evangelized all at once. We got to go. Two thirds of the world never even heard of Christ. And we've got to hurry and do it. You don't have time just to bring up a hundred tonight and tomorrow night all wore out. It's just right now the whole group healed in massive. And in Africa there was twenty-five thousand healings in one prayer. Think of it. [Acts 10:44]

I said, "Well, brother, I sure will." I said, "I can pray for the sick; there isn't many." A little church seat about two hundred people, a little brother just come out of great tribulations and a drunkards life and got saved, and went away to the Church of God and was dedicating a wonderful little church, the name of Cash, Junior Cash, at Charlestown, Indiana.

Then I said, "You don't need help. He does." That's the one that needs help.
And in the line, coming down, just praying for the sick, I seen a--a girl, a colored girl. And we know the--the dark race of people, the colored people, comes--their native home is Africa. Just like the yellow man is from China, the Anglo-Saxon from Ireland, England, so forth, Swedish. When they separated from Eden, or from Babylon, some of us went down into hot countries, and some went in neutral countries, and some went to way up in the north. And some was bleached white, and some got brown, and some yellow, some black, but they're all of one blood, and that was Adam.
God of one blood made all nations. Each man, the black man, the yellow man, the brown man, the white man, you put the plasma from the blood, it's all the same, just the same. It's just the way the climate's colored the people.

Well, I said, "That's sure too bad; poor kid. My heart goes out for her." And I said, "Bring her here and let me pray for it."

I said, "Perhaps maybe somebody's on their road here, or maybe He wants me to go over; it's time for the vision to be fulfilled, which will be exceedingly greater than the other one was." And so then as--I said, "Heavenly Father, we don't seek signs." How many knows what seeks after signs? "A weak and adulterous generation." Is that right? We don't want to be classed like that. [Matthew 16:4]

Not knowing that sailing right then was these brethren that'll be here tomorrow night, to make arrangements for the African campaign, knowing nothing of it. And when I took my hand from the little girl, she screamed, "Mother, look!" And she was as perfect and normal as she ever was in her life.
And there was some people there from very formal churches: Denies the very existence of the Holy Spirit, great denomination in the world today. Would argue with you at drop your hat or fight either one, that there was no such a thing as miracles. A great group of those people walked up there, one by one, husband and wife, and shook my hand and said, "Brother Branham, we have believed in miracles, but this confirms it that God is. 'Cause this girl's from our neighborhood." There you are. That's right. So, God still rules and reigns. Hallelujah. Oh, how we love Him.

So many people, in quoting the 23rd Psalm they misquote it by saying, "I go through the dark valley of the shadow of death." Now, if it was a dark valley, it didn't have any shadow. So you see, death itself's under the law... To David, death now only is a shadow. There's a lot of light in death. Now, if it was all darkness, my, that would horrible, but death is just a shadow. So there has to be light mixed with the darkness to reflect the shadow. Isn't it wonderful, knows what the struggles in...?... [Psalms 23:4], [Hebrews 10:1]

I said, "Sister Bosworth, don't speak of that. Let's speak of something else." And we went over and fell on our knees before God, and announced it to the church that night of thousands of people. And the next night Brother Bosworth called me up and talked to me on the phone. Yes, sir.
He said, "Brother Branham, I'd like to be with you in the Cadle Tabernacle, in a revival." Said, "Maybe we can go in the next couple of years sometime."
Oh, I love that courage. No shadow, no--no--no negative; it's all positive. That old teacher he knows right where he's standing. And every reader of the Bible knows that all that death can do is to put a shadow or a spook before you. But it cannot hold you. Christ burst forth all those thunders of darkness and freed those that were in paradise in the shadows entering in the positive now in the Presence of God our Father. What a thought, not only a thought, but a truth, that God has made manifest through His Word.

And the law only cast a shadow of the coming of the Lord Jesus. On over here in the next chapter, of Hebrews 11th chapter, how Paul speaking there, told about the great heroes of faith, how they escape the edge of the sword and was... And the mouths of the lions were closed, and great wonderful things was done as the people lived under the shadow. And to do all of that by faith, how much more ought we to be able to do today when the antishadow is here, when Christ has come, and fulfilled all the law, and has become a real, living, resurrected, glorified Christ in our midst? What kind of a people ought we to be? [Hebrews 10:1]

"Law having a shadow..." how it foreshadowed all things. We could go back, if time would only permit, and get the great things back all through the coming of the ark at the flood, how Moses down in Egypt, and many of the great characters in the changing of the dispensation, how the law, by the word of the law had supremacy, and how that everything else give away when God's law stretched forth the law. [Hebrews 10:1]

And what a affect it ought to have today, when that sprinkled by a lamb's blood and this sprinkled by the Blood of Jesus Christ, our own conscience from sin and--and defilement. What a forceful thing the law ought to be. That's where I find the weakness of the Full Gospel Church, is not having faith in this wonderful Word that they have received. [Matthew 24:35]

Now, let's take a little imaginary trip before the world ever began. Do you know Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world? Now, just take away the curtains, and let's listen to it just a moment. Then that'll give you courage for any thing you have need of. As long as you find it written here, just take a hold of it, God will--God will make it right. [John 1:1]

Now, we can't credit Satan to be a creator; he just perverts what God has already created. God created you to be perfect, and Satan perverted you to imperfect. God allowed you to be a--to your wife--a sweetheart, legally married. But to love someone else is to pervert that true love, that you should have for your own wife. Satan does that.

Now, when Christ saw what Satan had done, when God saw it back here at the beginning of time... Notice now, while God at the beginning was no wiser, or no less wiser than He is tonight... God is infinite. You believe it? God is infinite. Then He can never change.
Now, we get a little smarter as we get older. The whole world gets a little smarter. You used to go to church in a model T Ford. Tonight you can have a V-8 in the same thing. Used to be the only way you could get across the ocean was an old ship with sails on it. Tonight a jet plane will take you across. See, we get smarter. But not God, God was perfect at the begin and He will be just as perfect at the end.

Then if God said something He's got to stay with that, in order to be God. Amen. That would make a Methodist religious, wouldn't it? Look at it. God's got to stay with His Word. You believe it, say, "Amen." He's got to keep It. Then if a crisis arose on earth like the people dying in the wilderness, and God erected a brass serpent for their healing, 'cause the doctors and so forth was with them, if they had any, could not--none of their remedies of Egypt could not cure their sickness, so God had to act.

So when God speaks the Word, forever it--it's part of Him. It can no more fail than God can fail. If one Word of God can fail, then God's not infinite, neither is He omp--omnipotent. If He has to take it back, then He becomes a mortal like I am. That's right. But when He speaks, it's perfect. Amen. Oh, that's what I like, perfect. And we are perfect with the Word.

The law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the thing... [Hebrews 10:1]
Those sacrifices which were offered year by year never made to comer unto perfect. Jesus in Saint Matthew's Gospel said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." How you going to do it? How can you do it? How can you be as perfect as God is perfect? But that was a commission, or a commandment by Jesus Christ, to be as perfect as God is in heaven, perfect. [Matthew 5:48]
Then you say, "Who can be saved?" Hold it just a moment. Let's find out how that perfection is made. Now, God back there in the beginning, when He foresaw down through this streak of time, and He knew they would have to have a remedy to save those which was desiring to be saved... Those who hungered to be up there in that realm, He had to make a way to redeem those people back again. [Matthew 5:6]

So when He looked down through the stream of time, from this end of the fall here, up to this end of the fall, you know what God did? God did nothing else but speak right then of Jesus Christ coming, His own Son, which He was--He was tabernacled with on earth, came down to--out of the heavens, was made flesh and dwelled among us, redeemed us, went right back up, and standing up here on the other end. And oh, that great highway that Isaiah saw, across the place, crossing the span of time, Christ is standing at the other end, the receiving end.


Said, "We'll... If we keep it, they'll kill it; we'll lose it, but if we give it back to God, we'll keep it." And in this little bark that you're sailing in tonight, you've got a precious thing in there; it's a soul. If you keep it, you'll lose it. Go on keep it, go on out to the world and act like the rest of them; you'll lose it. But if you'll give it back to the One Who gave it to you, you'll keep it. Amen. Just believe Him. [Exodus 2:3], [Matthew 16:25]

Notice, and the little ark was pitched. I can imagine why they put that tar on it, you know likes out on the streets? Old crocodile starts to put his nose up there, what a smell. He backed off. And we watch him, all at once, he becomes a flusterated, and away he goes. Why? Gabriel's setting up on top of that ark, floating down the river. That's the reason they couldn't touch it. It would been give back to the One that gave it.

I can hear Gabriel say, "But, Lord, where are You going to be at all this time?"
"I'm going to be on the receiving end, down at the other end." He will be down there to receive it when it gets there. There's where He's standing tonight: on the receiving end. He is standing on the portals of glory, on the receiving end, to receive His children. And someday, when life is over He will reach down and wind the end of that highway of holiness around His hand, give it a big pull. And when He does, where she's broke here, He will lift every saint right back up into that realm of eternity again, and she'll roll on through the ages. He's on the receiving end.
What you scared about? Afraid He won't do it? Yes, He will. As sure as there's a God in heaven, He will do it. And He's on the receiving end. Oh, my. Look at it. [Psalms 34:7]

So therefore the Bible plainly says that Jesus was the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world. For the moment God spoke it, He was slain in heaven at that time. The only thing He had to do was materialize. Only thing He had to do was come out to a head. Four thousand years later before He was ever slain actually. But when God spoke it, it was so perfect, it had to be, and it could be recorded as a document in heaven, 'cause God said so: had to be. [John 1:1], [Revelation 13:8]

Oh, you say, "Brother Branham, I got saved about a week ago. Glory to God, new name written down in glory."
Wait a minute, don't want to be different, but the Bible makes it different. The Bible said over in the book of Revelations that in the last days, that the antichrist would be very religious. And he'd go around and make like a religious person. And he would de--deceive all upon the face of the earth whose names were not written in the Lamb's Book of Life from where? The revival? From the foundation of the world.
The same time the Lamb was spoke to be slain, and the Blood stain was appropriated then, your name was associated with it at that very time, and put in the Lamb's Book of Life. The only thing you had to do, is run out to the time that God called you by the Holy Ghost, and, "No man can come to Me except My Father calls him. And all comes to Me, I'll give him Everlasting Life and raise him up at the last days." Whew. [Genesis 3:15], [John 6:44]

If you want to jump out of the ark, go ahead. But I like to stay right with it. "Lord, You said so; this is Your Word. What You spoke It back there, when You spoke my association with It, I'm staying in the Word; He said so. What is the Word? The prophet's said; the Holy Spirit come down, and just spoke the Word through the prophets as they wrote in on the book that God spoke before the foundation of the world. "In the beginning was the Word." Hallelujah. [John 1:1]

Oh, Church of the living God, how can you...?... over little old things that's so insignificant? Why don't you put your faith in the Word of the living God? And look at men back there of old, the shadows, like Abraham and them, "Call those things which were not as though they were." God said so. [Matthew 28:20], [Hebrews 13:8], [Romans 4:17]

"Glory to God, yes, sir."
"Well, man, you're crazy. But there's something wrong in your head. You better go to the doctor. There's something wrong with you, Abraham."
"No, there's not. I just got a change of heart."
What if a man a hundred years old and his wife ninety today would walk up to doctor office and say, "Doc, we want to get the maternity room all fixed up. My wife's going to have a baby."
Doctor'd say, "Well, I--I tell you, sir, if--if you'd just walk out in the room a few minutes..." He'd ring the bell, "Psychiatrist, come here quickly. Bring your handcuffs."
Sure, because the wisdom of God is foolish to the world, and the wisdom of the world is foolish to God. But those who can ever get anywhere with God's got to take God's Word and says it's so. Hey, brother, that'll defeat the devil anywhere. That'll heal every sick person that's in this building. That'll give everybody here the baptism of the Holy Ghost; it's your promise. [Genesis 18:1-15]

God's here to do that. See, it--it's not God; it's you. See, He--He's here to do it. His Word is real, if you could just lay hold of it and say, "That's truth." The reason it is... See, the reason that you was saved so easily is, sometimes then you are healed, is because you was elected before the foundation of the world.
Your name was put in the Lamb's Book of Life, and that strain as a son and daughter of God, still hold on you. Oh, you got in...?... yet you kept scratching your head and wondering, "You know I ought to do that. There's something I--well I--I'll do it a little later." Finally it rolled around; there you was.
Now, healing is included in this. You believe in healing or you wouldn't come to hear about it. Now, if you could lay a hold on it just the same way you did for your salvation, you'd get the same results: got to. [Revelation 13:8]

The priest cut the lamb's throat, the jugular vein here, and the little fellow begin kicking, bleeding, dying, his hands was bathed all over with blood, and he felt the quivering and pain of that little lamb, laying there suffering. He kept his eye on it; it shaked and suffered, and shaked and suffered like that. And he'd think, "That ought to be me. What a horrible fellow I am?" [Hebrews 10:1]

Now, when that blood cell was broke and bursted open, the life that was in that blood cell, or in the li--or the lamb, which consisted... Coming from one blood cell, it all come back to one master blood cell, that was from the germ, which was the pollen from the fe--from the male. And when that blood cell was broken, and this life was separated here, the life that was in that blood cell could not come back on the worshiper. No, sir.
Because how could a animal without a soul, how could the spirit of a brute come back and coincide with a human spirit? It couldn't do it, 'cause it didn't have no soul; it was an animal. Now, but when a worshiper... [Hebrews 10:1-2]

Perfected for how long? Forever. Then what is the Holy Ghost, friend? We've allowed It to too many things. You Lutherans, oh, my, you think 'cause they join the Lutheran church, "The just shall live by faith," Luther say's, "We got it." But they found out they didn't. You Methodist, when you got sanctified, and shouted, and clapped your hands, and run up-and-down the aisle, you thought you had it. But come to find out, you didn't.
The Pentecostals, when they could speak in tongues or dance in the Spirit, they thought they had it. But they found out they didn't. That's right. All those things are all right, but that ain't it. It's the Person, the Holy Spirit Himself, the resurrected Christ. [Hebrews 10:2]

And how do we get into that body? "By one Spirit we're all baptized into one Body." And Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." They're like Abraham; they call things which were not as though they were, because they are dead to the things of the world and alive again in Christ Jesus by the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Amen. [Genesis 2:22], [John 19:34], [Romans 8:1], [Romans 4:17], [I Corinthians 12:13]

So then, if the worshiper, under the law, could not be purged, because that the lamb was only a shadow, and he went away with the same desire, yet it was speaking correctly to the right Lamb coming... And then, when God sent His Lamb, and He died, and the worshiper then coming, putting his hands by faith upon the bleeding locks of the Lord Jesus, and can in your heart appreciate that He was the only thing that could ever come and redeem you, and you'd be lost and going to hell... And then to appreciate His love for you when you were unlovable, appreciate His foreknowledge of you, that you'd have a heart to do it, and appreciate His leading of the Holy Spirit to bring you to that place He puts it... And you lay your hands upon Him by faith, and renounce your own life as a sinner, and accept His Life instead, the Blood of Jesus Christ then cleanses you. And the Life that was in the Blood Cell of Christ, which was none other than God Himself, the Holy Spirit, comes back into your life, and coincides with your body, and you act a walk a Christian life till the day you leave the world. And the devil couldn't touch you if he had to. Amen. [Hebrews 10:2]

But then tampering, women become that instrument to bring life, and that's the reason it has to go back, the body. The soul then must be taken care of first to originate the beginning of a new life. Did you realize that? Now, the lamb when its life broke at the--at the place where it was sacrificed, the worshiper with his hands bloody and realizing that he was a sinner, was a shadow yonder of Calvary.
But the worshiper could not be made perfect, because by the life that come out of the lamb, he could not be taken back in the lamb's body, because he was a human. The lamb was--had a different nature. It's nature was different. Now, if the lamb's life could come back to the worshiper, he'd go back out and eat grass and act like an lamb, 'cause he was a brute. So he could not be made perfect. [Genesis 2:7]

And that one blood Cell where God brought Hisself down, and come into this Blood cell, and growed out a body called Christ, and come in the fulness of the Spirit and lived in Him... Then when that Blood cell was broke there for sin, every man coming to Christ, and purged by that Blood has no more conscience of sin, and is perfectly anchored in Christ until the day of your redemption.
Ephesians 4:30 says, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you're sealed until the day of your redemption." Amen. Oh, that makes the devil go, when a believer realizes where he is, when he--what he is. "Oh, there's no good to me, Brother Branham." That's right. I never was any good and neither was you. There's nothing we could do about it; that's the good part of it. But when you can just recognize that, that you're no good, then you'll not trust in your own goodness. [Ephesians 4:30], [Revelation 17:8]

How could you have to suffer for your sins, when Christ has already done it? God would be a two-timer and a awful person (That's right.), when it was thoroughly paid by Jesus Christ and you accepted it. And as long as God accepted Christ, He accepted you with Christ. And when He did He do it? Before the foundation of the world, when He spoke it into existence, He spoke you redeemed with Him.
And your names was written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world, and then you're scared. Whew. "Oh, if I could just keep holding on." I quit that a long time ago. I never did even try it in the first place. I just turned loose and let Him do the holding.
Someone said when I was sick that time, when I got over it, said, "Brother Branham, did you keep your religion during your sick spell?"
I said, "No, sir, it kept me." That's the difference. And that's what happened. [John 6:37, 44, 65]

I know I'm no good, never was, never will be. But then in the Presence of God I'm absolutely perfect, because it's not me. He never sees me; He sees Christ. I'm in Christ. And my name was associated with Him at the foundation of the world. I'm just waiting for the cord to be drawed up. And we'll go, some of these blessed days to meet Him in the air.
Someone said, "Brother Branham ain't you afraid?" You know many times, way back when I was little boy preacher, oh, the people used to come ask you, "Brother Branham, why if that be so, well I--then I can just do anything I want to."
I said, "That's right, sure. Do anything you want to. If evil's in your heart, then you've never been to Calvary." That's one thing sure. [James 2:23]

But there was something in me that wasn't me, said, "You're supposed to be in Chicago tonight." And it was twelve-thirty at home. About two hundred and eighty miles to drive through that traffic. I said, "Lord, I'm going. You help me." And He did, I got just in time. I was here.
See, it's something in you. "Those... there is therefore now no condemnation (can't be) for those that are in Christ, for they don't walk after the lust of the flesh; they walk after the Spirit." And if you love the Lord, you want to do everything you can to please Him. [Romans 8:1]

You know what I'd tell her? I'd say, "Look, Sister, kneel down here a minute; I want pray with you a little about it." See? Why?
Well, you say, "Bill, you're in Africa, Asia, somewhere; your wife would never know it." That might be true. And if she never did know it, I'd know it. See. I would know it.
And another thing, if I love her the right way... You say, "Well, she loves you so much she'd forgive you." That may be so, too. But I love her too much to do it. See? That's grace. Not nothing I done, but it's just my love for her. And that's the way our love is to Christ when we been borned again and realize that we are sons and daughters of God; it ain't me have to this and have to... Paul, said, "All things to me are lawful, but not all expedient." [I Corinthians 6:12]

We don't go around to one another, "Now," she'd say, "now listen here Mr. Branham, tell you something right now. You're going away on this trip; I'm going to lay the law right down to you. Don't you run around on me, young man. Huh-uh. Don't you do that."
Well, after she gets done laying down the law, then I turn back and I say, "Now, my fair lady, let me tell you something. While I'm gone, don't you have no other husbands. Don't you do this and don't you do that." Well, we don't say that. Sure, I just love her so much, my trust her then. And she just loves me so much, it's the same way. So we... And I say, "Good-bye sweetheart; keep praying for me."
"All right, dear, I'll be praying for you all the time. Hurry back."
"All right." That's all of it. See. She ain't got no big law, "You have to come and be this a way, and sprinkled, and confirmed, and brought to this, and that, and these, and that, and all these different orders, and things like that. If you don't dance with your feet crossed this a way, it ain't right; you have to dance with your feet crossed this a way.

And I said, "Yes ma'am, sister."
She said, "Do think it's wrong for a Christian girl to wear scandal skirt?" Said, "Do you think I..."
I said, "What in the world does a Christian girl need with a scandal skirt?" If she's a Christian, she'll be so far away from that thing, until, why, it'll be as dead to her as... Her love is for Christ and not to be a "scandaler." That's right. That scorches the shorts, don't it? That's right.

Used to be it wasn't the way it is now. It just because the weakness of the pulpit and just because you got mixed up in things. If the Holy Ghost taught you better back then, your mammy, and everything, and then you start doing this today, the Holy Ghost don't change. It's just the same every time, every time, every time.
You know what I'm beginning to think: that a lot of times people get one another's ghost, instead of the Holy Ghost. You watch them the way they act. You go into a church where the--the pastor is--is kind of a flighty, wild fired up and Moabite, watch the congregation be the same thing.
Brother, I'm telling you it behooves you to get down and pray to God until that real Christian spirit moves into your heart and it settles all problems. You know the Bible said, "There'd be a famine in the last days, not for bread and water alone, but for hearing of the Word of God." That's right. And that's as true as it could be, friend. It's a shame. [Amos 8:11]

Now, the worshiper once purged, how does it do? When the Life of the Sacrifice comes back to the worshiper, then it's meekness, patience, gentleness, long-suffering, goodness, faith. See what I mean? Now--now what did we Methodist do? We wanted to shout and get it. What do we Pentecost, we want to do? We want to speak in tongues and get it. But that's not it. That's not the fruit of the Spirit.
No, no, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, patience, meekness. There's not one visible evidence of, not one fleshly; it's all in the supernatural realm. That's right. It's the hidden force that's in you. The Life of Jesus Christ coming back on you the worshiper, as you laid you hands upon His head and confessed that you was wrong. [Hebrews 10:2], [Galatians 5:22-23]

I said, "That's right."
Said, "What more can any man do but believe God? What more can he do but to have faith?"
I said, "That's all he can do. That's all Abraham done. But God give Abraham the seal of circumcision as a confirmation that He had received his faith." And I said, "Then when all the old things pass away, everything becomes new, when you make your confession, and believe, and accept the Lord Jesus, and you become meekness, patience, gentle, and faith, and to believe God, believe Divine healing, believe the whole Bible, believe everything that God says, then that's the evidence that you've been saved. God has circumcised your heart, and taken away all your unbelief, and you believe in God then." [II Corinthians 5:17]

Now, if you once get right with Christ, those things will just--they're circumcised at the altar. When God--when you confess it, God just takes it away, puts the Life of Himself in you. And then you're in Christ and you can't come to judgment.
Jesus said in Saint John 5:24, "He that heareth My Words and believeth on Him that sent Me has Everlasting Life, and shall never come into judgment, but's already passed from death unto Life." He can't bring you to judgment; you're already judged. And when the Holy Spirit comes back to make you live this different life, with God's seal of His circumcision on your heart to prove that you've been--stop your drinking, smoking, gambling, cursing, unbelieving, and not believing in Divine healing, and the works of God, and has received God. And it's a Seal that everybody knows about it from now on. [John 3:18], [John 5:24]

When he got close to the door, said, one the old hounds looked over there and said to the old cat near the corner, said, "Listen at that, would you." He always kicked them off the porch and everything said, "I'll bet he hasn't got it." Said the cat, "You lay here, and I'll lay here; we'll see if he's got it or not."
When he got so close, they couldn't stand it any more. So under the house went the dog and around the house went the old cat. He went back out and went out to the barn. He'd always knock the chickens around, beat everything up: mean, just the devil in him. So the old rooster said, "He used to get so mad at me when I crowed to get him up in the morning, I will try him out."
So he let out a great big crowing, and then flew; he couldn't stand it no more. The old cow said, "Now, I'm in a awful fix, he's got me with a halter on me, tied me around a post, and I have to stand it." All the fowls and things gathered around said, "Try him out." Said, "The only thing you have to do is switch him in the tail--with your tail right across his face and watch what happens." Said, "We will see if he's got religion or not."
Old cow thought it was hard to do. But he as he standing, singing, "Jesus keep me near the cross," just a milking away. The old cow took her tail like this, and she swatted him in the face like that. He patted her on the back and said, "Bossy dear, your old soul." He said, "Bless the Lord, you didn't mean to do that."
They all said, "He's really got it." Now, that's right.

So if you're constantly weak and falling up-and-down, remember, you might have a mental acceptation of it, but never an experience of being borned again, when meekness, gentleness and patience takes the place of this mental theology... Oh, you say, "Listen here, Mr. Branham, I--I study the Bible. Our pastor and so forth, I--I took Bible lessons."
Yes, the devil has too. He knows--he knows more about it than you'll ever know. That's right. But there's one thing: he can't get the Holy Ghost. You can. That's right. So as long as--as he--as he can't get to you... For you are dead, your life is hid in God and sealed by the Holy Ghost. Umm. How could he ever get you? The first thing, you're dead. Did you ever hear a dead man tell a lie? Did you ever hear a dead man fuss back at you? Stand at the casket and fuss at him all night, he will never say a word. Why? He's dead. [John 5:24], [Galatians 5:23]

If He sanctified you from one thing, He sanctified you from all of it. He takes your whole soul, body, and spirit. That's right. Don't be deceived, brother. "The man who despised Moses' law, died without mercy under one or two witnesses. How much more sorer punishment, though worthy, who's trod the Blood of Jesus Christ under His feet, and called the covenant wherewith he was sanctified with and unholy thing, and done despite to the works of grace..." There you are.
The Bible said, it's impossible for that man to do that; said, "If a man once been enlightened and made partakers of the Holy Ghost and tasted of the powers of the world to come, it's impossible for him to fall away, to renew himself again unto repentance." So if your constantly on the up-and-down, remember brother, you have never correctly ever come to Jesus Christ yet. If... [Colossians 3:3], [Hebrews 6:4-6]

For you're sealed by the Holy Ghost until the day of your redemption, and you're dead, and your life is hid in God through Christ, and sealed there by the Holy Ghost. Your destination is determined right then, when you're sealed by the Holy Ghost. [I John 2:15], [Colossians 3:3]

Before the Holy Ghost is put up here on you, before the seal's ever sealed that car, till its destination, the inspector comes by. He looks the whole thing over; he examines and sees everything's fitly tight. The trouble of it is today, we've had in our Pentecostal churches too much overhold religion. That's right. That's right. Instead of coming back to the old fashion, blood washed Gospel of Christ (That's right.), we have too much emotions, too much mental into it, and psychic emotions, instead of being really settled down and saved. 'Cause you can watch it when the Holy Spirit comes in a meetings and presses the Word, the people don't know how to receive it. If that channel was open, the Holy Ghost would run right to it just as quick; it's like water seeping it's way through a crack in the dirt. Amen. You believe that?

Our heavenly Father, just seems so good to stand here in the Philadelphian church and feel the respond of the Spirit and know that the Word is sinking deep into the peoples hearts, to realize that they're receiving it, and it's life to them. Oh, how they love it. And it just feeds my soul to see the people respond to this Word, though I have not the ability to put it out the way that it should be.
But, Father, I pray that it'll help somebody. That the person who's weak, needy, just stumbling along, lift up those weak and feeble knees, straighten up those hands that hung down; may they be lifted up and rejoice, because there's no need of us living a defeated life, going along...