Five Definite Identifications Of The True Church Of The Living God
60-0911E, Five Definite Identifications Of The True Church Of The Living God, Branham Tabernacle, Jeffersonville, IN, 114 min





One friend here, Brother Ted Dudley, all the way from Phoenix, Arizona... There's many of them here; others, if I could just call their names, come here to visit with us today. Ninety percent of them I haven't got to even touch their hands. I see my friends from Chicago, and just all around. How many people's in here from out of town, raise your hands. Ninety percent of the audience. Now, it's made up of different friends from different churches around over the country.

There's Brother Lee Vayle, I've no more than shook his hands, one of my associates: Baptist church, Ohio.
Is that you, Ben? [Brother Ben says, "Amen"--Ed.] I hadn't heard you say, "amen" yet, or I'd have knowed you. All know Brother Ben. And I know he's out of town, so I don't know just... Where you from now, Brother Ben? ["Well, we're up at North Borden, Indiana, Brother."--Ed.] Borden, Indiana.

I see my friend here from Arkansas, his wife. Aren't you the man that we--the Lord spoke to and told these things in here the other night? I thought you were. Just as I look around and see new and old friends... So God knows the intents of my heart, that I'd like to get to see you, and take you home with me, and have a good chat, but one day we'll do that where we won't have to say, "We got to hurry up. Got to pick up the children. Somebody's sick." That'll all be over then, that great day. I hope we meet many more times.




[Brother Neville prays--Ed.] Truly, Lord. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. Grant it, Lord. Do, Lord. Grant it, Lord. Yes, Lord. Yes. Yes, Lord. Yes, Lord. O God. Yes, Lord. Amen.
Has that got all the volume it'll take...?... It's all on. Is this the mike, the right mike? Both of them. Can you hear me all right? Back in the back, can you hear me? All right, fine.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona:... flesh and blood has not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
I say... unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I'll build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [Matthew 16:17-18]
I say... unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I'll build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [Matthew 16:17-18]
May God add His blessings to His Word.



In the New Testament It's called "the Messianic empire." Oh, I like that: Messianic. In other wise, "the Messiah's empire," where the Messiah rules and reigns. No denominational barriers or nothing, the Messiah rules in His empire. Isn't that wonderful thinking? Messianic empire. Therefore, the church is not an organization; the church is not a gathering of people. The church is the people of God that's been called out of the world to serve in another Kingdom. [Acts 11:26]

I said, "She must be a Christian; she's so much different." It's a shame.
Then the question arose, "Why is it, Bill, that we, as Christians, and this faith that we believe in, why is it that we constrain our women to wear dresses to act that way? Does not people of other churches? They wear those clothes like that, the immoral clothes, and why is it? You couldn't say they were immoral."
I said, "That is true. I can judge no one. But to see them, by their fruits they are known. They may not actually commit the crime, but on them is a spirit that's driving them to immorality." [Matthew 7:16, 20]


Jesus knowed He'd fall Heir to them in the millennium, so He said, "Get thee hence, Satan." He knew that God would give Him all of the kingdoms, and they would be His, and they'll all be one Kingdom. [Luke 4:6, 8]

I stopped at San Angelo, at Rome, sometime ago and wanted to see the catacomb. And to my surprise, and to a rebuke, as an American, standing before the catacomb gate where you entered in, said, "To the American women: please put on clothes and honor the dead before entering here." When a nation sinks that low, it's terrible, when we get to that place. So you see, because...

She said, "I'm an American; of course I am." That has nothing to do with it.
Brother Bosworth asked one, one night, said, "Are you a Christian, sister?"
Said, "I'll give you to understand; I burn a candle every night." Like that had anything to do with Christianity, burning a candle. Christianity doesn't consist of such things as that. And the church of God doesn't consist of such makeup as that.



And now, the church of God today is the same thing: called out of everything of the world, called out of every religious cult, called out of every religious denomination, called out of every religious organization to walk with God; not being governed by a bishop, but being governed by Christ in this Messianic Kingdom that we live in. Christ is the King. Christ is the One. [Acts 7:38]

An antichrist spirit tries to take a--a people and call them from organization to organization, organizing them together, which never was the will of God. People has always fussed at me because I struck so hard at organizations. It isn't the people in there that I'm striking at; it's that dominating spirit that makes the people think that "We are the people." [Acts 7:38], [Acts 11:26]

Now, you cannot organize the mystical Body of Christ. Now, every person that comes to Christ, comes out of the world, comes into Christ, comes into His mystical Body. And you are a member of that Body when you are brought into this church, called-out and are baptized into this mystical Body. You get it? It's not Methodist, not Baptist, not Pentecostal, not Nazarene, not Pilgrim Holiness, not Catholic; but the Body of Jesus Christ. We'll pick that up a little deeper in other questions in a few minutes, as we go on into the deeper parts of it. But the Body of Christ is the church. [Acts 11:26], [Acts 7:38], [Colossians 1:18], [Ephesians 1:22], [Ephesians 5:23], [I Corinthians 12:13]


Now, trying to organize it, then brings it to antichrist, because anything that's against the teaching of Christ is antichrist. [John 3:8]

Now, if such a thing was coming... Oh, I wish I could get this over to you. If such a thing was coming, it would be such a great antichrist, should not God foreknow it if He's the infinite God? He's infinite. Would He not know that these things was coming? And if it's such a horrible thing, would not He warn His church beforehands? Now, I hope you have a better understanding of why that I strike, not at the people in the organizations, but the organizations and their disposition. It can be nothing else but antichrist in every one of them. [Acts 2:1-3, 37-39]

Let's let the Bible say it then. Let us turn now and read awhile, turn with me to Revelations the 17th chapter. This is the revelation of Jesus Christ to His church, church called out. Revelations 17, and we'll try to make this just quick as possible. But now watch as we read:
... there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying... Come hither; and I'll show thee the judgment of the great whore that setteth upon many waters:
Now, this is all symbolized, because it is a revelation of Jesus Christ, sealed up. Did you know that? It is a hidden thing, and only can be revealed, not by the intellectual mind, but revealed by the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Spirit, To him that has wisdom let him count the numbers of the beast. To him that has wisdom, the gift of wisdom, let him do this and let him do that.And this is the revelation. [Revelation 17:1], [Revelation 13:18]
Now, this is all symbolized, because it is a revelation of Jesus Christ, sealed up. Did you know that? It is a hidden thing, and only can be revealed, not by the intellectual mind, but revealed by the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Spirit, To him that has wisdom let him count the numbers of the beast. To him that has wisdom, the gift of wisdom, let him do this and let him do that.And this is the revelation. [Revelation 17:1], [Revelation 13:18]

Now, here we're speaking of a great woman who is a ill-famed woman. "Come hither and I'll show you," said the Angel to John, "the judgment of the great whore that sets upon many waters." Now, "woman setting upon many waters," sounds very mystic, but it's all here. The Bible explains it. Now, let's turn over to the 15th chapter, so we can--or 15th verse, rather, of the same chapter, so you can see what the--the--the--the "waters" means.
And he said unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore setteth, are peoples,... multitudes,... nations, and tongues. [II Corinthians 11:2], [Revelation 17:1, 15]


What is fornication? "Uncleanness, to be unclean." She's a whore. She's got uncleanness about her, and all the rich people of the world, the kings and great men of nations and multitudes, have committed fornications with her, has taken of her evils. You see where it's coming to, don't you? You see? [Revelation 17:1-2]

So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman setting upon a scarlet coloured beast,...
Let me get these symbols as we go along. Now, scarlet is red. Red, in one way, is a good color. Red, in another way, is an ill-famed color, red light, danger color, a scarlet colored... She was decked in scarlet color, red, prostitute, and was setting upon a beast. A "beast" in the Bible means "power." If you notice, many ministers, I see them nodding their head, right, 'cause they're teachers of the Bible. A "beast" means a power." We see these beasts of the--of the Bible, of Revelations 13, and of Daniel, coming up out of the water: beasts, powers coming up from among the people. [Revelation 17:3]


Seven heads... And on down here, it said, "The seven heads which was on the beast, is seven hills on which the--the city setteth." Now, what city's built on seven hills? Rome (It's exactly.), a city setting on seven hills: a church, a woman, a prostitute that'll control the world with her powers. Why, it's just as plain as reading the newspaper. See? Certainly. [Revelation 17:3-4]

Tell me where one of them ever paid income tax. Tell me where they're taxed for anything. Ride away with anything they want to do. And yet God's got children in there, certainly He has.
Just the same, pot can't call kettle black. Lot of times the Protestants say, "Well, the Catholics they murdered this, that, the other." Who murdered Joseph Smith? I don't agree with him, but he had just as much right for his teaching as I've got for mine here in America. And the Methodist church murdered Joseph Smith. When you come into the--the Salt Lake City, it's got a great big sign up, "You Methodist, watch the Mormon crickets!" Right, the Methodist church shot Joseph Smith down: Protestants. So don't holler about the Catholic. Watch just a few minutes, the Bible will say so too. [Revelation 17:1-4]

Anybody could believe that could believe Brother Jagger's vitamin pills, that you can sprinkle water on a woman that's been married to a man for thirty years and had a bunch of children, and turn her back to a virgin and send her to her bridal bed that night with her husband. Anybody could believe that holy water will do that, can believe anything. That's right. But the kings of the earth commit such things as that. It's so they can live and have a peaceful feeling. Down in your heart you know you're rotten. Take the Blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse you.
But now notice, she was the first organized church, the Bible speaks of it here. [Revelation 17:1-4]

Now, watch. We all will agree, and Roman's own books, the Catholic's own books agree that that is the Roman church. So their own books could agree with it. I've got what's called "Facts Of Our Faith," only belongs to a priest; a catholic was converted to mine, which her boy was a priest, and she gave me the book. Then he talked her back in church; she come for it, and I wouldn't let her have it. I kept it for evidence, wanted to know what I was talking about. When I say anything, I must know it; God's going to hold me responsible for it. [Revelation 17:1-5]


That's what's the matter with the Protestant people; they just won't let good enough alone. They just... When the Holy Ghost fell on them back yonder, forty years ago, and the power begin to pour out, and they begin to dance and shout and speak with tongues, they wouldn't leave it alone; they had to organize it. Then along came one and they called them a General Council. Along came another one with a little Light on the Name Jesus Christ, and they called them the "New Issues" and turned them out. Then they got them an organization called the P. A. of J. C., the Pentecostal Assemblies of Jesus Christ. A little friction come in between them, whether He's coming on a white horse or how He was coming, and they organized another one, called P. A. of W., Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. Oh, my, my. Then on come the Church of God. Then they broke off by prophecy, organized again. And every time you do it, you go out of the will of God. The antichrist spirit... [I Samuel 8:4-7]

And every time you see organization, just remember, "antichrist" is wrote over it. Here it is in the Bible. That's as plain as I know how to read It. I--I've got plenty of precious friends setting here that belongs to organizations; I don't say you're antichrist; I'm not calling you that; but behind the whole thing, and it looks like the devil has twisted it in such a way till you have to have something like that or they won't even let you preach. That's the same thing the nations has got. You can't be a man without a nation; you have to have a nation somewhere. You have to either be American, German, or something. See, it's all twisted around.


That's the way the church of the living God is today; it's unorganized, as far as the world's concerned. But it's bound together by not organization ties, but by the power and the Spirit of Jesus Christ, by the bonds of love. [Numbers 23:1, 4]

People say, "Are you a Christian?"
"I'm a Baptist." That don't answer the question at all. "Am I a Christian? I'm Pentecost." That don't answer the question.
If you are a Christian, you are a borned again creature. You are in a mystic Kingdom of God. Your eyes are not on things of this world, but on things above. And that's when you're in the church. That is the church. It is not an organization; it can never be an organization. Take me on record. The church of the living God can never be any certain group. It cannot be an organization. It has to be a mystical Body, the Holy Spirit. A little farther, if we get time, we'll get right into it. [Amos 3:3], [Acts 2:37-39]


They want you, "Come join this. Come join this." There's nothing you join in the Kingdom of God, there's not one thing you can join. It's an experience of being born into the church, not joined into it. Now, I may get a little more on that in a minute, I got some more Scriptures wrote down there. [Revelation 17:4], [Amos 8:11-12]


And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until you're endued with power from on high.
Now, He promised of a coming church, a coming Kingdom. Now, turn right over to Acts 1 and 8. Now, remember, He spoke also in Matthew 16:18, of, upon this rock He would build His church and the gates of hell should not prevail against it; we're going to get to that just in a few minutes, as we go on down into the other subject. Acts 1 and 8.
But you shall receive power, after... the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem,... Judaea,... Samaria, and to the utmost parts of the world.
A coming Kingdom of witnesses, witnesses of His resurrection, witnesses of His power, witnesses of His... of being alive. "You're My witnesses," now, Acts 1:8. [Luke 24:29], [Acts 1:8], [Matthew 16:18]

And hath put all things under his feet,..(Thats Christ)... and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Which is his body, and the fulness of him that filleth all in all. [Ephesians 1:22-23]
Which is his body, and the fulness of him that filleth all in all. [Ephesians 1:22-23]
Who set this church up? Jesus Christ, no bishop, no group of men, no pope, no man-made powers at all. But Jesus Christ spoke of It being His Kingdom that was coming in power. "Some stands here... "16th chapter of Matthew, "Verily, I say unto you, some stands here shall not see death until they see the Kingdom of God coming in power." Just a few days after that, He was crucified and the Holy Ghost fell. "Some stands here shall not see death until they see the Kingdom of God." [Matthew 16:28]

He said, "It's not for you to know the time or the season, what the Father has put in His Own mind. But you shall receive power," Acts 1, "you shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you." You shall receive power after you're made a bishop, after you're made a preacher, after you're made a pope, after you're made a priest? "You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come on you." That's the witness that God was looking for, a witness after the Holy Ghost is come. Not a witness that I'm a bishop, not a witness that I'm a pastor. But a witness of what? Of the resurrected King. That's the true church of the living God. All right. [Mark 13:32-34], [Acts 1:8]

And he Who is before all things, and by him all things consist.
And he is the head of the body, the church:... (Who He is),... who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. [Colossians 1:17-18]
And he is the head of the body, the church:... (Who He is),... who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. [Colossians 1:17-18]
Who is the Head of this church? Jesus Christ, What Kingdom is it? The Messianic Kingdom, the church, not an organization, a church, a mystic Body to which Christ is the Head. Oh, I love that, walking in the Spirit, obeying the King; foolish to the world, precious in the sight of God. Walking in the Spirit; misunderstood, laughed at, made fun of... "All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. If they persecuted the prophets which were before you, called the Master of the--Master of the building Beelzebub, how much more will they call them of His disciples." But you're walking in the Spirit, turning your back on the things of the world, not bound by any fetters. "He who the Son has made free is free indeed." Amen. That's the church of the living God. That's Who set it up. [II Timothy 3:12], [Matthew 10:25], [John 8:36]

What is the church? The mystic body of Christ. Who set it up? The Lord Jesus Himself. It wasn't set up at Rome; neither was it set up in England by John Wesley; neither was it set up by Calvin, or in America, the Baptists by John Smith, neither was it set up in California by the Pentecostals. It was set up by Jesus Christ, the King of the Messianic Kingdom. That's Who it was set up by. He is The King. He wants to be King. He wants to rule us. He wants to be Lord. [Acts 1:8]



Paul said, "I never come to you with the wisdom of man. I come to you with the Spirit of God and the power of His resurrection, that your faith would not rest in the wisdom or the enchantment words of man, but in the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ." That's what He come in. God help us that we do the same thing. [I Corinthians 2:4-5]

And He said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
And that repentance and remission of sins... (Oh, I want that to soak in, 'cause I'm coming to something in a minute on that, "remission of sins")... repentance towards God, and remitting of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
And ye are witnesses of these things... [Luke 24:46-48]
And that repentance and remission of sins... (Oh, I want that to soak in, 'cause I'm coming to something in a minute on that, "remission of sins")... repentance towards God, and remitting of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
And ye are witnesses of these things... [Luke 24:46-48]


Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. (That right?) [Matthew 28:20]
Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever." That's the message of the church: doing His work, proving His resurrection, and giving witnesses. Now, Acts 5:32, where we see whether they had it or not. As we turn, Acts the 5th chapter, 32nd verse. [Hebrews 13:8]
And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God has given to them that obey him. (He's got to be witnessed.) [Acts 5:32]
Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever." That's the message of the church: doing His work, proving His resurrection, and giving witnesses. Now, Acts 5:32, where we see whether they had it or not. As we turn, Acts the 5th chapter, 32nd verse. [Hebrews 13:8]
And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God has given to them that obey him. (He's got to be witnessed.) [Acts 5:32]

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these do he, do, shall; because I go to my Father. [John 14:12]
That's the message of the church: "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever," living in the church, King of the church, raised from the dead, same yesterday, today, and forever, performing the same works, doing the same things that Jesus did. That's the message of the church. If the church isn't teaching That, it's teaching some false theology. That's what Jesus commanded them to preach.[Hebrews 13:8]

After he appeared unto the eleven... (that's after His resurrection)... as they sat at meat,...
Here's the commission to the church, now listen, the last commission. We'll check ourselves whether we're believers, or whether we're in this church or not.
After he appeared unto the eleven as they set at meat, and upbraided them with the hardness of their heart, with their--their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after his resurre--after he was risen. [Mark 16:14]
Here's the commission to the church, now listen, the last commission. We'll check ourselves whether we're believers, or whether we're in this church or not.
After he appeared unto the eleven as they set at meat, and upbraided them with the hardness of their heart, with their--their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after his resurre--after he was risen. [Mark 16:14]



He said, "O Samuel, sure, you're right. You're a good prophet, You've never told us nothing but the Truth. You've never begged us for money. Them things are true, but we want to be like the rest of them. We want a king anyhow."
Samuel said, "It's going to cause you heartaches and troubles. It's going... He's going to take your sons and daughters. He's going to pollute them in the things he'll do. He'll do it." And he did. But still they wanted a king. [I Samuel 8:5, 10-18]

And he said unto them,... (Watch the great commission.)... Go ye into... (How much of the world? [Congregation says, "all'--Ed.] "Oh, I thought just Jerusalem," somebody said, "these signs only went to Jerusalem.")... all the world, and preach the gospel.. [Mark 16:15]
.
Every creature: you believe that means that? I seen God baffle a bull one day. I seen Him cause hornets not to sting. I seen Him raise up a opossum that'd been laying dead all night. Every creature... The Gospel will take effect upon anything that you ask. You say, "That's wrong, Brother Branham." It isn't wrong. [Mark 16:15]

Now, he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;... ("Oh, I believe in baptizing." Fine, good, all right.)... He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;... he that believeth not shall be damned.
"Oh, I'm glad I'm a believer." Wait a minute. "And," and's a conjunction, tying the sentence together.
And these signs... (Oh, I thought you didn't believe in signs. That's Jesus' Own Words; argue It with Him.)... these signs shall... (not "they maybe, sometimes they do")... they shall follow them that believe;...
Now, we're going to see whether you believe or not, going to see whether your organization believes or not. They might say they believe. Jesus said, "These signs will follow them that believe." Why, they deny those signs.
... these signs shall follow them that believe;... (How much?)... In my name they shall cast out devils;... [Mark 16:16-17]
"Oh, I'm glad I'm a believer." Wait a minute. "And," and's a conjunction, tying the sentence together.
And these signs... (Oh, I thought you didn't believe in signs. That's Jesus' Own Words; argue It with Him.)... these signs shall... (not "they maybe, sometimes they do")... they shall follow them that believe;...
Now, we're going to see whether you believe or not, going to see whether your organization believes or not. They might say they believe. Jesus said, "These signs will follow them that believe." Why, they deny those signs.
... these signs shall follow them that believe;... (How much?)... In my name they shall cast out devils;... [Mark 16:16-17]


And you poor Nazarenes, calling them a bunch of tongues people. You wouldn't even set in church with them. Ain't that awful? What are you going to do when you get to heaven? Jesus died, speaking in tongues. They said He spoke, and He spoke in another language. Sure, He did. "He spoke in Hebrew." He did not. That's not Hebrew writing. He spoke in a heavenly language. [Mark 16:17]


They shall take up serpents; and if they drink a deadly thing, it shall not harm them; they... lay hands on the sick,... they shall recover. [Mark 16:18]
That's the commission of the church. That's the real believing church. It's not taught in the Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Lutheran, Nazarene, Pilgrim Holiness. No, sir, they deny it. Glory. Why? They're organized, and they can't do it. There's a many member in there that believes that, but he can't say nothing about it because he'd be excommunicated. That's an antichrist spirit, got them organized. The church of the living God is free-born, don't need any denomination; they follow the King of the Messianic Kingdom. They don't have to take the people's things. They're free-born, made free by the Son Who makes them free indeed. These signs shall follow them.


And then he... called unto him his twelve disciples, and gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast out--cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of diseases. [Matthew 10:1]
The first commission to His church.


Oh, you say, "Brother Branham, but we, look at all these churches." That's grafted vines. Now, you can graft citrus fruit. You can take an orange tree and put a lemon on it and it'll grow. That's what you--man grafted in. And these organizations is what man grafted in. It's a lemon all the time. It'll grow because it's stuck out in the church name. But let me tell you; if that tree ever puts forth another branch itself, it'll bear an orange. And if the power of God ever puts forth another church, it'll be another Pentecost. And another Book of Acts will be wrote behind it, because it's the church of God. [John 15:5]

The second church rises up, the mystical Body of Christ will have the same signs. "Yet a little while and the world seeth Me no more. Yet ye shall see Me, for I will be with you, even in you, in every branch to the end of the world," Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. That's the church of the living God. That's Who it is. That's the kind of a witnesses He has. [John 15:5], [Mark 16:17], [John 14:19], [Hebrews 13:8]

"And the Holy Ghost will also come upon..." will be a teaching of the church, for Jesus said in Luke 24:49... We're right close to it, so let's just turn to it just a second, the 49th verse here. We read the 46th and 47th. Look at the 49th.
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye,... (or wait, "Tarry" means "wait.")... in the city of Jerusalem, until you're endued with power from on high. [Luke 24:49]
If Christ would not let a bunch of men who'd walked with Him for three and a half years go preach any Gospel, or could not preach any Gospel until they waited for the Holy Ghost, the church today has to do the same thing. Wait for the Holy Ghost. [Mark 16:16], [Acts 2:38]

I said, "Yes, ma'am."
She said, "Well, we don't believe in such stuff."
I said, "Because you don't believe the Word of God."
And she said, "We believe that Mary intercedes for us."
I said, "That's absolutely heathen."
She never was a goddess; she's a woman, "Mother of God," how could God have a mother? "Hail, Mary, mother of God..." how could God have a mother? She bore the Son of God, Christ Jesus. No woman is a creator; she holds the seed of a man. The man's not a creator. God creates the life. It's just a routine of--of order that God put to bring children. She's no mother of God. God can't have a mother, 'cause He had no beginning of days or ending of life. He's Eternal. She can't be a mother of God.

She said, "That's not right."
I said, "Did you tell me the Catholic church wrote the Bible, the apostles, and you said they were Catholic?" I defy that. There wasn't no Catholic church for three hundred years after the death of the last apostle, till after the Nicene Council. Show me page of history, anything you want to; not your catechism, 'cause it don't compare with history. There never was such a thing. But I said that, "Mary..." The Bible said that, "Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the rest of the women, with the hundred and twenty, all had to climb those steps to the upper room, and be filled with the Holy Ghost till they staggered like they were drunk, speaking in tongues and acting like a bunch of drunkards." That's what the Bible said. I put my finger on the verse, and I said, "Read It."
She said, "I don't want to read it. I'm not suppose to read it." [Acts 1:14]

She said, "If I had to go to heaven with anything like that, I wouldn't want to be in heaven."
I said, "You don't have much to worry about. I don't think you're going anyhow, I'll tell you...?... I don't think you have much to be bothered about." That's exactly God's Spirit. [Acts 1:14], [Acts 2:4]

The fourth thing, How Do We Become A Member Of It? "How do we join it? We see what it is; now what--how do we join this church?" You don't join it. You can't join it. There's no way of joining it. You're borned into it. I've been with the Branham family fifty-one years and never did join the family. I was borned a Branham. And you're borned a son of God or a daughter of God.

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
The same came to Jesus by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know... thou art a teacher come from God:... no man can do the miracles which thou doest, except God be with him.
Jesus answered and said unto him... verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again,... verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. [John 3:1-3]
The same came to Jesus by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know... thou art a teacher come from God:... no man can do the miracles which thou doest, except God be with him.
Jesus answered and said unto him... verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again,... verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. [John 3:1-3]

Nicodemus said unto him, How can a man be born when he's old?... (See that carnal? a teacher, a great man, a priest, aged, read the Bible all of his life.)... can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? (Now, isn't that like some of these intellectual teachers you hear today?)
Jesus answered and said unto him,... verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born of water... (How do we get into it?)... of water and of... Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. [John 3:4-5]
[John 3:4-5]Jesus answered and said unto him,... verily, I say unto you, Except a man be born of water... (How do we get into it?)... of water and of... Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. [John 3:4-5]

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Marvel not that I say unto you, You must be born again.
The wind blow where it listeth,... thou cannot tell the sound thereof, but can not tell whence it come, nor whither it goeth: so is every one that's born of the Spirit. [John 3:6-8]
Marvel not that I say unto you, You must be born again.
The wind blow where it listeth,... thou cannot tell the sound thereof, but can not tell whence it come, nor whither it goeth: so is every one that's born of the Spirit. [John 3:6-8]
See you don't join it. It's a mysterious thing. You're born into the mystical Body of Christ. That's how you get into it.

For by one Spirit are we all... (joined, recorded?)... baptized into... (one organization?)... one body, which is the Body of Christ, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been made... all made to drink of one Spirit. [I Corinthians 12:13]
Not Methodist spirit, Baptist spirit, Pentecostal spirit, but by one Holy Spirit we have all been baptized into this.
Fountain filled with Blood,
Drawn from Immanuel's veins,
Where sinners plunged beneath the flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see
That Fountain in his day;
There may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.
Drawn from Immanuel's veins,
Where sinners plunged beneath the flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see
That Fountain in his day;
There may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.


And when God accepted me and baptized me with the Holy Ghost, He had confidence in me that I would not sin willfully. Amen. I would not sin willfully. Therefore, His Son made an atonement for me, and I cannot be a sinner as long as I'm justified and He's took me in His Body; I'm redeemed with Him. Not what I do, but what He did for me. That's the Gospel.

A famous Baptist preacher said to me, not long ago, said, "Brother Branham, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness. What more could he do but believe God?" He said, "We believe we receive the Holy Ghost when we believe."
I said, "But you're wrong; you're honestly wrong. Paul said in Acts 19, to those Baptists who had a good pastor up there, a converted lawyer, 'Have you received the Holy Ghost since you have believed?'"
He said, "The original doesn't say that."
I said, "It does say that. I've got the "Emphatic Diaglott," and it does say it in every translation, both Greek and Hebrew. He said, 'Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?'" I said, "Abraham believed; that was true. But God give him a sign that He'd accepted his faith, by give him the seal of circumcision." That's right. He'd accepted him, because He give him a sign that He'd accepted him.
If you say you believe, and haven't received the Holy Ghost yet, God hasn't sealed you yet, hasn't had enough trust to trust you yet. When you come to God, God seals you with the Holy Ghost till the day of your redemption. And that's the message of the church. Amen. [Ephesians 4:30], [Romans 4:22], [Acts 19:2]

Acts, here's the way we entered. Here's the inauguration of the church: Acts the 2nd chapter. When the first message was preached to the church after the day of Pentecost, they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. Mary, all the apostles, were all filled with the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues, and just carrying-on like a bunch of drunk people. And when they were just having an awful time, just shouting and praising God, and staggering under the impact of the Holy Ghost, they didn't care whether it was Sunday, Monday, what day it was. They was having them a big time, just shouting and going on. Why, the--the great intellectual people said, "These people are drunk on new wine." [I Corinthians 12:13], [Acts 2:1-13]


Peter said, "This being the third hour of the day, these are not full of new wine, but this is That which was spoke of by Joel the prophet, 'It'll come to pass in the last days, saith God, I'll pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and daughters shall prophesy. Upon My handsmaids and maidservants I pour out of My Spirit. Your young men shall see visions, your old men will dream dreams. And I'll show signs in the heaven above and the earth below. It shall come to pass that whosoever call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.'"
When they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what can we do to be saved? There's the condition of the church. Now they want to find out how you get into this mystical Body. All right. [Acts 2:37]
Acts the 2nd chapter, begin at the 37th verse, the inauguration sermon. You can't change it. You can't change it. Listen. [Acts 2:12-21, 37]


Let's see what it was wrote out for.
Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts, and said unto Peter and... the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what can we do? (Watch out, you got the keys.)
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of You in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. [Acts 2:37-39]
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of You in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. [Acts 2:37-39]
That's the Prescription. Don't doctor it up; you'll kill your patient. That's what's the matter with a lot of these people talking this "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," they're killing a lot of spiritual people, doctoring with the wrong thing.

Come right back down to a harlot. It says in the catechism, "Is there such a thing as a Protestant ever being saved?"
Said, "Sometimes, of course, because they admit the--the Catholic doctrine." They won't take their Bible. They baptize in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost," and they have no Scripture for that. Said, "But the Catholic church started it," and they admit it. "By the Catholic orders, there might be some saved." No such a thing, nobody ever baptized that way. Nobody ever sprinkled in the Bible, poured, or any other way but immersing in the water in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin. What did we read awhile ago, and I told you we'd get to it later? That repentance and remission of sin should be preached in His Name. To where? Just to Jerusalem, to the Jews? To all nations, all the world, beginning at Jerusalem. [John 5:39]


For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:26? Maybe I might've read it, wrote it wrong here then. Now, it might be Colossians, let's read Colossians. I--I don't know where I was going to; let's see if it's Colossians 3:26. No, there is no 3:26. What is that now, Galatians 3:26? Here, here I got it. That's right. Read on, sister, Galatians 3:26, since you started it. Here it is, 26, 27, and 28, now listen close. [The sister reads Galatians 3:26-28--Ed.]
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as have been baptized unto Christ have put on Christ. [Galatians 3:26-28]
For as many of you as have been baptized unto Christ have put on Christ. [Galatians 3:26-28]
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
How do we get into this Body, how have we done it? Baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ Jesus.

Now Ephesians, let's go here; we got to read that one: Ephesians 5:25, right quick now: Ephesians 5, and 25. All right, here we are: 5 and 25. No, I still got the wrong thing. I haven't got it wrote down here right. Oh, let's see. Therefore, preachers and priests... Oh, yes. I was writing this down real quick awhile ago, so I must've hit the wrong... Oh, I got the wrong page. Amen. Yes. All right. [Hebrews 13:12], [Ephesians 5:25]

Therefore, people, and here's how we come to the church, by repenting, being baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of our sins, and a promise that we will receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Therefore, there is no preacher can shake us into it. There's no priest that can vow us into it. But we are borned into it by the King of the Messianic Kingdom. Amen.
Now, just this; can I get just one more, then go ahead? How many will stay with me just a few minutes longer? [The congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Just to... It's nine-thirty, and pass time. [Hebrews 13:12], [Acts 2:38-39]

Now, first thing, in John 3: and 5 Jesus said, "Except a man be borned of water and of Spirit..." Repent, and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall then be borned of the Spirit, born of the water, borned of the Spirit. Except a man gets this, he cannot even enter the Kingdom of heaven; he cannot even see the Kingdom of heaven." Then if you are borned of water and Spirit, you are in the church. If you're not borned of water and Spirit, you're not in the church, and cannot see the Kingdom of heaven. Does that make sense to you? It's just exactly right. [John 3:5], [Acts 2:38]

I Corinthians 12, all right, and the 3rd verse.
Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaketh by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and... no man can say... Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. [I Corinthians 12:3]


A man that's a good man, can be just as good church member as a Christian. A man that's a good man, can be just as good a citizen as a Christian, a good man, moral man. But when he dies, that's it, unless he's borned again of the Spirit of God. Because, everything that had a beginning has an end. [I Corinthians 12:13], [Acts 2:38]


And now, let me smother you a little. And you can't be a member unless God has called you to be a member. Now, how happy you ought to be for that, for you were predestinated before the foundation of the world. And your name--your names was written in the Lamb's Book of Life, the church Book, before the foundation of the world. That's the Bible. The Bible said the antichrist, the organizations, the Catholic church with the rest of organizations--organizations, will deceive all upon the face of the earth, whose names were not written in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world. Jesus said, "All that the Father hath given Me will come to Me." That's His Own Word. It's not what you done, but what He done. [Revelation 21:27], [Revelation 13:8], [John 6:37]

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,... (not by the ordination of the bishop, not by the organization)... an apostle,... (one that's sent by the will of God)... to the saints... (That's the sanctified ones, or sainted ones.)... which are at Ephesus, and... the faithful in Christ Jesus: [Ephesians 1:1]
Who is it he's addressing it to? To those that's already in the church. When you're in Christ, you're in His body. Is that right? Then you're members of the church.

Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and... the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: [Ephesians 1:2-3, 6]
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: [Ephesians 1:2-3, 6]
How did He do it? What did He do it? They had reached Jordan, they had crossed into the promised land, and they were setting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Here it is: Blessed us together with heavenly blessings, the teaching of the Word, as the church, the called-out Ones that's in Christ Jesus, as we're setting together in heavenly places, like the church, when we're borned in Christ Jesus. The sainted, called-out ones, oh, my, somebody you can teach something to... Had so much trouble with the Corinthians, but not this church, he could teach them great things. All right.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all... (You remember my last two messages?)... all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
According... (Listen, let this shock you now.)... According as he hath... (past tense)... chosen us in him... (At the last revival? Did I read that right?)... According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, before the world,... (Looky here.)... before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Having... (p-r-e-d-e-s-t-i-n-a-t-e-d)...
What did we do? Nothing. What He done is what I'm looking at. When did He do? Chose us, put our names on His Book, on His church Book to be a member of this mystical Body before the world ever began.
And has predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to His own good pleasure of his will, [Ephesians 1:3-5]
According... (Listen, let this shock you now.)... According as he hath... (past tense)... chosen us in him... (At the last revival? Did I read that right?)... According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, before the world,... (Looky here.)... before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Having... (p-r-e-d-e-s-t-i-n-a-t-e-d)...
What did we do? Nothing. What He done is what I'm looking at. When did He do? Chose us, put our names on His Book, on His church Book to be a member of this mystical Body before the world ever began.
And has predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to His own good pleasure of his will, [Ephesians 1:3-5]







That's the reason they're in such a confusion, called "Babylon." One with, "Bless God, I'm Presbyterian. Bless God, I'm Methodist. Bless God, I'm..." Bless God, I'm a Christian. Amen. That's it. How do I know I am? These signs follow the believer. See, there's your identification card. Not say, "Wait a minute; I believe I got my fellowship card." No. I ain't got any. Mine's up there. I might lose this one down here, but He told me before the world begin He give me my identification card to everyone that's come into the Kingdom. It's kept in heaven so the records are straight. I'm so glad. I...
Somebody said, "I sought God, I sought God." That's contrary to the Bible. It's God seeking you, not you seeking God. God went up-and-down the garden of Eden, crying, "Adam, where art thou?" Not Adam crying, "God, where art Thou?" It was God crying, "Adam, where art thou?" [John 14:19], [Genesis 3:9], [Acts 7:38], [Acts 11:26]

Now, you Catholic people, the only thing you have to do to be a member of it, is to accept Jesus Christ and be born of the Spirit. You Baptists, you Methodist, Presbyterian, and Lutheran, whatever you are, listen here. Don't think I'm taking up for the Pentecostals. There's just as much Pentecostal renegades as there is in any other church. That's exactly right. They come in only by name and profession; that's all. But possession, they don't have it. That's right. Because when you're borned of the Spirit, you become a new creature, and God begins to deal with you then as sons, and you're led of the Spirit of God. No matter what organization you belong to, that ain't--that's just a little old worldly order that's going to pass away. But are you a member of this great mystical Body of Christ? If not, may you receive Him tonight, as we bow our heads just a moment for prayer. [Acts 7:38], [Acts 11:26]

