E-1 Good evening, friends. It's a privilege to be here tonight and enjoying this wonderful musical feast, enjoying these songs when they're sang with real enthusiasm. I was watching Jimmy; I believe it is, and if we could just be as enthused about all the things of God in our own life as Jimmy is in the emotion of them singing, we would get somewhere. I really appreciate that boy, his father, our good friend.
I want to ask a question. These ladies that sang this, "I'd Like To Talk It Over," is that the same group that sang many years ago when I was here? Is that the same? I have tried everywhere to find that song. In my dark hours of trials, I've tried to think that, "I'd like to talk it over." Jimmy Maguire, did you get that on tape? I hope. See? Have you got it on a record? And if it is, I want it. And I've tried to think that. I think that, "He'll love me when my path was so dim." See? And I--I certainly enjoyed that beautiful song of Zion.
E-3 Now, I understand, I'm not sure of this, but I believe that this same group is going to be singing at the Business Men's convention, I believe, Sunday, next Sunday. I think that's right, if I didn't misunderstand it, two o'clock next Sunday. So you like this kind of singing, why, they'll be over there to sing for us again. We ought to carry them down to Tucson tomorrow night and let them sing down there. I--I'm sure it'd be a blessing to the people.
Now, tomorrow night is the Tucson chapter. We're going to be at the Ramada Inn tomorrow night down in Tucson, which you all understand that Phoenix is merely the outskirts of Tucson. See? We're certainly glad to have you all as fellow citizens of our great economy of Arizona. Now, we're on the hill; you're in the valley; so, remember, about two thousand feet higher than you are. You see? So this outskirts of the city, we're certainly glad to be here fellowshipping with you tonight. So remember tomorrow night and the main spot of Arizona will be the--the chapter's banquet. And then the next night we're here at, I forget the name of the church now; it's Southside Assembly. And then Wednesday night we're at Eleventh and Garfield, I believe it is, Assemblies of God there, for... And then Thursday starts the convention.
E-5 Now, you're so nice and we've had such a wonderful time this week of fellowship, and all these churches all up and down the Maricopa Valley here. And the Lord has certainly blessed us exceedingly, abundantly, more than I expected Him to do. The places have been crowded and packed into the yards, and the people standing, and a great fellowship around the Word. The ministers has visit. I've noticed the pastor, Brother Outlaw, I've seen him in every service we've had, far as I can think of. And others have just come from one church to another. That's the way to do it; I like that, fellowshipping one with another.
E-6 As old Brother Bosworth, that's been in glory now three or four years, he said to me, "Do you--you know what fellowship is, Brother Branham?"
I said, "I think so."
He said, "It's two fellows sharing one ship." So that--that's right: two fellows in the one ship. So we're...
I'm glad, looking out over the audience tonight, seeing friends here that I haven't seen before, that's come all the way from Kentucky and Indiana, around up in Ohio, setting around here, visit us. We're certainly glad to have them in tonight. Maybe been in the other meetings, but at larger buildings, and just haven't noticed you. So the Lord bless you real richly.
E-9 And now, I am going to just stay a little while. I've got to drive the family back tonight, and we're to be ready for the meeting tomorrow in Tucson, so we're going down tonight after service. That's just about a hundred and twenty-five miles, and a long stretch of desert, and I'm sleepy and tired, so I will try to let you out.
And now, I said this morning, that as I brought that prophet to the top of the hill, I... That was last night, wasn't it? And this morning we was speaking on something else. But I don't mind you being late for the--for your work, and I don't mind you miss a day now and then, but don't miss Sunday school (See?) so we want you at Sunday school.
E-11 Now, tonight before we approach the Word, let's approach the Author by prayer. I want to say just before that to this lovely little choir, these children of God, I certainly appreciate them, their fine singing. And Brother Moore slipped out on me. I was going to turn this service to him. But he--he slipped out. I just see his lovely wife setting here. So let's bow our heads now for a word of prayer.
E-12 Lord Jesus, we are coming again tonight, first, to give thanks to You for all that You have given to us. And above all that You have given us, that Eternal Life stands out, for we know that we shall meet again; no more on this earth, in the earth that is to come. Now, bless Thy Word tonight. And we thank You for how You have blessed the singing. I pray, Father, that You'll continue to bless the singing, the songs and the singers, the pastor of this church, its co-pastors, and also the deacons, trustees, and all that it stands for. Bless them, Father.
We pray that You'll bless the Message tonight, these few words that's been selected out. We pray that You'll add the context to it, and will give to us of Thy blessings. Heal all the sick and the afflicted. May men and women tonight catch the vision, understand what God's program is for this last day. That's all we need to do, is just get into His program, and then other things will take care for themself. He taught us that way, and we... He said, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness; all other things shall be added." So let us come back tonight, Lord, to the Kingdom blessings, to the Kingdom program, and learn of Thee. For we ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen.
E-14 Now, I'm just a teeny bit hoarse from much speaking. And I know it's warm in here, and I feel sorry for all who are standing, especially those ladies that's standing around the walls, out into the vestibule, and I'll hurry just as quick as possibly, just as quick as I can. And while I'm reading or speaking, just remember, the omnipresent God is always here present. And as a brother said about the epileptic of the last time we were here, God can heal cancer, paralyism, whatever it is. He has already done it. If He can just get you to believe that... See? You're not saved tonight; you been saved; you were saved nineteen hundred years ago. And now, maybe tonight you'll accept that salvation, but it's already paid for; the debt has been cleared up. And the Devil that put you in the pawn shop, Jesus came and redeemed you and opened up the doors, and the only thing you have to do is walk out and claim your liberty. That's all. You have a receipt from God that the debt is paid. Jesus said in His last Words, "It is finished." Every redemptive blessing was completely finished. God's great wrath on sin, when He became sin for us, it was--the debt was settled.
E-15 Satan has no more power, only as he can bluff with it. If he can bluff you into it, all right, you'll have to have it. But legally he has no power at all; every power he had was taken from him at Calvary. That's where the price was paid. He is nothing but a bluff. If you want to listen to his bluff, well, all right. But you don't have to; you are free tonight. He has made you free.
And now if something in the Word can make you realize that you are free by His grace, or if something, realize, and the Word makes you understand, or some act of God, that it included you, it includes us all, then you just accept it on those basis, and you're free also. You don't have to feel any different; you don't have to feel anything at all. It's not based upon... Jesus never did say, "Did you feel it?" He said, "Did you believe it?" It's faith. That's our--that's our--our faith, is--is an arm, a mighty arm that holds the sharp two-edged Sword of God. And that sharp two-edged Sword will cut every promise free, if that arm of faith is able to yield that Sword. Some people has very weak muscle trouble and they can just maybe cut off a little scratch, enough to join a church. Others can come into justification. Some can go all the way to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. A great strong arm, holding this Bible, can cut every promise free. That's right. So be strong in the Lord.
E-17 Now, I wish to read tonight from a little context that I--I've wrote some notes down here. It's found over in the Book of Judges, of the 16th chapter of Judges, 27th and 28th verses, to draw for a context what I wish to say.
Now the house was full of men and women;... all the lords of the Philistine were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport.
And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee,... strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O Lord God, that I may be... once avenged of the Philistines of my two eyes.
E-18 May the Lord add His blessings to the Word. If I should call it a text, I'd like to take this for the next few moments, "Lord, just this once again." "Just One More Time, Lord."
There was about, as the Scripture says, about three thousand Philistines looking down from the high galleys of the stadium, as the pair entered the great stadium or coliseum: highly honored warlords, their fine jeweled ladies, as they set in this place. And the announcer said that, "Samson enters the floor."
E-20 They must've raised up, moved up a little closer, stretched, as it were, their necks, to get a good look. And what could they see but a mass of human flesh, a man that was once the great warrior, being led, blindly, as he was, led by a little boy that led him out into the floor. All day long, the halls echoed from wall to wall with the revelry of drunken women and men. What a sight it must've been. What a hush must've come over the building when this man, led by a little boy, an arch enemy to them, come walking out in the floor, with no eyes, had to be led by a little lad. A man that'd been such a gallant man, a man that'd been the warrior that Samson was, and then had to be led by a little boy out in the floor. And a man that was a servant of God, brought into this condition, into this place of drunken revelry...
E-21 It was a great celebration for their god Dagon, the fish god that had gotten the victory over Jehovah. Let's stop a minute and let that penetrate: celebrating a victory over Jehovah's host. Dagon, the heathen idol, the fish god of the Philistines, that God had hated, and here they was in their drunken brawl, celebrating victory over God's servant being conquered. What a terrible thing that is to think of. I'd like, if it was possible, to stand still a few minutes and paint a picture of that. But just imagine it in your mind, if you would've had to stand and look on something like that. Then I'm going to bring the picture right back to you.
E-22 Just imagine, all day long, drinking, celebration, fine-dressed women, men, warlords, warriors, great men of the nation gathered in this new building where they'd put up a new idol to the fish-god, giving him honor and praise for the victory over Jehovah's servants. Now, to make it worse, here come the leading man, the messenger of the day with his eyes punched out, led by the hand of some little boy, to bring him out into the stadium. The lad led the stumbling blind out into the place, and I can hear a whisper from the--the great massive man standing there like a great machine, but totally helpless. God had raised him up for a purpose. Sold his birthrights, and here he stood, a mass of machinery with no strength in it, led around by a little boy. But no doubt in my mind, that Samson had thought of all these things. When he'd lost his strength, he'd thought about what had happened. His vow had been taken from him, and he'd surrendered to his enemy. And they, in returns, had took his sight from his eyes. And he said to the little lad, "Lead me to the post where the column that the building is set upon, just lead me over to this post."
E-23 And think of it. They had him out there making sport out of him, entertaining that drunken bunch. What a reproach that was. What a disgrace that was. What an example that is. To... It's puts me in the mind of a defeated nation that's morally decayed, as Samson stood by the side of this column, making sport for the enemy. Humiliated and broken, what a condition he was in: a s--very gracious symbol of a fallen nation, a morally corrupted nation, a fallen church that's sold its birthrights, fallen into moral decay, and surrendered itself to the enemy. A public example, though you was raised up to serve God, but a fall away into moral decay gets you in that condition. What an example that was.
E-24 I can just hear all the warriors around, all the ladies with their beads and bracelets and fine jewels, and so forth, said, "So this is Samson? This is that mighty one that you've talked about. This is that man that you said the spirit of the great gods lived in. This is the man that could take over our nation, you talked about, but look at him now."
What an example. What a lesson it ought to be to us. What a solemn thing it ought to be. We should not just approach this as just a--come together to have a good time in a celebration. We come together to see where we are standing, to see what's happening to us.
E-26 And I could hear, and Samson, no doubt, could hear from one side, the other one, of people who had heard about him. "Well, and so this is Samson."
I wonder today if the enemy can't also, at this time, say about the same thing about our Pentecostal move.
Just to speak the name Samson, they would all get nervous, because he was anointed servant of God. He was born with a Nazarite gift, and they knowed that there was nothing could stop that Nazarite gift as long as he held it. He was God's chosen man of the day, God's chosen messenger of the day. Many of them thought what this must be. Many of them remembered him. Many remembered, as they looked at this helpless creature standing there with his arms around the post, blind. Making fun of him, hitting him with whips, saying, "Come on out, Samson, you great strong man. Do something about it. You who are so strong, where is your God?"
E-29 If that isn't just about the way that the enemy likes to do when he can get you down. But he's daresn't to try that as long as the power of God's operating through the Church. He's--he'd be afraid to do that when the Nazarite blessings is upon you. But if he can see you whipped, that's when he makes fun of you. That's when he can say there's no difference between them and us; they're just the same men like we are. But when there's something different, something outstanding with Jehovah's blessings on it, then they're scared to say anything. Long as they can see that power of God working, the Devil's got sense enough to keep his mouth shut. But when he knows you're defeated, he turns every devil he can, loose on you.
E-30 That's the condition that Samson was standing in. Let's just think, as I can see the warriors, some of them old veterans with scars on their faces, as they looked at Samson standing there, hopeless and helpless, they remembered of seeing him stand one time with a jawbone in his hand, and a thousand Philistines laying dead at his feet. And now a little boy's leading him around by the hand. They could remember how they questioned in their council, when the news was brought that a man, a mere man took the--an old sunburnt, roasted jawbone of a mule.
E-31 And now, many of you has taken the history of the Philistines. Those armors that those men wore, the helmet over their head was almost a inch thick with brass. And their coat that they wore, they were great mighty men, with great laps of half-inch brass up-and-down their body, to cover it from a long spear coming, or a--a hard strike with a two-edged sword that would have to knock them off their feet.
Now, how could a man, just one man, with a thousand around him, armored, and dressed warriors with spears, those big helmets that only the eye showed through, how could a man take a jawbone of a mule and beat down a thousand of them at one time? Why, the first lick with that old brittle jawbone, would fly to pieces on one of those helmets. They knowed that some supernatural strength, when he struck that warrior on the head, the thing dented in and killed him instantly. Right hand and left hand, he struck, and every time he struck, the power of God struck with it.
E-33 It doesn't take what we would think, a great thing; it only takes a--a hand that's completely anointed with the Holy Ghost, with God's power, to strike down any enemy under any circumstance.
And how those warriors remembered, "Could it be possible that we got the wrong man?" some of them might've said. "No, that's him. I can just see his statue; that's Samson, the one who served what he said was the true God. But his God sure has forsaken him."
But they were wrong. God had not forsaken him; he had forsaken God. And I think that's about the way with the people tonight. It isn't God has forsaken His church, it's the church has forsaken God and His Word. That's what's the matter.
E-36 Notice, many of them remembered. The group that stood over on one side, said, "I can remember when Delilah took and bound him with ropes that was even a horses couldn't pull apart. And when we come upon him, how that they was like little threads; he just broke them to pieces. And here he stands defeated."
And another group could remember one night down at Gaza, how that they penned him in, but he still had the anointing on him. And they tried to pen him in, and shut the gates on him. They said, "Now we'll pounce upon him." But the Spirit of the Lord returned to him, and he picked up the whole gates and walked up on the hill with them.
When a man is in the line of duty for God, there's no gate, no nothing can stand in his way. The Devil tried to fence God's man and people in one day with the Red Sea, but he went right on through it just the same. When as long as a man is in the service of God, as long as the anointing and blessing is upon him, he shouldn't fear nothing, because He's promised us He'd be with us, and nothing would bother us by no means.
E-39 But this is an example what happens when God, His long-suffering finally wears out with you. Now, He's long suffering, but remember, His patience has an end. Now, Samson was doing wrong the very night they had him down there, but finally God got enough of it. He couldn't correct him. My prayer is that, God, never let this Pentecostal church get to a place to where God's patience is wore out with you. He'll send messengers, as we've taught this week, rising up prophets down through the ages, foretelling His Word and bringing His Word back, and then you continually walk away from it. You'll find yourself blinded too, powerless, helpless, defeated, and I'm afraid that's where we're getting to. See, Samson fell for glamor. The very thing that the church today is falling for, glamor. What a pity it is to see these things happening.
E-40 Yes, when they tried to fence in the power of God, they found out that they could not do it. Samson picked those great big iron gates up that would've weighed tons, walked up on the hill with them, and laid them down. Certainly, nobody was going to take after him; they know better.
And when a man comes in the anointing of the Holy Ghost, and with the Word of the Lord, with THUS SAITH THE LORD, you'd better have better sense than try to attack it, 'cause you'll find there's a hand of the living God, and It's heavy.
E-42 But we find out that there was another group there that one day seen him on his road down, and a lion run out on him and roared. And a lion is a dangerous animal that can kill a man within a split second, four or five of them, just one rake's all he needs. And this lion, being disturbed, and they noticed the action as they watched the lion. And the lion, probably disturbed and was angry, and he flashed out after Samson. And there he stood, helpless. But all of a sudden...
Oh, He's a very present Help in time of trouble. All of a sudden... Why can't you sick people think that tonight? Why can't you who are afraid that somebody will say something against you, something about you? They said it about Jesus. All of a sudden, he was a subject to the power of God. And each one of you, through confession and faith is a subject to all the powers there is, both in heavens and earth, to come upon you.
E-44 Samson, while standing there, the power of God come upon him, and the lion made a jump for him; he just caught him by the mouth and ripped him open with his hand. And could that man that would do a thing like that... Here stands the same man, defeated, helpless, and blind.
And I can almost point you to a church like that: helpless, defeated, and blind, rejecting the promises, rejecting the Word, a church that Christ promised that would have power over sickness. "In My Name they shall cast out devils," taking up a devil and casting him away, and the blessings that He promised His church. And because the church has turned from prayer meetings, and from sincerity, and made the religion of Christ a tradition, and has took all the strength out of it... Glamor come into our churches, and she stands just about defeated. Oh, my.
E-46 There he stood, all stripped of power by a woman, just because his eyes went wanting, because some immoral Jezebel set up a system to conquer the servant of God.
May I say this with reverence, there has been formed a system of Jezebel that's conquering, bringing them all into a federation, all the denominations, Pentecostals and all, into the World Council of Churches, which is no more than a trap of the Devil to take away from you what you got. Then she'll laugh at you: stripped of power by that woman.
E-48 Pentecost a few years ago, no more than fifty years ago, stood out. The people stood different. They come out of--of different groups of worldliness, because of their worldliness, and stood out as an example. And God has took that church, and today it's one of the most powerful churches in the world. But the thing that she's doing, she's turned right straight back around and went back into the same conglomeration that she was called out of. And when she begins to do that, her power is taken from her. Where do we get the all-night prayer meeting? Let the preacher preach till about one or two o'clock in the morning like they used to do, he'd be preaching to empty seats; they got to go home and see "We Love Susie" or somebody on certain television cast. Now, that's the truth. Why? "Where your treasures is, there your heart is also." Our treasures ought to be in the Word. The Arizona people are prospectors; you ought to go digging awhile, see what's for you.
But there stood Samson, defeated, stripped by a woman. All of his powers was taken from him because he surrendered himself and gave away his secret to a woman.
E-50 Now, as soon as we got big enough that we could get off the corner and get off the little mission somewhere, we're trying to build churches that's bigger than the next fellow. We want to outshine the Methodists, the Presbyterian, Baptists. That's not your purpose. That's not why you are what you are. God already had that. He didn't raise you up for that. He raised you as an example that He might place His power in you to show forth His glory.
But just let a few Rickys get into it, and they'll twist it around and go out after the floweredly things of the earth. Most all congregations wants some little boy for their pastor, that's got cute curly hair, and you think that he knows more about it than anybody else. But let your body get sick once, and you don't want one of these little doctors that just got out of school, if you're going to have an operation and have your heart operated on; you want an old man that's gray-headed, that's had some experience. What the church needs tonight is the old fashion Gospel that's been proved to be the power of God, not some of these little Rickies that our seminaries are hatching out. You know that. That's where we're at tonight; that's the conditions we're in. You had no business going into such a mess anyhow. You started falling right there, and you've never come back, and you won't as long as you keep on going.
E-52 Did you ever think, while those Philistines was wondering about Samson, did you ever think what was going through Samson's mind? What do you think was going through that man's mind? I believe he was thinking while he was there, yet total blind, never to have his sight again, he was thinking about all the great victories that God had give him. There he was, thinking of the days that was, what they used to do.
And that's just about the way man is, as I said here sometime ago. Man is always thinking back what God did, and looking forward to what God will do, but ignoring what God is doing. See? Look what He's doing now. We know what He has done. And He's sending to us and trying to stir us up again, trying to bring us back to the path to His Word, and proving It by His a-vindicated Word. And we just set, sleep, go home, say, "What did he say? I hate to go hear them carry on so long."
E-54 That was coming in his mind, what we'd call his heyday, back when he was in the Spirit of the Lord, when the Lord answered his prayer. Even before he prayed, as long as he lived for God, God was right on the time. He didn't have time to think about, "Well, now, I got to pray through now and see if these thousand Philistines..." He knowed that God was with him; there was no condemnation, so he just grabbed the first thing he had in his hand, went to beating. That's right. He didn't wait till he got a Bachelor of Art, or learn how to duel; he just took what was in his hand and started slugging with it.
E-55 But today we've learned how to duel all the creeds, and everything like that, and fuss and fight; we don't get nowhere. We're a bluff, like it was in the days of Goliath. Maybe God will send us a David who don't know the creeds, but only knows the power of God that's been tested and tried. There the whole church was standing, defeated, because some big fellow was crying out, "The days of miracles is past." But it didn't work when a man of God come up there, little bitty, stoop-shouldered, ruddy-looking fellow. But God was with him; he'd had an experience.
And they said, "Take this here creed of our church, go out there and meet him."
He said, "I've never proved that thing; I don't know nothing about it." Come to find out that Saul's ecclesiastical vest didn't fit a man of God, so he throwed the thing off and took what he knowed was right.
And, today, we don't need a Bachelor of Art, or--or some doctor's degree to get into some church or something. The only thing we need is the power and the resurrection of Christ in our lives to take God's Word, with the love of God in our hearts, that we're sure that God will answer what we ask for. "He'll withhold no good thing from them that walk up before Him rightly."
E-59 Now, he thought of his great days, when there was great days. The church tonight is thinking back about fifteen years ago to a revival of Divine healing, of the victories. Now, and he's also of God, and His people who had failed. That ought to be serious enough, that Samson would stop and think that he had failed God. He... It wasn't God's fault he was defeated; it was his own fault. And of--the people, God's people, he was raised up to preach the Gospel to in his strength, and by flirting with this flappered woman, immoral woman, he had lost all the strength that God had give him.
So has it been with the church. God raised the church up to be a lighthouse to let out His powers, to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils, live holy, preach the full Gospel, manifest it, but we begin to creep in and let down the bars.
E-61 We took the wrong example. The women acted like the pastor's wife. He let her go haywire, cut off her hair, wear any kind of sexy clothes, never rebuked. And the other women say, "If Sister So-and-so can do it, I could too." Don't make that your example. See? God told you what to do; stay with that.
Now, then when you do that, you fail God and you also fail His people, failing His people. When you fail them, you fail God. God set you there to be a watchman, and when you see sin creeping in, instead of cutting the thing off, they entice it. "When all the presbyters gets together, we're going to have a--a certain thing, we're going to vote this certain doctrine out of the church, of Divine healing. We--we don't like it." Then you go to voting against it. Oh, it's, that's the way it happened.
E-63 The Methodists, you Methodists used to have Divine healing in the churches. Presbyterian, Lutheran, you had it long ago; you used to have shouting and joy. What happened to it? You got a bunch of little eighteen-hundred-and-something Rickys that took the thing to glamor, and away it went.
And you Pentecostals has done the same thing. That's right. And now you stand just as defeated as them, all organized up, "And us group, we believe this. And if you don't belong to us, you're going to go to hell." And what are you doing, arguing? You ain't getting nowhere. God's not showing Hisself any favor to you, 'cause you stand just as defeated as the rest of them, because you took the same route they did. Exactly.
E-65 Now, he was a prisoner of the--of the nation that he was raised up to destroy. Here stood that mighty man of--standing there, a prisoner of the very nation that he was raised up by God to destroy.
I don't want to hurt you, but I hope it helps you. And here comes the Pentecostal church that God raised up, pulling out of organization, where it got them to, and now you're a prisoner of the same clan. Now, you know that's the truth. And then let somebody say something against it, you're ready to throw them out. It's almost blind leading the blind.
E-67 And anyone knows that the Pentecostal church, fifty years ago, was rebuking everything that would organize itself. You were brothers and sisters, and you lived the time. And you talked about the modern church and its fashions, and the women the way they acted, and the fashions that they did, and the men, and the letting down of God's Word. And God called you out of it. And you turned right back around and went right back into the same thing that God called you out of. And the very reason God raised you up to be that, you stand tied to the post of some denomination; just as defeated as Samson was, with your eyes punched out, to the Word, and everything else. That's right. It's too bad. God raised you up to defeat that thing, and you've joined up with it.
E-68 And Samson come right around and married a woman, married right into the thing that God pulled him out of. And the church, Pentecostal church, turned right back around and married into the thing that God pulled him out for. Can't deal with a group; God deals with an individual. It's always been His policy. Two men has two different ideas. God gets one man in His; that's all He has to have, one man. That's what He's trying to get today; He's trying to get you in His hand; He'll take one here and one there. It'll never be a group, so just get that out of your mind.
E-69 When you organize, right then you lose your--you lose your birthright. I want to ask any person, when did you ever see a--a--a man raise up with a message of God, and as soon as he left the earth they organized it, and as soon as they organized, it died and never did come back again. There's not one--one text of Scripture nowhere, not one bit of history, not one verse in history, that--that shows that any organization, or any group of people that ever organized, they lost their spiritual power and never come back again. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... and not an house of the living God, spiritual thermometer forty below zero all the time. That's the way it is, "Form of godliness, denying the power thereof, from such turn away."
E-70 God, in those days, always raised up someone who would blast that thing right off its foundation, and take the little group of church that was left, and take it on to victory. He'll do it again. He doesn't change; He's God. God ever says anything, He can never get a better idea. Remember, that's our confidence. God made a way for man to worship Him under the shed blood in Eden; He's never changed it. He can't change it. If He did, He's got a better idea than He had the first time, so He can't have it. He's always the same way. God always raised up a nation, that's got off took a man and stood him out there and brought the Word of God to him, and condemned the whole thing, took from there and went on. He'll never take an organization and do it. He'll take you if you'll just listen to Him, surrender yourself.
E-71 Yes, the very thing that he was borned in the world and empowered to do, he stood a prisoner of that same thing. They had him doing tricks for entertainment, entertain them, tricks. Oh, my. Let a--a woman lure him from the Word of God. The Word of God was a secret to him. It was a Nazarite gift, and he should never tell nobody that. But he got to let the lure of a woman.
And that's what's happened to us today. We've took in things in our church that wasn't Christians. There is no church that's setting out saying there's no hypocrites in that church. The whole makeup is full of hypocrites and all kinds. That's right. But I'll give you this assurance... Now, that's in a lodge. You might belong to the Methodist lodge or the Presbyterian lodge, but you can't belong to the...
E-73 You cannot join the Church. You can join a lodge, but you can't join a Church. You are borned into it. And when you are born into that Church, there's not a hypocrite in it. Everything in there is saintly and holy, for you are dead, and your life is hid in God through Christ, is sealed by the Holy Ghost. The Devil couldn't get you if he had to. He has to come the same route you did, and then he'd be your brother. See? So you can't do it.
But you can join the church with anything, just to get members, decisions. As I said last night, all we hear today... It seems to be the great rally today, is "More members, more members." Charts, "We beat them." Give them a gift because they brought somebody else in for Sunday school, proselyting. And what is he when you got in there? What did he hear? Some little painted-up Jezebel talking about her dates the night before, or some--some little literature hanging on the wall. And you know that's right. And the Pentecostal's sliding right into it. Let somewhere else make up your literature, what you teach it.
The highest thing in the church is an elder, not a bishop, not some presbyter or something. God deals with the elder of that church. Now, he gives his church his message, and what they have need of.
E-76 Yes, let a woman lure him away from the Word of God. So have they done it today. How did they do it? "Well, now look, I'll tell you Brother So-and-so. Now, you know, them people over there, they do that, they watch this." That's not your example. Christ is your Example. He said, "I've given you an example." Let Him be your Example.
Thing--same thing to the churches, that's just exactly what they done, let Jezebel, the mother of harlots, Revelation 17, do the same thing, bring her right back into that same old swing, now blinded of spiritual things that's going on. Oh, you don't think so, but you are. Don't tell me. I been crossing back and forth across this nation for the past fifteen years. Blinded... Spiritual thing, see God come and do just exactly what He said He would do in the last days, say, "Well, I tell you; I believe that might be all right, but the--the ministry behind it's not of God." How can God bring bitter and sweet water out of the same fountain? It's not there.
E-79 Yes, blinded to spiritual things and the Word of God, went back to the very same hole they was pulled from. Pentecostals was born out of organization, and men took them back in organization. Pentecost is an experience that organization can't stand, because it's a personal experience with each individual. That's right. Now, look at them standing, defeated, whole group. Ministers, can't have them in their church 'less they got a seminary experience.
One of our great Pentecostal moves, the other day, they have to take their missionaries before a psychiatrist to find out if his IQ's high--high enough to be a missionary, one of our great organizations, see if their IQ's high enough. God never had nothing like that. He said, "Wait up there until you're endued with power from on high." Then you got your IQ, what it takes to do that. They don't examine them by what Jesus said to test them by. They test them by their own intellectual conceptions, IQ for a missionary. God didn't say give them some intellectual power, but He said, "Ye shall receive power from on high." But we're getting away from It.
E-81 Remember, the Roman Catholic church was first the Pentecostal church. That's exactly right: A.D. 33. But because that Rickies got into it, weeded its way through there, the celebrity, the first thing you know, at the Nicaea Council, it adopted this plan and they organized. The thing died. The real prophet lived on to his time out. Nearly a thousand years, it went through a dark age. That's what God showed, the condemnation on the whole system at the beginning. That's right.
Ministers go through seminary, "I got a Ph.D., or an LL.D.," before they can even pastor a church, show a fellowship card. Nonsense.
E-83 The prophet of the Lord walked out of the wilderness, and nobody knowed where he come from or where he went to, but he had THUS SAITH THE LORD. God proved it. He wasn't in none of their organizations. That's God's system. That's right.
Seminary ministers, what did they do? Worldly-dressed women, wearing shorts, bobbed hair, and men with not enough spirit about him to condemn it.
Any man, let his wife do that, needs a good Gospel whipping. That's right. She proves herself dishonorable, and you admit it. Any man would take his wife out on the street with those little old trousers of a thing on, they walk out here with, so tight the skin on the outside, and walk down the street like that, absolutely a disgrace to humanity. To me it shows there is a lack of something inside. It shows an emptiness.
E-86 If you want to look pretty, get a little of Acts 2:38, a little James 5:14, mix it all together, little John 3:16, and--and all this, and mix it up together, that'll be cosmetic enough for you.
Max Factors, I see where there's a hundred million dollars, hundred billion dollars spent every year just on lipstick or something, one of them things; and missionaries on the field, starving; and you say, "We are the church of..." Why, it makes me ashamed. We go into all this glamor, big things. What's you doing? It shows that you've taken on the spirit of Jezebel: empty.
E-88 I heard a minister the other day, a fine man; I like him as a man, belongs to a certain organization, lives in across the river from us, and he had a radio program. He just come back; he was talking about these here women that's wearing all this here blue stuff, and--and stuff over their face.
Well, I was scared to death the first one I seen. I was in Los Angeles and I was waiting for Brother Arganbright, a Christian businessman. I seen a woman walk up, I thought, "Poor girl." I--I'm a missionary, I've seen leprosy and I've seen pellagra. I never seen nothing like that. I was going to walk up and ask her if I could pray for her. Come to find out, here come another one up the same way. I don't blame you trying to look your best, but really be a human about it. Right. That's right.
E-90 This man said they made a prettier world when they made that stuff. To me it made a bunch of heathens. And any woman does it, shows there's something lacking in her, a emptiness that ought to be filled up with Christ. And any man will let his wife do such a thing, it shows he's empty too. That's right. And any preacher will stand for it in his church, shows he's got a emptiness also. And any organization will stand for it, shows that they're dead. That's right. Back to the Bible.
There stood Samson, a victim of such stuff, as an example to us, great man. Oh, my, how they let him do it. As Samson thought of the errors, thought of the things that he'd done, and how he'd failed God... I wonder, does it ever dawn on people, when you hear such messages against it?
E-92 Wife said to me the other day, said, after somebody had bawled me out, said--said, wrote me a letter, and said, "Billy, why don't you keep off them women about their bobbed hair, and their way their..." Said, "People believe you to be a seer. You should teach the women how to get great spiritual gifts, and leave that go."
I said, "How can I teach them algebra when they won't even learn their abc's?" See, see? Certainly. How can you do it? Such a conglomeration of sin, the mark of it shows. Anyone knows that paint is a heathen trait. I'm a missionary. Heathens paint. The Indians painted their faces here in Arizona before they knowed God. If they ever knowed God, you don't have to tell them no more about it; they take it off. Shows they're at war with God. When they take it off, shows they're at peace with God.
E-94 We call ourself a Christian nation, call our people Christian people. I stood in Africa one day where the Lord had brought back to health a man that was so deformed, the little cross-eyed boy, and the things that He'd did there in about fifteen minutes' time. And I asked, "How many," out of two hundred fifty thousand that I was speaking to at Durban, "will receive the Lord Jesus?" And they raised up, about thirty-something thousand.
They said... I had fifteen interpreters, they said, "They meant physical healing."
I said, "I meant salvation." I put it through the interpreters again. I said, "All that understand me..." They were packing little idols sprinkled with blood, buckeyes, every kind of a superstition, lion claws. And I said, "You that believe and want to get away from your superstitions and serve the God that's able to make this man whole, standing here as you've seen Him done today, and even put him back in his right mind, if you want Him as your Saviour, show your sincerity, break your idol on the ground." It was like a dust storm.
E-97 And standing there, women who were stark-naked, besides a clout that hung in the front of them, all up in their waistline was naked. And I said, "Raise your hand and pray a sinners prayer, and say, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner.'" And I said, "Upon the same grounds that you stand on, raise up your hands now and accept Christ's baptism of the Spirit. Some ministers here will baptize you in Christian baptism." And when they raised their hands, them women who didn't know right and left hand, come in there perfectly naked, but when they walked away they even folded their arms to get out of the presence of the company. One minute's time with Jesus Christ made them know they were naked.
And today, year by year, we strip more off and take more off. And, oh, I never... And then call it God? What's done it? Your organizations that permits you to do it. That's right. The system that you was raised up to clean yourself out of, you brought it right back in again. I hope I don't sound sacrilegious. I hope I'm... It isn't sacrilegious; it's the Word of the Lord. Certainly, it is.
E-99 Now, now, we find out that while Samson stood there looking over his error, looking what had been done, in his inner conscience, that he had--he had failed God, he'd failed God's people. And there he stood as an example, thinking back what he was and thinking now what he was. And when he did that, he cried out.
Oh, if the church tonight, would stand still a minute and look back to the day of Pentecost, look back to where we started from, and realize the condition that our creeds and fussing has got us into and cry out again... Samson cried, "Lord God, revenge my two eyes." If we could cry that same penitent cry, "Lord God, these things has had me blind all these times." He knew there was a price to pay. You know it now.
E-101 Meda, my wife, said to me, she said, "You go back across the nations, back and forth all the time, preaching, you go right back, the people just doing the same thing. And what good does it?"
I said, "In the day of the judgment, there will be a tape recording on God's great tape." You're not ignorant of these things. God will blast it across the skies. He's got to have a Voice there to condemn the world by, and the Voice is the Gospel.
"Revenge me, Lord, of mine enemies. Revenge my eyesight. They poked it out, Lord, and here I stand." Samson also knew there was a possibility that God might once again hear him. Even in his conditions, there was a possibility. Oh, church, there is a possibility, regardless of all they're doing.
As we hear today, so much, "So many made decisions, decisions." "Decisions" means "a stone, a confession." As I have said before, what good does a stone do if you haven't got a stone mason there with a sharp Word to cut that stone into a placed stone for the building? What good does it do to make decisions if you still let the women and the men remain as they was, and just join the church? It's a pile of stones that's not shaped into nothing. What we need is a stone mason, a man with the Word of God, a vindicated power to prove that God sent him, to shape that Church and cut off the worldly things, and shape them into the stones of the sons and daughters of God that go into His building. Certainly right. Oh, my.
E-104 He knew the possibilities though, that there could be God would hear prayer. If we could only do that tonight... Jesus said, when He was here on earth, the... John 14:12, "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also." Jesus said, or the Bible said in Hebrews 13:8, that was quoted awhile ago, "Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever." And we call this denominational life in us the Life of Christ, and do the things that we do? "Why call ye Me 'Lord,' and keep not My commandments?" See? "Why call ye that?"
Oh, if you haven't got five members in your church, get the truth to it. A possibility... the same now, a possibility... But they of today don't seem to catch the vision like Samson did. They don't seem to get it, think, "Well, I'm pretty well settled down. Now, we have good churches, and we haven't got none..." See?
E-106 The Bible said, "That rich, Laodicea church age would have need of nothing, and not know that she was naked, blind, miserable, and don't even know it." Now, if you seen a person come down the street that was naked and blind, and you could tell them that they were in that shape, they were naked, they had to get somewhere and get hid, well, it'd be--there's a possible that you could bring the person off the street. But when they turn around with not mental powers enough to know it... But now the church hasn't got spiritual power enough to know it. Naked, miserable, blind, wretched, poor, Christ on the outside, knocking, trying to get in, and yet you say you have need of nothing.
I know that's foreign to some of you, but it's God's truth. The Word says so. They don't catch the vision. You can tell them about it; it just goes right off. Maybe right then there's a little conviction; tomorrow it's all forgotten about; they go right on back to their card party, and all their stitch-and-sew, and--and belong to all these things, and that's all forgotten about.
E-108 God can do something another for somebody, and, "Oh, well, it just happened." See, the Devil's just got their mind so poisoned up with the things, till they don't know where they're at themselves. Set tight. Oh, they can clap their hands, and holler "amen," dance in the Spirit. That don't mean one thing. I've seen heathens do that. That's right. Have great gatherings, oh, you say, "We still have revival, Brother Branham." Uh-huh, what kind of revival? You have church gatherings.
E-109 It was down in Kentucky, we used to call it, "Protractive meetings," and that's about what it does, protractive. And they come far from attractive from the Gospel. That's right. Yes, they say, "Oh, we had a meeting. You know what? We got Doctor So-and- so to come in the city, and we had thousands. All the churches cooperated together." What did we do, we have a revival? Bring the people back to the Word of God, and God go to work in the church? What did we do? We have a bunch of getting together, and glittering with worldly tinsel, that's exactly right, scholarship, Hollywood showmanship.
Oh, you say, "That's the Baptists."
That's the Pentecostals. Right. Up on the platform, women jumping and dancing in horrible-looking, with little old tight dresses on, that, I--it's a shame. I can't even find words right now. It's a shame. Man setting there, hollering, "Glory to God. Hallelujah." What kind of a spirit have you got anyhow? You think Jesus would shout at such as that? He'd condemn it. You think Isaiah raised on the scene, Jeremiah, Amos, one of those prophets of the Old Testament rise on the scene like they did, and see the things they seen going on, how they cried out against it, said, "The very God that you claim to serve will destroy you." He'd say the same thing today. Certainly would.
E-111 That don't mean a thing. Showmanship, we got too much Hollywood, but it don't bring the Spirit and power of God down. Might bring enthusiasm, but it don't bring power of God.
They're not willing to pay the price. Samson prayed right. What did he pray? In closing, I might say this, "Lord, let me die with the enemy." That's the trouble; they don't want to pay the price of dying. You got your own-self worked up into a community, into a bunch of people that you associate with and play cards, stay home and watch programs, eat "tater" chips and drink cokes. The church sets empty. That's right. Make you sign a card, you'll come six months out of the year to Sunday school. Such manmade enthusiasm. What you need is the Holy Ghost. Oh, you say, "I got It." You sure don't act like it. Yes, sir.
Let the preacher preach an hour or something another like that, you're ready to call the trustee board and throw him out. That's right. Oh, you--you want to eat your cake and keep it too. Can't do that. No, sir. You got to surrender yourself. You got a price to pay, got a cleaning up to do. And I tell you, the whole church world needs a cleaning all the way from the pulpit to the janitor's room. That's right. It's the Truth. Not willing to pay...
E-113 But Samson prayed right when he said, "Lord, let me die with these Philistines." He had failed, but, "Let me die." You must be ready to die to the enemy that's got this victory over you. You must be willing to surrender your own ideas. Samson was willing to pay the price to get--to get the power of God again.
Wonder if you women are willing to let your hair grow out? Wonder if you men have got enough courage to tell her that? You're supposed to be the head of the house. She's the neck; she turns you. That's contrary. Do you think a shaking revival would ever take these women out of these public offices, policemen on the streets and things? She ought to be in the kitchen. You think you'd ever be able to get her back to that again? No, sir. She'll never do it, 'less she gets saved; then she'll do it. You won't have to tell her nothing about it; she'll find her place; the Holy Ghost will lead her to her place. But say, "The Holy Ghost is leading me"? To that contrary to the Word? Don't call that the Holy Ghost.
E-115 Are you willing to pay the price? That's in a... Pentecostal church, are you willing to pay the price? That's it. You see what kind of a shame we're standing in. All right. Samson, willing to pay the price to get the power of God again. Oh, I hear some of you say, "We got revivals though, Brother Branham." But what do you get after you get the revival?
E-116 Billy Graham said in his message, Louisville, Kentucky, when I set it--with him at the breakfast, he stood up there, and took the Bible and he said, "This Bible is God's way of doing things." How true that is. But then do it, is the next thing. He said, "Paul went into a city and he made a convert; he left that convert there, one convert in a city. Next year he went back, and that convert had thirty or forty converted and brought into Christ." He said, "I go into a city, and what do I do, have thirty thousand conversions, decisions." Said, "I come back within a year, I haven't got thirty." He said, "What's the matter?" Then he pointed to preachers, said, "It's you lazy preachers, set with your feet up on the desk and don't go visit the people."
E-117 Now, that was a whole lot of truth in that. That's right. But it wasn't all the truth. Like the man eating watermelon, he said, give him a bite, the old darkie, and he said, "Oh, that was fine, but surely there's some more of it." And that's right.
And here's what it was. Who was me to say to that great evangelist, who was me to speak a word to a man like Billy Graham? Far be it from me. That's God's servant. I wouldn't speak to--about it unless he would ask me, and maybe I could say something. But I'd like to have said this, "Billy, what lazy preacher kept his feet up on the desk on Paul's conversion, the one he had? Wasn't a preacher in the country. What was it? Paul never left him on a decision. When he made his decision, he stood there with the Word of God and cut him into a son of God, then you couldn't keep him still."
E-119 That's what's the matter today, all these decisions needs to be cut down to sons and daughters of God. Clean up, and get back to the Word and back to the Gospel. Certainly, that's what we need.
Yes, we have a revival today, but what is it? It's a denominational revival. The Baptist had a slogan, "A million more in '44." What'd you get? Was at a church where they was having a revival, they said, and they had to let out to give intermission for fifteen minutes, for the people to go out and smoke between Sunday school and that. And the pastor smoked also. The Bible said, "Cleanse yourself from all unclean habits." Now what are we going to do about it?
E-120 Well, you say, "It's not right." The Holy Ghost, when He comes, He'll teach you all these things. See, certainly did.
And somebody said something about Divine healing, and they claimed it was in another day (See?), pointing off to what was. "Maybe it'll be over in the millennium." What do you need Divine healing in the millennium for, when you're immortal? Today is the day. This is the day.
Say, "Well, we have revivals." Look at the moral decay in the church. Look how corruptible it's getting every year. Look at our Pentecostal groups, how it's fallen. Shut your eyes and think of it fifteen years ago when I was here, then look out and see what you got today. You know that's the truth. It's a sin and shame. That's right. Getting further and further away from the Word of God all the time.
E-123 Samson knew his backslidden conditions. He knowed he couldn't have strength to meet the challenge of the hour, though he was there. All of his machinery was there. The same muscles that could take the jawbone and beat down a million Philistines, the same muscles hung on the same man. The same shoulders that could pack the gates of Gaza up on top of the mountain was still them same muscles hanging on him. Oh, I could say something here. See? But he knowed that he couldn't meet the challenge of the hour.
So does the church know in its immoral corruption, we'll never meet the challenge of the hour. Communism's taking the whole thing over. And what are we trying to do? Find consolation by joining up with, yoking up with these people, denominations who don't even believe in Divine healing and the power of God. How can two walk together unless they be agreed? We yoke ourselves up amongst stuff like that, and then expect God... We say, "Big numbers." God don't notice big numbers. God looks for character.
E-125 I said Eliezer sweated it out till he found character in Rebekah. Then he had to get her dressed up, ready, let her stand still and listen at his message. The trouble of it is, today, when you find character, it's hard to make them stand still long enough to put on clothes and get dressed up. That's right. Some little Ricky's done pulled them off in some other direction. That's right. But there, Eliezer sweated it out.
E-126 Now, Samson knew that he did not have the strength, though he had the muscles. And we've got all our machinery. We've got the great district presbyters; we got all the bishops; we got the archbishops; we got the popes; we got the hierarchies. We got all the machinery. We got the builtest--biggest buildings and most of the money of the earth. What good does it do us? It's a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. That's right. But we know we're not able to meet the challenge of the hour.
E-127 Today, in Russia, communism is taking the world. What's the matter? It's somebody that's got the audacity to stand up under convictions, though it's wrong. Only one percent of Russia is communist, one percent. Ninety-nine percent is still so-called Christianity, free, but they haven't got the IQ of the Gospel. They haven't got what it takes, though they got the money and they got all this, but they haven't got the courage and the grace. What God needs in Russia is one man anointed with the power of God, with the power of the Holy Ghost.
E-128 Samson knowed what he needed. We might turn the whole America back, and every one of them go to church; we still haven't got it, got--hasn't got what it takes. The disciples didn't have it till they went to Pentecost. Jesus told them they didn't have it, after being preaching for three years. Still they needed It. The church needs It. That's right.
Notice, Samson knowed that he was in need; he wasn't sufficient. The denominations can't produce it. They don't vindicate the Word; they teach it against It. Yeah. You know, but Samson realizing that, that he was insufficient in himself, though he had all his regime, he still was insufficient. Watch him. The Philistines gloating over their victory, they never noticed him turning his head upward, his lips moving back and forth in prayer, the tears running down out of the sockets that he once had eyes in. They didn't notice that. They just... They was having too big a time. He wanted God to manifest Himself again to this Jezebel. Oh, if we could have some Samsons to rise. Oh, church. Not a new denomination, start another creed or latter rain, we need the power of God. That's right.
E-130 He was aware what would happen if God ever answered his prayer, but he was ready to face the issue. He was in dead earnest. Oh, if the church tonight would only stand in that condition, in dead earnest, knowing that you're going to have to give up everything you hold dear in this world. If men and women are ready tonight to know that it's going to separate you from everything of the world. Ministers, they're going to quit packing you on the back and telling you, "Doctor So-and-so, it was marvelous, will you go swimming with us this afternoon?" Take the bunco games out of the church, and the races, and almost lottery. Bunco is lottery. And all these soup suppers to pay the preacher; get back to God's system of tithing. Come back to the Word. Are they willing to do it? No, sir, they were not. You know what a price it takes. That woman will call you old fashion again. God will call you blessed.
E-131 Are you willing to die? That's what's the trouble of it, you want to stay alive to Hollywood, the same time be alive with God. It won't mix. A seed... Jesus said, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone." You'll never bring forth anything.
Oh, Jesus' Name church, what a glorious church, what a glorious Name, Jesus' Name. Are you ready to die? Are you Assemblies of God, General Assembly, are you ready to die? Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, are you ready to die out to your enemy? Are you willing to pay the price of sacrifice, really, sincerely? Not just come and say, "Well, I'll give it a try and see how I come out." You're not ready yet. You must be ready to pay the price, and die.
E-133 You fathers, you mothers, are you ready to establish an altar in your house, and take that television out? Are you ready to take that deck of cards off the table? Them comic books that your children's reading, preparing their little mind for a blast that the Devil's going to give them. Are you ready to establish the old family altar again? Or do you just want to continue on the way you are? If you want to continue on, you're not in condition of coming yet; but I pray that you're like Samson, you see the price and you're ready, "Lord, let me die with them."
He knowed if God answered his prayer, what was going to cost. Many people, I've seen them right since I've been here, come up to the altar, and the Holy Spirit come to them, and they don't want to die. They want to stay alive in the world. You can't serve two gods at the same time. Are you ready to forsake everything to serve God? Listen at him cry, "Lord, only this once more."
E-135 Is the Pentecostal church, the General Council, the Assemblies of God, the Church of God, all the rest of you, willing to pay the price? Are you willing to say, "Once more, Lord. Here I stand. I didn't have the audacity, the very Christian spirit to shake hands with my oneness brother, or my trinitarian brother. I didn't have the audacity to do it. I didn't have the grace to do it, when I see where it's got me to, broke up in organizations and disfellowshipping, with a congregation so poisoned against one another that they hardly speak to each other on the street, when we're molded into one clay by the Holy Ghost"?
E-136 Are you willing to cry out, "Once more, Lord, let it happen"? If you are, God will sure hear your prayer. Watch when that man, with all that fiber standing there, his great regime, but he was still blind. He knowed the price; he knowed the possibility; and he said, "Once more, Lord. Once more avenge me of my eyesight." When he made that prayer, God answered it. Every fiber of his body begin to tighten up; the Spirit begin to come on those muscles. Oh, if we could have the Spirit to come on our Wednesday night prayer meeting, on our Sunday school, feel the fibers of the muscles of God's power tightening up, where the Holy Spirit could come in--not in a mockery, but in a genuine Spirit to reveal the secret of the heart and to straighten up the sin that's in there, cast out the evil.
E-137 As his fibers begin to tighten, "Let me die with them. I was born to destroy them; let me die with them." And his fibers, his muscles tightened up, his great huge muscles received strength, the Holy Spirit begin to move upon him, and he twisted that rock with his mighty power, and down she went. All we need is a sincere prayer, "Once more, Lord."
When we ought to be in the promised land, we're still wandering around in the wilderness. Like Israel, wanted a law, something they could do. You can't do nothing about it. Accept Christ. We wanted a doctrine, something that we could puff up ourselves by, and get a different class of people from the other fellow. See where we got? Blinded. All right.
E-139 Down went the great denomination. It's always been that way when God comes in, the other things fall. Then was Samson's greatest victory. Oh, I wish I could see the Church of the living God stand tonight, "Once more, Lord. Once more. Send us a revival if it costs me everything. If it costs everything I got, send me a revival. Send it upon me, Lord." Hear this group of about three hundred people or more, here tonight, cry out with one voice, "Lord God, once more let me see Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. Let me know that He's near me. Let me know that He's here to take care of me. I am willing now."
E-140 Oh, give over, the whole enemy was destroyed. Pentecostals stands at that post tonight. Things that you were born to destroy taken it over. Repent, call aloud, "Lord, once more; once more let us see it."
Let me say this, my friend. You better destroy your enemy before your enemy destroys you. Bring back the old fashion prayer meetings, old fashioned repentance, when they stayed to the altar until they was dead and finished with sin. You never seen a woman go to the altar and die out to sin, and next day come back with bobbed hair, paint on her face. There's no such. The Holy Spirit teaches, nature does, nature of the Holy Spirit. You never seen women going out and dressing sexy, come in and try to cover themselves up. You never seen men that was afraid to stand up and afraid his little wife would leave him or something another, because he took the initiative. Well, men were men in them days. They spoke; they were men; they governed their house. They were the head of the house. But this fancy American...
E-142 I just learned from a little Greek scholar, setting here looking at me now, come over from Greece, a scholar in Greek, and he begin to play my tapes and he watched the message. Said, "I know that you haven't even got an education, but, Brother Branham, your words and your Message run perfect with the Greek interpretation of the Bible." Said, "It's exactly right. What you said is exactly right." And he come to me, he was telling me, "The Laodicea means 'woman' in Greek." This is a woman's world; it's a woman's church; it's a woman's age. Several men wanted to... When did God ever get in that condition? Yes, are you ready to bring back a revival? Are you ready?
A woman said, "I have a right to do what I want to do. That's my American privilege." It's your American privilege; it ain't your God-given privilege though. A sheep... A goat will always kick up a fuss, but a sheep stands still and forfeits its rights. See? If you're a real child of God, you'll forfeit your American rights to the Holy Spirit and let Him mold you and make you like you should be. "Once more, Lord." Oh, my.
E-144 Oh, church, leave Hollywood Delilah; she's going to kill you. She's choking the spiritual life out of you. Leave her. Your Hollywood showmanship on the platform, your Hollywood, your tinsels, our meeting has got to be so it's just got to be all in the great big like the rest of the world, got to be in the biggest churches. An evangelist come to town, you have to promise him so much money or he won't come. How ridiculous. Shows where your treasure is, your heart's there. Turn wholehearted to God and to His Word, and let's cry out, "Once more, Lord. Once more, show us Your Presence."
E-145 Jesus said, "A little while, and the world (That's 'cosmos,' I believe there, brother.) the world order won't see Me no more, yet ye shall see Me (the believer), for I'll be with you, even in you, to the end of the age. The works that I do shall you also. More than this shall you do, for I go unto My Father. He that believeth in Me, the works that I do shall he do also." Not make-believeth; but believeth. Oh, church, we--Jesus is not dead; He's raised from the dead. He's right here now. If I didn't have that support, I wouldn't say what I say. I know He's here. And He proves Hisself here. He's always here to vindicate His Word. If He stood here tonight, what would He say? He'd come right back to the Word again, saying the same thing that He did say.
Now, you say, "Was that Jesus talking?" Well, if it wasn't, I sure wouldn't want to say it. Certainly. "How can it be proved?" Bow your head a minute.
E-147 Heavenly Father, Your servants can speak all they desire to speak, and we might bring Truth ever so clear to the people, but still it's merely just an emotion. It's still just the lips of a human being speaking to congregation. Lord, You're supernatural. And wherever You are, there's supernatural signs; there's miracles performed, things that cannot be explained. When You were here on earth, You walked up-and-down among the people, You healed the sick. A woman touched Your garment one time, and You turned around, and said, "Who touched Me?" You did not know, Yourself. "Who touched Me?" But the God that was in You, You knew the secret of the heart, because the Bible says, "The Word of God is stronger and sharper than a two-edged sword, a Discerner of the thoughts of the heart." And You looked down, the little woman couldn't hide herself, and You told her her faith had saved her.
You said, "I do nothing till the Father shows Me first. The Father worketh, and I worketh hitherto." If You were here tonight, You'd do just as the Father showed You to do.
E-149 I pray, Lord, that You can bring this church once more, Lord God, this people that's made up here tonight of all different churches, Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Pentecostals, and all kinds of brands upon them... You don't look at brand, You look for the Blood tag. I pray, heavenly Father, that tonight, that the people will ignore their brand they're wearing, and remember Pentecost is not an organization, it's an experience that comes to any man or woman that'll trust You. Heal the sick, Lord, save the lost. Get honor unto Thyself.
Now, I commit this audience, with these broken up words, Lord. I'm not eloquent; I'm not sufficient to bring the Word, but I'm trusting that the Holy Spirit will take these things and reveal them and make them known by the attitude that they were given by. Not to be feeled inferior, but to feel very humble, not to be different, but to be truthful and honest with the people, as I would be with God. For if I cannot be honest with His children, how can I be honest with Him?
And I pray, God, that You'll vindicate This this night, right before the people now, that they might know that they're living in the shadows of time, that the Message of the hour is, to repent and turn back again to the faith of the Father. Grant it. And I commit it to You. Save sinners. Fill believers. Heal the sick. Bring glory. And may we all cry with one accord, "Once more, Lord, once more." Let it be once more. We ask in Jesus' Name.
E-152 With your heads bowed, prayerfully, won't you consider this, "Is it me, Lord? What can I do? What--what must I do?" Just search yourself while the music plays softly. Think of this little broken up message; don't look at the messenger; think of what--what the message is.
Now, as you feel that you have need of God, just raise up your hand slowly, as you keep your heads bowed, "Lord, remember me." Don't care what you have need of. "Remember me, O Lord."
Have faith now in God; don't doubt. Just believe. Hold your request till God speaks to you and say, "I'll give you your request."
"Lord, I stand blinded too. I'm ashamed of myself. I stand, professing to be a Christian and living the way I live; I'm ashamed of myself. Have mercy on me, Lord. Heal me. Heal me physically; heal me spiritually; make me Yours. I feeled Your Spirit upon me. Brother Branham said that You were here with us. I--I believe You now, 'cause I feeled You. I know You're here." God of heaven will answer your prayer. Just believe now; just let the message get down deep in you. Just pray; have faith. Don't doubt. Believe.
E-155 Now, Lord, I've give this space of time that men and women, boys and girls could think this over. This has been a strange message to some, no doubt, but, Lord, You know it's true. Setting in the room this afternoon, You--You brought this to my memory, of this great man that once lived for You and the condition he got in. Now, Father, as Samson was willing to die, die out to himself, die with his enemy to bring God's victory and the promise back, may we, with all of our churchanity and all of our difference, die out to our own thinking, and accept Your Word; die out to the thoughts that we've been told, "The days of miracles is passed," when we know that--that Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Grant, Lord, that this audience will see the moving of the hand of God once more, and then they may come and repent, and there be a great meeting. And may from this little church go forth a revival that'll slay all the Philistines of the worldliness throughout the country. And may it be an example, as these people go from here tonight.
E-156 We pray that You'll come in like You did on the road to Emmaus. You talked with those men all through the day. They were talking about You. You were talking right to them, and they didn't know You. Many people here, Lord, goes to church, and they're sincere, and they really are not taught any different. But then when You got them into the room that night and closed the doors, You did something just like You did before Your crucifixion; then they knew You Had raised from the dead. They hurried back with light feet and light hearts, and told the disciples; with light hearts they said, "Did not our hearts burn within us as He talked to us along the way?"
Grant that to happen once more, Lord. Come into this audience and do the things You did before Your crucifixion, that this audience might know that Thy unprofitable servant has not lied to them, but told them the Truth. We ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.
E-158 Now, we could no wise have a prayer line called up, if there is cards. I don't--don't think there's any. We got cards give out from a few nights ago. I don't think they give out any tonight. But they got cards here. But if they had, you couldn't have a prayer line (See?) way we're messed up. Now, but we'll--we'll get it finished. But how many people in here that are sick? Let's see your hands. Raise up your hand if you have a need of God, Or a need of somebody else having a need, raise up your hand. Just pray.
E-159 Now, be reverent. Now, let's just not fail to get this message now. Listen. If Jesus was standing here with this suit on, and you'd run up on the platform, and say, "Lord Jesus, heal me," you know what He'd say to you? "I've already done it." He was wounded for our transgressions; with His stripes we were healed. The price is done paid. You'd have to believe it.
You say, "But if I could believe that He was close to me, if I knowed He was here. If I... That--that's been two thousand years ago."
Well, the Bible said He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. And we'd like to see Him. If we would see Him, He'd act like He did.
E-162 Now, I'm going to give, for you minister brethren, some Scripture. The New Testament said, that He's the High Priest now that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities. Is that right? How did He act, as, was when He was on earth He was the High Priest. Why, He was more than that; He was God. How could--how could the people get something from Him? A little woman touched His garment, set down, and Jesus turned and said, "Who touched Me?" And all of them denied it. But His... The Spirit of God that was in Christ, making Him Emmanuel, turned around until He found in the audience a little woman, and told her what her condition was, said, "Your faith saved you." Is that right? Well now, if He is the High Priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities, if it's the same High Priest, He'd act the same way.
E-163 Now, you're strangers to me, most of you. I know Brother Dalton and them setting here on this front seat right here, this group right here, 'cause they're from back in Kentucky. I've knowed them for years. And I'm not mistaken, I believe way back in the back I seen Brother Gene Goad and Brother Leo Mercier; I'm not sure. Glad to see you brethren. I see Brother and Sister Dauch setting here. I don't want you people, if you got anything wrong with you, just wait, not now. I want somebody that don't know me, and knows I don't know you. I want you to pray.
E-164 And then if He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever, you touch His garment, and His Holy Spirit will operate through us. If you've got the right channel, the Spirit to believe by, the same channel that's here, it'll operate the same way. It's got to; it's God. You put the life of an apple tree in a peach tree, it won't bear peaches no more; it'll bear apples. And you put the Life of Christ in a--in a man that's a mortal being, he'll bear the fruit of the Spirit. He'll bear the fruits of the resurrection.
E-165 Christ delivered this Message, and this--this message to the Church to take it, "Go ye into all the world, and to every creature." Millions have never heard it yet; nations has never heard It yet. How long? "All the world, to every creature, these signs shall follow them that believe." How far? "All the world." Who to? "Every creature." There's where He commissioned the church. Now, show me in the Scripture where He taken That back away. Man might inject their idea, but that's not God's idea. He said, "All the world, to every creature."