From that time

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Wonder if we could just raise our hands and sing real quietly like, you know, softly rather, "Now I believe."
Now I believe, now I believe.
All things are possible, now I believe.
Now I believe, now I believe.
All things are possible, now I believe.
Let us bow our heads now for a word of prayer. Gracious heavenly Father, we come to Thee tonight humbly in the spirit of prayer and thanksgiving to offer to Thee the adoration of our hearts, praying that You will receive us as Thy children, forgiving us of all of our sins, and healing us of all of our diseases, that Thy Word might be made manifest among us. If there would be some here who does not know Thee as their personal Saviour, we pray, O Lord God, that this will be the night when they will become acquainted with Thee and know Thee as their dear and loving Saviour, Father of their being.

2 I pray tonight for all that's sick and needy, that Thy Holy Spirit may heal them tonight.
Bring back, O Lord, the backslider that has strayed from the way. Remember those who are just about ready to fall from the way, that the feeble hands that once hung down be lifted up. We pray, heavenly Father, that You'll speak to us tonight in an outstanding way through Thy Word, bringing the message of the hour to our hearts.
Remember other meetings that's going on throughout the city and nation and around the world, that your servants may have power tonight to preach the Holy Spirit, the baptism, the coming. Give them signs and wonders to accompany their ministry that it might be known that we're living in the last days. May we prepare our hearts as we wait for His coming. In the name of the Lord Jesus we ask it. Amen. You may be seated.

3 It's good tonight to be back in this arena. Most everyone knows that this is where I first started at the ... meeting the public was in a boxing ring. When I was a young boy, I was fighting in Golden Gloves; and then from that went into professional fighting and won fifteen straight professional fights. Came to the Lord, and finished my career of fighting the first night I met the Lord Jesus. That settled it. The last fight I had was in an arena at Evansville, Indiana, with Billy Frick from Huntington, West Virginia.
And now, tonight, I'm not fighting my brother; I have a new opponent, the devil. And I know you have to watch him because he hits low and foul. And all of his licks are like that. But I'm so glad that we have a referee, a real one---the Lord Jesus. He's the captain of our salvation. I pray tonight that God will give us the victory and will give us the... He has done evil, Satan has, to the people, making them sick and afflicted and making them slaves to sin. But Jesus is here tonight to free us from all these things, to bless and help His loving children. To Him we give praise forever and ever.

4 Now, we got quite a little stay this time in Phoenix. We're out here now in this "Madison Square Garden," and... I've always had an ambition to preach the gospel at Madison Square Garden. It's finally arrived. And I think on its journey from the north out here it must have shrunk up a little bit. Think the Madison Square Garden in New York seats about twenty thousand, nineteen thousand people. I've had many services (three outstanding services) at St. Nicholas arena. That's where they do much of their wrestling and fighting. The Lord blessed us there with packed out ... several times around seven-, eight thousand for two or three nights that we'd be there. Usually that's the jumping board before going overseas.
But as the days begin to count up with me ... and the American people are all out for youth today. As you begin to get just a little age, they look for the young men, something with glamour. It's just the trend of the nation---the boy, the kid.

5 If a man was going to be operated on, he sure wouldn't want to get some little doctor that never had an operation before. He'd want to get an experienced doctor. It used to be in the days of Dwight Moody and so forth, in the Bible times, it wasn't so. You didn't see the children preachers and so forth. They took a man who was aged and knowed what he was talking about, that went through the great knocks. But today America's all sold out for youth. Well, we got a judge in our state, I think twenty-two to twenty-three years old. A judge of the circuit court twenty-two years old. They'll have a beatnik president after awhile. It looks like that the youth can just take ... these kids they take over everything. But the coming of the Lord is at hand. That's my theme, that's what I believe. That's what I'm trying to get to the people: the coming of the Lord.

6 Many of you might have wondered why that I haven't had healing services since I've been in Phoenix. That's for a purpose. And I believe that... Last evening when we were going home, I was talking to Billy, my son. And there was several come up at the altar out at the church where we were at the last three nights, and I've seen those people at the altar weeping. And Billy said to me, said, "Dad, when you want us to give out prayer cards, let us know."
I said, "I'll let you know." But I said, "Billy, if there..." I'll say at least ten sinners, or maybe more, came up to the altar weeping. I said, "I feel better over those ten sinners coming than I would have ten wheel chairs being emptied up, because that's lasting, see." I really appreciate healing---anyone knows that---but I like to see that healing of the soul which is so needed today.

7 In the other lands, over in Africa and Asia (I just come from overseas; going back again, the Lord willing, right away), and in there divine healing is wonderful. It works miracles to the soul. America has been combed back and forth, back and forth, all kinds of divine healings; and therefore the people should have faith to believe God for healing. But I come to Phoenix for fellowship. I come to Phoenix to fellowship with my brethren, to express and to find what they have found in the Lord, tell them what I have found in the Lord, and have a little time down here. Where we're having blizzards and snows in Indiana, be down here. In a week or two I'm in Tulsa, and then I guess from there over to Stuttgart, Germany, and on through Europe.

8 But now while we're here, this meeting ... everybody's welcome. If you're a Protestant, Catholic, Jew, yellow, black, brown, white, no matter what your belief is, what your religious thoughts are, you're welcome. There'll be no difference, we're one in Christ Jesus. We are brethren, sisters, and that's the way we want to feel. And after a bit ... I think when we begin to see the sick coming in to be healed and so forth, we'll be praying for the sick. I haven't had... There's no prayer cards been given out at all since I've been in Phoenix. Who has a prayer card? No one. We haven't given them out. May not. We don't know... We want to follow the simplicity of the Holy Spirit.

9 I've found this as I get older... See, I just passed twenty-five a few months ago; that's the second time I passed. And so I'm... My, that sounds old, doesn't it? Don't only sound it, it is. But He renews my youth daily. I feel better than I did when I was passing it the first time. I was just a young Baptist preacher then, and I thought I was the defender of the faith and had to tear up everything that wasn't Baptist. And so I found out other fellows had a little part of the cover, too. You know, the cot gets pretty narrow sometimes, so there's enough cover to cover us all up if we... That is the blood of Jesus Christ, if we'll just accept it that way.

10 I'm wondering, I'm watching... You wonder why I'm speaking, watching around like this. I'm seeing the audience, how they're ... seems like they don't hear so well. Can you hear around back under the ... back there, can you hear all right? Just about one or two hands. What about back here? Can you hear all right, way back? I didn't think you could. You can notice when you're saying things. That's the reason I was doing that, to see what kind of an effect it would take. I wonder if there'd be some way? All right. The gentleman there is going to try to fix it so they can hear back around the sides. You can stand here and have a... If you've been praying, and prayed up, you can watch the effect it has on the people when you say anything. And usually that's the way I find my text. Now [microphone squeals] I believe we've got music with it. Just ... I haven't got a melodious voice; I don't believe we could stand that much. But is it better back under the ... back beneath, is it better? Over here, can you hear me better now? Good, that's fine.

11 Well now, let us bow our heads now for a word of prayer, and we'll start right into the service. And we're going to ask the Lord Jesus to bless His Word that we read now.
Our heavenly Father, we come tonight to ask You to receive us as a people, as Your church, and this building, which is called here the Madison Square Garden of Phoenix. I pray Thee, heavenly Father, that You will sanctify this building, that the angels of God will move in. For we realize that it's not the building that we're in; it's the people in the building. It's not the building that makes the church; it's the people inside the building. And I pray Thee, heavenly Father, that this, the purchase of Thy blood tonight, being gathered here, the people that will live forever in a world that is to come, and we've come here for the purpose of fellowshipping through the Holy Spirit and enjoying the Word of God, as Brother David duPlessis, our teacher, and many others, are bringing the Word; and that the Holy Spirit might come and convince sinners of their wrong and would bring His presence so near unto us that all the people would want to serve Him. Grant it, Lord.

12 And there's no man that's able to open the book or to loose the seals thereof. But there was a Lamb that had been slain from the foundation of the world. He come and took the book out of the hand of Him that sat upon the throne, for He was worthy. O Lamb of God, come tonight in Thy transforming power, and take the words that we shall read and reveal them to us in the power of the Spirit. When this service shall end tonight, may every unbeliever that's present become a believer, may those that have fallen from the way renew their vows, the sick be healed. And when we're on our way across the city and different places, may we say, like those who came from Emmaus that day, "Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us along the way?"
Then, Father, we would pray that You would do something outstanding tonight that would attract the attention of the people through Thy Word. Make Thy Word alive to us. We are able to read it, who has enough education to read. We can read it, but we cannot make it live. It takes the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, to make the Word live. May it live in every heart here tonight, we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

13 To you who are keeping record of the text that we read, I would ask you tonight to turn to the fourth chapter of St. Matthew's gospel, the fourth chapter, and we will read the sixteenth and seventeenth verse for a reading.
And the people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them that sat in the regions of the shadow of death light is sprung up.
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
May the Lord add His blessings to the reading of His Word. Now, for a text I wish to take the first three words of the seventeenth verse, "From That Time."
You know there's... We as people tonight can think back of certain times, certain things began. There's no doubt in my mind but what many people here can recall certain times that something happened; and you say, "And from that time things were changed." Like a child, he can say that "I was a good child, a good obedient boy or girl. And one day I met up with a companion, and they persuaded me to do a certain thing, and from that time it started." How many times can we think of things like that that's happened in our life, and we mark it "from that time"?

14 Then we can think of the immoral woman. She might say, "As a girl I was raised in a Christian home. I was brought up with good parents, good Christian teaching. And I was married to a fine Christian boy, and our home was beautiful, and we had two little children [or so]. And one day I was down in the city and I run into a girl friend that ... I used to live in the neighborhood with her; and she persuaded me on a date. And from that time my home has never been the same."
It could be also that the drunk, the alcoholic, might say, "I was raised in a home that did not believe in drinking alcoholic beverages. And I never drank in my life, until one day such-and-such a thing happened, and from that time..."

15 Here a few years ago I was on my road to South Africa, and I had to stay over two or three days in New York because I thought I could get by without having the yellow fever shot, but they just wouldn't let me board the plane. And I had to take the shot and wait for so many days, and I had a meeting. And there was a minister, Brother Berg, an outstanding noted Full Gospel minister of New York, which was a chaplain in the last war. And they have missions down on the Bowery, and he said to me, "Brother Branham, how would you like to go with me tomorrow down on the Bowery?" That's what we ... just like skid row in Chicago.
And I said, "Brother Berg, I'd be happy to go with you to the Bowery." And we went down there. And my heart ached when I seen men laying on the streets, that was in such a terrible condition, laying up against an automobile; and their clothes all soiled from the waist down, and not even knowing what they were doing; and some laying back in the alleys and across each other---just at the end of the road. We went into a mission which the church sponsored. And the pastor, after meeting him, he said, "We taken 180 corpses from this building in a year of those alcoholics that came into this mission and died here while service was going on or during the night. A hundred and eighty."
And then I went out on the street, and I thought, "Isn't there something that can be done about it?" And as we walked, I said, "Brother Berg, I suppose all these men here was raised up in the slums and never had a chance."
"Oh," he said, "you'd be surprised, Brother Branham. You should talk to some of them."
And I said, "I would like to."
He said, "If we can find one that's not so far gone that we could speak to him, I'd like for you to talk."
I said, "All right."

16 And a certain fellow we raised up, and he spoke to him, said, "Can you hear me?"
He said, "Give me a drink."
I said, "I'm a minister. I would like to know why that you would throw your life away like this." When I said, "minister" he roused up and looked at me.
He said, "Excuse me, sir, for asking you for enough money to buy me a drink, but you don't know my case."
I said, "Sir, I sympathize with you. My father drank, and he drank on until death took him. I'm not making you the worst person in the world, but I would like to know---a man that's got enough decency about him to excuse hisself when he sees that he's done wrong---how could you ever've throwed your life to this?"
He said, "Son, I can almost point my finger and show you with my eyes the bank that I was president of."
I said, "Sir, is that truth?"
He said, "My name is such-and-such a name. You might go to the bank and see if that is right or not."
I said, "How did you come to do this?"
He said, "I had Christian training, and I was once a member of the church."
I said, "But what caused you to do this?"
Said, "One day I come home from work. I had a lovely family and a beautiful wife." He said, "But I found what we call a 'Dear John' letter laying on the table. My wife had gone. And from that time, I tried to drown my sorrow with drinking."
"Oh," I said, "I wish I could take you back to that time!" That time---if he could only go back to that time.

17 I talked to a young woman some time ago who was in the emergency room. She was from the psychopathic... A great meeting at Flint, Michigan, and they had maybe thirty cases of insanity in the room. And they said you could not bring them out in public because they were in straitjackets and all kinds of conditions. And I went into the room, and one man went with me. And when we went in there, there was a beautiful young woman, looked to be about twenty or twenty-five years old, sitting there. I said, "How do you do?"
She said, "How do you do?"
And I said, "Well, it's hard to know which way to start." And some of them out of their minds and screaming, and people watching them.
She said, "If you don't mind, sir, I'd like for you to start with me."
I said, "With you?"
She said, "Yes, sir."
"Well," I said, "you're not a patient are you?"
She said, "Yes, sir, I am."
"Well," I said, "you seem to have your right mind."
She said, "I wonder." And she said, "Could you listen to my story just a moment?"
I said, "Certainly, madam."

18 And she started telling me. She said, "I was reared in a good home." She said, "And my mother taught me not to do wrong, to shun evil, and to embrace the right thing." She said, "And I lived that kind of a life for a number of years, and I got mixed up with a young man." And she said, "It caused a disgrace to me." And said, "I just started, and throwed myself away, and I become an alcoholic." Said, "Then they picked me up and sent me to a Catholic institution called The Good Shepherd's Home." Said, "There I was under correction for a number of years, and then they released me. And as soon as I got out from that, I started drinking again." And said, "Then I served a year or two in women's state prison."
And said, "Then I had changed from Protestant to Catholic, then during this time I changed back to Protestant again from the chaplain talking to me." And said, "I come out and tried again, but," said, "I went right back into it again, into prostitution, drinking."
And I said, "Your mother?"
"She's dead."
"Your father?"
"Dead."
And I said, "What do you think they would think about you now?"
She said, "Oh, if I could only go back again."

19 I said, "A lovely young woman like you, don't you desire to be married and have babies like all mothers do, and so forth?"
She said, "I would love to, sir, but look at me. What could I offer anyone?"
I said, "You've got one thing you can offer."
She said, "What's that?"
I said, "Your soul to Jesus Christ."
She said, "Sir, He wouldn't receive it."
I said, "Oh, yes, He will."
Said, "How do you know He would? I've tried."
I said, "Yes, you're just turning pages. But you really come to Him..."
She said, "What could He do with me?"
I said, "Make a lady out of you."
Said, "Not me. I'm too far gone."
I said, "He can take you back to the time when you was a virgin innocent girl. The blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient and powerful to transform the vilest sinner to a blood-washed saint, guiltless before God."
She said, "I've tried that so many times."

20 I said, "I want to tell you, I believe your case has never been diagnosed right." I said, "You don't want to be like that."
She said, "Certainly not." Said, "Just what you mentioned awhile ago is what I want to be: a mother, with husband, with babies, someone to love and someone that loves me. But I'd never spoil a man's life like I am."
I said, "You don't have to." I said, "This may sound old fashioned, sister, but it's the truth nevertheless. It's the devil that's done that to you. It's the devil that's got ahold of you, driving you to things that you don't want to do."
She looked at me with those big dark eyes, and said, "I've always believed that was the truth."
I said, "Would you kneel here with me?"
She said, "Now they tell me I'm a mental case."
I said, "You are, but," I said, "Jesus Christ restores the right mind. There's nothing too great for Him."
And she said, "Do you think He would for me?"
I said, "Certainly. But we've got to get that devil out of there before He can ... where he entered when you was a young girl. He'll go out, and you'll go right back to that place again."

21 And she got down on her knees, and I asked her to pray. And she prayed for a few moments. She looked over at me, and she said, "Brother Branham, I'm now going to make a new start."
I said, "Sis, it won't do one bit of good. You're going just exactly the same road you've been over. It won't work."
And she said, "I mean it in my heart."
I said, "I know you do, but that devil's more stronger than any mental powers that you could put to him." That's the reason I don't believe in an intellectual religion. I believe a man's got to be born again of the Holy Spirit. It's got to be deeper than your thinking. Got to be an experience.
And she said, "What must I do?"
I said, "Just stay right there." And we prayed and prayed. I went ahead and prayed with some more people and come back; she was praying. I come back to her again. And after awhile I come back, and she was getting deeply in sincerity.
In a few moments, she raised up with tears running down her cheeks. She looked me in the face. She said, "Brother Branham, something's happened."
I said, "You don't have to turn no new pages now."
The woman's married and got a family. And a lovely sweet born-again Holy Spirit-filled saint because God could take her back to a place where she started to do wrong. That's His goodness. And from that time she was a changed woman. From the time of a young girl to one time, she was evil. God taken her back; and from that time, she was different.

22 Those things of turning new pages, that's good. We think that's very good.
Just like after the first world war. Many of you men and women can remember that perhaps. I was a little boy of about eight or nine years old. I remember it well, of even ministers saying, "War is over; we'll never have no more wars. It's all settled now. We just can't have no more wars, because we got poison gases and so forth." Many of you remember that. The nation told us, "Wars are settled for good." They meant that. From that time, they said, there'll be no more war. But we had them just the same.
When they begin to see rumors rising up, nation turning against nation, they formed what was known as The League of Nations to police the nations. They tried that. See, that was mental, but it did not work. It throwed us right into one of the greatest wars we ever had after that. Now, they've got what they call the U.N., police the nations again. But it will fail just as sure as two twos are four. It's got to fail! They think it's good, which it is; but as long as mental thinking, it doesn't do it. It takes revelation, spiritual revelation.

23 All those things, as good as they may be... Trying to join church, that's good. I think everyone ought to join church. That's good as far as it goes, but that's not the cure. I think that everyone ought to take their choice as American citizens to join any church that they want to. And I think that we ought not to disfellowship that person upon their convictions. I think we should all fellowship with one another, asking God's mercies on us all. But that's not the thing yet.
Every New Year's men will make a pledge, go out and write on a book, maybe on a Bible sheet, and say, "I'll never drink again." "I'll never smoke again." "I'll never be untrue to my wife again." And less than five or ten days, they've broke every vow they made. See, they're making it by mental conception.

24 That's why many people join churches, because they fear hell. And they come and put their names on books and go out and think it settles it; but it doesn't. It's not lasting. All those things are temporal.
But there is a time when a certain thing can happen, and from then on it's different, really different. That's when man meets God. Things change when man meets God. A man can never meet God and ever be the same again. You'll either be a better person or a worse person. You'll be better off or worse off after you meet God. It depends on what you want to do about it. But a man can never meet God and ever be the same. Whatever your attitude is towards God seals your eternal destination.
You can walk across the line between grace, mercy, and judgment; and when you spurn grace so many times, you can separate yourself forever from the presence of God. Or you can accept Him and have eternal life and never die, but be raised up again at the last day in the general resurrection. Oh, how glad I am that there's something that we can point back to and say, "From that time, something happened."

25 Let's take some men that met God, that changed their destination and the destination of their generation. Let's take, for instance, Abraham. He was just an ordinary man. He was not a saint; he was just a man. And, oh, I'm so glad that we don't have to be born of a certain line or be some great somebody. We just have to be humble. God's grace is what does the work. Abraham, just a man, down perhaps in the bushes one day in the valleys of the Shinar Valley, out of the city of Ur, wandering about out in the bush maybe with his sheep or so forth, and God met him, and spoke to him and blessed him.
I believe that a man comes to God and ever has a definite experience... Oh, maybe you think I'm beside myself, but look. I don't mean an impersonation of an experience. We've got so much of that today till it makes a real Christian sick to look at it---somebody trying to impersonate somebody else. God has never made two the same. He never did, and He never will. God's a God of variety. He makes big hills and little hills and deserts and swamplands and whatmore. He's a God of variety. Don't try to impersonate anyone else; be what you are, what God made you.

26 Abraham. God spoke to him, and he had a definite experience, and it changed his life. And the strange thing is, when a man meets God he can never be the same, and can always point back to that time when he met Him. God spoke to Abraham and Abraham acted different. And every time a man meets God, from that time on he'll act different. If he rejects God, he'll be an infidel, right, or he'll be an impersonator or hypocrite; or he'll be a godly sainted person that'll walk different, talk different, live different, act different, peculiar, odd, led of the Holy Spirit.
Let me tell you something, as my brother and sister. I have never, and God help me to never be ... to ever try to be somebody. That's when you're nothing. Twist myself in such great big things till I have to have thousands of dollars a night to sponsor some program. Let me be just Brother Branham. Let me be just what God would make me to be, no matter what it is. If it's to eat soda crackers and drink branch water, wear overalls, whatever it is, let me be what God would have me to be. Never try to be something that you're not.

27 Abraham, he was different from the time God met him. And look. Sometimes when God meets a man... It looked like Abraham could have had the world in his hands. The apostles, with great powers, could have had the world in their hands, as it was to say. Could have spread fame everywhere, but that kind of fame soon dies. The only lasting fame is when your name is wrote on the Lamb's book of life. That's when fame is real fame. This earthly thing so decays.
Now, look at Abraham. God told him to believe and accept the miracle that had not yet happened, and was impossible (only with God) for it to happen: that was to believe that he was going to have a baby by Sarah. And he believed God, and called anything contrary to it as though it was not. Abraham, from the time he met God he was a changed man.

28 Moses was an intellectual giant. He had all the wisdom of the Egyptians, that he could teach their teachers. He was intellectual as he could be. Smarter, far smarter, than our most brilliant men today, because the Egyptians had things that we don't have today. They could build a pyramid; we could not. They could embalm a body and make it look natural for hundreds and hundreds of years; seventy-two hours is our limit. They could put dye in clothes that would never fade out; we cannot do that. Many things that they had ... dig up, things that they had, that we could not do the same today. They were way smarter, more intelligent; and Moses could teach them. But all of his intellectuals, he had never met God.

29 Oh, I'd like to see the preachers in here just a minute. Do you see, brethren? My Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostals, whoever you may be, you can have a call of God on your life, you can know that you're called to the ministry, but you have no right to preach the gospel until you've had an experience with God of being born again. Jesus told the disciples, "You wait in the city of Jerusalem until you're endued with power from on high."
Moses could not go down and deliver the children of Israel until first he met God face to face and talked to Him. Why? Moses could say, "I was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. But one day I was herding my father-in-law's sheep at the backside of the desert, and I seen a bush burning." And from that time, he was a different man. He didn't rely upon his intellectuals. He was running from Egypt, where God had called him; but as soon as he met God, he took a mule and his wife and his son and a little old crooked stick and went down to Egypt. Why? He had met God, and from that time, he was changed. There was something different. His intellectuals were lost. He didn't think about the danger. Why? He had met God and he could point back, said, "That time!"

30 No man has the right to preach the gospel, no person has the right to call themselves a Christian, until they can go back to a certain time in their life where they can come on that sacred sands, at the backside of the desert, where they know that they have met God. All the infidels in the world, these intellectual giants taking the Bible and explaining away... "All the days of miracles, they're past; there's no such a thing as divine healing, all this stuff like speaking with tongues, interpretation of tongues, and gifts of healings, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit." They can slickly ... and take your mind and twist you in such a way until they can take that away from your memory. They can explain it away.
I want you to get this, and don't you never let it pass from you. But if a man ever stood on that sacred sands at the backside of the desert, when he meets God face to face, there's not enough devils in all hell could take that away from him. He knows he met God! He knows he had an experience, he talked to God. Regardless of what the opposition is, he can say, "From that time, something changed in me!"

31 How well I can call the time, in a little old saloon that was being used as a church, where some colored people was preaching the gospel. I was a Southerner and didn't like colored people, and a vision came and told me where to go find it.
And all the white girls that I'd went with (oh, not all of them, four or five standing there) said, "Billy, you're not going in there?"
I said, "Yes, I've got to go!"
Said, "Don't never ask me for another date."
It didn't make any difference. I met God, and from that time I've been changed. Can point back to that time. I was changed.

32 No man has a right in the pulpit until he's got an experience. No matter what the intellectuals can say, you know you met God.
Why, intellectual knowledge would've told Moses he was walking to his own death, but he knowed he'd met God. And God was God, and God's still God---the reason I'm so glad I can stand here in this arena tonight and give Satan an upper-cut that says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and can prove it by His Holy Spirit here now. He ever remains the same. Not altogether with the Word; the Word only points the way. But the Holy Spirit declares it that He's the same, and point His blessings and His promises. We can say, "From that time, something happened."

33 Mary was just an ordinary girl, a good girl, a virgin. I'm going to say she was sixteen or eighteen years old, engaged to a man, Joseph. Now, she was just an ordinary girl. She loved God, she believed in God. But one day on her way to the well to get some water, she met God; and from that time, the world has hailed her, "Blessed art thou among women." Why? Not because she was a virgin. Thousands of virgins, millions. We still have virgins, but we could only have one Mary. She could point her finger from that time, from that time! from that trip to the well.
O God, take us tonight to the wells of water. If you're here, not a believer, that we can say, "From that time at Madison Square Garden in Phoenix, Arizona, from that time, something took ahold of me. I had an experience. Doubts fell away from that time, that time." Sure. It was from that time.

34 Paul, a persecutor of the church. Oh, that little hook-nosed Jew. Show the power of decision of the church. They had the keys, that's true. And watch how they made their decision. Talk about what the church can do. The church has only got one key, that's prayer. The church doesn't save you. You're a member of the church by birth, but the church doesn't save you. It's Christ that saves you. It's not coming in contact with the church; it's coming in contact with Christ, and then automatically you're in the church.
The church had the keys. Jesus told them He gave them the keys. Look how they used it. They said, "Now, it's written in the Scriptures, the Scripture must be fulfilled, 'but let another take his bishopric' "---talking of Judas. And he said, "Let's choose one that has been out among us." And they had two. They find fine cultured men, good men, just as religious as they could be to the key, men that were good reputation. And they cast their lots and chose Matthias. But what good did it do? There isn't one thing recorded in the Bible that he ever did, not one thing. Just a good old deacon or something another like, but he was supposed to be an apostle. God went over and chose a little old high-tempered, hook-nosed church-hater. It shows that God can take nothing and make something out of it. That's what makes Him God.

35 That's the reason I join myself tonight in the people in this world that's called holy rollers, people of life not way up in some great bracket, but men and women who's been in the gutters, been in sin, been kicked out, taken away from the things of the world, met God face to face and God has made saints out of them. "It's amazing grace, how sweet the sound." God does it that way. They can point back, and say, "Yes! I was no good, I took the name of the Lord in vain, I've did this, I've smoked, I drank, I was this way or that way---but from that time! [What time?] When I met God, things changed. No more drinking, no more things of the world, I passed from death unto life. And from that time, I become a new creature in Christ."
Paul, church-hater, saint-hater, very religious, high-tempered, persecuting the church, sassy, but a very intellectual man. God said, "I'll just choose him." Now today half the church would deny him. And God took him down on his road to Damascus, there come the pillar of fire that led the children of Israel before him, and blinded him and made him fall to the earth. He took that man.
And Paul could say this, "One time I was a religious Pharisee, a Pharisee of the Pharisees. I had good intellectual back-training, but all of my education and all of my intellectuals I had to forget to know Christ.
"Why did you do it, Paul?"
"I was on my road to Damascus to arrest those people, and a light shined from the heavens and struck me blind, and from that time..." Amen. From that time, he was a changed man.

36 Peter the fisherman would have likewise. How about blind Bartimaeus that laid at the gate, as we talked of last night? The blind man could say, "I was blind until I come in contact with God, and from that time I could see." Oh, yes. If you're spiritually blind, come in contact with Him, and from that time you can see Him. Everything that comes in contact with God is changed. The leper one time come in contact with God, and he was changed from a leper to a well man.
There was an immoral woman one time met Jesus at the well. She was full of sin, her heart was heavy. Her burdens were too much to bear. Society had kicked her out. She stood there and seen just an ordinary Jew, a fellow kind of aged for his ... looking aged for his age. I think the Scripture claims that He looked to be fifty when He was only thirty. And they said, "You're a man yet not over fifty years old and say you have seen Abraham?"
He said, "Before Abraham was, I am."

37 So He was only thirty or thirty-two years old. And a young, beautiful woman come up one day to the well where He was sitting, tired, and He said to her, "Woman, bring me a drink."
And she said, "It's not customary for you to ask me such things as that. I'm a Samaritan; you're a Jew." Segregation."
He said, "But if you knew who you were talking to..." What was that woman doing? She was meeting God. She met a man, but it wasn't a man that she was meeting. It was God in the man she was meeting. God, let that soak in!
The Scriptures said you've entertained angels not knowing what you were doing, unaware of it. Same as Abraham entertained angels. And immediately after the angel left, and had performed a miracle before him, he called the man God---Elohim. The almighty God sitting there eating steak sandwiches, drinking milk from the cow, eating cakes, and He was Almighty God. The woman, little did she know... Look what it done for Abraham then. It changed him and Sarah from an old man and an old woman of a hundred years old back to a young man and woman that brought forth Isaac. They met God. That's what done the difference.

38 This immoral woman, she met Jesus, and she spoke to Him. Watch how He made Himself known. He said, "Woman, go get your husband and come here."
She said, "I do not have any husband."
He said, "You've said well. For you've had five husbands, and the one you're now living with is not your husband. You've said well." And from that time, she was changed. Oh, what a difference. That Jesus, when she met Him there, looked like a man.
And I can imagine seeing those big pretty eyes, tears coming out of them. She said, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. But who are you?"
Jesus said, "I am he that speaks to you."
And from that time, from that time, she had a message to tell the world: "Come see a man who told me the things that I've done. The Messiah is on the earth." She stirred her city. A few hours before that, the city would have laughed at her. She couldn't even come to the well with the rest of the women. What happened? What made the men listen to her? If you've ever been in the Orient, they wouldn't listen to a woman like that.
Some Oriental brother was trying to tell me, said, "The woman wasn't a prostitute, because the men wouldn't have listened to her."
I said, "But, brother, you fail to see that she'd met Christ. That's what made the difference."

39 I don't care, you could have been a drunkard, you could have been a prostitute, you could have been anything that you wanted to be, but when you meet Christ, from there on it's different. God's able of these stones to rise children to Abraham. From that time on she had a message that she had met the Messiah, because she seen the sign of the Messiah. She knowed that that was He.
For she said herself, "We know when Messiah cometh, He'll tell us these things, but who are You?"
Jesus said, "I am he."
And she dropped the water pot and away she went. If she could stand on the platform tonight, she'd say, "I was foul and immoral, but I had read in the Bible where He was to be a God-prophet. When this man told me (looked like it was just a man), but when He told me of my life, I knew that that was the sign of the Messiah. So, a prophet has a portion of the Messiah's Spirit. So I said, 'Sir, you must be a prophet. We know when Messiah cometh He'll tell us all things.' "
Jesus said, "I am he that speaks to you."
She knowed if a man who could do that would say what He was, it was right because God was backing it up. Glory! Oh, can you get it? Do you know what I'm speaking of? When God promised to send the Holy Spirit in the last days, and He's done it, we know it---He backed up His Word. This what we have tonight of the blessing of the Holy Spirit proves in a man's life. If he's not impersonating something, if he's not trying to act like something, trying to act like something that he isn't, if he really is, God backs up His Word with the person.

40 To the woman that was once ill-famed, smoked cigarettes, drank, prostitute, if that woman claims that she met God and still in the same things, I doubt her word. If a man tells me that he met God, and "I don't believe there's any such a thing as divine healing," I doubt his experience, because God can't lie about his own Word. If the Holy Spirit wrote the Word, when it comes in it'll say "amen" to every word God wrote. A man says he don't believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost, I doubt him ever meeting God. He might be called, he might be intellectual, he might be a great man, he might be an orator, intellectual, or an orator of some sort, but he's never met God. The Holy Spirit of God in a man will speak "amen" to every word God says. He can say, "I once did not believe in divine healing, but one day I met God; and from then, from that time it changed me. There was something come into me that transformed me and give an experience. I've never been able to forget it." Nothing can meet God without being changed some way.

41 Oh, Judas met God. Yes. Once he was a man, walked around on the street, but after meeting God and becoming a betrayer, he become a devil. Many times we find that. You're not the same. But everything that comes into contact with God is changed.
Now listen. One day (Don't fail to get this!), O God, one day death come in contact with God. Death come in contact with God. The devil never could hardly believe that that was the Son of God, or God made manifest. He believed He was a man, just an ordinary man. He couldn't see that God having a Son. So you remember up on the mount that day when he met Him? He said, "If thou be the Son of God, command these stones to be made bread. If thou be [a little bit of doubt], let me see you perform a miracle, so I can believe you. If thou be." So he had that if, if, if, until one day when he seen Him defeated, thought He was defeated...
Here He was, spit all over His face, His face bleeding where they'd jerked handfuls of beard out, spit in His face, put a rag around His head, around His eyes, took a stick and hit Him on top of the head, and said, "Now, if You be a prophet, tell us who hit You. You could discern the thoughts of their heart, and You could tell the woman, 'Thy blood issue has stopped,' and all these things. Now, if You be a prophet, tell us who hit You." See the devil's agents working there? Jesus never opened His mouth. He did what the Father said to do, and that was all.

42 And then they nailed Him up on the cross, and they said, "Now, if You be the Son of God, come down." He could have done it, but it'd be listening to the devil. He could have done it.
But on His road up there, I'd imagine there was a decision when the devil looked down, death. And he said, "If that is right, then I'm ruined; but if it isn't right, I'll sting and I'll kill him yonder at the cross." And at the conference in hell, the devil's angel was sent forth ---the angel of death---and Jesus was going up Mount Calvary, dragging the cross behind Him. Oh, it looked like He was defeated.
It's so simple.

43 Catch this. Many times God's program is so simple that it goes all the way over the head of people. Look like... If you can say, "Well, now, look like we could have a ... do this or do that." Don't look at it at all; just obey the Holy Spirit. No matter what He says, you do it. Here was God, manifested in flesh, going up Calvary, bleeding, blood dragging out behind Him over ... the cross dragging out His footprints. God.
The devil said, "God couldn't do a thing like that. Well, look at there. How could God be manifested in him, defeated? Look at the mockery, spit on his face."
Wonder if we as Christians could do that. Can you go the second mile? Can you turn the cheek the other side? That's the way to test Christianity. See how far you can go in love and fellowship and brotherhood. That's how you test Christianity. You can say, "From that time on I know I was changed," when you can do that.

44 "Could that be God? Could that be God's Son going there? Jehovah made manifest in flesh, going up there with handfuls of beard pulled out of his face? Why, no one could stand that. Mockery, spit in his face. My agents smote him on the head, and said, 'Now, if you be a prophet, you've got some kind of a make-up work, you got some way, a hoax you put on the people? Now, if you be a real prophet, tell us who hit you and we'll believe you.' Aw, he couldn't be God."
Here He goes on up. And when He gets up there on the cross, they nail Him to the cross. And the devil said, "I got him now." After awhile weakness begin to set in from loss of blood. What was it? The bee of death was buzzing around Him, fixing to sting Him, that bee of death coming around Him and saying, "Oh, I doubt that. How could he be virgin-born? How could God dwell like that... ? Great Jehovah God who has all powers in heavens and earth let somebody spit in his face, and take him on like that? He couldn't be. I'll sock this stinger into him."
Brother, he didn't know what he done. When he put his stinger into that flesh, it took his stinger out.

45 When a bee once stings deeply, it loses its stinger. A honeybee, insect that's got a stinger, when it stings, the flesh anchors and pulls the stinger out. And when death met God, death lost its stinger. Now death has no stinger. It can buzz and make a noise and say, "I'll take you, I'll kill you, I'll do this, that, or the other." But it has no stinger. It lost it yonder at Calvary.
No wonder Paul could say when he was coming down to the end of the road, "O death, where is your stinger? O grave, where is your victory? But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." How that from that time, death has no stinger for the believer. Christ took the sting of death out for the believer. There's where He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace upon Him, with His stripes we were healed. From that time Satan was stripped of everything that he had. He's nothing but a bluff. Death is just a bluff; it has no stinger.

46 I've held the hands of saints, with them looking up toward heaven, say, "Oh, Brother Branham, can't you see Him standing there?" Sure, it has no stinger.
I held my own wife's hand when she looked into the glory and she said, "Billy, don't you never fail to preach this wonderful gospel. Oh, it's the most glorious thing." She said, "I never desire to stay here any longer." Twenty-two years old, leaving two children.
I said, "I'll meet you in the morning by the side of the gate, Honey." I said, "As long as I live and God's grace helps me, I'll stay on the field preaching this gospel." See, from that time I was a changed man--- from that time.

47 You can meet God here right now and say from this time on, you can be a changed person. Do you believe that? And from that time... Let it be here tonight. If you've never tasted of the waters of life, may you taste them now while we bow our heads just a moment for prayer.
Just before praying, I'd like to ask this question, if you'll be just quietly as you can be for a moment. How many in here can never point their finger to a spot where that you can say, "From that time I received the Holy Spirit and I was made a new person? I have never come to that sacred grounds, Brother Branham, where I can really be sure that I was born again." Will you raise your hand, say, "Pray for me." God bless you. God bless you, sir. God bless you, lady. God bless you, over here. Over here, God bless you, all around. Somewhere else? Over to my right now? Say, "Brother Branham, pray for me. I've never met that place, although I've gone to church. But I've never had that time to where I can say, 'From this time, from that time, it was always settled' "
"Brother Branham, I've got an awful temper. I smoke, I drink [or something]. I just can't live true to my wife, my husband. I've got an awful habit. I have never met God in such a place that I could say, 'From that time all things of sin died.' I would like to. Will you pray for me?" Just raise your hand, and I'll certainly do it. God will include you. God bless you, lady. God bless you, sir. God bless you, down here. All right. Someone else just before prayer that hasn't raised their hand. God bless you, this Spanish brother. God bless you, this Spanish sister. Oh, my. That's it, friends.

48 Heavenly Father, they raised their hands; You know their hearts. I may never in this life be able to shake their hand, but sometime across the border yonder, it may be before morning, but sometime I'm going to have to meet them. And when I appear there, if it's by Thy mercy that I should stand with the redeemed, I'll either have to be a judge against these people or a judge for them, for the saints shall judge the earth. When all them in my generation that rises up from Phoenix in that day, if by Your grace I'll be there, then I'll have to say, "I was in Phoenix. I preached in your generation."
"I never knew you," Jesus said. "I never seen your hand go up, I never seen you offer one thing. You stayed from the meetings. You'd heard about it and you didn't come. I called you, and you refused to go." O God, what more can I say, because the Holy Spirit is the true judge.
And then there be those, Lord, here tonight who has raised up their hands, and they say they've never had that experience, and they want to get a place to where they can say from this time, from this time they met God, and had an experience that's changed their lives.

49 Heavenly Father, grant it tonight that each one that raised their hands, that this very night will not pass until they fall upon that sacred sand where God will speak to them definitely, and so definitely, by the Holy Spirit, that all their sins and desires of sin shall pass away, all their habits shall go away and be no more. Grant it, Father, that they might say, "It was at a [years to come, if the world stands and Jesus tarries and they remain] ... it was from that time at Madison Square Garden, on that night that I heard that message, from that time I was changed." Grant it, Lord. I present them to You as trophies of the meeting in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

50 I don't even know whether there's room here for an altar call. Is there, brother? There certainly is. Anyone here that doesn't know the Saviour... Now, I'm going to ask you to stay just about five more minutes. Is there anyone here that doesn't know Jesus Christ as your Saviour? You've got sin in your life that's beset you and you'd like to come here and accept Christ as your Saviour? Would you come now, as I ask you? I know you say, "Brother Branham..."
Now give me your undivided attention just a moment. We'll be dismissing in a few moments, but don't leave right now while the Holy Spirit has a hold on the people.
From this time. Make it now, friend. I'm your brother. I don't come to Phoenix here just because there's no other place to go. I don't come to Phoenix for no other purpose but God's love in my heart, that I love you. And according to the Scriptures we'll have to stand at the day of judgment and be either a witness for you or a witness against you. And if I would be privileged to stand there as a minister (if God lets me in), and I stand there as a messenger of this day... Remember the Bible said, "And the Queen of the south shall rise in the day of judgment and condemn this generation." What're we going to do, when I've come to you... ?

51 You remember a few years ago when I come preaching to you? Many of you here remember it. You remember how the sick was healed and people was even brought back from the dead? That's right. I would just pray for people then, would take them by the hand. And the Lord ... I wouldn't say nothing, but just wait and see what He'd say to be right. I told you there was coming a day, and that day would be when He would fulfill His ministry, fulfill His Word, and would say this, that "the works that I do shall you also." He gave a sign, said, "As it was in the days of Sodom." Now, watch. He told what they were doing in the days of Noah. You notice about Sodom, how He left that? That's for the spiritual mind to catch. Look, there was a modern Billy Graham---intellectual---went down into Sodom and preached the gospel and blinded the unbeliever. Is that right?
But now, there's always three classes. That's the unbeliever, make believer and the believer. That's in every meeting, every place, everywhere. That is the ungodly, the church natural (intellectual) and the church spiritual, called out. Now the word church means "called out." These here, the intellectual, was called out of this. And these were called out of that, which is the bride. And this is the remnant of the woman's seed. If you got a spiritual mind, you can understand. You ministers especially, see, you can understand. I know you do.

52 Now, watch what sign was done. Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Sodom." Now, there was three messengers come down for the three different classes of people. Two of them went down and preached the gospel in Sodom, and brought out that little group that would come out. But watch the messenger that stayed with the church spiritual---Abraham and his group. Listen closely. Don't forget it in the oncoming meetings. Now what taken place? This man that was sitting there talking to Abraham... A man was sitting there eating the flesh of a calf, drinking the milk from a cow, and eating bread that Sarah had baked on the hearth. He said to Abraham, He said, "Abraham, where is your wife Sarah?" If He was a stranger, how did He know he had a wife, and how did He know her name was Sarah?
Now watch what the Scripture said. Abraham said, "She's in the tent behind you." Sarah, back behind the little tents in the big tent, the flap closed down, no doubt.
He said, "Abraham, I'm going to visit you according to the time of life," and what He was going to do. And Sarah, inside the tent behind the angel, laughed within herself. How many knows that's the Scripture? And what did this angel say? "Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she laugh?"

53 Now, Jesus said that same thing would take place just at the closing of the Gentiles, for He did it Himself when He was here. It was did in the days of Sodom.
Now, watch. He never mentioned about the flood time, because it isn't going to be a flood. It's going to be fire this time. This world will be blowed to pieces after a while, maybe before morning, maybe before the year's out. Hydrogen powers will blow this thing to bits. It'll turn back to volcanic ashes again. It's true. That's exactly what the Scripture says. It won't come like that---them realms of gases up there---because it'll fall from above. Man destroys himself.
But the last message of the angel to the church is here. And it's so simple, it's gone plumb over the head of the church, and they've failed to see it. That's exactly.

54 My brother and sister, in Christ's name I persuade you. Don't let the hour pass. Don't sit when you raise your hands; rush to the altar. Do something, press in. Don't the Bible say there'd come a time when they were all slumbering and sleeping just before the coming of the Lord? People are unconcerned, just exactly like it was in the days of Sodom, just exactly like it was in the days of Noah---scoffers, funmakers.
The angel of the Lord is here. And the last sign that He promised to give the church is now appearing amongst the people, and they don't recognize it. How did that little old woman down there recognize... ? When Jesus ... when Philip come to Him after he found Nathanael and come to Him, He said, "Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile."
He said, "Rabbi, when did you know me?"
Said, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the tree, I saw you."
He said, "You're the Son of God."
What did those Pharisees standing there... Religious, good people, church members, fine people. They said in their hearts---in their hearts, not with their lips---they said, "This man is a spiritualist, a fortune-teller, Beelzebub. He does that by the prince of the devils, Beelzebub."
Jesus perceived their thoughts. Is that right? He said, "You speak that against the Son of man, it'll be forgiven you [the atonement hadn't been made but ... so many words, so that you'll understand it]. Some day the Holy Ghost will come." (In this last days after two thousand years of teaching on it.) Said, "The Holy Ghost will come, and one word against it will never be forgiven in this world nor the world to come." See that?

55 Watch that woman at the well when He said... Watch Peter, ignorant, couldn't even sign his own name, ignorant and unlearned, the Bible said. And when Jesus saw him, He said, "Your name is Simon; you are the son of Jonas." He fell at His feet, become the head of the church at Jerusalem---a ignorant and unlearned man---because he recognized the hour that he was living.
The Samaritan woman, when He said, "Go get your husband," she said, "Well, I have no husband."
Told her about her condition, and she said, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet." She honored it. Not the man; the message. She said, "I perceive you're a prophet. We know that the sign of the Messiah will be that." Now, how many knows that's true? "When Messiah cometh He'll do these things, which is called the Christ. When He comes He'll do these things; but who are you?"
He said, "I am he that speaks to you." And she was changed.

56 That same Jesus lives tonight. Do you believe that? How many in here believes that, raise up your hands. Just say, "I actually believe that." God bless your hearts. Thank the Lord. O God, send mercy. Do you believe He's here now?
How many of you are sick or needy, raise your hands. Anybody that knows me, don't raise your hand. I don't want you to raise if you know me. Just people that knows that I don't know what your trouble is, raise your hands, knows that I don't know your trouble. All right. You that have a request, ask God.
Here it is. Now, many of you people think that it's mental telepathy. I tell it here at Phoenix so many times because you've had everything in the country start in on you here. Think it's somebody hand somebody a prayer card and by mental telepathy they transfer it. Oh, how far can a person get? Well, it's just that same spirit that lived back in them days. There's no prayer cards here. There's nothing here but the Holy Spirit. He's here.

57 Tonight, before we've ever had a healing service, before there's been a prayer card give out... I don't say this (and God knows with my Bible in hand to Him), I don't say this to be smart, to be different, but for the kingdom of God's sake, that Phoenix might always remember that the message that I preach to them is the truth from God's Word. And God's Spirit is here to back up every word that I've said. If He does it, then I've told the truth.
A man getting up from a wheelchair---that could be mental healing. You know that. That could be mental healing. It'd be impossible (you talk of a miracle) for something to happen here, for the Holy Spirit to go among this people who I don't know and reveal something that they ought to do, or something about them. Why, it'd be a million times greater miracle. For we even know by doctor's records that many times hundreds of people that's been in wheelchairs for years get up and walk away, and things like that. Sure, mental healing. Christian Science has it. But when it comes to a real miracle, it goes over the head of people who are supposed to be spiritual.

58 Now, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I take every spirit in here under the power of the Holy Ghost. I challenge you tonight. I don't know how many trips I'll ever make to Phoenix. This may be it. I don't know. I may come a hundred times more. I hope so. But I may not live any longer. You may not live. There's been many that's gone since I was here the last time. If I come back next year, there'll still be some here tonight won't be here. I may not be here myself.
But God will always be. Let He who is the Holy Spirit prove now that I've said the truth. Now, be real reverent, if you will, for just a moment. Give me your undivided attention, but pray.

59 All I ask you to do is pray. I cannot say, "Let me have you." I have to watch for the Holy Spirit. Now be real reverent. This is something, after preaching like this ... and I haven't even been out praying, no more than just studying the Bible for the message. I believe God. He told me that.
I'll even turn my back to you if you want to see if it's... Not me, now, I'm a man. But the promise of God, it's the age, it's the hour. Don't you fail to see it. Now, you brethren, I'm going to let the audience be behind me. The Bible said that the angel of the Lord had his back turned. Now you know that I'm telling you, it isn't me, I have nothing to do with it. It's the angel of the Lord. How many understand that? I'm a sinner saved by grace. But God has to work through somebody. Man is God's agent.

60 I see a man here talking to the deaf and dumb. Of course they realize and understand. I can see them, but I mean something that's a miracle. Not say, "That man's deaf and dumb," or "The Lord says to me, 'There's somebody in here got kidney trouble.' " Yes, but who is it? Who are they? Where did they come from? What caused it? How do they get well? That's it. We don't want psychology; we want truth. God's Bible is the truth.
May the God of heaven, who'll honor His Word, grant tonight that my hands will be free, the blood of no man upon me. I've told the truth, Lord, as far as I know it. You help me, that the people might know that the message is truth, through Jesus' name. O God, somewhere in this building, the unseen One, make Yourself known, Lord, if I can find grace in Your sight. Forgive me of all my trespasses, and use me tonight, Lord, if You want to bring this place and this elect out of this city tonight, that's come to the meeting that You might confirm it, Lord, to the truth that I have told the truth to them. Let it be known that You're Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever, and Your power is the same, and You sent me for this purpose. I pray in Christ's name.

61 I just want you to pray. Now you may raise your heads.
This woman sitting here. I pray that God will let you see this. Can you see that light hanging over this woman sitting right here at the end? Right here at the end, a little heavy-set woman, got her hands up. I believe you raised your hand awhile ago that I know nothing about you, so if God can reveal to me what you're there for... You might not want nothing. I cannot tell you. But if He'll reveal to me what you're there for, or something that's in your life, something that's in your heart, something that you've done, or something you ought not have done, would you believe me to be His servant, that it's His Spirit? Would you believe that, lady?
You know, with your hand up, I don't know nothing about you, as far as your life or things. You might have seen me, and I might have seen you, because I've been to Phoenix lots of times. But I don't know you. That's one thing I do not know. That's true. I don't know one thing about you. But if the Lord would reveal to me something, being that you've caught the Holy Spirit there...
Now, this girl might say, "Show me." I can't do it. It's her. It was the woman that touched His garment that He turned to. He said, "I do nothing until the Father shows me." St. John 5:19.

62 But that light is hanging over the woman. I'm looking right at it. And if that light be the same light that followed the children of Israel... When it was here on earth, it was made manifest in a body of flesh called the Son of God. That was Jehovah in the light. Jehovah was manifested, or tabernacled, in His Son, which was the creative Son, Jesus Christ. He said, "I come from God and I go to God."
A little after that, Paul was on his road down (after His death, burial and resurrection), was on his road to Damascus and that same light blinded him. He said, "Who are you, Lord?"
He said, "I'm Jesus."

63 Now, please, I ask you, don't move around. Please, don't. You broke that then. No matter how hard you try, preach, talk, beg, persuade, America is the worst place in the world to have a meeting at this time. I've went into Hottentot land where 500,000 sat to listen at the meeting, not even one move would come. This intellectual world, this United States, is doomed to hell as certain as I'm standing in this pulpit. There's not one hope for this nation. Mark it in your Bible, see if I'm right or wrong.
If I be God's prophet, He'll manifest it now. Who was that woman ---somewhere? Was it this woman over there? All right. It's gone from me now, sister. I don't see it, but may He reveal it. Let not their sins be yours.
Yes, there it is again. The woman's praying for a condition. She has a condition in her body, she's had a surgery that was a gall bladder operation. And now she's ... caused some kind of a condition. She's vomiting all ... got a vomiting, kind of nervous condition in the stomach that's causing her to vomit. She's also praying for somebody else, and that's a man---a brother-in-law, I believe. That's right. And he's got stomach trouble, and he's shadowed all over, it's darkness. He's a sinner. That's what it is, he's a sinner. Those things are true. Is that right? All right. Do you believe now with all your heart? Then may you receive that which you've asked for. May you find it just the way that you've asked for it. God bless you.

64 How about someone else? Up in here somewhere, way back, anywhere you are, pray, somebody doesn't know me. You do this: you say, "Lord God, that man doesn't know me, or know nothing about me. Let it be known tonight. Let me know it, Lord. All the people that know me will know." That's the way to do it. See if it's true. Just pray.
Your husband wants healing, too. Sitting right back there. Believe with all your heart, that growth will leave. That's true. I neither know you or your husband.

65 Here's a woman sitting right through here. She's kind of a middle-aged woman, sitting right out here looking at me, kind of graying. She's praying for a friend of hers. That friend has a bad cold. That is right, isn't it, lady? And they take care of like crippled children, or something like that. They pray ... or, take care of... Do you believe with all your heart they'll be healed? Do you? If you believe it, they'll receive it---if you will believe it.
The lady right back here has got an asthma---you're missing it! Went right over the top of that lady and turned black as it could be right over her because she never heeded to it. It turned right black and mucky, come over her like that. She's failed it. O Lord God, do something. Help! I pray, Lord. Give them something that'll shake them, Lord.

66 Here, there's a lady sitting right out here in the row, praying. She's got asthma, asthmatic condition. Her name's Mrs. Lake. Do you believe with all your heart? All right, Mrs. Lake, stand up on your feet. I don't know you, but go home and be well. Jesus Christ makes you well.
Don't get scared now. If He knowed Simon Peter, who he was, He knows who she is too. Do you believe? How about in this section back in here? Do you believe?
A lady sitting here looking at me. The light's over the woman. She's got a diabetic condition that's bothering her eyes. That's right. She's got something wrong with her shoulder. It was caused in an automobile accident. Mrs. Farris, that's your name isn't it? All right. Now you can go home and be well. Jesus Christ makes you well.

67 Do you believe? What about way back, way in the building? Here, this man sitting back there with the red jacket on, praying for your friend. Do you believe he'll get healed? You do? All right. Raise up your hand, you stand up for him then. Right back there on the right hand side. One, two, three, four persons down, with the red jacket, praying about your friend there. Believe with all your heart there. Raise up and accept the healing of your friend. Go home and find him well. Amen. Hallelujah! God is still God. Can you say, "From this time, this time"? Jesus Christ the Son of God is here among you people!

68 Now, will you with habits, you that's burdened down with something, will you come here and stand for a word of prayer while you know that the Holy Spirit is here? I did that for one thing: for the glory of God, that you who wants to be delivered from your troubles come down here and stand here. You that wants to know God as Your Saviour and wants to be filled with His Spirit, come down. "All the Father has given me will come to me," said our Lord. "All that the Father has given me will come. But no man can come except my Father draws him. And all that He draws will come to me."
I'm speaking in His stead tonight. "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden. You shall find rest to your soul." Quit being flustrated and wondering about it. You'll never be any closer until you meet Him face to face, for remember, in the Bible thus saith the Holy Spirit, "He's in your midst." How can you doubt? He's proved that His presence is here. Come all ye now that wants to find Him as your Saviour, want to find pardoning grace for your sins that you've committed. Yet you want to love Him, you want to do what's right, but never had the power to do it. Rise from your seat and come here now.
I call you in the name of Jesus Christ, knowing that the Holy Spirit's speaking in my heart that indifference and prejudice and everything exists amongst the people. Come, get that out of your soul right now. The canker will canker you. Love and sweetness is the only thing that God will recognize.

69 God bless you, ladies. These people standing here weeping like babies, that's what God loves. Come every soul by sin oppressed, there's mercy with the Lord.
Who can go from this building tonight and call God to any other sign that He ever promised that would be? Church member, lukewarm church member, that knows no more than "I've been a Methodist"---Baptist, or Pentecost or Presbyterian. You know God no more than that and never met Him on those sacred sands? If you don't know Him more than that, I call you to the altar. And remember, at the day of the judgment your blood's off my hands. You'll never meet God in peace, never go to heaven, until you're born of the Spirit of God with an experience that you know that something happened. And you might take some emotion, some intellectual conception, but you'll find that it fails when it comes to the end of the road. I mean the baptism of the Holy Spirit to meet God face to face. Then your life is changed, you're no more the same. Your life is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, faith, goodness, mercy. That's what's in your life.

70 While we sing slowly, once more so I'll be sure tonight... We're going to start healing service. "Come Every Soul By Sin Oppressed," my brother, if you'll chord it for us. There's mercy with the Lord. Just let the singer, now, come forth, if he will. Come every soul now by sin oppressed---the Holy Spirit giving an invitation to come, lovely, sweetly bow. You might have seen the sick healed, that's true. We've had that for years. We've had that all down through the ages, but never did you ever see this till this age. And this is the last sign that God promised to His church. As it was in the days of Sodom, before the fire... How long was it before the fire fell, after that sign was done to the church spiritual? Remember, it wasn't to the church intellectual; church spiritual. All right, let us sing softly now, if you will.
Come every soul by sin oppressed,
(Won't you come now?)
...mercy with the Lord.
And He will surely give you rest
by trusting in His Word.
Only trust Him, only trust Him,
Only trust Him now.
He will save you, He will save you.
He will save you now.

71 Let some of the Christians now rise up. Ministers, come around these people who are standing here now, brethren. Christian believers, would you be interested, now, in helping pray with someone, that they might find the Lord Jesus dear to their soul? Move right up here close now and move around, everyone, now while we're singing. Let those who are Christians and interested in people getting saved, you'd like to come and join prayer with them, come now.
Only trust Him, only trust Him,
Only trust Him now.
He will save you, He will save you.
He will save you now.
Only trust Him, Only trust Him,
Only trust Him now.
He will save you, He will save you,
He will save you now.

72 Now, let's all bow our heads, if we will. Brother David duPlessis, would you come here just a moment? While you're around the altar, each one of you now, I want to give just a moment's instructions while the audience will be quiet just for a moment. I want each one of you to remember that God is here, promised Himself. Here He appears before us tonight, infallible proof that He's raised from the dead and is alive tonight in Phoenix, Arizona, in this Madison Square Gardens.
Listen to me, my poor friends. Listen to me, my brother, sister. He'll never be any more real till you see Him coming in glory. He promised this. And remember, He said, "As it was in the days of Sodom, before the fire fell, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man." Watch exactly. Now this is the church spiritual, although it's dying, you see that. And it's predicted to be that way. But it would receive its last message by the same sign that appeared at Sodom and Gomorrah. Do you understand?
That makes the Holy Spirit right here now, Jesus Christ, the resurrected one. Now, a gift that's sent to the church will never operate unless somebody is out there to operate it. Gifts are not operated by random. It's operated by the power of God. And the power of God in your life brings the power of the Lord to me, to speak through me and tell me those different things.

73 I know none of those people. Ask them. Whatever happens, I know nothing about it. There's no contact at all. I've just come in here tonight and sat down. Many of those people, wherever they was, would raise their hands right now.
Ever who was called, if you're still in here, ever who you was, and I didn't know you and you know I don't know a thing about what was said, would you raise up just to prove to the people that it's right? Ever who I was talk ... ever who was called out. Somebody back in here was called out, wasn't it? Yeah, there's one, two, three, four, five---five, six. Six that I know standing right here still in the building that raises their hands that I don't know them, know nothing about them. As far as I ever know, never seen them in my life. But it just keeps revealing, speaking. That's exactly what Jesus said would take place in this day just before the fire fell.
Yonder it hangs in Russia to go up in the air to bring it down, judgment upon the nation. Another Nebuchadnezzar, another Babylon, fixing to take over the place, exactly what God predicted would do. For He put in the hearts of those people to bring revenge upon the earth to take the revenge of the blood of the saints that died. We are here. We're at the end time.

74 Friend, don't notice me, because I'm just a man. There's nothing to me, just a Christian. But it's the Holy Spirit that's here working to prove Hisself here. Remember, He's here. Now, you believe it with all your heart.
Tell Him right now that you believe that He's here, His presence has called you, and you want your sins forgiven, you want to be His servant. Be sincere about it, raise up your heart to God and believe it, and you'll go away from here tonight meeting God on sacred grounds, that you'll never be able to shake away from this. And you'll say from this time on, you met God.
Now, let's all bow our heads for prayer, and I'm going to ask my good Brother David duPlessis here to lead this audience in prayer, while we bow our heads.

From that time

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Father, I pray that You will bless our gathering tonight. May it be that if there by chance be those in here who have not yet known Him as their Saviour, may something be done tonight that'll bring Him so real to them that He'll be irresistible to them. May they find Him sweet and precious to their soul as we, Thy servants, have.
We would ask especially, Lord, for those who are here that's sick and needy. Some of them, no doubt, is near death. The precious physicians of this earth have done all that they know how to do---no help. Then we come to Thee, O Jehovah-jireh and Jehovah-rapha. We pray that in Jesus' name that You'll meet these things that we ask tonight. We would remember those who are convalescent and cannot get out. Let the Holy Spirit visit them in the hospitals, and home in bed, afflicted. Let Thy mercy rain upon us, Father, and we'll give Thee the praise for we ask it in the name of Thy dear child, the Lord Jesus. Amen.

2 It's a privilege to be here tonight and to be ministering again in the name of our precious Lord. I had the privilege a few moments ago of talking to my wife and my little Joseph, the little boy who I believe that God will let take my place when I'm finished in this life. So we are very fortunate today to be living in this day, to see the nearing of the coming of the Lord. Last evening was a very unusual evening. Every evening and every minute with the Lord Jesus is unusual, and we can expect most anything to happen when His gracious presence is near.
Now, the little things that we do, invite somebody to the meeting, speak a little word for Jesus, testify, sing, or pray, and like bread upon the waters it'll return to you someday. Sometimes we feel like that if we're not some big person that we cannot do sufficient. But I believe it's written in the Scriptures that's it's not the big things that we do; it's the little things we leave undone. But Jesus knows every little thing that you do.

3 Some time ago in Canada (up in Vancouver, I believe it was), the late King George was making his visit in Canada. That afternoon, to play up the loyalty to their king, the Canadian children was all dismissed from their schools. And they took their little flags, their little British flags, and stood on the street to wave to the great, mighty king as he passed by. That scene always had two things to me. His lovely queen, of course, was sitting by him in her pretty blue dress. And he was suffering then (that was before he was healed) with stomach trouble, and he had sclerosis also. He was sitting up, and you could tell in his face there was agony.
Mr. Baxter, an associate with me, was saying when they passed by he just put his hands into his face and began weeping. Of course I myself, I didn't know any reason to weep, but he said, "Think of it, our king passes by." And I thought, if that would make a Canadian weep, to see their king, King George, pass by, what will it be when our King Jesus comes by? What kind of an influence will it throw upon us?

4 The little children waving their flags, and as the king had passed by, why, they all was to return back to school. And all of them returned back, but at a certain school a little girl was missing. So the teacher, worried, run out into the street calling her name, trying to find where she was. And after awhile she found her leaning her little head up against a telegraph pole, just weeping her little heart out. And the teacher run up to her and grabbed her in her arms, and said, "What's the matter, Honey? Did you not see the king?"
She said, "Yes, I saw the king."
Said, "Well, did you not get to wave your flag at him?"
Said, "I waved my flag."
Said, "Well, why are you crying?"
She said, "You see, Teacher, I'm little. And I was so little, I waved my flag and I screamed, but," said, "I saw the king, but the king didn't see me." She was too little.

5 But you can't do anything too little but what Jesus will see it, no matter where it is, what it is. Any little testimony or display of loyalty to Jesus... He knows the sparrow that falls into the street, He knows the very thoughts of the heart. The Bible said that He knew the sparrows that fell into the street. And we're so glad to know that, that every little thing that we do, Jesus sees us do it. And He knows the objective and the motive that we have in it, and He will reward us.
One time He said, "Verily I say unto you, if you give as much as a cup of cold water to one of these, you shall in nowise lose your reward." The little things that we just forget. Don't forget, when you see a cripple on the street, poor, blind, and lame, or halt, instead of having an entertainment for somebody, help him.
Jesus said, "I was sick and you didn't visit me. I was in prison, you didn't visit me. I was hungry and you didn't feed me."
"When were we this a-way? When did we see you?"
"Insomuch as you have done unto the least of these, you have done it unto me." Oh, how we should thank our precious Lord Jesus.

6 Now tonight Brother David does the preaching, and I just have a little ... a little something at the end. We haven't give out any prayer cards yet. Is there any sick people here? Raise up your hands if there's sick people. We gave them out the other night and then taken them all up. And now, would you like to have a prayer line then tomorrow night? If you would, raise up your hands. I want to see what you all think. If you'd like a prayer line, give out prayer cards, I'll send the boys down to give them out. If you want it, just raise up your hands. All right, all right. We'll have them to give out prayer cards then tomorrow night again, about 6:30. Is that when they give ... 6:30? All right, that'll be fine.

7 I wish you would turn in the Scriptures, if you have your Bible handy, and turn to the fourth chapter of St. Matthew. Let's read just a moment together the sixteenth and seventeenth verses:
And the people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them that sat in the region and shadow of death light ... sprang up.
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
I want to take the first three words of the seventeenth chapter, "from that time"---those three words, "from that time"---for a little thought for just a few moments.
You know, as a little boy or girl, a child, some things happen that we can point back and say, "From that time, such-and-such a thing we did, such-and-such a thing taken place, and from that time it was thus and thus." And maybe the immoral woman could say something like this, "I was a virtuous girl. I was raised in a strict Christian home by a godly father and mother. And I was just as pure as a lily until one night I took a ride with a certain boy and we drove up to a dance hall. And from that time..."
You always relate back to some time, something happened.

8 Here not long ago I was in New York City with Dr. Byrd. He's the pastor of the Bethel Tabernacle. And they had some missions down on the Bowery and I always wanted to visit the Bowery. I went down on the street with him, and, oh, it was as I used to hear as a little boy, a song: "It's a picture of life's other side. Someone who's fell by the way, a soul that's gone out with the tide, that might've been happy some day." There were men laying all under that great trestle, some of them perfectly helpless, laying on the street in their, oh, an awful impure condition. Chinatown, just below it, where they'd buy their dope. And I said to Dr. Byrd, I said, "Perhaps these men come from real bad homes and never had a chance."
He said, "Very surprising, Brother Branham, those men, many of them, are great men." And he said, "Here, that fellow laying over there," said, "I know him." Said, "Let's see if we can wake him up."

9 And I went over and shook him---the whiskers gray all over his face, and stuff running from his mouth, and his shirt dirty, and he almost smelled like a pigpen. I thought, it might be somebody's daddy, some poor soul that fell by the way. And I said, "What is your name?" And he wanted me to give him money for a drink. "Oh," I said, "I couldn't do that, sir. I'm a minister and I just couldn't give you money to drink. I'll buy you something to eat." I said, "Tell me, how did it ever happen? Was you always in this condition?
Said, "No, sir." And he began to talk to me. And he said, "And you're a minister?"
I said, "Yes, sir."
He said, "Help me up." I put my arm around him and tried to stand him up. He was too helpless. He just kind of squatted down on the street, and then fell over. And I stooped down, leaned him over on my shoulder.
He said, "Mister, you don't want to believe my story, I suppose. But," said, "not no more than five city blocks from here, I was the president of that bank."
I said, "Sir, is that true?"
He said, "Ask them."
And I said, "What happened?"
He said, "I come home one day, where I had a lovely family, but," said, "I found a 'Dear John' letter laying on the table." He said, "I loved her so much I couldn't forget her, and from that time..."
There you are. From that time something marks it.

10 You can ask the drunk, the alcoholic, "When did you start drinking?"
"Oh, I never drank in my life until one night I was out with a bunch of fellows, in a little celebration, and I took my first drink, and from that time..." That's the way it goes. Starts at a time.
Here some time ago we had the World War, the first World War. After that war was over, they formed what was called the League of Nations. Why, I was just a little boy, but I remember hearing ministers say, "We'll never have war no more, because we've set a time that we're going to police the whole world with the League of Nations." But it didn't work. They got the UN now, but it isn't working, even now. It won't work. People try to do something and...

11 Like talked to a lady here not long ago, trying to reunite her home together again. I said, "Bring your husband and come and see me."
She said, "I can't do it, Brother Branham."
I said, "Why can't you do it?"
She said, "I just don't want to face it again. Will you go and talk to him and see if he'll take me back?"
I said. "What's so bad?"
Said, "Brother Branham, John and I were married, I was as virtuous as a woman could be. And," said, "we moved into a neighborhood and we went to church and did what was right. But one day a tall, dark, handsome salesman knocked at my door and I invited him in, and from that time... Every New Year," she said, "I try to straighten up and start back again."

12 Here some time ago I went into the emergency room in a certain building, and there was supposed to be the insanity... When I walked in the door, there was a lovely, pretty, young woman about twenty-five years old sitting there, looking at me. I said, "How do you do?" Some of them in straitjackets, and beard over their faces, and cursing, and, oh, filled with demon power. And I looked at her. I said, "Well, it's kind of hard to tell where to start praying first."
She said, "If you don't mind, I wish you would start with me."
I said, "With you?"
She said, "Yes, sir."
I said, "You're not a patient."
She said, "I am, sir."
I said, "Well, what's wrong with you?"
She said, "I suppose I'm insane."
I said, "You sure don't look it."
She said, "Could you listen to my story?"
I said, "Certainly."

13 And she said, "When I was a young girl, Brother Branham, I was raised in a real Christian home. And I started going with a boy that smoked." And said, "First thing you know, I was smoking, and one night he spiked the coke with whiskey and that started me drinking." She said, "I started from that to prostitution." And she said, "I've lived in the very gutters of the blackest of hell." She said, "I served four years in the Catholic institution, Good Shepherd's Home. And said, "In there I turned a new page, and I said, 'When I get out of here I'm going to go straight.'" Said, "I meant it, but as soon as I got with the crowd again it was all over.
"Then," said, "I did two years in a women's state penitentiary here in this state." And she said, "Then I thought truly I was reformed. I come home, and joined another church, I told the pastor. We went down to the altar and talked it over. But," she said, "I just can't keep from it." She said, "It started one night."
I said, "Lady, don't you want to be a real lady, and have a hubby and babies like a real woman was?"
She said, "Oh, with all my heart." She said, "But look at me now." I said ... she said, "I've tried and I've tried."
I said, "But you haven't tried my Lord yet."
She said, "Yes, I have too, Brother Branham." Said, "I've signed pledges and vows and made promises to God."
I said, "That's just not what I'm talking about." And I said, "As old-fashioned as it may seem to be, it's a devil."
She said, "I've always believed that."
I said, "He drives you to do things that you don't want to do."
She said, "I believe that." And she said, "Would there be a hope for me?"
I said, "Certainly." And we knelt down to pray.
After awhile, she raised up. Beautiful woman, great soft-looking eyes. She looked up, and the tears running down her cheeks, and she said, "Now, Brother Branham, I believe I'm going to go out and make a new life."
I said, "Sister, dear, you're just simply turning a page. It won't do any good." I said, "You've done that so many times." I said, "Just stay here until God speaks back to you."

14 We got down there together and prayed. I left her praying, and went on prayed with the other people.
After awhile she rose up from there, and looked around the room. Those big eyes looking at me, she said, "Something happened to me."
I said, "Now you've got it. Now you've got it. You don't have to turn new pages now; it's happened. You've got it!" And from that time she was a changed person. She's married, got a lovely home, and two children now. She can point her fingers to a time that something happened to her that was immortal.
Things happen, and life changes, but there is something can happen to a person that won't change. You cannot be the same after this happens: that's when a man meets God. He's changed, something happens to him. He's never the same after he once meets God face to face, where he has to come to the fact to either receive Him or walk away from Him. He'll go away a worse person, or go away a new person. But when you meet God something happens, immortally.

15 Let's just call on a few tonight that we know has met God. Let's take Father Abraham. He was just an ordinary man. He came down from ... perhaps his father up around Babylon. And he was old, about seventy-five years old. Nothing so good about him, but God by election saw something in him, and God appeared to him and he was a changed man. There's something about it, when God appears to a man he's a changed creature from then on. And sometimes He causes you to do things that you did not think that you would do, when you meet God.
Could you imagine an old man of seventy-five years old, Abraham, and his wife sixty-five years old, had been living together since ... she was his half sister. They'd been living together since they were young and youthful, and now here they are sixty-five years old. She is about twenty years past menopause, and Abraham seventy-five years old. And God met Abraham, and told him he was going to have a baby by her, and they made arrangements for this baby.

16 Could you imagine a man seventy-five years old going down to the hospital to see the doctor, and making arrangements for he and his wife of sixty-five years to have a baby? Coming into the hospital, the people would say, the doctor would say, "The old man's kind of off at his head." But he'd met God---that's what made the difference. Sometimes when you meet God, He makes you believe things that the natural mind can't conceive. There's something about Him when you meet Him, it changes you and makes you a different person. You look through different eyes from that time on.
Could you imagine an old mother of sixty-five years old sitting back knitting little booties, getting ready for the baby? Why, the women would have said, "The old lady has lost her mind." But she believed God, and they had the baby twenty-five years later. And she was still waiting for it instead of getting weaker.
Now we call ourself Abraham's seed, and Abraham believed God when he met Him and He talked to him. And if we are in Christ, we're Abraham's seed and heirs with Him according to the promise. By faith Abraham believed God, and called those things which was not as though they were, because he met God. Any person that ever meets Him, and knows Him, and takes on the seed of Abraham, will call anything contrary to God's Word as though it's a lie. He'll take God's Word first.

17 Then we take another man, Moses, a runaway prophet, way back on the backside of the desert. All the hope of ever delivering his people, which God sent him to do, all hopes was gone. No more deliverance. He'd settled down and married a beautiful woman. Had a little boy, and he was well satisfied, knowing that someday he'd fall heir to all of Jethro's sheep, and so forth, and he could live in peace back behind Mount Horeb.
But one day, along the side of the bush, he seen a bush burning that didn't burn up. God has strange ways to attract His children. And when he stepped over on the ground, there was a voice said, "Take off your shoes, Moses, for the ground you're standing on is holy." What a difference it made in him! He'd been afraid and run from Pharaoh because he had slew an Egyptian. But the next day we find him with his wife sitting straddle a mule, with a little boy on her hip, whiskers hanging down, a crooked stick in his hand, the gray hair a-blowing, eighty years old, going down. "Where you going, Moses?"
"Going down to Egypt to take over." A one-man invasion. Why, it sounded ridiculous. But the good thing about it, he did it, because he had met God! He didn't care what it looked like. He had met God, and he knowed God was able to keep His Word. He met God. If that wasn't a ridiculous sight! One man, with his wife on a mule, a little boy on her hip, and an old crooked stick, the whiskers a-blowing like that, going down to take over a nation like Russia. But it didn't make any difference as long as God had met him and commissioned it! That's all that matters. When God sends you, that settles it forever. Amen.

18 Take the little virgin Mary, just an ordinary little girl in Nazareth. Mean little town where wickedness, night-parties and everything, but she kept herself clean. One day on the road up to the city well to get her morning supply of water, might've been studying about a certain dream she had, or a certain scripture that she'd read, perhaps Isaiah 9:6. And on her road up there, with her waterpot under her arm, walking one morning, there was a great light flashed before her and an angel stood there. Said, "Hail, Mary, blessed art Thou amongst the women. You've found favor with God. And your cousin Elisabeth up in Judaea, she's past the age of bearing, but I was a few days over there and met her husband Zacharias. God's sending a little baby to their house. She who was called barren is now going to be mother. Mary, you've found favor with God and you're going to have a child, a son, and you shall call his name Jesus."
She said, "How can these things be?"
He said, "The Holy Ghost will overshadow you. That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. For with God nothing is impossible." How it changed that little girl!

19 Listen, we could all take a lesson from Mary. She never waited till she felt life. She never waited for anything positive. His Word was enough for her. She started on her way rejoicing, saying ... testifying she was going to have the baby before any visible sign appeared. That's the way a real believer takes God at His Word and starts testifying, giving God praise, as soon as you can settle on the fact that God said so. That's what makes the difference: God said so.
Let's follow a few minutes while we're on her. She takes up into Judaea, and she goes up the mountainside. And Elisabeth was her cousin. Jesus and John were second cousins. And Elizabeth was up there then, six months it was with her to be mother. But the little baby had never moved yet. That's altogether subnormal. Anyone knows that. Elisabeth had hid herself.
Maybe she was sitting back in the little cabin making some little booties and things for the baby. And she looks out the door and she sees the pretty little Mary coming running, that little Jewish maid, and just as hard as she could come. And she pulls back the curtain, and she seen that it was her own cousin. Oh, I can see her run out just as quick as she can, grab Mary around the neck and begin to hug her and kiss her.
I like to see women act like that. I like to see men give a good old-fashioned handshake.

20 Here some time ago I was with my wife downtown. Some lady said, "Hello there, Sister Branham."
And I said to her, "Didn't you speak to that lady?"
She said, "I spoke."
I said, "I never heard you, and I'm sure she didn't."
"Oh," she said, "I smiled."
I said, "Now, Honey, a little ol' silly grin don't take the place of 'How do you do?' or something." Oh, you know, people are too cold with one another today. They're just ... today... It used to be you could go out, and somebody get sick, the neighbors would come in and help them, had real fellowship. But today you don't know your neighbor's dead unless you read it in the paper. There's something another, people are getting too far away from one another. We need fellowship! God be merciful to us.

21 Mary runs out and grabs Elisabeth, and Elisabeth grabbing Mary, and they were both of them sweetly embracing each other and talking. And I can hear Elisabeth say, "Oh, Mary, I've never seen you look so pretty. Your eyes are so sparkling and your face is so pretty. You made such a darling woman. I suppose maybe you and Joseph are still going together."
"Yes, we are still together."
And she said, "You know, Mary, that I am to be a mother."
"Yes, I know it. I know it, and I'm to be mother, too," said Mary."
And she said, "Oh, I see, you and Joseph is already married."
"No, Joseph and I are not married."
And such an astonishing look must have come on Elisabeth's face. "You mean that you're to be mother, and you and Joseph are not married?"
"That is right." Oh, and the smile on her face.
"Mary, what's the matter?"

22 See, she'd met God. That made the difference. Something was taking place.
"Oh," she said, "the way I knowed that you was to be mother, there was an angel met me yesterday morning as I was going to the well, and he give me a great salute and told me I'd found favor with God, and the Holy Ghost was going to overshadow me. And told me that I was to have a son, and said that you were to have a son, too."
She said, "But, Honey, the baby's dead. It's six months with me as mother and the baby has never moved yet."
She said, "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that. You know when he overshadow ... said the Holy Ghost would overshadow me, and that baby that would be born in me, from me, would be called the Son of God, and I'd call his name Jesus."
And just as soon as she said "Jesus," the first time that word ever come from a mortal lip, little John received the Holy Ghost, dead in his mother's womb, and began to jump for joy in the womb of his mother. Oh, if the name of Jesus Christ would bring a dead baby to life and fill it with the Holy Ghost, what ought it to do to a born-again church that claims to be full of the Holy Ghost?

23 "As soon as I said, 'Blessed art thou,'" said, "for as soon as thy salutation come to my ears (whence comes the mother of my Lord), as soon as I heard his name, my baby leaped in the womb for joy." John began to shout when he heard the name of Jesus Christ spoke, come to life. From that time, there wasn't any worry about the baby anymore, because they knew it would be there. The great things of God was on the road.

24 Simon the fisherman, a doubter, scorner, to Andrew, his brother, about Jesus being Messiah. One time Andrew persuaded him to come to a meeting, and as soon as he came in the presence of God, He looked at him and said, "Your name is Simon, you're the son of Jonas." And from that time, Peter was a believer.
It was the great St. Paul, who was first Saul---a persecutor of the church, on his road to Damascus with letters in his pocket from the high priest, to take all those people that were shouting, and speaking in tongues, and so forth, and put them in prison. About noontime there was a light shined out of the heavens, and he fell to his feet, into the dust, and there came a voice, saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" And from that time, Saul was changed to Paul, and become a real believer and a worker in the church.

25 It was also (in our service last night) when an old blind beggar, who didn't even have food in his house perhaps, sat by the roadside begging, blind and could not tell daylight from dark---but he come in the presence of the Lord Jesus. He called out till his faith touched Him, and from that time he could see. When he touched God, from that time his life was changed.
There was a leper, laying at the gate, crying, "Unclean, unclean." And Jesus passed by, and his first contact with Jesus he touched Him, and from that time the leprosy was gone.
It was a maniac in Gadara who was so powerful, possessed of the devil, till they would chain him and he'd break the chains, and cut himself with pieces of stone. Was such an awful man until no one could pass by. He would murder them if he could get ahold of them, so possessed of the devil. Everybody bypassed the way. One day Jesus came along, and from that time he was a changed man and had his right mind, and could go home to his family. From that time. He had met God.

26 It was a woman at the well, how that her sins were so bad that she couldn't come to the well at a normal time of day. She had to wait till all the decent women got away from the well. Nobody in the city would listen to her because she was a woman of ill-fame. One day, while she was standing there at Jacob's well, outside of the city of Samaria, she looked sitting against the wall, and she seen someone there that said, "Bring me a drink."
And she said to Him, "It's not customary for Jews to ask Samaritans such."
He said, "But if you knew who you were talking to, you'd ask me for a drink." The conversation went for awhile. After awhile He found where her trouble was, and He said, "Go get your husband and come here."
She said, "I have no husband."
Said, "That's right. You've got five, and the one you're living with is not your husband."
She said, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. We know that when the Messiah cometh, he'll be a God-prophet. Moses has told us that the Lord our God would raise up a prophet like him, and when the Messiah cometh He'll tell us these things."
Jesus said, "I'm He that speaks to you."
Something happened to her! From that time, she was in the city giving testimony: "Come see a man who's told me the things that I've done. Isn't this the very Messiah?" Things had changed when she had met God.

27 One day, God---which is life---life and death met together. Death always doubted Him to be the Son of God. When the devil had Him out there, he tempted Him. Said, "If you be the Son of God, turn these stones to bread. I'll believe you." He was tempted. He wondered just what that was. Was that a prophet? Or was that really God? He didn't know. He didn't know then that God had to be made flesh and dwell among us. One day a Roman soldier put a bandage around His face, took a reed and hit Him on the head, and said, "Now, if you be a prophet, if you be this prophet, tell us who hit you."
Still He couldn't answer, because He'd be minding the devil. On the cross they asked him, "Come off the cross, we'll believe you to be the Son of God," all that temptation. The devil didn't know who that was in that body of flesh. So going up the hill to Calvary, Satan still wasn't satisfied that that was God Emmanuel, the virgin-born Son of God.

28 Let's take a trip to Jerusalem for a moment. It's on a terrible morning. The sun looks funny. When the morning sacrifice was offered, the smoke from the brazen altar instead of going up to God, He refused it. It was hanging over the city. It was a gloomy-looking time. We're standing in an upper room. I hear a noise. There's been a light down in Pilate's judgment hall since early, about three o'clock. There's been a light down there. What is it?
Let's go to the window. I hear a noise. Pull back the curtains. I hear something bumping along the street, as you go out towards Golgotha. There comes a Man coming down the street, old rugged cross on His shoulders, bearing it, dragging on the back, bumping over those hard stones, rubbing the place, meat off of His shoulders, a crown of thorns on His head, mixed with tears and blood streaming down His face, with mockery, soldier's spit all over His beard where ... His face bleeding where they jerked handfuls of beard out of His face, old cross dragging out the bloody footprints as He walked down the street.
I notice on His back, He's got a robe across His shoulders, wove throughout without a seam. There's little red dots all over that coat. As He goes on up the hill, those dots get bigger and bigger and bigger, spreading. After awhile they all run into one great big splosh.

29 The bee of death comes down and begins to hum around Him. Buzzing, "I've got him now on his road to Calvary. I'll get him up there, and that'll be the last of this thing called Messiah." That bee of death, it anchors in everyone. But like any other bee, if that bee ever stings deep enough, it'll lose its stinger. Any insect or bee, if it ever stings real deep, it can never sting no more. It couldn't sting deep enough in mortal blood. But, brother, sister, when it anchored its stinger in the Son of God, it took the stinger out of it. Now-a-days no wonder one could stand and say, "O death, where is your stinger? Grave, where is your victory?" When death met God, it lost its stinger. It cannot sting a Christian no more. It can buzz and make a noise, but it's lost its stinger.
I'm so glad. I'm so happy tonight to be a Christian, to know that death doesn't hold any stinger anymore. It can buzz, and make a noise, and try to scare us, but we know that the stinger was anchored in His flesh, and from that time God pulled the stinger out of death, and today, death has no stinger. Oh-h, "He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, with his stripes we were healed." Do you believe that? You accept that?
A bee . .

30 . one time, I, myself, laying on a hospital bed, a little Irish boy laying there dying, my daddy crying, a little nurse standing there, my heart only beating seventeen times to the minute... A block of anesthetic had went through my heart from an operation, from a spinal block, and the doctor said, "There's no way for him to live." And I heard it. They pulled the curtain around me.
Then I heard a sound coming through, like noise ... kind of like leaves a-blowing. I thought, "This is it. God, I can't offer you my life like this, like an old rose with the petals falling off." I said, "Sir, I don't know how to pray, but I've been told that You're a great doctor, above all the doctors. If You'll just let me live, I'll never be ashamed of You no more. I'll scream it from housetops, from street corners." And from that hour I begin to live, and have lived ever since; and today after thirty-one years, I'm glad to be standing behind the pulpit tonight to say Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, because one day I met God.
Each one of you has a similar experience. There's a time when man is brought face to face to meet God, to accept Him or to let Him go. That might be your time tonight, sir, it might be your time tonight, madam, that you'll have to tonight receive Him or let Him go. Let us bow our heads just a moment now while we're thinking on these words.

31 I wonder in the building tonight, on the balcony to my right, would there be someone up there in this balcony to my right would raise up their hands in saying, "God, from this time... I've lived a lukewarm Christian life, or maybe I haven't accepted You at all, but from this time, I'm going to accept You as my Saviour." Would you raise your hand? Balconies to my right, anybody up there that's not a Christian would say, "From this time, I'm going to receive the Lord Jesus."
Balconies in the rear, would somebody up there raise your hand, say, "I'm not a Christian, Brother Branham, but I want to accept Christ as my Saviour." Balcony to my left, would you raise your hand up there somewhere and say, "I want to accept Christ." Down on the bottom floor to my left, someone raise your hand, saying, "I want to accept Christ as my Saviour. From this time, I want to be a Christian." The center aisles here, someone raise your hand and say, "I want to accept Christ." Balconies to my right, would there be one that would raise your hand and say, "I want to accept Christ."
God bless you, young fellow. That's very good.

32 One little boy, about twelve, fourteen, years old, out of the whole house of people. I wonder if it's because you're all Christians and you've already accepted Him. If not, would you be just that kind to raise your hand to Him, and saying, "From this time, I'll make You this promise, Lord, I feel that I ought to be your servant. I'll raise my hand to You." Is there one besides this young lad? God bless you over here, sir. That's good. Make your decision now, and from that time...
If there's some here who can remember that once you had a sweet Christian experience but something happened, something took place, and from that time you haven't felt right since that time, would you raise your hand, say, "Pray for me."? God bless you. God bless you. That's right. In the balconies? "From that time I..." God bless you. That's right. Anywhere around, God bless you. Yes, that's good. I'll certainly pray for you. God bless you.

33 Now down on the bottom floor, raise your hand and say, "I once had a sweet experience, Brother Branham, but something happened one day, and from that time I haven't felt close to God since then." Raise your hands. God bless you. That's good. He knows an honest heart. Certainly He knows. That's it. I'm watching, waiting, just keep praying, everyone with your heads bowed now. I'm watching someone. Just keep praying, keep your head bowed. From that time. Oh, the Lord be with you.

34 Our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for this young man who raised his hand tonight and wants to become a Christian. May this be the hour, Lord, that You'll receive him into Your kingdom. May from this hour, he can say in the years to come, if there is a coming year, "I was down at the auditorium one night, something strange spoke to my heart, and from that time..." I pray You'll make a missionary out of him, Father, if there is a tomorrow, to missionary; and he'll go to the people, and his testimony would be, "...and from that night on."
Many of these precious ones who raised their hands that they'd once loved You and believed You, and had a wonderful experience, but something entangled their life, from that time on they haven't felt just right, God of Heaven, make it tonight that from this night on, they'll feel different about it. Grant it, Lord. May they receive Christ back sweetly, humbly, into their heart. Tonight, Father God, grant it, in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

35 Let's sing our little song now. We don't know what the Holy Spirit will do. Our good old song now, "I Love Him." Let's have a ... if you will, "I love Him, I love Him, because He first loved me." All of us together now, while we worship Him in the song.
I love Him, I love Him
Because He first loved me,
And purchased my salvation
On Calvary's tree.
How many is Christians now that really love Him, raise up your hand to Him now. Just close your eyes and sing it.
... ... I love Him
Because He first loved me,
And purchased my salvation
On Calvary's tree.
Oh, isn't He wonderful? Don't you feel real good in your heart? Just all scoured out, thinking, "from that time."

36 I remember, back in a little coalshed one night... I was so hungry for God. I went down to my own Baptist church, and the pastor said, "Come up, Billy, give me your right hand. Turn around to the audience and tell them you believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God. You're a good boy." That didn't settle it. I went down to a little Adventist Church, and they told me I have to keep a Sabbath day, and not eat meat, and so forth. Then I ... that didn't satisfy. I went back, got me an old sack, and went out in the shed, and knelt down there, and, oh, my, from that time, something happened. From that time, I remember, there was a sweet peace that come over my soul. Oh, it just meant so much to me. You know that same Jesus is here tonight. He loves us. Don't you believe that?

37 Now, we haven't give out any prayer cards, as I said, for the last couple of nights, but it's my contention---and all Christians believe this that's really born-again---that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do you believe that? I was trying tonight on something else, to see if sinners, I could get them. Remember, divine healing is a minor. You'll never major on a minor. You can't do it. So I thought maybe there was maybe a group of sinners would be around, I could invite them up to receive the Lord Jesus. Brother DuPlessis usually makes the altar call. The other night I made one. A few come, but looks like it's nearly all Christians.

38 What you need here in Oklahoma, as I see here, is just a good old-fashioned revival. You've got the material to do it with. You've got great men here in the city. Who's a greater man on the field than Tommy Osborn, Brother Oral Roberts? Some of the greatest men the world has is anchored right here in your city. This ought to be the most spiritual place there is in the world, right here, where those great ... Abundant Life and Faith Digest, and those big papers and things, just spread out all over the world everywhere. This ought to be just like a honeycomb where the bees fly in and out bringing in honey. It should be. What Oklahoma needs here now is a good old-fashioned revival, a breaking up.
Our churches has become too much to the world, too starchy, too intellectual, too much ... too much just style. We need the old-fashioned Pentecostal gospel, and the old Pentecostal revivals, all night prayer meetings. That's what we need, friends. Get back to God, where the church can receive its blessings and receive its...

39 Now, those things ... your denominations are growing in membership. I appreciate that, every one of you. I do appreciate that with all my heart. I've laid everything that I could to it.
When I first come from the Baptist Church, I seen ... when I met the Pentecostals, I thought, "This is it." Then I come to find out they were broke-up in different denominations like the Baptists was. One said, "Come go with us," the other said, "Come go with us." But I stood right in the breach and put my arms around all of them, said, "We're brothers." We are brothers, that's what we are, friends. We are not divided, all one body are we. That's right. "Onward, Christian soldiers..." We ought to be in prayer, constantly looking for the coming of the Lord, for we believe He will come soon.

40 Now, if Jesus was here tonight in a visible form, then it would be wrong. If Jesus Christ stood on this pulpit tonight, the Jesus Christ of heaven stood on this pulpit tonight and claimed to be Jesus Christ, he'd be an antichrist. Exactly he'd be, for when Jesus comes, the rapture takes place. As the light cometh from the east even to the west, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess.
But the Holy Spirit that was in Him, He's here tonight. He's here tonight in His church. "Wherever two or three are gathered, I'll be in their midst. The works that I do shall you do also. More than this shall you do, for I go unto my Father." We've been over it, and over it again, and His presence is here.
Now, what shakes me, friends (Brother David is sitting here), in South Africa and Durban, when them blanket-natives, thousands of them... There sat the Mohammedans by the thousands, all different kinds of religions that you never thought of. I asked Sidney Smith (I think that was ... that's the mayor, Sidney Smith of Durban), the mayor of Durban. We was going out. He said, "Brother Branham, Africa's never had anything like this." Going out to the ground, and there was a man with a tag on him packing an idol.
And I said, "What's that tag for?"
Said, "He's a Christian."
I said, "And packing the idol?"
He said, "He's a Bazuta [I believe, or "Zuta" or something like ... Zulu.]" Said, "I can speak his language. Talk to him, call him anything you wish to."
And I spoke to him. I said, "What you packing that idol for? Don't you believe in God?" He believed in ... I believe he called it amoyah, something like that---wind, unseen force. He believe in amoyah. But one day his daddy was packing the idol and the lion got after him and he built up a little fire and the lion run away, so this idol was God, too. Now, that's not Christianity. That's not Christianity, no, sir.
Then I said, "Sir, I'm a hunter myself. The fire run the lion away, the idol had nothing to do with it. It was the fire that scared that lion." Oh, he'd pack it anyhow, so ... for safety. If amoyah, the unseen God, failed, this one wouldn't. Now that's sometimes called strength of Christianity in many realms. It's too bad.

41 But on the day when I gave them the simple story, if Jesus Christ that's spoke of in the Bible, if He'll come here and do the same things that He did, if He'll perform the same things that He did when He was on earth to prove to the people He was the Messiah... How did they know He was the Messiah? How did the Jew know? The real Jew, when he seen Him... Nathanael came to Him. He said, "Behold, an Israelite in whom there's no guile."
He said, "Rabbi, when did you know me? You've never seen me in your life."
He said, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the tree, I saw you."
He said, "Rabbi, you're the Son of God, you're the King of Israel." That was a real predestinated elected Jew to eternal life.

42 There was some of the priests standing there said, "He's Beelzebub, the fortune-teller."
Jesus said, "You speak that against me, I'll forgive you. But someday the Holy Ghost will come and do it, one word against it will never be forgiven." That's how He made Himself known to the people. That's how the woman at Samaria knowed that He was Messiah, for He told her the thoughts that was in her heart, for Moses said the Messiah will be a God-prophet.
Now, if He stood here tonight, wearing this suit that He gave me, He couldn't heal you, because He's already done it. He couldn't forgive your sins; He already done it. Healing and salvation is a finished work that's already completed when Jesus died at Calvary. "He was wounded for our transgressions, with his stripes we were healed." That's the gospel, if I know it.

43 Faith cometh by hearing. Then God has set in the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, and pastors, all for the perfection of the saints.
Now, if He can get ahold of your heart, then He can work His works. But ... as long as you can get yourself out of the way, as long as you can relax yourself and let the Holy Spirit take over. He said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches," and the branch doesn't ... the vine doesn't bear fruit, but it energizes the branch to bear fruit. Now, what kind of fruit would it bear? The kind of life that was in the vine. Well, that's the same thing the church does. Today, if you wanted to get grapes, you'd go to a grape vineyard. If you wanted to get pumpkins, you'd go to a pumpkin vine. But the thing today people comes to churches and find a dry-cut theology, no Spirit at all. What we need today is a revival of the Spirit of God among us to bring us back the true and living God.

44 Now, if you will do like that woman did... Now, as far as I know there's not a person in this audience that I know, except it would be Pat Tyler sitting right there, and Brother Gene sitting right here. That's the only people that I know in this audience. If you, if you believe that Jesus Christ died, rose again, ascended on high, sitting at the right hand of the majesty, His body is, His Spirit come back to the church as we've been teaching, then if He doesn't keep His word, then He wasn't the Son of God. If He does keep his Word, then He's alive. After nineteen hundred years He's still living.
Now, the thing of it is, will He do it? If He promised it, and He's God, He has to do it. He's duty bound to His Word, and He's no better than His Word. And I'm no better than my word, and you're no better than your word. God's no better than His Word. If He won't keep it, then He isn't God. If He does keep it, it proves that He is God. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.

45 Now, you sick people out there, if you believe it and you have faith to touch Him like that woman did... Does the Bible say that He is right now a high priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities? Does the Bible say that? All right. Then if He's the same high priest, how would He act? The same way He did at that time. Is that right?
Now, let us bow our heads just a moment and pray. And you pray that God will ... you'll be able to touch the border, as it was, of His garment. Now, just keep praying, I'll pray, and everybody be real quiet. I'll ask them if they'll turn the fans off, if they will just for a few moments. Now, be real reverent and be in prayer. Now, this is the crucial moment. I'm sure that every Christian could appreciate where I'm standing right now. The things that I have said and been talking about, it's either right or wrong. Now, just be reverent and pray and everyone keep their seat. No matter where you are, just be praying, believing with all your heart.

46 Now, Father, this meeting, one word from You would be more than any man could say in a lifetime. Just one word, that these people could go from here tonight and say, "From that time..." Let them say this, like blind Bartimaeus in our lesson last evening, he touched Jesus and stopped Him. The woman with a blood issue touched Him and stopped Him. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Lord, let these people touch Him. Send forth Your touching grace, Lord, that they might touch You for their infirmities, that the world might know that You're true and You are the Son of God that ... and I have told them the truth of Thy Word. Grant it, through Jesus Christ's name.

47 Now, just pray and say, "Lord God, Brother Branham is a man. He doesn't know me. [Gap in the audio] Of course, you all know the great visions that's went forth and been told. Never one time did ever one fail. First vision come, I was eighteen months old.
Now, if you'll be real reverent, the Holy Spirit is begin entering into the room. I am looking now to my left from me. I see a man praying, that light is over him. He's sitting to my left on the end of the row out there. He's got a rupture. He's got nose trouble and arthritis, and he's praying for deliverance. Do you believe, sir, that your faith has touched His garment now and you want to be healed? Will you accept it? If you will, just raise up your hand, say, "I accept it." You're sitting right back here to my left, hands over your face there, praying. All right.

48 There's a man right behind him praying also, but he's not praying for himself. He's praying for his little girl there. That little girl has low blood pressure. Your wife, sitting by you, also has trouble with her limbs, doesn't she? You believe that God will make them well? Do you believe it? Raise up your hand then and say, "I'll accept it," and God will make them well. God bless you. All right.
Back over here in the center aisle, somebody down through here believe, and may the Lord grant the blessing. Now, here right in the center aisle, on the outside to my right, there's a woman sitting there. She has gland trouble she's praying about. That you might know who I'm speaking to, you got a husband at home you're praying for, and he has a hernia. You believe that God will heal him? You believe it, sister? Raise up your hand if you'll accept it with all your heart. Do you believe it? All right.

49 Here's a woman sitting right out here from me in the aisle, she's praying. She's praying for her son. Her son is in a bed of affliction. He isn't here. He's not even in this state. He's in Arkansas. He's an alcoholic. Mrs. Kelly, that's who I'm speaking to. Do you believe, Mrs. Kelly? Stand up, on your feet. Stand up, Mrs. Kelly. Now, I don't know you. I've never seen you in my life. Is that right? Now, you go find him the way you have believed. God bless you.
If you believe, friends, just have faith. Are you believing God now? Have faith now, just believe with all your heart.

50 Here's a man sitting right down here, right to my right again. He's sitting out here on the end. He's got lung trouble, very bad. Do you realize that that's cancer, sir, in your lungs? I don't know you, is that right? (If the people wants to raise their head, it's all right. I don't care when I'm talking to someone.) I'm a stranger to you, is that right, sir? I do not know you. Do you believe that God would heal you and make you well? Got cancer in the lungs. You're a minister, too. That's right. You are a minister of the Assemblies of God, and I'm a stranger to you. You believe that God knows who you are? Do you believe He could tell me who you are? Would you believe ... make you believe now? because you've got to believe, or you're going to die. Reverend Lee Hildreth. That is your name, is that right? Raise up your hand. All right. I never seen you in my life. If that's right, raise up your hand. The Holy Spirit, He wants to spare your life, sir. You believe with all your heart.

51 Do you believe now, all of you, with all your heart, all that's in you? Everywhere, do you believe? Somebody else want to believe? Here, I see another minister. No, it's his wife praying for him. He's got stomach trouble. He's not here, but he's home. Mrs. Phillips, believe with all your heart. Jesus Christ will make the brother well if you'll believe it. Amen. Do you believe with all your heart? All right.

52 Do you believe the Holy Spirit is here now? All right. Then I want you to do this. How many believers is here? Raise your hands. Now, how many believes that that's the sign that Jesus gave that He was Messiah? That's what He give to the world. That's what the Bible said. That's what He promised, "As it was in the days of Sodom."
What was the Sodom sign to the elect church? They found there was a great revival went on down in Sodom, but up here in the elect church, Abraham, there was an angel who knowed that Abraham was married, had a wife, her name was Sarah, and he asked where she was at. Said, "She's in the tent behind you."
And she laughed, and he said, "Why did she laugh?" Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Sodom, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man." Is that right? Well, then, that makes Him here.

53 If you're believers, with all your heart believing, raise up your hand, each one that's a believer. Now, you lay your hand over on somebody next to you. Just lay your hand on somebody next to you. I'm going to quote to you a Scripture: Jesus said, "These signs shall follow them that believe." Is that right? Now, don't you pray for yourself. Let that person that you're praying for, pray for you. And now you pray for one another, and God promised the prayer of faith shall save the sick. And the whole group of you...
The Holy Ghost is out there. He's right over you now. Now bow your heads and there's only one thing to keep you from receiving it, that's that little shadow of darkness. I'm going to ask God to make that devil leave here, that devil of unbelief, and each one of you can be healed. Now, you pray for the person that you got your hands on.

54 Heavenly Father, we bring this audience to You now, seeing that You have proven Yourself alive after nineteen hundred years. Your Scripture says these signs shall follow them that believe. O Lord, You are here, Your power is here, Your children is praying, Your Spirit is here. We cast out this doubt. We defeat Satan by the power of God. In the name of Jesus, may the devil turn these people loose, every one of them, and may the power of God fall into this building. May every person here be liberated from the powers of sickness and the powers of darkness. May the Holy Ghost have the right of way in every heart. Grant it, Lord. We give them to You. In the name of Jesus Christ, I cast out the evil powers of Satan. May he leave this audience and each of them be healed.
Do you believe Him? Do you believe you're healed? I don't care how crippled you are, how bad you are, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ, in the presence of Him that knows all about you, stand on your feet and receive your healing. I don't care what is wrong, stand up. Amen. There it is. Praise the Lord. You are healed. God Almighty makes you well. I pronounce it in the name of Jesus Christ, as I turn the service to Brother David.

From that time

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 ...used to be over to another city here. I can't remember what ... Grants Pass. And he's just on up somewhere else in Oregon. I just met him out there; and you know it thrills you to meet old friends again. It does me. And I think of him about all the time. He used to be the manager in the meetings. Brother asked me a little before and we'd have him say something.
Said, "I can come in. Oh, I just had to run down and see you."
And I said, "You bet you can come in."

2 Another thrill that just come a few moments ago, as Billy (my son) give me a little package. And I tell you, it was the sweetest thing that I've had in quite awhile. There was a little girl here, and she got her little soul all stirred up, and she sent me an offering. Well now, if the Federal agents think I'm going to turn this in, they're wrong. And it's got a little note here that's real cute.
She says that: "I love you so much. I am thirteen years old. I give you this offering. I got it selling bottles. God bless you forever." Thirteen cents.
That was really sweet. She never signed it; she just said, "a little girl that loves the Lord." Whoever you are, sister dear, God bless you. You don't know what that means to me. That's just as sacred to me as somebody giving me a hundred dollar bill in that.

3 I think it was the great Gypsy Smith, in reading some of the context of his life story. He was asked one time what was the greatest thrill he ever had. He said: 'Well." They were going to take a love offering for him one night, and as he come up the back steps, he said, "There was a little ragged gypsy girl standing there, and said, 'Mr. Smith?' Said, 'We've come from a poor family.' And said, 'You have led my mother and father to the Lord Jesus.' And she said, 'I knew tonight was your love offering, and I didn't have nothing to give you.' She said, 'And a lady today give me a lollipop, and I just didn't want to drop it in the offering, Mr. Smith, so I just wrapped it up and thought I'd give you my offering personally.' A lollipop, little sucker."
He said he looked at that poor little ragged child and what happened? You know, that means... That's from the real heart. You know, that's just something that's sweet and touching. And I think that's where real life lays, is when it's from around the heart.

4 I can think of a little something on that order in one of the meetings up in Finland. I beg your pardon, it was in... Yes, I still think it was Finland; yes, it was in Kuopio. I haven't thought of it for some time. There'd been a little boy raised from the dead, that I saw in a vision two years (here in America) before I went overseas. There might be some people here that heard me speak of it; I come up... Yes, there's many hands up.
I said, "There will be a little boy somewhere, laying where there's trees, pine trees, and there'll be big rocks slabbed together. And the little boy will be killed in an accident, and the Lord God shall raise him up."
I was coming down from the tower of... It's been a long time; I can't think of the name of the tower. It was up at... It was Kuopio, Finland, about twelve years ago. And we were coming down...

5 A used Ford about six or seven years old in Finland, would sell for around two thousand five hundred dollars, maybe three thousand. And gasoline is ninety-five cents a gallon. So where there was at least twenty-five, thirty-five thousand people, you'd see about two or three automobiles. And up in there, they ride a little sled like a travois, an Indian wears ... rides, and... Used to travel by travois, and they had a caribou that hauled them on the travois. And then down at the...
I'd been up in a car at the top of the hill, and down was Kuopio, Finland. I was there during the time about May; the sun is only out one day in a year there, just one day. Six months the sun's up; six months it's down. And this was just when the sun just skirting the edge of the horizon. At midnight, we could just... Nice and light as it is in here, read a newspaper at midnight. Then it comes back up again. And you just go to sleep when you get sleepy; that's about the way you manage your day while the sun's up. And then it's gone for a year ... for six months. That's up in the Laplands.

6 And coming down off of the mountain where we'd been singing, there's been a drunken Englishman up there. He didn't know what was taking... He was a lumber buyer from England, and he wanted to know what that singing was about. And he was about as bad off as me; I... When you can speak Finnish, you're pretty good, because I think they got about fifty or sixty letters in the alphabet, and so they... They're very sweet people, some of the nicest people I ever met in my life. And they were very lovely people.
So then, while I was up there, this Englishman was going on. And I told him it was a religious meeting. I asked him if he knew the Lord Jesus as his personal Saviour. He said, "No," he never learned about no religion. So there I had the privilege of seeing the Lord Jesus sober that man and give him salvation to his soul, kneeling down out there in that mud and muck out there in the yard where this big tower... It's kind of a watchtower, an old ancient watchtower. And we were up there praising God from on high.

7 And they'd tell me how the Russians would come in during the time of the war and drop the bombs on the city, and come over that tower. And then we could look right over across the Iron Curtain into Russia, about two mile away.
Coming down from the... We'd gathered together to have prayer after they'd seen this Englishman. I'd went down and just walking around at the bottom of the tower, and Brother Jack Moore was with me, and this Englishman had just come to Christ. They all came down, and something come over me real strange. When they took a picture of it ... (I have it at home.)
I said, "Remember, something's fixing to happen; I just feel it. Something's going to take place. I don't know what."
So, they begin to ask, "What will it be?"
I said, "I don't know. It's just something's fixing to take place."

8 About a mile down the hill, we seen where there'd been about a five or six year old American made Ford. Some of the people that was up on the hill at the tower had went down, and some little school children was coming from the school. And their parents... They live in the city, something like Germany. They live in the city, and they farm out in the country, and they come back into the city.
Two little boys, one about nine years old, and one about (Oh, I'd say) about six years old. They was crossing the road, and this car coming fast, and no cars hardly there. They wasn't expecting a car. And the little fellows holding one another's hands, and they seen the car whirl into sight; and one started one way and one the other. And they was holding each other's hand. Finally, they let loose of each other's hand, and the man driver got excited, and didn't know which way to go, because the children was jerking both ways, lost control of the car.

9 And one of the fenders on the left side hit one little boy right in between the eyes like that, and threw him over, and smashed him into the tree, and concussion of the brain and broke his bones up. And the other one, it run right straight over the top of him, like that. Went over, and it throwed him, where the back wheel hit him, all the way across the road into the grass plot. The car went over the hill, and smashed into a bunch of rocks, and turned over.
We arrived at the scene, there'd been someone else, a carriage that had got there before us and took the little boy that was breathing, taken him to the hospital. And the chief man of the city (which is equivalent to a mayor of the city), he was there; the doctor had gotten there. But the law in Finland, that they couldn't move this child now, until the parents come. So, they'd gone on horseback ... or carriage to the field to find the child's parents, to bring them in.

10 Well, we stopped. Brother Gordon Lindsay, Brother Hall's brother-in-law, was along, Brother Ern Baxter, and Brother Jack Moore, and several of the brethren; and we stopped. And Mrs. Isaacson... She may be right in this meeting tonight; she lives out in here somewhere. Are you here, Sister Isaacson? She was my Finnish interpreter.
And so, they got out of the car to look at the little boy and come back. We'd seen an accident had happened. They come back and they said... I said, "What was it?"
They said, "Oh, come out and look, Brother Branham. It's a little boy was killed. There was another one killed too; they done taken him to the hospital."
I said, "Oh, I don't want to go." I said, "I'd think of my own little boy, Billy Paul." And he was just a lad, and I hadn't seen him for months. And as you all know, his mother's dead, and I've been both mother and father to him. In fact, we've been chums together. She asked me to never leave Billy when she was dying, and he's been my chum ever since.

11 And I didn't want to look at the little boy. It'd just bring... He'd be about Billy's age then, about nine, ten years old. And you all remember how I told you the little boy would look: He kind of had one of those crop hair cuts and brown eyes. And he was little ... wearing them what we used to call in my days "little panty waist" like, and then his long stockings, and his foot would be mashed through his stockings, and he'd be killed in an accident.
Well, I didn't go over, and Mrs. Isaacson said, "I believe you should go over."
Went to look at the little boy---went over there---and they had his coat over his face. When I see that poor little fellow laying there mashed up like that, I just started weeping. I turned around and something laid his hand on me. I thought it was Brother Moore. And I looked around, and there was nobody around, and that hand was still laying on my shoulder. Well, I said, "That's strange." And the hand left away from me.
I don't know whether you believe in ... all of you believe in supernatural things or not, but it happened just the same. And I started to move again, and the hand laid back on my shoulder again. I thought, "Well, I wonder what this means. Maybe I'm supposed to pray for this little lad." And I thought, "Well..."

12 I looked back again, and they'd done covered his little face up. And there was about three hundred people standing there. And I started to move on, and the hand just held me. Well, I walked back and I started back towards the little boy, and the hand was all right, left me. Well, I done that twice. And I said, "Let me see the little boy again." And they raised up the... Mrs. Isaacson talked for me, interpreted it, and they raised up the thing for me to see his face again. And I looked. I thought, "That's strange. It looks like I've seen that little boy."
Well, Doctor Manninen, he was the head of the ministerial association of Helsinki, and so he was with me. And I said, "Dr. Manninen, has that little boy been in the prayer line?"
He said, "I don't think so." Said, "I will ask some of the local pastors." And they were standing there. No, they had never seen the little boy, didn't know of him.
Well, I said, "It's strange; it looks like I've seen the little boy." I started to walk away again, and that hand laid on my shoulder again. I looked back, and I thought, "Something..."

13 Then I noticed the little crop hair cut, little brown eyes pushed out, laying back. Little foot through his socks where they'd mashed through like that. Oh, he was in terrible condition. That car just wadded him up like that, and the back wheel after it lost control, it just flipped him out, and he just froze on the accelerator like that, and it just went on over the hill. The man never got hurt; they pulled him out of the wreck, and he was by himself. And then I looked again, and I looked up the hill. And there was them pine trees coming off the hill---he blast the rocks.
Oh, my! Christian friends, I hope that someday (if not, it'll be run in another land) when that feeling that comes to you when you know ... I wished I could have that feeling all the time. If I could... It's something. It's a love; it's like a real deep love. And if the devil would've sent all of his imps out of torment and stood right there on them grounds, it could not have moved that feeling at all. It's something that God has told that's going to happen; you can see it right here laying before you. It's going to happen.

14 So I said, "I know the boy." And Brother Moore and them standing there. I said, "Look in your Bibles, Brother Lindsay, on the fly leaf..." You know what I asked you people (when I come through here, was Portland there) to it write on the fly leaf of your Bible. I seen it on a train going to Florida. And I said, "I wrote ... I said, 'Thus saith the Lord, a little boy (described how he looked) would be raised from the dead.'"
And they looked on the fly leaf of the Bible, and Brother Moore said, "That's the boy."
I said, "That's him." I said, "Now..." And I told all the people (I had Mrs. Isaacson) I said, "Now, tell them, 'Be reverent.'" I said, "If this little boy isn't on the street alive in five minutes from now, then you can take me out of Finland; I'm a false prophet." See? I said, "The little boy's going to rise up from the dead right now." Been dead about thirty minutes.

15 And so ... was waiting for the father and mother, and I was thinking how they must have feel ... how they would feel to come to see their little boy crushed and laying on the road like that. His little tongue was hanging the side of his mouth, blood running out of his ears, and everything. So, I knelt down just the way the vision showed, laid hands on the little boy, and as soon as I laid hands on him, I said, "Heavenly Father, in America ten years ago, You promised me the life of this child, that it would rise again." Now, death cannot hold it when that vision's speaking." I said, "Death, return his life in the name of Jesus Christ."
The little boy jumped up and screamed, his little foot [unclear words]. He was just as normal and well as any child could ever be.

16 Now, I've got that written by the chief man of the city of Kuopio, Finland, in my study today. That's right. And in there written, and then translated on the other side, of what it was. Said, "Brother Branham, we're poor in Finland. We can't offer you, only thing we got is paper. So here's a book of Kuopio as a comment from me." And it's got their seal on it like that, when he wrote the testimony himself.
Someone wrote to me from Finland here not long ago. Said, "That was false." And he was going to write a book on it; it was false.
I said, "Go right ahead, just write the book. Then I'm going to publish this testimony of the mayor of the city behind it. So now, you just go ahead and write me what you want to."

17 Have we got just a moment or two longer for something? I want to finish that up. That night when we left Finland, that... We was going into the place; there was so many there; they had to have guards on the street. And I ... going into the room, I was walking along; there was about six or seven soldiers around me. Them poor little Finns, not old enough to shave yet, all the other grown men had been killed off nearly by the Russians. And so, they were taking me...
And when you are born in Russia, if you're forty miles from your birthplace, you have to have a visa. But don't let nobody ever tell you there's no Christians in Russia; there's millions of them. And there was those Russian soldiers that... They can't broadcast stuff like we have, rock-and-roll and all that stuff, over there on; nothing but business and commercial on radio. And here, they'd had went all over Russia.

18 Then Baron Von Bomburg told me not long ago (a little fellow they'd brought up behind the Iron Curtain) said, "I'm surprised, Brother Branham, that your ministry's no better known in America than what it is." It's known better in Russia than it is here, where it had been behind the Iron Curtain. Said, "We all heard on the radio of that little boy being raised from the dead up there." And now, them Russian soldiers standing on the street, give that Russian salute when I passed by. And they said... An interpreter telling as we're going by, said they said, "We will receive a God like this." Certainly.

19 See?
What it is, is the weakness of the church raised up Communism; it's bred from that kind of an egg. If the church taken all the money there is in a country and building million dollar gold altars, and people starving on the street? You can see why such things as that'll come up. But let any human being see the real thing of God, he will believe it, if he's got anything he can believe with.
So he was standing there, and he said, "We will receive a God like, that that can raise the dead. We want to know about that."
And I tell you; while I'm on this subject, I might say this: I seen Russian soldiers grab Finns around their waist in there on the inside of the building, and hug and pat one another---like the Scandinavian people do---hug and pat one another. Anything that'll make a Russian put his arm around a Finn, and a Finn around a Russian, would settle wars forever. We don't need U.N.'s; we need Jesus Christ. That's what the world needs.

20 Going in that night, there was a little girl come out. You've read the story. Brother Gordon, never wrote it in detail; he just kind of told it. She come out of a ladies dormitory, such as it was. And we started out walking this way and there was soldiers. And that little girl, when she stepped out, she had... One leg was about that much shorter than the other. And then she had a big belt around her, and a brace that went down (homemade), like that, and she had two crutches. She had a strap in the end of her toe that went over her shoulder and hooked back there in the back of this belt. And when she started to walk, she had to put her braces out ... crutches out, then take her little shoulder and kick that little leg up and set it out like that, then make her step. And so, she seen me.

21 And we'd warned them, you know. I like kids, and I'd get on the street with some of that old Finnish money and buy big bunches of that candy, you know. And brother, I'd just give it out to kids. I had a string from here two city blocks, that followed me every where, because I love children. And so...
When I looked at her, she dropped her little head like that; she was afraid she'd done something wrong. And I looked at that child and I started to walk on, and something said, "Speak to that child; she wants to speak to you."
I stopped. And the soldiers kept... They couldn't talk English, so they kept going on. I could hear them singing, "Only Believe." And so I started on in that just... Them soldiers just standing there. And I said, "Just a minute here." Them other soldiers looked back. And I said, "Just a minute."

22 And so, that little girl, I looked at her, and I said, "Come on over here, honey." She couldn't understand; she looked to be about nine or ten years old. And I said, "Come on over, honey." And she dropped her little head down; 'course she didn't understand what I was saying. And she looked up at me again, and put her little head down real quick---child like. And I motioned to her like this. She put her little crutches out, and raised that leg up and here she come. And I just stood still, and the soldiers stood there just watching what was going on.
She got right up close to me where I was at like that. She just stopped, held her little head down, and her little old ragged skirts hanging down, her little old hair over her face. I learned later she was a little Finnish war orphan; her mother and father was killed. She was living in a tent. And I looked, and she looked at me like that. She looked up at me, and great big tears running out of her little eyes, running down her face like that.

23 She reached over and got a hold of my coat, and just kissed me on the pocket of my coat. And she pulled her little skirt out like this, her little ragged skirt. She said, "Kiitos." That means thank you. My heart was just up in my mouth; you know how you feel like that. That little kid... And I looked out this way, and I seen her standing out there with no crutches or braces, just praising God.
I said... I believe if I'd have been the biggest hypocrite in the world, God would've honored that child's faith. He sure will; He would have honored it.
And I said, "Sweetheart, how can I tell you?" I said, "You are healed, honey. God has made you well."
"Jesus," she said, "Kiitos, Jesus." (That's "Thank you, Jesus.")
I said, "Make you..."
I couldn't know the other words, and so I said, "Make you well. Kiitos, Jesus make you well." She couldn't understand that. And then they...
Here come Brother Baxter at the door, and said, "Come on, come on."
And I thought, "Well, God will let her know sometime." So he went on in. "She would be all right."

24 So I went on in, and we had a great prayer line. You just noticed the picture in the book of them big piles of crutches and things, just piling around me like that. Just as soon as that...
What happened that night? There'd been about eight or ten people come up to the platform. And there was a kind of a Lapland woman sitting back there, had a cross eyed baby; she had it laying on the floor. The Holy Spirit moved around, and I couldn't get her. I thought, "Lord, I couldn't say that name; let me spell it out."
And I started spelling it, and he told her who she was, what all about her like that, and what was wrong with the baby. "Picked it up and look at it," It said. (Spelling it, now.) That she was a... And how she understood it, I don't know. She grabbed that baby up and looked at it, and his eyes just as straight as they could be. She just had a spasm almost, just up-and-down that floor screaming, and where there's thousands of people.

25 And then Howard (just as Billy does now) my brother, when he touched me on the sides ... I just pretty near unconscious under them visions. He touched me like that, "Time to go."
And I started to go away, and something said, "Wait a minute; call some more."
And I said, "Just a minute, Howard." I said, "Don't take me now."
He said, "Why?"
I said, "Let's call five more people." I said to Mrs. Isaacson, I said, "Call in Finnish the ... what numbers you have to call." And she called the next and by the grace of God, out of the room, that little girl was the next one with the prayer card. How God in His sovereignty...

26 Friends, I'm glad... The greatest thing I've ever seen in my life is just submit yourself to God and walk in the Spirit (See?), just day after day, how He will lead you and do things.
And when I seen this little girl come, I thought, "Praise the Lord." They brought her up on the platform and helped her up. And two or three of the ushers brought her up to me, packed her and set her down. I said, "Now, Mrs. Isaacson, watch this." I said, "Now, you just say just the words I say."
And she said, "I will."
I said, "Sweetheart, Jesus Christ honored your faith out there when you kissed my pocket awhile ago. You was giving respect for things that you thought was of God." I said, "God has healed you. Now, you go over there and sit down and have some of the ministers or some to take those braces off of you. And you hold your hand on your hip like this." And give her something to do to keep her courage. You see?
So I said, "When you come... When they've moved the brace, and the big iron hook from under your foot here, when they move that, you let your hand move down your limb just as far as you think that that brace is, shortness of your leg."

27 And so I said, "Bring me the next person, now." And they brought the next one. And the minister took her over there---Mrs. Isaacson---to administrate it, and they took her and begin unbuckling the things.
So, the first thing you know, I heard a scream. Here she come across the platform, both legs just as normal as they could be, them crutches over the top of her head, screaming and carrying on. Oh, my. It was just one thing after another, after another, after another.
I went home that night, looked down across there, seeing those Finns walk across there, their hands up in the air, praising God. That's when the Angel appeared about the other little boy. You read the story of that in the book. And how that that little boy, laying there dying, doctors had given him up, he was healed the next evening just exactly when the Holy Spirit said he would be healed. And he left and was normally well, living today, still getting letters from them, that the Lord made them well. He still remains Jesus Christ.

28 Thank you, my little sister, for this tithing. As a minister, I'm supposed to receive tithing. So, I thank you very kindly, my little girl friend. And may God ever bless you. And don't you let your mommy tell you you're fat. You're not, see. All right. She said in here (I didn't read that.); she said, "Mommy says I'm fat, but I'm not." I don't believe you are either. If you are, God give you the desire of your heart, honey, is my prayer, if it means anything to God, to you.

29 Now, tonight I was going to give an experience that happened. And first, I want to read the Word. Now, tomorrow afternoon (What time's the services start, Billy? Two-thirty.) Now, tomorrow at one-thirty, all that wants to come in the prayer line, be prayed for, we'll be giving out prayer cards, bringing the entire group like we did last night. That's the way I think my ministry will begin and move on from last night. All of you that want prayer cards, come at one-thirty tomorrow afternoon, not later than... Be here no later than two or a quarter after, because all the cards probably be given out by that time, and it won't interrupt the rest of the meeting.
Now, if some of the messages while I was preaching, if you care for them, the boys has got them here---Brother Goad and Brother Mercer. (Where are they at? Do you know?) On the stand in the back of the building, they got records and tapes. These boys... They belong to them, and they'll be glad to let you have them. And I have searched it over in their sales and so forth.

30 I told you the story how the boys got connected with me last night. And I sent to a minister not long ago to get a tape. He charged me nine dollars for it. And I checked these boys, and I think it's about two dollars and a half, or something like that; they make about thirty-five, forty, maybe, fifty cents off a tape---buying the best of the tapes (Scotch tape)--- and make the best. If they'd put a big price on them, I'd tell them right now, "No more tape selling." No, sir.
Now, they've got to have something for their handling, because you break up a lot of tapes and everything, then you... They got to live. One of them's a married man, and so we... They got to live, and they have a right to make a little off of them. And then sometimes, they get them damaged and broke, and send them out and don't get paid for them, and you know how it goes. Just like our books back there: I buy those from the "Voice of Healing" on forty percent less. And with what we have to pay for selling them, and handling charges.
And I've always said, if anybody wants a book ... (Give the order to the boys all the time.) If anybody wants the book and the poor old man walks up and reaches down in his pocket, "How much are they?"
"Well, they're seventy-five cents," Or whatever ... dollar, or whatever they're worth. And he says he's got fifty cents.
Tell him, "Dad, take the book and go on; forget about it."

31 See? Let it go.
That way, the books don't even support themselves. The church has to help me with the books. Time we pay for them, and the printing, and the wreckage, and tear up, and everything on them, and what we have to give away and things, why, they don't... They don't support themselves. And so therefore, we have nothing that we make money out of. Everything that we do...
And myself: My love offering goes to the mission fields. I don't see it. It goes for a good thing. I get one hundred dollars a week from my church, whether in America, out of America, wherever it is; I get fifty-two hundred dollars a year. That's what I live on, and we have to live close with a big family like I got. And I have to live in the church parsonage.

32 And we never come here for money; that's not our intention. The only reason we let you buy the books and sell them again, and sell the tapes and that, is because we think that it will further the cause of Jesus Christ. There's no money in it at all. But I will not permit the books or tapes or anything else to be sold on the Sabbath day. That's tomorrow. We will not sell them on Sunday; we never did, and we never intend to do it. And so if you want some of the books, some of the tapes or records, they'll be at the back of the building tonight.
And if you get it, and you don't think... If you haven't got any money, it's yours anyhow. You get it, it ain't worth the fifty cents, or whatever you paid for it, send it right on back, or throw it away and tell us, or give it to somebody else. Give it to somebody else, and send and tell us it wasn't worth it; the money will be refunded back to you. So we don't want nothing that... Any expenses, any thing like that all. It's nothing.

33 But the love offering is for the foreign fields. I do not receive it myself; it's taken by my field secretary, counted by the ministers, given to him, deposited in the bank. And when I go overseas and so forth, it supports me in foreign fields to bring this same message of deliverance to people that don't even know which is right and left hand. That's where it goes. I never know even what the offerings is, unless somebody tell me. When I get home (I will be gone a month), so I will get four hundred dollars when I get back home to pay off my debts and things. Now, that's the way we live, so that you'll understand that we don't have any... No, no, we're not for money or anything like that. And what we have, I want to make it real clear so that you'll understand.
Now, tonight, I want to take a little text (if I should call it that) to speak from for a few moments. Before we approach it, let us bow our heads just a moment for prayer.

34 Heavenly Father, we thank Thee from the very depths of our heart. How the experiences ... Lord, I have seen You do in my little meetings---let alone those great men who are on the field, like our Brother Roberts, and Tommy Osborn, and those---I've seen You do enough in my own services to write many Bibles of great things: of raising dead, let the doctors sign a statement to it; making the blind, deaf, dumb... Foretelling, telling what exactly, watch it happen every time exactly right. You're God, and we know that Thou art God.
Please, Father, if there be in our midst tonight one who does not believe, may something be done or said tonight, would call to Your sheep to surrender their unbelief to Thee and exchange it for a real gallant Spirit of belief from God, the Holy Spirit. Grant it, Lord. You're ready to take away their evil and to give them good. Oh, You're so good, Father; we love You for it.

35 We pray that You'll inspire Your ministers everywhere. May they become burning torches to this dark hour that we live in, as we see that so-called civilization smothers out the very light of God if it is possible. But yet, that torch will burn in the hearts of people until Jesus comes. Father, add more to the ranks tonight, we pray. Heal all the sick people; all that's afflicted, we pray that Your grace and mercy will rest upon them. Give them eternal life in the world that is to come, and give them good health in this world. For it is written in the Bible, "I would above all things, that you prosper in health."
Inspire the churches throughout the valley and everywhere that's represented in this great Holy Ghost revival that's swept the world. We pray, Father, that You'll revive it again in a great way. Let it start here in Oregon again, a great revival in every church.

36 Tomorrow, the Sabbath, may the churches be filled, may the ministers be on fire, may souls be brought in, may many come confessing their sins and require water baptism. Grant it, Father. And may You fill every one with the Holy Ghost that follows Your prescription as we taught it the other night. I pray, Father, that You'll let them know that the promise is unto every generation and "whosoever will, as many as the Lord, our God, shall call." That's what Your prescription said; we believe every word of it. I pray, Father, that You'll grant this to every one. Forgive us of our sins. Take the service into Your hands and get glory to Thyself, in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

37 Now, I wish to read just a line out of the fourth chapter and seventeenth verse of Saint Matthew.
And from that time Jesus began ... preach and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Now, I want to take the subject, those three first words: "From That Time." Now, there's all here that can call back to such and such a time. "From that time," we say. Like the little boy, little girl, we can say we were doing a certain thing and such a thing happened, and "from that time" things changed for us. And we could go tonight into the city here and find the most degraded and immoral woman that walked the streets of your lovely little city here in the valley. And I would sit down by her, and I'd say, "Lady, I wish you could tell me your story."
And she would start off; she might say something like this: "Brother Branham, there was a day when I was as pure as a lily. And I could hold my head up amongst the people of renown status, and I could go to church, and feel just fine. But there come a time that one night I was out with a certain boy, and he spiked the coke for me, and from that time..."
Or it might be that some other girl friend that was not a believer, that got with her and persuaded her off to a certain dance. And she got in the arms of some boy, and from that time... It's always marking from a time.

38 Or I might go out here into your city tonight, and find the worst alcoholic that you have. And I would sit down by the side of that man---young or old---and I would say to him, "Friend, I would like to ask you something. Why do you throw your life away like this? What makes you drink and do the way you do, when you could be a great worker here in the city? You could be a worker in some church, or you could be a real husband to some woman, a father to some children." Or some drunken woman that could be a real mother to some children, a sweet loving wife to some husband.
And they'd start like this, and say, "Well, from... I once was a prohibitionist. I had a lovely mother and father who taught against the drinking. And one time I got into a fellowship with a certain boy that was very popular amongst the girls, and I wanted to be popular too, so I thought we'd join in the drinks. And I went against the teaching of my mother and father. And he persuaded me, 'Tonight if you want to have a good time, you want to get some spirits in you.' And I took my first drink, and from that time..."

39 That's the way it starts. Here some time ago in New York, Dr. Berg, he's a pastor now at Sister Brown's tabernacle, Bethany Tabernacle, in New York City, one of the old Pentecostal establishments, one of the oldest in the world. Guess our brethren know of them well.
And while I was there, I got to meet Sophia, the wash woman, the Swedish woman that went and worked the bowery with her. I had to lay over two days to get a yellow fever shot; I thought I'd get into Africa without taking it, but they wouldn't let me pass or get into the airship. And I had to wait two days to go to the Navy yards to take a yellow fever shot.
And Brother Berg said, "What would you like to do?"
I said, "I'd like to visit the bowery."
He said, "All right, we will go down." Said, "I have several missions down there."

40 And we went down, and I think that it would be a good thing for any man to take his son to the bowery and let him see. I think if you was ever in France, take your daughter to Pigalle; let her see how degraded human life can get. So when I went down by the bowery, men laying helpless, flies blowing in their face from vomiting. Dope fiends, alcoholics.
And I said, "Oh, Brother Berg," I said, "perhaps these men here was raised in homes that did not care what they do; they was just let loose to run on the street."
He laid his hand across my shoulder and said, "You'd be surprised." He said, "Right in the mission here we're going to, we got out 180 that died in there last year. Kept them off the streets, feeding them and so forth, and they finally died; there's no hope for them outside of Christ."

41 And then ... there were a few too far for that. He said, "Here, this man here." Said, "I know him. Raise him up."
And I went over to him, and I said, "Sir, could I speak to you?"
He said, "Well, he may not be able to speak."
Oh, I just can't say the condition the man was in. He had gotten to a place his clothes from his waist down was in a terrible condition, wet all over. And he was just in an awful state, smelling. And I said, "Sir, could I speak to you?"
And Brother Berg shook him. He raised up. And he said, "I'm Brother Berg." Well, he didn't know nothing about Brother Berg. He was still on the drunk.
And I said, "I would like to ask you a question." I said, "What type of home was you raised in?"
He said, "Will you give me enough money for a drink?"

42 And I said, "I'm a minister of the gospel. I would not give the money of the Lord to a man to drink." I said, "The money that I have comes from the children of God, and it's to be spent for the Kingdom of God. I tell you what I will do: I will buy you a sandwich; I will buy you your dinner or ... if you'll go with me. But I would just like, as a minister, to ask you."
He said, "Excuse me, Reverend."
And I said, "How did you ever come to be this way?"
He said, "Sir, I doubt whether you'll believe my story."
"Well," I said, "I take you as a man of honor. I'll believe your story; you tell me; tell me from your heart."
And he said, "Sir," he said, "I was raised in a Christian home."
And I said, "And then fall into this?"
He said, "Yes, sir." Said, "I had the most lovely family: Three children---two boys and a girl---and the sweetest wife that ever lived." And the big tears begin to run through his old gray beard. He said, "I was the president of this bank over here on a certain corner."
And I said, "Is that so?"
He said, "Go to the bank and ask them."
And I said, "Well, what caused you to do this?"
He said, "Sir, reverend sir," he said, "one evening I come home and there was a 'Dear John' letter laying on the table. My wife had left me." He said, "And I'd never drank, but I thought, 'I've got to do something or I will take a pistol and blow my brains out.' And I started drinking, and here I am."
Thought, "God have mercy." See?
"From that time..." That's what started it. We can always think from a time.

43 Then like the young couple that gets married. Oh, they're as loving as they can be. The first thing you know, I'd go to this woman who had left her family, and I'd say, "Lady, what made you leave your family? You had a nice husband."
"Oh," she'd say to me; she'd say, "Brother Branham, I was as pure as the dew from heaven. I married my husband and came to him a virtuous woman. And he was a grand man; he worked and sweated and taken care of me, and the children was... My little chunky boy, when he was born, I can see Hubby now with the little boy on his back---piggy backing riding up-and-down the floor. And oh, if I could only call back again."
I'd say, "Well, what happened?"
She'd say something like this. "Well, it was all right. And one day, a salesman knocked on the door with pretty wavy hair and big brown eyes, and from that time..." See? That's the way it starts; mark a time. That's just the starting of it. Don't you never think that sin lays in the street always in the gutter; sin's dressed up and beautiful. Certainly does. I've always said Satan wears a tuxedo suit and a stove pipe hat, and carries a cane on his arm. Watch that slick greaser. That's exactly. Satan's no fool, you know. He knows how to dress up; he makes it a practice, see.

44 And then, all of you know old Charley Barleycorn out there with his hat pulled down; sometimes that's a real honest heart. If he had a good start or something to help him along, he'd go right; but not always. I've seen many times, and I've walked with people as ragged as they can be; I look at them. (And I have a way by God to know who likes me and who doesn't. You know that.)
So, see a man all dirty and everything; I'd rather have him with me many a time then someone dressed up with their (maybe) collar turned around, and pat me on the back, and say, "Oh, Brother Branham, we're for you." And know right then he's a lying. See, see? That's it. I've got no use for a liar. You can hide from a thief, but you can't from a liar. So, that...

45 But when we hit those spots "From that time..." Then New Year's comes along. You all go out and write up a resolution. "Tonight, wife, I will give you the promise. I will turn a new page, and I will never drink no more."
And the woman smoked so many cigarettes, till she can't nurse her baby no more, give it nicotine poison, kill it; and she's going to stop smoking on New Year's. The drunk's going to quit drinking on New Year's; the immoral person's going to stop their immorality on New Year's, so forth like that. What do you do? Just turn a new page and turn it back the next day again, see. You don't get started right. All these things are fine; I have nothing against them.
But

46 just like after the First World War... Many of you middle aged men, and about my age... I think I was eight or nine years old when the war ended. And I remember when they declared war: 1914, I was a little baby boy sitting on a spring wagon. My father had a sack of beans; that's what we lived on: beans and corn bread, still like it. And so, Pop was talking about war, and he might have to go to war.
I said, "If them fellows come after you, I will take this sack of beans and hit them with it." And so, now that's when I was so little.
And then, I remember that when he got me my first pair of shoes, he said he was going down, him and Mama, to pick them out. I'd been barefooted. You know, the little boys down in the mountains where I was raised just had a, what you call the old hickory---a little apron like or a little shirt when you was a little boy. I wore that till I was about six years old, I guess. And my first pair of shoes, they had the cap across them, that's got them little holes in them.
And I'd always, when I'd get a splinter in my hand, I'd run to Mama, and she'd pick it out like that. And I thought them little holes in my shoes was where they'd took a needle and picked them out of somewhere, because Mama said she had to go down and "pick me out" a pair of shoes. I thought she did it with a needle.

47 But after the world war, I remember the message come out: "We will never have no more war. War is over." That was good intentions; they meant that. And then, they formed what we know as the League of Nations, taking so many men (soldiers) out of each nation, and they would police the whole earth. That was good intentions, but it didn't work, because it wasn't God's program. Now, we've got what's called the U.N. and what it is sitting in the U.N. with guns on one another almost. It'll never work.
But there is something that... One time you can meet "from a certain time" and everything will be changed. That's when you meet God, and from that time you're a changed person. A man can meet God and say, "From that time..." You will never be the same after you meet Jesus Christ; let me assure you that. You'll never, never be the same after you meet Jesus. Then you'd always refer back, "From that time..."

48 Let us interview tonight some people who met God. Let's think of father Abraham. He was just an ordinary man. He came down with his father from Babylon and dwelt in the valleys of Shinar, in the city of Ur, the land of the Chaldeans. He was nothing special; he wasn't any sainted person. He was just an ordinary man like you or I.
And one day... Perhaps he was a farmer out in the fields farming and---or something---and one day, he met God. He never had no more faith than any other man. But when he met God at the age of seventy-five years old, it changed his entire being; because he met God. God told him... Him being seventy-five years old, and he had married his half sister, Sarai; and that time, she was sixty-five years old. And God told Abraham that he was going to have a baby by Sarai.

49 Now, that would've been... If it would've been somebody would've walked up and told him, (some of his associates) and said, "Abram, you are going to have a baby by Sarai, and she's going to bear a child, and you..."
Abraham would've laughed, and held his sides, and said, "Me, an old man like me? And my wife thirty years there ... or twenty years a-past menopause? And I've lived with her since she was seventeen years old; she's barren, and I'm sterile. And how can we ever have a baby, and me seventy-five and her sixty-five?" He'd have laughed in the face of his friend. But he met God. And from that time he called anything contrary to it as though it wasn't. Amen. He'd met God.

50 If the sick person can ever meet God, no matter how crippled you remain, how sick you remain, how blind you remain, you meet God, there's something pressed into you, and you don't see any more of these circumstances. You look at what God said. If God could ever get way down through the cares of life into your heart, and instill a faith there, there's nothing in the world will ever shake you from it. When a man meets God, from that time on, he's a changed person.
A hundred years old Abraham was, and he was still calling anything contrary to it as though it was not. The evidence got greater and greater, piled up against him; Sarah was ninety and he was a hundred. He was still giving praise to God, strong, not staggering through unbelief, but was giving praise to God every day that he'd have the baby. Why? God had met him; God was merciful. God confirmed the covenant to him.

51 Would we have time to take that confirmation in the sixteenth chapter of Genesis? Or could we take also over in the seventeenth chapter when He met him in the name of Almighty God, which means El Shaddai, means in the Hebrew word "the breast of a woman," El Shaddai: "The strong One, the satisfier, the nourisher."
What an old man, a hundred years old, and God met him and said, "I am El Shaddai."
Now, shad means "woman's breast" but shaddai means "breasted," plural. Now, He's not only a breast God, but He's a breasted God: "He was wounded for our transgressions; with His stripes we were healed." If you need salvation, hold on and nurse from that breasted God, His Word, His promise. You'll come bringing yourself from them ruts of sin and immorality, to a godly sainted person. If you're sick, "by His stripes you were healed." Just take a hold of the other promise of God and nurse.

52 What does the baby have to do? The baby... We are God's babies. I want you to get this, sisters, you all there. We're God's babies. And what does the baby do when he's sick and fretty? It's real fretty and sick. Now, the only thing you have to do... The only thing that'll pacify it, is for the mother to pick it up, hold it to her bosom, and nurse it. Now, what does the mother do? The mother produces the milk, and the baby (nursing the baby) nurses the strength from the mother to the baby. Then the baby is strengthened by the mother's strength. And when we take ahold of God's promise into our heart, we are nursing God's strength, the strong One. We're nursing constantly.
And think of a little baby laying on the bosom of its mother, it stops its fretting. As soon as it gets a hold of its mother's breast, it stops fretting. It don't fret any more; it's satisfied. It quits its fretting. Then when we get a hold of God's promise when God reveals it to us: "I'm the Lord who heals all thy diseases. Whosoever will let him come." I've kept His hope, then I'm satisfied, as I'm nursing my strength back again from Jehovah, Almighty God, the strength giver.

53 What an encouragement to an old man a hundred years old, as good as dead, and the womb of Sarah, already closed when she was born sterile. And what a message, "I am your strength giver; I am El Shaddai. You're a hundred years old, but you're just a baby to me. Lay up here in my arms and take a hold of my promise; and just don't you never get off such a promise. Then what can you do? As the whiskers get old, as the hair turns gray, you can still nurse and be satisfied that I will keep my Word."
The doctor can say, "You're getting worse and worse."
That don't have one phase to you. You're still nursing from the breast of El Shaddai. "God, You spoke into my heart; You give me the promise. All the devils out of hell can't take it away from me. I'm satisfied that I will be well. I'm nursing from El Shaddai." Amen.
I tell you, brother, that takes the wishbone out and puts a back bone in there (certainly does), when you get a hold of God.

54 When Abraham... When He was confirming the oath, you notice He said, "Take me a sheaf ... a sheep, a ram; give me a ram, and also give me a heifer of three years. And take these..." And he split them in half, laid them on the side. He said, "Take ye a turtle dove and a young pigeon."
But did you notice... I wish we had time to go into it. I'm watching that clock. And I don't want to get away from my subject, but Abraham took...
Said, "Take the turtle dove and the pigeon."

55 Now, the turtle dove was always represented ... or was an atonement for sickness. See, the doves was not separated; the others was separated, because the covenant with the gospel was changed from law to grace, but divine healing has always remained the same. For leprosy cured, they took a pigeon or a dove, and cut its head off, and poured the blood over on the other one, and it went forth for the cleansing of leprosy, sprinkling, crying "Holy".
Now, notice in this, the doves wasn't separated. Now, notice this symbol. Oh, my. I hope you get this. When God... Abraham watched all the birds off of it, the fowls of the air, until the sun begin to go down. And when the sun went down, meaning time shall be no more. There a deep sleep fell upon Abraham, as does every mortal that's born in the earth: We go into the sleep of death. You do not die; you just go, you change your dwelling places.

56 Now, a deep sleep fell upon Abraham, and he looked, and before him went a smoking furnace. Every sinner that dies and every man that's born in this world comes through sexual birth; it's subject to death. We've all sinned and come short of the glory of God, and every man is born in this world a sinner. I don't care how holy your parents was, you come to this world the same way a sinner or anybody else comes. You are sinful. "We are born in sin, shaped in iniquity, come to the world speaking lies," says the Word. You're whipped to begin with.
And then, every mortal that dies, hell is his resting place. That's all the rest he gets; that come before Abraham. Notice, then beyond that, after death comes hell, but beyond hell come a little white light. Oh, my. Blessed be the name of the Lord. That little white light passed up-and-down between those sacrifices.
He said, "You see, Abraham, what I'm going to do?" He was confirming the covenant with Abraham. Now, maybe I will explain that quickly.

57 Now today, we Americans, how do we do when we confirm a covenant? We go make a business deal; the first thing you know, I will reach out and grab a hold of the fellow's hand and say, "Shake on it." That's the way we make a covenant: "Shake. Shake hands. We confirmed it; that's right; we'll agree upon that." That's a covenant.
Now, in Japan... You know how they make a covenant there? They talk it all over, and then get a little saucer full of salt and throw salt on one another. That's a covenant in Japan.

58 But in the days of Abraham in the Orient, the way they made a covenant was to take a beast, like a sheep or something, and kill it and cut it apart; and each one went in between these two pieces of the beast. Now, see what the little white light was doing? And they wrote this covenant: "I do agree to do such and such, and such and such."
Now, when they held this covenant between them, they said, "If we break this covenant... If we break this covenant, let our bodies be as this dead beast that we take it over." Then they took the covenant, and they tore it apart like that, one taking one piece and one another. They could never be duplicated.
You can never duplicate that piece of paper, no matter what you do. It's got to come right back and coincide, the pieces of leather that's tore between. You'd never be able to do it. One carries one and one the other. And when this covenants is confirmed and brought ... the oath is confirmed, then they bring these two pieces back together, and they match piece by piece.

59 Now, what was the Oriental covenant God was giving to Abraham? That through the seed of Abraham would come the Lord Jesus, the blessed One. God took Him up to Calvary and He tore Him apart, separated His soul from His body. And His body, God raised up on the third day, and took up and set on His right-hand. And on the day of Pentecost, He sent down the Spirit that was in Jesus Christ, the covenant with the church.
And when the church comes together in the resurrection, the same Spirit was in Jesus Christ, that was tore out of Him will have to be in the church. You can't copy anything like it; you can't make nothing different from it. It's got to be the same Holy Spirit that dwelt in Christ. And when the rapture comes, when that body comes, His bride that was tore from Him ... or the Holy Ghost will bring that bride just exactly dovetail right into the body of Jesus Christ.
And can you see from the days of Luther to Wesley, to Pentecost, and now at the end time, how that Spirit's shaping up? The same signs and wonders that He did on earth is being done in the church today. It's that covenant that God made with Abraham, and we are Abraham's children. "Being dead in Christ, we take on Abraham's seed and are heirs according to the promise." From that time, the church had a covenant. Yes, it was different.

60 Now, when Moses, a runaway prophet back on the backside of the desert... That man was born to be a prophet. And he was a great man; he studied military achievements. But he tried to work that with all of his intellectuals. Why, he was so smart, he could teach those Egyptian teachers. He was a smart man. Now, back on the backside of the desert, what did he say?
"I failed, so my people are still in bondage. Perhaps I better study up a little bit on my mathematics, or on my strategy, or army strategy, or something or other. I will go down and take two more years of school, and maybe I will be able to deliver my people."

61 That's just as much intelligence of him doing that, as it would be to send a man away to learn to be a preacher. God calls men who don't know beans from split coffee. What difference does it make? As long as he knows Christ, that's the main thing---if you ever met Him.
I'd rather have somebody with one of my children out here in the sage brush field, somewhere down by an old stump, that didn't even know his ABC's or know which was right or left hand. If he knows Jesus Christ, I'd like to have him beside of my child, before I would any professor that knows a lot of theology, and knows no more about God than a rabbit knows about snow shoes. I'll tell you, brother, what we need today is back to the Bible, and the old fashion baptizing with the Holy Ghost back into the church, and so much of this other stuff cut out.
I'm not trying to support ignorance. I mean, if you've got the education plus that, amen. But the educational covenant will fall one of these days, but the covenant with God will last forever and forever and forever. It'll go on through the eons of times into eternity.

62 Now, Moses... He didn't have to polish up on nothing; only thing he had to do is meet God. And one day, God come down and got a bush out there, and said, "Come over here, Moses. I want to talk to you." You know, it's some strange thing about. Moses could say, "From that time, something happened."
Look at him. He'd settled down back in behind the mount---beneath the foot of the mountain. And when he did, he married a beautiful Ethiopian woman; and she was pretty, and she'd had a little son named Gershom. And oh, he was just faring all right. He'd married a priest's ... a priest of Midian, Jethro's daughter, Zipporah, and they were getting along fine, had a lovely little family, had plenty of sheep. And he was just going along fine, so he let the people go on. But when God met him, He changed him. Look at him there, this great sheepherder back there, but the morning...

63 You know, some things... One thing about it, when a man meets God, you can always tell it. He will do the foolishest things to what he used to do. Look at Moses.
Now, Moses, the next morning after he'd met God in this burning bush and God told him to go down to Egypt, he said, "First, show me Your glory." And He showed him divine healing, how He could heal his hand with leprosy. And he was going down to Egypt.
Now look, the next morning, here he was on his road down. Now, he was eighty years old. You know, it taken him forty years to school theology into him; it taken God forty years to beat it out of him (That's right.) to take out of him what the world had put in. But God can do it for you in forty seconds, if you'll just let Him do it. But then...

64 Now, here he was the next morning. One day a polished scholar, all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and the next morning, look at this scholar. He's got his wife sitting astraddle of a mule; she's got that young-un on her hip. And here he's got a big long [unclear word]. He's got a beard like this, his bald head shining, a stick in his hand, going down, limping along, "Glory, glory!"
"Where are you going, Moses?"
"What did you say? Huh?"
"Where you going?"
"Going down to Egypt to take over." One man invasion. But he done it. He did it. Why? He met God. And when the troubles got harder, and everything going wrong, he remembered he had met God in that burning bush. That burned in his heart, no matter how bad the Egyptians got, and how much they wouldn't let the children go, how many times they spoiled in the desert, and said, "We would to God..." and wanted to stone him, and ... [break in tape.]
I believe that didn't bother him a bit, he pressed on toward the promised land, for he had met God in a burning bush. Yes, sir.

65 It was the little virgin Mary, just an ordinary little girl, in a meaner city than this is. But she still didn't smoke or drink; she was a virgin. And one day she was on her road with a ... probably a little bucket under her arm, going down to the public well to get some water, the daily supply of water. Let's just imagine her going along side of the road, walking along, talking, or singing to herself, maybe some good hymn: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He restoreth my soul."

66 [Break in tape.] ... a pitcher it was in them days, instead of a bucket. And all at once the big pillar of fire pulled down in front of her. Out of that fire stepped Gabriel, the Archangel. Said, "Hail, Mary. (That means "Stop; wait a minute.") Stop, Mary. Blessed art thou among women. You've found favor with God, and you're going to have a baby, knowing no man."
Said, "How will this be?"
Said, "The Holy Ghost will overshadow you. And that holy thing which will be born of you will be called the Son of God." Amen.
From that time on, Mary was a different woman. That little timid virgin was going around everywhere testifying, "I'm going to have a baby, knowing no man."

67 She didn't wait till she was positive; she didn't wait till she felt life; she didn't wait for no positive... The angel's word was enough for her. She'd met God. Now, if you could do that now, if we had more Marys here tonight, if we had Marys that didn't, "Wait till I... See if I'm just a little bit better, before I say anything." Before she felt anything or anything else, she just took God at His Word and started praising Him for it. Oh, my. Let's follow her a few minutes. Let's see her right quick.
She had a cousin named Elisabeth. And Elisabeth... The angel told her, said, "Your cousin, Elisabeth's old." Zacharias was a priest, met him in the temple, standing at the right-hand of the altar, and told him that he was going to have a son by Elisabeth. And she was going to conceive after the days of his ministrations there at the temple. And she...

68 Why, he doubted. Just think, that old priest---had a lot of examples like Hannah at the temple, and Sarah (we just talked about) old and having babies---said, "Oh, this can't be. My wife's too old."
He said, "I'm Gabriel that come from God. You'll be dumb till the day the baby's born. You'll call his name John."
And he was dumb. And he went up there to his wife. She conceived, and she was six months with her without any life in the baby, and she was very much worried. So Mary had heard about this. So I see her little cheeks just as red, as she was going along, just as happy as she could be---no feeling yet.
Jesus never did say, "Did you feel it?" He said, "Did you believe it?" You want to believe it. The time you believe...

69 "How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first felt." That don't sound right, does it? "The hour I first believed," when I believed God; that's how precious it gets. Oh, God's making His appearance night after night in the meetings and showing the great signs and wonders; oh, it ought to just stir our hearts. Certainly. "How precious that faith appears ... grace ... the hour I believed."
There went Mary, her little cheeks just as rosy, her little eyes just a sparkling, bright, girded her little self up, and up over the hills of Judea she went, up into where her cousin lived. And I can see Sarah...

70 I seen women out on the street... Eating dinner today... They'd throw me out of the restaurant, if I hadn't have turned my back. A woman come in there---to be mother any time---with these little old shorts on, a great big old thing, oh, and smoking a cigarette. And the doctor says it's one of the killingest things. Listen, brother, that's a sabotage. Certainly it is. And doctor's warning that cancer of the throat and lungs, and smoking that right on down to that baby.
But women was different in them days. She went in and hid herself, keep away from the sight of men, and she went in and hid herself. And she was in there for six months; little John had never moved. He was formed in his mother's womb. We know that's altogether subnormal.

71 So she might have raised up the window, looked out like this, the curtains, and she seen a beautiful woman coming, about eighteen years old. She looked again.
"Oh," she said, "that's Mary. Oh, my." And she tugged her little shawl and throwed around her, run out there real quick. And her husband was dumb at that time; he couldn't speak. Run out and took this little shawl and wrapped around her, run out. She was sitting back there, knitting little booties and things, you know, getting ready. You know, the little blankets and little needlework. And so she run out, and she said, "Oh, Mary."

72 In them days, you know, they hugged one another; they had love one for another. Now days, you don't get it no more.
I was downtown. (My wife ain't here tonight. I've told it and her being here.) Well, I went downtown here not long ago, and some sister said, "Hello, Sister Branham."
I said, "You didn't speak to her."
She said, "Yes, I did."
"Well," I said, "how did she hear you over there on the street, and I'm sitting right by you and didn't hear?"
"Oh," she said, "I smiled."
I said, "A little old silly grin, that ain't nothing. My goodness. Why didn't you speak to the sister?"

73 I hate to see that stuff. Sometime ago, I was down in Florida and there was a... We was having a meeting out there on some kind of grounds that's owned by a duchess. And they said... One of the managers come up and said, "The duchess wants to see you."
"Well," I said, "who's she?"
And said, "Why, she's a great woman here. She's a duchess."
I said, "Well, she's just a woman, isn't she?"
Said, "Yes."
Then I said, "Well, now, if you're going to give me time to talk to her, what about some of these poor sick people out here that needs it worse?" See? And I said, "What about some of their time?" See?
"Oh," said, "but she's... I just have her at the back of the platform."

74 And I walked off. She was standing there with a pair of specs in her hand on a stick, holding out like that. Now, anybody with sense knows you couldn't see on a glass just holding out like that. Great big woman with enough jewelry on her wrist to send a missionary around the world five times. Yes, sir. Hanging on.
And she said, "Are you Doctor Branham?"
I said, "No, ma'am; no." I said, "I'm Brother Branham."
"Oh," she said, "I am cha'med." And she held that big hand up like this.
And I got that... I reached up and got her by the big fat hand and pulled it down there. I said, "I'm glad to know you." I said, "Hang it down here so I will know you next time I see you." See?
That's right. I like a good old-fashioned pump-handle handshake. I like people to be just what they are. We put on a lot of this "American dog" as we call it. We are Christians. Let's live like Christians and be men and women, soldiers of the cross. All this here nonsense, it'll be... Huh, I like that good old handshake, when you feel it.

75 Paul Raider said one time, he'd left his wife just setting at the table, and they got in a little dispute about somewhere he wanted to take her. (Great Paul Raider, you know, and a good friend of mine.) He said... He got kind of angry, so he went to the door, and his wife would always wait there and kiss him good-bye. And he'd go on out to the steps, and go out to the end and wave back at her like that, and go on to work.
Said they'd had a little spat at the table about something. And she stood at the door, said he went [Brother Branham makes kissing sound.] " Bye."
She said, "Bye."
Went on out and went out there and turned around at the gate, waved back, and said she was standing at the door crying. He said, "Bye."
And she said, "Bye."
Went on down the street and said it begin to work on his heart (The Holy Spirit got ahold of him, you know.), got to work on his heart. And he said, "Oh, what if she'd die while I was gone? What if she'd drop dead? What if I'd die? What if I'd get hit on the street here in Fort Wayne before I ever get back? What could I do?" Like that, talking about it like that. Oh, my. Said, He said, "Oh, I got so convicted, I didn't know what to do." He said, "I run back real quick, jerked open the gate, and run, and shoved the door open, and said... Looked around and I said, 'Helen, where are you? Where are you?'"
Said, "I heard a [Brother Branham sniffs.]" Said, She was standing behind the door." Said, "I looked at her like that." Said, "I never said a word." Said, "I just reached over and grabbed her in my arms, and kissed her. And I said, ' [Brother Branham makes kissing sound.] Bye.' She said, 'Bye. '"
So he run on out the gate and turned around, looked back. And said, "She was standing in the door, and I said, 'Bye.' and she said, 'Bye.'" Said, "She waved like she did the first time, but the second time she had a feeling in it." So that's just...

76 That's about the way serving the Lord, you know. You've got to put your heart in it; you got to be sincere. You've got to meet God, not go to church and make some cold, dry-eyed confession; go down there and stay down there.
I was raised in a Baptist church, you know that. And we wasn't Baptists like you all Baptists here: Walk up and shake hands, and take the right-hand of fellowship, and put your name on the book, and be baptized. We got down at the altar and beat one another on the back till we come through. We got something, brother. I mean, you need more... You need some Kentucky Baptists, old missionary Baptists out here. I tell you, they... The only difference I seen between them and the Pentecostal people is they didn't accept speaking in tongues; that's all I know.
We come through; we stayed there at the altar, and the old mammies around us crying and praying and beating us on the back until something happened. We stayed there until we died, and was borned again, and become a new creature in Christ Jesus. Yes, sir. Too bad we... We got to meet God. When man meets God, it's different. He's a different person from then on.

77 There was a leper one time, just full of leprosy. And when he met God, from that time on, he had no leprosy. There was an immoral woman come up to the well one time to get some water. And she seen a Jew sitting across on the other side. And she let down the pitcher; she was so immoral; she couldn't come out with the decent women. They segregated them then; they don't now. So they just... That's society. So they just put the well ... bucket down and started bringing it up like that.
And when she did, she heard someone say, "Bring me a drink, woman." Or "Woman, bring me a drink." (That's the way He said it, because the verb's always before the adverb in that country.) But He said, "Bring me a drink."
And so, she said, "It's not customary for you Jews to ask the Samaritans such. We have no customs to one another."
He said, "But if you knew who you were talking to, you'd ask me for a drink. I'd give you water you don't come here to draw."
"Why," she said, "the well's deep and how do you...? How you going to draw with any how?"
He said, "The water that I give is life, eternal life bubbling up in the soul."
"Why," she said, "our fathers worshipped in this mountain and you say at Jerusalem."

78 And He went on with the conversation until He caught her spirit. When He caught her spirit, He said, "Well, you go get your husband and come here."
She... (Remember, she was a immoral woman.) So said, "Go get your husband and come here."
"Why," she said, "I don't have any husband."
He said, "You've said the truth. Because you've got five, and the one you're living with now is not your husband. In that thou hath said well."
Watch that woman. Quickly, she had met something, the same One that you meet nightly. Would it change you like it did her? She said, "Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet." What a difference it was to that ... to the priest that said He was Beelzebub. She was better trained than half the preachers, and yet a prostitute.
Said, "Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet. Now, we know... We Samaritans are looking for a Messiah to come; He will be a God prophet. He will be the Messiah, but He will tell us these things. He will do these same kind of works when He comes." Is that the sign of the Messiah? It was then, see.
Said, "We know... I know that You're a prophet; I perceive You are. We know when the Messiah cometh, He will tell us these things. But who art Thou?"
Jesus said, "I am He that speaketh with you."

79 Now, I want the infidel to tell me one time that Jesus said... Many infidels say, "Jesus never did claim to be the Son of God." He did there. He said, "I am He that speaks with you."
And quickly she left that bucket, and from that time... From that time, she knowed that the Messiah was on earth. Oh, my. If we could only do the same thing tonight. If we could realize that He's not dead. He's alive forever more; He lives to make intercession. "Because I live, you live also." Here it is in us; His Spirit's among us.
From that time, the men of the city believed on God because the woman's testimony. Jesus never did it again down there; He just went down and done it that one time, and all Samaria believed on Him. He never had one healing service; He was saving that for Philip. But from that time on, that woman was changed; that city was changed.

80 One time an old fisherman, an old greasy apron around him, his brother, Andrew, brought him up before Jesus. And as soon as he come before Jesus, Jesus said, "Your name is Simon; you're the son of Jonas." And from that time... From that time, that was a different man.
Philip went and found Nathanael and brought him to Him, He said, "Behold an Israelite in whom there's no guile."
He said, "Rabbi, when did You know me?"
He said, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the tree, I saw you." And from that time... From that time, he was a changed man. Anyone is changed that ever comes in contact with God.

81 There was a little old hook-nosed Jew. The church with the keys had made a great big blunder. They'd went around and said, "Now, let us all come together." (We will see what good the keys did.) Went around and said, "Let's all come together and select one man who's went in and out from among us from the beginning to take Judas' place, because it's written in the Scripture, 'Let his place be desolate and let another take his bishopric.'"
And said they cast lots, and it fell upon Matthias, and he never done a thing. That was man's choice. And God went down, He got the meanest little old guy there was in the city to take his place, a little old Jew.
He said, "I will just show him what I will make him do for me."
And he watched Stephen when he died, that kind of got on to him. Then the next thing you know, he was on his road down. He had a letter in his pocket, said, "I will get on them holy-rollers. I got the letter right here from the high priest. I will go down to Damascus, and I will throw them in jail; I will do everything I can. I will stop that screaming, and shouting, and all that carrying on, speaking in tongues and things. I will get orders; I'll do it." Had a little nose hanging down like that.
God said, "I will just meet him in the road and change him."
About midday, he was coming along the middle of the road, and the first thing he knowed, that pillar of fire appeared before him, and said, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"
He fell onto the ground. He said, "Lord, who is it that I'm persecuting? What's your name?"
He said, "I'm Jesus, and it's hard for you to kick against the pricks."

82 And from that time, he got rid of his letter and became one of them. From that time... Yes, it changed him.
Ananias laid hands on him by a vision that he saw, and he received his sight, took him down to the Damascus river and baptized him. He become a saint to the Gentile church.
Now, look here, what he said... When Paul got converted, perhaps the church said, "Oh, look what we got now. We got this great big Paul. We know that that man set under Gamaliel; he's one of the greatest teachers in the land. And he's a Pharisee; he's... Oh, he's a great man. We will put him up at Jerusalem, and we will make him the head of the church up there. And we will take Peter... Of course the one that's got the keys; he's ignorant. [The Bible said he was a ignorant and unlearned.] And he's got the keys, so we will just send him out to the poor dumb Gentiles. That's the one we will send him too. Because he does a lot of miracles, but this great intellectual man; we'll bring up here to the intellectual crowd."

83 The Holy Ghost sent Paul out to the dumb ones, and made him forget all he ever knowed, and took Peter (the dumb one) and sent him up to the educated ones. What was the matter? They met God, and from that time on the intellectuals didn't count. That's right. From that time on, the record was changed. How God does things just contrary to man's thinking. Oh, my. He does things so simple. Yes, Paul was a changed man.
There was a blind man (we preached on the other night) sitting at the gate, begging for alms. And he met God and from that time on... There was a maniac over in Gadara, who would tear his clothes off of him, wanted to live in a graveyard. (That's a good place for demons.) So he was laying out there, and they put chains around him. He was so powerful. Look at a man...

84 Did you ever see an insane person? Why, he's three times the strength, or four. And if ... so surrendered to the devil would give you four times your strength, what would you be to surrender yourself to the Holy Ghost? How many thousand times your strength it would be. Don't be scared. Why? He walked in the name of the Lord Jesus; that's the anointing. Meet God and find out what takes place.
This maniac run out there. The devil said, "Go get that little old skinny looking guy coming up there, His shoulders stooped down." Said, "Go get that little old fellow down there. Look at all them people looking around him." Said, "Go down and get him."
Here he run out, and when he did, he met God. And from that time on, he put on his clothes; he was in his right mind. When he met God! Friends, there's times when you meet God, it changes every man.

85 For just a moment, I'm going to make a confession now. I want you to listen to this. I have been a minister thirty-one years. (I'm closing after this testimony.) I've never been afraid of death since I've been a Christian. But what scared me, or worried me, was the time, if I died before Jesus come, I didn't want to be a spirit. I'm always afraid of anything that looks like a spook; I'm scared of it. So, I thought when I was... I know this body. I thought I'd go to be with the Lord, but maybe I would see one of my brothers. And there they'd go by like a little white cloud, a spirit, the soul of that person.
I'd say, "Oh, there's my brother. Oh, if I could just shake his hand. He hasn't got any hand; it's rotted down in the grave. If I could say, 'Hello,' but he ain't got... I ain't got no tongue; my tongue's rotted down in the grave. If I could embrace him, but I haven't... I'm a spirit."
Oh, that'd scared me to death. I just didn't like that. And I'm an illiterate person, and I can just barely read, got a seventh grade education. And so then I thought, "Well, my if I could just... I hope I live till the Lord comes."

86 Now, I knowed when He come back, my body would be resurrected. I know that I'd have a body; all the old age will be gone away. You'll never be old there. No, sir. Every symbol of sin will be taken away, and old age is a symbol of sin. So, everything that represented sin will be taken away, because from the curse... Not that you sinned, but you're one of Adam's race, and you turn back to the dust.
And I thought, "If I could just live to see Jesus coming."

87 I said to Brother Gene here, and Brother Leo and them many times, and Brother Fred, many of my friends, I'd say, "Oh, I hope I live to see Jesus come. Because when He comes, I will be changed, and I won't have to be that spook. I don't want to be that. No, sir." I said, "Death's all right, but I want to shake hands. I love human beings. I don't know nothing but human beings, so I'd like to see that."
And the other morning (about five weeks ago now) I'd been out on a meeting and come in. I was tired, and I woke up in the room about seven o'clock. And I said, "We will go down to the Tabernacle this morning ... or in the morning," to my wife. And she was still sleeping, and I kind of raised up the head of the bed and put my hands back like this. And I was just laying there thinking. I said, "Hey, I'm fifty years old. I haven't done nothing for the Lord yet. I got to hurry up and do something." And I said, "I'll be old after while." I said, "I got to hurry and do something; I ain't done nothing for the Lord."
And I said, "But you know, I'd sure hate to... I hate the idea of having to die before He comes." I said, "If He'd just come..." I said, "I dread that thought, if I'd have to go if He tarries for a few years yet, and maybe I don't live to see it, and I have to die and become a spirit." Mmm, I didn't like that at all.

88 And while I was laying there thinking that, I heard something just as plain as you hear my voice, as I was telling you last night, said, "Keep pressing on."
Well, first I... It comes in such a way, just like these visions here: You say it, and you don't know you said it. You're speaking, talking; you don't know you're talking. When I see a vision before somebody, I don't know what I said. Only the way I know it, go back to the tape here and find it. I don't know what I said, because you're somewhere else in another place, maybe forty, fifty years back down somebody's life or way yonder ahead in somebody's life. See? You don't know; you just don't know you say it.
And I said, "I am pressing on."
Said, "Keep pressing on; keep pressing on." Said, "The great reward is at the end of the road."

89 Now, I asked permission of the chairman and so forth to say this. I believe it was a vision, but if it was, I've never seen anything like it. I've seen visions since I was about three years old, maybe younger than that. And I've never seen anything like this, never had such an experience to happen to me. I'm reading a book, that the pastor here gave me, of someone else who had a similar experience. I read it, for it said Brother (What was that? Wigglesworth? Or...) Price... Brother Price had an experience something like that; I wanted to get his book and see what it was. I want to find out.
I do not want to say "translation," because it would look like (if you would) it was trying to copy Saint Paul. No, I want to be just what I am, see. Just... I can't be Saint Paul, but I serve the same God he did. And so...

90 I said... It just kept saying, "Press on."
And I spoke back, and I said, "Well, I'm pressing on."
He said, "The great reward is at the end of the road."
I said, "I realize..." I said, "That must have been my wife." I said, "What did you say, honey?"
I shook her; I said, "Meda? What did you say?"
She said, "Huh?" She was asleep.
And I said, "Why, it wasn't her." I said, "Maybe that was the Holy Spirit." I said, "Kind heavenly Father, was You speaking to Your servant? What would You have me to know?"
Nothing spoke. I waited a little while. I heard it again, saying... Seemed like I could hear someone singing that song, "Lord, let me look a-past the curtain of time." Did you ever hear it? You know?
Lord, let me look a past the curtain of
shadow---of sorrows and fears;
Let me hear the sweet harbor bells chime.
It would brighten my path,
And it would banish all fear;
Lord, let me look a past the curtain of time.
Seemed like I could hear somebody singing that. I thought, "Wonder what that is?" I was just like I am now.
And I heard something say, "Keep pressing on."
I said, "I will press on."
It said, "Would you like to see a past the curtain?"
I said, "It would help me."
And just then, I felt something happen to me. And I thought, "What's the matter here?" And I looked back, and I could see myself laying on the bed.

91 Now, if this hinders you, God forgive me for telling it. See? I've never told it before, only to my church, my own church. And I looked back... And I hope, by the grace of God, that you don't class me a fanatic. If I am, I don't know it. I don't want to be. You know? But God in heaven knows that this is true, as I hold my Bible, as I told you last night about the squirrels. This happened just recently.
I looked back, and I seen myself, and I wasn't moving. And I turned, looked this way; it looked like a little place coming down like this.
And I say this, not as an apology, but I've been pretty hard on women. I've been called a woman hater, but I'm not, I'm not. I like my sisters, but I don't like to see women acting the way these modern American women are. When I went to Saint Angelo's, the catacombs in Rome, in Italy, there was a sign up there by the catacombs said, "Please, American women, put on your clothes before entering this place in honor of the dead." Notice to the American women. Why, it's a disgrace.
They asked me, "Haven't you all got any decent women over there?"
I said, "Oh, sure we have. That's just the... That's that other crowd." See?
But they know just as American, that's what it was.

92 And so, this... I won't have time in this meeting to tell you. In 1933 ... this is a woman's nation. It's the number thirteen. It appears in the thirteenth chapter of Revelation, thirteen stars, thirteen stripes, thirteen... Everything's a thirteen. Everything is a woman. And remember, "Thus saith the Lord" there will be a woman rule before the end time. She will either be President, vice-president, or it'll be the Catholic church as a woman. I've seen her: A great woman, the nation bowed to her. It'll be one before the end time. "Thus saith the Lord." Write it down and find out, you young people. See if it happens. If it isn't, I'm a false prophet.

93 Now, just remember; that's the end. This America is a woman's nation. It's a place where she's god at free lance, and man says nothing to her. She's bossy; she runs everything, businesses and everything, even got into church on the platform, the pulpit, and running it now. So there you go. See, it's been... That's absolutely as unscriptural as Cain and Abel ... or, Abel would be to ... like Cain. Certainly, all these things, she's ruler. And she's a goddess. That's true in America.
Not you, sisters. But I was always a little rough with them like that. And maybe I thought a little too rough maybe sometimes. But how can I? If you're spiritual, you'll catch it right now, see. How many of you thinks you understand what I mean? Good.

94 Look at Elijah. What did he call? He couldn't help it. He cried out against that Jezebel, did he? Here come John the Baptist with his same spirit. How could he have helped crying out about it: "It's not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." It cost him his head, see. God takes His man, but never His spirit, see. It keeps moving on down. The forerunning of the coming of the Lord Jesus, as You spoke down there at the river in 1933 when I was baptizing there, and you see what happened to it, see. It's just exactly what He said it would take place. So you can't help it.
And when I looked, coming running to me, it was, looked like to me, a million of young women, about twenty years old. I never seen such pretty women in all my life. Their eyes looked like stars, their teeth as white as pearls, long hair hanging to their waist, with white robes on down to their feet, and was barefooted. And they were each one (Now, excuse me now, you women.), each one of them was running up and throwing their arms around me, and hollering, "My precious brother."

95 Now look, God knows when I was a boy... You read my story. When I was seven years old, the Angel of the Lord met me as a whirlwind in that bush that day and said, "Don't never smoke, drink, or defile your body." I never smoked in my life, never drank in my life, and I've got... I know no woman but my wife. And so then, I didn't live immoral when I was sinner. But since I've been a Christian, I've tried to live as straight as I know how to live, and God knows that's the truth.
And let me say this: I don't care how saintly a man is, as long as he's human, he cannot take the other sex in his arm (a female) without having a human sensation. And I don't care; you tell me that, and I will tell you you're telling a story. If you're a red blooded man, if you're really a man, it's that way; you can't help it. You're a human. I don't say you'd do anything wrong, now; but the sensation's there just exactly the same.
But in this, it was gone. Praise be to God, it was gone. It was like ... like not ... when I take my own sister, Delores, in my arms. It wasn't like a mother taking her baby. I don't know. It was perfect.

96 And I looked and here come a bunch of men, looked like millions of them coming from this a way. And they was all ... had on white robes, and they had, like, shaggy hair hanging around their neck. And they was grabbing me and screaming, "Our precious brother."
I said, "I don't know." And I turned around; I looked and there I was laying on the bed. Now wherever it is, it ain't very far from here. If it's another dimension or what, I can't say. But I looked back, and I seen myself laying on the bed; I looked this way, and here was these people.
If I'd say "perfect" that wouldn't make it. If I'd say "superb," I can't find the English word. There was no yesterday, no tomorrow; it was all now: no sickness, no sorrow, no sin, no tiredness. They didn't eat nor drink; they didn't sleep (They didn't have to), but yet they were beings. And they put their arms around me, I feel it just the same as I feel my own hands like this.

97 And I looked pressing through the crowd, and here come my own darling wife. She died when she was twenty-two. And here she comes, Billy's mother. And she come up. I said, "She will call me her husband."
She was making her way through the women, waving at me like that. I could see those black eyes just a shining. (She was a German girl.) She run up and threw her arms around me. She said, "My darling brother."
And there'd been a real pretty woman standing there, just put her arms around me and said, "Our precious brother."
And then Hope, she put her arm (That was my wife.) ... she put her arm around this other woman; she said, "Isn't it wonderful? He's with us now."
I said, "I don't understand this." I said, "I can't under..."

98 And these men picked me up, and set me up on a great big high place, and set me down. And they were praising God, none of them kissing me, just embracing me and saying, "Brother, our precious brother."
And I looked and people was coming from everywhere. And I said, "What is this?"
And that voice now, from no one, the same voice that had spoke in the room is still with me. He said, "This is perfect love."
And I've always taught: The evidence of the Holy Ghost is perfect love, see. I believe in speaking in tongues, sure. "But though I speak with tongue of men and angels and have not charity, I am nothing; become a sounding brass and tinkling cymbal." So, when you speak with tongues and got love with it, that'll show you.

99 And the love that we would have here would be like starting here from a shadow of the shadow of the shadows, into the shadow. And from a shadow to a mist, and to a little moisture, and into a creek, into a river, and then into the ocean. That's where it'll arrive at there, just perfect, everything. You couldn't die; you couldn't be in sin. Oh, I never... I will never be able to explain what that place was, see. It was just perfect, beyond perfect. And just then, there was a...
I said, "I don't understand what this is."
And a real beautiful woman run up and she said, "Oh, my precious brother," she said, "I'm so happy you've arrived."
And she turned off, and I looked at her, and I thought, "My, how everybody's so pretty and so young and so..." And I said, "What is this?"
And that voice said, "In here all resemblance of old age and everything is brought back to perfection."

100 See, we eat food till we get to a certain age. When I was sixteen, I'd eat the... Let science answer this from me: I'd eat the same food when I was sixteen years old, I eat now: beans, bread, potatoes, meat. And every time I eat, I renew my life. Anybody knows that makes blood cells, and that's how we come here. A doctor sitting here would know the same. Then I got stronger, bigger all the time. And when I got about twenty-two (you also), I still eat the same food, and getting older and weaker all the time, putting new life in my body.
Explain to me, scientists. If I'm pouring water out of a jug into a glass, and when it gets half full, I keep pouring more and it keeps going down. Scientifically, tell me about that. What it is? It's an appointment that God made. When you get that age, He's got you just where He wants you, and say, "Come on death; set in." Ask science if you don't start dying after you're about twenty-two years old. No matter how good you eat, you're dying, walking right away. It will finally... Death's on your track right then. But you're growing till you get that age. From about... You're your best from about fifteen till about twenty-two. That's right.

101 These people looked to be just at their peak, just at their best. And I looking at them there and how they were looking. So that... I thought, "Isn't that wonderful?"
And when I seen my little girl, eight years old, when... You remember the night, and you've read it in my story. When I met her, she was a young woman. She said, "Hello, Dad."
And I said, "Dad? Why, you're as old as me. I don't understand."
She said, "Dad, on earth, I was your little Sharon."
And I said, "Where's your mother?"
Said, "She's up at your home waiting for you." She said, "I will wait here for Billy Paul, my brother."

102 And when I come out of the vision... Hope had her arm around me there, and when I come out of the vision (standing in the room) she still had her arm around me. And I wasn't in no vision, no coma; I was standing like I am now. And she was patting me on this shoulder. God is my Judge.
And I said, "Hope, you're still here, aren't you?"
She said, "Billy, promise me you won't worry about me and Sharon."
I was just about to... I had a pistol in my hand a few minutes before that. Snapped it all the way around trying to commit suicide. The same day, I tried to lay my hand on a thirty-three thousand volt line when I was working as a electrician. (You know my story.) And the first thing you know, I was on the ground and sitting there sweating, not knowing what had happened. That meant God reserving this ministry for you people; I'd have went right then.
And so, she had her arm around me. And I said, "Hope, you're still here." Dark in the room...
She said, "Promise me?"
I said, "I promise you, Hope."
And when she did, she left me. She patted me, kind of hugged me and left me.
I said, "You're still here, Hope, somewhere. Aren't you?"
And I felt around for her. I turned on the light, and I went to every chair and reached around.
I said, "Where are you, honey? Don't leave me; don't leave me."
Went around through the room, feeling for her like that. Just a boy, just been married a little bit, and Billy and Sharon had been born.

103 And I seen her. When I seen her this time, she looked the same way. And I was sitting there on this place. And I said, "I don't understand this. Why did you put me up here?"
Said, "You was a leader. You were born a leader, to lead people."
And I said, "Oh, my." I said, "Well..."
He said, "Well, this is perfection." Said, "This is like the patriarchs when they gathered with their people."
And I said, "Is this...? This is after death?"
"Yes." And I turned and looked back. There I was still laying on the bed. He said, "This is after death."
And I said, "Oh, then I've died. Well, this is wonderful; this is good for me to be here. I like this."
And then this woman, real pretty girl that just put her arms around me like that. And said, "Just keep pressing on."
And I said, "Well, why, I can't understand it." I says, "Are all these Branhams?" Looked like millions of them. I said, "All these Branhams?"
That voice said, "They are your converts."
I said, "Converts?"
Said, "You see that woman you're admiring." Said, "She was past ninety when you led her to Christ. Look at her now. No wonder she screamed, 'My precious brother.'"
I said, "Oh, if I could only go back, if I could only have a chance, I would grab them; I'd pull them; I'd persuade them. See? Don't let no one miss this. This is perfection."

104 And just then, I looked. I had an old dog. We used to hunt; he clothed me, put me in school, possum hunting, coon hunting and things. And when we moved into the city, a policeman poisoned him.
When I patted his grave, when I buried him in our back yard, I said, "Fritz, if there is a place..." I was a sinner, about seventeen years old. I said, "If there is a place called heaven, you'll be there." Later on, I got converted. I always thought...
Now some ... I told somebody this, and they said, "An animal being in heaven." Absolutely there's animals in heaven. I want to ask you something knock the criticism out right quick. Tell me what happened to that horses and chariots that come down and got Elijah and went up. Where's that horse at that Jesus come and riding with His vesture dipped in Blood, riding on a white charger? See? Where is that wolf and lamb going to feed together, and the lion eat straw like the bullock? Where's that coming from?

105 And I looked coming down across the hill, and here come old Fritz. He looked at me and come up and licked me on the hand. I patted him. Just then old Prince, my horse, come put his neck around my shoulder and begin to nicker.
I said, "Oh, God." I looked up.
And He said, "All that you ever loved, and all that ever loved you is gathered here."
And I said, "I want to see Jesus. I want to see the One that I've loved and worked for."
And they said, "You can't see Him right now; He's higher than this. But someday He will come back. And when He comes, He will come to you first. And you'll be questioned on the gospel that you preached. And then, if you pass the test, then we will go with you back to Him, back to earth and live together forever in a body, a fleshly body where we will eat and drink."
And I said, "You mean, He will question me on the Word I preach?"
Said, "Yes." And that voice speaking to me said it.
And I said, "Well, will Saint Paul be questioned too?"
Said, "Certainly, with his congregation."
I said, "Then if Saint Paul passes it, I will too." I said, "I've preached it just exactly the way he did, not moved one word."
And then those millions screamed out, "We know that, and are resting assured."
And about that time, I heard the voice say, "Keep pressing on."
And I felt myself slip. I said, "I don't have to go back, do I?"
"Keep pressing on." And I turned and looked at my body; I seen it move. I was coming to, and just a moment, I was in the room again.

106 Friends, from that time, I've been a changed person. I don't know what you'll think about this, but with my hand on the Bible, that is true. Wherever it is... I don't know whether it was here, whether it was a vision. I never had one like it. And let's say it was a little translation. (I don't say it was.) Say my spirit went out and went there. I don't know what it was. If that's glorious under that first heaven, what must have Paul saw when he went to the third heaven and come back and said, "Eye has not seen; ear has not heard; neither has it entered the hearts of man what God has for them in store that love Him."
I've been more determined. This is my second revival since then. I've been more determined to do everything that I can to persuade men and women... Please be sure of this: If God's love doesn't anchor in your heart supremely, don't you take any sensation or emotion. You be sure that you can turn the other cheek, that God ... Christ ... is all in all to you. Don't you miss it, my brother.

107 Just remember. I will say this, with the faith that I have in that vision, whatever it was, I will speak it in the name of the Lord: except you have that perfect love, you'll never be there, because nothing could ever be there without it. Your spirit would be out of place there. It couldn't come. There'd be no way for it to come, no more than it would be for a grain of corn to raise up out of the ground without a germ of life in it. No matter how natural it would look, it could not raise.
My friends, you old people, you young people, you don't know what time you're going to leave. We don't know that. But let me persuade you as a Christian brother, that one that loves you: Except you are borned again and the Spirit of God of love comes into your heart, you'll certainly miss that place. Let me ask you: If God has given favor between us and you believe me, I'm honest. What happened, I don't know. But God in heaven, who's omnipresent and is here now, when I leave this world, heavenly Father, please let me rest in there until Jesus comes. That'll be reward enough for me, if I can just rest at that place till I see Him come.

108 And then, it was revealed to me, "If this earthly tabernacle be dissolved, we have one already waiting." We've got one waiting. Brother, sister, that's true. Now, I think I have the Spirit of God. If the Spirit that's on me isn't, I don't know.
Look, let's take the nature of it. Let's take the pillar of fire that followed the children of Israel, the One they got the picture of. No doubt many of you have it; if it isn't, pick it up when you go through. It was examined by the Federal Government, the FBI agents of Fingerprint and Document; it's there in the hall. One hangs in the Religious Hall of Art in Washington D.C. as the only supernatural being was ever photographed. It's been seen on the platform. The saints know it; they've watched it. Millions times millions around the world has watched it move, seen it personally appear on the platform.

109 My wife, about six months ago, saw it for her first time. She was on the river that day when it appeared down there. When the article went all over the English speaking world on the Associated Press: "Mystic Light Appears Over Local Baptist Minister While Baptizing." Stood there. It talked; people heard it talking back, forth. Thousands of people standing there watching me baptize from my first revival---five hundred converts---in the Ohio River. It was in the paper, newspaper clippings; we have it. Got on the Associated Press; Canada got it, all around over the country. "Mystic Light..."
Now, the scientific world has taken it. Now, they got it three or four different times. Germany has taken it. They taken it down here in California not long ago. That is real men with real cameras.
The German cameraman said, "Wonder if our camera could catch it?"
I said, "You're welcome to try it."
And when the Spirit was coming down, they took it coming down, took when it was discerning, and taken it descending back up again. Oh, my. Thousands times thousands fell to the Cross in Germany. And that's where I'm to return back as soon as they ... I can get loose to go back into Germany again, there at Lucerne, Switzerland, it's come again.

110 Now, watch the nature of it. If a vine... If the first branch... Jesus said, "I am the vine; ye are the branches." Saint John 15, I believe. Is that right? "I am the vine."
Now, what did the vine put forth a branch? The first branch was the Pentecostal church. Is that right? Then the second branch comes forth will be another Pentecostal church. Now, we don't see Pentecostal in all churches, do we? No. Well, what is it? It's a grafted vine.
You can take a peach tree or you can take a ... I'd say an orange tree, and graft almost any kind of citrus fruit. You can graft on 'most anything, grapefruit or what more, but it's the grafted. But if the original Vine itself puts out a branch, it'll bring the same kind of fruit that the first one brought.

111 Now, if Jesus Christ is the vine, and His life... Now remember, the vine does not bear fruit; the branch bears fruit, but it's energized by the vine. Is that right? Well, then if the life of Christ be in us, it'll bring His Spirit and His works. Is that right? It's got to, because it's the vine of God. Now...
Now, watch this Angel of the Lord. We know that that's true. Now, watch what kind of a nature it has. It bears the same fruit that it did when it was here on earth. Now, it's back in the church, bearing forth the same fruit, making another Pentecostal church, just exactly the way it did the first time. Now, that church sealed their testimony with their blood. They were godly people; they loved God; they stayed with it.

112 And whatever you do, whatever you do, friends... Let me ask you. If you believe me to be a servant of God, let me tell you something: Don't you miss that wonderful place. Don't miss it. Let us bow our heads just a moment.
I wonder just now, before we go farther in the service: Is there one here, two, a dozen, how many is here that would like to say, "Brother Branham, remember me in prayer right now. Since you've told this, I've had a little fear of death. I want to have that assurance. I want to raise up my hand to God and say, 'Pray for me.'"
God bless you here, son. God bless you; God bless you, you, you. Yes, all back there, God bless you. God bless you, all over the building, balconies; we see your hands up there. "I want to have that peace that passes all understanding."

113 I'm watching, praying. Raise up your hands. Let the Holy Spirit speak. If you die tonight, are you going to go where there's wheeling ... wailing and gnashing of teeth? Or you want to enter into that blessed, sweet rest in Him? I say it in the name of the Lord, with the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
God bless you, honey. God bless you back there; God bless you, sister. Someone else? Raise up your hand. God bless you. God bless you. That's right, God bless you.
I'm watching, just waiting a moment. Everybody with their heads bowed, praying. All right, just keep on. God bless you; I see you. I'm watching something... God bless you; that's fine. All right. Someone else? Just keep waiting.

114 Heavenly Father, You see their hands. I was watching, watching something being done. You know all about it, Father. I pray now that Your Spirit will be sweetly upon them. Let them know that just as I have said, may it be that they can say, "From this time on..." Their attitudes has been changed; the hardness that was in their heart has melted away. Sweet peace and divine love has taken its place. Grant it, Father.
May each one of them receive the baptism of the love of God in their hearts, that they could turn the other cheek, go the second mile like He did with spit on His face and thorns on His brow, with heavens and earth in His hands, walked meekly to the cross to die for people who were killing Him.
Make us that way, Father. Take that stony heart out of us and put a real, sweet, kind heart in us; put a Spirit in us like He's got. Let the Spirit of God rest upon each of these; there's been thirty or forty people raise up their hands. I pray, Father, that You'll give them eternal life. May they never be ashamed of You; may they sweetly come to You.

115 May they realize now, that something made them raise their hand. What is it? The Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God that's upon them now caused them to raise their hands to make a decision.
May this night be the night that they can say, "From that Saturday night down there in that school auditorium, I met God. Something happened to me; I've been changed ever since."
Grant it, Father. I commit them to You as the trophies of the message. And You said, "All the Father has given me will come to me, and none of them is lost." O Lord, You told them You'd give them eternal life and raise them up at the last day, that eternal life, that love, that would bring them into the presence of this great place that I had the privilege of seeing a few weeks ago.

116 Father, I cannot say what it was. I do not know. You know my heart, but I'm only honest in what I'm saying. You bear me record, Father. And I... It's such a sweet place. God, when my days are done, I'd like to see little Joseph be a man that I could place this Bible in his hand. Because the day of his dedication, You spoke. Said, "Joseph, thou art a prophet." I pray, God, that You'll let a double portion of the spirit on my boy. If You'll just let me live to win souls to You till I get old, then place this Bible over into the hands of my son, Joseph, and tell him to continue with the same gospel. It would be a full life, Father.
Nevertheless, when You're ready for me, amen. What a beautiful rest. I long to see that place again. Lord Jesus, may every one that's here tonight, every person that's heard the message tonight, may not a one of them be lost. But may everyone... I see them in there. Then when we run and throw our arms around one another, when there's no difference then between men and women...

117 There's no difference; the sin streak has gone away with. We're truly then brothers and sisters, where we can live, never sin can enter no more, no evil thoughts, no nothing can ever come to that kind of a place. There can be no defilement. We will all be one in Christ.
Let us appear there, Lord. Let these old women and old men realize that I have told them the truth. It's truth. Let these young people pattern their life, standing at the crossroads tonight, may they choose the right way that there'll be no sadness at the day of departing. Grant it, Father. I commit them into Thy hands now, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

118 You feel real good? You believe that the Spirit of God caused you to raise your hand? Do you believe that it was? You believe that it comes from God? I told you from my heart.

119 When I talked to a rabbi here not long ago, he said, "Mr. Branham, you call Him the Son of God." Said, "Far be it from God having a son."
I said, "He was the Son of God."
Said, "God having a son? He was neither Jesus nor a Christ." Said, "He could have been a Jesus, but He wasn't a Christ." (That's the way it was.)
I said, "Sir, would you believe the prophets?"
He said, "Yes, sure I believe the prophets." He was a rabbi, Jewish rabbi, Benton Harbor, Michigan.
I said... John Ryan had been healed, blind for twenty years, sat on the street. He said, "I give John many alms." He said, "What power... What authority did you give him his sight?"
I said, "I never give him his sight. He received his sight through faith in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."
He said, "What Son of God? How could God have a son?"
And I said, "He had a son." I said, "Do you believe Isaiah 9:6?"
Said, "Sure."
I said, "Who was the prophet speaking of? The Messiah?"
Said, "Yes."
I said, "What relation will Messiah be to God?"
He said, "He was God. He will be God."
I said, "So was Jesus. He was God made flesh and dwelt among us. God expressed Himself through a body. He was God made flesh; the Spirit of God dwelt in Him in the fulness. We have it by measure."

120 And we watch His life. Now, the Spirit of God is in us, but what it is: We just can't open those little clogged up channels to let the Spirit flow through. Now, the Spirit of God, if it was in the church tonight, would bear record of the Spirit of God. Is that right?
Is there any prayer cards in the meeting? (Did he give out prayer cards? No?) Is there a prayer card? No, there's no prayer cards, but there's a God. His name is Jesus Christ; He's the Son of God. I believe I have His anointing. The message that I've preached to you, if it's of God, let God vindicate His own Word. I didn't aim to do this. But I just feel an urgence for this before I say something else.
How many sick people's in here? Raise up your hand, that you're sick and need God? Raise up your hand. Just raise your hand, say, "I believe."

121 Do you believe? If God will come here and do the same works that He did... How many believe that Jesus Christ is the High Priest right now... (The book of Hebrews---is that right, brethren? Is that right?) He's the High Priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities. How many knows that's the Bible? When is He? Right now. Well, if He is... And the Bible said, (Hebrews 13:8) " He's the same yesterday, today, and forever." Is that right? All right. If He's the same High Priest, then the same yesterday, today, and forever, if you touched Him, how would He act today? If He's the same, He'd act the same way. Is that right?
Then a woman one time pressed through the crowd and touched His garment, and felt within herself that she was healed, and went out, and sat in the crowd.
Many people were touching Him, saying, "Oh, hello rabbi. We're glad to have You here," and so forth. And then this woman...
Jesus said, "Who touched me?" Peter rebuked Him, but He said, "I perceive that virtue (strength) has gone from me." And He looked around over the audience until He found the little woman, told her she had a blood issue and her faith had saved her. Is that right?

122 Well now, if He's the same High Priest, wouldn't He do the same thing tonight if He'd be touched? Now, how would He do it? He's the Vine now; we are the branches. Is that right? Well then, He'd act through the branch. If it's a correct branch out of the vine, it'd act the same way the life was in the vine. Is that right? Now, you pray; you believe.
I pray; I believe. And upon the stand that I have taken for God around the world... And this ministry of discernment is now leaving, and I'm stepping into a higher ministry of speaking the Word. And you see what God's done? He's put it right back into the lap of the people. Let them come with the right approach and watch what happens. But they've got to have the right approach. See, no one can heal; He's the healer. But I cannot say it until He speaks to me, see. But you can speak now with your faith and get your healing if you'll believe.
You go to praying in your heart, "Lord, let him speak to me." See what happens.
And if He will do it, I want each one that raised your hand come here and stand around the altar and let's make our peace right with God. You pray, have faith.

123 Now, heavenly Father, after preaching like that, this is quite a change. I pray, Father, that You'll give me strength to relax myself and to relax the people out there, that we together might let Your Spirit work through us. How much good would it do if You worked through me and not through them? There'd be no response. You came to Your own city where You was brought up, and they were offended at You. And You said many mighty works You could not do, because of their unbelief. You're the same tonight, for You're the same yesterday, today, and forever. May all unbelief be taken. If unbelief strikes me and says, "It won't work tonight," I resent that. He promised me, and I believe Him. Now, let the unbelief leave this building, and let Christ prove Himself alive as He said He would do.
Then, Father, if the end comes by morning, then, Lord, they'll go without an excuse. That these people who raised their hands and want You might know that it's the true Spirit of God that's speaking to them in the building tonight. We submit these things to You in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

124 Now, I take every spirit in here under my control in the name of Jesus Christ, under the control of the Holy Spirit. Now, you pray.
There's a lady sitting right back here, second one in, right here, got kidney trouble, praying for her healing. You want to be healed, lady? You believe that God will make you well? You accept it? All right, raise up your hand then. Go home and be well.
Ask the woman if she wasn't praying for her kidney trouble. That's right. Is that right, lady? If that's right, raise up your hand so the people can see. Now, she hasn't a prayer card. I do not know the woman; I've never seen her in my life. Is that right, lady? Are we strangers to one another? Wave your hand. Now, you have faith and believe.

125 Does that make Him the same? What did she do? She touched the High Priest; the High Priest spoke to me and showed a vision, just exactly what He said He would do.
Jesus said, "I do nothing, the..." Saint John 5:19: "Verily, verily I say unto you: The Son can do nothing in himself. But what He sees the Father doing, that doeth the Son likewise." Is that right? How many knows that scripture? Saint John 5:19. Pray, just pray; humbly pray.

126 Here, I seen an elderly woman setting right back here, right in the line of my finger. Don't you see that Light hanging over the woman right here? Look at there; just turn your head and look right here. The woman raised up her head. She's rather elderly; she's got gray hair. She's got trouble with her eye. She's had a cat ... got a cataract on her eye, and they're going to try to take it off. And she's had a cataract operation before. That's "thus saith the Lord."
Now, mother, that's right, isn't it? If that's right, wave your hand. If we're strangers to one another, wave your hand. There you are. Now, do you believe with all your heart? Now, have faith; just believe God.

127 Now, what did she touch? She touched the High Priest. If you'll believe, all things are possible. If thou canst believe... All things are possible to them that believe. I'm watching; just keep praying wherever you are, balcony or wherever you are, no matter. Keep praying. Just say, "Lord, remember me. I'm sick."
Now, don't try to make yourself nervous. Just say, "Lord, I believe the man is telling me the truth. I believe."
Now see, what did the Angel tell me? "If you can get the people to believe you; not believe me as a man, believe the message I'm telling you. Believe and be sincere when you pray, nothing will stand before your prayer." That's what the man said to me.

128 I see a woman weeping, wiping tears from her eyes. If she will believe me as God's prophet (She's sitting right here in front of me.), God will make her well. I don't know you, never seen you. But you're not from here; you're from Grant's Pass. If you'll believe with all your heart, you'll be healed. God, she's going to miss it; don't let her miss it, Lord. Mrs. Kruger? I challenge you to believe Him. Have faith.
I don't know the woman; I've never seen her in my life. God knows that. There's no way in the world for me to ever know her. She's just a woman sitting there. If we're strangers to one another, lady, raise up your hand? Well, whatever He told you, is that true? Wave your hand back and forth like this. All right, if you believe.

129 I see a woman sitting way back here. She's got on a blue and white polka dot dress. She's got a lump in her left side. Have faith; don't doubt. Don't miss it. God... Mrs. Griffith, have faith in God. Believe with all your heart, and God Almighty will heal and make well. Now, do you believe with all your heart? What do you think about Him? Do you believe God can heal, sister? Sure He does. You believe it's going to be gone? All right. You can have what you ask for.
Now, do you believe Him? Then the Spirit that taken me over there is the same Spirit that turns here, that the scientific world has got, the first time a supernatural being was ever photographed. It's a big pillar of fire like that led the children of Israel; here it is anointing us tonight, doing the same works it did when it was in Jesus Christ upon earth.
"A little while, and the world won't see me no more," said Jesus. "but you shall see me, for I ['I' is a personal pronoun.], I will be with, even in you, to the end of the world," Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.

130 People, (Oh, God), can't you realize? Don't pay no attention to this little stoop shouldered, bald headed man standing up here trying to tell you these things. Don't look at me, uneducated, uncouth; don't notice that. Watch the nature of the Spirit that's working through here. Believe the Lord Jesus! It isn't me; I don't know you, know nothing about you. It's Him, Christ fulfilling His Word to what He said He would do.
Remember, the end is drawing nigh. Seek ye refuge while you can, while the doors of mercy is open to the Gentiles. Take refuge; that's "thus saith the Lord."

131 I invite every one of you that doesn't have that peace that would take you over there, to come here, stand here by this altar. Every sinner in here, every backslider, I want you to come and stand right here by the altar. If the Spirit of God is here that knows you, surely He'd know what to do.
God bless you, sir. Rise up and come here; see how sincere you are. Would you walk from back there to here, if it'd mean the difference between going to heaven or losing your salvation?
You say, "I'm a member of the church. I've been born again."
Have you got that love, you're sure? Don't take no chance on it. Let us sing now.
I love Him, I love Him
Because He first loved me
(God bless you, my brother.)
And purchased my salvation
On Calvary.

132 Let every sinner come now. Will you stand here? No matter your church affiliation, your creed, your color, whoever you are.
God bless you, young fellow. May the Lord make a preacher out of you. All right, come. Will you come now, even before we sing the song? You that raised up your hand, wants to find that peace, come. The peace that passes all understanding. Won't you come?
I love Him (It takes His love to take you there.) I
(Stand up now and come on down here, will you?)
Because.................
And (Won't you come? There was about
thirty hands went up.) salvation
On Calvary's tree.

133 Now, just a moment. God bless you that's standing here, you three men. I thought women led the way. Listen. Here's to the church, here is in the name of the Lord. (I am prophesying.) That's the reason we cannot have revivals; that's the reason the Spirit of God cannot move in the audience; that's the reason my ministry to, seemingly, become unpopular to the people: The Holy Spirit comes and confirms everything that He said He would do, and people will raise their hands and will remain in their seats. It's not sincerity.
Then how can you expect to have a healing service? How can you expect the church to go on to its perfection, when thirty people will raise their hands and three will come? Hear it! That's in the name of the Lord. America has seen its day; no more will it rise. It's on its downfall. I speak in the name of the Lord.

From that time

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Thank you, Brother Herman. I have just been sitting here, drinking in, and you know, I appreciate it very much. And before we go any further (I'm sure we just overlooked it), I think this was a wonderful little breakfast that these people served us here this morning. I've eaten breakfasts around the world, you know, in different nations, and that was a real nice little breakfast. And I believe it would be ... as we are Christian gentlemen and ladies, to leave a little something lay on the table for those nice little ladies, how nice they served us, you know. If you have a little ... you know, it's an American custom, I think, that we leave them a little something on the table.

2 And by the way, I oughtn't to be saying that when I haven't even paid for my own ticket yet. Somebody I owe the ticket to, so I imagine... Why don't you just lay it at your plate, and let the ladies... ? Will that be all right? Oh, just lay it some ... before we leave, before we go away just leave a little something on the table. I hope they're not listening. But, see, we hold an example. Let's be an example, see. And so, let's be real Christians in all that we do or say. In every act let's be real Christians. I know it's in our hearts... Sometimes we can easy forget little things like that, but just thought I'd mention it.

3 I believe there's a scripture that says how great or precious for brethren to dwell together in unity. It's like the oil that was on Aaron's beard that run down to the hems of his garment. We can certainly say that this morning with real trueness of heart, that it was really a fine fellowship. I have had many meetings, seen many things by the grace of God. I never met any finer bunch of men, just real Christian brothers with all of us just together. I know this is a little breakfast, but I hope this...
It's not a joke---it's something actually happened. It's just a little something that might change the position of our thoughts for a moment. I love to fish, and I go way high in the mountains sometimes to fish. Now, I got a lot of brothers here, I know, the same thing. I just looked at them watch one another then. So, sister, don't argue with him, let him fish---that's good for him. Go with him. I said the other day...
My little girl Rebekah, she said, "When I get married, I'll never marry a hunter." Said, "I see what my mother's went through."
Said, "All right, then, marry a golf player, and let him get out there with them half-dressed women and everything all day long."
She thought about it, come back, said, "You know, Daddy, I just happened to change my mind." Said, "I want to marry a preacher and let him be a hunter, then I want to go with him." She had it all figured out. That's all right.

4 I was fishing one time, way in top of northern New Hampshire. That's the home of the little brown brook. You get the native trout that's really high, they're good fighters. But the others are stock. Hatchery fish are soft, and there's not much fight in them. So, I used to put a little pup tent on my back and walk maybe a mile ... three or four day's walk, way high on top of the mountains where you pass the beaver dams and everything, where you get into where the real native trout's at. Oh, how I love to catch those little fellows, catch them and turn them loose---just to catch them, that's all, just to relax yourself. You've got to have something to relax, especially in this type of ministry. And, so, Mr. Goad here is teaching me how to hand load shells now, and I'm getting along pretty good at that.

5 So, up there one day I had a little pup tent sitting up. And I'm not a good cook. I couldn't boil water without scorching it. I'm telling you, I'm just a bad cook. But I can cook flapjacks (or, excuse me, I mean pancakes, you know.) We call them ... well, we call them everything. Out West we call them sweat pads. You know what a sweat pad is? It goes under the horse's saddle, you know.

6 And, so, we always called them, down in Kentucky, flapjacks. And of course, really, they're pancakes. And you don't have to mix up anything. Put a little of this powdered milk with them, mix them up, pour them out. And of course, you all know that I was a Baptist, and I believe in immersing. I don't like to sprinkle them; I really like to pour it on them, you know---just cover them up real good with honey. And I like honey because that's good for Baptist morale, you know---like John, you know, that eat the honey. And so, then, I had me a little half-a-gallon bucket full of honey there.
And one morning, way down along the creek, I had a place, a hole there where it was just full of little brown brook about twelve, fourteen inches long. And, oh, they were just like a team of mules almost on the end of one of them fly lines. But there was some bushes in my way. I couldn't whip that coachman fly enough, you know---get up there to where they could see my shadow in the water. So, then, I took my little hatchet and went down there that morning early. I thought, "I'll go down and chop them bushes down so I can whip the fly and get back there and get some of them big ones out from under that place where the water poured in. They get back, hide in the deep water."

7 So, I went down and chopped it down, caught a few and was on my road back. I brought two back for my breakfast.
Before I got up to my little tent, I heard a noise. And that country's full of these little old black bear. Oh, don't get ... some of them get pretty good size, five or six hundred pounds. But they ... was along in the last of May, and there was an old sow, or what you ... mother bear and her two cubs had got into my tent. Well, it isn't what they eat; it's what they destroy. They just love to destroy anything. So, I had a little stove up there cooking. They just got down and got that stove pipe and jumped up and down on it like that, just to hear it crack, you know. And they'd tore up everything there was in there.
And one of them had found my bucket of honey. So, they love anything sweet, you know.

8 And so when I come up, the old mother bear, she heard me coming (so very sensitive), and she run off, and she cooed to her cubs. Well, the little cute little fellows... Usually when something like that, you haven't got your camera, you know, to get it. And the little cub ... one of the little cubs run off; the other one just sat there. Well, I thought, "What's the matter with the little fellow?"

9 And she cooed again, but he didn't come. He just sat there, had his head down. I thought, "What's the matter with that little guy?" Well, I had an old axe in my hand and an old rusty rifle hanging in the tent, but I guess it was tore all to pieces by that time. And I wouldn't want to have killed her, anyhow, because it'd have left two orphans in the woods. So, I thought, "Well, now..." And I kept a tree in mind, because with them cubs, she'll scratch you, you know.
So, I thought, "Well, now, if I could just see what that little fellow's so curious..." He was just... I said, "Why didn't he come when his mammy called him?" So, I kept stepping this way and watching a tree. So, walked around, I thought, "What's the matter?" I said, "Hey, get out of there." And he just stayed there.

10 And now the old mother ... cub and the other one over ... and the cub and the mother walking around cooing, you know, and her calling this cub and he wouldn't move. And I thought, "Now, there's something he's found that he's interested in."
When I got sideways, that little fellow had my bucket of honey. And he had it like this in his little paw, you know, and he got the lid off of it. Now, he didn't know really how to eat it, so he'd take his little paw and stick it down like this, you know, and lick and lick. And I got around... I laughed at him a little bit, and I said, "Get out of there." And he turned and looked. And his eyes was so full of honey he couldn't see me, you know, and he was batting around, looking at me like that. It was just all over his little belly, you know, just as full of honey as he could be. And I thought, "If he isn't having a Pentecostal jubilee, I never saw it." No condemnation, no fear. He just had his hand in the honey bucket, just a-licking.

11 I think that's something what we've had this week. Don't care who says anything. That's the reason we're Pentecostal. Don't care what the rest of them says---we're worshiping God. So, we just got our hands in the honey bucket plumb up to our elbows and just been licking. Maybe don't see so far, you know, but we're full of honey.
You know, the strange thing about ... to finish our little story, you know what happened then? When finally he got the bucket licked out... I just stayed and let him have a good time. So after he got through, he staggered off, went over there, and the others licked him. So, if they didn't get in the meetings, they'll lick if you testify. Yes, the mother and the other one just licking him just as hard as they could---they was getting some of the leavings, you see, so. But he had his hand in the honey bucket.

12 Fellowship, nothing like it. Old Doctor Bosworth said to me one day, he said, "Brother Branham, you know what fellowship is?"
I said, "I think so."
He said, "It's two fellows in one ship." So, that's about right.
Was glad to see my neighbor here this morning---it was Brother Fred Sothmann, one of the trustees of my church; Brother Banks Wood, another trustee of our church---the Tabernacle at Jeffersonville. I just wish you two brethren would stand up just a moment, if you will. Brother Fred, if it wouldn't make ... so the people will know. There's two of our trustees at the church.

13 And we have other friends here, their wives and loved ones are here.
And I'd like to make a remark about Brother Wood, his wife, sitting there---is neighbors to me. Mr. Wood is a contractor. Mr. Sothmann is a farmer from Canada. Brother Welch Evans, sitting over here in the corner, another loyal brother; these two brethren sitting there, one a Canadian, the other one from Georgia, their wives here. They drive about a thousand miles each way every Sunday when I preach at the Tabernacle. That's loyal coming. Very fine friends.
And Mr. Wood, being a contractor... He was raised in a loyal family of Jehovah Witness, and he had a crippled boy. Infantile paralysis had drawed his leg up. And his wife, I think she belonged to the Church of God, Anderson Church of God, or Methodist. Which was it, Sister Wood? Was it Anderson... ? Church of God. And so, said

14 somebody had told them about I was having a meeting in Louisville. And they went down there, and they seen one night there a little boy taken from a wheel chair that was a spastic paralysis, walked to the platform---the little fellow so anointed with the Holy Ghost---and preached over the platform. A young lady that the doctors had give up, that had that disease that you turn to chalk... And way up in her waistline---she hadn't moved for four or five years; and here rose from the stretcher on "thus saith the Lord," run up and down the platform, up everywhere, perfectly normal and well. Their hearts began to hunger for God. Mr. Wood, at that time being a contractor, had a job he had to finish real quick, and he and his wife went to Houston, Texas, where the Baptist minister challenged for a debate. And just let them challenge; God always works it just right. There's where the picture of the angel of the Lord was taken that you see. Mr. Wood was sitting present when it come down.

15 I went from there to Finland and Sweden---the Scandinavian countries. On the road back, I went to the city next to where this young man came to the Lord when I was preaching. (This is one of my children from the ministry, Brother Hill. I think that was right---Brother Hill.) And hearing these other brothers, how the different things that come off... And I'm getting old now, and so it makes me think of these young boys coming on will take my place after a while. I'm so glad to see them.
The one thing I've longed to be, when I seen the Assemblies, Church of God, Pilgrims, and different kinds... I would be ready to say this morning like Simeon, "Lord, let thy servant depart in peace," when I could see them one heart and one accord, just melt together. Satan keeps you firing at one another. He don't have to fire at all; you just whip yourselves. When I see that great ransomed church of God come together as one great unit, I'll close up the Book then, and pass it back to my son Joseph, and say, "Billy, carry on, son." My other children, my sons, move on out and stay that way. The Millennium will be on when that takes place.

16 Now, Mr. Wood came to ... Brother Wood, what was the name of that city in Ohio? Cleveland. We had a big tent meeting there, and you could hardly get around it. And him, being a Jehovah Witness, now, and his father and mother strict Jehovah Witness, his father was a reader... And sitting way back in the meeting with his little crippled boy, the Holy Spirit moved out. And I don't know just the words it said. I'd say something like this, "The man back there that's got the boy and his wife (maybe from Kentucky, or you know how it usually does)," that "the boy that had the crippled leg is now healed, thus saith the Lord." The boy don't even know which leg it was till he has to sit down and study, it was so perfectly made straight.
And his brother, being a Jehovah Witness, came down... They excommunicated him right quick when he did that. Mr. Wood stopped his contracting and bought a little house next door to me, and is really a Pentecostal Christian. I don't say that, him sitting here, but they've been real neighbors, real people. My house, I never have to worry anything about it---he's there. If the yard needs cutting, he cuts it, and just anything like that, just to be near.

17 Brother Fred Sothmann, many of these, Brother Tom Simpson sitting there, those men came from Canada just to... They're camping out there. Been in there for two years, now, in a trailer, just to be near when we have services. Oh, friends like that, what it means to you. Now, it's glorious to have precious friends.
So, Brother Wood's brother Lyle came down one day, and I guess he wanted to ask him what kind of a shenanigan he got hooked up with. And so, he said, "That's the brother out there cutting grass in the harvest."
With my overalls on, straw hat, I come in, was talking to him. And it happened to be, the Holy Spirit come near and began to tell him about him being a married man and having two children and so forth.
So, he thought, "Well, Banks told him that." And I caught that, what he thought. People saying that don't realize I realize what they're thinking, see. God reveals just what's in their heart, but, see, they really don't believe it.
So, I said, "But here's one thing Banks didn't tell me. Last night you come near getting your head shot off. Your wife that you're married to... But you was with a red-headed woman last night, and she had you hid in the room. And as ... one knocking at the door and you sent her to the door. If it hadn't, that man would have blowed your brains out." That got him. He knowed that was true.

18 We went fishing together down at the dock, and we'd run out of bait. And so, we were sitting there one mor... I was catching these little blue gills on a fly line to bait up with that night, and his brother said... I said, "The Holy Spirit is near. There's something fixing to happen." I said, "It's perhaps a resurrection going to take place." I said, "Maybe, perhaps..." I've got about five hundred on a list there, little children, and everything. I said, "Maybe something..."

19 Then I happened to think, maybe... Before I left... (Excuse this, sisters.) I don't like a cat. I just can't stand them. And so, they... I'm not afraid of them, but, ooh, that creepy feeling they give me... So, my little girl went down the lane. Her and another little neighbor girl come up, and she said, "Oh, Daddy." (You know, she got that real sad look.) She said, "somebody throwed out a poor cat and it eat something." And said, "It's in the awfullest condition." Said, "It's poisoned, it's going to die." And said, "Daddy, you wouldn't mind me keeping that cat, would you?"
I said, "Well, if it's going to die," I said, "I guess not."
Said, "Would you pray for it?" We'd just prayed for a little dog---you know, was just dying---and he got all right, big fine dog now, so... And you've read the story of the possum and all those things. Well, God ... that's his creation, same as...
So, I said, "Let me see the cat." So, her and the other little girl packed it around the house. I said, "Well, yes, we'll keep it. Go get a box." The next morning we had about ten kittens, you know. So then ... so, my little boy Joseph got out, and he looked at one of them. He's just a little bitty fellow, and he squeezed it too tight and throwed it down. I thought he'd kill the little thing. It wiggled around there a few times. I thought, "Perhaps it's that kitten, you know. When I go back that cat will be dead and the Lord just raise it up."

20 So, the next morning we were fishing---Mr. Wood, there and his brother, and I. We pulled into a little cove, and we were catching nice-sized brim you call them here, I think. Blue gill, we call them down there in Kentucky. On the mountains, the breeze blowing in, it was a beautiful morning. And Lyle was sitting there with ... not a fly line, but the hook looked to me like he was going to catch whales on it. And he had a worm all wormed on it. He dropped it over there, and instead of catching the fish, he just let him swallow the hook plumb down his little belly. And when he got it out, he said, "Now looky here what I got."---a little fellow about that long. So, he just caught it with his hands, pulled stomach, gills and all... Only thing he could do, because the hook was plumb down his little belly---instead of catching him, you know. And I said... And he pulled his little stomach out and throwed him out on the water like that. He said... He quivered four or five times and his little fins stretched out. He said, "You shot your last wad, little fellow." And he's kind of a tall country boy like, anyhow.
I said, "Now, Brother Lyle, you see, you never let a fish swallow the hook." I said, "Take just a tip of bait, and just as soon as he hits it, hook him like that, see."
And we was sitting there talking. And the little fellow laid around on the water for about a half hour, and a little breeze got up and blowed him back against the bank. We were sitting there talking, and catching these fish and unhooking them. Not to kill the fish, because I had at least two hundred or more, I guess, Brother Banks, on the line, on the trout line. So, we'd caught the day before and cut them up, put them on the line.
Just to show you what God does, how He's concerned about everything...

21 All of a sudden something come sweeping down those hills like a wind. Raised up in the boat. He said, "Stand on your feet." I raised up. He said, "Speak, and it'll be so."
I said, "What?"
Said, "There lays that dead fish."
I said, "Little fishy, I give you your life in the name of Jesus Christ." The little fishy turned over like that and went swimming out through the water. Laying there and his stomach pulled out of its mouth, and its gills.

22 Now, this Bible is open before me. Is that true, Brother Wood?
Mr. Lyle Wood just pitched over at the boat. He said, "That meant me, because I said to that little fish (it'd been dead about a half hour), I said, 'You shot your last wad.' "
I said, "No."
He said, "Brother Branham, why would God use his power to bring that little fish to life, and I seen on that book dozens of spastic children? I don't get that."
I said, "One time He came out of the city of Jerusalem where there were people that were laying there with leprosy, and dying, and all conditions. Moved out, and He seen a tree didn't have no food on it, and He said, 'Curse that tree.' And the tree wilted. He used his power on cursing a tree, and people laying up there dying by the hundreds with leprosy and all kinds of diseases. It just goes to show that God is interested, no matter how insignificant, how little, how big, He's interested in all, his nature." So, if our churches are little, whether they're large, whether you're a lay member, whether you're a housewife, whether you're ... whatever you are, God knows and He's interested in you, in what you're doing for Him. That is true. So, we are happy this morning to know that we serve a God like that.

23 (Now, I got my income tax papers laying down here at the post office, and closes, I think, at eleven o'clock this morning, so I can't preach over three hours, I'm sure. You forgive me for my foolishness, I suppose. But even God has a sense of humor, you know. So, we... I have to say something to unwind myself.)
No one, my precious brother, sister, will ever know what those visions do. Last night, after it got into the audience, the best of my memory... It all seems a dream to me after it happens. You ought to follow Billy Paul sometime, or those who have to take me along, and shake me, and kick me on the shin, or talk about going fishing, or something, to get me out of that. It's not while you're up there. It's not while you're down here. It's while you're in between, see. Then, like the prophet when he'd give his message and call fire out of heaven and rain out of heaven, and then for forty days wandered in the wilderness, and God found him back in a cave, see. It's in between. Not while I'm standing like I am now; not when you're up there---you feel like you could turn the world upside down---but it's when you're in between those times.
And I think they're going to have a dance in here after awhile. I hope we do this morning, too. Glory. A Pentecostal dance.

24 And notice another thing I'd just like to say amongst the Pentecostal people: there's one thing that we're forgetting friends, is our Pentecostal courtesy, see. Parking in lots, sometimes I've noticed our Pentecostal brethren---when you could really pull in and give somebody else a chance to park by the side of you---just drive in any way. Because somebody really makes a ... what we call a "boo boo" on the road, you fly loose and tear down. Listen, that's not the way to be a Pentecostal Christian. Let's consider the next man. If he's wrong, let him be wrong. If you pattern after him, then you're wrong, see. Let's think of the other fellow.
And just try to do right and think right.

25 I've got a slogan: "Do right (your duty to God); think right (that's your duty to yourself); and you've got to come out right." And if you'll try to practice the right things, see, it'll grow around you just like a vine; it'll hug you into it. And if you can't love your enemy just as much as you love those who love you, there's something wrong somewhere, see. Now, not just think, "It's my duty to love my enemy"; you've got to really love him.
I was sponsored by a group of people just recently, fine people, nothing against them. Their ideas was their ideas---I draw no lines. But this group of people---seventy-two churches sponsored---and they have a way that they baptize, by immersing in a way that the others do not believe in baptizing that way. So, this one district presbyter called me and said, "Brother Branham, you had a man on the platform last night that was baptized wrong."
Said, "Well, maybe he was."
He said, "Well, we're just going to draw a little line. You're too compromising."
I said, "Just a minute." I said, "That brother had the Holy Ghost, didn't he?"
He said, "Well, he could not have his sins remitted because he wasn't baptized for the remission of his sins."
I said, "But God give him the Holy Ghost. So, if God accepts him like that, I do, too." And, listen, I would rather be Scripturally wrong and have the right kind of a spirit than be Scripturally right and have the wrong kind of spirit. That's right. It's what's in you displays itself. That's what ... your life proves what you are.

26 This man said, "We're drawing a little ring, and we're drawing you out of our circles."
I said, "Then, I'm going to draw a little ring and draw you back in again," see. That's it, bring you right back. You can't put me out, because God put me in, see. So, you can't put me out. So, that's the way we want to do, see. Believe that.
You're a wonderful group of brothers. "Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love. The fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above." Let me say this to you as your brother... And I just passed twenty-six years old the other day, you know. You know that, didn't you? I meant the second time, see. So, I don't know how long I'll be with you. I don't know about that, but let me tell you a little secret.
The most powerful force in the world isn't speaking with tongues, or interpreting tongues, or being honored by God to be a minister, or to be an evangelist, or to be a prophet. The most powerful weapon that I've ever found in my life is love. It'll ... the phileo love, which the Greek word comes from friendship, like you have for your wife... There's a difference. It'll make a mother for that baby run through a blazing fire---her life means nothing. That's phileo. What will agapao do, see, the godly love?

27 We must love, divinely love one another.
Then you don't see your brother's mistake. If he does make a mistake, you never ... you look over the top of it, and you love him anyhow, see. That's it. Love those that love you. Then does not the sinner the same thing? But love those who doesn't love you. That's what shows the Spirit of God is in you, because He loved you when you were his enemy, and He loved you. And if that Spirit's in you, it'll make you love your enemy as you do your friends. Can we bow our heads just a moment, after all this little talk ... we could catch the Word?
Great Jehovah, we're an eternity-bound people. We're bowing our faces towards the dust from where we were taken. And if You tarry, some day, one by one, we'll go back into that dust. But at that resurrection morning, we'll meet. As I looked across this table this morning, as I have in many meetings, I looked up and down this line and out there; and I seen men, gospel preachers here, sitting here, that perhaps preached the gospel when I was a sinner boy. There's those gray-headed mothers here who's allowanced their children at the table, to help build these churches that these boys represent.
I may never see them again after this meeting's over. We may never meet again in a breakfast in this earth, but there's one thing sure---we'll meet at a supper some time in a better land.

28 When we think about that great meeting in the sky, when that great table is stretched across the canopies, from eternity to eternity, and all the redeemed of all ages sit around that table; and we look across the table to one another, no doubt a little tear will trickle down our cheeks, remembering these meetings and times, shake one another's hands and grip it with brotherly and sisterly love. Then the great King will come out, wipe all tears from our eyes, and say, "Don't cry, children. It's all over. Enter into the joys of the Lord that's been prepared for you since the foundation of the world." Father, while it's daytime, while the earth ... and while we're in time, space, let us work with all that's in us to get every person there that we can to sit in that great fellowship.
Bless these men, these brothers, these ... some of these young men and old men and these women and these little children, we pray that You'll mightily bless them with your power and presence. May this meeting grow into one constant revival from church to church. May---arm in arm and heart to heart---may we put our efforts together for the kingdom of God until we see Jesus. We ask it in his name and for his glory. Amen.

29 In the book of Matthew, the fourth chapter, the seventeenth verse, we read these words:
And from that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
I'm going to take the little subject (watch that clock), the subject of "From That Time." Now, there is times that we can say, "From that time..." There's times when as a young child these ministers here could say, "I was at a church, or I was out in the field, or I was reading the Bible, and from that time..."

30 A little boy or an old man, we have a certain time that something happens, and then we say, "From that time."
The little boy can say, "You know, I never lied in my life. And one day I made a corn silk cigarette, and I got out behind the old fire chimney, and I smoked this cigarette, and got some coffee and put in my mouth so Mama wouldn't smell it. And she said, 'Junior, have you been smoking?' "
A red light: "Don't lie, little boy, don't lie." Conscience: "Don't lie."
"No, Mommy." You broke every barrier then, and "from that time I began to lie."
That's the way we start. We have to mark it from some time, something happened; and from that time it changed things. We all have those kind of times.

31 The immoral woman walks on the street, she might've said, "One time I was as pure as a lily, and as radiant as after the rain when the heavenly dew had fell upon me, and I was as pure as that lily. I was out with a boy that I thought to be a gentleman. One night he gave me a spiked coke. He kissed me in a way that he should not have kissed me. Instead of pulling away from him and slapping him in the face and going home, I throwed myself into his arms. And from that time [there's always something], then I throwed my life away."

32 I talked to such a woman the other day. They had her in a psychic ward. I went in to pray for her. They said, "Go back in strait jackets."
That's really what last night would have been. The visions were going right along, calling those people from cots and things; but when the glory of God fell in that building, I couldn't even hear no more. You know why I sent them ministers down there? I want this audience to know, and this people to know, when I leave here that they don't have to send for me to pray for them. I wanted the people to know that these servants of God can lay their hands on the sick. It ain't nothing to one person; it's ... we are a group of people; we are a family of God.

33 Going into this emergency room, there was a beautiful young woman sitting there, great brown eyes and dark hair. She looked like she'd have been a queen for any man's palace.
"How do you do?"
She said, "How do you do, Brother Branham?"
I looked around; and there they was in strait jackets, and screaming and cursing, and a woman using the bed pan and wiping her face in it (excuse that for after eating your breakfast), but just insanity. And there's what your faith has to ... when you preach divine healing.
I said, "Well, I just don't know where to start first."
And the young lady said, "I wish you would start with me first, if you..."
I said, "You're not a patient?"
She said, "Yes, sir."
I said, "Well, what's the matter?"
She said, "Mr. Branham, I was raised in a Christian home. I was raised to honor God." She said, "One time I got out with a boy. My mother and father warned me not to go with such a boy. But," said, "he was cute, and he had, you know, hair pretty,

34 and..."
Oh, of course that's all right, sure. And I don't blame any woman---look your best, and whatever be clean, and lady... That's all right, but I just hate to see somebody disfigure themselves. These women don't even look like a human, see. But look clean, be like a lady. And men, don't be sloppy. That's not humble; that's dirty, see. Be clean, but don't try to ... you know, just don't try to do things like that. Just be just an ordinary brother, see. Just be yourself. I hate to see anybody try to put on something that they're really not.

35 Excuse me for leaving this subject a minute. I was down in Florida, and somebody said... I was down there to help this little preacher David, Little David, years ago. And he'd got in a tight place down there, and I went down to help him. So, the Lord gave us a great crowd out there, and so many people I couldn't visit them all. So, one of them said, "The duchess wants to see you."
I said, "The who?" I never heard of such a name.
Said, "The duchess."
I said, "Well, what's that?"
Said, "It's a woman owns all this estate through here. She let us put this tent here."
I said, "Well, just look at the hundreds of sick people out there is trying to see me, too, to pray for them." I said, "Is she sick?"
Said, "No, she just wants to talk with you a while."
"Oh," I said, "if I got any time, let me spend it with those people there that really need it."

36 Well, they had her around behind the steps of the tent where I come down. Now, I hope I'm not saying anything evil. Great big woman standing there with enough jewelry on her hands to sponsor a missionary ten times around the world, standing there; and she had a pair of specs, glasses, on a stick and holding it out like that. Now, you know, and I know, that you're not going to look through any glasses out like that to see anything. But what was it? Putting on the dog, see. And she looked through there.
She said, "Are you Doctor Branham?"
I said, "No, Ma'am." I said, "I'm Brother Branham."
She reached her arm way out like this and she said, "I am chawmed to meet you."

37 I reached and got a hold of that big fat hand. I said, "Get it down here so I'll know you when I see you again," see, like that. See, now, what was it? She was just trying to be something that she wasn't. What are you anyhow? Six foot of dirt. That's all. Just a little name of "duchess" or "doctor" or "Ph.D." or "LL.D.," that has nothing to do with you, that you're a creature of time on the earth, see.

38 Now, this young lady, I said to her, "What happened?"
She said, "Well, this boy smoked." And said, "He tried to get me to smoke and I wouldn't do it." And said, "One night he gave me a piece of candy that had been documated ... Spanish fly." You veterinary or doctors know what that means. So, she said, "It got me on the wrong road." She said, "Then I ate this candy, thinking it was all right." She said, "I don't know what happened till the next day, and my morals as a young lady was ruined." And she said, "Then I thought, 'What's the difference?' I started drinking."

39 She said, "I joined church, I did everything I knowed how to do." And she said, "Then finally I served a time at the Good Shepherd's home in the Catholic institution, and I joined the Catholic church, thought that would help me. Didn't do it. When I come out, done the same thing." Said, "I was a street walker, prostitute," said, "a drunk, alcoholic." And said, "Then when I quit that," said, "they picked me up again. I served two years in the women's penitentiary." And said, "When I come out of there, I joined another church." And said, "It didn't do a bit of good." And she said, "I heard about your meetings. I thought I'd come down and see if you could help me."
I looked at her---a beautiful woman. I thought, "Wouldn't that be a queen for some little tired evangelist coming in from the field, wore out?---a sweet little wife put her arms around him, say, "Darling, I know you're tired."

40 You don't know what that does to you. They do. When times are going, there's no one can take the touch of a real sweet wife. Right. Well, if God could've give a man something better, He'd have done it.
I thought, "What a sweet little thing she could be." I said, "I want to ask you something. Didn't you never in your life ever feel like that you'd like to have a hubby and have little babies and be like...?"
She said, "Sure, Mr. Branham." She said, "That'd be the desire of my heart." Well, a woman can't think that and be too far off the line. And she said, "But who would have me?" She said, "I'm ... I wouldn't even speak before a minister the dirty low-down things that I've done."---and yet a young woman, maybe twenty.
And I said, "Well, can we pray?"
And she said, "Yes."
I got down. I said, "I want you to pray and you ask God to forgive you of these things."
She said, "I've done that so many times. It don't work."
I said, "Well, try it again."

41 She got down and she prayed. She got back up. She said, "Now, Brother Branham," she said, "I'm turning a new page tonight."
I said, "Yep, and turn it back again tomorrow." I said, "That won't work." I said, "I want to ask you something. You don't want to do those things, do you, honey?"
And she said, "No, I don't."
And I said, "This may seem old fashioned as it could be, but," I said, "you might join every church ---every Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, and all---you'll be the same thing." I said, "It's a devil."

42 Those big bright eyes looked up to me, and she said, "Mr. Branham, I've always believed that." Said, "Something drove me to do things that I don't want to do."
I said, "That's a demon, a devil power."
And she said, "I've always believed it."
So, I said, "You pray again."
She got down and prayed. She looked over at me again. I prayed for her and laid hands on her. And so, she stayed there a little while and she looked back. She said, "You think it's over?"
I said, "Just keep on praying."
Well, she prayed on longer. I was taking plenty of time with her, just got the case over. After awhile, she struck fire. When she did, she raised up and them eyes had changed. She said, "Something's happened."
I said, "Now, it's over. You don't have to join nothing now, sister." She's married and got children, no more drinking.

43 Rosella, are you here? Rosella Griffin, the alcoholic? She was something on that order. How many knows Rosella? Many of you, sure, knows Rosella. There you are.
From that time, a certain thing ... then from that time, it changed. That's what the immoral woman ... The drunk could say, "I was raised as a prohibitionist. My people didn't believe in drinking. But one time I was with some boys, and they called me a sissy if I didn't take a drink. And I took my first drink, and from that time... That's the time it started---one night in a road-house, one night parked on the side of the road when my girlfriend give me a drink, from that time it started.

44 New Year's, they turn a new page, good intentions; it don't do no good. That don't help anything. I used to see my father throw away his chewing tobacco on New Year's and say, "I'll never chew it no more"; and watch where he throwed it, so he could pick it up the next day, you see. And I seen him throw his bottle away, and then watch what he done with it, you see. Because turning pages don't do no good; it takes something to happen inside. Any doctor will tell you if you put something on the outside and heal the sore over on the outside, it'll only make it worse if it isn't... It has to heal from the inside out. And that's the way Christianity is. It isn't joining church or something. It's healing from the inside, coming out. Your conversion comes from the inside, the core, the spirit, the life.

45 After the first World War... Many of you young fellows don't remember this; us older men remember. I was just a boy nine years old, but I remember they said "We'll have no more wars [after the first World War]. It's all settled. They've found the thing called gas, and we just can't... We'll never be able to survive another war, because that it's a ... we're going to fix a idea that we'll never have no more war. That's all. We're settling it for good." But they had other war.
They finally organized the thing called the ... I believe it was called the League of Nations. "We're going to take so many soldiers out of every nation, and we're going to have a police guard. And if anybody gets out of the rule ... so many out of this nation, so many... We're going to go say, "Sit down, John," [because the nations are just a bunch of boys, just a family, that's all there is to it---like a house to God.] And we're going to police them, and we're going to have the League of Nations." But they had war just the same. Now they've got the U.N.; but we've got war just the same, you see. So, when we formed the U.N. and we get all the nations into it ... now, Russia's out, and this and that, see. There's none of those things. You can't put your hands on that, not a thing.
The young couple... One time there was a young couple would get married, and the young couple might have said... John and Mary, and how fine they lived together, and they might have said that... (I am ... perhaps, maybe, I'm taking too long and holding this meeting too long. What time we have to leave, brother? What time? Oh, I didn't know. We're sorry, brother. Just a few minutes, then we... Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. We didn't know that. We're supposed to have left at ten. Let's go just a little farther.) It was fine and dandy till one time a little curly-headed salesman come in and talked her into something wrong, and it broke up her home---from that time.

46 You say, "Brother Branham, you're telling us this morning of how many things that's happened, and what's taken place, and all this, that, and the other. Is there anything that can happen that stands eternally?" Yes. When a man meets God. There was a man named Abraham, just an ordinary man; but one day he met God, and from that time he was changed forever. He believed something that he could not see. When he met God, he was changed.

47 Moses, a runaway servant---he was supposed to deliver the children of Israel, but he run away. And he didn't know how to do it. His military training wouldn't let him do it. But one day he met God; he was a changed man. And when a man meets God, it makes him act different than he ever did act. Could you imagine a Moses...? How ridiculous, when you meet God, what it'll make you act. (Billy, did you say we had ten minutes about? Ten minutes, all right.) How it'll make... Look at Moses. Here one day he's a sheep herder, a prince of Egypt, run away on the back side of the desert, back on the back side of the desert herding sheep, afraid to go to Israel ... go down to Egypt, rather; and here he is on the back side of the desert.

48 The next morning, here he is---with his wife sitting straddle a mule with a young'un on her hip---whiskers hanging this low, eighty years old, his bald head shining, a stick in his hand. Here he goes, "Glory to God! Hallelujah!" ---walking.
"Where you going, Moses?"
"Going down to Egypt to take over,"---one man invasion. Why? He had met God. Where he was running, now he was going back to take over. And he done it, because he had met God. And from that time---the burning bush---Moses was a different character, after he met God. That's right.

49 Mary, the little virgin... Never had a woman bore a child without being intercourse with man. Never had she ... never been able to ... ever be able to have a child without natural pollen; but she believed God. And before she felt any life or anything else, the angel's word was good enough for her. She met the Lord. Said, "Hail, Mary, blessed art thou amongst women. You're going to have a child, knowing no man."
She said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord," and from that time... Mary never waited till she was positive. Why would we wait till we were positive? We've got to see our hand come straight, our foot come straight, the bellyache stop. Not her. The angel of the Lord, his message was good enough for her. She started around testifying, "Hallelujah, I'm going to have a baby, knowing no man." Why? She met God. That was the difference.

50 Peter, when he met God and Jesus revealed to him who he was, from that time he was an apostle. Paul, the little hooked-nosed Jew, sarcastic, going down there with a letter in his pocket to arrest all them people shouting and speaking in tongues, he was going to put them in jail. He had an order from the high church to do it; but he met God. And from that time... Oh, my, he was a different man when he met God. One time a dirty, stinking leper laid at the gate; and Jesus came through, and he said, "If thou wilt, thou can make me clean." From that time, he had no leprosy. Why? He met God. That's it.

51 An immoral woman met God one time at the well. She had five husbands and living with the sixth. He told her the very secret of her heart; and from that time, she was a messenger of God to the city. "Come see a man who told me what I have done. Isn't this the very Messiah?" When you meet God, it changes things. From that time, it changes things. It certainly does. It does it for all people. There was a blind man one time met God, and from that time he could see. Certainly, as soon as he met God.
Now, we got a lot more we could say, but to hurry I want to make one statement here. Death met God one time; and it never was the same afterwards. The devil always doubted that being the Son of God. He thought, "If that was Him up there on the mountain, why didn't He perform a miracle before me?" When he took Him down there, and put that rag around his eyes, and hit Him on the head, and said, "If you're a prophet, if you can discern the thoughts of the heart, now, you tell us who hit you; we'll believe you,"

52 they thought, "Surely, that can't be God, to let somebody pull the beard out of his face, and hawk ... with drunken spit of a soldier, and spit in his face---and that be God, and Him stand there not say a word about it?" He said, "That couldn't be God. God would smite him dead." See, he just don't know the nature of God.
A lot of people try to be, "I'm So-and-so," step out like that. That's not God. The way down is up, see. His humility proved to me He was God---what He was: humble, sweet.
Now, the devil thought that wasn't God. Let's take a look at Him just as we're watching. Watch how death met Him, and what happened to death. "How could that be God, being a man? Why, He was born down there out of holy wedlock. His mother probably had that baby by Joseph, this old man forty-five years old and her sixteen. Why, he was the father of four or five children, and then go ahead and marry this young girl. Why, that baby was born out of holy wedlock. That's how they had to turn..." That's exactly the way the people believed it---born out of holy wedlock. They believed that: an illegitimate child. "How could that be God? It couldn't be God."

53 So, I see Him going up the hill. Let's go to Jerusalem for the next three minutes or five. We're talking, I hear a noise. Let's go look out the window, raise it up. I hear something going, "bump, bump, bump." It's an old cross coming up the street. He had one garment on his back, wove throughout without a seam. A howling mob... I see a little woman run out in front, say, "What has He done but heal your sick, make gentlemen out of your criminals? What has He done but brought us hopes of life?"
A big rough hand smacked her across the street, said, "Would you listen to that woman instead of your bishop, your priest?"
"What's He done?"
I look at Him. He's little, a cross dragging. I see some little red spots on the back of his coat He's got across his shoulders. What are they? On up the hill He goes. Them spots begin to come bigger and bigger, larger, and after a while they all run into one big spot. Splash, now. It's blood, dragging the footprints out as He comes up.

54 I can see the bee of death say, "You want me to go now, Satan?"
"Yeah, that's not God. He's not even a prophet. He wouldn't stand that. He'd curse that bunch of people if he was a prophet. That's not him. Go on, bee, sting him, anchor him. We've got him now."
I can see that bee of death begin to hum around him, buzz around him. Brother, anybody knows that insects that has a stinger like a bee, if it ever stings deep, it don't have no stinger no more. He stuck his stinger in the wrong flesh then; he stuck it in Emmanuel's flesh. The bee of death stung Him. Death met God. Since then he don't have any stinger. He pulled his flesh. He depowered him. He couldn't sting no more.

55 One named Paul, when they were building a place, a scaffold there in Rome to chop his head off, that bee began to hum around him, make a noise. He said, "O death, where is your sting; grave where is your victory? But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." And when death met God, God pulled the stinger out of death. Something happened to death when it met God. And today when we go to face him, death can buzz, but it can't sting; it hasn't got any stinger. Let us pray.
Father, I'm so glad that death has no stinger. It can fuss, buzz around, try to make us a-scared, but we can stand like Paul of old. We've had that same experience that we have passed from death, because we've been hid in a body called Jesus Christ that pulled the very stinger of death out of it. So, we have... The muddy grave can no longer hold the believer, for He rose again. And as He rose, we rise with Him, for those that are dead in Christ will God bring with Him at his coming.
God, if there's someone here this morning who has never met Christ as I would like to have spoke of it, may they meet Him this morning and their lives will be changed from now on. Grant it, Lord.
Now, we would ask that You would bless these lovely women that helped us and this institution of this Methodist college here, of their courtesy of letting us have this room. God, I pray that young men coming from here will be real missionaries and men of God. Grant it, Lord. May something be done or said that'll turn their hearts so to God that they'll be real second John Wesleys come out of here. God grant it. Bless the deans and all. Bless us together. Bless the services tonight and the oncoming services. Bless our ministering brethren here and all that's gathered together, and we'll praise Thee through this our time and eternity. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.
Now, don't forget the sister's tips on the table, if you will; and God be with you until we meet tonight. All right. God bless you.

From that time

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Thank you very kindly, brother. Good evening, friends. It's a privilege to be back in the house of the Lord on this Saturday afternoon, enjoying the blessings of the Lord. And I want to say that we certainly had a wonderful time this morning at that breakfast. I just love ... I love love. And that's ... when God is love, and when He projects his love to us, then, oh, how sweet it is just to fellowship around the good things of God. So wonderful.
Now, I guess I'm just a little bit noisy for you conservative Canadians. So you forgive me for my, maybe, rude way of coming to the platform, and habits that I have, so...
And someone asked me one time, said ... was talking about nationalities and he said, "Brother Branham, what nationality are you?"
I said, "Irish." And I said, "Well, if an Irishman can be saved, there's hopes for the whole world then. The whole human race has got a chance, if an Irishman can be saved.

2 So, coming up here with you Norwegians, and Scandinavians, and Germans, and what more, it certainly is a wonderful thing to us to come and fellowship around the blessings of God. And you know, over in the big land we will neither be Norwegian nor Irish. We'll be different then. We'll be changed. I'm so glad.
And since being converted, giving my life to the Lord Jesus, some thirty years ago when I was just a boy... And if I had one regret in my life, the greatest regret that (I have many of them) ... but the greatest regret is that I did not give my life to the Lord Jesus when I was younger. I was perhaps about twenty years old when I made that decision.
But if I'd've did that when I was the age of this little lad sitting here, I believe maybe I could have won more souls to Him. And if I'm turned down at the end of the road, He won't let me in, I'm going to love Him anyhow, because I just love Him because I love Him.

3 I asked Brother Mercier to bring up some of the testimony of the vision that the Lord gave me just recently. I want to call it a vision because I'm a little reluctant on saying something else, because it would sound like I was trying to impersonate a great apostle, Paul, who was caught up into the third heaven. But I was laying on the bed when it happened, and had slept well through the night. I've had many visions, as we know, but this wasn't like any I've ever had.
But I was always a little afraid of dying. I love people so much till I thought... Not being afraid that I wasn't saved, but I did not want to be a spirit. I wanted to be a man all the time. And so when I was ... wherever I was, it wasn't far away---another dimension somewhere.

4 And when we leave this body we are not spirits. If this earthly tabernacle be dissolved, we have one already waiting, see. God's got another type of body, where we are just as real as we are right here. Since then, it's took all the kinks out of my thinking.
And now, if it wasn't for my children and the gospel's sake (Well, I'd say first the gospel), and then my children and wife, my loved ones here, I'd welcome it at any time. Because there is no sickness, no sorrow, no sin, no nothing---it was perfection. And, oh, how I love to think...
And when I was there I thought if I could ever go back I would constrain people to come to there. I would persuade them every way I could to come to that place. Friends, don't miss that. That's the greatest of all. You'd miss everything. You may have been a successful businessman. You may have been a good man, or a good woman, boy, or girl. But don't miss heaven. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ with all that's in you.

5 And now, I'm not very formal because, you know, God's without form. The Bible said so. So we don't have nothing formal. Around our home we ... it's nothing formal. I have three lovely little ones at home, and Billy, my son, is with me. And we're just a great family of people that love the Lord with all of our hearts.
I've got a little boy about ... yesterday he was six years old, and... Was six years before he came. The Lord told me I would have this son, and I should call his name Joseph. And the little boy is already seeing visions, and speaking things that actually comes to truth perfectly. Just, someday I'll have to... I hope to walk with him down to the Jordan, and catch my chariot and go up. I hope he screams, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel ... the horsemen thereof."
My little girls, one of them is not so very little no more. She's already fourteen. They're daddy's girls. You know how we love our children.

6 Some time ago I was just thinking...
I met a friend this afternoon, or a man who introduced himself as Mr. Pettigrew. He has the name of a fine Baptist minister friend of mine, in Louisville, Kentucky, Dr. Pettigrew. Speaking one day, I was thinking of a time that... Brother Pettigrew was always such a diplomat in his speaking. He was so precise, and cut just to the moment, you know, and used very good grammar like that he taught Webster. And I'd use my old southern "his," and "hain't," and "tote," and "fetch," and "carry," and all them.
And he said, "Billy, I believe you could polish up a little on your grammar."
I said, "Well, I tell you, Doctor." I said, "I was ... I guess that's right. But," I said, "I was raised in a family of ten children. I did not get an education. Since the Lord's called me, I haven't had time to polish up on it."
He said, "Well, I think the people'd appreciate you more. You used that expression tonight," said, "you said, 'the people passing by this polpit.' " He said, "The people'd appreciate you more if you said, 'pulpit.' "
I said, "Sir, that's perhaps right. But I want to differ with you, see." I said, "Them people out there don't care whether I say 'polpit' or 'pulpit,' as long as I live the right kind of life and produce what I'm talking about. That's the main thing." That's the main thing.

7 It isn't in grammar; it's in a surrendered life. Many times we've got too much on that. We've got to get so much in grammar, and so much that's the intellectual. God is not intellectual; He's spiritual. And we believe God by the Spirit, by faith.
A little kind of a parable: One night I'd ... coming home, and the little girls was waiting up for me---little Sarah, and Rebekah's the oldest. And they, being daddy's little girls, they were waiting for me late. And their little eyes, the sandman sprinkled something in them, you know, and they got sleepy, and mama puts them to bed.
So I got in about three o'clock in the morning, after a great service and so ... walking the floors, and coming down, dropping from that great dimension there, down here.

8 See, the ordinary man rides down here. The Christian rides a little above that, above the things of the world. But in this you go on beyond that into vision. You cannot explain it. There's no need of trying it.
And, friends, if I never see you again, that's truth. I can't answer for impersonators, or carnal comparisons. But I do know what's truth. God is God, and He's just as real as He ever was. And we know we have carnal comparisons, and impersonations, and so forth. That all goes in all kinds of life. You have to remember that.

9 And so, I got in about three o'clock in the morning, and I tried to lay down. And I slept for about one hour. And I could not sleep any longer, so I went out in the parlor, and sat down in the chair, and was sitting there, daylight.
And after awhile, back in the children's room, the blankets flew for a moment, and little Rebekah had woke up. And she thought, "Well, it's time daddy must be home." So here she come through the house just as hard as she could. And that woke Sarah up. She was a little bitty tot then, about this size.
I don't know whether your children does it, or not. Mine, like I always had to, we had somebody's hand-me-downs. And you know what I mean by that. And so, Sarah was wearing Rebekah's pajamas, and they had feet in them, you know, and the feet was just about that much too long for her little feet. And she was just about to fall over, coming through.

10 And Rebekah could beat her. So ... she was longer-legged. And she ran, and she jumped up on my right leg like that, and throwed both arms around my neck, and screamed, "My daddy, my daddy!" Oh, you know how it makes your heart feel.
So then---before little Sarah could get in there, the little brown eyed one about this high---she turned around, Rebekah, with her arms around me. And she reminded me of the great fashionable church that's always first there, you know. She turned around to me from my limb, and she looked back to Sarah.
And she said, "Sarah, my sister, I want you to know one thing. I arrived here first, and I've got all of daddy, and there's none left for you."
Well, poor little Sarah reminded me of the little fellow that's kind of struggling along, you know. And her little mouth, little lips, turned down, and her little brown eyes started to water. And I looked over and winked at her, and motioned like that, and stuck my other leg out.

11 So here she come with them big rabbit-footed pajamas, you know, and jumped up on my leg. She was kind of tottering. She couldn't hold on. Her legs was too short, see. She just puts me in mind of the little new church that hasn't been out very long, the believer, you know. And I seen the little fellow might fall, jumping astraddle my leg like that. So I just put both arms around her, and hugged her up close to me. She had her little head leaning against me.
And after a while, she raised up, and them big brown eyes looked up to Becky. And she said, "Rebekah, my sister, I have something to say to you also." She said, "It may be true that you've got all of daddy. But I want you to know one thing. Daddy's got all of me!"
So I might not be so fashionable in speaking, and so correct in my English. But as long as He's got all of me, that's all I care about. As long as He can just hold me, and tell me what to say, what to do, I just let it go the way I know it. That's all.

12 So now, we want to announce that tomorrow afternoon, the Lord willing, we have our closing meeting. I was so glad to meet the pastor here tonight from the service that we had three nights up at Grand Prairie. Such a lovely time with those fine Christian people there, and likewise enjoying the fellowship here. And I told him, Chris, if we didn't get that grizzly, maybe I'd come back this fall, and stop in again.
And somebody was telling me, brother, today, that one of the trappers, the Indian brothers, knowed where there's a great big one with a big foot. Wonder what size saddle he would use, if I could put on him? And so, we'll maybe come back after him if we...
Going out now to rest. I've been six months in the service, and I'm so tired and nervous. So you pray for me. If you want to pray for somebody that needs prayer, then pray for me. You know, Jesus said one time to his apostles, He said, "Come aside into the wilderness, and let's rest a while. You've been a long time at it."

13 So, tomorrow afternoon we expect to have the prayer line, and the people that's got the prayer cards from... Unless some of them was perhaps left over from last night. I don't know whether you give out any tonight or not. However, we'll try to concentrate on tomorrow night, or tomorrow afternoon, to being the healing line to where we come and pray for all the people that wants to be prayed for.
So, if you did not get a prayer card yesterday or tonight (if he give out any tonight. That I do not know. I forgot to ask.), come tomorrow. What time does the service start, brother? Three o'clock. Then you'd better be here about two-thirty, so we won't interrupt the meeting. And anybody that wants the prayer cards can have them, and we'll pray for every one.

14 And now I trust that you visitors here in the city, that's from out of town... There's some fine churches here, ministers rep-resenting this place here, in this meeting. Visit them tomorrow for Sunday school. And then, tomorrow afternoon when Sunday school's over, then we'll have our service here, so the precious brethren who let us have this beautiful sanctuary to worship our Lord in, they have service themselves tomorrow morning, and then perhaps tomorrow evening. So we will not have service here tomorrow evening.

15 Now I would like to call your attention to just a scripture here that comes into my mind to speak on for a few moments, if we should call it a text, to draw from it a context, of St. Matthew's gospel, the fourth chapter, the seventeenth verse:
And from that time Jesus began to preach, saying, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
And if I would want to call it a text, to build a little context around, to see if God would come into his Word and bless our hearts, I would like to take the subject, "From That Time"---the three words, "From that Time."

16 You know, that has a great meaning to it, for many of us. And if we should sit down this afternoon and think back, we can start many things at a certain time it began, from that time. As a child, we might say something happened. Perhaps if any of you boys that smoked... I don't believe you Canadian women would stoop that low to smoke cigarettes, but they do down in America. And so ... but I wouldn't think you would do a thing like that.

17 But the boys, when they smoked, you remember the first cigarette that you smoked. Maybe it was made out of corn silk, or we call it... Some Southerner laughed. All right. That's what they would do down South. The boys start off on corn silk.
But when you smoked that first cigarette, and thought mother would smell it on your breath, and you took some coffee grains, and you chewed it to keep mother from smelling it on your breath. And then she said, "Junior, have you been smoking?" What is it? The first thing now, a red light begins to flash: 'Tell her the truth. Don't go this way, little boy. That's wrong. Don't lie.' "
"No, ma'am. I . . I . . I haven't smoked," and your little heart raced real... You went out feeling real bad. Then it was twice as easy to tell a lie the next time. From that time, you started lying, see.

18 And we have different things started off "at that time." A child, many habits in life, we can think "from that time."
The immoral woman, she might raise up to testify, and say, "I was once as pure as a lily. My mother raised me to be a lady. My father was a godly man, and my mother also. They taught me to go to Sunday school, and to do what was right. And that I did, years and years.
"And finally, one time there was a young man visited our church, and I noticed that he was not just like the boys that were saved. But he was a nice-looking little fellow, and I went on a date with him. And he persuaded me to take a Coke one time, and it was ... it had something in it. And when I come to myself, I was polluted. And from that time I started the wrong road. From that time, that started it."
"We can go back and find the time I felt that my virtues of life were gone, and what difference did it make now? And so, I just started running, see, from that time." It happened at a certain time.
The drunk man, the man that's an alcoholic...

19 Here not long ago I was in New York City, just before... I always make that the hopping off place. And I go to that arena there where they do all that wrestling and fighting. And we rent that, because I have thousands of friends in New York, and they usually pack it out for two or three nights' meetings. St. Nicholas Arena, that's where it is.
And Dr. Berg and I were very good friends. So, they had several missions down on the Bowery. And I said, "Dr. Berg..." I was trying to get by without taking a yellow fever shot to go to Africa, and they wouldn't let me board the plane. So I had to wait over a couple of days, and go down to the Navy and get a yellow fever shot. They wouldn't accept me---wouldn't let me come into the country without it.
So I said, "Let's go down to the Bowery."
And he said, "Very well, Brother Branham."
We walked down to the Bowery, and got off ... or went to the Bowery, rather, in the car, and stopped, and went down... Perhaps many of you has been down along the Bowery under the trestle.

20 What caused me to do that, I was with a Swedish woman. I forget her name now---a godly old saint that was a friend to Sophia, the washwoman. And who hasn't read of Sophia, the washwoman of New York? Led even the mayor of the city to Christ.
When A.B. Simpson died, the flowers ... they thought they'd lay some of the flowers from off of A.B. Simpson. After he was taken out, they had so many they could not take them to the graveyard; and thought they'd send some over to old Sophia. And when they got ready to preach her funeral, who come in but the mayor of the city, and sat down; chief of police... And they all got to testifying, one to the other, how Sophia, the washwoman, had led them to Christ.

21 And her partner, a Swedish, or Norwegian, woman that was there staying in Mrs. Brown's home, was telling me about how she and Sophia worked the Bowery. It raised an enthusiasm. I wanted to go down and see what the Bowery was.
So, going down the street, we went into a little mission, and he introduced me to the pastor. And he said, "Brother Branham, could you speak for us tonight?"
I said, "No. I'm going to wait. I've got a big service coming in Africa, where I probably have 150- or 200,000 people waiting. So I'd better rest."
And he said (talking about the alcoholics dying), he said last year from September until March, they'd taken 180 dead ones out of the church, that died right during the service---of alcohol and the dope. And I thought, "What caused it?"

22 So we walked out on the street and there were men, past harm as far as being immoral. They done passed that. Women would be perfectly free (they're beyond that) to pass through there. Laying on the streets, some of them laying back, and their clothes all soiled from not able to get up... And, oh, such a condition! It was horrible!
And there laid a man with his arms laying back against the post, and his legs laying out into the street. And his clothes were all wet. And I said, "Let's pull him off the street."
And Brother Berg said, "Well, he'll probably roll back out." Said, "They watch them along here."
So, I said, "Oh, that poor man." I said, "What got him in that condition?"
He said, "Ask him."

23 So I walked over, and he was too far gone. I went down the street a little farther, and it was... When I got down there I met another man. He was standing there, going against the post like this. And it was dope. And I said, "How do you do, sir?"
He said, "Would you give me a quarter?"
I said, "What would you want with a quarter, my good man?"
He said, "I want to buy me another drink."
I said, "I'm a minister of the gospel. What money I have comes from tithings from God's people. Therefore, I could not give you money to drink." I said, "I will buy you a sandwich, cup of coffee, or something. But I could not do that."
He said, "You're a Reverend."
I said, "Yes, sir."
He said, "Pardon me, sir."
And I said, "I would like to ask you, my good man: what caused you to be this way?"
He said, "I am ashamed to tell you, but if you could raise your head, and go up to the top of that trestle, you can see the door of the bank that I was president of."
"Oh," I said, "surely not."
He said, "I'm So-and-so."

24 I looked over to Brother Berg, and he nodded his head, that would be right. I said, "A man of your stature? A man or your caliber would be laying here on the street, a drunken sot like that?"
He said, "Sir, I once was a noted, respectable citizen."
And I said, "Tell me your story just in a moment," I said, "if you don't mind, and wouldn't mind for me to repeat it at the pulpit."
He said, "Certainly not." He said, "Well, I had a lovely home, two fine children. One day I come home... And I'd always suspicioned my wife." But said, "There was a 'Dear John' letter laying on the table." He said, "I'd never drank in my life, but I went out that night. And from that time..."
There you are. "From that time." What caused it? His wife had left him a letter that she was leaving him. He loved her in such a way that he could not stand to be without her, so he just thought he would ruin his life, or just drink it off. Not enough nerve to commit suicide, so he was just taking it the gradual way.

25 Now, that's the way those things happen. "From that time" starts from certain time. Most time, people that does wrong, on New Year they'll say, "Well, we're going to turn a new page now. We're going to be right after tonight." And what do they do? They just turn a new page, so they can turn it back the next day. All their New Year vows goes away. That won't work.
Some time ago I was going into the psychopathic room from the auditorium, to pray for the people in ... some of them in strait jackets. Well, how many... ? You've heard Charles Fuller, the old fashioned revival hour on the... Well, that's where it was at Long Beach. We just left there a few days ago, where the big auditorium was. Oh, my! What a meeting we had.

26 And when we were there before, Brother Fuller, a wonderful Christian brother, he was going out that afternoon. And as he passed off the platform going out, there went his crowd out---fine-dressed, intellectual people. And he'd made an altar call, and one lady had raised up her hand that she wanted to receive Christ. Wonderful!
He dedicated a few babies, went out. Grand old saint is Charles Fuller. And I had the privilege of shaking his hand, a very fine man. But to know him personally (to say that I do), I do not---just know him by just to shake his hand.

27 But I noticed his group going out that afternoon, and our group waited out on the piers, and so forth, till his service was dismissed. And here come my group in wheelchairs, crutches, strait jackets. That's a lot different. When you can stand and talk some kind of a theology... Nothing against Dr. Fuller, a godly man. But to stand and tell them about Christ that lives and will save them, let them raise up their hands, and put their name on a book, that's one thing. But when your faith has to buck against wheelchairs and crutches, and blind, deaf, dumb, insane, screaming, whiskers over their face, that's a lot different. The devil's sitting everywhere to see if there's one mistake in it, so he could throw the blanket on you.

28 So when I went into the psychopathic room... Sometimes they have them out what they call the "emergency." And I never will forget---a beautiful young woman was sitting there. There was some of them...
Oh, my! I hope this is not a bad thing, but I have walked into the places, and see... It's such a horrible thing, insanity. See a young woman use a bed pan, then wash her face like that, with... Oh, just lovely people, but that's devil! That's a devil. How I could...
I've refrained from testimonies that I seen going in the meetings among you, which has been... Well, it would make volumes of books, but I refrain from saying it because I don't like to say it.
Jesus said, "See that no man... Just don't tell it. Just go ahead. God will get glory from it."

29 And I don't believe in a lot of advertising a lot things, that something's been done. Just let it alone. Let God take care of it. I like that better.
And so this young lady, she says to me, she said, "Are you Brother Branham?"
And I said, "I am."
And she said, "Well, would you take me first?"
And I thought, "Why, you are not in this psychopathic room?"
She said, "Yes, I'm supposed to be."
And I said, "Well, my, such a pretty woman!" Looked to be about twenty years old. Looked like she'd've made any little minister a little jewel, a little sweetheart. And I tell you, brethren, as we all know---minister or not---there's no one that can console you like a loving wife, a real wife.
When you come in tired and weary, and someone can sit down and take you by the hand, and say, "I understand. And I know it's hard," there's something about it. God knowed what He was doing when He gave a man a wife.

30 And then I thought, "What a little jewel she would be for any man's wife."
And I said, "Tell me your story, lady." I said, "There's no one who seems to be rushing to it just now. What about it?"
She said, "Very well." She said, "I was raised in a strict Christian home."
"Yes, ma'am."
And she said, "One time I started, against my parent's better judgment, of going with a boy that packed a flask in his pocket. And one night he persuaded me to take a drink." And said, "Finally I'd taken that one drink. And all of them was telling me I was a wallflower if I didn't do this, that. And the first thing you know, I got the habit of drinking."
She said, "Then I started public prostitution." And she said, "They sent me to the Good Shepherd's Home which is a Catholic institution." She said, "I served my time there three or four years and turned to be a Catholic."

31 Said, "When I come out of this institution," said, "then I was a Catholic. I started right back at drinking, and prostitution again. The law picked me up, and give me four years in the woman's penitentiary.
"When I was in there I served well, and kept away from the things, because I could not find the things in there to drink, and so forth." Said, "When I come out, it didn't do me one bit of good. I joined another church. I've joined two or three churches." And said, "Now they finally declared me insane." And said, "They just watch me." Said, "I'm a mental case."
"Why," I said, "you certainly do not talk like a mental case," trying to find her spirit, you see, see what was wrong. And I just couldn't pick it up, somehow. And she said ... kept talking.

32 And I said, "Have you ever thought of getting married? and have a loving, kind husband, and little babies like all real mothers long ... or real women like to have little ones like... ?" See your little girl pushing her little baby cart, with a little dolly in it, and you know, because she's to be a mother, too. That's the reason she has to mother something.
And she said, "Oh, yes. I've thought about it, Brother Branham. But," she said, "who would have me?" Said, "What could I promise a man? Not even a home. I'm no good."
And when a person can realize that they're no good, then they're in condition they can be made something out of. But when you think that you're just the top when you're nothing, then you're past hopes.
Jesus said in the Bible there, "Thou art naked, miserable, wretched, blind and don't know it." Could you imagine someone on the street that was miserable, wretched, naked, and blind, and did not know it? And you walk up to them saying, "You're naked, sir. You're naked, sister. Come..."
"You shut your mouth! I'll take care of my own business; you take care of yours," see. There you ... that's a hopeless case.

33 But when you can ... a man can realize his condition, that he is without God, without hope, and his sins are not under the blood, and he's a sinner going to a devil's hell... And doesn't know he's doing that, then he's in a miserable condition. So this girl had something that you could work on. And after she talked a few moments the vision struck, and I saw then where it was.
And I said, "Young lady, did it ever occur to you that all these things, these reformings, and turning pages, and so forth, has just been a ritualistic routine from joining one church to another, and making vows, and so forth?"
She said, "Yes, sir. It has."
And I said, "Did you ever think that it was the devil that's making you do those things that you don't want to do?"
She said, "Mr. Branham, I have always believed that."
Those big black eyes flashed, and I said, "That's what it is, sister. You couldn't sign pledges or join churches enough. If you had books as high as the building ... would never do you one bit of good. It's the devil that's driving you to those things, making you do things---a slave to him.

34 That's the way drunkards, and cigarette addicts, and immorals... It's all the power of Satan that has the people in the grip, and they can't break it.
But there's One who can break it. And I said, "Here in your heart you are telling me that you'd love to be married, and have a husband." I said, "You're a beautiful girl. You'd make a real sweetheart for some little tired preacher of God's."
She said, "I couldn't promise a preacher or no one else nothing in this condition, Mr. Branham."
I said, "But I want to tell you something. Your sins may be as black and smutty as hell. But I know there is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins, where sinners plunged beneath the flood lose all their guilty stains. It can make you as white as snow."
She said, "Oh, it seems like it could be just a myth, Mr. Branham." She said, "I want to be that."
And I said, "Will you pray with me?"
And she said, "Yes, sir."

35 So she turned around, knelt down by the chair where she was at, and I knelt the other side. I said, "Now you pray." See, she could pray for herself. So, I said, "You pray." And she prayed real sincerely. I just held still, feeling if the spirit went away from her.
But after a bit she rose up, and she said, "Mr. Branham, I'm going take your hand and make you a promise, that from this day henceforth I'll never smoke again, I'll never drink again, or never play the part of a prostitute again."
I said, "I believe, my sister, you mean that. But it's not over yet. You've done that so many times, but it isn't over yet. There has to be something happen."
She said, "What do you mean, Mr. Branham?"
I said, "Kneel back down again, and just keep praying."

36 So I put my hand over on her shoulder, and I began to pray, and said, "Lord God, you made this woman this way. She is a handmaid, and she is your ... could be your servant, and could be a wife to some good man. She's a beautiful woman. And you can help her, Lord. And the devil has bound her. I pray Thee, Lord God, make him to leave her."
She continued to pray. All of a sudden she began to change her notes in her prayer. In other words, she struck home run. Something happened. And she turned all of a sudden, and looked at me---those big staring eyes like an angel then, and the tears running down her cheeks.
She jumped to her feet, and she said, "Sir, I've never felt this way in all my life."
I said, "Now it's over." Something ... that's been about six years ago, or seven. She's married now, and has two fine children. See, she was a prostitute until "that time"---that time when Christ took a hold. She was a good girl until the evil took a hold, from that time.

37 Many of you men in here can remember with me. I was just a boy at the time, when the first world war closed in 1919, about some forty-one years ago, or forty ... yes, about forty-one years ago, when the first world war...
Do you remember the good intentions they had? They said, "We will have no more war. This settles it. Send your boys on overseas, and we'll conquer this. And there will be no more war." But what happened? Another one come along.
What did they between those times? They got what was called the League of Nations. They said, "Oh, we have achieved some-thing. We've got a League of Nations. They will police the world." But we come right along to another war.

38 And now we've got what we call the U.N., and it's playing the same part.
Why is Castro doing what he's doing, if there's a police force that can stop it? See? We think that we can do these things, but we cannot. There's some little something starts, and from there it begins to roll.
That's the same thing starts in the church. A little tattle starts in the church, and it rolls up into a place that will break the church up, and separate it. That's what broke up the Pentecostal groups. That's what makes them about twenty or thirty different organizations. That's what broke up the Lutherans. And now we're nine hundred and something different organizations of all the Protestant churches. It's because some little something started. We should not be divided. We should be one church, one brethren, one brotherhood standing shoulder to shoulder in these days.

39 The young married couple might say this: "John and I got along real well. But one day we got into an argument. And from that time it went on, till we finally divorced. Here I am with the children; John's married again."
Or it might have been: "I lived as true to John as I could, but a certain little curly-headed salesman come to the door one day, and I don't know what happened."
Or you might say: "I was as true to Mary as could be. But one day I was in a certain store, and this girl kind of passed by. And well, from that time..." There you are. See, it has to have a starting time.
Well, I keep telling you of things that starts wrong, and ends wrong. Is there anything that can happen that's got an eternal to it? something that can last that's good? Yes. I want to say there is. And that's when a man meets God. From that time on he's a changed creature. He's never the same no more. I don't care how low he's stooped in sin; I do not care how immoral the woman's been, or how low the man's been, how long he's been without God, and how many times he's spurned his grace. Yet, when he meets God, from that time he's a changed man, or a changed woman.

40 Let's just speak of a few characters that met God.
Let's think of Abraham. He was just an ordinary man. He was not any special person. You don't have to be a special person to meet God. You just have to be who you are, and then meet God. Now Abraham was not a Jew. Abraham was a Gentile from the land of Chaldea, the city of Ur. And he was just an ordinary man, walking out into the fields. And perhaps he come down from the tower of Babel with his father, and he dwelt in the land of Shinar.
And maybe he went out in the morning and picked berries, and had those, and went out into the bush, and killed an animal to get his proteins, and so forth. Probably lived an ordinary life. And he had married his half sister, which was Sarah. And when she was sixty-five years old, and he was seventy-five years old...

41 I've got a good friend here. I don't think he's in the building tonight. I've looked everywhere for him. I like the man. That's Milo Dourney. I don't think he's here. Somebody said he was here the other night. But if he's here, he's certainly changed since I saw him. Mr. Dourney, if you are present and I don't recognize you, forgive me just a moment. I like Mr. Dourney. He's a real man. In the friendship that we had one day when... I shot a bear up on top of the mountain, and we went up there to pick up a moose that Reverend Mr. Rasmussen, that you all know real well, I believe... No, Mr. Baxter had killed a moose, and the bear was in the clean ups, and we were... I'd shot the bear and he was laughing at me, because I'd shot it so far away and hit it so solid.

42 And then, on the road down we had a real good talk. And there's something about the man that I like. And now I understand that he's very, very sick. And I think he called the place where I'm staying today, or someone was telling me something about it. If you know him, or if he's here... Don't you fail, Mr. Dourney, you be here in that prayer line tomorrow. You may be getting old, that's true. But God heals the old. You never get too old.

43 Let's look at Abraham. He was just an ordinary man like you, Mr. Dourney, that probably made his living out in the bushes, and so forth. But when he was seventy-five years old God met him one day, and said, "You are going to have a baby by your wife, Sarah." And she was about twenty years past menopause, and he had lived with her since she was a young girl. She was his half sister. Impossibility!
But what did Abraham... ? Did he say, "Now, wait. I'm too old."? No. The Bible said, "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief." Let's just ... I hope it don't sound sacrilegious, but let's just take their little family talk for a moment.

44 I can hear him go in and say, "Sarah, sweetheart, I want to tell you something. Jehovah spoke to me out there today in the field, and said we're going to have a baby,"---her sixty-five, and he's seventy-five.
Well, I can imagine, after him taking God at his Word, he went downtown, and got some yarn, and said, "Sarah, knit the little booties now, and get all the little things ready, because we're going to have a baby."
Could you imagine an old man and woman like that go down to the doctor here in Dawson, and say, "Doctor, we want to reserve a hospital room, because soon we're going to have a baby at our house, wife and I."
Oh, I'd imagine the doctor would say, "Poor old man. He's kind of a little off at his head. Just let him alone. He's harmless. He won't hurt anything."
But what? It was God's truth.

45 And the first twenty-eight days passed. You remember now, she's about several years past meno-pause. So I can hear Abraham go up, and say, "Sarah, dear, how do you feel?"
"No different."
"Bless God! We're going to have it anyhow."
A year passed. "Sarah, how do you feel, dear?"
"No different."
"Hallelujah! We're going to have it anyhow."
Ten years passed. "Still got the booties, honey?"
"Yes, they are laying right here."
"Praise God. We're going to going have it."
"How do you know?"
"God said so. That settles it. I met God, and I believe God. That settles it."
From that time Abraham was a changed man.

46 And twenty-five years later he was a hundred, and she was ninety. "How're you feeling now, dear?"
"No different."
"Glory to God! We'll have it anyhow. Greater miracle now than it was at the beginning, this twenty-five years."
But we claim to be the seed of Abraham, and if God doesn't instantly heal us, we say, "Well, I missed my healing." And then say, "We're the seed of Abraham"? Abraham's seed takes God at his Word, and holds on to it. They meet God on the conditions and say, "Here it is, Father. It's settled right here tonight."
That's the way the real seed of Abraham ... nothing can move them from it---no hurts, no pains, no aches, no nothing else; no doctor, no ten thousand could stand over, and say, "You're dying."
"That's not so," see. They refuse, refuse to hear anything else, when you meet God.

47 And sometimes, when you meet God it makes you act ridiculous to the outside world. Could you imagine Abraham going out, wanting to ... telling the people he was going to have a baby by his wife? But he had to separate himself from all the unbelief. That's what God calls to every man or woman.
When He meets you and forgives your sins, and calls you to be his servant, He expects you to separate yourself from all unbelief---disassociate yourself from all things that's ungodly. Look not at the world. Come out from among the world. "Touch not the unclean things, and I will receive you, saith the Lord. You'll be my sons and daughters, and I'll be God to you." Yeah, come out from among unbelief. Separate yourself. Segregation.
God is a segregationalist. Called Israel out. He called his people out. He calls his ... the very word "church" means "called out."

48 Now, He's a segregationalist. God don't want his children mixed up with the world or the things of the world.
But they had the baby just the same.
Now Moses, he was an intellectual giant. He'd been taught by his mama that he was going to be the deliverer. And he knew it was coming close to the time that God had promised Abraham, that his seed would sojourn four hundred years in a strange land; would be brought out by a mighty hand. And his mama, maybe, told him and said, "Moses, when you were a little baby your father, Amram, when he was working in the brick kiln, he'd pray every night all night long, 'God send a deliverer.'
"One night, in a vision upstairs, he seen a great angel stand with a sword and pointed north, and said, 'I'm ready to take the people out.' And I conceived you, Moses, right under the threat of Pharaoh, and I hid you in the bulrush and right amongst the 'gators that was fat upon the babies of Egypt. But God delivered you.
"You were a proper child when you were born. You were born to be a prophet, Moses. You are God's servant. And then you were raised up here under Pharaoh's doorstep. You're the next Pharaoh. But remember," as Jochebed would have told him, "remember the commandments of the Lord."

49 Then Moses studied, and he was a great military man. He was an intellectual giant. My! How the intellectuals... He was so wise he could teach the Egyptians wisdom.
But then he tried to deliver the children in his own way. You can't do that. You've got to forget your way, and take God's way. That's what I'm trying to say tonight.
Divine healing isn't based upon some mental tantrum. Neither is it based upon some oil out of somebody's hands, or some hocus pocus. Divine healing is based upon the shed blood of Jesus Christ, the atonement. "He was wounded for our transgressions, and with his stripes we were healed." So, it's upon the atonement.
And as long as we try to achieve a church for God, we're going contrary against his will. We must let the Spirit come into our lives, take over our lives. Let Him have his way in our hearts. Our great churches, I have nothing against them. But yet, brother, in all of it, we still need God.
We got the best churches we ever had---the greatest ministers we've ever produced, educational giants. But where is the power of his resurrection? Where is that Jesus that said, "The works that I do shall you also"? Where are they at?

50 Notice.
Moses then tried within himself, and slew an Egyptian. And what happened? When he slew the Egyptian he got scared, and run into the desert; and found a beautiful young Ethiopian woman out there, by the name of Zipporah. And he married her, and settled down, and had a child, little Gershom---and was probably well satisfied, because Jethro's herd of sheep he would inherit.
And he got old, and the vision of deliverance was all passed from him. And he was satisfied now to just to be an ordinary sheep herder. And he was eighty years old.

51 One day on the back side of the desert, walking down a little old pathway familiar, he was attracted---a bush on fire. And from that time Moses was a different man.
Notice, God said, "I'm going to send you right back down to Egypt. Go back down where... Now, don't go back down and get a bachelor of art. Don't go down and study some more psychology. Do not go down and get your doctor's degree. But I'm giving you a crooked stick. Take this, and tell them I AM sent you."
What was it? The next day a educated, smartest man in the country, the most ridiculous sight: he had his wife sitting straddle a mule, with a young'un on her hip like this, the old whiskers blowing, the old crooked stick in his hand leading a mule. "Come on, here. Let's go."
"Where you going, Moses?"
"Going down to Egypt to take over." One-man invasion. But the thing of it was, he done it. Why? Here it is. He had met God, and from that time he was a changed man. That was a stick on the hillside the day before. But in the hands of God's anointed prophet, it become the judgment rod of God that smote Egypt with plague. And it was a one-man invasion that delivered the children, because he had met God. He didn't need an army. He just needed God.

52 May I stop here a moment, if you'll pardon me, in my message? You have great possibilities. You are a fine people, you royal Canadians. But there's one thing that you need---is a coming together, and a meeting of God by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, poured out upon your churches here. Then things will take place.
You're fine, loyal. But you need to meet God one time. Then things are changed, when you meet God. Yes. It makes you act ridiculous, and it makes the world laugh at you. But the thing of it is, if God ... you've met Him, and He said so, then you can do it. "God said so." That settled it.

53 A little virgin, one day, she probably had a hard time, a beautiful little lady. She kept herself clean from the world, and she lived in a lots meaner town than Dawson Creek. She lived in Nazareth. But she had purposed in her heart that she would serve God. And she was just an ordinary little woman. She was going with a man that was a widower of four children, and his name was Joseph. And they were planning on getting married.
And one day she had a pitcher on her head, perhaps, going to the virgin well. They call it "the well of the virgin." And as she come down off the hill to get... Maybe, say it was Monday morning, she was going to get the daily supply of water. And those women can pack a jug of water on their head, one on each hip, and just walk as steady. And she was going down to get the water, and she had the jug, perhaps, under her arm. And she was going along thinking about a scripture that she'd, perhaps, heard the rabbi...
Or maybe she and Joseph, looking from the front porch across the hill where they was going to have their home and... He was a carpenter, and all the doors had to fit perfect, you know, and the little hearts on the wall, because he was taking his sweetheart to this one. This was a special house---him and his sweetheart was going to live in it.

54 And they was reading the scroll on the front porch.
And Joseph read this scripture the day before. "Unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Counsellor, Prince of Peace, mighty God, the everlasting Father. And of his kingdom there shall be no end."
And maybe Mary said, "Joseph, would you read that scripture again, dear?" And he read it again. "Who was Isaiah speaking of there?"
"Oh, no doubt the Messiah. He will come some day."
And the next morning on the road, just a little ... common little girl of about eighteen years old, going along to get the water down at the well... And on her road that morning, perhaps she seen a light flash, and she said, "It must have been the sun, maybe," coming up in the early Judaean mornings, and the dew holding the fragrance down onto the ground.
How beautiful!

55 I think the break of day is the most beautiful time of the day. See, all the demons has ceased to run, and the Holy Spirit... I think any man that comes to the pulpit to preach should stay in the quietness of God, come out as a sweet smelling savor, anointed with the Holy Spirit to speak the Word of God---come out from the morning after the night, step out into the brightness of the Holy Spirit.
And I see him there, as he ... as she was going walking along. All at once a great pillar of light hung before her, and beneath this pillar of light stood the great angel, Gabriel. He said, "Hail, Mary! ["Stop," in other words.] Blessed art thou among the women, for you've found grace with God."
And he told her of her cousin, Elisabeth, how that she in her old age had conceived, and once was called barren was going to have a child. And said, "You found favor with God, and God is going to give you a baby, knowing no man."
She said, "How will these things be?"
He said, "The Holy Ghost will overshadow thee. And that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."

56 Notice. Mary, she'd met God. She didn't wait till she could say ... (excuse me, sisters) but she didn't wait to say, "Wait till I feel life; wait till I'm positive. Then I'll testify of it." No. She didn't have to wait. She took God at his Word! She'd met God, and immediately she began to testify. "I'm going to have a baby, knowing no man." Yes, sir. Why? She was positive. She had met God. Things had changed. She wasn't ashamed. She just as good as had the baby in her arms, because God said so. Oh, God! Give Dawson Creek some Marys like that.

57 "By his stripes I'm healed." I had the stomach trouble, and Satan told me, said... He kept telling me, "Now, you're not any better today. You know you can't eat nothing." I just eat anyhow, and vomit up; in about two minutes eat some more and vomit it up; and eat again...
And he said, "You know you're just making a disgrace."
And I said, "Looky here, you old slewfoot! If you want to hear me testify, stick around. But if you're getting sick of it, get out, because I'm going to testify as long as I got a breath in my body. I'm going to give God praise for letting Jesus Christ come to this earth to heal me. I accept it as my personal property."
He left me. Sure, he gets tired of hearing you testify about Jesus. He tries to keep you away from it. Don't you do it. You've met God. God's present. And you know He's there, and here's his promise revealed to you, "By his stripes I am healed." Then something happens.

58 Notice.
She went right up to the mountains. Oh, I can see that little virgin... Excuse me for taking so much time. I can see that little virgin as she climbs up the mountains, her little face just blushing. Oh, how she was going up the road, just praising God. And Elisabeth---you know, that was Zacharias' wife---she was about fifty five or sixty years old. But they had prayed all their life to have a son.
And her husband was a priest at the temple, and when he ... in the days of his administration of waving incense while the people were praying, Gabriel came to him and said his wife would conceive. You see what kind of homes angels come to? It's homes that trust God. That's right. That's right. No matter what kind of a home it could be, just as long as you trust God... Whether it's a little humble shed, or wherever it is, if you'll just trust God, that's all.

59 And we find out that Elisabeth had hid herself, now, for several months. She was to be mother, but she was worried. Now, you know, I see these ladies... Please, sisters, excuse me by saying this, but these women that's to be mothers wearing these slacks out on the street, I think it's the most disgraceful thing to the race of humanity. It is a pity to think that they would do that. Oh, of course, I'm sure they don't do that around Dawson here, but they do it down in the States. It's terrible!
They hate me for saying it;

60 but yet... A woman said to me some time ago, she said... I was telling them about wearing them immoral clothes. I said, "God will make you answer for committing adultery."
She said, "I do not commit adultery."
I said, "But Jesus said, 'Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her in his heart.' Then when that sinner answers for adultery, who did he commit it with? because you presented yourself that way. That's right. You'll answer at the day of the judgment." That's exactly.
And she said, "Well, I'll just tell you right now," she said, "I don't wear shorts. I wear slacks."
I said, "That's worse. The Bible said it's an abomination in the sight of God for a woman to put on a garment that pertains to a man. God doesn't change. That's exactly right.

61 I was speaking this morning of this woman, immoral woman, washing Jesus' dirty feet, wiping them with her hair. Some of our Pentecostal sisters would have to stand on their head to get enough hair to wash their feet---cut it all off. That's right. It used to be wrong for you to do it. It's still wrong for you to do it.
The Bible plainly teaches that if a woman cuts her hair, her husband has a right to divorce her, put her away. Said if she cuts her hair she dishonors her head (her husband), and a dishonorable woman should not be lived with. I'd better shut up. I'll get you preachers around here...
I'm only telling you the truth! You're going to face me with it at the day of judgment. That's "thus saith the Lord" in his Word.
A lady said, "They don't ... all they make is these Hollywood, sexy looking dresses."
I said, "They still have sewing machines and goods. Don't try to get around that." No, sir.

62 I can see Elisabeth sitting back doing her sewing, her little booties and things, for the baby to come on. And she pulls back the curtain, and she looks and she sees Mary, this beautiful little girl, running just as hastily as she could.
In them days they had love, one for another. Oh, she gets up, and runs real quick. And she grabs Mary and embraces her, and said, "Oh, dear! I'm so glad to see you."
I like to see people do that. I believe in being real brothers.

63 Here some time ago I was having a meeting down in Florida, and I went down. And they had a tent up back there on some big place, and we had a great meeting. And there was about eight or ten thousand people attending the meeting. And one of the managers said to me, said, "Brother Branham," said, "the Duchess wants to see you."
I said, "The who?"
He said, "The Duchess."
I said, "What's that?"
Said, "The woman, the Duchess that owns all this property here ... your tent's sitting on."
And I said, "Well, now, looky here at them poor sick people that wants to see me too."
"Oh, but," said, "she's a Duchess."
I said, "Well, does that make her any different from somebody else? Not a bit."
You know, we stick our nose up like we ... rain, it would drown us, and think we're somebody. And after all, we're only worth eighty-four cents in chemicals. That's all. You put a fifty dollar, or a hundred dollar, mink coat around eighty-four cents... You really take care of it. But you got a soul that's worth ten thousand worlds, and you'll poke anything down it. Yes.

64 When I was coming off the tent that evening there was a great big, heavy-set woman standing there, with enough jewels on her hand to sponsor a missionary ten times around the world.
She said, "Are you Dr. Branham?"
I said, "No ma'am." I said, "I'm Brother Branham."
She said, "I am 'chawmed.' " And she had that big hand up there.
I said, "Get it down here, so I'll know you when I see you again," like that. I hate to see anybody put on dog, don't you? what they call dog. And she had a pair of specks---she had them on a stick. You know nobody can see out like that, holding that glasses out like that.
And said, "Are you Dr. Branham?" That's trying to be something that you are not. You're not ...

65 as Congressman Upshaw once said, "You can't be nothing that you hain't."
Now that was a congressman of the United States. Many of you know his testimony. They brought him to Los Angeles that time. He'd been in a wheelchair for sixty-six years. I saw the vision go over the top of him and I said, "Sir, Jesus Christ makes you whole." And he run to the platform, touching his feet back and forth. Congressman Upshaw, dear old saint of God. Knowed Winston Churchill just like I'd know one of my minister brothers and all of them. Went and testified about his healing to him, and all this, and... Just a glorious old man, just went home to meet God at nearly ninety-something years old, a year or two ago.

66 Now when ... the other day I was going down the street with my wife, and there was a sister coming down the street. And we were driving along. And this sister said, "How do you do, Sister Branham?"
I looked around, and I said, "Honey, that woman spoke to you."
And she said, "I spoke to her."
"Oh," I said, "I'm sure she didn't hear you," I said "because I'm sitting not a foot from you, and I didn't hear you. So, how is she going to hear you out there, twenty feet on the street?"
And she said, "I smiled." ... a little old silly grin.
I like that old, big old pump-handle handshake, "Put it out here," you know, like that. Don't you like it? so you got a feeling in it, that's right.

67 Paul Rader said one time, said he was sitting at the table and he and his wife got in a little argument. He started to go to work, and... He always kissed her at the door, "Bye, honey," went on out. And she'd wait, when he got up to the gate wave good bye, and he went on down the street. And said that morning they had an argument, and so ... little family spat.
So he said he started down the street and she said, "Bye," and waved at him at the gate---"Bye."
And said he got to thinking. "She's such a good woman. What if she would die? What would I do? How would I do without her?"

68 So he said he got to thinking more about it, and thought, "I might die, and I wouldn't want... Oh, she's a darling."
He turned around real quick and run up the street, opened up the gate and run in, jerked open the door. He couldn't see her anywhere. He heard something going, "Sniff, sniff." He looked. Standing behind the door ... and she was standing with her head up against the wall, crying.
He just turned her around, kissed her, and said, "Bye, Sweetheart."
She said, "Bye."
He went out the gate and turned around. Said it looked like she was standing at the door, and he said, "Bye."
She said, "Bye," but said... She waved just like she did the first time, but said the last time had a feeling in it.
So that's just about the way it is. We got to bring it from your heart. That's the way with our religion. If there isn't a feeling in it of divine worship to Christ, that you believe Him to be the Son of God, that you love Him with all your heart... No matter how you might sing the apostle's creed, or the Doxology, you might be able to sing like a mockingbird, but if it hasn't got a feeling in it, God won't notice it. That's right. You've got to have a feeling of godly worship in your heart.

69 So I'd imagine when Elisabeth caught Mary, I can hear her say, "Oh, Mary! Why, you're so beautiful."
"Why, Elisabeth! You haven't changed at all."
"No? Well, thank you. Well, Mary, I guess you heard the news?"
"Oh, yes. I heard the news. You're to be mother."
"Oh, yes! Yes, that's right."
She said, "You know, I'm to be mother too."
"Oh, you and Joseph are married already?"
"No, no. We're not married."
"Oh, you've married someone else?"
"No, I haven't married yet."
"And you're to be mother?"
"Yes."
"How do you know?"
"God said so."
"What's it going be? How you going to have it?"
"The Holy Ghost will overshadow me." And she said, "And you?"
She said, "Oh, it's already four ... or six months with me as a mother."
Now listen. (You listen to your doctor, and I'm your brother.) Now that's subnormal, see. Life is about three to four months.
Said, "It's six months with me and there's no life yet." Said, "I'm altogether worried."
And she said, "Oh, the Holy Ghost overshadowed me and said I was going to bring forth a son too."
"Oh, you are?"
"Yes."
"Oh, Mary, it can't be so."
"Yes." And she said, "I should bring forth a son, and I'd call his name Jesus."
And as soon as she said "Jesus," the first time that that name Jesus was ever spoke from a human lips, the little baby, John, received the Holy Ghost and come to life and began to leap in his mother's womb for joy.

70 If the name of Jesus Christ will make a dead baby leap in its mother's womb, what ought it to do to the borned-again church?
Said, "Whence cometh the mother of my Lord? for as soon as thy salutation came to my ears, my baby leaped in the womb for joy." Oh, my! What? John met God in his mother's womb. He was always a changed man.
Jesus said, "What did you go out to see? A reed shaken with any wind? Not John." Said, "A man that's got his collar turned around and got all this fine clothing on? The gentleman of the cloth?" He said, "Them kind kiss the babies and make speeches at schools, and they're in kings' palaces." The intellectual.
Said, "What did you go to see? A prophet?" He said, "More than a prophet. For this is of whom it was written, 'I'll send my messenger before my face.' " Said, "Of all that's ever been born of a woman, there's not a greater man than John the Baptist." Yes, sir! He received the Holy Ghost in his mother's womb. He met God in his mother's womb. He was changed from his ... before he was born he was changed.

71 Peter, the little critic, one day to his brother Andrew... Went to church, went up to the Galilean coast. They had been seining all night, and they went up there to see Jesus. Got him a chunk of wood and sat down. I imagine as Jesus went to speak, Peter moved up close and Jesus looked at him and said, "Your name is Simon. You're the son of Jonas." And from that time he was a changed man. Sure. He'd met God.
Paul, the little hook-nosed Jew, crabby and sassy as he could be... Oh, the great church, they'd made their choice---Matthias. Sure. He was the one ... they cast lots. He never done a thing. That was the church's choice.
But God took a little Jew that was sarcastic as he could be, just bolted him around. He met him on the road one day and knocked him off his high horse, and he wallowed in the dust. Right.
He said, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?"
Said, "Lord, who are You?"
Said, "I'm Jesus. [Back to the pillar of fire again, see.] I'm..." Jesus said, "I come from God and I go to God."

72 Now do you understand? He was the pillar of fire, the logos---any of you brethren know that---led the children of Israel. The angel of the covenant led the children of Israel through the wilderness.
That was the Christ, the anointing. It was made manifest upon a man. And when it was here on earth, we look at what it done. And immediately He said, "I come from God and I go to God." After his death, burial, and resurrection, his ascension, Paul met Him on the road down to Damascus. And what was He again? Back to the pillar of fire. Right.
Now, if that pillar of fire is right---if it's here, it will do the same works that He did, because it's the same nature, see. Now we notice ... and on his road down he met Jesus. He was a changed man---from a sarcastic little Pharisee until a godly saint, a messenger to the church, Paul. What a difference there was in him!

73 A blind man, Bartimaeus, sat by the gate one day, crying. The crowd went by him. Maybe some of them knocked him over. "Get out of the way."
I can hear a priest say, "Say, you Galilean, so-called prophet..." Little Zacchaeus had been sitting in a tree, before, and hid hisself. Said, "Rebekah told me He was a prophet, but I doubt it." Hid hisself all over.
Here come Jesus around the corner. Stopped right under the tree where Zacchaeus was, and said, "Zacchaeus, come down. I'm going home with you for dinner." Knowed right where he was, and knowed what his name was. Sure. He's still Jesus. You can meet Him tonight, just as same they met him then. When He went out of the gate at Jerusalem, started the other way, what happened? There was old blind Bartimaeus standing at the gate. Zacchaeus was a changed man. He wanted to make restitutions for all the evil he had done. He met God.

74 There when He come out of the gate, there was a blind man sitting there. I can hear the priest, the head of the ministerial association, say, "Get out of here, you fanatic! They tell me you raise the dead. We got a graveyard full of them up here. Come up and raise some of them," see. But God doesn't clown for people.
Jesus just did as He said, as the Father showed Him. St. John 5:19 said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in Himself, but what he sees the Father doing: that doeth the Son likewise."
And I imagine Bartimaeus got just a little bit disturbed, and he said, "Who passes by?"
And, "Oh, keep still!"
If you go mark the place, it was about two hundred yards from Him.
"What's all the noise about?"
There's something strange. Everywhere Jesus is, there's a lot of noise. Where God is ... makes a lot of noise. I don't know why it is, but they do. Anything without noise, without emotion, is dead. That's scientific. If your religion hasn't got a little emotion to it, you'd better bury it (that's right), because it's certainly dead.

75 Notice.
Then we find out that as He went by this, said ... some young woman might have walked up and said, "Old fellow, have they pushed you over?"
"Madam, could you please tell me what's all the noise about?"
"Oh, the prophet passes by, the Galilean prophet, Jesus of Nazareth. Have you never heard of Him?"
"No."
"Oh. You're a Jew, aren't you?"
"Yes. I'm a Jew. Well, my mother used to tell me when I was a little boy that could see, when I played on them Judaean hills, along the Jordan here, she used to tell me that there would come a Messiah sometime. He'd be the prophet that Moses spoke of."
"Oh, that's right. That's Him."
"Well, if he's a prophet... Oh, Jesus! Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!"

76 Now, all that roaring, carrying on, and making fun of Him; and some throwing over-ripe fruit at him, and some saying, "Hail to the prophet," the other one said, "Away with the hypocrite"---He never heard it. But He felt it.
You know, He had the sins of the world on his shoulders, going to Calvary to be crucified. But the faith of one blind beggar stopped Him in his track. That's God. He stopped. Just as the woman touched his garment, Bartimaeus had touched it.
He said, "Thy faith has saved thee." From that time he could see. Why? He'd met God. His faith had stopped God. If you're blind tonight, spiritually blind, your faith can stop Him. If you wonder what's the matter with people, when they are crying and worshipping God, you think there's something mentally wrong with them, your faith can stop Him, and you'll be a changed person from now on. That's right. Your faith can stop Him, certainly.

77 The maniac in Gadara one time run out---a maniac who was strong! A lot of people call that "man." See what he was? He was a maniac. Some people say, "Oh, he's a man! Look at the muscles he's got." That's not man; that's brute.
I've seen men that weighed two hundred pounds, and didn't have a ounce of man in him. A man's not measured by his muscles; he's measured by his character. I've seen a man weighed two hundred pound would throw a baby out of a mother's arms and ravish her. Would you call that a man? That ain't a man; that's a brute.
This maniac could break chains. They couldn't tame him. He wanted to live in the graveyard. Break chains---just think---because the devil had complete control of him. He was a superpower, because the devil had control. If the devil taking control of a person could give him a superpower, what could he do when God takes control? The lame can walk, the blind can see, the sinner can be made white, the wrongs will be made right, when a man meets God. When that maniac met God, he was a changed man from then on.

78 The woman at the well, the prostitute as we spoke of a few nights ago, when she met God there at the well, she didn't know who He was---just a man. But he looked at her, and said, "Bring me a drink."
And she said, "You have nothing to draw with," and so forth. Their conversation went on. After a while He said, "Go get your husband and come here."
She said, "I have no husband."
He said, "Thou hast said well. You have had five, and the one you are living with now is not your husband."
She said, "Sir, I perceive that you're a prophet. We know when the Messiah cometh he will tell us all these things."
He said, "I'm he that speaks to you."
She was a changed woman. She met God. What did she do? She was living by a fountain. Not Jacob's well, but a fountain in her soul, that she could run into the street... Though she was sinful, she run into the street and said, "Come see a man who told me the things I've done. Isn't this the Christ?"

79 One more comment I might make, Sis. You know what? Death met God one time. Did you know that? Death always... The devil never did believe, until He was dead, that that was the Son of God.
He caught Him up on the mountain fasting, and he said, "If thou be the Son of God, take these stones and make bread out of them," see. That same devil lives today. Said, "If these divine healings is right, how about old Mr. Jones down here that sells papers---this old man in the wheelchair? Go heal him." See that devil?
When He was on the cross he said, "If thou be the Son of God, come down and we'll believe you," see? Look when they put an old dirty rag, them drunken ... spit of the soldiers, hawking and spitting on his precious face, and pulling the beard out of his face; smacking Him from one side to the other; and then put an old dirty rag around his head, and made a mock trial and hit Him on the head with a stick. And said, "Now if you're a prophet tell us who you are, who hit you, and we'll believe you."
He could have done it, but He said, "I do just as the Father shows me."

80 What was it? He always believed it. How could Satan say that that man could be God---a man that could take the challenge of a priest, and let a drunken soldier spit in his face?
Today we got the wrong conception of power. Power is overcoming, returning good for evil. That's real power that can love your enemy, do good to those that do evil to you. That's real power. That's God-power. Yes, maniacs can break chains. But it takes a real man to return good for evil from his heart. Not because of religious duty, but from his heart.

81 Notice, in closing. The devil said, "That's not the Son of God. He couldn't stand and let that spit hang in his face. And as many times as he's told these things, and so forth, and predicted things; and they smacked him on the head with a reed, he would prove that he was the Son of God. He isn't the Son of God."
So in closing, let's take a little trip---a mental trip. Now listen close. Let's go back to Jerusalem nineteen hundred years ago. It was a strange, odd morning. Never was a morning like that morning. The sun come up, and it looked like a... Very strange. Something was going on wrong.
Long about nine o'clock we're standing in a room. I hear a mob screaming, some one saying, "Away with him!"
I see a little woman run out in front of the mob and say, "What has He done? Tell me, what has He done? He's only healed your sick, and brought hopes to the hopeless. What has He done to deserve this?"
Who's she talking about?

82 I look behind. I hear something going bump, bump, bump. Here's an old cross coming, dragging down the street, blood just dragging out. The cross was dragging his bloody foot prints out, coming down the street; spit hanging over his face, blood and spit mixed together; tears and brine running together; a crown of thorns pulled down over his precious head. Bump, bump. The devil walking around saying, "Now, if He was the Son of God, He'd never put up with something like that."
After awhile his little weak body fell. They laid the cross upon an Ethiopian. Here He goes up the hill. Look, I notice He's got a white garment on. But there's little red spots all over that white garment. What are they? As He goes up the hill, they get bigger, larger, larger, larger. After awhile, they all run into one great big bloody splash, smacking up against his legs. He's going to Calvary.
I see Satan say, "Come on, death. We got Him now. Come on! I command you, death," said Satan. "I have your control, you know. Sting Him, because He's nothing but a man. He's just a man. He wouldn't put up with that." I can see that bee come around, circling around Him, death. The sting of death.

83 But you know, an insect that has a stinger, a bee... If that bee ever gets that stinger sunk real deep, he can never sting no more, because it pulls the stinger out. Brother, that's where the bee of death made a mistake. When he stung that precious body, He pulled the stinger out of it.
Now to the believer... Like Paul of old, when they was building a block to chop his head off, and the bee began to hum around him (death), he said,
O death, where is your stinger? Grave where is your victory? ...
But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
What was it? Death met God. And from there on death don't have a stinger anymore. It can buzz and make a noise, but it can't scare us because I can look back yonder and say, "He anchored that stinger in Immanuel's flesh."
So therefore there is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins, where sinners plunged beneath the flood lose all their guilty stains. And no death has any more sting anymore. Do you believe that?

84 You can meet this, you can meet your fortune, you can meet your life's mate, you can meet your debts, you can meet your enemy. You can meet all these things and it doesn't have very much meaning to it. But one time when you meet God, you're changed eternally. Let us bow our heads just a moment while we pray.
I'm going to ask you a sincere question, knowing that we may never meet, you and I, on earth again. Tomorrow afternoon is dedicated mostly just to praying for the sick, but I wonder, tonight, if there's someone in this building that has never really met God. Oh, you've read his Bible, and you've made confessions, and you've put your name on books, or something like that, and joined ... one church to the other one. But really you've never really met God, but you would like to meet Him.
With every head bowed, and every eye closed, wonder if you'd just raise up your hand? And by this say, "Brother Branham, remember me in prayer that I'll meet God in the forgiveness of my sins before I have to meet Him in judgment.

85 [Gap in the audio.] ... if I wanted to get right with God," said, "you know what I'd do? I'd get somebody had some sense, that would talk to me."
I said, "Forgive me then, lady." I just felt led. I was holding my leading, just as I feel led to hold this altar call.
About two years from then, I come back to the same city. She was a reputable girl, a fine girl. She was going down the street, her underneath skirts hanging down. And I thought, "Surely, that can't be the same girl." I walked close, and she turned around, said, "Hello, preacher."
I said, "Oh, no!"
She laughed. She reached in her pocketbook, and she said, "Will you have a cigarette?"
I said, "Aren't you ashamed of yourself?
She said, "How about taking a drink out of my bottle?"
And I said, "Aren't you ashamed to offer me, a minister, a drink of your whiskey?"
She said, "I want to tell you something before you leave."

86 Now listen to this, while you have your head bowed, praying.
She said, "Mr. Branham, you remember that night that you talked to me about my soul?"
I said, "I always will remember it, girlie."
Said, "You were certainly right." She said, "I grieved God's Spirit the last time." She said, "I went from worse to worse." And she said, "My heart is so hard," she said, "I could see my own mother's soul fry in hell like a pancake, and laugh at it."
That's what you get for grieving the Holy Spirit.
Don't turn Him away;
Don't turn Him away.
Oh, how you want Him to say
"Well done," on that eternal day.
Don't turn the dear Saviour away
from your heart
Don't turn Him away.
You might do it tonight for your last time. Just raise your hand, say, "Pray for me, Brother Branham."

87 What could He do now for us? He can give to us the exceeding abundantly above all that we could do, or think. Do you believe that? How many of you... ? How many's sick out there? Raise up your hands. Needy? Just raise up your hands, say, "I'm needy. I have need." Let's just bow our heads just a moment then. Just pray and say, "Father God, let it be me." Just have faith. Just keep praying.
There's a lady sitting here on the front row. She's praying for a friend that's not here that's sick. Do you believe God will heal that friend, and make them well? You can have it. God bless you.

88 Just keep believing.
Right back here to my left---you may raise your head---a man sitting there with a back trouble. Do you believe that God will make your back well, sir? He does. The next man there has something wrong with his side. It's your ribs, sir. That's right. Will you raise your hand if that's so? You have your healing.
That lady sitting there next with that arthritis, do you believe God can heal your arthritis, and make you well? Something wrong with your hands, that lady sitting there---hands and feet both. Do you believe that God will make them well? If you believe it with all your heart you can have your healing. God bless you, Mother.
Now what did they touch? Tell me what they touched. That's the High Priest. Is that right? Don't you see, they met God?
I don't know those people. All you there, that was spoke to there while the visions were going on, if you didn't know me and I didn't know you, raise up your hands. All you along in here, wherever you was, raise up your hands. That's right. All right, perfectly.
He's here. Don't you believe that? They met God.

89 There's a lady sitting right back here on the right-hand side. Can't you see that light over the woman? She has rheumatism. She's also got a growth on her breast. She's from Fort St. John. Her name is Agnes. Stand up, if that's so. I don't know you. I've never seen you in my life. Are those things right? Raise up your hand, if that's right. You have your request. She met God. That's what does it. If thou canst believe...
There's a man sitting back there has got to die right away, if he doesn't believe God. He's got cancer of the chest, cancer on the lungs. You'll believe with all your heart God'll heal you? Stand up on your feet and accept your healing then, in the name of Jesus Christ. What was it? I don't know the man. He's a total stranger. But that's right, isn't it, sir? You met God. Go believing it. Amen.

90 You have faith in God?
Woman there praying for her son, got sinus trouble. Will you believe it with all your heart? You'll get well. That's right, isn't it, lady? If that's right, raise up your hand.
Got another sick friend praying for, too, that's not here. Just believe it with all your heart, and you have what you ask for. Do you believe God? If that isn't God, I don't know what God is. That's Christ among you, friends. Do you believe it?
You're becoming blind to me now---just looks like all over this building, just like a great white light. What could happen right now if you'd accept it? What would take place just now, if this audience could really just believe for one time? There's only one thing to keep every person here not from being healed. That's just your unbelief.

91 Just break that little banner of blackness there, and watch the Holy Spirit fall on this building and every person in here be healed.
Will you believe it? Stand up on your feet and accept it then in the name of Jesus Christ. Raise up your hands now to Him. Say, "I believe You, Lord." I love Him, I love Him, because He first loved me. Do you love Him with all your heart? All your heart? Just raise your hands high and praise Him. Say, "Thank You, Lord Jesus."
What's the matter, soldier boy? You're not going to commit suicide. The devil's lying to you, boy. You've only got a phobia. He's lying to you. He'll drive you insane if you believe him. Deny him. Renounce the devil. I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to renounce the devil and accept Jesus Christ as your healer. You'll go back and be a gentleman and a real, real, man. Do you do it? Raise up your hand to God and say, "Praise God." That's right. Amen. Now go back home and be well.

92 All that believe Him, raise your hands, and give Him praise.
I will praise Him, I will praise Him,
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory all ye people,
For his blood has washed away each stain.
I will praise Him, I will praise Him,
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory all ye people,
For his blood has washed away each stain.
Now while we hum it---"I will praise Him"---turn around and shake hands with somebody. Say, "God bless you, pilgrim. God bless you, brother, sister, pilgrim.
... ... ... ... will praise Him,
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory all ye people,
For his blood has washed away each stain.

93 All of you love Him say, "Praise the Lord." Say it again, "Praise the Lord."
I will praise Him, I will praise Him,
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory all ye people,
For his blood has washed away each stain.
Oh, isn't He wonderful?
Wonderful, wonderful, Jesus is to me,
(Now worship Him.)
Oh, Counselor, Prince of Peace, the Mighty
God is He,
Saving me, keeping me, from all sin and shame,
Wonderful is my Redeemer, praise His name.
I once was lost, now I'm found, free from
condemnation.
Jesus gives liberty, and a full salvation.
Saving me, keeping me, from all sin and shame,
Wonderful is my Redeemer, praise his name.
Oh, wonderful, wonderful (sing it in the Spirit)
Jesus is to me. (Just close your eyes and look
how good He is.)
Counselor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God is He.
Saving me, keeping me, from all sin and shame,
Wonderful is my Redeemer, praise his name.

94 Don't you love Him? After the cutting message and so forth, then see sinners come to the fountain filled with blood, then see the Holy Spirit move and confirming that it's Him, showing Himself alive---the Messiah of God walking among us tonight there---then we can just sing in the Spirit and worship Him. Oh, my! Oh, let's sing that again. Will you give us another chord?
Wonderful, wonderful Jesus is to me.
He's a Counselor, Prince of Peace,
the Mighty God is He.
Saving me, keeping me, from all sin and shame,
Wonderful is my Redeemer, praise his name.

95 All that feels real good say, "Praise God." Let us bow our heads just a moment now. I wonder if you know that song up here in Canada. It's one of our great songs of the South. "Take the name of Jesus with you." All right. Give us a chord on it, sister.
All right. Let's sing it sweetly now. All these good little Norwegian voices come right out now. You might not be a melodious singer, but sing with your heart. I love good old Pentecostal singing, but I hate an overtrained voice---holding their breath, you know. I just ... I like to hear real good Pentecostal singing. Yes, sir. All right.
Take the name of Jesus with you,
Child of sorrow and of woe.
It will joy and comfort give you,
Take it then where'er you go.
(That ear trouble is gone from
you there from [unclear word].)
Precious name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of heaven.
Precious name (precious name),
O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of heaven.
(Now with our bowed heads we sing.)
At the name of Jesus bowing,
Falling prostrate at his feet,
King of kings in heaven we'll crown Him,
When our journey is complete.
Precious name... (How many believes
that you're healed now? Raise up your
hands in the ... God bless you...
God bless you. Oh, just look!)
Hope of earth and joy of heaven:
Precious name, O how sweet!
(Isn't that sweet?)
Hope of earth and joy of heaven.
Take the name of Jesus with you,
As a shield from every snare;
When temptations round you gather
(Devil saying, "You're not healed."
Now what do you do?)
Just breath that holy name in prayer.
Precious name, O how sweet! ...

From that time

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Thank you. Let us remain standing just a moment, while we bow our heads for prayer. If there's a request tonight, let it be known as a lifted hand to God for request. Our heavenly Father, thou seest the hands and knows what's in their heart, knows what we have need of; and Thou hast promised that You'd be a very present help in the time of trouble. And we pray that You'll deliver them from every trouble. Grant it, Lord.
We thank You for what You are doing in the land today. Around the world the great mystery of the gospel is being unfolded to the thousands of people believing that You're getting a church ready to receive at your coming. I pray, Father, that there'll be many out of this city that will go in that great rapture that we're looking for at any time. Grant it.
Bless us together now, as we've assembled in Jesus' name, asking God in his name to be with us. We're in your hands, Lord. Do with us as you see fit. Amen.

2 I certainly deem this a grand privilege again tonight to be standing here with the people, and believing that God will undertake for us again tonight. And may his rich grace ever rest upon us. A marvelous thing last evening, when we seen Him heal the people along the way. And we gave that night over for prayer for the sick. We usually try not to take too much time for the sick. We pray each night. All's included. The main thing that we try to do is to let people see that Christ is not dead, that He is alive. And if we can just see, the One who made us all these grand promises is here to confirm those promises.
Now, what you see here in the meeting, when we have those nights like that, it's really... There's no way to explain it. I was just standing out there when a couple sisters came up, three of them, I believe. And one sister looked down, said, "Brother Branham, I want to thank God for his mercy to my children tonight, loved ones. Coming up, a car turned out and it turned over, and everything. But never even had a scratch. They're right here now, sitting on the front steps trying to hear the message from the outside. Amazing grace! Sometimes, as it was, as I said last night ... coming from Emmaus... He walks with us daily, and helps us. And yet, maybe we don't recognize it till just at times.

3 Now, visions is something beyond anything that anyone can explain. It's the infinite God who knows the end from the beginning, and predict the end; and tell what the end will be because He knowed every thing, and still knows everything. There is nothing that He doesn't know. And He doesn't know any more now than He did at the beginning, because He's infinite. Do you believe God is infinite? If He isn't, He isn't God.
So then, just think. Here's just... You can't break down infinity. It's just like... To be infinite is just like to be---what would I say---eternal. Eternal never did begin, so it never ends. Did you ever think of that? And everything that begins has an end, see. And things that has no end is things had no beginning.
And that's the reason that we have to have eternal life. We are part of God's life, which the word eternal ... brethren knowing that it comes from the Greek word of "zoe", which means God's own life. That's why we become his own children, see. It's eternal life in us. The life that's in us never did begin; it never can end. It can no more die than God can die, because it's eternal. There's only one thing eternal, and that's God. And we become a part of Him because we become sons and daughters of God. How wonderful to know that God has promised.

4 We just need more time in revivals. Some day I hope to get a tent that I've been wanting to get for so long. And I ... and so we can stay a little longer, so we can get all the funny feelings away. People don't want to be like that, but they just actually are that way, see. We do ... we gather together as a group of people just wherever we come from, different denominations catch us, whatever.
Then, when we come into congregations like this, then you see something mysterious happen. It absolutely kind of shocks us. And so, it ... mainly with ministers. Not with these, but with ministers mostly. They're shepherds, they're guarding their sheep, see, and so they're watching every little thing. You can't blame the man, see, because he's got to understand first.
But the thing... If a man just firmly criticizes, and turns it down, then there's something wrong there. If a man won't give a consideration to look it through the Bible, and search it out... Look, that's the way the Pharisees done our Lord.

5 Did you know every prophet that ever raised on the earth was never received by the people? Every messenger God ever sent was never received, and they didn't know who the messenger was until he was dead and gone. Now, that is right.
You Catholic people here, how did you fail to know Joan of Arc? Many of you school children remember it. That woman was a woman of God. She prophesied, she was a spiritual woman. And do you know what your church done? Burned her as a witch. That's right. Of course, two hundred years later you done some repentance. You dug up those priests' bodies and throwed them in the river, when you realized she was a saint, see.
Always the past. They never knowed Patrick. And the people think St. Patrick was a Catholic? About as much as I am. Watch where his schools are up in Ireland. No crosses and crucifixes with him. He firmly denounced the pope. But, of course, they try to make him with the church, but it's wrong.
I come from a Catholic family. I know what I speak of. I got "Facts of Our Faith," and all those books that I've studied, as much as you could study. And so... But those things, see, they go by. They never knew Elijah, they never knew John, they never knew Jesus till after his death, burial, and resurrection. And now, the Holy Spirit falling, and they won't know it (just like in the days of Noah) until the flood comes, and takes them away (that's right), the great flood comes in.

6 But if those Pharisees would've just sat down, and reasoned... Jesus said to them, "You stoned the prophets. You whitened their walls (or polished their sepulchers) and you're the one that put them in there," see. "But which one of the prophets that God sent that your fathers didn't stone?" see, and those ... so forth. We've got to sit down, and think it over.

7 There was them kind of like Nicodemus, the secret believer, come by night, slip around. Said, "Rabbi, we know you're a teacher comes from God. No man can do the things that you do except God be with him."
Look at little Jairus. He maybe acted like he didn't believe in divine healing, till his little daughter was laying at the point of death. God has a way of pulling that out, and making you show your color, see. And then come right down to the spot, he was a believer. And it just had to come to a spot to make him see it. God is so good to us, and we're thankful for men and women, like sitting here tonight (I am), that believes the gospel, believes in divine healing, watching.

8 I've always said about our organizations, I believe in them. And I believe that they're fine; they serve a purpose. But you see, when we make an organization, 90% of us when we make one we put down, "This is what we believe," period. If you'd say, "This is what we believe (comma), plus as much as God will add to us," that's all right then. That's fine, see. That's exactly.

9 When the pillar of fire moved, Israel moved with it. And in the New Testament, when it began to move, just exactly like it did in the Old Testament, moved the same way... Israel had to follow that pillar of fire, and set the tent up under it. And when it begin to move in this last ... at the reformation, Martin Luther saw it.
And then, as soon as Luther was over, they built an organization around Luther's work. God moved right out from under it. And Wesley saw it, and away he went. After Wesley, and Asbury, and many of the others, when ... after their time, then what happened? They built an organization under it. God moved right out from under it, went right on, see.
And now, we Pentecostals are doing the same thing. You can't organize the Holy Spirit. You can't do it. We believe in organizations to keep brotherhood, and so forth. It serves a good purpose. But always stretch the blanket out to get the other brother, see, and hold your heart open to get what God is ready to send down upon us. That's the way to do it. That's real brotherhood. And so I like that. If I could ever see a time that the Pentecostal church...
Now, Pentecost is not an organization, Pentecost is an experience. I know almost as many Lutheran and Baptist and Presbyterian that's got the Pentecostal experience as Pentecostal people who call themselves Pentecostal. So, Pentecost is an experience.

10 Some time ago... I'll start there, and then get away from my message, or... Just give me time to say this. Will you bear with me? It's good.
I was in Minneapolis, Minnesota. That's a great Norwegian country. And I was having a meeting, and we were at some great building, and I was there right in the wintertime, or springtime. And I stayed at a little cheap hotel down... I believe that Christians shouldn't have everything just so swanky. Jesus didn't have a place to lay his head, see, and we try to have to have the best, and so much security and everything else. Shame on us, see. But a little hotel...
And that ... one night when I come in from the church... The next morning I went out, had breakfast, and when I come back there was a twenty-two page letter in a little pigeonhole to me. How the man ever knew I was there, I don't know. So I read it. And, oh, you talk about good criticism, it was good! And I appreciate that. I certainly do. Any man that's really got a point, and wants to criticize, that checks us up. You know, a criticism makes a good product, see, when we're willing to receive it, test it.

11 So, this man had give me the awfullest bawling out. He was a dean of a college, and he said, "You was talking last night about being in the ministry twenty-five years (it's thirty-one now)." But he said twenty-five years. Said, "I was in the ministry before you were born." And he said, "And some... I've seen some mighty strange things." And said, "I drove last night fifteen miles through a blinding snowstorm; thought I would see a servant of Christ. And what did I find but a polished-up soothsayer."
And he said... And he wouldn't call me "brother"; he just said, "Branham." That was all right. So he said, "And the very idea! The theology, the rottenest I ever heard in my life." And he said, "For instance, you said this, that Satan could not heal." Said, "A man that stands before as many people as you do, and make such a mistake as that!" Said, "Why, it's terrible."
He said, "Now let me tell you something, young man." He said, "Over behind our seminary here," a place ... said, "there's a woman's got a familiar spirit." And said, "She has a big apron on." And said, "People come there for divine healing." And said they ... and she goes, and feels all over them, like that with her hands. And said, "Then, the first thing you know, they drop money down in this apron."

12 Now you could see right there, it's unscriptural, and not right to begin with ... anybody with any knowledge of God, see. And said, "Then she takes, and pulls some hair out of the back of her neck, plucks some blood from their veins, and wraps this hair in it. Walks down to a little creek behind the place, throws it over her head into the creek."
And said, "Then, she starts walking towards the people. And if she's constrained to look back," said, "the people ... the disease comes back on the people. If she doesn't," said, "then, why, the disease doesn't come back."
And said, "We have watched that." And said, "A certain percent of them get well." And said, "The very idea of you saying that Satan could not heal!" Well, he went on with a whole lot.

13 And I thought, "Well, if he took enough time to write me twenty-two pages, I ought to write him at least two pages back, as an answer. So I set down the best that I could. I can't even read my own writing, so... And I scribbled him off a little something. And I said, "Precious brother..." I had to call him that. Any man that had been preaching for fifty years ought to be regarded as brother, preaching the gospel, no matter how it's been. And I regarded him as my brother.
And I said, "I certainly appreciate, and esteem highly, your long years of ministry for our Lord." And I said, "I certainly am thankful to God to let you live at this good ripe age, and the things that you've done," and so forth. And there was another brother with them. So then (of this college)...
Then, first thing you know, I said, "But the ... what strange thing is to me," I said, "that you criticize me so much upon saying that Satan could not heal." I said, "Now you said Satan could heal. Jesus said if Satan can cast out Satan, then his kingdom's divided." I said, "Now who am I going to believe? You, or what Christ said? Satan cannot heal. Christ said so. He's working against himself. He cannot heal."
But I said, and I... "To try to explain, if you'll forgive me," I said, "to a dean of a college, or a great man like you, that I would like to tell you, being a missionary, I've seen people come to idols, and get healed. La Salle, Lorraine, France, there's an idol of a woman. And down in Paris I seen where they had a woman---dead woman---there, and they'd rubbed a whole stone off behind her to keep plagues off the city. I've seen all those things.
"And I've seen people in America, who call themselves divine healers, and say, 'I got healing here, and healing this way, and healing in this...'" I said, "It's the same thing, see. Healing is in Christ." Exactly.
But I said, "The people ... I don't doubt but what those people got well. But here's what happens. Divine healing is based upon faith. And those people coming to that witch that you're talking about, of course they get it. They think they're approaching God through that witch, and upon the basis of their faith God heals them, see. They... Certainly. You ... if you've got faith enough to believe it, it'll take place. That's exactly right.
But I said, "The strange thing to me, that a dean of a Lutheran college would base his faith upon an experience instead of the Word of God." I said that Satan could not heal. "It's their approach, believing they're approaching God through the witch, and through the idol, and so forth. It's innocent people that's believing, that God heals."

14 Well, about a year after that I was back there for the Christian Businessmen in a meeting. And another precious brother, Dr. Aegery, of the Bethany College, wrote me a letter, and said he'd like to have me over there. I was afraid to go, because I knowed those intellectual giants. I had my little grammar school education could not stand with theirs. And he invited me, and I said to Brother Moore, "If you'll go with me, now, to get me past my education... I'll bump you on the knee with mine, and you take over from there." And so, he agreed to go.
So we sat at the table. They set us a nice table down in the gymnasium room. Lovely little Lutheran women served our fine dinner, very fine. And when ... Dr. Aegery sat next to me, and he said, "Now Mr. Branham..." When we got through, he said, "I want to say this one thing. I apologize ..." what the man said. Said, "Now, but I..."
I said, "That was forgiven at the beginning."
And he said, "We are hungry here at Bethany." Said, "We are ... there's a great..." The students, if they can't pay their way, they've got hundreds of acres of corn and stuff they raise, and work their way through college. Very fine school. And he said, "We are hungry. We're studying about God." And said, "We found in there a couple of years ago about the Holy Ghost, and how it worked."

15 And said, "We went to the Pentecostals that claimed to have it." And said, "We seen them kick over the chairs, and knock out the windows, and so forth." He said, "What have they got?"
I said, "The Holy Ghost."
And he said, "That?"
I said, "Sure. They got so much steam they have to blow it out the whistle. They won't put it to action, let it go to working." I said, "That's all. There's so much steam, blow ... builds up, they have to get it someway." And I said, "They just..." If you'd put that same power, that same thing in action, in faith, with God's Word, and go to moving it, see, instead of just blowing it out, see... It's the Holy Spirit builds it up in there.
And he said, "Well, then what do you think we Lutherans has got?"
I said, "The Holy Spirit." And then he stopped, and looked at me. And I thought, "Lord, if You ever helped me, You do it now." Thought, "I sure got myself..."
He said, "Well..."

16 I thought, "If You'll just help me, Lord..." He's always did it, amongst witch doctors and devils, and around the world, and tight places.
And he said, ...
I said, "Well, listen, sir."
He said, "We went to ... flew over to Los Angeles, to a man that wrote a book on all the gifts." And said, "When we got there, he said, 'I don't ... I ain't got any of them.' Said, 'I just wrote about them.'"
He said, "Well, we could do the same thing here, because... He took it right out of Scripture. We want to see it. That night when we come down there, and seeing that, we'd done made up our mind it was wrong. And that's the reason we called you a polished-up soothsayer."
I said, "Well, I forgive you for that, as I said." But I said...

17 He said, "What have we Lutherans got?"
I said, "The Holy Spirit. Now, listen." I thought I'd talk in his own line so he would know. I said, "One time a man got a great field ready, and he planted a crop of corn. He kept watching it, day after day, until one morning he went out, and there was two little blades growing up." You know what corn is when it comes up. I said, "The man stood up on his porch, and said, 'Praise God for a crop of corn.'" I said, "Now, did he have it?"
He said, "Well, he had the starting of it."
I said, "Then, we'd say potentially he had it. By and by those... That was you Lutherans at the beginning." And I said, "By and by those leaves growed up, and a tassel come out of them. That was the Methodist."
And I said, "Then the Methodist looked back down to the Lutherans, and said, 'I have no need of you. I'm a tassel. You're not into it.' But you see, it had to use ... back ... the leaf also because ... for the pollen to drop in. And out come a ear, Pentecost, with the original... Like it was at the beginning, the grain that went in the ground, it was producing a grain." I said, "Now, we got a lot of fungus on the ear, but we got grains, too." That's right. I said, "Like it was at the beginning."
I said, "That's why I'm among the people. They're God's people." And I said, "You see, the Pentecostal church is the advanced Lutheran church, because the same life that was in the leaf made the corn." And that's right. And he caught it.

18 He scooted back his plate, and got up. He said ... looked down to his associates, all the students, and so forth, and the deans, and the body, and he said, "We here at Bethany are hungry for the Holy Ghost." Said, "Brother Branham, what shall we do to receive it?"
I said, "Turn your face from the table, go over against the wall, and kneel down against the wall, and be real sincere."
... went down and laid hands on them. Forty some-odd received the Holy Ghost right then. And now they got better than four hundred in that school, doing all kinds of signs, miracles. What is it? That's Lutheran Pentecost, see. Everywhere, everywhere the Holy Ghost... We cannot bind this down and say, "We Pentecostals has got it." God's broke that boundary, and went on out in there, and got everything that there was. "Whosoever will, let him come," see. It's for the people.
Pentecost is an experience. Roman Catholic, Jewish Orthodox---whatever they might be---Chinese, Buddha, everything: the gospel is for whosoever will, he may come.

19 Oh, I just love it! and just love it! Oh, how I love it! And I know that God is able at the last day to raise up that which He has said that He would do. I believe that. I believe in the general resurrection, that those who died back there in the Lutheran faith at the beginning will not ... these ... will not prevent these... The trumpet of God shall sound, and the entire dead in Christ shall rise. That's right.
I believe the church comes to its perfection constantly, coming up. And as the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of God raises a standard against it---greater, and greater, and greater building up. Now it's right down to that last thing, what I was talking about last night. Oh, I believe that He will come. And I believe that these old frail bodies of ours will be changed, and made like unto his own glorious body.

20 ... preaching on how He turned Abraham and Sarah back there to a young man and woman to have that baby. Saying that, some time ago, I was combing these two or three hairs I have left. My wife said to me, she said, "Billy, you're almost bald-headed."
I said, "But I haven't lost a one of them."
She said, "Then, I pray you tell me where they're at."
I said, "Honey, tell me where they were before I got them. Ever where they were then, they're back there now waiting for me to come to them." Amen! That's right. That's ... even the hairs of your head is numbered. Not one of them shall perish. That's exactly right. What are we made out of? We're made out of sixteen elements. That's potash, and petroleum, and cosmic light, and so forth. And that's just what God's got right...

21 He's a great contractor. Before He ever had a human being on earth, He laid out the material, like a contractor building a subdivision. He was going to make man in his own image, and give them the earth to stay. And they were lesser gods than He was.
Jesus said, "Your law says that you are gods." That's dominion---king's dominion over the earth. He could do anything he wanted to. And sin come in, and now woman brings child. And when it does, that child must die, see. It's exactly. It's a perverted birth. But then when the new birth comes in, it corrects that perverted birth and gives it eternal life through the Father, Jesus Christ.
Oh, brother! Jesus said, "He that heareth my word... He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up again at the last day." Amen. "All the Father has given me will come to me," and nothing is lost. Amen. He'll raise it up again at the last day. Death or nothing else can separate us. We're always in the presence of God. How I love that!

22 Little quotation... I very seldom ... don't say very much. I just talk a lot, and don't say nothing. But sometimes... I'm not like the brother preachers here who are scholars, and knows how to set those things in order. But sometimes I say something, and it helps me a whole lot, anyhow. And not long ago I said something that's very profound to me.
I was thinking of the assurance of our going over. And then... We notice that one time God's children were slaves, down in Egypt. They throwed them bread, molded, rotten. Whatever it was, they had to eat it. They ravished their girls, they killed their sons, anything they would... And them was the people of God. That's right. Now. And so they were slaves, and they could not help it.
But one day coming down out of the wilderness come a prophet, with a pillar of fire over him. And he told them the Word of God: that there was a land flowing with milk and honey, that God had promised Abraham he'd take his children to. And this prophet was a-vindicated of being of God by the signs and wonders that he did while he was in Egypt. And the people believed this man.
And he come out of Egypt---the children of Israel did---and came to the place of Kadesh-barnea, which any scholar knows that Kadesh-barnea, one time, was the judgment seat of the world. There's where Israel met her judgment, when she failed to believe the sign that they'd brought back of the grapes and things from the land.

23 Now remember. Nobody had ever been in this land in their group. They'd heard of it. Faith cometh by hearing, and God made the promise. Do you get it? God made the promise, and here come Moses, the runaway prophet, in there with vindicated signs, and proving that it was God taking them to this land that they'd never seen. What a perfect type of today. None of us has ever been over. Notice.
When they come to Kadesh-barnea, the judgment seat, they had a great warrior among them named Joshua, which means Jehovah-saviour. Joshua. Now, he crossed over Jordan into that promised land, and returned back with the evidence that it was a good land. He had grapes; two men packed a bunch. They could taste the heavenly things from over in the promised land, the good land flowing with milk and honey. They come back to prove that the land was truth, that God's word was exactly what Moses had said it was through the inspiration of God. It was there.

24 They could have their own homes. The occupants... Of course, they had to fight every inch of the road they took. God told Joshua (and Joshua won) that "everywhere the soles of your feet sets, that's possession." That's the way it is today. Everywhere the soles of our feet sets, it's possession. Just keep walking. Footprints means possession. Just take it.
Now remember, they had to fight every inch of the way. Some people can just take the two-handed sword, and fight just a little bit of shadow away. Some can cut through to divine healing, every promise of God with it. That's right. The Word is a sword, and takes faith to wield that sword (that's right), faith in the promised Word.
Now we notice that when... They come back, and they said they could have their homes and so forth. Israel crossed over into the promised land, built homes, raised their children, lived in peace. All the rest of the nations respected them. What a wonderful thing! But finally, up on the hillside ... become dotted with graves. They got old, died, buried.

25 Then one day came another great warrior, the greatest of all of them---Immanuel. He come down, and He said, "This is not the land. But in my Father's house is many mansions. If it wasn't so I would have told you. And I'll go and prepare a place for you, and return again to receive you unto myself." Notice.
He came to his Kadesh-barnea, Calvary, where He stood the sin-judgment for all of us. The penalty of God's judgment was met in justice when Christ died at Calvary, paying the price of sin for all of us. And He crossed over in a Jordan, as we know it, the Jordan of death, over into the land; and returned back on the third day, like Joshua did, bringing the evidence that after a man dies he can live again. There's life beyond death. He proved it.
And now ... He said, "For the earnest of this, the down... [You know what the earnest of anything is---the down payment.], go up there to the city of Jerusalem and wait. I'm going to send you the earnest of your salvation." Amen. Now I begin to feel religious. And they waited until they received the earnest.

26 Now, even to this day, that same Holy Spirit that has lifted us up from a life of sin where we once lived... And we're already dead in Christ, buried, and raised with Him in his resurrection, and sitting now in heavenly places with Him (Amen!), watching Him work among us. Why? Why ain't I out yonder amongst the denominations? Because it's those that are dead and buried in Him, and raised with Him in his resurrection...
And now---not we will be---we are now in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, looking back to where we once come from---a direct evidence that we received part of it because we're dead, and our life is hid in God through Christ, and already raised again in the resurrection with Him. Amen! Oh, my! Like an old colored sister said... Excuse me, my colored friends---I'm going to put it the way she did. She was very Southern. She said, "Well, I wants to make a testimony tonight, doctor."
"All right. Go ahead, sister."
She said, "I want to say this. I hain't what I ought to be," and she said, "I hain't what I want to be. But there's one thing sure. I hain't what I used to be." Yes, sir! She knowed that she had raised up somewhere. Amen.

27 What is it? The evidence that we are now dead. Our life is hid in God through Christ, sealed by the Holy Ghost, and raised with Him, and sitting in heavenly places watching Him. Think of it! No power; but authority. We don't have power; we have authority. Christ has the power. He is the power, but we have the authority.
Don't have to be very much. Take a little old cop, standing out here on the street, and his pistol packing way down on the side, bending him sideways, and his cap sitting down---pulling his ears down---and cars going down the street, doing sixty miles an hour. He hasn't got power to stop one of them. No, sir! Why, some of them three or four hundred horsepower, whizzing through there.
But just let him walk out there with that star shining, raise up that glove, whistle. You hear brakes scream, and everything else. He ain't got no power; but he's got authority. Amen. Hallelujah! That's where the church is tonight. It's got the authority because it's raised in Christ. Authority!
Now, if the cop'd say, "I'm afraid to get out there. I don't know. My office might not back me up," they'll keep on whizzing by. And I tell you even death itself squeaks its brakes when that authority raises up in the name of the Lord Jesus. "In my name they shall cast out devils, speak with new tongues, take up serpents or drink deadly things. Lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
I love Him, I love Him,
Because He first loved me;
And purchased my salvation
On Calvary's tree.

28 Father God, we give these testimonies just to help the people. Now settle our minds, Lord, as we approach thy Word. Grant, Lord, that the Holy Spirit will take the next few words now, and sink them into the hearts of the people, and there may come forth the joy bells of heaven ringing in every heart. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

29 In the gospel of St. Matthew, the 4th chapter, and I want to read the 17th verse:
And from that time Jesus began to preach, saying, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Now, for about twenty or thirty minutes of your time... "From That Time." I want to use that for a text. "From That Time," three words. Now there is times, and things that happen, that changes the whole course of our life. We know that. We're all aware certain things take place along life's journey, that changes the whole course of life for us.

30 Now, like as a child. You might have said when you were a child that certain things happened. I had a man at home... These visions that you see here at the platform are merely ... they're really...
They are visions, but not the real vision. They are ... that's you doing that. It's not me; it's you. You're doing it yourself. You're not conscious of it, but you're doing it. You can't explain God. Anybody ... you have to believe God by faith. When you can explain God, it's no more by faith. No one can explain Him. But it's like when... Jesus was God's gift to the earth.

31 But when ... one day Lazarus'd taken sick. Before he took sick, God told his Son, "Leave," and told Him all that was going to happen, for He said, in St. John 5:19, "The Son can do nothing in himself, but what he sees the Father doing." Now that has to be truth, or He lied. And you can't make Him lie because He's God, see. So the Father sent Him away.
They sent to Him to get help for Lazarus, but instead of coming, He just ignored it. He knowed what was going to happen, so He went on. They sent again, and He ignored it again. Finally He said, "Lazarus is asleep."
And they said, "He doeth well."
And then He told them in their language, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I'm glad I wasn't there. But I go wake him."
Now He met Martha, and Martha said, "Lord, if You'd been here my brother'd not died. But even now whatever You ask God, God'll give it to You."

32 And at the grave, look. Father'd already showed Him. He said, "Father, I thank Thee. Thou has already done these things. [But He prayed for an example.] I say it for these that stands by. Lazarus, come forth." And a man that had been dead four days raised again out of the grave. We believe that---the gospel. He never said nothing about being weak. But a little woman touched the border of his garment, and He said He got weak.
What was it? That was the Father using his gift. And that took Him up, and showed Him what was going to happen, and what was coming to pass, and so forth. And then that was it. He went ahead, and just acted out his drama.
But this woman, she ... and her faith was using God's gift. She said, "If I can just but touch Him," see, and it was the woman... Jesus didn't know who it was that did it. He said, "Thy faith [not I have, but your faith] has saved you," see. "Thy faith." Not his faith; her faith. And that's the reason it made Him weak.

33 Now in the meetings and those who go out and follow around, and know just how the Holy Spirit ... these things here, it might make you be suspicious. But if you'd get out one time and watch what happens, and just to see how it foretells exactly...
And I ask anybody anything that I ever said in all my life, but what exactly happened just the way it said it would. That's right. I tell it months and months ahead, just exactly. How many was here when I first come through Washington years ago? You remember, I'd have to take the people by my hand, and stand there and hold them, just to know what it was. And I told you all then that He told me if I'd be sincere, that I'd know the very secret of their heart. How many know me predicting that? There it is, see. Did it happen? Just exactly, see.
And I'm waiting right now. Why am I holding these meetings like this? I'm stalling, waiting to see what the next move is. That's exactly. I don't know which way to move. I'm going to the mission fields after this, just wondering, because I know we're right at the end, see. How close I don't know, but I believe we're at the end.

34 Certain things happened. When I was a little boy He spoke to me. Said, "Don't never smoke or drink, or defile your body. There's a work for you to do when you get older." It's in the book back there. You may read it. And my mother and them, they thought I was just nervous.
And then it went ahead, and two days---three days after that told how that bridge would cross the river, just below our place now. Sixteen men would lose their life on it. And they wrote it down. And twenty-two years from then it happened just exactly, and sixteen men lost their life. It's never been ... out of the thousands of things, but what it's been perfectly right, see. That's right. See, things happen when you're a child that impresses.

35 Now time, as time goes on ... from time to time things happen that leaves an impression on our life. For instance, like we say, the immoral woman. I've had them in confession. I had one not long ago. It was the most pathetic case. In a home we sat there, and they...
People call in, come in from all over the world. A trustee of our church... And some of them are in this building tonight. They know it's true. There's about three hundred on the waiting list, and they come in from Africa, from Asia, from Europe---from everywhere I've been---waiting, watching. They write back and forth until they get the time. And we sit right there until the Holy Spirit reveals everything, then tells them just what to do, and how to do it. And never one time has it ever failed, see.
That person comes in and waits. Maybe it's something in their life. They know the plan of salvation, and things, but there's something they don't know what to move or do. And they wait there months, waiting for it to happen, see.

36 And I had a woman came one time. It wasn't at the home, it was at a meeting. And the woman... I went into the ward where they had the insane in jackets, and that was... Walked in there. And they couldn't be out in the public. They were in straitjackets, and some of them had to have guards over them.
And then, when I walked in, a lovely young woman was sitting there---pretty young girl. And I said, "How do you do?"
She said, "How do. Are you Brother Branham?"
I said, "I am." And I said, "Well, I just don't know where to start."
She said, "I wish you would start with me."
And I said, "You?" I said, "Are you a patient?"
She said, "Yes, sir."
I said, "This is just for the insane."
She said, "That's what I am." I said... She said, "Would you listen to my story?"
And I said, "Certainly, ma'am."

37 And what that woman told me! Young---about twenty-five years old, twenty-two or twenty-five, something like that, I judge. A very pretty woman, and looked like would make any man a lovely, beautiful little queen. And she told me that when...
She was raised up in a Christian home. And when she did, she started going with a boy that smoked and drank. And one night there was a spiked drink given to her---not exactly with something to knock her out, but with something that she didn't ... well ... it was something ... immoral act. She thought she'd throwed her life away.
She become an alcoholic, she become a prostitute, she was picked up, and sent to the Good Shepherd's Home when she was only about fifteen years old---Catholic institution. Changed her religion from what she was unto a Catholic. Come back out, thought she'd be all right. Said the same thing happened.
Then she was picked up. She was getting of age then. She was picked up, and spent two years in a woman's penitentiary. And there they thought they'd fixed it all right then.
Said when she come out, she said, same thing again, started right over again.

38 And I said, "Well, now, lady, it's... You're just trying to turn a new leaf. That won't work." And I said, "It may sound old-fashioned, but," I said, "I want to ask you something." I said, "Don't you never expect to be married, a pretty woman like you, and have a husband, and babies like any normal woman?"
She said, "Yes, but who in the world would have me?" And she said, "What could I promise a man?" Said, "I get temper fits that I'd fight, and swear, and drink." And said, "I'd get on a drunk, and wouldn't come home for a month." Said, "What would a man want with a woman like me?"
And I said, "He wouldn't. But," I said, "did you ever think that instead of it being just something, as a school, or turning over a new leaf, or something could help you, that it's the devil?"
And she said, "Mr. Branham, I've always believed that." She said, "Now they say I'm a delinquent person."
I said, "I don't believe it. I believe the devil has got a hold of you."
And she said, "I've always believed that."
I said, "Now, the only way to get rid of a devil is in prayer." And I said, "Now let's get down and pray."
And she prayed. She prayed there a while. I prayed with her, and she looked back up, and she said, "Oh, Mr. Branham, I believe I'm going out of here to be a different girl."
I said, "No. You're going to go out the same way you come in, see. You're just simply taking it on a mental conception." I said, "You've got to get down to business, sister, with God."

39 And we got down there, and started praying. After a while she struck something. Then she turned, and the tears running down them cheeks out of them big brown eyes, she said, "Brother Branham, I'll never do that again." Oh, she'd found something then.
She's married now, and got two or three children. She's never drank from that day since. She's never smoked. See, something happened.
But you see, it started when she was just a girl---a wrong act. A little boy, maybe a little modern Elvis with a block haircut, and out there thinking he's so cute, or something like that. And the first thing you know, get a girl wound around him like that, and then do a trick like that. That's a modern Judas! That's right. Now, she didn't aim to, but it started as a child.

40 The drunk, I've met many of those that said, "Brother Branham..." down the skid rows and so forth.
When I was in New York not long ago ... I won't have time to tell it, but how that I picked up a drunk. He was the president of a bank that I could look at from where he was. Said, "I come home one night. I found a 'Dear John' letter. I thought I'd drink it away. Here I am. Could you give me a quarter to get a drink?" And there you are. They didn't aim to do it.
The cigarette smoker, that woman that smoked her first cigarette: she didn't mean to become a tobacco worm. That boy---the first time you smoked that little cornsilk cigarette, you didn't mean to become a cigarette fiend. The first little sociable drink you taken, you didn't mean to become a drunkard. See, you don't mean to, but it started because somebody influenced you to do it. That's it.

41 Oh, of the stories of these thirty-one years around the world, and around, and around, hearing the confessions, and things, that'd raise the hair on your head. To think of the things that ... hear them confess of what they've started, how innocent they was, and how beautiful sin looks, and how attractive it looks to be. But it's a way of death. Don't go in it. Whatever you do, shun the very appearance of evil.

42 The liar: he never ... he thought he'd tell a little lie to his mother. He went and ate some coffee, and went and blowed his breath in his mother's face. "See, I never ... I never smoked, mama." But you lied.
A red light flashes, "Don't do this, little boy." It's not easy to go to hell. You have to fight your way to hell. Every time you do wrong, there's a little red light drops down in you, and the countdown comes. "Little boy, don't do this. Little girl, don't do that." See, it's something happens in you. But you fight right over it.

43 You pass by the church, and you hear the people singing the gospel songs. You really want to go in. But, oh, my! You light up another cigarette, and shake your head. What are you trying to do? You're fighting your way right through every barricade.
God don't send you to hell; you send yourself to hell. Break every barricade, run every stop light trying to make yourself go to hell. And then say God's good, and won't send you to hell? You're sending yourself to hell. God sends nobody to hell. It was created for the devil, and his angels---not for you. But you fight your way right into it, men and women do.

44 You see them...
Wonders of God. Some people'll do that just because of theology, some church creed, or something. You'll walk away and shun God, to keep from receiving the Holy Ghost. You see people down at the altar praying, see them women get up, and men, their faces washed with tears; and screaming, and walking up and down the building; some of your friends on the outside laughing.
You say, "If that's new birth, I don't want nothing to do with it. Our church believes in new birth and we just put our name on the book." You're afraid of it!
Let me tell you this. I don't care what kind of a birth it is, it's a mess. If it's in a pigpen, or in a hospital room, pink decorated, it's a mess. And the new birth is nothing less, but it takes that to bring life. You've got to die in order to be borned again. It's true.

45 Notice how that God warns, "Don't lie." Then every New Year you'll sign a pledge, "I'll not do it any more." Oh, you got good intentions. Certainly. Hell's paved with that---with good intentions. You don't think that ... you think that's the way to do it, just presume that that's the way you should do it. Every New Year just say, "Well, I'm going to make my New Year vows. I'll write them all out." And before two days is up, you've done broke half of them. See, you can't do it.
Throw away your pack of cigarettes, and watch where they light. Throw your bottle out somewhere, and be sure you don't break it. Set it up on a shelf, and say to wife, "I ain't going to do it no more." Say to husband, "I'll never drink no more."
But you watch what you do with it, because you go right back to it, like a hog to its wallow, and a dog to its vomit. It's got to take something different. You've got to die out to the creature that you are, see. Yes, sir.

46 It starts off as an innocent child, maybe in a good Christian home. But there was somebody who come along. Some little sneaker come along and twisted you off of the right road. You can mark the time when it started, when you first started lying; when you first started stealing; when you first started drinking; when you first started doing anything was wrong.
Before you can ever accept wrong, you've got to deny the right. You've got to deny right before you... You've got to deny God's truth before you can ever accept anything wrong. That's exactly right. Notice. Now in New Year's, you change and you say, "Now, it's... I'm going to turn a new page." You have good intentions. Certainly. I believe the nation has good intentions.

47 I can just barely remember as a little boy about five years old, when the first World War broke out. I know my father came up the road driving two horses in a spring wagon, and he had a sack of beans, and some flour (he'd been to the grocery) sitting on the seat. And I heard him get off the wagon, and come in.
And mother said (way down in the city miles below), said, "I heard the whistles all blowing."
He said (her name was Ella), said, "Ella, they've declared war." And he was about twenty-two years old. Said, "You know what that means? I'm going."
And I picked up that sack of beans. I said, "They come after my daddy, I'll hit them with this sack of beans." I was so little, but I...
He said, "Now they tell us, if we'll go on overseas and fight this war, there'll never be no more wars." And said, "Here's Billy. He may have to go some day. There's Edward. He might have to go. There's Melvin. He might have to go." And said, "If I go and help fight, and get them get free again," said, "they tell us there'll never be no more wars. And it'll settle wars when they have this great World War."

48 They had good intentions when they were saying that, but they come right along again with another one. Yes, sir.
They formed what they call the League of Nations after awhile, a police. They said, "We've got the idea now [good intentions]. We've got the League of Nations. And when we do, we'll police all the world by that." You can't do it. It fell right through.
They've got the UN now. It ain't worth the charter it's wrote on. That's right. Certainly. When they won't accept prayer, and take every other way out but the way of God, well, how long can it last?
They got good intentions, but it just don't last. It certainly does not. It'll fall to its bottom, and go into history, to dust. Well, you see where it is right now. The whole world's a-shaking, and what good is the UN doing? It's just a name. That's right.
No nation was ever made to rule over another. God made man, and man made slaves. We're not to be slaves; we're to be brothers. That's what the gospel teaches us---to be brothers.

49 Here come along the church with good intentions. They thought, "We'll make this great denomination. We'll educate our preachers, we'll have them very polished and everything. And they'll learn the people, and there'll not no more be illiteracy in our country."
And what did we do? We got a bunch of educated heathens, unbelievers again to the Word of God. Everything that... Man has always tried to achieve something by himself. He's never been able to do it. Nimrod tried to make a tower that he could climb into heaven. It fell into dust. Nebuchadnezzar built a city. Immortal, eternal, he thought. It went to dust.
The Americans, jealous of their sister England, built a ship called the Titanic that couldn't be sunk. God with his mighty hand showed the world it cannot stand.
The French thought they could live in sin, and make the Siegfried line. What good did it do? Germans walked right around behind it, and took it.
Germans built a Maginot line, said, "We've got something that nobody can get into." And the Americans blowed it out with bombbusters. Right. It goes to show that man's achievement amounts to nothing, because he's corrupt in his thinking, and he cannot stand. What is it all? There's something in there shows there is an eternal city, though. That's right.

50 Young married couple, when they got married, I've had them on confession. Many times catch them in the prayer line, and they say, "Well, Brother Branham, John and I got married. We was going to make a home. And it was all right, till one day an insurance collector (or a book salesman) come to the door, and he asked if I could come in just a ... if he could come in for a few minutes. I let him." And from that time, see, there it started.
A man can say, "Brother Branham, I had a good wife. I had a good family. And one day we hired a new office girl."
"I was down in the park. I met a little lady, she had on shorts. She walked up to me." From that time, see...
There's a time where you start. Yes. There was a time when all this stuff started. There was a time when death started. That's when Eve, strolling one day down through the garden of Eden met Satan. And Satan... When God had his church...

51 When men go to war they study things to combat. When they first put the helmet on a rookie, he thought that was the awfullest thing he ever had; and pack a ninety-pound back ... a pack on his back. But when he got out there in battle, he needed every implement.
When he put a helmet on him, that meant he was going to have ... need that helmet, because there's going to be shrapnel. He never had it before, but he had to have it then, because it was needed. They'd studied it.
Each year they study something different, get something greater, because the old becomes obsolete. Our fine planes that we had in the last World War are junk, billions of dollars worth of them. The old steam engines, obsolete. Certainly. The guns that we used---first, the old Krag Jorgensen, and the Springfield, and then up to the modern Garande. And now it's an atomic missile. They're all obsolete. We're trying to find ... keep finding something better.
But when God began to fortify his man, He gave him the best thing, and he never has to change no more. He give him his Word. Amen. There's his fortress, God's eternal Word.

52 And when the enemy come around, spies... We got English spies here, and we've got spies in England. All over the world we got spies; and they got spies from all over the world in here. What are they trying to do? Find what we've tried to achieve.
And the devil works the same way. He comes in to try to find something---what God has did---and then try to find something to counteract it. But God never has to change his, because He give them his Word at the beginning. He's infinite. He cannot change. And it's still his Word today. Never changes from his Word. There He is in his Word. His church is fortified by the Word. His first person was fortified, Eve. But when she stopped just for a minute to listen to Satan's tactics...

53 What is the tactics of Satan? Reasoning. "It's just reasonable." And when you hear anything that reasons against the Word, get away from it. It's the devil. I don't care how old-fashioned it is, how strange it looks, when God said so, that settles it eternally. Get away from anything that reasons against the Word.
"Oh, it's reasonable today we don't need divine healing, because we got fine doctors." Get away from that.
"It's ... oh, just the twelve apostles received the Holy Ghost. It..." Oh, why did Peter say it's for you, and for your children, and to them that's far off, "even as many as the Lord our God shall call"?
A fellow said it was just for back there. I said, "You're too late. I done got it down here," so we know it's right, see. Anything that reasons against the Word of God... Said, "These signs shall follow them that believe." How... "Go ye into all the world ... preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth ... [in all the world at all times], these signs shall follow them that believe." How far?
I can show you where God put divine healing in the church. Now you show me where He took it out, by the Word, see. The miracles and signs, and the Holy Ghost, He's the same Jesus yesterday, today, and forever. Certainly.

54 Now notice. If Satan could ever get Eve just to reason that that Word was... Said, "Now surely you'll not die. Oh, sure, God has said... That's exactly right. But surely..."
That's the first thing that he won by, and that's the thing he still knocked the human race down by---reasoning. He kills the human race by reasoning against his Word.
And great seminaries and things raise up, and they put their minds together and reason, and things like that. I don't care how many minds there is, let every man's word be a lie and God's be the truth. Right.

55 Notice. God deals with an individual. And notice, but every time there's a certain thing, from that time. From the time that Eve listened to the reasoning of Satan, death came into the world, and has reigned ever since. Remember, don't forget that spot that Eve...
There was a time when there was no death on earth. There was a time when men didn't have to die. But because that Eve reasoned, listened to Satan's reasoning against God's word, death begin to reign from that time on. And it reigns yet today. But let me say this, in the face of all of it. There is a time, and a thing that can happen that will never change. It's eternal.
There is something that can happen in a human life that can never change, that is eternal. That's when a man meets God. That is eternally settled, when a man meets God. Borned again of the Spirit of God, he has eternal life. Now we believe that with all of our heart.
And remember, when that man---a human being---or that woman, that boy, or that girl, ever meets God and is changed, he's never the same. He's changed from that time on. That's right. He'll never be the same. No matter, he might get away from God; but God'll never get away from him. Everywhere you go you'll be haunted day and night if you ever meet God, till you come back again. That's right.

56 A backslider's the most miserable life there is. And so, it'll haunt you day and night. How many times have we heard their confessions, and things. How miserable, how wretched, all that! If they did ... They know they have to reap exactly what they sowed. And remember, you plant one grain, and get a whole ear full of them, see. So we know that there is going to be plenty of reaping for what sowing you've done. But the man that ever meets God is never the same. Let's take a few men, now, before we come to the spot we want to.

57 Let's take, for instance, Abraham. He was just an ordinary man. He come down from Babylon with his father, and he lived ... dwelt in the land of the Chaldeans, in the city of Ur---probably a farmer, an ordinary man. He was no special man. He was just a man, and he found grace in the sight of God.
And God told him---when he was seventy-five years old---that He was going to make him to be a father of nations, and that He was going to give him a child by his wife Sarah, who was sixty-five years old at that time. And Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.

58 Abraham was changed. And look, when a man meets God... God called Abraham, and He told him He wanted him to separate himself from all of his unbelieving kindred. And when God calls a man to work for Him, He calls you from total annihilation from all the things of the world, and the sins of the earth. Separation.
God never did bless Abraham till he fully obeyed Him. He took his father. The old man was always a hair in the soup or ... excuse that expression. But he was always wrong, and Abraham... And then he got Lot. And then he finally went down there. And after Lot separated himself, then God said to Abraham, "Rise and walk through the land. I've give it all to you. It's all yours," see. He never fully blessed him till Abraham fully obeyed.
And you'll never be able to get anything from God, and have favor with God, my brothers and sisters, wherever you are, until we fully obey the Word of God. You make yourself miserable by just half-heartedly approaching it. Yes.

59 But when Abraham met God, he was a changed man. He was from that day on. He acted kind of funny, run around... I can imagine Sarah, going around sixty-five years old, made some little booties, and got some of the Birdseye, and a bunch of pins, and said, "Well, we're going to have the baby." And then, when the regular time come around, I can hear Abraham say, "Darling, how are you feeling? It's about that time."
"No different."
"Glory to God! We're going to have the baby anyhow." Two months passed, "Darling, any different?"
"No, not no different."
"Glory to God! It's a greater miracle than it was last month. We're going to have the baby anyhow."
Five years passed. "How you feeling now, dear?"
"No different."
"Hallelujah! We're going to have the baby. It's five years---more miracle. Glory to God!"
Twenty-five years passed. "How you feeling, Sarah?"
"No different."
"Glory to God! We'll have it anyhow."
"How do you know?"
"God said so!"
He met God, and was a changed man. "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong, giving praise to God." Now we're supposed to be Abraham's seed, if we have that kind of faith. What God says is the truth. When a man meets God, always his Word is the truth. If a man that says that he believes God, and denies this Word, there's something wrong, 'cause the Holy Spirit is God, and the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible. And how could the Holy Spirit be in here, and wrote the Bible, and then turn around and deny it? Something wrong somewhere.

60 I tell you, a genuine Holy Spirit experience will punctuate every sentence of that Bible with a "Amen." Right. Regardless of what anybody else says, it'll certainly do it, because it's the Spirit of God, the writer of the Bible. And the Spirit ... the Spirit of the Word is the Holy Spirit. That's what quickens it. The letter killeth; the Spirit giveth it life, see. Gives the letter---just the printed letter---life; makes it manifest, brings it to pass exactly what God promised.
Abraham was a changed man, strong, all the time giving praise to God. No matter how much he did, he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief. Why? He met God. He was a changed person.

61 One time a runaway prophet in his intellectual conception of what God was, knowing that he was a called man, had all... He could even teach the wisdom of Egypt, and could teach their teachers wisdom. But run away, married a beautiful little Ethiopian girl, living out there behind the desert, all settled down. The burden of the people was gone.
That's what's the matter with the churches in the world today. We've lost the burden. There's no more prayer meetings. There's no more ... seems like it's dead. I'm not scolding. I'm just making a true statement, brethren. You all know that. You see it in your churches. We ... it's something's happened. There's just no interest no more. Something's wrong. The fires went out. In the old Roman temple of Vesta when the fires went out, the people went home. Business was over. Oh, kindle the fires again, the fire on the altar of our heart! Yes. Oh, get God back in our midst! "Get God back!" is our cry.

62 Now, Moses done lost the burden of his people. He'd failed with his intellectual conception of the Word. And he was walking around on the backside of the desert one day, and there was a fire in a bush. That light that had followed him was in the ... was going to follow him was in the bush. He walked up to the side of that bush, took off his shoes, and a voice said, "I have seen the affliction of my people." There's somebody still interested. That's God.
He said, "I've seen the affliction of my people. I've heard the groaning by reasons of the taskmaster, and I've come down. I remember my promise." Hallelujah! He can't make a promise unless He remembers it. Amen. He always ... God eternally remembers his promise. God makes a promise; God always remembers his promise. And He said, "I remember my promise to my people, and I've come down to deliver them. And I'm sending you." Amen!
Moses said, "Who am I?"
He said, "You're going."
He said, "But I can't speak."
He said, "Who makes man to be dumb, or speak?" Amen! Don't reason with God. Just take his Word.
Let me tell you, one day there He said, "Surely I'll be with you."
He said, "Show me your glory."
He showed him divine healing, showed him how to perform a miracle. He was ready to go. Yes, sir.

63 Now look what a difference. One day a defeated intellectual giant on the backside of the desert, with the domestic job of feeding his father-in-law's sheep. And the next day we... I tell you, when you meet God it does something to you. It makes you act crazy to the world. Look at him the next day. He takes his wife Zipporah, sets her a-straddle of a mule, and a young'un on her hip; and his beard hanging down about like this, and his bald head shining; a crooked stick in his hand, the whiskers blowing, hollering, "Glory to God! Glory to God!" Old man eighty years old.
"Where you going?"
"Going down to Egypt to take over."
"What?"
"Going down to Egypt to take over!" A one-man invasion. Why? He'd met God. And the strange thing of it, he did it. He took over.

64 God only wants one man that He can fully get in his complete control---that's right---one man, that'll fully surrender to Him. "I'm going down to take over." What a ridiculous thing. An army, like in them days, had the whole world conquered. A bigger army than it, would be, today, like going to meet Russia. Had an old crooked stick in his hand.
"What are you going to do it with?"
"This stick and the power of God. Here I go," the whiskers a-blowing back and forth, and an old man eighty years old.
Why didn't he do it when he was a young warrior? See, God had to knock all that intellectual out of him. He had to take him on the backside of the desert and mash him down, and crush him down, and bring him back; and appear to him to show him what He was. When he met God he was a changed man. Kind of makes people today act kind of funny, too, when they really meet God. But they know where they're standing.

65 Reminds me of when we used to brand calves. My mother used to say... When we used to ride the round up, we'd brand them calves. She'd say, "Oh, Bill, how can you!"
I'd heat the irons a lot of times, pack the irons. I couldn't have nerve to put it on the calf, but... She said, "Why are you doing that?" Said, "That's horrible." Said, "What do you do?"
I said, "Well, we just hog-tie him, hold him down there, and slap the branding iron on him." And I said, "Just burns right into his skin. And put a little tar on it, and turn him loose." I said... He has a running fit almost. He just kicks, and hollers, and bellows, and goes on. But brother, he knows who he belongs to from then on. That's exactly right.
That's the way it is by the Holy Ghost. If God can ever get you still long enough to put a brand on you (hallelujah!), seal you into the body of Christ by the Holy Ghost, you know where you belong.

66 We're living in a great day of hybrid. I was reading a piece in "Reader's Digest" not long ago, this hybrid stuff... I was coming down, I seen it said, "Hybrid corn," great big corn, fine ears. It's no good. It ain't worth nothing. It's a damage to you. Hybrid beef, hybrid---everything's hybrid, hybrid, hybrid. It's no good. Take your hybrid corn, try to plant it over again, see what you get. It's no good.
Even got hybrid religion today, too. That's right. That's true. They took it at a denominational confession instead of a Holy Ghost experience. Hybreeding. What does hybreed do? Makes a better looking ear, but it ain't got no life in it. That's the way it makes a better looking church, but no life in it---hybrid. That's right.

67 Science disprove their own ... or prove their own theology, that man came from a single cell, by doing it. He can't evolute himself up higher, and higher, because as soon as he once crossed his breed he's done, right there.
You take a mule. A mule is the most ignorant thing there is. I always felt sorry for him. There he stands. And look, he don't know who his papa and mama was. His mama was a horse, and his daddy was a jack. So he don't know who he was. He don't know whether he's either a horse, or a jack. He don't know. He's a cross breed. He can never breed himself back. He's finished.
Like some of this mule religion we got today. A mule is the lowest down thing. You'll sit and you say something, or another, to him like that, and he'll stick his ears out and "Haw, haw, haw," see. He don't even know what... There's no gentleness to him. He's just a mule.
You can sit and talk about God's great signs, and the Holy Ghost. Them old mules sitting out there say, "Haw. Days of miracles is past. No such thing as the Holy Ghost." You cross-breeded intellectual! I'm not getting mean, but I'm just telling you what it is. Oh, he don't know who papa or mama was.

68 But oh, I like a real thoroughbred horse. Oh, he's gentle. You can teach him some sense. Now I like a real thoroughbred Christian, that's borned again of the Holy Ghost---not one was Methodist yesterday, Baptist the next day, and Presbyterian the next day, and something else this day, every time something goes wrong in the church. But a genuine Holy Ghost borned again, he knows who his ancestors was, he knows who his papa and mama was, he knows where he come from. He's borned of the Spirit of God. Hallelujah! You can flash the Word of God upon him and quickly he sees it. Yes, sir. "Amen!" he says. Now, what a fine thing he is, a specimen. But all this here hybreeding, yes...
Moses, being a thoroughbred Christian now, a believer, goes down into Egypt. Acts strange, very strange. But he knows what happened, because there was a time where he met God. Yes, sir.

69 There was a time also when... I'm thinking of somebody else that met God---was a little virgin. She had something to believe, Mary. Never been a baby born in the world without a father and mother. We know that. So, we find out that Mary, a little virgin, on her road down to the well one day, a great light shined before her. She looked, standing there in the light, and there stood Gabriel, the archangel. Said, "Hail, Mary. Blessed art thou amongst women." Told her just exactly what was going to happen.
A few days before there he had met a priest, and her cousin's husband, Zacharias. And he was standing at the altar waving incense, and Gabriel appeared and told him that he was going home to be with his wife, and have a child; and was going to call his name John.
That priest said, "How can this be? I'm too old. It can't happen. No, it can't happen."
He said, "I'm Gabriel, that's sent from the presence of God. My word will be fulfilled in their day. You'll be dumb till the baby's born." But here he comes to this little virgin.

70 Now, Zacharias would've had plenty of examples, for he'd found out that there was Hannah. She had a baby when she was old. Sarah had a baby when she was old. Plenty of examples in the Bible, but still he was callous from it. But Mary had to believe something that'd never happened, but she had met God. Said, "How will it be?"
He said, "The Holy Ghost will overshadow you. That thing that'll be born in you will be called the Son of God."
She said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord." What? She had met God. She couldn't hold her peace. I imagine she took that jug back to the house, and took out testifying everywhere---and her little cheeks flushing, saying, "I'm going to have a baby. I'm going to have a baby," up into the hills of Judea.
She heard about her cousin, Elisabeth, was going to have a baby up there. And so, I can imagine... You know, she'd kept herself penned up now for quite a while. She was about six months with Elisabeth. There's six months difference between John and Jesus. And so, she'd been penned up for about six months---stayed in, not like some of these women today.

71 Excuse me. You'd listen to your doctor, and I'm your brother. But see, these women that's to be mothers out here with these little shorts on, and... It's a disgrace to humanity. Honest, I don't believe a dog would do that. And there ... these women out here acting like that... It's the most pitiful thing I ever seen in my life---most ridiculous thing.
And then some boy see your girls out like that... And then let them insult them. And then you want to send them to penitentiary. You're the cause of it, by sending her out like that.
And you men let your wife go out like that. Shame on you! You got no more respect for your wife than that? Now, no, I don't want to get on that.
Notice. That's a bad thing for me. Now ... I lose too many friends. But I know I'm staying in friendship with Christ, because it's written right here. That's exactly right.

72 And here, Elisabeth had hid herself. And then when little Mary... I can see her coming up the path, hard as she can, you know. And Elisabeth was back there making little booties, and crying, because little John, you know, is six months, and he was dead. He hadn't never moved in the womb yet.
Here come little Mary up, and she runs in. And Elisabeth pulls back the curtains in the little adobe window up there, and sees Mary coming. So... They were cousins. She ran out to meet her, and throwed her arms around her, and said, "Oh, honey, I'm so glad to see you."
"Oh, I see of course you're to be mother."
"Yes, I'm to be mother." Said, "But I'm a little scared." She said, "It's six months with me as a mother, and there's been no life yet, and I'm just a little bit worried."
Mary, with her little eyes sparkling---little sixteen or eighteen-year-old girl, said, "I'm going to have a baby, too."
"Oh, you and Joseph is already married? I'm glad to hear it."
"No, we ain't. We're just engaged. We've never been married yet."
"And you're going to have a baby? What's the matter? What about this?"
She said, "Yes, I met Gabriel, the angel. I met God. And He told me that this holy thing will be called the Son of God. And said I should call his name Jesus."
And just as soon as... The first time that that word "Jesus Christ" was ever spoke out of a mortal lip, a little baby in the womb of Elisabeth become alive, and began to leap and jump for joy. That's right.
And her faith... Said she was filled with the Holy Ghost, and she said, "Whence cometh the mother of my Lord? for as soon as thy salutation come into my ears, my baby leaped in the womb for joy."
And if the first time that "Jesus Christ" was ever spoke by mortal lip made a dead baby come to life, what ought it to do by a church that claims to be borned again of the Holy Ghost? Amen. Why? They'd met God. Something had happened.

73 Oh, sure was that Simon Peter. That man had been taught by his father that when Messiah cometh, He'll be a prophet. And Simon was a fisherman. But one day when he walked in the presence of Jesus Christ, and He said, "Your name is Simon, and you are the son of Jonas. And I'll call you Peter from now on," he knowed that was the Messiah. He was a changed man from that day on. He was going to catch men instead of fish---made him fishers of men. Because he had met God, he recognized it to be the truth. He met Him.

74 It was Paul, Saul of Tarsus, who was on his road down---ecclesiastical, taught under Gamaliel, the great teacher---knowed all the ins and outs of the Pharisee religion, and so forth. He was on his road down, arresting all those holy rollers that was carrying on like that---had papers in his pocket to arrest all those that was down at Damascus.
And all at once the great pillar of fire swung around him, and he fell to his feet. Oh, he got up a different person. Why? He had met God. Something had changed him right there, when he heard Him say, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"
Said, "Who are you, Lord?"
He said, "I'm Jesus, and it's hard for you to kick against the pricks."

75 There was a blind man one day, sitting by the roadside begging. But he met God. He was sitting there thinking about... Where old blind Bartimaeus was sitting (he was thinking), down there at the river several hundred years ago, Joshua---that great warrior---crossed with Israel there on dry ground, in the month of April, when God took his mighty hand and held the waters up.
"Oh, if I could've only lived in that time, I would have walked down there, and said, 'Joshua, pray for me.' But alas, the priest tells me days of miracles is past.
"Oh, just think. Right down this road, this cobblestone road where I'm at, there come Elijah and Elisha, arm-in-arm, walking down to the Jordan, to clear the Jordan up. If I'd only been living here in that day, I'd have walked out and said, 'Prophets of the Lord God, pray for me.' But alas, the days of miracles is past, the priest says.

76 "And think, when Joshua was fixing to encamp ... encircle these walls around Jerusalem, on one of the stones that I'm now sitting on... One day when he was out looking around, watching the walls around, why, there come... He seen a man standing with his sword drawed. Joshua, the warrior, great general, pulled his sword, run towards him, and said, 'Are you with us, are you with the enemy?'
"He said, 'I'm the Captain of the host of the Lord.' Joshua threw down his sword, took off his helmet, and worshipped at his feet.
"Oh, if I could've only seen that great captain. I would have said, 'Great Captain of the host of the Lord, I'm a blind man. Have mercy on me. Oh, how He would've done it if it had been... But alas, the days of miracles is past."

77 How little did he know that not a hundred yards from him stood that same Captain of the host of the Lord, for He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He heard a noise. Something strange---everywhere He's at, there's noise goes on.
People say, "You make too much noise." This is the quietest place you'll ever live in. If you go to heaven, even the angels are singing day and night, "Holy, holy, holy unto the Lord." If you go to hell, it's weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth. This is the quietest place you'll ever live.
And there, when Jesus come by, somebody pushed him down and so forth, and run over him. He went by.
And I can hear the ministerial association all standing out there say, "Hey, they tell me you're a prophet. They say you raised a dead man. We got a graveyard full of them up here. Come raise one for us; we'll believe you." See, God don't clown for nobody. No, no. He could've... But his precious head set towards Jerusalem, and Calvary, bearing the sins of the world, He walked on---overripe fruit throwed at Him, and everything else.

78 And somebody pushed him right out. I imagine it was a young lady come up, said, "Sir, what's the matter, poor, ragged beggar?"
He said, "Lady, I'm blind. And there was somebody just passed by here, and they were screaming one thing and another. What was it?"
"Sir, I'm one of his disciples. Have you never heard of the young prophet of Galilee?"
"No. What young prophet?"
"Well, you know our law promises that when... There will come one day a Messiah, and the Son of David is coming. And when He does, you know, the great prophet..."
"Oh, is that Him? That's Him? Then He's raised up?"

79 He couldn't have heard him with all that noise, thousands. If you go there, Jericho, and see where he was sitting, and where Jesus was when He stopped, it's impossible for Him to hear him.
But his faith stopped Him. "Oh, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me."
With all the screaming one thing, and another one, "Hail the prophet! Hail the Son of God!"; and the other one saying, "Away with the impostor, Beelzebub, fortune-teller," so forth, all that mixed crowd... But his faith...
And the Bible said, "Jesus stood still." Oh, I hope to preach before I leave here on "Jesus stood still." Oh, my! Some day time will stand still. And He stood still. His faith touched Him---one little old blind beggar. He turned around, and He asked ... requested what he wanted. And he said, "That I might receive my sight."
He said, "Your faith has saved you." Hallelujah! From that time on he could see. Why? He met God.

80 There was a maniac one day up in Gadarea, who was cutting himself. And they bound him in chains, and his power of ten times an ordinary man could break the powers of them chains. I always thought, if he was so perfectly under the influence of the devil... When the devil takes a hold of a person insane, it takes men and men to hold him. He breaks them chains, completely surrendered to the devil. If he could break chains, how much more could we break, completely surrendered to God? How much more powerful is God's power than the devil's?
And there he was, this poor maniac. And he was always out there in the graveyard, cutting himself with stones, and attacked everybody. But one day he met God. Things changed for him. After that he was clothed, in his right mind. Why? He had met God.
A leper stood by the gate begging. One day Jesus of Nazareth passed by, and he said, "If thou will, thou can make me clean."
He said, "I will. Be thou clean." And from then on he was clean.

81 There was a little old immoral woman, as we talked of last night, slipped out to the gate ... out across the gate, and out to the city well, to get some water one day. Down in her soul laid a scripture that when that Messiah come what He would be. And she was a prostitute; she was an awful woman. She'd had husbands, and living with one then, not married to him. So you know she was a woman of ill fame. And when she saw Jesus, and heard Him say, "Go get your husband," she said, "I have none."
Said, "You've said well, for you've have five. And the one you're living with now is not yours."
She said, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. And we know when Messiah cometh he'll tell us these things."
What did He say? He said, "I am he that speaks to you."
She was a changed woman. Look. When she went into the city... It's absolutely unethical for a woman of that type ... or a man to listen to her. But she'd met God. Something had to listen to her. That's right. She had come in contact with God. Something had to listen!
When a man really meets God... I imagine we could see some of them people here was on these cots last night, and wheelchairs sitting around here. Ask them today. They come in contact with God. They'll be changed from that time on. Something happened. From the time that God speaks, something happens. Anything that comes in contact with God, from then on it's changed.

82 Now a minute. Death come in contact with Him one time. Right. Now we're closing. Death contacted Him. You know, the devil never did believe that was God. He always thought it was some just ordinary prophet. But he didn't realize what it was. He didn't know that was Emmanuel, that that was the flesh and body of God, that He was made flesh and dwelt among us.
When he had Him up there on the mountain that day, he said, "If thou be the Son of God, turn these stones into bread." See, that same old devil still lives today. They had Him down there in the courtyard that time. They knowed He could perceive the thoughts of the people, so they put a rag around his face and took a stick and hit Him on the head. Said, "Now, if you're a prophet tell us who hit you."
He never opened his mouth. He doesn't clown for the devil.
Up on the cross... Said, "If thou be the Son of God, come down and we'll believe you."
That same old devil lives in people today, same thing. "If you do, let me see you do this. Let me see you do that."
He said, "I do only what the Father shows me.

83 So one day when they had Him... Let's take a little drama as we close. It's a terrible day. The sun looks funny. There never was a day like that; never will be. Oh, it's a horrible thing. The debt from Eden has to be paid. Horrible day. And we begin to notice early in the morning. We're standing upstairs. I hear a noise. Let's go raise the shade and look. Coming down the street I hear something going, "bump, bump, bump." What is it? It's an old rugged cross.
I see a little woman run out in front of them, saying, "What has He done? What has He done but preach the gospel? What has He done but heal the sick?"
I see a rough hand smack her in the mouth, and say, "Sit down. Would you people believe that woman prostitute before you'd believe your priest?"
She couldn't speak her piece. His time had to come for something else; the cross dragging up. He had a robe over his shoulder.

84 As He starts up the hill, I notice little bitty red spots all over his coat. Wonder what they are? His little weak body, a crown of thorns on his head, mockery, spit hanging all over his face---what had He done to deserve that? That's the penalty He was paying for me, for you.
Look at them little spots. Let's watch them a minute. As He drags on up, his little body's frailly, and them whipping Him, and making Him go on, He's pulling this big old cross up the hill. After awhile I notice all these little bitty spots begin to get bigger, bigger. After awhile they all run into one great big spot. I hear it splashing against his leg. He's going down. He's getting weaker and weaker.
I can see everything. His disciples gone, who's standing by Him? Nobody---forsaken by God and man. Here He goes up the hill.

85 Then I see death walk up and say, "Ah-ha. I got him. I've proved that he isn't God. I've tempted him. I've took out there... If he'd been God, he'd have turned them stones to bread. How could he've stood there in that yard, and let them soldiers spit in his face, and put a rag around his face, and tell him to tell who hit him. Why, if He'd have been God, he'd have knowed that. I know he isn't God." He never did believe it.
As He goes up the hill, I see that bee of death come out, go to buzzing around Him, sting Him ... to sting Him, humming around Him. The first thing you know, it begins to wonder. What was it? Death was coming around. A buzzer, like an insect. A bee.
But you know what? If a bee ever anchors his stinger deep, he pulls his stinger out. He can't sting no more. He had anchored it in many a prophet, he'd anchored it in many a righteous man. But that time, when he anchored it in God, he pulled his stinger out. Death lost its stinger.
No wonder one come in later, said, "Oh, death, where is your stinger? Grave, where is your victory?" Thanks be to God! When he anchored that stinger of death in Emmanuel's body, it pulled the stinger out.
Today we can walk in the face of death. And the bee can buzz, and make a noise; but it never will fright us. No, sir. He has no stinger. The sting has been gone. Why? Death met God. And when it met God, it took the sting out of death. I'm glad to meet Him. Aren't you glad? Let us pray.

86 Heavenly Father, when I think of that blood pouring out of Emmanuel's veins, the old rugged cross dragging out the footprints of the bearer, as it goes up Calvary... Satan, seeing that old mockery, gobbish spit hanging on his face, he said, "That can't be God. That can't be Emmanuel. So I'll stick my stinger in him. I'll have him pretty soon."
But, oh, how he lost then. When the sting of death contacted God, it lost its stinger. I'm so glad today, Lord, knowing, too, that I've got to come down to that road. But death'll lose; done lost its stinger. I'm free tonight. Hallelujah! I'm so glad that I'm free.
The sting of death is gone. Death may come and buzz, it may come and threaten me, it may come to pull me away. But like one writer said, "God harnessed it to a buggy. It can only pull me in his presence where I long to be," where every believer longs to be.
So death has no stinger. It become a victory. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ.

87 While we have our heads bowed, everyone in prayer, how many in here that knows if you were dying tonight that you've never come in contact with God so definitely till you could take every word for being his Word, and that you're obeying every word; and you know that if you're doing wrong, you know that death would have a sting for you, because you'd wonder whether you'd really be saved or not?
I'm not going to call you up to the altar. I'm just going to ask you where you are. If you will, and believe tonight, that God will take away that sting of death from you through Jesus Christ, and you want to accept it that way, raise up your hand. Say, "I want to meet God."
God bless you back there, sonny boy. God bless you. God bless you up in the balcony. God bless you down here. Up in the balconies, God bless you, young men. God bless you way back there. He sees your hands. Everybody praying. That's an altar call. God bless you, sitting here, sir. You might've done a many good thing in life, but that's the greatest thing you ever done.
Remember, when you raised your hand you broke every scientific rule. Science says that gravitation has to hold your hand down. But you raised up your hand, showing that there's a power in you to make a decision. And that you did, raised up your hand. Mean that from your heart, and something will happen.

88 Someone else raise up your hand, say, "Remember me." God bless you, sister. God bless you, sister. God bless you, brother. God bless you. That's good. Up in the balcony again, let's get way up there. How many up there? Oh, soul! Church member that don't know God? God bless you, little man out here in front.
Somebody else? Raise up your hand, say, "Oh, all I know, I belong to church. All I know, I've shouted. All I know, I've spoke with tongues." Oh, brother! I've heard devils dance in the spirit, and speak in tongues, and shout, and that don't... "By their fruits you shall know them." Certainly.
The rain falls on the wheat and the weeds together. Certainly. They both rejoice at the rain. That's right. Makes them both happy. And it falls right in a bunch on the hypocrite and on the Christian, too. But if your life doesn't come up with God's Bible, then you'd better put your hand up, and say, "God, be merciful to me, and make me what I ought to be. His grace can make me what I ought to be." God bless you, young man, God bless you, lady. That's good. God bless you.

89 Don't want to hurt your feelings, but how can you women sit here, and know that the Bible tells you that it's wrong for even you to cut your hair, that you dishonor your husband when you do it? You prove yourself as a woman of the street when you do such a thing. And because of the angel, you should have long hair. What angel? The angel of the covenant, the angel of the messenger of the day, the seventh angel which is sounding today.
Then still know that you're wrong? Your Adam might've let you go ahead and act wrong, Eve, and say it don't make a difference. It certainly does make a difference. Every commandment of God is right. Eve only turned her ... just aside for a minute. If you're wrong, admit you're wrong. Your own life proves you're wrong.

90 Someone got after me, not long ago, said, "Brother Branham, why do you say that to them women, about their dressing?" A great man. Said, "I'll lay my hands on you, and pray for you."
I said, "If you let me lay my hands on you, and pray for you." I said, "Listen..."
He said, "Why don't you leave them women alone? People regard you as a prophet."
I said, "I'm no prophet."
He said, "People regard you as that. Why don't you teach them how to get great spiritual gifts, and things?"
I said, "If they haven't got the common decency to learn their ABC's, how do they ... will know how to learn algebra if they don't even take their ABC's?"
ABC is "Always Believe Christ." Take his Word first. Let it be first in your life. If you can't do that, how are you going to learn anything else? How's the Pentecostal church ever going to rise above things that it knows ... that'll lay in your way as long as you live? Now you mark it, and find out if it doesn't.
Remember, if that don't haunt you as long as you live... And if one sin kept Eve ... or made all this... Every sickness, death, and sorrow come from one woman, just reasoning it was all right.

91 It's your American privilege, you say. Oh, yeah. If you're a lamb, a lamb forfeits his right. He don't have but one thing---wool---and he forfeits that. If you're a lamb you'll forfeit your American rights, to serve God.
Say, "I can dress the way I want to. It's none of your business."
It's not me, brother, sister. It's the Bible. God made a man, and made him dress like a man; made a woman to dress like a woman; made them act different, and made two covenants with them, and everything else. It's always been.
The light has come. Your Adam might let you get by with it. But, brother, God won't, 'cause that's his Word. Now, you men sit around and do such things as that. Aren't you ashamed, brother, deacons? Men who say they're men of God act like that, when...? That's just the very first primer lesson of it. How can you go into deep things of discerning the Spirit, and things like that, if you don't even take the first thing?
Meet God, and find out what's different. Find the difference. It'll make you act right. It'll do something to you. It'll change you. Now, the Bible says that.
You women wouldn't put on manicure, or makeup, whatever you call it, for nothing. The Bible says nothing about that. But look what you're doing now---something the Bible does say not to do, see.
You ... probably you men wouldn't get drunk for nothing in the world; then have two or three different wives living, be deacon in the church.
Proselyting. "Compass seas," Jesus said, "to make one proselyte."

92 You say, "That's an awful way to make an altar call." Brother, if people don't come by the Word of God, what's these pathetic stories? You've got to come recognizing you're wrong.
Now, are you willing under the power of God, under your own condemnation, to say that "I'm wrong, I raise up my hand. Look at my own life, and see that I'm wrong. I'm a church member. I go to church. I try to be loyal, but I see I've made ... I've missed the mark. I'm ready to surrender, and say that I'm coming back to the Bible grounds of this thing. I raise my hand." Raise up your hand. God bless you, sir. That takes decency.
God bless you, lady. God bless you. God bless you, sir. That takes real men. Someone else? God bless you, my brother. That's right. God bless you. There's at least three hundred people here should do that. That takes a whole lot of them. But God bless you, sir. That's honesty.

93 Say, "I'm just making my decision. I'm saying right now, 'From now on, God, I'm going to be branded inside and out. I'm going to be a real Christian. I'm going to believe all this Word.'"
Or, "I ain't going to believe any. I'm going back in the world."
You'd be better off. That's right.
You can't tell Christians from the rest of them. They're all just about alike. What's supposed to be the church is getting such a bad shape. Come on. God's got to get a bride ready (exactly), making her ready. "The hour of the ... has come, and the bride has made herself ready." Are you ready? Are you ready? I ask one more time. In Jesus' name, are you ready? Thank you, sir. God bless you.

94 Our heavenly Father, these who have raised their hands, some two dozen or more, let them have peace. Let them know that you're ready to pull all the guilt of sting out of it, and to set them free tonight with the Holy Ghost. God, bless these churches.
Here's a fine group of people, God. They sit here for so long, listening, waiting. Then why does Satan come right around and blacken their mind, just when the time comes for them to accept? And you've proved yourself so definitely here. How can it be?
But God, let no man's blood be upon my hands. I am free. I pray, Father, that You'll grant the mercy of God upon these. I give them to you as sincere seed that the light of God has shined upon. Life struck quickly, and they raised their hands, and said, "I'm wrong. I recognize it. I'm ready to do right. I've done wrong, and I'm ready to mend my ways right now, and come to God." Grant, Father, that they'll grow into great statues of Christians.

95 We hear tonight about so much decisions. What good is stones without a stonemason? People wants more members in their church. Will you make a decision, roll up a stone? That's a confession. Certainly. But what good is that stone, if there isn't a stonemason there with a sharp two-edged Word of God to shape it into a son or daughter of God, to make it fit into the building? We need stonemasons, stonecutters by the Word of God, to cut the confessions into real genuine pillars of the church of God. Grant it, Lord.
May the sharp knife of God circumcise all the world away from every one of us, and make us new creatures in Christ Jesus. The hour's coming. Little do the people know that these hours are here, great things are going on. And now, the people has... Just like people of long ago, Lord, they've passed them, and they didn't know it.
Grant that every one of these will be saved. May they find some of these fine churches here, these ministers. Maybe if they belong to one of them, may they go to their pastor, and say, "Pastor, I've been wrong. I'm straightening my life up. I'm coming now to be a real member of your church. I'm coming now to be a light. I'm not going to blow so much out the whistle, but I'm going to put it to work. I'm going from house to house, from place to place. I'm going to bring others into this great fellowship of Christ. I'm going to go on the street corners. I'll pass tracts. I'll do anything that I can do.
"I'll talk to my neighbor, my milk man, my paperboy. Everybody that I can, I'll speak to them in a tender, sweetness of the Holy Spirit. I'll be so salty, till I'll make them thirst to be like me. God, grant it. Oh, not like the rest of the world, but be different---changed---made like daughters of God, sons of God. Grant it.
I give them to you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Now may the God of heaven look upon you.

96 One time ... want to tell you a little story before leaving, because I had to cut so hard. In the south they used to sell slaves. And they'd come by, and buy them just like you do a used car on the lot. You get a bill of sale for it, just like you would. Human beings. It never was right. God never intended men to be slaves.
And there'd be brokers come by, and buy big healthy slaves, and breed them to heavier women, and things like that---make better slaves.

97 One time there was a great plantation, it was told me, that they had many slaves. And a broker come by, said, "I'd like to look over your slaves."
Said, "I've got about a hundred here. Look them over."
And he noticed them all. They were sad. They'd been brought from Africa. They'd never go back. They whipped them and make them work, because they didn't want to work. They were sad. They were away from papa, and mama, husband, babies, and all. They never would see them no more. They was in a strange land. They never would see their loved ones no more.
But they happened to notice one young fellow there. My, his chest was out, and his chin up. They didn't have to whip him around. He was right on the mark every time. That broker said, "I'd like to buy that slave."
He said, "He's not for sale."
He said, "What makes him so much different?" Said, "Is he the boss over the rest of them?"
He said, "No, he's just a slave."
He said, "Perhaps you feed him better than you do the rest of them?"
He said, "No. He eats out in the galley with the rest of them. He's just a slave."
He said, "What makes him so different from the rest of them?"
Said, "I once wondered myself. But I come to find out that over in the homeland his father is the chief, the king of the tribe. And he knows that he's a king's son. He conducts himself like one."
Friends, we're in a sinful world. Women, you're daughters of the King. Brothers, you're sons of the King. Let's conduct ourselves as sons and daughters of the King, right in this world. Don't be like them, fashion after them. We're different. We come ... we're from another ... we're aliens here. We're pilgrims. Let's conduct ourselves, act different, be different, be like up there in heaven.

98 Some few days ago wife and I, before we come out here, went to a supermarket. We found a woman had a dress on. Meda said, "Isn't that strange, that lady?" She said, "Billy, I want to ask you." Said, "I know some of them women. They sing in choirs here in these denominational churches." Said, "Why is it our people...?"
I said, "Honey. Look, look. We are not of the world, see. When I go to Germany, Germany has its way of doing. I go to Finland, it has its way of doing. I go to other nations, they have their way." And I said, "America, it has its way."
But I said ... she said, "Well, aren't we Americans?"
I said, "No, honey. We're not Americans; we're Christians. We're living here, certainly. As a nation, this is ours." But I said, "We're from above. Then our women must act like up there. We must conduct ourselves like up there. That's the reason we don't act like the people of the world. We're different."

99 We should be, friends. We should be different. You know that. I don't mean to hurt you, and I don't mean to hurt your feelings. I mean to only be honest as a servant of Christ.
You can't pull punches. You can't be a public puppet, and then be a servant of God. You've got to be either honest with God, or sell your birthrights to people. And mine's not for sale, and I know yours is not neither.
So let's preach the Word, believe the Word, stand on the Word, live by the Word---that's right---and be real Christians.

100 The Holy Spirit's here. Do you believe that? How many of you has got prayer cards? Raise your hands. It's too late to have a prayer line. You without prayer cards that's sick, needing something, raise your hands. Without prayer cards? Have faith. Now, you believe.
Now looky here. Now, if I happen to call somebody that's got a prayer card, I want you to tell me so, because you'll get in the prayer line. These without prayer cards won't. I want your reverence just two minutes, three minutes. All I could say would mean nothing. One word from Him would mean more than all I could say in a million years---one word from Him.
Now, do you believe what I'm preaching is the truth? about men back to the Bible, back to God, and the Word is made flesh in us, dwelt among us here? and the church is shaping itself and receiving now its last sign?
We've had miracles and signs, and speaking in tongues, and on up through, on up through. But you remember, the Bible said, the prophets said, "There'll be a day that won't be called day nor night. But in the evening time it shall be light." How many knows that scripture? Sure. All right. Watch.

101 Civilization has come from the east, and followed the sun west. Is that right? It's at the West Coast now. If it makes another move, it's back east again. I'd like to preach on that---when east and west meets. Notice.
The s-u-n dawns in the east, and it travels across the horizon and sets in the west. The same sun that rises in the east sets in the west. Is that right?
Now, the prophet said there'll be a day that couldn't be called day nor night. It's a dismal day, foggy day. We've had a day of that. Man's knowed enough to join church, accept Christ as saviour, and to join a denomination. That's just as much light as he had.
But remember, it's evening time now. Civilization's on the West Coast, and the same Son, S-o-n, that shone in the east at the beginning is now shining in the west at the end: Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today, and forever. See? It shall be light in the evening time---Christ coming out, perfecting his church.

102 How many knows there's a difference between the appearing of Christ and the coming of Christ? It's two different words. Now's the appearing; the coming will soon be. He's appearing in the midst of us, doing the works that He once did, in his church. Now, you're part of that church, and by grace you believe, "I am a member of that church."
Now I'm not a preacher. You know I'm not. I have not the education to do it. Sometimes I feel reluctant standing here by men of God, who's called to that office. There are apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, and evangelists. Not all are apostles, not all are prophets, not all are teachers, not all evangelists. I'm standing here...
But my ministry is a different ministry from pastor, or teacher. I'm not. And if I say things wrong, brethren, forgive me. I don't mean it. This is my ministry, see, to declare Him, that He's here.

103 Now, some of you here... As a gift of the Holy Spirit, it's just something... I can't make myself relax. It's just like pulling into a gear. But when He does it, then every spirit is subject. And I watch, and I can only tell what I see. And any Bible reader knows that that's exactly what's promised, and did come in Christ; and promised in the last days, and all we've said about it. And oh, my! I've got five hundred and something tapes on different sermons on it, see, just touching the age of it here. But it's true.
No matter where you are, believe, and let Him speak. And if I speak I can say wrong, because I'm a man. But if God comes around, and confirms what I said, then that's truth.
God said, "If there be a prophet among you, and if he says ... what he says comes to pass, then you hear it," because the Word of the Lord came to the prophets. And if there ... and if it doesn't come to pass, then don't believe it.
Now, if I come here and say, "Now, I'm going to heal you," then I've lied right there, because... You're ... every one of you is sick. Whatever it is, or sinners, or whatever you are, you're already forgiven. You're already healed. If Jesus was standing here with this suit on that He gave me, He could not heal you, or save you. He's already done it. How many knows that's the truth? At Calvary the price was paid. You just believe.

104 Somebody ... now let's call out, kind of in sections. Somebody over in this way without a prayer card, just pray, say, "Lord God, I can't believe that that man'd stand there, and tell me something wrong. I've read the Bible, and I know what he's saying's the truth. It's so hard for me to receive it, Lord. But honestly, I believe it. I believe. And help me now.
"And he says that You are a high priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities, and I have infirmities." Or someone, "I'm ... my husband sitting here,"---"my wife."
I noticed last night, when a husband'd get up off the cot, the wife would run to him; the wife get off, the husband... See him out in the yard there praising God. How sweet it was, see, praying for someone.
Say, "I'm praying, Lord God. Help me to know. Help me. Let me touch your garment. Then if that man... That man don't know me, and I don't know him. If he speaks back, and tells me---like You did in them days, told the people---then I know that You're living. It ain't that preacher; it's You."
Now please, just for two or three minutes be quiet and pray. Sit still, don't move. Just pray.

105 Now, there's a woman, she's... You can raise your head, if you wish. And if you'll look, look standing right here, right inside this little hallway, see that yellow, amber-looking light circling around? It's right over a woman. There He is, right through the door. Now it's coming near her, near her. She's realized. She was praying. It's coming near.
The woman surely this time can recognize that something's going on. She's praying for a loved one, a relative that has cancer. Also a mother, and the mother's got heart trouble. She realizes now the Holy Spirit's near her. She's not even from here. She's not even an American; she's a Canadian. Have you a prayer card? You do not. We're perfectly strange. Is that right? But you was standing there praying, and all at once something real sweet begins to happen, like something coming over you. Is that right? And what was said true? Raise up your hand, if all that's true. Now go question the woman.
Now sister, it's left from around you. I trust that you have your request. Whatever it was, God grant it to you.
Now, I want to ask you something. How... Just figure it out. There's a perfect miracle. There's a woman. I have never seen her in my life; she's never seen me. We're strangers. And here the Holy Spirit comes down, and she touches Jesus Christ. And by a divine gift, standing there, or sitting there praying, and it comes right around and reveals to her just exactly. There it... She's thirty or forty feet from me. She couldn't touch me; she touched Him.

106 Somebody this a-way believe. Without a prayer card. You without a prayer card, raise your hand so I'll... You that haven't got a prayer card, raise your hands. Some of you in these stretchers here, or something, raise your hand. All right.
Let's look at this man here. You don't have a prayer card, sir? You're a stranger to me. I do not know you. What do you think about what I've preached about? Do you believe Christ's the Son of God? You believe He is? Now, you being a man that I've never met before in my life... But do you believe that when Jesus was here on earth, He (The Bible said that the Word is sharper than a two-edged sword, and even a discerner of the thoughts of the heart.) could perceive what's wrong?
If the Holy Spirit can tell me something about you (you're just a man that's sat down there), and can tell me something about you---what you're wanting, what's wrong with you, something you've done or something like that---you'd know it'd have to come from a power somewhere, wouldn't it? Would you believe it to be Christ? You would. Would you accept it that way? You must, or die, because you're shadowed to death. It's a cancer.
But if you'll believe with all your heart, with all that's in you---because you can't live... You can't return. The doctor can do you no good now. You're past that. But if you'll believe God with all your heart, you can get well. Do you believe it? You do? Then rise up from your bed. Don't doubt in your heart. Don't doubt it at all. Go home---take your bed and go home. Jesus Christ will make you well, if you'll believe it. God bless you.

107 What was it? You have a prayer card there? Well, you'll be in the prayer line then. What about you? Have you got a prayer card? You believe me to be his prophet? You do? I don't know you, but you're... What's the matter? You're all broke down, like a nervous breakdown, complications. Everything's wrong with you. Isn't that right? And truly, right now you feel fine. It's the Holy Spirit over you. Do you believe me to be his prophet? Will you obey me as his prophet? Then stand out of that stretcher on your feet in the name of Jesus Christ, and go home, and be well.
Wait, I want to ask you something. You don't have a prayer card, do you? You don't need it. You're well. You can go home now, and rejoice.
How many of you believe with all your heart? Then, everybody that believes stand up on your feet, and accept your healing. Stand up in the name of Jesus Christ, and believe that you're healed. I commit you to God for your healing in the name of Jesus Christ. May God grant it for you. Amen.