Questions & Answers
Questions 18 (COD Page 126)
Will you please tell us how our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ expects us to come into the house of our Lord to worship?
111 All right, that’s a good one. That’s a very essential one to any church. God expects you to come to the church house... Now, that’s just a question, just a right out question. It isn’t a Scriptural; it’s-yet it is. Wait, I’ll tell you what He said. The first place, if you want Scripture, the people are supposed to come to the house of God for one purpose, that is to worship, to sing songs, and to worship God. That’s the way God expects us. He doesn’t expect us to come into the house of God to talk about our-or something else, or talk about one another, or talk about what we got to do through the week; He expects us to come to worship Him. It’s a house of worship. “And everything should be done decently and in order,” said Paul in the Bible. Everything’s supposed to be right. There’s supposed to be message.
112 The first thing I would say, according to the rules of the Church in the Old Testament-or the New Testament rather, at the first place, the people entered into the church of-of God in a Spirit of worship. And they walked in, hymns were sang. And maybe the preacher would speak, for he was a prophet of the church. (A New Testament prophet is a preacher; we know that: “The testimony of Jesus Christ is the Spirit of prophecy,” said Revelation.)
113 Now, the preacher begin to preach. While he preached, the blessings, right at the, maybe the end of his sermon, begin to fall; the people would say, “Amen,” go to blessing God. Then as soon as he stopped preaching, there might be a message come forth, maybe in speaking with unknown tongues (First Corinthians 14:13, 14). Then-then if there be no interpreter in the church, this person is supposed to hold their peace, ’cause they’re speaking in tongues correctly, but they do it before God. See? But if they’re speaking in tongues and there’s an interpreter, the interpreter is supposed to give the message. All churches are coming to that.
114 Charles Fuller, as much as he fussed and carried on to me about that when I was out there, he’s accepting it now. And they’re doing it all over Long Beach. Yes, sir! Right in-right
in the auditorium, having the blessings of God, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, and praying for the sick. And he stood face to face with me and said, “Brother Branham, I don’t believe in that stuff.” I said, “Well, it’s up to you. It’s not for unbelievers, Brother Fuller, It’s for those who believe.” And now he’s preaching the same thing. It’s coming to a time; there’s a showdown.
115 Now then, if it’s in order, if this is what you were getting at... While the preacher is speaking everything should be silent to listen to the preacher. For there’s the Word of God going forth, if he’s preaching under anointing. Then, every spirit of the prophets is subject to the prophet. When a pastor walks to the platform, turns that Bible down, the church should be silent, listening at the... his reading of the Scripture, listen to what he’s going to say. If he says something that sounds good to you, you can say, “Amen, bless the Lord!” or whatever you want to. Amen means “so be it.” The Bible said to do that.
116 Then, after the message is over... Then if the preacher gives a place in there where the people are all rejoicing, the Spirit amongst the people, perhaps He might send another message. If He sends a message, it’ll come to someone, then an interpretation; it will not be a, just a quoting over of Scripture or doing something. God don’t use vain repetitions. But it’ll be a direct message to somebody to do a certain thing or something that will edify the Church. Then when they get that edification of the Church, you say...
117 Like for instance like this: Somebody stand up here and speak with tongues; this one interprets and say, “THUS SAITH THE HOLY SPIRIT: Let So-and-so go lay hands on this person over here, for THUS SAITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, tonight is the time for their healing.” What is it? Then this same person said, “I was setting there; my heart was burning for that baby.” Now-now they raises up in obedience to the Spirit, go lay your hands on the baby, and it’s well. If it didn’t, something’s wrong. See, see? It’s a direct message.
118 Then the unbeliever sets there and says, “Wait a minute. Say, God’s with them people!” See what I mean?
119 Then he’ll say, or, “THUS SAITH THE HOLY SPIRIT: Let every one that’s in the south side of town, from that side of Spring Street on, move out in the next two days, for there’s coming a storm that’ll sweep all that side of town out.” Then, the first thing you know, there’s a prophecy to the whole church.
120 Then somebody-spiritual judgment-raise up and say, “Was that of the Lord?” Each one. If three good man will stand and say, spiritual judges, say, “That was of the Lord,” then the church receives it; and everybody in that end of town moves out, gets away from it for that time. Then if it doesn’t come to pass you better check that person. See? You’ve got another spirit among you. But if it comes to pass, then bless God and thank God for letting you escape the wrath that was to come. See? Watch those things. That’s the Church in order.
121 Two or three messages-not over three-will go forth at one time like that. Whatever is out, see, it must be set in order. The first place... then, another church, another thing in order...
122 I don’t know. This might have been a woman that asked this. I just... Something else come in my mind, so I might as well say it. The woman, when they were come in the church, was according to the New Testament, was to walk in and set down with a veiled face and sad countenance, and there remain all the service. That’s according to the Scripture. Now. But I think a woman... Sure. Now, I’m not condemning you women. See?
123 A young lady come to me a while ago. Not... Brother Junior was there present when a woman come, that she had some trouble. Her neighbors laughed at her, because she wouldn’t cut her hair off here not long ago. And she went and cut her hair off. And then, some woman over the river got her all messed up, and told her she was going to take, in a spiritual way, tie her feet with her hair hair, and she got this woman into a phobia. The woman liked to lost her mind-two children. She didn’t know what to do. She was just setting like that.
124 She’d drove up in front of the house one day. The Holy Spirit moved down, and spoke to her, and told her she was going to get well, said, “And THUS SAITH THE SPIRIT... ” And she-she stayed like that then for a few days, and then she... I went yesterday, was going to see the woman with Brother Junior and Brother Funk. And I was within a half a mile. She was standing, combing her hair which she going to let-let grow out now, said, “Let the neighbors laugh and do whatever they want to.”
125 And then, the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let me go over there. And It spoke to her and told her that I was near the place and wanted to come. And last night in a vision, saw the woman coming, and told what was wrong with her; and she was healed in my room a while ago. See? Is that right, Brother Junior? That’s right. Just a while ago. See? God wouldn’t let me go over there for the thing wasn’t ready yet. See? He brought me right down to the place and confirmed it right there, to show it wasn’t a man, It was God. See? Now. She said, “Brother Branham, my husband wants me to have long hair.”
126 I said, “God wants the same thing.” That’s right, for the women is supposed to have long hair. That’s their covering.
127 I know we ladies today, or you ladies, rather, wear hats. You say that’s your covering. That’s wrong. The Bible said a woman’s covering is her hair. And if she cuts her hair it’s a common thing for her to pray. That right? That’s Scripture. See? So now, women are supposed to wear long hair, regardless of what you want to think about it; that’s what’s THUS SAITH
THE LORD. You just show me any place...
128 You say, “Well, my hair’s long. See, it’s down to my shoulders.” That was short hair. “Christ... ” You said, “Christ had long hair.” No, He never. Christ had shoulder length hair, so they say. They-they just pull it around this way and cut it off, shoulder length hair. Look at the Greek word on that in there, and you’ll find out.
129 Feminish hair... A man shouldn’t have long hair, ’cause it’s feminish, way down long like this. But He just cut it off here at His shoulders, where they cut it off, around His head, just bob it off like that. That was short hair.
130 So, ladies with hair to their shoulder, it’s still short hair. Now, I don’t say that would send you to hell or take you to Heaven. That don’t have nothing to do with it. But the order of the Church is for women to have long hair. That’s right; that’s right. And to enter the church... And-and not to have anything to do in the affairs, the social affairs-or not to-I mean the business affairs in the church. And she’s to be obedient, and reverent, and so forth like that, because she was the one, the Bible said, that brought the first fall. And that’s right; that’s right. Now, right quick. I hope that didn’t hurt.