<TITLE>04. Par 34-46</TITLE>L-34   Now I'm going to read just about a verse, out of the book of Philippians again. I was reading from Philippians the other night, over... the Wednesday night over with Brother Shores at the Assembly of God, when I spoke on the subject of Identified With Him. And now I want to read in the 1st chapter of Philippians, for this afternoon, about the 20th verse. And now let's listen prayerfully as we read.
According to my earnest expectations and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that which is boldness, all boldness,... always, so now also Christ shall be manifested in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

L-35 I was thinking of this, and thought I would use a little familiar thought, just a word.

L-36 You say, "Brother Branham, 'a word,' for this, probably a thousand people setting here?" Just a 'word'?" Well, if it's the right kind of word. See?

L-37 And I want to try, if the Holy Spirit, He Who inspires us, to build a little, get a little context around my text. I want to call it: An Absolute.

L-38   An Absolute. Now, I was looking in the dictionary, to find out. When I was looking at the word, identified, I come into this word, absolute. And the absolute, according to Webster's dictionary, is, says it's "perfect in itself; unlimited in power; primarily an ultimate."

L-39 An Absolute. It's used many times. It's "the last word" It's "the amen." You hear people say, "Absolutely, that's it." That's "the last thing." It's--it's "unlimited." See? That, that takes "from here on." There's "nothing else in its way." It's--it's "the supreme." It's "an ultimate." And an ultimate is, when, primarily an ultimate, because you've "reached the end." It's "the amen." That's all.

L-40   Now, any, and tied to every great achievement, has been an absolute. To every person, and every thing that's been did, or done, rather, there has been an absolute connected with it. There's got to be something, for it's the final tying-post. And man cannot, by no means, achieve anything until there comes somewhere where they recognize that there is an absolute.

L-41 One time, in a--a doctor's office, I was speaking to a doctor. And he said, "Well, I--I tell you, Billy." Said, "It's true that--that I believe that a man could appropriate enough faith, that he could go out of here and touch this tree and be healed."

L-42 I said, "But, doctor, how could a man ever appropriate enough faith to touch a tree and be healed? See? Because, there is no background to that. There's--there's no place you can tie to it, because it's--it's not--it's not, scripturally, a foundation."

L-43 But you've got to have something you can tie to, to know that This is it. That's the... Many little things might lead up to it, but That is the last Word, last thing. That's why I've always believed in--in the Word.

L-44   And I know, maybe a little testimony that comes on my heart just now, might not be very appropriate, but I--I hope that it--it won't offend. And my wife setting there, and, oh, many here, know that that's true. There was a...

L-45 I used to go with a--a--a young lady that was at the... from the Baptist church at Milltown, Indiana, that I used to pastor. And the young lady had been in the meetings and seen what God did. And, oh, we were just friends, just good friends. And later we were both... She married a fine young man. And--and then, later, I was married. And we haven't seen each other, for years.

L-46 Her father was a very personal friend of mine. His name was Lee, Marion Lee. And I remember, one night, a Scripture, he couldn't--he couldn't get It fixed up. He said, "Brother Branham, I--I'm not doubting you. But," said, "you know, I've always been taught this." He was a--he was a Nazarene. And he said, "I--I been taught this. And I just can't understand It." And he was a carpenter.


<A HREF="P5">Next Page</A>