BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST

 

BUT THIS IS A DAY, WHICH IS ALL RIGHT, JUST SET ASIDE TO WORSHIP IN MEMORIAL OF HIS COMING TO THE WORLD.

36    Now just as a background, till--till we get up to the part of it that I would use this morning. All of you just let yourself be in the Spirit of the Lord.

We are today all over the world is being cel--celebrated of the birth of Jesus, which now is just traditional. Jesus was not born on no December the 5th or nothing like--or December the 25th. We know that's impossible. The hills of Judaea was full of snow at that time, so how could it be that? Jesus commonly by astrology and so forth, and by all of them was born, first, around first of April, so when it was springtime. But this is a day, which is all right, just set aside to worship in memorial of His coming to the world.

DIETY OF JESUS CHRIST 49-1225

 

 HE WAS BORN LIKE ALL LAMBS ARE. HE WAS BORN IN SPRINGTIME. AND HE HAD TO BE BORN UNDER THE RAM, BECAUSE HE WAS A RAM, AND THE RAM WAS APRIL.

  207      Not in December as the Roman church put it, the sun-god's birthday, and put it with His, up there on twenty-fifth of December, when their circuses was going on, if you've have took the--the... studied the history of the church. And you understand that they put that up there, make it... It was the sun-god's birthday, the solar, when it stops almost still. There is no change in it for five days, from December the twentieth to the twenty-fifth. They put the Son of God and the sun-god's birthday the same, compromising Christianity with paganism, made it December. He couldn't have been born on December the twenty-fifth, why, it's snow-bound mountains up there in Judaea.

208    He was born like all lambs are. He was born in springtime. And He had to be born under the ram, because He was a Ram, and the ram was April. Exactly. He was born under that ram. That's what He was. He was God's Ram. That was Him up there that took Isaac's place. Amen. Don't you see it?

JEHOVAH.JIREH.3_  LOUISVILLE.MS  SATURDAY_  64-0404

 

AND CHANGED THE BIRTH DAY OF JESUS FROM APRIL, WHERE ALL NATURE, WHERE HE WAS BORN UNDER THE RAM, 'CAUSE HE WAS A RAM

And so did the second Eve met hers at Nicaea, Rome, gave to it a denomination, creed, accepted dogmas instead of the Word; taken down pagan idols like Jupiter and so forth, and put up Paul and Barnabas. And--and took down the sun-god and the moon-god, Ashtoreth, the moon-god, with round kosher on it, and made her being the mother of the sun-god which is Jupiter. And changed the birth day of Jesus from April, where all nature, where He was born under the ram, 'cause He was a ram, and changed that up to the sun-god's birthday in the solar there, where it makes one day... There is just only about a minute difference in the day when it passes on the twenty-fifth day of December, the sun-god's birthday, not the Son of God. And every one of us play Santa Claus, and decorate trees, a heathenism, and things like that, and then call ourselves Christians? What's the matter with the Christian church?

THE HARVEST TIME 64-1212

 

NOT A LITTLE INFANT LIKE CHRISTIAN TRADITION HAS IT, IT WAS A YOUNG CHILD: BABY'S TWO YEARS OLD.

E-10    So in the days when Jesus was born, they didn't have press, and so forth, like we have today, and radio, and television. News just come merely from lip to ear. And when Jesus was born, some magis was watching for the star of Jacob to rise, so they followed it over from the Orients and worshipped Him out on the hillside--or in the Bethlehem manger, rather, as a young child. Not a little infant like Christian tradition has it, it was a young Child: baby's two years old. Herod went to immediately killing children from two years old down. Why'd he kill them from two years old if it's just a little new suckling baby a few hours old? See? Strange how people can get things mixed up, isn't it? See?

He was a young Child. A young child's not an infant: a young child. He was two years old. So the magis come from the Orients, following a star that led them to the Child. The shepherds was on the hill, a bunch of peasants out there, herding the sheep, not on the 25th day of December. That's Catholicism. Along in April, 25th day of December, it's as cold as it is in Indiana on Judaea. So they wasn't laying out there on a hill in that snow watching sheep. So that's just something they set up so they taken on that way. But He wasn't born on December the 25th. You ought to go to over there one time and see how they laugh at that.

A.TESTIMONY_  CONNERSVILLE.IN  SUNDAY_  53-0607E

  

  E-3    And in this great crucifixion time and resurrection time, how it seems to be that heaven just hangs near the earth during this time. I've always thought that Jesus' second coming would be in the spring of the year, just in all resurrection. He was born in the spring of the year. Anybody would think He was born December the 25th is mentally upset. How could the shepherds be on the hills of Judea in four foot of snow, watching their herds at night or something like that? No, the real orthodox believers don't believe that. He was born along April or May, somewhere like that in the springtime, like all other nature. He was the very Creator of nature; He come with nature. And as... And so I--I believe He was born in the spring. I don't know that He will come in the spring, but I have a feeling that it will be some beautiful spring morning when He appears. Whenever it is, I want to be ready no matter what time it is. If it's midnight, or daylight, or spring, fall, winter, wherever it is, I want to be prepared to meet Him.

THE.TRUE.AND.FALSE.VINES_ SHREVEPORT.LA   SUNDAY_ 56-0311A

 

  E-29    Now, it was about sun up. I suppose it was a--a pretty morning. It must have been along about this time of year, about July. The baby was borned in April. I know tradition says December, but that's totally impossible. That's a creed. He couldn't have been born in December and shepherds on the hillsides. Six or eight foot of snow there in that time... So, He was born in April when all young life usually comes forth, along that time.

THE.UNCHANGEABLE.WORD.OF.GOD_  LAKEPORT.CA  SUNDAY_  60-0724

 

  265    Now, Constantine's feast, just like Balaam... Now, watch. Like Balaam's pagan feast, Constantine had a pagan feast. All right. Pergamos was invited. And a--notice now this...

I've got something wrote down here; I'm going to leave it alone right now. All right. All right. I was just trying to catch this note here of the--something I put down.

Pergamos was invited. All right, they was invited to a feast after the Nicene Council. They was invited to the feast of Winter Solstice, which means the sun, worship of the sun, which was a pagan god, which fell on December the 21st, the shortest day in the year. And the years... The same time doesn't change till December the 25th. All heathens celebrated it, the sun god's birthday. The sun god's birthday was the shortest day in the year, December the 21st. And anyone that ever read the history of the churches know that heathens worshipped on that day. It was a celebration.

Well, the Romans had--they had the big games, the Roman circus. How many seen this here, whatever it was here not long ago, they had, "Ben Hur"? See? Now, the Roman circus; that's what the Romans had on that sun day, in commemoration of the birthday of the sun god. See?

   269    And now... And they made a big feast up there and invited the Nicolaitanes to come up. Oh. Isn't it perfect? "The teaching of Balaam you have in you," (See?), telling Pergamos what they had, the big races. There they thought that... These Nicolaitanes thought, "Well, now, that's fine. This big feast is celebrated annually?" "Yes." So then with the invitation to the--the--the so-called archbishop, or whatever he was then, and everything, they taken to make it a continual thing, to bring in fornications, bring in adultery, forming up the Catholic church, which is every Protestant denomination a member of it (organization). God has no organization, and hates the very name of it. The Bible said so.

And when they did that, what happened? They--they said now... They had to have a spiritual application, so they changed the (Lord Jesus) S-o-n of God's birthday from April (which all good scholars know, and anybody with spiritual revelations, that He was borned in nature time like when lambs and everything else is born: in April) way back up to the 25th day of December. And still worship Christmas, now it's Santa Claus. And what... Oh, mercy. See? Still more pagan festivals added to it. That's just all. There you are. Invited, Balaam, "You have the doctrine of Balaam among you." There it is. (O God, just reveal it, Father. See?) The birthday from April until...

  271    Now, the historians says that "All evidence that Jesus was born in the month of April when all other life comes forth." But they've changed it back to the 25th day of December, five days after (See?) after the pagan god, so they could put their ceremonies together: paganism and Christianity. And Catholicism is nothing in the world but a bunch of pagan superstitions and Christianity's off-casts put together. That's right. That is true. And the Protestants that knuck to it is just exactly the daughter of the mother prostitute. That's exactly.

Now, God help us to be real protesters against anything that's not godly. See? Oh.

THE.PERGAMEAN.CHURCH.AGE_  JEFF.IN  ROJC 229-285  WEDNESDAY_  60-1207

 

171    You know where you got Christmas? Christ was born in April. But what did they do? The solar system is slowing up now as it gets away, each day getting a little longer--a little shorter, and a little shorter. And from the twentieth until the twenty-fifth is when the sun god had its birthday. This... There's about five days there; that's when they had the Roman circus in that time, the celebration of the sun god's birthday at that time. And now you see what you got now? They said make it the sun-god, they take it Son of God. And the whole thing is pagan to begin with. And the people on the streets, with their high-heeled shoes, and they're twisting up and down the streets, and running into stores...

And here the other day, my wife was telling me, "Someone said, 'I won't know what to get daddy.' Said, 'Brother's going to get him a quart of whiskey, and the other one said he was going to get him some champagne.' And one said, 'Well, I'm going to get him a--a poker set.'" Celebration of Christmas, pagan, devil-worship... All right.

  173    But Augustine sanctioned it. If you want to refer to this in Schmucker's, the writing of Schmucker, S-c-h-m-u-c-k-e-r-s, Schmucker's "The Glorious Reformation," here's what it stated, that "From the time that Saint Augustine of Hippo passed this verdict to the Catholic church, it throwed the doors wide open for them to kill anything they wanted to then, that denied that pagan church. And from the time of Saint Augustine, about three hundred years after Christ until 1850, the great massacre of Ireland, there was eighty-six million Protestants killed by the Catholic church. That's on the Roman martyrology: Eighty-six million." Now, fuss with the historian, he's the one that said that. I'm just repeating his word. "Everyone that disagreed with the Catholic dogma..."

Not catholic, the word "catholic." They don't--they don't deserve that name. They are Roman pagans. Not those precious people, there's tens of thousands of them people out there, just as sincere as them--any other idolater is. They think that they're worshipping God, when (back to the Word) they're in an idol with idols all over the place. See.

CHRISTIANITY.VERSUS.IDOLATRY_  JEFF.IN  V-8 N-2  SUNDAY_  61-1217

 

29      And Christmas is such a great commercial day, until it's taken Thanksgiving pretty near out of the picture, because... in the--in the world of business, anyhow; because that the--the commercial world is so much greater influenced by Christmas, because there is so many people shop. And they just... Thanksgiving is just a little passing-by. And we find out, as we see Christmas nearing again, I thought it would be a good thing to speak on this subject, as we're nearing it. Seeing that, really, Christmas is not...

  30      We celebrate this 25th day of December for the birthday of Christ, but, course, anyone knows that it wasn't Christ's birthday. That was the Roman sun-god's birthday, that when the church was converted into, or, brought into Catholicism, was formed at the council at Nicaea. Instead of it being the "sun god's," they made it the "Son of God's" birthday. That was when, the sun, it's from the 20th until the... I mean the 21st till the 25th, it's kind of in its... Forget what the name you call it, rightly. It's when it's hardly a second-or-two's time when it's passing through that stage. And it was the sun-god's birthday, and they just taken the "Son of God" and made that His birthday, to blend it in with their pagan tradition. And it's no means, at all, being Christ's birthday.

  31      He could not been born at that time, because Judaea is about the same on the--on the... high up the equator, as this is, and we--we find out that, in Judaea, in the wintertime, 25th of December, she is blizzardly and cold. Shepherds cannot be on the hill, and many reasons that it couldn't be.

32    And then He was nature born, like all other nature, He--He came forth in the Spring. Usually when the lambs are born, in the Spring; and He was the Lamb. Now, I believe, He was born, myself, March, April, or somewhere along in there, in the early Spring.

33      But we find that they made a day of merchandise out of it. People crowding on the streets, and rubbing shoulders, and fussing over things, and wondering about giving somebody a present, how much they will pay for it.

34    The other day, I was surprised. In a place I was standing, and two ladies was talking about giving their father the birthday... or the Christmas present for this year. And one of them said, "I got him a quart of whiskey." And the other one said, "I got him a pack, or a carton of cigarettes," or something another like that. And they were saying, one give so much more for the whiskey than they did the cigarettes.

35    And I thought, "If that isn't a way to give a--a... swap or give a present in commemoration of Jesus Christ, the Son of God!" What a death-finding thing it is!

 36      And I see our world in such a sadness as it is now, polluted from every side, not a way in the world for it to ever come back to itself again. We better take heed, what we're doing in these days. For we have, just now in mourning, of one of the great tragedies, and--and one of the great... We never thought that thing would happen in America, but it's here anyhow. And our own letting-down on the Gospel, it's become worm-eaten with such stuff as that, and will get worse. There is no doubt at all, in my mind, but what it'll just continually getting worse.

37    But we find out, at this Christmas, to get down to the subject, that this Christmas finds the world just about like it did two thousand years ago, when Jesus came. It hasn't changed very much since then. Cause, this, that Christmas found the world falling apart, and was looking for a Messiah to help hold it together. And--and that's about the way it is today, we are doing the same thing. The World Is Again Falling Apart.

THE.WORLD.IS.AGAIN.FALLING.APART_  SHP.LA  V-17 N-4  WEDNESDAY_  63-1127

  

  39      Now that... I have chosen this... is still... because that we're in the shadows of the... or in the time of the yule season of Christmas, and--and New Year's; the ending of an old year, and the bringing in of a new one. A few days from now, many people will be turning new pages and--and doing new things and making new vows; and it's beginning of a New Year. And it never seems to me too much like Christmas. I don't know why, I always like to call it "Santa Claus Day." See? Because there's not much really...

40    It couldn't have been Christ's birthday. It just absolutely could not have been. He'd have had to been born in March or April, 'cause He was the Lamb. And He was a male sheep and borned in under the ram, Aries. It had to be, you see. And sheep are not born in December anyhow. Sheep are born in the Spring. And then another thing, the hills of Judea now, there's twenty feet of snow on it. How could the shepherds have been out there?

 

WHO.DO.YOU.SAY.THIS.IS_  PHOENIX.AZ  V-6 N-9  SUNDAY_  64-1227

  41      So it really comes from Roman mythology, which was the sun-god's birthday. The solar sun as it passes, the days lengthen and lengthen, and the nights grow shorter. And between the 20th and the 25th of December is the sun-god's birthday, under the Roman--Roman mythology. And then their gods... And then they celebrated the sun-god's birthday. And Constantine, and--and drawing up the constitution of the church and state and so forth. He said, "We will change it" (not knowing what the day was) "and put it over on the sun-god's birthday, and make it: Son of God's birthday." See? Which... But we don't know what day it was.

42    But now, theirs, taken so much of Christ out, till it's everything... some again brought back the mythology of some creature that lived, supposingly, by the name of Saint Nicholas or--or Kriss Kringle, some German mythology. And it's all just a myth, and Christ is not in it at all.

43    And the people has turned into buying whiskey, and--and gambling, and fashions. And a--a man that... a merchant that can sell his goods through Christmas time can live the rest of the year, almost. See? It's such a great holiday, commercial. And poor little kids on the street; their parents are not able to--to visit them with a--a present, like from Santa Claus, and they walk down the street, and their little dirty hands and their little red eyes. I--I just hate to see it come along. It ought to be a solemn day of worship to God, instead of a heartache and a headache and the things that's done. There's nothing to Christ about that. But we're right in the midst of all this now.

 

WHO.DO.YOU.SAY.THIS.IS_  PHOENIX.AZ  V-6 N-9  SUNDAY_  64-1227

  44      We find ourselves, something like they were then. See, it's just entering in now to a great feast. Jesus was coming to a Feast of the Passover. And He had entered Jerusalem... or entering Jerusalem. And the prophesies of everything He did must be fulfilled. Everything in the Bible has a meaning. Every name has a meaning. There's nothing written in the Scripture but has a--a profound meaning.

45    I spoke the other night at Tucson, on Why Did It Have To Be Shepherds Instead Of Theologian? He was born right in the side of the church. And the Holy Spirit going way out into the wilderness and picking up, not theologians, but shepherds. It had to be that way. Theologians wouldn't have believed such a Message. So they... it had to be shepherds.

46    I preached up here, a few years ago, two years ago, Why Was It, It To Be Little Bethlehem? The Lord willing, next Christmas, I want us preach on, Why Did It Have To Be The Wise Men? These "Why?'s"--they got answers to them, and they're right here in the Bible. And we're living in a marvelous time, the greatest time of all ages. We're living to when, anytime that it... time can cease and Eternity can blend right in with it and go on. The ages of all the prophets and sages, looked forward to. We ought to be every hour on our guard, watching for His coming.

 

WHO.DO.YOU.SAY.THIS.IS_  PHOENIX.AZ  V-6 N-9  SUNDAY_  64-1227

  47      We find ourselves, at this Christmas, just about like they did the first Christmas though. The world's just about to fall apart. As I preached on once, somewhere, about a Christmas message, The World Falling Apart. And the world again is just about to come to pieces. Look at the earthquakes over here in California. I predict, before the coming of the Lord Jesus, that God will sink that place. I believe that Hollywood and Los Angeles, and them filthy places over there, that God Almighty will sink them. They'll go beneath the bottom of the sea. And it's so much sin, you see, it's the barrier.

20-1225A_GOD'S WRAPPED GIFT

GOD'S WRAPPED GIFT

60-1225

11    And now, I'm going to read from St. Matthew's Gospel the--the 2nd chapter for a Scripture reading, the 2nd chapter of St. Matthew.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Saying, where is he that's born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

When Herod the king... heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and the scribes of the people together, he demanded... them where Christ should be born.

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophets,

And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Judaea, art thou not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring word again, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him:... when they had opened their treasures, and presented unto him gifts; of gold,... frankincense, and myrrh.

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed in their own country another way.

GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_  JEFF.IN  V-14 N-8  SUNDAY_  60-1225

  12    Now I want to take a text out of there tonight, or not from there, but out of the same story in St. Luke 2:7.

And she brought firth--brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling cloth, and laid him in the manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

 

THINKING OF BETHLEHEM, AND WHY DID IT HAPPEN TO BE THAT IT WAS CHOSEN TO BE THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE KING OF KINGS?

  19    Thinking of Bethlehem, and why did it happen to be that it was chosen to be the birthplace of the King of kings? And, you know, Bethlehem is a small place, very small town. I've often wondered why God didn't choose a more religious place for it, for this great event, such as Shiloh. Shiloh was the first place the tent--the ark was set after it crossed Jordan. Or Gilgal, another great religious city; or Zion, on the mountain, another great religious city; or even the proud capital of Jerusalem, with all of its sages and saints through the age. Why didn't God choose Jerusalem?

 

WHY WOULD HE CHOOSE BETHLEHEM?

  20    Why would He choose Bethlehem? Maybe it looked like He might've chose some place, one of the great cities of refuge, that would've protected His Son in case that some trouble come up. The refuge places like Ramoth-gilead, that was a great refuge that was built, for the people could run into these towers. Kadesh was another great city of refuge; Hebron, another great city of refuge.

Why God picked on little Bethlehem, and then did not choose these greater cities...?... They had greater names, and more of a spiritual background.

But, you know, God has a way of doing things, just His Own way about things. I'm so glad He does. See? Sometimes He takes things that doesn't have a spiritual background, or doesn't have any background at all. And that's why He is God; He can take something that's nothing, and make something out of it. And then that's what makes Him God. That's what makes us love Him. That's what makes us poor people appreciate Him, because that even though we, poor, with no background, yet God can do great things with us if He ever gets us under His control.

 THIS GREAT CITY, WHICH WAS A SMALL CITY. BUT IT'S GREAT BECAUSE OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT HAPPENED AT THIS CITY.

  23    Joshua, of course, was the one who taken the children of Israel over and divided up the ground. And this tribe of Judah was given this portion where Bethlehem is, which is in the upper northern corner of the province of Judah, a little strip that kind of runs out like a little peninsula. And in this place, this province, this great province, it's the northern wheat country, where the wheat belt was, where they raised lots of wheat and barley.

  24    And one of Caleb's sons established and founded this city. Salmon was his name, he was one of Caleb's sons. If you want to look that up, I'm skipping over a lot of these Scriptures, but I see some of the brethren are putting them down. In I Chronicles 2, 15, also you find it in Matthew 1:5, and where they--he established and founded this great city, which was a small city. But it's great because of the great things that happened at this city.

 NO MATTER WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO PEOPLE, JUST AS LONG AS GOD CHOSE IT.

As I've always said, it isn't the great church; it's the great God in the church. It isn't the great, holy mountain; it's the great Holy Spirit that was on the mountain. It isn't the holy man; it's the Holy Ghost in the man.

See, that's the way this city was. It was small in stature, and more in the valley, and it wasn't too much to look upon; it's population was small, and is yet today. But it was because God chose it to do something. That's what I like: something that God chooses. No matter what it looks like to people, just as long as God chose it.

 RAHAB

  27    Rahab the harlot, that we're all familiar with, she being a--a young girl that was turned on the street by a heathen father and mother, that put her on the street because she was beautiful, and was to bring an income to them on prostitution... And yet, down in this immoral girl that was turned on the street, she had heard that there was a God Who answered prayer. And the first opportunity that she got to accept that God, or do something for Him, she did it. And God spared her life, and saved her father and mother, and her family. She fell in love with a general in the army of Israel, we find in history, and married this general. And their courtship was wonderful. And finally they settled down and lived at Bethlehem.

  28    And through this general she brought to the world a--a son, the son of--of--of... I can't think of the general's name just now. I was trying to. I thought I had his name down here, but I don't. I have her son's name, but it was Rahab's son to this general. His name was Salmon. Not the Solomon of the... built the temple, the son of David, but another Salmon. And this Salmon brought forth a son whose name was Boaz. And Boaz, oh, we are all acquainted with that wonderful story of Boaz and Ruth.

 ALL THIS TAKEN PLACE IN LITTLE BETHLEHEM.

  29    Now, you see, this harlot was a Gentile, and she was an ancient grandmother to our Lord Jesus. And also when--when Boaz, her grandson, come forth and married Ruth the Moabite, he also married into a Gentile. Which made Jesus also part Gentile, earthly speaking. Then when they brought their child forth, his name was Obed. And Obed had a son, and his name was Jesse. And Jesse had a son whose name was David. All this taken place in little Bethlehem. What is it? The lineage of the Lord Jesus, His background that the great spiritual men were overlooking, or the so-called spiritual men.

 SAMUEL THE PROPHET ANOINTED DAVID TO BE KING OVER ISRAEL, RIGHT HERE AT BETHLEHEM.

  30    And it was on this same grounds that Samuel the prophet anointed David to be king over Israel, right here at Bethlehem. And through David came forth the great Son, "Thou Son of David," the Son that was borned in a little stable manger over by the side of the hill, on the west side of the city. It was there on that hill where the Angels of God sang their first Noel.

The word "Bethlehem," let's break it down. "B-e-t-h" means "house." "E-l" means "God." "E-l-h-a-m" means "bread.": "the house of God's Bread." How fitting it was then for the Bread of Life to come out of Bethlehem, "House of God's Bread." Oh, it's a beautiful story.

 BUT ALL THINGS ARE FOREORDAINED OF GOD, THAT WORKS TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THEM THAT LOVE HIM.

  33    But all things are foreordained of God, that works together for good to them that love Him. It was ordained of God that there should be a heartless king in that day, the bloodthirsty Herod. God knew about that. God knew about the taxes, and how this brutal government did not have no thoughts of the mercy on that poor mother that was just about to be ready to deliver her firstborn Son just in a few days. But he commanded that they all should come to their native birthplace and pay taxes, "No matter what condition she's in, she's got to come, anyhow." God knew all about that. He foreknew all things. And He--He knows all things (See?) and He makes everything work together for good.

 GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_  JEFF.IN  V-14 N-8  SUNDAY_  60-1225

  34    The little trio was making no fuss about it, as they come up the hill. Finally, after much groaning, the little donkey... I can see them as they'd stop at the top of the hill, where they come up from the west side, from Nazareth, coming over. And after they topped the hill, to look down into the valley where little Bethlehem laid... Many torches was burning. Many people had gathered from all over Galilee to come into their birthplace there at Bethlehem, and through the province to be taxed of the Roman government. No matter what conditions, they'd stroll along the road, the sick and the needy, and the bedridden, the leper, the cancered, the--the--the--the poor, the lame, the halt, the blind. All had to come, because it was a government order. And Herod was behind it, and it must be done.

 GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_  JEFF.IN  V-14 N-8  SUNDAY_  60-1225

  35    And as our little party stops at the top of the hill, there must've been a large rock laying there. And I can see Joseph pick her up tenderly in his arms, and help her off the little mule, and--and set her up on the side of the rock. And the little mule sighed for his breath. And as Joseph then walked a few steps forward, looked down into little Bethlehem, and seen the streets crowded, and the roaring, the torches a-burning in the streets, and the yells of the people, and they was laying in the yards and in the courts, and all outside the city gates. Must've been some sight.

GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_  JEFF.IN  V-14 N-8  SUNDAY_  60-1225

  36    Joseph must've said something like this, "Mary, dear, just think, just beyond the city on the north side, that's where Ruth the Moabite gleaned yonder in the fields of Boaz. Yonder, just beyond that, up over the mountain yonder, is where David with his slingshot took the lion to the ground, and pulled the sheep from his mouth. Must've been there, that where Joshua stood here with his gleaming sword, the fearless warrior of our people, and divided the lands, and give this inheritance to the tribe of Judah, to which we are--we are lineage to." And, at different things, of how that he must've been explaining to her what taken place.

 GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_  JEFF.IN  V-14 N-8  SUNDAY_  60-1225

  37    And then to hear no sound from behind him, he must've turned to look, to see if she was still setting on the rock. And when he turned, and he seen her pretty face turned towards the skies, he didn't have to ask any more, because the reflection of the Star was looking back through her eyes. He knew she was looking at something.

And she looked at him, and said, "Joseph, have you noticed the Star hanging yonder?"

And when he looked in a surprise, say, "I hadn't noticed It before, dear."

"Well, it's been following us ever since the sun went down. I've watched it. It must mean something, because I have the most wonderful feeling."

You know, God does things like that sometimes for His people, shows us a Light, or some way that we can know that He's near and He's on the scene. And no matter what the world has to say or do, He's still there, and everything will be all right. He just witnesses it back by the Holy Spirit, that we can feel It.

 

GOD'S.WRAPPED.GIFT_  JEFF.IN  V-14 N-8  SUNDAY_  60-1225

  42    And Joseph might've said something like this. "Mary, you know what? I've never been so happy in all my life when I've been drove around by the Roman government; but yet I have never been so happy as I am right now, and I don't know why. It seems like there's a sacredness over the little city tonight, where we roamed when we were boys and girls, back in our teenage and school age."

 FIRST LITTLE CHRISTMAS PACKAGE THAT WAS EVER WRAPPED IN ALL THE WORLD, GOD WRAPPED IT UP.

  43    Way into the East, and many hundreds of miles away from there, the Magi was already on their road. They'd seen His Star, and was coming to worship God's little Gift Package that He was sending to the world.

Just a little while from then, and the world was going to receive its greatest Gift that it ever received, a little Package wrapped up, a little, first little Christmas Package that was ever wrapped in all the world, God wrapped It up.

I want to break in on my thought, and say this. The greatest thing was ever wrapped in human flesh was wrapped in It, God Himself wrapped His Ownself in a Christmas Package and sent it to the world.

 WHY DID THEY REFUSE IT? WHY COULDN'T THEY SEE IT? WHY DID THEY TURN IT DOWN?

Why did they refuse It? Why couldn't they see It? Why did they turn It down? Why is it they didn't want It? The same reason they don't want It tonight. It wasn't handed to them in the custom that they were used to gifts being handed. That's the reason It's rejected yet tonight, is because It's not handed to the people in the custom that they have been used to receiving gifts.

 

BUT GOD WRAPPED HIS OWN PACKAGE. HE'S GOT A RIGHT TO DO IT

But God wrapped His Own Package. He's got a right to do it; He's the One that's a-giving It. He has a right to wrap It any way He wants to wrap It. Doesn't make any difference how it is, He's got a right to do it, because He's the One that's giving the--the Gift.

 

ANOTHER THING, THE REASON OF IT WAS, AS IT WAS THEN, SO AS IT WASN'T CUSTOMARY FOR THEM TO RECEIVE IT THE WAY IT WAS WRAPPED.

  47    Another thing, the reason of it was, as it was then, so as it wasn't customary for them to receive It the way It was wrapped. They was expecting something, a gift coming, that would come down on chariots, with a Angel escort driving fiery horses. But when It come as a little Baby being born in a manger, little did they ever know the Scripture said, "I'll give this world a super sign."

They asked for a sign one day. He said, "I'll give it to you. It will be the super sign. It'll be a sign that'll last through all ages. A virgin shall conceive and shall bear a Child, a Son, and they shall call His Name Emmanuel. That's the super sign. That's the Gift that I'm going to give." But It didn't come the way they was expecting It, and they turned It down.

 GIFT HASN'T COME THE WAY PEOPLE WANTED IT TO COME, AND SO THEY'VE TURNED IT DOWN.

  49    So is it tonight, my brother. God's Gift hasn't come the way people wanted It to come, and so they've turned It down. They don't want It. They want It wrapped in the kind of a goods that they want to wrap It in. They want the tinsel on It. They want something flowerly, something that's perfumed, something that's glittering, something that's classic. But God don't send It all the time like that. He sends It in the power, the way He wants to send It.

YOU HAVE TO DO IT THE WAY GOD SENDS IT TO YOU, AND HUMBLE OURSELVES TO RECEIVE IT.

 50    Another thing, It was brought by the poor. Mary and Martha, or Martha, rather, or... Mary and Joseph was very poor people. They were peasants. And because It was brought by the poor, they didn't want It.

So is it today. When this great Gift of the Church, the Holy Spirit, falls upon the poor and humble, the rich don't want It. They don't want to humble themselves. They want It with class, but they don't want It the way God sends It. Many people wants to receive the Holy Ghost, but--but they want to get It the way they want It. But, oh, I'm so glad that you can't do it that way. You have to do it the way God sends It to you, and humble ourselves to receive It.

 OH, WHAT A SUPER SIGN. LITTLE JEHOVAH CRYING LIKE A BABY, GOD MADE FLESH IN A PACKAGE.

  52    It wasn't wrapped in fine linens. It was wrapped in swaddling cloth. Which I'm taught that the very thing that Jesus was wrapped in, the Christ, was the stuff off the back of a yoke of an ox, that was hanging in the stable. He was wrapped in... The swaddling cloth was the--the--where they put the--a rag around the ox's yoke to keep it from rubbing a blister on him when he was pulling. They--they had no clothes for Him. And they... Oh, when I think of that, it nearly breaks my heart: no clothes for Emmanuel, the Creator of heavens and earth. And no clothes for Him to put on, and had to be wrapped in the rag that an ox had worked his neck through. Oh, what a super sign.

  53    It ought to be real attractive to the people. Little Jehovah crying like a baby, God made flesh in a Package. God, Who covers all space and time, was before there was a world, or a star, or a molecule, wrapped Himself in a little Package and was laid in a manger in a stable, where the manures of the cattle and sheep, and things up over that stable, and in this little manger, on straw or hay. Jehovah was laying there, crying like a baby. Can you imagine it?

 THAT WOULD POLLUTE THEIR OWN THOUGHTS, ANYTHING SO HUMBLE.

  54    Why, the rich didn't want nothing like that. That would pollute their own thoughts, anything so humble. And would be brought by a girl, a little peasant girl that was considered in her neighborhood, a--a fanatic, and by a carpenter who probably knowed his abc's. And how could they ever bring forth anything that could tantalize or appease the eyes of the celebrity? How could they ever produce something that would please or satisfy the rich and high-minded people, or the denominations of their days? They were turned down flat.

 THAT'S THE REASON WHY TODAY THAT THEY DON'T WANT THE GIFT OF GOD.

  55    Not only in that day, but in this day also, they turn It down flat. It don't come wrapped the way they want It. They want to--to discard It, say, "There's nothing to It." So the rich and the denominations refuse that Gift. They had nothing to do with It. Why? Why would they do a thing like that? It wasn't wrapped in the custom of their creeds. That's the reason why today that they don't want the Gift of God. This United States don't want God. These churches don't want God. They want Santa Claus. They want something with tinsel and red colors, and--and--and--and bright, shiny things. They refused the Truth of the Gospel of the power and the resurrection of Christ Jesus. It won't wrap with their creeds. You can't wrap Christ in a creed.

 BROTHER, I KNOW NO CREED BUT CHRIST, NO LAW BUT LOVE, AND NO BOOK BUT THE BIBLE. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. THAT'S WHAT THE CHURCHES NEED.

  83    The churches didn't want Him, because He disagreed with their creed. He told them that they were, said, "You generation of vipers, you whited walls." He called them everything that could be taught of. Told old Herod, said, "Go tell that fox." And what's dirtier than a fox? What's more stinking and lowdown than a dirty old fox? Jesus said, "That's what he is." So He--He--He called black "black," and white "white." He--He--He called wrong "wrong," and right "right." So they didn't want that.

The churches today don't want a pastor filled with the Holy Ghost that'll really boil out, and tell you what's right and wrong. They don't want it. They'd fire him, right quick. Deacon board get together and turn him away, get another one will talk about their creeds.

Brother, I know no creed but Christ, no law but love, and no book but the Bible. That's what we need. That's what the churches need.

 

BUT THEY CAN'T TURN GOD, THAT'S ONE THING SURE, GOD'S GOING TO REMAIN GOD.

  86    But the--the--the people don't want It. So they got the church so wrapped up in these denominations till they can take a trustee board or a deacon board and turn a good pastor any way they want to. But they can't turn God, that's one thing sure, God's going to remain God. They won't welcome Him. They welcome their--their friends and their politicians, and so forth, but they won't welcome Christ.

They'd rather have Santa Claus any time. The world's took over; Santa Claus has took over. Well, you know, little children don't even know no more what Christmas means.

 

WHO DID KNOW WHAT WAS IN THIS GIFT PACKAGE? WAS THERE ANYBODY EVER FOUND OUT WHAT WAS IN IT?

  100    Who did know what was in this Gift Package? Was there anybody ever found out what was in It? I'm so glad that there was. Who knowed it? It was a hidden Thing, a rejected Stone, but there was somebody found out what was in it. I'm so glad.

I like to search out things. Don't you? I like to dig up nuggets and polish them over, see what--what's in them, put them before the Geiger.

  102    He was put before the Geiger too on Calvary. He was a hundred percent. Sure, He was, the greatest Gold that they had ever found, the most expensive Diamond that was ever, ever... The--the Bible said that, "The Kingdom of heaven is like a man that buys diamonds. And when he found this great One, he sold all his other ones, and just to get It, to buy It." He's the greatest carated Diamond that was ever brought out of the dust of the earth, the greatest Gold that was ever brought from the dirt. He's a Jewel, the Jewel of heaven, a big Diamond.

  HE WAS A DIAMOND. OH, THEM RAYS OF GOD'S LOVE AND LIGHT REFLECTS FROM HIM HEALING POWER, LOVE, RESURRECTION.

  104    That's what He was; He was a Diamond. "And He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquity. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we were healed." Oh, them rays of God's love and Light reflects from Him healing power, love, resurrection. God wounded Him, and bruised Him, and chopped Him, and cut Him by a Roman sword, and a--and a--a Roman whip, until His sides was riven, and the Blood running out of His back, and was over His head, and down through His beard, and off of His feet. But what was He doing? He was reflecting love. He embraced the cross; instead of a soft, feathered pillow; a manger of straw. Instead of a little, pink gown to wear; a swaddling cloth.

 

 THE LOVE OF GOD, HOW GOD UNFOLDED HIMSELF AND COME A CHRISTMAS PACKAGE, WAS LAID ON STRAW.

  107    The love of God, how God unfolded Himself and come a Christmas Package, was laid on straw. The first thing He had was to press against His little head was straw and a dirty piece of swaddling cloth wrapped around Him. The last thing He had was a thorn crown with a dirty rag wrapped over His eyes, and hit on the head, saying, "If you're a prophet, tell us who hit you," and then tacked to a cross. Love reaching out, when His Own children crying for His Blood, He screamed, "Father, forgive them, they don't even know what they're doing." That's love.

The church don't want That. They want creed. We need love. The church is dying by creeds. It can only live by love, because love is Eternal Life. Love overcomes all things. Love's the most powerful force there is. No, they didn't want Him, because they knowed what was in the Gift.

 

20-1218A_The Masterpiece Pt-10 (TRUE BRIDE, RIGHT BACK WITH THE ORIGINAL WORD)

The Masterpiece Part 10  (THE WORD, LIVING AND IN ACTION, THE BIBLE BRIDE)

 

 SHE IS JUST A SMITTEN PIECE OFF OF HIM. THERE IS THE MASTERPIECE.

  155      Notice, the Bride. If the Bride, in the beginning, was the Word, or the Bridegroom; and then if the Bride is taken from the Bridegroom, It must be the Word also. Notice, the Bride must be.

156    Why, why must the Bridegroom be the Word manifested, made plain? Is because the Bride and the Bridegroom are One. She is just a smitten piece off of Him. There is the Masterpiece. It was smitten. Say...

157    Michelangelo could not reproduce that again. He could not put it back.

But God is going to do it. He is going to bring this little Bride, that's smitten, right back to the side of the original Word. And there He is, there is the Masterpiece, the family back again in garden of Eden.

HE WILL RESTORE THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE, AND THE FAITH OF THE PEOPLE

  158      How is this Bride going to do this? How is this Wheat going to do this? Malachi 4 said, in the last days, it would be restored back, (what?) restored back like the beginning; take it back! "I will restore," saith the Lord, "all the years the palmerworm, and cankerworm, and all these other things has eaten. I will restore again." Malachi 4 said, "He will restore the hearts of the people, and the Faith of the people, back to the original fathers again." See? We see this right before us, Church. Where are we at?

 THE BRIDE IS SMITTEN FROM THE CHURCH, BECAUSE SHE IS THE WORD.

  159      Now, closing in a few minutes. I want you to notice real close of something that just happened.

Malachi 4 is to bring back, back to the original.

160    She is smitten from the church, from the church body; smitten with Her Master, for the same purpose. She is the Word. Just the same as Joseph was smitten from his brethren, because he was the Word. And Jesus was smitten from His brethren, because He was the Word. The church is smitten... The Bride is smitten from the church, because She is the Word. There is your stages again; one, two, three, see, just exactly.

THE WORD, LIVING AND IN ACTION, THE BIBLE BRIDE

  161      The Word, living and in action, the Bible Bride, not some man-made bride; the Bible Bride, smitten and afflicted of God. "No beauty we should desire Her, but yet we did esteem Her smitten and afflicted of God." That's right. She stands alone. She is smitten from all the denominations, according to Revelations 3. She is smitten out of the Laodicean Church Age that She was raised up in. See? This Church was raised up in the Laodicea Church Age; that's the husk. But if them others went...

 IT'S HIS MASTERPIECE, SEE, IT'S THE WORD THAT HE CAN WORK THROUGH, MAKE MANIFEST.

  164      Stands alone, like the Bridegroom, "rejected of man, despised and rejected of the churches." The Bride stands that way. What is it? It's His Masterpiece, see, it's the Word that He can work through, make manifest. Rejecting!

165    So, the stalk, the tassel, and husk, never become Seed, no, but are all the time becoming more like the Seed.

166    Now at the harvest time, the Seed is back to its original Life, back to the Bible. Malachi 4 said it would be brought that way. Oh, oh, my! Must have all! To be this way, It must have all of the Word. Is that right? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]

 

 THERE IS ONLY ONE THING, THE HARVEST IS HERE.

  167      Now what did He say, in Revelations 10, that would take place? Why was the trip to Tucson? To open to the Church. "In the days of the messenger, of the seventh angel, the seventh angel Message, the whole Word of God would be made manifest. The Seal, that what all the stalk has left off, of why and all about It, would be made manifest in this time."

Is that what the Word said? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Then, we see it. Then where are we at, see, where are we at? There is only one thing, the harvest is here. She is dead ripe. She is ready now for the Coming. Notice.

 

AT THE HARVEST TIME, THE SEED IS BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION, AND MUST HAVE ALL OF THE WORD

  168      No, it'll never be It. At the harvest time, the Seed is back to its original condition, and must have all of the Word, in order to be the Seed. Now, you can't have a half a Seed; it won't grow. See? It's got to be the whole Seed. It's got to not manifest... Say, "I believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Hallelujah! I believe in speaking in tongues." That's just part of the Seed, uh-huh, but now there is added to that. Hallelujah! See? The Life, not the gifts; the Life of the gifts. See, see what I mean? We're at the end time, brethren.

169    Stalk, tassel, husk, is dead and dry now. There is only one thing that has to happen to that, is to be gathered in the World Council of Churches for its burning.

 

THE SEED, THAT WENT IN, HAS COME THROUGH A PROCESS AND BECOME THE SEED AGAIN.

  170      The Word has become flesh, exactly like He promised in Luke 17, Malachi 4, and all, see, that's right, Revelations.

171    All true Life that was in the stalk, tassel, and husk, is now gathering in the Seed, ready for the resurrection, ready for the harvest. The Alpha has become Omega. Amen. The first come last, and the last is the first. The Seed, that went in, has come through a process and become the Seed again.

The seed, that fell in the garden of Eden, and died there, come back. From that imperfect seed that died there, come back to the perfect Seed, the Second Adam.

 

 THE FIRST MESSAGE AND THE (SECOND) LAST MESSAGE IS THE SAME THING.

  172      The first Eve that fell, and was used in the second reformation... second coming, as bringing forth a child, now has become the true Bride again, the Seed, right back with original Word again.

The Alpha and Omega is the same. He said, "I am Alpha and Omega," He never said anything in between. Uh-huh. "I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last." Yes, sir.

173    The first ministry and the last ministry is the same. The first Message and the (second) last Message is the same thing. "I'm, I was in Alpha; I'm in Omega." "There'll be a day that won't be called day nor night, but in the evening time it shall be Light." See, Alpha and Omega, it's become the first and the last. Oh, my, brethren, we could stay hours on that.

 

 NOW HERE SHE IS BACK AGAIN; WITH ALL NATURE, THE BIBLE, AND EVERYTHING ELSE, SHOWING HERE WE ARE.

  174      The great masterpiece of a family, the Second Adam and the Second Eve, now ready for the garden, the Millennium, amen, back on the earth. Hallelujah! The great Sculptor didn't leave them lay there. He took time, as He did through the millions of years, molding the first perfect couple; and they fell. Now it's been through thousands of years, He's molded again, and now here they are ready.

175    The Masterpiece was come and struck down; from His side come forth the helpmate.

And She is brought up in the same process. Now here She is back again; with all nature, the Bible, and everything else, showing here we are.

AND NOW THE MASTERPIECE FAMILY HAS COME AGAIN, CHRIST AND HIS BRIDE, READY TO COME.

  176      Notice the great masterpiece, of the family. The husband and wife cannot be truly a family unless they are one. They have to be. If they're not, they're not a good family; wife pulling one way, and the husband another. That would make an awful family. But in agreement, with love one to the other, that's a family. And now that was God's masterpiece, and now all the true family here portrays that. See?

And now the Masterpiece family has come again, Christ and His Bride, ready to come. The Second Adam, Second Eve, ready now to return back to their Home. And the whole picture has been redemption. From where it was, bringing it back, see, just exactly bringing it back again. After…

 

OH, HOW THE WORD CUTS, BUT IT PRODUCES MASTERPIECES; UH-HUH, TAKES ALL THE HUSK AND STALK AWAY. IT BRINGS FORTH MASTERPIECE.

  183      Now, someone said to me, said, "Brother Branham," said, "there's one thing I can't understand about you."

I said, "What's that?"

184    Standing out there in a hall... I guess, Sister Dauch and them, after I shook hands with Bill, and standing there; and all went around the corner, and the whole bunch of people. A minister pressed his way in, collar turned around, he said, "Why is it that you're always bawling the people out?" He said, "Them people believe you to be a servant of God, and be gentle and sweet to them, and everything." Said, "Every time I hear you get up, you're bawling women out, about having short hair, and about wearing shorts, and wearing makeup, and all this other stuff; and bawling the people out, and tell them how cold and formal and indifferent they are." Said, "Why do you do that?" Said, "Them people love you. How can you be a loving son of God and do a thing like that?"

I thought, "Lord, let me answer this smart man. See? You just let me answer him, somewhere, that'll hang him on his own rope." Yeah.

I said, "Well," I said, "sir, did you ever read of the great producer of music called... the great composer called Beethoven?"

He said, "Oh, sure, I read of Beethoven."

185    I said, "He probably tore up wastebasket-fulls of scrap paper, but he give the world masterpieces." He never opened his mouth and said another word. I said, "When he was setting in his study under the inspiration, he would write something down. He'd go into his study and pray. It wasn't right, he'd scrap it up and throw it in the wastebasket. But when he got through, in all inspiration, the world had a masterpiece."

Oh, how the Word cuts, but It produces masterpieces; uh-huh, takes all the husk and stalk away. It brings forth Masterpiece.

 

I FELL INTO A TRANCE.

  187      I fell into a trance. And, when I did, there was somebody with me. I didn't see the person. It was just a Voice. And I--I looked. And as I--I looked this way, He said, "The Bride will come in view for preview."

And I looked, coming to me, and I seen the most--the most prettiest bunch of clean-dressed women I ever seen in my life. But each one of them, looked like, was dressed different. They all had long hair. And they were longer sleeves and skirts, and so forth. Young women, they looked kind of, I'd say, about maybe twenty.

188    Now I have the Bible open here before me. See? I can only say what I seen.

If you say, "What are you looking at?" I'm looking at a clock. "What you looking for?" I'm looking for people, looking at people. "What are you looking at?" I'm looking at the Bible. That's what. I'm telling the Truth. That's what I see. And I can only say what I seen. I don't--I don't know what it... all about it. I just have to tell you.

 

THE.MASTERPIECE_  JEFF.IN  V-4 N-7  SUNDAY_  64-0705

  189      But, when this Bride, She was looking right at... The one was talking to me, and I, standing together. Her eyes, She was the cleanest, sweetest-looking people I ever seen in my life. Look like it could have been a dozen, or more, just... I don't know how many was abreast, but there just in a group of them. And She passed by, sweetly, with a air. And Her eyes up, watching, as She passed by. Oh, She was beautiful! I looked at Her, and as She passed by. He said, "Now we shall review..." Said, "That's the Bride."

"Now we will review the churches." And they come. I noticed them coming up. And when they come up, each one, look like, got worse. I never seen such a filthy bunch in my life.

And when He said, "Next," I heard a noise. And It said, "Next," said, "here comes the American group."

 

THE.MASTERPIECE_  JEFF.IN  V-4 N-7  SUNDAY_  64-0705

  190      Now, I am an American, but this--this made me sick. I am not eloquent enough to, in a mixed audience, to say what was taking place. I--I--I... And you'll have to read between the lines. But when the women were coming, the leader of them was a witch. She had a great long nose and a great big mouth. And all of them was dressed with some kind of lower clothes down here; but the top just had a strap, that, just a little, about a half-inch strap that moved up and went around them like this. And each women had something on a order...

191    Many of you, years ago, used to remember when we used to cut that paper, you know, newspaper, and make an old fly-bush? How many remembers it? You know. Why, I think they use it in carnivals, you know. Hanging down like that, fringed paper, lace paper.

They had something holding below them, like this, holding below them. All this part was exposed.

And each one had hair cut up real short, and frizzy-looking things all over it like that, real short-cut hair; and full of makeup. Absolutely nothing but looked like street prostitutes.

And they were walking with this paper, and, the vulgarity! Now, the paper was what was holding in front of them. But when they passed the review stand, in the back of them... And to see the way they were going on, in their foremost and their back part, and how they were acting!

I said, "Is that the Church?"

 

THE.MASTERPIECE_  JEFF.IN  V-4 N-7  SUNDAY_  64-0705

  192      And there she went. And they were singing this here twist-and-roll songs, you know, or ever what you call, going down, singing that and going by.

I said, "Is that the Church?" And I was standing there, and in my heart I was crying.

And, this witch, to my notion it's nothing else in the world but she's a... She is that World Council of Churches, leading them right straight down the road where she was going. They went off to the left, and disappeared in chaos; still beating this music and making real funny sounds, and shaking their bodies, one side and then the other side. And then, like that, carrying on like that, walking.

 

THE.MASTERPIECE_  JEFF.IN  V-4 N-7  SUNDAY_  64-0705

  193      And I just started to bow my head, and He said, "Wait, the Bride must come again."

And I looked, and here they come again. And they passed by, a sweet-looking little ladies. They was all looking right at me, as they passed by. And I noticed each one was dressed different. And one in the back had kind of long hair hanging down, and had it rolled around like this; might have been German or something like that. And I watched them.

And then as they started leaving, two or three of them, in the back, kinda get out of step, and I was going to holler at them. And they was trying to get back in step again. And I seen them, just the vision just fade out and change, from me.

 

THE.MASTERPIECE_  JEFF.IN  V-4 N-7  SUNDAY_  64-0705

  194      Now here is the interpretation thereof. The reason... Now, remember, I had just got through writing... I hadn't finished, I hadn't wrote these notes yet. But in preaching, this morning, I caught what it was, right in my sermon. Did you notice, the church only came in view...

Now, that's the Truth, friends. The Heavenly Father, Who writes the Word, knows that I tell the Truth. See? I know I just say the Truth.

And not knowing it till just a few minutes ago, looked like, or just recently, see. Did you notice? The Bride come in view twice; the first Seed and the second Seed, both of them exactly the same One. And the reason they were dr'iff... dressed in different parts, She'll come from all nations, it'll make up the Bride. Each one had long hair, and no makeup, and real pretty girls. And they were watching me. That represented the Bride coming out of all nations. See? She, each one represented a nation, as they marched perfectly in line with the Word. See?

 

THE.MASTERPIECE_  JEFF.IN  V-4 N-7  SUNDAY_  64-0705

  195      And, then, I have to watch Her. She'll get out of step with that Word if I don't watch, when She is passing by, if She gets by. Maybe it'll be my time, when I'm over, see, when I'm finished, or whatever it is.

196    What? They was getting back. Trying their best, and was getting back, just get in line; 'cause, they--theywas looking out somewhere else, watching about that church that just went out into chaos. But two... The front ones, never. The back ones, just two or three of them, was kind of stepped out a little bit to the right-hand side, and looked like was trying to get back in line as they went by. They was just past me, oh, far as here to the wall, past me. And I was standing there. And then I just seen it all move out and leave.

But, you notice, the church only came into view once, each nation, the church. But the Bride come in twice. See, see what it was? Now, not knowing it, but look at it with my Message this morning. Not knowing that. See?

 

THE MASTERPIECE IS BROUGHT UP

  197      The Seed fell in the ground at Nicaea. That was the original Seed. And She's come through the process of these denominations, which only comes in existence once. But the Bride returns back again in the last days. "I will restore." See, the Masterpiece is brought up. That's the reason She was in view, reviewed, the second time. She was reviewed the first time, then she was reviewed the second time. And She was perfectly, the second time, like She was the first time. O God, have mercy! Hurry, hurry, hurry, Life, get in the Grain, right quick! Uh-huh.

THE MASTERPIECE AND THE SON OF GOD, THE MASTERPIECE AND THE BRIDE, AND IT'S A PIECE OF HIM, WHICH MUST BE THE FULFILLING OF THE WORD.

  198      All others never appeared no more. They went out, never to come back again.

But the Bride came back, 'cause She was Alpha and Omega. God, the great Sculptor, has made Him a Masterpiece, for It is a piece of His first Masterpiece. Like He made in the garden of Eden, and took a piece from, and made another piece and that was marred and fell, now He's been all this time building it up again. And He brought forth this Masterpiece, and was smitten, in order... That part that was smitten, was in order to bring back again that Masterpiece, again.

199    So, the Masterpiece and the Son of God, the Masterpiece and the Bride, and It's a piece of Him, which must be the fulfilling of the Word. The Word has been fulfilled, and we're ready for the Coming of the Lord.

 

THE.MASTERPIECE_  JEFF.IN  V-4 N-7  SUNDAY_  64-0705

  200      O Church of the living God, bow your hearts and your--yourselves before God. These things are true. I know that it sounds like that, as such a great a thing as that would be, would be so spread out over the nations. It never was. He doesn't change His way. Just be thankful, Church, be thankful that you are where you are today if you're in Christ. Because, you see, now, and when that...

201    Remember, all that Life will be gathered right into the Grain, for the resurrection, but the stalk must be burned. The rest of it; the husk and all, must be destroyed, and it will be. Don't trust in your, them denominations. You stay in the Word, the Life, God and His Masterpiece.

202    Then what is it in the Millennium? Christ and His Bride, back in the garden of the Millennium. Amen!