Retrieved sermon context

1. ADOPTION 1 — 1960-05-15

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• ¶106–¶107 Listen to This! Predestination looks back to foreknowledge, I mean election. Election looks back to foreknowledge, and predestination looks to destiny. Don’t forget that, that election looks back here, here it is, “I was a cocklebur. I was born in sin, shaped in iniquity, come to the world speaking lies, born amongst sinners. Father and mother and all my whole family, sinners. I was a cocklebur. But, all of a sudden, I become a wheat grain. How did it happen?” That, what is that? Election. God, before the foundation of the world, elected that the cocklebur was to become a grain of wheat. “Now I know I’m a grain of wheat, because I’m saved. How do I do it?” Look back and see that He predestinated it, long time ago. By foreknowledge He seen that I would love Him, so He made a propitiation through His Own Son, that through Him I might become from a cocklebur to a grain of wheat. “Now, where am I at now?” I’m saved, I’m walking in the grace of God. “What does predestination look?” To destiny. “Where will He take me to, and where am I going?” Amen. That’s got you. There you are. Now let’s read just a little farther, and then we’ll have to close pretty shortly. According as he…chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy…without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption, predestinated unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

• ¶108–¶109 What did He do? He, by foreknowledge, foresaw us, knowing that He was a Saviour, self-existence. There was no Angels, no nothing; just God, Elah, Elohim, the self-existence One, nothing but Him alone. But in Him was a Saviour. Well, what’s He going to save, there’s nothing lost? Knowing that, then He knowed that this great attribute in Him would project something out yonder that He could save. Then when it did that, by foreknowledge He looked down and He saw everyone that would accept It. And then by doing so, He said, “To save that, the only way I can do it, will be come down Myself and be made flesh and take the sin of a man upon Him, and die for him, that I might be the One that’s worshipped,” because He is God, the object of worship. Then He came down and taken upon Himself. And while He did that, He did that that He might save you who wants to be saved. Do you see what I mean? By foreknowledge, the infinite God, Who knowed all things, saw the Lamb, and He slayed the Lamb before the foundation of the world, and He put your name on the Lamb’s Book of Life. And He seen the deceitfulness of Satan, what he would do. So He put your name on there. And He said that the antichrist would be so religious, so good, such a fine fellow, such a smart man, such a religious man, that he would deceive the very Elected if it was possible. But it is an impossible, because their names were foreordained before the foundation of the world. By election He chose them, and by predestination they know where they are going. There you are.

2. BLASPHEMOUS NAMES — 1962-11-04

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• ¶40–¶42 And we hope to get the church up, so I can get these Church Ages in, before—before the winter sets in, if possible. If I don’t, or when I have to come back from over there, if the Lord Jesus tarries. I was listening yesterday when I was taking, believe it was day before yesterday, of a tape. I thought I heard it playing out here this morning. Some little Southern brother had…His mother had come into the meeting. She had a malignancy on her breast, and she was shadowed to death. And the Holy Spirit, in one of the recent meetings, at the Southern Pines, I believe it was, or somewhere, told her, said about her malignancy, and who she was, and where she come from. And said she had a boy that was a backslider, and he was going to have an accident, and be for manslaughter. And a whole lot of things like that. And this fellow… It all happened just the way. And her malignant cancer, or malignant growth, rather, left her. Which is, malignant growth is a cancer, you know. So then it—it left her. And the boy was up for manslaughter, and everything just the way the Holy Spirit said it. And he was led to Christ, back again. And he made a tape of it, and I—I heard it playing. Did you enjoy that little, old Southern talk? [Congregation says, “Amen.”—Ed.] Said, “Down here in North Carolin’er,” he said. Oh, I just love that, them old Southern people. And he had…The Lord just blessed him on. He said, “I know you say you don’t preach doctrine, Brother Branham; only to your congregation.” Said, “We’re part of your congregation.” So that was right cute in him, to say that.

• ¶298–¶302 Directly, I noticed the people begin to get like they was physically hungry. And so they had enough spiritual, so they started walking away. And some of them [Brother Branham yawns—Ed.] started walking away. I thought, “What’s the matter with everybody?” And—and I looked, and here some young couples going along, to my side. I thought…I said, “Just a minute, friend! Just a minute! You’ll be back again when the evening shadows fall.” See? I said, “You’ll be back again. But let me give you this first climax. Where does all these things come from, that I’ve showed you? Where are they from?” I said, “Here they are. They are in the Word of God. They are THUS SAITH THE LORD, His promise. Cause,” I said, “all of you bear me record, witness this, that my commission is, ‘Stay with the Word.’” I said, “What’s the matter with all of you? Can’t you understand the Word? You must understand It.” And some of them said, “Man, I’d like to have some biscuits,” and so like that. Well, I just thought, “Well, glory to God! If they want biscuits, let them go get them.” So I—I turned around. I thought, “Oh, but, you know what? The shadows is going to fall, after while, right away.” I said, “Then, tonight, when that congregation gathers in again, I’ll put the climax to them, and told them that the things that they have seen me do is found in the Word of God, not in some mythical book or some organization. It’s found in the Word. See? Every bit of it, in the Word, ’cause I’m commissioned to That.”

3. GOD’S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM AND HIS SEED — 1956-02-23

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• ¶40–¶43 You people that’s come so far along the road, “Be ready, for in the hour that you think not then He comes.” Not in time of—of poverty stricken, but in a time of plenty, “in the time you think not,” see, He will come. Now notice, God, when Satan done this evil thing, here’s what I think of God, that He knew right then what would be the entire plan that He would use to bring man back to Himself again, when the thing was first produced, before the foundation of the world. And if you notice over in Revelation, He said, “The beast that would come upon the earth would deceive all those whose names were not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life from the foundation of the world.” When were they written? From the foundation of the world. Now, Jesus didn’t come to Calvary just for a haphazard thought, “Well, I’ll die up there, and, perhaps maybe, somebody will feel sorry for me and—and come down and get saved.” No, no, God don’t run His office like that. You don’t run your office like that. Jesus come for one specific purpose, that was to redeem those that God foreknew would be redeemed. See? Now, God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance, but in order to be God, He had to know. Now, the word predestinate, as is used in—in Ephesians 1:5, predestinate there, isn’t a good word. It means in—in speaking of predestination to the people sometimes leads them to think that God just predestinated you to push you through a little pipe, or something. That’s not right. Predestination looks back to foreknowledge, and foreknowledge looks to destiny.

• ¶48–¶52 Then God foreknowing, and there will be, the Church is going to be, whether you are in It, or I am in It, It will appear before God without spot or without wrinkle. God’s done said so, and that settles it forever. Now, He never said, “In this Church will be William Branham.” He said the Church would be there, and She would be a glorious Church, washed in the Blood, ironed out, and would be without spot or wrinkle. Now, it’s up to me whether I want to stay in that Church or not. Not… He didn’t say He would—He would predestinate me, and I’d be sure to be there, but He give me the assurance if I was with this Group, I would be there, or, if I was in Christ Jesus, which is the Bride, I would be there. Now, that brings us down to election now. Now, God by foreknowledge could set election. Therefore when He called Abraham, who was Abraham? Abraham was no more than any other man. He came down from Babylon with his father, and his wife, Sarah, which was his half-sister, and He dwelled in the city of Ur, and the plains, and the valley of Shinar there. And, supposingly, of a morning he went out and picked some berries and eat them, at noon he went into bush and killed meat, and lived a pretty long life, they did in those days, with the—the way his diet was considered and everything, and they did live a long life. But notice, Abraham was no different from no one else, but God by election called Abraham, for he was no more than anyone else. Now, watch the four patriarchs: Abraham is justification, we have stayed two weeks on that, or Abraham, I beg your pardon, Abraham is election; Isaac represents justification; Jacob, grace, anyone knows that, Jacob, grace; and Joseph, perfection. Election, justification, and grace, and perfection, not an ought against Joseph, anywhere.

4. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE SEALS — 1963-03-24

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• ¶110–¶113 I didn’t know that till the other day, sitting there, either. See? Now, that’s, “What does the oil and wine…?” That was, “See that you hurt not.” That was the black-horse rider. And that was during the time of the dark age, the third age of the—of the church. Notice. And, in there, “There’s just a little bit of It left, just a little bit, but don’t hurt It.” And I believe if you get that, the—the Third Seal, on tape, you’ll… you would find it there, where we explained it in details, or in detail, rather. 179. Brother Branham, is the Lamb’s Book of Life, and the Book of Life, the same Book? Sure, see, ’cause that’s where all redemption is wrote, in this Book. See? Their names were in…You say, “Well, our name is put the Lamb’s Book of Life, Brother Branham. I—I got it put on, the other night.” No, you didn’t. No, you didn’t. You just found out it was on there, the other night, that was…see, because their names were written before the foundation of the world. See? That’s, it’s all the same Book, see. 180. Now, Brother Branham, is it true that—that every Jew, born since Christ came, will be saved? And who are the hundred and forty-four thousand? Are they the predestinated ones to be sealed with the Holy Ghost? And what is their mission? There’s about three questions in one, there. But, here, first one: Is—is it true that every Jew born since Christ, that came into the world, is to be saved?

• ¶200–¶202 Well, I think we explained that, a while ago. See? They go into the Tribulation. They are martyred in the Tribulation. Come up in the last, after the Millennium, for their judgment. See? Because, the Bible said that the rest of the living…“The rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years was expired.” Then there was a resurrection, and then come forth the both, just and unjust, and was judged by Christ and the Bride. He came to the earth with ten thousands times ten thousands of His saints. Is that right? His Bride. Judgment was set. The Books was opened. Books was opened. And another Book was opened, which was the Book of Life. He separated, from there, the goats from the sheep. Is that right? That had nothing to do with the Bride. She was standing right there in judgment, with her Queen…the Queen and King, together. “He came with His saints; ten thousands times thousands ministered to Him,” His wife. Then judgment was set, and then the sheep was separated from the goats. Remember the other night, me bringing that little meditation, so you’d understand it, the cowboy meditation? See? There you are. No, they, that’s they, the—the—the church, the people that’s in denominations, that are—are genuine Christians, who’s receives the Message and they will never see It. It’ll never be preached to them. And those in a mixed crowds, who It is preached to, It’ll go right over the top of their heads, unless their name was on the Lamb’s Book of Life. Yeah. But they will be good people.

5. PROVING HIS WORD — 1964-08-16

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• ¶211b–¶213 If…How many believes the early Church is in Him? Let’s see, how many believes it? How were they baptized? All right. See, He’s unchangeable God. We proved that. We could stay here till midnight tonight, proving that, and still go on and on and on. See, unchangeable! See? You are in Him and a part of Him, because you were a part of the thinking of Him. Before the foundation of the world, He called you! The Bible said that the beast upon the earth…That’s the denominational antichrist coming on the earth, forming the beast at Rome, which was the first denomination. And this World Council of Churches forms an image unto the beast, just exactly what we just put in the book there the other day. Notice, it forms that, see, the antichrist. And the Bible said, “All whose names were not written on the Lamb’s Book of Life,” (when, at the revival?) “slain before the foundation of the world,” (your name was put on there) “this antichrist will deceive you.” Matthew 24:24, says that—that “The antichrist would be so close like the real thing in the last days, it would deceive the very elected, or predestinated…” It’s the same thing, election and predestination is the same thing, God elected you or predestinated you before the foundation of the world. “Will deceive all whose names were not predestinated on the Book of Life.” Daniel spoke of it, how the wise will be in that day, and how the unwise, and so forth. All right, so much, but I just keep getting too— too far away, the clock’s moving too fast for me. Notice, now watch, He noticed after…Now watch what taken place here. “All He foreknew, He called. All He called, He has justified. All that He has justified, He hath glorified.” Your journey’s finished, you’re living out your part. Grace is what God did for you. Works is what you do in appreciation.

• ¶296b–¶296b Hope of earth and joy of Heaven; Precious Name…

6. ESCAPE HITHER, COME QUICKLY — 1958-02-02

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• ¶8–¶10a And that was the first time that I ever heard that come. And then the other night, standing right on this platform, when I heard it, when I was praying. And now, I got one more Message, that’s tonight, before I leave the city. And I want to say this—this. I do believe that shortly, that next step in my ministry is coming up right now, which will be far beyond this now. How…Is there anybody here that remembers the first beginning of my ministry when I put my hand on somebody? You remember that? All right. How many remembers that the Lord promised right then if I’d be sincere I would know the secrets of their heart? How many knows it was said back there? See it happen? Now, there’s something else coming right now. It’s coming right away now. And it’s going to be still greater, and I think will be the last. It may not this…All of it works together just the same. But now, this afternoon I would like to call your attention to some Scripture, just for a few moments that we would speak, God willing, upon a—a subject here that we hope that the Lord will bless. And that will be found in Saint Luke, for a Scripture reading, Saint Luke and the 17th chapter and the 20th verse. I wish to read this as to get a context. [Brother Branham reads St. Luke 17:26-29—Ed.] And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat,…drink, and married wives, and they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the floods came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot, they did…(Now, watch what they did.) …they did eat,…drink, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built, And the…day—the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone—fire and brimstone…, and destroyed them all. Now, over in Genesis, the—in the Book of Genesis and in the, I believe it’s the 19th chapter and the 22nd verse, I wish to get a text.

7. THE PATMOS VISION — 1960-12-04

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• ¶5–¶8a Now, if you’ll notice, there were five foolish and five wise virgins; all of them was virgins, made out of the same material. But, by election, God chose His Bride by election before the foundation of the world, put their names on the Lamb’s Book of Life slain before the foundation of the world; before the world ever began, God in His mind, being infinite. And we use the word sometime, is “predestination,” but it’s a sure hanger in this church age that we live in. It was certainly a great thing used in the days of the martyrs, ’cause they certainly believed it. But it’s got away from It now, to the legalist ideas, the legalist teaching in the church which come…Which was a good thing, because all of it had gone Calvinistic in England till they didn’t even have revivals anymore, and John Wesley come along preaching the Arminian doctrine which balanced it up. God will always balance it up. So then the foolish virgin was the one who did not have oil in their lamps, that I believe that was cast out into outer darkness where there’ll be weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. And if you’ll compare that, or your footnotes, it’ll run it right back again to the great tribulation. And I think they’re the ones who stays back and goes through the great tribulation. And quite a lesson there, if we had time to go into it. If you… Now, remember, I have said at the first, where when you hear the tapes, “These things is just according to the way I believe them to be right.” See? Now, if they’re wrong, I don’t—I don’t know they are. I…And I can only say what I believe. And I don’t mean to hurt anyone’s feelings. We must just lay them aside when we come in, and then take the thing that’s been said, and search it, and see if it’s really the Scriptures or not. That’s the best way to do it.

8. THE SEED SHALL NOT BE HEIR WITH THE SHUCK — 1965-04-29

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• ¶47–¶49 That’s why the Rapture, the Bride, the wise virgin, the called- out, the foreordained, the elected! Why, you businessmen wouldn’t run your office like some people try to think that God runs His program, haphazard. God knew, before the foundation of the world, who would be saved and who would not be saved. By predestination, by foreknowledge, He saw every member, put every name on the Lamb’s Book of Life, before the Church ever began. Jesus come to seek and save that which was on that Book. He bought the Book of Redemption. It was lost, and He redeemed us, and all names was on that Book was redeemed when He redeemed us. Then, as I have said many times, you recognize that. That’s why you’re here this morning, why you’re coming up out of all these organizations and things. You’re…There is Something pulling you. As my little thought was, about the eagle hatched under the hen, see, you—you realize there is something different. The—the church didn’t have a—a satisfying something. But, you, you heard something else that was a scream, you realized that, that you were born for That. You’re a part of It. You, you fit into It, like a glove on a hand. That’s why we’re assembled here together this morning, is because, as my old southern mama used to say, “birds of a feather flock together,” because you have things in common. Buzzards and doves has nothing in common. Their diet is different, although a dove could be hatched under a buzzard. That’s right. Depends on what it was, to begin with. Now, and in that, though, the— the dove might have to be mothered awhile by that, by that buzzard, but finally he’ll find his mate.

9. THE KINSMAN REDEEMER — 1960-10-02

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• ¶1–¶2 Thank you, Brother Neville. The Lord bless you. So good to be back again, this morning, back in the house of the Lord. I believe it was said, one time, “I was happy when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’” Charlie, come out behind that post, and come up here and get you a chair. Come on up here. Sister, is there a chair back in there, somewhere, we could squeeze in? Here’s a place right up here, lady. Come right up here. Here, Charlie, come here and sit down by Banks up here, so you won’t have to stand up. Every time that boy comes from way down in Kentucky, gets up here, he stands up every morning. And we’ll get him right up here. Here’s a place here, on the end of the seat here, for someone else. [Brother Neville says, “There’s a lady back here, too.”—Ed.] There’s a lady standing up in the back, back there. Come right up here. Here’s a seat right here, sister, right up close. Come right ahead. And I suppose somebody is in the wheel chair there. Are they? [A sister says, “Brother Branham?”] Yes. [“There’s a seat right here.”] There’s another seat right over here. If someone wants one, back there in the back, right here is a seat right here. [A brother says, “And here is one, Brother Branham.”] Here’s one right up here, also, just suit yourself. [“Another one, over here.”] Yes. You can have one right here. Now, come right on, take your seats. And just feel real…

10. THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT — 1958-09-28

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• ¶46–¶48 Now, now we find out, then, that when we brought down the next article we have here, finding out, that—that, the reason we are a nondenominational. And we believe that there is born- again Christians, sainted people, in Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, and what-more. We believe that God’s Church is that Seed that’s mixed down through this realm down through here, and it come in by what we spoke of last night, and we’ll further discuss it, predestination. Not that God predestines anything to be, but, by foreknowledge He can predestinate, for He knowed all things. And we found out last night that there’s nobody ever got saved, like tonight, and had their name wrote on the Lamb’s Book of Life. Your name was either put on the Lamb’s Book of Life before the world begin, or it never was there or never will be. We find out, when God slayed the Lamb before the foundation of the world, you was slain with your Lamb. You believe that? Find out just in a minute. Let’s turn to Revelations, to begin, Revelation 17 or…Revelation 13:8, and find out here what the Bible says about—about whether… when the Lamb was slain. See if It was slayed in A.D. 33, or A.D. 33, or whether It was slain what…when It was slain. All right. Now, this is the United States in prophecy here, of course. Now we read this. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him (What? The beast.), whose names were not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

11. REDEEMER, REDEMPTION — 1955-11-19

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• ¶9–¶10 Now, here’s letters that’s going to the sick and the afflicted. And may the Lord add His blessings as we pray for them. Now, each one, they’ll come get them. I believe there’s another one right there, brother. They…We want you to do this now: after the altar call tonight is over…I think that’s right, isn’t it, brother? After the altar call, when you want them to come get their…After the altar call? [Brother says, “Yes.”—Ed.] After the altar call, come, get your— your handkerchief. And if you happen to miss, and need one, just write me one. Now, it’ll come…They’ll be a—it’ll be made up an appointment…Something? You want to announce something? [Brother says, “No. See, they’re asking about your books again.”—Ed.] Books…They—they…Many’s asked, and someone that wrote me a letter the other day and said, “Brother Branham, send me one of your books.” And I got a couple. Now, the reason that we didn’t bring them: first thing, I didn’t have room. And these books…My…How many’s ever read them? Let’s see your hands. Well, that’s fine. I—you know, I—I didn’t…I wrote a little one, one time, and it was called “Jesus the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever.” And I wrote another one called “The Heavenly Vision.” Oh, they’re little bitty things, so, about sixty, seventy pages in them, I think, and sold for about fifteen cents or something. And it had to be rewritten a dozen times for—for the grammar’s sake of it. And so, my wife got it…No, it wasn’t her grammar; it was mine. See? And it was a…Both of us together, honey, couldn’t have good grammar, could we?

12. THE CHURCH CHOOSING LAW FOR GRACE — 1961-03-16

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• ¶173–¶176 One great man of a great organization, said, “Brother Branham, if you’ll just compromise on a few things, we’ll fly you to the main— main nerve centers of the world in our planes, and let you preach, if you’ll just come and join up with us.” I said, “Shame on you! A man of dignity and honor with a doctor’s degree, would ask a servant of God to compromise on His Word!” I said, “If I’m wrong, then you take the Scriptures, show me where I’m wrong.” I said, “God…How could you do a thing like that, Brother?” He bowed his head, he said, “I believe you’re a man of God.” Said, “My wife would have died years ago.” She was worst cancer case I ever seen. Said, “You spoke her, and called her out in the audience like that by the Holy Ghost.” Said, “I believe.” And I said, “Then you ask me to compromise? That don’t beat in my veins. No, sir. I’ll stay with the Word if I die in the pulpit.” That’s the way our fathers did that, stay on the Word of God, no matter if it skins you, and shucks the hide off of you, stay there anyhow. I am bound for the Promised Land, I am bound for the Promised Land; O who will come and go with me? I am bound for the Promised Land. I am bound for the Promised Land, I am bound for the Promised Land; O who will come and go with me? I am bound for the Promised Land.

13. THE ONCOMING STORM — 1960-02-29

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• ¶176–¶180 God bless you, Sister…?…[Brother Branham prays with the people at the altar, many of his words are indiscernible—Ed.]…?… Oh, nevermore… Won’t you just raise up, and come down with these others standing around the altar here? Come. It’s coming to judgment now. Won’t you come? Come now, your sins confess now, you won’t have to go to the judgment. God bless this couple that just come. God bless you, sir. That’s good. God bless you, young lady. Come right on down. Come, sir. I’ve wandered far… Come on, my Spanish brother. …away from God, Now I’m coming… Won’t you raise up now, and come down here? Let’s pray. Come to the Shelter. …of sin too long I’ve trod, O Lord, I’m coming home. May I say this, just while the organ is continually playing. The Message, tonight, is a Message of love, grace, and warning. Tomorrow night, this Message may be in your ears somewhere else, a Message of condemnation and judgment. While It has mercy in It, come and receive It. Won’t you, friends? I’ve got to meet you with This, what I’ve said tonight, someday. Won’t you come? Let It speak for mercy, for you. While we sing once more, “Now I’m Coming Home,” won’t you do it? Just stay right here, sister, dear. You all stay right here if you will, just a moment. We want to have prayer with these at the altar. Just let them stay right where they are. Once more now. I’ve wandered far… Rise up, come. Won’t you? I invite you. Now I’m coming home; The path of sin too long I’ve trod, Lord, I’m coming home. Christians, pray now. Coming home…

14. EL-SHADDAI — 1959-04-16

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• ¶59–¶63 Jesus was the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world. And did you ever think this? Your names was not put in the Lamb’s Book of Life the night you give your heart to Christ. Did you know that? The Bible said, “Your name was put in the Lamb’s Book of Life from the foundation of the world,” God’s foreknowledge. What are you scared about? What you so scared? You’re—you’re afraid. Seem like that you just can’t step right out there and toe the line with the enemy. Well, call anything the devil says a lie; let God’s Word be true. See? You were chosen of God, you didn’t choose yourself, God chose you. When did He choose you? Before the foundation of the world when the Lamb was slain. Now, the Bible says that. The Bible said in Revelation the 20th chapter, I believe it is, that the antichrist in the last days, deceived all that dwelled upon the earth whose names were not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life from the foundation of the world. How long? Since the foundation of the world when God, with His foreknowledge seen you and put your name on the Book. When the Lamb was slain, you were slain with the Lamb. Hallelujah! My! People are scared. “Oh, if I can just…I—I—I’m afraid I—I might make a mistake.” Make a mistake? You can’t do no worse than just set and do nothing about it. Get up and be going, get the job done, make some kind of an effort, you got to move. When the Holy Spirit begins to move on a person, he ought to walk with his shoulders back and his head up, praising God, sure, ’cause It’s God that spoke the Word, It’s God that give the promise. But we just look over the Word and we say, “Well…”

15. THIRSTING FOR LIFE — 1957-07-28

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• ¶47–¶48a Someone else would say, “Remember me, Brother Branham, in prayer. God, I’m a—I want to accept You just now, accept Your Son as my personal Saviour.” Would you put up your hand, someone else on the bottom floor? God bless you back there, my brother. Somebody… God bless you over here, my brother. God bless you down here, brother. God bless you back there, brother. That’s good. Back over to my right, the Lord bless you, back here. Somebody else now would raise your hand and say, “Brother Branham, remember me in prayer just now”? As we’re just about to close the service, say, “Remember me, I want to here accept Christ as my personal Saviour.” Would you raise your hand, saying, “Remember me, Brother Branham”? That’s right. God bless you, sister. God bless you, sister. I know there’s plenty of them in here. Would you just put up your hand? You can do that much. On the bottom floor now, will you do it before we go to the balconies? Been about fifteen. God bless you back there. I see your hand. God bless you. God bless you, my brother back there. That’s good. “Oh, Brother Branham, I know I go to church, but I—I…” God bless you, sister here. God bless you here, lady. “I go to church, but I—I know—I know I’m not right. And I want to be right. God knows I want to be right.” Will you put up your hand? The balconies to my right, someone up there say, “Brother Branham, remember me”? God bless you, young man. God bless you, lady. Someone else say…God—God bless you, lady. That’s good. “Remember me, Brother Branham, just now in prayer, as you go to prayer. I believe in you.” God bless you, brother. I now want to raise my hand and say, “I believe in Jesus Christ, and, Brother Branham, remember me in prayer. Just before you leave this building tonight, won’t you do it?” Put up your hand, and I’ll certainly do it, that God will see you. Won’t you do it? Up here’s the balcony to the right. Just one more time across. God bless you, sir, right here. I see your hand.

16. ADOPTION 3 — 1960-05-22

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• ¶176–¶178 Oh, “After you believed!” How can we just run over that, brother? Let’s just leave it for tonight, what do you say? Oh, my! I—I just can’t go any—any farther than that. Let’s leave it for tonight. I just can’t leave that word “sealed,” how you get in there, see. Inheritance by predestination. I inherited something. What inheritance? There had to be somebody leave me an inheritance. Why, you say, “Jesus left you an inheritance.” Beg your pardon! Jesus never left me an inheritance, Jesus never left you an inheritance; He only came down and paid for your inheritance, brought you to your inheritance. But your name was put on the Lamb’s Book of Life before the foundation of the world. God give you your inheritance. Your inheritance was first. Jesus only come…A lot, here’s the way they try to make it, “God saying, ‘Well, there’s a lot of people lost. Not a one of them will be saved, so I’ll send Jesus down and perhaps maybe He’ll… somebody feel sorry, and know what I’ve done and get saved.’” Oh, mercy! I wouldn’t run my office like that, even as poor as I do run it sometimes. See? I—I wouldn’t do it like that. How about God? God, by His foreknowledge, seen exactly who would be saved and who wouldn’t be saved, He sent Jesus to save those that He had already chosen. Didn’t Paul say, five verses behind this, that “He chose us in Him before there even was a world”? That’s our inheritance. God chose us, and let Jesus come and pay the price. That what? His shedding of His Blood, that no sin would be accounted to us. Nothing you do. But if you…

17. CONDEMNATION BY REPRESENTATION — 1960-11-13

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• ¶306–¶310 And the shouts and praises will raise up, from all over the city, around different places where these people will go. “You know, I once had stomach trouble, but it’s gone. I once had so-and-so, certain diseases, but it’s gone. I just heard that Message that morning, ‘Breeding back to the Word,’ and I come back to the Word. And I believe the Word, and now I’m well.” Grant it, Father. I commit them to You, in Jesus Christ’s Name. Now with our heads bowed. I want the elder to go forward. Let the… Teddy, if you will. Some of you sing Only Believe, just as you can now. And let the ones, has passed, right to their seat, as we anoint and pray for them!…?… In the Name of Jesus Christ, I now…?… Father in Heaven, as I lay my hands upon this woman, with anointing oil still on her…

18. THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM — 1959-04-24

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• ¶18–¶22 God met Abraham, called him by election, and we found out that we are also called by election. God, by His foreknowledge foreknew all things, and our names were put on the Lamb’s Book of Life before the foundation of the world. Now, that question was asked me one time when I made a statement like that, “Then what’s the use of preaching the Gospel?” That’s part of it. Jesus explained it when He said, “A fisherman went down to the lake and throwed in a net, and when they enclosed many and pulled it in, why, some of them were fish, and some were all kinds, spiders, terrapins, frogs, everything.” Well, that’s the fisherman, that, I’m a fisherman, these are fishermen. They’re fishing on every corner of the lake, I come along to cast my net in with them fishing on this corner, I pull in, whatever the Gospel net enclosed, I pull it in. Some of them are fish, some of them are turtles, some of them are serpents, some of them are frogs, some of them are crawfish, some are spiders. Let me give a little illustration, first thing you know, the old turtle sticks his head out of his shell, say, “Huh! I didn’t like this old holiness, anyhow.” Creep, creep, creep, right back to the mud he will go. That’s the way he will do it, yet he come down at the altar, he’s caught in the Gospel net. Here’s Mrs. Spider, she’ll look around, and say, “Huh! Can’t have no bridge parties, you have to be different, dress different, act different.” Plump, plump, plump, right back to the water again. See? What was it? She was a spider to begin with, a turtle to begin with, and fish to begin with.

19. EXPECTATIONS AND LEADINGS OF THE SPIRIT — 1957-08-11

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• ¶20–¶21 And now, as we open back the pages of Thy holy Writ, we pray that You will just come right into Your Word and make It live tonight. “The Word is a Seed,” said our Master. And if the seed falls in the right ground, it has to produce life of its kind. And we pray that the— the promises of God will anchor into fertile hearts of faith tonight and produce salvation and healing to this audience. We thank Thee for them, Father. This is the purchase of Your Blood, that I have the privilege of speaking to tonight. Let me speak that which is profitable and good to Thy people, for I’m sure You love them, and I love them. And I pray that You will anoint me to speak just the thing, and then send Your Holy Spirit upon me at the end of this meeting also. And may great signs and wonders of the risen Jesus, the seal of His Messiahship to this western people… The sun is setting, and the prophet said, “It’ll be light just before the sun goes down.” And it would be on the western people. Of course it could not be shining on the east at the time. So I pray that You will send forth the light. Christ said, “I am the way, the truth, and the Life.” And I pray that You’ll send It upon us tonight as we wait. We ask it in the Name of the Lord Jesus, Thy Child. Amen. And any time needing a handkerchief or anything now, if you didn’t get it in tonight, just write me: William Branham, Jeffersonville, Indiana. The post office box is 325. Don’t necessarily have to be that. You’ll not be dunned or asked for any pledges or any…Sometimes people send me a little money to help me out to buy stamps. It costs about, I guess three hundred a week for stamps, so to help…But you don’t have to do that.

20. THE TOKEN — 1963-11-28

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• ¶220–¶223 And now you downstairs, you up in the balcony, and you outside, in the corridors, someone will meet you here now, to take your application for water baptism, just in a little bit. Let’s close our eyes now, raise up our hands, for our thanksgiving offering to God, downstairs, upstairs, everywhere. All right. My faith looks up to Thee, Thou Lamb of Calvary, O Saviour Divine; Now hear me while I pray, Take all my sins away, Nor let me ev-… From this day be wholly Thine! While life’s dark maze I tread, (be a light) And grief around me spread, (display your Token) Be Thou my Guide; Bid darkness turn to day, Oh, wipe all my fears away, Nor let me ever stray From Thee aside. [Brother Branham begins humming, “My Faith Looks Up To Thee.” A brother begins speaking in another tongue. Blank spot on tape. The brother continues speaking in another tongue. Blank spot on tape. A brother gives an interpretation—Ed.] Just be real reverent. With such a call as that, I feel that I should call those candidates to come up here before this altar. Does your faith look to that? You remember one time when the congregation was standing, and the Spirit fell upon a man and he prophesied. Speaking in tongues, with the interpretation, is prophecy. So, I’m asking the candidates now, if you will come forward, you who doesn’t know assure that you have This. Did you hear that warning? You haven’t much more time. There might be your last opportunity, tonight, you might grieve It for the last time.

21. THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM — 1955-11-18

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• ¶18–¶19 Now, last evening, and the evening before, we taken Abraham… Now, as a little background so we can go right straight to the point, get the prayer line started. And now…And tomorrow night, maybe, the Lord willing, we want to begin a new subject and run it through Sunday. Notice. Abraham…What was it now? God called Abraham because he was a good man? No. God called Abraham by election. God elects people. And over in—in the Book of Ephesians the 1st chapter and about the 5th verse, Paul states the word “predestinated” us to the adoption of sons. Now, that doesn’t mean that God just puts you in a little channel and runs you through, and you can’t help if you—how you go, when you—you…Would be no reward. But God gives you the free moral agency to make your choice, but God will keep His believer. And “predestination” is a hard word among a congregation of people, because predestination…Really “foreknowledge” is a better word. And predestination looks back to foreknowledge, and foreknowledge looks on to destiny. That God, being infinite, in the beginning knew the end from the beginning, therefore He knew what people would do, so He could foretell what would take place, for He knew what would be. Therefore He…Before Esau or Jacob, either one was born, God could say, “Esau I’ve hated, and Jacob I’ve loved,” because He foreknew what they could be. He never made Esau the way he was. He wasn’t willing that Esau would be that way, but Esau, by choice, God knew would take that way. So that’s how He knows us today. He knows your heart. And if…You might be able to fool your neighbor; you might be able to fool your pastor; but you’ll never be able to fool God, ’cause He knows your heart.

22. EXPERIENCES — 1952-07-25

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• ¶15–¶16a The night down in Houston, when this young fellow put that in the paper, the next day, Brother Bosworth, one of the old soldiers here from Zion; he called me today. He’s fixing to go back to Africa, seventy something years old, about seventy-five years old, his heart burning to go back to Africa. He wants to go back. He said, “Oh, Brother Branham,” said, “Americans are lovely, but them people wouldn’t want God. Why preach it over and over and over, and they’re all mixed up anyhow, and don’t know what to believe, when them people down there hasn’t heard It one time? Go take It to them.” And that’s my heart too, friends. And to you Christian people, coming in tonight, people setting around the town, the power of Jesus Christ moving around, empty seats setting here in the auditorium. “As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the coming of the Son of man.” See? There they are; they’re unconcerned. They’ve had so much of embalming fluid injected into them till they can’t…Well, they were predestinated to be that way. That choked you, didn’t it? But that’s the truth. I can prove it by the Bible. That men are predestinated to be lost. Jude, about the 4th chap—4th verse of Jude, said, “Men of old, foreordained to this condemnation, that turned the grace of our Lord into lasciviousness.” Correctly. Foreordained of old to this condemnation, God foreordained it to them; like Pharaoh, Judas Iscariot, and many of them. Don’t tramp on God’s property. If God’s give you a tug at your heart’s door, be the most thankful person there is in this building tonight, to know that God’s give you the privilege to come into His Kingdom, and knocked at your heart’s door, and sought you out. You might be one of them out there, that’s on the outside of the Kingdom tonight. And there this man with all of his scholarships, Brother Bosworth, come, said, “Looky here, Brother Branham, what’s in the paper.” I said…Said, “This guy has challenged you. He’s done every…” I said, “That doesn’t mean a thing, Brother Bosworth.” Well, the next day, here it come again, another big one.

23. ABRAHAM’S SEED — 1959-04-23

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• ¶58–¶61 Then when God foresaw by His foreknowledge how He would redeem the world of sin and corruption, He slayed Christ before the foundation of the world when He spoke the Word, four thousand years before it was manifested. Now, the Book of Revelation says, “When the antichrist comes upon the earth, he will deceive all,” all “upon the earth whose names were not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life from” the last revival? No, no, “from the foundation of the world.” God, by foreknowledge, knew you, and called you in Christ, and put your name on the Lamb’s Book of Life before the foundation of the world. What are you scared about? Are you afraid to take His Word for anything? Don’t be afraid, call the thing right. “I am a heir to this! Oh, I know I don’t deserve it, but I’m an heir, anyhow. Because I’m an heir, I receive it.” Amen. That’s it. There you are. “Because I am an heir!” That’s it. We’re a heir of salvation, heir of the Holy Spirit. I’m an heir, because Jesus paid the price, nothing I had to do, I just fell heir to it. Amen. I’m healed, because I’m an heir to it. My diseases are gone, my affliction is gone. Why? Because I’m an heir to it. Oh, perfect assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory Divine! Heir of salvation, purchased of God, Borned of His Spirit, washed in His Blood. That’s our story. Oh, then Satan can’t stand that, see, because he’s a defeated being, he’s nothing but a bluff. Jesus paid the price, called us by His grace, we’re a heir. What a perfect set-up that is! See, he’s already defeated. I never defeated him, Christ defeated him, I’m just claiming my own God-given privileges. That’s all you do, you just tell Satan, “Get away from here, I’ve got an abstract deed on this building. It’s mine, I heired it.”

24. IS THE ORIGINAL SEED 1 — 1962-03-18

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• ¶405b–¶411 Brother Branham tells it, ‘They all got to building little walls of partition between one another, and they can’t have a revival.’ That’s right. He’s right about that.”—Ed.] That’s just it. Brother Ed, that’s what it did. Oh, isn’t that wonderful? I like that little testimony, brother. Now the car radio is hooked up, is what they say in here, this part here. Everybody feeling good now? [Congregation says, “Amen.”—Ed.] Well, now, we’ll start right in now until midnight, then we’ll… [“Amen.”] We are so happy that the Lord has helped us and blessed us. Now, before we start again, let’s just have a little word of prayer to the One Who we’re talking to now. Gracious Heavenly Father, You hear the testimony of this godly, saintly, old man. Down through the age, him and his little wife, working together, and how that she had to hold onto You, and beg You to make a preacher out of her husband, and here he is. And then when he was laying there, dying, the best doctors in the country saying, that, “He’s gone. He can’t live but a few hours. It’s done. His body is eat up with cancer. He could never walk another step. The infection in his ankles, and so forth, has done took him away.” Here he is, years later, still Now we pray, Father, that You’ll let us lay out the Words this afternoon, from Thy Word. It is Thy Word, and we want to lay It out just the way It is. And then You water It, Lord, with the Spirit. We ask, as we commit ourselves, with the Message, to You, that You use us, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

25. ISRAEL AND THE CHURCH 3 — 1953-03-27

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• ¶21–¶23 But you are saved by grace, election, God’s foreknowledge, predestination, foreordination. Paul tells the church at Ephesus, that, “God predestinated us in Christ before the foundation of the world.” Think of it! “Predestinated us in Christ before the foundation of the world.” What we worried about then? Get away from the worry, we’re just the happiest creatures you could ever have seen. My, how can you believe that and keep from being happy? I used to see old Brother Bosworth, and he said, “Brother Branham!” I said, “How you feeling this morning, Brother Bosworth?” Said, “The same old trouble’s back on me, Brother Branham.” I said, “The same old trouble, what is it?” Said, “Just so happy, I can’t sleep!” I said…He said, “Brother Branham, how can I believe what I believe, without being happy?” See, that’s right. You know that Christ has already took your place as a sinner. He died. God accepted Him. He rose again, sitting at the right hand of His Majesty. God said, “This is My beloved Son in Whom I’m well pleased, hear ye Him.” And there He is, the—the Door, the Gate, the Way, the Truth, the Life. And how do we get into Him? He is the Church. The Church has everlasting Life, it’s already foreordained to appear without spot or blemish. God’s done said it would be there, it’s going to be there! Now, God done said so. So then how do we get in the Church? By one membership? No. By shaking someone’s hand? No. Some form or a bap-…? No. “By one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body, and become members of that Body.” First Corinthians 12 says, “By one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body, and become members of that Body.” By how? Spiritual baptism that inducts us into the Body of Christ, and then we are filled with God’s Spirit.

26. REDEMPTION BY POWER — 1954-03-29

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• ¶118–¶122 “Now, if I am in that Church, amen! Brother Branham, how do you get into It? By letter?” No. “How do you get into It?” By Birth, borned into It! I’ve been in the Branham family, it’ll be forty-five years, the sixth day of this coming April, and they never did ask me to join their family. I was born a Branham. I’ll always be a Branham. I was born a Christian, in Jesus Christ. I’ll be a Christian, ’cause God has ordained it so, by election. He called us, through the grace of His Own beloved Son. We accepted Him and got Eternal Life. “By one handshake”? “By one membership”? “By one letter”? “By one Spirit we’re all baptized into one Body, Jesus Christ,” and there become fellow citizens of the Kingdom. I was thinking today, as I was away praying, that how that this is the day that we’re going to have to answer for. I’m not going to have to answer for the generation that was before me, or the generation that will be after me. But, in the Judgment, I’m to stand with this generation. And I said, “Look at there, a woman’s picture on the sign, beer-drinking, something another, said she was ‘breathless,’ or something.” I said, “Yes, and Life-less, too.” All right. There you are. I said, “What a disgrace!” “With all the preaching,” I said, “sometimes it seems,” I told my wife, I said, “sometimes it seems it doesn’t do any good. But I’ve got to be the voice of warning, anyhow, regardless of what people does about it. I’ve got to preach the Gospel, anyhow, and give a witness unto the resurrection and the Power of Jesus Christ.” Let them forsake It, and turn their back; God will judge them at the Judgment for it. I’m only responsible for preaching, and other ministers too, who preach the Gospel.

27. GOD’S CHOSEN PLACE OF WORSHIP — 1965-02-20

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• ¶23–¶25 Now, death, the law of death, was the commandments given on Mount Sinai, which told man that he was a sinner. And, to transgress God’s law, he died. But there’s no salvation in the law. The…It was only a policeman that could put you in jail; it had nothing to bring you out with. But then He gave another law, that was at Mount Calvary, where sin was reckoned in Jesus Christ, and there the penalty was paid. And not with…Without law, “but by grace you are saved,” by the grace of God, through predestination of God’s foreknowledge of your being. Now we see these two laws, Deuteronomy, speaking of two laws. There was two laws. One was the law of death, and the other one the law of Life. There was also two covenants give to the people. We’re going to speak of them in the morning. One of them was given to Adam on condition, “if you do this and don’t do that,” but that law was broken. Adam, Eve broke that, in the garden of Eden. Then God made the second covenant, and give that to Abraham, and that law was unconditional. “It isn’t what you’ve done or what you will do;” He said, “I have already done it.” That’s grace. That’s the law of Life. God did that for Abraham and his Seed after him, that’s, all of Abraham’s Seed. As the Bible said, “All Israel will be saved,” but that don’t mean Jews. As Paul said, “That Israel which is inward, or Israel outward.” “Outward,” as we spoke of the other night, it was Isaac’s children, by sex. But the law of God was through Christ, which was Abraham’s Royal Seed, that, “by grace all Israel is saved.” That’s, “All that’s in Christ is saved,” all, God’s second covenant. But all these things foreshadowed Christ.

28. THE UNCERTAIN SOUND — 1960-12-18

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• ¶483–¶486 How many has ever seen the discernment, raise your hand. All right, all of you. That’s right, so you know what it is. Now do you believe, this morning, that you’ve heard the Voice of God? Now I’m going to ask for Brother Wood, Brother Fred Sothmann, and some of the trustees, to come here just a moment. Some of you trustee brothers, or deacons, or whatever, come here just a moment. Now it’s going to be rather congested here, and I want you to help. Now to you, you people on this, my right side, that’s going to be prayed for, I want you to come on this side here. And brother, Brother Collins, stand right down in there, if you will. And come right down here, so they can come by and be prayed for. I’m going to ask you little children on this side of the altar, if you’ll go over on this side just for a few minutes, for Brother Branham; not for me, but for the Lord Jesus. Now you brethren stand here so that the people can come right through, and then—then we’ll take all on this other side. Now from this first row right here…Brother Charlie, I wonder if you brethren, David and you, if you want to come up here, or move kind of back towards the back? All right. Now the first ones here in this row, just raise up like that; just start from that side, over and against the wall, as we pray, now, when we get ready to start. Now, not yet. Then when this side over here, we’ll have you all to go back to this side; and then, and then come on out to that side, and then come down. Now the trustees and them will get you in the right position.

29. ADOPTION 2 — 1960-05-18

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• ¶131b–¶133 Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity, I didn’t know you.’ Not all that saith, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter in. But the one that doeth the Will of My Father which is in Heaven, that’s the one that goes in.” There you are, entering into this promised Land. How do we get into it? We are predestinated to it. The Church, by the foreknowledge of God, has been predestinated (to what?) to His honor, by His grace, to the glory, and worship and glory of God. Papa, sitting back there in the beginning, self-existent, nothing around Him, wanted something to worship, so He foreordained and predestinated a Church, and before the foundation of the world, and put their names in the Lamb’s Book of Life, when they…slain before the foundation of the world, that they might appear to His glory and to His praises at the end of time, when will gather all things in that one Man, Christ Jesus. Whew! Glory! That’s it. That’s just…And that’s it right there, my brother, sister. Don’t you never move from That. God, by His election grace, called you. God, by His election grace, sanctified you. God, by His election grace and His power, baptized you and put you into this land of Rest. They which have entered into this Rest has ceased from their going astray. They ceased from their works like God did from His. They have joy unspeakable, and full of glory! The Tree of Life is blooming in them. They have longsuffering, gentle, goodness, patience made faith, faith, meekness, gentleness, and so forth. The Tree of Life is blooming in them because their hope is anchored in Christ Jesus, the witness of the Holy Ghost bearing record with signs and wonders following the believers. “These signs shall follow them that believe.” As they go along, they heal the sick, they cast out devils, they speak with tongues, they see visions. They… And they walk with God, they talk with God. No devil can move them, they’re stedfast, looking for…?…Forgetting those things in the past, they press towards the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus. There they are. There they are. That’s that Church.

30. THE SIXTH SEAL — 1963-03-23

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• ¶473–¶475 Now, with our hearts…[Brother Branham hums I Love Him—Ed.] Just think of His goodness and mercy. …I love Him (Amen!) …He first loved… Now see how much better it is? Amen! That’s it. Now…?…Go and be well. Amen! The grace of God has appeared to you, to make you well. Amen. …on Calvary’s tree. Oh, glory to God! I love Him,… All right, your pastor. I… [Someone says, “Brother Branham, tomorrow starts at nine- thirty?”—Ed.] Nine to nine-thirty. Nine o’clock, somewhere in there. [“After breakfast? Nine o’clock?”] You start at nine. I’ll start at nine- thirty.

31. THE MARK OF THE BEAST AND THE SEAL OF GOD 2 — 1961-02-17

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• ¶74–¶76 But, here it is, I hope you get it, they were headed for their homeland, a perfect type of the true Church today, headed for the Homeland. Amen. Wandering about in sheepskins, and goatskins, and destitute, and so forth, but we are looking for a City whose Builder and Maker is God. That’s the way the true Church is moving today. And the great fundamentals like Moab was, come out with the perfect sacrifice, like Israel had, just as fundamental, and everything, as Israel was, but didn’t have the Spirit. We go on over to Cain…to Esau and Jacob. God said that the foreknowledge, that the predestination of God might…Not that God wanted to condemn Esau, but knowing what he was…If God is God, He knowed everything. He knowed every flea that ever been on the earth, He knowed every gnat would ever be on the earth before the earth was ever created, knowed how many times it would bat his eyes and how much tallow he’d make if he’s rendered out. He’s infinite. Who can—who can say what infinite is? If He isn’t infinite, then He isn’t God, and if He was infinite, He knowed all things from the beginning. And so therefore He could elect, not because He wanted to, but because His—His foreknowledge let Him know who would, and who would not be. That’s the reason the entire Church, every person that’ll ever be in the Rapture, their name was put on the Lamb’s Book of Life before the foundation of the world, says the Bible. That’s right. God knew it.

32. HEARING, RECEIVING, AND ACTING — 1960-06-07

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• ¶225–¶230 He said, “Beyond that setting of the sun, there’s a certain state, in the New England states,” and said, “in that certain state is a certain city, and in that certain city, is a certain house, and in that certain house, is a girl, and that girl, I vowed before I come here, to be true to her, that when we…I return, we’re going to be married. She made a vow to me, a promise. Therefore, sir, all of my attention is attracted, as far as it comes to women, towards that girl at that place.” And he said, “I live today, for tomorrow to come.” What a testimony! What a Christian can say: “Why don’t you smoke? Why don’t you have a little fun? Why don’t you do this like the rest of them doing?” Oh, you can say, “Beyond a certain star, there’s a certain City, and in that certain City is a certain Person. Hallelujah! Oh, I live for Him, for He died for me, and someday He’s coming. And I live for that Life that is to come.” Oh, brother, believe me, I tell you the truth, I tell you what is the truth. God knows that I’m telling you the truth. You just believe me with all your heart. Maybe you can’t understand this about the Coming of the Lord, and the carnal church, and so forth. And some of you, right from this state, wrote me a letter and said, “When the anointing is on you, you can discern spirits,” said, “then, course, we, then we believe you’re a prophet.” Now, I never said I was a prophet, you said so. See? But you say, but then you say, “But in your teaching, Brother Branham, about all that fanaticism about receiving the Holy Ghost, and all this stuff, and living, we can’t believe that. And all this other stuff about you were Eternally, before the world, elected, and…”

33. THE ARK — 1955-05-22

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• ¶169–¶171 See this darling little girl, we’re so thankful You did so much for her, Father. You helped us, not long ago. I pray that You’ll make this child completely well, and a revelation to others, that they can believe on You. I bless this child, this morning, in the Name of Jesus Christ, and curse the disease of her body!…?… Bless my beloved brother, today, Lord. May his faith never fail, as he looks yonder at Calvary, knowing You there, faith, whatever faith is laid there, God will confirm it and bring it to pass! (You can go back now.) Bless my Brother Morgan. Give him the desire of his heart. Whatever he asks for, today, may You give it, in the Name of the Lord. Bless my sister…?…Lord, and give to her those things which she desires, through Jesus Christ. Father God, my brother, I pray unto Thee, for the desire of his heart, it may be fulfilled…?… Our brother here from Ohio camp meeting,…?…Heavenly Father, may the desire of his heart…?…May he find that desire in Jesus Christ. And thank You for the healing, Lord. Father God, I pray, with hands laid upon my brother, for the desire of his heart to be granted…?… Bless my little brother, Father!…?… Here’s a little girl, Father, I bless her. In the Name of the Lord Jesus, may she get what she asks for, in Jesus’ Name. Grant it. Bless my sister, Lord, in Jesus’ Name…?…[Brother Branham prays with the people at the altar for another two minutes, many of his words are indiscernible—Ed.]

34. WHY SOME PEOPLE CAN’T KEEP THE VICTORY — 1957-03-24

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• ¶16–¶17 Just think, of every one of you in here today that’s got your name on the Lamb’s Book of Life, you never put it there; and your preacher never put it there; neither your church put it there; but God put it there. And when did God do it? It’s written in the Blood of the Lamb. How many believes that? There isn’t enough ink remover, or whatever it is, in the world to get it out of there. Look. God put your name on the Book of Life at the foundation of the world, the Bible said. We’re just nothing. You never had nothing to do with it; I never had nothing to do with it; God, Himself, did it at the foundation of the world when He slew the Lamb. By foreknowledge He knew that Christ would be here, and He was called the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world. And the beast will deceive all that dwells upon the earth whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life from the foundation of the world. I wished you Pentecostal people could see that. That’s one thing you’re short in. That’s what brings fear and trouble to you. Oh, you say, “Brother Branham, I’m afraid you’ll go off on the deep end of eternal security, and all this.” Oh, no, you don’t have to worry about that if you keep your heart in the Bible, it won’t. That’s right. It’s the— it’s the Word of God. And a man say, “Well, I’m saved. I just do what…” I always do what I want to do. And if I know my motives is wrong, then I better go back to the altar. Because if God’s in me, I only want to do those things that please God. It’s the nature of the—of the person that makes him do what he does. That’s the nature.

35. THINGS THAT ARE TO BE — 1965-12-05

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• ¶158–¶161 One time they was trying to get her. She didn’t—she didn’t do like the Pentecostal Elvis Presley, sell her birthrights for a mess of Cadillacs. She…Come to her and wanted her to write—write worldly songs. She said, “I would not do it, for nothing.” Said, “Why, you’re blind. When you get to Heaven, how will you know Him?” She turned around, inspiration, so she said: I shall know Him, I shall know Him, And redeemed by His side I shall stand; I shall know Him, I shall know (How?) By the prints of the nails in His…(Otherwise, “If I don’t see Him, I’ll feel His hand.”) I shall know Him, I shall know Him, And redeemed by His side I shall stand; I shall know Him, I shall know Him By the print of the nails in His hand. Don’t it make you love Him? Gone to prepare a place for us! “And if I go and prepare a place, I will return again, to receive you unto Myself.” Little children in travail now, re-obey the commandments of God. And pastor, here, if none of you has been baptized, the water will be ready. And—and membership for the church, or whatever you want to do, or whatever, you do it. You haven’t got the baptism, the Holy Ghost, this is the night to receive It. Don’t you believe that? [Congregation says, “Amen.”—Ed.] “Oh,” you say, “Brother Branham, it’s late. You done preached too long.” Paul preached all night, one night, this same kind of Message. And a little…A young man fell off of the wall and killed himself. And Paul, so anointed with that same kind of Message, laid his body upon him, and the life come back into him again. He is still “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever.” Don’t you love Him? [Congregation says, “Amen.”—Ed.] Let’s just, once more, with our hands up, “I love Him. I love Him.” Where’s the pianist? There, if you will, sister, ever who it is. Give us the little chord, if you will. How many love Him? Just raise your hand. Say, “I really love Him. I just love Him, with—with all my heart. I love Him.”

36. THE INVISIBLE UNION OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST — 1965-11-25

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• ¶222–¶227 Well, you separated from your first union, by spiritual death. Now you are born again, or remarried again, to the new spiritual union; of not your natural life of the things of the world, but of Eternal Life. That germ that was in you at the beginning, found you. Now, your old book is gone, with your old union. Now, your name in your old, in your…has been transferred. Now, you say, “Do you mean to tell me that my old book…” God put it in the Sea of His Forgetfulness. You stand perfectly before God. Now, your name is now in the new Book; not the book of life, but the Lamb’s Book of Life, what the Lamb redeemed. Not the old book of your natural union, but your new, Bride. Hallelujah! Your new life is in the Lamb’s Book of Life, your marriage certificate, hallelujah, where your true Eternal germ, from the beginning, takes hold. Now you’re not only forgiven, but you’re justified. Glory! “Justified,” Romans 5:1 said. Yeah. Romans 5:1 said, “Therefore being justified by faith.” Look up the word. The word don’t mean “forgiven.” The word means “justified.” It don’t mean you’re forgiven. For instance, you heard I got drunk and—and done some evil things, and everything. Then you come around, say to me. You found out I didn’t do them, then you come around, say, “Brother Branham, I forgive you.” Forgive me? I didn’t do it, at the first place. See? Now, if I did do it, I’m guilty. But you could forgive me, and I wouldn’t be guilty. But yet I’m not justified, because I actually done it.

37. THE MARK OF THE BEAST — 1956-07-15

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• ¶209–¶211 And now, upon the sovereign grace of God, upon the witness of the Holy Ghost, and upon the vindication of a worldwide ministry that You have granted to Your unprofitable servant, as an unworthy person, and one who is unable, but a believer, I now challenge this mute spirit in the Name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And with a sincere heart, I say, come out of the man. For I adjure thee, by the living God, that you depart from him that he’ll be well. In Christ’s Name, I challenge thee to come out of the man, through the Blood of the Lord Jesus. Every eye closed, every head bowed. [Brother Branham claps his hands—Ed.] Hear me? Hear me? You hear me? He’s hearing. Now just keep your head bowed. Say, “Praise God.” [The brother says, “Praise God.”—Ed.] Say, “I love Jesus.” [“I love Jesus.”] “Praise God.” [“Praise God.”] Now, you can raise your head. [The brother says, “Raise head.”—Ed.] Raise your head now. “Praise the Lord.” [The brother says, “Praise the Lord.”—Ed.] “I love Jesus.” [“I love Jesus.”] “Hallelujah!” [“Hallelujah!”] Let us say, “Praise the Lord.” [Congregation says, “Praise the Lord.”—Ed.] Let’s give God praise. Let’s stand up to our feet just a minute. Almighty God, Author of Everlasting Life, Giver of every good gift, send Thy blessings upon this children. I pray that You’ll anoint them. Give them the desire of their hearts by filling them with the Holy Ghost. Great signs and wonders might be done for the glory of God, through Jesus’ Name. Amen. Now, you be seated. He—he says, through the microphone, he can hear me a little through the microphone.

38. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS — 1959-12-23

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• ¶123–¶125 Before there was a world you were in God’s thoughts to give you the Holy Ghost, because He knew that you’d be wanting It; and He chose you Himself because you desired…He chose you in Christ before you or Jesus, any of you, was on the earth. And He sent Jesus to die, to prepare the way to send the Holy Ghost, to bring you to Himself. Hmm! Oh, that just…I know I may…This is the church, so I’m at home now, you see. Oh, that is so rich to me. To think it’s not what I wanted; it wasn’t my desires; it wasn’t my will; it wasn’t my choosing; I had not one thing to do with it. But before the world ever started, God saw us and put our name on the Lamb’s Book of Life. Before there even was a world! Talk about God! Whew! I stood out yonder where that big glass…You can see a hundred and twenty million years of light-space. When I looked and seen that (I didn’t get to see through the glass, but I seen the picture where they took it)—and I just had to raise up my hands in there, in that place, and I said, “How great Thou art, how great Thou art!” And before one of those planets ever turned (Hallelujah!), God chose us in Jesus Christ. Now, how great Thou art. Yes, sir! Before there was a world, before there was a planet, before there was a sun, before there was a moon, before there was light, before there was anything, when it was still God, God and His thoughts, the eternal thoughts of God chose you by predestination, by foreknowledge, to know that you would be on the earth, to know there would be sin.

39. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS — 1964-08-23

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• ¶308–¶309 Are you hungry? All right. I’m hungry for more of the questions. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Now, I may be…Some of these questions, I may not have them right; I just done the best that I can. Tonight, I’ll try to begin just at seven o’clock. Well, church will open at six-thirty. And you that can stay…You that can’t, we understand; that’s all right. But I’ll try to get every one of these I possibly can tonight. God bless you till we meet. Now, let’s us stand on your feet and sing this good ol’ song, our dismissing song, Take the Name of Jesus With You. All right. Take the Name of Jesus with you, Child of sorrow and of woe; [Brother Billy Paul speaks to Brother Branham—Ed.] (…?…they took the offering…?…this morning…?…) …Name, O how sweet! Hope of earth and joy of Heaven. I want to make this announcement. Billy just said they took a love offering this morning (see?), and said they had a nice love offering. I have him to go at the back of the building and stand back there. To the people here that never come prepared, don’t have the money for your dinner, Billy will give you the money for your dinner and for to pay your hotel bill or motel bill, whatever it is. You take and pay that now. If you’re…If you can stay…Billy will meet you back there and take your name and where you’re at, and we’ll pay for your dinner and your motel bill out of the love offering that’s taken for me this morning. Till we meet! till we meet!

40. THE REJECTED KING — 1960-05-15

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• ¶238–¶241 Lord Jesus,…[Blank spot on tape—Ed.]…five little stones, f-a-i- t-h, and the slingshot of prayer. And I’m bringing back my sister from the clutches of that nervousness…?…yonder. I’m bringing her back to peace and shady green pastures and still water. I do this in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. [A sister speaks with Brother Branham—Ed.] Father God, this little girl, we’re so glad that it wasn’t muscular dystrophy. But regardless of what it is, it’s still in Your reach, Lord. And I come with the little sling of faith, and this stone. And I press this stone with all the strength that I can throw it. In the Name of Jesus Christ, may it hit the mark. May our sister be well. I do this in the Name of Jesus Christ. [A sister speaks with Brother Branham—Ed.] As this young mother, and her little offspring, a little one that she wants to meet over yonder, on the other side, in that glorious Land that I just spoke of, and they…The mother won’t live to the…raise the little fellow, and neither can the little fellow live long without Your help. But I’m coming with the sling, with all that the strength and the aim that I can take at the enemy. And in the Name of Jesus Christ, I sling this at him. They shall be well, for the glory of God. In the Name of Jesus. Amen. [A sister speaks with Brother Branham—Ed.] Oh, that’s so nice. I’m glad. Well, that ministry, then, was the greatest ministry of pointing people out. It pointed to works…?…

41. GOD KEEPS HIS WORD — 1957-01-20

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• ¶68–¶72 I’d write you a letter, you might appreciate it, saying, “Brother Branham, I appreciate your letter.” You are the only person it was designated to. After it’s done run out for a while, that letter would become worthless, unless it was an evidence for me or against me. But once God has spoke, it’s for the entire human race. And It’s just as fresh, tonight, as It was the hour It was spoke. God spoke and said, “The Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” When God, through His program and His mind, and spoke it, Christ was slain right there, though He actually wasn’t slain for four thousand years later. And God in there, through foreknowledge, seen who would be saved and who would not. And there our names were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, at the foundation of the world, and associated with the slain Lamb. And the Bible said, in the last days…Listen! “And the antichrist deceived all that dwelled upon the earth, whose names were not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life from the foundation of the world.” Stay with the Word! Now, I have noticed, amongst our brethren, and I say this to you Protestants reverently, not with hatred, not with malice, not to have something to say. It would be easier to speak on something else. But, that, I know… And the Bible says, “Watchman, what of the night?” And if the watchman sees the enemy coming, and fails to warn the people, God said He would require their blood at the watchman’s hand. But if the watchman warns them, then the watchman is free.

42. THE ENTOMBMENT — 1957-04-20

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• ¶132–¶132 And we pray tonight, Lord, that those who raised their hands may be remembered before Thee. May their decision be from their heart tonight, that they have received You, and believe You, and may they be sealed away by the Seal of promise tonight, the Holy Spirit. Grant it, Father. For, we commit them unto Thee, with this Message tonight. May It bless those who heard It, those, Lord, who will take It with them to their home, and sink It deep in their hearts. May they live on the Word of God. Grant it, Father, for we ask it in Christ’s Name. Amen.

43. WHERE I THINK PENTECOST FAILED — 1955-11-11

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• ¶26b–¶28a Not to the outsider, but to the saints that are in Ephesus. Now, if you’ll notice in the Book of Corinthians…Oh, what a time Paul had with these Corinthians. They were all seeking after different blessings, and spiritual gifts. And Paul had to speak to them as to children. But when he come to the—the Ephesian church, he speaks to them in a different way. The—the church of Ephesus, they are a solid Gospel church. Now, he’s speaking here of what God did for us before the foundation of the world. Now, I realize that I’m talking to both Calvinists and Arminians. And I’m a Calvinists as long as Calvin stays in the Bible, then after that, I’m an Arminian. I believe in—in the grace of God to keep the believer. But I believe the believer has to have enough grace of God to stay with God. I believe in security of the Church. I believe the Church—the Church hath security. And if you’re in the Church, you’re secured with the Church as long as you are in the Church. Stay in. Don’t be wandering around, tossed about by everything. Stay in Christ Jesus. And God has foreordained that the Church should appear before Him holy, blameless, without spot or wrinkle. No matter whether you make it or I make it, God’s going to have a Church without spot or blemish. I trust that we’ll all be there. But we each have to seek out our own salvation with fear and trembling. But if we’d only go back to find out when God made His first man, He made man in His Own image. And God is a Spirit, so He had to make spirit-man. Now, the Word is used here in the 5th verse of “predestination,” Predestinated, it’s not a very good word for an evangelist or a minister to use, because it kinda confuses people when you say “predestinate.” Predestination speaks—looks back to foreknowledge; foreknowledge looks to destination. Predestination goes back to foreknowledge; foreknowledge goes to destination. In other words God didn’t say, “Now, I’ll make this man be this, and I’ll make this man to be that.” But in order to be God, He had to know the end from the beginning.

44. ABRAHAM’S GRACE COVENANT — 1961-03-17

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• ¶56–¶60a So therefore, you see, if you come to it, professing to be Abraham’s seed and turn away, it’s impossible. You turn yourself from God, and there’s no more sacrifice left for your unbelief. You’re finished. See? Now, He made it to Abraham. Not, “Abraham, if you will do a certain a thing, I’ll make a great nation of you and make you a father of nations.” He said, “I have done it.” Remember, the promise was altogether grace and no law mixed in it at all. Not any ifs at all, it’s absolutely God’s choosing of Abraham. Now, even if you don’t agree with some of this, just—just give it prayerful consideration. Now you see, it isn’t what you done, what your desires are, it wasn’t Abraham’s desire; he was a heathen. It wa-…He come down from the tower of Babel, down in the valleys of the Shinar and the land of the Chaldeans and the city of Ur. And he was—he was just an ordinary man and nothing Abraham done, not even his desires, but God, by grace and election, chose Abraham. That’s the way He chose you: Not nothing you done, what He done. Now remember, “To Abraham and his seed.” If you think that you’ll become a minister, or a Christian, because people talk good about you, or you join church to stay in the society, or, “this is the biggest church in the city,” you’re just fooling yourself, that’s all. You’re a miserable person when it comes to Christianity. God chooses by election. Romans the 9th chapter, 8th chapter, said that the election of God might stand sure. Esau and Jacob, before either child was born, had a way to even make a decision what they were going to do, God said, “I hate Esau and love Jacob,” because God knew what they were before the world was ever formed. God chose you in Christ before the world ever come into existence, the Bible said so, put your name on the Lamb’s Book of Life. Not when you come to the altar, but before the foundation of the world He did it. The Bible said so.

45. THE QUEEN OF SHEBA — 1960-01-10

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• ¶26–¶29 I believe Paul was a fundamentalist. You know where I think he got that in the Scripture? Where Elisha sent, or, Elijah, sent the staff with his servant, Gehazi, and said, “Lay it on the baby.” Elijah knew that everything he touched was blessed. And so he, the staff that he would—he would walk with, he said, “Go lay that on the baby.” But the woman’s faith wasn’t in the staff, it was in the prophet, so she wouldn’t leave him until the prophet laid his own body on the baby, and the baby come to life. It depends on where your faith lays. But in the handkerchiefs, I remember in South Africa at the last trip at Cape Town, and I was there, and I believe it was ten or fourteen sackfuls of handkerchiefs and letters; and they was great, what we call, grass sacks, burlap sacks. And the writer at the paper said, “Brother Branham is superstitious, he was praying over handkerchiefs.” Just not knowing the Scripture, of course. But we’re glad to pray over these, and if you don’t—do not have one up here, and you’re on outside of the building, or anything, if you wish me to pray over one, just write me. I’m not trying to get your address, we have nothing to sell, no radio broadcast, no nothing, nothing at all, it’s absolutely free. Just anything that we can do to help you make life a little better for you, make the way, the rough places, a little more plain, that’s what we’re here for. Just write us: Jeffersonville, Indiana, we’ll send it to you as quick as we possibly can.