<TITLE>15. Par 54-57</TITLE>L-54 So I crossed a little branch, and I said, "Yeah, I remember this now." And I started on up. My horse was tired. And there was a big old blow down there, a burn-over where an old fire had went through years ago and burnt all the trees and everything. Did you ever see an old burn-over? Great big old stick sticking up, like that, old trees, that once was big trees, standing there.
And the first thing you know, the moon came out from behind the clouds, and if you ever seen a spooky looking place. Them great big old trees, and they was just as slick, and bare, and white as they could be, looked like tombstones. And about that time there come a wind, coming down. And the wind went through them, it "Mmmmmmm. [Brother Branham illustrates--Ed.]" I thought, "Oh, my. This sure is the funniest place." I thought, "Lord, what did You bring me up here for?"
Seem like the Holy Ghost said, "Tie up your horse a minute; I'll tell you."
So I got off my horse, tied him up, got down and prayed, went over and set down on a log. I begin to study. And I thought this great beautiful forest, I'd been winding my way through today, beating my way through the timbers and things. And look at this was one time a great forest. And look, it's all like great big tombstones, big old white trees, all blistered.

L-55 And about that time, the wind blowed again. It went, "Mmmmmmm." I thought, "How mournful."
And then the Holy Spirit begin to speak to me, said, "Them trees can say, 'One time we were trees.' But why don't they act like trees now? Because the life has been eat out of them, because the fires of time has burned them down."
I thought, "Yes, Lord." That's about like some of these big old churches around here: stuck up with a great big lot of steeple. One time they had a big revival in the days of the Methodists. They had in it the days of the Baptists. But, brother, the only thing they got now is a great big bunch of mournful looking tombstones.
And when that rushing mighty wind comes out of heaven, it goes between them; the only thing they do, holler, "Mmmmmm, oh, the days of miracles is past, mmmmmm. Mmmmmmm, there is no such a thing as speaking in tongues; that was just for the disciples, mmmmmm." And the wind a blowing just as hard as it could, they couldn't give. They're dead.

L-56 "Why," I thought, "Lord, what are You going to do about it?" And this Scripture come in my mind. I said, "Someday I'll preach on that, Lord, if You give me words, 'cause I know that's what You're doing it for now." And I happened to wonder, "Why, You send the wind if they're going to act like that?"
But I happened to look, and the Lord said, "I will restore." Way down underneath them big old sparring pines there, where once was big trees, full of frolic, out of there come a bunch of undergrowth (What the world calls today, backwash. Oh, my.), a bunch of little pine trees coming up. And when that wind hit them, they didn't just stand there and go "Mmmmmm." They begin to frolic, and jump, and...?... I thought, "Praise God, that God said, 'I will restore. I'll raise up a Church that'll praise Me.'" Hallelujah. "Right out from under them, I'll bring up another sort; I will restore, saith the Lord." Amen.

L-57 Then I thought, "Yes, that looks like a good old pentecostal meeting." When the Holy Ghost began to fall like a rushing mighty wind, signs and wonders begin to follow it. The little trees with life in them can frolic, and give, and jump, and rejoice, and praise God.
But the big old stiff starchy: "Ohhh, we don't believe in no such. It's of the devil. Mmmmmmm."
Oh, my. "I will restore, saith the Lord." What does a good old time shaking do to the Church? It only loosens up the root, so it can go deeper and firmer in the powers of the Lord. Hallelujah.


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