A purposed in heart

Daniel purposed in his heart that he wouldn’t defile himself with the world.

He was going to keep the tradition that God had laid down, the commandments of God.

Why can’t you women and men do the same thing? But Marilyn Monroe or somebody bobbed off their hair, and then some preacher’s wife did the same thing, and you think you got a right to do it. That don’t excuse you from the Word of God.

 And you preachers let your wife lead you around. What a shame! What a—what a—what a word, of being a man. “A servant of Christ can’t control his own house, how is he going to control the house of God?”

“Well,” you say, “Brother Branham, that, that’s just the minor things.” All right.

Let’s get the minor things straightened out, then we go to something bigger. See? Then we’ll talk about the Holy Ghost, and the—and the things of how to receive Divine gifts.

 Like someone of…made this rude thing, but it was told me, said, “You’re always hollering at them men about this, and letting their wives do that, and wearing shorts, and out in the streets, and—and these dressing real sexy, sex appeal.”

It’s very seldom ever talked from the pulpit. They just think that’s a regular routine. We need a man of God, somebody to rise up there and condemn that thing.

They say, “Well, you ought to teach them women how to receive spiritual gifts. Teach them something great.” Some great man told me that. Laid his hands on me, said, “I’m going to pray for you.” He said, “Don’t you…Get away from that.” Said, “The thing, God sent you to pray for the sick.”

I said, “If God sent a man, He sent him with the full Gospel if He sent him at all.” He said, “Well, you’re going to hurt your ministry.”

 I said, “Any ministry that the Word will hurt ought to be hurt.” That’s right. Certainly. He said, “Well, the people are going to turn you down.”

 I said, “I don’t have radio programs and television programs to support. I’m free in Christ. I just preach what He tells me there.” Amen. [Congregation applauds—Ed.] “I don’t need offerings.”

 I don’t need nothing but more of the grace of God, to stand and tell the Truth; and not compromise on the Word of God, to pull any sidelines or shady things, just to help somebody, to take and make them a more twofold child of hell than they was to start with. Tell them the Truth. And when I stand there at the end of my road, I can say, “No man’s blood is upon me.” That’s my desire. “I’ve not shunned to declare to you the full counsel of God.” Now, how can you teach people—people algebra when they won’t even learn their ABC’s? Said, “People claim you a prophet, a seer.” And I said, “I don’t claim that.” Said, “But the people claim it. You ought to teach them some deep things.”

 I said, “How can you teach them deep things when they won’t even learn their ABC’s?”

Always believe Christ: ABC. That’s right. But they won’t do it. So how you going to teach them the square root measure and so forth, the real mathematics of God? “How do you see visions? How does these things happen?” My!

 You want to pull on a little certain thing, that, a little denominational group that seems to be a petty thing to you, and some little bright shiny something that you grab for. “And if I happened to reach out for the—for the Word, or something an other like that, my state presbyter will put me out, or my bishop will throw me out.” Why, if you come to God, you’re going to be throwed out, anyhow. So what’s the difference? I’d rather be…If you’re throwed out, you’re throwed in. So that’s it. See? See?

There is three things. God always deals in threes. We know that. He’s perfected in threes. Remember, in the days of Noah, they went in the ark. And in the days of Sodom…Jesus was speaking of these two. Days of Sodom, they went out. They went in, in Noah’s time. Went out, in—in Sodom’s time. And then go up, in this time. Yes. Go in, go out, go up! See?

That’s what we need now. We need a going-up affair. We need a going-up from these things and worldly things that’s got us so bound down.