The Eagle Stirring Her Nest

Good evening, friends. It's a privilege to be here tonight to speak in the name of the Lord. And as I was noticing, they're having a little trouble with the ... my second voice. This is a sermon. This thing is a perfect mute unless something is behind it to speak through it. That's the way a minister is: he's a mute until the Holy Spirit speaks through him, and then it becomes a servant of Christ.

Now I think tomorrow morning is breakfast, for the.... I believe the Christian, I believe it's the Christians, it is no designation, of ministers, including businessmen whenever I'm speaking. And that's the next, is their convention. And so I just nodded my head to Brother Vayle. He's back there picking up the acoustics, to see if it was right.

Tomorrow night, now, is prayer for the sick. I am going to try to let you out.... I told Brother Vayle a few minutes ago, “I was going to cut my message about half in two, because we're just a little late.” But tomorrow night is the night we pray for the sick. Now, get on the phone tomorrow, and get the people out here that is sick.

Now the prayer cards will be given out tomorrow afternoon, at the afternoon service at the church. And those who are out of town, and come from out of town, and work and cannot.... I have the boys here to have some prayer cards here at six-thirty tomorrow night, for whose who could not get in for the afternoon service. If all possible, get the afternoon service and get the prayer cards from the boys there, or at six-thirty tomorrow night from the auditorium.

Now let us just go to the message right quick. You expecting to see many of you in the morning at the breakfast. I suppose it has been announced to you, already. And we will be looking for you tomorrow. [Blank spot on tape.] Continue on with the service at the International Convention of Christian Businessmen.

Over in the book of Deuteronomy, the 32nd chapter and the 11th verse. I read a portion of God's Word.

And as an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, and taketh them to meet them on her wings.

I said last night I would speak tonight, the Lord willing, on: The Eagle Stirring Her Nest. I spoke on this before, over in Virginia, a few months ago. And I know it was quite lengthy, so I will just try to speak on a few of the high spots.

But there is something about nature. That if you will look at nature, you will see God. And God dwells in His universe, in His people, in His Word, in His Son. He just dwells in His flowers, He dwells in everything. God is universal, omnipresent.

And now when thinking of the eagle.... I've often wondered why God likened this heritage to an eagle. And then stirred my curiosity of being a rancher myself, and watching the traits of the eagle, and how mother nature.... Nature was my first Bible. I used to ... before I knew one word in the Bible.

When I was twenty-one years old, a man told me to look for James 5:14 in the Bible, and I looking in Genesis to find it—twenty-one years old. And at twenty-two years old I was an ordained Baptist minister in Missionary Baptist Church. The Lord was good to me. But I studied God from the way of nature, where I found Him.

Just like a flower. I noticed you women here with your flowers. How that they will bloom up in the summertime, then burst something. They bow they're little heads to that life that's in them. The petals drop off, a little black seed drops out, then they have a funeral procession. Did you know that? God has a funeral procession for His flowers. Sure. The fall rains come and cry their little tears down, and grows the little black seeds. Then along comes the cold wind, freezes up, and the [unclear words] bursts out of the season, runs out. Bring them in here where there's no bugs, no pulp, no seeds, no nothing, that you can find, and yet, in there we know that God has preserved a life. Just as that eastern sun begins to shine and warm up the ground, there's no science could find that little grain of life, and yet it's there, and it lives within. And if God has made a way for a flower to live again, how much more has He made a way for a man to live again.

Sometime ago, I was having ice cream with an old Methodist preacher friend of mine. And he used to sing the little song that I was preaching to you about. Now he was a real Methodist. He wasn't always [unclear words] just like a lot of Methodists today, just go to church. He was a Methodist, he had an experience.

Like I've often said to the Pentecostal people, “You Pentecostal people just got the same Holy Spirit we Baptist got.” Now we're not some kind of Baptist that shake hands and join church. We get down at the altar and beat one another on the back until we come through. We have something when we got through. God knows that we need some more Baptist like that, the old-fashioned type of Baptist. Not just the ones believes in grace and brings a lot of disgrace to the Gospel, but one who believes in the grace of God and lives it by the Holy Spirit.

And I was having ice cream with this old Methodist friend of mine. And the Agriculture Hour was on. And over in Louisville, Kentucky, there was broadcasting and such. The little 4-H club has knowed about a machine that could produce a grain of corn just as perfect as the one that has growed in the field. Said you could reach your hand in the sack that would get you [unclear words], put your hand in a sack that was raised from a field, mix them together, there was no way you could ever tell them apart. Take them to the laboratory, split them open; they both have the same amount of calcium and moisture, and the heart was in this ... grain just the same. And everything just.... One made just as good a corn flake as the other one, just as good a grits, hominy, anything as the other one. And they said there's only one way you could really tell, that's, bury them. I said to this old Methodist, “Now if you don't want me to embarrass you, better hold my hand.”

You can act like a Christian, you might dress like a Christian, you might impersonate a Christian in every way, but unless that grain of life is in there, you will never rise in the resurrection. That machine can put all the moisture and all the calcium in there, but it can't put life in there; that's God's work alone. You might be a Christian, be just as loyal and perfect in your church as you can be; but except you're born again in the resurrection, you will lay there. Only eternal life, God's life, will He raise up from the dust of the earth.

So in watching the eagle, and the birds, lots of times a great joy has it been for me to watch them. And I begin to read what the eagle was, how many were they. And you'd be surprised to know that there is forty different types of eagles. The word itself means “a carrier, or a feeder with the beak,” with the mouth.

And that's like Him. No wonder God likened His heritage to eagles, His prophet, because they feed the Word with the mouth, by preaching. That's the reason He liken them to eagles, feeding the crops by the mouth. “Faith cometh by hearing, hearing of the Word.” So that was one reason He would liken them to eagles.

And another reason He liken them to eagles, an eagle is a special bird. He can fly higher than any other bird there is. I want to know why the people here, you think that the hawk.... The hawk is no equal to him at all. Why, if the hawk would try to fly as high as the eagle, he would just disintegrate in the air. The hawk can lead.... The eagle can lead the hawk anytime. He can go so high that a hawk couldn't even breathe.

And then in order to get up there, that means that he will have to be able to see farther. Then, another thing, he will have to be a special-made bird. If he wouldn't, his wing feathers are so tight, you can't pull them out with a pair of pliers. He has to be, to hold his big weight in that thin air. So when he gets up there, he has to be a special bird, special-built bird, or he will never get up there.

And that's the way a Christian is. He's just not re-made over, or something kind of ... a bird fixed over. He's born and made a Christian by birth. He's a special-made bird. God designed him. So if we go above, way high, soar above the things of the world, and watch things that's coming in a distance. Now it wouldn't do him to get up there, unless he was able to stay there, or to do some benefit while he was there. And that's the way the prophet is, the preacher, that can climb in the Spirit, far beyond anything, way high in the heights of inspiration. A real servant of God can climb so high till the normal mind can't even follow, because he's a special-built bird. Oh, how I love to think of that.

I've always like to be a little different anyhow from the things I don't like. And I don't like the world, or the things of the world. And I'm glad to know that they're built different, just look different.

Now, you know, a little [unclear words] can run right on the ground, and a buzzard can soar, but he could never follow an eagle; he would die. I'm just so glad that God has got some eagles that can climb above the things of the world, way up high. And he has to be a special bird to do that.

Then I notice again that he believes that when he gets up there.... And he is a special bird, not because that he desired to be a special bird, but because God has made him a special bird. He is a special bird because he was born a special bird. And that's the reason a lot of lukewarm church members can't follow, or be a Christian in the spiritual things: he's never been born again. He hasn't been designed for that purpose. No wonder he can't understand it, couldn't even see.

And another thing about the eagle. The eagle renews his youth, renews his strength and his youth. That represents the church again. Because a man can be backslid and away from God, and put him in a good revival somewhere and he renews his covenant, he renews his youth. He comes back to God, and just feel like he is all washed up and ready to go again. That's the way the eagle does. He gets old, and his habits and things begins to fail. He can't see good no more, then, all of a sudden, something happens to him, and he becomes back like a young bird again.

Why, I remember the first Pentecostal meeting I ever went into; it was at Mishawaka, Indiana. And they had about five hundred preachers on the platform. And they said, “We want every man up here, just to stand up and say what church he belongs to, what his name is.” And I just stood up and said, “Evangelist William Branham, Baptist,” sit down. All of them got through. And that day, I had been noticing many the young preachers preaching. And.... And I listened to their message. I thought they were kind of noisy; but you know, if you're not a little noisy, it's a sign you're dead, sign you're dead. If your religion hasn't got some emotion in it.... I can prove to you, anything without emotion is dead. That's right.

When Aaron went into the Holiest of holies, they put a pomegranate and a bell. And when that's the only way they knowed he was still alive, because he made a noise in there. That's about the only way you can tell the church is alive, when you hear a good “amen” once in awhile, or something that will witness back that there's still life there somewhere.

And I remember that night. They got an old preacher out there. He was about eighty years old, had to help him to the platform. Just had a little rim of cotton around here, was an old Negro preacher. And just a little rim of cotton around like this, and a great big old ... one of those old felt-collar preacher “pigeon tail coats,” we used to call them. Walked out there to the platform, throwed it over.... And the old fellow couldn't hardly speak. And he said, “Children!” He told his text from over in Job, “Where was you when I laid the foundation of the world? Declare unto Me where they are fastened. And the morning stars sang together, and the sons of God shouted for joy.”

Oh, all the ministers that day had been talking about the life of the Lord Jesus on earth, but he picked Him up about a million years before the world ever begin, when the morning stars were singing together and the sons of God shouting for joy. Run Him down the horizontal rainbow, in the second coming.

He had been on the platform about five minutes, and directly he jumped in the air, kicked his heels back, said, “Glory!” Said, “You haven't got enough room up here for me to preach.” And kicked off of there like a little kid.

I was about twenty-three years old. I said, “That's what I want. If it will make a old man do that, what will He do to a young man. I need some of that.” Oh, I'm so glad it's for all.

And so the eagle renews his youth. “And they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up like eagles; they shall run like lightning; they shall walk, and not faint.” And oh, how the Lord does give us those little statements.

Now, and another thing the eagle has: He is a bird that has ambitions not to let his little ones be hurt. He builds his nest way high in the rocks. And there he makes his nest for his young ones. How different it is with the other bird. How they build their nest down low, but the eagle goes high to build his nest.

Sometime ago I was down to Cincinnati, Ohio, to the zoo. I got two little girls and a little boy, and how I love little children. And every time when I'm gone from them so long, come in, get in the house, one wants a piggyback. You know how it is. And I just love the little fellows. And I'm going to use them now for an expression. Sometime ago....

They would get up of a morning, and every who gets up, the morning, gets on my lap first. And Rebekah is a little older than Sarah, and so Rebekah got up first, and she run in and jumped across my leg. And her legs long, hung down to the floor. And she put her arms around me and begin to hug me. And just then the smaller girl came into the room. And she looked, and Rebekah turned to Sarah and said, “Sarah, I've got all of daddy. There's none left for you.”

And the little fellow, the little girl, puckered up her little lip, to cry, and I motioned to her and put my other leg out. And she come over and jumped on my knee, and I put my arms around her. Then she turned those big brown eyes, and looked over to Rebekah, and said, “Rebekah, you may have all of daddy, but daddy's got all of me.”

So that's the way it is, brother. You may have all the theology and all, but I want Christ to have all of me: Everything that I am, every fiber and every bit. I want Him to hold me. How that God and ... does His great marvelous work!

One day I was up in Colorado where I elk hunt a lot. And there was.... Everything.... The fall and the snow hadn't come yet, and the elk herds were high. And the rancher, Mr. Jeffries and I, had ranched together for years now. And we were hunting and we knowed the land like you would your city here.

And so we was about two days' journey back on Troublesome [unclear words], up the Troublesome River. And we separated that morning. He said, “Billy, I'm going over to look after some sheep,” wild sheep, mountain sheep. Said, “I will meet you down at the line camp,” which was about seventy-five miles away. Said, “I will meet you down there about day after tomorrow, because the elk is in [unclear words].”

I said, “Okay, Jeff.”

So I went high plumb to the timber line. And I tied my horses down in the bottom, and be back the day after, or something, to pick them up. And I was walking along. And that time of year, there's.... Well, it rained and then the sun would shine, then it was snowing, the sun would shine. And there come up a storm, and I got behind a tree and stood like this, until the storm was over, the raining and blowing. And I stood there and was thinking about how good God is. And how I love to be alone with Him up there in the mountain. There was a blow down near where I was at, where the twisted had come through and blowed the trees down.

And then, after the storm went away, I began to think on the Scriptures, the great meetings. And then the sun was setting in the west, and a great eye looking across the valley. And where the evergreen had blown, up there high from the storm, it formed a rainbow.

And oh, David said, “When the deep calleth to the deep.” If there's something in you that loves God, and you can see something that's godly, there's just something that takes a hold of you and grips you.

And I remember. I said, “There He is, Jehovah, the great eye looking.” There's a rainbow, that's His covenant. And I said, in the New Testament, I remembered reading, that, “He was looked upon as jasper and sardine stone. Benjamin and Reuben, the first and the last.” And the covenant and the rainbow over His head.

And just then an old gray wolf howled up on the mountain, and the mate answered down in the valley.

My mama is a half Indian, and my conversion never took it out of me. Oh, something begin to call the deep to the deep. The wild call. Then I heard the old bull elk bugle, who got turned away from the herd. And then something within me begin to call out, “O God, You are present. There You are in the wolf call. Here You are in the elk bugle. Here You are in the rainbow. There You are in the setting of the sun. Lord, You are everywhere.”

And then I was amazed that a little old pine squirrel jumped up, a little old fellow about so long. And he just all like the Irishmen [unclear words]. He just begin to jump up and down and carry on like he was going to tear me to pieces.

“Well,” I said, “little fellow!” What I been doing when I felt that real deep call, I stuck my gun down against the tree, and run around and around and around the tree, just as hard as I go, screaming to the top of my voice. Well, if there had been somebody, they'd a said, “A maniac is out here.” But I didn't care what they thought. I was worshipping God; that's all I cared. I knowed He was there. And a person just can shout in church, his shouts are no good. You must.... Everywhere you see God, express yourself to Him, and love Him.

And I thought, “Did I excite you, little fellow?” And I happened to notice, he wasn't paying much attention to me. But he cocked his little head, and looked around. He was looking down in that blow down, and the winds and the storm had forced a big eagle down. We have the brown eagle in Colorado, which is a very big bird. And forced him in there, and that's what he was excited about.

“Well,” I thought, “Lord, why did You stop me from shouting, for something like that?” This big eagle jumped up on one of the limbs. Great big gray-looking eyes: beautiful bird. And he sit there just as straight. And I said, “Now, what did You want me to see in that eagle? You mean I could see You in that eagle? Why did You interrupt me from worshipping, the way I was, around and around this tree?” Then I thought, “Well, there's one thing I can see in him: he's not afraid.” And God's creatures are never afraid. You're not afraid of nothing.

So then, I noticed again.... I kept saying, “Do you know I could shoot you?” Just talking to him, nobody else there to talk to, just he and I and the Lord. So I said, “You know I could shoot you?” And I made out like I was going to reach for my gun. I seen those big eyes look at me. And I noticed he began to feel those feathers, see if everything was in running order. He knew that God give him two wings, and he could trust those two wings. And he knew before I could get my gun to my shoulder, he'd be in the tree top and I'd never see him again. He knew what he was doing.

Oh, I thought, “How much more, if God give a eagle two wings, and he knowed where he was standing with them, what ought a Christian to do with the baptism of the Holy Spirit?” How he ought to know where he's standing. For he seen that I wasn't going to hurt him, because I admired him. But he got tired of listening to the little old pine squirrel, “Chatter, chatter, chatter; chatter, chatter chatter.” And finally he just made a couple of big flops, a jump; flapped his wings about twice, and he was outside the timber. And then I seen what God was meaning.

He never flopped no more, he just knowed how to set those big strong wings. And as the wind came up there in a big gust, he just laid them wings. On, on, on, he never moved a feather. He just knowed how to set his wings, and he went on beyond that little old pine squirrel, till he become just a little dot. I stood there and wept like a baby.

I said, “That's it, God.”

It isn't join the Methodist. And it doesn't matter if you join the Baptist, and go over to the Pentecostals. That isn't it. It's just learn how to set your wings in the power of His faith. And when the Holy Ghost comes in, like a gusher, fly away, go on and on and on, away from this chatter, chatter here, “Oh, the days of miracles is past.” Chatter, chatter, “No such a thing as divine healing. No such thing as the baptism of the Holy Ghost.” Just put your faith in the power of His Spirit, and ride away; without joining Baptist, Methodist, or Pentecostal, or any of them. Just ride away upon the power of the Holy Ghost. Just throw your faith out, and say, “God, You still live and reign, and You're the same Lord Jesus.” Ride away on His blessings. Certainly! He promised it.

One day, little Sarah and I was taking a walk through the zoo. And I seen the most saddest sight, I believe, I ever seen. It was a eagle in a cage. They hadn't had him there very long. That great big fellow didn't have any feathers over his head, all of his wings was beat off on the side. And I watched him. He'd lay on the floor; shake his head. He'd get up; he'd looked at those bars. He'd turn and walk this way, till he got a start, and he'd fly across there and beat his head against those bars, flopping his wings, knock him back on the floor. He'd get up, look at the bars somewhere else; walk back, get a start, and here he'd come. He'd bump his head where they beat his head, till he had no feathers on his head or on his wings. And when it finally knocked him out on the floor, and he laid there. And his weary eyes, as he looked towards the sky. What was it? He was a heavenly bird. He was born to soar over them skies. And here he was, caged in, not a way to ever be free again.

I thought, that was the most saddest sight. I'd have give that man a hundred dollars more than he paid for the eagle, if he would have let me open that door and let him out. Oh, to think that he was born to sail those blue skies. Then he looks up at that them, but he could do it. Somebody had put him in a cage. I thought that was a sad sight.

But, brother, when I see men and woman who were born to be sons and daughters of God, caged in an old cage of denomination theology, that they say, “The days of miracles is passed.” When ... and to keep you away from the real thing of God. Walking around out here, trying to satisfy that blessed hunger that God put in you, to thirst after Him. And satisfy it with wearing shorts, and drinking, and joining churches, and all these creeds and things. That's the saddest sight I ever seen. You were born to be men and women of God, to soar the unexplored, and explore the unknown. God made you thus. Not to be caged in by, “My denomination don't believe in miracles.” I don't care what your denomination does. Your Saviour said so. That settles it. Don't let no man put you in a cage. You don't need in a cage. You need to be free. You.... The reason you look upward is because you are born an eagle. The reason that you love to do that is because God made you thus. You can't stay cooped up in a chicken coop. You were made to be an eagle, to fly in the sky, the heavens above, to sail into the unknown, into the power of the living God.

You wasn't made to be like other birds. That's what's the matter tonight. That's what your hearts are hungering for, is to get loose and to get free, because you're an eagle, to begin with.

An eagle is a eagle, to start with. He was born an eagle. That's what makes him hunger and thirst for righteousness. But as long as you're standing in a cage that says, “The days of miracles is passed. Oh, don't listen to those fanatics. There's no divine healing. There's no baptism of the Holy Ghost. They're nothing but a bunch of holy-rollers.” Don't you believe that! Don't you believe that!

There is a man who has paid the price, who will open the door and [unclear words]. And fly homeward, through this power that's [unclear words]. That man is Jesus Christ. He died to take you out of devil's pawn shop, and to make you free in Christ Jesus, so you could search the heavens above [unclear words].

Yet, an eagle, all he hears, how much different he is from a chicken, but they are both birds. What is a chicken? A chicken is his denominational brother, but he's a chicken. How much different he is from a chicken. The eagle goes just as high as he can, and builds his nest in the cliff of the rock. And he gets up there so no predator can get to him.

That's the way a real preacher builds his church. As an eagle of God, He places it on the Word and the Spirit of God, so that the un... all the old gappers and old short-wearers, and cigar smokers, and hee-haw [unclear words] can't stand it. Because, He can send eagles so high, and born into the kingdom of God, that all the old [unclear words] of Elvis Presley and Arthur Godfrey, that bunch [unclear words]. Turn away from it. Because you are eagles [unclear words] Spirit of the living God. They're high ambitions....

Jesus said, “Ye are a city that sits on a hill, that gives light to everyone.” And the real church of God is built with ambition that won't stop on these certain organizations. It believes in the power and the resurrection of Christ, who soars beyond these old chicken nests that we have around here. That's right.

An old hen would build her nest.... Look how they take care of it. They sprinkle her, and dehydrate, or [unclear words]. They're putting on flea powder. All kinds of stuff like that. Indocumate them. What are they? Nothing but a [unclear words], a place for the [unclear words], a place for the world, a place for the sick, everything that comes along. Brother, a man that's born of the Spirit of God, don't have to be all indoctrinated, and join this certain church, and that certain circle. He's born of the Spirit of God. A free man depends on it, and depends on the living God to take care of him, regardless of what takes place. Your highest ambition to live for God.

The old chicken will get out to build her nest. They will build her a nest, a great big coop, and put a big bunch of wire over it, and put straw in it there, and everything like that. Just a domesticated bird, that's all there is to it. When she gets her little ones, they don't know nothing about the heavenlies.

But the eagle climbs up yonder, builds her nest. How many times have I watched them through my binoculars, up in the top of the mountain. You ought to watch the eagle, and how she takes care to build her nest. She will go out and get great big sticks. She will go right to little [unclear words] like this, just as high, there's not a [unclear words] and there's nothing can get to her.

I'm so glad that the church of the living God is built the same way. It's built above all the things of the world. It's so high above it, because they don't even look like it no more. If you love the world, the things of the world, the love of God is not even in you. That's right.

And then this old eagle will take these big sticks, and how she will put them in the little crevices, and she will build them around [unclear words]. Then she will go [unclear words]. She stills wraps them around, and tie that nest together, just as tight, so the winds can't blow it. How God takes care of His own!

And then she will go out, and she wants everything real cozy for her babies that's coming on. So, when she kills sheep or rabbits, she will bring that stuff in. And she will take her big beak, and stuff them little stickery places all full of rabbits skin, all full of sheep skins; and make it real soft and cozy.

That's the way God does when He brings one of His children into His care. He always makes the nest cozy [unclear words] and everything, all the burdens has rolled away. You're just a sheep when you're born again. God cares for you.

Then how she takes care of those little fellows; watches them, feeds them, takes care of them. She goes out and gets sheep. She goes and gets a fish. She watches their diet. And eagles eat off.... Spiritual eagles feed from the Word of the living God. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word.”

Man shall not live by denominations. He shall not live by creeds, or by prayers. He shall live by the Word of God. “Let every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God....” So he don't love the world no more; can't stand it. He has come out. He is not a buzzard. He's an eagle.

Notice, then, after a while, he comes to place that these little eagles begin to put forth feathers. How delighted the mother is to see these feathers in the little eagle. After while, they become pretty good size feathers. Now, remember, they've never been out of that nest. And that old mother eagle is determined that her kids will not be chicken. They will not have the habits of chickens.

I'm so glad of that, that God's children ... God is determined, by the Holy Ghost that His Spirit-filled children will not be formal, denominated, so-called Christians. He's determined of that.

And after they get the feathers out a little bit. Then there comes a time, what they call “the stirring of the nest.” I've watched it many times. That old mother eagle will come down one day, she will look over these little fellows, and she will say, “All right”; she will get them to stand up. She will stand up on her nest. She will take those great big wings of hers, and she will go to fanning that nest just as hard as she can. Why? After a while she's going to take those little eagles on a solo flight. They're not going to be chickens, earthbound.

“Days of miracles is passed. And there is no such thing as this and that. And....”

But she's going to give them a solo flight. And if those feathers are loose, it will break their neck. So she has to fan all the loose feathers off of them, with her own wings, before she can take them on the solo flight.

Brother, I'm telling you, if the Pentecostal church ever needs a wing fanning, it's right now, to get all the loose feathers off of it. That's right. Too loose, too loose of the things of the world. All these churches are guilty of the same thing, from one to the other.

And notice, she has to get those feathers out of them. If they don't, they will break their neck. And there is too many loose feathers. And she has got the equipment to do it with. She's got two big wings. And God has got the equipment to do it with, both Old and New Testament. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.

What do you think takes place when those little eagles has been born in that cleft in the rock, covered by their mother all the time, and the first time they feel the mighty rushing wind coming down?

But somehow God has a way of stirring the nest by a mighty rushing wind. Even on the day of Pentecost, that meeting or another, mighty rushing winds of the Holy Ghost, to fan the loose feathers out of the Pentecostal church. You know it's the truth. You Baptist, Presbyterian, and the rest of you. You need all the loose feathers fanned out. You can't say a thing; they'll cut your neck.

And you sisters, there's no need of trying to think about it. No wonder you can't make it.

Now, you take an old hen and put her out there, she would disintegrate. That's right. She can't stand it. She's got to be a eagle, or she can't stand it. You can't take it. And you got to be born again before you can ever understand and see the supernatural. That's right.

That old eagle stands there, and she fans the feathers all out of it. Oh, brother, what a time! Then the next thing she does, she gets in there and takes all of those sheepskins, and things that she stuck down in that nest; take her peak and throws them out over the hill. She is determined they're not going to be chickens. And she's going to make that nest so miserable for them that they have to get out.

So then, we have them standing on thorns. Every time you sit down, it's a thorn. Everywhere, it's a thorn. Everywhere you stop, it's a thorn. God does that for a purpose. The old eagle wants to make them that way.

And did you notice when the mighty rushing wind hit you, and you begin to go inside God? Everywhere you hit was a thorn. You try [unclear words] testimony [unclear words]. And as soon as you tell your best friend, he said, “Huh! Got you a holy-roller, hasn't you?” A thorn. Get ready. You're going to take a ride, that's the only thing I can tell you. God is just making you ready.

Get over to the pastor, say, “Pastor, last night when I was praying, all at once something happened to me; my life is changed and I feel different.”

“Now, here, don't you go to stretching that around our church.” Another thorn.

He makes the nest so miserable till you have to get out. You just can't take it anymore. Because, if you don't, can't take that, that shows you wasn't an eagle to begin with.

Then, after a while, when he gets it all ... gets them all dissatisfied, then the old mother eagle comes up to the nest. And, you know, really the little eagle hasn't seen what size bird his mommy is. So she gets on the nest.... You ought to see it, it's a real drama. And she gets on the nest, and she goes to cooing to them. Coos to them, in eagle voice. Oh, that sounds good! Then she stretches out her big wings. “See how big I am?”

And them little fellows begin say, “Oh, mama! What a great bird you are.” Now, some of them, them eagles stretch fourteen feet, across the wing—wing spread. They could pick up a calf and pack it away. And that little eagle never realized what a mother he had, until he begin to look up to her. And she begin to show her power.

A lot of you people are sitting here sick, tonight. You Baptist, and Methodist, and Presbyterian, the doctor sends you down, and you Pentecostals, is because God is trying to show you ... take you up yonder. Spreads forth His power, and says, “Look how great I am.”

God's going to take you on a flight, one of these days. And He wants you to know “How great Thou art.”

Did you ever turn at night and look at the solar system? How that those little old stars and moons is nothing but insects, little grains of dust on his feathers. Sure, “How great Thou art!”

And say, “He can't heal the sick?” What type of a pastor would that be?

“How great Thou art!” He wants you to look at Him. Why? He wants to take you on a ride. He wants to give something to you. Because, ain't you tired being a chicken? You don't want to be chicken. Let's be an eagle.

So, then, sets forth her great wings, said, “Look, how great I am!” Show those great big wings. “You see how great I am?” They feel that cool breeze coming in.

That's the way a man, when he gets down before God, and the Holy Spirit begins to move in on him. “How great Thou art! How great Thou art!”

“Trust Me! Can you trust Me?”

And the little eagle stretched their wings, say, “Mama, I'm just like you are. I'm ready.” She's hovering over her nest. She's fluttering over her young. And each one of those little eagles.... She soars those big wings down, each little eagle climbs up there and sets his little paws down in her great big strong wings. Takes his little beak, presses a hold of the feathers. You couldn't pull it out with a pair of pliers. Say now. It has to be, to hold that little one.

Oh, blessed be the Lord! Hold to God's unchanging hand. Nothing in my arms I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling. Let the world say, “Holy-roller, fanatic, divine healer,” whatever they want to. Let me hold to God's unchanging hand. Set my hopes infallibly. Not in your merits of any church, or any priest, or any preacher. But set my faith in the merits of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who set me free from the law of sin and death. Certainly. Let me hold to His unchanging hand, when I take the flight.

After a while, when all the little eaglets are gathered on her wing.... I like to think of that.

I was coming to Gary, Indiana, sometime ago, where Brother Goad here is from. And they taken me up to show me the mill, the steel mills. I thought, “Oh, this is wonderful. I've always wondered how this would be.”

And each man at his bench was working, his lathes, you know, shavings on the floor. And a little whistle blowed. Every man swept the shavings right out in the middle of the floor from his steel work.

And I said, “What are you going to do, sir?”

Said, “Stand here, Mr. Branham, and you will see something.”

I said, “All right.” I stood there. After a while, there the whistle blowed; all the men went out. And then after all of them went out, he pressed a little button. And I heard something coming in a distance, a roar, roar, roar.

I thought, “What's that?” And down through, it come. It was a great big magnet. And as it crossed over that floor, right down that aisle, all those shavings picked right up on it, and went out to the cupola. They demagnetized it, and it dropped in to be molded over again.

I said, “Hallelujah!”

He said, “Sir?”

I said, “I said, 'Hallelujah.' It means 'praise our God.'”

He said, “I didn't know it.”

I said, “Where does that stuff go?”

He said, “It's to be molded and made over.”

I said, “I'm thinking of another great magnet that's coming someday. And it's going to take this old [unclear words] of a body of mine, and is going to mold it over again.” I said, “I want to ask you something. Why didn't all those shavings go?”

He said, “Sir, some of them are aluminum. They was not magnetized to it.”

I said, “Praise the Lord.” I said, “What's the matter with that piece iron there, didn't go?”

He said, “It's bolted down.”

I said, “That's it. That's it.”

Oh, don't be demagnetized or be bolted down to some creed. But free in Christ when He comes, and when His Spirit goes to pick you up and make you a new creature, and mold you into His own fashion.

As I notice this old eagle, as I go with her again. She squealed three of four times, real squeaky. And she set her big wings out, and she picked those little birds up, and she went up, up, up, up. The air got thinner. They would have perished if they wasn't eagles. But she knowed what they was. They were her own brood.

If God ever make you a promise, and you here step out on it, He will give you breathe ... breath to breathe; He will give you grace to stand. He will give you grace. Let's step out on His wings of promise, see if He won't do it.

And soaring so high, way in the air. Now, here's the funny part about it. When she got up there, you know what she done? She shook them every one off, off of her wings. They wasn't going to be chickens. They had to fly. But those little old eagles, they would turn up-side-down, flip-flop. What was the matter? They was topsy-turvy, and everything else. They didn't care. They were flying. You think that she'd go away from them? No, sir. She just throwed them out to one side, and begin to watch them. Oh, my! If one of them got out of cater, she'd pick him up.

Amazing grace would pick him up, and lift him right back up again, into the....

Oh, He's real. His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. I may not be formal. I may be all out of cater, but I'm trying to fly anyhow, having a good old Pentecostal jubilee, flopping my Pentecostal wings, is a flopping in the air as hard as I can. And seeing the place of God, just as hard as I know how I do. And He's the same.... Why?

He's not scared. And this is his mommy. He's an eagle, to begin with. He's not afraid. And though he turns over, and upside-down, if he gets too far out of cater, she reaches right down, picks him up, and bears him right back up in the strength again. He's not afraid of us. So, he learns how to fly.

Oh, how much different it is with a chicken [unclear words]. She just walks around the barnyard with her earthbound, that's all she knows.

One day a guy was going to set a hen. And he only had fourteen eggs. How many is a setting? Fifteen, isn't it? And he couldn't find that other egg, so they say he found an eagle's egg. And he set that eagle's egg and put it under a hen. And when all of them was hatched out, that was the funniest looking little creature, to them chickens, that they ever saw. Just about....

That's about the way we get them in the church, about one out of a setting. That's right. He may be an odd-looking bird, but he's a eagle. “Oh, we're going down to the ladies aid society.”

“Thank you, I don't really want to go.”

“Don't you want to play pool, tonight?”

“Don't think so!” They're about one of a setting. That's about the way they run.

So it was a strange thing to watch this little old eagle. How he would look around. He couldn't learn the habits of those chickens. Well, they scratched in the manure pile; he didn't know nothing about that.

And these people is down here drinking little sociable drink, and going to horse races, and watching Arthur Godfrey, and Elvis Presley and “We Love Suzy” and don't go to prayer meeting. A real Christian can't understand those things. They hear a “Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, come over here tonight. Cluck, cluck, cluck, we all are Christian. Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, so we can see 'Who Loves Suzy.'”

The little eagle said, “I don't get that. There's just something about me, don't want to do the thing.”

I'm so glad of that, aren't you?

“I just can't understand why they do it.” That is an eagle, to begin with. He was born an eagle. No matter, he might have been born in a hen's nest, but he's an eagle. Oh, my! He's an eagle because he was an eagle to begin with. His life was an eagle.

So the old hens get around there, and scratch in these old dead things, and eat old carcass that wasn't no good. The little eagle just couldn't stand that diet, and he couldn't understand why they did. So, one day he realized, out in the barnyard.... He just couldn't understand why everything was going like that, and why he had to be the ugly bird of the bunch then, so much different the rest of them.

And the old mammy happened fly over the barnyard. She knowed that was her young one. And she screamed, “Sonny, you're not a chicken. You're mine!”

Oh, I remember when I heard it. Do you? “Come out of that stuff! Come out from among them! Be ye separated, saith God. Touch not the unclean thing! And I will receive you. You will be sons and daughters to Me, and I will be God to you. Don't mix yourself up with unbelievers. But come out of it.” If there ever was a coming out time, it ought to be right now. Come out and separate yourself from the things of the world.

That old eagle said, “Hey, that sounds real.” Maybe he went to church [unclear words] somebody said, “Amen! Glory to God! Hallelujah!” That sounds just right. That fitted his nature, you see. He was a eagle to start with. Know what happened? He turned his little head, begin to look upward, look around. Said, “Sure! That's where I ought to be. But the rest of them is not gone up there.”

He said to the old mammy hen, “Can anyone get up there?”

“No, don't you start that fanaticism among my chickens. Don't you start teaching them things around here. We will excommunicate you right away.”

The first thing you know, another revival come through. Here, eagle flew over; she said, “Young man, you're not a chicken. You're mine. Raise up.”

Said, “Well, mommy, how do I get there? They tell me I have to stay here.”

Said, “Just run and flop your wings, honey, I will catch you.” So little junior made a jump, and flopped his wings, and hit on the barnyard post, right in the middle of a Pentecostal organization. Right out of the Baptist church, into a Pentecostal organization.

And the old mother passed by again, she said, “Junior, if you can't jump higher than that, I can't get you.”

You've got to come higher than your organization. Get out in the supernatural, God's Holy Spirit. If you're an eagle, God has got your heart, Brother [unclear name] everything you got, to fly [unclear words]. Amen!

Eagles eat eagles food. Hallelujah! You can't be a chicken. A chicken can't be an eagle. You're predestinated, by God, to be eagle. You were born to be eagles. You're part of the eagle family. Your spirit come from God, who created the heavens and earth, who did all things. And He made the earth out of things that wasn't.

If you're His child, you say, “Amen” to everything He says. It's the truth. And you stand on His Word. If the Holy Spirit is in you, it witness back to God that You're His child, and no bunch of creeds or denomination holds you away from God. You will go, because you are God's.

And oh, the Holy Spirit of God screams over the building, screams over the people, works among us.

Here the other night, when He was speaking, calling, showing the people that He was just the same yesterday, today, and forever. He's here, tonight, the same way.

Let's bow our heads just a minute. I want to ask you something. If you're not an eagle, would you like to be an eagle? Raise your hand. Say, “God, catch my hand as it raise it up!” God bless you. That's good. That's right. “Make me an eagle, Lord. I haven't been, but I want to be. I want to get into the sphere where denominations won't hold me.”

I don't say, pull away from your denomination now, you Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostals. I don't say that. But be an eagle in it. There's other eagles in there.

Raise your hands, and say, “God, take my hand. Catch me right here tonight, and bring me up into the heavenlies.” Sure, He is God. You don't [unclear words] divine healing, because you were born to believe it. There is something in you, says it's real.

Lord God, take these hands that's been raised. Bring them out of the old nest, and let them know that the Spirit of God that's here now, is calling them to a deeper walk, to a greater experience; not just an experience of putting their name on a book, walking out; putting their name on a Pentecostal book, or any kind of a book, and walking out. But it means being born again by the Holy Spirit.

God, let the scream of the Holy Spirit echo in their hearts, deep, tonight. May they rise and be filled with the Spirit. And someday when You come, they will fly away into the heavens by Your Spirit and by Your grace. Grant it, in Jesus' name. Amen.

You love Him? Without the music ... or, give us the chord: “I Love Him.” How many knows it? Let's sing it now. All right, “I Love Him.” Everybody now.

I love Him, I love Him

Because He first loved me

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

Let's sing it again now.

I love Him, I love Him

Because He first loved me

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

[Blank spot on tape.]

Saviour divine;

Now hear me while I pray,

Take all my guilt away....

[Blank spot on tape.]

As the mother eagle flew over her little one, calling, calling, “Come up, sonny! Come up!” You will notice. It was for you. The great Holy Spirit, the Pillar of Fire, comes over this building tonight [unclear words], “My son, you were born of My Spirit.” The Lord Jesus is here.

How many Christians is in here? Raise your hand. Raise your hand. Raise your hand, your hands way up high. God bless you. You don't need prayer cards. I believe the Holy Spirit tells me right now, He wants to prove to you He's God, that He's here [unclear words] in the building. We don't have no prayer card [unclear words]. Don't need them. I believe that God right now is fixing to do something. Amen.

You that's got on your heart.... How many was in the meeting the other night, here, to see how Jesus does that they ... how the woman touched His garment, and He came and told her [unclear words].

Now have faith and believe. Oh, I just.... In my.... I can't tell you. It's a sight. What a sight! There are five senses control the body: see, taste, feel, smell, and hear. But the sixth sense is faith. You don't see faith, smell, or hear, but it's there. Just like this microphone is here before me, because I see it. If there was a man standing here I could see it. But, the only way I could tell if a man moves, is to watch him. But in this anointing that's now, I know so anyhow. When He moves, I can tell it. You pray with your need.

This God, right here now, where we're standing. And every one of you know that I'm a stranger to you. If God will do something for you here, like He did in His Son, where He promised He would do, how many of you would love Him and know that He's the eagle, that our hearts [unclear words].

God can see your hand. I'm Your servant. They are, too. Let it be done, Lord, that they might know that You're God, and I'm telling them truth. I might not be able to polish up a sermon, like a minister ought to, but, Lord, I do know You. And I know that You are here. Help, Lord. Now, You speak the Word tonight, send the [unclear words]. You speak the Word, in Your own language. And in Jesus' name we commit ourselves to You. Amen.

Just sit quiet. Believe.

There was a woman touched His garment. She went out in the audience. And Jesus turned, said, “Who touched Me?” His Holy Spirit, that I speak of, is the same today, living in His church, then He has to act the same. He's the Holy Spirit.

You that's sick now, pray. Tomorrow night we will be the regular healing night; tonight is, too.

Here. Yes, sir. Stand there just a minute, you that's standing. I don't know you. Hope you haven't got a prayer card; may not know what one is. Do you believe me to be His servant? If Christ will reveal to me what's your trouble, will you accept it, believe you'll be healed, and whatever you're needing?

And you know, sitting right there, and looking at me, something is going on right now. If that's right, raise up your hand. I never seen you, in my life. This is probably out first time ever meeting. But if you will believe with all your heart, the heart trouble has left you. You have heart trouble, didn't you? If that's right, wave your hand like this. Go back and sit down.

By the way, that man sitting next to you there, had heart trouble, too, right next to you. That's right. You couldn't hide your life from me, if you had to. But when I told that man, it made you alarmed. Can you believe? That's right. Now you go and be healed. Jesus Christ makes you well. If that's right, stand up on your feet, mister. There you are.

I challenge you to believe. Hallelujah. The old mother eagle is calling to you. Some of you, believe. Some of you, believe; by faith, believe.

Sit reverent. Don't move around. Someone in the audience. The little fellow with his hand up, you got heart trouble, too; had an awful spell today [unclear words] and then another. But it's heart trouble, sir; weak and nervous condition. Forget it. Go home; be well!

You come a long ways, and was disappointed on your way road coming here. Something tore up. It will be all right. Don't worry; [unclear words]. I don't know you. God does.

What about this young lady sitting here, looking at me so sincerely? Do you believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Do you believe I'm His servant? Do you believe this Spirit here, this Spirit that's in me.... You're needing prayer, aren't you? If I'd tell, by God's Spirit, just like the woman touched His garment, you touched Him, too. I never seen you in my life, did I? Don't know nothing about you. But you got spinal trouble. That's right. You did have; you don't have now. Go home and be well.

Do you believe?

What about some of you over in this way? Somebody over here go to believe. You believe with all your heart? What about you, lady, sitting there? You put up your hand, you need healing? You, sitting there on the end. I don't know you. Never seen you in my life, as far as I know of. You might have seen me, but I don't know you. If God will explain to me, will let me know that you touched His garment.... Something happened. I wouldn't speak to you unless that Angel was standing right there over you. That light, did you ever see the picture of it? Well, That's exactly what's making you feel the way are. He's right over you. I never seen you in my life. That's right. If it is, raise up your hand, that I'm a stranger to you.

[Blank spot on tape.] You got a strange spirit, which is a goiter inside your neck. You're not from this country. You come from a place that's below here. You come from Orlando, Florida. That's exactly right, “Thus saith the Lord.”

Do you believe? Oh, His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

All that believe Him, stand on your feet, and give Him praise and glory. Worship Him! This is your hour of worship. May the Lord God grant it.