FRIENDSHIP
BELIEVEST THOU THIS? MINNEAPOLIS MN 50-0716
E-47 Used to be, a long time ago, when the neighbor got sick or something, we went over and cut his corn, cut him some wood if it was wintertime. And today the neighbor can die, and you don't know it till you read it in the paper. That's right. No friendship among one another anymore. That's awful.
Love... "Because the iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold," said Jesus in Matthew's the 24th chapter. That's true.
LIFE STORY WILLIAM BRANHAM CLEVELAND OH 50-0820A
E-1 ... you for that fine
compliment. And how I feel unworthy to accept it, but I with humility, I hope that I never deceive anyone and I always can keep the
friendship of God's people everywhere. It's by that that I can minister to you.
GOD'S PROVIDED WAY CONNERSVILLE IN 53-0613
E-41 Brother, what we need is an old time, Holy Ghost sent, Gospel power of God to straighten up the Church and get back into the ring like they ought to be.
God help these preachers; I ain't talking about these: hanging along with little old kid gloves on, afraid they're going to hurt somebody feelings. I'd rather hurt every man in the world and be in friendship with God. Tell the truth. God will honor it. Amen.
"Amen" means, "so be it." Don't get scared. That won't hurt you.
Now, look, brother. Elijah
went up there and set down by the brook and some of them said, "That poor
illiterate fellow, setting up there on that top of that hill..."
FAITH COMETH BY HEARING CHICAGO IL 54-0320
E-4 I was to go on to the west
coast to the--a certain denomination over there, and I... a fine church with
fine people... But I come to find out that they were trying to... reason coming
there, was to pull a group of people from another church. And what little
influence I have, I want to use it for the glory of God and not to--to hurt
churches. You see? So I said, "Well, being that the churches are having
this little time like that, I'd rather not be into it. Just wait till it's
over, then I'll come over it." I said, "Get them all together and set
them together and say we are brethren, one on one side and the other. I'll come
on." But I like unity, don't you?
Friendship, fellowship, there's nothing like it.
FUNDAMENTAL FOUNDATION FOR FAITH CHICAGO IL 55-0113
E-9 Man was made as a secondary god on earth. He was given the power to control all things, all elements of the earth. That was Adam. Adam was given these great powers. But then the power that he was given to make hisself, is where he fell.
And Adam could speak to the winds and it would stop. He could speak to the trees and they would obey him. He could speak to the wildlife; it would obey him. He could speak to the waters, ever what it was. Everything obeyed Adam.
Now, that is the beginning of man. That's what God give him power over: everything on the earth. Now, though the fall he lost that power, then he becomes unconscious of the fact, after losing his relationship and friendship, fellowship with the Father. Then he lost that. And all of his great channels become clogged up, and He couldn't get through.
Now, what Adam was in God, Christ has redeemed us back to that. Now, a redeemer, to redeem anything is to bring it back to it's--to it's origin again.
RECONCILIATION
THROUGH FELLOWSHIP STURGIS MI 56-0120
E-64 Neither would Adam's shoulders ever
shag, or hair turn gray, or any deterioration to him, walking
perfect with friendship, and fellowship with the Father. What a
beautiful picture.
Then when sin entered in, and God seen that they had sinned, He... Before that He could even pass judgment, He had to go kill an innocent lamb, or beast, and throw the skins back there to cover up, to make a substitutionary death, provided for the worshipper to come to Him. And Adam and Eve standing in His Presence...
I can see little Eve with them beautiful eyes now, after sin had set in, tears filled them, and they run down her cheek. I can see Adam with those strong eyes, as he looked across the evening, and the soft winds a blowing where he had to make the beast to obey him, and the winds and the waves to obey him, everything else had to obey him. He had full rulership over everything here on earth. He realized he'd lost his fellowship with God. Tears, to show him that he was mortal now, dripped off at his face, and run down over his bosom, and dripped off on Eve's head. I can see her look up and said, "Adam, I'm the cause of it, dear."
INFALLIBLE WORD
OF GOD CHICAGO IL 56-0406
E-7 So isn't it wonderful to know that it's
all settled. I--I just love it, don't you? Just that perfect
satisfaction, and know that His Spirit lives in you, bearing record of the
resurrected Jesus Christ, and right living, friendship
with Him every day, not trying to live this or that, but Him in you just
lives His own life out, going where he wants you to go, saying what He wants
you to say, doing what He wants you to do, that's the way to live, isn't it?
And you people who are living that way, God bless you, my dear brother and sister; and just strive and pray for others to come into the wonderful faith in Christ Jesus. I...
JEHOVAH
JIREH INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA 57-0612
E-23 When you begin to seek the flower bed of ease, you're on your road out. I like that old poem:
Must I be carried home to heaven on a flower bed of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?
No, I must fight, if I must reign,
Increase my courage, Lord.
That ought to be the prayer of the Christian tonight. Taking the way of the world, the easiest where people pat you on the back... Friendship of the world is enmity to God.
So Lot went down towards Sodom, and then after Abraham was completely separated from all the parasites, and the hang-ons, God appeared to him again. I like that. God came to him and said, "Abraham, come out here just a moment; I want to show you something." He said, "Lift up your eyes; look to the north just as far as you can see, to the south, and the east, and west," said, "I've give it all to you. (Amen.) So walk through the land, you're the possessor of it; it's all yours."
EXPECTATION
THE BURLINGTON VT 58-0508
E-20 And in this lifetime, if we have a chance
to chose right and wrong, it's back to the same thing like it was in Eden: a
man and a woman given a choice to do right or do wrong. They had two trees
before them. We are taught in the Scripture, one of them was the Tree of Life.
The other was a tree of knowledge. Man chose to eat off the tree of knowledge. And
the first time he ate from that tree, he severed his
friendship with God, and he was made a mortal being.
Since then, man has desired to live from that tree of knowledge. And he's done great things, but knowledge only can reach so far. Knowledge is all right, but when you've reached the end of your knowledge, then believe from there on.
LIFTING HIM OUT
OF HISTORY JEFF IN 58-1001
E-17 They go to church on Sunday morning for their religion for about twenty minutes. Since the pastor takes about thirty minutes, he's called on the board. What is it? Home life is running out.
It used to be that father and mother loved, and honored, and cherished one another. And when she was old, and gray, and wrinkled up, and her poor little old face all drawed up and her glasses hanging down over her nose, Pop loved her just as well as he did when she was young and pretty.
But today... I don't mean to be critical, but when she
gets a little old, he just swaps her for a new model. It seems to be that way,
like swapping cars or something. Seems like that that real family love don't
exist much more. Just something has happened. Home life is running out.
We don't have the old American home as we used to have it, long years ago.
There's another thing that I would like to say;
that is, another thing running out, is friendship is
running out. It don't seem like that we have the friends that we used to have.
And the friends that we have are not loyal friends like they used to be. It
used to be... I can remember, when someone got sick in the neighborhood, that
everybody come around, and they helped them with all their work, and lended a
hand to anything could be done. Set up with them all night at a time. And as
I've often said, it's truth, that we hardly know the neighbor's dead until we
see it in the paper. Friendship...
WHAT DOES THOU
HERE JEFF IN 59-0301E
E-15 And the showdown came. And the showdown has come again. And Elijah up on Mount Carmel, when they thought that all the days of miracles were passed and there could not be nothing else like miracles, there was one man who believed in it. And he said, "Bring up all your prophets. Bring them up here on the mountain, and let's prove and see who's God." I love that Scripture.
Oh, if there ever was a time and a place that the true power of God ought to be made manifest is today. Let's prove what's God. If education is the way out to freedom, why don't it act? If social standings and so forth is the way out, why don't it act?
If paying other nations to be our buddies, and we find
out they've turned heels against us just as soon they can... And you can't buy friendship with money. Friendship is a gift of
God.
WHAT HEAREST
THOU ELIJAH LA CA 59-0412E
E-59 But if the Lord God will speak, let her be the judge whether it's right or not, then how many of you will actually know that the Presence of Jesus Christ is here? Raise your hand, say, "I would accept it." Now, both of us... Here's the Bible we've never met before in our lives. Now, I don't say that He will do it. If He does we'll be thankful.
Now, sister just to speak to you a moment, you don't have
to look at me just... you're... The woman is a
Christian, because from her comes a feeling of friendship. Her spirit that's in
her is welcoming the Spirit that's in me.
Now, in other words, there is a daughter of God. I am His son, adopted son by Jesus Christ. She's standing there needing something. I'm standing here to pray for her. Now, if I would lay my hands on her, and say, "Go, get well; Jesus Christ's going to make you well." that would be all right.
UNCHANGEABLE
WORD OF GOD LAKEPORT CA 60-0724
E-71 And she run out the house, got her little shawl and put around her. She run out, and she met Mary and threw her arms around her and begin to hug her.
You know, I wish people
loved one another again like that, don't you? Oh, my, they're cold, aren't
they? Just as cold as a the wart on a pickle... I never seen anything in my life like it. Oh, it's terrible.
Nobody has any more friendship.
Brother Arganbright, you remember long years ago, when
we used to have the farm, and something went wrong with the neighbor over
there? He got sick; and we'd go over and cut his wood, and get the corn in, and
plow the corn, or whatever it was. We helped take care of one another. Now, you
don't know your neighbor's dead till you read it in the paper or somewhere.
That's right. We don't have no more love one for another.
CHURCH
ORDER JEFF IN THURSDAY
63-1226
903-Q-234 234. Please explain just how we are to--how we deacons can keep the people... just in the sanctuary before or after... Please explain. [Billy Paul reads the question to Brother Branham, "How do we keep the people quiet in the sanctuary before and after church?"--Ed.] Oh, all right.
I would suggest this, brethren. Now, there's a great thing; wish we had more time to put on it, for it's--it's... It means something to us. See? Now, the church is not a...
If he wants to... If you want to run this tape down some night and play it before the meetings, that the people will understand it, let this be played; just this part of the tape if no more, just this. Any part of this that you want played for a certain thing, just keep running it till you find it, and then play it. See, 'cause it's questions.
Now, deacons of the church, and as I--as I said, are the police of the church. But the church is not a general meeting-house for--for fellowship, and friendship, and frolic. The church is a sanctuary of God. We come here... Now, if we want to meet one another, let me come to your house or you come to my house, or you go to one another's house and meet one another. But just to frolic around through the church, and talking and things like that, it's not right, brethren; we come here; we get the whole thing off of our mind. If we would come here...
WHO DO YOU SAY
THIS IS? PHOENIX AZ 64-1227
18 Now really, honestly, I--I told Brother Outlaw, "What shall I speak about this morning? Have you spoke your Christmas message?"
Said, "Yes."
I said, "Your New Year's Message?"
"No."
So I had some outlines here whether if I get a invitation somewhere, I'm going to speak my New Year's message. I thought I'd leave that to Brother Outlaw for his, next week.
So I thought maybe I'd drop back on a little text here that might keep us for a few minutes, the Lord willing. And we trust that He'll bless us. I want to thank Brother Outlaw and the church here for inviting me up to speak here. And I... As Brother Outlaw said, that "our friendship has never been seared," but the grace of God has kept us through all these years. This is the first church that invited me, and I come to, was at Phoenix.
TRYING TO DO
GOD A SERVICE JEFF IN
65-0718M
13 Was that true, Brother Blair? One of our loyal brothers here... Oh, the little boy's here. Well, thank the Lord. That's fine. We'd like for you to stand up, sonny boy. Now, we thank the dear Lord for this. Is that the father of the little boy? Are you the father? That's right. And here's Brother Richard Blair. Our God is able to do anything. Yes, sir. He promised it. We are living in the Divine Presence of the great, glorious, heavenly Father. And all things that we--are possible if we can just believe it.
You see what that does, what it paid off for that man's life to believe that? Saved his little boy. Now, God had His loyal servants there to--Brother Blair and them--to pray for the little boy when he was in that condition. Yes, when anything happens, remember, you are children of the living God. "Wherever two or more are gathered in My Name, there I am." And again it's written: "He's a very present Help in time of trouble." And if there ever was trouble, that little boy laying there dead on the ground from a shock of electricity that went through him... So we're thanking God this morning with all of our hearts for these--for these things that He has done for us.
God bless these faithful men too. In a time of
emergency that's the time to look to God; and look to Him and be on friendship with Him before the emergency arrives.
We know this: If we have favor with God, we can ask Him anything, like you
would any other friend; and He's a very present Help in time of trouble.
LEADERSHIP COVINA CA 65-1207
256 It might cost you everything you
got. It might cost you your home; it might cost you
your friendship; it might cost you your stitch-and-sew party; it might
cost you your place at the Kiwanis. It might... I don't know what it'll cost
you, but it'll cost everything that's worldly or pertains to the world. You'll
have to separate yourself from everything that's worldly. You'll have to do it.
Moses laid everything aside and went into the
desert with a stick in his hand. Amen. Days after days passed. And wonder if he
thought he made a mistake? No.
Many times people start out, and they say, "Oh, I'll do it. Glory to God, I see It." And let somebody laugh at you and make fun of you, "Probably I was wrong."
He said, "They that cannot stand chastisement are bastard children and not the children of God." See, they're worked up on the emotion.
See, these seed that I talked about awhile ago, that soul wasn't there to start with. It was anointed with the Spirit, and he done all kinds. Oh, you--they... And when your spirit's anointed, you can... It's a real, genuine Holy Ghost, and you could still be a devil.
