<TITLE>22. Par 208-215</TITLE>L-208 Like Esau did. Now, Esau, morally, was a better man than Jacob, but he didn't have respects to his birthrights which was the Word. How many knows that, the birthrights was the Word, the promise, the elder son? But he was a good man, moral man, like, oh, like the nominal Christian today, a good man. He didn't lie. He didn't steal. He was good to his daddy. He done all these things. But, you see, his birthrights, he said he didn't care about that. "What difference does that make? I'm an Israelite, anyhow. See, I--I belong to it, anyhow." But it was his birthrights that counted, see. His natural was all right, but his spiritual was all wrong.

L-209 So is it today, the pottage, mix church and world together, some of each one; bingo parties, dances, all kinds of carrying on, in the church; short-haired women, wearing shorts.
Well, you say, "Brother Branham, what's that little thing?"

L-210   That's one of the Words, for the Bible said it's wrong for a woman to cut her hair. That's right. If she does, how is she going to get in? See? Just ask, any preacher will tell you the Word says that. See, "she dishonors her head," she dishonors her husband. She should be divorced. That's exactly right. "For she that will cut her hair, let her also be shorn off, shaven." See, it shows through that. Not just bobbed, God don't want it that way. That's that Mister In-between. Don't fool with it. Either cut it all off or leave it grow, that's what God said. Any minister of the Gospel knows that's the Truth, whether you'll say it or not. But that's the Truth. See? Well, what good, if you're going to do all the rest of them, and leave that go?

L-211 What? There is just a little bit of the worldly style into you, trying to act just a little bit like the other churches. That's exactly where Israel got in trouble. That's where they die. That's where Adam got in trouble. That's where all the rest of them got in trouble. Just one Word, that's all it takes, just one point. Pottage, mixed with the world! Some of the world, some of Hollywood, some of the church, some of the theologians, and what's you got?

L-212   Notice, if Satan fails here, then he'll try his second scheme on you, get you to--to disbelieve the Word, he'll... and--and go to the seminary. He'll try the next, a scheme. Now here is where you want to be real careful, and just sit just for another five minutes on this part, if you will. Then he makes you a supernatural offer. I'm going to come back to all this, just before closing. He makes... See, if he can't tempt you away from the Word, "No, I'm going to stay with the Word," then he'll give you a supernatural offer.

L-213 He said, "I'll tell you what. You get up here and dive off the temple, and bring back up. See, show the people that You can do something supernatural."

L-214 Boy, he got them there. Now watch this, this is it. Watch when you get to the end, where this temptation come. Maybe He might let some of you speak in tongues, think you got It. See? Or he might even let you prophesy, though it not be with the Word. I've seen people stand up and prophesy, was as contrary to the Word as the East is from the West. See? It's the Word that you live by. Them supernatural gifts, Satan can just hand them out by handfuls. Certainly. That don't mean one thing.

L-215   Didn't Jesus say, "Many will come to Me in that day, and say, 'Lord, haven't I prophesied in Your Name? In Your Name I've cast out devils. I've done mighty works. I've been a great man in the organization. I've done all these things, these things'"? He'll say, "Depart from Me, you that work iniquity."


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