I hate to see anything penned up. I hate to see a man calls hisself Christian then penned down by some kind of a church creed, "I can't say, 'Amen.' I--I can't believe in that. The pastor says don't believe it." Oh, my, goodness. You're born free.
Then how about a big eagle? He's a heavenly bird. He lives way in above the clouds. That's where he goes of a morning, way so high, nothing else can follow him, not another bird. He'd disintegrate in the air if he tried to follow him. He's a special-made bird.
And then somebody had caught him in a man-made trap, he had caught this big eagle and put him in this cage. And the poor old fellow... I looked at him and my heart just burned. He looked at that side like that; he didn't know how to get out of that cage. He would just get across there, and he--he knowed how he'd take off, and he'd start flopping his wings. And here he'd go, he was banging his head up against the bars and beat the feathers out of his arm, wing feathers here, and all across his head, till it was bleeding. He hit that bar so hard it'd knock him plumb back on his back. He'd lay there and roll them weary-looking eyes, look up towards that sky, "There's where I belong. There's my home. There's where I was born for. But, looky, between me and there is a cage. Well, the only thing I know, I'm put my mind to it; here I come," and "bang," he'd go right back again.
Then how about a big eagle? He's a heavenly bird. He lives way in above the clouds. That's where he goes of a morning, way so high, nothing else can follow him, not another bird. He'd disintegrate in the air if he tried to follow him. He's a special-made bird.
And then somebody had caught him in a man-made trap, he had caught this big eagle and put him in this cage. And the poor old fellow... I looked at him and my heart just burned. He looked at that side like that; he didn't know how to get out of that cage. He would just get across there, and he--he knowed how he'd take off, and he'd start flopping his wings. And here he'd go, he was banging his head up against the bars and beat the feathers out of his arm, wing feathers here, and all across his head, till it was bleeding. He hit that bar so hard it'd knock him plumb back on his back. He'd lay there and roll them weary-looking eyes, look up towards that sky, "There's where I belong. There's my home. There's where I was born for. But, looky, between me and there is a cage. Well, the only thing I know, I'm put my mind to it; here I come," and "bang," he'd go right back again.
I thought, "Oh, my, isn't that terrible. I wish they'd sell him to me. I'd pawn my Ford to buy him (See?), just to turn him loose." See? Oh, it made me feel so bad, that poor big bird there, beat the feathers... I thought, "That's the most horrible sight I ever seen."
No, I take it back, the most horrible sight I ever seen is a man born to be a son of God and then penned up in some creed. And he looks up there and sees a God that he really wants to serve, but he just can't do it. They won't let him do it (See?): penned up. That's a horrible thing.
No, I take it back, the most horrible sight I ever seen is a man born to be a son of God and then penned up in some creed. And he looks up there and sees a God that he really wants to serve, but he just can't do it. They won't let him do it (See?): penned up. That's a horrible thing.
Yes, yes, sister, brother, ever who wrote this, if you have fallen down here, that don't mean you're lost. You're just an eagle got into a pen; that's all. You're caged-up down here in sin again. You don't want to be there; that's the reason you're looking upward. There you are, "O Brother Branham, I once lived up there, is there a way here?" Yes.
Reminds me of one day (oh, a little boy) I was walking around behind the farm, and there was--somebody had tied an old crow to keep him out of the corn. And that poor old fellow was just about starved to death. I couldn't be that mean to do that. He tied the old crow by the foot, and the old fellow had eat everything was around; he couldn't get nothing else. The farmer just left him. And he was so poor that he--he couldn't even get up. Just he... And the crows would fly over and say, "Caw, caw, caw." In other words, say, "Come on, Johnny Crow. Wintertime's coming; let's go south." But he couldn't do it; he was tied.
Reminds me of one day (oh, a little boy) I was walking around behind the farm, and there was--somebody had tied an old crow to keep him out of the corn. And that poor old fellow was just about starved to death. I couldn't be that mean to do that. He tied the old crow by the foot, and the old fellow had eat everything was around; he couldn't get nothing else. The farmer just left him. And he was so poor that he--he couldn't even get up. Just he... And the crows would fly over and say, "Caw, caw, caw." In other words, say, "Come on, Johnny Crow. Wintertime's coming; let's go south." But he couldn't do it; he was tied.
So one day a certain fellow come by and seen that poor old crow, so he just went over and caught him and untied him, said, "Go on, boy; you're free." See? And so then, the first thing you know, he kept walking around.
Here come the crows over, hollering, "Come on, Johnny Crow. Caw, caw, caw. Let's go south; the winter's coming. You're going to freeze to death."
If he could look back, say, "Can't do it." See, he had been so used to being tied (See?), he just thought he was still tied.
You may think you're tied too, brother, sister, that wrote this question. You may think the devil's got you tied down there, but he's lying. There was one time a Man come to earth, Jesus Christ, the Son of God; He untied you. Don't you believe it; you don't have to stay down there; no, sir, you're free. That's right. He died in your place to take away your sins. You just believe on Him, flop your wings, and fly away with the rest of them. Don't stay in that pit of the devil. No, sir.
Here come the crows over, hollering, "Come on, Johnny Crow. Caw, caw, caw. Let's go south; the winter's coming. You're going to freeze to death."
If he could look back, say, "Can't do it." See, he had been so used to being tied (See?), he just thought he was still tied.
You may think you're tied too, brother, sister, that wrote this question. You may think the devil's got you tied down there, but he's lying. There was one time a Man come to earth, Jesus Christ, the Son of God; He untied you. Don't you believe it; you don't have to stay down there; no, sir, you're free. That's right. He died in your place to take away your sins. You just believe on Him, flop your wings, and fly away with the rest of them. Don't stay in that pit of the devil. No, sir.
Now, will you lay hands upon me and free from that?
Sister dear or brother dear, sure, I'd lay hands on you, but that wouldn't free you. What would free you, you're--is to understand that you're already free. You're already untied. You don't have to worry about being free; you're already free. Jesus made you free. Be not again entangled in the yoke of bondage. You're free as you can be. You don't have to be tangled up. Laying my hands on you is just a tradition. We might do that. That... Why, I could do that, but that still wouldn't set you free until you accept what He done for you; that's just me saying "Lord, I believe it."
62-0527, Questions And Answers, Branham Tabernacle, Jeffersonville, IN, 123 min
Sister dear or brother dear, sure, I'd lay hands on you, but that wouldn't free you. What would free you, you're--is to understand that you're already free. You're already untied. You don't have to worry about being free; you're already free. Jesus made you free. Be not again entangled in the yoke of bondage. You're free as you can be. You don't have to be tangled up. Laying my hands on you is just a tradition. We might do that. That... Why, I could do that, but that still wouldn't set you free until you accept what He done for you; that's just me saying "Lord, I believe it."
62-0527, Questions And Answers, Branham Tabernacle, Jeffersonville, IN, 123 min
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