Questions And Answers
61-1015M, Questions And Answers, Branham Tabernacle, Jeffersonville, IN, 126 min





And I believe before we start this morning, there was someone said they had a baby to dedicate. Billy was telling me that there's a dedication of a baby. If that's so, why... All right. We'll bring the little fellow up and dedicate it to the Lord; and then we'll answer the questions, and then we're going to pray for the sick.

Now, He could be taking her; I don't know. His... Might be just keeping it from me, keep me from worrying or something; but I'm going to believe that God is going to let her get well no matter what she is. She hasn't eat for three weeks, but just glucose; but I believe she's get well anyhow. See?
647-5a Brother Neville... Well, this is a--we hope to be another preacher coming on here, a little Mr. Wood. Yes, sir, what's his full name? William David. Jr, is he going to call him Jr? This is a little folk that's been sent into the Wood's family up there, 'course he's grandma pet, and... Little William David Jr. and he sure is a fine little boy. And his little sister will keep him...?... though, because he's... Yes, he's got his finger double up now, his trigger finger. Squirrel hunter I guess...?... You're looking out of one eye at me, I guess he's kinda backward. But we know that these are little things that God sends into our home that we appreciate in giving us the responsibility of raising these up. And I'm quite sure if the grace of God continues in this family, that this baby will be raised in admonition of God. Let us bow our heads.
Our heavenly Father, we bring to You little William David Wood this morning, in the Name of the Lord Jesus in respect of the Scripture, that they brought unto Him when He was here on earth, infants, little babies that He might lay His hands upon them and bless them. And if He was here this morning in a body of flesh, we know that our brother and sister would take this little token of grace to Him; so that we are to represent Him today in the way of preaching the Gospel they bring the baby to us. We by faith lift little David to You in the Name of Jesus, and we pray that You'll bless him, Lord. God, grant that he'll live to be a servant of Yours, if You tarry. Grant it, Lord. Give him health and strength. Bless his father and mother, and may if it be in Thy Divine will that this little boy will raise up to preach the Gospel in the days lies ahead. Grant it, Lord. We give to You this little William David Wood for a servant of Yours, in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
647-5b David, I'm always so careful with them little fellows; I feel like they're so, you know, you're going to drop them all the time.
I think little babies and old people... Get someone that's just an old person that's been done along the line, or a little baby that's... They're so innocent like, you know, that they--there's something about them that I really like.
Wonder if we put on this pulpit light on here. Brother Neville, do you know where the... Oh, here we are.

So if I do not answer them according to your belief in these questions... Now, always remember, that they are to the best of my knowledge. And then sometimes maybe I--in this I'll have to just refer to a Scripture to answer them and maybe not have time to look it up. Then when you go home, you look it up and see. And if I've misquoted it, well then, I--I would be wrong. I don't mean to misquote anyone, but--misquote the Scripture, but sometimes we can do it. Maybe a word where it would be something, then we might say it some other way. You know how easy it is to do that.
But we're aiming--our aim is to quote them straight. And if I had to take them say this Sunday and answer them next Sunday; then I'd have time to look them all over through the week.

Prayer does something for us. And it's through prayer that I live today. I live by the grace of God through prayer. And this morning being a little tired and worn out, I desire your prayers for me, that you pray for me.

How that must be a--a--beautiful thing for Father to look down upon His child coming home to Him and holding his position in Christ, his faith and his confession (See?), "I am saved by the grace of God," and stand there (See?) in the hour of--of death, yet we can hold our profession, we are saved. [Psalms 116:15], [Ephesians 2:5]

And thinking on that, I was thinking of this, that death is associated not with life. Life and death cannot exist at the same time. And the trees has to have the sap go out of them before that the leaf can die on the tree. So therefore, death is associated, I would think in the realms of a human being, death is associated with sin. Because before we had any sin, we had no death at all. But where there is death, then there is sin; and where there is sin, there is death; 'cause death is the results of sin.
And then, he that... The soul that sinneth, it shall die. But when we're borned again of the Spirit of God, we have Eternal Life and not associated anywhere with death. See? Death cannot associate with Life. Life cannot associate with death.

Don't just wait and see what it'll do; get out of the way of it. The very appearance of evil, shun it quickly. When you see a temptation coming up, and sin... You know, if it's something wrong, that death is lurking after you. See? Then get away from it just as quick as you would get away from a--an automobile approaching at ninety miles an hour. See? You'd--you'd want to get away from it right quick, out of the way. Jump, slide, run any way, just get away from it. [I Thessalonians 5:22]

So I thought that would be a good little thought. It struck me yesterday talking to these Christians; and I thought that would be good to pass to the church this morning, especially while the young people are setting here and undergo--undergo such temptations as that.

And what is sin? Unbelief. Uh-huh. Stay away from all unbelief, anything that disregards the Bible. Anything that disregards God's Word, stay away from it. And if I get through these in time before I have my healing service, I want to speak a little bit on that, disrespects.

And we believe this morning that we are associated with Eternal Life as we accept Jesus Christ by faith and have the evidence of the Holy Spirit living in our lives guiding us. We are so grateful for this, that when we see sin no matter how mild, how pretty it might look, there's something within us makes us jump, keep away from it, just as the illustration I gave about the car coming at a terrific speed. We don't want to be caught anywhere in the--sin. Keep away from it. [Mark 6:24]

I pray for those that's in the hospitals and in the convalescent homes. And, Lord, I pray for my mother. As yet, Lord, Thou has kept her with us, and we are thankful to You for this. And with faith we reach out with wanting hands, first to know the will of God, to see that if it's His will for her to go. If it's His will, then we are--that's our will; but first we want to know if Satan has did this evil and it's working together for good to them that love us to give us a trial. Then, Lord, we want to stand gallant at the post of duty. [Hebrews 12:1], [Romans 8:28]

And today as it falls lot to answer questions, Lord, we realize that these are deep, sincere things that's on the people's heart. They never asked them just for folly; they asked them because that they are interested in knowing Truth. Thy Word is Truth.
So, Father, we pray that You'll associate our minds this morning into this Truth, the Word, and help us, Lord, that we be able to understand better today when we leave this house of teaching, that it might be good for our souls. We ask this for the glory of God in the Name of Jesus Christ His Son. Amen.

And I don't know about next Sunday if... I have a--a subject on my heart that I would like to bring to the church if it's possible, if the Lord permits it this next coming Sunday, a--a very outstanding thing that come to me this week to preach, just a message to preach on, evangelistic message... We'll see about that a little later on as our Lord will lead.
And pray for me now, because there's got to be some great decisions made. Brother Roy Borders (I suppose he's setting somewhere here this morning.), he takes care of the meetings, and he's got a book full of--of invitations that's come in in the last few months--and of places to go, and people that are to calling him for meetings. And so you pray that God will let me make the right decision. On whatever I do, may it be right, the--that will count. [Acts 19:12]

And Brother Neville's setting back here, our precious brother and pastor; he--I'm so thankful to see him advancing on in the Kingdom of God; I believe he's come farther in the last couple of years than he has all the rest of the years put together. How the Lord has blessed him. I'm so glad of that.
And I'll say not to his face; I do to his back, and you know that. I knew Brother Neville since I was just a boy. See? And I know that if Brother Neville... I believe this; he's subject to mistakes like all of us are; we--we all are subject to that; we're still human. But it wouldn't come from his heart; I don't believe that. He would be sincere, and he's always been the highest of sincerity.

So I'm very happy for the Tabernacle. And they say the other night in the--they had a meeting here whether they would build a new tabernacle or extend this one and make it bigger and make Sunday school rooms in it; and the church unanimously voted for the extension, to put a new extension to it out here, make it larger, and put Sunday school rooms so there'd be classes for all the classes, and carpet the floors, and put birch over it, and fix it up real nice, and Bedford stoning on the outside. And so the church voted that. And I think the architects and them are on the work now. There's a meeting of it tomorrow to make us a--a bigger church, extend it on back and fix it around different. So we'll be grateful to the Lord for that.

151. We believe in being baptized... Acts 2:38, but how can we answer people concerning the other baptism? Are they saved or not? Also those that have gone on and never received the light?
Now, that is a--a good question. Now, let me say again (See?) on these questions, if you--if I don't answer them according to your thoughts... I'm going to answer them just as close to the Scripture as I know how to make them Scriptural.

When Peter... When Matthew was writing what Jesus said... Where they'd taken Matthew 28:19, "Go ye therefore, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost..."
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, that's titles, not a name. The Name of the Father, Son, Holy Ghost is the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost... And if He... And then they baptized all through the Bible, every person in the Name of--of the Lord Jesus Christ. On down through history they come until the establishment of the Laodicean (I beg your pardon.)--the Nicene Council of the Catholic church at Nicaea, Rome. [Matthew 28:19]

Therefore, to disregard the Bible, the Catholic church believes that God gave the church the power to change or do anything it wanted to. See? Therefore, if the Catholic church is right, if that is true what God did, then we're all wrong but Catholics (See?); the Catholic church is right. Then the Methodist church is right. Then the Baptist church is right, or all the organizations are right. See? They have a right. And who is right then? If the Catholic has power that they can change anything the Bible wants to say and make it some other kind of doctrines to "Hail, Mary's" and so forth, the Methodist has the right to say, "Baptism by immersing is wrong; we'll sprinkle," and they're everyone right, because each one can do whatever the church is; now, who is the church then? Is it Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, or what is it? See?

So then, if the Catholic church wanted to say this morning, "We'll just omit baptism altogether and take eating a lump of sugar each morning. That's what we'll take for remission of sins," then that's got to be right, 'cause it--God gave that authority to the church.
But you see, to me it's the Word is right, because at the close of the Bible, God said this in His Word, "Whosoever shall take one word away from This or add one word to It, the same will be taken, his part, out of the Book of Life." So to me it's the Word. [Leviticus 22:19]

Now, the next question is... 'Course that's Scripturally right. That's the Truth.
And in the Bible when they found people that had been immersed some other way besides the Name of Jesus Christ, they were commanded to be baptized over again in the Name of Jesus Christ before they could receive the Holy Ghost: Acts 19:5. That's right. So that is Scripturally the Truth.
Now, there's no bishop; there's no archbishop; there's no minister; there's nobody else can say one word against that, 'cause that's the truth. See?


Well, I believe--I believe strictly that God called His people and ordained His church, and all those that would be there, before the foundation of the world. I believe the Bible teaches that. And I believe that every man that loves God with all of his heart will seek after Truth. I--I--I believe that, that they'll do that. Every man that loves God will do that.
I believe if a man was baptized wrong ignorantly, not knowing that he was baptized wrong... Now, I can't say this Scripturally. But I believe it with my heart, that if a man did not know what to do right, and he did something the best of his knowledge, I believe that God would overlook that and save him anyhow, 'cause he didn't have... Remember, back in the days of Wesley, back in the days of Luther in the reformation, those great man of God who God honored and proved that He honored them, they died in the faith (See?), with all the Light that they had.

I do believe that any person upon their faith and sincerity and walk in all the Light that they have will be saved.

Now, I truly believe with all my heart that the correct answer for this question is that the correct baptism is in the Name of Jesus Christ, and that those who was baptized contrary and in their heart, not selfish, just say, "Well, I don't want to fool with that..." Now, that person, that'll be up to them and God. But if they didn't know any different, I believe that they're saved. I--I believe it with all my heart, because they didn't know any different.
We could stay a long, long time on that one, but we try to get to all of them if we can. [Matthew 28:19]

152. Would you please explain Hebrews 6:4 and 6, and also explain Hebrews 10:26-39? Please explain whether this refers to the Holy Ghost people or the sanctified people; please explain the difference.
Well, let's see where the person's referring to, Hebrews 6 and 4. I love Bible questions that just--it pulls out something in you that you get--you get something that you wouldn't get otherwise. Because you--you got what the other people's thinking, what's on their heart (See?), and you know what they're doing.
Now, there's Hebrews 10, and here's Hebrews 6 and 4. All right.
For it is impossible for those that were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
And have tasted of the... word of God, and the power of the world to come,
If they shall fall away, to renew themselves again to repentance; seeing that they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Now, that's one. Now, Hebrews 10:26. All right, Hebrews 10 and 26.
For if we sin wilfully after... we... receive the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin,
But a certain fearful looking for the judgment... the fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversary.
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
... how much more sore punishment, suppose ye, shall he be worthy--though worthy, who has trod the--under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and... done despite to the works of grace?
[Hebrews 6:4-6], [Hebrews 10:26-27]And have tasted of the... word of God, and the power of the world to come,
If they shall fall away, to renew themselves again to repentance; seeing that they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
Now, that's one. Now, Hebrews 10:26. All right, Hebrews 10 and 26.
For if we sin wilfully after... we... receive the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin,
But a certain fearful looking for the judgment... the fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversary.
He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
... how much more sore punishment, suppose ye, shall he be worthy--though worthy, who has trod the--under foot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and... done despite to the works of grace?

Now, Hebrews only tells the punishment that follows this rejection. It's one of the horriblest things in the world is to reject Christ, is to reject Light of the Scripture. [Hebrews 6:4]

Now, you notice they never had come to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. See? They was enlightened to it: "And tasted of the heavenly gift (See?), but were made partakers of the Holy Ghost (by tasting of it), and have tasted of the good Word of God, (part of it. See?) and powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew themselves..." [Hebrews 6:4]

Now, to put these two together to make the question for you, let's take a Scripture and a person in the Bible that did this, and then we can find...
Now, all the church today is the antitype of the type, We know that. There's a type and a antitype. Now, when Israel was on their journey from the land of Palestine--from Egypt going into Palestine, was a type of the church in the spiritual today on it's journey to the promised land... You all agree with that, don't you? All the theologians agree with that, that that was the type.

Well, did you notice just before they got to the promised land (See?), before they were to enter into the promised land, which would only been just a few days, ten or eleven days, maybe not that much, 'cause it was only forty-something miles. They would've went right on into the promised land; they'd come right up through the--the year--the every--every stage of the journey that we've walked. And they come over, crossed over the Red Sea; Pharaoh's army was drowned behind them. They were free from their enemies, started through the wilderness, and got to the edge of the promised land at Kadesh-Barnea, and there they failed. Why? Why did they fail?
Now, Moses said to the ten tribes; he said, "He'll send a man out of each tribe to represent each tribe, to go spy out on the land to see what kind of a condition it was." [Numbers 31:23], [Numbers 14:8], [Numbers 13:17]

That is the Promise. The promised land is to live in this land of Holy Spirit. That's God's promise for the church, is to live in the power of the Spirit. It's another world; it's another land. You have to come out of the conditions that you been in, to come out to live in this promised land, to receive the promise. Remember the promise, "You shall receive power from on high, after this, the Holy Ghost is come upon you..."?
And Peter said that the promise that was made all down through the Testament, Old and New... You--you find promising on up, on up to that day of the Pentecost, and then they entered into the promise. [Luke 24:49], [Acts 1:8]

But now they were going over into the land, and they had a bunch of grapes that was so big that took two men to pack these grapes. And these two went over into the land and had come back and give every one of them others on the bank a taste of these grapes. What did they do?
When they went back, instead of rejoicing because they had a taste of the grapes, instead of that, they went back to their tribes and said, "Oh, but we have seen the great walled-in cities of the Philistines, or the Hittites, and the Perizzites," and the--they--and all the different 'ites' over there. "Why," said, "they are giants. Why, we look like little grasshoppers up the side of them. We can't take that land. Why did you ever bring us out here anyhow?" See? And the Bible said that they all perished in the wilderness, every one of them; they died. What did they do? They were borderline believers. They come up to the real thing, and saw the promise, and felt that they wasn't able to go over and take the promise. [Numbers 13:23, 28, 33]


And there they stayed. Why? Now, all those people were looking at circumstances, but Joshua and Caleb was looking to what God said: "I have give you that land; go get it."
And that's today; the people say, "Oh, if I be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, if I receive the Holy Ghost, if--if I would speak in tongues or prophesy, or if I would testify or shout in my church, they would put me out." Go right ahead.

In other words, a man comes through justification; he goes, says "I believe I want to preach the Word." He gets saved; he said, "I'm tired of sin." All right. Then he goes out, and first he still smokes, and maybe he lusts or something. After while he says, "God, this is not becoming to a Christian, especially a minister, to look upon women in the wrong way, to smoke cigarettes," or; "I do take a sociable drink of beer with the fellows, but--and even my congregation, but it don't seem right. Sanctify me, Lord." And then the Lord sanctifies him, takes all that lust away from him, everything. Then he's a sanctified vessel. Then what God presents to him is the baptism of the Holy Ghost. To do that, he has to come out of that bunch he's with. There's where he shows his color; then he backs down. What does he do when he backs down? He tramps the Blood of Jesus Christ that sanctified him, as though it was an unholy thing, not able to take him over there. Then it's impossible for him to be saved. And then what does it was? But on to the fiery indignation and the judgment.
I hope that's clear. If it isn't, why, you let me know at another time. I got so many of them here, I... [Numbers 14:6], [Numbers 13:30], [Hebrews 6:4]

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

Be a shepherd, a true shepherd. "Feed My sheep." Lamb's is the little ones, of course, and sheep is the adult. So both young and old, feed the flock of God. See? And feed them with the Word. The Word (You see?) is the Truth. Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Is that right? So then, if man is to live and they are the flock of God, this--the church, then they are to thrive upon the Word and Manna of God. This is His Manna. [John 21:15], [Luke 4:4]

We can't say, "Well, two weeks ago I had a great experience of God." What about right now? See? Every day, fresh, a new blessing, a new something coming from God, the hidden Manna coming down from God out of heaven, Christ. And we feast upon this Manna which is Christ, and He sustains us through the journey till we reach the--the land on the other side. [John 14:19], [Matthew 28:20]

Feed them Christ from His Word. See? Take the Word of Christ just exactly the way it's wrote here and give it out to the sheep. No matter what anybody else says, "Oh, they need a hamburger." Don't you believe it. Here's what they need right here. This is It. See? Give them This. This is sheep Food. That's what makes them grow. The Holy Spirit, this is His Word, His commission. The Word is a Seed. The seed brings forth a plant; the plant we eat. Now, this is what brings forth the plant that the Holy Spirit thrives upon, is the church. It feeds... It--it--it feeds upon the church, the Holy Spirit does, rejoicing in the Presence of God, because that the people is believing His Word and letting Him work through them, giving them the very things that God promised them that they would do. And God sees His church growing, therefore the sheep's being fed, and the Holy Spirit's being glorified. See? That's it. "Feed My sheep." All right.
Now, if that's not all, why, you let me know a little later. [John 21:15]

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

It's just like if you speak with tongues, and there's no interpreter in the church, why, you're not supposed to speak in the church 'less there's somebody to interpret the tongues. But if you speak in tongues, and there's no interpreter... Why, use... you... Wherever you're in prayer at your home or wherever you are, speak then, because "He that speaketh in unknown tongues edifieth himself." It gives him consolation. See? He feels good, because he is standing there praying and the first thing you know, the Holy Spirit come upon he or she and they begin to speak in tongues. And their soul was rejoicing and happy, because they--they spoke in tongues. See?
Why, that was--that wasn't just a sign that God was going to answer the prayer that you was praying for, but it was a sign that the Holy Spirit's hearing you. It's a--it's... He knows you; He's with you. That's the same thing I would apply to this. The Holy Spirit's giving you a--a blessing. [I Corinthians 14:4]

And I was praying, my heart so burdened; I--I couldn't go to church like that. And see, usually sometimes He gives me a vision show me something's going to happen, but He didn't do it then. And I was just praying away in the room there, and I heard someone talking. I quit praying. I listened, and there's somebody at the door, they was... Sounded like a foreign language, like German or Low Dutch, or something; it was so fast, chattery. I listened again, and I thought, "Well, somebody's come up there talking to that motel man in German; maybe he'll answer him back."
And I just quit praying, leaning over a chair like this, listening, and he just kept on talking. I thought, "Well, wonder why there's somebody don't answer back." And I listened; I thought, "Well now, isn't that strange."

So I went on to the church then, called Billy. And when I got to the church... Mr. Baxter then was the manager of the meeting. And he was a--been singing, waiting. I was over half-hour late. And I told him that I was just late.
And--and he seen I'd been weeping, and he said, "What's the matter?"

The doctors had give her up. And on the road over... They told her the least little bump, she'll go into a hemorrhage, and that's it. And she went into a hemorrhage. And they had taken her out and had laid her on a grass plat. And the saints were standing there praying over the woman. And she was just... Every time she'd breathe, just gurgling, the blood would blow out of her mouth, like that.
And all of a sudden, she was instantly healed. And she jumped up from there and started rejoicing, come on to the church. And there she was back there testifying, back in the back.
I said, "What time was that?" And when she gave the time, of what time it was, it was the very same time that that speaking was going through me. Well, what was it? It was the Holy Spirit making intercessions for that woman there. See what I mean?

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


155. Brother Branham, is it not Scriptural that women should not speak in the church?
He's got two questions here. That's true. That--that is true. It's not right for women to be ministers and--and speak in the church. That is right: I Corinthians the 14th chapter.
Of course all of the church here, you all know this. And this may be a stranger in here this morning; I don't know. But it's not right for--for women to--to be a--to minister. That--that is true.
I'll just read it to you here, and you--you can find out. And then you'll--you'll know: I Corinthians the 14th chapter I believe. I'll get it just in a minute, if I can find it. Yeah, here it is.
Let your women keep silent in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. (Now, the law didn't permit women priest and so forth back in them days. See?)
And if they will learn any thing, let their ask their husbands at home: for it's a shame for a woman to speak in the church.
[I Corinthians 14:34-35]And if they will learn any thing, let their ask their husbands at home: for it's a shame for a woman to speak in the church.

Now, they wrote him letters (You see?), after they'd begin to speaking with tongues and got great gifts working among them. Well, these women thought they should continue on their ministry.

What? came the word of God... from you? and came it from you only?
If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
But if... he be ignorant, just let him be ignorant.
If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
But if... he be ignorant, just let him be ignorant.
Now, in otherwise, the women... Now, if you'll take the history to this letter (See?), of the church, these women thought that they were... continue on with their ministry just as they was a--of the priest to the goddess Diana. God is not a woman; God is a Man. And there's only really one, and that is a man. A woman is a by-product from a man. Man was not made for woman, but woman was made for man. See? If you'd just open up your spiritual understanding. You, see? See? [I Corinthians 14:37]

She was not to be ruler. When she first started that, she caused the whole human downfall. See? Oh, and even it was a... She was the cause of the fall. And then God taken her up and brought life back into the world through Christ by the woman. But nowhere was a woman ever permitted to--to be a minister in the church. [Genesis 2:22]

Now, I know I've seen some women that were real preachers (They could preach too.) like Aimie McPherson and many of those women there. But just put your hand on them just for a little while. See? It's not... I know people who could speak with tongues this morning setting right in this church. If there was no interpreter, they'd be daresn't to do so. See?
You got to remember; them women was borned under a certain line, that when they are... Your birth has a lot to do with it. It's your name, your--all about you (You see?) has a make up to it, no matter what it is, [I Timothy 2:12]

When they wrote over and said, "Why, the Holy Spirit told us." (See?), Paul said, "What? came the Word of God out of you? And came It from you only? If any of you all--if you got any prophets over there, they'll acknowledge that what I say is the commandments of the Lord. (See? That's right.) But if there's any man shows he's--he's--he wants to be contrary, if he wants to be ignorant, just let him be ignorant. (See?) Just let him alone and let him go on (See?); don't do any contrary to it." But remember, she's not supposed to speak in the church.

That's the reason I command the people to be baptized over again in the Name of Jesus Christ. Paul did that, and he said, "If a angel from heaven come and taught anything else, let him be accursed." And this is what's already taught here also. If any man comes... If a angel come from heaven and said, "Let the women preach and be preachers, ordain them ministers." the Bible said, "Let him be accursed." This is the commandments of the Lord here. [I Corinthians 14:37], [Galatians 1:8]

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

Each human being male and female have a different type of gland. A female has a female gland, sex gland. A male has a male gland, sex gland. And those glands lay in the human lips. That's right.
And here's another thing might be brought up, men kissing one another in the mouth. That's dirty. That's filth. And what does it do? It starts homosexuals. Stay away from that. You say...

Nowadays, we shake hands with one another. If you want to... You got your arm around your brother, and kiss him on the neck, or he kisses you on the neck, that's all right. But don't you kiss that woman, and don't you let that woman kiss you. See? That's right. You take her by the hand, say, "Wait a minute, Sister, just a minute here (See?); let's get this straight!" And so, now you do that. [I Thessalonians 5:26]

Be a man; be a woman, like... I'm going to take up for the women a minute. That's unusual, isn't it? But they--they say, "Oh, the woman caused it. Oh, it was the woman's fault. If she hadn't got out of her place, well, the man wouldn't got out of his." That's true. That... We'll say that's right. She gets out of her place. A man can't be bad 'less there's a bad woman; but remember there can't be a bad woman without being a bad man. That's right.

And there's where the great fall begin at the beginning. It was Satan with Eve. That's what brought the whole downfall of the human race is through that.
And if you're a son of God, be strong; be a real man. If you're not that way, stay at the altar till you become that. And shun the very appearance of evil. And don't start now greeting... [I Peter 3:7], [I Thessalonians 5:22]

Women, young women, coming up and these men kissing these women. Don't you do that. Don't you... You keep away from there. You remember that. If she's young, single, or whatever she is; she'll be somebody's wife someday. And you haven't got no business doing that. Stay away from her. If you want to greet her, then be a son of God, shake her hand and say, "How do you do, sister." And let that settle it right there. See?
Stay away from those things; it's filth. And it'll soon get you into trouble. You just... Oh, that's just... Sin is so easy, and it's so appetizing, and so pleasant. It's so easy to fall right into it. The best thing to do is, the very even appearance of it, stay away from it. Get back. Be a real Christian.

You--if you want to see your brother, if you want to kiss him on the neck, well, you go ahead and do it, but don't kiss people in the mouth, 'cause that won't work; that's not right. And it only starts a perversion. It starts homosexuals and things.
And there's only two things that'll do in them things like that. If you start... Let the man... I seen... Oh, many times amongst the people, they'll come down. I've seen the churches, and the preacher'd come in, reach, and grab every sister, and hug her and kiss her, and set her down. "How do you do, sister, Hallelujah." Reach over and get this one and kiss her, go right down through the church like that. To me that's wrong.

So then we... They told us they was going to take us over for a Finnish sauna. And we went over to the YMCA. And we went over there to take a sauna. That's that Finnish, famous Finnish bath. And I'd had them before, and they were nice. But I thought "Well, we're going to... at the YMCA, so it'd be fine."
But when I started over there, the Holy Spirit said to me, "Don't you do it." Oh, it's so good to have the Holy Spirit. "Don't you do it."
Well, I just right then, I said, "I don't believe I want a bath this morning."
Doctor Manninen and them said, "Oh, Brother Branham," said, "my, there's some big glass rooms"; and said, "it's beautiful." Said, "It ain't..."

So I--I liked them real well, but Something told me not to take that one up there. Well, Howard my brother, and Brother Baxter, and all of them going up there, and the brethren, all the rest of them, you know, all talking, you know, going up. So I kinda got a little skittish, you know, 'cause the Holy Spirit said, "Don't do it."
672-142a So we went up to the YMCA, and they come in, all those men there greeting me. And, oh, they had the--the headlines in the paper, first and second page, every day, the meetings. And they were around.
I went into a little room and set down, and they all went into the room to undress. And while they were in there un--to undress, here come a lovely looking little Finnish, blond-headed girl; and they're a nice people; they're as clean, moral people as they can be. Here she come with the towels over her shoulder, started walk in the room. I said, "Hey, hey, hey. Stop. Psss." I tried to stop her. She looked around and laughed, went on in there, gave each one of them (and them men no clothes on), a towel. Each woman come down got a man, took them back in there, scrubbed them like that. I seen what the Holy Spirit meant. So then when I come back out, I said, "Dr. Manninen," I said, "How does that come, you being Christians and going in, taking those saunas with them..."
"Oh," he said, "Those scrub women, Brother Branham."
I said, "I don't care what they are. It's wrong. It's not right." I said, "And nature itself teach you."
He said, "Well, Brother Branham, they're raised up from children to scrub, just like your nurses in America, things like that; they're raised up that."
I said, "I don't care what they are; that's still wrong. Absolutely. It's male and female, and they're to be separated, and clothed from one another." Amen.
I don't want to start on that, I'd be preaching that after while, wouldn't I? All right.
672-Q-156b 156b. Please explain apostolic faith.
That's one question. There's one, two, and three questions. Apostolic faith means "the faith of the apostles." That's what apostolic faith means, that you stay with the Bible. Now, what's called apostolic faith today, many of them don't stay with the Bible. But apostolic means the--the apostolic faith, the apostolic faith of the Bible. All right.
672-Q-156c 156c... and the group that call themselves fundamentalists, are these two groups saved?
Now, I don't know. See, I wouldn't know how to answer that. Now, "Are these groups saved?" I don't know.
Explain the difference between the spirit and...
Well, that's a different question now.
Now, "Are these two groups saved?" Let me make that just a little bit more sensible to you and say, "I don't know. I wouldn't know."
Now, remember, here's my thoughts; it may be wrong. My thoughts is, that if a Roman Catholic, or whoever he might be, Methodist, Presbyterian, Church of Christ, Lutheran, wherever he is, if he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ and solemnly trusting Him for his salvation, I believe he's saved.
But, you see, the Roman Catholic church doesn't do that. They believe that the church saves them. See? Their--their salvation is in the church. Like this priest was put off the air here sometime ago for saying, "There is no other salvation, only in the church (See?), the Roman church." Now, that's wrong. Salvation is by Jesus Christ (That's right.), not by the church; but by Christ.
Now, if he's apostolic, or, apostolic and fundamentalist now call themselves...

I said, "Well, as long as Calvin's in the Bible, I'm with him." I said, "I just go to the Bible, and if Calvin stays in the Bible, but he gets off the Bible, then I just go along, believe the Bible."
He said, "Well," he said, "I want to say something to you. You told... I've heard you say that if a man was once saved, that he could never be lost."
I said, "That's exactly what the Scripture says. He has Eternal Life, and shall never come into condemnation or judgment, but's already passed from death to Life." I said, "That wasn't me said that. That was Jesus Christ said that."
He said, "I want to ask you something then." Said, "Do you believe that Saul was saved?"
I said, "The Saul, the--the king Saul?"
He said, "Yes."
"Why," I said, "sure."
He said, "Now, remember, he was a prophet."
I said, "Correctly, the Bible said he prophesied with the prophets." He had a gift of prophecy. He wasn't a prophet, but he had a gift of prophecy, 'cause he was down there with the prophets when they were prophesying. But we know that Samuel was prophet in that day, so--but Saul was prophesying with the prophets.
He said, "Then if he was a prophet, then he was saved?"
I said, "Absolutely."
He said, "Then I want to ask you something." Said, "I want to ask you something." Said, "And then you say Saul was saved, and he--the Bible said that the Lord departed from him and he become a enemy to God, and he committed suicide, and then say that he was saved?" [John 5:24], [I Samuel 31:4]

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

If you watch--if you've really got the Holy Ghost, you're saved eternally. I can prove that through the Scriptures, and we have time after time. But to conserve the time to get these questions, I might say this (You see?), that this fellow said, "Well, then what would you say about Saul?"
I said, "Sure Saul was saved." I said, "Remember, Saul backslid; I'll admit that. He backslid and went away from God, because he was greedy. He liked money." He'd brought up all them sacrifices and things, when Samuel through the Word of God told him to destroy everything. But he even saved the king, and he saved a lot of stuff, and brought it up because... See? Instead of following the Word of God just exactly like It says, you put your own opinion in it; there's where you backslide."
That's what I think about denominations and things; they backslide, because they don't follow the Word. And you show them the Word, they turn their back from It, say, "Oh, our church teaches this." That's not right; it's what God said.

And Samuel died. And about two years later, well then, Saul had got... The Spirit of God departed from him, but he wasn't lost. Sure he wasn't; the anointing went off of him. Now, watch, and see if it was now.
Saul got so far away from God till when he went to the battle... He started to go to battle. And he was worried about going to battle, and he--he asked the Lord for a dream. The Lord wouldn't give him a dream. There was no prophets in the land in that day: no prophets. Samuel was a prophet. They had prophesiers, but--so forth, but they--he couldn't get a answer from God no way. He even went down to the Urim Thummim and asked there. And the flash of the lightnings upon the Urim Thummim wouldn't even answer him. And what did he do? He crawled off into a cave where there was a witch, a fortuneteller. And this witch... He disguised himself like a footman and went down there, and he said, "Would you divine unto me the spirit of Samuel the prophet?"
And she said--she said, "Well now, you know what Saul has said." (She was talking to Saul, but she didn't know it.) Said, "Saul said all that's got familiar spirits, he must be killed."
He said, "I'll protect you from Saul, but divine unto me the spirit of Samuel."
So the witch went into her enchantments, and first thing you know, when she seen Samuel raise up, the spirit of him coming, materializing in front of them, she said, "I see gods rise from the earth." [Exodus 28:9-10, 13, 30]

She said, "You've deceived me." Said, "The..."
And Saul said, "Samuel, I don't know what to do; I'm going to battle tomorrow, and the Spirit's gone from me." He said, "I can't even get a dream from the Lord. And the Urim Thummim won't speak to me. I'm in a terrible shape."
He said, "Seeing you become an enemy of God," said, "why have you called me out of my rest?" See? Samuel said that. Said, "Why did you call me from my rest, seeing that you become an enemy to God?" And then he went ahead and told him. He said... But however, he'd tell him the Word of the Lord. And when he did... Now, remember, he'd been dead two years. See? But he said, "I'll tell the Word." He told him the Word of the Lord. Said, "Tomorrow you're going to fall in the battle, and Jonathan your son is going to fall with you." And he said, "By this time tomorrow night you'll be with me." If he was lost, so was Samuel the prophet. That's fundamentalism; you can see why it's so-called. See, see? He said, "You'll be with me tomorrow night by this time." See? Then if Saul was lost, so was Samuel, 'cause they was both in the same place. [I Samuel 28:12, 15-16], [II Samuel 1:4]


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

Now, I got to hurry, 'cause we're just getting a little bit late. Now, I think that--I hope that takes care of that.

Well, I believe that if the woman is a--a preacher in the assembly, she isn't supposed to be a preacher. But if she has a gift of tongues and speaks in the assembly, where there are--there are prophets and--and the gifts are gathered together, I believe she has a right to do that. Because in the Bible we find out that they had prophetesses like Miriam and them, and they wasn't--they had no jurisdiction... If I get to my little sermonette here, I'll--I'll get that in there. See?

And now, when it comes together, the things to do, is these gifted people must get together on certain times for themselves, and see what the Spirit says to them. And then it could be given out from the platform. And the people... It's for the edification of the church.

I've set right on the platform and hear a preacher preaching and see him get to a spot... My, I wanted to get up and help him so bad I didn't know what to do. And you've done the same thing; all of us do that. But what is it? That's irreverent. Set down. Regard my brother.

But I believe if the woman... The question was if the woman has got a gift of tongues and she wants to speak, I believe that when that time comes on, she has a right to speak out in the gift of tongues, but not to preach or to usurp any authority over men. When she's a preacher, of course she is over men. [I Corinthians 14:32], [I Timothy 2:12]

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

Jesus said in Matthew 5, "Whosoever puts away his wife and marries another, saving the cause of fornications (which she had to do before she was married and didn't tell him about it), causes her to commit adultery: whosoever marries her that is put away liveth in adultery." So don't do that. No, you cannot go back to your--to your first wife if she's been married again. But if you--she divorced you and put you away... [Matthew 5:32]

No, sir. Get over in the Levitical laws. You go back to that woman, she's somebody else's property. You've defiled and made yourself worse off than ever. No, you should not take a wife back who's been married to somebody else.
Now, "Could I turn to her who has been married before or should I--or should I be free?" You are free. Stay free. Yeah, you don't go back again. No, sir. She's married to somebody else; stay away from her. That's right. Don't... That defiles...?... You understand. If we had a little more time, I'd like to get into that. But just for your question, my brother, whoever you are. No, sir. Don't you go back and take that woman when she's been married two or three times since she married you. That's wrong.


Well, I think all crucifix are the same, if I'm not... I'd better look that up. But it's got I-R-N-I which means "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." See? If that's what it is, I didn't know they had any other special or something or other on. But them letters means "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." I-R-N-I, that's what's on the crucifix. All right.

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

The tenth is to be a tithing that's to be brought into the storehouse with a promise of God to bless it and a proof. He said, "If you don't believe it, come and prove Me and see if I won't do it." See? That's right.
The tithings goes into the church for the pastor and so forth like that to live on. And then the--the--the building funds and things like that is a separate fund altogether. Now, that--that is Scriptural.
One time when we get started, I want to take a night... I've went here some time ago before I left the tabernacle and taken about two or three weeks and just on subjects like that and went plumb through it and showed what tithings was in the church. [Genesis 28:22], [Malachi 3:10]

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

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

And so I would if I was in your place and didn't have visions from before the Lord, I would just wait upon the Lord and say, "Lord, now You show me what's the decision to make." And then, way you feel led to do it, then wait just a little bit, then wait a little while longer, and see which way, which side you lean towards, which way the Spirit... Say, "Now, Father, in my heart You know it doesn't matter; but I--I want to know what You want to do about it."
That's the way I do about meetings sometime. I feel kinda led to go this way or that way, then I follow that way. That's the way to do it, 'cause it's in prayer then; you're doing the best you can.


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

165. Is it possible for a Holy Ghost filled person to be driven by the--driven by the--to do minor things... influenced to do minor--minor things that he doesn't want to do?
Oh, yes. Yes, sir. Yeah, a Holy Ghost filled person... You're right in the place then to be--to be drove by these things. You just put yourself up a target. When you're down there serving the devil, he just lets you slouch around any way you want to. But you once take a stand for Christ; you've got on the other side then; he trains every gun right around on you. Every temptation, everything that could be throwed to you, then you got it. But what have you got? "Greater is He that's in you, than he that's in the world." See?
Now, you wasn't in no battle here, you was just slopping along. See? But now, you've--you've cleaned up; you've dressed up; you've shaved; you've combed your hair; you put on a uniform; you've got a gun in your hand. "Let's go." See? You're in battle, not to show off, but to fight, fight. Sure when the temptations rise, with the spirit and the shield of faith, buckle off and move on." See? That's right. Oh, put all the whole armor of God. Why do you put on a armor if you're not going to fight? All soldiers are dressed to fight, not to show off, walk out and say, "I'm So-and-so. Now, I'm a Christian. See who I am? I belong to so-and-so. Hallelujah. I got the Holy Ghost the other night. Sure, nothing bothers me any more." Huh-uh. Oh, brother, I--I believe you better go back and try again. See? [I John 4:4]


166. What did Jesus mean in St. Matthew 16:9 and 10? What do the twelve baskets and the seven baskets represent? Question for Sunday mornin
g.Let's see--let's see, Matthew 16:10. I'm not too sure just now. Let me get where it's at, Matthew 16:9 and 10--16:9 and 10. Here we are.
Do you not... understand, neither remember the five loaves or the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up?
Neither the seven loaves or the four thousand, and how many baskets did you take up? (Now, watch. Let's just take just a little bit before this.)
And Jesus said unto them, Take heed that you beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, Is it because we have taken no bread.
Jesus... (Now, watch.)... Which when Jesus perceived,... (He caught their thoughts. You see?)... he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among you, because you have brought no bread?
Do you not understand, neither do remember the five loaves and the five thousands, or how many baskets you took up?
[Matthew 16:8-9]Neither the seven loaves or the four thousand, and how many baskets did you take up? (Now, watch. Let's just take just a little bit before this.)
And Jesus said unto them, Take heed that you beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, Is it because we have taken no bread.
Jesus... (Now, watch.)... Which when Jesus perceived,... (He caught their thoughts. You see?)... he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among you, because you have brought no bread?
Do you not understand, neither do remember the five loaves and the five thousands, or how many baskets you took up?

Like the... When they crossed over the Red Sea, God opened up the way like that and made the Red Sea open like that, and walked through, he come right on the other side; and as soon as he got without water, they started murmuring. Is that right? As soon as they got without bread they started crying out, "We don't have no bread." See? Said, "Didn't you consider the miracle back there at the Red Sea? Have not you come down..." When they got--all got in a spot by the Red Sea, "Oh," they said, "we ought to have died. Here comes the Egyptians right on us now. Here it is; what are we going to do?"
Said, "Who smote the earth with plagues down there? Who kept the sun shining in Goshen?" See? We must remember those things; remember God is God. Hallelujah. Any of it, He's still God. He certainly can do anything. [Numbers 14:2]

167. Will you please explain the "Body of Christ" in I Corinthians 12:27 and the "Bride of Christ" in Revelation 2:9--9. Is the new Jerusalem spiritual here in Revel--spiritual here in Revelation? It--it--is this the spiritual discernment of the church?
No. Now, let's see if I get this first now, I Corinthians right quick, I Corinthians the 12th chapter, all right, and the 27th verse.
And ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
And then, where was the next Scripture? Revelations 2--21:9, Revelation in the 21st chapter and the 9th verse. All right, and here we are.
And there came unto--and there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, and I will shew you the--the--I will shew you the bride, the Lamb's Wife.
[I Corinthians 12:27]
Now, and the body of Christ was taken out of the body of Jesus, for we are spirit and flesh and bone of Him. See? Because we are borned into His body. And because this body here belongs to Him, yet it's born in sin, He has redeemed it. "God will raise it up in the last days, and I'll live in it for eternally." See? That's it. All right. [Genesis 2:23], [John 6:39]


168. The Bible says that everything works for the good to them that love the Lord. Then if you love God and turn back to the world, would God let you die in sin or would He let you be reconciled back to Him before He takes you away?
The lady signed her name to it, so I'd say it was a--a lady (See?), 'cause she signed her name. Yes, sister. If you are born... Now, let me get this. See, temporarily, minor, every one of us backslide many times a day. We know that. We're all guilty, every one of us; there's none of us perfected. And as long as we're in this body, we are still... No matter how much the people try to tell, "I've got sanctified; I can kiss this woman or do that," he's lying; he cannot. Now, that's all.
I don't try to say, "Lord, let me see how close I can go." It's, "Lord, keep me as far away as I can get." See? Just stay as far away as... Remember, you are still human beings. See? [Romans 8:28]

And if a--and then, if you do anything wrong, it don't condemn you and you go on like that, on out, remember, you wasn't saved at the beginning. That's right. You--you wasn't--you wasn't saved; you just had a make-belief; you wasn't saved. But when you're saved, you have a different spirit; you're a different nature. You're a new creature in Christ, and the old things has passed away, and they are dead and buried in the sea of forgetfulness. You see?
And... But being you're living here in this world here, there's traps set for you everywhere, and you're walking with your eyes on Christ. And remember, that when you make a mistake, a real Christian will always come back quickly for reconciliation. [II Corinthians 5:17]

Now, but when he turned the dove out, when she started out, whew, she couldn't stand that. Nowhere she could go; she couldn't find no rest for the soles of her feet, so she come back to the ark. And that's the way it is.

Where would you go, what would you do? Tell me what you would do if you were--if you were not a Christian. Tell me what I'd do this morning if I wasn't a Christian. What could I do this morning and my mother laying out there in the hospital in that condition and unconscious as she is and laying there, and in my heart I could stand here in the pulpit and preach, and go on the way I do, seem like I don't pay much attention to it? Because I know my mother's saved. See? I know she's saved. I know Who I believed; I'm persuaded He's able to keep that which I committed to Him against the day. [II Timothy 1:12]

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

Now, say you go out here today, and--and somebody comes up to you and say, "Hey, they tell me you're one of them holy-rollers."
Right quick, Satan says, "Slap him down." See?
"I don't know about being a holy-roller; I'm a Christian." See? And always with evil, meet evil with good. And remember, now just take this; remember this, when you meet evil with good, evil cannot stand in the presence of good. It cannot do it.

Listen, I don't care how dark the night is; it might be so dark till you could feel it; you could put you hands up like this and couldn't see a shadow of no type. The least little bit of light will expose that darkness. Certainly, that's the way life does in the presence of death. That's the way right does in the presence of wrong. That's the way faith does in the presence of doubt; it scatters it away.


And then we are the children of the Light by the grace of God. So when the Lights flashed on, we thank God and walked with our eyes open, looking at things that you can't see with your natural eye. For faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Amen. I love that.

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

I love Him, I love Him,
Because He first loved me,
And purchased my salvation
On Calvary's tree.
Now, I want you to shake hands with somebody around you now when we sing again.
I love Him, I love Him,
Because He first loved me,
And purchased my salvation
On Calvary's tree.
Now, let's just raise up our hands to Him like this,
I (Close our eyes.) love Him, I love Him,
Because He first loved me,
And purchased my salvation
On Calvary's tree.
Because He first loved me,
And purchased my salvation
On Calvary's tree.
Now, I want you to shake hands with somebody around you now when we sing again.
I love Him, I love Him,
Because He first loved me,
And purchased my salvation
On Calvary's tree.
Now, let's just raise up our hands to Him like this,
I (Close our eyes.) love Him, I love Him,
Because He first loved me,
And purchased my salvation
On Calvary's tree.

This old building here that we worship in this morning, no matter how much we fix it up, someday it'll drop, but the God Who lives in the building is eternal. We're coming to face You now, Father, to give thanks and praise.
And for these questions upon the people's hearts, we see that they were wondering whether they should do this or that. And, Father, I trust that in every tender Christian's heart that the answer was some way that would make them understand what was Truth. Grant it, Lord. And if I failed, then forgive me. I didn't mean to fail, because it's Your children, and they're asking those questions. And I--I want to give them all that I know, Father, like if You were standing right here to judge me by what I said.

And we hear what He said, "It's not meet for Me to take the children's bread and give it to the dogs."
Oh, God, seemingly what a--a flat refusal, and not only that, but to call her a dog. But instead of being arrogant about it, very sweetly and humbly she said, "That is true, Lord." Because it was truth. She said, "It is true, Lord, but the dogs will eat the scraps that fall from their master's table." That's what done the work. She was willing just to take the scraps that come from the children's table. And, God, that's our attitude just now. We are willing to anything that You want to do with us, Father. We're in Your hands. [Mark 7:27-28], [Matthew 15:26-27]

There are those among us, Father, this morning who are sick and needy. They're going to pass through a prayer line. May they not come and say, "Well, I don't believe that You can do me any good. I--I..." Lord, may that not be the attitude, but may they come remembering that God said, "These signs shall follow them that believe. If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover." You promised it; You said so.
May they come with holy reverence, believing that as soon as prayer is made and hands have been applied to them, then may the Holy Spirit come upon them like this dear sister that wrote the question, said, "The Holy Spirit almost slew her mortal beings with such a tremendous baptism of His Presence."
May that be the--may that be the effects upon everyone that comes this morning, Lord. Grant it. May they be healed. May they come knowing, knowing without a shadow of doubt that You promised it and You cannot lie, and as soon as light strikes in, darkness and doubt flees away. Grant it, Father. We commit them to You now as we pray for them in Jesus' Name. Amen. [Mark 16:17-18]

The great Physician now...

Now, what are we doing? We are coming to anoint the sick and to pray for them. Now, let me quote the Scriptures to you. "If there be any among you, sick, let them call the elders of the church, let them anoint them with oil and pray over them. The prayer of faith shall save the sick, God shall raise them up. They that did any sin, it shall be forgiven them. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another that you may be healed."
Now the rest on this side, when you desire, as soon as you get below that line there, that place, that aisle, you just drop right in behind. Now the elder here of the church will do the anointing and prayer. I'll pray and lay hands on the sick. And now, remember friends, you that is standing in the prayer line, this is the moment to prove that you believe what you're standing here for. You got to get well.
I believe with all my heart, that's what held my mother all this time, (and her an old woman) is because that I believe. Until He tells me... that she may be dying, but till He tells me, I'm believing she's not dying, see. And now, I know she's got to go, and she's old enough to go, and wants to go, and trying to go. But yet I'll--I'll believe He would tell me. Now I believe He'd tell me, see. Now He may not. I don't know, I don't know that He will, but I just believe He will, see. But so far He said nothing to me about it. And I believe it. And if you...?... [James 5:14-16], [Mark 16:18]

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

So I pray that You will heal the people these handkerchiefs lays upon. Grant their requests to them. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I ask it. Amen.

And we just, for a moment, let's just think of how great He is, and what He's done for us. What could we have done without Him? How we have seen Him, just not one thing has He ever told us through the... He had give me visions. And I bring you to question, this morning, have you ever seen one but what He fulfilled? Just exactly what He said He'd do, right at the moment. Then He's God. Then He's our Father. He loves us. And wherever His heaven is, we know we're bound to go there someday. We know He's present here now. We realize that.

Now, what do we do now? Now, when you're prayed for like that, then God promised to heal you. Then right now you may not feel a bit of difference, but He never... That--that isn't it at all. See? We believe it anyhow. [Romans 4:17]

But because, you see, you've got to look at those things that you don't see with your eyes. You see it with your heart. You believe it, and you testify to those things that you don't see, but what you believe. Because it is faith. "And faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." [Hebrews 11:1]

That's the way you win a loved one, is by being loyal. Being loyal is the way you win loved ones. Stay to your conviction. Be sure that you're right with God, and then ever remain there. Just stay right with it. Nothing can ever move you from it if you'll just stay right with it.


Do you love Him with all your heart? Isn't He wonderful? What could we do without Him? Now, just what could you do? Could you tell me anything that would be greater? If you can show me something greater than that, then I'll--I'll--I'll sell out what I got, and long for that that you show me that's greater than This. Yes, sir. This is the greatest thing that I know of, to know with the assurance that we are saved, to know that the very God that made the heavens and earth would humble Himself and come down and dwell among us, and do for us.

Tell me, in the word of science, tell me in scientific way, how that anyone could foretell something that would happen in the years or times to come, before it happened. Show me the power, that where it would be, that would foreknow it before it happened. Tell me any human mind that could drop back through anything that you want to, and show me any way that you could see something and foretell something that happened just the way it--it does. See? There isn't.

We know that we have passed from death unto Life. We know that we have salvation. We know that we are Christians. And we know that we're going to heaven, because God made the promise, and here He is moving right along with us in--in a way that we see Him. [John 5:24]

And we can see Him in the sunrise. We can see Him in the sunset. We can see Him in the flowers. We can see Him in the... We can see Him anywhere, because that we have passed from the lower elements of this earth-bound condition, into this high element of the glory of God, so we can see His beauty.
A few days ago, when I was up on this trip, up in--in on the Alaskan Highway, when I went on a hunting trip, I was back there wondering, "Why? Why?" Watch how--how real God is. Now, there's sick people everywhere, but yet God knowing.

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




You don't know what that means till you have to come to your own family, down to that. You see? To know Him is Life. To know Him is the satisfaction of knowing that when this life's race is run, we got a home beyond the skies yonder. What it is, I don't know. I don't know just how to tell you it would be, 'cause I don't know, myself. But I know that someday by God's grace we'll journey over there.

And now, Brother Neville, our precious pastor, come up here. How I certainly... There's--there's no one here but home folks, you know. We're just all what we call home folks. I appreciate Brother Neville's stand for this Gospel truth. I appreciate his loyalty and sincerity before the people. And the other day when he was speaking, I had never noticed it, but while he was under inspiration, giving prophecy, he called me a prophet, under inspiration. That wasn't him calling me that then, that was the Holy Spirit. So that give me courage and faith to move on, deeper depths and higher heights with God. I appreciate you, Brother Neville. God ever bless you. And till I see you again, God be with you.