ALMOST HOME ----------------Chapter 5 and 6 (end)

I like the song, It took a Miracle to Put the Stars in Space. It took a Miracle to Hang the Moon in Place. “But when He saved my soul,” the song says, “it took the greatest miracle of all.”

A fool says that there is no God. It sure took a divine architect to make man. He made us in His image for a purpose – to fellowship with Him through all eternity, and to love, and He is no respecter of persons.

The Bible says, “Blessed are those that have not seen and yet believe.” I am sorry to say that I had to see first – before I could believe.

In Chicago, before the service began one night, two fellows were trying to put doubt in my mind about having the Holy Spirit. Feeling a little discouraged, I sat way back in the crowd. When Brother Branham started the prayer line, he said “I cannot do anything until the Angel of the Lord comes first.” Then he said, “He is here now,” and as usual, a holy hush went over the audience. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit is over the audience now.”

After this, he pointed to several sick people in different parts of the congregation as the Angel of the Lord showed him. He told each of them their sicknesses, and then to raise their faith, he told some of them their names and addresses, and also why and how long they had been sick.

All at once, I felt a strange feeling come over me. Brother Branham said, “Little fellow there, stand on your feet.” I was not going to stand because I thought it was only for sick people. But then he said, “You have been seeking the Holy Ghost.”

I stood up. “You have got it,” he said, and I passed out right there. Now, I had never passed out before, although I had gotten plenty of bad bumps, like the one I got while working in a coal mine in Alaska. At that time, I had fallen about 20 feet headfirst down into a storage room, after trying to dislodge a big chunk of coal which was plugging up the coal chute. I had hurt my shoulder and was not able to lift my right arm above my head for about two years. Then I had gone to my first William Branham meeting. The first night, Brother Branham said to the people, “You don't have to come to the platform; God can heal you right where you are,“ and my arm snapped in-place, and has been well ever since.

Well, at the Chicago meeting, I had passed out, and somehow, I was transported across the aisle to the other side. It happened so fast that nobody noticed it. Two fellows later told me that it had happened so fast – they thought they had seen me come down and fall between the benches on the other side, but it was like a flash.

While I was lying there, Brother Branham said (I heard it on tape later), “That man is from Switzerland, and all he told about me was the truth.”

When I came to, I was amazed to see where I had come from, and where I was. When I went back to y seat, the fellow sitting next to me said, stuttering “ You...you...just disappeared.”

The Bible says in Romans 8:11, “The Spirit that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.” At the rapture of His church, our mortal bodies will be given new life. Praise God, I believe it will happen soon for all those who really love God. I am excited because God's Word never fails!

In Mathew 11:29, Jesus said, “Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. “ A hitchhiker found that rest. I picked him up somewhere on the north side of Milwaukee, one night after midnight. I asked him several questions., but he wouldn't talk. Then after some time, he pulled a big knife out of his coat pocket, and said, “Do you know why I've got this?” I couldn't talk – I was so scared! I thought then I finally had picked up the wrong one. He kept growling, “I hate the police, I hate the police,!” He told me, “I've been in New York jails for years, and the first policeman I run into is going to get it.”

After I got my breath back, I said, “That would be too bad for you.”

He said, “I don't care what happens to me.” He hated God and everyone else and said that he didn't want to live, although he was just a young fellow.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“To Appleton, that's my home – but my parents don't want me either. Look at me!”

He was shabby appearing. He felt, “Who would want me, the way I look?” I told him that when I was his age, I had felt the same way. I hadn't cared to live either, but I had discovered that God was not willing that any should perish, and wanted everyone to have eternal life.

By the time we got to Appleton, he wanted to know what church I attended. He wanted to go to the same one I did, he told me.

“Now I can go to my mom and dad,” he said. “I am different,” he added happily.

What are you going to do with that knife?” I asked.

I'll give it to Ma for a bread knife,” he answered. This man found rest for his troubled soul, through learning of Jesus..

Jesus said if He would be lifted up, He would draw all men unto Himself. He is everything to me – the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star, the Great I Am. In Revelation 1:8, it says, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.”

Colossians 3:17 says, “Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Colossians 2:9,10 says. “For in Him (Jesus) dwelleth all the Fullness of the Godhead bodily.” That's why I suppose, when Jesus said in Mathew 28:19, to “Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost” Paul and Peter, simply by revelation did just that (Acts 19:5; and Acts 2:38), knowing that the Father,Son,and Holy Ghost is the fullness of the Godhead in Jesus Christ, and we are complete in Him.

It must have been a pretty good formula – 3,000 souls were added to the church (body of Christ) the day Peter preached this. They continued to baptize this way throughout the New Testament, and until 325 A.D. Church history shows that that is when the ?Roman Catholic Church started their organization at the Nicaean Council. After this,they started baptizing babies, using the titles, Father, Son and Holy Ghost instead of the name of Jesus Christ.

I would tell you a little more about William Branham and why I believe he came on the scene, and how God so strongly drew my attention to contact him. Some people say that Branham got a little off the track towards the end of his ministry. I believe that if God could reveal to him the secrets of men's hearts, He could also reveal to him His Word. His Word is a discerner of men's hearts.

When William Branham was born, a supernatural light came into the old log cabin, where he was born. His mother and the midwife were frightened by this strange phenomenon. Throughout his childhood, he could foretell things, and also saw many visions which always came to pass. He was born a prophet. I would like to point you to Malachi, Chapters 3 and 4, to see for yourself if he does not have a place there. Malachi Three shows that the Spirit of Elijah came in John the Baptist, to be the forerunner of Jesus' first coming. The disciples asked Jesus, “We thought Elijah must first come,” Jesus said, “He has already come (speaking of John the Baptist) and they knew him not” (Mathews 17:12). But in Mathew 17:11, Jesus said “Elijah truly shall first come (future) and restore all things, “ meaning, I believe, Malachi 4:5. Jesus told them that this Elijah that you are talking about is John the Baptist.

Malachi 4:5 tells us, “Behold, I wills end you Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.” This prophet spoken of has to come before the tribulation period, that is, the great and dreadful day of the LORD.

According to the Bible, we see that we are in the last Church Age, or the Laodicean Age, and that it also had to have a messenger. Who is it? It had to be a prophet. This prophet or messenger has to be free of any church denomination because his message would be for all . Who can take the place of Malachi 4:5? He must turn the hearts of the children, meaning us, back tot he original fathers at Pentecost, William Branham has proved to do that – worldwide, including myself.

The following verse says, “and the hearts of the fathers to the children,” According to Luke 1:17, this was the Spirit of Elijah in John the Baptist, turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, as we read:  Luke 1:17, “ And he shall go before Him (Jesus) in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children...” Peter, Paul and all the other disciples came after this so this means then that they were the children.

I believe with all my heart that God wants us to know that His Word in Malachi 4:5 has now also been fulfilled, in the person of William Branham, another sign to show how close we are to the end of this present dispensation. He sent him with such great signs and wonders, that we might believe. This I dare not disbelieve.

Chapter 6 (last chapter)   It's later than you think

People always talk about what God has done long ago, or what he is going to do, but often miss what He had done right now in our time~ It is later than we think!

In closing, I want to mention that I almost did not get to write this little book. Some time ago as I came from work to my little apartment that I had rented for a while., I met an ex-convict. He had been in the State Prison for armed robbery. He did not have a place to sleep so I invited him to my apartment. There I made him something to eat and talked to him about salvation through Christ. It was about two o'clock in the morning.

All at once, this huge Indian,probably 25 years old, acted very strange, and a weird look came into his eyes. He reached for a big butcher knife that was on the table and came right at me. I grabbed hold of his arm, that held the knife and held it up in the air. He was almost a foot taller than I, and of course, I was no match for him, but it was almost funny. He kept struggling with all the strength he had, trying to get the knife down and into me, but I just kept his arm up with only one hand for a long time without any effort at all.

Finally I thought: "I don't want to hold you like that 'til morning,” so I decided to run into the bedroom then the living room, and then back into the kitchen. When I let go of his arm, he came tearing after me. All at once, I turned around and said, "Put it away!" He was sort of startled, and then took hold of the sharp end of the knife, and handed me the handle end. Then he held both hands up in the air. He looked scared and said, "Pray for me."

Evidently my time was not up yet, maybe I had to write this book first. Here again it shows what the Bible means when it says: "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world."

So far I have only been telling you the good things., I am not going to tell you how many times I have failed the Lord, for which I am ashamed, but He has forgiven me over and over again. It is only by His amazing grace! I am totally depending on that grace and now I'm happy in Jesus.

If you think this life that we have now is "life", I wish you could get a glimpse of Eternal life. I saw a little of it once in a vision. The best part of it all is it can be yours right now. Just accept the Lifegiver, Jesus Christ, then you can say with Paul in I Corinthians 15:55 "O Death, where is thy sting? Oh Grave, where is thy victory? But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. "

Death will just be a fascinating experience, I believe that. "I am almost home!" If I go first, I will be waiting for you there on the other shore – where roses never fade.