"For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words…For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God." (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7).

Tonight we will turn our attention to speak of other gifts, having spoken about the five-fold ministry office gifts, then continued with the divers gifts of the Spirit: their manifestations, operations, order and disorder, there are several other gifts in the scriptures that are of vital importance. So tonight we will deal with visions, dreams, music and songs. These things are no doubt very simple to you because you are established in these things from day to day, you have seen it for decades and you don't need much teaching again on these things, but it means something to somebody somewhere or they would not ask the multitude of questions that was sent to us.

Organists and Pianists

Question#227:"Brethren say they were asleep and saw visions; please explain the difference from a dream?"

Answer:

Quote: E-2"A vision is different from a dream... Well, in one way it's a kind of a vision, but you're unconscious… And then, a vision, you don't go to sleep at all; you just stand and look it." (Explaining Healing And Jairus 54-0216).

A vision is a separate experience from a dream, but like unto a dream. One you see things (if it is coming from the Lord) that are going to come to pass in the future while you are conscious and awake. That's a vision. And a dream is when you are asleep, but not very sound asleep. Now most dreams take place between sleep and wake, and there are much fanaticism concerning dreams around the world.

Quote:"If a man gives a dream, and it don't compare with God's Bible, it's false… I don't care what kind of a dream you had or what kind of a prophecy you give; if it isn't God's Word, it's wrong if it don't compare with that Word. That's what's the trouble today: one has a dream, one has a vision; one has a tongue; one has a revelation; it's got the whole thing so messed up and everything; you got denominations and broke up everything. You ought to bring it back to a final Foundation, and that's God's Word. That's true." (Demonology.2 Religious 53-0609).

Some assume that they can interpret dreams and you have them on the radio, magazines and different places, and people want to know the meaning of their dreams, but there aren't no theologians, no bible schools, astrologers nor soothsayers can interpret a dream from the Lord and this was proven in scriptures many times, which is very good to references to combat the fanaticism concerning dreams and visions.

If those astrologers had the right to the interpretation of a dream they would have done it in the days of Nebuchadnezzar and they would have done it in the days of Egypt before the Pharaoh. So that's a good lesson that we can draw there for all the impersonators who claim that they have the right to the interpretation of a dream. There is only one who has the interpretation of a dream and that's a prophet and that was proven in the days of Joseph; though he was in jail they had to bring him out to interpret a dream and they had to bring Daniel to interpret a dream, and all the astrologers, soothsayers, Chaldeans, wise men, magis and everybody failed but there was a man in the kingdom who interpreted that dream.

So a vision is a separate experience and you are conscious; and in order to see that vision you are born in a certain way. When the Lord brought you into this world he designed you in a certain way to see visions, and to dream that certain type of dream you are born in a certain way.

The prophet of God, Malachi 4, the greatest teacher, the greatest apostle, the greatest prophet, the greatest evangelist and the greatest pastor sent to the earth today when he explained what it is to see a vision and dream a dream, he astounded the medical profession and they said that they never thought of that before, and his explanation concerning seeing a vision, he said, "You have a good example is that if you put your hand in fire, before you could think you pull it away. Now that's the operation of the subconscience that pulls you away from danger. Now the prophet of God explained that a man who sees visions, his conscious mind and his subconscious mind are sitting close together, they are linked together and when he was born God designed him like that, that he can be conscious and see a vision, but then the next person to dream a dream their conscious and subconscious are set apart in a certain way that they can dream a dream between sleep and wake. And then there is another person that doesn't dream at all. He said, "Their conscience is far apart and they can go to sleep and sleep very sound, and the person who sleeps very sound don't have dreams or seldom has a dream." The Lord designed you in that way, to see a vision, or dream a dream and he said, "If the Lord did not design you to see a vision, don't try to see one, because you were not designed to see that vision."

So now, not only prophets see visions. The Bible said, "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams." (Acts 2:17). So not because you see a vision that means you are a prophet. No, it means the Lord designed you to see a vision.

Quote: "Now, if you're subconscious is back there, there's no reason of you trying to see a vision. You wasn't made up like that…And this man that sees visions can't help it, he's just made up like that. God made this man not to dream dreams, and made this one to see visions. Now, instead of going to sleep, a seer... He doesn't go to sleep like the dream does, but it's just so close to him till he just breaks from one to another. And he sees things just like a dream."(Preparation 53-1111).

Now, I could stand up here and tell of the both experiences: visions and dreams, from a personal point of view because I experienced both. But then in a time like this where the whole world is dreaming, seeing visions, "everybody met God and had an experience", I don't want that kind of projection to the world where these tapes and books are going to.

Now if you notice carefully, I leave off those experiences and if I even mention those experiences I don't put my name to it, even because there are so many people who are building their ministries upon experiences rather than the Word of God, and that is Pentecostalism to the core; so it's a generation of sign seekers. So on account of that my experiences have not gone into these books and tapes, even because I want people to be built upon the word of God, not fanaticism. So definitely, from my experiences, from what the prophet related and from what the bible speaks, seeing a vision is a gift; it's an experience while you are awake, fully conscious, something comes over you, something happens to you and while you are awake, sitting on a chair or laying on a bed, then you are transferred or transported into a different dimension. You know that you are laying there, you know that you are awake, you know that the bulbs are lighting and different things, but when you enter into that dimension, what happens to you is like a dream, but it is not a dream. It happens like if you are dreaming, but it is not actually a dream, because you know where you are laying, you are conscious and that goes on and after that you come to yourself and you realize: "I was somewhere, and I seen this and seen that; and then it starts going over your mind of what you really seen. Now that's a vision.

Now a dream, you go to sleep and then something happens that you can dream years of things in just a matter of a few seconds, when you come through that dream, you think it were days or years, but it is just a matter of seconds, and then you enter into that realm, in that certain dimension and it's a different experience. So you see that, and then normally when you have a dream, if it is a very impressive dream it wakes you up, and then it goes over in your mind.

So now this question is saying that certain people go to sleep and when they wake up they say that they seen visions. Now that is not so. This is wrong. Now that's a little mistake, and when you go to sleep, if you see something, it's a dream and not a vision. So the difference between a dream and a vision is that you are fully conscious whenever you see a vision, but it is like a dream. Then a dream is when you go to sleep and you have a dream usually between sleep and wake, and it last a few seconds.

Quote: 95 "Now, a prophet or seer doesn't go to sleep; he sees the Angel standing here. The other man just goes to sleep, and he sees the Angel. And the Angel said, "Now, Joseph, there ain't no riddle; there's nobody there can interpret it for you. So I'm going to tell you about it. I'm going to make it real to you, 'cause there's nobody there can make it real. Now, don't fear to take Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." (We Have Seen His Star 63-1216).

Alright, so this fellow did not go to sleep; he is a seer. A seer is a prophet. That's the, Hebrew word for a prophet: "Seer."

Quote: E-34 "We're taught by science that you're dreaming, you're in your subconscious. Did you ever see a person dreaming? You think you dreamed all night. It isn't that long. Just a moment...a little bit. You've done dreamed hours of dreams, you think... The person that's dreaming is not sound asleep. But you people here who does not dream dreams, your subconscious will be back to a place where you do not reach to it in sleep. You can't help it. You were born that way. Something that has the rulership over you, and made you that way… You don't have no control of it; it's your subconscious…God sometimes deals with people through dreams. He did with King Nebuchadnezzar, with Joseph, and Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. He promised in the last days, that the old men would dream dreams, young men see visions. See? God sets that in order."(God Testifying Of His Gifts 52-0713e).

And he went on to say that, "Dreams are all right, if they're of God, but they're not too accurate, especially in this day." (Do You Now Believe? 52-0817).

So a vision is not a dream, and a dream is not a vision. One, you are conscious and you can find that in the Old Testament when Balaam was prophesying and he said, "Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said: He hath said, which heard the words of God, which saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open." (Numbers 24: 3-4), Now, even false prophets see visions, and there are people with that gift right through the world, so you go to some of these people, like the Baptist people, and they tell you that they saw a vision. They are speaking the truth. You see, they were born with that gift but use it for the devil. Gifts and callings are without repentance.

Now if you notice that Nebuchadnezzar was a raw heathen, but he had a spiritual dream. So that proves that gifts and callings are without repentance. Nebuchadnezzar was a raw heathen and that man's prophecies are living up to today. Another thing that you must understand is that when you have a dream and it's interpreted, it becomes prophecy. Nebuchadnezzar's dream was interpreted by a prophet and it became prophecy. Yes.

Quote: 51 "Now, if a dream is interpreted, then it becomes a vision; it's a prophecy." (We Have Seen His Star 63-1216).

"Our pastor's wife dreams and he interprets her dreams; can he do that?"

Answer:Yes; if he is a prophet. If your pastor is a prophet then he has the authority to interpret her dream. If not, he's out of place, in deception of Satan and he's leading that whole congregation wrongly, possibly into the tribulation. Only a prophet has the right to the interpretation of a dream. The only way that a man can interpret a dream, is to see it by vision again.

Quote: 2-2"When anyone tells me about a dream, the only way I can give the interpretation, I see that dream over. And many of you here know, that some of you telling me things, that you didn't tell me all about it in the dream; but when I got it over again, I got what you didn't tell. See? And so you have to see it over again, and then He tells you." (Wisdom Versus Faith 62-0401).

Quote: 17-3"No more than I picked up the letter and opened it, before I read it, I saw her dream. Now, that's the way dreams are interpreted. Now, many of you has come to me with dreams and say things to me about dreams. I say, "Wait a minute. You never told it all" (See?); and go back and pick it up. Then if you can't tell what you dreamed, how do you know the interpretation's right or not? See? You've got to see the dream. A vision has to show the dream. And when you see the dream that the person dreamed, and could tell them before they tell you, then you know the interpretation." (Blasphemous Names 62-1104m).

Before Joseph came before pharaoh he had already seen the man's dream by vision because he was a prophet and he knew the answer. He was not afraid to stand up before pharaoh and say, "I will make the dream and the interpretation known to thee", because the man had already seen it in the dungeon; not in the king's palace. And when Daniel came before Nebuchadnezzar, he was not afraid, for he had already seen that. That is why he asked for three days to go before the Lord to see that vision, and when he seen that vision he was positive because he was going to get his neck cut off if he interpreted that thing wrong. And hear the demand that king Nebuchadnezzar made. He said, "The dream that I dreamt, I forgot all about it! Tell me my dream and tell me the interpretation too!" They said, "There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean." He said, "I will kill every one of you", and he passed a decree over there to slay every one of them because they could not tell him what he dreamt. And Daniel heard it, and he said, "Why is the decree so hasty from the king?" He said, "Give me time, and I will make the dream and the interpretation known", and he went to pray, then he seen the vision, he had the king's answer, and when he was brought before the king he had already seen a vision, so he came there and he said, "Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible". Boy, it start coming back to the king. He made Daniel a God after that, because the man had seen his vision.

We had a true prophet today, who demonstrated the same thing. People dreamt dreams and then after they would come before him and he said, "Hold it right there, you dreamt such and such and such and such", because he seen it in a vision. And then there were certain things that they left out in the dream and he said, "And you also dreamt so and so in that dream there". He told one man, "You are hiding that from me. Always tell the truth. Why did you keep that back?" Now he had seen the vision. So now there is only one way, my precious brother, that you could interpret a dream and that is to see it in a vision, and you got to be a prophet.

Quote: E-68 "Look at Joseph…When he was borned, he was a prophet. He could prophesy, foretell things to come, interpret dreams." (We Would See Jesus 62-0727).

Quote: 51 "We find Joseph early, Jacob's son, that how he was a prophet. And a prophet understood dreams…There could be an interpreter of dreams. The Bible said, "If there be one among you who's spiritual, a prophet, I the Lord will make Myself known to him in dreams, and will speak to him through visions." Now, we find out that Joseph, the son of Jacob, was that type of a man. That... They'd dream dreams, and then he'd interpret it. He could interpret dreams, and he saw visions. It's all a act of the Spirit." (We Have Seen His Star 63-1216).

Quote: E-36 "Now, a little girl come to me the other day…And she said, "Brother Branham, I gave you a dream…And I said, "When you find a man that's got every interpretation, just like this, got every--just like that, in the Name of the Lord," I said, "you be careful about that. That's contrary to the Scripture." (Influence 63-0112).

And when you find a pastor who claims he could interpret all your dreams, you better be careful friend; something is wrong with him. When you find a man who claims to know all the answers in the bible and have all the revelation, something is wrong with him; and when Malachi 4 said that he did not know the seven thunders and you find preachers today who say that they know the seven thunders, something is wrong with them.

Quote: 175 "We don't go for all kinds of dreams… And when people tell dreams, if the Lord doesn't give the interpretation, we let it go." (Standing in the gap 63-0623M).

Quote: 87 "We don't accept all dreams. No, no." (Humble Thyself 63-0714e).

So all dreams are not of the Lord.

Quote: 51 "A dream is kind of a fictitious thing." (We Have Seen His Star 63-1216).

Quote: 35 "Now, people can over eat and so forth and get nightmares, and it's not real spiritual dreams; it don't ring up when you read it. Some of it might seem right, but yet there's real, spiritual dreams. And we know here at the Tabernacle that God gives people dreams and they are interpreted, and they come to pass, and they're real. But it's a secondarily way of doing it. See? Now, the reason it was done then, it was because there was no prophet in the land at that time to interpret the dream…See, he never had need of any interpretation, the dream wasn't in symbols. It was right straight out, "Don't fear to take Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." There was no prophet to give the interpretation, so it had to come directly, right straight like that from God to Joseph. And God taken that secondarily way." (God's Gifts Always Find Place 63-1222).

Yes! And for this pastor to be interpreting his wife's dreams and trying to run the church like that, he is strictly out of place. The Bible in Numbers 12:6 said, "If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream." And in Deuteronomy 18: 22: "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him."

Alright, a lot of this goes on around the message where the pastor's wife keeps on dreaming, and sometimes she has an offence against some sister and she dreams a dream about her and tells the pastor and he comes and exposes the poor sister as a witch and exposes the sister as a seed of the serpent. So now people are suffering under those kinds of quack practice from behind the pulpit. So now this pastor's wife is dreaming and he is the interpreter. An immoral missionary visited this tabernacle, he was in and out and that was his system: His wife used to dream and he did the interpretation. That's quack practices. Most of the people under his ministry, something went wrong with their heads. I'm not joking my friend. I'm talking about visiting the insane asylum. I'm talking about people with mental problems, even because of these dreams and all these kinds of sensations, impressions and everything. I would say, better than three quarters of his congregation had mental problems. He said that he had a vision to go to China yeah and we exposed him right here in a ministers meeting and we showed him that that's of the devil. After you're a pedophile who defiled many young girls for many years, then you're getting a call now to go to china. Maybe to defile some more! It's a devil talking to him.

So now, many pastors' wives play super-spiritual and they are the ones who prophesy in the church, and this time it is offenses. Sometimes it is gossip and they get up and prophesy against the people, and the pastor does the preaching, and she dreams something about this sister or the brother and those false things bring divisions in the House of God. It hurts people.

So another thing you got to look for, see if that interpretation of the dream is coming to pass. If it is not coming to pass he is false. Sometimes you could eat too much. Pastor's wife eats too much, sister super-spiritual eats too much and she dreams a dream, and pastor eats too much and he interprets it. So, I would ask the pastor who is interpreting his wife's dream: can he tell what she dreamt before she tells the dream? That's the test. Nebuchadnezzar said, "If you don't tell me what I dream everybody is going to die by morning." He said, "You're playing the fool with me. If you claim to have so much power and you are prophets and everything, you need to tell me what I dreamt last night." Boy, they said, "There was never a king, my lord, who demanded such things of the soothsayers. Man, it put every obeah man on a spot. Yes! And I could put this pastor on a spot. If you claim to have the interpretation of a dream, then my brother who wrote this question, when you dream, go and ask him to interpret it. Get ten people in the church who dreamt and ask him to tell what they dreamt. You are going to catch him red handed as Nebuchadnezzar caught the soothsayers. Oh yes.

Question#229:"Is there a dream that needs no interpretation and others that do?"

Answer:Yes, sure. Joseph had a dream that needed no interpretation. The prophet of God made that pretty clear in the quotation we just read (We have seen his star in the east 1963) and in many other places. He said that, "Joseph had a plain dream that needed no interpretation and it was not in riddles because there was not a prophet in the land. And to think of that, that for the own welfare of His son God took care of that by a dream and not a vision." He said, "One man is conscious and he see the angel appear to him". Off course, that was Brother Branham who saw the angel appeared to him. He said, "Another man goes to sleep and he sees the angel while he is asleep." So now the experience Brother Branham had, you could have that too. If the Lord give you that kind of experience you could see the angel in your dream. Oh yes! So our ministry is not based upon signs, wonders, dreams, visions and impressions friends. It is based solidly upon the Word of God.

I have not tried to build this congregation upon my experiences in all the years, or scare you that if you disobey me you are going to die or you are going to get crippled or something. You watch those false prophets who threaten the people and hold them under fear, that if you leave the church, if you do this or do that, you are going to die or you going to get poor; and no so-called Pentecostal wants to get poor friend.

"Pastors are led by dreams and visions of believers; some ministries were confirmed by dreams. Is this right? Some pastors dreamed that they are prophets, messengers to lead the bride; how to know if they are true of false?"

Answer:Very simple. Go back to Deuteronomy 18: 22: "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him." And another scripture says that "If there rise a prophet among you and he prophesies and the thing come to pass, but then afterward he will say, let us go and serve other Gods, I have not sent that prophet." (Deuteronomy 13:1-3). If he changes the Word of God, no matter what he says and it comes to pass like Balaam, God did not send him. Do you see what Balaam done? He prophesied but he was not pointing them to the message of Moses. So now he said, "Let us go after other gods. Let us go down to Balak. Let us go and do this and do that."

Now, he was a prophet that said something and it came to pass, but then he said, "Let us go and serve other gods." That wicked prophet, when he tried to curse Israel and could not curse them, later on devised another plan. He knew that if Israel would sin God would curse them, so he devised another plan and he taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel by making a certain party and invited the Israelites to come and see these Moabitish women who were very pretty women, and Israel fell and some twenty four thousand of them died in one day. Now that was the stumbling block that was cast over Israel by that wicked spirit.

Now I hope you understand? This man had a genuine gift of prophet in him but he himself was a seed of the serpent; a devil just like Judas.

Quote: 380-1 "But like Balaam they… exercise gifts, but deny the Word... Yet they preach salvation and deliverance through the power of God, just like Judas, with a ministry imparted by Christ. But because they are wrong seed, consequently they have a wrong spirit motivating them." (Church ages Book).

Judas came from hell and went back to hell, but the apostolic gift in him was right; it came from God, in so much that God took the apostolic gift and gave it to Brother Paul. "Let his bishopric be taken and given to another." Now see what that apostolic gift done to the gentiles. That is what it was supposed to accomplish in the man called Judas if he had not fallen by transgression. A man could sell out his gift and he could use it for the devil. Now for your information, there is a gift of dreaming and seeing visions. All those are gifts. So now the Lord could give you a gift and hear what could happen to you.

Quote: 623-Q-149 "Dear Brother Branham, time after time the Lord shows me things in dreams. He has showed me things about my son in the navy, which my son told me were secrets. He has showed me of people's deaths and of the secrets of people's hearts. Is this a gift from God? When He shows me in dreams the hearts and minds of people, everything has always turned out like the dream shows me…"

Quote: "…Why, yes, my brother or sister, whoever it may be. The Lord bless you. That is, to my opinion, the gift of God. It's a gift of God. Don't you know the Bible speaks of dreams? Joseph, how he dreamed dreams and interpreted, and how others dreamed dreams. Those things are of God. Now, if it's of God, it'll always be truthful, it'll always happen just exactly the way He said. And now, if you start showing off with it, it'll just leave you. See, just be reverent and sweet. And when He shows you anything, and it's something that you should tell somebody, that they've done something that's wrong, then just don't stand right up and rebuke that person, go to them yourself and say, "Sister, brother, you know, the Lord told me the other night that you were doing something wrong, a certain thing." If that person says, "You are wrong. That is a lie. I did not do that." Now, the thing to do then is go back and say, "Heavenly Father, was that wrong?" Then if that person was telling you the truth, then you've got the wrong spirit. But if that person was lying, and he did do it, God will deal with that person. See? Yes, sir. Because (See?), what he's done there? He's blasphemed against the Holy Ghost, denying what the Holy Ghost has called to his attention. See, so it's the wrong thing." (Qa God Being Misunderstood 61-0723e).

My friends, it's a serious thing. If you start dreaming certain things that come to pass, don't show off with it. Be humble. You might dream something about a brother but you want to so show off, you want to stand in public and say, "I had a dream about you, and, you're a fornicator." Yes, you show off with it and it's going to leave you. That's a terrible thing, isn't it? Same thing with a gift of vision, or any other gift. The Lord did not give you those gifts there to show off. And the prophet of God went on to say in other quotations, that a dream is a secondary way of God speaking.

Why? You could have a proper dream here tonight, and then, tomorrow, you have dream that is wrong. An evil spirit comes in and give you a dream. An evil spirit comes in there and deceives you.

Alright, he gave us another warning: he said, "Leave those dreams alone if there is nobody to interpret it." (Do You Now Believe? 52-0817). He said, "It is like speaking in tongues. If you speak in tongues and there be no interpreter, then don't speak in tongues, nowhere in the church. He says, "Not even at the altar."

Now some try to make speaking in tongues a matter of prayer, because the bible said, "He speaketh to God." So now, they think that they have a right to speak in tongues at the altar, or if they're praying over somebody, to rattle tongues. Brother Branham said, you should not speak in tongues nowhere whatsoever in the church, because that's the commandment of God.

Quote: 553-Q-115 115. "Is it all right for a person to speak with tongues when praying for others about the altar without interpretation?

I Corinthians 14th chapter and the 28th verse: If there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church…All right. Now, if there be no interpreter anytime in the church, anywhere in the church, keep silent if there's no interpreter." (Questions And Answers 61-0112).

He said, "Tongues is a direct message. It got to be saying something." "Go and tell this certain brother so and so, or go lay your hands on this brother and he'll be healed; and the interpretation of it must come. And then when you give the interpretation the thing must follow immediately; otherwise there is an evil spirit on you." Now you don't go playing around dreams, visions, sensations and impressions.

Now, let me give you a little deeper teaching: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams." (Acts 2:17). Friends, even the dreams and the visions must be set in order by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When the Lord pours out His Spirit, then the dream and the vision is set in order also like the nine divers gifts.

Were there not people dreaming before the day of Pentecost? But here is a prophesy that is saying, "I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy." Now, the truth of this matter friend, is that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit will also set the visions, set the dreams and set the prophecies in order in the House of God. There will be perfect dreams and perfect visions.

Remember that dreams come through the multitude of business. A fool's voice is known by a multitude of words. So now a man dreams because of a I multitude of business. It's impression, thoughts that are coming through his mind. If you have a dream and there is no interpreter, be quiet about it. If you have a dream that is plain, that does not need interpretation, then come to your shepherd with it because the devil could use you. You don't go talking about your dreams to your family and Tom, Dick, and Harry. The devil could bring that to put your children in depression and put a next bother in depression.

Yes! You could have a plain dream that says that brother so and so is going to die, and you go and tell his wife: "Sister, I want to tell you what I dreamt. I dreamt that your husband is going to die, but don't tell him nothing." And it could be a lying devil talking to you, to put that sister or that brother in trouble with their mind. And you could have a next dream and the devil comes and tell you that, "I dreamt that brother drinking on a barstool, and he was with a next woman, committing adultery." And you could go and tell that wife over there, and that woman could believe that dream, and you bring disharmony in that home. Be careful with your dreams. Be careful with your visions. Be careful with your sensations.

You could have impressions around the church, and you start thinking, "I sure don't like that person's spirit." Is it the person's spirit you don't like or their personality? How do you divide the spirit from the personality? Do you have discernment of spirits? Do you have a gift for that? Or did somebody cuffed you in school who resembles that brother and you developed a mental resentment for people that resembles that certain fellow, and from the time you see someone who resembles that certain fellow, you forget all about that cuff something in you says, "My blood don't take him." These kinds of expressions: "My spirit doesn't bear witness with his spirit." You are playing super-spiritual. And that person may have a Christian spirit, that is better than yours.

So now, all these things are tricks and traps of the enemy to bring disunity in the House of God. Yes. Watch these dreams. Watch these visions. You see somebody getting impressions, dreams and visions friend, and they are trying to judge people around the House of God, trying to correct families, they try to correct a wife, correct a brother - watch it. The person might be a young believer but untrained. They don't know how to handle the supernatural. Any dream that is a symbolic dream needs an interpretation and you should not interfere with that. And even though you dreamt a dream that does not need interpretation, watch it ten times. Come to your shepherd with it, if it is serious enough. I don't have time to sit down and hear your dreams because sometimes you eat too much Calaloo, and your dream is about one yard long, and you bore my ears in the office. That is why sometimes I tell you to go and write it down, and then I call you back and I say, "There isn't nothing to it - because I see some Calaloo in it", ( Caribbean menu) and then I tell you flat out that I cannot interpret your dream. I don't claim to be a prophet, I don't build a ministry upon these things. I don't understand it; I leave it.

Beloved, our attention must be upon the Word of God. This is going to be a Word Bride. While the rest of the world are sign seekers, we are after the Word of God. And that is what I am trying to project to all our associates in Africa, India and throughout the world who would hear these things; I am planting you on the Word of God! Not sensations, not signs and not wonders. My ministry is not built upon a vision or a dream. My beloved, the Word of God is first. Yes. Elijah told the woman to bake me a cake - obey the Word of God, and then the sign will follow.

These things are also set in order by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That is why it says, "I will pour out my Spirit, and your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy." That is going to be the Giver inside of you doing the work. That is why I have not led you out into fanaticism. That is why I don't come and tell you a dream here every week or month. Even when I speak of that brothers and sisters, I feel checked. I want to be reverent. I want to make sure that nobody isn't getting the wrong impression, you see, that I'm trying to build this thing all upon a ministry. The time will come when I got to say something in order to help you to understand, that the Lord has also spoken. Supernaturally, but my ministry is not built upon these kinds of dreams and vision. And I know that what I've seen and what I've heard, it's the truth. Yes! That is how I was led to this message; by a supernatural vision. I actually saw Brother Branham and a voice actually spoke to me and told me: "Follow this man's message." But I'm not going to make a book, to bring out all these visions, all these dreams, and send it across the world, to impress people that I am a is a great spiritual, or mighty man with signs, wonders, visions and dreams." We have enough of that in the world. We have a generation of sign seekers.

Question#231:"Is the ability to see visions a gift? Then, why is it not mentioned in 1Corinthians 12?"

Answer: : Now, there are nine divers gifts mentioned in 1Corinthians 12, and the ability to see visions was not mentioned among them. The gifts recorded in 1 Corinthians 12 are not a complete list of all the gifts of the Spirit. "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness." (Romans 12:6 -8).

So you see, there are many other gifts. There is a gift of a ruler. In other words, not everybody is born to rule. There is a gift, to give, there is a gift of exhortation, and then there are the five office gifts of Ephesians 4:11. And there are many other gifts that are given to man, naturally and spiritually. There are gifts of singing. Not everybody has a gift of singing. Not everybody have a gift to play music. Not everybody have a gift to write music. Not everybody have a gift to compose songs. And there are many gifts that are not mentioned in the scriptures. Even the artist, that is a special gift; not everybody can paint a picture. And so there are many different kinds of gifts.

Quote: E-57 057 "What is a gift? Is a way, a secret, that God gives a man to know how to relax himself, and just throw himself aside, and let the Holy Spirit move through him. See?" (From the beginning it wasn't so 59-1125).

Now, as I was saying, there are many gifts and some in the natural and some in the spiritual. Over in the spiritual, you have spiritual dreamers, like Joseph in the Old Testament, he was a dreamer. Now not everybody have that gift to be able to dream spiritual dreams, no, there are some people have that ability. And then there are some that are gifted like seers to see visions. Yes. The ability to see visions is a gift just as the ability to dream dreams is a gift and all these abilities come from God, as gifts from God. And these gifts and callings are without repentance. In other words, before you are saved, even before you were fashioned in your mother's womb, those gifts were there; like Jeremiah was foreordained a prophet even from his mother's womb. And so those gifts and callings are without repentance, that before you become a Christian those gifts were there. God foreordained those gifts to come to men and women upon the face of the earth.

And these gifts have to do with the person's make-up. As the prophet of God explained that in the case of a person with the ability to dream dreams it is how far the conscious mind and the subconscious are apart. With the seer that is able to see visions, he said they are sitting right close together where that seer does not go to sleep. Because when you go to sleep you slip from the conscious mind into the subconscious. With a seer he does not go to sleep, he moves from the conscious to the subconscious while awake. With a dreamer, he falls asleep and he slips into the subconscious and he dreams. And then there are some people able to dream spiritual dreams and there are some people don't dream at all depending how far away their conscious is from the subconscious. And so these are all gifts and there several different variations of gifts depending upon how the Lord made you up. And so the answer to this question is: The ability to see visions and dream spiritual dreams that come to pass is a gift from God. God by foreordination determines who are born with these gifts and they can operate even before a man comes to the knowledge of the Lord. Gifts and callings are without repentance.

Bethel Song Leaders

Question#232:"Are music and songs gifts of the spirit?"

Answer:Yes. Music is gifted. Songs are gifted. Songwriting is gifted and it was both in the New Testament and the Old."The workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created." (Ezekiel 28:13).

What it is speaking of there are musical instruments created in the being called Lucifer. The day that God created him he put in certain things inside of his being, that when that creature sang there was a music that even flowed with his singing. It's a gift. God did that. And when God made you, he made you in such a way with a certain ear to hear that music and to understand these notes. Don't you ever show off with it. Don't you ever think that, that's your ability and pass on another person and say, "That person can't play; they don't have an ear for music." God has got to give you that ear for the music. Yes! You say, "But I tried and tried for several months, it is better I leave off that." No, stir up the gift that is in thee. You may have the gift but you've got to stir it up by continuing to play, and then you'll discover that you've stirred up the gift that is in thee.

Another place we can go to is 1 Samuel 16:23: "And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him."

It's a gift. His men sought out a man who was a cunning player on a harp. Of course, when he played on that harp, the presence of the Lord came and in the presence of the Lord that demon had to go. Yes! Now do you see the reason for the song service? Do you know how many evil spirits are cast out when the music starts playing here and when the songs start singing? And all those spirits you brought from the cities and from the home. All this nagging problem, quarreling problem, 'rah-rah' spirit; just quarreled and come in here. And if you don't sing and worship enough, the preacher can't preach. No, because this is David here with that gift; we have a lot of Davids here and these Davids are playing on their harps. And the harps aren't enough; they play on the organ, they play on the piano. Much spirits we have to cast out. Then the trumpets are blowing them out and the music is playing. Yes, the demons in this age are a lot. So you will find that all those demons start going, you start freeing up. "Yes sir, Amen, praise the Lord; oh it's a great service." It's the devil had you bound. "You are heavy because of manifold temptations." Yes. So they are gifts.

Quote: E-29 "I believe that gifts and callings are without repentance, that you're borned in this world with gifts. I believe you have to be born to be a musician. You take children sometimes and give them all kinds of education in music, they never make a musician. And some of them that can't even read their ABC's through, or say their ABC's, can play music of any type. You're born that way. You can't help it." (Ministry explained 50-0711).

Quote: E-14 "It's a gift that comes from God… just like a gift to sing, a gift to do anything; it's gifts." (Workings Of The Holy Spirit 56-0816).

Should the Christian church sing songs? The Jehovah Witnesses don't want any musical instruments; they don't want anybody to say, 'Amen', and they don't want to sing songs. A bunch of intellectuals and the most dead people upon the earth are the Jehovah Witness. You're talking about an intellectual devil upon those people. Yes! And they don't believe in singing, they don't want any instruments; a preacher must not lift up his voice. Social! Yes! Social devil!

And over in Matthew 26:30 in the New Testament, the Bible said, "And when they had sung an hymn, they went out." Did Jesus believe in singing? Did the Apostles sing songs? [Congregation says, "Amen!"] Alright, weren't Paul and Silas in jail one time and they sang songs the whole night until the gates opened up? It brought the Angels there; glory to God! And the Angels just touched the lock and all the doors were opened up and the jailer himself was converted with his house that very night. Oh yes! (Acts 16:25-34). You said that there isn't any power in singing? There is plenty power and they're gifts of God. Yes! So Lucifer had the power and that is why you have so much attractive music in the world; attractive to the unregenerated soul. Yes!

Quote: E-12 "That boy don't need a music lesson. He was born that way. It's just a gift. And now you hear these singers come on the air, these fellows like different ones…Well, those fellows no doubt, or women, are good singers, and they're gifted people. But you know what, God will make them answer for what they do with that talent. That's right. They'd better be using it for the Kingdom of God." (At thy Word 53-1204).

My brother, the unregenerated souls are attracted to the music of the world and that is why the youths have these cassettes, they have these CDs (Compact disks) and all these electronic things, and they are listening to it, and you don't know about it as parents and it's because they are unregenerated. Brother Branham said, "If you're not born again you can't help but be attracted by rock-an-roll music." Yes!

Then in the Bible we are told about the song of Moses;, and, do you know what Psalms were? They were songs written. That was their song book. David wrote those Psalms. So now it is even a gift to write songs. David wrote the Psalms and we are still using them today, and they lost the tunes out of them and they put all kinds of wild tunes, but David had the right tune to them and he used to sing the songs, and that was the song book in the Old Testament.

Alright! What about the songs that Solomon wrote? So we have a book called the Songs of Solomon and he sang those songs, but they brought out prophecies. Yes! So all those are gifts. David had that gift and many people throughout the Old Testament and New Testament had those gifts. Alright!

Quote: E-41 "I believe Stephen Foster was the greatest folk song writer America ever had… He was borned under that sign for a writer. You can't do it. It's a gift of God." (Resurrection of Jairus daughter 54-0302).

"What instruments of music should be used in a church and what should be avoided?"

Answer:Psalms 150: 3-6: "Praise him with the sound of the trumpet…" Do we have the trumpet? "…Praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance…" Do we have the timbrel? Do we have the dance? [Congregation says, "Amen!"] Glory to God! "…Praise him with stringed instruments and organs…" Do we have the string instruments? [Congregation says, "Amen!"]"…Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals…", and if you don't have no instruments like those, "…Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD." So if you can't praise the Lord you don't have any breath. Anybody that has the breath of Life, the preacher don't have to come on the pulpit and say, "Let us give Him a praise offering"; and when the preacher comes up and says that, everybody's mouths shut as if you sewn it with some kind of a thread. It goes to show that your spirit is heavy and you may not have the Breath of Life within you.

Song leaders are killing themselves to sing; musicians trying to kill themselves to worship the Lord and bring you in the Spirit, and your mind is somewhere in the city; your imagination on some girl, some boy, and your imagination is wild somewhere on your job. You're hearing a hammer, you're hearing a saw, you are checking money in your mind, waiting to insult a brother when the service is over because he owes you five dollars. How are you going to get in the Spirit? So these gifts are set in the House of God to bring us in the Spirit as it did with David. Yes! So anytime people cannot worship God, praise God, testify to the Word of God and all these other things, something is wrong with their spirit. Something is wrong with them.

Okay, "What instruments should we avoid?" Africa and India, all instruments that are linked to your old heathen religions and are linked to 'obeah';-If you know that word. All instruments that were linked to your old former religions and invoked spirits; like the drums of Africa that invoked the devils that came down here amongst the 'Shango' religion. I don't want that instrument played in the House of God, because that has something to do with the kingdom of the Devil. It is used in heathen religions and it is used in invoking spirits.

So now, the rock-an-roll people borrowed those beats of the drums of Africa and they modernized it through other instruments and then made rock-and-roll music from it and get the people demon possessed. So you have youths listening to the radio with an earphone, and hiding around and listening to the music in the schools, on the bus and in the taxis and they are getting demon possessed. When they get demon possessed they become rebellious to mother and father, rebellious to elders. They become rebellious and they hate their parents and even kill them. So we don't want those kinds of instruments.

Germany has as much witchcraft as Africa and other nations but only thing is that they socialize the witchcraft. America has more witches in America than a lot of other places, but they socialize them and give them a tie and a jacket and they own oilfields; like Rockefeller and the witches association and witches organization. The pope is the biggest obeah man and the catholic priests are witch doctors walking in white gowns.

Quote: 32-1"He said, "What is your opinion then of the Catholic church?" I said, "The highest form of spiritualism I know." He said, "How do you get that?" I said, "Anything that intercedes with the dead is a spiritualist." (Serpent seed 58-0928E).

There are certain sounds that demons love and when you play certain songs and you make certain sounds, they bring demons. There are certain songs that demons don't like and when you sing them, they move away. That is why Christians play music and certain songs. The devils hate blood songs more than any other. A man was possessed one time, and myself and two Brothers were singing a blood song, and he said, "Won't you please shut your mouths?" I said that, "You don't like this song don't you?" He said, "Please shut your mouths?" He don't like to hear that. So there are certain demons that love certain songs. That is how witchcraft operates.

Now the witch doctors studied the kind of things that demons like to smell, the kind of songs that they like to hear, and the kind of gifts they like and they get these things and put it together and it brings these demons from wherever they are, like ants to the sugar, and these demons come around there when they realize that this man is befriending them, so they communicate with him. Now do you know that is the same system in the Old Testament with God? Do you know that there were certain scents that the Lord loves? He being the Holy Ghost he told them to burn certain incense and certain sacrifices and do that on a certain type of moon. In the Old Testament the Lord told them to burn incense, let the priest have this certain incense on him, let him dress in this certain way, let them chime with their bells and then let him go there and the Spirit of the Lord used to come because the Lord loved those things. But now we don't do that my friend. We sing the songs of Zion. We play the music and yield to him with our hearts and our souls and the Lord loves the songs and the music, and He comes right in the tabernacle.

Now do you see how the devil imitated everything that the Lord done in the Old Testament? The Lord would not have come to His people unless they killed that bullock, until the priest dressed in a certain way and he smelt in a certain way. These 'obeah men' know that and instead of studying about God they study about the Devil. With witchcraft they have to deal with a black cat, a blood sacrifice, it has to do with burning certain incense and it has to do with chanting certain words to bring these devils from wherever they are and they will start saying all kinds of different things, "Hara Ramah, Hara Krishna", repeatedly. So now that's an invocation and notice that is real to them, and they start getting into a certain frenzy and they will start jumping off the ground and you know that something came upon them because they brought the devil through invocation. That is how it goes. So now you've got to be careful with certain instruments that were linked to witchcraft and linked to certain idol religions, and if a certain instrument carries a stigma to it in the world, you don't want to have noting to do with that. For instance: I would not allow the steel-pan to come in here because it carries a certain stigma of vulgarity. Homosexuality, fornication, adultery and everything is attached to that steel-pan, but the steel-pan music itself is a wonderful music. Now that is for Trinidad here.

I saw in a church in the United States the steel-pan was played, and I wasn't offended with that, because over there they don't know the vulgarity that is connected with it. Do you see what I mean? So, I enjoyed the steel-pan music in the church, and they had a Trinidadian playing it, and it blended right in with all the other music. It might be okay for there, but I wouldn't allow it here, because it carries a certain stigma. So you have to use your discretion, over there in Africa and India, to know and to pin-point these kinds of instruments.

Now, the prophet of God said that the piano, the organ and the trumpet belong to the church, and Psalms 150 tells you what kind of instruments.

Question#234:"Are any musical instruments allowed in the prayer meeting? Are any electrical equipment allowed, like radio, television, telephone, etc?"

Answer:My answer to these is, "yes." I want to say that any medium that helps in bringing the Spirit of God can be used in any meeting. The Psalms of prayer that was written by David, to be used in the congregation was sent to the chief musician so Musical arrangement could be made for these Psalms.

"To the chief Musician upon Neginah, A Psalm of David. Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I." (Psalms 61:1-2).

Now all these psalm are prayers, and they were used in the temple in prayer meeting, and they had music accompanying them, so musical instruments, can be allowed in a prayer meeting, because it helps, in bringing, the spirit of God, into the prayer meeting, not only a prayer meeting but any meeting. And just as the meeting we have today, we have the instruments playing and helping, in order to create the right atmosphere, and bring us into the spirit of the Lord and bring us into the presence of the Lord also using electronic equipments. There are some instruments that we do not use as the steel pan because of the carnival back ground though it may be used in other parts of the world, also the traps and drums; we do not even know all the musical instruments there are, may the Holy Spirit lead you as to the others. Concerning the electronic equipments they all can have a place once they are used to enhance the meeting.

We should not bring cellular phones in the meetings, we can use the TV to show a video message, the recorder can be used to play music and messages, as far as the radio, if we do not have a tape recorder and the message of Bro. Branham is being played on the air and we are gathered for prayer and wants to tune in that would be alright for the pastor or the one that is in charge to do so. The telephone can be used for transmitting messages live, singing and preaching. The television that we use as a monitor to show videos are for that purpose alone, we do not allow the television in our homes; there are some monitors that are not television if we can get one that would be better.

Quote: E-2 "On this other side, there's a little bush. That's where I want to sit, under that bush, and listen across at them singing. I tell you, I really like singing." (Talk on the Word 53-0831).

You know, there's something about music and singing that brings the Spirit of God to the meeting. You believe that? That's right

Quote: E-60 "And when the music begin to play, the Spirit of God come up on the prophet. If it helped bring the Spirit on the prophet then, it'll do the same thing tonight. Don't you think so? That's right." (Testimony53-0902).

"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." (Ephesians 5:19).

These musical instruments are welcome in the House of the Lord, because God uses it, as a means of drawing near to his people, God rides on the music, the spirit of the Lord rides on the songs. As the consecrated heart of the believer play skillfully unto the LORD, the Lord just can't help but ride on that music; and when he comes, those who are in the Spirit, they know He is there and begin to worship Him in the Spirit and in the Truth.

"Who is qualified to play music in church? A pastor allows people whose lives are sinful, dress wrong, contend with the saints, and has perverted ways; walk pervertedly and look as perverts."

Now friends, this is not only over in Africa, this is right here in the organizations (Pentecostal, Baptist and Methodist) where you have perverts with long hair, hippy style. Just by their very walk and looks, you know that they are homosexuals and lesbians, and they play music in the church, and they are most popular, and when they are finished, they join the disco parties, and go to the carnivals and everything. So this is not strange, but this pastor here, if he belongs to the Message, he's a total disgrace. The people are not the problem. It's the pastor who is the problem, because he is responsible for the music and the songs in the church.

"He allows people to play music, whose lives are sinful and they dress wrong." You mean to say a woman with a slit in her dress coming up to the piano and the organ? This is the House of God, and a sister walking up here behind the piano and the organ, has to walk in a certain way. You can't shake yourself. Don't run up to the piano, because it causes a certain attraction, and all eyes are upon you. Try to walk gently. You can't help how some women are made, so don't go to finding fault now. Certain women could be doing their best in trying to walk modestly, but they are built in a certain way. Brother Branham said, "They cannot help it." You don't be the judge of that.

Your life must be clean in order to play music in the House of God. Even though you have the smallest instrument, your life must be the right kind of life. You cannot live in fornication, you cannot live in adultery, go slop around and kiss around; you cannot go and wear tight skirts, go outside there and wear pants and come back behind the piano and organ. No, that is sinful and the pastor is to be blamed. Yes! You see some people and they appear to be perverts, my beloved, it's a bad testimony to put them behind the pulpit and it's a bad testimony to let them play a guitar in the House of God. And I had to screen that through the years.

Now, although a man is not living that life, or a woman is not living that life, it appears to the congregation that something is wrong with that human-being. In screening, I have to keep my eyes out and not put that fellow on the music. Then I have to go out and investigate it. Now that spirit of homosexuality and lesbianism is a temptation just like fornication and adultery. We are living in that age. And your son or daughter, for some reason, that spirit could be around them. You've got to notice that and help them. You cannot just cast them out as a fornicator, an adulterer, a lesbian or a homosexual and get down upon them. Bring them to the ministry, because we are living in Sodom and Gomorrah, and that perverted spirit is trying to get upon your child. They need help. They got to come to the pastor, and the pastor is going to tell them how to get that spirit off of them. But if you want to handle it yourself, you are going to do the wrong thing.

There are those who were honest enough to say, with tears in their eyes: "Brother Bruce, I was in this school and I'm only attracted to men; what should I do?" I spoke to them a few words, they visited the office a few times and the spirit left them. These are the temptations our children have to go through. We've got to help them.

Now, this Pastor is wrong. He should not have people dressing that way and not living the life, playing any instrument whatsoever in the House God. They should come in with a veiled face in the House of God and ask the Lord for mercy.

"Should worldly music be played in church? Our Pastor is allowing it. Example: slow rock, jazz and country and western."

Answer: No, it is not allowed. The condition of his soul is yet evil and of the old nature. Your Pastor is not born again. He does not have the baptism of the Holy Spirit. To allow that in the House of God, and I doubt he is even called of God

Quote: I like to hear good old fashion, heartfelt, Pentecostal singing. But I sure hate to hear that squeaking they call singing today. I think that's the most ridiculous thing. It's a perversion." (Thirst 65-0919)

Quote:136"You say, " I go to dances and parties and all those things... Brother, it's something wrong with you. That's your appetite…The other day, coming along in the car, a certain person reached over and turned on my radio, some kind of old vulgar music. I said, "Turn that thing off; I don't want to hear that," some old boogie-woogie stuff. Said, "Well, I like to hear that." I said, "Your nature's wrong; you're wrong." (Enticing Spirits 55-0724).

And if your pastor has an appetite to bring in that kind of worldly music in the House of God, something is wrong with his appetite.

Quote:"All that old crazy stuff, these old juke boxes a-roaring… It's the devil's diet… you enjoy that? Shame on you. You're a backslider.

So your pastor is a backslidden hypocrite if he enjoys the devil's diet. Yes, he is a backslider. And if you're a Christian in that church that is bringing in those kinds of music, you've got to get out of there; you cannot stand it, you cannot take it because you have a change of nature. And if the pastor loves that, he isn't born again yet.

Quote: E-31 "What you call boogie-woogie or ever that kind of nonsense, and carry on... A Christian spirit couldn't listen to such stuff as that and stay right. See? (Come let us reason together 55-1004).

Quote: E-52 "Rock-and-roll, shimmy-dig, boogie-woogie… It makes me sick at my stomach." (Love 56-0726).

If your pastor was a man of God it would make him sick to his stomach.

Quote: E-40 "These rock-and-roll parties that you all are attending, up in them places...when they send dozens of them to the insane asylum afterward?…And they're bringing that same thing, with boogie-woogie and everything into the church. (Painted face Jezebel 56-1005).

Youths, I want to warn you who are taking chances and listening to that rock-and-roll music, all the jazz and all those other types of music, it will put you in the mad house, it will send you to smoke marijuana and it will cause you to take cocaine. You're a dead hypocrite to be stealing chances and listening to that music and come and take communion and sit in the House of God. You're a dead hypocrite!

Quote: E-30 "All your old rock-and-roll and boogie woogie, where did it come from? Out of the heart of Africa." (Arrow of God's deliverance 56-0801).

Could you imagine that? That is why Elvis Presley could have gone down there and be worshipped like a god; because rock and roll music borrowed the heathen drums of Africa, the beats of the heathen drums. They brought it through these electronic mediums and took it back to Africa; and it fits the Hottentots all the way down in Africa, and they enjoy the music. Those drums were used to invoke the devils of hell! Yes sir. And they modernized it and perverted the whole world. Are you learning? [Congregation says, "Amen!"]

Quote: "Brother, they need a cleaning up from the pulpit plumb into the janitor's room in the churches through the land is what we need, 'fore the Holy Spirit can take place." (Secondhanded robe 56-1206).

Quote: "You tell me you're a Christian. And let me hear you turn on your radio, and you're listening to some kind of old boogie-woogie music…I don't care what you say, I know what your spirit's feeding on. That's right. It's exactly right. (God keeps His Word 57-0115).

Quote: E-22 "The people are gone boogie-woogie or rock-and-roll wild… And they're trying by that same spirit, to get the thing into the church. I like church music played like church music and not rock-and-roll in the church." (God keeps His Word 57-0120e).

Thank God, we at Bethel here have church music that is played like church music. We cannot be thankful to God enough and we are going to keep it that way. Any pastor is a dead hypocrite, who brings rock-and-roll music into the House of God; and many preachers around the message, around America and right through the whole world, have changed the Christian music. The reason they changed the music is because the Spirit of God has departed from them. They have destroyed the Holiness Message and are not practicing it and on account of that the Spirit of God left them, so they brought in entertainments into the church.

"Who is qualified for song leading and special songs? Some sing but it is dry, their house is not in order, a wife has a proud spirit and another's wife is unsaved."

Answer:A person who leads songs, their life must be right and their house must be in order. It is an office like any other office in the House of God. The wife must be in subjection, the children must be in subjection and they must have their house in order. Brother Branham said that, "If you're a tender in the House of God your house must be in order."

Quote:76"Do you know It's wrong for you not to be the husband of your house, your wife get a little temper spell and kick you out the door, and you say, "Yes, bless your heart, honey, I'll come right back"? How can you be a tender at the house of God when you can't even control your own house?" (Position In Christ 60-0522m).

Let me just draw this little reference to you: If you see a preacher going down the road and he gets into an argument with a man and you hear him cuss off that man, how will you feel to hear him come and preach on Sunday morning? Would not that be distasteful? [Congregation says, "Amen!"] And while he preaches, all that could reflect in your mind is what he done? Now it's just common sense. Now if you the congregation knows that there is a song leader who is not doing what he is supposed to do, his children rule him around, they do what they want, his wife has a spirit like a saw, would not fellowship with the brethren and you find him doing something out there, playing around with some girl or something, beloved, when you see that man comes behind the pulpit to lead songs, can you really enjoy that? [Congregation says, "No!"]

Alright, let me come a little closer. You know that a person in the congregation is not living right, argues with everybody in the House of God and wears the wrong kind of clothes. You caught them in the city, and you seen them living the wrong life and then on Sunday morning you hear, 'Sister so and so is coming up to sing a special.' Do you know what would happen to the congregation immediately, they are sunken inside, because, let us say, thirty percent of them know the life of that person, they cannot enjoy that song. That is why I cannot enjoy the songs of those hypocrites: Pat Boone, Jim Reeves, Ricky Nelson and others who some of the people want to listen to; their lives are nasty. If somebody's life is nasty like Lucifer's, who wants to hear Lucifer sing? Alright, use your common sense; I don't want to hear Lucifer sing! He could sing like the covering cherub that he was, my consciousness is telling me that man is an adulterer, he's a fornicator, he's a liar and he's a thief. Why do I want to hear somebody like that? Brother I'm not listening to the words; I want to discern the sanctified life behind the singing, and when I see the sincerity and the honesty that are expressed, then the words could mean something to me. But if you are singing a song that expresses sincerity and honesty of a Christian and then I know you're a hypocrite behind the pulpit, I know you're not living the life, then you're a liar! You are lying to me! And then together with that tears are coming down from your eyes, and you wipe your eyes and cry, you make me feel to pull you off that pulpit, because you went up there to lie. You're life has got to be right. Now that is just common sense.

How can you take a man who does not have his house in order and all these things, and put that man there? Brother, human beings are full of mistakes; we will make mistakes. Our song leaders will make mistakes; sure, they are not perfect. They will repent, you will see them come up to the pulpit, repent, go back and lead their songs. God bless them. We are not talking about that. We are talking about people who just let down the barriers; let their houses go as they want, let their wives do what they want, let their children do what they want and then come and sing as an archangel. No sir! That fellow must meet the required qualifications, his testimony must be right, his wife's life must be right, his children's lives must be right, his house must be in order, and then another thing that goes with that is that, he must have an anointed voice for congregational singing - not just a special.

There are certain voices that fit congregational singing and certain voices that are made up for specials. When you try taking a little fellow who is cut out for a special and put him to sing congregational songs it don't work. So you have to get these things set in order. Sometimes I see that and I call over the brethren and I say, "That brother's voice does not fit the congregation; he could sing a special." Don't ever get me wrong. If there is anything that I want to see, is that every one of you be used of the Spirit. That's my desire. So don't think that I'm cutting against you, and I don't like you and I don't want you in the music, but you've got to be used in the way that the Lord made you; and if I could discern that, I will tell one of the brothers: "He could only sing specials." And that stands that way.

"Some who do not walk right are anointed and move the congregation; how is that?"

Answer:"Some singers who don't walk right, houses are not in order, and they are not living what they are supposed to live, they come and they move the congregation, the Spirit starts flowing and everything; what is that?" Gifts and callings are without repentance.

Quote: 119"You're born, and all natural gifts come to you. Gifts and callings are even without repentance... Like Ernie Ford and Red Foley, and Elvis Presley, those fellows with them big talents of singing and using it for the world... God gave them them talents, and see what they are doing with it? Like Judas Iscariot getting thirty pieces of silver out of it… They ought to be using it for the Kingdom of God… And all them people that takes them gifts of God and perverts them." (Countdown 64-0209).

Now you could be a gifted preacher, and with that gift in you, you at times could knock around and never spend time with the Lord; and then just before service time you jump up on the pulpit and that anointing could strike you, and you could preach a message like if you were fasting for five days. Do you know what that is? Gifts and callings are without repentance; the Lord honored the gift.

Now look at Caiaphas down there; a backslidden man, he started prophesying, "One man will die for the nation." You see, God honors the gift not the man. For example, I did not spend the time like I wanted to spend with the Lord, but because of the gift of the Lord in my bosom, I walk up here, the Lord honored the gift, and I preach. In my heart I know I did not spend enough time with the Lord. See what I mean?

Now watch something; not because I got away with that as a song leader or as a preacher today, I should adopt that lifestyle, because I could start depending on that kind of activity as my salvation and go plumb to hell. I have got to examine my life and make sure everything in my life is right, otherwise I could depend upon that for my salvation. I could preach an anointed message, and think I have become so spiritual that those little things that I am doing wrong, the Lord doesn't mind that because he so loves me now. You have a surprise coming friend. "Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." (2 Timothy 2:19). If you feel that anointing when you sing, and you take it for granted that your house could be out of order and you could get away with that, and you just bawled out the wife and come and sing; or you just cussed off a fellow and came here and started preaching, you just stole the money from Jesus' money bag and think, "I'm an anointed fellow who could lay my hand upon the sick and they could recover"; you'll be deceived like Judas. You have got to live that life brother. If you've got the gift, repent. Gifts and callings are without repentance. You got it without repentance but when you get it, repent, be thankful to God and use it for His honor and glory.

"There are strifes and contentions among our musicians and song leaders; few fight to control music and song leading. What can I as a pastor do to stop it and what causes such?"

When you find the cause you can expect to find the cure, and the answer to this whole thing is right in our Bible.

"But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but [is] earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." (James 3:14-18).

Anytime you do anything in the House of God, and you see strife starts coming up and contentions start coming up, jealousy is involved. Now the people who are in that music and in that song leading have not realized that they are employed with the Lord Jesus and they are working for the benefit of the kingdom. So now what is happening is that they have pride in what they are doing and when they have pride they will have jealousy. When jealousy comes up you will have strife and when strife comes up you will have contention, because everybody is trying to be better than the other, then what you will have is competition. You will have competition with the trumpeters, competition with the organists, competition with the pianist, competition in the music in general. Everybody is trying to fence in their pride and authority. It is not going to work. This pastor is asking, "What should I do in such a case? This is in my church."

Let every musician and every song leader know who is in charge. Let them obey you as pastor, and if they cannot obey you kick them straight out of the music, and if all the musicians have to leave, clap your hands, sing a song and preach the gospel. That's the only remedy. And I will put some weight on that from Brother Branham's words. Read this quotation to them right out of this book and play it to them. That is happening in your music and in your song service because everybody wants to play a boss; and if you give certain ones authority they want to over-rule the other, and they want to say who is in charge and who is this and who is that. Let them know that they are nothing. This is what Brother Branham said, and about the authority that God gave you as a pastor.

Quote:"The music program and all order pertaining to the development of such a program is under the supervision of the pastor only, and the associate pastor. During regular - services, special meetings, or revivals, at all times, the pastors shall advise and conduct this program. The trustee board shall advise on the purchasing of any musical instruments and the pastor shall be consulted. Any suggestions for musical programs by the saints, deacons, or such parties interested should be presented to the pastor, who will welcome them, and advise on such suggestions. It is preferred the pastor shall control this program, as he is the leader of the worship service, and confidence is placed in his ability to lead the church in worship that is most pleasing to God. Music programs, testimony services, addresses by various parties, reports to the church by various offices, or any program that intervene the worship time should be under the pastor's supervision." (Operations of Church Offices).

That is Elijah the prophet who has spoken, and you should establish that in your church, pastor brother, and let everybody know who is in charge. Strifes and contentions come up in your music because of pride, jealousy and because somebody is trying to overpower the next, and it's a Nicolaitan spirit. My brothers and sisters do you know the danger of that? Anytime there arise competition, strifes and jealousy in the music and the songs it divides the congregation, automatically. So while you pastors are trying to preach the Word of God and unite the congregation, and, five percent of the congregation will hang with Brother Tom, and you will find them getting into that competition, and ten percent will go with Brother Harry, they like to hear him sing and play, and then another twenty percent is going to go with Brother Dick, and then you'll have a party spirit: "I am of Apollos, I am of Paul, I am Christ, and I am of this musician and that musician." Not here in the House of God at all. No sir!

That should not happen in the house of God. When competition starts amongst musicians, then jealous spirits are transferred from the musicians and the song leaders into the congregation, and you will hear talk like this: "My husband could sing better than all of them; they don't give him a chance." You will hear talk coming out of the congregation: "I believe there is some racialism going on in the song service." Confusion and disunity. Do you see how the devil works friend? And then a mother, and a father sit there and say: "My daughter could play so good but they only let her once a week." You need to shut your big mouth and stop interfering in the music program that God has set the pastor over. You are trying to do the pastor's work. "I feel that my son should be playing the guitar for the past couple of years now, but nobody considers us; we are nobody in the church." You are making contentions, you have strifes and you are trying to dictate for the pastor.

Do you see the confusion pride could cause? Every saint in the church of God has got to have a level head. Leave the music, leave the songs, leave the ministry, leave the preaching for the pastor to control and don't find fault about who is racial and who is not racial; who sings better and who does not sing better; who should lead the song service tonight, who should play the guitar tonight, who should sing, who should play the organ and who should play the piano. That's the pastor's business! Anytime you get that spirit upon you, it's contention and strife, and instead of talking about the Lord after the meeting you will be talking something else: "I find the music was so dead tonight." You belong to Apollos' group. "I find the music was so dead tonight; if it was Paul playing it would have been much different." You belong to the Paul's group. Now do you see how contention comes? So pastor, what that devil is trying to do is to divide your congregation. While you preach unity on the pulpit, he is using the musicians and the song leaders to divide your congregation. Before you know it the church is in disarray. We've got to come into perfect unity for this great outpouring of the Holy Spirit, glory to God! Put up your hands and give him a praise offering. [Congregation worships in the Spirit.] Thank you Savior, thank you Lord. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Thank you for the opening of the Seals. The devil is exposed in every area that he comes Lord. Give us discernment Lord upon the devil and his tactics of fighting? We thank you for the Word tonight. Thank you for your people. Lord, bless these questions, bless these answers, let them go forth overseas and help your people. Thank you for your people tonight that sat patiently listening to the words of life. Bless them all tonight, father. We commit our lives into your hands with the dismissal of the service, in the name of Jesus Christ, we pray with thanksgiving, and the congregation say, "AMEN!" Praise be the Lord.

Question#240:"Explain to us the basic conduct and order of your services, does it have to do with the presence of Christ that are with you and your flock?"

Answer:Yes it does. The presence of the lord coming amongst his people has to do with the basic conduct and the basic order, of the services; added to that, and most important is preaching the truth and establishing holiness in the house of God and in the lives of the people. Just not a code of rules, regulations and church order it has do with the word that we preach. Whatever blessings that we have in way of the presence of God and that spirit of liberty in our midst, it's the fruits of the word that we preach. They that worship God must worship him in spirit and in truth. Not only in spirit, but in spirit and truth. Basically if I am to explain the conduct and order of our services, which results in the presence of Christ with the Ministers and the congregation, I will put the preached word ahead of all things. It's the word and only the word of God preached in spirit and in truth. That is responsible for us having liberty in our services, the presences of Christ, people doing the right things, and living victorious Christian lives.

You can put all kinds of things in place; you can set up codes of rules and regulations like the Hindu people or the Muslim people, they don't go into the church with their shoes, they wash their elbows, mouths, and feet and you can go way back even to the Jews and follow all those codes of rules and regulations for the church of God and have not the spirit of God.

Our church doors are opened one or two hours before the official starting time of service. There is no talking, no laughing, and no running through the building but rather quietness. A song tape is played, very low of music or song; those who feel led of the Lord comes into the service one by one without any demands made upon them, me and at their own liberty they pray, and worship the Lord, these few people, five ten, fifteen, or twenty, on various service days are the backbone of the ministry as simple as they are, in the eyes of the people, they become the backbone of prayer to the ministry and to the service that night. Many women can embrace this opportunity to devote themselves and come in a little earlier, pray for the service the minister, and the needs of the people. It will help them to be spiritual; it would bless everybody in the house of God. Such people in our church are seated there two hours ahead of time, praying, some of them by their own choosing fast. Before the official starting time of service, the deacons and the door man shows up and their duty is to see that everything is in order that there be no disturbance in the service, no disorder, that everything is in place, that the spirit be not offended. The door men are well trained and also the deacons and they know their duties. A deacon comes in and he makes sure that there is a door man. He looks around and see if there is any other needs, certain things must be done before the service takes place, to ensure that when people start praying, singing or the preached word come, that there are no disturbances, none comes up and put water for the Minister during his preaching and in the heights of the song service, it offends the spirit and other little rules and regulations that are set in place, to avoid offences to the spirit.

The deacon's duty as well as the door man is to ensure that all things are in place ready for service to avoid distractions and disorder, to ensure that all are alert and ready to hear the words of life. Then the musicians come in, nobody pushes them and pulls them, there is no question of who should play, or who should sing, or who should preach, those things bring confusion. These things are set in order ahead of time, one week ahead. The musicians, pianist, organist, guitarist, trumpeter, and other players of instruments start playing soft music, about that time the song tape is stopped. By that time the spirit of the lord is already there. The people in the tabernacle few in number were praying for the service, for the sins of the people, for the needs of the church, for the ministers, while the music plays the people continue to come in reverently by official starting time of the song service, almost everybody is in the tabernacle. The spirit of the Lord is flowing in a great measure; the anointing of the spirit is on the pianists, organist, the guitarist, trumpeters and the different musicians. The people get into the spirit, and then the song leader officially starts the service by singing and asks the congregation to stand. If somebody at that time has to slip out, for some important reason to the restroom etc. take care of a baby they use that convenient time to get up and go outside to do that, the congregation continues to sing, worship the Lord, pray, glorify the Lord, by that time the spirit of the Lord gets stronger and stronger. We have several song leaders sitting together along with the musicians and they sing along. The reason for that is we feel that there is less pride manifested from the pulpit, and there are less fears manifested, less distraction, they are asked to sit down in five or seven minutes and the song service continues they are asked to stand again, in order to relax themselves and the people grab the opportunity to go outside again, they are getting ready for hearing the preached word. So a scripturally trained congregation knowing that the most important thing is getting ready to come after a half an hour song service from official starting time. Women go out and feed their babies, or children, on the outside of the church, or cry room, not eating, or nursing inside of the church. They go out and refresh themselves trying to return into the service and be settled down for the preaching of the word. That is reverence to God and his word, that is yielding to the Spirit. When the minister is coming forward, we avoid having anybody go out. It is not always observed because you have unruly people, people who are not in the spirit, people who makes excuses to go out at that time, as some people don't care what they receive from God. In every congregation there are three kinds of believers. I do not want to convey the idea that we have one hundred percent perfect and obedient people, but I am saying what are our policies, and principles, what we establish and what we think is responsible for wooing the spirit of God into the service. Those who fail to observe those policies and principles, little rules and regulations are dry, and you can see that they are not in the spirit. Yes! After a time they dry up like an old prune and fall away. They don't realize that it is their irreverence, disrespect, and lack of yielding to the spirit that caused them to backslide and go into the world it is very important. When the song service is coming to a close, then the people are allowed to stand. They grab that opportunity to go out refresh themselves, one by one, two by two and come back we try to avoid people going out in a great big exodus out of the service at anytime, that disturbs the service. So the people return and we expect everybody to be in their seats ready to hear the word of God by the time the minister is about ready to come to the pulpit. Everybody should be ready to hear the word of God.

Just before the minister comes there is a brother, we call him an attendant, he comes to the pulpit he is not there to preach, not there to actually sing, not there to give instructions, not there to exercise his ability in preaching, he gently comes up to the pulpit. The congregation is already standing, the spirit of the Lord is moving and he announces the type of service that we are going to have for that night, preaching, a tape or any other kind of service. He makes an announcement that may be necessary and in five to ten minutes that is over because at the end of his announcement, he calls upon the ushers who are already in place alerted and ready, they come up to the pulpit, somebody is asked to bless the offering, the ushers go through the congregation with the offering plate they collect tithes and offering which is perfectly scriptural in the Bible. Bro Branham said, "I do think that we have to pass the offering plate in order to make it a complete religious service" (Man Running From Presence 65-0217), and that is proven in the scripture, Jesus took up an offering and Judas was the treasurer.

So by that time a song is raised people are still in the spirit, grabbing the opportunity to go outside and return. Within that period of offering some people grab the opportunity to go out as a habit when the offering is taken up because they don't give any offering to the Lord and they rob God in tithes and offering. That's the time they make an excuse for nobody to see them so they go out to the restroom and about the end of the offering they come back because they are thieves in the house of God and they rob God in tithes and offering. (Malachi.Chap.3)

Before the minister enters the pulpit everybody is supposed to be back inside the house of God ready for the word of God. Children are fed, people who are sick are seated in a certain place, and people who are sleepy and tired are in a certain place. They must be honest enough to wash their faces if they are falling asleep under the word, otherwise you have a spirit come into the house of God that anoints everybody with a sleepy spirit. After the attendant, pick up the offering, and make his announcement he do not wait to call the minister, he leaves the sacred desk and leaves it up to the minister, the Pastor, assistant pastor, or minister for that night to ascends the pulpit as the Lord leads him. Then the minister comes to the pulpit and is in full control of the service from that time on, sometime he has a limited time to preach, he must be well trained because he may have to use another man's pulpit, and must cut his preaching down to suit that church, at his own service he's at liberty and there is no set dismissal time. It may be an hour, two hours or more because the congregation is in the presence of the lord and they sit right there and absorb the word of God, if there are people who are sleeping under such anointing of the spirit, they are corrected by the deacon especially people in the front line. The deacon at the end of that service goes out and if it is a child he speaks to the parents, if it's a man he approaches him, if it is a woman he reports that to her husband, or talk to her if it's an unmarried sister he is at liberty to speak also to her, and let her know that she was sleeping in service. And in our services you may be well called out for sleeping, if you are in the front line in the view of the minister, because it disturbs the service, that's a spirit of the devil, immediately when one, two or three people start sleeping the enemy comes and tell the minister that your message is not anointed, they are not listening, they are not enjoying your message and then there is a buffeting to the minister. Then that spirit throws off a certain anointing and causes people to sleep and become weary and tired. Persons must be honest enough that if they are falling asleep in service to go outside and wash their faces. As a result we have a certain bench set at the back of the church and in certain of our assemblies we have none, the person stand up so they cannot sleep. If they want to sleep and fall down it's up to them. They listen to the service until they wake up then they come back into the service, but we don't tolerate sleeping in the house of God, it's irreverent, you could not go and talk to a king and end up sleeping in front of him, nor a magistrate court and sleep away there. We do not tolerate in the house of God any kind of putting up of legs, elevating your foot on top of your knees, we believe it is irreverent. Then we keep a sharp eye on people who get up and go in and out especially those who are sitting in front, because they disturb the minister, it disturbs the spirit of the Lord. Such people who have problems and have to go out very often, and sometime for no good reason, those are sent to other seats.

At the end of the service, and the minister's preaching, the musicians are already alerted then they are requested to come forward. If it's a big bunch of musicians, only the pianist and organist are called, that is in order not to have a big commotion in the congregation the pianist and the organist start playing, they play softly because the minister may be speaking or praying like when he comes to the pulpit to start preaching. They play softly they should not be playing loud, trumpet should not be sounding loud from the time the minister start praying to the Lord, if he is singing it is alright, but when the minister is praying his official prayer or going to read the scripture all musical instrument must slow right down, so people can hear the words in prayer or otherwise, he dismisses the service and when the service is dismissed the congregation don't have a big exodus in going out, just running out, No! after the service is dismissed everybody take their seats and the people goes out in an orderly fashion a little at a time and the music continues to play, possibly a song continues to sing, and even though that is not happening then the congregation moves out few at a time, there is no laughing, greeting, and talking in the house of God only a rare one or two people. In order not to offend the spirit, by a commotion, then after everybody leaves from the tabernacle, the doors are closed. That is to avoid children running through the church, people walking and talking and eating and drinking. Brother Branham said, "You'll ruin the next service to come when you allow that in the sanctuary of the Lord."

The people go outside and talk, laugh. Because of the spirit and the presence of the Lord amongst the people they spend long hours talking and laughing with one another and when we have a great and wonderful anointing people hardly want to leave the yard until eleven o'clock twelve o' clock in the night even because the message is burning, the spirit of God is present and love is burning in the hearts of the people one toward another.

That is the simple explanation of the conduct and the order of our services which has resulted in decades of the presence of the Lord being amongst us.

Now when people learn that in the House of God, they go home, and when they enter into their prayer closet, and apply the same method of reverence, respect and adoration to God they find the Spirit of God.

Put up your hands and give him a praise offering. [Congregation worships in the Spirit.] Thank you Saviour, thank you Lord. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Thank you for the opening of the Seals. The devil is exposed in every area that he comes. Lord, give us discernment Lord upon the devil and his tactics of fighting? We thank you for the Word tonight. Thank you for your people. Lord, bless these questions, bless these answers; let them go forth overseas and help your people. Thank you for your people tonight that sat patiently listening to the words of life. Bless them all tonight, father. We commit our lives into your hands with the dismissal of the service, in the name of Jesus Christ, we pray with thanksgiving, and the congregation say, "AMEN!" Praise be the Lord.

Musicians at Connecticut