God keeps His Word

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Be seated. I'm happy to be here tonight in the service of the King. We used to sing an old song years ago, "I Am Happy In The Service of The King." You remember that song? Wasn't that just a dandy? Happy in the service of the King. Anybody that's serving in the service of this King that we're talking about has got to be happy, hasn't he?
Now, tonight it's a pleasure to be in the little tabernacle here. The People's Tabernacle: I like that name, that title. It's to the people, all people. Everybody's welcome. I think them titles like "People's Tabernacle, Church of the Open Door, House of Prayer," I kind of like that, kind of something about it, instead of saying it's the Presbyterian, or the Baptist, or the Catholic, or some church like that.
Well now, I don't mean them churches are not all right, understand. Those titles are all right but I'm just talking about my own feeling. I think it's a people's tabernacle; "The Church With the Open Door," or "The House of Prayer." The Bible said, "It is written, My Father's house will be called a house of prayer." And so, they take that... 'Course that don't make it any better or any worse. It's just the names they give it.

2 Someone was telling me, said, "What do you think about different denominations, and do you think it's these people has, and this people has, and so forth." I tell you: it was a dean of the Lutheran college. He'd wrote me a letter; and you talk about giving me a good raking over, he gave me one. I was at Minneapolis, and he said, "I drove fifteen miles last night in a blinding snowstorm, thinking I was going to hear a servant of the Lord, and what did I find but a polished up soothsayer." And he said, "And your theology is, oh, my..." Twenty-two pages in the letter, and he really give me a good one.
And he said, "The very idea of a man that stands before the people that you do and makes statements like you made last night."
I kept on reading; I thought, "Wonder what I said." I thought I was going to have to call some of them, get the tape and check up. So he said... Here's what he's getting at me for. He said that I said the devil couldn't heal. And he said, "I want you to understand that with all your brag of twenty-five years of ministry," he said, "son, I was preaching the Gospel before you was born."
Well now, I thought, "Well now, that's all right. It's okay."

3 And he said, "And let me tell you why that I know that the devil can heal." He said, "I live in a city where there's a woman that has a familiar spirit." You know, one of the devil's spirits. And said, "People come to her for healing." And what does she do but pull some hair out of their head, pluck some... (No, she pulls hair out of her head, I believe.) and plucks the veins and bleeds it on the hair, from the arm, goes down to the river behind her house and pitches it over her shoulder. And she walks up, and if she is constrained till she has to turn around and look at it, then the disease remains on the person and comes back. If she doesn't, then she tells the people they're going to get well.
And said, "We've kept count of it," and said, "about twenty percent of those are healings." He said, "And then you mean to tell me that you'd stand up there and have the audacity to say that the devil can't heal."
Well, I thought, "Well now, that's all right. See, everybody's got a right to their own opinion." And I said, "I just have to answer this little letter, a little one." I got me... The one that I was answering was going to be the little one. I couldn't think of all that.

4 So I sat down and I addressed him, after he first told me he thought I was a devil (see), a soothsayer, which would be a devil, of course. So I said, "Dear beloved brother, I was glad to get your letter. I'm always glad for friendly criticism. It's helps me." Helps you if you'll just take it that way. Yes, sir. Let somebody criticize you, might have some spots that ought to be cleared up.
I said, "I'm very happy to get your letter. And you must think something of me or you wouldn't have wrote to me." I said, "And then, another thing that I admire you for is your fifty years of service for my Lord." And I said, "I certainly respect that with high respect." I said, "Then another thing," I said, "you must love Him, or saying that the crowds that I stood before and my theology. You must've thought something of the Lord and love Him, because you wouldn't have tried to correct me (see), because you love Him; you don't want His work going on wrong." So I said, "You must love me."

5 And I said, "Now, the first thing I'm going to say to you: I forgive you for calling me a soothsayer," I said, "because... and a devil. Because you remember, Jesus when He was doing that very same thing, saying, 'I can do nothing except I do what the Father tells Me,' and with seeing the visions and telling the people who they were, and what they were, and what happened, and so forth; the Pharisees said that was the works of the devil. It was a soothsayer, a Beelzebub.
"And you know what Jesus said to them? He said, 'You speak that against Me, the Son of man, I will forgive you: but when the Holy Ghost is come, you speak against Him, it'll never be forgiven you then.'" I said, "What if I was right? Just say what if I was (see), then what have you done, see. There'd never be forgiveness in this world, or the world to come, according to the Scriptures which cannot lie, see." Well, now, that's the blaspheme of the Holy Ghost. It's call the works of God, an unclean ... by an unclean spirit, see. And so...

6 Now, I said, "Just to straighten you up, brother," I said, "I'd just like to ask you something: I'm surprised that a Lutheran dean would base his theology upon some sort of an experience." Why, I said, "In the Baptist church in the first year of school we learned to base everything upon the Bible." I said, "All our theology must come off the Bible, and here you're trying to base your theology on an experience." Well now, I said, "To settle it, Jesus said, that Satan cannot cast out Satan. That settles it then. If Jesus said Satan can't heal, then I don't care what anyone else would say; that settles it. He can't heal; that's all."
And if you look at it, he can't, because the only thing can heal is when it's being made ... new cells developed and come back. Like you cut your hand, the doctor can't heal it. Certainly not. The medicine can't heal it. Takes God to heal it. You break your arm, doctor can't heal it. He just sets it, and God heals it, see. Because there's only one Creator. And if you say that Satan can create, oh, my, where've you got yourself then? You got him equal with God, see. And he's a god then. If he can create, he can make himself, see. But he can't. He can create himself if he could. But he can't create; he can just pervert what God has created. And so then he can't heal.

7 And I said, "But now, to answer your ... give you to my opinion of your answer to your question that you was condemning me on," I said, "that reminds me a whole lot of the things that's going in the world today: Pentecostal fantastics." I said, "Certainly, I believe that people were healed. I believe every one that comes approaching will be healed." And I said, "But it isn't the witch that's doing the healing, no more than it is these fellows say, 'I got healing in my hands. Feel it, feel it, feel it.' No, you don't. You might feel their hand, but you don't feel any healing. It's a finished work. It's already done, see. And all these different things that they do..."
I said, "I don't believe those fellows ever healed anybody. And I don't believe the witch ever healed anybody. But what brings the healing is the individual's faith, thinking they're approaching God through that witch. And God's got to honor faith, I don't care where it's at, see. So it's their faith, thinking they're approaching..."

8 I've seen heathens kneel at idols and get healing (see), sure, divine healing from God through the idol. But it's their faith. They believe that God is in the idol, and they got faith, and they believe it, and God's got to recognize that faith, because them things are based upon faith.
Healing is not based upon your works, or your good deeds, or your experience of Christianity, and upon your salvation of your soul; healing... I've seen people come through the line was renowned saints, and go right off the platform sick yet. I've seen ill famed people walk through and be healed with blinded eyes and everything, see. It's based upon your faith, not upon your religion, not upon your experience. It's on faith.

9 So last time over there... He wrote me a letter back and said, "Mr. Branham, I hear you're coming back to the Christian Businessmen's international convention, to speak." Said, "Could I have a few words with you?" I referred him to the manager, and the manager told him, "All right." So when he got there that morning, here he was. So went back out to the college, beautiful place way out there. And when we went in, he had dinner set for us, or you all call it lunch here. Down south, if I call it lunch, I miss a meal. And it's breakfast, dinner, and supper to me. I just...
So this was dinner time for us. And so we went out there, and they had a great, oh, a beautiful place, hundreds of acres where the students could work their way through and so forth, pay their tuition. And he had seventy something students sitting there.

10 And after we had our dinner, he said, "I want to ask you a question, Mr. Branham."
I said, "Yes, sir." And I thought, "Oh, my, here it comes, a Lutheran dean."
He said, "I've been down to the Pentecostals, and see them kick the furniture around and everything like that. But I want to ask you: Is anything to it?"
I said, "Yes, sir, there is." I said, "It's like a little kid, when he gets a toy, he just falls." And I said, "Like Ezekiel said, there's a valley full of dry bones. He said, 'Can these live?' He said, 'Thou knowest.' So he said, 'Prophesy to the dry bones.' And when the bones come together, there was a rattling and a shaking, lot of noise. But then when the skin come on, or the meat come on them, there wasn't much noise. He said, 'Prophesy to the Spirit now,' see. I think that's what's going on, see." So I said, "I seen them make a lot of noise." I said, "I think the bones are coming together."

11 And so he said, "We're hungering and thirsting for God."
I said, "That's fine."
Said, "And we want you to tell us how to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost." He said, "Now," said, "we believe that we receive the Holy Ghost when we believe."
And I said, "Did you ever read Acts 19?"
And he said, "Yes."
I said, "Well, there's some mighty fine Baptists up there had a good pastor, good preacher; his name was Apollos; he was converted lawyer. He was proving Jesus the Christ of the Bible." I said, "Paul passed through there in the upper coasts of Ephesus, he find certain disciples, and he said to them, 'Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?' They said, 'We know not whether there be any Holy Ghost,' see. So after that was done, and they was baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and Paul laid his hands upon them, and then they received the Holy Ghost."

12 He said, "But Abraham believed God, Brother Branham, and it was imputed to him for righteousness, because he believed. What more can a man do but believe?"
I said, "It's all a man can do." I said, "You believe and accept Christ as personal Saviour; that's your faith. But remember, God gave Abraham a seal of circumcision as a confirmation of his faith." That's right. And I said, "And that was the Old Testament. In the New Testament, when we say we believe, God gives us the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which is a seal of confirmation, see. Ephesians 4:30 says, 'Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you're sealed until the day of your redemption,' see. It's a seal that God has recognized your faith. But if He hasn't give you the Holy Ghost yet, He's never recognized your faith, see."

13 So he said, "We want the Holy Ghost."
I thought, "You're a Lutheran college?" I said, "What's the Lutheran people going to say?"
Said, "We don't care what the Lutheran people say; we want God."
Well, I said, "Wonderful." I said, "When do you want..."
He said, "Right now."
I said, "Well, scoot back your place and I will pray." And I had them all go around by the wall like that, laid hands on them, and seventy-two Lutheran students received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. They got signs and wonders and healings going on in the Lutheran college in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

14 Oh, He's wonderful. It's not just for you Pentecostal people. It's for the Lutheran, the Baptist, the Presbyterian. Whosoever will, it's for all. The only thing we just... The thing of it is, I think what we need is to get ourselves in control, and just quit scattering and jumping, and respect the gifts of God and things, and put them in their places like that, and let the Holy Spirit operate the church, and then them other people will go to hungering and thirsting for it. But as long as you let it just run loose, and this one this way, and that one that way, and no control, they just think it's a babbling. They taught better than that in the Bible. It's not the gifts that they've got against; it's the way you loosely use it. That's what it's against.
Jesus said, "You're the salt of the earth." But the salt can only be a savor as it contacts. So you've got to make a contact. And your life is the best thing to make a contact with anybody. I'd rather you'd live me a sermon than preach me one anytime. And the rest of the world will the same thing.

15 Well now, for just a few minutes... My wife's in the building, and she looked straight at me, and she knows that I preach too long and cause people to stand up. And I just somehow or another I don't know, Brother Jackson, I just don't know when to quit. I'm just a glutton on the spirit, I guess.
I never did like to try to go to work of a morning when I work hard and somebody set me out a little dish of corn flakes, about like that. I can't. Just couldn't thrive. I worked hard. And I had to have something: some biscuits, and some sorghum molasses, and a chunk of ham meat, and I just sop it all up. So I like to eat. And if I'm going to work...
And if I'm going to live for God, I like to have a good square four-hour meal once in awhile (you know what I mean), just come right out, and get the Bible, and lay right with it. But we southerners down are kind of used to that, but we know that you Yankees up here are more of a cultured type. And so we know that...

16 I tell you; I'd sure like to live up here though. That's right. I sure love this country, beautiful, and the snow real dry, and you can just hear it crunching under the wheels when a car going. I just think of back when I was a little boy when we used to have snows down southern Indiana like that. But the world must be a little out of its orbit now somewhere; she isn't working just right. And I believe it's so close to the coming of the Lord Jesus that everything's topsy-turvy. The one thing that ought to be straight and running straight is the church of the living God. That's right.
So let us bow our heads a moment just before we approach the Word now, when we lay aside every little thing, the little get together, and little (as it was) a handshake or something. Now, we're going to approach God now.

17 Our heavenly Father, in the name of Thy beloved Son, we come asking this petition, who said when He was here on earth, "If you ask the Father anything in My name, I will do it." Now, we're so happy for that. And He said, "When thou prayest, believe that you receive what you ask for, and you shall receive it." And I thank Thee for this, for it's a promise of God. And every promise in the Book belongs to every believer. So I thank Thee for it.
And I pray tonight, as I have laid back these pages of this sacred book called the Bible... I'm only able physically to open it up, but only the Holy Spirit can interpret it to us. So we pray that He will come tonight and interpret the Word and the meanings that would create faith for the salvation of souls first, and for the healing of bodies next, and for the bringing of joy to the saints and establishing them, that they might continue on. Grant these blessings, Father, and the forgiveness of our sins, as we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

18 The Word is just such a wonderful thing. I love it. And now, to announce what we'd call for a text, for just a little while. And then read some of the Scripture here to get a context. I'm going to... My text tonight is "God Keeps His Word." And I wish to read from Saint John the 12th chapter and the 35th verse beginning.
I like to hear you all turning those pages and things. I like to see a people bring their Bibles to church. And it means that ... just... If I read His Word... Now, my word will fail because I'm a man. But if I would get no more out of the service tonight than just reading this Word together, we'll be blessed; because we'll feed that much on the Word of God. His Words will never fail. They can't fail. God Himself. At the 35th verse:
Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not where he goeth.
While ye have the light, believe in the light [May I stop here just a moment, and quote that over again.] While ye have light, believe ... the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and ... hid himself from them.
But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
Now, while I go into the context of this in a few moments, now Jesus had done many miracles as He seen the Father show Him what to do. We got that last night, did we? Nothing but what the Father told Him to do. Now, 38th verse.
That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which was spoke, Lord, who has believed our report? and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again [Notice that? They could not believe, because Isaiah said, about eight hundred years before this.],
He has blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

19 Now, may the Lord add His blessings to this Word. Did you notice here how strange that read? That these people could not believe, because Isaiah a prophet had said so. Did you catch it? Now, do you know that the Word of God once spoke, it can never be taken back. And the Word of God is so perfect, till here that John was trying to explain it to the people that Isaiah had prophesied saying, "Who has believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" Isaiah 40th chapter.
And he said, "Again Isaiah says (see), who has believed our report?" Who believed it, about the Lord Jesus? Who accepted it?---the report that He was the Messiah. And then he said again over here, Isaiah said, that, "He has hardened their heart (see), blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, unless they should see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and be converted." Now, because Isaiah said that, had spoke that about eight hundred years beforehand, that had to come to pass. See how perfect the Word of God is? No matter how much they wanted to believe, they couldn't believe, because Isaiah said they couldn't, see.

20 Now, you think Isaiah cursed the people like that? No. But by seeing a vision which God had already knew before the foundation of the world by foreknowledge, and Isaiah looked in and seen what was coming, and Isaiah reported what God had said before the foundation of the world. For this Word here tonight is only what God said before the world was created.
And a prophet ... and it's a gift of knowledge. Many times a prophet is referred to in the Bible as an eagle. A eagle can go higher in the air than any other bird, because he's built. He's a heaven bird. He sails way above. He has it all to himself. There's no other birds around him. And he goes way high. And being high up, he can see far off. And his eagle eyes, unmatched with any other bird, can never match his eye. The hawk hasn't got a chance, see, to the eagle, because the eagle can look far away. Well now, when you're high up and can see far away, then when you come back down, you can tell what is ahead of us if we're traveling that way.

21 And God takes His eagles of the Old Testament there, and He raises them up, and lets them see far off, things that's coming. Then when they come down, they can predict what they seen. You understand now? They are eagles. And I guess many, some of you scholars here has read Pemberman's "Early Ages," and lot of those, and "Preacher and Prayer."
And so I was wondering one time when I was at the Cincinnati zoo at Cincinnati, Ohio. I seen a sight that struck me. Being that I'm a lover of nature, I love animals. I was a game warden for years. And I love nature, and I love to study the habits of animals and everything, because I love them. They're the creation of God. And He's give them to us.

22 So watching that, and I was studying the eagle. And I seen a sight one time that broke my heart. And it was an eagle that had been caged. He'd been caught somewhere in a trap. And he was just put in the cage, and he didn't understand why he should be caged up. And that eagle would get back, and he'd set those big wings, and he'd hit that cage. And the feathers would fly when he'd flop his big wings against the cage, till it'd knock him backward. And he'd raise up, and shake his head, and fly again. He'd fall on his back, and he'd look upwards, and his eyes looked around. There he was; he was in a cage. Mankind had caged him. A super race to him, had caged him. And he was a heaven bird. And he looked through those bars and longed to soar with his big mighty wings. What could he do with them anymore? He looked into the heavens. It was a sad sight to see that eagle.
But I've seen a sadder sight than that when I seen the sons of God caged down in denominations, and under barriers, and isms, till they know that there's something in them would like to spring forth. They were made to be sons of God. But a super person, the devil, has tied them down in such places, till they just roll their heads and wonder. "There is a fountain somewhere; oh, if I could reach to it." That's the saddest sight I ever seen: men who was made to be sons of God, and yet let the devil tie them down under their God given privileges.

23 Satan has trapped them and put them into a place, and said, "The days of miracles is past. There's no such a thing as divine healing. Oh, them things was past long years ago." That's a sad sight to see a man in that shape, when God made him in His own image to be as free as a heaven soaring child of the living God, spread forth his wings and rejoice and flop in the breezes.
I've seen them when they'd set their big wings like this---not flop around---just set their wings and ride the tide as it comes in. The wind would come in, they just knowed how to set their wings and ride on up. And they'd go so high till they ... it was just like a little black dot into the heavens, see. He didn't strain. He didn't study. He didn't go from seminary to seminary, from church to church, or from mission to mission. He just set his wings and moved with the current. As it rode, he rode up with it and went right on out.

24 How that men tonight would just take God's Word, and not try to add anything to it or take anything away from it, but just set your faith right in the wings of God, right in His Word, just ride as the Holy Ghost lifts you up above all this old "Chatter-chatter, day's of miracles is past, and there's no such a thing as divine healing; there's no such a thing as the baptism of the Holy Ghost. And if you just study that you'll lose your mind." Just look right straight to the Word of God and ride away on the wings of faith. You're eagles of the day.
God keeping His Word, and Jesus said that "Heavens and earth will pass away, but My Word shall never fail." Now, that settles it. And now, in saying this, I'm only bringing this to this little church. As a few moments ago before they come picked me up, I said to my wife, I believe I'd give a testimony tonight of some experience. And I thought on that. And then the Holy Spirit seemed to say, "Give the church this little warning. Set this in this way." So I want to be obedient.

25 Now, I have nothing against anybody's belief, see. Nothing against any denominational church or anything, but there's a lot of stuff going on on the television and the radio today, that ought not to be. And that's this Bishop Sheen and those on those programs. Now, nothing against the Catholic. If he wants to be a Catholic, that's his business, see. That's up to him.
But when a man will stand in the sacred place of God and say, "To try to live after the Bible is like walking through muddy waters, and if the... Who wrote the Bible? I guess God take notion to give you a Bible, so He wrote on some paper, and give it some angels, and they come down from the corridors of heaven and give it to you." And just say it's a bunch of epistles was written four hundred years after the death of the apostles, and they're not accurate and things like that.
You know the Catholic church. I'm from a Catholic family. The Catholic church does not... They accept the Bible, certainly. But here's what they say: that God is in His church. Regardless if the church says something that's contrary to the Bible, take the church's word.

26 Now, I had a discussion with a priest in my den room here just recently. And he said... I was talking about baptizing a girl. He asked me how I baptized her; "By immersing in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ."
He said, "The Catholic church used to do that."
I said, "When?"
He said, "In the early days."
I said, "What early days?"
He said, "The early days of the Catholic church."
I said, "How early was the Catholic church?" Which I had all the sacred histories laying there, the Foxe "Book Of The Martyrs." I had Pemberman's "Early Ages." I had all the Josephus writing and all the other historians right there. And I said, "I'd like to ask you, 'when?'"
He said, "Well, the first apostle."
And I say, "And you say they were Catholics?"
He said, "They were."
I said, "Is the Catholic church a universal church?"
He said, "It is."
I said, "The very word Catholic means 'universal,' doesn't it?"
He said, "It does."
Well, I said, "Why is it then that the teaching of the Catholic church today is so contrary to the Bible?"
He said, "Well, you believe the Bible. We believe the church."
Well I said, "There's no way at all we..."
He said, "Well God is in His church."
I said, "The Bible said God is in His Word." That's right. And also the Bible said in the closing of the book, "He that will take out of here anything or add anything to it, the same will be taken of his part of the book of life away from him." So I believe the Bible infallibly. I believe it's the infallible Word of God. I believe there's no more to be added to it, or anything to be taken away from it. I believe that that is God's blueprint to His church. We builders have made a mess out of it; I'll admit that. But that has nothing to do with the blueprint. It still remains just the same. And it's God's Bible, and I believe it to be... God is in His Word. And God is responsible to His Word.

27 Now, for a little context, to go back to get a background to the things that I want to say. And the reason I've always tried to stay on the Bible... I've went into churches many times. Just so that you'll get a little general picture. And I've went into churches, and you watch this. You go into a church and you'll find usually the way that pastor acts, that's the way the congregation will act, see. I believe they get one another's spirit instead of the Holy Spirit sometimes.
Well, that's possible. Absolutely. You take a real good woman and marry her to a no account man, he will either become a gentleman or she will become no account, see. You just take one another's spirit. You do. Birds of a feather flock together. And you're a spirit being. That's what's the matter...

28 Put television out way it is now, and uncensored programs of all this vulgarity and everything. Let a little boy go. The gate is the eye to the soul ... the eye is the gate to the soul, rather. Let him go in and... Let these little girls go into one of these movies, or something, or other and see one of these here women out of Hollywood with eight or ten husbands, making love to some man. That little girl will practice the same thing the next day. Let some fantastic, nonsense come out out there with some kind of a little old scandal looking skirts on or something or other like that, and watch the American women go to wearing the same thing. That's right. See, you catch each...
What you feed on... Let me go in your office, sir. And you tell me you're a Christian. And let me hear you turn on your radio when I'm there, and you're listening to some kind of old boogie-woogie music, and let me see half dressed women, pin-ups on the side of your wall, I don't care what you say, I know what your spirit's feeding on. That's right. It's exactly right. See, always.

29 I'd rather have an old home with no rug on the floor, and with a little old iron bedstead sitting there, and an old dresser somewhere, or whatever, and a little old kitchen table made out of boxes with a sign hanging on it, "God bless our home" than all the fine homes in the world, your pin-ups and nonsense that you have today, and a Bible laying on the table instead of all these old love story magazines and things laying around, of dirt, and filth, and lust, and everything else to breed into the children. How can you expect anything else but a bunch of infidels and agnostics to answer out. That's true, friends. Bring up a child in the way that it should go, teach him on the Word of God.
Abraham Lincoln, until he was a grown man, had two books: One of them was the Bible, and the other was the Foxe "Book of the Martyrs." Abraham Lincoln... And he studied that so hard, he read; he concentrated on that. That's what developed that kind of a character that Abraham Lincoln was.

30 Show me what you read. Show me what you listen to. Let me hear your songs you like best; I will tell you what's in your soul feeding on it. "By their fruits you shall know them." That's right.
Go in to some of the places to eat, and that rattlety juke box nonsense. I've went in a many time and asked the man, if I done sat down to order my dinner, before I knowed that the thing was in the house, I'd go out and say, "Mister, how many records will that thing play an hour?" He'd tell me. I'd say, "Here, jerk the plug out and I will pay you right now till I get through eating. I want to eat in decency." And I will say, "I will unplug the thing, if you just please keep that thing off while I try to eat back there, will you? And I will pay you every record that they could play. If they play one just every two, three minutes, I'll make every one of them right (see), while I'm in here." Oh, such nonsense, of all that.

31 Now, that's the reason America's where she's all worm eaten today. That's the reason the very foundations is eat out from under it.
Now, you take people that's let the canker eat into them like that, how can you ever tell them people of the supernatural. The only thing they hear at church is some little doxology, or something or other, or something about who's going to be the next mayor, and never the Word of God, see. If it is it's in some little baby mild form, like a little baby aspirin to an adult, see. It doesn't ease the pain of a heartsick human being. That's right. You've got to have something that's God's hypo. Amen. It stimulates.
You know, He was called "The lily of the valley." And the lily is where we get opium. Opium comes from the lily. And I'm telling you, if you're heartsick and wore out and tired of sin, just let God give you the opium from the lily of the valley, and you'll find out it'll ease every pain and every care; and it'll set your heart looking towards God in respect to His Word and believe it with all your heart. That's right.

32 Now, for a background, in the Bible we're going back over into I Kings just for a little bit, in a mental conditions, to let our mind drift back to a certain event. There was King Ahab of the Old Testament. Which King Ahab in his time, is a beautiful type of the New Testament. And notice. Just as Ahab married Jezebel, an idolater, and brought idolatry into Egypt, was a type in the seven dispensations of the Old Testament, as the seven candlesticks of the New Testament.
In the dark ages, the fifteen hundred years of dark ages, Protestantism married Romanism and brought idolatry into the church just the same way. Watch the Bible and see if it doesn't say that. That's right. Through that fifteen hundred years of dark ages, you come out with a false baptism, sprinkling, the false name, false everything else. And God said, "You have a little light, and you have a name, but you've denied Mine," see. So that's the same thing.

33 And Ahab, this lukewarm, borderline, backslidden Israelite, oh, he might've been circumcised in the flesh; he might've had his name on the book somewhere as an Israelite. But in his heart he thought more of that little painted-face Jezebel than he did of the kingdom of God.
And how many tonight, how many people has sold out their birthright to the things of the world and got away from God. Stay with the Word. That's the reason coming into a meeting... Talking about taking one another's spirit: Coming into a meeting, we like to stay right with the Word. Stay with the Word so that the Spirit of the Word will be on the people, not the spirit of some fantastic, or some minister, or something. That we'd have to answer for at the day of judgment.
When I stand there at that day with the people that I've preached to around the world, I want one thing: that I didn't project something of my own, my fantastics into them people, but I stay with God's Word. So that thing will lay right there before me, and I say, "God, You were the One who wrote it," see. That's the kind of a spirit you want: something that'll take the Word of God, and not a bunch of fantastics, and a bunch of theology that's man-made. Stay with God's eternal Word.

34 Now, Elijah, the great, mighty prophet had prophesied, and he told Ahab because he'd killed Naboth, that what was going to happen to him, how that the dogs licked his blood and so forth. And he told Jezebel what was going to happen to her. Then along after the going away of Elijah...
God always, from Genesis to Revelation, God has always had at least one man that He could put His hand on. He's never been without a witness.
And along came a young fellow by the name of Micaiah, a little prophet. He was hated of the others. And Ahab had... Well, he thought, maybe the Jewish religion was all right. Now, that's the way the modern believer believes it today. They just take it as something that just, well, it just happens to be that way, see. And they go to church because they know it's a decent thing to do. If that's all you go to church for, you're just a hypocrite. That's all. You don't go to church for ... thinking it's a decent thing to do; you go to church to worship God. You go to meet God, to thank Him, and to praise Him, and to worship Him. A house of worship. Now, that's what we need.

35 And then Ahab, he had him a bunch of prophets that he'd well schooled and had them with all the best theology that they had in them day. He had taught them. And there was many of them---four hundred. And he had them all well dressed, and well fed, and taken care of. Out of his kingdom he fed these fellows up. He said, "Well now, wait a minute. If I ever get in trouble, well perhaps maybe, I could run down and find my pastors and they would console me in the way."
So one time, Jehoshaphat, which was a son of a righteous man, and a righteous man himself, he came down to see Ahab. And there's where he made his fatal mistake.
Listen. Oil and water don't mix. And many times, a many a good life has been completely wrecked by your associates. Show me your company, I will tell you who you are, see. That's right. It's an old proverb, but it's the truth. Associate with people who believe God.

36 Don't let your children... If he runs across the street to little Oswald over here (He's a nice little boy.), but be careful who little Oswald is. Find out what his daddy is, what his mama is. They may be a hater of the Gospel. They may have everything projected into little Oswald. And you let your little boy or girl associate like that, and the first thing you know, he will come up and be like little Oswald. Now, you know that's right.
Watch your associates. Keep your company clean. Don't go in the poolroom with that boy just because you think you can win him to Christ. If you can't win him to Christ in the church, or out at your own home, or sitting in your car, you'll never do it in the poolroom. I tell you, you're on the devil's grounds. Stay away from it. That's right. Separate yourself. God said, "Come out from among them and be ye separate," saith God, "and then I will receive you." God's looking for somebody who's got the courage to stand forth. God's always wanted that.
And every man of God that's ever stood, from Genesis to Revelations, and from Revelations to this modern time, has disagreed and set himself apart from the world ecclesiastical systems: That's the churches of the world in their day.

37 Any of them, you search through the Scriptures, and search through the history, and find out. Martin Luther, John Wesley, Calvin, Knox, Finney, Sankey, whoever it might be, just look at them, how they come out from among them things and stood alone upon their convictions---God's servants.
And sometimes even in your own family, you'll have to stand alone. Sometimes your mama and papa will disagree with you. Sometimes auntie and uncle, sometimes your lodge members will disagree with you. If God's Word, you're standing on that, stay if you stand alone on God's Word. For every man that ever amounted to a hill of beans, stood on God's Word with his testimony. That's right, because it's the only way to make the goal.

38 Now, this here fellow Jehoshaphat come down, because Ahab invited him down. And he killed ox and sheep and had a great big blowout. And a lot of times we get in trouble around these big, what we call blowouts: these big social affairs where they're have their parties, and all their carrying on, and so forth. And when they did this, maybe Jehoshaphat got a few extra steaks, and a few glasses of gin, or whatever they had to drink down there. And Ahab said, "Now, I'm going up to Ramoth-gilead, and I want you to go up with me."
Well, Jehoshaphat, all under the influence of the big fine things and the revi...
.
That's the way the devil does. He shows you the bright side. And that kind of a bright side, if it doesn't tally with God's Word, is a mirage. You know what a mirage is: is something that looks like it is; it's an optical illusion. So it isn't there when you get there. You know, go down the road, looks like water; when you get there, there's no water. That's the way the devil does you. He's always promising something out yonder, out yonder, showing you something bright. When you get there, it's never that way.
Stay with the Word, you're on the line then. You're in God's blueprint. Stay right there. What God says, no matter what it looks like, you don't... Faith is not what you see; it's things you don't see. You confess the things that you don't see. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

39 Now, then notice. As this all taken place, the first thing you know, Jehoshaphat signed an alliance and joined himself up with such great people down there of Israel, when he ought not to have done it. He was a believer. And he said, "Now..." But he was religious enough, and had enough righteousness about him, till he said, "We had better consult the Lord before we go up to Ramoth-gilead."
And he said, "Oh," Ahab said, "well, certainly. Yeah, that's right. We probably should do that." So he says, "Now, you know what? I've got a bunch of the best DD.'s down here that you ever seen." Said, "I tell you: Our church has no nitwits in it. We are of the better class. We got the best class that there is. Why, we've got men down there who has DD., Ph.D., LL.D. Why, you ought to see."
Jehoshaphat said, "Well, let's bring them up here."

40 So the kings got on the thrones at the gates, and four hundred prophets come up. And one of the great big ones called Zedekiah, he comes up, you know, and he says, "Now, let me see. Let us prophesy. Yes, Thus saith the Lord, go on up, the Lord's with you." See, why they were paid to. They wasn't paying no attention to the Word. They were paid well. They were fed well. They had meal tickets.
And a many good man today makes a mistake there. Brother, I'd rather lay on my stomach, drink branch water, and eat soda crackers, and stay in God's Word, and tell the truth, than to have fried chicken three times a day and live in a palace. That's right. It's the truth.

41 Right here in Dowagiac ... not Dowagiac, but Benton Harbor, Michigan, an old man John Ryan (not the John, you know, with the long beard, but the one from Fort Wayne) that was healed in the meetings. And they taken me over there; that rabbi... And he said, "How did that man, John, receive his sight?"
I said, "The Lord Jesus Christ gave him his sight."
And the rabbi said to me; he said, "Now, he wasn't either Jesus ... or, He might've been Jesus, but He wasn't no Christ." And there we had it, right down. He said, "Oh, you Gentiles can't chop God in three pieces and give Him to us," see.
And I said, "Well, we don't chop Him in three pieces, sir."
He said, "There's one God."
I said, "That's correctly. Correctly."

42 And then he said... He got on talking like that. He said, "Jesus was a thief."
And I said, " A thief?"
He said, "Yes, sir. Your Scripture, what you call the New Testament, said He went through the corn fields on the Sabbath day, and stole corn, and give it to His disciples, wasn't even legal." Said, "You know that." And said, "They're so confused." He said, "He stole corn and give to His disciples and eat it Himself. That makes Him a thief in my way of seeing."
I said, "Just a moment, rabbi, I'm surprised at you. Your own Levitical law said that a man can go through the field and pluck and eat what he wants to, but don't take any out in a bag." That's right. I said, "Shame on you, that don't know the Scripture no better than that." I said, "He was absolutely keeping the law." That's exactly right.

43 So I said, "Who was Isaiah speaking of in Isaiah 9:6 when he said, 'Unto us a Son is born, a Child is given.' Who was he speaking, the Messiah?"
"Yes, sir."
I said, "When the Messiah comes, what's He going to be then? 'A Child is born.'"
He said, "Why the Messiah will be a child."
"Uh-huh. And He'd be born of a virgin."
"Yes, sir, but not that you're talking about."
I said, "Now, I'm just asking you to answer my question."
And he went ahead like that, went on like that. I said, "Then what if the Messiah ... what relationship is He going to be to God? (See.) What's going to be the difference between the Messiah and God? What relationship is He going to be to God?" I said, "There's only two things that your law condemned Him on is breaking the Sabbath and making Himself God." And I said, "He was the Lord of the Sabbath and He was God." I said, "God was in Christ reckoning... Jehovah God was manifested in flesh in His Son Christ Jesus to take away sin." I seen it got him after while.

44 He said, "Well, about this man's eyes, did you do that?"
I said, "No, sir. Jesus Christ did it." I said, "John's seeing, isn't he?"
He said, "Yes, he sees." Said, "I've give him alms many time."
And I said, "There he was, sitting blind twenty years, beggar. And here he is now, could read finer print than I can." And I said, "Now, what about that? Something give him his eyesight." I said, "Jesus Christ done it."
I seen as he turned his head around like that, the tears running down his cheeks, like that, off his gray ... or, turning-gray beard, as he turned his head and walked away like that, walking to one side. And I said, "Just a minute, rabbi."
He said, "I will see you later."

45 And I said, "Just a moment. You be a gentlemen with me. I want to ask you something. You believe that that was the Messiah?"
He looked around at me; he said, "Mr. Branham, I will admit that He was a good man." Well, he done hung himself right there, see.
And I said, "You say [unclear words]."
"Yes."
I said, "What about His Word?"
He said, "He was a prophet."
I said, "Rabbi, You believe He was the Son of God?" I said, "First thing, if He's a good man, you couldn't believe Him as a liar. And a prophet, He wouldn't be a liar. And He said, 'I'm the Son of God.' Now, you've got yourself somewhere in trouble. And you said He was a good man and a prophet. And you have to admit His Word was prophecy, and He said He was the Messiah God. That's right." I said, "Now, you believe..."
And he said, "Look." Looked over to that little place towards there at Benton Harbor, he said, "If I taught that, I'd be down there in that street begging." Of course he was a Jew, you know, with money, the one that says, "What profit is this," throwed Joseph in the ditch, see. "All right. Let's sell him, get some money out of it."
But he had his name on that big gold on that school. I said, "But, rabbi, I'd rather be down there picking up bread crumbs around the garbage can." (Which I wouldn't have to do it if I served God.) But I said, "I'd rather do that, than to have my name on that building there, and in my heart know I was wrong in the sight of God. I'd rather do it. God's Word stands first." Right.

46 Notice. Now, all these preachers said, "Why, go on up, king. Why sure, the Lord is with you. Why you've took care of us. You've built fine churches. You've made us a great denomination. Why, just look how we've prospered under your money. Why, sure the Lord's with you, king. Go up."
That's the way people are today. They look at their fine church, their well scholared, polished-up preacher they got in the pulpit sometimes. And he might be a real gentleman. He might be a servant of God. He might be polished up and still a servant of God. I don't say that. But there's too many of them on the other side, that's polished up and denies the Word of God. That's the one I'm talking about---not the real, genuine brother. No, sir. It's the other side. "Well, we belong to certain, certain church, Rev. Branham. Of course we cannot cooperate in a healing campaign, or something or another, or any things like that, because, well, of course you know, the ... yeah, the king won't stand for that." The king... Yes, sir, sir. The king over your group wouldn't stand good for it. He wouldn't endorse it. You'd be excommunicated if you cooperated in it.

47 Some great man here not long ago, said, "The only thing I have..." The only man that ever I seen that had enough conviction to stand on what was truth was Rufus Moseley. That's right. If any of you... You know Rufus Moseley, down there in Macon, Georgia, oh, one of the great fundamental schools there with thousands in there. He said, "I don't care what you say; this is of God." Brother, God shook the country around there too. And what he did, he had convictions like Martin Luther. He had conviction like John Wesley. And any man that's got conviction of the Word of God, not in some fantastic, but in the Word of God, and placing it in its time... [Gap in the audio.]

48 Notice what taken place. Then after all these prophets begin to prophesy... And, oh, my, this is it. "Dr. Jones, what do you think about it?"
"Amen."
"Brother Levinski?"
"That's exactly right. 'Thus saith the Lord.'"
"Well now, Doctor, what do you think about it?"
"Yes, sir. Amen."
"Well, now, I'm the head of it, Zedekiah, and you're the secretary, and you're the chief man, and you're the state presbyter, and you're the 'what you call it.' Now, what do we all say?"
"We will agree."
That was very fine, but it wasn't according to the Word. And Jehoshaphat was spiritual enough to know that. I can see Ahab walk over and say, "Now, you see Jehoshaphat? I know you're just a little bit on the queer side (see), because you're just a little radical in your religion. But here's hundreds of prophets standing here, the finest scholars in the country, saying, 'We're going up.' Now, you see, we don't have nothing to worry about."

49 Jehoshaphat said, "But haven't you got one more?"
"One more? One more, the whole organization...?"
Said, "So what about it? The whole organization says we're right. All the doctors and all of them say we're right."
"Seems to me like I read where the Lord... Ahab, you just got another one?"
He said, "I got a holy-roller out here," or something, ever what he was. He was an outcast, off brand. He said, "He's the son of Imlah; his name is Micaiah." But said, "I hate him." Oh, sure you do. Said, "He won't join with my group." I don't blame him. Said, "Oh, my," said, "he's radical. And he never says anything good against me." Now, that lets the cat out of the bag right then, see. See, the reason they said that? Said, "He never says anything aga..." How could he say anything good against him? They're a ... or, good for him, because he was no good to begin with. God had condemned him and rejected it. And how're you going to bless what God has cursed? Or how you going to curse what God has blessed?

50 Another old false prophet tried that one time, when he brought all of his big denomination out and set them up there, fundamental to the dot: Yes, sir: seven altars, seven sacrifices, clean bullocks, and the seven rams, speaking of the coming of the Lord Jesus the first time. And there sat a bunch of holy-rollers down there in the bottom, by the name of Israel. They was a little bunch of interdenominationals down there, dwelling in tents. And Moab was a great fenced in country, all the celebrities standing there, and just as fundamental as he was. Right. But he failed to see that smitten rock and that pillar of fire going before Israel. That's what he said. He seen that supernatural God working in the shout of a King in the camp. He failed to see that.
I'm afraid today that a lot of our great big celebrity fails to see the hand of God moving amongst that bunch of radics they're talking about. I know they got radics and everything, but I'll take my way with them. I'll put my choice down there, if I have to take sides. It'll be right there. Lewi Pethrus told me not long ago, "I seen them carry on and everything too, Brother Branham." But said, "I went with them so I could bring them back." And he did it.

51 Now, notice. Well, he said... Jehoshaphat said, "I'd like to see him."
"All right. We don't even let him stay around here. We don't let him have none of his missions or things around this country. We outlawed that a long time ago. You have to go over to Amon to get him." All right, so they sent... Said, "Go, fetch that fanatic." And so all the celebrity got around him you know and kind of told that fellow---the runner, the officer---what to tell him.
So little old Micaiah sitting over there, reading the Bible or whatever he was, pulled up the scroll, said, "Yep. That's it. I have a strange feeling today, but that's what it says. Amen. I believe it, Lord. I don't care how funny it looks. I believe it anyhow. That's right, Lord."
"What did you say? Where do you read the..." As Isaiah prophesied, the prophets, and said so and so, he said, "I believe that. I believe that, Lord. That's right."

52 Somebody knocked at the door. [Brother Branham knocks.] " I'm the king's bodyguard."
"Well, come on in."
"Are you Micaiah?"
"I am."
"Are you that fanatic they talk about?"
"Well, I suppose I am."
"Well, I've got a order here to take you to the king."
"Well, you don't have to handcuff me; I'll walk along with you."
"Now, he wants you to prophesy."
"Oh, he does, huh?"
"They'd had a great meeting down there."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah, all the prophets got together, whole denomination. Everybody come together. Oh, they're, having a great time now."
"Yes, they have? What did they do?"
"Oh, the king... Do you know that Jehoshaphat's come down to see Ahab?"
" (Oh, I see what the Lord is talking to me about.) Oh, he did?"
"Uh-huh. Yeah."

53 "What in the world Jehoshaphat doing down there with that backslider (see), that borderline, dishwater weak, that little wishy-washy? What's he doing down there?" think in his heart.
"Well, what did they do?"
"Well, as of course you know that the king has made a great denomination, that one you was kicked out of."
"Oh, yes. Yes, I know."
"But you know, Jehoshaphat, he's from a more illiterate group up there, see. And he doesn't know just like King Ahab does down here. So you know King Ahab's a great man."
"Yeah."
"And Jehoshaphat was down there awhile ago, and King Ahab wants him to go up to Ramoth-gilead up there to meet the enemy. And all the prophets was... Oh, the whole school came out, and they every one prophesied, saying, 'Thus saith the Lord, go up, the king's with you, and the Lord's with you, and everything's with you; so you're bound to win.' And you know what? It's so positive till Zedekiah's made himself two big iron horns. He put them up on his head and running through the street, hollering, 'By these, by these you're going to push Syria plumb back into her place, by these horns.'" Real prophets, you know. My, my. They got everything.

54 That's just about like a lot of oil and blood running out of the hands; there's no Scripture to it. That's right. But all this here nonsense that's going on today in the Pentecostal ranks. That's right. Lot of it is not Scriptural, so stay away from it. There it is about all this stuff saying, "It's the church; it's the church, and not the Bible." If it ain't in the Bible, keep away from it. It's the Word.
Now, these fellows sat down, and after while they met a group, and they said, "Now, look here, Micaiah, you want to stand in good with this group? If you do, you must say the same thing that the rest of them say, see. You just say ... prophesy and tell him to go on up and everything's going to be all right. Just agree with him, and I will tell you what: You'll be the state overseer next year (see), or you'll be something like that. Oh, he will put you in position if you'll just say the same thing they do.

55 Micaiah said, "As my God liveth, I will only say what He says." Amen. Ah, that's what we need. That's what America needs. "I will say just what God says, no less or no more." That's right.
So Micaiah knew that Elijah, the prophet of God, a true genuine prophet, had prophesied evil against Ahab, so how could there ever come anything else out of it, but evil? So Micaiah... These other fellows had the minority ... majority, rather, but Micaiah had the Word. So there's what made the difference: the Word.
No matter how big the people are, how many the communists, and how many of this, and how many unbelievers, and the skeptics, and the great things today, no matter how big they are, it's what God is. It's what the Word says. If they call you a fanatic, if they call you a soothsayer, if they call you whatever they want to, what difference does it make? You don't pay attention to them men.
If your hopes is built on men, then you're lost to begin with, because he's a failure, born a failure, and can't be nothing else but a failure. But, "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood with righteousness; when all around my soul gives way, then He's all my hope and stay. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other grounds is sinking sand," Eddie Perronett said in his song. That's right.

56 Notice. And Micaiah had the Word. He knowed what that Word said. How could he bless this fellow when the prophet of God had "thus saith the Lord" and had cursed that fellow. How can we expect blessings to come out of things, out of unbelievers and things where God has put His curse upon? How can you do it? Fear of men, afraid you're going to lose your position, this, that, or the other, how can you do it when God has cursed that thing? Put your hopes in Christ. Put your faith in His Word. Stand there, regardless of what's said, yes or no. Stay with God's Word.
Now, closing, listen. Micaiah come up there before the king. And I can imagine the king, face red, and this little old ragged looking guy come walking up in there, you know, looking around, seeing all these preachers standing around there, the D.D.'s. I don't think he felt alone, because God was with him, see.

57 Walked up there. I can see the king, said, "How do you do, Micaiah?" That big fake, you know, because Jehoshaphat...
Jehoshaphat said, "There's just something about that guy I like. I don't know; he just looks pretty well to me, like he's pretty well on the line. Now, I see he hasn't got much education. He might not know all the great words and how to pronounce them right. But I believe one thing: that guy knows God, see."
So he walks up there. He said, "Micaiah, what will you say? Now, your word must be with the rest of them, and they all say, 'Go up, the Lord is with you, and you'll prosper.'"
He said, "Go ahead." Said, "Go on up. If they said that, well take off," see. And he said, "Oh, go on up there and prosper. Like to see you do it."
And Ahab thought, "Now, that..." I mean, he said, "That just don't sound right out of that guy. How could he be prophesying evil, against me and come down here and say that?" Said, "I will adjure you, as I always know you tell me the truth."
He said, "I said go on up, prosper." He said, "But I seen Israel like sheep scattered, having no shepherd: the Lord said, These has no shepherd: let them return to their own home in peace."
He said, "I told you. I told you. I told you that that holy-roller wouldn't say nothing but evil against me. I could just tell it. I knew before we went."

58 Now, what was the difference? One... Oh, the whole country was rallying with these prophets, but here's one man. The reason that he knowed he was right, and he come out he was right; he was standing on "thus saith the Lord," God's promise. And he knowed that no matter how many preachers, or how many denominations, or how many kings, and how many anything else said anything contrary to it, God's Word will prevail.
If he'd stand, had to stand by himself with the whole nation against him; but he stood there alone on the Word of God, knowing that God would keep His Word. Because Elijah said to Ahab, when he cursed him there by the Lord, and said, "The dogs will lick your blood, because that evil thing you done." How could that man turn around and predict blessings, when God had put a curse on there by a genuine prophet? He knowed nothing could happen but evil, so he stayed on the Word of God, and stood alone before the whole nation, with hundreds of preachers and doctors of divinity around him, and everything else, but he stood alone with God.

59 You know what that head chief captain of the priests did like that? Walked right up, and pulled them horns off the top of his head, and smacked Micaiah right smack in the mouth. That showed his religion, didn't it? Well, he just might've had a bloody draw there for a few minutes. And he said, "Which way went the Spirit of God, when it went out of me to go to you?"
He said, "Just wait till you're sitting, hiding in the cage over yonder, and you'll know which way it went," Micaiah did.
Micaiah said, "I saw Israel scattered." Said, "I looked up into the heavens, and I saw the great throne of God; and there was angels standing on the right hand and left hand of God. And they were holding a counsel when they seen this all happening." Like they was holding their counsel down here. Remember, when something's going on down here, persecutors, and laughers, and fun makers, there's something going on up there too, you know. Just remember that. Fix your faith on that.

60 So then he said, "I saw them all having a counsel in heaven, and they were going before God and trying to find some way they could bring Ahab out there to fulfill," of course, the word of Elijah, the prophet. Elijah spoke it under the inspiration; it had to be so. There was nothing else could stop it. So he knowed it had to happen.
And said, "I seen a spirit come up before God, and said, 'I'll go down, and I'll get in all them preachers and be a lying spirit, and I'll make them prophesy a lie. And that's the way we'll get Ahab out here and fulfill the Word of God.'" Because God will... He let that evil spirit, that lying spirit come down, and get into those preachers, and anoint them, and prophesy in the name of the Lord, a lie.
You say, "Then, Brother Branham, how could we ever know whether the prophecy is right or not?" Line it up with the Word. That's the way to stay with it. If it's not according to that Word, don't you believe it.

61 I told you last night this is God's Urim Thummim. If any kind of fantastics rise, wherever they are in this little church, whatever it is, pastor, stay with the Word. Don't feed these sheep something that'll kill them. Stay right with the Word, for it's written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Stay with the Word, see.
Now, Micaiah knew he was right, because he was with the Word. And they had just a swelling, popular idea. What happened? They took Micaiah, and smote him in the mouth, and took him up there, and put him in prison, and locked him up in the inner jails, and fed him bread and water of sorrow. Said, "Till I return in peace..." said Ahab. Ahab...
And Elijah ... or, Micaiah said, "If you return in peace at all, God hasn't spoke to me." That's right. Because his vision compared with the Bible.

62 Now, there's where I want to dwell just a moment. His vision was with the Bible. Now, if it was... Now, the other's vision was contrary to the Bible. But Micaiah's was with the Bible, and God's got to keep His Word. Do you get it?

63 Now, what happened to Ahab? He was killed that day, and the dogs licked his blood as the sun went down, out of the chariot at the pool, before they washed it that night. That's true. For one man, who took God's Word, his vision lined up with God's Word, and it was perfect, the absolute truth.
And now, friends, closing, this: a vision must line up with God's Word. A preacher must line up with God's Word. No matter what we think, and what the emotions are of the country, the crowd, or whatever it is, we must line up with God's Word. And that's the reason that I have defended.

64 In the first place, when the Lord begin to give visions when I was a little, bitty baby boy... And He begin to show those visions; my clergyman told me it was of the devil.
But one night, it was better than ten years ago at Green's Mill, Indiana, where I was there in the old camp, and my wife sitting there, right there now, who seen when the vision struck me that evening and I sat there under it, and I said, "God, I don't want to be possessed with a devil." Why, certainly not. And I told her I didn't know when I would come back. And I took off to the place to pray. And that night by the grace of God...

65 About ten years before that---about fifteen, ten or fifteen years before that---when I was just a young Baptist preacher, no more than a boy, baptizing out there in the river, hundreds of people that afternoon, my first revival; and that light come down from heaven and stood there before thousands of people. They fainted and everything, years ago when I was baptizing. And a voice spoke from there and said that I would take a message around the world, which would start a revival just like that it did in the days of John the Baptist before the second coming of Christ. I knowed a bit more about it than nothing. I wrote it down and kept it. They kept it. The newspapers had it, and everything: "Mystic light appears over local Baptist boy, pastor, while he's baptizing in the water," and all about it.
And then after that time, when it come time, the Lord Jesus sent His Angel back again, and tried to tell me that night when I was there praying, "God, don't never let that happen to me again. You know I don't want to be possessed of the devil, and You know I love You. And my clergyman telling me..." And here come the Angel of the Lord, and told me it was His work, and He had ordained it, and to where it'll sweep around the world.

66 And when I went to the general overseer, one of the high Baptist men, frankly, the one that baptized me, Dr. Davis, into the Baptist fellowship. I went and told him about it; and he said, "Billy, you need a rest. You've had a nightmare."
I said, "I don't appreciate that. I will resign the Baptist church right now."
Said, "You mean with your seventh grade education, and you're going to go around the world preaching the Gospel and things."
I said, "That's what He said, and that's what I believe."
He said, "Don't take it that seriously, Billy. I think if you rest a few nights you'll feel better." I walked out.

67 By the grace of God, I started. And now, what's happened? The revival fires are burning on every hill around the world. When old Goliath was slain and Israel saw, they drew their swords. That's what's happened. Men of vision, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Pentecostal, what more, when they seen that God had poured out His Spirit in these last days, that signs and wonders were taking place, and the bones had done rattled, and shook, and kicked over the chairs until they all got together, but now sinew skin is on them, and they're standing up like a great mighty army. And men begin to pull their swords, and say, "God, if Goliath the biggest can be slain, then we'll cut too." And they're cutting right and left, from east, from west, from north to south; and a great revival has swept the whole world.
When they said, "It can't be done. It can't be done. It can't be done," but God did it anyhow because He promised it.
He said, "The things that I do shall you also; greater than this (or more than this) shall you do; for I go unto My Father." When He was here on earth, He didn't claim to be a great person. He claimed only to be the Son of man when He was here. He was the Son of God, yet He was the Son of man through Mary. He was the Son of God by Mary. He was God Himself by Spirit. God in Christ, heaven and earth reconciled together, when earthly man, born of a woman, and the Spirit of God dwelt into Him. When the lamb and the dove came together, heaven and earth kissed each other (and that's right) on the great day.

68 And He went about. He didn't claim to be a healer. He claimed He wasn't a healer. He said, "I only do as My Father shows Me to do. I can do nothing in Myself. What I see the Father doing, that doeth the Son likewise." Men stood before Him, strangers to Him; He knew who they were. He called them by name. He called the people by name. Did He do it? Is that the Bible? Is it the Bible when He said He did nothing except the Father told Him? Is that the Scripture? Saint John 5:19, read that. Every word's infallible. Everything in the Bible is the truth.
Notice. He did nothing, but He stayed right with the Word. What did He say? "These things were done that it might be fulfilled." Is that right? They could not believe, because Isaiah said. Jesus said that they brought to Him (Matthew 8), said they brought and laid to Him, all their sick and afflicted and He healed them that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the prophet Isaiah: "He took our infirmities, and bore our sickness," and so forth. Everything He done was to fulfill the Word of God.

69 My brother, sister, as I say to you tonight, as your brother in the bonds of fellowship, a citizen of the kingdom of God with you, though we be few in number tonight, and though we be just a little group, God will bless us and has blessed us and brought His great Being among us. "Wherever two or three are gathered in My name, I will be in their midst." That's exactly what He said. "Whatsoever they shall agree upon, as touching one thing, and ask, they shall receive it." God promised that.
Now, if that's so, then the Word must be fulfilled. Jesus said, "The things that I do, shall you also." Did He say that? That Word must be fulfilled. Did He say, "Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature."? All the world, the Gospel, the power of the Holy Ghost, demonstrations of the power of the Holy Ghost to every creature... You say, "Does that mean that?" How are you going to... Read the next line then. "These signs shall follow them that believe; In My name they shall cast out devils, and heal the sick," and the things that He did.

70 How can you do it just with the letter alone? The letter won't do it alone, until the Word falls into a ground to produce the life that's in the Word. You hold a grain of wheat ever so dearly in your hand, you'll never get a beard of wheat off of it until you put it in the ground and it rots and brings forth another life. And except you die out to yourself, and your own ideas, and your own theologies, and just lay down in Christ, and be baptized in the Holy Spirit, rise with the Word in your heart... And if anything seems to come to you that's contrary to the Word, don't believe it. That's right. No matter what you're setup is.
That's exactly the way the Jews failed to see Him to be the Son of God in the first place. They had all the picture drawed up, how the Messiah would do, how He would come to the temple, and where He would sit, and all about it. But when Jesus come He was contrary to it. Every way that they thought He was coming, He was contrary to it. And that's the reason they said, "Oh, that's not the way we've been taught."
But God don't have to do things the way you've been taught. He does it the way He says He will in the Bible. That's right. Yeah. Them prophets in our Scripture lesson tonight, they'd been taught something too. But the Bible had said something else, and Micaiah stayed with the Bible.

71 Now, my contentions is this: Don't never, never accept anything, unless it comes out of the Bible, see. This is the blueprint. Let it be set in order and in the Bible. And God's the omnipotent One, the omnipresent, the infinite God who knows all things, and has predicted that in these last days these signs would take place. The things that He did would be done again before the coming of the Lord.
He said there would be false things rise up, and they... How we going to "diviate" them? Now, there's a good question. How are we going to differentiate from one to the other. We see things out here going on, say, "Yeah, just look over here. Looky here at this. Look at this here. See right down. Look over here. That's right." Oh, yes, brother. I will admit that. But tell me one time that the true Word of God ever failed. You got a bunch of fantastics. So was those priests. Do you understand what I'm meaning? Those preachers, prophets with them horns butting around, "Oh, thus saith the Lord, thus saith the Lord." But it didn't cope with the Scripture, see. But when it's absolutely coping with the Scripture, it has to come to pass.

72 And the hour is here, brother, when, "As Jambres and Jannes withstood Moses, so will they, men of reprobate mind, concerning the truth, who was foreordained of old to this condemnation," says the Bible. They could not believe. And they will not believe. The Bible said that in this day that we're living now, that men from old was ordained to be condemned, who turned the grace of our God into lasciviousness. Do you see what I mean? Jude 4th chapter ... or, 4th verse. Read and see if that isn't so.
Now, men of old foreordained to this... How can they believe when the Bible has done said they can't believe? How can we stop all that nonsense that's going on around in the land? How can we do it when God said it would be? Well, then you say, "Which is right and wrong?" Like Micaiah was, with the Bible. A true Spirit of God will move right with the Word, for He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.

73 There's no doubt sick people in this building tonight. There's not a person in here I know except my wife and daughter sitting there, and Brother Gene, this brother here, the brother sitting right there. I believe I do know this little girl that's here, that I believe they're his daughters and this is his son, this... And then there was somebody else I passed by a few minutes ago that I... Oh, it's... I'm not sure, but the lady sitting here, isn't that your wife? Uh-huh. It's your wife. All right. That settles it. How many here knows I don't know you? Let's see your hands.
How many here is sick and needs God to touch your body to heal you? Let's see your hand. Raise your hands. I don't care what you got wrong with you, raise your hand. All right. Pretty near sixty percent of the little audience here tonight... Then I want to ask you something: What if Jesus Christ stood here tonight, with this suit (as I've often said) He gave me? What would He do if you were sick and you wanted to be healed? What would He do about it? What could He do about it? There'd only be one thing He could do, was stay right with the Word. Is that right? Stay right with the Word.

74 What does the Word say? "There'll be a man rise up who'll have oil in his hands, and he will rub this oil..." No, that ain't the Scripture. What does it say? "There'll be high bishops, and if any authority is to be said, they'll be the one who say..." Oh, no, no.
"They that are sons of God are led by the Spirit of God." All right. What'll it say about divine healing? "He was wounded for our transgressions; with His stripes we were healed." It's a finished work.
What if any man desires salvation? Who could give it to him? The pope? The bishop? The cardinal? No, sir. No, sir. The pope of Rome could have nothing to do with it. The archbishop of Canterbury has nothing to do with it. None of the rest of them, there's none of them could have nothing to do with it. It's your own individual, personal faith in a finished work of Christ at Calvary. That's the Bible. That's what the Bible said.

75 "If I will go to a Pentecostal church, will I be saved? If I will do what the Pentecostal does?" No, sir. You won't be saved. You'll be an impersonator and a hypocrite by doing it. That's right. You get saved and do what God tells you to do, not try to act like the rest of them does. You do what God tells you to do. And your experience must line up with God's Bible. If it doesn't, then you're wrong yet. No.
"Well, if I'm a Presbyterian, do I have to join the Pentecostal church?" No, sir. You certainly do not. The only thing you have to do is come to Jesus Christ and accept Him as a finished work. And then when your faith is recognized of Him, He will give you the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

76 Here's the formula, if you want to know it. All right. When the first church was inaugurated on the day of Pentecost, they were all screaming. And Jesus told them, said, "Don't you preach no more; don't you do nothing." But Luke 24:49 said, "Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until you're endued with power from on high. After this the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:8), after this the Holy Ghost will come upon you: then you shall be witnesses of Me in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world."
They went up there, how long to wait, how long? Two days, five days? Until. What happened? They was all in one place in one accord---one accord. They wasn't arguing, "Now, I'm a Sanhedrin. I'm a Pharisee." No, it'll never come on a group like that, not a bit, never come. They're just waiting. They were brothers and sisters together, women in there with them. They were all up there for ten days, waiting, waiting, one accord, reading the Bible, maybe someone stand up and preaching like I've just done, saying, "The blessings of God has been promised. Now, God said He'd pour out the Holy Ghost. Joel said He would do it. And we're waiting for the Word to be fulfilled."

77 Oh, my. So are you doing that tonight? Waiting for the Word to be fulfilled; how that struck fire to my heart! Waiting in the upper room... "Well, it never happened yesterday. It will today. Or if it don't today, it will tomorrow. We will stay right here till it's over. We're going to wait. Now, the Word said so, and every spot of Jesus' life was a fulfilling of that Word. He told us to wait here before we went to preach the Gospel, all the way around the world, and that every creature on the earth hear the Gospel. Before we started, we were to wait here; we were to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost."
One of them said, "Now, just a minute. There's just a little thought in my mind. Haven't we walked with Him hand to hand?"
"That is right. But He said, 'Yet a little while and the world won't see Me no more; yet ye shall see Me; for I will be with you, even in you.' Well, now, that's right. He did say that. Then He's going to be in us. Yes, sir. That's the Word. Stay with it. That settles it. All right."

78 Here they come. All of a sudden... Now, here's the way we take it. Not for a joke now. This is no place for joking. There's been too much Hollywood evangelism today, too much joking and carrying on at the pulpit. Listen. This is a sincere thing. And notice, and a sacred thing. Notice.
What happened? As we listen... If we taken it like today, what if we were taking the Catholic church? Now, we'd have to read Acts 2 like this. "And they were all in one place and one accord, making confessions, and they prayed to the blessed saints." It's a high form of spiritualism, of course, you see, because there's nothing can pray to the dead except spiritualism. Right. So then, "They playing to the blessed saints. The priests come in and gave them the holy communion (holy Eucharist, which is called in the Greek word), and the people would lick out their tongue and take the holy Eucharist, and they would drink the wine." Now, that's the way we go in, take the rights of the Catholic church.

79 Now, don't Protestants laugh, because pot can't call kettle black. What do we do? We get up, and walk up to the platform, and take the hand of the preacher, and shake hands with the preacher, and they put our name on the book, make a confession, say, "We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God." Every devil in hell believes the same thing and publicly confess it. That's right. Put your name on the book; that's the way we got it. Why do I condemn it? Because it's not lined up with the Word of God. That's right.
"They were all in one place and one accord, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind." Not a priest coming up, or a minister coming up, but a sound as a rushing mighty wind coming from heaven. "And it filled all the house where they were sitting." There you are. There's the baptism of the Holy Ghost. They begin screaming, and shouting, and speaking with jabbering lips and other tongues, till even when they run outside screaming and going on and acting like...
The religious people of that day said, "These men are drunk, all full of new wine," the women and all.

80 And listen, my sister, if God required the virgin Mary to have such an experience like that before she come into heaven, how are you going in without the same thing? Virgin Mary was with them. Think that over just a little bit. We're lining up with the Word. That's exactly right. Is it true? Certainly it is.
Then when they were all noised abroad, and they were speaking every man to... This group maybe was Italians, and here was another man, here was a Galilean speaking Italian language to this bunch of Italian, was telling them of the resurrection. They said, "Why do we hear in our own tongue, the great works of God? How do we hear every man in our own tongue wherein we were born? Aren't they Galileans, and how do we hear them in our own language?" They said, "This puzzles me." It was the great works of God going on.

81 Now, not like in some of our modern meetings: a bunch of carrying on, where there was no, nothing to be understood, but they heard them in their own language wherein they were born, see. Notice, every man in his own language wherein he was born... They were listening. They said, "Isn't this marvelous?" See.
And others mocked and said, "Hah! Look at them. They're so drunk, they don't even know what they're doing." They were reeling and staggering like drunk men, under the mighty impact of the mighty God. The great unction, which means in the Greek word "dynamite," was in their soul, that had blowed out the roots of carnality, and the Holy Spirit had settled in their heart. There they was. And others begin mocking.

82 But Peter, kind of coming to himself a little, he jumped up on a soapbox stump, whatever it was, and he said, "Ye men of Galilee, and you that dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known unto you, and hearken to my words (Listen to me a minute. Give me an audience.): these are not drunk as you suppose, seeing it's just the third hour of the day." Saloons wasn't even open yet, see. "This is just the third hour of the day." He said, "But this is that..." Amen. "This is that." If this ain't that, I'll keep this till that comes. Said, "This is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel."
Was Peter a right kind of a preacher? Absolutely. Where did he go to, some theology or some great something another that some man had made up? No, sir. He went straight to the Word like Micaiah did. "This is that which was spoken of by the prophet Joel; 'It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh.' This is that," he said. Now, there's the point. That's it. This is that God had spoken. God had said it. God had confirmed it. And the people are laughing at and making fun of it.

83 Well, we got back to that place again. Tonight just before the [unclear words] of time again, when hanging yonder in Moscow tonight is a rocket hanging there with bombs hanging in it like this, that any minute they can direct it anywhere in the United States they want to, and never leave Moscow. Got a rocket that shoots the thing. They're tying it with the stars and with the radar. And they can shoot it, and it'll shoot maybe one thousand miles, and another rocket explode, and shoot it on another thousand miles right past, right by the lines in Finland where the Russian guards with a machine gun on me, holding me like this, keeping me from looking on the inside through a little wall that was homemade like that for fifty miles, and like to suffocated in there with the Russian guards.
When we went up there, I seen them Russians come out behind there, and grab them Fins around, and hug one another, and kiss them, them real Christian brothers over there. Brother, Christianity is the answer. That's right. Certainly it is.

84 And going through those places. And there they could time that bomb and throw her into Chicago, and blow Sturgis plumb off the map with the same thing, and never leave Moscow. It's all laying right in the hands of sinful, godless men tonight. That's right.
And there's no need to try to run. Ain't going to do you no good. One of those hydrogen bombs, [unclear words] the direction on it, neither have here in your air watch and things. When that bomb hits, fifteen miles each way, it blows a hole in the ground a hundred and seventy-five feet deep, for fifteen miles. That's thirty miles square, any way it falls, just one bomb. Then it'll go out yonder for miles and miles and miles beyond that, busting trees, and tearing things, and just turn it back to dust and back to cosmic light. That's what's happening.

85 No wonder the Bible said, "In the last days it shall come to pass." What is it? "There'll be signs in the heaven above (flying saucers where even the Pentagon and all don't know what to think of it), fearful sights in the skies, men's hearts failing, fear, perplexed of times, distress between the nations, the sea roaring (tidal waves), earthquakes in divers places, and men shall be heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, and despisers of those that are good."
You say, "That's communists."
No, them's preachers; that's religious people: "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." Turn away. Lift up your heads; your redemption's drawing nigh. Amen.

86 Men and women, my brothers and sisters, after preaching the Gospel practically five times around the world, seeing sights, it's not even ... be good to talk to you about... But I know, something within me; I don't know when; no one else does. But I believe the coming of the Lord is at hand. We're near. Jesus Christ is meeting in His little groups. "I will be with you. I will confirm the Word." And tonight the Bible says that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. If we're here together, then He's got to be here.
And if He will appear here in this audience and do the very same things that He did when He was here on earth, will all of you have a heart full of faith and promise Him, "I will stay right with Your Word, Lord, and read right in Your Word, and follow it."? Will you do it, if He will do it? Will you raise your hand, no matter who you are, what you believe? God bless you. Let us pray.

87 Now, Lord, it's just a few moments. I have spoke at length and a long time, but knowing I don't when we will ever meet again this side of heaven. There may be some here will be gone if I should return back in a few months. I don't know, Lord. But one thing that I want to... [Gap in the audio.]
If you're sick and you ha... Does the Bible say... I will give you a Scripture. Does the Bible say that Jesus is the High Priest of our confession? Does He say it, Hebrews 3? All right. Does the Bible say in the New Testament that we can touch Jesus, as the woman touched Him---His garment? Just touched His garment and went off, stood in the crowd, and Jesus turned around and said, "Who touched Me?"
They said, "Why, all touched You." Everybody denied it. But His great discernment of spirit went right straight to where she was, and told her exactly what was wrong. Did that happen? Certainly. Does the Bible say that He is now the High Priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities? Is that right?

88 How would we be recognized then if He has already done the work? I question it just like He give to the Jews in His day. "Who do you say the Christ is?"
Said, "The Son of David."
Said, "Why did David in the Spirit then call Him Lord?" "The Lord said unto my Lord, 'Sit down on My right hand till I make foes the footstool.'"
Then how is it, if He has already finished our works, the works of grace, for our faith to accept Him as healer, because He has purchased our healing, how can He still be a High Priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities? He has to make a way out. And the only way that done it, basing it on Hebrews 13:8 that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.

89 And when He went away, His works was to be carried on in His church until He returned. Is that right? He said, "We are the vine ... We are the branches; He is the Vine." Is that right? Saint John 15th chapter: "I am the Vine; ye are the branches." And every branch that bringeth forth fruit is pruned, and fixed up, and purged so it'll bring more. But the branch that doesn't bear fruit is plucked off.
Now, the branches is the one that bears fruit, not the vine. So we, the church, is left as the branches. So your eyes and my eyes is the only eyes that God has on the earth. Your lips and my lips is His branch. He energizes it to bring forth fruit. And our ears is His ears. Our hands to do good is His hands. Our feet are His feet to carry us to church and to do good. "Blessed are the feet that bring ... beareth good tidings and all such." We are His vine and He just pours His energy into us.

90 Now, there's five gifts that's set into the church: apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, pastors. That's the branches, and God pours His energy into that. Some of them to preach, some of them to be evangelists, some to be pastors, teachers, seer. And apostles are missionaries, either one; it's both the same, same word.
Now, if He's raised from the dead, and He's here tonight, then what would He do if He stood here? He would look upon you; He'd know you. He'd know you just as He knew Peter, called his name, and He knows others. He'd know what you had need of in your heart, like He did the woman at the well. He told her... He talked to her a few minutes till He found her trouble, said, "Go, get your husband."
She said, "I don't have any husband."
Said, "You got five."
She said, "Sir, I perceive that You're a prophet. We know when the Messiah cometh, He will do these things. (That right? Saint John 4.) But who are You?'
Said, "I'm He."
She run in and said, "Isn't this the Messiah? Isn't this the very sign of the Messiah?"

91 So did Philip say the same thing when he brought Nathanael up. Nathanael, when he said... Why, He saw him when he was under the tree, praying, the day before, thirty miles around the mountain. How did He do it? Why, he said, "You're the Son of God, the King of Israel."
But what did the big orthodox church say? "That's the devil."
Jesus said, "You say that against Me, it'll be forgiven; but when the Holy Ghost is come and energizes, speak one word against it; and it'll never be forgiven in this world or the world to come." There you are.

92 Now, I humbly ask you to submit yourself. I ask you to never... Get this. I am not a healer. And there's no other man that's a healer. I've asked you to give your spirit wholly to God, and look towards heaven, and say, "God Almighty, I am in need. And I'm asking you some way, that I'd recognize to increase my faith that You'll appear here and prove by that, by the Scriptures, that You're with us, and doing the same work that You did. And just speak to me. And I will know whether it's true or not, because I know." You'll know. Your spirit will bear record with His Spirit as Jehoshaphat did, when he seen Micaiah.
Now, pray. Don't be skeptic. If you do, He will never speak. You get sincere and believe, as I get sincere and believe. And the Lord add His blessings.

93 And little sister at the piano, if you would, just a little song. You say, "Why the song?"
Well, why did Elisha say, "Bring me a minstrel."? To bring the Spirit of God upon him. Said, "If I didn't respect the presence of Jehoshaphat, I wouldn't even look at you." He said, "But nevertheless..." He got all stirred up. He was rebuking Jehoram, Ahab's son. And he said, "If it wasn't for the presence of Jehoshaphat, I wouldn't even look at you. But bring me a minstrel." He had to quieten himself down. When the minstrel played, the Spirit come upon the prophet. Is that right?
You play "Abide With Me," will you, softly, while we all... Now, everyone just keep right in your seat; just keep reverent before God; and remember, we're in His presence. I've talked way long. Now, one word from Him will do more than all the words I could say.

94 And if He will return tonight in here... When I know He's here, because that's His Word; I stay right with it. If He will return and do the same thing that He did at the well, with the woman, or with Philip, or with any place else, if He will turn and do the same thing, will every one of you recognize Him, and then believe Him, and go out...? Will you know it's right in the Word, not some mythical something what somebody else has said, but what God has said, what His promises said, His Word has said? All right, sister. Now, be reverent and just be in prayer, just waiting.
Now, when there's a mass of people, many times I call prayer lines so that the people would come up and be prayed for. I could get one single person. But you're just a little group. Sometimes before, maybe like in India, five hundred thousand, or in Africa maybe two hundred thousand, and thousands like that see, the little prayer lines starts till the anointing gets started.

95 It's your faith that does this vision. It's your faith. Jesus didn't say, "I knowed anything about it." She touched Him, and then He recognized it. Now, you touch Him tonight and see if He will recognize you. Just pray. Just pray.
And God of heaven, be merciful to us. For now, abide with us, Father. And we have brought Your Word just as humbly as I know how to bring it, at length. Paul preached one time all night on the same Lord Jesus. And a boy fell out and killed himself, and Paul laid his body over him, and life come back again.
And now, Lord God, we pray that You'll appear to us tonight, for these people who's accepted You, these seven or eight people that raised their hands. We pray that You'll let them see now that it's not some dead creed; it's not some Buddha, or some Mohammedan, or Sikh, or Jain, or some other religion; it's a true religion, religion of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is not dead, but is alive tonight in our midst. You promised You'd meet with us, Father, and we know You are here.

96 As we sit prayerfully, if you wish to close your eyes, all right. If you do not, you don't have to. But just be in prayer. Remember the Angel of the Lord, the picture of it that's here in the book, a very bad picture, where the scientists, and the FBI, and all has examined it... It's hanging down here in Washington, DC, copyrighted.
Can you remember seeing that picture? If you do, say "Amen." That Angel of the Lord, that light that appeared on the river yonder, that's been took by many newspaper photographer... In Germany here a few weeks ago, they just scattered it all over Germany, when the big German camera caught it coming down.
That light isn't two foot from where I'm standing. That's exactly right. What is it? Jesus Christ. "Light?" Yes. Anyone knows that it was Jesus Christ who led the children of Israel in a pillar of fire, a light. He said, "I come from God; I go to God." And while He was here on earth, He was a man. He turned back and went to God. He appeared to Mary, He appeared to Cleopas, done something. But after He ascended to God the Father, He turned back to light; and Paul on the road to Damascus seen Him. And He was a great light that struck Paul down, like the sun shining. The people stood by there, never seen no light. They couldn't see Him.

97 But just as my soul begins to enter into the other world, this other realm, then the light begins to see it. I see it moving as it's before me.
And I want you to pray and believe. As you people, no matter how strange you are, I know you not, but God does know you. And I want you to believe. Now, I have no way of knowing you. You know that. But God does know you. Now, just as you pray, I'm just watching to see what He will say. Just touch His garment like the woman did, and have faith, and believe.

98 Here He is, standing over a lady right here in front of me, with a blue dress on, sitting by the side of a woman with a green dress on. She's holding a light blue handkerchief in her hand. She's wearing glasses. She's praying to God. And this light hangs by her, as I see it break. And the woman moves away from me, and the lady is suffering with a sinus trouble. That's right, lady. Raise up your hand if that be so, so the audience can see. All right.
I see someone else that appears by you. It's an aged person. It's a woman, very sick. I see a long streak coming. I see a little girl in a... Oh, it's your mother that you're praying for in your prayer. And your mother is seriously ill. And her examination shows that she has diabetes and a cancer also. And you're afraid for your mother. And you're praying to God now to help your mother. That is true.

99 Now, if that is true, I want you to raise to your feet just a moment, if them words are true. Now, I want you to look this way. I don't know you, do I? Never seen you. But ever what was said is true. Is that right? I wouldn't know it at this time, because it's on the record. Now, the best I can remember, it was for sickness. And the tears that you wipe from your eyes on that handkerchief, you lay it on the one that you love.
Now heavenly Father, I ask that You will bless and grant this woman's request. Her faith has touched Thee. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
[Gap in the audio.] ... canst believe, all things are possible, all things.

100 Now, since you dropped your head right back here, you're so sincerely watching and waiting, you. You kept watching me to see what my emotions would be. I'm a stranger to you, am I not? But you know that there's Something around you that's not human. You're aware of that. I never seen you in my life. You're a stranger. Do you believe me to be His servant? Do you believe what I've told you is the truth?
Now, see, the way you get to a gift, it's your approach to it. One time when Jesus was talking to the people, a woman touched His garment; she felt virtue. But a Roman soldier put a rag on His head, and hit Him on the head, and said, "If you can see visions or prophesy, tell me who hit you." He didn't feel no virtue. It's your approach.

101 [Gap in the audio.] ... that pleurisy would leave you. That's right, isn't it? You got more faith than really you thought you had. Now, you really know that something's anointing you now. When I said that, that just boosted your faith. Wasn't that right? Now, you look at me as God's prophet. You're not from this city. You're not from around here. You come from a big place. It's Detroit. That's right. Elisabeth is your name. Your last name's Marshall.
Do you believe on the Lord Jesus now, lady? See, as you contact His Spirit, how He moves right back down to you? That doesn't heal you. It only gives you a contact of Spirit. Now, get her to doubt. Some of the rest of you might, but not her. Neither did Nathanael doubt. Neither did the woman doubt, who the miracle was done on. Neither did the woman at the well doubt.

102 It happened to be it moved over to you, sister, sitting over there in the corner. You believe the Lord would heal that back trouble and let you get well, make you well? You're praying for that, wasn't you? Raise up your hand if that's true. All right. Receive what you've asked for. May God in heaven grant it to you, is my sincere prayer.
[Gap in the audio.] ... the door, a man wearing... No, it isn't. It's a woman; it's right ahead of him. There stands that Angel of the Lord, that light, around the woman. Don't fear, sister. The Lord Jesus will make you well, give you the desire of your heart there. Your name's Alice, isn't it? Granger's your last name. Have faith in God. Don't doubt.

103 There's a young man sitting; he's wearing a red coat, or a red sweater. He's got his finger against his mouth. He's praying for someone which is dear to him. It's his father. He has cancer. Do you believe, young fellow, that God would heal your dad? You do? Are you aware that Jesus... How did I know what the man was praying for? [Gap in the audio.]
While the anointing is upon you all, do you want to be healed? You wish to be healed? Do you believe me to be His servant? I say to you that Christ is in our midst. Ask these people; I never knew them. Now, it's breaking over the...

104 [Gap in the audio.] ... on the sick. I'm afraid to go any farther now, because the Holy Spirit seems to say, "Pray for them." Keep your hand on your baby here, lady. All right. Be in prayer now, everybody. Oh, abide with me.
We're inviting You into our little bark, Lord, our little house, not much. We've mistreated it so, Lord, but You're God. And we pray that You'll bless this little audience just now. Thou has come down and proven Your Word, that You stay with the Word. The Word shall never fail. You said, "Heavens and earth will pass away, but My Word shall never fail." Nothing can stop Your Word from failing ... or, could ever make it fail, rather. There's one thing that's impossible: that's for God to fail, for the Bible said He cannot fail.
And You are the Word. You, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was made flesh, and dwells among us in our hearts, in our beings. When they thought they could destroy it by placing Him in a tomb, driving a spear through His heart, but watch the Spirit of God making a way by an Angel, rolling away the stone, and...

God keeps His Word

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 ... days gone by and I am grateful to the one that makes this effort to sing it for me when I come. Sister Angie and Sister Gertie, the Lord bless them. When I hear that, it brings back old memories of long ago. Just before leaving the tabernacle we had a great revival of a complete winter of preaching on the book of the Revelation of the Lord Jesus. And almost every Sunday night they would sing the song: Keep Holding On. Thank you, Sister Gertie. And I am certainly happy that they sang it again tonight for us.
Sister Angie was saying that she was just a bit hoarse. Well, don't feel lonesome; I am too. But this morning after making the people suffer through about a two and a half hour sermon, as one of my minister types, I got outside when it was a little wet on the ground. And of course, that's the way I get. But I just love the Word and especially the blessing of the Holy Spirit with the Word. And when He is blessing and helping, I just simply can't find a place to stop. So, you know how it is.

2 Now, maybe not quite so long tonight, that I wish to speak because of being a little hoarse, but depending on God for our blessings and for His spiritual help that we vitally need in our lives.
And now, as Brother Neville has announced with his program ... on his program, rather... And I wish that every listener would listen to that program. Now he doesn't tell me to say this. But I never was so blessed in listening to a program as I was this last Saturday. How many heard that message? That was a masterpiece. WLRP nine o'clock until nine-thirty each Saturday morning: The Neville Trio.
And I was speaking to the brother who takes the recordings, Brother Leo, which is in the room, and he was so carried away with it that he didn't... He said, "Say, who is this preacher?" He had the radio on, and Brother Gene, or some of them, said, "It's Brother Neville, this is his time." And it really was wonderful. Not only that, but everyone.

3 I tell you the reason I just love to hear Brother Neville speak, not mainly because he's a good preacher, but because I know that he lives what he preaches. And I would rather you would live me a sermon than preach me one. It'll be more effective.
And now, I have... Now I've had it announced that I would speak on tonight for a few moments: God Keeps His Word. And this morning I was speaking on: The Impersonation Of Christianity. And now the Lord add His blessings now as we read His Word. And I want to read from several places in the Scripture, at least three, or maybe quote some more. Because it's the Word that we are speaking about.

4 In the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation. After the complete Bible has been ... being finished, here was the message to the church. That's the 22nd chapter of Revelation, and beginning with the 17th verse:
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that is athirst say, come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things that are written in the book.
He that testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
And then over in Saint John, the 12th chapter of Saint John, and beginning with the 39th verse:
Therefore they could not believe, because ... Esaias said again,
He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
And then in Saint Matthew, the 24th chapter, and in the 35th verse, Jesus speaking:
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall never pass away.
And in Galatians 1:8:
... though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which you have received, let him be unto you accursed.
Now let us bow our heads just a moment for a word of prayer.

5 Our God, we come to Thee in the name of Thy beloved Son, who has bid us to come, saying, "Ask the Father anything in My name, I will do it." So we come in Jesus' name to first repent of our own sins and our short coming. And to ask Thee to cleanse us from all of our iniquity. And to purge our thinking, that we will think upon the things that are right and pertaining to the kingdom of God. And may our thoughts be tonight on something that would better the kingdom of God. And would better the people that are in the kingdom. And may our hearts be purged from all foul things. We desire to walk upright before Thee with clean hands and a pure heart. And oh, God alone can do this. And we pray Father, to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. Wash us in the waters of separation from the things of the world, by the Word.

6 And may through the Word... Thou hast said, "You are clean through the Word." And we pray that the Word will search deep into all of our hearts tonight, and will cleanse us from any disbelief, that may our hearts be renewed in the Holy Spirit. And may He bring to us tonight those things which would be profitable to the kingdom of God.
Help those, Lord, who are feeble along the way---having, finding, difficult in believing the Word. And O God, in this dark and treacherous hour that we are living, and as we look ahead for the world crisis, we see only darkness ahead. And Thou has said, "Look up when these things begin to happen, for our redemption is drawing nigh." And may we be exhorted tonight. And by the Holy Spirit, to take this to heart, to look up in the face of the God of Heaven, who has promised our redemption at this time.

7 And as John on the isle, prayed, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." And we pray that You'll grant these things to us tonight. And heal all that are sick and afflicted. And comfort the saints, call sinners to repentance, and renew all of us, that we would go from here tightening on the full armor of God, to go forth as soldiers prepared for the battle that lays before us.
Now as we have gathered tonight, each in prayer, and the banner over us, the morning star leading the way. And the host of the enemy has encamped, also. And the great challenger comes out and makes his boast, saying that "These days of miracles is past." But, O God, raise to us a David, a warrior, a challenger, and may that Spirit dwell in every heart richly; for we ask it in Christ's name. Amen.

8 In approach to this most vital subject, and it is not aimed to anyone's belief, or to upset, or to disturb, or to make enemies. It is only meant for the gathering and the uniting of the people of God together.
And the reason that I have chosen to speak this to the tabernacle tonight, is because of the condition of time that we're living. I believe that we are at the beginning of something that the whole world is aware that's fixing to happen. No one seems to be able to put their finger just on it. But yet we know something's fixing to take place. It's not only here, it's everywhere.

9 And I think that it would be most appropriate tonight if we would take this time while the people are gathered together, to speak something that would be of a vital importance: to embetter, to cause us to understand, and to equip us with better understanding of Christ and of the Gospel and the time that we are living.
Now to start with, I wish to say this, that not long ago, I was in a Lutheran Seminary. And the Lutheran brethren said to me, after they had wrote me a letter, a very harsh criticism---the dean. And speaking and telling me things that I was a soothsayer and many evil things which, really, they could not prove, because I said, "The devil could not heal."

10 Now if the devil can heal, he is a creator. And a Creator: There's only One, and that is God. The devil cannot create. The devil is not even omnipresent. He can only be at one place at a time. His demons are present everywhere, but God is omnipresent. The devil can only be present at one place. God is omnipotent; the devil has a limited power. That is, as long as he can throw his bluff in. And the only legal thing that he has is to turn you back to the dust of the earth. That's the only thing that he has. And that's still with the blessing of God, by a promise of God, for the resurrection.

11 So God is the only Creator, and God is the only One who can build cells, and cells is creation. And creation only comes by God, so God is the only healer, and there is no other healing but divine healing. We have famous doctors who could set a bone, but God heals. We have doctors who can cut appendix out, or remove a growth, which is only the right thing to do. But, who does the healing? God does the healing, for He is the only Creator. Now!
And he said, "What of us Lutherans? Do you think that you consider us Christians?"
I said, "Most certainly." I said, "The kingdom of God has been like a man that planted his corn in a field. And of a morning he went out and he looked, and there was the two little blades that come up in the early spring. And the farmer said, 'Look at my corn field.'"

12 Now did he have corn? Potentially, he did, but not in the ear. Now it's just like if I gave you a... You asked me for a oak tree, and I gave you an acorn. Potentially, you have the oak tree, because the oak tree is in the acorn. And then, in the grain of corn you do have the corn, but yet, it's just potentially. You have the grain.
Now the farmer said, "Look at my corn patch, isn't it beautiful? My corn."
He called it corn, yet it was in the shoot. By and by, that corn stalk grew till it become a tassel. The tassel is where the pollen comes ... or, the pollen falls from the tassel, which causes the breeding of the corn, the sex between the male and female. Now what if the tassel should look back and say to the leaf, "Now, I have nothing to do with you. You are not even in the picture. I am a different thing. I am the tassel. I'm the one that's recognized; you have nothing to do to it."

13 But yet without the leaf, the corn cannot pollen. Because the tassel drops into the leaf and there's where the ears springs from. And the same life that's in the leaf, is also in the tassel. By and by comes an ear. And the ear comes on, the grain. And then the grain says to the tassel, "I have nothing to do with you. You're not even in the picture."
But if it hadn't been for the tassel, there would've been no grain. So the thing is, is the little stalk was the Lutheran revival. And the tassel was the Methodist revival. And the ear is this revival. But altogether the same spirit, the same life that was in the little stalk of corn to begin with, is the same life that is in the grain.

14 Now the only thing that the Pentecostal (I mean the real Pentecostal, not the so-called, but the real Pentecostal) message is nothing but a restoration of the same thing that went into the ground that has been packed through the Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian. Now it just come to an ear.
And now as bad as I hate to make this statement: there has been some fungus growing on it. And you farmers know what that is. It's something that imitates the ear. Now, that's what we're wanting to cut at tonight, because if you don't pull it off your corn, it'll cause the whole patch to go bad.

15 So, that is one thing I wish to make clear, that the people of all denominational churches as they have come up through great times, it has been the maturing, and now the church is in the seed; and it's got to bring forth the same thing that went into the ground. So, it's just a fully matured church that we're living in. And one part cannot say thus to the other part, for they lived good in their day. And they were the corn patch in God's sight. So we do not wish to belittle anyone.
But there has been some teachings today, especially on famous worldwide broadcasts, that has been belittling the Word of God, and saying that God dwells in a church and not the Word. I heard one of the famous teachers a few evenings ago, said, "Where did you get your Bible? I suppose that it was God taking a notion to write you a Bible up in heaven and give it to some little angels and they come down through the corridors of Heaven and presented it to you people." And said that no one could live the teaching of the Bible; and it wasn't exactly authentic.

16 And they claim to be the first beginning of church. Now those people, now that go to that church, are men and women like we are. And they love, and eat, and drink. And is there any way to stop it? Not when the Bible says it's going to be this way. That's right.
But to encourage you, I want to make myself clear and plain, that I believe that this is God's full, infallible, unadulterated Word, that nothing can be added to or taken from it. It's God's complete program of His church. No other foundation can any man build but that which is already been laid. Do you see it? That's why I believe in the infallibility of the Word of God. I said to one of those people, "Where did you say this Bible was? Your church? Your church wrote this Bible?"
"Yes, our saints wrote the Bible."
I said, "Then why has it thus been taken, that you are so much different today from this Bible?"
"Well," he said, "you see, them men lived in one age, we live in another age."

17 "But," I said, "God lived in all ages, and the Bible, if it's inspired, it's the infallible God who wrote the Bible. And He said in His Word that heavens and earth would pass away, but His Word should never pass away."
Now, it is most alarming to the men who had never thought, to see these things approaching, but if you only knew, it's only a fulfilling of the Scripture. And as bad as I hate to say this, in America, and our fantastics and things that we got in the so-called religious moves today, (not degrading them, God's people dwell in them.), but I wish to say this: that it is come to America, who has taken away and got away---both Catholic and Protestants---from the teaching of the Word and they have adopted a system. And this system is an intellectual system that presents a glamour instead of the Word. And American people fall for glamour!

18 The American people has become a place, to a worship of goddesses. I have the deepest and highest respect for women. My mother is one, and my wife, and I have young daughters. And a woman that keeps her place and is a lady, there is nothing any more precious, outside of salvation, to our nation, than a real woman. But when it comes to a place to worship women, then you're out of the Bible plan. There's no plan in the Bible for us to worship any women---a Mary, or a Saint Cecilia; there's not one speck of scripture for it, and contrary, it's against such.
Then why was it? If this was the beginning, these who walk with Christ and wrote by inspiration, you'd think I would take any other man's word for it? No, sir. This is God's eternal Word. Now the minister ... or, the priest who spoke to me, he said, "God is in His church."
I said, "God is in His Word."
God is in His Word. The Bible said, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." God is in His Word.

19 Now, notice, in the Old Testament they had two ways of understanding a message to be correct. That when a prophet prophesied, or a dreamer dreamed a dream, they told that before the breastplate of Aaron. The breastplate of Aaron had the twelve patriarch birthstones in this breastplate. He wore it on his bosom to show that he was a high priest of the twelve tribes of Israel. And when they were speaking this vision, or telling this dream, and if God vindicated it, there was a supernatural light came around on this Urim Thummim, and vindicated that that message was true.

20 No matter how realistic it seemed, no matter how well it
seemed to be fitted together with the time, if the supernatural light on the Urim Thummim did not flash, it was rejected because God was not in it.
And I say today. (Oh, I want you to hear.): any message, regardless if it's from priest, from preacher, from prophet, from anything else, any man, no matter how spiritual, what his office is, what he has done, if he's raised the dead, if he's healed the sick, if he's the archbishop of Canterbury, if he's the pope of Rome, if he is the head of any great denomination, no matter how spiritual, though he has spoke with tongues, though he's danced in the Spirit, though he has preached the Gospel, no matter what he has done, if his message doesn't come out of the Bible, it's wrong! This is God's Urim Thummim.

21 When the Bible was completed, the Angel came down, was talking to John. Then Jesus come Himself, said, "I, Jesus, sent My Angel to testify of these things. And now close this book but don't seal it. For whosoever shall take anything out of it, or add anything to it..." That's God's Word
Paul, in cooperating with the Spirit, said, "If an angel from Heaven,"---not an archbishop, not a pope, not a cardinal---but "If an angel from heaven brought any other message than what this is here, let him be to you accursed."
But now, we are fixing... As years ago, by the Holy Spirit, I've always told you before when Hitler and Mussolini raised, I said, "It'll all heap up. Communism will take the whole thing and come down from the north." Now keep your eyes on this, church: the devil is putting out this propaganda. And it's not Scripture. It's to confuse the mind of the unlearned, the unspiritual people. And we are living in the most glorious day that any people has ever lived, and yet in the darkest day for the unbelievers that they... And the most confusing time for those who don't know. It is remarkable, that the day that we're living. And what a joy it is to know that your anchor holds.

22 Now, today as we're approaching it, in this dark evil time... Now I do not like to call people's names, but I'm going to have to call somebody's name now, but I pray for the young man. And I pray all the time for him. But he is a instrument in the hands of the devil, and that is this man Elvis Presley. The people are gone boogie-woogie or rock-and-roll wild. The American people has gone. And they're trying by that same spirit to get the thing into the church.
I like church music played like church music, and not rock-and-roll in the church. But when they get these spirits, there's something behind this, and the devil puts himself out a challenger. And it happens to be that this poor backslidden Pentecostal boy said the way he learned his maneuvers of jerking and shaking, he caught it, and learned it in the church. He is a member of the First Assemblies of God of Memphis, Tennessee. His pastor is a friend of mine. And he is the devil's instrument, of deluding and polluting the minds of these teenagers. Of getting them into a place, till they just left a place in Canada, I think they sent fourteen young people to the insane asylum a few days after he was there.

23 And all over the country, but the people have gone wild, frantically. The reason they do that is because they don't know anything better. Oh, how I wish that they knowed the Lord Jesus. How much better... I do not condemn; I feel sorry for the mortal. And now, would not it be appropriate in the day that we live, that when things are going the way they are? And the idol of America is the Hollywood glamour girls, when she sets the pace of all America. When, let her come out with her immoral dressing on and practically every woman in America will fashion after her.
It was a heart pain to me, not long ago standing in Rome, when the newspapers give a headline of this woman that they had in the paper the other day was going to have a baby, in Hollywood, a Roman. And they said in the paper, the newspaper, which my friend, Baron Von Blomberg could speak seven different languages and read the paper plainly, he said, "She may be an American goddess, but she's here a Roman prostitute."

24 What a disgrace! Now they have to have things like that. That has to happen to cope with the spirit of today. That's the reason that this church is coming in with the worship of Mary, of other women and things. It's that same spirit under a religious head. And that's the reason they have to get your mind off the unadulterated Word of God, to produce that program! Church, do you see the twist that we're in? Do you see the American youth, what condition it's in? That's men and women of tomorrow. No wonder Jesus said, "Except these days be shortened, no flesh would be saved."
Therefore, I'm basing my thoughts here, that we're at the end time. The Lord Jesus shall come soon. But the spirit of the day... Oh, can you see? Take on your thinking. Can you see what has happened? Before this great onslaught coming on to bring the mark of the beast, and to fulfill the Scriptures by forcing the people after the hope is gotten. Just like it is in other countries: force them into things that they do not accept, to cause the persecution and the boycott to come. Can't you see America has fell for the glamour and the goddess, and this... It's paved... The devil in the realm of flesh, making a way for this to present itself. Amen. I hope you understand this. Stay clear from it! I don't care how many DD's, PhD's, or ever what's behind it, it is a lie! For, "Let every man's word be a lie, and Mine be true," saith the Lord! "For heavens and earth will pass away, but My words shall never pass away."

25 God's eternal Word requires that man shall be born again. Anything short of that, they are eternally lost! No matter what church you belong to, or where your name is, or what you had did, it's lost! God's Word shall never fail.
Now, so much for that. And I hope that you get it in the spirit it was given. You dear Catholic people, I am not belittling you; you are my friends. And if you wasn't, what motive... If I stood here to fight back at you, I should go to the altar and get my heart right with God. I'm standing here with a heartache to have to say it, but a Spirit according to the Word, is pressing me to say it, and to warn the flock of who the Holy Spirit has made us overseers.

26 And to see these great programs across the nation of literally making fun of that Bible. Said, "It's like mud puddles that you walk through; no one could live by it." That is correct as soon as the flesh is concerned, but the Holy Spirit is the One who dominates and leads a person. May the Lord let you see the interpretation. God's Word is first, and last, and eternal forever. God once speaks a word, it can never change!
God before the foundation of the world, said, "In the beginning was the Word." And what is the word? Is a thought expressed. The Father, God seeing the plan of redemption, He looked it over and seen what Satan had did. And He thought, and He seen the only program; it's a thought now, but when He expressed it, it became a word. And once the Word, it can never die! It has to be eternal. For His Word can no more fail than He can. His Word can no more become lifeless---than He can become lifeless. His Word.

27 Men of old through the ages has read this Bible. It has inspired congregations ever since it was written. I'd write you a letter, you might appreciate it, saying, "Brother Branham, I appreciate your letter." You are the only person it was designated to. After it's done run out for awhile, that letter will become worthless, unless it was any evidence for me or against me.
But once God has spoken, it's for the entire human race. And it's just as fresh tonight as it was the hour it was spoke. God spoke and said, "Look, Christ was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." When God drew His program in His mind and spoke it, Christ was slain right there. Though He actually wasn't slain for four thousand years later. And God in there, through foreknowledge, seen who would be saved and who would not. And there our names are written in the Lamb's book of life at the foundation of the world and associated with the slain Lamb.

28 And the Bible said, "In the last days," listen, "and the antichrist deceived all that dwelt upon the earth who's names were not written in the Lamb's book of life from the foundation of the world." Stay with the Word!
Now, I have noticed amongst our brethren, and I say this to you Protestants reverently, not with hatred, not with malice, not to have something to say (It would be easier to speak on something else.), but that I know, and the Bible says, "Watchman, what of the night?" And if the watchman sees the enemy coming and fails to warn the people, God said, "He would require their blood at the watchman's hand." But if the watchman warns them, then the watchman's free. So I must warn.

29 And among our Protestant brethren, I have noticed many times... After my message this morning on the new Spirit, and then God's Spirit. How many was here this morning? All right. In the new Spirit and God's Spirit; so many with the new spirit without God's Spirit. I want this to be understood.
Today we find a great moving of confusion among the Protestant people. And when I go into their churches, it is very much upsetting sometimes. And now please pardon this expression, but as the Holy Spirit...
As I talked to my little wife back there the other day, when I seen my cousins laying there, both looking, face to each other, as their life had been claimed, one with a prayer bead in his hand as a Catholic, and the other one a Baptist on the other side; both my cousins. And I looked at them, and I thought, "O great God, how can these things be? Have I failed, has there been something?"

30 I said to wife, I said, "Here's many things that I do not know, but there's some things that I do know." I said, "Since a little boy I have watched the sap in the winter time ... fall of the year, move down out of that tree and go into the roots to hide itself and keep warm through the winter. I have seen it supernaturally in the spring move back up, bringing leaves with it, and fruit. I have seen the flower in its beauty in the summer, bow it's head in the winter to the frost and die, and the seeds perish, and the pulp perish. And then I seen in the spring of the year, that flower rise back." I said, "I believe, I know they do that, I believe that the One who is called Jehovah God, I believe that that Jehovah God does that. He operates nature. I watch Him with the pine tree, with the pawpaw tree, or with the birch tree, with the apple tree, and every one differing from another. And how that man, made in one way and another, all designed by a Mastermind. That was God." I said, "I know that."

31 "I believe that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that in His body He was a man. He was born of a woman, just like I was. But His blood was not of a woman; it was of God. And Jehovah God, the Logos, who brood over the earth, in my message this morning, and brood the first man out of the dust of the earth, overshadowed Mary, and brood over her to fulfill His Word, and created the blood cell that brought forth the Son of the living God. I believe in a body He was man. I believe in His soul He was God. He was God's manifestation here on earth. God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. I believe that He was not just a mere man, neither was He a prophet; He was God Immanuel. I believe with all my heart, that being truth. I can't prove that truth, because if I could then it wouldn't be of faith. But I know the trees come and go; I know the flowers come and go. I know all nature revolves, the world sits in its orbit by some great supreme power."

32 And another thing that I know, that by the grace of God, there's Something that comes to me in a form of an angel, a light. And He tells me things, what's going to happen. And I see it. I know that it's not natural. It shows me things years to come. And not one time has it ever failed! I believe it's the same God that was with Joseph, that was with Daniel, that was with Elijah. I believe that it was the same Holy Spirit that led the children of Israel by a pillar of fire. Therefore, I'm satisfied that there's something, that the Bible is right because every nature, everything that I call faith, everything that I watch that I could not prove, proves by this Bible that it is the truth."

33 I see Jesus, He was not what the Jews think Him to be, He fulfilled every requirement that the Messiah was to be. He was the Messiah. And I see the Spirit rose upon those men there, see it come right down here and do the same thing. Therefore I have been a firm believer in the Word of the living God. No matter what fantastics arise...
I have went into churches, and I say this with reverence now. I find that many times in the churches, I believe people get one another's spirit in the stead of the Holy Spirit. You go into a church and watch, where the pastor maybe jerks his head, the whole congregation will do it. You go into the church where the pastor says he has got oil running from his hands. The first thing you know, the whole company believes that, and they have it. Go into a church where there's a lot of dancing and jumping and running around. I'm not condemning these things; I'm just speaking from an observation to present a point to you. If you'll get a pastor that's very emotional, the whole congregation will be emotional. You get a pastor that's starchy and stiff, and the whole congregation will be starchy and stiff. I believe you received each other's spirit.

34 Take a good man and a bad woman and put them together, one will go to the other. It'll either become a bad man or a good woman. Two cannot walk together except they be agreed. And may I say this with reverence, and in our Bible, with all my heart, I have tried with all that is within me, to never be a fusser, because the vision, the morning that I laid the cornerstone, said, "Preach the Word, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of your ministry. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but will heap to themselves together, having teachers with itching ears and shall be turned from the truth unto fables."
What is the truth? Thy Word is truth. John 17, "Sanctify them Father, through the truth: Thy Word is the truth."

35 Now, if I am guilty, I pray, God, forgive me. But I've tried with all my heart to present the Word to the people that the spirit that would follow, when I stand at the judgment, would not be the spirit of some fantastic, a frog jumping out of people, or bugs flying, or so forth, or oil dropping from hands, but would be the Spirit that's in the Word of the living God that wrote in this Bible with the Bible experience. That's what I have tried hard.
Now, to base our little thought on a characters of the Bible. Picking up one tonight to go to ... bring our thoughts together, to cope them together, and present them to you, then you do with whatever you desire, what God places on your heart.

36 Let us go back into I Kings the 22nd chapter, and we would find this: that there had been a man, a king, by the name of Ahab. And he had been a mighty king, a military man, and a great man, but a lukewarm borderline believer. His name was Ahab. Finally, the prophet Elijah, which was vindicated a prophet, had pronounced the doom of Ahab. Years after the passing of Elijah there was a prophet by the name of Micaiah.
So Jehoshaphat, his father, was a righteous man, which was a king of Judah, came down to visit Ahab the king of Israel. And Ahab had had a great, glamorous kingdom. Now watch: a great, glamorous kingdom. For he had a little old painted up wife by the name of Jezebel. And she had simply wooed the entire nation, except the elect, to the idols of her nation. Do you, oh, brethren, can you see the spirit of that same devil working in America today? The little Jezebels. That spirit of wooing the sons of God away from Christ! I say that not jokingly, this is no place for jokes, this is the pulpit, this is where the judgment seat of God is. And the Word is God's judge. It is His judgment, the Word is.

37 Now notice, how that this little woman, such a cute little thing she must have been. But she absolutely swayed a nation. And what have we got swayed by today? Remember, I predict this, that America is a woman lover. She's a woman worshipper. The spirit in America absolutely is woman possessed. These little women can come up on Hollywood, they can walk out on the street and send more men to hell than all the barrooms you could clang together.
And yet, in her right condition she is a jewel to a man's heart, and a blessing to the kingdom of God. You see it? Now watch just a moment, that no one might be prejudice, just sit still and listen. Let the Holy Spirit open it to you.
Now, today, we've got in that condition like it was in Ahab's time. Well, whatever the woman said, that's what Ahab did. Now, even into the church, they worship women.

38 Not long ago my righteous indignation was brought up. In Mexico when I seen a poor little woman ... knowed of her, rather, coming down, crawling over miles of hot rocks. And the father walking along with a baby in his arms, two of them, and one following along the mama. And her crying, and the hide off of her knees, and pulling her hands through the rocks and crying. And everybody looking at her. She'd went up to some statue of some dead woman was supposed to be a saint. And I don't say this critically; I say it in the light of God's Word. It's absolutely unadulterated spiritualism. The Bible said, "There is no intercessor, there's no mediator between God and man but the man Christ Jesus!"

39 If the early church was Catholic, then why have they changed? When the early Catholic condemned it and this Catholic accepts it. It's a woman's world. The spirits and the slogans just making that true. That is exactly right. And I predict that a woman will be a great woman. You younger people here tonight remember Brother Branham has said this, and I said it in '33 when I saw the coming of the Lord. How the automobiles would continually shape up like an egg until finally they would come into a perfect egg shape. Maybe part of you here know it, it's written on all papers and things. The morning when we was over here at the little Masonic temple where we were having the orphanage over here on the next ... second street over, where I was having the meetings.

40 And I seen a woman lying, vulgar as she was, and dominated the country. And I predict that a woman will either be President, or come into great power of some sort, in the United States before the total annihilation of the world. Keep that in mind, that I have said it.
Notice, now, what takes place? Jezebel, she ruled Ahab. She slammed him around. It used to be poor papa ... or, mama sat home with the babies while the drunken husband was out. It's poor papa now taking care of the babies while the drunken woman's out. Now that's not joke; that's the truth. I'm not speaking of righteous people, no, sir. I'm only showing the spirit that's in the world.

41 Now notice, isn't this another glamour? Look at the times of Ahab, how the country flourished. Oh, my. The great golden age was then. How Israel flourished under Ahab, that hypocrite. And Jezebel was really the ruler behind it. And that is up to you Bible scholars, as Ahab married Jezebel and brought idolatry into Judaism, in the dark age, so has Protestantism married Catholicism and brought paganism back into the Christian church. And today remember, the Protestant church was called a harlot, where she was called a prostitute, too. Remember that. So pot can't call kettle black. You can't jump from the fire ... the frying pan into the fire to help yourself.

42 But let's notice truth. Truth is what we want. We are eternity bound people. And we've got to meet God. And let's find the truth. Now, I want you to notice, if you will. There came always... God sent down or... First thing, Jehoshaphat, the righteous man, came down to visit Ahab. Then he got himself in trouble. You can't mix right and wrong together and get anything out of it. You can't put oil with water; it won't mix. Neither can your associates and your affiliations be with the things of the world and still live a victorious life. The Bible said, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord."

43 Now, see, you say, "Well, Brother Branham, I know." But you're taking your own intellectuals; it's contrary to the Word. And the Word is the truth! I believe the Word.
Now, notice, Jehoshaphat come down to Ahab, and oh, he put on a great feast, sure. We'd call today, in the street expression, a blow out, and he invited everybody, to kill ox and so forth, and sheep. And they had a great feast among them. And that's when a believer gets in trouble.
"Oh, I tell you, you're just narrow-minded as a holy-roller place. That's all, you should come to the big church. You should come. Oh, you should see, our pastor has a DDD, PhD. You see. Our pastor... Our choir sings like the angels."
That has nothing to do with it, if it's contrary to "thus saith the Lord."

44 Now, look. And when they killed the oxen, they had a big feast. Ahab had and alternative in that, and his motives were wrong. He was trying to make a big show-off to trap Jehoshaphat. And that's the same thing the devil's trying to do today. "Well, we're the majority."
Sure, the church of God has always been in the minority, until Jesus comes. "Fear not, little flock; it's your Father's good will to give you the kingdom." That's right. We are in the minority. But that's all right. As long as God is there, it's still majority to me, and I know it is to you. For if God is with you, who can be against you?

45 Now, but he had a motive behind it. And when he did, he said, "Now that we're all here, having such a big time, will you go up to Ramoth-gilead with me to battle? Because actually, Syria ... I have it up there, but Ramoth-gilead belongs to me. It's rightful, we have the right, we're the first church, we have a right." You see it?
Then Jehoshaphat said, "Well, now, being that we're having a good time," said, "my men is like your men. Why, we're all believers anyhow, so let's just associate together."
He made a vital mistake. He did. And Jehoshaphat, being spiritual enough, as I believe with all my heart that it was a type of this day, surely, somewhere, somehow, God will get the message to the true in heart. He said in the beginning He would, so He has got the program lined up. [Gap in the audio.] Let's line up with it. Now watch him!
He said, "Sure, I will go up with you." Then he said, "Wait a minute. I believe before we go, we ought to ask the Lord. Don't you think so? If we're all believers, then let's ask the Lord."

46 "Well," Ahab said, "certainly that's right. Oh, why didn't I think of that? Hmm, sure. I should have thought of that all along." Said, "I've got four hundred of the best prophets there is in the nation. I've got them all well-clothed and they all got DDD's, PhD's, and all things. They got a great organization down here, the prophets. So I will just bring them up here, see what they say."
You know, that just didn't hit right down with Jehoshaphat just right. So they went and got all the four hundred prophets, well-fed, well-dressed. Ahab fed them with his own... Because he had them to do just exactly what he said do. There you are. There you are.
"Oh, sure, we've got fine churches here, great big places." But many times if the preacher preached over twenty minutes, the deacon board would excommunicate him. But bless your heart, a man of God won't listen to that nonsense. That's right. If he bent down too much on sin, why, the whole congregation would vote him out. But, that's because he's in a denomination.

47 But in the church of God, you're not voted in, or voted out; you're borned in, once saved forever. Only God can put you out, and He swore by Himself He'd never do it. Amen. He knows what you're made out of before He brings you in. He don't run His business loosely like our organizations does: taken in thirty days or sixty days or ninety days on probation. He knows what they are before they ever speak, before they ever come into the church. He knows exactly what they're made out of. That's the reason it's got to be borned-again.
Now, when he brought them all down there, he got on his throne, the other one got on his throne, and they sat out there and said, "Bring up all the preachers, the prophets."
And they all come up and went through their maneuvering and they had a big time all right. He said, "Now, don't they look nice? Listen at the language they use."
Oh, my, how swell they could speak, you know. "Oh, aah-men." And all these maneuvers that they went through. And they had their whole mix up, there they had it all.
So then the first thing you know, they said, "Go up! The Lord says, 'Go on up.'"
He said, "Now you see, Jehoshaphat, see, I was right after all."

48 Why, they knowed what to say. They better know what to say, or they lost their credentials. Oh, yes, sir. The district man come by, and the state presbyter, and I mean, they got excommunicated right quick if they didn't say good things about the hand that was feeding them, because all they knew was material food anyhow. I'm glad there's a hand that was scarred that does the feeding of the church of God.
Notice, then I seen them all prophesy, "Oh, yes, king, "Thus Saith The Lord," go on up."
And now the strange thing is, they were actually inspired. But now watch. But that kind of inspiration didn't strike that man of God, Jehoshaphat. He said, "Wait a minute, I believe I made a mistake here. There's something wrong; I oughtn't to got mixed up in this," see. The ox knows his master's stall, see. He said, "Pardon me, Mr. King Ahab, but haven't you got one more? Another prophet?"

49 Well, Ahab would say, "Well, four hundred with one accord, and the best scholared men we got, and here they are with one accord said, 'This is the will of God. This is the will of God.'"
He said, "It just don't sound right," somehow down in his heart. Amen. Oh, are you ready? Here it is. He knowed that didn't sound like the Word of God. He said, "Isn't there just another one?"
Now listen. Ahab said, "Yes, we've got a holy-roller. We got one by the name of Micaiah. But, I'm telling you, I hate him!" Oh yeah. "We got one more, but he don't belong to our organization. They excommunicated him a long time ago. He's out there in the hill somewhere. His name is Micaiah."
Jehoshaphat said, "I'd just like to hear what he says." Amen. That's it! A type of today. "Isn't there just one more?"
He said, "Yes, but, oh, he is a fanatic. He always just says bad things about me."

50 How could he say anything else when the Word of God said bad things about him. "Why, he even condemns our organization. Why, he's a church breaker; that's all there is to it. Why, the prophets tried to take him down and give him his bachelor's degree, but, oh, he wouldn't stand still. He stomped right out of there; he's just an old fanatic," see.
Jehoshaphat had enough Spirit of God about him from his daddy, he said, "I'd like to hear him. Go get him."
"Well, I'm warning you, I'm warning you: he slobbers and everything else; he just hasn't got the dignity these other fellows have."
"I'd like to hear him."
"My sheep know My voice; a stranger they don't follow."
It happened to be that Jehoshaphat was one of God's lambs. He said, "That don't sound just right; it hasn't got the right... It's got a rattle, but it hasn't got a ring." Like a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal, it doesn't sound right. "Like pouring peas on a dry cowhide," as Roy Davis used to say. It doesn't sound just right.

51 He said, "Let me hear this fellow that's a fanatic, that you call---the one that won't join up with your organization and the one that's just got his own ideas." Because he knowed that man must have the truth, because he knowed that wasn't.
So, he said, "I'll send and get him then."
So, out into the hills they went and down into the alley, wherever he was preaching, or the little mission. And here come a runner in, and while they were gone, oh, my, did they have a tantrum.
Why, even one guy, named Zedekiah, he went and put horns on his head. Oh, brother, he had the revelation just right. He had oil in his hands and everything else. He was having him a time, yes, sir. "Oh, 'Thus saith the Lord,' we're going to push Syria plumb back into her land with these horns." They was having them a time.
So the runner who came, said, "Micaiah?"
Said, "Yeah."
"Are you the son of Imlah?"
"Yes, I am."
"Are you the prophet, the holy-roller, the fanatic?"
"Well, I suppose that's me."
"Well, the king wants to see you."
"Oh, he does?" Micaiah already knowed that, no doubt. The Lord done told him what all that gathering down there was about. So away he come.

52 So he said, "Now wait a minute, before you start this revival, I'm going to tell you what to preach on. Now all the other preachers don't preach about these things. Don't you say nothing about horse racing. And don't you say nothing about this, and this, and that, because, you see, the other preachers don't say that." Said, "You say the same thing they say."
Now, that was what it would be today. Now we're going to say what the Scriptures says. He said, "Micaiah, the other prophets prophesy good to our king. And now you know, he's a dignified man," in otherwise. "Now you must say the same thing they say, and prophesy good."
He said, "As my God liveth, I'll only say what 'Thus saith the Lord' is." Amen! God give us a Micaiah. Stay with the Word! He might've had not all the fantastics the others had. He might not a had the degree the other one had, the PhD, he might not a had the social standing, he might not've been the big DD in front of the people, but he had the Word. Amen.

53 Oh, that's it! He knew God would keep His Word! So he said, "Just what God tells me to say, I'll say the same thing God says." And if God predicts these days are coming, if He predicts these wrong things, the worship of women, or the intercession of saints, or communion of saints, if He condemns all this nonsense, and these other things, and said, 'As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so will these in the last days,' I condemn the thing in the Word of God! And say it's wrong.
Stay with the Word! I don't care how many sensations you feel, how much you can jump and shout, how much you can do this, that, or the other, if the Spirit of God doesn't lead you to a clean, perfect life before God, condemn the thing! If God wanted you to run oil, He'd made you an olive tree, or a Texas oil well.

54 Let me tell you something, God has purposes for everything. Stay with the Word! What the Bible says, stay with it; it's God's Urim Thummim. And old Micaiah the prophet stayed on the Word of God, walked down there just as boldly as a lion. That night the Lord give him a vision, he knowed where he was standing. And watch. Oh, brother. The others had a vision too. But their vision didn't cooperate with the Word of God. But Micaiah's was with the Word of God. Cause Elijah, which had the Word of God---the prophet, the seer---had already said what would happen to Ahab. So how could Micaiah say something good was going to happen, when the Word of God said bad was going to happen? So he was with the Word.

55 Brother, regardless of how high the steeple is, or how well-dressed people go, what an education the pastor's got, or anything about this, or what Bishop Sheen says, or anybody else, if it's contrary to that Word, stay away from it! Stay in the Word. There's where the true servant of God lays: right on that Word. That's right.
Micaiah walked up there, and he saw his vision. And when he prophesied and saw the vision, he seen that cooperated just exactly with the Word, dovetailed right with it. He knowed he had "thus saith the Lord." Walked up there and he said, "Micaiah, the son of Imlah, must I go up to Ramoth-gilead, or must I withdraw?"
Micaiah said, "Go on up."
Said, "Now that don't sound right."

56 Even he knew better himself. And many of those people join those big classical things just to be popular. They know different. The spirit of life that works in the world would tell them that's different, if they had any spark of life about them at all. They go after these fantastics of frogs jumping and bugs a flying, shaking and jumping and running and everything, when they know that's contrary. But they go with it because of a sensation.
I don't care about sensations; I want "thus saith the Lord." That's right, what the Word says. Now I believe in a heart felt religion, I believe in the joy I can know, I believe in the power of the Holy Spirit, I believe in divine healing, I believe in all the manifestations of the gifts; but they must be reverently placed in the body, working exactly in harmony with the Word.

57 Why, I go into a place and start preaching and make an altar call, and a woman raise up and speak in tongues. Why, what a disgrace. What a pity that is. That shows that their pastor had ... is not on the Word of God, or he'd stop that thing and said, "Don't you do that." Nothing against the gift; it's misused, see. And many things, I could take hours with it. You know what I'm speaking about; that's all together Catholicism and Protestantism. But stay in the Word!
Notice, now. And when he saw the vision, he went and told him, he said, "Go on up."
He said, "How oft would I adjure you to tell me the truth?"
He said, "But I saw Israel scattered like sheep having no shepherd."

58 And he said, "I told you, I told you, I knowed what he would say before you brought him here." That's right, he couldn't say nothing else. He had the Word of God; he couldn't do no more but condemn the thing.
And I say tonight, in the light of the Bible, I condemn this nonsense sensation, fanaticism, and things that ... saying the Word of God is nothing to it, and the church is right, and all of this stuff. I condemn it, in the name of Jesus Christ, on the authority of God's Word. Let heavens and earth pass, but God's Word will remain forever the truth. That's right.

59 Now, said, "Go on up, if you want to."
And what happened? This guy had all the big sensations, having a big time; he walked around because he was the head of the church. He walked around and smit him on the cheek with his hand, smacked him. Oh, I can hear him say, "You're a little counterfeit holy-roller; where went the Spirit of God out of me when it went to you?"
He said, "You know what I saw?" He said, "While you all were having your big time down here, in your big shindig, as it was down here, there was something going on in heaven at the same time."
And I'm telling you, while the prodigal sons are in the pig's pen and America's dancing under the rhythm of boogie-woogie and rock-and-roll with their Elvis Presleys and their, "Who loves Suzy?", there's a meeting in Heaven going on now. He said, "God opened the windows and let me look in. While you were having your rock-and-roll time, God let me look into the heavens, and in there I saw something."
Said, "What did you see?"
He said, "I saw God's great host, God sitting on the right and left hand, and there was angels on one hand and on the other hand." And said, "When I saw the angels, one sitting on one hand and one the other, a host of Heaven gathered up," and God said, "Who will I get to go down?" Oh, my! "Who can I get to go down, so that we can bring Ahab up there to fulfill My Word, which was spoke by My prophet?"

60 Stay with the Word, brother. Regardless of how many rock-and-roll parties they have, and how much they play it in church, and how much they act in church, how much they do this, that, or the other, stay with Word. That's right. God keeps His Word, every time.
Notice, and said, "Who can we get to go down? Who can we get to go down there and get Ahab up here, because it has got to be fulfilled?"
And he said, "I saw a lying spirit come up." Said, "Let me go. I will go down and get in every one of them bishops and them prophets, and all the state presbyters, and all the rest of them. And I'll inspire them to prophesy a lie so I can get them up there."

61 Now wait a minute, hold on. Are you ready? Inspiration, inspiration that doesn't cope with the Bible is wrong inspiration. "Brother Branham, how can we be sure we're right? We see this coming up, we see this coming up, and all these things and fantastics?" Stay with the Word!
Sure, they was both inspired. Here was the little fellow standing by himself. He was inspired. Here was four hundred fine bishops and they was inspired. And each one saying, "Thus saith the Lord." Well, how do we know which is right? Stay with the Word! Micaiah had the Word. He knew that evil had to be treated evil. He knowed that hypocrisy---that make-belief religion, that stuff that had a lot of class to it, and a painted up Jezebel, and all these other things---had to be dealt with by the hand of the living God! For the prophet, the Word of God, said so. You say, "Was the prophet God's Word?" Yes, sir.
"Fear not, in sundry times and divers manners, the Lord spoke to the fathers through the prophets. And in this last day through His Son, Christ Jesus." That's right. Through the Word of God.

62 There they were, inspired, thought they were right. I don't say they wasn't sincere. They were sincere. They were great men. They wasn't unlearned men. They wasn't just overnight men, they were great men, taught in the Word, inspired. But their inspiration didn't cooperate with the Bible's Word. That's the reason Micaiah knew they were wrong. And the Bible said, "That in the last days men shall be lovers of their own selves."
"Why, you mean to tell me that little two-by-four could tell me? I'm a bishop, I'm the head of the so-and-so. I'm the great fellow in the Catholic church. I'm the great in the Methodist, the Baptist, or even in the Pentecostal. I'm the state presbyter, and you mean to tell me, you let that man..." Yes. "You mean to tell me this, that?"

63 The Bible said, "They'd be lovers of their own self, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient, unthankful, unholy, without natural affections, incontinent, and despisers of those that are good; having a form of godliness," just like they did, "but denying the power thereof," the Word. If they speak not according to that, there's no life to them. That's right. "Having a form of godliness, but denying ...; from such turn away, for this is the sort that goes from house to house with their little books and campaigns and so forth, and lead silly women laden with sin, led away by divers lusts; ever learning, and never able to come to the truth."
What kind are they? Jannes and Jambres have all kinds of fantastics and everything. "As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so will these resist the truth: men of reprobate mind concerning the Word." Trying to take the Word of God and pervert it into something else, into a fantastic or a religious organization, or build them up a great name, or make themselves some great name. From such, turn away! Stay with the Word!

64 What happened? He said, "I saw this lying spirit," said, "I'll go down inspire them. I'll make them prophesy a lie."
Those men so willing to please the public. O God, help us. So willing to take this ... be a teacher with itching ears. Shall be turned from the truth to fables, as the Holy Spirit warns, told us in the last days how they would be. So willing to become popular theirself, to get a greater radio, a greater television, or a greater name, or a greater possession in the church, a greater something; with own self exaltation. So willing to do that till they fail to watch it in the Word.
But Micaiah was watching the Word, he had the truth, he had the Word. Notice, then he told what would happen. And this fellow walked up and smote him in the face, said, "Which way went the Spirit of God?"
Said, "You'll see it when your sitting in the inner cell hiding."

65 And Ahab said, "Put that fellow in prison. Shut up all these meetings anyhow; we don't want no more of these holy-roller acts around here." Don't worry, it's coming. "Put him in jail and give him the bread of sorrow and the water of sorrow, and when I return in peace, I will deal with him," other words, "have his head chopped off."
Oh, Micaiah, standing on the Word of God, knowing his vision. O God, knowing that his vision was exactly with the Word of God; it could not fail. He said, "If you return at all in peace, God hasn't spoke to me." Amen and amen.
Oh, people, the hour is late, but I want to say this to you, my dear friend: Don't you never listen to a program that tells you this isn't the Word of God and the truth. Don't you never listen to any fantastics that is not put forth and predicted by the Lord Jesus Christ; because when He came Himself and healed the sick, He only did it that the Word might be fulfilled---only to fulfill the Word. He predicted both for the, oh, types of churches in Revelations the 17th, He said, "I saw a woman, a whore, sitting upon a great scarlet colored beast, on seven heads."
The Vatican is on seven hills; I just left there a few months ago. And said, "She was a mother of harlots"; that's daughters that were born from her.

66 Any bad woman can bring forth a good daughter. But watch. What is a harlot? A prostitute. What is these ill-famed women? Is women who commit adultery and live with other men that's not their husband. And these people, these churches, claim to be God's servants, and God's church, and tolerate, and do the things of the world. They commit spiritual fornication. They let their congregations paint, their women wear shorts. And they let them go on and dress like the world, and never condemn it. They let the men smoke a social cigarette or take a drink of liquor. They let them have their little card parties, and play pool in the basement, and have the proms and dances in the church. And soup suppers and every other thing, and teach their little petty theology instead of the Word of the living God! You know that's the truth.

67 It's petty, juvenile, sissified (I don't know what), of the devil. And in Christ's name I condemn it in the light of God's Word. And say, "We must be a regenerated, Holy Ghost-inspired, born again, walking in humility, and in the presence of God, to ever make the Rapture in the days to come. Turn from the things of God, ye people, to your knees you church of God, who claim that you've touched of the realm of the blessings of God. Stay with God's Word, and anything's contrary to it, stay right away from it and keep moving on. The evening lights are here. The Lord Jesus is soon coming. May we bow our heads just a moment.

68 Oh, to that great day, that day of day and that book of books. And the books were opened and every man was judged according to the word that was written in the book. My, poor, deluded friend, not all... Yes, my friend, and you who have tried in vain and have fought the air...
Just like a bird, I noticed, trying to beat his head against the window to put the light out. What did he do? He only beat his own brains out; the light shined on.

69 One day up there in the Statue of Liberty, up in the great arm, the little birds was laying dead all around. I said, "What happened?"
The man said, "There was a storm last night. And in the storm, these little birds flew in the light. Instead of using the light to go to safety, they tried to beat the light out with their little wings, and they beat their brains out."
Don't try to beat your brains out to make God's Word say something it doesn't. Don't try to cope with societies of this day because, "If you love the world, or the things of the world, the love of God isn't in you." Why not just take the Gospel light and fly to safety tonight? Oh, protect us, God!
Heavenly Father, as men and women who are sitting here, boys and girls, an eternity bound people, the petroleum and cosmic light of this world, with the sixteen different elements that we're made of. In their body is a soul that's precious---the beginning, the start. And I pray Thee, Lord, to deal just now with that heart, that soul, that tender spot that lives forever, that gives us our moving about. And I pray that You'll save every lost sinner tonight. May they realize that these great mile posts that we're passing, these signs flashing on both sides of the road, is only the pointing of the soon appearing of the righteous One, the Lord Jesus, who to be a friend of, means life, to know is eternal life.

70 And we can only know Him according to the Bible---not by our church, but by the birth, the new birth, being borned-again. And Father, I believe with all my heart, there's not a mortal person here, along with myself, who would want to be condemned or go to hell. And why would we let something stand in our way? Why would we accept a counterfeit when the skies are full of the real? And while the earth is in its great Babylonian wine party---drinking, lying, carousing, half-dressed women, concubines as Nebuchadnezzar had ---there's a handwriting moving on the wall. Seers are seeing it come, who rises up above the average person. We see it because it's written in the Word. No more water, but fire this time. And we see the handwriting on the wall. We see that every nation is condemned.
God is going to take His church, the borned-again. The hour is coming when those back in the Lutheran age, the Methodist age, all down through the ages, that fell asleep with true hearts in God. When the corn was only a little leaf, and when it was a tassel, but along together will that life be gathered together and the resurrection will come. All those will make up the great beautiful body of the Lord Jesus, soon is at hand. He said, "Those who rejected will be cast into outer darkness with weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth."

71 Father, God, there's not a person would want to be there. Oh, have mercy on us, God. And with our penitent hearts, with our heads turned towards the dust where You taken us from, and if You tarry, we will return. God, be merciful to us, as I plead for this waiting audience after this message tonight. I pray that You will wake up people to the realization of their standing in Your presence.
And while we have our heads bowed, is there a person in here ... how many, rather (There's bound to be plenty of you.), that you realize that your life hasn't coped with God's Word, you've dilly-dallied along, you've half-way believed, and you've took a little world and a little of this, and a little of that. And you're sick and tired of it tonight. Oh, you joined the church, that's true. Maybe you did not, I don't know. But before God, who we may stand in His presence before morning: There might be an atomic missile destroy this whole thing in annihilation before day breaks in the morning. Remember, it's daylight in Russia now. He said, "Two will be in the bed," must be nighttime somewhere when He comes, "one will be taken, the other left."

72 Are you satisfied in your heart in the light of God's Word, you have been borned again of the Spirit of God, and the fruits of the Spirit follow your life, with love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, faith, meekness, patience---it's following you. If not, would you be so sensible, may I put it in that way?) as to raise your hand to God and acknowledge you're wrong and say, "God, be merciful to me, and help me to be the type of Christian that You would desire me to be by giving me the Holy Spirit and let me live a godly life?" Would you raise your hand to God? God bless each one. Many, many, hands are up.
Now, is there others that would like to raise your hands, who did not at that time? Would you put up your hand? Women, God bless you. Men, women, do you real... God bless you, lady. God bless you, lady. God bless you, sir. God bless you, sister. God bless you, little boy.

73 Do you realize just the seriousness of this? You don't come to church just to hear a message ... or, to see a messenger, I mean. You come to hear the message. And the message is the Holy Spirit taking the Word of God and giving it to you. Now, what about? Maybe in the morning it'll be too late. Are you willing, in the presence of God, to raise your hand, you who have not yet, and say, "God be merciful to me, I want Your Spirit in me." God bless you, sir. God bless you. God bless you, back there. God bless you, and you, and you, you, yes. God bless you, sir. God bless you, sir.
Would you be willing to say, "God, I'm going down to the potter's house. I'm sick and tired. I've always wanted a consecrated life. And tonight, I'm going down to the potter's house to lay my heart down and say, 'God, break it all up and give me a new heart a new spirit, and put Your Spirit right in the middle of it. And let my life run right along according to Your Word. Make me a Micaiah of this day, that I can stand on "thus saith the Lord." And my vision, and my life, that I live before You, not I, but the Spirit in me, lives the life that the Bible requires. That's the way I want to be. O God, by Your mercy, make me thus.'"

74 Someone now that hasn't raised your hand, would you now do it? God bless you, lady. God bless you. God bless you, lady. God bless you. Just sit real quiet. While you're praying now. Every head bowed, every eye closed, everyone praying. Just softly, sweetly accept it now.
..........swift translation,
Naught of earth unmoved can stand,
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God's unchanging hand!
Hold to God's unchanging hand!
Hold to God's unchanging hand!
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God's unchanging hand!
Shut in with God now.
When our journey is completed, (Oh!)
If to God you have been true,
Fair and bright your home in glory,
Your enraptured soul shall view!
Now what must you do?
Hold to God's unchanging hand!
(That's His Word.)
Hold to God's unchanging hand!
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God's unchanging hand!
[Brother Branham hums "Hold To God's Hand."]

75 He's right there by you. Looking back across the audience now, to a dear little man. Told his sweetheart goodbye the other day, just for a little while; and another one sitting here somewhere, told his sweetheart goodbye for just a little while. As they went out they were holding to God's unchanging hand. Their beloved husbands are here tonight, holding to God's unchanging hand, to know that sweethearts going to meet again. What would it be if they didn't have that? Oh, build your hopes on things eternal.
Hold to God's unchanging hand!

76 Our Heavenly Father, as the music sweetly chording, and this is a message, a preacher, the Holy Spirit preaching to us now through the music, telling us what to do with this message tonight. Just hold to God's unchanging Word! Heavens and earth will pass away and change, but My Word shall never pass away. It cannot change. It's the Word of the unchangeable God. "Thy Word have I hid in my heart," said the psalmist " that I will sin not against You."
There's been twenty or thirty hands up tonight, Father; men and women has heard the Word, when faith cometh by hearing. They have made this one all-sufficient decision that, by Your help and Your grace from this hour on, they'll serve You. Now won't You sweetly, Father, move down into their hearts? Put Your Spirit in their new spirit. You had to give them a new spirit or they would never held their hand, they wouldn't have desired it. But they went down to the potter's house, and they let You change their emotions and their ideas. And now, in their hearts has been tendered, and You said, "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him." They could not have raised their hands, from the youngest to the oldest, unless You had told them to do it. They did it because that You spoke to them. And it's God giving them to Christ, as a love-gift. They yielded their hearts, and we can hear Your great voice say, "He that heareth My Word." Not Your church, Your church has Your Word, and it isn't contrary to Your Word.

77 "But He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life; and shall not come into the judgment, but has passed from death unto life." Bless them Father, with long life, with eternal life, and raise them up at the last day as Thou has promised. And may this be a great service of dedication, when saints of the living God will rejoice and be renewed. May the sick, everyone (if there is any present), may they be healed. May Your Spirit be manifested through Christ our Lord.
Now with our heads raised just a moment, I wonder you that raised your hands, I believe you accepted what you said. But, and I believe that you were sincere, and I take you to God's Word, which is the truth. Now, there's only one question: Did you mean that? If you did, it was God knocked at your heart; that's right. Now if you really meant that, then the old things is passed away. God said so; it can't change. Jesus said, "He that heareth My Words and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life."
I think, if it really taken place in your heart, that you would feel grateful enough to God, that you'd like to walk up to His altar here and kneel down and give Him thanks for what He has done for you. And while the sister continues with the same song, I would like for everyone that raised their hand, and along with those who did not that wished they should, come up and let's kneel down and give a word of thanks to the Almighty for what He has done for us. That proves you were sincere.
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God's unchanging hand!
When our journey is completed,
If to God you have been true,
Fair and bright your home in glory,
Your enraptured soul shall view!
Hold to God's unchanging hand!
Hold to God's unchanging hand!
Build your hopes on things eternal,
Hold to God's unchanging hand!

78 Now I wonder... We got many pastors and evangelists here tonight who love to see souls in the kingdom of God. I wonder, brethren, if you'd... Come here, pastor. And I wonder if the brethren would take their place right along here. We're going to offer prayer for these dear people.
Do you know what? According to the Word, I give it a test trial. They raised their hands that they would accept God's eternal Word this night and believe. And I said, "Now we pray." Now look what Jesus said... Let's take it to the Word now. We have a lot of fantastics, but let's take it to the Word. Jesus said, "He that heareth My Word and believeth on Him that sent Me, has everlasting life and shall not come to the judgment, but has passed from death unto life." God said so. That settles it forever. "No man," said Jesus, "can come to Me, except My Father draws him. And all that the Father has give Me, will come to Me." None are lost. "He that eats My flesh and drinks My blood, has everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last days."

79 Oh, how marvelous, to look on this altar. When one soul's worth ten thousand worlds. They never come to join a church. They come because they are a member of the body of Christ. They come here to offer thanksgiving and praise. And I pray that the Holy Spirit will unctionize and fill every heart up and down this altar tonight with a peaceful, and sweet, humble spirit that'll bring forth the fruits and righteousness of Christ, as long as there's breath in their body, and go home to glory.

80 Would the evangelists and pastors come, stand around with us while we offer prayer, if you will. Everyone, no matter of your affiliation with churches; that has nothing to do with it. We just want you to come right around the people.
I'm going through, yes, I'm going through,
(Let that be the motive of your heart.)
I'll pay the price what other Christians do,
I'll take the way (like the Micaiah) with the
Lord's despised few,
I've started in with Jesus, and I'm going through.
I'm going through, yes, I'm going through,
I'll pay the price what other Christians do,
I'll take the way with the Lord's despised few,
I've started in with, Jesus, and I'm going through.
I'm..........................

81 Is there another would like to take the way? "You're ashamed of me before my Father, or before men? I will be ashamed of you in the morning before the angels. Are you ashamed before this little audience tonight to take your stand? Are you ashamed? "He that will confess Me before men, him will I confess before My Father." I'll take the way, Lord.
.............I'm going through,
I've started through with Jesus, and
I'm going through.
Just be in prayer, everybody, while they're offering thanksgiving to God, for the pardoning of their sins.

82 O God, the Father and Redeemer of mankind, these have come tonight confessing that they have not been sufficiently placed into the body of Christ. And they come tonight to take their position by the guidance of the hand of God and the Word. And we pray now that You will place them into the position in the kingdom whichever they shall serve. And may they, with one accord tonight believe on Thy holy Word. And may You, by the Holy Spirit, speak to them. And may they just, by the inspiration, be led to the position in the body of Christ unto which You have called them.

83 O God, how we thank Thee for this. This is glorious in Thy sight. It thrills our heart to see men and women who will kneel humbly at an altar and confess their wrongs and plead for mercy. Take them through, Lord. Your anointed servants, the ministers of the Word, are standing by the side of these people. And I'm standing here by this sacred desk. This is a wonderful moment. The angels of God have stuck down their camp along the side of this place tonight. For it is written in the Word, "The angels of God are encamped about those who fear Him." And in the great unseen world that now is around us, stirring our emotions to repentance, and to bring evil before our eyes, that we have done wrong. With penitent hearts we surrender our evil ways, Lord, and ask for divine mercy. And may the Holy Spirit, who has promised us mercy, give it to each of us as we humbly beg and ask God to fulfill His Word and to mold our lives and our character to fit His Word. We ask in Christ's name.

God keeps His Word

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Good morning, friends. It's a privilege to be here this morning in the service of the Lord, and to feel this wonderful welcome and fellowship. It just means something to a traveler's heart to feel that welcoming spirit (You know, it just ... it comes to you, and there's just something that don't take its place.), and to be back at the Tabernacle again, in the service of our blessed Lord.
And now, we have some dedication service for the babies, but I think, maybe, we'll just get that in a few moments. We are nearing Easter; I think it comes on about the 21st; and I was wanting to get here just a little early to see the elders and Brother Neville, and about ... I... Maybe it would be a good thing if we had a little meeting here just before the Easter service, maybe start, say, on a Wednesday and run through Sunday, and end up with the baptismal service on Easter Sunday, and have a little meeting, a get-together.

2 This is the little tabernacle that I was cradled in; it's my first and only church. And I would just like to come back for these holy days and worship the Lord with you all. All would be in favor of that, think it would just be the Lord's will? Well, the Lord willing, we will begin Wednesday before Easter on Sunday.
And I would like to say that we would maybe ask the treasurer or the trustee and them, if they would put a little ad in the paper here somewhere, tell the children that we are here to worship, and we'd love to have a little fellowship with them all. Little kind of like coming home and make ready for... Maybe the Lord will give us a resurrection of a greater portion of His Spirit for this coming Easter. It's like the fall and spring.
I think spring is such a beautiful time when everything begins to take on new form and new life, and reminds us of the resurrection. Easter comes such an appropriate time, in the springtime.
We notice God's Word always runs just exactly right with His nature and so forth.

3 So we're, if the Lord willing now, we will start this. And if they'll put a little ad, I said, in the paper, and don't make it glamour; just tell the folks that we want to worship the Lord together, and we would just love as many as would like to come along and fellowship with us a little while... We'd be glad to have them and come along, all churches. And you get on the phone and tell your neighbors about it. And tell them that we're just going to talk about the Lord, and just all worship Him together.
I kind of make a move, if it would be pleasing with the people and good in the sight of God, and all right with the trio, I'd like for the Neville trio to help us out during that time, wouldn't you all? That's right. So, we'll see that they're taken care of in this manner, if the Lord so sees fit for us to do it.
And so, we invite other singers from different churches to come in and help us as we go along. The singers from your church, we'd be glad to have them. See Brother Neville, maybe the night before, and be able to get them on the program to have them to sing for us. We love good singing.

4 I would just like to have a good old-fashion homecoming time; it's just where we just get together. And get Angie, or... Is Sister Angie here this morning? Get her out, so her and Sister Gertie can sing "Homecoming Time" for us once and "Keep Holding On." And that seems something like the beginning of a revival again, Sister Gertie. A lot of water's went down the river since we used to sing that here.
I had a birthday yesterday, and I know I'm no boy no more. I said, "I'm past twenty-four now... And that's just my years... I don't count the ones I was literally, naturally born in physical; I'm just counting my spiritual years, you see. It's about twenty-four years ago, I was borned again. And that's eternal, and it's one great blessed birthday. And it'll never run out. That's one thing sure.

5 Now, I want Sister Gertie, if she will, before we bring the little ones up for a baby's dedication...
Now, many times in the Bible, we find out the only place that I know of in the Scripture, where the order of babies... Now, a lot of people sprinkle them, you know, and call it baptism and so forth, which that's okay. But I always just like to stay just the way the Bible says it, you know. In the Bible they never baptized little children; neither did they sprinkle them. They just brought them to our Lord, and He took them in His arms and blessed them, and said, "Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for such is the kingdom of heaven."
And the strange thing was now, that I just turned right down in the Bible just exactly where that's at, Mark 10. Here it is right before me. And so, the Lord brought the little chil... They brought the little children to Him, and He just blessed them, and said, "Suffer the little ones to come to Me, and don't forbid them, for such is the kingdom."

6 Now, we know that our Lord has gone to glory, and His Spirit returned back in the church to carry on the message until He comes again. We're looking for that. And the way we do it here, is just bring the little ones up, and we bring the elders of the church up, and I take the little ones and dedicate them to the Lord.
I think it's such a sweet little service to see those little bitty fellows, 'cause it's... No matter how young we are or how old we are, one of those little ones has just got a place in our heart. Isn't that right?
Now, when we come to God, that's just the way we are in God's heart. We never leave that stage. We're always little children.
When Abraham was ninety and nine, he was still just a little baby to God. God told him said, "I am the Breast that you nurse from, Abraham. (See.) Just lean against Me and nurse, and everything will be all right." And He changed Abraham back to a young man again, just by holding on to His words.

7 Now, I believe we sing a little song of "Bring Them In," and you bring your little ones up here now, you who want to dedicate them. Now, I'll ask the elders if they'll come forward, too. All right.
Bring them in, bring them in,
Bring them in from the fields of sin;
Bring them in, bring them in,
Bring the wand'ring ones to Jesus.
Oh, how I love to see these little fellows. Now, what is your name? What's her ... what is her name? Little Sharon Louise Riddle, and I'm sure we all love Brother and Sister Riddle. We know Brother Riddle here. He runs the bootery down here in the city, and they've got the cutest little baby here, little Sharon---Sharon Louise---Sharon Louise Riddle.
How old is she, Brother and Sister Riddle? Four months. My, my. That's a little idol to the heart, isn't it? And now, the Lord has given to you this lovely little one, and now you are dedicating it to Him, putting it into His arms, that God, who has give, you are returning back to Him. Giving it to Him, that He might bless its little life and make it a life of service, and pray that God will make it a child that would bless your hearts when you're old; and if Jesus tarries, it'll be a great worker for God, and you'll be proud of this little girl. May God grant it. I'd be ... take her and to bless her.
Now, I want all the ladies, and 'course the men, too, look at this fine little baby. Isn't that sweet? Little Sharon. Let us bow our heads now.

8 Our blessed heavenly Father, in the precious Word we read that they brought to You little children, that You might put Your hands on them and bless them. And now this couple this morning in this holy wedlock that You have given into their trust this lovely child, little Sharon Riddle. And we pray, dear heavenly Father, that You will bless this child, as they are coming this morning to give dedication to bring the baby back to the One who gave it. And I ask Thee, God, to bless them; bless their lives. And may this little child live, grow, and have perfect health and be Your servant, and may it be a woman that'll be after the heart of God and the heart of the parents. Grant it, Lord.
And now, as Your elders, we raise the child to Thee, as they have placed it into my hands; and I raise it to Thee. In Christ's name, may You bless this baby, and may it live, and grow, and be strong and healthy, and a servant of God. We ask this as we present it to You in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.
Bless you, little honey. You're a mighty sweet little baby. God bless you. Amen. God bless all of you.
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves;
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

9 Won't it be wonderful then? Now, let us bow our heads just a moment for prayer.
O God, who formed the heavens and the earth, just let His breath go forth with His Word, and everything taking its right position. The earth, the moon, the stars all swung into place, just as God breathed on His Word. And O God, today we ask that You'll breathe on Your Word as we are trying to bring it to the people. May it take its position this morning, its place, and be rooted and grounded in every heart, that every person here might receive Your blessings.
Help those, Lord, who are out of the way, crippled and lame in their spirit. They don't know You as a loving Saviour, as we have been privileged to. We pray that You will bless them abundantly today, and may they, when they leave this building, be happy and rejoicing over the new found Christ that they have become acquainted with during this meeting.
If there's some that's sliding away to the cares of the world, O God, bring them back. And the sick and the needy, Father, we pray for them that You'll heal every sick person here today. Encourage those who are weary, and bless those who are holding faithfully. Grant it, Lord. May Your Spirit be upon all. Bless the Word as it goes forth, the speaker that shall speak it, and the hearer that shall hear it. And all together get glory for this gathering this morning, for we ask it in Christ's name. Amen.

10 Now, I haven't got just exactly rested up from the long meeting, which has been now some four months; and this last five weeks meeting has been very tearing down. For we've had a wonderful meeting all the way across the nation now, from New York to San Francisco (the whole nation), zigzagging back and forth as we have crossed. The Lord has saved many, many hundreds of people.
Last Sunday, a week ago, alone, our blessed heavenly Father... I seen between a thousand and fifteen hundred sinners repenting at one time at the altar at Oakland, California, in the big arena. It was just packed out. And we had to seat the middle of the place, down the middle instead of the arena sides, and the Lord just blessed.

11 And we had in there the great earthquake, as you have heard; and that was my wife's first one to be into. She was just a little shaky afterwards. It was very strong, as the buildings shook, and the dust flew, and the bottles on the... We was standing in a drugstore getting some postcards to mail home, and the bottles shook, and the chimney fell off and the big buildings rocked together. The road split open, and part of it sunk underneath, and... It just goes to remind us that the handwriting's on the wall. There will be earthquakes in diver's places. And that one day, eight earthquakes struck that same city.
And then about ten o'clock that night, we had just got in ... or, ten-thirty, and gone to bed, and the lamps sitting in the middle of the floor, liked to rocked over from another great heavy earthquake. Just goes to show that eight thousand miles beneath us is nothing but burning red lava. And it was just at the time when we'd hear our aggressors across the sea saying that they were forbidding the people to go into Scandinavia and so forth, that they'd annihilate them with atomic weapons. And we wonder what would happen if they would start dropping those bombs, and bursting those places into the earth. When it would just exactly do what God said it would do: no more water, but fire this time.

12 So, it brings joy to the heart of the waiter, that's waiting on the coming of the Lord and the blessed hour that when these old vile bodies shall be changed and made like unto His own glorious body. And we shall see Him---no more struggle, no more sorrow, no more old age, no more infant of days, no more hunger, no more weary, no more sickness, no more death... Oh, we just can't fathom. I'm telling you, friends, it's hard, because we're human; and death is such a thing that we all hate to face it. But it's a blessed relief; it's a blessed thing to know that He'll come someday and these things will be changed.
Now, remember and get on to your ... especially your sinner friends now, for to come to the meeting, this revival coming up.
Now, just in the way of a little speaking... My throat, as I said, hasn't been cleared yet exactly, and I'm still a little tired. But I rested this week, kept away from even the phone and everything so I could get a few days of rest. And then, this coming week I want to rest up a little, if I can, and then get ready for the little revival.

13 Then I go to Canada, and from Canada back to Indianapolis, from Indianapolis then to Chicago, and from Chicago, after the Christian Businessmen International Convention... And they got me booked now (You pray for me, and especially during this revival, that God will direct me.) a complete world-wide tour to be start in June and come back in November ... or, July, rather. And that's to go into Europe, Asia, all down through the islands and seas, and come back through by the west coast: leave the east and go plumb around the world, come back to the west coast. Such a needy time.
And now, there's something kind of checks me a little. I don't know whether it's something in the road or what. I don't know. But you pray for me, and God will surely work it out right.

14 Now, I got two places in the Scripture that I have chosen this morning to read, because of this, that the people are coming to be prayed for. This is just a little time to pray for the sick and the needy. Now, I'd just like to teach a little on the Word. Then maybe, the Lord willing, tonight might not only teach but preach a little from the Word.
Now, I'm going to read from two places. And that's over in the Old Testament, both of them: one in Numbers thirteenth chapter and the thirtieth verse, and the other's in Joshua the first chapter and the ninth verse.
And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
And then over in Joshua the ninth verse of the first chapter:
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee wheresoever thou goest.
And may the Lord add His blessings to His Word.
I just love the Word. And if I would say for a subject this morning, I want to take ... to find the context in here a text called, God Keeps His Word.

15 Now, if we could just dwell on that for weeks, hold a year's revival and still be just as fresh at the end as it was at the beginning of that subject of God Keeps His Word. There's one thing that God cannot do. Did you ever think of it? There is one thing that God cannot do: that's fail. He can do everything but fail, but He cannot fail.
So, if our most holy confidence is built this morning upon that wonderful One who can do anything there is to be done, except fail, how much confidence should we have in His eternal Word. My heart has been stirred in the last year, after I have looked across the nations, and seen the things heap up the way they are, and the little isms arising.

16 It well brings to my memory what's wrote there in that cornerstone on that morning when we dedicated ... or, laid the cornerstone. When the Lord woke me up, not knowing what visions was in those days. I'm looking at the chimney on top of the house, five feet or more from where I was sitting when the vision taken place twenty-three years ago in 1933. Be about twenty-four years ago, I suppose. I'm looking at the chimney right now.
It was long before I was ever married. I was single at home. We were just building this church, and we was laying the cornerstone that morning, when the Lord gave me the vision. I'd woke up and looked out the window, and it was along in June and the honeysuckle ... or, the buds a blooming. And there ... looked like I went walking out or something, and I saw the Lord Jesus, and saw my tabernacle; and He pronounced to me that this was not my tabernacle, and kept me under the skies.

17 Many of you know the vision, because it's wrote and published in, I believe the fourth or fifth edition of nearly a hundred thousand books has went in seventeen different languages. And just watch how that has come to pass word by word, just did never fail. How that we come together in a lovely little group of people and how the Lord did bless us. And then, from place to place, but finally into the evangelistic fields and over the world now... How it's gone.
And how the time has come that there would be these things that's happened. How that the world would ... heaped up teachers with itching ears, and the truth would be rejected and would be turned to fables. And then that how that He said, "Preach the Word. Stay on the Word."
And if anything I've tried to do, is stay on God's eternal Word. We're living in the closing hours of this world's dispensation. I don't see how that anyone could look, and just take a look at the newspapers, or turn on the radio, and not repent. I can't see it. How that we're just at the eve of some great something that's fixing to happen. Even nature shows it. The world is becoming nervous. It's bursting forth its volcanics, and it's having a nervous prostration. The great earthquakes are shaking and splitting the roads, and fearful sights of the flying saucers, and missiles that they can hurl through the earth and destroy, annihilate a nation in five minutes.

18 We're at the end time. Something's taking... There's no way to stop it. There's not a way. There's only one way out of it, and that's up. There's no way of trying to hide. There's no hiding place, but one.
As the little girls used to sing here, when I just a boy preacher, they use to sing, "There's no hiding place down here. I went to the rocks to hide my face; But the rocks cried out, there's no hiding place down here." But there is a hiding place: "The name of the Lord is a mighty tower; the righteous run into it and are safe." How glad we are to have this hiding place at the end time.
As we look around and see these great signs a moving; and this coming revival, if God willing, I want to go all the way into Genesis and bring out those great striking points that we're at the end. We're here.

19 I believe that this existing generation is on the earth right now, that will see the coming of the Lord Jesus. I'm forty-eight; I may not see it; I don't know. It may come tomorrow, but I believe that there's some here that will see the coming of the Just One, the ending of the time. And I believe that most all of us, especially that's in this church this morning, will never die with old age, until we see one of the most horriblest things happen, that's ever happened to people, that's going to happen right here in this nation. It's the truth.
Brother, we've waded past the borders of mercy until there is nothing left but judgment. But the righteous will not have to be punished with the unrighteous. God will come, and Jesus will redeem His church, and we'll go up in the air to meet Him, and it'll be far beyond any bombs or any troubles. And we'll be protected during that time.
So children, back to your God, quickly. Don't tangle with the world for anything. Stay out of this modern world; stay out of these modern theologies. Just look to the Lamb of God; read your Bible and pray all the time. Don't be weary. Be rejoicing, happy, for the redemption of the church is drawing nigh, when we shall see Him who died for us.

20 Our text is the setting to kind of coincide with the age today. To begin with, the first scripture I was reading in Numbers, it was speaking of a people that had been called out from a great mighty nation, that was near and had received their judgment.
I want you to understand that sin will not go unpunished, regardless if it's in a nation, or a church, or a home, or an individual. Sin must be dealt with on the basis of judgment. No other way. It cannot be atoned: Say, "I done wrong; now I'll do good." That won't work.
You cannot make reconciliations yourself, because reconciliations is already been made. It's a confession that you're wrong. And then come and straighten up.
So, sin must be dealt with. And God always deals with sin by judgment. That's why our Lord died the death that He did on Calvary, is because that sin was such a horrible thing, that judgment of sin was placed on Him, that those who desire might go free through believing on Him and accepting Him as their sin bearer. Not how good we can be, but how we believe and accept Him. And when we accept Him, He comes into our heart, and that's where the good part is. It's not on what we could do; it's on what He has done, and what He has done for us. There's where He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquity; and the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we were healed.

21 Now, these people had been down in Egypt some four hundred years. And we're all acquainted with the great going down of the children of Israel, and how that down there God had turned them over to the Egyptians. And they had mistreated them, because God's Word said that they would do that.
Now, God promised Abraham, four hundred years that his people would sojourn in a strange land. And when the time of the promise drew nigh, God had everything ready to meet... Oh, I just love that. When I think of that: Just at the crucial time, He's not one minute late. He's always just on time. If we can just be like that... Oh, we try to push the thing. We try to make it our time, but we can never do that. God makes it on His time. We can't make it any different.

22 Yesterday, standing in the backyard of my sister that lives next door to us, Sister Wood, we was noticing a little cocoon that had formed on a tree. And the wind was a blowing it back and forth. And she was telling me that in the "Streams Of The Deserts," I believe that she was reading an article about the cocoon. It's a little worm that goes in there and forms a little shell around him to keep him through the cold, and...
But when it comes time, this person who was dealing with the little fellow, they seen the little cocoon a moving and wiggling around, and they felt so sorry for the little fellow, so they thought they would just cut the end of it off and let the little bug out. Because when he come out of there, he was going to have wings. He went in as a bug ... or, a little worm; he comes out with wings in more like a glorified state.
And as he was wiggling and pulling and tugging and beating and biting and trying to get out of the cocoon, they felt sorry for him, so they thought they would just give him a short cut. So, they go get the scissors and cut the end off. And when they cut the end off, the little bug come out, but he never was right, because he didn't have any strength in his body. He had no ... he couldn't use his wings.

23 And I think that's the way we try to duplicate, to get down to the altar, and say this, that, or the other, and try to get the people back to God, or into the church, or to come to Christ. Just let them boo-hoo it out; that's all. Just work your way out of it; that's all. If you try to give them a short cut, they'll never able to stand. I just like to see them struggle and work at it, till God gives them a real birth in the natural way. Just give them the real birth, just...
People say, "Well, honey, I think you've prayed enough."
You just stay there until you're ready to fly. That's the only thing. God has a way of doing it.
"Oh, well, if you want to be good, just go over to join the church. Mama went to the same church."
That might be just fine, but you know, it takes a death to bring a life. And we got to die until then we are so dead that there can be a new life come in. Then our wings will be valuable and our experience that we have will be valuable to others and to ourselves.

24 Israel wasn't ready, but God was ready. And He had a little baby born by the name of Moses. And he was right there at the age of forty to take the children out. But Israel wasn't ready. And by the reason they wasn't ready... Then they had to labor twenty years longer ... or, forty years longer, it was. Forty years longer they had to toil down in Egypt, when they would've been able to have come out forty years before that, if they had only been ready. God was ready, because the time of the promise drew nigh. God sent an Angel down to the earth to make ready the people to fulfill His Word. For God always keeps His Word.
He said to Moses, "I have seen the afflictions of My people, and I have heard their groans and their cries, because of the taskmasters. And I have remembered, I have remembered My Word, My promise." Four hundred years had passed, but God still remembered His Word.

25 Almost two thousand years has passed, but God still remembers His Word: "I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also." And I believe the time of the promise is drawing nigh.
Notice, as He was speaking and getting ready, and four hundred years had passed, and God was on time with His Word. Then we find out that after forty years longer... And I might stop here just to say these words. Now, you can quote me, because I know it's going on tape back there. I believe that we are... The coming of the Lord Jesus is way past due. I believe it was due a long time ago, but it's because of the church is not ready to meet Him.

26 Now, if you'll notice, He said as it was in the days of Noah, in the days of Noah before the flood, how it would be. And God was not willing that any should perish, but that all might come to repentance. Then He suffered long. The flood stage was way past due.
Down in Egypt, it was way past due. Do you get it? In the antediluvian destruction now, way past due, the destruction and judgment, and coming out of Egypt, way past due, forty years overtime. But God was determined; God was determined that His Word would not return to Him. He was going to keep His Word. He has to keep His Word. He must do it in order to be God. If He has to make a change of everything, and by grace He will do it. That's the reason I say, if the church does not get herself ready... That's your duty to get ready: "The bride has made herself ready." The garments is paid for. They are ready, but you must be ready to wear those garments. The church has made herself ready.

27 Now, brethren, listen. If the church doesn't get ready, God's able of these stones to rise children unto Abraham. If this holiness people don't straighten themselves up and get back into the harness again, get back to the Gospel, God will raise up out of... He can bring Catholics up, Presbyterians, or whatever He wishes to. He'll do it.
A few weeks ago, at Lima, Ohio, [maybe some of you sitting here now that was present], amongst the Presbyterian, Baptists, and Methodists, they streamed to the altar. They received and responded to the Gospel, much better---much better than many times the holiness people does. We've just got it on our minds that we're called by His holy name, and let it go like that. It means more than to be called by His name. It means to live for Him who died for you. It's a life, a consecrated life to God. Oh, how we need back to the Bible.

28 Here a few nights ago, I was saying to the Lutherans... For, at the meeting up there now, they just said, "Give us five more colleges like this of those Lutherans." Seventy-one of them received the Holy Ghost that day at the college when I was there. Said, "Give us five more schools like that, and the Lord tarry ten years, we will have the entire Lutheran church filled with the Holy Ghost." Oh, my.
Sure, God is able of these stones... He's going to have a church presented without spot or wrinkle or a blemish. His grace is all-sufficient. And He can do the exceeding abundantly.

29 And I said here not long ago, the Lutherans did have the torch light to the world. What happened? If you was run out of the world, you Lutheran people at one time at the first reformation, what happened to your light? Why did it go out? This is the reason it went out, is because you left God's Word. You believed that the just should live by faith, which is absolutely the truth; but there's more than that---the just shall live by faith.
Then along come the Methodist. You Methodist people, you picked up the torch light of sanctification, and you did hold the torch light for a great revival. That's all true, but what happened? What happened to the Methodist church? Is because you let the light go out; that's what happened. And you preached sanctification, the second definite work of grace, which is positive, the truth of the Bible, but you just let it go at that.

30 And then along came the Pentecostals with the restoration of the gifts. And you spoke with tongues, and then you made a doctrine out of that. And then what happened? Your light's gone out. What's the matter, is because you failed to stay with the Word.
God's words were unfolding, and we must unfold as God's Word unfolds, as time unfolds, signs unfolds. And if the natural world... This man is the same man he was six thousand years ago when God made him. He's the same intellectual; he's the same intelligence; he's just the same man with the same five senses, that he was thousands of years ago; but look what progress he's made in the past fifty years.

31 Look what that fallen son of God has did. He's invented automobiles, and radio, and electric lights, and atomic bombs, and jet planes. Look how fast ... the pages are turning fast inside it. But we are trying to linger back on some old church creed, and stand there when God wants us to unfold the Word. We're living in the last days. We're living in the time that God's great beautiful church ought to be standing on its feet shining like the lily of the valley.
But we're back some: "Well, I belong to the Presbyterian, the Methodist, the Pentecostal. I'm this or that." Oh, what a disgrace.
We should be unfolding, God's Spirit pouring out, not just one little gusher, not one little baptism, but baptism after baptism. Not a revelation, "Just shall live by faith," or sanctification, or the gifts of the Spirit, but revelation after revelation, power after power, glory after glory, for we ought to be way up the road, ready for the translation.
And we're lingering back down in the old things and saying, "Well, we keep going back." Let's go forward.

32 Those Hebrews said, "Now here, we're fed pretty well, though we work hard. And now we got the things that we have. We got the garlic pots and so forth. So, let us be satisfied."
But Moses had a revelation. He had been in the presence of God. He had something else. He went back and showed them that the very God that existed many hundreds of years before that, was the very same God. And He done signs and wonders before them to prove that He was the very same God. Oh, blessed be His name. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
The dispensations change, the times change, the people change, but God remains. He has to be the same all the time. His Word is eternal truth. He cannot vary from right court to the left. He must remain the same.

33 Then we find what takes place. Here comes Moses down with the signs, "I have been in the presence of God. I have seen God, and God has did great things."
He performed a divine healing act. He performed another act as a miracle, and he showed them that the very God of heaven had appeared to him.

34 After hundreds of years of the supernatural being gone, he showed that God was still living and God had sent him and said, "Go tell them that I AM has sent you." Not "I was," or "I will be." "I AM"---a present tense." He is not "I was."
How people can claim God, and say "the days of miracles are past, and divine healing and all the blessings are gone," and still say He is the living God, and the I AM. If He's "I AM," He's just as real as He was at the burning bush. That great name that He appeared there, and no scholar yet has ever been able to interpret it.
J-v-h-u. No one. They call it "Jehovah," but it wasn't. No one can interpret it. Why? He's the eternal One. Amen. He dwells in light; He dwells in eternity; He dwells in immortality: the everlasting I AM. Hallelujah!

35 My faith is stayed on that solid rock. There's nothing can ever harm, when you're anchored to that place. The storms may shake and batter, but my anchor holds within the veil. When a man or a woman has anchored against that rock, there is nothing can ever shake you from it.
Just as their time was for deliverance and they failed to see it, so is the time for the deliverance of marching orders for the church. It's at hand.
Look, my friend. They had what? First the Word, second a prophet, third an Angel to lead them, to guide them; every one agreed with the other---the three of them. The Word agreed with the prophet, and the prophet agreed with the Word. The Angel agreed with all three of them, all of them. The Word, the prophet, an Angel: They were ready for the march. Oh, blessed be the name of the Lord God. We're at the end time. The Word, the prophet, and the Angel, all three of them together, one great testimony... God always said, "In the mouth of two or three witnesses, let every word be established."
And a true prophet will always agree with the Word, and any Angel will testify of truth. Amen. We're ready for marching orders. Sure.

36 And he brought the people out. On their road up they started rebelling against the prophet, and against the Angel, and against God, and against the Word. And they got into trouble. The Bible said, "There was a mixed multitude that went with them."
A mixed multitude came out. What was it? The supernatural had been done. There'd been miracles and wonders. Any person, a human being longs to see behind the curtain from where he come, and from whence he will go someday. He longs to see behind the curtain, but many times when the supernatural acts has been performed, then there's a mixed multitude that goes.
That's what happened in the days of Luther, when the mixed... God's been trying to bring them out since that day. And in the days of Luther, "The just shall live by faith," they tested it and tried it and found it so. A mixed multitude went, and as soon as Luther went, what happened? They organized a church and made a great big ecclesiastical system. And when they did, the church went back on the shelf.

37 Along come John Wesley, one of the great mighty warriors of the middle age. And he stepped right out and defied the Anglican church, and defied the Catholic church, and defied the world: that the holy God said people must live holy. And he stayed on His promise, of God's promise, and he brought a miracle. What happened? A mixed multitude started with him, and when Wesley went, then the mixed multitude come in. And what have they done? Corrupted the church, till many of them won't even have blood songs in their hymn books. Certainly.
A while after that, come along the Pentecostal. And the Pentecostals begin to find the gifts. As soon as they got to the gifts... First thing the littlest gift in the whole group was speaking with tongues. That's the last and smallest; God started with the amateur things, and they couldn't even hold that.

38 Looky here. The first gift in the line of gifts is wisdom. The second is knowledge. And if you don't have any wisdom, how do you know what to do with knowledge? Seek the best things first: wisdom. And if you haven't got wisdom, what can you do with knowledge, or speaking with tongues, or these other things? It takes wisdom. It takes God's wisdom. Solomon said, "Call it your mother." Right.
But what did they do? The Pentecostal received the speaking in tongues, and they made a denomination out of it. And they went to, "This is it." Sure they did. And a mixed multitude went with them.
And today what's happened with the Pentecostals? There's two factions of them. One of them is just as cold and formal and stiff and starchy as they can be. And the other one's after a big bunch of isms: running oil and blood from their hands, and everything else across the country, and call it evidences of the Holy Ghost; and frogs and lizards and things jumping out of people, and putting them in a little alcohol and so forth. Anyone knows that a devil doesn't have a corporal body. And if the blood of Jesus Christ dripped down on a man, it was a corporal body, and Christ is already come; and it's wrong, then.
The Bible said, "When Jesus comes, that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess."

39 He will be... His coming will be like the light that cometh from the east even unto the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. Every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess. We know that's true.
Then when we see those things happening, when we see those things coming to pass, then we know that there's a mixed multitude that's went up with the people. After a while one faction become way over on one side; one become way over on the other side; and there's your mixed multitude. There's your reaction again. There you're coming...

40 And when they did like that, they come to the place of Kadesh-barnea. And when they come to Kadesh-barnea, that was the judgment seat, where trials must be settled. Oh, if you could only understand it, little church.
Now here's where we want to squeeze just for a moment. Now, listen closely. Kadesh-barnea was the testing time, and every child that comes to God has got to be tested. There's no exceptions at all. God tests and tries every child that comes to Him. Is that right? The Bible said they are. And as we notice now, when those trials come and testings...
There's testing times comes for nations. Now, I say this; I'm not a politician. God runs His own nation. He doesn't run these nations; the devil runs these, everyone of them; the Bible says he does. The devil operates every nation.

41 Notice, when the testing time comes for the nations... When the testing time come for Israel, she failed. And when she did, God turned her over to Babylon. As a nation, she failed. And when the testing time come for Rome, she failed. When the testing time come for Greece, it failed. When the testing time come for France, it failed. When the testing time come for Russia, she failed. Listen. And I say this with a reverent heart to God, "The testing time has come for America, and she's failed."
The Gospel has been preached from east to west, from north to south; they've combed every little place and crack and corner. Great revivals has went forth: Billy Grahams, and Jack Schullers, and Oral Roberts. And they have... Oh, just hundreds of them have combed every little crack and corner.

42 The devil throwed out a television yonder, and God worked it around to throw man on the television, and every drunkard in the barroom, or wherever he is, will stand without an excuse. Yes, sir. The testing time has come.
What did I tell you from this pulpit? Last year America made her fatal mistake. I said, "Fatal mistake." She sure did. And look what she's doing now. You see it in the governmental affairs. They're trying to go right over and hook up with the Arabs. Don't you know, God's Word said, "Ever who curses Israel, will be cursed."? Certainly.
I stand with Israel, take our ground or take it. Certainly. They're doing the wrong thing. Sure they are. Brother, look at every nation that turned against the Jew; they sunk. Look at Germany, when she turned against the Jew, and they burnt the bodies in the incinerators, and look what it is today.
Look at Italy, that turned against the Jews, when Mussolini ousted them from Italy. Look at her today. If we wasn't feeding them, they'd be starved to death.

43 And here the Gospel come and give a mercy call throughout the nations for years; and we've turned it down. And now working... The devil, taking his seat, is turning the hearts of these political men against Israel, and they're hooking up over yonder with the Arabs. Brother, we're as good as gone. That's right. We'll sink as sure as the world.
I love my nation. I love what it stands for; but brother, I love my Lord above everything. And I love to see my nation to its knees, but I'm afraid we'll never do it. We're at the end time. What happened? A mixed multitude got in.

44 Watch our churches. A few years ago when they had the old-fashioned holiness churches, when they stood for God and righteous, when women dressed and acted like ladies, when men dressed and acted like men, when people went to church on Sunday morning, when they had all-night prayer meetings; when they had the old-fashioned type, they had a real revival. God blessed.
He cut off every enemy before them. They were journeying on, but when the wedge of Achan got in the camp, there was nothing left but destruction. We're on our road. God keeps His Word.
The testing time come. The testing time come for the Lutheran church; the testing time come for the Methodist church; the testing time come for the Pentecostal church; it comes for every church. It comes for every person. The testing time, and there's only one way that you can ever know that you're right: Stay with God's eternal Blueprint; stay with the Word.

45 What God says, say, "That's right." Don't take nothing less or nothing more. Why should we have to have substitutes for this, that, and the other, when God's Word is full of promises. Yes, sir. We don't have to take any substitutes; this is the truth. God keeps His Word. No matter how unreasonable it may seem, God keeps His Word anyhow. He certainly did.
What would your grandfather ever said if your great-grandfather would've told him that there'd come a time when the carriages would go through the streets without horses? He laughed at him maybe, but they're here. That's right. What about these other things that would take place, when all these great prophecies has been made, but we're here. And someday Jesus will come, that glorious majesty of the Son of God; He promised He'd do it. He promised He'd judge sin. Brother, you'll either accept God's provided sacrifice for sin, or you'll stand alone in judgment: nation, church or individual. The testing time...

46 Watch. They sent someone out (twelve of them) to find out what they'd say. Ten of them come back and said, "Oh, we can't do it. It's impossible. We just can't do it."
But little old Caleb and Joshua climbed on a stump. They said, "We can do it. We're able to do it." Why? It depends on what you're looking at.
If you're looking on the outside, "Doesn't look this way; doesn't look..." Don't look what them people says or what anything else says; if it's contrary to God's Word, stay with the Word. God promised them that land. That's what Caleb and them was putting their hopes on. Read the book of Deuteronomy. See how Moses correctly said, "I did this, and I did that. And God did this and said this; but you would not." God stays with His promise. Oh, sometimes it seems like it's hard. Now, I want you to listen to this: It's hard; it's a battle.

47 Way down in Egypt God said, "I have given you that land and all that's in it." Now, He never just said, "I'm going to pick you up, take you up there, and set you down." They had to fight for every inch of ground they had. God, when He commanded Joshua there, He said, "Be of a good courage. Be not afraid; neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee wheresoever thou goest."
The Lord thy God is with thee, wheresoever thou goest. No matter what it is, how hard it is, how great the obstacle is, that doesn't matter. If it's down through the valley of the shadow of death, the Lord thy God is with thee wheresoever thou goest.
Oh, how Joshua could call Israel together and say, "Stand here and watch the glory of God." God is with His Word.
God made the promise. God said to Joshua, "Every place that the soles of your foot set, that yours. I've given it to you." Amen.

48 If it's for salvation, if it's for divine healing, if it's for more blessings, if it's for peace, if it's for anything that God promised, make footprints. Amen. "Every place the sole of your foot sets, that have I given you for a possession."
God promised it, God keeps His Word. God's Word is everlasting truth. I believe it; you believe it. Brothers, it's time for us to make footprints. We can't stay right here in this same camp; the fire's moving on. Let's move on from glory to glory, from Bible experience to Bible experience. Let's unfold and open up our hearts, raise up our hands to God. Keep sane. Stay in the Bible; don't get outside of that; stay right there. Follow.
We've got the prophet of God; we've got the Word of God; and we've got the Angel of God. He's leading this church just exactly like He led in them days. That's exactly right. The Word of God is before us; the Prophet of God is the Holy Spirit; the Angel of God is leading the church. We're moving in the pillar of fire, in the glory of God, sitting together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Now we are sons and daughters of God, and the great revelation of the Word, the Holy Spirit sinks it into the hearts and bringing forth the trees of salvation: righteous living, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, gentleness, patience. Sure it is.

49 It just only won't happen to a Branham Tabernacle, or to another tabernacle; it happens to individuals. If the whole Branham Tabernacle gets together in that one accord, the whole thing will be moving in one big unit for God. But if there's only one in that Branham Tabernacle moving like that, God will move with that one. And only one way to do it; that's fall in line with it, march on. Blessed be the name of the Lord. God keeps His Word.
Why, those fellows said, "We can't do that. We can't have a revival over there. Everything's against us." Oh, my. "The Amorites are there, and the Hittites, and all those are all walled up; we look like grasshoppers."
But little old Joshua, about forty years old, beating himself in the chest and Caleb saying... Caleb standing there saying... Caleb said, "You know what? We are more than able to do it." Oh, brother, a little bitty hook-nosed Jew standing there, bounced up-and-down, saying, "We're more than able. We're not only able, but we're more than able." Why? God said so. That settles it.

50 Brother, we can have healings; we can have miracles; we can have revival; we can have the blessings. Why? God said so. We can have a true Pentecost; we can have a real revival. God said so. God keeps His promise.
Just as God keeps His promise with His blessings, God keeps His promise with His judgments. We've got to take judgment or the blessing. We've got to walk forward or walk backward. We've got to go with Him, or go alone. No one can go there with us. Stay on His Word.

51 I can think of a very good friend of mine that's gone on to glory: old, blessed old brother, a sainted man filled with the Holy Ghost, by the name of Paul Rader. One time out yonder on the west coast, when just before he died... (You know his testimony.) His song that he has written, "Only Believe," has called me to the pulpit... I wonder if Paul, in glory, hears that old song being sung by the thousands and thousands, and by the different languages. How did he know that that poor little old boy sitting before him there, with ragged shoes on and not even a necktie, needed a haircut, that God would let me take that song around the world. God keeps His Word.
"I the Lord have planted it; I will water it day and night," He said, "lest some should pluck it from My hand."

52 It may seem like it's sinking, but it will never sink. Oh, that little old ship that night, when all hopes was gone, and she was tossed about; looked like the last hour was there, but all at once Someone come walking on the water, just as calm. He's always there. He's never late. One more dash, and the ship would've went down, but He's always there. Certainly.
That day down there in Babylon, when the Hebrew children was walking in that fiery furnace, it looked like that the very end had come. But as they stepped in, there was One like the Son of God stood by them. He's always there; He's never late. He keeps His Word: "I will be with you."
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil," said David. He's always there; He keeps His promise. He's eternal true; He cannot fail. His words can never fail, "Heavens and earth will pass away, but My Word can never pass away."

53 Paul said one time... He was having a struggle. He was out in the islands, and he had a fever. He was nearly a hundred miles from a doctor, out in the swamps. In the swamp, Blackwater Fever had took him, and that's sudden death. And it got dark, and he told his little faithful wife, said, "You stand right by me, honey, and pray. It's getting so dark in the room." But said, "I believe in God." Said, "I don't care what happens; I believe God. I'll stay right with it." Said, "You stay here and pray, honey." And she prayed.
And it got darker said, "Dear, it's getting darker in the room, but oh, I feel at peace." And after while, it got so dark, he went out; he went into a dream. He thought he was dreaming; he was back up in Oregon, where he come from, cutting some timber. And the boss said, "Paul, go up to the top of the mountain there, and cut me a tree, so many inches through, so many feet long, and bring it down to me."
He said, "All right, boss, I'll do it." Went up there, and downed his little old tree and stuck the ax in it, reached down to get a hold of it, and he just couldn't lift it up. He said, "I've lost my strength. I just can't go any further. I have lost my strength." Why, he said, "Here I'm a big man. I weigh better than two hundred pounds. I got a great muscled back." Why, he said, "I used to just get my knees together, get a hold of most any size log, and could raise it up for them to put chains under it."
He said, "And here, a little limb, no bigger than that, and I couldn't lift it." Said, "I tussled and I tried till all my strength was gone." Oh, he said, "Then I thought, 'What can I do?'" Said, "I sat down and leaned up against a tree." He said, "Oh, I'm so sad. My boss wants this little tree down there, and I'm not even man enough to take it down."

54 Oh, what our Boss wants. He wants a church without spot, without wrinkle. He wants a blood-washed bunch of people. He wants a people that'll cling to ... or, stand on His Word, and say, "That's God, eternal truth; It was meant for me and I believe it."
And said, as he sat there, he was leaned against a tree, and he was weeping, and said he heard his boss speaking. Said, "Paul."
And he said, "Yes, boss. Here I am, but I've lost all my strength. I just can't go any farther. I've tried to do, and I've tried to obey you, and do what you said do; but I just can't get this thing off the ground." He said, "I've struggled, I've tried, I've done everything."
I just wonder if that ain't the attitude of a many good, true-hearted preacher today, that's longed to see a church built without spot or wrinkle, to see the promises of God made manifest. We've tussled, and tried, and screamed, and cried, and preached till we was hoarse, and laid on our pillows and wept.
O God, why is it just when we get straightened up, that in comes the devil, and busts up, and tears up, and just knocks down everything we got? What can we do, when we see our lovely people and how they be scattered and gone about like that?

55 And said, when he heard his voice of his boss, he thought, "That sounds strange. I never heard my voice speak ... that boss speak so gentle to me." And said, "When I turned around, it was my real Boss; it was my Master, my Saviour."
He said, "Paul, you're just struggling yourself to death. That won't do you any good." Said, "Paul, don't you see that little stream of water running there?"
He said, "Yes."
He said, "Just pitch the thing in there; get on it and ride it on down to the camp. It goes to the camp."
He said, "I jumped up, and rolled the log in, and jumped on the log, went down over the ripples just a screaming to the top of my voice, screaming, 'I'm riding on it; I'm a riding on it; I'm a riding on it.'"
And when he come to himself, he was right out in the middle of the floor, and his wife screaming to the top of her voice. He was out in the middle of the floor, saying, "I'm riding on it; I'm riding on it; I'm a riding on it."

56 And brother, sister, "I know the trials are hard. I'm getting old, and I've preached. I've done everything that I know to do. I've got to a place to where I see I can't do no more. I've just laid the whole thing in the lap of the Lord Jesus, and I'm riding on it. I'm riding on God's promise. I, the Lord have planted it; I have watered it day and night, lest some should pluck it from my hand."
God's church will endure forever. The Word of God will stand, exactly right, wherever. And regardless, if kingdoms come, or atomic bombs fall, or America backslides, whatever takes place. This is His Word; He keeps it. And I'm riding on it. I believe it with all my heart. Let us pray.

57 Blessed Jesus, oh, what a ride, down over the ripples of joy, down through hallelujah current. Oh, we're just riding on it. You promised. Your promises is all true. And we know that every one of them bears record that they're true. And through the ages, we've seen the blessed old Bible unfold to us. And now the great hour is approaching: the midnight hour.
Lord, great holy ministers of the Gospel has went across the nation preaching, crying, drinking branch water, persecuted, run from pillar to post, run out of cities, locked up, made fun of, scorned, laughed, starved. But the church has moved right on, for Your Word says, "Upon this Rock, I will build My church. And the gates of hell shall never prevail against it."

58 And we're riding on it today: the Rock, God's eternal revealed truth of the Lord Jesus Christ; upon that solid Rock the church stands today. The atheists, the communistic, the elements of this earth has rose, and they've beat, and they've stormed, but she's built upon that solid Rock. The devil has sent in fault finders, it's made fun, it's persecuted. It's called everything in the world. And we've been docked about, and tested, and tried, and, oh, everything.
But, O God, as Caleb and Joshua of old, we still say we're standing eternally on the Word of God. He keeps His promise. He said He'd do it and we believe it. And may each individual here this morning get a close view of that now, what it means. That now, now, we're riding on this... Someday we'll be there at the camp, where the saints are camped on the breath of the earth. God and His children will be rejoicing forever. Grant it, Lord.

59 And while we have our heads bowed, our eyes closed in this tabernacle this morning, I wonder if in Christ's name, if someone would have the courage to say, "Brother Branham, this day right now in this church, I now raise up my hands to Christ and saying, 'From this day henceforth, I'll ride on Your Word, Lord. I'll stand there, accept Christ as my Saviour. Never try to do things to try to merit my own salvation; I'll just believe on the Lord Jesus, and accept Him, and let Him put that deep Divine love in my heart, and the peace that passes all understanding. I will wait on the Holy Ghost to give me... I raised up one time, and thought I could go do it, but I found out that I couldn't.'" Sure, you never will. But if you'll just stay there long enough till He does it, then it'll stay there. Then it's anchored. But if you just try to do it, you've going to fail; you're got to fail. That's the reason you have your ups-and-downs, and ins-and-outs, and all the things you're doing. It's because you try to do it. You say, "Oh, I believe I'm all right now."
That ain't it. That isn't it. No, it's the Holy Spirit that comes in. He takes the place. He takes all the old roots of bitterness out---the old anger, and temper, and jealousy, and love of the world, and things---takes it all out of you, and then you're a new creature.

60 Would you raise your hand and say, "Christ, make me that kind of Christian this morning."?
God bless you. God bless you. God bless you, lady. God bless you. God bless you, brother. God bless you, sister. "Make me that kind of a Christian this morning. I want to be like Jesus. I want all the roots of bitterness taken out of my heart."
Now, there's been a number of you raise your hands. Now, right where you are, if you will with all your heart, now not just imagine, but believe that Jesus Christ, God's Son, is standing right by you and will take that old bitterness away from you, that will make you what you long to be, He'll do it right where you're... He'll perform the operation in your hospital, if you'll just let Him do it.
For all things are possible, only believe.
Only believe, only believe,
All things are possible, only believe;
Only believe.........
Just keep praying, "Lord..." Remember, child, it's your soul. You may not be in another service, till all ... this may be the last one. Let God do it right now.

61 Say, "Brother Branham, should I come up to the altar?"
If you want to. Sure. If you don't want to, stay right where you are. You just believe it. "He that heareth My words, believeth on Him that sent Me, has everlasting life and shall never come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." That's it.
If you'd like to come to the altar and pray, it's open. If you want to stay where you're at and pray, it's your soul. It's you're the one. The time is at hand, brother.
The church is just about made up. The old stream's muddy. We've seined, and fished, and throwed these old lead sinkers out there, until the whole thing's become muddy. Too many hogs in the wallow. She's muddy. As me as a minister, I just feel this: that if God's going to do it, it's going to have to take God. I can't. So, it's up to you. There's the Word; there's the truth. You see it unfolding right here before you.
The end is at hand. Jesus may come at anytime. It may be that there may not even be any United States time the sun goes down tonight. They could send five thousand atomic bombs at one time. There wouldn't even be one living creature on the earth in another hour from now. If you want, that's up to you. Think of it now, while we pray.

62 Blessed heavenly Father, at the closing of this Word, as I turn the pages back, the message is sealed up now. The coming of the Lord is drawing nigh. Several in the building this morning raised up their hands and said by that, "I want to become a Christian. I want to be a real, real borned-again servant of God."
And Lord, maybe many years You've dealt with their hearts. You told them that. Your grace is still reached out to them; they're not altogether gone yet. Some has done gone to a place; they have no more desire. Year ago, they use to put up their hand and say, "Well, I'd like to be a Christian." Now, it's done too far. They don't feel it no more now; just about all over.
And that seems to be the general run of the nation: Hearing great evangelists, as they've crossed the nations, they've sent out feelers. They've done everything. They've organized groups. They visit homes to those who had raised their hands and try. Where thousands and thousands made starts, two or three would hold on.
Well, it's over, Lord. It's over, God. We are gone. O Father, I know that You said that all that come to Christ, You'd keep. And I believe that with all my heart. And I believe, Lord, that You will keep those whose hearts and minds are stayed on You.

63 And I thank You, Lord, for the church and for the saints of the living God that's in that church, this great spiritual body. But O God, how my heart quivers for those outside of that, knowing that they see the handwriting on the wall, seeing the great things a happening, the signposts. And America's still full of old dirty jokes, and uncensored programs on television, radio, and love story, and scoffers and laughers, and big time frolics, and Hollywood evangelism, and, O God, it's... The midnight hour's striking. Truly, she's ready to go.
And what can I do, Lord. I've worried; I've cried; I've begged, I... It's just on You now, Lord. It's all I can do. I've preached it. I will just stand right on the Word, Lord. I'm trying to ride that into the camp now. Time won't be long.
Now, God, to those who has the honest heart today, God, do something for them just now. Let them become Your children from this day on. Heal the sick in the midst of us, Lord. Make them well. Bring back those cold backsliders, Lord. Let them know, they're just ... they're playing on such treacherous grounds. Soon they'll be gone. It'll be too late then. Grant now that Your Spirit will deal greatly with us. In Christ's name. Amen.

64 To the young people, I would say this. If I could this morning, after a birthday yesterday of forty-eight years in this life, twenty-some-odd years of that, about twenty-four years I've spent for the Lord Jesus. As a boy of about twenty-three years old, I started preaching the Gospel. If there is any regrets that I have, any regrets... If I could touch a button this morning and go back to the fabulous age of about sixteen or seventeen, I would only want to do it for one thing: that is to serve Christ. That's what it means. To serve Christ, and God who knows my heart, knows that's true, to serve Christ alone.
I have never seen anything or thought anything that ever compared with this blessed anchor of Christ in my heart. I don't know nothing. I've sailed the sea; I flew through the air; I've seen all the sights the world has; I've seen the seven mysteries of the world. I've seen the seven outstanding sights, rather, of the world. I have seen all the mountainsides, pretty near of the world. I'm a hunter. I've hunted in all kinds of nations. I've done everything: fished, I've rode horses, I've ranched. I've done everything that I knowed to do. And I will say this: "That there is all of it put together, won't make one little dot to the love of the Lord Jesus."

65 What could I do? What could... Oh, yes, as these little kiddies here, I've had my little girlfriends, and slicked my hair down, and put my windshield back on my car, and went out with my date, I thought; but it just didn't satisfy. There's something you're lacking all the time.
I've seen the girl with the pretty brown eyes, and it would... You know how you'd feel, as young folks; I thought that was just it. If I could only have the date with this young lady, it would just take all my anxiety; that would just settle it. I'd have a date with her, be out with her fifteen minutes, and looking for someone else. It just doesn't satisfy.

66 Oh, there's nothing. But that blessed hour (Blessed be His name.), yonder in a little old coal shed in the back of the building, kneeling on an old grass sack in an alley, where I knelt down there in the wet ground and said, "Lord Jesus, can You do something for me?"
That's when a peace that passes all understanding (twenty-four years) ago anchored here in this heart of mine, and it's worth all there is in the whole world. I've never seen nothing to compare with it.
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
It's grace that's brought me safe thus far,
It's grace that'll take me on.

67 I've trusted Him in the hours of sickness and accidents. I've trusted Him when the airplanes was spinning in the storm, and you didn't know... I said, "Lord Jesus, are You finished with me? If not, straighten this plane out." See her, just pull around to her right condition.
I've stood in the clinics, where the best of doctors in the nations, and they'd look at me and say, "Just a few more minutes to live. He's going."
And when the best doctors that could be got for me, and I said, "Lord Jesus, are You through with me?" And all of a sudden, I was normally back to myself. Certainly.
Oh, amazing grace, how sweet that sound. How I wish I had tongues to explain what it is. It's too great for the human mind. Take my word: Don't you take a substitute, friend. Don't take a substitute. Don't just go and say, "Well, now, I do this. I tell you what; I'm a pretty good person." Don't rely on that. Don't do it.
Just stay there until something just reaches down, takes away all the sin, and puts a kiss there that just burns. And when the trials come, you don't have to wonder if I'm going to do that; it's just something holds there.

68 And as a middle-aged man now, I've got to come down and think this: that one of these days, I got to go. If Jesus tarries, I got to go.
I don't know what'll it be when I get down to the end of the road. I don't know. I'm not trusting upon my preaching. No, sir. No, I'm not trusting upon the things that I've done. Oh God, no. Oh, let that be far from me. I've done things since I been a preacher: neglected and done this and that. I don't want to trust in nothing. No, sir. I don't want to say, "Lord, I've won over a million souls to You." That has nothing to do with it, not a thing.
The only thing I'm trusting is His grace, His promise, is where, Lord, You said, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." You said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." When I'm pressing that pillow and the cold death's sweat's running off of my brow, He'll be there. Just as sure as I'm standing here, He will be there.

69 When I preach my last sermon, close the Bible, and walk away the last time, and the work's over, He'll be there. Yes, sir. And just as sure as I believe that He's coming, when He comes again, I'll be there, too. Yes, sir. Not because I merit it; it's because He has for me; and I accept it upon the basis of His eternal Word. And I know by that, there was something happened. Something happened.
Not how much noise I can make, how well I can say... If I was the greatest preacher in the world, if I'd raised the dead or whatever, that has nothing to do with it. It's because something happened. Something taken place in here. It taken all the old jealousy, and bitterness, and evil, and everything from my heart, and now I just love Him day and night. Something happened. I want to see Him someday, and I want you to also.

70 Little church, struggling now for the kingdom of God, don't never falter in this day. If you do, quickly repent. Jump right back, see. If you stump your toe, don't fall. If you fall, get up. Get up; my, get up. Sure. If you've made a mistake now and this revival coming on, and you went back and got cold, indifferent, wait... Get down to your Bible; walk out in the apple orchard somewhere; get out to yourself, and say, "God, now here I am. I'm sorry of this thing."
You're going to get a whipping for it; just remember that. Yes, indeed. You'll reap what you sow out. Yes, sir. But whatever you do; take your whipping here. Get right up, and straighten up, and say, "Father, here I am. Whip me, just as Thou sees fit, Lord. Here I am." That's right. And walk right back with a hallelujah on your heart.
God lets the whip down on you, just say "Yes, Lord, I deserve every bit of it." Just keep on going. God will take you through all right. It'll be over one of these days.

71 I think that good old song, Brother Neville and them used to sing, "I'll soon be done with troubles and trials." Yes, that's right.
How many loves Him? Let's see your hands. Give us a chord, "Amazing Grace." Everybody just be [unclear words]. Slowly now.
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound.
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now I'm found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Was grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Now, all of us together.
When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun:
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we first begun.

72 I used to hear of old Doc Davis ... many of them. And I've heard many of those old saints, when they was coming down after they passed ... up when the ministry was getting ripe. I've heard them talk about how they felt: Just begin to realize that now (Amen.), just begin to realize it. Oh, how... What a wonderful thing.
What would I hold to today? Where would I go? Where you going? Amen. What would I do? What would happen to me today, if it wasn't for Christ? Where would my hopes be anchored? I'd be a maniac. When I see what's fixing to happen, and know that was all of it forever, oh, my, what would I do? But oh, I am so glad. I'm so glad it's just the dawning of day. We're just in a dream. We're fixing to wake up. Oh, in a nightmare, as it was, to come out of it into a springtime of everlasting youth, everlasting health, everlasting joy, everlasting peace. Isn't it wonderful? He is so real.

73 I wonder, how many here's sick now, and wants to be prayed for? Let's see your hands. All right.
I want to tell you what's happened this last week. We've had some of the most marvelous things to happen in the meeting, of course, at the platform. And I have... Coming into a type of something, that it just seems to be greater than what it was.
I have come to the platform, and God has given a gift, a prophetic gift, which can... That's beyond question. I can prove it to you right here, see. That's beyond question. But I see it just doesn't get the job done the way it should, because it's just a gift. And another thing, it's an individual (You see.); it pertains to an individual, through a gift.

74 But I done something the other day, tried to get the people in Oakland, just to ... in the big arena there... I said, "Just this Presence," and just stayed right with that Word. And got the people with the... You know what? There was more healings than I believe I ever seen in any one meeting taken place (outside of the big meetings like in Africa and around like that), but for its size... The people just recognizing the presence of God in the meeting, just sitting there, and get in the presence of God, and the people would get up, healed; crossed-eyed straightened, and oh, it's...
I believe it's coming to a time where... Paul said, "Where there is prophecies, it shall fail. Where there is tongues, they shall cease."...

75 I believe it's coming to a time, till when the saints will get together like this, and just a love spirit will just sweep over the audience, and just every person in there, all that's wrong will be taken out. It'll be that there's such a Presence of the Holy Spirit... I believe while we're to lay hands on them and to pray for them now, (It's a contact maybe of a minister anointed, and laying hands on them just as a blessing to God.), but I believe it's coming a time when God's church is going to be so culled out like that, where the saints will sit together and the Holy Spirit will just come in and just woo, just like it was on the day of Pentecost (See.), and just heal the people, and raise up the people, and great things... I begin to see it happen. Because I tell you for why.

76 Men has went forth with gifts. That's true. I have no doubt to say, I'm not a critic of anybody's... What they believe; that's up to them, see. But I've seen men with gifted ministries, but they went forth and more or less made a... What would I say? Now, with respects and with love, and God knows it's from my heart, see... They have made more like a money gathering affair out of it, you see. Just get people together and want to put on some great big something, and maybe they put the money out, and... Well, that may be all right, but it seems to me, they say, "Well, if the end's coming, what's the people need with their money."
Well, what do you need with it yourself? See. So the thing of it is: is get the Gospel to the people, you see. As I preach, I believe if we just... And gifts... You see, signs and... Now, a person could come here this morning, and stand here in this pulpit and work great miracles and signs; that wouldn't even mean the person was saved. Devils work signs and wonders. Sure they do. Sure they do. And the Bible said they'd do more than that in the last day. Well, Jesus said, "Many will come to me and say, 'Lord, have not I cast out devils in Your name, and have not I did this, and have not I done that, and all these things.'"
He said, "I didn't know you. Depart from me, you workers of iniquity.", see.

77 I believe the time is coming... The manifestation of the gifts that's give to every man to profit withal. That's true. I believe gifts are wonderful, and we need them and respect them. But I believe the time's coming when it's going to be on a higher standard than that. Why, after all these things is done away, that which is love will endure forever, see. It's the love of God... We'll just be standing, preaching like this, or talking, and just a love will just settle over the building. Whew. My. You see?
This is the day of preaching. This is the day when we got to move in and get sinners and pull them out. See what I mean? That's what the preaching of the Word's for, is to the sinners, to bring them out. Now, we have to watch in there and we've... Signs and wonders are done by the laying on of hands and so forth, 'cause it's preaching. But I believe the time's coming now, when she's just about ... the church is about anchored away, see.

78 God won't have a freak body. He won't have six fingers on one hand. It'll just be five fingers on one hand; the body of Christ won't be freak. And when the last person has come into the body of Christ, then it's over. It's over. I don't know which one; this might've been the last one this morning. You might've been the last one. Maybe over in Africa today, the last one will be brought in. But when the last one's done, I mean the gos... You may go ahead preaching the Gospel, but there'll be no response, see. There's no response.
Talking with Billy Graham and them, where they went into a place where thirty thousand ... or, twenty or thirty thousand was converted, they couldn't find twenty or thirty people within a year. Think of it. Just think of that, see. Now, that makes me a Calvinist, exactly. What God has made, God has made.

79 Now, Jesus never come to earth just to say, "I will have preachers go out and preach some, tell them about what I done, and maybe somebody will feel sorry for Me and get saved." God don't run His office like that.
There God at the beginning knowed exactly who would be saved. Jesus come to save those that God knew would be saved. He wasn't willing that they'd be lost. But to be God, He knowed who would be lost and who would be saved. Therefore He could predestinate ... not predestinate... By foreknowledge He could set in order to make everything work to His glory, because that's...
The devil isn't omnipresent nor omnipotent. Neither does he know the end from the beginning; God alone knows it. That's one thing, God just up here, He knows.
The devil don't know what's going to happen. He doesn't know what's going to happen. Only thing he knows: He's just the devil. And he just does what he can do. And everything he can get into, he does it. But God knows the end. Amen. So God knowing the end, He can make everything work right to His Glory. Amen. Oh, I love Him. My, my. See, He's God.

80 So, remember, when the last person that had their... When was your name put on the Lamb's book of life? Yesterday? last year? year before last? No, sir. When the world was created, your name was put on the Lamb's book of life. That's what the Bible said.
The Bible said in Revelations, "And the antichrist deceived all that dwelt upon the face of the earth, whose names were not written in the Lamb's book of life from the foundation of the world." Your name was written then.
Now, the only thing you say, "What's preaching the Gospel then?"
Well, the Bible plainly explains it, see. He said, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that took a net and went to the sea or a lake, and he cast the net into the sea, and he pulled it out." That's preaching the Gospel, see. There's a whole sea. The United States is a lake, and the ministers... Now, I go out here and stand at Jeffersonville on this corner of the lake. Say, "Brother Neville, you been seining?"
"Yes."
"Doing any good?"
"Not too much."
"Well, let's... I'll seine with you a little while." And I'll throw my net out, and he throws his. And here we pull, preaching. Pull in, a bunch of people come up and say, "Yeah, I want to accept the Lord Jesus."
All right, look around, which is fish, which ones? I don't know, see. Well, I...

81 "What are you going to do now?"
"Well, I'm going over in California. The Lord sent me over to California. I'm going to seine over there awhile." I'll go down, throw my net out like this, and push in. Fifteen hundred comes at one time. Was all of them saved? I don't know. There they are. I take the net up; that's the Gospel net.
Some of them, the Bible said, was all kinds of things that was in the water. They all breathed on the same water, lived in the same water. Is that right? See, there was terrapins, mud turtles, snakes, frogs, lizards, scavengers, and real fish.
Now, those that were fish when the Gospel net went over them, was fish when they were on the bank. Those that were terrapins in the Gospel net, were terrapins on the bank. It won't be long till they'll take right back for the mud again. As a hog to its wallow, and a dog to its vomit, away they go, see. But at the beginning, they were terrapins to begin with. It's not my business to say they're terrapins. I don't know. I'm just seining (See.), just pulling the net. But when the last fish is come out of the water, brother, that's it.

82 Oh, the Lord Himself will come and we'll say the work is done. The station will be changed after while. That's right. That's right. Yes, sir.
He will say the work's done and it's finished. It's all over when the last one's come out. And there's been a whole bunch of hog wallows around and everything. God's pulling them fish out of there just as fast as He can. Preachers from every side just swinging nets from one way to the another; we're even wrapping nets around one another. We're just a pulling just as hard as we can, seining. She's just about ready. He'll blow the old pond up one of these days, and she will all be over; but the fish will go to the good clear waters out yonder, where they'll have eternal life forever. Amen.

83 Oh, when that last one comes... My, what a privilege it is for God to say, "Would you like to be a fish?" Amen. "Would you like to be a fish on My table? Would you like to come and be meat at My table?" Oh, my. Sure, sure Lord, see.
But their nature is fish, see. When you're a Christian, your nature is a Christian. You don't have to say, "Now, you can't smoke. You can't drink. You can't do this." You don't have to say that. They just don't do it anyhow, see. Their nature is different. The Spirit of Christ is in the person, and Christ don't do those things, see.
You say "You have to love the Lord; you ought to go to church." You don't have to tell them people that. They go anyhow. They'll walk through rain. They'll go... They'll go through death to go to church. Sure. They love it. They just got to get there. That's all there is to it. It's their life. If they don't, they feel like they're perishing. Sure. Yes, sir. You just got to get there.

84 And whenever just something is burning in your heart---not to go there to argue now, not to go there to fuss---but to go there to worship. My! And you go home refreshed. Isn't that a wonderful life? How many's experienced that? let's see your hands. Oh, many of them.
That's right. Gertie, let's sing that. "Peace..."
...peace! wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above;
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray,
In fathomless billows of love.
Want you to do something now. Ever who's sitting right next to you, shake hands with them and say, "God bless you, brother, sister. I want to meet you in heaven."
Peace! peace! wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above;
Sweep over my spirit forever (Oh, my.)
In the fathomless billows of love.
Down at the cross where my Saviour died,
Down there for mercy from sin I cried;
There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His name!
Glory to His name!
Glory to His precious name!
There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His name!
Now, while we sing the next verse, I wonder if the sick could line up right up here now for the prayer, right over on this side. And I want the ministers if they'll come forth now to help us pray for the sick. Line up on the right-hand side; come around this away. That's right, over on the right side, those to be prayed for...
I am so wondrously saved from sin,
Jesus so sweetly abides within,
There at the cross where He took me in;
Glory to His name!
Glory to His precious name!
Glory to His precious name!
There to my heart was the blood applied;
Glory to His name!
(Chord "The Great Physician" for us, will you, Sister Gertie?)

85 Now, I want to ask you something. Are you coming with anticipations ... or, with expectations, rather, that you're going to be healed this morning? Is that what's in your heart, real down deep? If you're coming like that, my friend, I will just assure you that your healing is just as assured as your salvation---just as sure.
Now, your healing is not as permanent as your salvation. Your healing will fail you. You could be... If you're healed, you'll be sick again. You could be healed today with pneumonia, perfectly normal and well, pronounced well by the doctor, and next week die with pneumonia. That's right.
You could be totally cured of TB this week, and two months from now die with tubercular. They could pass a test with not one germ in your body that they can find. And then die in two more weeks with tubercular. That's right. And you've got to die anyhow, but the benefits...

86 David cried, "Forget not all His benefits. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:" (Benefits, what is the benefits in the journey?) Who forgives all of mine iniquity ... (Iniquity is something that you going out, and you do it, and you know you oughtn't to have done it: He forgives it. You ask Him; He forgives you.) ... forgives all of my iniquity; who heals all my diseases;"
Now, I want to settle this for you forever. Then somebody says, "Brother Branham, do you believe in divine healing?"
Now, let me say this sensibly and sanely. I want some person, some doctor, some scientist somewhere, I invite them in this revival to come to this pulpit and show me one place where anybody was ever healed outside of divine healing. I want you to go to your doctor or to anybody that you wish to, and show me any person that was ever healed outside of divine healing. I want you to bring me the medicine that'll heal. I want you to bring the doctor that says he's a healer. He will be a healer all right: "heel---a heel of a doctor."

87 But God is the only One who can heal, or ever did heal, or ever will heal. If we had some medicine that would heal, we could build a man right here on this platform with the medicine. That's right. We could build a man, create him right here on the platform. Just think of it. All healing is Divine healing. God has methods of doing it. Now, you say, "Well, Brother Branham, I had an operation;, the tumor or appendicitis, that the doctor had to cut it out, or I'd died."
That's probably the truth. But did you know, the doctor never healed you. The doctor moved the obstruction. He just cut the appendix off. That's the thing was hurting you, but he never healed it.

88 You broke your arm. You say, "Well, I broke... I bet if you'd break your arm, you'd go to the doctor." I sure would, but he couldn't heal it.
What if I went in and say, "Doc, heal my arm right quick; I got to work on my car this afternoon." See, why, he'd know I need mental healing.
He'd say, "I can set your arm." But who does the healing?
You say, "Brother Branham, what about penicillin, when they give it to you for a disease, germs in your body, like venereal and whatever you got, pneumonia? Does penicillin ... don't penicillin heal you?" No, sir.
Penicillin is an antibiotic. And an antibiotic is a killer. Antibiotic kills; all other medicines kill. Medicine does not build; it kills. Medicine is a killer, not a healer. Show me a medicine that heals; show me a medicine that isn't a killer, and you ain't got no medicine. Medicine kills, kills germs. Just like if you had rats in your house, and you put out rat poison, and the rats was eating holes through your house. Well, the rat poison kills the rats, but it doesn't patch your house, see. Penicillin kills the germ, but God has to heal the place where the germ has eat. See what I mean?

89 Anyway, God's Word... We're going to get into that. God's Word cannot cross itself up. It's absolutely the truth. I just want the person to come, put your finger on the Word anytime during the revival to show me a contradiction in God's Word, where it crossed itself up, that can't be straightened out by the Word of God. It isn't there. Sure. It isn't there. There's no contradictions in the Word at all. Absolutely.
You can get a subject. I can write you one letter and tell you something, write you another letter, and another letter; first thing you know, these two been talking on two different subjects, see. Certainly. But God is the only One that ever did heal, and ever will heal, or ever could heal. You break your arm...

90 Now, I'd say, "Well, I got a tumor. What about that?" All right.
Now, if that little place where that tumor's hooked on, if God by casting out the evil... And the life goes out of that tumor, it'll die. If the doctor cuts it off, then God has to heal up the place where the doctor cut. If he don't, you'd bleed to death. Is that right? What if he takes appendix out of you, and God doesn't heal you. Then what about it? You'll die right there.
You clog up one of the main veins in this street out here. You get out here and clog up one of the main veins and find out on this street out here---this sewer---and watch what happens. You go out here and clog up the main ... cut off the main water valve down here, one of the water valves, watch what'll do it. It'll blow her out down here at the pumping system.
There's not a place, not a thing or system in the world like the human body. But you can cut an artery in two, and clamp it off here, and God will make a way to bypass that blood and take it into that artery again. If it didn't in one minute's time, if that back up would hit your heart [Brother Branham snaps his fingers.] you'd be dead like that, the first time you scratch yourself. Who's a healer? Oh, my. God's a healer, see.

91 You can't have no mechanical systems work like that; it's got to be supernatural. I had the arteries shot in both my legs, see. And God... There, me, a little old sinner boy dying on that field; God knowed He wanted me to preach the Gospel, and He bypassed the blood. I don't even know about it, unless somebody tells me, or I happen to look down and see the scar, see.
God in the artery. You break the main band on this pump out here on this pumping system. Watch out there at the government, what takes place. It'll back up there and blow it out. Sure it will. That water just forcing down like that will push right back. But God makes a bypass and goes around. Who does that? What intelligence does that? Show me a water system will do it. Hallelujah.
It's the intelligence of God; it's the great Creator that does it. Yes, indeedy. What makes a tree different from the other? What makes a bird color from another---different? What makes his speech different? What makes us what we are? It's an intelligence. It's God. Don't be afraid now. This is His promise. It ain't to hear Brother Branham. It's His promise. "I'm the Lord, who heals all your diseases."

92 "If any is sick, call the elders of the church, anoint with oil and pray over them: prayer of faith shall save the sick. These signs shall follow them that believe. If they lay hands on the sick, they shall recover."
And then when that orders been done, accept it just the same as you would to repent and be baptized here. Walk right away and say, "It's a finished work." It's all over, see.
But we're watching for some great outstanding miracle to happen. It does happen, when there's faith enough there to make it happen. But if there's not faith enough to make it happen, it'll happen anyhow, by and by.
Look what Jesus said in the translation there, when He said about the mountain. He said, "By and by, it shall come to pass if you ask this mountain to move, and believe in your heart it'll do it," said, "by and by it will come to pass." See, it will.

93 Now, you're sick. Many of you are dying, in bad shape. I see them a holding a man here now. The man's very sick. Cancer's a horrible thing, but God can heal cancer. My, I can show you in here... How many in here's ever had... Has anybody here now been healed with cancer? Raise your hand. Look here. It's all over the church, see. Sure, everywhere. We've had them brought, because God's a Healer.
Now, everyone of you out there, in appreciation, I want you to bow your heads, want you to pray. Brother Neville, come here.
Now, as you people... I want the elders to get here so we can pray for the people. And when you come by here, do this now: When you come by here, believe with all your heart. Just take my ... not my word, but God's Word for it. Just believe with all your heart; this settles it; that's it. It's all over. God said so; His Word said so. It can't fail. "I don't care I feel; I'm going on right up anyhow, saying it's the truth." Watch what happens. But see, if we stand back, and say... Come by the prayer line like this ... just never happen. That's all.

God keeps His Word

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 ...standing just a moment for prayer.
Blessed Lord, it's with grateful hearts that we bow in Thy Presence, to thank Thee, for the faith of our fathers is living still, instead of dungeon, flame, and sword. In spite of all of this, the great faith that was delivered to our forefathers still lives in their children; and we are so happy for that. Now, we would ask You to bless us in an outstanding way tonight. As we wait humbly for Your blessings upon us, we commit ourselves and the service to Thee, in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
You may be seated.

2 I'm just a bit late. I have... Police was calling me for a emergency at St. Louis.
Brother Vayle, being he wanted to let him speak awhile tonight. Then I leave just immediately after the service for my home, to pick up my wife and children for tomorrow, to bring them back to finish up the services.
And now, no doubt but what our dear, beloved, Brother Vayle has just brought a great outstanding message. And now, I would not try to add anything to what he said, but just before calling the prayer line, I would like to read just a Scripture and comment a few words in order... I been pretty bothered in the last two or three hours, so I would like to get the feel of the Spirit on myself before we start into the service.

3 Tomorrow night, God willing, I want to preach on the subject of The Mighty Conqueror, since He rent the veil in two. Now, I promised to speak on The Handwriting On The Wall, but I'm a bit hoarse to preach, so, I just have to bypass that, I suppose, at the time. And, because it's quite a lengthy, forty-five minute to an hour subject, if the Lord blesses in the way of teaching it.
So, I have not got a bad cold, it's just, I was thinking a while ago, this is eight services, eight revivals since the first of the year, constantly going. Hardly a day, but what it's always in a meeting preaching, sometimes two and three times a day. So, it makes your voice a little weak.

4 After this service, I have just a little service, a little time of rest. Easter Sunday is my birthday. And, let's see, I was born in 1909; that makes me twenty-five, or something like that, Sunday. So, I'm just a boy in an old house, but, I... This is the first time it's come on Easter Sunday for some time. And so, I'm going to be at my little tabernacle at Jeffersonville, my home, for Easter sunrise service. Then immediately after that, a baptismal service, and then the message and a healing service.

5 Brother Neville, which I'm sure has been introduced, our pastor, sitting here in our audience tonight. Now, this is what kind of fellowship we have down in Jeffersonville: Brother Neville is a Methodist preacher, from Asbury College, and I'm a Baptist. So, we have real good fellowship, don't we, Brother Neville? That's right. I'm a Baptist that received the Holy Ghost. Brother Neville is a Methodist that received the Holy Ghost. So, that makes us brothers, and we have fellowship one with another, while the Blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

6 In the blessed Bible tonight, in the Book of Luke, we read a few verses, the 2nd chapter, beginning with the 25th verse:
...-hold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon;... the same... was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought... the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
Lord, now lettest... thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
For my eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the... people;
A light to... the Gentiles, and the glory to thy people Israel.
And Joseph and his mother marvelled at these things which was spoken of him.
And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is sent for the fall and rising again of... Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against;

7 I wish to take just a few moments now, just to feel the Spirit of the meeting on myself, of this subject: God Keeps His Word.
There is one thing that we can surely rest upon, that is, that God keeps every one of His Words. He watches over Them, day and night, to perform Them. And every promise that He made is true. And that gives us such a blessed hope, when we know that what we read out of the Word, God, the All-sufficient One, will keep that Word. Not one jot or one tittle shall fail. What a perfect assurance, as we read where others have taken Him at His Word, and to see that sometimes it looks very critical, it looks like, sometimes, that It's going to fail, but It just don't fail.

8 I'm thinking just now of the Hebrew children, when they went into the fire of the furnace. It seemingly, God was going to let them down, but He can't fail.
And of our Scripture, Simeon, an old sage at the temple; and those men had reputation, and those reputation was the respects of the nation: How that a man to hold the office that Simeon did, must be found blameless, and he must be found mentally right. He must be found alert and learned, and in a perfect spiritual condition, for the priest was blameless. And this old man, at about eighty-five years old, one day the Holy Ghost come upon him, and revealed to him that he was not going to see death until he seen the Lord's Christ.
Now could you just imagine how the people took his testimony? An old man ready to die, and yet, said that he was not going to die until he saw the Christ. David looked for the Christ. Elijah looked for Him. All the prophets looked for Him. The kings, monarchs, potentates, and the great men of Israel all looked for this Messiah. And it seemed like He was farther away than ever. They were serving under the Roman Empire; their nation was scattered; the church was in a cold condition. And yet in the face of all this, that old man had a testimony that he was not going to die till he saw the Lord's Christ. Could you imagine what his fellowman thought?

9 I can just hear them say, "The old man's gone off on the deep end, or perhaps, his mental conditions is failing because he's old. So, we won't excommunicate him from the fellowship, but we'll just let him blow off, because we know that it's not time for the Messiah."

10 But God has always had a remnant who was waiting on His promises. And thank God He's got them yet tonight, that waits on His promises, and resting on the same assurance, because it's revealed by the Holy Ghost.

11 And as Simeon, in and out the temple; and the other young priests would say, "Well, I guess the old man is just about ready to crack up." But yet he knew what he was talking about because he knew Who had revealed it, and God cannot tell anything wrong. He keeps His Word.

12 So, in that day there wasn't any radio, or television, news press. So, the only way they had to bring the message was just from lip to ear. But, over in Judaea, Christ had been born. After eight days it was a custom that they would bring the male children to the temple for circumcision; and also an offering for the cleansing of the mother for her purification. The offering was either a lamb or two little turtle doves. Now, the lamb was for the rich people. The turtle doves were the poor people's offering.

13 And it come to pass, let's say about, one morning, on Monday morning. Oh, it was busy around the temple. And there would stand a line of women, all lined up with their little babies, every day. For Israel ranked about two million at that time, so, you can imagine how many children would be born in one day and night. So, on the eighth day, they had to stand in this line for purification and for circumcision to the males.

14 And let's take now, being that we have to hurry, and imagine it's Monday morning. And old Simeon, our character tonight, Something told him just to sit down a little while.

15 Oh, you know, we are going so fast, sometime we ought to sit down just a little while. We run and say a little prayer for me, mama, papa, and the children; jump up right quick, and we don't stay down there long enough for God to talk back to us. We do all the talking, and we don't give God a chance to talk.
But, Simeon just waited; sat down over in one of the priests' office, closed the doors and locked hisself in. And all at once, I can see him reach down into the--the little holder, and pick up the Scripture.

16 You know, the Holy Spirit feeds on the Word. Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." That's what's the matter, one of the things, today, that makes the church in its anemic condition, is because it doesn't take time to feed on the Word. The church is hungry.

17 If I was a doctor, and a great big stout-looking man come to me, and said, "Sir, I'm sick."
I'd say, "What is your symptoms?"
He would say, "I'm so weak, I can't hardly pick my hands up."
Well, I would say... ask him a few physical conditions.
"Yes, that's all right."
And I would say, "Well, sir, have you been eating regular?"
"Oh," he'd say, "I eat a half a cracker day before yesterday."
Well, I'd say, "You're just hungry. You need strength, and you need to eat."

18 That's what's the matter with the church: just read a Scripture, one little verse on Sunday morning. We ought to have our head in His Word every minute we have to spare! And take, a lot of times, and lay something else aside to read that Word. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth from the mouth of God."

19 And he picked up the Scroll, maybe the Writing of Isaiah, and he begin over about 9:6. And I can see him as he begins to read. And It reads something like this: "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, The mighty God, and The everlasting Father."
And I can see the prophet, as he, or, the priest, as he said, "Oh, I wonder Who He could be talking about." Remember, Simeon has the promise.
And about that time out in the building, the Messiah entered the building. If God made a promise to Simeon, God has got keep that promise to Simeon.

20 And they line up. And I notice as they line up, there's, oh, ladies with their little babies, the rich ladies; the little male babies with little blue needlework, little booties, and little bonnets; and the little girls in their little pink. And they had little white fleecy lambs to offer. And they were chattering one with another as just ladies can do.
And way down the line, I see a strange-looking sight: a little girl, not over about eighteen years old, standing with a little Baby in her arms. And It doesn't have on little blue booties. It's got swaddling cloth wrapped around It.

21 Now, if I understand what swaddling cloth is, it's what they put on the back of a yoke of an ox when they were plowing with him. And He didn't have any clothes when He was borned. And who are we then? But, the King of Glory had to come in such a condition as that: not in a fine hospital room, but in a stable; and no clothes to put on Him. And then we complain.
And here He was with the swaddling cloth. Not only that, but I can see the rich women saying, "Say, don't stand near that girl. Don't have nothing to do with her, for that baby was borned out of wedlock. It's a illegitimate child."

22 Just about the same they say today about a real Christian that won't tolerate with some of their man-made religion. They say they were borned out of holy wedlock. But Mary knew Who that Baby belonged to; she knowed what, the reason of that birth.
And every borned-again son and daughter of God, though you may have to be called bad names, like fanatic, or holy-roller, or something like that, but if you were truly borned of the Spirit of God, it doesn't matter what the rest of the world thinks. They might say that you might not be bright or something.

23 But Mary knew what, Who that Baby belonged to, so she just didn't listen at them. Let them say what they want to. She was hitting Him on the cheek with her finger, as His little toothless mouth would grin. He might not be dressed like the rest of them.
But, O God, I'd like to take His place.
And there He was. You see, the true Spirit of God has never been welcomed by this world, and It never will be. It's always kind of on the downcast, like It's a little shadowy or something.

24 Well, if the Messiah was in the temple, and Simeon had the promise, then the Holy Ghost is obligated to bring Simeon to the Promise. Blessed be His Name! And he, all at once, while he was reading in the Scripture, I can hear the Holy Spirit say, "Simeon, lay your Bible away for a few minutes and follow Me: there's a meeting going on; I want you to attend it; it might not be your denomination, but there's something going on; I'm going to show you Something."
Well, men of God are led by the Spirit of God. God leads His children by His Spirit. And when God makes a promise of a gift, God speaks to His children of such, because the--the gift is to the Church, and Christ was sent to the Church.

25 And Simeon had the promise. And the Holy Spirit... Notice, here he come, not knowing exactly where he was going, but he was just on his road. That's the way real Christians are led. If God said do something, go ahead and do it.

26 Down south, one time there was a--an old darkie who really loved the Lord, and he believed all the Word. And his boss said to him one time, he said, "What would happen if God said something about..." or, he said, "What--what do you carry that Bible for?" first.
He said, "Boss, I believe It."
Said, "You can't read," said, "well, what do you carry It for?"
He said, "I carry It because I believe It from cover to cover." And he said, "I believe the cover, also," said, "because It's got 'Holy Bible' on It, somebody tells me. And I know that It can't fail for It's God's Promise."
Said, "Do you believe He'd keep all those promises?"
He said, "I most certainly do!"
He said, "What if God would tell you to jump through that stone wall? What would you do?"
He said, "I'd jump."
He said, "How could you get through it, if there no hole in it?"
He said, "If God told me to jump, He'd have a hole there when I got there." That's right. God keeps His promise!

27 Simeon come out, looking around through the building. He didn't know just where to go, but he was going. God made the promise; it's up to God to keep the promise. If God promised you healing, don't make any difference how you feel, just keep moving. He will have it, just in time. He did for the Hebrew children. He does for all of His promises.
Here he comes, walking through the building, not knowing where he was going. All of a sudden, he seen that long string of women, and that little, shyish, blushing girl standing there with the husband, in middle age, with four other children; looking at her, as she held this Baby, little, draped, the swaddling cloth, around Him; and the Holy Spirit said, "Go down there, Simeon."
He didn't question the Lord. He just started walking. Why? Someone would have questioned, but remember: before time, he had been talking to the Holy Ghost; and the Holy Ghost was upon him; and when the Holy Ghost comes on a man, he don't question, anymore, he just goes and does what the Spirit says do. Because he knowed the Scriptures, was time for It to be fulfilled; so he was Scripturally, and he was right in every way.

28 And he goes down along the line, until he comes to this pitiful sight. Could you imagine? The Creator in the very building that He made, and not even clothes enough to look honorable; had to take the swaddling cloth from a ox's neck.
And Simeon come down. Just as soon as he looked into the face of this Baby, he reached into that little mother's arms and took the little Fellow, and with tears running down his white beard, he lifted Him up, and he said, "Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace, it's all right now: for my eyes have seen Your Salvation."

29 What was it? What everybody else was laughing at, what everybody else was making fun of, Simeon recognized It by the Holy Ghost to be God's Promise. You don't have to be blind to see that, or know what I'm talking about. What the world calls foolish is God's Plan of Salvation to take the Church to Glory.
"Let Thy servant depart in peace: for my eyes have seen Your Salvation." And he said to Mary, he said, "This Child was sent (to you, to pierce your own heart) that the thoughts of many might be known, made manifest."

30 And notice, to you, my Jewish friends, and I have one that I just met today, sitting here on the front seat, or, just behind Brother Kidd, Russian Jew, my heart goes to Israel, for it isn't long now: Their day is blooming. The sun's coming up. The old six-point Star of David hanging over Jerusalem, tonight, the oldest flag in the world; and the first time they been a nation for twenty-five hundred years. The fig tree is budding. Gentiles are finished. Uh-huh. Just about over.
Oh, how I would love to stay till midnight on that. The day they become a nation, the same hour they become a nation, not knowing it, the Angel of the Lord was back there vindicating this ministry to me, at the very same hour, not knowing it.

31 I was at Cairo recently, going in. Jews seek signs. They said, "If This be the Messiah, let me see Him do the sign of His resurrection. We'll believe it."
But the Holy Spirit said, "Not now." So, I turned and went back up to Mars' Hill, then on down to the Vatican. Oh, we're at the end.

32 And notice what taken place. He said, "This is the Sign. This Child has been sent for the fall and the rising again of Israel; the fall and the rising again. And this Sign will be evilly spoke of. Evil will be spoke against this Sign."
Notice. Oh, the rest of them were chattering, and, "Hello, Dr. L.L.D. Jones. Will you come over and have chicken with us for dinner?" "Oh, Rabbi Levinski, how are you doing?"

33 But, way back over in the corner, at the other side of the temple, sat an old, blind prophetess; she was eighty-four years old. And she was a prophetess. And she stayed in the temple and prayed. At that very instant, the Holy Ghost come on her; and here she come, blind, making her way through people that had good sight, but led by the Spirit. Moving around the bli-... the... all the dressed-up, and the good eye-sight, and moving through them. She could see more than they could see, for she was led by the Spirit. She maneuvered through the building until she got to the Child, and there she offered praise to God for Him.

34 Friend, that same Holy Spirit is here tonight. There's not two Holy Ghosts, there's only One. And you've read in the Bible where that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The promise is unto you and to your children. You've believed Him for Divine healing.
And that same Holy Spirit that you've trusted in all these years has led you across the country, through the snowdrifts, down through the fog, around the corners, down the streets, until finally we've come into the Presence, tonight, of the same Holy Ghost that made the promises here tonight, to fulfill everything that He promised, because God keeps His promise, regardless. He will do a work. He will show a sign. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do you believe it?

35 Oh, I wish we had just a little more time, but we haven't. Let us bow our heads just a moment for prayer. How many in here, tonight, believes that you have been Divinely led to this school auditorium, the same Holy Ghost has led you here? That's good. I wonder if there's some here, tonight, that doesn't feel so good in your soul? You feel as though if Jesus should appear tonight, you'd feel unworthy, a bit, to stand in His Presence; and you'd like for Him to remember you now, and forgive you of your sins. Would you raise your hands? Oh, my, there's no way of counting them.

36 Sinner friend, I wonder tonight, though you be a sinner, have never made any confession, but you truly believe, before you seen Him do one thing, you believe that the Holy Spirit led you here tonight. Would you raise your hands for mercy? God bless you. God bless you, you, you, you. God bless you, lady. You, lady. You. That's good.

37 Up in the balconies to the right? Oh, God bless you around there. That's right. Eight, ten.
Way up in the second balcony. Raise your hand and say... Yes, God bless you, lady. God bless you, back here. That's good.
Balconies to the rear, would you raise your hands? God bless you, sir. God bless you. Bless you up there, way at the top, with the red sweater, yes, bless you. Balconies...
The second balcony to my left, God bless you way up in there. God sees your hand.
Balcony lower to the left, raise your hand.

38 "God be merciful to me," say, as you raise your hand, "I believe. I believe the Holy Spirit led me." God bless you, sir. That might have took a lot of courage to do that, sir, but it's the greatest thing you've ever done.

39 The floors to my left, would you raise your hand to Christ? Just say, "Lord God, be merciful to me; I believe I'm Divinely led here tonight, by the Holy Spirit." God bless you. Floor to the right? God bless you. That's good.

40 Now, before we make an altar call, let's call the prayer line. But let's pray, first, that God will bless these people.
How many would like to have just a little closer fellowship with Him, that you could feel that the Spirit leading you like He did Simeon, and He will bring you at last to His bosom? Would you raise your hand? Oh, just... I guess there's two thousand or more, three thousand. Let us pray. Now, just ask Him in your own way.

41 Lord God, You are our God. And we are so glad that You are the only true and living God.
There is many gods in the earth today. Some of them is the god of pleasure; some are the god of flesh. They make most any worldly pleasure a god. And there is false gods, but they neither speak or can they speak. They can't think. They can't answer. They can only be worshipped by those who walk in ignorance of the true and living God.

42 We are privileged tonight, we, who have passed from death unto Life, to know that our God lives. And He is not deaf, neither is He dumb. His hand is not too short, but what He can reach down and give to us any little blessing that we would desire; for He keeps His promise. He's a God that can speak, and a God that can answer, and a God Who keeps His Word.

43 Now, we would ask, tonight, dear God, that You would bless those who raised their hands as sinners. Some may be... Oh, I would not know, Father, how to say how many, for I do not know, but You know every one of them.
And maybe this is the first time that they've ever been in one of the meetings, but they are convinced right now by the Word, that the Holy Spirit led them. Save them, Lord.

44 And I pray for those who wants to be so filled with Your Love until they will not miss the leading of the Holy Spirit, when He draws them. For the days are dark, and men are running to and fro to hear the Word of God, as the prophet said they would, and would fail to hear It. We're so thankful for a little crack in the storehouse of God, yet.

45 And we pray, now, that You will manifest Yourself in the power of Your resurrection, in the presence of Your Church. Sanctify my heart, my soul, and my Spirit. And sanctify the heart, soul, and spirit of this audience, that we together might enjoy the fellowship of the blessed Lord Jesus. And may, then, we, with strong arms of faith, embrace Him, and make ready for His Coming. And like Simeon, in the temple, saying, "Lord, let Thy servant go now in peace: for we have seen the sign of His resurrection, and we long to see Him come." Grant it, Lord, for we ask it, in the Name of Jesus, Thy loving Son. Amen.

46 Now remember, I'm on record with that. There is no medicine that says, that heals your body. A medicine keeps the place clean while God heals. A doctor can remove a--a obstruction, but what about the hole that he cut in you to take it out? Who heals that? Healing is developing of cells. And take my word: there is no healing power in the devil. And a preacher that would say that, shows he doesn't know the Bible, or his God. Jesus said, "Satan cannot cast out Satan." Psalms 103:3 said, "I'm the Lord Who heals all of your diseases." Is that right?
Satan cannot heal. If Satan can heal, he can create and then he's a creator, then he's a god. If he's a creator, he can make hisself a kingdom, make hisself some people. Not to be different, but I certainly different with Dr. DeHaan, a wonderful teacher, on the serpent's seed, too. Thinking that... Or Josephus, either, that said the sons of God pressed themselves into flesh. Maybe we can get to that before we leave. Was no such thing. Satan can do that, then, he's a creator. If he's a creator, he's a god; he can make himself a earth, make himself a universe, he can make himself a people, have nothing to do with God's. But, he has to pervert what God has created. And righteousness is... Unrighteousness is righteousness perverted.

47 Billy, have you got all that I called in the line? Leo, watch them back there, now.
How many doesn't have a prayer card, raise your hands, and wants God to heal you?

48 Good friend, Brother and Sister Kidd, sitting here, right here on the front seat. And also, this little Jewish brother here, Joseph, that I was with this morning. And Brother Neville, and Brother and Sister Wood, sitting right back here, about middle ways.
Brother Wood was a Jehovah Witness. They had a crippled boy, legs drawed up, polio. And in the meeting the Holy Spirit spoke back, farther than what this building is long. Said, "The man sitting back there..." and told him who they was and all about it. The boy is healed. He don't even know which leg he was crippled in, now. Is that right, Brother and Sister Wood? Raise up your hands if that's right.
We just got some great testimonies for the Lord. We just don't have time to do it.

49 All right, now, just be real reverent. Pray, now. Now, the next couple of moments...

50 ...Jew and first, an infidel, and then converted sweetly to the Lord. Do you believe that to be the truth? You believe Jesus be Messiah? Sure, you do. Amen. God bless you.
Now, this may be your first time. Here's what I hope to go to your people with, someday, in Israel.

51 For you say, "Brother Branham, you seem to be so sure of yourself." I am because I know He's here, and He made the promise, not me. It isn't me to keep my promise; it's Him to keep His promise. Just put Him to the test.
Now, if the Lord Jesus will perform and do the same thing that He did in Saint John the 4th chapter, between Man and woman, will you all be happy and know that Jesus is raised from the dead, and He's in the Gentile congregation, tonight, giving His sign and wonder, just before His closing to the Gentiles, will you believe it?

52 ...Not from this state, nor from this town; she come from another city, and she's from Kentucky. And the city you come from is a city called Brooksville, Kentucky. Your first name is Ella. Your last name is Todd. You are here because that you're suffering with a nervous condition, and you have a heart trouble, and you got high blood pressure; 'cause I see the doctor put something around your arm. Not only that, but I see you with a boy, trying to direct him around in the house. The boy is your son, and he has a mental condition. That's THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD. Something here that knows you. Do you believe He has give you your request? With all your heart? Then go and receive it. You can have everything you ask for, if you just go believing.

53 How do you do, sir? We are strangers to each other, I suppose. If it is, will we just raise our hands? Now, here is a case like when Philip went and found Nathanael. It's a man. If the Lord God will tell me what your trouble is, or something on that order, will you believe and accept it?
Your main trouble, sir, is a nervous condition. That nervous condition has got your stomach all bothered. And also, you got trouble in your back and in your head. That is true. You're from a city called Hamilton, Ohio. You're Mr. Parker. That is right. Your first name's Harding; Mr. Harding Parker. Return home, Jesus Christ has healed you.
Now be well, in the Name of the Lord Jesus.

54 We are strangers to each other. The Lord God does know us both, in Whose Presence we are now standing. If the Lord God will reveal to me what you're here for, will you believe Him?
The first, you have a nervous condition and it's... you got a--a growth in the neck. Besides that... See, I couldn't see it. It's under your skirt. Well, that you might know that I be the servant of the Lord, you got heart trouble, also. That is true. And you're interested in someone else you're praying for, and that's your son. And that son, you don't know what's wrong with him, neither does the doctor know. But he gets real sick spells, real sick. The doctors wants to take his tonsils out, but you're a little skeptic of that, because really, it's a nervous spasm that's causing it. Don't fear, he will get over it. Go.
And in the Name of the Lord Jesus, may He grant it to you.

55 We are strangers to each other. The Lord God does certainly know you. You're not from this country, either. You are a Kentuckian. And you are suffering with a stomach trouble. You also have heart trouble. And you got a thyroid gland trouble, like little tumors in the throat. Do you believe the Word of the Lord? Do you believe you're standing in His Presence? Then, accept Him as your Healer, and go on your road, and be healed, in the Name of the Lord Jesus.

56 We are strangers to each other. I do not know you. You're neither from this country. You are from Michigan. And you're not here for yourself. You're here for someone else, which is a man. It's your nephew and he's in Michigan. And he's just had an operation; and an operation was a blood clot. And the doctors operated for the blood clot, and it's almost made him helpless and you want me to pray for him. That's THUS SAITH THE LORD. Don't doubt, he shall come out of it. Believe with all your heart.

57 Come. Do you believe me to be His servant? I am a stranger to you. God does know you, I don't. You are suffering with a nervous condition. That nervous condition is because of a irritated female gland. That's exactly the truth. That you might know that I be the servant of the Lord and it's not me speaking, although it be not... my voice: You also, you have a son that you're concerned about. That son has had an operation. That was on the mastoid. And they're ready to operate again. Lay that handkerchief on him, and don't doubt, and he will recover.
Do you believe? Have faith in God. Just don't doubt. If thou canst believe.

58 What do you think, sitting here on the seat here? The man, looking at me there, with the glasses on, that the woman's passing: Do you believe me to be His servant? Do you believe that God can reveal to me what your trouble is? If we're strangers to one another, hold up your hand. All right, you can get over your arthritis now. See?
I want the audience to look this way and believe.

59 The man sitting next to you there, I see a hospital bed or something move up; by, the man sitting next to you. There's a white bed. He was operated on. It was in his stomach. That's right, sir. You, sitting next to him. That's your wife sitting next to you, because I see you coming together. That's right. And she's suffering with a heart trouble. That's exactly right. Lay your hands over on one another there, husband and wife.
O Lord God, the devil thought he could get by with that, but I rebuke the devil.
Come out of them, in the Name of the Lord Jesus.

60 Here, right over here. Here is a lady. She's praying. Can't you see that Spirit, that Light hanging over the woman? She's praying and she is... she's got a female trouble, she's got heart trouble, she has dizzy spells. You got the wrong person there, just a minute. Here, wait a minute. Her name is Pauline Shepherd. Rise up, Miss Shepherd, and be healed in the Name of the Lord Jesus.

61 Oh, can you doubt Him?

62 Way back, on the outside row, there's a lady sitting looking at me. She has anemia condition. Do you believe, sister, the Lord God heals you of that anemia condition that you're praying about? All right, raise up your hands. That's it.
Way back towards the back, that you might know, just behind you is a lady suffering with intestinal trouble. You raise up.
All right. The lady just beyond that is suffering, way back towards the back, with a stomach trouble. Raise up, lady, back there and receive your healing, with the little hat on with a feather on the side of it, a thing. You are healed. Jesus Christ makes you well.

63 I challenge this audience, in the lovely Name of the Lord Jesus.

64 What do you think sitting here, young lady? You got heart trouble and epilepsy. Do you believe the Lord God will make you well? If you do, raise up your hand. All right, you can have it, the little redhead. Believe it!
What about over here? Look at this lady sitting here praying with her head down, her hand up, little red jacket on. You believe me to be His prophet? You got trouble with your neck and with your jaw. It's left you now. You can go home and be well.

65 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. How many of you...?
What about you in the wheelchair there? You all, will you believe It?
What about the rest of you? Will you believe it? Put your hands over on one another, and you'll see the Kingdom of God come upon you. The Holy Ghost led you here. Rise up to your feet, now. Give God praise and glory.

66 Lord God, Creator of heavens and earth, send Thy Spirit, and heal this entire group.
Satan, you are licked: cast out, in the Name of the Lord Jesus.