The Valley of Decision

So we pray. Heavenly Father, we would just ask you to help us by your Spirit tonight to bring every thought into captivity. And may every word, Lord, as well as every thought, be spoken as you would have it spoken, Lord, according to truth and with the emphasis where it should be. May you guide us tonight, Lord, we pray, because we're in serious times and it's a serious hour to all of us. We know that there is much come upon the earth, O God, and without your help and without this word, Lord, to support us, Without a dynamic faith, Father, we know that there is no way that there would be any way we'd get out of here, Father. So we pray for your help tonight to teach us and show us those things we ought to know. Even as, Lord, you gave us the prophet to teach the things we ought to know. So may we know them tonight, Lord. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. You may be seated. Now this is number 10 of the greatest battle ever fought. In this message it appears very evident. Brother Branham is bringing two propositions relative to dynamic faith. Two propositions are set forth in this message, or two parts to the original theme. Number one, God and the devil are engaged in the final battle, warring for control of our minds as to whether we will believe the truth or the lie, as is recorded in 2 Thessalonians, the second chapter. Now, here's where the battle's going on.

According to Scripture. I have

an awful job. This is a brand new Bible. I don't know how to use new Bibles. I'm stuck. They don't want to open. All right, it says here concerning the end time. And remember the first chapter of 2 Thessalonians deals with what we're into today. And so this is going on now. And it says concerning Satan in verse 9. Even him who is coming is after the working of Satan, the Antichrist, with all power, signs, and lying wonders. with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish, because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions, that they should believe the lie, that they might all be condemned to believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren. Beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification and belief.

So you can see here that there's a battle being waged and will continue to wage until the literal coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Number two, we ourselves via the mind are at war within ourselves trying to ensure the power of God in our behalf by taking what God said instead of what conditions and human reasonings indicate. What we're getting and what it looks like we're going to get is the result of ongoing conditions. And so therefore the battle of the mind is to disbelieve the one which is the inevitable results according to conditions and supersede it with thus saith the Lord which then would be the inevitable result because God had said so. There's a place in there where there's a battle going on. And we have to decide which way we're going to go. There's something there. This left up to us, as Brother Branham said, the free moral agency or the power of choice and decision within the soul. Now, in covering these two major propositions, Brother Branham weaves them together in one message. Concerning the first proposition, wherein one believes the truth or the lie, we see it definitely as a matter of election. According to Matthew 24, 24, only the elect will not be deceived. And 2 Thessalonians 2, 13, which I read there, 14 rather, it says, But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning elected or chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit, even belief of the truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel unto the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. In here you'll notice that verse 14 corroborates that the truth is the gospel. Because Paul says here that at the very end time, there is going to be the true gospel that was believed back in his day, evidently restored, and the people who believe it will be back to being virgins. the same as they were virgins when he first introduced them to the message of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, you know where Paul got his message. It's in Galatians, the first chapter.

And I guess the verses 6 to 12 will finally get these pages unstuck.

He says here, I marvel that you are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ. unto another gospel. It must have been a tremendous change there. Which is not another gospel, but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. So the other gospel is a perversion from the original, like he mentioned to the Corinthians there in that 11th chapter. But though we are an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you, then... You have received, let him be accursed. For knew I now persuade men or God, do I seek to please men? For if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached to me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus the Christ. All right. Now, as we mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 11 chapter, they had already left that. For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as a serpent be godly to his fertility, so your mind should be crumpled as it is in Christ. For he that cometh preaches another Jesus, whom ye have not preached. Or ye seek another spirit, which ye have not received. Or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear him. In other words, he's pointing out here the fact that these people coming in, To destroy the virginity of the bride will do it by way of appealing to the mind by a distorted word. So, we see here that Paul is literally prophesying in 2 Thessalonians a restoration. Now, what I'm driving at is this, that since there is a principle set forth in the Word that Alpha is Omega, that what God does at the beginning and at the end is identical to what He did at the beginning, we wonder how it was that Paul received the original revelation. He received it from the Holy Spirit, or God in the form of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, which we want to put it in the form of the Holy Spirit, in a pillar of fire. And Brother Branham said, just think how wonderful the same pillar of fire that brought the word to Paul is here revealing it. So you have this at the end time. Brother Branham is basing his message very strongly on it. Now, once we see that we are a part of the elect, and in particular understand Hebrews 13 and 8, we are prepared to have Brother Branham teach us all he can, how we enter into such daily promises as Mark 16, and every facet of deliverance, for our captain is a great deliverer, according to Romans 8 .32, that if God spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things? So that's what you're looking at here in this message. And we've been following it through as it's in every single message. For Brother Branham. sets forth His ministry and the effect it has on us and what we have by way of ministry, either to others or have a ministry of the Holy Spirit to ourselves. Now, then, speaking from page 25 where we left off, about one, two, three, four paragraphs, the greatest battle ever fought, she's going on right in here now. Yes, sir, between life and death, between sickness and health, between faith and doubt. Oh, my. Between liberty and bondage, the battle is on. Shine your spear, soldiers. Polish up the armor. All right. He says here that the greatest battle ever fought. That's the great battle which you are looking at in the Valley of Decision. The Valley of Decision. And in the Valley of Decision, of course, is the same old story of Mount Abel. and Gerizim, the Mount of Cursing and the Mount of Blessing. And you can hear from both sides the message. One is of life and one is of death. And you stand in the valley and you take the message which way you want to go. And the message of life, of course, and not death, is the one that brings the ultimate health and the ultimate liberty which we are looking for. Now, you notice... In Revelation 22 and 10, when this takes place, it's a continuation, of course, of other verses. Now, And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. What time is at hand? He that is unjust will be unjust still. He that is filthy is filthy still, and he that is righteous is righteous still, and he that is holy is holy still. I come quickly, my reward is with me, to give unto every man according as his work shall be. Now, I am helping to make it the beginning and the end, the first and the last. So there is a repeat, evidently, at the end time as to what there was at the first time. And the words we're looking at here particularly are this. Whenever this book is unsealed, this book is open because it is sealed by seven seals, which sealed in seven thunders leaving a great mystery. Whenever that happens, and whatever happens under it will evidently constitute a choice. And you can go either one way or the other, which will be toward justice, the just, and righteousness, and holiness, or the filthiness. Now, you know that that is not a vague proposition, because you've got the same thing over here. in the third chapter of the book of Revelation, which is the seventh church age and the last church age. Out of the messenger of the church in the old sea, you're right. These things set the amen to fit into it. It's at the beginning of creation of God. I know thy worst aren't either cold or hot. And with your cold or hot, so then because you're only lukewarm, and either cold or hot, it's beautiful. Because thou sayest, I'm rich and increased with goods. And in need of nothing, I know it's not. It's your wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. Now, you can see the condition here is even vastly different from poor old Adam and Eve. They knew they were naked. This bunch doesn't.

Now,

in here you'll notice that these people have a choice of coming to Christ. So, what we're looking at here in the 22nd chapter, is nothing more than the third chapter elaborated. What is that overcoming that grants the position of the throne?

Well, It's over here in the 22nd chapter. And it tells you, Blessed are they that wash their robes, not do the commandments, but wash the robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life. Because just above here, you notice there is a great emphasis on the unrighteous. And they, of course, will die because they cannot come to the tree of life.

This is what you're looking at then, the opening of the seven seals that will constitute the ability of the people to wash their robes and come to the tree of life and enter into the city and leave all the dogs and everything that are there behind. Now, if we go to Romans, the 12th chapter, we will begin to see that Tree of life and immortality. For it speaks of here in that third chapter, 12th chapter, the first three verses, I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies, living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable sacrifice. Be not conformed to this world, that's fashioned after, but be transformed or transfigured by the renewing of your mind. And that's what we're looking at here is a transfiguration. that is going on in this very hour. Now, this decision reminds us of Joshua, chapter

24, verses 15 to 17.

And it says here, And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood or the god of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But ask me in my house, we will serve the Lord. And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods. For the Lord our God, he it is that brought us up, our fathers up of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage which did these great signs in our sight, and preserved us all the way when we went, and among all the people through whom we have passed. Now, to me this is pretty well like the same time as this time here, where we make a decision. as to whether we are going to utterly forsake by way of the inspired mind what we came out of and what was hindering to us at the time we were coming out the same as Israel was. So he says here the greatest battle now that can be fought and is being fought is right here at this moment and it's in the mind because the eye age is over, the prophet having come with his message. And now you're in the mind age where nothing is moving except a spirit moving to correlate the material that you want correlated. And you make a decision what material you're going to act upon. So that's what you're looking at right here in this particular thing. So it's a matter of faith power via the mind that Brother Branham is dealing with. And also at the same time, he's dealing with the peripheral. of sickness and health, but he's no peripheral when he mentions between liberty and bondage. So let's go take a look at liberty and bondage, which we've done many times in 2 Corinthians, the third chapter.

Verse 18, after he talks about Israel as an example, having been blinded, now they've got a veil upon the minds, and that veil, which is a perverted word, The rabbinical understanding of Moses is keeping out the true revelation of God. Now he says here to his ministry. But we all with open faith beholding as in the glass the glory of the Lord are changed in the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Now, we looked at that word glory a long time ago, back maybe 1981. Somewhere in there, 81 maybe. A little prior, about 81 I'd say. And that word glory is a very peculiar word in that it comes from various roots. And it really amounts to what comes as an assessment. What glory would be an assessment, which would be a complementary assessment after an analysis. And you come to this conclusion and you voice this opinion, which is not really an opinion in so much as it is a pure statement of fact. concerning whatever you're dealing with in that particular realm. So we draw the conclusion, we're looking at this, that it has to do with the Word. So as you're looking at the concept of the Word, because logos, not rhema, is involved in there, you're thinking in this term then, all right, we are going step by step in the Word from order to order. until we come to the very end time order where there is a bride who is a truly restored bride and she's now got her groves washed through the washing of the waters, sanctified by God, and now she's ready to move into immortality and to the promised land. This has been going on specifically since the time the church has begun to come back under restoration. under Luther and Wesley and the Pentecostals, until now under the prophet Malachi 4, 5, and 6, Elijah, we are looking at a true restoration. And, of course, this has to be so, because Paul said, it is by my gospel. And remember Brother Branagh's vision, which he wasn't even interested in getting, as though he was going to go to God and get a vision, because those things come as God wants to give them to you when he's beyond the curtain of time. and that might not have been a vision. I might have been caught up right in the realm of the Spirit because he saw his own body lying there, caught right up into that place which is completely secluded from everything but spirit life. There in the Spirit, he saw these people, and when he was questioned and questioning, he said, well, he said, I preached the same gospel that Paul did, and they said, seven church age members now, we're resting on that.

What you're seeing here then is this great battle between life and death. And we're in the throes of it now. Whether we're going to be those who live here and be destroyed, or whether we'll be standing here and immortalized, taken away by the Spirit of God. Because notice what Paul said. Therefore, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not. Now, what has he received mercy to do? Well, he's received mercy from God that a wicked person such as Paul would be granted the ability to have this given to him, which is a transforming word for the people. Now, that's a mighty, mighty big mouthful that anybody should say, I'm standing here and I'm the channel that God is using whereby the word. That I am speaking is giving you immortality. Now that's what you're looking at.

And you know it's a very, very tremendous word because it's a point on the man wants to die and then the judgment. Now you notice right here that we don't die and we get the judgment. And the judgment says everything is fine.

You know it's not sinking in, is it? I'm not criticizing you. I've got the same trouble. I want to be honest with you. We are a million miles from death. really having, maybe we don't need it.

Maybe it's such an abundant grace that who knows? But look, do we really know what's being said from this pulpit? We know it as a matter of, well, anybody can say it.

But what I'm looking at is this. This supersedes anything in 6 ,000 years of history, and we're acting like dumbbells. Not that we're dumbbells, and not that something isn't going on in here. But I am constantly marveling at the fact that this is factual at this moment here. See, how does Paul know that he's doing the right thing? Let me tell you, he reads this. But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty. See, I'm not telling you lying. Not walking in craftiness.

He's not trying to get the people to him. You know, there's one thing about this message that appalls me. First of all, I love it. I've never seen such wonderful people in my life as in this message. I've never seen such lovely young ministers, such clean, godly people. I have never had such fellowship and ever dreamed I would ever be in a church like this. Yuck, is all I've known. To have people to minister to here and on tape of the caliber that I feel in my heart concerning you and the people who hear my voice, I've never dreamed it possible. And yet I look around and I see some of the most abysmal things under God's high heaven. Because I don't find ministers standing like Paul and William Branham.

How many ministers are there who don't really want to build a church? William Branham didn't. He said, concerning Don Ruttle and Junior Jackson, he said, Lord, fill my church, then I'll go to their church and fill mine again.

For the thousands of people healed and the ministry the man had in Jeffersonville. How many people went to his church and how many people did he say, come to my church, look, I've benefited you. How many did he say, hang on to me and you're bound to make it?

How many did he swindle loyalty from? I love that thought. Swindle loyalty.

I'm using it honestly. I'm looking in the eye and telling you. I know preachers that are swindlers. Does anything under God's high heaven to make you loyal? I've only demanded one type of loyalty here. If you respect my ministry, you stick with it or we're finished. You don't belong in any other way, shape, or form. Not interested. I don't need your money or anything else. See? Not... Listen. I've renounced the hidden things of dishonesty. Nothing under the table. Not walking in craftiness. Not handing the Word of God deceitfully. But my manifestation of truth, commending ourselves for every man's conscience. I remember Brother Ben said, stood there and said, Boy, he said he didn't touch my character. He didn't dare.

Stood right there. Paul to Paul. Fantastic person. He just preached the whole truth. Nothing but the truth as he understood it from Almighty God. See, we're returning that today. Now, I said, but if our gospel be hidden. He said, I was manifested to be that person. He said, God manifested himself. Everything lies in vindication. And not one time did I ever steer you to myself. Not one time. I was pointed to God. Stick with me and you'll see. How many times have people used that, Brother Brand said?

God help us. I may be preaching that one of these days. Just lay some of those things out there. We don't stand that nonsense. Now he said, If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world is blinded, the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. Now notice, the image of God can only come through the gospel. lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. In other words, the gospel must shine, bringing forth that image. We're coming right up to it now, right to headship. When that shines forth, and when it shines forth means to make manifest, which is light, means something's got to be displayed. And the display of this hour proved it was Christ. And we're going to see more and more of that relating to the picture that Brother Brown stood with that.

He just stood there and stood with it. You do what you want. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God has commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And he tells you right there that this word literally unfolds Christ. And it's an unfolding by the word. It's a word assessment. That's why we stand so strong with this word. We don't stand with the miracles. The miracles stood there in order to back the word. But when you get the word, which is the third pull, and that was signified, not little birds like sparrows or finches, then like doves, then angels. See? But what did the angels bring? They brought him.

So now, you're in a value decision. Which way are you going to go? It means life or death, sickness and health, liberty or bondage. So that's what you see then at this particular point that Brother Brant is bringing to us in this message. He's bringing out, first of all, the battle for the mind to bring you into the camp of God. Secondly, there's a battle in our own minds to believe God for the personal things of this life. See? Now, the greatest battle, of course, is to go along with the prophet. All right. The battle is on. It's going on right now. See? Shine your spear, soldiers. Polish up the army. Now, this to me is the call, what he's saying here to shine your spears and all, is the call that's found in the book of Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, and 5

and 23. where it says, And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray, God, your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, if that's going to take place based upon what Paul said over here in 1 Corinthians 4, 13, which is concerning our time, but brethren, I would not have you ignorant concerning them which are asleep, that you're sore or not, even as others. which have no hope, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also sleep in Jesus, will God bring forth with him. For this we send thee by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not take precedence over them that are asleep. So, he's talking about a people which evidently happen to be you and me. Because that's what he's talking. Those that are here, when the rest are dead, And it's time now for the dead to come back. They'll be with us. Now, it says here then, at this particular time, the very God of peace sanctify you holy.

See?

What holy? God sanctify you holy, your whole spirit and soul and body in a state of preservation, blameless of the coming of the Lord. So, at the time of the prusia, the presence, the appearing. There is a place of complete and utter sanctification of the body and the soul and the spirit. Now, you're going to understand that. For how in the world are you going to get immortalized?

For the first time, there is a hundred percent sanctification. Now, this is a phony thing that the phony, illegitimate legalists tried to bring under the Nazarenes and some of the Pentecostals who followed women. Because Hattie Crotter and her hogwash from Portland, Oregon started that. The entire sanctification. As though the root of sin was gone.

See? Now, there's no place where the root of sin's ever gone until you're absolutely immortalized. Or you die and come back in a glorified body. But at this particular time, you've got an entire 100 % sanctification where there's going to be people standing here who will not die.

Absolutely 100 % sanctified. Your body washed in pure water like Aaron's. Significantly the fact of a perfect priesthood, a perfect people. We're right at that right now. It is going on. This is the same time where we're looking at John 3 and 2. I wish above all else that you prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers. You're looking at the time of the book of Ephesians.

And that would be the fifth chapter of Ephesians.

And we're looking at the 26th verse. Talking of the church that he gave himself for. That he might sanctify and cleanse it by the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself. A glorious church. Not having spot or wrinkle. Now when is the time of presentation? Now.

We've come right up to it. See? Right ready for the same spirit. that's in our midst now, to raise the dead, that brought us the message, to raise the dead, to take us up, being incarnated into Christ. We crown Him King of kings and Lord of lords. Now, that's going on right now. And what's happening? That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word. There's your garments, your robes again. There's your whole body, soul, and spirit. A people absolutely ready in this hour to be transformed, transfigured, complete. Complete metamorphosis. Don't miss a heartbeat. Don't miss a wink of the eye. Don't miss one breath because you're going to keep blinking. Well, you're going to close your eyes many, sure. You won't have to close them until something's going to hit them with a rock or something. You're not going to run into a tree that's full of thorns. No, but you'll be able to close your eyes and things like that. You'll be living, eating and drinking and living in that particular time. Now, so therefore, this is the great battle of the ages because it signifies... That now, man is in a position to be immortal after 6 ,000 years. The great purpose and plan of God is coming on very, very rapidly. Now, so he said, shine your spear, soldiers. Polish your armor. Okay. God's getting his soldiers ready. Amen. God anoints his army. America dresses its soldiers in the best that they can have to dress with. Steel hamlets and armor and whatever they got, armor tanks or whatever they use. God dresses. His army, hallelujah. What kind of equipment do we use? The sword of the spirit, the word of God, amen. The word of God sharper than a two -edged sword, Hebrews 4. Piercing even to dividing asunder of the bone and marrow. And as the discerner of the thoughts of the mind, the word of God. To believe his word, that's the way God arms us. Now, in other words, as we believe God, the armor is more and more upon us, settles in upon us, and we are able to use. the very word, in order to have victories and a consummate living in Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord. Now, there's no other armor than the word of God. Let's understand that. You simply don't get any place else. On Ephesians 6, 12 to 20, we read about the army. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of darkness, this world, against spiritual leaders in high places. All right, now, let's understand what the high places are. The high places, of course, could be spiritual powers over various strata of, you know, whatever the spirits do, their own kind of government and all stuff like that. But I don't put it that way. I put that over here in 2 Corinthians, the 10th chapter, where he mentions this here again. Verse 4, For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the putting down of strongholds, casting down reasonings. and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring the captive every thought to the obedience of Christ. So, what's this here about principalities, powers, the rulers of this world against spiritual witness in high places? The spiritual wickedness is exactly the same as Cain. He turned down the vindicated word of God, the vindicated... rightly divided Word of God is what he turned down. You see? So what you're looking at here is you are wrestling against and watch carefully now because this is tough. You and I are wrestling against the combined influence of all superior, so -called superior spiritual intellects in this world controlled by Satan which come against us. And it's everywhere. You're not battling just yourself. You're battling everything out here.

That's why Christ came down to fight for us. We're not left alone in this battle for one minute. We couldn't stand it. We're battling against it. Wherefore, take on the whole armor of God. What's the whole armor of God? All the word for this hour.

One word off opens a chink in the armor, opens a place in the metal, as it was indeed. the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand an evil day and having done all to stand. It's going to be a toughie. Stand therefore. Don't sit down and pull your boots on. Stand up. Having your loins girt about with truth.

That's the loins of the mind. Bring them up. Tie them up in there. Binomous. Nothing gets in. Having on the breastplate of righteousness. What will that be? The righteousness of Christ himself. Your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. What's that? The right division of the word. And over it all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you'll be able to quench all the fiery darts of that wicked one. Now remember, the wicked one is in 2 Thessalonians 2. And it's going on now.

So you've got all this in your favor. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. All of these things are spiritual. Praying all with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. And watching with all perseverance. and supplication for all things. In other words, praying for yourself and praying for others and watching continuously. Now, as we showed you already, this is 2 Corinthians 10 and 5. It is also 1 Peter 1, 13

and 14.

Wherefore, good of the Lord is your mind, be sober to the hope of the end, for the grace that is to be brought unto you is a revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, not fasting yourself according to the former lusts in your ignorance, but as he which is... but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of behavior. All right. We see here then that we have the armor of God, and we're told the major thing, even as Paul said, is get the mind under control to the word of Almighty God, because that is what counts. Now, that's also in 1 Corinthians, the 15th chapter, where we're very familiar. And it says, Behold, I show you in verse 51, we don't all sleep, we'll all be chained. So we're not all going to die, we're going to be chained. Now this has to do with 1 Thessalonians 4, 13 to 17. In the moment between that and the last trumpet, the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised from the crumbling, and we shall all be chained. Now that trumpet has nothing to do with being caught up in the rapture. That's Revelation 10 and 7. And at that time of that message, open his heels, when God is on earth and when the prophet's on earth, so when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption. Well, beg your pardon. Let's read up the trumpet sound. And the dead shall rage in trouble, and we shall be changed. That's what Paul said. For this corruptibility must put on incorruptibility. Now, there's only one thing that cannot corrupt, and that is the living Word of God. God stands behind His Word to perform it. And it cannot be changed. And His promises endure. Now, God Himself cannot be corrupt, and you can't corrupt God. We're dealing with something here a little different than that. We're dealing with the Word. Because that's the last trump which you're going to get. And the last trump, the message, is what puts us in the realm of the incorruptible. Now notice how this dovetails with 2 Corinthians 3, verse 18, going on to chapter 4, which we already read.

Because, you see, the mind is entirely stripped from the old creed and dogma. And you've got a man that's 100 % with God. In his purposes, so all he will do is bring you the word that you may be transformed in the image of Christ. Now, he's got nothing deceitful to offer you. Because he knows he can't do it himself. He's got no plans for you. He's got no church to lead you to. He's got no organization. And he doesn't tell you, stick with me and you're bound to make it. Doesn't tell you all those things. Doesn't bring on loyalties. Do what you want. He's a plumb up in front. You know, people, most people don't want that. They want to be coerced. They want to be taken in tow. You know, the human mind would like nothing better than to be communistic, if it were only work. You've got a few smart guys who do everything for all of us.

And, of course, we work along, too, because it's all laid out. Yeah, really. Wouldn't it be nice to have somebody do your thinking for you? Well, we've got a God who's done our thinking. He's done everything for us. We've seen the way the church is, like women. Women want to do their own thinking. Women slip. Like good old Eve, they've gone to sleep now. You know what? If Eve could do that back there in the presence and glory of God, kick over the traces, what do you think women will do now? Just so I don't have to think very long about that. You know? So in this corrupt building shall I put an incorrupt building, and this mortality shall I put an immortality. Then she brought to pass the same thing. Death is swollen victory. In plain English, it is no longer appointed unto man what's to die, and after that the judgment. There is the judgment and man doesn't die.

That's nice. That's why I told him. No more fear.

Now, you see, these are the things I'm saying that make me wonder how much you really believe everything we've been taught by Brother Branham in the Word. It's not that we disbelieve them. It's we haven't really had the life taking over our lives. But don't worry. Someone's going to get it. We'll just keep in there. See? Keep plugging in. Okay. Now, let's just think of something. Brother Branham mentioned David and Goliath. So we're going to use them in those traces again. Now, let's talk about Brother Branham. Got the same bread. Now, David came against Goliath. Goliath was saying, you bunch of Israelites that say you've got the great God. Ha! Why, he said, I can take any one of you guys and pick you up with my spear and just hold you there and just knock your eyes out one at a time. Or my finger would flip. He said, the whole bunch of you ain't money worth a plug nickel. Well, David got there, and everybody was sharing his boots. Saul was afraid, and everybody was just scared of that. He said, well, what's going on? He said, well, he said, see that big fellow up there? He's challenged us. There's nobody here to entertain him on. Well, he said, who needs to be big?

He said, I'm not as big as a lion. I'm big as a bear. I'm in no trouble dispatching those birds. And he said, all they were doing is going to get one of my sheep. He said, you let that Philistine dog out there to challenge the armies of the Most High God? What kind of bunch of birds are you anyway?

So he said, I'll go and take care of him for you. And Saul wasn't too happy because this little runt here was going to do something to this little poor kid. I don't think he even had his first shave yet. They shaved him in those days. In fact, he loved maybe a fuzz on his lip or something. What does this runt kid think he's doing anyway? Well, maybe I better get him some armors. Let him go up there and see what happens. Maybe, you know, who knows? These strange things have happened in our day. And maybe a spider will bite him by the time he gets there and drop dead in the trash or something. Who knows? Or a snake will get him. You know, distract his attention and something else get in. So he said, no, that isn't going to work. But notice what happened. He goes up there, the sling, and he kills the guy. And soon as he killed the fellow, notice, what is it? They formed a mopping up team and beat the stuffing out of the Philistines. Now, I'm suggesting, that's what Brother Brand was trying to tell you and me to do, that since he has met the devil head on and shown the defeat of the enemy of this hour and the greatness of God, He's asking the church now to use their faith in a mopping up operation. Based upon the mighty victory that has been demonstrated before our eyes. In other words, Hebrews 13 and 8 includes Mark 16. Then why not begin to use it as we ought to use it? It's been demonstrated. In other words, it's a mopping up exercise. Okay. Now he goes on and he says in the last paragraph of that page. That's what he gave Eve to arm herself with, which is the word of God. And she broke her armor down. How'd she do it? By opening up her mind to reason. In other words, you can't think two thoughts at one time. And two things cannot be in one place at one time. Unless, of course, you're talking about a hollow ball that's full of air and it's sitting in one place. We're not dealing with things like that. We're dealing with two. You can't put a stone in the same place another stone is, providing... that area is just a specified area and the two stones are equal size. And we're not talking about piling one up upon the other. We're talking about here. In other words, you really can't entertain two thoughts in your mind at one time. You become, it just wouldn't work. So Eve opened up her mind and she thought she could fool with the devil's word and keep God's word there at the same time. But God's word just left her flat. See? Now, you don't reason with God's word. It has no reason. In other words, there is nothing there to reason about. Because it is a sovereign statement. And you can't challenge it. It's just God's word. In other words, plain factual God's word. Now, he said, there's no doubt about it. There's no reasoning to it. Now again, that's over here in Romans, the 10th chapter, which we keep reading because we're trying to keep our minds full of the word of God. So that when doubts and fears would come, we want to remember this. But it said, The righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise. That's verse 6. Romans 10. Say not in thine heart who shall ascend to heaven. That is bring Christ down and descend to deep. That's bring Christ up from the dead. But what says it? The word is not in thy mouth. And in thy heart, that is the word of faith which we preach, that thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus. Believe in thy heart that God reigneth and thou shalt be saved. Now, what is the same thing? But what speaketh? But the righteousness. which is of faith speaketh on this wise. But the healing, which is of faith speaketh on this wise. But the provision, which is of faith speaketh on this wise. See? All of those things you can substitute in there. And they don't ask questions. How's God going to do it? How are we going to persuade Him to do it? It has nothing to do with that. It merely says what God said about it. So that the confession that comes from what you know in your mind, becomes a heart proposition. So Brother Branagh said, holding his Bible aloft, he said, if this and this and this ever gets lined up, heaven begins to move. Nothing will stop it. So that's what you're looking at here. Now, you don't reason it. You don't argue it. You just simply go ahead and work on it. Now, it's God's Word and that settles it. Okay.

In other words here, You don't try to figure the thing out. Brother Branham never tried to figure anything out. They said, what makes you think a boy with a grammar school education is going to speak before kings and presidents? Well, he said, that's what he said. I do, so I'm going to do it. See, that's the same with Abraham. Didn't argue. Now, you notice in

this case here, we're

looking to Brother Branham's eyes as I see this. They turn to the place where Abraham was. when he didn't have that son. There was nothing he could do about it, but God said he would do something. So Abraham took God's word. And that was without anything except giving back to God what God gave him, which was the word of God. That's all he could do. Now, it's not like the book of James says that Abraham was justified by works. No way, shape, and form. Abraham was justified by works when he gave his son, which God said, give your son.

Now, that's something he could do. But what could he do in order to get a son? Nothing. He and Sarah were completely incapable, period. That's all there was to it.

No way, shape, and form.

No way, shape, and form. See? So, there's no reasoning going on here. So, now, another point we want to bring out here is that When Brother Branham deals with the tremendous vindicated word of God under the seven seals, he expects us, as I've said many, many times, to actually begin to use Mark 16 based upon Hebrews 13 and 8. Because Hebrews 13 and 8 includes Mark 16. So if Hebrews 13 and 8 is operative, then so is Mark 16. And all the other promises of God. All right. There's no reasoning to it. It's God's word. That settles it. That's got it. That settles it forever. Now watch here. That settles it forever. That means the virgin mind or womb is shut up to all else because it's pregnant by the word of God.

The woman has a sacred trust. And that is to bear children.

And when that woman becomes pregnant through the proper channels, which is her husband, the womb should be shut up, actually, from any seed whatsoever penetrating there. Now, you've got the same thing here. The virgin womb, which we have in our mind by the word of Almighty God, which is our sacred trust to not defile our minds with anything else that is not the word of God. But on top of that, remember this. The husband... is responsible for the woman, not the woman for the man. So, therefore, we have a God in our behalf, whether we know it or not. And we do know it because, remember, every time Brother Branagh said, Thus saith the Lord, God backed it up. So, therefore, remember, if we take the word of God as thus saith the Lord, it settles that word forever in our minds. Now, he says to the little girl down below dying on her cot with cancer, maybe it's Parkinson's disease or something, I don't remember now. He says, see what I mean, honey? God's word promised it. God said so. Now, let's just take a look at Christ in the virgin mind. We read this already in Isaiah chapter 42, 19

to 21.

Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger that I sent? Who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord's servant? Seeing many things, but thou observest not. opening the ears, but he heareth not. The Lord is well pleased for his righteousness' sake. He will magnify the law and make it honorable. In other words, God sent Christ down here and he was absolutely blind in death and stayed completely ignorant to anything anybody had to offer him.

And who was as blind in death to this world as Jesus the Christ? He said to Satan, get behind me. He said to Peter, you offend me.

He said, it is written, man shall not live for bread alone. He listened to nobody.

Now, that's good for a prophet because he was a prophet. But you know what? It trickles down to you and me too.

We're not exempted. Jesus Christ didn't die, shed his blood on you, and I say, well, hallelujah. That takes care of it. Everybody's going to make it. That's the law of Hogwarts. The blood does not avail at all. This should be the revelation of the word. You've got to make a decision. So, what we're seeing here then is this fantastic servant, which is Christ, seeing many things. Thou observest not. He consider not his own body now dead. He's yet a hundred years old. Neither deadness is there in his womb. Opening the ears, he didn't hear. Well, my goodness me. If you're the father of many nations, where are your children? Just walked on down the road. If you're the Messiah, tell us plainly. That's what I told you. You wouldn't listen? Do this, do that. Prove it. Show us something. Just walked down the road.

You know, sometimes a dog has got more in the ball than a Christian. Little kids. See a little dog going here, pop, come here, pop. Just goes down the room, pays no more attention. He wouldn't look around you if you had a voice like, you know, Jenny Lynn, the nightingale. In turn, you had the best whistle in all the world. Whistled like the best whistler, the whistler, you know. Wouldn't marry him. You ever seen dogs like that? I've seen them. The more you get their attention, the better. See a little kid someday? Well, you can't stop that kid except with almost Sherman Tank. Pay no attention. That's what it said right here. paid no attention.

Seeing many things thou seest not, opening the ears thou hearest not. And the Lord is well pleased for his righteousness. This one will magnify the law. He'll make it honorable. But these people down here, they're poor, they're spoiled. Why? They're snared in holes. They're hidden in prisons. They're a prey and none delivers. For a spoil, none says restore. Why? Because they've opened their eyes and ears. They've been sucked in by the game.

So, it depends on what you're opening your ears to. See, God demands the eyes and ears for himself. Isaiah chapter 50, 6

to 9.

I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheek to them that plucked off their hair. I hid not my face from shame and spitting. For the Lord will help me, therefore shall I not be confounded. Therefore I must set my face like a flint, and I know I shall not be ashamed. Set the face like a flint. He is near that justified me. Who will contend to me? Let us stand together. Who is my adversary? They didn't come near to me. Now, who's near? This is the presence right now. Behold, the Lord God will lift me. Who is he that shall condemn me? Lo, they all shall wax old as the garment. The moth will eat him. But I'm going to go into immortality.

The adamant closure of the mind to the senses, as Brother Branham said. The setting of the face as a flint to where you're going.

And you'll get there. That's when God stands on your behalf. He said, you're wretched, miserable, naked, and blind. All you've got to do is come to me. You'll get clothed. You'll get this. Everything else. I'm going to tell you something. It's going to come the hard way because... It means a total repentance. A total changing of mind. The constant rebuke.

Everybody likes to think, well, and I don't blame them. Such wonderful glory, glory, glory. And I'd like it myself. In fact, it sounds to me like I'm asking to have all that. Well, you can have it to a degree. But remember, there's going to be the hardship of the trials that are going on. All right. Let's keep moving. They said to Abraham, how are you going to have that baby? God said so. That said of it. Now, that's the virgin mind that's pregnant with the Word of God. Well, why haven't you got it? That's the adversary roaring about and sneering. The virgin answers, I don't know I'm going to get it, but I'm going to get it. God said so. That won't stop me a bit. Why don't you go back home where you came from? The virgin answers, I'm to be a pilgrim and a stranger in this land. Amen. God gave the promise. God will give the baby right in this land where he sent me. Now, our whole mental process is out of place with the word, but we are to live here and overcome.

living in this land of ours, living our lives normally, which we have to do. Like Brother Branham said, you need to be educated. Not going to get you there, but you need it. Got to learn, read, write, and so on. All right. We're living today where we must exercise our senses. We have got to be aware. You don't shut everything out until you're walking from the streetcar.

That's not being spiritual. Mine is being stupid.

But let me tell you something. You can hear the voice of God, still a small... above the clang, clang, clang, and the din, din, din of all the things going around about us. That's what he's doing here. Right in this land where we are. This land which is given over to physical things. We are here as physical people, but we live in a spiritual realm unto God. Absolutely. Now, in this hour of Abraham, in this hour of the presence of Christ, we mean Abraham as a type. Elijah, all these men. We are looking for the change to immortality, the promise of the resurrection and the rapture. And at the same time, we are looking forward to come back to earth with the Son.

Right now, we're looking for it. We're in the process. And at the same time, we're going down the road believing God as never before for the promises that stand here before us. Now, let's keep reading further. Hallelujah. God will heal you right in this atmosphere of the Holy Ghost where he sent you. Now, he sent Abraham to a specific place in the world. He said, that's where you fight your battles. That's where it is. At the same time, Abraham was in a spiritual atmosphere that was specific to him. Now, with us today, it's in the same thing. Right in the spiritual atmosphere of this hour of the greatest battle ever fought. He is directing the little girl here and all of us, we can receive healing. Now, God will heal you right in this atmosphere of the Holy Ghost where He sent you. God will give it to you. Just believe it. Amen. Open up those flues or the channels of soul and body and senses and conscience to the Word of God. All right. Brother Brandon said the token came at evening time. That's the atmosphere of the Holy Ghost. The atmosphere of the token, God Himself. In other words, We are right back to a Garden of Eden in a fallen condition situation right now. God is present. Immortality is here. And immortality, Brother Brown has said, was rising with healing in his wings. And he said the Spirit of Christ will come more and more in the church. And he said until everybody is healed. We are looking for God's Word to have a greater measure of healing. And I believe we're remiss at this point in not having it, but we're looking to it day by day as we study these messages. Now, he said, open up the flues of the soul and the body and senses and the conscience. In other words, abandon your body, your everything to the word of Almighty God. Now, when you look at the word flu, the flu is a chimney. Now, a flu to me suggests flames of fire. And Brother Branis, the word of God says, I hate the lukewarm. God wants a chimney either cold or hot. Now, we want a hot chimney. We want all the flues open up to God. So that there is a... The Word is setting on fire. Us on fire. And the way to keep the fire burning is to keep pounding the Word on it. Now, just let God's words penetrate. First take that mind there's a battleground. Not say, well, if I could feel it. If I could feel the glory of God falling. Oh, that has nothing to do with it. Not a thing. Open up that mind. That's the battleground. There's where the battle sets in array. That's where the fight's going on now. Right here in the front line of your mind. Open up and say to every doubt, I doubt my doubts. Amen. I'm doubting my doubts now. I'm believing God's word. Here I come, Satan. Something's going to take place. Sure it will. Yes, sir. Now, what he's doing here is telling the stand that we take, coupled with the confession, which is the confession of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the word. And this is where you and I come aware of Mark 16 and can have the power of God moving in our hearts, minds, and lives. Now, Brother Branham said this. He said, don't you let your mind go with the thought that you need some kind of a feeling. Now, I realize, brother, sister, that that is a real tough one right there. On the very grounds that many of us feel like a little urge, a little move inside of us concerning something, and we say, I feel the Lord wants me to go in that direction. Now, this, of course, I believe is something different here. Well, it's not. It's the same thing. Because he said here, I want to feel the glory of God. And he said that doesn't have one thing to do with it. Now, why does it not have a thing to do with it? Because the glory of God is already established.

See, that is the Shekinah glory.

That is a logos in itself indicating what is behind it. See? That is like an assessment to you and me. Where God is declaring Himself and showing Himself exactly who and what He is. And He does it by proving it is He through the Word and the signs and wonders which come from that Word. They're in the Word and they vindicate the Word. In other words, the whole thing is a Word manifestation.

See? Now, so therefore, though that would give you joy and do something for you, that is not it. Because that is their... For one specific thing, which is that word. See? So that's it again. No, no. Let me say this. Awareness of the mind brings feeling. In other words, awareness in our minds brings the feeling. It certainly does. But we are to numb it according to the prophet, to the word of God. Let us learn to be aware of God.

Now, here's the thing.

If we had plenty of money to pay all of our debts, we wouldn't worry about the bills coming in. to pay our debts, except we might worry this way. We are chintzy enough to want to have our cake and eat it. Now, if I didn't have to pay my bills, I'd have all this money. Well, you've got the money to pay your bills. That's what it's all about. Don't you know that's what's wrong with our economy? Pure people get all the money, and the more they get, the greedier they get, and they stop spending. You and I don't have what to spend, so depression comes on.

Well, it's the same thing with the word of God. All you're going to do is give you indigestion if you don't spend it. It's not going to be any good to try to store it up and pile word on word, and that's all it's going to be. It's not the way to just pile word upon word. It's to use the word. In other words, look, I'm aware of certain conditions here going on. That's like my debts. I'm aware of my money. Well, I say, praise the Lord. I'll take my money and pay my debts.

So you play the one against another.

So when you are aware of God, that's what really counts, is the understanding of His presence both in you and in the midst of us. And in the midst of us has proven to us Hebrews 13 and 8, which then in turn in us proves Mark 16, because healing lies within. It's not God from the outside doing something for us, brothers and sisters. That's for the heathen out there, like Naaman and the prostitute. And a bunch of folks that got even Brother Brown's mean, he's meant nothing. Trinitarians and idolaters, who cares? But for you and me, it's something different. It's a spirit quickening the mortal body.

Praying to the Christ within us. Giving him the excellence of faith and belief. Instead of doubt. So therefore, let us be aware of God. And bring our feelings under the word. Like Jacob did. Like Jacob was going to meet his brother. And he thought his brother might kill him. But God had said, you've got to go back home now. Well, he said, Lord, I tell you what. And with his brother coming with 400 men, he felt it just was going to be plumb plane annihilation. But you know what? He took time to get down and pray. Now he said, Lord, you've blessed me so wonderful. Well, I haven't got time to even thank you for all the blessings you gave me. And I do appreciate it. Now he said, my brother's coming against me. And I'd like you to help me. And right under the pressure, He recognized God as his sole deliverer. And he said, you told me to do so and so, and I'm walking the best I can. And he went right toward his brother. And he said, it could have been death, like the three Hebrew children. Just walked right in. It wasn't that he wasn't aware. He was aware. But he was more aware of God than he was of the other. Now that's what makes Christians, Christians. And real movers of mountains and doubts, missionaries and so on. See, and then what happened? God had worked it out with his brother. Now, he starts a new phase here, and he's going into anointings, talking about himself, and taking scripture on the angels, showing that messengers of the seven church ages, prophets and what have you, are messengers like angels are, they're spirits. Now, he anoints his servants with his spirit. He sends them angels. People make fun of that sometimes, angels. Let me just... Turn to something here with you just a minute. It's Hebrews, the fourth chapter. I mean, the first chapter of Hebrews is verse 14. Are not all these ministry spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? Now, let's go to Hebrews, the first chapter in 14, so we can read this. We'll find something here a little bit different, perhaps, than what we thought when we read it ourselves.

Now, he says in the 14th verse, Are they not all ministry spirits sent forth to minister? for them who shall be heirs of salvation. Then he goes on, after having read that, he quotes verse 13. To which, he says, which one of the angels did he say, or to which one did he say, sit down my right hand. Then he says, all the angels of God.

But you notice that he doesn't quote all of it. He

only quotes part of it. Because the next part says, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. And legitimately, That would go to Christ. Because in 1 Corinthians 15, that's going on now.

And all things are being subject, made subject to him, to God, in order to be under the feet of Jesus Christ. The only one accepted there is God. So, Brother Brown is explaining here, to what angel did he say, sit in the right hand? To all the angels. Because that signifies authority and power. And it signifies also respect, responsibility.

And to them he said, all right, my right hand signifies that you have this work to do. You are delegated to do it. You're in an honored position and you will do it. Now, what are they going to do? They become ministering angels, ministering spirits for the people. And Brother Branham is taking the pattern in heaven and bringing it right down here on earth.

to show how this works out on earth, especially with him and the prophets that are concerned. Now, here the Bible comes right back and tells us here that God sends forth angels. Glory. What are they? Ministering spirits. Glory. Ministering spirits sent from where? From the presence of God. What to do? Minister his word. Amen. You're not to minister some theology of some denomination or group, but to minister his word. That's his ministering spirits. sent forth. Now, of course, he's talking of himself. Now, of course, when he says at this particular time in referring to himself as a man sent from God, commissioned by an angel sent from God, we remember that at this time God himself has come down and it's the angel of his presence that is here the same time another angel is here. Angel, chapter 10, verse 1, that's the angel of his presence, which simply means God Himself ministering in a form that can be apprehended. Take that to Revelation 10 and 7. Then you see God, the Holy Spirit, in a pillar of fire, invisible except to the prophet, and the Spirit ministering through the prophet, that Son of Man. That's Luke 17 and 30. That's what you're looking at. See right here. Now, he said, these ministering spirits that are dealing with us, they're messengers from God with only one thing, and that's his word. And if they don't come with his word, ministering his word, then you better know that's certainly not a messenger from God. He says that in the next verse. How do we know they're messengers of God? The Bible said that the word of the Lord came to the prophets. Is that right? These angels minister his word through his spirit, minister the word through the Holy Spirit, and the spirit and the word came to the prophets. And the prophet had the word of God. Or that means so the prophet had the word of God. That's the reason they could do miracles. That's the reason they were vindicated. They had the word. Now, who was going to believe they had the word except for vindication? Now, they believed they had the word. But so did these women. What's this black woman that's quite a gospel singer now? She's making a lot of money and she's going to be mayor of a town down there in Carolinas now. She's a preacher. And God's heard God's voice four or five times now. God told her a hogwash. works in ministry to prove anything.

You know, it's just too bad people don't know the truth. She'll get a lot of folk coming, don't worry. Catherine Kuhlman did. Hattie Cropper did. Amy McPherson did. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So did Marilyn Monroe. Different type of prostitution as well. Same, same thing. Same, same chunk. See here now, that's the reason they do miracles. It wasn't the man. It was the Spirit of God in the man that did the miracles. The Spirit of Christ in the man. See? That was given for the word of God. That's what it's all about, the word of God. Then he talks about Elijah.

What had he done? He cleaned out every channel. God had chosen him. And he was anointed with the Holy Ghost. And it wasn't he. He never did anything until he saw it in the vision. Elijah said on Mount Carmel, All this I've done at your command. Now, Lord, let it be known that thou art God. Oh, glory to God. In other words here, he was operating by a vision. His channels were all cleaned out of all the doctrine of Ahab and all the rest of it. All he knew was the Word of God and that's all he wanted. See, that's why Brother Branham had such a hard time. That's why Paul had such a hard time. He couldn't bend.

You know, let's look at something here. You might understand a few things. A lot of things are tricky in life. Very difficult. Understand the Bible says, Separate me Paul and Barnabas, Saul and Barnabas, for the work which I have called them. That's the Bible, right? Separate me Saul and Barnabas. So they separated. Well, Paul goes up to Jerusalem and he gets confronted by these Judaizers. And I think there were some disciples here. Peter was there too. And because of the pressure, they got to mixing circumcision with the free grace and the word of God. And their dissimulation, their hypocrisy, got to Barnabas, of whom it was said, separate me, Saul, and Barnabas, for the work I call them. And Paul bounced him. I like that. You see? Let me tell you something here. You people live in a dream world, some of you. You do. You live in a dream world. You're nice and you're sweet. And I want you to be that way. I want you to make me ashamed of myself. But I'm afraid many times you don't understand how God operates. You think people's got to be nice and then bend. You've got to be kidding. We should kiss the devil's foot to make somebody happy? Oh, gosh.

We should make somebody happy, the devil happy, and God unhappy? What do you think God felt like that day Paul had to bounce Barnabas?

You know, historians tell you, tell us absolutely, right to the line. They tell us Barnabas was never heard from again.

Most of the theologians try to tell you Barnabas and Paul broke up over John Mark, who was a mama's boy.

And he went home.

Barnabas got after Paul. That's the way you feel. He said, you and I are finished right now.

I don't buy that. I go to the Word of God and all I can see is this man started to fall for the devil's lies. And Paul said, there's where you and I separate.

Now, I know people say, well, why didn't he pray him back? Who said he didn't pray? Well, I think Paul was a feisty old boy at that time. Later on, he changed his mind. You prove that.

You prove it. Maybe you're like that snake that was cold in the States. I'm going to put you in your bosom and I won't bite you. Well, I'm a bully for you. I'm not being mad at anybody. I'm just saying, look, people don't understand a lot of times. You say, hey, see, you were around the prophet the way I was. I can see him back there, but I see him just almost deadly.

You don't fool with those men, brother and sister. Remember, Brother Branham said you never judge a prophet. The prophet judges. How many people that said they knew Brother Branham judged him continuously? How many are still doing it? You better watch out, brother and sister. Better know what you're talking about. Now he goes on here. He said, I've done this at your command. Let it be known you're God. Oh, glory to God. Now, Brother Branham joins himself to Elijah, letting you know he is Elijah with his heart. I've seen it so many times. So many visions. So many times Brother Branham had to do it. When you see the Spirit, when you like me see the Spirit of God strike a place and that place gets under the anointing, watch things are going to happen. If this little group in here this morning could just take this mind here, what he is telling us right now, the anointing is there. God is there. The prophet is there. Absolutely you are here at a point of destiny. No one's ever been here before. This is a tremendous, tremendous place.

Understand, he said, what I'm saying. Don't doubt who I am.

That's what he's saying. Now remember, we never do doubt Brother Branham. But let's get this flat. We do doubt ourselves concerning him.

That's right. We don't doubt the prophet. We doubt a relationship.

We doubt exactly or don't understand what he really means, even now to us.

We are not identifying ourselves with history as we ought to. That's what he's talking about. Get this atmosphere. Brother Branham had an atmosphere.

We are trying to develop an atmosphere in this church. We have it to the degree of the people coming expecting. It never fails. It's not going to fail. It's up to you. I don't operate a gift any more than anybody else does. You operate it. You might think I operate a gift. You're entirely wrong. I can start. But it takes the people in that time on to begin moving. It's the way it is in every ministry here. Just get this mind here. Every dot out of the way. He said, remember, I am like Elijah. If you can only see that and understand it, that you are right now in the divine flow of Almighty God and His Word.

You're back in the Bible. And

if history were written so that another Bible could be in order, which is really a book of Acts, you'd see a record of what we're talking about. See? Every other way. How can you doubt anymore? When you see the dead raised up, the lame walk in the blind sea, the deaf hear based upon a vision. And the vision was proven because I see you in a doctor's office. You were not born deaf. You were hit in the head by a stone. You're in a car accident. Your name is so -and -so.

She says, how can you doubt?

Now, we're getting to the place very good where we cannot doubt this word. Hammering, hammering, hammering. At least we're as far as repetition will take us. But there's a place beyond that. Where the coming in the channels, the channels give it back.

We're a far cry from Israel.

When they simply lived a life before God, we're too torn by the cares of this world. We shouldn't be. Really, we shouldn't be. We understood exactly where Brother Branham was, what's going on. We do, and yet we don't.

We can learn to turn the mind to reality and defy and denounce the false.

Because that which is seen as temporal is going to pass away. You and I have problems in our body. They're going to pass away and we might pass away with them. But they're temporal. Everything is temporal.

Nothing is not temporal. The very universe is going to dissolve to like a nothingness, to original units and come back again to the one element. All right.

Let's read further now. The angel of the Lord, even his picture hanging here on the wall, has got signs stumped everywhere. What's the angel of the Lord? That's another term. A star. Angel is presence. God manifesting himself. God coming down as a messenger.

What does he do? Stay right with the word of the Lord. With the word. Amen. It cuts every devil. Yes, it does. Now, the angel of the Lord, even his picture hanging here on the wall, has got signs stamped everywhere. How much faith do we have in this picture on the wall? Are we alive to the...

return ministry of Christ via his actual presence by the Holy Ghost as Brother Branham was.

Brother Branham was very alive. Notice he calls and he says, even his picture taken, even his picture taken, even picture taken. How many are alive to it? Oh, there's such a fight on and the devil wants to really kill that one. The gates of hell are against that one. Absolutely.

The gate signifying an opening to suck you in and keep you in.

Now, gates of heaven, that's fine. But gates of hell, that's not so fine. Take your pick. I don't mean that personally. I just mean we take a pick. Do we understand perfectly as we ought to? Do we labor to understand? Do we strive and take time to understand?

Matthew 12.

Concerning Christ coming to the Gentiles in the form of the Holy Spirit. In verse 19, 20 and 18. He shall show judgment to the Gentiles. He shall come down. In 2 Corinthians 1, verse 17, with those angels, those flames of fire, flaming spirits, bringing the word of deliverance, justifying the godly, declaring dead the ungodly.

One minute, and it's all over. If we study long enough, fine dandy. We'll start next Sunday on this. Perfect place to start. Brother Branham's great commitment to that, which we...

Look at, believe to a degree.

But is it to a total finality? To a degree, yeah. Let's rise and be dismissed.

Precious Heavenly Father, again we thank you for the time we've had here together to study your word. And we do appreciate the fact, Lord, that you're bringing us more and more under a conviction, which we know we have to have and which we're glad to have, God. And we pray that conviction shall be of such a pressure and a depth on our hearts and minds and lives. that we will be only too glad to throw aside everything else that assaults our senses and attempts thereby to assault the very nature of our souls, which is in Christ, to make us either turncoats or traitors to the word of God, or at least of that caliber, Lord, who are certainly not at all striving to be manifested as sons of God. Help us, Lord, we pray, to realize this is the last hour. This is the only life, the only chance we've got. And the few remaining moments, Lord, is the only time here on earth. So may we begin to put our time where it really should be put, which is, Lord, in your word and your word's life coming more and more into our lives to overcome our lives so that we, Lord, for your glory and honor, for the sake of your wonderful holy name, and for the betterment of anybody around us if that could possibly happen. Lord, let us truly strive and truly, Lord, have a standard of faith in our lives from this word and what the prophet said as we have never known before until people can say to us as they said to Paul, you're crazy. You're beside yourself. Where you got into this thing, I don't know, but there's something wrong with you. I know, Lord, you're saying it now, but that's a sort of an offhand. sneering sort of way. I don't know that we've done anything yet to the extent where they're really saying it, where we really got it coming to us and should for the glory of God.