<TITLE>21. Par 227-237</TITLE>L-227   And the pastor happened to look around. He hadn't heard old Gabe say nothing for quite a while. And he watched around. And Gabe was looking over his shoulders, towards the--the sun setting, as it was going across the western horizon. And the pastor looked back. He noticed Gabe wasn't saying nothing, but looking back as he walked. And so the pastor walked on for a few minutes.

L-228 And after while, a big black hand laid on his shoulder. And when he turned, in surprise, old Gabe was looking him in the face, with tears running down his cheeks, dripping off like this. He says, "Pastor, in the morning you is going to find me right up there at that mourner's bench." Said, "Then I is coming right back from there, and take a seat by the side of my faithful wife. And then I is going to remain in that church until God calls me home."

L-229   And the pastor, of course, turned around in amazement. He said, "Gabe, I wanted, and waited, and longed, and prayed, for years, for this." He said, "Gabe, is it settled?"

L-230 He said, "Yes, pastor, it's settled. But I wants that Holy Ghost, too. And I is coming up the mourner's bench in the morning, and I is going to get it, or I is going to die right there."

L-231 Said, "Gabe, I--I appreciate this." Said, "But I want to ask you something, Gabe. What sermon did I preach, that inspired you to do this? I'd like to know what sermon I preached, what I preached on. Or, what hymn did the choir sing, that--that inspired you to make this great decision, Gabe?"

L-232 And the old Negro looked at the pastor, and he said, "Pastor," he said, "I sure appreciate every sermon you preached." He said, "I--I appreciate everything that you've said, pastor." He said, "And I appreciate every fine hymn the choir sang. But," said, "pastor, it wasn't that." He said, "You know, I was looking at that sun going down yonder. Did you know that my and your sun, too, is going down, the light of our body is leaving?" And that's true.

L-233   It's true here this morning, men. The sun is setting, setting in your life and in mine. And it's setting on time, in civilization. She is finished. And He stands at the door, [Brother Branham knocks on the pulpit--Ed.] knocking, longing, waiting. That little knock, something down in your heart that says, "It's I. Open up now." That's Him. Gabe had listened to that, and he turned around.

L-234 He said another thing. "Pastor," he said, "you know I'm a bad shot." He said, "I couldn't hit nothing. You know I couldn't. And just looky here at the game, enough to last me and my wife all next week." And said, "You know, I can't hit nothing, but," said, "He gave it to me." Said, "I just happened to think: He must love me, or He wouldn't be so good to me." Did you ever realize that?

L-235   In India, today, the little children, I know, laying on the street, and their little bellies swelled up, their little gums down like this, starving to death. The little mother begging to take this one, and there is thousands more. Of an afternoon, they come by and pick up, in the stretchers and things, and take them to the salamander and throw them in. There's no "John 14." Eat anything, grass from the ground, bark from the tree, or anything that they can do.

L-236   We rake off enough, in our garbage cans, to feed them. We sit here this morning, paying about a dollar and a half for a little bit of food here. And we got good clothes. We drive a nice automobile. We live in a nice home. You businessmen here, your businesses are plushing, as I hear you testify. God is good to you. Can't you realize that?

L-237 Why, He loves you. You know that? And that's the reason that knock comes, "I stand at the door and knock." [Brother Branham knocks on the pulpit--Ed.] And if any man will hear My voice, and open the door, I'll come in to him, and sup with him, and he with Me."


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