Brother and Sister Baker
About 58 years ago a few families came out of the Church of God, along with the pastor Carl Isaacson and his family, and started playing tapes in Brother and Sister Baker's home, about 15 miles east of Sierra Vista, Arizona. This was an old railroad depot made into a home, miles back on "the backside of the desert", as Brother Branham called it when he preached Victory Day, 63-0421 and Shalom, 64-0112 at their home. Brother Carl played Brother Branham's tapes from that time for 50 years, and then his son John continued the tape services up till now. The Baker’s children did not stay with the Message, apparently not teaching their children about Brother Branham and the Message. However, Sister Baker prayed for and claimed all her children decades ago. Some of them lived in a couple of rundown buildings also at the depot.
Sheldon Strite:
I started in the jail ministry seven years ago and lately had gotten discouraged, because due to the jail’s high turn-over rate and the minimal contact, it is rare to see spiritual growth in the inmates. I was meeting random groups for one hour just twice a month. In October 2018, as I sat down around the table with about ten inmates before we started the service, one of the inmates, Jeremy, began to talk. “I have been reading this book called An Exposition of The Seven Church Ages (that he found in jail), and I have been praying for a confirmation. I called home and talked to my mom, and she said that Brother Branham came down to the river and preached.”
I thought, “There is no better way to identify myself than to pull the Church Age Book out of my own Bible case,” which I did.
He said, “That’s it!”
But I am still thinking, “Who is this guy? Who is his mom? What river is he talking about?”
After asking a few questions, to my surprise, I learned that he was Mary Baker’s grandson, and he also is great grandson to Brother Sam Connelly that Brother Branham mentions on the message, “The Oddball 64-0614e.” Jeremy had lived down by the river where Brother Branham preached. But most importantly was that he had latched on to everything he had read in the Church Ages Book, and it had changed his life. The Word had struck the seed. He told me that the book he has is broken, so I let him have the one I was carrying.
Two weeks later, the chaplain granted that I could see the same group again. This time we got on the subject of baptism. Several inmates, including Jeremy, said they felt that the next step in their lives was baptism, but the jail doesn’t have baptismal facilities. The inmates have to find someone to baptize them when they get out or at the State prison yards.
Brother Sheldon baptizing Brother Jeremy
John Isaacson:
Jeremy was eligible for five weeks leave before getting sentenced to five years in prison. His attorney was not making this happen. Instructed by one of the guards, Jeremy went to the law library in the jail, and somehow the computer was open to the page with the information Jeremy needed to obtain his leave. On November 20, 2018, as he left the jail, he called Sheldon wanting to be baptized. The next day he arrived at the pond on our ranch, 25 miles southeast of Sierra Vista, for baptism. As we stood on the bank and I was reading Acts 2:38, the Holy Spirit came down where we stood. Jeremy asked, “Am I supposed to be feeling like this? I have never felt this way before! I can hardly breathe, and my heart is pounding!”
I assured him that he was standing in the Presence of the Lord. After the baptism, while still standing at the pond, Jeremy said it was the first time in his life he had felt peace and assurance. Then Sheldon took him to the home where we have service now and stream the Branham Tabernacle services.
Sheldon Strite:
While showing Jeremy where we have church, we also pulled some books from the library. He needed the “Seventy Weeks of Daniel” and a couple of other messages. After a few moments of checking various book titles, he reached down to the “Conduct, Order, and Doctrine” books. He opened the one he picked up and inside the front cover was signed, “Dewey Baker.” He exclaimed, “That’s my Grandpa!”
John Isaacson:
Now we do not believe that any of these happenings were coincidence! We believe it was ordained of Almighty God. Jeremy came to our streaming services when he could during his leave. The first service he attended was, “The Stature Of A Perfect Man”, 62-1014M. When it was mentioned that the three-hour service was kind of long, he said, “That was for me. This is what I needed right now.”
The last service before Jeremy’s return to prison was on January 6, 2019. Brother Joseph played the message, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”, 60-1204M, and served communion. It was a very special time, although we all were sorrowful that he had to go back. At the end, Brother Branham started singing, “He Careth for You.” Then Brother Joseph continued to sing it as teardrops fell in our hearts. Jeremy took communion with us in his last service before going back to prison.
Brother John Isaacson
Jeremy is now in prison with a ministry of his own, sharing the Message with his fellow prisoners. He says when he gets out he will be right back with us again. Last month the prison doctors did a blood test on him, and said he showed the possibility of a tumor or cancer in the brain. He placed it into the hands of God, and when the MRI was completed, it showed no tumor or cancer. Please pray for Brother Jeremy.
God bless you all,
Brother John Isaacson and the saints at Sierra Vista Fellowship