…because, in India we have got such a lot of big groups there, and they sing, and so nice. So I could not have any proper fellowship because they are so silent - that means silently cold that we could not really understand whether we were something different. But when I came to New York, Brother Hunt - Coleman knows, I was rather wanting to go immediately. But now after these days I feel that you are really blessed people to hear and know more about the Word of God when we in far away India find it very difficult, and with the little which God has given us, we are able to be true to Him. And at last, even though they may not have enough to eat, the Indian people have the Word of God to eat. So they usually say this: Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God.
Praise be to the name of Jesus Christ. How I wish that you all are in India! Now if you turn to St. John, first chapter, twelfth verse, (John 1:12) it is said:
As many as received Jesus Christ, to them he gave power to become the sons of God.
If you turn to 2nd Corinthians, sixth chapter, fourteenth verse onwards. (2 Cor. 6:14-18)
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God: as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Praise be to the name of Jesus Christ. I would like to draw your attention to that word: I will receive you. As many as received Jesus Christ, to them he gave power to become the sons of God. But there is a time when God receives us. There is a time when we receive God. And that is the time when God receives us. Usually it is preached, the moment that we receive Jesus Christ, we are children of God. I believed that. So, after preaching to such a huge crowd, I was so happy and I came into my room and suddenly there was a light in my room and God seemed to speak to me: 'You are still not my son.' So it shook me. I said, 'Lord! I preach, thousands have come to the Lord Jesus, and you do not tell me that I am your son yet? Then He pointed to this verse and said, 'You have not come to the place where I will receive you.' At that time, I was in the denominational church. And the next day I told my wife. 'From today onwards I am leaving the churches.' It shook her. She said, 'Do not be a fool. You are very popular, all the people know you.' I said, 'God has not received me yet, then what is the use of my preaching?' So, that was the day I just stood up alone - with all the denominations with all the believers. But the Lord was almighty; when I came out of the denominations, there was a gang of people starting to come out of every church! And they are now marching on with God, with you all people, shoulder to shoulder.
Now, why should you believe the word of God? You have heard thousands of messages, and many wonderful preachers must have given you the word, but, I would like to tell you why we believe the word of God in a special way than anything else. If you want to magnify the word of God - because the Bible says: A man who magnifies the word of God magnifies Jesus Christ. So, you must have a reason for that, because, there was no one to explain to us. We just thought it is a book, so when you read the book, you must just read the book and do your own way. We never could believe that this is exactly what God spoke. We thought it is just like any other book. But God taught us in a different way.
So, God was teaching from my own family with the children. What is faith? We all are supposed to have faith. But the real faith has a foundation. Faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the word of God. So, apart from the word of God, there is no faith. So, one day, God taught me very clearly through my son. My son came and asked me for some money. Daddy I want to go on an excursion. And he begged me, cried and said, 'You must give me.' So, to avoid the boy I said, 'Come tomorrow at nine o'clock, I will give you.' At that time I was in prayer. Somehow or other I forgot about the nine o'clock business. So, it went on to nine fifteen, this son had all his friends outside the house ready to go to the excursion, told them. 'At nine o'clock I will get you the money.' So I was praying and he knocked at the door, not begging or calling me; he just knocks at the door.
Then I said, 'Sonny, you know that you should not disturb me when I am praying!' 'But you promised me to come at nine o'clock, it is nine fifteen now! Where is the money now?' So, I could not do anything, I had to give it to the boy. So, to catch God from the Bible, is real faith. Sometimes we used to think… We are very anxious for visions, and dreams and everything. You know, depending on God is the greatest thing - depending on God without any evidences: That is the greatest faith. Now sometimes, outward dependance and inside dependance - there are two kinds of dependances. We may be successful in the outward dependance but in the inward dependance also we will have to go. So, actually, a man who believes on the word, he is like a blind man to this world. He cannot understand, people cannot understand, but when he moves, God moves. So, this is how God taught us.
Sons of God means: Sons are not beggars. Now, my child has authority on my home. So, sometimes we used to think, 'Why, that man prays hours together but there is no power, while another man who worked all the day, just opens the mouth, and there is such power!' We cannot understand that. You know, when I was preaching, there were groups of people who used to fast and fast and pray from morning till evening, but nothing happened. But I used to go and play about and laugh and go about, and then just come to the meeting and the people get saved! So, they were coming and telling me. 'Lawrie, you do not pray like us, but why do the people get saved? I said, 'I am a child of God.' Then they said, 'Do you not think we are children of God?' 'Children of God will not do such penance by kneeling down.' They say, eight hours you must kneel with stones under your knees. But I used to sit and pray.
Then God spoke to me clearly through my same son: One day a young boy came and said, 'Brother Lawrie,' - he did not call me in any other way: 'Brother Lawrie, I am studying in college and I want a room. So can you not give me a room or a portion of your house so that I can pay the rent and go from here to the college.' He was neatly dressed, with a tie and all; I said, 'No.' After ten minutes, I am standing at the door, one small boy comes, without any combed hair, dirty just after a game of football, all mud - all over the body, he just comes and goes into the house: Sshhh - like that. Goes to the kitchen, goes to the bath room, goes to my table and opens my drawer, then comes and sleeps on my bed! Who can that be? That is my son! He is not asking me or begging me. He has got every right, while this other boy was begging! So, if you are a real child of God, you do not go to God like a beggar. We go to God as our own Father. Many people call God as Father, but in action, they deny Him as their Father.
You know, in those days, in the Anglican church - church of England, they used to pray, 'Lord! We come to Thee, thinking about Thy mercy, we have no strength.' Such kind of prayer, is like real begging prayer. A son, to get from the father, he does not beg, he gets in authority. He has got a right to stop you at any moment. In those days, when the meetings were going on, people could not see me. Because there was big crowd, I used to be in a room and no one will come. So many people tried to call on me, but they could not call on me. So, one big man, thought of a plan. He called my third son and said: 'Hey! I must see your daddy.' He said, 'Alright, I will show you.' So, he just takes the man straight to my room and said, 'Daddy, this man wants to see you because he is my friend.' Then I said, 'How did you come?' So, he laughed at me, 'I thought the best, Mr. Lawrie, is to catch your son. That is how I came.' So my friends, 'sons of God' means, just not singing alone. You have to claim God by faith. You have to claim the power of God.
Now see, you can believe a portion of the Bible, but you must believe the whole Bible. Believing means, actual possession. Now: If two of you agree as touching anything, it shall be granted. But when we pray, we do not believe. So, one day, my son was to be put in a college. We had no money, and the principal said, 'Lawrie, you are just a wandering preacher, you cannot give such a big money in such a big college, so give one year's fee in a lump then we will take your son. Never a man was asked. So, they asked me for one year's fees. So I said, 'I will give you tomorrow. Sir!' So, I came to my wife: 'Let us pray.' Took the word and said, 'Lord you have told like this: If two of you agreed as touching anything, you have promised to give us. So in the name of Jesus, we want so much of money in lump tomorrow morning, before eight thirty, before my son goes to college.'
So, what happened? Early morning we used to look at the postman. Now see, our faith thinks only its own way. But faith means, beyond our thinking. So, the postman said, 'No money order, Sir. Nothing, Sir - no letters.' So I went and said, 'Is God going to be liar? Now, we make Him a liar, but God is never a liar. So, just at eight fifteen, a lady comes and knocks at the door! Is brother Lawrie here?
Then I knew something was coming. At this time, this lady said, 'I could not sleep the whole night, Mr. Lawrie, something told me to give you so much of money in a lump.' I said, 'Why did you not feel sleepy?' 'No, no, it always said: Give Brother Lawrie.' So, she brought the cheque and gave it to me and she was the most stingiest doctor in that part. So I took the cheque to the college an said: 'Sir, here is the money!' The man looked at the cheque and said, 'This doctor giving you money? She never even gives a paise for anything else!' So, like that, every word has got power and every word had always been true. So, what we have to do is, when you read the Bible, people take the easiest thing and leave the difficult thing away. But I believe today that every word is true.
One day one preacher came and told me, 'Brother Lawrie, suppose you become old, what are you going to do? Now you are a young man, you can run about, you can preach. But, suppose you become old and cannot preach, how are you going to get the money?' Just then, at that time, I was about to take the Bible to go to a place; the Bible slipped and even the Bible falling, opens at the right place, you know: This God, our God, will guide you even unto death. So I just was telling him, 'Unto death, my friend!' Praise be to God. So, old people do not be afraid. Our God is true. So when you become old, God is true, but nowadays do not worry, because, before that the Lord Jesus is coming. He is coming in our generation and now He is very close. You may be happy but it brings us fear also - whether we are ready?
You know, there is a fear in us: 'Lord! I am not ready!' When my wife left London, she said, 'I am going and want to go and seek God.' That is the word now: seeking God, seeking God, to be in the perfect will of God, so that when He comes, you can say: 'Yes Lord! I am here.' So, in these last days, we are in a blessed time. The faith is increasing. And before Jesus comes, He wants a Bride, believing just like Jesus Christ. Otherwise you will not be lifted up. You will be heavy. You know, when you lift a big stone, a man can lift only a certain amount. So, that is a proof that God can lift only a certain amount of people and with certain weight. (Bro. Lawrie and the congregation laugh.) Too much of that: You cannot go.
Some people have so many problems, so many hands in so many things, so that, when He pulls, He has to pull the problems also. So: Throw away your problems! So, you must be fit - ready, so that when he goes - Suppose you tie a big stone on a bird, it cannot fly. The weight is down. So, in the same way, think well. Try to put away all unnecessary things. Try to spend time with God apart from your job. Do not try to waste your time in so many other things, unnecessary things, and come to God so that you will be light, so that when Jesus comes, you will be able to fly. But if you cannot fly, that means, you are rooted out. So, let us not be rooted out in that way and loosen out the soil and God could simply pluck us out of this world. Praise be to God!
Even giving money: Now sometimes you know, in India, the preachers used to come and tell me, 'Brother Lawrie, your ministry is spoiling us.' I said, 'Why?' 'You never collect offerings. You never ask anyone for money. That means, people think that you are better than all of us, so we have no prospects.' So, what I said was: 'It is not collecting money, it is a heart condition. If we love God and we know the ministry of God, that means, those people will give the money for that work. Nowadays, people spend a lot of money - blessing pact, this and that, and all, all kinds of things! But the thing is, they say, 'Oh, we have given to God's work.' But that is not going to God's work. God honours the work which is sanctioned by Him, which is blessed by the Holy Ghost. Moses says: 'In this we are separated, that You go with us.'
Separation is not: Leaving one church and coming and sitting in another place where God is not there. Separation means: Leaving out the place where God is not there and coming to the place where God is moving. That is the separation. Are you in the place where God is moving? One day I brought some sweets and gave it to my own children. Do you know why I am taking my own children? Because I can take only my children. I cannot take another man's children. Because I got three boys - mischievous boys, and at the same time they are born-again and they are coming into the line and God has blessed all the three with the word and they are filled with the Holy Ghost. And even though they are small, they have been giving testimonies in all the major meetings. So, they are not afraid of crowds; anywhere they will give the message, even though they are small.
So, that day, I brought some sweets and gave equally to the three boys. After five minutes I said, 'Come on children! Give it back to me.' So the eldest said, 'Daddy, what is this? You give and ask! That is not nice.' So he gave me a small portion. The second boy said, 'What is this daddy, you gave and then you are asking it? Jesus said: Do not ask when you have given it!' He quotes the Bible! (Congregation laugh.) The third fellow said… When I put my hands like this, he put the whole thing in my hands. I took it and said… And you know what happened? I gave to each the same amount, but the third boy gave the whole thing. So, I called the fellow out and said, 'Come on, we will go for a walk, and we had a nice feast.' And I asked him, 'You can eat anything you like, man.' So he started eating, and then he said, 'Daddy we will come tomorrow also?' Now it is nearly ten years. If I do not buy and give him anything which he wanted, he will say, 'Daddy, I gave everything to you, now you must give everything to me.' So the little chocolate, he claims on my whole thing.
So, like that, God has given you everything. So the difference is: It is not taking the offering, it is the condition. So, when we give something, God gives much more than that. So, we are never losing in the business. This is the most prosperous business, because, when you give God, you get more - hundred percent! People do not know the secret of this. When I left India to America, I used to give one tenth to God. So, God blessed me. When I returned to India, I gave ninety to God and took only ten. So when anyone gave me hundred Dollars, I used to give ten Dollars to my wife, give the ninety for the ministry. And He started blessing us like anything. And what God did do? God blessed us hundred times what we gave. So, people could not understand. That is our America. People said, 'Because we went to America we became….' No! The secret is this: If you really love God - God will bless us, means, it is not giving a certain portion , it is giving our whole life. Our whole aim, our mind to be filled with Jesus Christ. Then He gives you hundred percent.
When I left everything - my family, my houses, all my brothers and sisters and came into a place apart from the home, the Lord started blessing me and gave me hundred fold of everything - except the wife. You know the Bible says: I will give you hundred fold of brothers, sisters, but it does not say, wives. The Spirit is very careful you know. If God simply said, hundred fold of everything, the people will start preaching something else. But God is wonderful. So, these children imitate the father. Even today, the believers imitate the person through whom they are saved. You know... If the preacher is a bearded man, they will start keeping beard. So, like that, in the same way, the children imitate the father. We should not imitate the preacher, we must imitate Christ in every walk of life.
So, one day, I went into my home: These children are having a meeting. With a big tube, they had the loudspeaker, and they are imitating having a big convention. So, I said, 'What is this, man?' 'Daddy, there you are preaching, we are preaching in the home.' So, see, the mind works exactly like the father. So, there was another girl there who wanted to pray. In India, they cover their hair with a cloth. Young girls, they do not wear a saree, they wear a gown. So, they do not have anything to cover their head. So, this small girl, the moment they went to pray, she put the hand kerchief on the head. So, I asked, 'Girl, why do you want to put the hand kerchief?' No, my mummy covers her hair with a cloth, so I thought it is better to cover my hair with a hand kerchief. So, what you do, the children imitate. In the same way, what God is, people will see in us: From the face, from the action, that God is with us. It is not trying to show, but actually, instead of imitating a preacher, we have to come to the original - God. So, when you read the word, the word is full of power: Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever. Now we believe God is wonderful those days. We believe that He is going to be wonderful in the rapture. But do you believe Him today?
When Lazarus was in the grave, Jesus comes that way. And Martha tells, 'If you had been here, my brother would not have died.' She had faith for yesterday. Then Jesus said, 'Your brother shall rise again.' She said, 'Yes, he will rise on the resurrection day.' She had faith for yesterday, she ha faith for tomorrow. But Jesus said, 'I am the resurrection and life. I am for today!' So, He is for today! He is not only for tomorrow, He is not for future. He is a God who is living, who must be enjoyed even today! You know, certain things, the people do not believe that, they do not tell it. God is so wonderful, even for materialistic things. He answers our prayers.
You know, one day, some of the wires of the radio to plug it to the current, it was inside the radio; somebody had locked it up. I thought somebody had stolen it. So, we were praying. 'Lord, what should we do? We cannot buy it anywhere close by.' Then the voice of God comes and says, 'It is inside.' No one ever thought. So, even the ordinary things, God answers our prayers, because God knows everything. God sees everything. But we try to use our own imagination. God will answer our prayers in such a wonderful way. And God says, 'Ask anything in my name: Call unto me in the day of trouble, I will answer you.'
I remember one day when we were preaching in the open air, I suddenly said, 'You cannot be saved through Mary, you have to come to Christ.' It was a Catholic centre. So my wife, and I were there: there was a big crowd, they were ready to pounce on us. We could not help it because there were hundreds and hundreds of people saying. 'You stop that! You withdraw that word!' I said, 'You have no salvation through Mary!' So we could not escape. Then we called on God to deliver from that trouble. Suddenly, you will not believe me - it is a hot season there will not be any rain: The shower came in terribly that everybody had to run. But the wonderful thing is, it rained only in the place were the crowd was. So we all took the Bible and ran, there was no rain there. Then these Catholics said: God must be with this man! They all came, then they heard the word, they enjoyed the meeting and many came to God. So, it is a simple thing. God gives the blessing.
I remember in another place, in a Hindu locality, they started throwing stones. So, one man aimed a stone and it went on my brother's head. So, we were worried because I am the preacher to preach next. So when I was preaching, the stone came direct to my head and it was all of a sudden, it fell right perpendicular. If the stone came on towards the forehead it must hit you; but the stone went right on the pulpit. So it appeared as if some hand pushed it down. And immediately, when the Hindus saw the power, they just submitted. Brothers and Sisters, you cannot with non-Christians without the power of God. Money or missionaries cannot do anything.
Sometimes you know, they used to wonder, people coming from foreign countries, they come and see, they think India is just an ordinary place, they can just walk over. You can walk over in the world, but there they will send the devil into us. They have powerful demon powers, that they can send the devil on a preacher and the preacher will not be able to open his mouth. You will not believe what I say, but in certain meetings, even the interpreter has to fall. So we have to rebuke the demon. Sometimes, in the meeting, they sit in a long line and keep charming on you. And it is effective! Only the blood of Christ can save us. So, God answers our prayers in so many marvelous ways and God is living today.
And sometimes we know, we pray too much rather than commanding. You know, a child commands - not ask. You know who ask very much? Sometimes we say, 'Oh I asked God for a certain thing and God answered my prayers!' You know, suppose a beggar comes, pesters you for some help, or somebody comes and says, 'Please help me, please help me, please help me….' you give some - one Dollar, he does not become your child. He cannot say, 'Oh! So and so gave me one Dollar, he is my daddy.' But your son gets it but the other one begs for it. So there are so many kinds of beggarly prayer. They ask and say, 'Lord! Give me! Give me!' And when that is given they will say, 'Oh! God is wonderful! He will answer my prayers!' A child does not beg, he commands. He takes it. When he goes and talks to daddy, he has no fear. He has got that equality. And the father wants a son to his level. The father does not want his son to be an illiterate. Earthly father wants his children to come to a very high level.
So, our God of gods who is a flying God, who is a powerful immortal God, wants His children not to die in this world but to go on to immortality, and that is the day - it is coming and you have to pay a price for it. People want to take it cheap. Anything which is lightly got is of little value. People want to get things cheap. That is why the Holy Ghost has become so cheap - just shouting and singing, they say they got the Holy Ghost. I remember, in one Assemblies of God Bible school, one man tried to speak in tongues; he could not get it. My brother was there studying in the Bible school. So, this man could not get it. He tried to say… People said, 'Come on, shout! Make a noise!' And the missionary said, 'If he does not talk in tongues, he cannot be the dean there.' So, this poor fellow was trying to get the 'tongues' to become a dean.
At last, he came to me said, 'Brother Lawrie, I am not getting it.' 'You will get it man; so long as you are in the Assemblies of God you will not get it.' So, one day he thought on a plan. He told some friends, you go and tell the missionary that I broke the chair and shouted. And so this man came out, 'Praise the Lord! I got it.' And when he said, 'I got it,' the missionary said, 'You got it? What happened?' 'Sir! He broke the chairs and made a big noise and all these things.' 'Wonderful! So you can be a dean now.' The fellow never spoke in tongues, but he told that he jumped and broke the chairs. So, there, the evidence of speaking in tongues was breaking the chairs. So my friends, and if you cannot believe the word, it is not God! So, if you want to have both - sometimes you know, the people are so clever, they want to believe the word without the power.
You know, that is why, I found in certain places, they will say, 'Oh Brother! We believe in Brother Branham's message, without the Holy Ghost.' It is like the torchlight without the battery. They have the torchlight but no battery. My dear friends, you must have both. But if you have the Holy Ghost, you will believe the word totally. If you cannot believe it, there is something wrong with that. So my friends, you have to have both. In these last days, how can you go in the rapture without the full filling of the Holy Ghost? Just believing the Bible - even the devil believes Bible is true; it shudders. So, we have to believe the message and take the power through the Holy Spirit and when the Holy Ghost fills us, you are a dynamite. So, that is what we must be. You must be on both sides, because to be a child of God, you must have the Spirit of the Father. And when the Father's Spirit comes into us, it comes into immortality.
So, if you are a child of God, another important thing: When my son - suppose he throws a stone at me, I say, 'Pleas keep quiet.' But if another man's son throws a stone at me, 'If will break the leg.' You know, both are different. If my son does something I say, 'Do not do that, sonny.' But, if a neighbour's son just throws a stone, I will make it a big thing and say, 'Here, your son is playing mischief; one of these days I will break his head.' So, that is crime, this is a mistake. In the same way, sometimes we think about our failures and keep on ruminating, 'Oh I am gone, I am gone…' My dear friends, we are failures. We are a bundle of failures. By failures only we knew God. I am not worthy to stand before you. But, when Jesus came into my life, He taught me that in weakness, He is our strength. But if I come with my holiness, my holiness is zero. But today, when the Holy Ghost has come into me, God is with you; He proves with the word.
And today, what man needs? Man must have an open heart. Today we see many people, 'Hello Brother, how are you?' But the heart is different. They have something in the heart and still are shaking hands. In India, I remember a time, pastors will come: 'Wonderful Brother!....' They used to do. So I am very careful because their heart will not be right but it is just a show. But let the heart be right! Open heart! Let the heart not hide anything. If I do not like a brother, 'Brother, I do not like you.' Tell it openly. Let them get angry or anything. 'Brother, I do not like that in your way.' Then your heart is clear and he also thinks later on. This man is a dangerous man, he will cut me straight, so I will be honest with him. Why people become crooked is because of the other people. They are crooked and so we have to behave crooked - and we call that wisdom. That is not a wisdom, that is devilish. God wants us to say, yes or no, that is all.
So one day there was a big educated man from a poor family. He had no job, he was in a hotel drinking a glass of tea. Then a short, heavy set boy came with lot of money in his pocket with about ten or fifteen friends, with two or three cars, comes and walks in there. He never studied properly. And he gave a good feast and took the money and paid it in the counter. Now, this man had a wealthy father. That man had a poor father, he could not have a job. That man had a lot of money. So, it is not how big they are, how educated they are, it is of the father. Our Father is a rich God. Rich with abundance. See just how our Father is rich! He has given to unnecessary people, wicked people, all the abundance. You just see the whole world! There are people who are nor worthy to receive the bounty of God. But still, he has thrown it. If He has thrown it to such a people, how much blessings He will threw for His children! He does not want to give us more.
Sometimes, you know, my son used to ask me, 'Daddy, you give money to all the others in plenty but you do not get it to me?' I told him, 'They are not with us but you are with me. If I give you too much of money, you may be spoilt.' So, God knows for His children what is best and what will be keeping them in the faith. So we say, 'Oh, I do not get anything!' Do not cry my dear friends! God loves us. In that love He came down and died for us. Do you mean to say he will prevent other things for you? He knows what will keep you with the faith. He will know what will keep you up to the word. That is why sometimes when you come into the Lord's life, into this great life, you get lot of punishments.
You know, if something gores wrong, I can punish my children, I cannot punish other man's children. So, what we find is: From the time we knew God, we got punishments like anything - that even for a small thing, there was a punishment. So, by punishments, we knew that we have got a loving Father who will cane us. But, another thing I want to tell you: If I cane my child - you know what my son used to do? Suddenly I will get angry and just beat him. Then this fellow will be like this with a long face and will not talk to me. Then I feel sorry. I go near the fellow and say, 'Why are you angry?' 'You beat me like this, you know.' So to please the fellow, I give more. In the same way, after chastisement you get more blessings - because God wants to make us happy. He beats us, but He can not bear our discouragement. So, when we are discouraged, we will find God coming with all His bounty and then they say, 'Oh Lord! You are wonderful,' and you forget the chastisement. You have got a wonderful God.
So, in this life of faith, we have to understand one thing: That God cares for His children. And another thing: The children do not care for themselves. It is the father who cares. Children do not want to study, children want to go round on the streets and knock the bull and play and hit the people. But the father comes and says, 'Hey, go to school!' If the children are sick, the father is worried. We sometimes think we care about God. But we do not care about God; God cares for us. God takes minute care for us, 'He that toucheth you toucheth the apple my eye.' You know sometimes, we are in such a lot of trouble. We feel as if the whole thing is lost. But God - God will not allow to the ulterior limit. There is a limit for God. And when He knows that you cannot manage it, then He comes and interferes. That interference shows that God is a wonderful God.
So my friends, in this world, if you are a child of God, the child will have to grow. You cannot be a man - all in one day. And this growing period is something like this - it is tough. He gives us all kinds of experiences. So, to teach us so many lessons, we must submit ourselves into the hands of God so that He will teach us all along the way. And when this teaching comes, you will find that you really are strong. And that is why the Holy Ghost teacher, when a group submits themselves to God, you will find the Lord blesses that assembly mightily. If you want a blessing, you need not run after souls. The Lord will give them dreams and point them there. I know so many times, people used to say, 'Brother Lawrie, I had a dream yesterday. The Lord told that there is a man here called Lawrie.' Like that, many Hindus have come. So, if there is a light here, people can see. We need not advertise. But the thing is, if we allow God to work, He will do the work for you. But if you do, He will stop His work.
So, the trouble today is, the people… Now if you want Brother Branham's message to go throughout the world, you cannot peach it. If the Lord has a plan, it has to go. Sometimes the people think, the more they are busy with the work, they can do much more work. But actually they spoil the work of God. In certain places, actually, people cannot believe Brother Branham's message for certain reasons, because, the people who carry the message, they do not carry with the word, they carry out of the word. So what happens is - the whole thing is: They say, 'We do not want anyone because…' Actually you cannot deceive the Indians. You cannot simply say, 'Oh, Brother Branham is a prophet,' to the Indians because Indians do not want any Westerners; because after the British Government, they cannot look at them. So actually, there is a way for each country.
You cannot go into China and preach the gospel today. You cannot go to certain countries and preach the gospel today. But it has to be presented. So, God has His own Supreme way. So, let us all watch and see what is God's way for each country. God has a way for your country! Your fine country is finished. And actually on Sunday, I want to tell you something with a fear because, actually I do not want to tell anything first of all, but the Lord impresses me - presses me and for seven years it was in my heart and I do not know where to give it. Even I wanted to print in India and send it. But God said: You must go there and tell because just printing a book is no good. So I was wondering and wondering what to do because many people wrote to me, invited me, but today I am here.
So on Sunday, I want you all to pray so that this message - this is the only thing which I will be giving in your church. I am not preaching in America but in your place which represents America. And New York is a place, the moment you come into America you will have to come to New York. So you are just placed in the right - in the city and you do not know and may be thinking that you are only a small church, but you are right placed in New York so that I come to New York and give it and go away. So my responsibility is over. Then it is our duty. So pray from today that God will put His words in my mouth and that will be something real: Because it is exactly seven years that I am coming back here. And it was the time when I got baptised in Brother Branham's tabernacle; it was in 1960 Easter Sunday. Now I have come - seven years later. So, when God works out in a marvelous way, He works out really.
So, in these last days, children means: God says, 'You will leave out everything - all bondage and come unto me, then I will receive you.' Are we in that place? Now only coming out of denominations, coming out of every bondage. Everyone will have some strings attached somewhere. Cut it away! Because you know, this will be sweet; it is called: Sweet sin. It will be very sweet, so we cannot leave it. So everyone will have something deep there - a little sweet sin; if you cut it you know - 'What will happen to me?' But that will have to be cut, you know. Then only He receives you. But when He receives you, then He blesses you in a mighty way. So, actually He said, 'As it was in the times of Noah, so shall it be in the time of the coming of the Lord.' So, what was Noah's time? You all know, you have got sermons on Noah's days.
But I want to tell you something here: I do not know whether you had caught it any days before. Noah: God said, 'Collect the food for the animals and birds.' And the people must have wondered how this man is going to collect all these animals. Lions are there, tigers are there, crocodiles are there, birds are there. You cannot catch one bird! How is this old man going to catch those birds? But, Bible says in Genesis sixth chapter twentieth verse: These animals shall come to thee. So one morning, there is a procession coming: Lions are marching, tigers are marching, everything marching on towards the ark. The beasts heard the voice of God! - While the men did not hear the voice of God. As they marched in, God shut.
In the same way, in these last days, intelligent brains, big brains, big shots, they will be standing and watching and fooling us. But the beastly natured people. Adulterers, murderers, drunkards, people who are not in the society, they are worse than beasts; they will hear the voice of God and come into the ark! In India, we see murderers coming into the ark, drunkards, coming into the ark, while the doctors and engineers say: 'Lord! What is this? We cannot understand!' They will never understand. So, in these last days, you will find people who are classed as low: Beastly people - donkeys, they will say, all kinds of people! But they are the people who are getting like animals into the ark because the food is ready there. Seven days - it is not only for seven days: Forty days! - The food is not only for the Bride age but for the rapture also it is there. Every food is already stored by Jesus Christ. God has sent a man here and nobody thought - you know and after death only they will keep on worrying, you know.
Now they will say, 'If you knew that Brother Branham was such a mighty man before, we would not have allowed him to die even, you know. He is dead and gone but the message lives. But if you do not assimilate the message and will not act according to the message, what is the use of the message? You can listen to the tape… You know there is a verse in the Bible which I will tell on Sunday night. It is like a song. They will say: 'Yes, yes, wonderful, wonderful,' but it will not go into their hearts. Let the thing sink deep in our hearts. Let us act on the word o God and you will see power in your life. Nobody taught about any ministry to us. I never went to a Bible school but in this hard life, you will find, that all what God said was true. He is correct to the time, correct to…
Bible says: Never owe man anything. So one day, He taught me in a wonderful way. I used to drink some fruit juice. I had no money to buy anything, so suddenly I became thirsty so thought - my aunty was there - so I said, 'Aunty give me some money, I want to buy some fruit juice: I will pay you when I get the money.' You know, God told me not to ask anyone. Bible says: Owe no man anything. I deliberately went to the shop and drank that juice and came home. Here at the door step, a lady sent a big jar of that orange juice and a boy was waiting there. So when I came there: 'Brother, this is for you, that Sister sent you.' When I looked in, it was the same juice. I said, 'Lord! I am sorry!' So, immediately I settled the money and said, 'Hereafter I will never borrow any money from anyone.' My dear friends, every verse is true. And God teaches you in a marvelous way. When danger comes, God is there to protect our life. When troubles come, He will be there.
If you read from the beginning to end during Jesus' time, all over you will find that God's word is able to satisfy at all times. He said: I will meet all your needs. What kind of needs? It may be just an ordinary need. He meets that. One day, I remember, I was going in the train. In India it is not like in America. In America, if you have a church like this, you are a big man. But India you may have thousand people, but they do not have anything to give. You cannot help them because they are poor people. They have to live on their own and they have children and in such a great difficulty - and actually the pastor will have to help the people. Before the church is over, there will be some people waiting and so he has to take the offering and say, 'We have to give to the poor people,' and go away. That is our condition.
Yet, in that little church, all over you will find, the people believe the word of God. According to the country's standard, God has been prospering the people who have been believing the word of God. And when they start reading the word and they find out something - and they are trying to catch it. Now, healing, God said, 'Nothing shall by any means hurt you.' He did not say, 'Typhoid will hurt you, Cholera will hurt you,' or anything like that. Then He would have said, 'Nothing except Cholera shall hurt you.' Nothing means nothing! Nothing is nothing! So, when He said, 'Nothing.' - 'Can that be? Can that be?!' Brothers and Sisters, we are coming to a age, where, if you believe the word of God, our whole body turns out to be a solid rock. Now this brother is very old: I will tell you, I know if he believes, God can do wonderful things.
You know we can make others believe but we cannot believe ourselves. When a headache comes to us we say, 'Brother, I think let us have some pills.' But when the other people have the sickness: 'Brother! Believe the Lord! God will heal you.' Many preaches preach it, but when they get sick, they have their family doctors, you know, and then get the medicine secretly. But actually, one day, I was caught in a very bad way. I was going in a scooter with my son and there was a lady crossing the road. In India, the roads will be,.. donkeys will be going on the road, buffaloes will be going on the road, and cows will be going on the road. So the car will have to stop. They will not stop. So, I was going very fast; this lady crossed the scooter and I could not put the brakes on time. She had a hay bundle on the head and the hay bundle fell down.
So I avoided her and went and knocked and I broke my leg. My son fell on the hay stack. So we, got up, I could not stand; I got on the scooter and my son and I, we just reached our home. So I started telling my wife, 'My leg is gone.' I had to go for a meeting the next day. By the time they called the doctors, this one and that one - and said 'native doctor' - and so many doctors came and said, 'Brother Lawrie, shall I put this and that and tie your leg? And you cannot move for about nearly one month!' So I said, 'You just allow me for three hours, I will sleep. After three hours we will see, I am so tired.' So I just slept and they are all waiting in the hall. And I said, 'Lord! You are able, I believe in your power. This leg is broken; but I believe that you can make it alright.' When I got up after three hours, the bones were joined and I just walked. And I believe today that God can do that to you.
Now sometimes you know, to tell these things in a country like America, they will say, 'Oh, this fellow is joking.' But because you are so close, I wan to tell you what happened, because God hears small children's prayer also. I told brother Coleman about a story; My son and I - went to buy something for my son. So, I took a red purse, and counted the money and my son knew that the money was there and we went to buy. So, my son also said, 'I want this, daddy. I want that, daddy.' So while I was taking the purse and putting it in the pocked here and about to pay, the shop keeper said, 'Do you like this?' We were exchanging the things, then a man gave a knock at my body and took the purse and ran away. So, I left my son and started chasing. In India, pick pocketing is so easy. They will cut your pocket and go off. If you sleep in the night, you will see in the morning that you will not have a pocket or something like that - so many places.
So what happened: I chased him and he got into the crowd. So I came home and my son said, 'Daddy, you came to buy something for me and this man has taken your purse and gone.' So he said, 'Daddy, shall we pray?' 'Alright! We will see.' So he prayed, 'Lord! Send your Angel and pick pocket that purse from that pick pocket.' Now listen - small fellow's prayer! I just laughed to myself and I never believed it, you know; because he believed it, I never believed it. So he said, 'Daddy, surely God will bring that.' So I had no money. And the shop keeper gave the money for my travel and as I went to my home: The same purse was on my table. My wife came, 'Five minutes ago, the purse was not there.' I said, 'Did you see the purse here?' 'No, no I saw it; it was not there.' So my son said, 'Daddy, it may be another purse but see if the money is there.' So when I opened the purse, the same amount of money was there and he said, 'Surely the Angel of God has pick pocketed from that fellow.'
So, my friends, these are simple things through which God taught us. Every word of God is true. When the Angel came to Mary and said: 'You will conceive,' she did not say, 'Yes,' but she said, 'According to thy word!' She has read the Bible well! She has believed that a virgin should conceive! So when this Angel said, - 'Yes! According to the word it will happen.' So, the Lord was able to come. So, today, when you go away from the word of God, surely the demon will get in. You will see stars, you will get headache and everything. So the thing is - today the danger is: Are you still on the word? Because, if you are on the word, you will understand the prophet, you will understand his message.
It is not telling, 'Brother, we believe Brother Branham, we believe God, we believe His word.' So when a man believes His word, he will believe all whom God sent because the Spirit will reveal to us who God has sent and who God did not send. So, if you are a child of God, the children also are interested in the father. Now suppose if somebody is quarrelling, now suppose, if somebody comes to quarrel with me, the three children will be watching like this - whether anything is wrong. If a man is a bit rude, they will say, 'You cannot be rude like that.' They fight! In the same way, we must be interested in the Kingdom of God. Not by the hand, but by the word. Cut the man with the word! If you do not agree, tell, the Bible tells like this man! That is enough, he will die. If you tell your argument,…
You know, one day I was silent, so a man said, 'Brother Lawrie, are you angry?' I said, 'If you are silent, even a foot will be considered a wise man.' So, he shut his mouth and went away. So, whenever you want to talk to somebody, talk to him with the word. That is what the mighty men of God always talk, so that you must have plenty of word' in your heart - plenty of stuff in your heart. That is why, Bible reading is very essential. Without the reading of the word you will not have power. So, Bible reading is a must. Throw away most of the books. There are so many books which will spoil our minds. It is still good but it all depends on the man who writes. If a man is not on the word, how can he write a good book? If a man does not believe that God's word is totally true, he will surely mix up some poison somewhere and take you away off the mark.
So, in these last days, God has kept you as a light here. And I really thank God for people like you who have been standing for God and His word in these days. Because, in these last days, you will not find much people true to God because the world is towards popularity. Here you will not get popularity but God will be there. Actually God vindicates through so many signs and wonders. It has to come. And these days, God is a bit silent now. People are watching you know: Sometimes, people want God only for the miracles. So, sometimes you know, if there is no miracles, people do not want God. Many people want the healing ministry for the sake of popularity and money. So, God will deal for sometime with the people without any outward evidence to try whether they love God for His word or for the miracles. The true Bride will love God for the sake of His word.
My wife is in India. One time, for two nights we have been sitting together. She said, 'What do you want me to do when I go to India?' I said, 'Do this, do this, do this and this.' Now she went there and started doing that. And she writes, 'I did that. I did that. I did that and I did that.' I am very happy. If an earthly wife could do that, if we are the Bride of Christ, we get the message from God and do it exactly. If you use your brain, you are wrong. Sometimes my wife says, 'I thought it is better,…' I get angry. I say, 'Put your thought away and just do what I say.' So, if we could command our wives like that, Christ should command us telling, 'Do what I say. Do not use your brain and do not your ….' God does not want our brain. Sometimes it is very difficult. Very difficult because God has given us a brain to think.
So sometimes we say, 'I do not think God would have told like this. We must use a little wisdom.' This wisdom makes us off the mark. But when you go to God and say - completely… That is why God said: Die to your wisdom. Lean not to your understanding. So when we do not lean to our own understanding then God is able to work in our lives and also He will work for us. He will work for us. When is the prayer not powerful? Now listen: God promised to answer every prayer. Every prayer He wants to answer. If He does not answer the exact thing, He is going to give something better. Now sometimes we pray, 'Lord give me that, give me that.' He will not give you. But if He does not give you, that is the sign that He is going to give you something better. So when a prayer is answered, He answers your prayer. When He does not answer your prayer, there is something big waiting for you.
I used to ask God, 'Lord! Use me in India.' But for sometime He did not use me in India. Then I said, 'Lord, use me in my own town.' He started using me, but I never knew that all the prayers had been answered. But when He started giving, He started giving. So, what God wants us to do is,… testing is there. Abraham was tested. Every man will be tested of God; because I can tell, 'Praise the Lord!' But God tests us with little difficulties. Now, if everything goes nice, we say: Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! In America, you get plenty to eat, so you will not worry. But if God stopped your stomach for three days, if the whole America is starving for three days, Hallelujah will go away. If there is no food,… I have found it myself: When people have no food, 'What Brother? What Hallelujah?' The stomach is a great thing for man, you know. That is why we have a Bible school in our home. That Bible school is this: You know, anybody will say, 'Brother Lawrie, we want to serve God.' So I say, 'Come on.' We want them to stay just to tell them the experiences. God will send them out independent.
So, one doctor lady came, 'Brother Lawrie, we want to serve God. When are you taking scripture studies?' I said, 'You please work in the kitchen.' I did not come to work in the kitchen, Brother. I came to study the Bible!' Then another boy came, 'Brother! Wonderful God, I want to serve God! I have come to you.' I said: 'Go to the field and dig the ground and make a big hole there.' He said, 'I thought to preach, Brother!' Then for three or four days, we do not give any food. First thing is, for three or four days, you must starve. You must drink only water. So on the second day he will say, 'Brother, I have got a relation close by, I will go and see and come back.' He will never come back. This is our Bible school. Anybody can read the Bible at home, but the hard life….
Today, everywhere they will say, 'Brother, why do you not leave your job and work.' You know, when you get money, you can leave your job and work. But let them come to India and pastor an assembly for one month! No one will leave their job. You know, leaving the job when they have plenty, they will say, 'It is Faith-life. Faith-life means: Day by day living. That is a very hard way. That, God has to tech us to meet the Indians. But in America, you get everything. When a man leaves his job and takes an assembly, he gets the money there to live and he will be interested in getting more assembles because there is more pay. And they do not think about other countries. What is the sin of Sodom? God said,… Now we say: Sodom and Gomorrah is the whole world. But do not think India is Sodom, Gomorrah. Sodom, Gomorah had three sins, What is that? Fullness of bread, pride, laziness. These three - and not helping the poor people. This is the sin of Sodom, Gomorrah.
Now India does not have plenty of - fullness of bread. India cannot be proud. India cannot help poor people if they do not have anything. So, Sodom and Gomorrah means: Fullness of bread. When there is fullness of bread, they do not seek God. Secondly: Pride. How could you be proud, my brother? God fills a coward man with the power of God. God fills a white man with the power of God. God sanctions His man. Man does not sanction. And they say: Coloured church - White church. When you go to Church of God, there is division Assemblies of God. So, if you by mistake go into another church, you are gone. And they say: Hallelujah, Glory, Hallelujah! Tongues, everything. But my friends, God places man on equal basis. Now, if God sanctions a man, who are we to judge? Now see, if a man comes to India, in the hot sun, he will become black. If some of you come to India and stay for one year, you will find all skin getting burnt and you will find within one year that you will be more or less like a brown man.
So today, what man th inks is: Man thinks that because of a country's prosperity God likes them, but they are naked. They have no power of God. I will tell you on Sunday how the Lord took me to many places and everywhere the people were thinking, the power of God was there. Today in India some of the non-Christians have the power of the devil. They can do wonderful things which we cannot do. They will challenge you. Brother Branham says in a book: They will walk through the fire, and will not get scorched. Holy Ghost people - ask them to walk: Will you? I remember a pastor, he said, 'My God is a wonderful God. I am going to walk.' He got burnt, while a man of another religion walked in the fire without being burnt. So what do you do for that? That is a bigger miracle they do! Many miracles they do… They will just clap their hands and say: 'Come on,' and they will give you flowers. 'Come on,' they will give you money. Can you do that? They will challenge you. You can test them all over! It is all magic.
They will go to a shop. There will be money in the safe. So this man will tell, 'Brother Lawrie, I will get the money.' One magician told in front of me. So he told some charm and the whole money came into his bag. Then he said, 'I cannot use this money. I have to give it back.' So he said, 'That safe has no money. Then the money goes back. The devil is so powerful. So, you cannot deceive the world through the miracles. The test it the word-test. If a man does not abide according to the word, he has got no life in him. So let us all read the word! And these days, people do not read the word. You know, reading the word is the original word of the husband's letter to the wife. So, if you want to go in the rapture: To be wife - must read the love letter. If you say, 'I do not want to read it,' you are no Bride. The love letter written by God!
And He sends a messenger before the time comes for the running away. He sends a messenger to say, 'I am coming, you be careful.' So, that is why God sent the prophet… To the Bride: 'Get ready, time is up!' Let the people go on fooling about. Let us go, let us cross Jordan and come into Canaan. What is Canaan after all? Now Jerusalem is Heaven. It has to come down when we possess Canaan. What is Canaan? Possessing every word of the Bible of Canaan. Noe one word and two words. When you do that, then the Bridegroom is ready to come. Not only healing, not only salvation, not only the faith. What did Jesus say? 'Whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die,' He said. What is that? That is a promise! If you believe in God's word, you should never see death. Now, we do not spiritualize that. It is a real fact!
So, when Jesus comes. He is going to take a group of people means, those people will be so powerful in the word and may not have miracles. So, that kind of people will move when God moves. When God moves, He is mighty God. Now in India, for fifty years, the Pentecostal people are serving God. Fifty years. I was waiting for three, four years, without any ministry. So the preachers used to come and say, 'Brother Lawrie, why do you not join?' They used to give money and go: Why do you not join our church?' So I said, 'We will see.' Then they will come and say, 'Oh! Lawrie! Your ministry is gone. You are dying, you are rotting!' I was waiting, waiting, no news is heard - waiting. People will come: 'What is that?'
One day I was in the upstairs. Now see, one preacher came with another preacher who was fully drunk. So these two people came upstairs to see. The I said, 'One of you is drunk.' Then the drunken preacher said, 'No, we are not drunk.' When he said, 'We are not drunk,' power of God struck him and he screamed. Then he said, 'Please pray and deliver me!' - for telling a lie. The power of God struck him and he screamed and then he confessed and then we had to pray. 'Lord be merciful to him.' Then fellow was delivered and he went away. Then from that day he never drank again. Then from that day, God gradually started moving and one day God said, 'What a minute, a lame man will come and call you. A lame man - go with him, there will be revival!'
So, what did I was, early morning a lame man comes limping. I told him, 'Brother how are you?' I came to call you for a meeting. There will be twenty five people only, dead as a stone, but I want you to come and preach.' 'I am coming brother.' So he was very happy. So I went to the meeting. Everyone sleeping. You preach, everyone is sleeping. So I said, 'Lord, everyone is sleeping, they do not listen to the message.' So I said, 'Preacher, why did you call me here?' I felt like calling, 'Man, you just preach what you like and if they do not hear, do not worry!' Twenty five people do not listen!
So, the third day they brought a lady condemned by the doctor to die within fifteen days of Tuberculosis. So, we just prayed and the lady just screamed and fell down, completely healed that very moment. Immediately, revival started. And the next case was a mad girl and she was delivered. Next week, I was preaching to five thousand people in the church. Revival shook the Cape Comorin church. Waiting for two years was not in vain. Fifty years they could not do, but waiting for two years. God showed the power.
One day, while waiting He said, 'Go with the train, take forty Gospels and go.' This was the voice you know. So I took the Gospels and waited in the train. As the train was going, I was just going, a lady came and sat next to me. And in India, they do not comb their hair, and they get a sort of a - the hair becomes intermingled and become like a paste and they become like a hat you know. That is devil possessed woman. So, she sat next to me and started shouting and hollering. I said, 'What is wrong with you?' 'I got a goddess, this goddess says it will go today, but I do not know how.' So, I said, 'Where are you going?' 'We are going for a wedding party.' 'How many of you?' 'Forty.' So forty gospels, forty people got it and this girl was delivered and all non-Christians. So, from there, went home.
The while sitting the next day, the Lord said, 'You go to some place and sit there for hours.' So I was sitting on that stone: One hour, two hours, three hours, four hours, nothing happened. So I thought the devil has cheated me now. You know, when something does not happen, the doubt comes whether the devil has… So it was six o'clock in the evening when it was getting dark, a cart, some people are inside the cart and they are talking, 'If Brother Lawrie was here, it would have been a wonderful thing.' I said, 'Who are you?' 'I am the wife of the missionary of the Assemblies of God. I am waiting for Brother…' 'You are here? Come in.' So we went to the village, there was a paralytic, the Lord healed her and revival broke out in that village.
So, today, let us hear the voice of God. Let us hear the voice of God and wait for it! Let God bless you - and wait as one family and wait for God's word for New York city. You will see God wonderfully. No one shake you. And also, take away all the barriers! Love the people as your own brethren and see that there is love - unfeigned love. Unfeigned love means…. God is wonderful. Now you see, in a hot country He has some trees. Cold country, He has got some trees. And those trees are useful for the climate. God is so wonderful. There is a juice in India, if you drink that you will not feel the heat in your body. For that heat, the people drink the juice and live and you will see that the whole heat goes away. If you come into that country, you will find the whole body boiling. But in the evening you just take a glass of that liquid, the whole heat subsides.
So, in every country, God has his own plans. In the same way, God has so given to everyone of his children. Now He also teaches the children to fly. And already one bird has flown and gone. One eagle is gone already, to show us: Others also can fly. You know, when the chicken is hatching, all the chicken is hatching, all the chickens do not hatch at the same time. One chicken comes, the other chick comes. So one has gone. The others is coming out… So, God wants us to be blessed mightily so that, before the time comes - which is going to come very shortly, His children will shine like the Father! And that day will be the glorious day, because, people who never stood on the word of God, it will be too late for them to repent. Because - it is a very difficult thing my friends.
That is why God said; Heaven and Earth shall pass away but my word shall not pass away. If that is the claim which God gave, how wonderful it is! Because, early days, people stood for the word of God - olden days. Only sin can corrupt us. If we have sin in our lives, we cannot do anything. That will be guilt on us. If we have sin in our lives, we cannot pray. Why? Devil will condemn us. One day, there was a big proprietor, he had a farm and he had a nice cook. So he wanted an assistant. So he took a young boy. And there were plenty of ducks there. So this boy with the catapult killed a duck. He looked and there and finding no one; so he dug a hole, put the duck inside and buried it.
He came into the kitchen and the cook said, 'Bring ten buckets of water.' He said, 'How can I bring ten buckets of water? It is too heavy? I am a small boy.' 'Hmm? I will tell about the duck, you killed to the manager!' 'How did you know it?' 'I was watching through the hole.' The fellow was nervous. He said, 'Please do not do it,' and took the ten buckets of water. Then the next day he said, 'Wash all my clothes.' He said, 'I came to learn cooking but you are making me wash your clothes.' 'Duck!' Gone. The next day he said, 'Go to a place ten miles away and get something for me.' So the fellow said, 'How can I walk so far?' 'I am going to tell about the duck to the manager!' 'Alright!' So he became a slave! So one day he was so sorry because, every word he has to obey the cook.
Then he told his friend, 'I killed a duck and this man knows it. He frightens telling that he will tell the manager. What can I do?' So, the friend told him, 'Boy, do not be afraid. Tomorrow is the birthday of the manager. Early morning get up, go to the bungalow and say, "Good morning sir! God bless you, many happy returns of the day." Then he will say, "How are you?" Then you tell him, "Sir, I killed your duck, I am sorry for it, you can deduct from my salary but I want to ask your forgiveness." He will say, "Alright." Then you will save the situation.' So early morning he went and wished him and told the manager. 'Sir, I killed your duck, you can deduct from my salary.' Then the manager said, 'Because you told the truth. I have forgiven you.'
Then he came to the kitchen and the cook said, 'Twenty buckets of water!' So this boy said, 'Hmm, hmmm, hmmm…' 'What! I am going to tell the manager.' 'Come on!' So, they both went to the manager and the cook said, 'Sir, this is the boy who killed the duck.' 'Oh, I have forgiven it, do not worry.' So, this small boy said, 'Hmm? You cannot shake your finger now.' In the same way, when we go and tell the Lord Jesus, be simple, 'Lord! Lord I am a sinner, I am a weak man!' Tell all what you have in your heart and the Lord will… Then you will see the Father forgives and no devil can condemn. Bible says, 'If you confess your sins, he is faithful to forgive all your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness!' Do you believe that?! That is why I stand today! Because, when failures come, then I go to Jesus and say, 'Lord! I am sorry!' Then, you can see the Lord forgives us, not only He forgives, to show us that He has forgiven us, He blesses us double.
I remember one time, I did a mistake, I thought the whole thing is gone. Then what did God do? The next day a letter comes, a big revival takes place, and mighty miracles happen: 'Lord, you are with me, Lord!' Just like Peter said - Jesus said, 'Put your net on the right side.' He caught the fish and said, 'Depart from me, I am a sinful man!' God does miracles not only for the other people, to show that you are a sinner. When miracles happen, the people say, 'Oh, come on sinner!' First of all the preachers should be converted. Miracles happen to prove that that man is a sinner. He has to come up. Because when a man comes holier, he will not depend on miracles. He will not draw people to him. He will draw people to God. So my friends, when we have sin our lives, we cannot look at God.
Sometimes we have sin right on our bodies. Still we say, 'Lord! Where is the sin?' You know, we know that we are sinners but when we go to God we say, 'Lord, I am a good man, I am doing social work, I am doing a lot of help and all, so please bless me.' God helps the 'child's heart.' Children will have nothing in their hearts. They get angry, the next moment they are friends. But today's preachers.! I will give him one day! I will see that I pay back with the same coin!' But God says, 'Come down like children.' So we all better take children's candidness. Children right, but the next moment they forget their anger and become friends again. But these days, preachers cannot come together. Have you ever seen two preachers standing in the same platform without fight? In India, we have four or five big preachers.
One day, there was a supposed to be mighty man. So I said, 'Let me go and talk to him.' So I said, 'God bless you brother! I am glad to meet you.' He did not know that I am Lawrie you know, because he had not seen me face to face for a long time. So he said, 'Wonderful! I came here to preach. May I know your name please?' 'I am Brother Lawrie.' He put down his hand and ran away. He is a big preacher. So my friends, let us be,… That is why God took a child and said, 'Unless you become like children, you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.' Why? Children swallow the whole thing. Now, if you give a child something to eat or some chocolate, it will not look at the label or anything. It will just put in the mouth and digest immediately. If you give it to a big man: 'What stuff is this? Is it real sugar or wheat or chocolate?' - keep on arguing! But you give it to a small child: Gulp, it goes in.
So when you go to God and say, 'Lord, what is that? This is confusing,…' and all? Do not get confused, just swallow it! Eagles spontaneously swallow it my friends! Praise be to God! Eagles means: Mouth-bird. That is what the prophet said: Mouth-bird. It is not a ear-bird. It is a mouth-bird. What the mother gives you eat. Mother may cut it into pieces or as a lump inside, eat it! You will grow. So, children initiate imitate the father; they are worried about the father's business. That is why Jesus was worried about the Father's business. He will not allow the Father to be touched by another man. And they are the defendants of the faith. So, God has His children here to defend the faith. So let us be that one man. Every man think. That you are the only man in this world to stand for the faith!
Because these days, people are losing from the main thing. It is such everywhere. That is why it is said: When the Son of man - when he comes, whether he will find faith on this world. You know why? Faith means: Depending on God. When a man is saved, he wants to depend on a denomination. why? Faith means Depending on God. When a man is saved, he wants to depend on a denomination. He goes searching - which denomination to join? When you are joined with Christ, nothing can join you. We have no gum to join the other people. Only Christ has got the gum. So, when you join Christ, there is no necessity of joining anything else, and the people of the Spirit will understand each other. Now, if you see a tree: No two leaves are joined together. Every leaf is hanging on the branch. If two or three leaves join together, that is sickness. When there is sickness in the leaves, all the leaves get together and bunch up together like elephantiasis.
So, every believer, be on God. Fellowship together of course is necessary but the fellowship with God is the first one; second, automatically it comes. But no man is under bondage to any other man. Every man is a free man in Christ - Jesus Christ, then the power of God flows! You cannot take the blessing from another man; you have to get it direct from God, or direct from His branch. That man must get it from God. So, God has got no grand children. He has got only Children. One day, my son came to me, 'Daddy, we are all going to Heaven.' I said, 'Sonny, mummy and I are going but not you.' 'How is that? We are your children!/ 'No! No, no. You have to find out God.' He got afraid, he went into his room, he cried and the Lord came into his heart and the fellow was filled and at the age of twenty he is preaching and he will preach to a crowd of five thousand people during this time. And he has got a nice youth team. He left his studies. Why? And he is reading brother Branham's books. He does not know anything. So he is reading books after books and is asking questions from there.
So, friends, we thank God for all what He did. You are a blessed people. God gave you a man who knew the word and taught the word and we are taking the light from far away. And today, I am very happy in your midst because… On Sunday I want to give you something which seven years ago the Lord dealt with me. It will be blessing to your life, to show that we are coming to the judgement age. Because you will see, suddenly the situation is going to deteriorate. Seven years ago, when I came to the customs, there was no tightness. Everything is tight now. You will not realise it now because, when people die, they will not realise that they are dying you know. It is something like that. The tightness you will not understand.
You are coming to a time, like any other countries, you will not be able to send money outside your country. Everything will be blocked. This is the time for you to do. Every time he is going to close - Countries, going to tighten the grip on everyone. Then you will realise how much suffering we will have in India. In India, you cannot talk over the radio. You have got a time or talk over the radio. In India, the news paper will not publish your meetings. Here they can do it. Rarely, here and there, they will do it. So, friends, God has given you freedom which you are losing it now. And during this time: Work while the light is shining. Work during the day time. Seek God. A time may come when you cannot seek God like this even. And it may all come suddenly like the Israel war. No one ever thought Israel - Jerusalem will become one. Suddenly, all overnight: You will be shocked one day to get in the morning and say, 'Oh! Our freedom is done!' Then it will be too late.
So let the Lord stir your hearts in a mighty way. And God says: He is our Father and He will protect us. You know, sometimes we used to think 'Where is God?' God will come at the right time. In Ceylon, I was in the police station one day in a fight. So the police inspector said, 'I am going to lock you.' My daddy came to know of that. He came running from the office, caught the police constable and said, 'You dare touch my son?' I never called my daddy. He jumped in and the inspector was afraid and he made such a big mess and bailed me out and I said, 'Daddy why are you doing this? You just go to the office.' 'You cannot do that, you are my son!' If man could do that, how much God will fight for you? You want to see God coming and telling, 'I am fighting for you.' He has told in the Bible, I will fight for you.' When the enemy comes, the Lord will lift His banner - standard. The enemy has not come to attack us. When he comes to attack us, the Lord is going to lift His banner for us! That day is coming. May God bless you.