Do you think a woman laying in her casket will want to know whether she had her hair waterdoed, or whatever you want to call it?

"Now, if people could only wake up for a few moments and realize what the great thing is. It's pride that does that. It's people who--who wants to go like the rest of the world. You can't do that. You're not of the world. Do you think a woman laying in her casket will want to know whether she had her hair waterdoed, or whatever you want to call it? You think she would pay attention to how she was dressed if she was laying in a casket, or some man? They wouldn't do it.That's the reason today there's so much stuff that we have to copy after the neighbors, or some Hollywood star, or some fashion, or something like that, is because that we haven't died yet to Christ and His Word. It's what's the matter with the churches. We're in darkness, groping in darkness. Said, "There would be gross darkness upon the people."  WMB ~ Shalom 64-0119 

 "What choice are you making tonight, here in Hollywood, and Los Angeles, and the fashion place of the world, where the fine spires and the steeples and everything else? What choice are you making? Let me tell you, brother, sister, find that Holy Spirit that takes control in the heart and those pulsations begin to come that God is God, and the things of the world will perish. Then you walk after the things you don't see. You'll become crazy to the people of the world. They'll say, "Well, that woman's lost her mind. That man's gone off at the deep end. Why, he says that he's healed of cancer. Why, he's healed of his blindness. He's healed of this, that, or the other." Or "He says that he's received the Holy Spirit, that's changed him. Why, he don't even associate in the pool room no more. We don't find him at the card table. This woman don't play the cards no more. She quit wearing vulgar clothes. She become a new person; there's something wrong with her." Sure. Something happened to her. The old carnal mind died, and the mind of Christ took the place in the woman's heart. And now she's walking, looking for a city where she'll be popular, where she'll ride on the chariots with the sons and daughters of God, where she'll be a--a guest of the Lord Jesus forever. She's looking for a city whose Builder and Maker is God. She cares not about the pollution of the world. See? she's been enthroned by something else. God has come into her heart and it just blackened out the fashions of the world. That's first when He takes control". WMB ~Looking at the unseen 59-0410 

 "Just really mean it now, just genuinely mean it. This closing hour now, we got five minutes till closing time, till nine-thirty. Let's just set still just a moment, inside and out. Let's think of this sincerely. It's not... It does bring emotions, certainly. But let's not think of emotion right now. Let's think of the sincerity of what we're doing, "By faith I lay my hands over on my Sacrifice, Jesus Christ. I want to be identified in His death. I'm through with the world. I'm through with Hollywood. I'm through with fashions."The women, "I'm through cutting my hair. I'm through wearing immoral clothes. I'm through wearing makeup. I'm through playing cards. I'm--I'm through with the trash of the world."
You men likewise, "I'm through with drinking. I'm through with smoking. I'm through with lying. I'm through with jokes. I'm through--through with jesting. I'm through with all these idle words that the Bible said we'll give an account for."
"I want the Seal. I want the Token in my life. I'm laying my hands by faith right now upon my Sacrifice, Jesus Christ. I'm identifying myself as a dead man," or a dead woman, boy or girl. "I die now, with Him, because He died that I can live. And I'm accepting my Life in Him. And, O Lord, make it known to me tonight, that Eternal Life now dwells within me." Think those thoughts. Believe those things". WMB ~ The Token  63-1128E

Bro. Joseph Branham writes about the importance to testify - a must read.

Once Was Blind

July 1996

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Instead of focusing on how the Message is being spread in the world today, this month I would like to take you back in time almost 50 years, and share with you a testimony that was a blessing to me.

When Christians see the power of Jesus Christ manifested before their eyes in reality and power, they love to testify and share this knowledge with others, that they, also, might find faith in the Lord Jesus.

Brother Branham said,

“There's something about the Gospel, when we hear the good news, we like to tell others, don't we. Everybody gets saved wants to tell everybody else. Everybody gets healed wants to tell somebody else.” 50-0716 Believest Thou This?

And thus it was that day in August, 1947, when a young man set out to share his personal belief in the Lord Jesus Christ and His power to heal with people he knew in his locality.

Having seen so many miracles take place in another one of Brother Branham’s meetings only days earlier, he began inviting people to attend the forthcoming meetings Brother Branham was about to hold in his home city of Calgary, Alberta.

He came to the home of one French Canadian man who he knew was not a Christian. He rang the door bell, and when the owner answered, he invited him to the oncoming meetings in Calgary.

“I don’t believe in your God!” the man exclaimed with a bitter, hardened edge to his words.

Shocked at this abrupt reply, the Christian man asked why he would make such a statement.

“Come in and sit down. I want to show you something,” said the French Canadian man, leading the young man into his living room. He then excused himself, to return a few moments later leading a little girl into the room.

“This is why I don’t believe in your God!” exclaimed the girl’s father.

The young Christian man turned to look at the little girl. Her dark hair framed a delicate face with soft features and a timid smile that wind its way into any daddy’s heart. But where her eyes should have been, there was only empty sockets in the skin. The child had been born without eyes!

“Here, feel her face!” commanded her father. Hardly able to believe his own eyes, the young man gently touched the concave, smooth skin beneath her dark brows. The empty sockets were hard, just skin with bone behind it. “What do you think of your big God now?” asked her father, sarcastically.

Shocked but undaunted, the young man’s faith did not waiver. The miracles and wonders he had witnessed in Brother Branham’s meetings only days before were fresh on his mind.

“There is a man of God coming to Edmonton,” the young man said, enthusiastically. “Let me take her to the meetings to be prayed for. I really believe God can give her eyes.”

That was a bold statement to make, and even harder for the embittered father to accept. He hesitated, but then said, “Well, if she gets eyes, we will believe in your God.”

The evening meetings in Edmonton were held at the arena, and in those early days of Brother Branham’s ministry, the building was filled to capacity long before the service began. When the prayer line began, the little girl took her place in the long line that wound around the interior of the arena.

As each person walked before the prophet of God, we can only speculate as to what thoughts were in her little mind, or in that of her parents. A mother or father would doubtless cling to any shred of hope that might be presented to them. Was this Jesus Christ of Whom this man spoke really the Creator of the universe? Would that God create new eyes in these bare sockets? Could the prayers of this humble man really bring such a miracle to pass?

Finally it was her turn. With the Christian man only steps away on the platform, she was brought before the small man with thinning dark hair and kind eyes that seemed to be able to look into one’s very soul. But she could not see him, for she had no eyes with which to perceive his appearance. The moment he spoke to her, however, any fear she may have had must have vanished in the presence of a love that was purer and stronger than that even of her beloved mother.

Brother Branham prayed for her, but nothing happened. He prayed for her a second time. Again, nothing had changed about her appearance. The third time, however, the prophet of God laid his hands over her face, covering the bare, empty sockets. His prayer was simple, “Lord Jesus, just put Your eyes in her.” He held his hands for only a matter of seconds, maybe a minute over her eye sockets before he said, “There you are, dear!”

When he removed his hands from her face, there were eyes in what had been empty sockets!

He called the young Christian man by name and said, “Would you come over here put your fingers on her eyes.”


Obediently the young man stepped up and very, very gently touched the very dark brown, long lashed eyes of the child who, moments before, had stood only a few feet away from him with empty eye sockets! “Not only were there eyes in those sockets,” he said, “but they were French eyes!"

As the result of this miracle, both her mother and father repented of their sins and accepted the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior!

Our young Christian brother is now an old man. He does not remember the name of the family or what happened to them other than that from that day they served the Lord.

Somewhere in Canada there likely is a middle-aged lady with exceptionally beautiful dark brown eyes. She may not remember too much about that August night almost a half century ago, but certainly she can say like the man in the 9th chapter of John, “One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.”

"And He went right out, and there was a man that didn't even have eyeballs in his sockets. And He made some clay and plastered his eyes, told him, "Go wash in the pool Siloam." And, when he did, he come back seeing."  60-0626 The Unfailing Realities Of The Living God

Dear Christian friend:

What IF.....

We often wonder, what if this had not happened, or what if that had never taken place. As we ponder the testimony in this month’s Lifeline, we cannot help but wonder, “What if this young Christian man had not been willing to testify to this family?” Had that been the case, you would not have been reading this testimony today, the little girl would have never received new eyes, and her parents may not have ever accepted the Lord.

As Christians, we have a duty to tell others of what we have seen and heard. Brother Branham said, “Maybe you can’t cross the sea, but you can cross the street. Let’s do something. Let’s do something for the glory of God.”

Thank you so much for your contributions to Voice Of God Recordings, Inc. The ongoing work of distributing this Message in print and audio recordings in over two dozen languages would not be possible without the help of God's people.

Brother Joseph M. Branham

"And I'll--I--I'll do my duty as a Christian; I'll testify" 61-0516A Jesus Christ The Same Yesterday, And Today, And Forever

Source:  http://branham.org/blogs/20121228_OnceWasBlind

The Impossible

After reading the excerpt from the Lifeline on the VOG Website on 12/28 and also Brother Joseph's comments, I felt compelled to share this testimony.

My brother in-law and sister reside in Jeffersonville, near VOG. Both are Christians. Somewhere a little over two years ago, Jim entered the hospital for heart issues, and real serious life-threatening problems developed from what was supposed to be a fairly normal procedure.

The procedure went so wrong that Jim's chest cavity was left open for three days and things were touch-and-go. At my sister's request, I called the VOG prayer line (our good old standby, that very present help in a time of trouble). The Lord answered prayer and Jim was able to go home, although not without serious side effects, one being his kidneys no longer functioned properly.

Jim told me he would rather die than have to take dialysis the rest of his life. He was very depressed and asked me to again call VOG prayer line. The people at dialysis advised Jim, chances were slim to none that his kidneys would ever function properly again. Lo and behold after a period of time his kidneys began to register in the normal range until he was told he no longer needed dialysis. The Lord had answered prayer on Jim's behalf again. Jim asked me to call the VOG and let all there to know how grateful he was for those prayers.

Before going to Surgery Jim had cataracts removed, resulting in 20/20 vision. During the surgery his blood pressure was allowed to drop dangerously low which caused him to lose his vision. Jim has always been an active mechanic, fixing, tinkering restoring kind of fellow, and he also loved to drive his pickup. Now he is totally without sight, having to be attended by his wife and led around.

He saw eye specialists who concluded that because of the blood pressure dropping so low during his operation, his chances of seeing again were about nil. They said that if there was no improvement in his sight in a year, it would not happen. Time passed and Jim went to see an eye doctor whose specialty was fitting people with a kind of microscope glasses. They fitted him with a pair that did give him some vision, although very limited. He could still only sit around with hardly any vision. He asked me to call VOG and quite a bit of time passed with no change in his vision. I began to think there was not going to be any change. Then one night I get a call from him and he was beside himself, telling me he could see again. I don’t mind saying I was floored and it was hard to believe at first, it had been so long.

He told me he began asking the Lord if he could see the picture of the Lord they had hanging on the wall. He said he began to see the frame some, and then began seeing vehicles passing on the road near his house. He then saw the clock and what time it was. He told his wife and understandably she cautioned him to not get to excited. Jim said he knew then his vision was restored.

He went to one of his eye doctors and they would not give him an eye test, saying they did not want to take his money, thinking he had false hope. He then went to Wal-Mart had an eye test, was fitted with regular prescription glasses, and then went on to the License Bureau to get his driver's license renewed. At the License Bureau Jim was discouraged when he failed the eye test. He went back to Wal-Mart and was told his eyes were able to pass a driver's eye test. Jim went back to the License Bureau, relating to them what he had done. They checked their machine and found it was out of calibration. He retook his drivers test and has his drivers license today.

Again the Lord undertook and answered prayer on his behalf. Through some very trying times Jim continued to believe. He said he could not find words to express the gratitude thankfulness that he felt in his heart to the Lord. I said well not to worry I’m sure the Lord knows how you feel. Jim said to be sure and tell all who prayed that he thanks you from the bottom of his heart. God richly bless and I hope others who may hear of this who are in desperate situations may be encouraged in their hearts, knowing that nothing is to hard for our Lord. All praise and glory to His Precious Name, He truly is Hebrews 13:8.

Brother Robert,

Houston, TX

Source:  http://branham.org/blogs/20130205_TheImpossible

A testimony of a witchdoctor, his wife's 11 months pregancy and sisters who prayed for the life of a baby boy born dead in TANGA eastern Tanzania

In the village called Mkata, near Tanga Tanzania, there were two sisters who believe the end time Message preached by Prophet W M Branham. So it happened that another lady was pregnant for about 11 months. The lady went to see the sisters and tell them of her problem of her pregnancy. It was worrying her so bad, because the baby was two months overdue. Then the sisters asked her if she can only believe, that Lord Jesus can help her. They will pray for her, and she will deliver her baby safely. She replied, “I believe.” The husband of this lady was a witchdoctor. He tried with all that he had to bring the baby to life, and failed. After the sisters’ prayer the lady was taken to hospital and delivered a dead baby boy. The nurse told them, “I am sorry, the baby is dead.” The sisters replied that we know better than that. Those are the tricks of a devil. Our God is alive. We are taught that the Lord giveth life after the baby is delivered.

They started praying and asking the Lord to stay the hand of death, and rebuking the devil and exposing him. AFTER 15 MINUTES THE BABY CAME TO LIFE AND IS STILL LIVING UP TO NOW. His name is called Jacob. Glory and honor be to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The father of this baby, who was a witchdoctor, packed all his tools that were used for his witches and brought them to the church to be burnt. He and his wife were baptized in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and are carrying on with the Message of the hour. Praise God. God bless you.

A brother from Tanzania

Source: http://branham.org/blogs/20090629_PrayerChangesThings

Defining A Cult: What 'Exactly' Is A Cult? [A crosspost from williambranhamhomepage.org]

It is written.....
"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
                            2nd Peter 2:1 - 3a.

In Isaiah 29:13 we find these words.....

Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near [me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

Never before in the history of the world has there been so much discussion about Cults. The number of Internet articles about cults is proof of this. For many "would-be experts" anything and everything that doesn't fit into their "un-vindicated" interpretation of Scripture, is branded a 'cult'. For others, anything and everything that doesn't fit into the "traditional denominational" mold is a cult. If an individual doesn't believe in the 'trinity' doctrine of three persons in the Godhead, or some other denominational 'pet' doctrine, he/she is absolutely branded to be cultish - HOW DARE anyone to challenge what the churches have been teaching for years?

In the strict definition of the word "Cult", every religion, religious person, religious rites and observances can be called a "cult". The dictionary defines the word 'cult' as follows:

A system of religious rites and observances; Zealous devotion to a person, ideal or thing; the followers of a cult, a sect.

Based on this definition, WHO can point the finger? There is no difference between one or the other. Most professing Christians have religious rites and observances; most exercise or manifest Zealous devotion to a Church, an ideal, and supposedly to Christ, even though some would deny His deity.

But the word 'cult' is not a Bible word. It is not to be found anywhere in Scripture. But the Bible does use a word, yes words, which would better identify what the religious world, in general, would call "A Cult". The Bible refers to "False Ways"; the way which "Seemeth right unto a man"; false prophets; false brethren; children of disobedience; workers of iniquity; and antichrists - ALL religious, professing to believe in and serve God in one way or another; but are found to be 'false witnesses' of the Truth.

Therefore, holding to the basic concept of a cult in this Age, but defining it in Bible terms, we would say that a cult is anything and everything that is (in whole or in part) "contrary to God's Word". It can be contrary to God's Word in spirit, in attitude, in it's motives, in it's objectives, or in it's doctrine(s). Most are apt to judge an individual or sect as a cult based solely on doctrinal issues; failing to understanding that a person can be "right in their doctrine, but wrong (a cult - antichrist) in their spirit, or right in their spirit and wrong (a cult - antichrist) in their doctrine." If we can get it ALL together, then we have a Word Christian in the making.

The Spirit of God, speaking "Thus Saith The Lord" through His servant and prophet, William Branham, spoke the following concerning "CULTS".

ISRAEL AT KADESH BARNEA - 53-0328
For, this is the day, brethren, you'll bear me record, a day of "isms". I've been studying Genesis now for two years. That's the beginning, the going forth, the seed chapter. And you notice that all those cults of this day are beginning in Genesis. They had their start back in Genesis, winding up out here in the last day.
For instance, many of them, like how that formal religion begin in Cain, how it come on out and come down through the sons of Noah, Ham. Out of Ham he had Nimrod. Nimrod built the tower of Babel. Babel comes on down through King Nebuchadnezzar's time, and on out into Revelation, Babylon (Revelation 17:5; 18:2). How that little seed started way back there at the east side of the gates of Eden, coming on down, winding out. All kinds of cults and everything started back there, winding themselves out to the end. Now, it behooves us to watch, be careful, be set in the Word. Many things are taking place today which are unscriptural. Let's watch the Scripture; be sure that where we're right. That's what we've been trying to teach this week.

DEMONOLOGY - Pt. 1 - PHYSICAL REALM - 53-0608A
Them same demons live today. So there is a lot of fanaticism. There's a lot of fanaticism in the land today, called Divine healing, that ought to be shut up. That's what brings reproach upon the real cause. That's why you have such a hard struggle. There's a lot of stuff called religion today that ought to be shut up: nothing but cults. That's what makes the true church of God have such a hard struggle with it. But we're America (See?), and that's the way it'll be. God says the wheat and creepers and briars grow together. Don't try to pluck them up. Let them grow together, but by their fruits you know them. There's no fruits, why, there's no life, there's nothing there.

THE SEAL OF THE ANTICHRIST - 55-0311
Other parts of the country starving to death, practically all over the world. We're practically helping feed the world. We got plenty to eat, everything in here; everybody's well fed, plenty of clothes, no more depression, plenty of money flowing everywhere. And the people are seeking to hear the Word of God and failing to get It. Because every fellow's built him a fig tree, and got his own organization, his own cult, or his own ideas, and no one else will listen. And he's right, and nobody else is right; and they won't have fellowship one with the other. And that's why the poor American people's mind are so disturbed; they don't know what is right.

One man will say, "It's this way." Another one say, "It's this way." One's got a teaching; one's got a doctrine; one's got a song; one's got a tongue. And the American people are the worst confused of any nation I know of in the world. That's awfully hard to say. And now, but it's the truth. We got to face facts.

GOD KEEPS HIS WORD - 57-0306
Oh, what started any cult? It was hungry children trying to find something to eat. And if you lazy bunch of preachers won't give them the Gospel, they'll eat out of a garbage can. That's right.

HEBREWS CHAPTER 3 - 57-0901M
What's the matter with these big churches today? Their unbelief has provoked God. Hallelujah. He's able of these stones to rise children to Abraham. He tried to give the Gospel to them, and they hardened their hearts. They cult themselves, and they made little denominations, and "We believe this and nothing else." And God couldn't move in. Where they at today? Setting on a sideline.

THE SECOND SEAL - 63-0319
Now, in the last days it's predicted to us that there will rise a prophet. Now, we know that we've had all kinds... and I'd like for you to understand me. And you realize these tapes cover the world (See?), just about all the world. And I'd want you to, not by no mean, think that I am trying to inject some kind of a cult of Elijah's blankets or robes and oh, all those things we've had plenty of them. But you know all those things (cults) are only a forerunning of the real thing that is to come to throw the people off.
QUESTIONS ON THE SEALS - 63-0324M
People say, "Now, you've got to belong to this or that," an organization, a certain organization. "If your name isn't on our book, you're lost." Now, that's cult. See? That's cult. See? There's only one way you can be saved, and that is not him that willeth or him that runneth, him that... That is God Who shows mercy. And God by His foreknowledge predestinated a Church to His glory, and that's the ones that's saved. That's right.

THE WORLD IS FALLING - 63-1115
All of our politics, both in religion, and both in the federal life, and so forth, is polluted. We polluted our worship with man-made design fashions, fashioned and designed a man-made to fit every cult that's on the face of the earth. Every one's got their own idea again. It must become again like it was in the days when God rose up the mighty prophet Isaiah, said, "Your sacrifices and things has become a stench in My nose."

THEN JESUS CAME AND CALLED - 64-0417
Jesus of His day was more ridiculed and made fun of than the lowest cult there is on the earth today. There couldn't be anything was any lower and despised than Jesus. See? The churches hated Him. And they just didn't have no use for Him at all, because He was constantly rebuking them, and called them all kinds of names, and breaking up their congregations. "You just turn the world upside down," as they say. They was trying to find some fault to accuse Him, and they couldn't find it.

To them He was a illegitimate. He was born out of holy wedlock. He was a odd sort of a Fellow. He had no worldly education, as to speak of, and yet called Hisself a prophet. And oh, my, such a horrible Fellow He was (to the religious people of His day). And every one of them was thumbs down on Him, everywhere.

Hasn't changed too much. See? As I said the other night, the devil takes his man, but not his spirit. The spirit of people that's in people has lived before. If we was to be here for a couple months, where we'd have a real study in the Scriptures, I'd like to prove to you that there isn't a cult on the face of the earth today but what I can't prove to you it started in Genesis, and show you its beginning. It's a seed. Just like a vine growing up, all of them, and it comes right up to blossoming time now, and returning back to the seed again.

Now, remember. Let everybody rest surely now. I hope I haven't impressed you to make you think that I'm some kind of a cult or something, that I would be that Person, the Lord Jesus. You don't believe that, do you? See? Surely you don't. I am His servant. I am a sinner that's been saved by grace. But He, in this the hour has come to where He's given a gift.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - 64-0823M
I've always advised people to stay where you are and keep on keeping on till Jesus comes. If I've told you many times, let this tape be a memorial; let this day be a memorial; let my word be a memorial; I have never, at one time, ever told anybody, ever proselyted, ever tried to get somebody to come to this church. I have never... As far as telling them to leave their own church and sell out their goods and things, God knows that I've always advised people to remain a Christian and stay where you are until God calls you. Everybody knows that. Stay right there. But now, Somebody say, "Well, I want to go over here. I want to live over (there)..." You go wherever you want to go; that's all right. I don't care where you go; that's not my business for that.
I was reading about Martin Luther here not long ago, not comparing ourselves with that; but this is a reformation just the same as that was. The historians, they said, "It's a marvelous thing to think that Martin Luther could protest the Catholic church and get by with it. That was a wonderful thing." But they said, "The most wonderful thing about Martin Luther wasn't that. How he could hold his head above all the fanaticism that followed his meeting and still stay true to the Word, his calling..." See?

POWER OF TRANSFORMATION - 65-1031M
Now, if children has come up under that kind of teaching, that's what their parents was, they have the nature of their parents - the denominations, and so forth, they have to believe that. See? They believe that because they're borned under that parent. But today we're not borned under that parent; our Parent is the Word. "Well," say, "I was borned under God too." For that age, but this is the climax age; this is the age beyond those denominations.

There had to come forth, must come forth; God ordained it so, that there must come forth; them Seven Seals must be opened. It was supposed to be done in this Laodicean age. ...Not as we brag; we have no brag, only on Jesus Christ: none of us. We only brag on Jesus Christ. But we are thankful for the privilege of knowing beyond any shadow of doubt, God has chose us in this last days, and has proven it by the signs in the heavens and in the earth; and every one of them coming right straight back to the Word to prove that it's so: this age that we live in, the message and how it is.

POWER OF TRANSFORMATION - 65-1031M
We're not a cult. We're not a bunch of fanatics. We are servants of God, that's been called by the Holy Ghost. You'll have all kinds of names tacked to you, but that don't mean it's so.

Source:  http://www.williambranhamhomepage.org/thuscult.htm

Ye Have Not Passed This Way Before - A Newsletter from LWB

“And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore. [Joshua 3:3-4]

“Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” [John 14:5-6]

“Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.” [Psalm 143:8]

 

“When Israel left Egypt for the promised land, in Exodus 13:21, God knowed that they had never traveled that way before. It was only forty miles, but yet they needed something to go with them. They'd lose their way. So He, God, sent them a Guide. Exodus 13:21, something like this, "I send My Angel before you, the Pillar of Fire, to keep you in the way," to guide them to this promised land. And the children of Israel followed that Guide, the Pillar of Fire, night, Cloud by day. When It stopped, they stopped. When It journeyed, they journeyed. And when He got them close to the land, and they wasn't fit to go over, He led them back into the wilderness again. He wouldn't go with them.” [A Guide, Jeffersonville IN, 62-1014E]

 

“God told them that He'd send them a Guide, He'd lead them the way. And as long as they followed that Pillar of Fire, they was all right. He led them up to the promised land gate, and then that was as far as He was to go. Then Joshua, that great warrior, remember the day that he told them, "Sanctify yourself, the third day God's going to open up Jordan down here and we're going across"? Now, watch what he said (I like this.) in the Scripture, he said, "Stay close behind the Ark, for you've not passed this way before." “ [A Guide, Jeffersonville IN, 62-1014E]  

 

“What was the Ark? The Word. Don't travel your denominational routes now; stay right behind the Word; 'cause you haven't passed this way before. And, brother, if there ever was a time that the Christian church ought to examine itself is right now. We're right now where this great meeting is going on in Rome right now, differences are being made, the confederation of churches, when all these denominations are confederated together to form the image of the beast, just exactly what the Bible says... And you know what we said this morning in the messages. And here we are, right everything right at the door, and people still following after creed. You better stay behind the Word. The Word will lead you across, because the Word is Christ, and Christ is God, and God is the Holy Ghost. Stay behind the Word. Oh, yes, sir. Stay with that Guide. Stay right behind It. Don't get in front of It; you stay behind It. Let It lead you; don't you lead It. You let It go. Joshua said, "Now, you've never passed this way before, you know nothing about the road." “[A Guide, Jeffersonville IN, 62-1014E

 

“God sends a Guide, and God wants you to remember that that's His appointed Guide. And we must remember Him. Here It said, Jesus said, "I will not leave you, but I'll pray the Father and He'll send you another Comforter." And this Comforter, when He was to come, was to guide us to all Truth. And the Word of God is the Truth, and the Word is Christ, "I am the way, the Truth, and the Life." He is the Word, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelled among us." Then if we follow the real true Guide, the Holy Spirit, He was to tell us what He had seen, what He had heard, and He was to show us things that is to come. Amen. There you are. He is going to show you things to come. And when the churches today reject That, how can we ever expect to go to heaven? When the Holy Spirit was sent to us for a Guide, we'll take some cardinal, some bishop, some general overseer, or somebody like that to guide us, when the Holy Spirit was give to us to guide us.” [A Guide, Jeffersonville IN, 62-1014E]   

 

“Always, when God provides, He provides the best. When God provided a way to fortify His church, He provided the best. When He give Adam and Eve, in the garden of Eden, what He give them was His Word. "You stay behind this Word, and you're safe. But if you get from out of It, the day you eat thereof that day you die." God has never changed His strategy. And Satan has never changed his; how he got into Adam and Eve, he gets into them today. Why? By trying to reason It out. "Now, it's reasonable that God would not. Oh, God has said," said Satan, "but surely a holy God won't do this." Surely He will, because He said He would.” [A Guide, Jeffersonville IN, 62-1014E]

 

“Jesus had all the fine qualities of God in Him. Do you believe it? He had powers upon powers. But when He met Satan, He never used His power. He give an example for the weakest of Christians. When He met Satan, He said, "It is written. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." The weakest Christian can take that stand. Hold it. Sure, God's in His Word. Every time when He would meet the enemy, He said, "It is written." I believe He had power to do it. But He met Satan on the same grounds with the same Word that you can meet him with, every one, "It's written." You believe it? Why, it's written. "Whatsoever things you desire, when you pray, believe you receive them." Watch the order of the Word. Believe now (present tense) you receive it, and you shall have it. It'll be given to you later, but believe it now. Before you can get your crop, you got to plant the seed. Water it. Believe it. Don't dig it up every morning to see if it's... Every time you dig it up, you'll delay it that much more. It'll never grow if you keep digging it up.” [Show Us The Father And It Suffices, Cleveland OH, 50-0819]

 

“He's been My Guide through life. He's guided me unto Life. He was the One that led me to Life, and He is my Life. Without Him I have no Life. Without Him I want nothing else. He's all my All-in-All. In the hours of my trouble, He stands by me. Yesterday He blessed me, today they done the same. What can I expect? The same forever, praise His Name. Amen. Yes, sir. He promised it. He'll do it. He is my Life; He's my Guide, All-in-All. I've trusted Him. I've had some hard trials. I trust Him wherever I go. I want you to do it. If you go to wash, you women, trust Him. If you go downtown, trust Him.” [A Guide, Jeffersonville IN, 62-1014E]

 

“O Holy Ghost and Guide, come down upon them. Forgive every sin. Pardon their iniquities. Take them into the Body of Christ tonight, where they can feel the current of God flowing through that Line that'll lead them on down to the Jordan, and across Jordan to the promised Land. May they follow straight behind the Word. The Word said, "Repent, and then be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ." May they not try it some other way. May they follow right behind the Word, for He's the One that'll guide. That's the--that's the steps to climb over till we can catch ahold of the Guide. Grant it, Lord. [A Guide, Jeffersonville IN, 62-1014E]

 

Source:http://www.lwbcast.org/LWBNewsletter/2013/03March2013/ 

WHAT IS LIFE?

"Then I couldn't understand what David was talking about. When I first read that, I thought, "What was the prophet meaning? 'That Your lovekindness is better than life'?" What could be better than life? Nothing. So I drew this conception. That there must be two different kinds of life. Life has a compound meaning. It means more than one thing.Now, many people think that drinking, smoking, gambling, running around, dancing, they call that life. But that is perverted life. That's death. It certainly is. The devil has perverted that life, and you think it's life, but it's death. That life gets so miserable. What the people call today life, it gets so miserable until they take a pistol and blow their brains out. That couldn't be life, what God was speaking of.

Many young ladies think if they can get down in town, get enough money to buy some kind of little old sexy looking clothes to walk down the street with all prettied up, and the boys will--will whistle the wolf-whistle at her, or with a cake of chewing gum in her mouth, and she said, "This is life."...Sister, you're wrong. It's death. The Bible said, "The woman that liveth in pleasure is dead while she is alive."
And the man thinks that because he got a raise in his wages, and he can buy a better car, wear a little better suit, "Boy, I'm living now." If you haven't got Christ, you're dead. It's perverted life"  
Here sometime ago, I was in a great city in this wonderful, beautiful, God-given Canada... I don't have to say this. But I've said it many times. If I was a young man, I'd want to become a citizen of Canada. It's got more to offer. I like Canada. All my world travels, there's no prettier spot I ever seen in my life, than Banff and Jasper. I been to Jungfrau, and Eiger, and Mauk, and all through the Swiss Alps, and Germany, and all around the world, but Banff and Jasper has got anything beat the world's got to offer.Maybe the Lord will let me live there in the millennium. I hope He will. Where you all joying--enjoying now, and I hope we're together then. Oh, it's beautiful.

And I was in one of your great cities, and in one of the great mammoth hotels that some kind brother had put me up in. And I was going home one night from a meeting, and I went up to the about the fourth or fifth floor. And there was a bunch of Americans up there from the States that was having a certain lodge, that I'll not call the name.But a lodge, a certain lodge was having their jubilee, or convention there. Well, I'd noticed some funny actions in the people that afternoon before going to church. But when I got back that night, walked out of the elevator on the top floor, oh, they were having one of the awfullest drunken parties I ever seen. And here come two nice looking women, perhaps in their twenty-five or early thirties, coming down the floor with nothing on but their underneath garment. Each had a bottle of whiskey, and men pulling them from one room to the other.

I just stooped back into the shade. And they both had on wedding rings. Now, they call that clean fun. That's filthy sin. Right. Maybe a husband at home taking care of the baby, thinking their wife was out somewhere with a nice crowd of people having a dinner and a little sociable get together, and it turns out into a drunken bolish. What a horrible thing. What does God think about that kind of living? And I watched as some old man, may be twenty years older than one of the young women, grabbed her in the wrong place on her body, and jerked her into the room, and all the carrying on of... I stood there and started to pray. In a few minutes here they come out, the old man was so drunk he couldn't even hold the woman. And when they come back out, one of them stood there and took the rest of what clothes she had on, off, and took a drink of whiskey and throwed up her foot, and said, "Whoopee. Boy, this is life."

I just couldn't stand still any longer. I rushed out and grabbed the woman by the arm. I said, "Lady, it's death. It's not life." They dropped whiskey bottles and away they went. But they thought they were having a good time, but they were dead.Now, David said here, "My soul longs for You, like in a dry land where there's no water." Now, God created a man to have a thirst. Your makeup, you were made to thirst. God made you that way. You cannot help it because you thirst. God made you to do it. But God made you to thirst after Him. That thirst was put in you, not to go to the devil's places, not to thirst after Hollywood, or fashions of the world; but that thirst was given you to thirst after God.

Jesus said, "Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." It's a blessing to even thirst. But the devil has tried to make you think of something else. But the thirst was given you by God. Listen. How dare you take that blessed holy thirst that God gave you to thirst after Him and try to satisfy it with the things of the world, with television programs, with drinking, with big sprees. The devil has perverted instruments of his own and taken that thirst that God give you to thirst for Him, and making you thirst after the things of the world. And every thirst that you have should be for Him. Certainly. That's life.

You say, "Now, I know the Bible better than you do, Brother Branham." You don't have life by knowing the Bible. You don't have life by joining church. You don't have life by being baptized. You don't have life by knowing your catechism. You don't have your life by being a minister. To know Him is Life, not to know the catechism or your church rules, but to know Him is Life. And that thirst that God give you, isn't to be spent on a church either. The devil if he can't make you go to dances, and drink, and live immoral, and those things, he's perverted it to make you join church. And that's still perverted, because joining church doesn't give you life.

But the only way you can have Life is to take that thirst and satisfy it by the drinking at the Fountain that never runs dry, that beautiful Holy Spirit that rains from God out of heaven. That's the way you find Life is to know Him; not know His Book, but to know Him; not to know your church, but to know Him; not to thirst to satisfy the pastor, but to satisfy the Lord. That's that holy thirst. That's what it's in you for. And would you quench that with things of the world. It's death. It's perverted.Did not the Bible say, "If you love the world or the things of the world, it's because of the love of God's not even in you."? That great holy thirst. You can't satisfy it by joining the church. There's no satisfaction in joining the church. You're trying to sear your conscience and fill your heart with lust. Come out in the open; confess your sins, and thirst for God's righteousness. "Because Thy lovekindness is better to me than life, my lips shall praise Thee." Think of it. WMB ~ Greatest gift in bible 57-0811A

"And that Word in you produces the Life of Christ. If I could take the life out of a peach tree and put it in a pear, it wouldn't bear peaches no more; it would have pears on it because the life in the tree would produce what it is. The life that's in you shows what you are. Your life testifies so loud in you, until your testimony's not heard. They know what you are by the life you live and the things that you do. If the Life of Christ is in you then, therefore, the works and Life of Christ you live; because that's His Life living through you. You're just in a vessel to carry on the work of God." WMB ~ Investments 63-1116B

"Now notice, the perverted life, the devil inspiring it... That life becomes miserable. I've never seen it in all stages from the rich to the poor. I've had the privilege of being in king's palaces, from that to the lowest haunt on skid row. And I've never seen a contented sinner in my life. That's right. There is no happiness or contentment outside of Jesus Christ. I've seen them so rich till they had bodyguards with them. And I've seen them so poor till they begged for a drink of whiskey. And from the one to the other there's no satisfaction in sin. Then what do they call that life? How could you call it life when you want to take it? It's not life.Now, if the devil can't get you to do something like that, he's done something else. He will let you be a gentleman, and you'll pay your honest debts; you'll treat your neighbor right. You'll even join church, and think that you've got life, but that still is death. "For except a man be borned again, he will in no wise enter the Kingdom." If the devil can't get you to see a truth, he will push you out the deep end.

So joining church is not life. Singing hymns is not life. Preaching the Gospel's not life. Only one way you can have life: that's to know Him. You don't know, and have life by knowing the catechism of your church. You don't have life by knowing the Bible. You'll have life by knowing Christ in the free pardon of sin, is the only way that you can have life." WMB ~ Thirsting for life  57-0728