A Paradox

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 While we remain standing just a moment, let's pray. Our heavenly Father, we are approaching thy throne of mercy in the name of the Lord Jesus. We're nearing the end of this convention now, and it is told us in the Scriptures that Jesus, at the end of the feast, stood and cried. There might have been expectations that He'd hoped that would've been fulfilled. God, we're waiting with great anticipations, knowing the feebleness of human beings. But, God, we have expected a great outpouring of your Spirit, something extraordinary.
And I look upon your little servant, Carl Williams, see his little twisted hands, and scraping his feet across the ground, sitting here pouring something into his nose constantly to breathe---and know that both day and night has he worked and labored. My heart goes for him. God, You won't disappoint him.

2 And this week, passing through the valley here with these, your servants, preaching in their churches, they never told me what to speak. Just said, "Go on." You see that fine cooperation and lovely spirit. They, too, are here waiting for something to happen. So we literally feel the Holy Spirit crying out in us, "Come, Lord Jesus." Fill our expecting hearts. Give us that what we are searching for, Lord---great measure of your grace, we pray.
We are unworthy to ask such a blessing. But, Lord, there is none of us worthy. But we do not claim to that; we're only thinking of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us that He'd cleanse us. And we come asking in his name, now, that each heart will be ministered to some time between now and the closing of the service; that when we leave today from here and go to our different places, may we be able to say like those coming from Emmaus, "Did not our hearts burn within us?"

3 For the risen Lord walked with them, and He did something in the midst of them. After walking with Him all day---and they did not understand just who He was---they knowed it was a blessing to be with such a teacher. But when He did something just like He did it before the crucifixion, they knew no man did that like that but He. And they really knew that it was the Lord Jesus. Quickly they went to tell others.
God, we pray that it'll repeat again today. Do the exceedingly abundantly for us, Lord, that we might leave this convention Monday night, going to our homes and different places, and saying, "Did not our hearts burn within us as we heard Him speaking through his servants throughout the convention?" Grant these things, Lord, to we unworthy servants, in the name your holy child, Jesus. Amen.
Be seated.

4 (Is this your Bible, brother?) This is indeed an extraordinary time for me. And I'm under great anticipation also, and expectations for something to take place during this meeting that's different. And if we should be closing the service this afternoon, I'm sure that all of us could say, "It's been good to be here": the first night to hear Brother Oral Roberts, and his mighty message to the people of the moral decay of the people; then, along come one of the most impact messages of twelve or fifteen minutes from our Brother Velmer Gardner. I looked upon him and admired him with great admiration, how that he could pack so much in just a little time.

5 I was telling my wife back there about it when we got home, and she said, "Well," said, "Bill, that's what they alw... You keep them too long."
I said, "Honey, I'm just too slow. I can't think of it that fast. God's just merciful to me to let me be slow, I guess, and kind of let me go along, show me his goodness."
Then to hear a medical doctor the other night... Yes, last night, right, Brother Shakarian. You know, I have many fine medical doctor friends. I was interviewed at Mayo's, you know. You got the magazine, the ... I believe it's called the ... oh, "Reader's Digest,"---about five years ago, "The Miracle of Donny Martin" over there at California. And I met that staff of doctors there---the nicest fellows you'd want to meet.

6 But when I heard that doctor the other night, giving that exhortation about Jesus, I thought he might be real good on his diagnosis if he's going to examine the physical body; and he didn't do too good ... or, too bad a job on diagnosing the spiritual condition---had a real good diagnosis of that. And the words that he said... I hope I never have to call for his service. But if I ever do, I want a man like that to perform the operation, if I ever have to have one---one that's got his trust in the Lord.

7 Along with that, and hearing other men... Some of them I didn't even know. I certainly believe it would be great if we just went home right now. It would be wonderful. But I believe He's going to grant us some more blessings, because there's many here. I'm waiting to hear this Brother Brown, I believe, tomorrow night. And I've never... Episcopalian, huh? Presbyterian. Mistake like that, I might as well read the Scripture and go on, hadn't I? May I say this, Brother Brown: a brother in Christ. I know I'm right, then. I've heard much about him, and I sure want to hear him.

8 ... get to meet all of our friends. And then the little chopped-up, stirred-up message yesterday morning. Then to see Satan jump on a little woman, rush her out there... Oh, if the people'd just be spiritual! Standing here, I felt that great pressure. She went out, and I prayed, "Heavenly Father, send the Holy Spirit after her." He caught her, right out there, brought her back, cast the evil from her. And I understand she got the Holy Ghost now. So we're thankful for that. "In my name they shall cast out devils."

9 Now let's turn to a scripture. And I've got about six pages of them wrote down here, but I won't get to all of those, but just a few. And just express my thanks to all of you for your fine fellowship and cooperation ... and can bear with me the way you do.
We was at a little church this morning, the Church of God over here, somewhere back... We went up this way, and went back... I wouldn't know where it was at, but certainly a lovely pastor there also. And that church had just waited. I was just ten days late for that church, ten days late. But we certainly had a wonderful time, fellowship with the Lord Jesus.

10 Now you that mark down texts, if I should call it that, or you mark down the Scripture reading: from Joshua, the book of Joshua, feeling that the Holy Spirit has laid this upon my heart for this afternoon. Joshua 10:12, one verse:
Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
Say that's an unusual text? That's right, an unusual Scripture reading. My text this afternoon is "A Paradox."
You know, God takes unusual things, does things in unusual ways, and He's very unusual. But He works all things together for good to them that love Him---drawing from this the conclusion of the subject of "A Paradox."

11 Now, I went... Thinking of that, I got the dictionary. And I thought, "That's kind of an unusual word. We don't use it too much." And I thought, "Maybe, Lord, because You placed that upon my heart, there may be something there that I should look up." And Webster's dictionary says a paradox is something incredible but true; something that's incredible, but yet it's true. It doesn't seem like it could be true at all; but it is true. That's a paradox.

12 I began to think then how many paradoxes that we could point out. And if we would stop this afternoon it would amaze you to see how many things that scientifically it could not be; but yet it is. This world hanging in space is a paradox. We're told that it's turning around, making its complete circle every twenty-four hours, and it's approximately twenty-five thousand miles around the world. And you know, you can... There's nothing in the world that'll move that perfect like that world does. And the eclipse of the moon from the great solar system... How are they standing in the air, revolving so perfectly, and around the equator, till you can time it for twenty or thirty years, and it'll not miss a second.

13 I have a watch here, and... It was give to me by some good friends over ... when I was in Switzerland, just a common Swiss watch---a little watch probably cost about $150, or something. But it's a good one to me. And it's called the Vulcan Cricket, and it's one of the best timepieces I ever wore. Yet, I can set that and time it. Within two or three months either it's fast or slow. And there's nothing that we have that'll keep anything perfect.
But God's time is perfect. It just doesn't miss a tick. How is this great celestial ball hanging in the air, not fastened on to anything, turning itself around and around this way every twenty-four hours; and every twelve months completely around, from the sun coming back? Summer, winter, autumn, spring. Perfect---just exactly. And it's been doing that for thousands of years. There is not a man on earth that can explain that.

14 Which is up and down? Is the North Pole on top, or is the South Pole on top? We don't know, because we're in space. And you throw a ball in the air and can watch it. It will not make two revolutions in the same place. It's falling, going up, and it's making its own wind, just as the earth, gravitation holding it. But it won't turn twice in the same spot, either going up, or coming down. But yet, this great ball has turned thousands times thousands of years, not missed a bit. That's a paradox.

15 It's a paradox when you watch that moon. Look at the tides out on the coast here, how those angry waves with about four-fifths of the earth, almost, in water... Go to the seashore and watch that tide as those angry big waves breaking way out there, half a mile out in the ocean or more, beating against that ocean bank. Why doesn't it just come on over? There's just one thing keeping it from doing so. That's the moon. That moon's God's watchdog. He watches over that seashore because God has set its boundaries, and it cannot pass that.
But when that moon begins to turn around to look at Father, notice that tide will slip out, or slip in. Then when he turns back, it takes its place again. It has to, because it's God's watchdog.

16 That moon millions of miles away from the earth, how can it affect the earth? How can it draw a line? Why don't that sea run in a few hundred miles, and then stop? Because God set its boundaries. It cannot pass that. And He's got a watchman to see that it doesn't pass it.
And anyone knows when the moon goes down, the tide goes with it; rises, it rises with it. Another paradox. No one can explain it. We don't know how ... what effect that that moon upon the earth would have, and what would it do to the tide? It's a paradox.
We can plant a seed in the earth and that seed will lay in the earth all through the winter. Like a wheat ---that wheat seed is composed of a skin on the outside. Then the inside is a pulp. And in that middle of that pulp is a germ. That's right. That's the way you're composed.

17 You've got ... made up of soul, body, and spirit. The outside, which is the body, is controlled by five senses. You enter that body by five senses---see, taste, feel, smell, and hear. Inside the body is a soul. That soul has five gates---conscience, and so forth, memory. But inside of that is a spirit. That's what controls it all. There's only one gate to that, and that's free moral agency, to act---receive, or refuse.

18 And that seed planted in the ground, then what happens? The winter comes on and bursts it. The skin's gone, the pulp's gone. And that germ of life, you can't find it. But in the springtime, it comes back again.
Here sometime ago I was down in Kentucky, squirrel hunting. And it was dry weather, and we couldn't find any squirrels, so we went over in the knob part of the country.
Mr. Wood, a friend of mine, said, "Well, Brother Branham," said, "I know a man over there that's got lots of timber, and there's some big hollows down deep. It'll probably be damp, we can slip through those."

19 And while I was over there, why, we pulled up to a house, and he said, "I wouldn't get out, 'cause this fellow's an infidel." Said, "He just doesn't believe in God, and he curses the very thoughts of God."
I said, "All right. I'll stay in the car."
So then, we pulled up, and he walked over under a little apple tree where the old man was sitting, about seventy-five. And he spoke to him, and called him by name. He said, "My name is Banks Wood." He said, "I would like to know if we can hunt on your place."
The old fellow looked at him, said, "Are you Jim Wood's son?"
He said, "I am."
He said, "Help yourself, anywhere you want to go. Plenty of room here. I got five hundred acres of woods." He said, "Well, how is Jim getting along?", talked just a moment.

20 Brother Wood said... Now, he was a Jehovah Witness that his boy, crippled, one leg drawed up under him, was healed in the meeting. He's a contractor. So he just quit contracting, moved next door to me, been there about ten years. Now all of his people, by visions---every one of them, even readers in Jehovah Witness movement---is every one filled with the Holy Ghost. So, then we standing there, he said, "I brought my pastor with me."
And this old fellow said, "Wood, you don't mean you've got so low-down, till you have to bring a preacher with you everywhere you go?" And I thought it was time for me to get out of the car then.
So, I got out of the car and walked around where the old gentleman was sitting. I said, "How do you do?"
He said, "How do you do, sir?" And he said, "And you're a preacher?"
I said, "Yes, sir. I'm supposed to be."
And he said, "Well," he said, "I think not much of those fellows."
I said, "Well, they're pretty good fellows, most of them."
He said, "Well, that's the kind I haven't met yet."
And I said, "Yes, sir."
And he said, "I believe..."
I said, "What makes you say that?"

21 He said, "I believe they're barking up the wrong tree." Now anybody knows that a dog that you hunt with at night and he barks the wrong tree, you're always fooled. So, he said, "They're barking up the wrong tree." And said, "They claim to have something treed, but you can never see it."
"Yes, sir."
And he said, "They're always talking about something, but can produce nothing."
"Yes, sir."
He said, "There was a certain preacher come here about two years ago, up here at a little place called Acton, up at the Methodist Campgrounds. They had a meeting." Said, "There was an old sister, who lives up here on the hill, was dying with cancer." And said, "This man had never been in this country."

22 And said, "At the meeting that night where several thousand people had gathered," he said, "this woman's sister was sitting over in there crying about her sister." Said, "She couldn't even get on the bed pan no more. Wife and I had to pull a drawsheet from beneath her." And said, "She ... her sister out there with a ... crying, said this minister looked at that woman and called her name, and said, 'You're weeping over a sister that's dying with cancer up on a certain ridge.'
"'Yes,' said the woman." Said, "The minister said, 'Thus saith the Lord: take that handkerchief right now that you have in your pocketbook, that you put in your pocketbook when you left home, and took it out of a top dresser drawer---a little handkerchief with initial in the corner of it, white handkerchief with a blue initial---take that handkerchief and lay it on the woman in the name of the Lord,' and said, 'she'll get well.'

23 "Well," said, "the woman took off with some more people." And said, "Honest, it's three miles nearly over there," and said, "we thought they had the Salvation Army on that hillside around ten o'clock one night." But said, "We went over there the next morning, and the old lady was up, cooking breakfast, eating fried apple pies for breakfast." And said, "That's been two or three years ago." And said, "You know, she hasn't even had a sick day since."
He said, "Now, if I could see something like that happen..."
"Oh," I said, "You..." Brother Wood looked over at me, and I shook my head. So he said... Standing there, dirt and squirrel blood, and everything---whiskers about that long---been in the hills camping... And I said, "Does that puzzle you?"
He said, "No, sir."
I said, "Do you mind if I have one of those apples?"
He said, "Help yourself. The yellow jackets are eating them up."
I said, "All right." I rubbed it on my old dirty pants, and took off a bite. I said, "That's a good apple."
He said, "Sure is. I planted that tree there thirty-five years ago."
I said, "Let's see. This is about the last week in August."
"Yes, sir."
I said, "Sir, I want to ask you a question."
He said, "Go right ahead."
I said, "When you planted that tree there, how big was it?"
"Oh," he said, "it was just a sprout, about this high."
"Uh-huh," and I said, "I want to ask you. It's right now the last week in August. We haven't even had a cool night. But the apples are all dropped off that tree, and the leaves is dropped off of it."
"That leaf has gone back down into the root."
"That's right." I said, "Sir, why did that leaf drop off? Did it get wore out?"
"No." He said, "Well, the life left it."
"Oh, I see. And then the life left it and went back to the roots."
"Yes."
I said, "Sir, if it didn't go back to the roots, then what?"
"Well, he said, "the tree ... it has to go back to the roots. The tree wouldn't live. It would die. The winter would kill it." Said, "It gets twenty or thirty below zero down here sometimes."

24 And I said, "Uh-huh." I said, "Sir, tell me what intelligence tells that sap to leave the tree, and go down to the roots for the winter. Now, you set a bucket of water on the post out there, and see if the middle of August the water will start going down to the bottom of the post." I said, "The tree has no intelligence. It doesn't know the seasons. It has no intelligence. Yet, there is an intelligence somewhere that sends that tree back to preserve its life."
He said, "I hadn't thought of that like that."
I said, "Then you see it right here in your yard. Why would you want to see that preacher, then, when you see it right here?" I said, "The same intelligence that told me that that woman's sister was dying with cancer, and in a vision I saw her healed... That same intelligence is so close to you till it controls the tree that's sitting in your yard."
... raised up and shook my hand. I led him to Christ that afternoon. He died about a year later. I was down there this year and I met his widow. I went up to ask her to hunt. She was going to run me off the place at first. When I got back there, I said, "Wait just a moment." She wasn't there when I come up.

25 She said, "Sir, can't you read?"
I said, "Yes, ma'am." I come up, I said, "You don't know me."
She said, "No, sir. I don't. Them Indiana license on that car?"
And I said, "I'm Brother Branham. Your hus..."
"Oh," she started weeping, and raised her hands up and begin to praise God. She said, "Son, you can hunt anywhere you want to. Stay as long as you want to."
What was it? A paradox. No one knows, no one... You can't find the intelligence that controls Mother Nature. But it's a paradox. We can't explain it.

26 I was thinking of death, and if we're on leaves... A leaf hangs on a tree to serve a purpose. And you and I are hanging on a tree of life after we've accepted Christ. And after a while when the season changes, the life goes out of that leaf down into the root, comes back again next year bringing a new leaf.
And we Christians who believe in Christ have eternal life, and hanging on the tree of life. But some day this old leaf will drop off, return back to the God that give it---only to come again in another season. This season we're divided, we're men and women. And all this is the seeding season---the tree continually, year after year, to bear record and testimony of the living God.

27 The sun rises and sets to show birth, death, resurrection, birth, death, resurrection, perfectly turning. Summer, winter, autumn, fall---just perfectly showing death, burial, resurrection, death, burial, resurrection. But when we come forth again, it'll be a complete new season. It'll be in the millennium. There'll be no more death. Oh, we could stay all afternoon on it. How wonderful to see God's paradoxes, to see how He does it!
In Hebrews, the 11th chapter and the 3rd verse, it says in there that God made the world ... framed the world together with things that does not appear. This very earth that we're sitting on is a paradox. What is it? It's the word of God made manifest. Think of it. The chair that you're sitting in, the ground that you put your feet on is a spoken word of God. He made it without anything to make it out of. Only thing He had was his word, and his word is a creation in itself.
When it's once spoke, it can never return again until it's accomplished that which it has been purposed for. Hallelujah!

28 Doctor, I'm beginning to feel religious. His Word cannot return until it's accomplished that which it's been spoke for. God's a-waiting this afternoon on a people that'll take a hold of that Word, and hold it until it's accomplished that which it was purposed for. Yes. It cannot return. It's a paradox. The whole Word of God is a paradox---cannot return, has to accomplish which it was spoken for.

29 Now, to our text, Joshua. As you read on through the chapter, you'll find that the Bible says that there never was a day like that before or after, that when God listened to a man. I've got a teenage girl, Rebekah. She's in high school. And here some time ago I was reading that. And she said, "Daddy, there must be a mistake there somewhere."
I said, "No mistake. No mistakes in the Word of God."
She said, "Daddy ... Joshua never stopped the sun, Daddy." I said... She said, "He stopped the earth."
I said, "Rebekah, he stopped the sun."
She said, "Daddy, he couldn't have done it."
"Why," I said, "Do you think God's Word makes a mistake, honey?"
Said, "No. I don't believe that, Daddy. But I believe Joshua just didn't understand."
I said, "Knowing God well enough to perform a miracle like that, and yet he didn't understand? He knowed what he was talking about."
She said, "Daddy, the sun's already stopped. It doesn't move. He stopped the earth."

30 I said, "He wasn't talking about that missile. He said, 'Stand still over Gibeon; and in the valley of Ajalon, hold still.' And the sun never moved off of Gibeon, or Ajalon, for twenty-four hours. He wasn't talking about that missile out there. He was talking about the sun crossing the earth. He wasn't concerned about that. He was concerned about enough light to bring the enemy of Israel down." The sun is what he was talking about---the sun ... the reflection of the sun. That's the sun he was talking about.
God's Word doesn't make no mistakes. What it says, it doesn't need any ... somebody's interpretation to twist it around, and make it say something it doesn't say. Just take it for what it says, because it's God's Word.

31 Now, yet that being there, the writer that wrote this book and said there never had been anything like it... That same God that stopped the sun said this in Mark 11, 11:22 and 23: He said, Jesus said, when He was speaking about the tree, "Verily I say unto you, if you shall say to this mountain, 'Be moved,' and don't doubt in your heart, but believe that what you have said will come to pass, you can have what you've said."
Now, it just wasn't for Joshua only. It was for any believer that can take God's Word. First, you've got to have the right motive, and the right objective, the right reason for it. Now. But it was a paradox.

32 We know ... many of us know... I've seen, myself, such things like that happen---creative things that I know has happened. The impossibility ... if I had time to linger on it, but I haven't, of scientific proof of the impossibilities of creation. Only God Himself could do it, 'cause He's God. A God that could perform a paradox there is still the same God today that still can make a paradox. Right.

33 Noah's time, in Noah's day, it was a paradox. You remember, there had been no rain on the earth till the day of Noah. God watered up through the springs, and so forth. But Noah began to build an ark. What was he doing? Before the paradox ever taken place, Noah made preparations for it. Oh, may I say this afternoon, if we here today will only prepare for a paradox! The one who can bring a paradox is with us: the God who (all of his works is paradox, past understanding, incredible but true), He can bring a paradox.

34 Noah got ready for it. I'd imagine in his preparation times that people said, "Wonder what that old crank is having out there? up there pounding away on an old wooden ship. It's never rained. There is no such a thing."
I'd imagine science could come out to Noah and say, "Looky here. We have instruments that we can shoot the stars, and there's no rain up there. How in the world can your words be true, when it's going to rain, and there's no water up there?" But you see, if God has said it was going to rain, He can make rain. So he got ready for it, made ready for the paradox. And it rained.

35 Abraham, when he was on top of the mountain with his only child, little Isaac... He had waited for twenty-five years to get the child. And then, when the child was about fourteen years old, God told him... What was He doing this for, now? To confirm that God keeps his word. No matter how unreasonable it seems, He still can perform and make a paradox.
He said, "Take this little fourteen-year-old boy of yours, take him up on the mountain, and offer him up for a sacrifice." And he took him up to the mountain.
And now, if that ... him being then about 115 years old... Waited twenty-five years on the boy, and here the boy... And he was going to destroy the only evidence he has of seeing this promise of God (to be father of nations) ever taking place... And then he's asked to destroy that. That's the reason he called the place "Jehovah-jireh." For when he was just about ready to fall in line with complete obedience to God, the Holy Spirit caught his hand, and a ram bleated behind him, hooked by its horns in the wilderness. What was it? A paradox.

36 Look. He was three days' journey from his home, back among the wild beasts. And besides that, on top of the mountain where there couldn't have been a sheep---and he wouldn't have been up there where there was no water. Where did that ram come from? It wasn't a vision. He killed the ram. The blood run out of it. It was God, the creator. Because he stayed in the line of duty to God's Word, there come a paradox, and he killed the ram ... died in his son's place. A paradox.

37 It certainly was a paradox in Sodom, a little before then, when Sarah laughed at the voice of a man, in human flesh out there, which was God. And He had his back turned to the tent, the angel did. And He spoke to Abraham, and called him his name "Abraham"---called Sarah, "Sarah"---when he'd just received that name a few days before. And said, "Abraham, I'm going to visit you according to the time of life." And Sarah, in the tent, laughed.
And the angel with his back turned to the tent... Not one of these just like a theophany. It was a man with his back turned to the tent, said, "Why did Sarah laugh in the tent? saying 'This cannot be so.' " It was a paradox.

38 One time when Israel's armies was standing in defeat... And there was great soldiers there, mighty men---Joab, Saul (head and shoulders above every man he had in the army)--- all armored with great armors and swords, trained men from boys to fight. But because they seen the opposition so great, they was afraid to meet the challenge of the boasting Goliath of the Philistines. Afraid to meet it.
But there come a little stoop-shouldered, ruddy-looking fellow. His mama had baked some raisin pies, and he brought them up to give them to his brothers. And while he was a-milling around, hunting his brothers in the camp, this Philistine walked out and made his boast. Said, "Choose you a man, and come over here and fight me. We won't have any bloodshed between the nations." 'Course that's the way the enemy likes to brag, when he thinks he's got the edge on you. Said, "Bring him over here, and then we'll choose. And we'll fight, and then, if I kill him you serve us; if he kills me we'll serve you."

39 And you know what? He said it at the wrong time. There was a little old stooped boy in there, ruddy, the Bible said, that had knowed what God meant. He'd seen God in action. He knowed that the God of Israel was a God of eternity. And he knowed that God had delivered him out of the paws of a lion, out of the paws of a bear, with a slingshot.
And he said to his brethren, "Do you mean to tell me that you Israelites of the armies of the living God will stand here, and let that boasting Philistine say the days of miracles is past? Do you mean to tell me that you'll let him get by with that, when God's promise is behind us? [Hallelujah!] God's promise is back of us. Do you mean to tell me you'll let him boast, and say... ?"

40 David was the smallest of the whole army, and he wasn't even in the army. He'd not affiliated with them yet, so he was kind of an offspring, an offscour. And he wasn't a trained man. He hadn't been in the seminary yet, and he didn't have the ecclesiastical jackets that the rest of them had. But ... and when they tried one on him, it didn't fit him.
And I think it's about the same thing today. When we get Saul's ecclesiastical jacket on us, and telling us the days of miracles is past, there's no such thing as the baptism of the Holy Ghost, it doesn't fit a man of God. Right. God's people believes in a paradox, believes in God.

41 And this little fellow stood there, shoulders drooped, a little piece of sheepskin around him---no great armor, and so forth, on. So he said, "You mean to tell me you'll let that uncircumcised Philistine, that unbeliever, say there's no such a thing, and defy the armies of the living God?" Said, "I'll go fight him."
It was a paradox when a little boy challenged a giant with fourteen-inch fingers. A man with no sword, or no shield as they could see, challenged a man that had a spear like a weaver's needle, about thirty-foot long. It was a paradox.
What did he do? He said, "You meet me as a Philistine in the name of a Philistine. You meet me with an armor, and with a spear, and in a trained college. But I meet you in the name of the Lord God of Israel." That's it. And a little ruddy child, boy, probably sixteen or eighteen years old, with a slingshot, slew that big boasting giant---paradox---because he trusted God. Certainly.

42 Moses, after being a well-trained man, a military man, knowing what he was talking about, he knowed how to hold an army. He knowed how to fight, and had tried his weapons, but it didn't work. And it was a paradox. After talking to God in the form of fire on a bush that ... took a dry stick off the desert, and went down and took over a army---took over a nation with a dry stick. Took over an army, took over a nation at the age of eighty years old, with nothing but a stick in his hand!
What was it? It wasn't Moses, nor the stick. It was the God of creation in that, was what was a-doing it---God, in this old dry stick. "Take this stick in your hand, and go down there." As I said the other night, a one-man invasion.
Now, where Moses got in trouble in the flesh and killed one man, it always hung on him. But he went down there in the Spirit, and slew the whole nation. It was a glory. Sure. He was following the commandments of the Lord. That's what does it.

43 I've often thought how ridiculous that might have looked to the carnal mind: an old man, whiskers hanging down over his bosom, probably his bald head shining to the sun, hairs drooping down; pulling a little donkey behind him, his wife sitting on there with a young-un sitting on her hip, this old stick; his eyes looking out towards the skies, walking down through there. "Where're you going, Moses?"
"Going down to Egypt to take over."
The thing of it is, he done it, because he could go in the name of the Lord! God only needs one man in his hands. He can do the rest of it. He's tried to find men. Sometimes He can get a man in his hands.
And he went down and took over a whole nation, with a stick in his hand.

44 Now you just tell me if that's regular ... the regular routine, for a man to take a stick in his hand, and go over and take over Russia.
If God sent him, he'll do it, 'cause the God that sent him will be with him. Jesus said, "As the Father sent me, so send I you." And when ... the Father that sent Him was in Him. And when God sends any man, Christ goes in him. Sure. "As the Father sent me..." The Father that sent Him went with Him. And the Christ that sends the man goes with the man, see. There's just paradoxes everywhere. Now. A dry stick---but he went down and took it over. How ridiculous! Seems strange.

45 It seemed ridiculous when there wasn't a well nowhere. Down in the valleys, all around over the hillsides they couldn't even find a smell of water. And the driest place that was in the desert was that old rock. Go out here in the desert, and look and see. Look like back under a nice palo verde or somewhere, there'd be a little spring. Get down in the valley where all the waters run down, and dig down there, you'll find water the quickest. But God sent him up on the hill to the driest thing there. That's the way God does. He likes to take something that's nothing, and show that He is something. As I've often said, God takes the nobodies to make somebody out of them. But when people think they're somebody, then they become nobodies in God's sight.

46 Now, we find out that Moses took that dry stick and hit the rock. And when he did, water sprang forth. Now, get a stick and go out in the desert today and start smiting on rocks. It was a paradox.
It was a paradox when God rained manna out of the heavens. Yes. It was a paradox. No doubt ... wonder if He didn't have big ovens up there to bake it. He didn't have to have it. He was a creator, and He created the manna that fell fresh every night. He didn't have to have ovens; He's a creator.

47 One time when a believer got in the wrong company... (We have that all the time.) A believer by the name of Jehoshaphat got into the wrong company with Ahab, a make-believer. And when a make-believer and a believer gets together, you got trouble. Now, when you get a believer in a seminary that's got a bunch of make-believers in there, you got trouble again.
So, Jehoshaphat wanted an axe to grind ... or Ahab rather, sent for Jehoshaphat to come down. He showed him all the glory of his kingdom. And Jehoshaphat, like a believer... Sometimes seeing the exciting, something extraordinary, he becomes excited about it. And that's when the man has to watch. That's where you girls have to watch some little guy with his hair slicked down. Be careful. And some of you boys has to watch that little ... you little ... Jezebel, you know, and lead you off the wrong way. Be careful! Stay in the right company! Notice.

48 So here was a believer in the company of a make-believer. So, he had an axe to grind, of course. And he said, "Now, I'll tell you what we'll do. You know we're brothers. We're all just the same. [But we're not the same. No, sir! You don't mix oil and water. No.] We're all just the same, so let your chariots be ours, and ours yours. And we'll go up to Gilgal, and we'll fight this battle, and push the enemy off."
Well, Jehoshaphat had enough common decency about him to say, "Don't you think we ought to consult the Lord first?"
I can imagine great President Ahab saying, "Hmph... Why, certainly so. We're a great nation here, believes in God. So you know what? I've just got the answer. [Oh, yes!] I've got a seminary down here so full of them. I got four hundred of the best-trained prophets there is in the country. I got the best. You ought to hear them say 'Amen.' You ought to hear the sweet little prayers they can pray. Bring them up! Let's see them."

49 So they dressed theirself to make something handsome-looking, sit out in the gates. And when they did... They brought up four hundred prophets, and when they did... All of them prophets. And they said, "Go up, and the Lord bless you. Go up there. We're four hundred strong with one accord. Go up. I'll bless you, be with you."
But that didn't strike Jehoshaphat. You know, they can tell you all these things are fine, but right down in your heart you know... As I said yesterday, that little still small voice turns the whole wheel. Something didn't seem right. He said, "Sir, haven't you got one more?"
"One more? when the whole seminary's here? Why, here's Archbishop So-and-so, and all the rest of them. He's done made himself some iron horns, and said, 'By this you'll push the enemy off the land.' "

50 And seemingly, it was just exactly right, because actually the land did belong to Israel. See, it can look so real, and so right. But if you want a paradox, you've got not to divvy one speck from God's Word. You've got to stay right with the Word. Jesus said, "If ye abide in me, and my word in you, then ask what you will." But it's on a condition.
Now, it seemed like... "That land belongs to us. Why can't we go get it? It's ours. It belongs to us." And those men were not just heathens; they were Jewish prophets. They said, "Go up. The Lord's with you." But what it was, they got mixed up in the world. During the reign of Ahab and Jezebel she'd led them around, and got them all mixed up in the world. And really, the Spirit of the Lord wasn't with them.

51 So then, he brought them out there and they prophesied. But yet, that didn't kind of satisfy Jehoshaphat. He said, "Haven't you got one more that you can consult?"
He said, "Yes, I got another one, but he's a holy roller. I just don't like him. He's always cutting at me. [Praise be to God!] He's always bawling me out. He believes I got the worst wife in the world. He's horrible. We just can't have him around here."
"Oh," he said, "don't let the king say so. Like to hear him."
Said, "He's Micaiah, the son of Imlah. But I just don't like him. He's always saying something bad about me. I've had him in jail a dozen times, but he's one of them holy rollers. But we don't want him up here."
"Oh, don't let the king say so. Send for him."
So they had a forerunner---sometimes like you do when you're going to a revival. "Ah ... shhhh... But don't say nothing about this. Don't you preach against this. Ohhhh... they don't believe in that. Now, you leave off of this. Now, don't you say nothing about (hmph)..."
Well, you know what I want to say, don't you? [Audience laughs.] " Don't say nothing about that because you're going to hurt ... you'll hurt their feelings. Now, they've got pastors there, and they tell them this, that. Don't you... You say the same."

52 Micaiah, a man anointed, he said, "I'll only say what God puts in my mouth to say. [God, give us some more Micaiahs!] But I'll only say what God puts in my mouth."
Let's see if his vision was with the Word. That's the way to judge it, which is right. See which one lines up with the Word. Micaiah come down.
He said, "How many times do I have to adjure you?"
Micaiah said, "Go on up. First give me the night. Let me see what the Lord will say. Then I'll tell you what's 'thus saith the Lord.' [That's right. Seek ye the kingdom of God first.] Let's see what's right."
So that night Micaiah had a vision and he saw the Lord. And he examined that vision with the Word, and it was with the Word. And any vision, dream, or anything else that's contrary to the Word, is not right.

53 Let me stop just a minute. A man come to me not long ago, come from overseas. The man was wrong. He had three or four children, and a wife, and he was running around with a woman over here. I don't say anything immorally, but it just didn't look right. You see, you have to watch what you're doing in the eyes of the public. You're written epistles.
And he said... I kind of called his hand on it. I said, "Sir, I hope you don't think I'm rude. But I'd just like to say something as a minister. Don't you think that the people here will think..."
"Oh," he said, "No, no. That's all right in my country."
I said, "But you're not in your country, see. You're over here. And, if people think something about that..." He said ... I said, "Do you know the woman?"
"Yes."
I said, "Do you know her background?" I did.
He said. "Yes." Said, "Brother Branham, I know she's living right now with her fourth husband." Said, "And Brother Branham, you know what? She's such a sweet woman." Said, "I went to the Lord, and I said, 'Lord, tell me what's the matter with this woman.' Said, 'Why would you bless her with the Holy Ghost, and everything, and living in adultery?' "
He said, "Well," said, "you know, the Lord give me a dream." He said, "I seen my wife living immorally with another man." And I said... He said, "Then she come up to me, and fell down, and said, 'Will you forgive me?' " And he said, "Sure."
Said, "Then the Lord said, 'I forgive her.' Said, 'You see, no matter if she has done the way she's doing, I forgive her.' "
I said, "Sir, your vision, or your dream, was sweet. But it don't line up with the Word of God. Right. God can't say one thing, and take it back over here. He's got to say one thing, and stay with it till it accomplishes that which it was purposed for." Then you see the paradox.

54 So, we find out, Micaiah said, "Go on up, if you want to. But I seen Israel like sheep scattered, having no shepherd."
And then Zedekiah come up (which is the high ... bunch of ... the biggest one of the prophets, or the most effectual one, the leader of them), come up and said ... slapped him in the mouth, and said, "Which a-way went the Spirit of God out of ... when it went out of me?" He didn't have the Spirit of God.
He said, "I seen Israel scattered like sheep on a hill."
And so, he said, "Take this man [the king did] and put him in the prison. And feed him with bread and water of sorrow till I return in peace---like all my shepherds here say that I will.
"And ... you return in peace..."

55 Now, if Ahab would've sat down and listened...
Remember, we know that Elijah was an a-vindicated prophet. A prophet's just not jumped up overnight. Prophets are born prophets. Sure. And he'd been a prophet since his childhood. And every word that he said, all of his doctrine was of God, because God vindicated him that he was a prophet. He did.
So, then when he did that, he knowed then Micaiah saw the vision, and the vision was comparing with the vision of the prophet. Two prophets got together. And Elijah had told Ahab what was going to happen, that the dogs would lick the blood off of him. And how could Micaiah bless what God had cursed?

56 Now let me stop a minute. How can God today bless what He's cursed? Can't do it. Lying, stealing, cheating---all this stuff is wrong, and many other things I could say. If it's wrong, it's wrong.
What happened? We find out that was a paradox; that one man, one little ragged holy roller, stood up here in the face of a whole seminary of prophets, and God vindicated his word because he was with the Word. That's right. It was a paradox.

57 When God took John the Baptist, and made him the forerunner of Christ, instead of taking one of the rich royal priests, it was a paradox. How would God take a man that had no education at all? Went into the wilderness at the age of nine when he lost his parents, stayed out there in the wilderness, come out looked like a fuzzy-worm---the beard out on his face and a piece of sheepskin wrapped around him---and stood in mud up there, and called the audience he was preaching to a generation of snakes in the grass. Could you imagine God taking a man that would say that to an audience of sophisticated Jews? believers, supposed to be?

58 He said, "You generation of vipers!" Not, "Hello, Bishop So-and-so. So glad to see you." Oh, you sissified...
"Oh, you generation of vipers! Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Don't you think, 'We belong to this, or that.' God is able of these stones to rise children to Abraham." When God vindicated, it caused a paradox. He saw the Holy Ghost descending like a dove upon the Son of man. It was a paradox.
What was more of a paradox than the virgin birth? Now, I know I'm not ... don't want... Now, we got a mixed audience. Now I want you to understand me, for I'm expecting something. And to expect something, you've got to stay with the Word. "If ye abide in me, and my word in you, then ask what you will." That's the conditions. Not today, and tomorrow something else; and twist for this one, and twist for that one. But stay straight with the Word and Calvary. Then ask what you will.

59 Now, we find that in this virgin birth, many of the people... You precious Catholic people ... my background's Catholic, too, you know. So, we find out that today you take Mary and make her a goddess, an intercessor.
Brother Valdina, here somewhere on the platform, I believe, was down in Mexico. General ... Medina, Medina. He was here the other night. Put his arms around me, and spoke through his interpreter, said, "Brother Branham, I admire your courage to stand on your convictions." Said, "Stay with it, son." He's a man, military man, that knows what it means to give an order, and stand out there on the front line. "You stay at your post." That's what God wants his soldiers to do: stand at the post of duty regardless of what comes or goes. Stay there. Stay right there. So he said...

60 This virgin birth ... I was down in Mexico there, and there was this ... all kinds of saints. That's where the little baby was raised up from the dead. You saw it in the "Christian Businessman." I want to thank you for that compliment. God bless you. When the little baby... We wouldn't let it go just like that, until the doctor stated that the baby died that morning at nine o'clock. And this was about ten or eleven that night. And the little sister standing out there, a little Catholic girl with the baby in her arms, and three hundred ushers couldn't keep her off the platform.

61 Billy come to me, said, "Daddy, you'll have to do something about that." Said, "That's all there is to it." Said, "She ain't got no prayer card," said, " 'cause I've looked." Said, "That brother, I don't know..."
Excuse me, Mexican people, but I called him "Mañana, which means "tomorrow," see. He was supposed to come get me at seven o'clock and he come at nine---always about two or three hours late. He was bad as I am. And then, here he was. He was giving out prayer cards, and he was walking along with all of them, you know---and Billy watching him, to be sure that he didn't sell one, so ... watching him, walking along being careful. I sent him down there to do so. So, he was decent about that.

62 So, I'd got on the platform. The night before there there'd been an old Mexican brother come up. And the whole rack ... piled full of old clothes that night. Poor old Mexican, little old dirty feet, about eighty years old, stone-blind, old hat in his hands sewed up with twine cord, dust all over it. And he was going along there saying something in Spanish, and I couldn't understand him. And so, he was trying to get to me when he found out... He reached down in his pocket, and brought out a rosary and started... Not necessary. He was blind, and I pulled the old fellow up to me.

63 I thought... You know, you have to feel the person's condition, or you'll never help him. You've got to enter into their suffering. If you don't, just cold-heartedly it'll never work. You've got to place yourself... I looked, I thought, "Poor old fellow. Maybe a big gang of little children out here somewhere."
And their economics are very poor. That's right. Maybe Pancho gets thirty pesos a week, and he's a brick layer; and the other one gets fifteen pesos, Pedro, and he's a section hand. And he's got a bunch of kids to feed. And then, old greasy tortillas somewhere made out of amoeba lettuce, and things they'd throwed away. But he's got to save so much to buy a grease candle to go on a million-dollar altar for his sins. Nonsense! Christ is our sacrifice. Christ is the One. We need no altars of million dollars. We need an open heart.

64 So, that little old woman down there, Billy said... And first, about this old man. I put my foot up to see if my shoes... There I was standing there with pair of shoes on. He probably never had a pair. I thought, "If my shoes would fit him, I'll give them to him." Put my shoulders against his. He was much bigger, so I couldn't give him my clothes.
And I put my arm around him. I thought, "If my Daddy would have lived, he'd have been about that age." And I said, "Oh, Lord God!" Brother Espinoza (he's probably here somewhere), he never interprets the prayer. And I prayed, "Lord God..." And I heard him holler, "Gloria a Dios!" And he looked around. He could see better than I could. He could see! There he went screaming.

65 And the next night, old shawls and coats ... piled up like that all over the platform. And Billy said to me, he said, "Daddy, you cannot keep that woman off there." He said, "She's got a dead baby." Pouring down rain, and they'd been standing there. No place to sit down---that big place, no place to sit down---just leaning against one another since nine o'clock that morning. And this was about ten-thirty that night, standing in that sun and rain (Oh, America, America! How one day you'll come up on the little end of the horn unless they repent. That's right.), loving God. That night I saw about twenty-five thousand people coming to Christ at one time there at Mexico City.

66 Then I ... noticing this little woman, down there screaming. The ushers would try to stop her. She'd stick that baby under her arm, and run right between their legs. They'd try to hold her. She'd jump up on top of them, climb over them, scratching, fighting, everything to get up there. And they said, "You can't get up," holding her back.
So I said to Brother Jack Moore (I was wondering if he was at the convention), I said, "Brother Jack, go over there and pray for her. She don't know me. So, pray for that baby, and that'll stop her."
And I turned back. I was like this, turned to look. And I saw in a vision, right here in front of me, a little dark-skinned Mexican baby---no teeth---grinning at me. I waited a minute. I backed away. I looked again. I said, "Wait a minute! [A paradox!] Bring her here." The ushers opened up the line.

67 She come up there and fell down, began to holler, "Padre."
I said "Just a minute. Get up." I said, "Heavenly Father, I don't know what that meant, but under this blanket [it soaking wet] is a little dead baby. They said it died this morning at nine o'clock. And this little woman's heart is a-longing. That's her baby."
I laid my hands in obedience to that vision. About that time the baby went "Whaaa!" and it screamed, and began to holler---come to life! It was a paradox! I said, "Brother Espinoza, don't write that down. Go to the doctor and get a signed statement that baby died." And he did, see. Paradox! I've seen that happen five times now. Five times, paradox!

68 The virgin birth was a paradox. I do not believe that Jesus was any part of Mary. That was not his mother. It was a woman that God used for that purpose, an incubator to bear his child. If Mary ... if the seed of the woman, which, she is the egg and the man has the hemoglobin... If that's right, doctor... See, the blood ... the life lays in the blood cell.
And a hen can lay an egg. But if she hasn't been with the male bird, it'll never hatch. Now I've often said this, and I say it again. It's coming springtime. The birds will all be building their nests. An old mother bird can get on her nest and huffle them eggs, and stay on there so loyal until she nearly starves to death. She gets so poor she can't fly off the nest. Them eggs will never hatch, if she hasn't been with the mate.

69 Now, brother, nothing wrong with Episcopalians, Methodist, or Baptist. But what have we got? As long as it's an organization---let it be Pentecostal---if those people hasn't contacted the mate, Jesus Christ, you got nothing but a nest full of rotten eggs. They'll lay right there and rot. I don't care how many PhD's, LLD's, double LD's, or whatever more you put to them in seminaries---that's only of the world. We've got to find the germ of life! God spoke an eternal life. "...except a man be borned again."
What you got? You make deacons out of them, bishops, and everything else. You got nothing but a bunch of rotten eggs. The only thing to do is clean out the nest and start over again. Right. It'll never be able to do it until we get started. You want a paradox? You want life? You have to bring life into it. That's right.

70 Mary ... if that baby's body (which the flesh comes from the egg), and if that baby's body was flesh of Mary, then what? Then Mary had to have some kind of a sensation. You see where you put God doing? God created both egg and blood cell. And He wasn't Jew; neither was He Gentile. He was God---God in the form of sinful flesh. That's the reason "I'll not see ... let my Holy One see corruption, neither leave his soul in hell." He was the manifestation---God---to come into a tabernacle that He created Himself. Jesus never did in all the Scripture call her mother. He called her woman; not mother, woman.
Said, "Thy mother's outside seeking thee."
He said, "Who is my mother?" Looked at his disciples, said, "The one that does the will of my Father is my mother." That's right. So you see, it was completely virgin birth, both sides virgin birth. A paradox cannot be explained. There's nothing can explain it.

71 Here some time ago I was in the mountains hunting. There was a big old, tall fellow by the name Gevrez, G-e-v-r-e-z, a Frenchman. We was riding back, and I'd just met him. And he said, "What are you?"
I said, "I'm a preacher."
He said, "You look too intelligent for that."
And I said, "Well, I ... that's just opinion."
And he said, "I guess you believe that that baby was virgin-born."
I said, "Yes, sir."
He said, "Sir, that's against all scientific rules."
I said, "You can't prove God by science. You have to believe Him. You don't prove God; you accept it. You believe it. If you can prove it, it is no more faith. Then it's something you can explain. God cannot be explained."
Then rode a little farther, and he said, "I don't believe, and there's nothing in the world can make me believe." Said, "Joseph was the father of that baby."
I said, "God was the father of that baby."
Said, "There is no such a thing."
And I said, "Oh, nonsense."
He said, "Look, Mr. Branham." He said, "Before you can raise corn, before you can raise a tree, or anything, there has to be an actual contact to male and female before it can do." Said, "You cannot do that. It can't reproduce without actual contact."
I said, "I want to ask you something then. You told me that man come from the ... (teaching the ethics of Darwin), that man came from a single cell which was a little jellyfish---or something that turned into a sponge, then a jellyfish, and then rolled out, and growed a little wart, and a arm come, and so forth---all like that." I said, "Then you claim that that was the first man."
He said, "I believe it."
I said, "My faith's not that strong, sir." I said, "I couldn't believe that. I just believe what God said about it, see: that He made man in his own image." I said, "I want to ask you something then. If ... you'll admit that this woman could've had the baby, but she had to have actually contact with a man..."
He said, "Yes, sir. It's against all scientific rule."
I said, "Then I want to ask you something." (You know, Mama always told me, "Give a cow enough rope, it'll hang itself.") And I said, "I want to ask you something then. Where did the first man come from that had neither father nor mother? Where would that come from?" He hasn't answered me yet. There's no answer to it. God created the first man. God is the creator. It's a paradox.

72 I got to hurry, friends, very much hurry. Oh, my! How does those... Where does all the time go to? I want to meet you all over yonder where I can just stay for a million years with each one of you. We'll talk about these things.

73 Notice.
One time there was a man (Oral Roberts talked about him the other night), Samson, just an ordinary man. I'm going to go more ridiculous than him. He was not just an ordinary man. He was just a little bitty old shrimp, little bitty guy. If a man had shoulders like a barn door, it wouldn't be nothing to see him kill a lion. But this little old curly-headed shrimp, seven little curls hanging down his head... And he was walking along out here, Mama's little boy. And here he was walking out like a little sissy.
And the first thing you know, a thousand Philistines run upon him. Now, if you ever seen the Philistine garment---wished I had time to explain it---but that helmet is about a inch and a half thick of solid brass, over his head. Now remember, they could temper brass in those days, that we can't today, 'cause Solomon had a razor was brass. Now, notice. The brass helmet, and all over his body was thick wrapped brass, so he could move in his armor. A thousand of them trained.
And here they met the servant of the Lord out there---a little curly-headed shrimp, probably a little jacket on. But the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he picked up the jawbone of a mule, and beat down a thousand Philistines. Yes!

74 Why, brother, that old rotten jawbone of that mule... You'd hit one of them big brass helmets with it, why, it would have splattered in a thousand pieces. Sure. But it was a paradox. God was on that old jawbone. Hallelujah! If He can get on a dead one, surely He can get on ours that's alive. Notice. A paradox, it was indeed. And he took that jawbone and beat the helmets right down like that, till they mashed down a thousand Philistines. Paradox.

75 Jesus, when He was here on earth, He walked on the water. Explain that to me. Scientifically tell me how a man can walk on water. Paradox. One day He took five biscuits, and two fish, and fed five thousand. What kind of a atom did He turn loose? Now, that wasn't even fish alive.
When He broke that bread, broke it off of a piece of biscuit ... when He handed it out, time He got his hand back again, there was another biscuit there---already raised the wheat in the field, already cooked, all the grease in it, pre-seasoned.
Here was a piece of fish. He broke it off, and another piece of cooked fish... Amen. Hallelujah!
That element is given to us, if we'll just abide in the Word. Stay there. I believe we're on the verge of seeing it happen. Live true to the Word. There you are. He had cooked fish. That was a paradox.

76 It was a paradox when He went to choose his church, that He chose fishermen instead of priests. That's contrary to nature. Look like He'd have had a great big church, with all ... bunch of ministers all shined up and polished up, and knows their theology, and got all their PhD's, and everything. That's where He come to. But He just bypassed the whole bunch, went down and got some fishermen that couldn't even sign their own name.
The Bible said that Peter and John was ignorant and unlearned. That's who He got for his church. That's a paradox. Certainly. Yes, sir. He chose fishermen, instead of men ... instead of priests.

77 Now, we find out that on the day of Pentecost... It's strange that He chose a bunch of unlearned people, and sent them up there with a commission at Pentecost---not to go to some seminary, but to wait until they was endued with power from on high. If that man Peter, and John and them, wanted to preach and they were ignorant and unlearned, look like He'd have said, "Boys, there's a fine school right over here. You go till you learn your ABC's. Then after you do that you'll take your grammar school. Get that through. Then you'll take four years of high school, and then four years of college, and then about four or five years of Bible School. Then you can go out."
But He said, "Wait in the city of Jerusalem, where I'm going to send the promise of the Father upon you. And then you'll be witnesses of me [Luke 24:49], witnesses of me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth." That's still his requirements.

78 You know, I've had some experience (I'll hurry) with pagans---pagan religions, idols. I've been in Africa, India. I've seen the fire-walkers when they was standing up there, with a great big old image there, with big eyes (rubies) like that, and big rubies in the ears. And how those poor people... They're not hypocrites.
Farmers come out there, and they get ready for that. The priest blesses them, pours the holy water on them, and they take big fishhooks with balls, about that big around full of water, and just hook their flesh full of them, doing sacrifice to an idol. Then they take ... put them in their ears, sew their mouth together, put a lance up through there. If they've lied, put their nose and mouth together and pull it down. And then walk through fire---a strip four or five feet wide, thirty feet deep sometimes, all the way across for thirty yards, through that fire, getting themselves ready for that ... for an idol. Now idolatry is a bad thing.

79 Now let me just background this just a moment, 'cause I'm just going to ... a few more remarks, then I'm going to close. But I want to make this. You see, it was ... it's going to be a paradox.
The pagan, the idolater... Now, the Indians out here, here in the Southwest, they used to worship idols. They had what they called the rain god. It was a mud turtle. They knowed he lived down in the rain, down in the earth, and they believed that that god of the rain come into that mud turtle. Now, in the old pagan Rome they used to have Jupiter, and many of the gods. And they say that those gods live. And they had wars. You've studied mythology, and so forth. So these gods was supposed to...

80 How they did it, they had a great big altar, and this statue stood upon it. And the worshipper come in, and he paid the priest for a candle. And they took ... and he went down to the temple. Sometimes there was several gods. And he set it on the altar so, I guess, the god could find his way to his right image. And they set it down there, and lit this candle.
Then the worshipper went and got ... the priest got some fruit ready, and made a sacrifice, and brought wine. And he actually had communion with the idol. Then he prostrated himself before the idol. And he laid there in such a stupor until the imaginary god (that looked like the image that he had built) come and got into that idol and talked back to him through that idol. That's idolatry.
The imaginary god---what they thought, through an idol---that he was able to hypnotize this god with his offering and his burning candle, into this god. And then, when his soul got so entangled with that... You see where it's the devil? See? And he'd think that god spoke back to his conscience through there, and it was actually a god to him.

81 Now, God was going to show them what a real God was. And on the day of Pentecost... They prostrated themselves for ten days. And not an imaginary, but there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And God never took an idol. He took a living man, and placed Himself by the baptism of the Holy Ghost into this man. Not imaginary god, not imaginary thing; but a reality of a real God in a real man. And then this man rose up, and worked the works of God.
Strange that He did that. Strange that He didn't take some smart men that knowed something about that. They'd try to figure it out. But He took a bunch of ignorant fishermen, and put them up there. And they prostrated themselves on a promise of God for ten days and nights. Then the God of heaven came and dwelt in those men.

82 Jesus said, "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." John 14:12, He said, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also. More than this shall he do 'cause I go to my Father." That's the reason He said in Mark 16, "These signs shall follow them that believe." It was a living God in a man that could lay himself out before God, according to the Word of God; and the Word of God would be made manifest in Him. Amen. It's a paradox.

83 Every time you see a man receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, it's a paradox, how the God of heaven makes Himself known in this man talking through him, working through him, living through him. It's a paradox. And we are in the image of God, and God took his own images and brought Himself into the image of his own image that He made. A paradox.

84 God once lived in man, then sin drove Him away. And then God killed his own Son, and then let God come back and live in his people again. Yes, sir. It's a paradox. It's a strange thing how that He does it. The church ... God chose his church to be a paradox. How that He took---instead of the polished scholars, and making that a church, the theologians ---He took a bunch of ignorant, unlearned fishermen. And He give the keys to the kingdom not to Caiaphas, the high priest, learned. What did He do? He gave it to the ignorant fisherman. Not a man who knowed all the ins-and-outs; He gave it to a man that had prostrated himself before Him and knowed Him. Now you know, not to know his Book is life; but to know Him is life. And the keys was given to Peter. Paradox, that He'd do that, instead of Caiaphas, the smartest man in the religious realm. He gave it to Peter.

85 Now, do you believe in paradox? An old druggist told me not long ago... He said, "Brother Branham, one day during the time of the depression," said, "son and I were sitting in the drugstore." And said, "Oh, it was hard."
And said, "A woman come in that was to be mother. She had a prescription to be filled." And said, "My son went up to wait on her, her and her husband." And said, "When he looked at the prescription, he said... She said, 'I don't have the money to pay for this.' And he said, 'Right over there is the place where your... The county will get it for you.' "
And said, "Her and her husband turned gently to go out, to see if the county would fill the prescription." Said, "Something struck me. 'Don't let that mother...' Said, 'She ain't hardly able to stand on her feet, let alone have to stand in that line there for hours to get that prescription filled.' "
Said, "Son, go call her, bring her back."

86 Said, "He went and called her, and brought her back." Said, "I went back there and filled the prescription with the very best drugs that I knowed that I had in the store." And said, "I walked it up, took it in my hand, and laid it in the hands of that woman."
He said, "Brother Branham..." We was sitting drinking a malt together---the old druggist, a real man of God. He said, "You know what?" He said, "You may think I'm crazy when I say this, but," said, "when I laid that in her hand I looked. It was Jesus standing there. I'd put it in Jesus' hand." Yes. A paradox.

87 The great St. Martin, he was a heathen---his father was. He wanted to serve God. There was a law in France at that time that if the father was a military man, the son had to serve till he was of age. Listen close. And when they drafted him in the army, he had a servant. And of course, every soldier had a servant. And instead of the servant shining his boots, he shined the servant's boots. He was a great man. He loved God.
What taken place? One night---cold winter night, the winds blowing, people freezing to death that hard winter---when he passed through the gate, there laid a old bum laying there, saying, "Please, somebody help me. Somebody help me. Somebody..." And people who could've helped him passed him on by.

88 Martin'd give everything he had away. And he looked... The soldiers wore a cape, a coat. He needed a coat. He'd freeze himself. So he took his coat off, took his sword and split it half in two, wrapped the bum up in part of it. He took the rest. The people laughed at him. "What a funny looking soldier, with a half of a cape on."
But that night in the barracks, he woke up. And when he looked, there stood Jesus, wrapped in that piece of garment. There stood angels all around Him, and He said to the angels, "You know who wrapped me in this?" Said, "Martin wrapped me in this." Then Martin knew what Jesus meant when He said, "Insomuch as you do unto the least of my little ones, you have done it unto me." When he wrapped that old bum, he wrapped Jesus up, for Jesus was in that old bum. So we don't know who we're passing by. It was a paradox. I believe in them with all my heart.

89 If we just humble ourselves now before God, believe with all of our heart... Here sometime ago, a great intellectual man come up before a bunch of Pentecostals. He was going to make a Pentecost ... a intellectual speech and tell the people where they were wrong, and all about this, and such and such. And he had it all ... a real speech. But he walked up with his chest out, you know, and "Me, the big guy, with so many degrees," and so forth like that.
And he started talking to Pentecostal people, and the Pentecostal people didn't take it, see. So he seen he was defeated, so he folded up his notes. Nothing had been said about the intellectual speech, but trying to say that the Pentecostal phenomenon of speaking in tongues was wrong, the Pentecostal miracles they was talking about was wrong---that didn't hit with them people. So, he was so humiliated till he took his textbook, and walked off the platform.
There was an old saint sitting out there. He said, "You know what? If that man would have went up the way he come down, he'd have probably come down the way he went up." So, that's about right, see. See, humility---to humble ourselves before the Lord...

90 It really is a paradox. God is a paradox. The visions are a paradox. We just can't explain them. How that God can show things that was, which is, and shall come, it's beyond any of our research. The old prophets' visions back yonder hundreds of years ago, we see them happening yet today. It is a paradox.
It was a paradox, when Andrew went and got Peter. His name was Simon then. Brought him up before Jesus, and told him, said, "You know, our Daddy told us there'd be all kinds of isms going on before the real Messiah come. But he told us, according to the Scripture, that Messiah was to be a prophet. 'The Lord your God shall raise up a prophet liken unto me.' Now, the Messiah is going to be a prophet." The Jews all believed that.

91 The Bible said, "If there be a man among you who's spiritual or a prophet, I, the Lord will make myself known unto him in visions. And if what he says come to pass, then hear him." Right.
So, when Andrew took Peter up there, and He looked around to Peter, Jesus did, and said, "Your name is Simon, and your father is Jonas," Peter knew right then that that was a paradox, that God was... Absolutely the only one that knowed him and his old father would have to be God.

92 When Philip went down and got Nathanael, and brought Nathanael back up before Jesus, and he come in the presence of Jesus, and Jesus said, "Behold an Israelite in whom there's no guile," that stunted him.
He said, "How did you know me, Rabbi?"
Listen! "Before Philip called you when you were under the tree, I saw you." What eyes! Fifteen miles around the mountain. He saw through the mountain, through time, and saw Philip under the tree.

93 When the woman at the well at Sychar came out there---a beautiful young woman, perhaps, to get some water. Maybe the ... she had to come out when the rest of the decent women was gone. Jesus was sitting over ... a little panoramic something like this. And so, she said...
He said to her, "Woman, bring me a drink."
She said, "It's not customary. We have segregation here. You Samaritans, us Jews, we have no dealings with one another. Not right for you to ask me, a woman of Samaria, such a question."
He said, "But if you knew who you were talking to, you'd ask me for a drink."
She went to talking about the well, how deep it was, and what the fathers had said, and so forth. What happened? In a few minutes she said...
He found her trouble. He said, "Go get your husband, and come here."
She said, "I don't have any husband."
Said, "You've said the truth. You've got five husbands ... had five. And the one you're living with now is not your husband."

94 What did she say? Listen. When He did that before the Jews, the Jews said He was reading their mind. He was Beelzebub, fortune-teller, a devil. But this woman said, "Sir, I perceive that you're a prophet. We know when the Messiah comes, he'll do these things." It was a paradox, you see. "We know that you must be a prophet. Messiah will do this when He comes. But who are you?"
He said, "I am He that speaks to you."
She knew that was God. She knew that was the sign of the Messiah. So she hurries into the city and said, "Come see a man who told me my troubles. Isn't that the very Messiah?" And the people of the city believed on Jesus for the woman's saying.
Now. I believe the same God that performed paradox then, can make a paradox right now. Do you believe it? Amen. The Bible said, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Bear with me a minute longer.

95 Before He left the world, He said, "As it was in the days of Sodom, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man."
Sodom... Remember, Abraham's seed had... Abraham had come along, and seen all these things of God. But the last vision, the last thing that Abraham seen just before the lukewarm world was destroyed... Now remember, as I've always said, there's three classes of people: the unbeliever, the make-believer, and the believer. They're all vindicated. They was all vindicated right there: the Sodomites, like the world today; the lukewarm believer down among them, living in their muck; and then Abraham, the elected church, called out and set aside.

96 Angels came down from heaven. Two of them went down and preached in Sodom. They didn't do no miracles. They blinded them one night. Preaching the gospel does blind the unbeliever. A modern Billy Graham out amongst the Sodomites out there, laying away. I believe Billy Graham's a man of God. And he's out there preaching his message of repentance, and "Get out of this Sodom!" That was the message they heard.
But remember, this one angel didn't go down there. But the other angel that was sent to the church elect---He was a man, eating flesh, drinking milk, and He sat with his back turned to the tent---called Abraham his name, that had just been given him by God a few days before that, and Sarah the same way. Said, "Where is your wife, Sarah?"
Said, "She's in the tent behind you.
He said, "I'm going to visit you according to the time of life."
And Sarah laughed. Said, "Me? an old woman have pleasure with my lord?"
What did He say? "Why did Sarah laugh?" And Sarah come out and tried to deny it.
What? He knew what she was doing back there. That's the same thing Jesus did. He perceived their thoughts. Why? He was the Word. Hebrews 4 said, "The word of God's sharper than a two-edged sword, a discerner of the thoughts of the heart, the mind." The Word. Jesus was the Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God ... the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Now, "If ye abide in me, and my word in you..." What about that? Did God lie? He can't lie. He can't lie---He's God. Do you believe it? I believe it. Let's bow our heads just a moment. May God be merciful.

97 Stop just a minute. The first paradox was when you was saved. The next paradox was when He gave you the Holy Ghost. Now let me ask you something. If Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever... If I told you the spirit of John Dillinger was in me, you'd expect me to have guns, be an outlaw. If I told you the spirit of a painter was in me, you'd expect me to take the brush and paint pictures, like is on the wall. And if I tell you the Spirit of Christ is in me, then I'll do the works of Christ. That's exactly what He said. You believe that? If you believe it, don't doubt it, God will make it manifest.

98 Now, heavenly Father, I've spoken at length. And Thou art God. Now the only thing I can do, Father, is speak; You are the one who has to manifest it, and make it true. And I pray Thee, Father, that Thou will grant this privilege to us, through thy Son's name, the Lord Jesus. Give to us that which we desire, that these people might know... Even the rough, hard, tearing-in, yet it's ordained of You---not with malice but with love, to keep the church running smooth.

99 The Bible said there are given to us first apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, all for the correction of the church, to keep the church in order. Sometimes our pastors tells us things that trims us. But God vindicates it by the man with the Word, proves it. And You're still God. And I pray that You'll make it known this evening that You're God, and these things I have done at your command. These things I have done not within myself, but because that the Holy Spirit was leading. I pray for mercy. I pray that You'll grant the requests of these people, in the name of Jesus Christ.

100 Now just keep your heads down a minute, and pray, have faith. If you will believe and not doubt, just believe with all your heart, believe that God will do the exceedingly abundantly, I believe God will make Himself known.
I don't know a person in this building, as far as I know. I heard Brother Fred Sothmann saying, "Amen," while I was preaching. Outside of that ... I won't count the platform, 'cause I know some of the men here. But in the audience... But if Jesus Christ ... if He is alive, and risen from the dead, and you people have a need out there, He's here to supply that. You believe that? Just keep praying. "If thou canst believe..."

101 Now, how many in here that's never been in one of my meetings? Let's see your hands up. Many of you. I'm a man just like any other man. But I believe in Jesus Christ, believe that He raised from the dead. I believe that He is God. He's God in us now, in the form of the Holy Ghost. And He said, "The works that I do shall you also." Now, to talk about it is one thing, but for Him to do it is another. "If thou canst believe, all things are possible."
Now, I want you to raise your heads just a minute. How many sick people's in the building? Raise up your hands. How many people's got someone sick that you could pray for? Raise your hand---sinner, whatever it might be.

102 Now there was a little woman one time touched the border of Jesus' garment, and was made completely whole. He passed by, and all the people were touching Him, and He said ... this little woman slipped through, and touched Him, touched his garment. He turned around and told her... Said, "Somebody touched me."
Everybody ... Peter rebuked him. "Oh, you know a thing like that..." He said, "The whole crowd's touching you. How could you do ... how'd you know who touched you? All of them touching you. Who touched..."
But he said, "But I perceive that virtue has gone out. I got weak." And the little woman that touched Him ... He looked around in the audience till He found her. And when He did, He told her what her trouble was, and her faith had healed her.

103 Do you believe that same God lives? Would it help your faith if He'd come today, and do the same thing? What about you Businessmen? See? You believe it? Will you pray for me? I'm not sure of this, friends. I never had a meeting like this ... amongst the Businessmen here. I'm trusting. Be alert. Pray.
Now, the Word ... the Word... If I've told the truth, and if God vindicates that truth, He'll show us signs and wonders. He'll show it Biblely, just what the Bible says. It'll have to be that kind of a sign and a wonder. Do you believe that?

104 If He'll at least ... two or three people out there in the audience that's sick, or needy, or something, if you'll just pray... Now look. If you'll look to God and say, "Lord Jesus, Brother Branham don't know me. He knows nothing about me. But he's made a declaration, and I've heard him explain it out of the Bible, that You still live. And I heard him praying that You'd show us something, just like You did before You was crucified. Therefore we'll ... the great Holy Spirit that we believe we have, it'll prove itself---that it's God." Is that right?---prove it among us.
Now you pray, and just believe now. And say, "Lord..." Now, does the Bible say this? Ministers, all you preachers that believe this, look. Jesus Christ is a high priest right now, sitting at the right hand of the majesty of God. Is that right? A high priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities, is that right? How many knows that's New Testament doctrine? New Testament doctrine. All right.

105 Then how would that high priest act, if you touched Him? If He's the same, He'd act the same way, like that woman that touched Him.
You say, "If I'd have been there, I would have touched Him."
You can touch Him right now. The Bible said so, and that's what I believe, is the Bible. You believe it ... all your heart. Don't doubt it. Anywhere in the building.
Now, be real reverent. Just as reverent... I don't say God will do it. I don't know. How many ever seen that picture of the angel of the Lord? Oh, sure. We got it, see. I had that in the notes this afternoon---not time for it.

106 Just be praying.
Now Lord, this is... If You desire it, Lord ... don't let me tempt You. Father, never do I want to be a tempter of God. But Father God, if it will glorify You, then let the people know that I've told them the truth. Speak that I've told them the truth. Grant it, Lord. I spoke of You the best I knowed how, your Word. That's the Word. I stayed right with it, Lord, regardless of where it went, how it ... whatever, I stayed with the Word. Now, Father, I pray Thee, speak back that I've told the truth. Vindicate it, Father, in Jesus' name.

107 Just keep praying, saying, "Lord Jesus, I believe that. I believe it." I don't know, friends. It'll be up to the Lord now, see. I can't feel it, somehow. And I'm just like this microphone---a perfect mute, without something speaks through me. But that's a gift---a way to relax myself in the presence of God, that He'll show me visions. I trust that He would do it when I got down on those paradox. But maybe He doesn't desire to do it. If it is, I can't help that. I just have to wait, and see what He says.
Just real quietly, everybody praying. I'm just watching across the audience. [A man in the audience speaks with tongues.] Still small voice, keep reverent. All right. You can raise your head. He's here. Now I challenge any unbeliever: now speak, or forever hold your peace. You just only believe that ... anything now, seek God, and see if God won't answer back that it's the truth. [A woman speaks in tongues and interprets.]

108 Be real reverent.
I want you to turn your head. A little lady sitting right over here, she's suffering with a bronchitis condition in her throat. She comes from Flagstaff. If you will believe with all your heart, you can have what you ask for. Do you believe it, sister? Rise up on your feet and accept your healing. Now let me repeat her prayer. She was saying, "Lord, I'm suffering so. Let Brother Branham speak to me." Wave your hand if those things... You was praying for me to call you at that time. When I called you, you was praying for that. Is that right? Wave your hand like this, if it's the truth. Are we strangers to one another? Wave your hand back again. I don't know you. If that's true, wave your hand back again. All right. What did she touch?

109 There's a lady sitting right up here that's praying for a friend that's got cancer. Do you believe with all your heart? God will answer your prayer. See a person, a man, very, very sick. If you'll believe it with all your heart (I'm looking into a vision), God bless you, you can have it. I don't know the woman. Never seen her. If that's right ... the lady sitting right through here, I'm looking at her. There you are. Wasn't you sitting there praying, "Lord Jesus, let this..."? God bless you.
Somebody praying. Here, here's a person sitting right in here. Don't you see that light? Right over the top of the little gray-headed woman sitting right down here. Yes, the lady that raised her hand. She has diabetes. She is not a native here. She's from a mountain country---Switzerland. There's a whole group of you there, from Switzerland. That's right. Believe, and you can go back home and be well. Do you believe?

110 Back in here, you people here, here sits a lady sitting right here. I never seen her in my life. But she's suffering with a trouble with her throat, trouble with her eyes, sitting right here looking at me. She's a woman preacher. Stand up on your feet, and accept it, lady. Be made well. I don't know the woman. Never seen her in my life.
You try to hide your sin now. Here's a man. He's been passing his opinion of me. That's right, sir. Your profession is a teacher. And you have spiritual problems you're wondering about. If that's so, raise up your hand. They'll all be settled. You accept me as God's prophet. I'm telling you the truth. Thus saith the Lord.

111 Do you believe?
Here's a lady sitting right back here. She's suffering with a condition on her breast. She's had three operations. She's missing it. God help me. Miss Alexandra, receive your healing in the name of the Lord Jesus. If that's your name, and we're strangers, stand on your feet. Stand up on your feet if that's right. I never seen the woman in my life.
Do you believe it? If that isn't the same Jesus that once lived, I don't know I'm a man. Do you believe? Receive Him.
Here. There's a woman sitting right down here. Don't know her, never seen her. She's a nurse and she's praying for her patient. Patient's suffering with a mental disorder. We're strangers to one another, aren't we? If God will tell me who you are, will it help you? will it help the audience? Here's my hand. I never seen the woman in my life. If we're strangers, raise your hands, lady. You're Mrs. Brandon. Thus saith the Lord.

112 Do you believe, all of you? Is that a paradox? Why, He's still God. The Holy Ghost is all around here now. Do you believe it? Now, the words that I've said is true. God's confirmed it.
Now, do you believe God with all your heart? Then put your hands on one another. Start praying to get the baptism of the Holy Ghost. How could you be any closer to Jesus Christ than you are right now? Lay your hands over on one another, and pray the way you do in your own church, that God will fill you with the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and you'll see a paradox like you've never seen before. Believe it. God will show you a real paradox.
Oh, Lord God, hear this prayer of your servant, and may the devil turn this audience loose right now, through the power and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Paradox

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Thank you, brother, thank you. Let us bow our heads now for a word of prayer. With our heads bowed I wonder how many would like to be remembered in prayer? Just let it be known by lifting your hand.

2 Our heavenly Father, we humbly come to Thee, Lord, confessing that we are not worthy of coming. But because that Jesus has made the way for us and has paid the price, therefore we can come boldly to the throne of grace in a time of need.
And now, Lord, as we are here to present the gospel ... searchable riches of Christ, we need You, Lord. And there might be one sitting here, Father, that You're trying to school in a great way, that You might send them somewhere to a great mission that You have purposed. I pray, Father, that if that be so, that this night that your purpose will be fulfilled. And help us as we present ourselves to You for service.
Now, Thou did behold all the hands, looking yet at those that are up. Thou knowest what is in need, and I pray that You'll supply it, Father. I offer my prayer with their prayer and their desires, my desires, upon the golden altar where our sacrifice lays tonight. In the name of the Lord Jesus we pray that You'll break the bread of life to us out of thy Word. Amen.
...may be seated.

3 I am sorry to be just a little late, only I understood that tonight it was just a little late. The service was running just a little late, and we'll make up for it and get out just as quick as possible. Now, we want to approach the Word tonight, and with all that was in us.
I know you're hearing some of these fine singers---Mel Johnson, for one, that I know sitting here. I've asked him to sing for us that song that I just can't get off of my mind. Constantly I'm humming it, about the tears come running down. I like that. And I think he's going to sing at the Businessmen's breakfast, or somewhere, for us.

4 Jim, I want you to be sure and get that for me. And if you have a little tape put it on that for me special, so I... My children wants to hear it. When I get down a little low, I hear that. It makes me feel good to hear good singing. And Billy ... I go into the office down there, and he's constantly got them tapes of singing going all the time. And I think it kind of helps him.
You know there's something about song that's got power in it. We all know that. We're aware of that. Look at the Army, when they sing the songs and play the music. Do you know the approach to war in the army of God is first by music? The singers went before the ark, rejoicing and singing. Then come the ark, and then the battle. That's right. So that's the right approach.

5 And that's the reason... We come in the service at night, what do we do? Sing the hymns of the Lord; then the ark, the Word---read the Word; and then the battle, and we're in.
So the great banners are flying tonight---the name of the Jesus Christ, the Lord God, may be exalted, the enemy be put to flight, and God win the victory tonight and save souls, heal the sick and afflicted; cause those that are weary and stooped low to raise up their heads and rejoice, get great glory unto Himself. For we ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus.

6 I want you to turn tonight with me, if you have your Bible; and sometimes people just mark the little text that ministers speak on. It used to be that I could think of these right quick without even writing them down. But after I just passed twenty-five, why, a few months ago, I mean the second time---and so ... makes a little harder for me to remember. I'm bearing a lot of scars from the battles. And as we get older we just don't think like we used to, and I have... When I look at the scripture and see, then I remember what the text is.

7 Let's turn to Joshua, the 10th chapter, begin reading at the 12th verse:
Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still over Gibeon; and ... Moon, over the valley of Ajalon.
And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the Lord fought for Israel.

8 The Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Word. I want to take a text out of there for about thirty minutes, if I can hold it to that. A "Paradox." Just use that one word, a "Paradox."
Now, according to Webster, a paradox is something that seems incredible, but it's true. Therefore a paradox then, would be the same as a miracle. A paradox is when something that seems like it just couldn't be---the knowledge of the human mind---it's altogether incredible; but yet it's proven true.
Now a miracle would be the same thing, for a miracle cannot be explained. A miracle is something that happens, and you cannot explain it. That makes it a paradox. It's incredible, but yet it's the truth.
Now people today, a lot of modernists, believe that the days of miracles are past. They don't believe there is such a thing as a miracle. But yet, I believe that the world's full of miracles. I believe the paradox constantly.

9 For instance, I believe that every born-again member of the body of Christ is a paradox in themselves. I believe each one of you Methodists, and Presbyterian, and Lutheran that never had experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit, was in some formal church that did not believe in the genuine new birth and has now received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, is a perfect example of a paradox, because something happened to you that changed your whole being. And anyone could look at that and know that ... what a paradox is. A miracle.
Unless that happens, you cannot be a Christian. There must be a paradox for you to become a Christian, 'cause no one can change a spirit in a man and give him new birth outside of God. God alone is the only one can do it. And it's a miracle how that God can take a man's thinking and his ways, and his life, and everything, and change it from what it was to what it can be---what He can make it.

10 For instance, a few days ago I was called in on a scene, or on a little something going on. There was a fine young man, very fine boy. He was going with a little girl---very fine little girl out of a fine family. And this boy all of a sudden came up with some kind of an idea, and he just walked away. He did something wrong to the little girl, as much as promised her to do a certain thing and then didn't do it.
And instead of coming to the girl and apologizing, like a gentleman should do, it just wasn't in him to do it. And the father and mother called me to the scene and said, "We would desire to know what is wrong with our boy."
Now, it's not easy to do sometimes, but you must be truthful and honest. Therefore... The boy was a Christian, as far as a believer. He had repented, and had been baptized and had his position among the believers; but yet had not received the baptism of the Holy Spirit ... and no matter how much he thought he had.

11 You thinking you have, and having it, is two different things. You might be able to try to say you have. You might be able to show some evidence of some emotion. But unless your life is vindicating what you're professing to have, you still haven't got it. No matter how many emotions, how much you jump, run, sensations, speaking in tongues, or shouting, or whatever you might lay it upon---which is all right, I believe in all that too---but unless your life copes with your testimony, then you haven't got it. Because the fruit of the Spirit vindicates what you are, just like the fruit of any tree tells what it is. Jesus said, "By the fruits you shall know them."

12 Now, this young fellow's parents... His mother is German. No reflection on the German, but there's a strain in that family. And that is, they'll just sit, and you can talk to them, and they'll just stare you right in the face. They got it. This girl's sister, the mother of this boy, her sister... I have come down the street many a morning, and this young lady'd be sitting out in the yard, and I'd say, "Good morning to you." She'd just look at me. And I'd stop, and I'd say, "Sure a fine morning." She'd just stand, look right at you---an intelligent woman. And I'd say, "Come up to see us sometime." She'd just stand and look. Well, her brothers are that way. Father and mother's that way.

13 Now the father of the boy is strictly an Irishman---moody and high-tempered, high-strung. That's his whole family like that, except one other out of the family, converted. Now, in this, this boy... This father and mother both are Christians filled with the Holy Ghost, and they have brought this young man up in the way of the Lord. And now, the young man is about seventeen or eighteen years old, something along there, very fine kid. And he's been a real model boy at home, nice kid. And he's got a brother that's just vice versa.
But the girl's ... the mother's family, lives close to a fine church. But do you think they'd ever come over there? No. And they know it's right. But it's just not in them to ask forgiveness, or ask pardoning. They just won't do it. It's just not in them.

14 Now the genes in the father and the mother of this boy, no matter how much they're converted, still remains the flesh that's been interbred out to this boy. Therefore, the boy has got a complex in him just like ... from his mother's family. And they are not forgiving. They will not apologize. And that's where that boy stands.
Now I said to the father, "No matter how much you've raised him up..." I said, "Now look at you, out of your family---all of them drunks, and fighting, and shooting, and cutting and so forth."
"Now look at your family," to the mother. "They're a bunch of people that just sit there and won't speak, very independent and so forth, irreverent to religion."
But I said, "It's not you. You're the only one of all your sisters and brothers, and you're sweet, kind and forgiving. What does that? And you're tree ... part of that family tree, yet you have received the Holy Ghost. That's the thing that made you tender and sweet. It's not your people anymore; it's your Christ that lives in you."
I said to the boy, "Look at your family, practically all of them drunks and so forth," I said, "and how moody and high-tempered and high-strung. But you're not. You're kind, forgiving. What is it? The Holy Spirit. You're no more what you are; it's Christ in you." I said, "Now that same thing has to happen to your son."

15 And the father raised up and said, "My son went to the altar. He was baptized, correctly, in the name of Jesus Christ, in water baptism in the pool." Said, "I know my son has come to Christ."
I said, "That may be all right, all the outward motions. He might be identified as a believer with the believers. But until he's regenerated, born-again, I'd advise that young man to never marry a woman. He'll make hell on earth for her until that gentle, sweet, forgiving Spirit of Christ comes in."
Then that will be a paradox in itself, to take the very nature of a boy that's bred between father and mother... And yet in his intellectuals he's trying his best to overcome it. He can't do it. He'll never overcome it. Christ will have to overcome it, when he lets Christ in. And he's already overcome then. It'll be a perfect paradox when a man is born of the Spirit of God.

16 I've seen critics stand off and make fun, and carry on, of a Holy Ghost revival. And after awhile God get ahold of that same man and change him. And here he stands right in the pulpit preaching the same thing that he once hated. It's a paradox how that God can take the unbeliever and make a believer out of him.
Now, I wonder, if a man thinks that miracles is past, I wonder what kind of a scientific medicine you could give such a person to change that disposition in them, to take that hatred and malice and strife out. There's no one can explain it, but it's a paradox, because it's a miracle of God when a man is changed from the person that he is to a new creature in Christ Jesus. He becomes a new creation. He's no more what he used to be; he's absolutely a new creation in Christ.

17 This world itself, that we're living on, is absolutely a paradox, how it was formed. We find out in Hebrews the 11th chapter and the 3rd verse that the world was framed together by the Word of God. Where did God get the material to make this world? How did He do it? The Bible says that it was formed and framed together, all of its structure and its part was put together, by the Word of God. If that isn't a paradox I don't know where it is. Where could we produce and say He got the material when there was no material? He had to speak it into existence. It's a paradox that this world is here tonight.

18 Another thing, it's a paradox of how it stays in its orbit, hanging in space. How can it hang there in that one place, spinning this a-way about eleven hundred miles an hour, twenty-four or twenty-five thousand miles around? And goes around every twenty-four hours so perfect it doesn't miss a second. So perfect turning that a ... better than about a... Better than a thousand miles an hour it's turning around like this, hanging in space. If it'd go up or down any, why, my! it would ... it'd interrupt the whole system of God's solar system. And it goes around the equator, around the orbit, so many a year's time. It never fails, the seasons just exactly. Tell me what holds it up there? What turns it so perfect in time?
You can get a watch---I don't know how much you might pay for one, a thousand dollars---and that watch within the space of a month will lose minutes. They haven't got anything that can work so perfect. But yet, this world turns perfect. Why? It's God doing it. It's a paradox. God commanded it to do that, and it does it.

19 How about the moon, yet millions of miles away from the earth? And yet, it controls the tides on the earth, millions of miles away. Its influence of standing in its space, standing in its orbit, it influences the earth. Each planet influences the other by staying in its place. Oh, what a sermon I could take from here, a lesson, how that ... each one of God's creatures would stay in its place, it would influence the other.
But we get off on some wild tantrum somewhere, and form an organization and separate ourselves, seemingly not having the faith, and then we got the whole system of Christianity mixed up. If every man would stay in his place it would be a paradox of God, to see how God could bring Presbyterians, Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, and all, together. If we'd come back to the Word of God, it would be a real paradox. And then the whole church could agree---not upon your creeds and so forth---but upon the Word, the way it's written, because it's of no private interpretation, says the Scripture.

20 How that that moon influences the world---here not long ago a friend of mine, my neighbor, was digging holes for oil wells down in the state of Kentucky. And when that moon begins to rise over there, that tide comes in all the way across through the earth. That salt water down in the hole where they drill will raise up when that moon comes, no matter if it's down hundreds of feet below the surface, or the top of the earth here, goes down hundreds of feet. Yet when that moon turns around, that water raises to meet it.

21 You can't hide anything. When God has commanded it, it's got to obey God when God gives his command. That's the reason I know He'll have a church without spot or without wrinkle. God has commanded it so. It'll have to obey Him. God will have it, because the Word of God has said so.
How the tides, the moon, and everything influence the actions of the earth. You take...

22 We see a star shoot. We call it a star. That isn't a star shooting; that's a light. Of course we know that; but we call it a star. That star could not move that far. If one star would move out of its orbit it would probably influence everything in the cycle, in the whole universe. It would interrupt. Everything must stay in its spot in order to keep the system of God moving.
So must we stay in our place. We must stay as sons and daughters of God. If we'd never fallen back there, the thing would've been turning, there'd been no death nor nothing else. But thanks be to God there's coming a paradox, when God, Himself, will set her back in place where she should be. Yes, a paradox.

23 Men that don't believe in a paradox, and don't believe in miracles, how could you justify your intelligence, and looking in the face of things that you cannot explain? It's totally impossible for any man to explain how that world can revolve itself and keep in perfect time and never ... the whole solar system, and those things; and how the moon can influence the earth. And how many other things could we tell about? How the sap in the fall of the year will go down in the root of the tree without any intelligence to run it down there; bring it back in spring of the year with new life? Why, it's a paradox. No one can explain it.
We don't know how it's done. But God does it. Therefore, it is a paradox, constantly. It's a mystery how that God does that. We look at it so much until it becomes so common we look over the top of it.
And that's what's the matter with we Pentecostal people. We've seen God perform so many paradoxes till it becomes just occasionally that we even think of it. If we would only stop a minute and consider. God is everywhere. God is performing, and his old timepiece is clicking right around till finally she'll go plumb out into eternity, because God has promised it to do that. Now we know that there is paradox.

24 Now, back in the days of Noah, before the rain come and the flood, it was quite a hard thing for Noah, in that great intellectual age that he lived in, to try to tell people by a word of God that it was going to rain. Now it would be, no doubt, that it didn't meet the qualification of their scientific research. There was no rain in the skies. But you see, Noah said there would be rain because that God said there would be rain. And Noah by faith, before the rain ever come, he said it would be there.
That's the reason we say the same thing that... They say, "Why, Jesus ... they said He was coming a long time ago. Hundreds of years ago they claimed He was coming. The apostles said so, maybe in their generation." That doesn't stop it a bit. We still know He's coming. How's it going to be? I don't know. But God'll send Him; He promised to. And I know He'll be here.

25 Now, Noah could only say, "God said so." But you see, then after all it did not meet their scientific approval in that day. But when the time come for the Word to be fulfilled, it rained just the same. That was quite a paradox in that day---to think that rain could come out of the sky where there is no rain! But if God is took at his Word, He can perform a ... make a paradox. He could perform a miracle.
And any man that's born of that same Spirit that performs miracles, why, it's an easy thing for him to believe miracles because he's part of God (Amen!), a son and daughter of God---not by denomination, not by a creed, not by hand shake; but by a birth, that you have died to your own intellect and been born of the Spirit of God. And you are a paradox yourself---how that you can change from death unto life how your innermost being is a new creation in Christ Jesus. It's a paradox.

26 God speaks his Word, his children believes it, and God...
The science cannot prove how it can be done. They know nothing about it, but the children believe it anyhow. And then God performs a paradox, makes it so. Makes it so because his word that spoke the world into existence can bring ... can make every word that He ever promised come to pass.
That's why Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was fully persuaded that He was able to perform and to keep what He said He would do. He staggered not at the promise of God, being a hundred years old, and Sarah ninety, to have this baby---because that he knowed that God could perform and have a paradox to happen, on something that ... a miracle to take place. And He did it.

27 The Hebrew children. Now how would you make scientists believe today that a man could go into a furnace---oh, I would be afraid to say how many Fahrenheits hot it was---but could go into that furnace, back there in the book of Daniel? and stay in that furnace until the... They thought that they was all burned down to ashes, which... Even the men, the great army of soldiers---great husky men that moved out there to throw them in the furnace ---those men that went in there perished, by the intense heat of the furnace against them, and they fell into the furnace.
And was down in there for all this time and come out without even a smell of fire on them!---God performing a miracle. That was a genuine paradox of the keeping power of God---against any enemy, when a man is ready to admit God is true. And God keeps his Word and honors those who believe in Him. Certainly I believe in a paradox.

28 Joshua, the great warrior I just read about a few moments ago in the book of Joshua, the 10th chapter---notice, Joshua was a friend to God. He was a soldier, a general. And he come up under the influence of a prophet, Moses. Moses had been taken away and Joshua was commanded to take the children into the promised land and to divide the land. The children's disobedience that... Moses had waited to be old, and so Joshua had come up to take the place of Moses, to be God's general.
And the Lord spoke to him and said, "As I was with Moses so will I be with you." That was good enough for Joshua. Said, "Be strong and very courageous for the Lord thy God is with thee wherever thou goest. And every place the soles of your foot shall set, that I have given you." Them footprints meant possession. The whole land belonged to them. It was a promise

29 way before it ever happened.
When he come down there with Caleb and the other spies, and they seen the great opposition---the Amalekites and the Perizzites and Hivites and so forth---all fenced in... And there at Jericho could run a chariot race on top of the place. And great strong men that... Some of the unbelieving among them said, "Why, we look like grasshoppers to the side of them."
But Caleb said, and Joshua, "We're more than able to take it." Why?
God said, "I have given you this land."
No matter what the opposition is, how great the difficults look, yet God said it was theirs! Oh, God is able to keep what He has promised! It was a paradox to see a handful of people unarmed almost (but what they'd picked up on the deserts, and where they'd chased other men---probably with such as old rakes and saws and whatever they could get ahold of) go over there and beat those men down that were giants. It was a paradox. God knew that they had courage to do it, and He give them the promise. And they went in and performed exactly what God had promised them to do.

30 One day in the heat of the battle, when the kings had made a great covenant among themselves and had come down against Joshua and the children of Israel ... that God had promised them the land. And he had routed the enemy, and they were in the woods and hills, scattered out through the wilderness there. Joshua looked and he seen the sun going down. He knew if those armies got a chance to replace themselves and come back again at him, why, he knew that he would have twice as hard a time and would probably lose more men, if they ever got a place to unite themselves together.

31 There's where ... ministers, there's where we fail. There's where the church fails. When this revival that we've just had, this great campaigns that started across the country---when we had the enemy running, we should've kept him on the run! But the thing of it is, we had to go off ... this, on tantrums and so forth, and big sprees of building, and making more for our groups, and so forth---and there you come; and separating ourselves from the Word, and taking this, that, and building up some more for our organizations, and starting something else.
That's the way it always goes. That's the way it was in the days of Luther, Wesley, and Moody, Sankey, Finney, Knox, Calvin. And all the way down it's been the same way. They get their eyes off of the revival, and get it on to what they can do for themselves.

32 But you know what happened? Joshua wasn't that type of a man. He needed time. The sun was going down. And he knowed if the enemy ever built up... The revival was almost at the end of the close of it, like we stand today. He knew if he ever waited till the enemy got fortified against him, it would be hard to win that battle. You know what he did? He knowed that God promised that land. He needed more time. So the sun was about to go down, and he said, "Sun, stand still!" Amen! A paradox indeed.
That sun stood there for a full day and never moved, and the moon over Ajalon never moved also, because the Bible said here that it was never a time before or since like it that God hearkened to a voice of a man.
You say, "Oh, if I'd only just lived in that day." Jesus said in St. Mark 11:24: "If you say to this mountain, Be moved; and don't doubt in your heart, but believe that what you've said will come to pass; you can have what you've said."---still placing the paradox on down into our age. Sure.
That moon and sun stood still until Joshua fought his way through with Israel and avenged themselves upon their enemy. Why? It was in the line of duty.

33 Now if you go out here and say, "Mountain move. I want to show you I can do it," it won't do it. But if it's in the line of duty, when God's commanded you to do something...
Like he said to Moses, "Why cry to me? Speak to the children." People today is crying all the time: "Lord, what next, what next?" Just speak and go forward. That's right. If God has commissioned us to do something, let's do it! Don't stand around and think about it. Say, "How can it happen? Well, this and that." Makes any difference. If God said do it, do it anyhow. He's still the God of miracles.

34 Joshua---it certainly was a paradox when that sun stood still.
I was talking to a scientist in school one time, and he was a Bible teacher. And he said... I referred this to him. I said, "I thought you said that the earth turned around, see, and the sun stood still." I said, "What about the Bible you just tell us was the truth? God ... Joshua said, 'Sun, stand still.'"
Well, he couldn't answer that one. But the sun did stand still; it didn't make any move, you see. That's actually the earth stopped. And now you say ... he said, "The earth stopped."
I said, "You said if the earth stopped it lost its gravitation, and everybody'd fall off of it. Now what are you going to do?"
It's a paradox! Amen! God stopped the entire earth from turning (Amen!) because a man said "Stand still there till I fight this battle through." That's a paradox. Amen.

35 It was a paradox when all the armies of Israel was backed up in a corner, and they were afraid of some great big prehistoric-like giant standing there by the name of Goliath. And there are the armies of Israel, well-trained; Saul, head and shoulders above the rest of his army, and shaking in his boots. Nobody was able to meet the challenge of this man of that day.
There come a little ruddy-looking, stoop-shouldered kid up, weighing about ninety pounds, with a piece of sheepskin draped around him, like that. He said, "Shame on this army of the living God! stand here and let that uncircumcised Philistine defy the armies of the living God."
When the word come to Saul, Saul said, "You're nothing but a youth, and he's a warrior from his youth. And you're a kid, and look what he is. Why, you couldn't go against him."

36 But what did he take? He never took a spear, he never took a sword; but he took a slingshot. And only one place could hit that giant. That was right in the forehead where his armor dropped down over his face to hide his eyes---and that rock at a long distance from that. Fourteen foot needle spear he had in his hand would go all out, as long as it was could have picked up little David and done anything to him; hung him in the tree, as he threatened to do, and let the birds eat his carcass.
But what happened? There was a paradox, when God took a ruddy little man that wasn't very much to look at, at all---not even a trained soldier; just a kid that had faith in Him---and put the whole country to shame. God did it by a paradox! Amen! He's still God tonight of the paradox, just the same as He was then. He put the whole army to rout. They saw that and began to run and take off, because that they seen that in that little fellow was a faith in a God who could change all nature, do anything he wanted to do when man would believe his Word. Certainly, I believe it was a paradox.

37 Moses, a great military man who tried to deliver Israel and didn't do it. He wanted to destroy the Egyptians; he destroyed one man. And he got in trouble over it, doing it in his own will. But then he took a stick, an old dry stick off of the desert, and slew a whole army! Amen. If that ain't a paradox, I don't know why. When He struck that stick over the sea and called for the sea to close, and he drowned Egypt---a whole nation at one time, by a stick in his hand! Amen.
It was a paradox how He led Israel through the wilderness, and for forty years. And when they come out there wasn't a feeble person among them. That's a paradox. Yes, sir. What a great man it was. What God did for him because he believed God, it was a paradox. Yes, sir.

38 It was a paradox when God chose one little man by the name of Micaiah, before four hundred well-trained prophets of Israel, because this man was willing to stay with the Word of God when all opposition was against him, when the four hundred said, "Why, go on up." They said to Ahab and Jehoshaphat, "Go on up. The Lord is with you. We just got the revelation, the Lord is with you. Go up. You'll push them plumb off of our land because it's ours. God gave it to us. Joshua divided up the lands, and this belongs to us. And there's the Philistines up there eating corn off of our fields. Why, it's no more than reason our revelation is right."

39 Then how ... God chose a little man like Micaiah, that couldn't even get into the association. But he come up there with the word of the Lord, and he said, "Go on up. But I seen Israel scattered like sheep having no shepherd!"
It was a paradox how God would stand a little bitty unnoticed fellow out there in the midst of a whole great big four hundred group of prophets, of Israelite prophets, Jewish prophets standing there, prophesying falsely. How did Micaiah know he was right? Because he was right with the Word. Elijah said the same thing would happen, and how could he bless what God had cursed? It was a paradox, but God made it come to pass. Certainly was.

40 It was a paradox when a little bitty, sissy-looking boy with seven little locks of hair hanging down his head (maybe a bow and ribbon in it, for all I know), like a little bitty sissy... His name was Samson. And when a lion---about a five hundred pound, maybe, lion---roared and come against him, and he took his hands and tore that lion apart! Amen.
But watch what happened. The Spirit of the Lord come on him first. That's what causes the paradox! That's what... A paradox like that would set this arena afire tonight with the glory of God, if the glory of the Lord could be permitted to come upon the people, and [unclear words].
A paradox indeed, yes, when Samson slew that lion with his bare hands, pulled him apart---a little bitty, sissy sort of a boy, with seven little locks of hair hanging down his back.

41 It was a paradox when he took the jawbone of that mule and beat in a thousand Philistines' heads. When them big helmets, big coats of mail on, brass, weighing probably a hundred pounds, or close to it; big shields and so forth, spears; well-trained men; and a helmet about an inch-and-a-half thick out of brass come down and turned up, and just their faces... And Samson stood there with this jawbone of a mule, been laying out there maybe for forty, fifty years on the desert, dry. Why, one lick against a piece of steel like that would've shattered it into a million pieces. But he stood there. That's the only thing that... He was commissioned to fight and to take that country out. He was raised up and born to slay that nation! Hallelujah!
If the church could only realize what they're here for. If the Pentecostal church could only realize what you're here for. What's your representation? Why did you come out of these things to be what you are?

42 He knew what he was born for. He knew where he stood. The thing he had in his hand made no difference, he stood there. And as those Philistines come, and that powerful lick of that little shrimp, standing up on a rock to reach the top of their heads... When they run up there he'd knock one one way, and one the other. And there laid a thousand of them laying dead there.
It was a paradox how that mule's jaw held together. It was a paradox how that little piece of brittle bone would break through those inch-thick helmets of brass and slay those Philistines---a thousand of them. And he still stood there with it in his hand just as good as it was when he picked it up. It was a paradox. Amen, and amen!
He's still the same yesterday, today, and forever. He's still the same God to any man that's been called to take the Word of God. God'll stand by if you don't be a coward. Samson could've run, but he didn't do it. Right.

43 It was a paradox when God called John the Baptist, the son of a priest, out of a great school of priests, a great seminary. Why didn't that follow...? which, it was customary that men follow the tradition of their fathers. Why, it was a paradox when God took John to the wilderness to tell him what the Messiah would be, to tell him what the sign of the Messiah would be, how he would know it. Instead of going to school to learn what the Messiah would be, God took him to the wilderness to tell him what the Messiah would be. It was quite a paradox to them people in that day. Yes.

44 When the virgin birth came on, that was a paradox; how that God, in order to make Himself known to men, became man. How that God, the great Spirit... God to me was... Before there was even a light, there wasn't a meteor, there wasn't a atom, there wasn't a molecule, there wasn't anything---and everything was God. Yes, that's how great He is. He's from eternity through eternity. He always was God. He always will be God. And how the greatest of all life become a little small germ in the womb of a woman in order to take his own law, to pay the penalty of his law ---death. How God was manifested in the flesh, how the great God of heaven changed his strain, come from being God to be man through the virgin birth, nobody can figure it out.

45 Science today can't tell you how that virgin birth was. But God did it. He came. No one was able. Everyone was sexually born, like the rest. One man is the same as the rest of them. No one could help the other one---we was all in trouble. And then God Himself came down and was born---not of a Jew, not of a Gentile, but his blood was God. Blood comes from the male sex. In this case it was God.
God, the creator, created the blood cell in the womb of Mary, and built Himself a tabernacle that Himself come down and lived in it. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. The very word Christ means the anointed One. Glory to God! God in his fullness dwelt in Him. Amen! In Him dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily. That was a paradox.
It staggered people them days: "You being a man make yourself God." It still does it. But just the same, it's still the same paradox that's carried on. He was God! He's still God! He always will be God! Yes, sir. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Yes, sir.

46 That virgin birth was a mystery to the people. They couldn't understand it. Just like the new birth is today. The new birth is a mystery to the people. They can't understand it. They don't know what you mean. They have belittled it, bring it down, saying, "Well, just because you believe something..." The devils believe the same thing and tremble. It isn't what you believe; it's what God has actually done. The new birth is a birth. It was a new ... it was a paradox.
When God brought new life to the human race, to reject it is eternal separation; to receive it is eternal life. You have ...

47 you're on the same basis as Adam and Eve was. You can take ... if God puts you on anything else, it would be unjust to Adam and Eve. Each Adam and Eve tonight has got the right and wrong setting before them, you can make your choice. You can take God's Word or leave God's Word. You can take God's Word or take your denominational creeds about it. You can take your modernistic ideas of what it is. You can be born again and filled with the Holy Ghost, or you can be churchized, either one you want to be.

48 "For me to live is Christ!" Hallelujah! I believe that same God that fell on the day of Pentecost upon his church as a pillar of fire, and divided Himself with cloven tongues among his people, is here tonight. It's the same God as He was then. He is today just the same. I know it's a paradox. It cannot be explained. Emotions, screaming, crying, and so forth, cannot be explained. But it's a paradox how God does it. It's the unseen God dwelling in the human heart making Himself visible by vindicating his Word that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.

49 It was a paradox when a carpenter's son, by the name of Jesus of Nazareth, took up five little biscuits and two fish and fed five thousand people. If it isn't, I want to see somebody do it today. I want you to explain to me what kind of an atom He let loose. What did He do? Not only the fish, but the fish was growed, the fish was scaled, the fish was cleaned, the fish was cooked, the fish was ... whatever it was.
And the bread was planted, and growed, and all of it bypassed! And God turned it from scooped fish to cooked fish. He just growed it out, and they broke it off; He growed it out, and they broke it off; He growed it out till He fed five thousand! Amen! What does that routine mean? Break it off, grow it out; break it off, grow it out; feed, grow it out. That means He's the same yesterday, today, forever. He's the same God, the Word. He's still the bread of life to any man that's hungering and thirsting. You can't exhaust his goodness.
They say, "We have no need for miracles, no need for paradox."

50 He's waiting. That's his program. That's what He is. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. He's waiting for you to reach up and take your portion. Are you scared to do it? Would you rather go down to the river and fish you out a fish, and try to cook it, and fry it in some kind of hog lard or something? Or would you rather take it the way God has it? Just reach up by faith and say, "Jesus the same yesterday, today, and forever. I claim, Lord. I believe in You. Place within me the food, the strength, the faith that I need."
Watch and see what happens. With a sincere heart, He'll satisfy every hunger. He'll do it. Jesus was a ... made a ... had a paradox when He fed five thousand people with five fish, and then taken up two basketfuls, or several basketfuls, afterwards.

51 It was a paradox.
When a man with feet like I got, and you got, upon a lake like Lake Michigan out here, when the storms was on and the whitecaps probably... Why, if you was ever there and see how the storms come down (they do it yet) across Galilee there, and it almost looks like ... bail the bottom of the ocean dry. When that comes down through there, them winds terribly, and begins to sweep, and the whitecaps pitch that boat until all hopes is gone... And upon that sea, where they had been roaring from ... oaring, from along about four o'clock in the afternoon, I'd say, until the last (fourth) watch, along three or four o'clock in the morning, how far had they rowed across the sea? And they left Him on the other side! Amen.
At the fourth watch, here He come walking upon the waves. That was a paradox. How could He make Himself light enough? How could He step on them waves, and step from one wave to the other? Those big waves coming, He'd go right up over one, right down in the other, right up over the one, without a drop of water on Him. Come walking on the waves! Explain it to me! Amen. What was it? It was a paradox, absolutely.

52 It was a paradox when Peter---who He had never seen in his life, his name was Simon---walked up in the presence of Jesus Christ, because his brother Andrew had told him He was the Messiah. And when Jesus looked that man in the face for the first time that He'd ever seen him, and said, "Your name is Simon and you are the son of Jonas," that's a paradox. If it isn't, tell me how He did it. It was a paradox.
Why? Because He is the Word. And the Bible said, "The Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." That proved that He was the Word. Amen! The same yesterday, today, and forever.

53 It was a paradox when Philip went around the hill and found Nathanael, and brought him back into the presence of Jesus, and Jesus told him where he was the day before. That was a paradox. Amen. Showed that He was the Word. "Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile."
He said, "When did you know me, Rabbi?"
He said, "Before Philip called you, when you was under the tree, I saw you." A paradox! Amen.

54 It was a paradox when a little businessman of the city of Jericho, a critic of the Lord Jesus, climbed up in a sycamore tree to hide to see Him pass by; and when Jesus of Nazareth was coming, walking down the street, and stood right under the tree where he was, and raised up there and called him by his name! "Zacchaeus, come down. I'm going home with you for lunch." A paradox. He had never seen the man. All the days of his life He had never laid eyes on him.

55 It was a paradox when maybe several hundreds of people, yes, maybe fifteen, twenty hundred people, coming out of the city of Jericho, making fun of Him and laughing at Him when He left the city that afternoon, or that morning rather, as He was going out of the city, when people was throwing over-ripe vegetables at Him... And I can hear a priest say, "Hey, they tell me you raise the dead. Hey, you prophet! You call yourself a prophet." Said, "We got a whole graveyard full of them over here---just men, good men, priests, like I am. Go up here, raise them up. Let's see you raise the dead." Didn't even hear a word they said. One hailed Him one thing, and one another.

56 But way back over there against the wall, some 250 yards, a poor old beggar shivering in the cold there, with his sleeves ... said, "Oh, Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me." It stopped Him in his tracks. Hallelujah!
A call from Joshua, not very far, not ten miles from where He was standing, right there, stopped the sun one day. But a poor beggar stopped the S-o-n, straight in his tracks by his faith---the same kind of faith that Joshua had (amen)--- because he knowed if He was the Son of David, He was the manifested Messiah, and He could give him back his sight. A paradox. Oh, my, certainly was a paradox. Yes, sir.

57 God ... it was a paradox how God could become man to die. God, life, eternal life, could become God, natural life, to die to save man to bring him back to eternal life. That was a paradox how that the great God that filled all space and all eternity, could come down and be a man in order to die to save his own creation; how God became one of his own creations to save (because He created his own body).
Jehovah, the Father, dwelt in fullness in Jesus Christ, his Son. Jesus was the body of God. God was represented in the tabernacle, the flesh of Jesus Christ. And how that that One that filled all space and all eternity, become one man... Amen. You see what I mean? There ... and that God could do that to die. And oh, that was a paradox in itself, how He could make Himself that way in order to suffer death for the whole human race.

58 But, oh, what a paradox when a man that they crucified, put to death... Pushed a big Roman spear, about six or eight inches wide, through his heart, and blood and water gushed out. And they took him off the cross dead, wrapped Him in cloth and laid Him in a tomb. He was so dead, till the Roman centurion said He was dead. Everybody there said He was dead. The moon said He was dead, the stars said He was dead, the sun said He was dead. The earth had a nervous prostration---it said He was dead.
And on the third day could raise up to life again immortal---that's a paradox. Amen! He said, "I have power to lay my life down; I have power to take it up again." A genuine paradox of God, his resurrection was.

59 It was a paradox of God when Jesus chose fishermen, instead of trained priests, to carry his message. Looked like when He come He'd have come to the great Pharisees and Sadducees and said, "Brethren, you are the men who down through the ages has kept this denomination clean. I've come to take you now. Your fathers will be proud of you when they can look down over the realms of heaven." (Or wherever they was. I doubt it. Jesus said, "You are of your father the devil.") So then, "...look down..." Said, "Well, we'd be happy, they'd be happy to know this. I've come now to take up where you all have brought it to."
It was a paradox when He condemned every one of them and told them they were of the devil. And went down on the sea of Galilee and picked up ignorant fishermen who didn't even know how to write their own name, and give them the keys to the kingdom of heaven instead of giving it to Caiaphas the high priest!
How could a man, to a religion that's tried (what they thought tried), in their traditions and things, to keep up the saints of God...? And here He comes and selects another group down on the river yonder, when men that's trained and educated and went through seminaries and schools and everything else... Then He comes right back around and ignores that, and takes a ignorant fisherman and gives him the keys to the kingdom. Amen!

60 What makes a paradox is when somebody believes God and takes Him at his Word! God's word spoke the world into existence. That's the same thing you have to believe tonight, is God's promised Word!
Look at that poor little woman standing there at the well. She said, "We know when Messiah cometh he'll tell us these things." He had told her what her trouble was. She said, "Sir, I perceive that you're a prophet. We know when the Messiah cometh he will tell us those things."
Watch. God talking to a harlot! Glory to God! God talking to a prostitute (Amen), and asking a favor. "Bring me a drink." Think of it. Talk about a paradox. What a paradox, that that seed of eternal life, predestinated before the foundation of the world, could [unclear word] out in such a thing as that by the desire of the flesh.
How that poor little woman, probably turned on the street... Down in her heart she was predestinated to eternal life. When the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the earth, according to the Bible, our names were put on that book. Jesus said, "No man can come to me except my Father draws him. And all the Father has given me will come." Just scatter the light.

61 Watch when that light hit those priests and all their intellects, what happened? They said, "He's Beelzebub, a fortuneteller, a devil."
He said, "You're of your father, the devil. That's where it come from."
But when this little immoral woman, talking to God... And how could that predestinated seed be anchored in such a vile person as that? It's a paradox. But watch when the light struck it. Said, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet."
Now prophets, where... The Word of the Lord comes to the prophet, see. And that was her sin. And He, the prophet, had the Word. So she said, "I perceive that you are a prophet. Now we know that when Messiah cometh he'll do these things."
He said, "I am he that speaks to you."
Brother, she left that bucket and away she went! Her testimony saved her city, Sychar. Now, that was a paradox when God ... when Jesus did that. Yes, sir.

62 It was a paradox when God put his Spirit in the Pentecostals, the poor fishermen and uneducated people, instead of Caiaphas, the high priest. And oh, how He put his gospel! It was a paradox when God chose the way that's called heresy, crazy---people staggering, jumping, carrying on, acting like they were insane. They called them crazy.
It's a paradox when God would bypass the great high synagogues, the great Sanhedrin courts, and the great high-scholared priests, and pick up a bunch of ignorant, unlearned fishermen that hadn't knowed no more than just to believe Him, and take his Word and see the results. And it pleased God to bypass what they called the most holy thing in the world, to pick up a bunch of low trash that was called ... and the way that they were worshipping called heresy, to make the way of salvation. Yes. Now that's the truth; you can't deny it. Paul said, "In the way that's called heresy, that's the way I worship my God, the God of our fathers."---the way that's called heresy.
Yes,

63 it was a paradox when that great pillar of fire that come down from heaven... A angel of the Lord, a pillar of fire, led the children of Israel through the wilderness. That was a paradox that talked to Moses out there in a burning bush. And it was a paradox that eight hundred years later, and according to the scriptures (in St. John 8:58, if you want to know where it's at; you want to know where it started out at first, is Exodus 13:31) ... and it was a paradox when after all that journey, and all that time, that here Jesus said that "Before Abraham was, I am." I AM was in the burning bush. I AM was the one that talked to Moses.

64 It was a strange thing that after his death, burial, and resurrection... And Saul---that little hook-nosed Jew, crabbed and nasty-tempered, and even put some of the church to death---on his road down to Damascus to arrest those people... And down there they had a prophet named Ananias, and was down there prophesying to them, a prophet of the Lord, telling them the Word of the Lord, because it come to him. And while Pastor Ananias was down there prophesying, Saul went down to get him.
And right in the middle of the day, that same pillar of fire that come down and led Israel, struck Saul to the ground. And all the people standing around could not see it; but it was so bright to Paul till it put his eyes out. Amen. He was blind! It was so real to him, and the rest of them couldn't see it. It's a paradox how

65 what one ... senses of one person would declare, it would declare to another.
That's the reason people can sit in the meeting and look at the work of the Lord, and get up and walk out and make fun of it; and the other holds to it with all their heart. It's a paradox how God can make manna the same way. It's a paradox to see how God does it, even in this day.
It was a paradox for Paul. You know, Paul never did see Jesus in physical form. He had to accept the revelation, just like Peter did. Peter never knowed Jesus by physical form. He said, "Who do men say I, the Son of man, am?"
"Some of them said, why, you're Moses; and some say you're Elias; and Jeremiah."
He said, "That's not what I asked. What do you say?"
Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
He said, "Blessed art thou Simon, the son of Jonas: flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but my Father which is in heaven has revealed it. And upon this rock I'll build my church; and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it."
There you are, a paradox, when He was standing there, and didn't know Him in human flesh; but he knowed Him by his works and revelation---see Him fulfill exactly what the scripture is.

66 That's the same kind of a paradox that brings a man from some old cold formal creed into a living God. It's a paradox to see the same men read the same Bible and deny it, while the other one will believe it and accept the evidence of it. It's a paradox.
When he could see it working on the other fellow, sure he ought to know that it's the same God. His creed's wrong. If it's contrary of God's vindicating his Word, then your creed's wrong. Amen. Don't mean to be so rude, but that's the truth. A paradox.
I said thirty minutes. It's just exactly that. I got about six pages of notes here yet. Paradox! Do you believe in it? Amen. I believe in it. And I'll stop.

67 Let me tell you something. Listen. Here some time ago, down in the South where I come from, I was having a little bit of ice cream one day. An old druggist friend of mine, a real old born-again saint, he was a real man... Hadn't seen him for some time. And I was going through the city, and I stopped to see him. And I seen his name up there, and I thought, "Well, there he's got this business here. He's been there for years."
I went up, went in, and there he was sitting there, looking down over his little glasses, you know, and looking over his little glasses that hung down on his cheek. And he said, "Well, if it isn't Brother Branham." And he raised up and come put his arms around me, come pat me. Told his son to go get us some ice cream. We was standing there, said, "Have a cup of coffee?"
I said, "No, sir. I'd talk you to death if they'd give me a cup of coffee." I said, "Makes me nervous." I said, "I'll just take some ice cream."

68 So we got some ice cream out. And the girls was back there, and so forth, in the store. And we sat and had a little fellowship around the ice cream. He said, "Brother Branham, I want to tell you something." Said, "I been a little reluctant to tell other people." We got talking about the Lord and his goodness---the old fellow crying and tears running down his cheeks. And he said, "I want to tell you something." Said, "It may seem strange to you," he said, "but I believe that a person like you would understand it."
I said, "Well, go ahead, brother. What is it?"
He said, "Back in ... during the time of the depression," he said, "my gray-headed son there was just a young man." And said, "We were here in this business then." And he said, "But people were poor and didn't have nothing to eat. And to get a order, to get medicine or something, they had to go and stand in line." Many of you remember that. Sure you do---stand in the line to get a little okay from the county that you could get these drugs, or get something to eat.
And he said, "I was sitting here one day reading my Bible." And said, "Somebody come in the door, and my son got up, young, went up to the front and said, (I heard him say), ' No, we can't do it.'" And said, "I listened close. I laid my Word down and I listened close.
"And the man said, 'Sir,' he said, 'my wife is about to faint.'"
When he looked, he said he seen the woman ready to be delivered of a baby. It was a young couple. The young man said to him, he said, "I stood in that line there," said, "oh, a city block long." Said, "My wife just can't stand there any longer." He said, "I wonder ... I've got the prescription from the doctor. She must have the medicine right away." Said, "Will you fill it? and then I'll take her home. Then I'll go stand in the line. I'll get the order for it, if you..."
The boy said, "Sir, that's against the rules here. We can't do it."
He said, "Well, I didn't know." Said, "Thank you very much, son," turned to walk away.
And he said just as ... started to walk, somebody said to him right down in his heart, said, "Joseph and Mary was turned away one time, too."

69 And said, "I raised up and said, 'Wait, son, just a minute!'" Said, "The fellow stopped, and I went and got the prescription. And got back behind there and filled it while he waited, holding his wife by the hand. She was so faint she was just leaning over on his shoulder." And said, "I walked out there and I...
"He said, 'I am sorry I have to do this, sir.'
"...said, "That's all right."
And he had his head down and just handed it out. And when he laid it in his hand... He said, "Brother Branham, I saw Jesus." Said, "I laid it right in his hand." Said, "Brother Branham, there He was, just exactly the way the picture shows it." And said, "I ... I couldn't talk. And the man turned around, walked out of the building." He said, "Do you believe that, Brother Branham?"
I said, "I believe it with all that's on the inside of me." Certainly.

70 St. Martin of Tours ... if you've ever read of St. Martin, he was a soldier. And he was ... he followed his father's footsteps. He always felt a call of God, only I think his people wasn't exactly religious. And one day he was coming... It was a bad winter, the history says. And he was... There was an old beggar laying out at the gate, and he was freezing to death. And many people who could have fed that old man, or give him some clothes... He was crying, holding his hand up---just an old, whiskered, dirty man, laying at the gate of the city. And he was saying, "Help me, somebody. I'm freezing. The night ... I'll die. Somebody give me a garment."

71 St. Martin had done give all he had away. He just ... as a soldier he had his coat on. He stood by one side and watched to see if somebody wouldn't do it. The people come, and gone, and nobody would help him. Then he reached up there and looked at the old man---he had compassion on him. Pulled his own coat off, and took his sword and cut it in half. Wrapped part of it around his shoulders, took the other half and wrapped the old beggar in it so he'd live through the night; went walking on. The people laughed at him, said, "What a funny looking soldier, with only half a coat on."
That night while he was sleeping in the bed, he woke up. Somebody walked into the room. He looked, standing across the room... And there stood Jesus with that old piece of garment that had been wrapped around him. He knew by that...

72 He was a man... St. Martin was one of the men who contended back there for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. He believed in the miracles of God. He believed in speaking with tongues. He believed in all the Testament that was wrote by the apostles. He believed in it, and contended for it as long as he lived. And God performed miracles. He knew when he seen that old beggar wrapped in the piece of garment of his own coat that the Word of God was fulfilled: "Insomuch as you have done unto the least of these my little ones, you have done it unto me."
You say, "The man didn't see it." I believe the man received it. I believe he got it. I believe that He was there. I believe that was Jesus he looked at. It was a revelation of God made manifest because he carried out...

73 Talk about a paradox---there's coming one, "when the dead in Christ shall rise, and we which are alive shall be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, to be caught up together to meet him in the air." Yes.
Oh, how God keeps his Word in this intellectual age; how He's the same yesterday, today, and forever; how He can still discern the thoughts of the human heart; how He can still change men; how He can still keep every word that He promised in this day. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. How He can still manifest, and let them take the picture of that same pillar of fire that followed Israel---the same one that was with the Lord Jesus.
The same one was down there with Saul on the road---the same one that come and delivered Peter out of the prison. That same angel of God is here tonight, and doing the very same thing it did when it was here on earth manifested in human flesh. Why? He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.

74 Do you believe in a paradox? I believe that God's wanting people to believe in a paradox. (I've went way over my time.)
I believe it could be a paradox right here. Amen. I believe that God is willing and wanting to take his people and show Himself, if He can only get a man or woman, boy or girl, to lay down their own thoughts and become a prisoner to Him and believe Him. He's the Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... And his Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." And now He's in you, the hope of glory, the same yesterday, today, and forever. He said in St. John 14:12, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also."

75 He promised in St. Luke that as it was in the days of Sodom, when the elected church, Abraham's group, would receive a sign like Abraham received; and Lot's group would receive a sign like Lot did... It's a very strange thing that we've had all these great reformers of Luther and Wesley, but never did we ever have a man out there with his name ending in h-a-m, a messenger to the world ---G-r-a-h-a-m. That's six letters. A-b-r-a-h-a-m is Abraham. We've had Moody, Sankey, Finney, Knox, Calvin, but never a "ham"---father to the nations. We've got one now. That's a paradox. Did you know that? And look, he's doing just exactly ... calling them out of Sodom.

76 But remember, Abraham had a messenger up there to his group too. Amen. And what kind of sign did He do with his back turned to the tent? Said, "I'm going to visit you according to the time of my promise, according to the time of life." He said, "Where is your wife Sarah?"
Said, "She's in the tent behind you."
And when He said that Sarah laughed to herself. He said, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying these things can't be?", see.
Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Lot, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man." "The works that I do..." God's Word becomes so... "If ye abide in me, my words abide in you, ask any of them you will and it'll be made manifest to you." A paradox to see a promise God ... a promise of God that's been made for two thousand years, and church ethics has drawed the people so far away. But in the midst of all of it, God comes right down and bursts that Word right back into his church again, just exactly. It is a paradox. Do you believe Him? Let us pray.

77 If there's people in here tonight that would want to see a paradox performed on you, to change your heart from unbelief to faith in God, would you raise your hands and say, "Lord, remember me, remember me." God bless you. Oh, just look at the hands.
Heavenly Father, there is so many hands I wouldn't be able to say "God bless" to each one. But thou knowest them all. Change their thinking, Lord. Oh, let it happen a paradox. They've always kind of stooped around, they've half-way believed, maybe. Maybe some of them even belong to church. But yet they have never met that time that ... when they had that supreme freedom, believed, and know that what God promised God was able to do. Yet we profess to be the seed of Abraham, who staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong, giving praise to God. Now, Father God, I pray Thee, in Jesus' name, to have mercy upon them.

78 O God, come down among us tonight. Move upon us, and show us that you're still a God of miracles. Make a paradox, Lord, and show that your Word still can discern the thoughts and the intents of the heart. You're still the same one that was manifested out there that Abraham called Elohim, the Lord God, Creator, the all-sufficient One, the self-existing One. O God, You're still eternal God, the same yesterday, today, and forever.
And the blood of your Son has sanctified a church and cleansed it, that the Word... Oh, if they could've only took it without adding creed, Lord. But now, You said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches." The branch bears the fruit of the vine, for the life of the vine ... of the branch comes from the vine. How we thank Thee for this, Lord. How perfect it is.

79 And in this day of unbelief, and superstitions, and all kinds of creeds, yet You're the same God that stopped the sun for Joshua. You're the same one was on the stick that Moses stretched over the sea. You're the same one that could call lice, fleas, frogs, whatever it was, by the mouth of Moses. You're the same God that could put rain in the skies. You're the same one that's going to rain fire out of the skies. You're the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Oh, Lord God, show us thy glory tonight by saving and filling every person that raised their hand. Grant it, Lord. May it just not be another self-starched prayer, may it not be another self-starched way of raising up a hand under a little influence of something. But may it be from the depths of their heart that the people cries out, "Oh, Lord God, create in me a faith that can believe You, and can accept every Word and punctuate every promise with an amen." Grant it, Father. I commit it to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

80 All right. It's ten o'clock. We don't have to have a prayer line up here; we can have it out there. Do you believe it? How many in here that believes that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever? that believes that that little woman that touched his garment...? With her finger then (He was physical) she touched his garment. There's a paradox. He could not feel it. And He turned around and said, "Who touched me?", and she couldn't hide herself. And He told her her troubles, and her faith healed her.
And the Bible says today, in Hebrews, that "He is a high priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities." How many sick people believe that? Raise your hands. All right. You believe it. And just see now if that's true.

81 You say, "Brother Branham, how does that come?" Just believing the Word just the way it's wrote. Don't take any hearsay, what this guy says, "It's this way," and this guy says, "It's that way." You believe just the way it's wrote. If He's got to judge you by the way it's wrote, then why take somebody else's interpretation for it?---'cause that's the way it's going to be judged.
Yes, that's his standard. He's watched over his Word. There's nothing wrong with it. That's just exactly the Word. That's what we'll be judged by, is this---is God's Word. And, "If ye abide in me [that's the faith], and my word abide in you [because He is the Word], then ask what you will."

82 Now you touch his garment. Say, "Lord Jesus, I believe with all of my heart that we're living in the last days. I believe You are the same God that performed all these miracles that our pastor has showed us tonight in the Word. I believe that you are the high priest. Lord, let me touch your garment. Then you speak through this brother that claims that You speak through him. And then... He doesn't know me, but You know me." And then see if He isn't the same God of miracles. And there'll be a paradox again, an unsearchable thing that man cannot discern and tell. Will you believe it? If He will do it, then we know it'll be a paradox. Is that right?
I was going to have a prayer line and I got so caught away on that till I just got away from it. And the time's just about gone. You believe. Let's start over ... can't ...

83 I have to separate you. Let's start on this side here. Somebody this way. How many over here knows that I don't know you, or know nothing about you? Raise up your hands. And you're sick, you know it, you want to ask God. All right. Some of you believe.
Just take this with all your heart, "Lord Jesus, the same yesterday, today, and forever, let me touch You, Lord. My faith is moving to You, yonder on the right hand of God sitting in majesty. And your Holy Spirit that was in You is here tonight. Let me just touch by faith, Lord." Then see if He is still the author of paradox, to bring things to pass that's absolutely unknown. Just be reverent.

84 Here, see this right here? It's a colored lady sitting right back over here. She's bothered with a kidney condition. She's just had an operation. I don't know the lady. I'm a stranger to you. Is that right, lady? But that is true, isn't it? Do you believe that the same God that could tell that little woman that touched his garment over there on the other side of the lake, do you believe that that's the same God? You couldn't touch me physically, you know. So I don't know you. So there is a high priest, because He said He was the high priest. Is that right? And you believe it.
When you were there praying for it to be you, something struck you, and immediately I called about it. Is that right? All right. This operation you had didn't seem to be too successful. You're not getting well, too. And you're alarmed about it. And you come here tonight for that same purpose. If the Lord Jesus will reveal to me who you are, like He did Simon that come up, would you believe me to be his prophet, his servant? You believe that? Mrs. Pigram. That's right. Now you believe with all your heart, you go home, be well. You're going to get well, because your faith makes you well.

85 You believe with all your heart? How about in this section that's in here somewhere, somebody believe? A man sitting out here on the end, he's suffering with trouble with his eyes. I don't know whether he knows ... yes, he's caught me now. He feels the Spirit that... Can't you see that light above the man? Mr. Otis. That's your name. I'm a total stranger to you, but you're worried about your eyes. Christ makes you well, your faith.
Now ask the man. Have I ever seen him, knowed anything about him? Or this woman, or whoever it is? There's the paradox. You believe that? He's the same yesterday... He promised "The works that I do shall you do also." That's how He identified Himself of being Messiah. Is that right? Well, He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. And you know it can't be me. I'm no messiah. I'm just a man, your brother. But it's the Holy Ghost here---that is the Messiah. That's the leader. He's the one who knows. I don't know them people. They know it.

86 Here I want to show you. There's a colored woman sitting right up there on the side, up there, suffering with a thyroid trouble. You believe God can tell me who you are? Mrs. Kelly, right. You believe with all your heart?
Mr. Swanson, back there with nervous trouble, do you believe that God can make you well? If you believe it with all your heart, all right, you can have it. God makes you well. You believe it? I don't know them people. Ask them if I know them. It's a paradox.

87 Just a minute. Here's this light. It's standing over a woman. I know who she is. She's sitting right here. Don't worry, Mrs. Collins. Stop bothering about that, making yourself sick. It'll all come out all right. God leads. I know that woman. I know who she is. She's from down in Indiana or Kentucky. I know her. Her husband there is a member of my church. He's a deacon down there, a fine man.
But there's that light. Don't you see it, right over her? She's been bothered. She's sick, and she's upset about something that she don't know whether to do or not. You just remember. Quit fretting, sister. It'll be all right. He knows all about it. He'll lead it. You just let it go. Amen! The same yesterday, today, and forever. It's a paradox!
Do you believe it?

88 Stand on your feet there and accept it. Say, "Lord God, I come to You in the name of Jesus Christ. Perform in me. Bring glory and your blessings and power upon me. Let there come a paradox in my heart right now. I am believing. I am believing." With all your heart believe it. Raise your hands while you sing this old hymn, "I love Him, I love Him, because He first loved me." Close your eyes. Close all your own thoughts and just let Jesus Christ come into you. And each one of you will be healed and filled with the Holy Ghost.

89 One paradox tonight would set this ... ought to set this place afire. Jesus Christ is here. Who can explain that?
Ask these people. Go to them. You got their names and things on this tape. Go ask them. See, I know nothing about them. What does it do? God in this intellectual age! "Where is any rain in the skies?" said the scientists of Noah's day. "Where is it up there?" God promised it. It come.
How can these things happen? I don't know. God's promised it. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hallelujah! It's a paradox! I love Him! I love Him because He first loved me, and opened my blinded eyes that I can come in and see his presence, and know that He's here. Amen, amen. Let's just raise our hands up. Worship Him. Thank Him. Glory to God! Thanks be to the Lord Jesus Christ for his goodness. God bless you.

A Paradox

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 You may be seated. I've been waiting a long time to get back up here to Phoenix. And I'm certainly happy this afternoon to be here. While I'm at Phoenix, there's something about it always makes me feel that I'm sitting among people who are my friends, that love me. And it's a great... Prayer warriors come from here, to pray for me, for years. I'll always remember the first meeting that I had here, with Brother Outlaw, Brother Garcia, and the ministers here of the city. How the Lord did bless, when it was just in the youth of my meetings.
Since then, Phoenix has held great... Something's in my heart that's hard to explain. As a little boy I always wanted to come to Phoenix. I always read about the desert, had little poems that I made up about it when I was just a little boy, about Arizona.
I'm so glad to be a native now. I guess I'm just about a year old, and maybe a little more. But you don't find too many much older then that. Everybody I run into, I say, "Are you a native?"
"Well, as much as there is. I've been here so long, and..."
And I suppose I'd have to go up to the Apache reservation, or somewhere, to find a real native. Someone said, not long ago, said, "Brother Branham, how do you like Arizona?" I said, "Well, it's been one of my great life-time anticipations, to live in Arizona. And God has granted that to me."

2 We're here, just in prior of the Businessmen's Convention, which has become an annual thing for us. And this afternoon, as we've gathered here for our pre-get-together before the convention, which starts Thursday night I believe... It's been my privilege for the past few years, to come and have this little meeting around, before the real meeting starts at the (or the convention, rather) starts. Brother Williams is such a very dear friend, he and Sister Williams. I certainly got a warm place in my heart for those people. They constantly invite me back. And so we're happy to fulfill that invitation this afternoon.
Also on the platform, Brother Fuller, Brother Jewel Rose and Brother Tony Stromei from Tucson, Brother Borders, our campaign manager, and good, old, precious Brother Arganbright. We've been together many hard battles. On the other side of the river I expect to dwell with Him---on the other side of the big river, someday.

3 I can't think of the brother's name. I was trying... What is your name, brother? [Brother answers "Al Bore."] Bore. Brother Bore. I know his face, and aren't you the one that also interprets, sometimes for the...? [Brother says "Interprets for the deaf."] For the deaf. That's... And we're so happy to have all of you here.
I was just looking down here in front of me, and I see some of my friends all the way from Arkansas here. When I was here the first time, I told you that everywhere I went I found somebody from Arkansas. I'm sure, if I ever get to heaven I'll find some there from Arkansas, 'cause they certainly have been a faithful, loyal people,

4 And now, usually I speak a long time. But I've tried my best to kind of make my scriptures and notes so I wouldn't speak too long. And I want to pray for the sick, while I'm in Phoenix.
Now, the message that the Lord has 'lotted to me is... Sometimes, you know, these things get pretty touchy, and it's been that way in every age. And I've tried my best to stay with it. It's something that if I did not speak that thing that God told me, and if it was wasn't of God, then it wouldn't be in the Word. If it's in the Word, and a promise for this hour, then I feel that I'm doing what's right, because I'm only trying to keep what He promised for this hour.
And many times when you cross up someone in their theology, they fall out with you right quick. But that shouldn't be. I try to... I find friends of mine that, of all different denominational churches and so forth, I never fall out with them brethren. My, I go to their churches everywhere they let me come, and speak. But we shouldn't fall out over little ideas.

5 But you know, if I said anything different than what's in my heart, I'd be a hypocrite. And I, far be it, I might have to meet Him someday as a sinner, but I certainly don't want to meet Him as a hypocrite. But I want to be true. And if I just said, "Well, I'll just omit this because, if the rest of them believes this, that..." Then what kind of a person ... you couldn't have no confidence in me. And I couldn't have confidence in God, or in myself, when I just so easily compromise. Anyone has got to have something that they're sure of. And that's when you can base your faith---is when you're sure. But until you're sure, if there's a question, leave it alone until you're sure.

6 Billy has probably give out some prayer cards, which I think he, I, yeah, I told him to. And I believe he told me awhile ago that he had.
Somewhere along there, I'll call a few to the prayer line after while, to be prayed for. And if your card's not called---even if it is called, rather, and you're not sure that God is the healer, and He's going to heal you, it won't do no good to come up here. Because you won't be healed, if there's one question. If you say, "Now, there's something in my life, I really ought to straighten this up," you go and make that right first, and then come back to the prayer line, see.
Because healing is the children's bread. We realize that. It's in the atonement, and the atonement first is applied to our soul. And healing has always forerun every message, and it's also been a means to gather people together. And it's... Many people will sponsor a healing meeting, many will come to a healing meeting, or to a song festival. But when it comes to a poor lost soul, to get saved, there's not many people interested in that. They just... But that's the main thing.
Divine healing, and singing festivals, and so forth is just a... As Brother Bosworth used to say, "It's the bait on the hook; and you show the fish the bait, not the hook."

7 And that's just the thing to get the people to listen awhile, till you can really present to them your message. God has did that in every age. Through every age there's always been a healing campaign. And if it's a genuine healing campaign, behind that campaign always is a message. There never is a sign given just for a sign. It's forerunning a message.
And I believe the same thing is... Seventeen years ago, or eighteen years now, that the Lord sent me out to start praying for the sick, it made a great revival among the people. Many great servants of God has went forth in healing campaigns. And, but the healing campaign, in itself, if you still stay in the same old trend of what you always was, there's something wrong. That healing campaign wasn't sent from God. It's got to attract attention first, see. Get the attention, and then there's the message.
Jesus, when He came forth healing the sick, and so forth, He was a great prophet to all of them. But when He begin to tell them the truth of the gospel, who He was and what He come for, then He was... He was not popular after that. And that's the way it's always been through every age. And it will continue that way.

8 Now we're here this afternoon, and then tomorrow afternoon in this same auditorium, also at seven o'clock. Is that right, brother? Seven-thirty tomorrow afternoon (or evening), and then Tuesday evening, and I think Wednesday evening, also. [Brother says "Ramada Inn, Wednesday."] At the Ramada Inn, Wednesday. And then Thursday (that's right) starts the convention. And if the Lord willing, I want to be here through all of it.
I'm here your brother, a helper in God's kingdom, to help you to any thing that I can---to answer your questions I might not be able to do it, but prayerfully, we'd probably understand if we pray over it, and went to God about it, and not draw our own opinion.

9 If you're sick, I wish I could heal you. But no man can do that. It's already done. Healing lies in you. It's your faith in the finished work that God did on Calvary, with Jesus Christ. And outside of that, there is no healing.
Outside of that, there is no salvation. No church, no denomination, no ritual, nothing packs salvation. Jesus Christ. "He was wounded for our transgressions, with His stripes we were healed." He was wounded for our transgressions (transgressions, excuse me) by His stripes we were (all in past tense) we were healed." Now upon that...
I don't have but just a few moments to speak this afternoon to you, probably twenty, thirty minutes, and then we're going to run a prayer line. Each day, as usual, new people comes in, so there'll be new prayer cards given out. But we will do all that's in our power---all that God will permit us to do---to pray for every sick person that comes, that wants to be prayed for.
If there is such a thing as a person flying in, dying, emergency or something, well, you might see Brother Williams, Billy Paul or some of them, to get them in a room. They don't want to... They can't sit, they're dying. They must be ministered to right now. Well, put them in a room, so I can get to them right away.

10 But it's much better, if you're not in that emergency state, that you---that you will just take your creeds, and your beliefs, and just push them aside a few minutes---just long enough to listen to what the scripture says, and then what God does about what He promised. And that'll build faith. And you won't even need to be in a prayer line, or no one pray for you. You're already healed, if you could just believe it, see.
And that's the purpose of it, is to let you, is to bring in conscious to you, that what Jesus has done for you. It isn't necessary to come up here, and kneel down, and pray through until you---until you're saved. You're saved already. But you have to accept it. Your praying doesn't do it. Your faith is what you're saved by. Not by prayer, but by faith are you saved.
Same thing by healing. I'm sure we all understand that.

11 If there be strangers in our gates, we want you to know that as for myself, or this group that I'm here with---the Full Gospel Businessmen---we represent no certain denomination, organization. We only represent Christian believers. And all denominations, everybody's welcome. We're just glad to have you.
You say, "Well, I belong to a certain church. Could I be prayed for?" You don't even have to belong to a church, don't have to do nothing but come up here, and believe God. That's all you have to do. God does the rest of it.

12 Now I'm... Wore out one Bible, since I started the healing campaigns, or praying for the sick, rather. At Houston, Texas, was given me a Bible years ago, some eighteen years ago, by Brother Kidson and his group. And I wore that Bible, back and forth, around the world, until it just completely wore out. Pages come out of it. I was just given a new Bible.
And the strange thing---I'm not superstitious. I hope you people don't think me to be superstitious. When this Bible was given to me, it had a little, two little markers in it, little ribbons. The Bible like I had...

13 Brother Kidson gave me one, was a Scofield Bible.
Now, not because that I agree with Mr. Scofield in his notes. Now, probably some of you do, some of you don't. But I ... just to let you know, that I just don't take Scofield Bible because I believe that. Because he's got it so paragraphed off, and that was one of my first Bibles, and I just learned to read it like that. And I just keep the same Bible. Which ... if I'd had the Thompson Chain, it would have been much better. I could have found my text much faster on a Thompson Chain reference.
But when I opened the Bible, the first little ribbon in the Bible was a very strange thing. Where it was, was when Solomon dedicated the temple of God, and the glory of God was so great (the Shekinah glory in the building), till the priests couldn't even minister. And then, the next string was laying where Ezra returned from dedicating the temple. And the third little marker, that my wife had gotten me and put in the Bible---not knowing, with my name on it, and so forth---was laying to Mark 11:22. She just stuck it in the Bible and that's where it was at. That's "If you say to this mountain be moved..." And all of you know when that scripture was in my mind. You tape people... That's when those squirrels came right into the... That's exactly.

14 And then, the strange thing of it was, my favorite bird---robin---picture was on the marker. The little bird with the red breast. As the legend goes, one time he was a brown bird. But there was a man dying, one day, on a cross. And he felt so sorry for the man, till he flew in to try to pull the nails out himself. And he got blood all over his little chest. And since then he's been a red breast. That's the way I want to meet my Saviour, too, with His blood on my, inside my chest, on my heart.
And then my first meeting, message, I'm to preach in here is at Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix---is something that can raise up out of nothing. That's what God does. He takes nothing, and raises up something out of it. And my message this afternoon, the title, for the next thirty to forty minutes, "Paradox." And I want to read from the scripture that...

15 Few years ago that, I would take a Bible, let you hand me the Bible (when I first started in the ministry), just take your Bible---many of you've seen me do it---just hold it open, like that, and say, "Lord, where is the message to me." Open to Joshua, the 1st chapter, any Bible that you would hand me. Until one night, a vision came---which you're familiar---and I seen that Bible come down from heaven. And a hand with a collar, or cuff like this, went down the first nine verses of Joshua. That's where I'm reading from this afternoon, for my reading, or my scripture reading.
My text is found in the 10th verse, and the, I mean the 10th chapter, and the 12th verse. Before we open the Bible, let's bow our heads just a moment. Now with our heads, and our hearts bowed, let's think this---let's not this just be an ordinary meeting. We have those all the time. But let's pray God, each one of us, for this to be an extraordinary ... insomuch that the presence of God will be with us continually through the meeting.

16 Heavenly Father, we are thankful for this grand and noble privilege to be here in Phoenix this afternoon, assembled in this great auditorium here, among these people. And now we are just about to approach the Word. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." And may it be again, Lord, that the Word will become flesh. It'll pour through Thy church, and Thy people, to fulfill the promises of the hour, as we realize that we're closing the time. The time is running out, it's blending in with eternity, and we're at the west coast. And as civilization has traveled east to the west, so has the gospel traveled with it. And now there's no place to go but back east again. It's completed.
And we pray, heavenly Father, that this will be a great hour for all of us; that we might sense the presence of the Holy Spirit, the writer of this Word, back in the building of the tabernacle of flesh, manifesting Himself to us; and the pardoning of our sin, the forgiving of our iniquity, and with the assurance that He will not impute sin to the believer, with the assurance of that; and also that He'd heal our infirmities, and take the people out of the wheelchairs, off of the crutches, and give them sight, them who are blind; and extension of days of those who are dying with horrible diseases, like cancer and tubercular, advanced ... diseases that our physicians cannot curb. It's beyond that. But God, you go beyond all scientific research. You go beyond all reasoning. Grant to Your servants this afternoon, the speaking and hearing of Thy Word on the subject of "Paradox," for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

17 Now in the Bible, Joshua the 1st chapter, and Joshua the 10th chapter---the 1st chapter, 1st verse:
Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,
Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, and go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
Every place that the sole of thy foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto ... the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
There shall not be any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper wherever thou goest.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
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.
Then spake Joshua unto the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand ... still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hastened not to go down about a whole day.
And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.

18 May the Lord add His blessings to the reading of His Word.
Now, the subject this afternoon, of "Paradox." Now the word paradox, as I have just been looking it up and to be sure that I was right, the word paradox means, according to Webster, that it's something incredible---but it's true. Now you know, we've heard the old saying that truth is more (what do they call that?) more strange than fiction. Truth is. Because when a person tells the truth, sometimes it's very strange.

19 I know a friend of mine that... Up in Colorado they had a survey on ... they were going to have a survey on elk. And there were twenty-one head of elk in the herd. And my friend when ... had been back there hunting. And when the wardens come up, and paid a great price (the conservation had) for one of these snowmobiles to go back and have an elk survey. He said, "You shouldn't have spent all that money. I can tell you how many elk's back there."
And they all just laughed at him. Said, "How many?"
He said, "There's nineteen." He said, "There was twenty-one, and I killed two of them."
And the warden laughed at him. You're only allowed to kill one, you know. He said, he said, "I know you did."
He said, "That's what I done. There was twenty-one elk, and I killed two."
And the warden just laughed, and went on back. And that's what there was---nineteen elk. See?
And he turned around to me, said, "You see, parson? Just tell the truth, the people won't believe it." See, just tell the truth.
So it certainly is more stranger than fiction.

20 Joshua here is a book... Actually it's the book of redemption of the Old Testament. Joshua... We would have to consider it to be that the book of redemption. Because it's... Redemption has two parts. Redemption anywhere has two parts: that is, it's out of, and in to. It takes two parts to make redemption: out of, in to.
Moses represented the law, which brought them out of Egypt, and whereas Joshua represented grace that took them into the promised land. Another way was, that the law and grace were two different aspects of God's command. Now, the law brought them out (Moses), and Joshua took them in.
It also represents something for our day. Now it represents, as they were in the journey coming from Egypt into a promised land, so have we come out of a world of Egypt (chaos), on our road to a promised land. "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it wasn't so, I would have told you." John 14.
Coming out of, going into:

21 it's law that brings us to recognize we're wrong; but it's grace that forgives us. The law has no hope of redemption, because, and to complete it... It has no grace in it, because law only points that you are a sinner. But grace tells you how to get out of it. Law is the policeman that puts you in jail, but redemption is the one who come paid your fine. And out of, and into, into grace, the Ephesus.
Now we find the same thing. The Old Testament... I think this book of Joshua, a fitting word for it would be, the book of Ephesus of the Old Testament. The book of Ephesians of the Old Testament would be a good thing to title this book of Joshua, because it's certainly fitting to this.

22 Now we find Joshua representing grace, or some propitiation, that it could not exist in the same time that law was in existence. Neither does any message, that forwards the people on, ever coincide with the past message. It will not do it.
That's where you have trouble, today. Jesus said, "Any person take a new piece of garment, and put it into an old, or put new wine into old bottles, they perish." It bursts them open, they can't stand it. And Joshua could not, at all, become into his ministry, until after Moses was gone. So you see, the very first verse here, "Moses my servant is dead. Now, arise and take this people to the promised land."
Moses, representing the law, had served its time. The law had served its time.

23 They started out, really, with grace to begin with before they had law they had grace, while they were in Egypt, without law. No one down there, with just the priests, and so forth, but they didn't have any law. The law had not yet been given.
Grace provided them a prophet, and also grace provided an atonement, the sacrificial lamb. We're getting into that this week, on the sacrifice of blood, because there lays your healing. So on... The atonement had been provided before there was any law. Grace was before law, during law, and after law. So there was... Joshua, representing grace, was right along with law, but could not be enforced as long as law was in its proper place.
And so has the church world in this last day. It's come along. It's played its part. But there's coming a time where it must cease. It must do it. There's got to be an Ephesians also of this journey, just as there was of other journeys. There has to come an Ephesians, an Ephesus, an Ephesians of this journey. Watch. Wherein that law could never save a sinner, as I pointed out, it could not.
Therefore, the promised land represented a day of grace. See, he could not take them in, into that journey.

24 And if you'll notice, in that journey they had three stages of their journey. First, was the preparation by faith down in Egypt, under the sacrificial lamb.
Then they crossed the Red Sea into the wilderness, a separation which represented another stage of the journey. 'Cause under the preparation... When they all got ready, then when they come to the Red Sea, there was a failure again. The people did not believe. After seeing many things that God had did, they still did not believe. And God opened up the Red Sea, and took them forth---which we're taught, that all the people were baptized unto Moses, under the cloud and the sea.

25 Now they were baptized, repented, and were baptized and come out, to walk in a new life in a new land, in a new journey, amongst new people, and the hand of God upon them. But it finally come to a place in this walk that they had, that they was not satisfied with their walk of grace. They had to come to something that they could do themselves.
Now that's where people think today is divine healing, or some ... any other work of grace of God, that there's something that you have to do. You, there's nothing you have to do, but believe. Just believe God. And if they would have continued on... The promise wasn't given them under the law; the promise was given before the law, without any conditions to it. "I have given you this land. Go on over into it." But before they got to that promise, they decided there was something they must do themselves.
And that, we still find that among human beings. We're prone to be that way. We, something we've got to do. We feel that we've got to have something into it, also. You do have something into it, that's your surrender of your own will, your own idea to the will and idea of Almighty God, and it's finished. That's all there is. Just prom... Take His promise, don't think of nothing else. Walk by it, and God does the rest of it.

26 Then they wanted a law. And God always gives you the desire of your heart. He promised to. But we find out, when they turned one step from the side of what God originally promised them, then that was a thorn in the flesh until the law was taken away, until Jesus Christ came and was crucified to take away the law. It was a thorn in the flesh.
And anything that you try to do within yourself, it'll always work to your dishonor. It'll work to your disadvantage. Just simply believe God, and that settles it. What God promised, "I'm the Lord thy God who heals all thy diseases," see. "If there's any among you sick, let them call the elders of the church." He promised the works that He did would be done in His church.

27 Why do we have to accept organizations, and so forth that'll write that off of the book? See, it becomes a thorn in the flesh, and here at the end-time we meet the thing again, face-to-face. It's up to the Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, and what more, see. You can't go on. You've got to come back to the entire full gospel. It was made for the full man, by a complete God, who was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we know that those things are true.

28 Now we notice then, their journey in the wilderness is where they got... Their greatest mistake that Israel ever made, until Calvary, was when, in the Exodus 19 they accepted law instead of grace. They had grace. They had a prophet. They had, they had a sacrificial lamb. They had redemption. They'd been brought to the Red Sea. They'd been healed of their diseases. They'd had water from a smitten rock. They'd had manna out of heaven. Everything they had need of had been supplied, and still they wanted something else.
Now that's a perfect type of our Ephesians today. Exactly. We come out under Luther, we went through sanctification under Methodist, and came into the restoration under Pentecost, exactly like it was in the wilderness journey. When God brought us out, we did very well. But what did we do? We want to be like the rest of them.
Now, we find out that grace is the only thing that takes us through; never law.

29 Joshua here is a type of the last day ministry, see. Now remember, those three stages of the journey, all of it ceased. First the law, and everything, had to cease so that Joshua, and... Joshua is the same word as Jesus, Jehovah-saviour, that took them from their wilderness into the promised land.
Now I know many hold---and I don't want to disagree with the scholars---but many hold that the promised land represents heaven. It could not represent heaven. It could not, because they had wars, and troubles and flusterations, and everything in the promised land. It does not represent the promised land.

30 But you notice, just before they entered the promised land, all of the differences that had rose up among them?
They had... One of the great things was Korah. He didn't want this one-man leadership. Dathan, and how they'd come up before Moses and tried to tell him that the message had to mean this, and put a different interpretation to it---their own ideas of what it was. And they, every one, perished. Every one. Jesus said, "There wasn't none of them, but what perished."
They said, "Our fathers eat manna in the wilderness for the space of forty years."
St. John 6, Jesus said, "And they are every one dead." Dead means eternally separated. They're all dead. Yet they enjoyed hearing the message. Yet they enjoyed the manna that fell, not another manna, the genuine manna.

31 But when it come to the time when Balaam come out, with his false doctrine, and said, "We're all one. Why don't we just go together, let our children marry one another. We're a great nation. We'll make you great with us..."
Now anybody with common spiritual understanding can see exactly that same thing, even today---marrying all of them together. And it was an unforgivable sin. It was never forgiven Israel. But then Joshua raised up for the exodus.

32 Now, we're taught in Revelation, the 6th chapter (I believe, yes, 6th chapter) of the seventh seal that's supposed ... the book to be sealed up with seven mysteries, or seven seals, Revelation 6. And in the last days---Revelation 10---in Revelation 10, we find out that the Laodicea, last messenger of the last age, in the ... during the time of his prophecy, that the seven seals would be opened---the seven mysteries, seven-fold mystery---that had been left off.
In every age there'd been some of it left off. The reformers didn't have time to take care of it. In the days of Luther, he only preached justification by faith. He was gone. They made a church. After that come Wesley. He preached sanctification. There it was. Along come the Pentecostals.

33 But we're promised, according to Revelation 10, and according to Malachi 4, and St. Luke 22:17, and so forth, that there is got to come an Ephesians to this. There is promised it, friends. There must come an Ephesians, that these seven-fold mysteries of the Word of God must be unfolded. And it's in the Laodicean age that this takes place.
I believe that we're there. I believe we're right in the shadows of the coming of the Son of God, and at Joshua, just before the Ephesian raised up. So did John the Baptist raise up, just before the next Ephesian. And we're promised another. Another Ephesian is predicted here in the scripture. Therefore I think that we are living in the Ephesians again. Back again to... We are promised that, what was left off during those seven ages.

34 Now you cannot add nothing to the book, or take nothing from it. Revelation 22:18 says so. "Whoever will add one word or take one word, his part will be taken from the book of life." Now we cannot add or take.
So therefore, we know that Luther could not get to it. Wesley and so forth, the reformers, Knox, Finney, Calvin on down, so forth, they didn't get it all. But what they had was the gospel truth. But now, in the last days we are given the understanding by the Word that we are going to understand it, because it'll come an Ephesian Age to us. And we're here.
Now, paradox. I'll leave that hang, because I just got about ten more minutes, then I'm going to have the prayer line.
Paradox.

35 There's some people of today, that do not believe in miracles. They say they just can't believe there is such a thing as miracles in this modern age. Well, I don't mean to say anything bad about that person, but they are spiritually numb. They're, they're spiritually blind. They have no spiritual sight, or spiritual feelings at all. 'Cause no man can sit in a crowd of people, wherein the Holy Spirit is falling, no matter if he is absolutely a sinner (or she), but what they're bound to sense the presence of God, when you see the Word He promised being fulfilled. Then you'd have to be numb. And when you see it with your own eyes happening, then you'll have to be blind, spiritually. I'm not speaking physically, but you can certainly be spiritually blind, and have 20/20 physical sight.

36 You remember Elisha, down at Dothan, when he went out and smote that whole army blind? The Bible said he did it. And led them right into ambush? When they didn't know who he was? And yet had his ... just exactly what he was supposed to look like, and so forth, and he went right out to them. But they were blind.
And you can stand in the presence of the living God, you can stand under the anointing of the Spirit, and see it moving, and still it won't touch him. You can see what God said, preached to you perfectly, then manifested, and still walk away and don't believe it. Then there's... You're beyond reach, you're already dead, numb, blinded, gone on. They were completely,

37 the world...
I wonder if that same person, who doesn't believe in a miracle, I wonder... And they say can only be, the things that can ... that's real, is those which are scientifically proven. I wonder if you could have any scientist, or anybody that doesn't believe in a miracle, to explain to me how this world stands in its orbit? How does it keep its perfect time around the equator the way it goes, just perfect. We haven't got a machinery, or a watch, or any kind that can keep time like that. It'll vary a few minutes every month. But that sun is exactly on time. Thousands of years rolls on, she never moves. Certainly. Perfectly.

38 How the moon can---billions of miles off the earth---can still control the tide? Tell me how, that in this galaxy that we live in, how could the moon have any effect upon the water on the earth? Scientifically tell me how it's done. It could not be done, because there's no scientific way of telling it.
But God set the moon to watch the sea. And when the moon begins to turn its back, when the earth turns away, there comes the tide in. But when he wakes up the next morning, and looks back this way, the tide runs back to its place again. It's a watchman.
Well, you say, "That's just on the seashore."
No, that's right up here in Arizona, plumb back over to the state of Kentucky. Wherever you dig a hole down in the ground far enough to find salt water, you'll find out when that tide goes out, that salt water goes down in the pipe. And when the tide comes in, it also raises---hundreds of miles from the seashore.
We could preach a sermon on that, how that God, no matter He's in glory, but His orders there is just the same effect on the whole world, and anybody that takes a promise. His the order is given. He has laws of nature. And they will absolutely carry themselves through, from Pentecost or any other time. Any time that God made the promise, He'll still stay with that promise, regardless of where the people's at, how many thousands of years off. His laws ever remain the same.

39 How, the seed falls into the ground and it rots, to bring forth life again. Looks like it's ever going to bring forth life, it'd be when it's in its perfect shape. If life was ever in it, then why wouldn't it just come forth? Put it in the ground, the life spring forth? Why does all that's around that life, all that's around that germ, that no man can find how is it, that everything material around that germ has to die, so it can spring forth in a new life? But everything around it must also die, and rot, before it can spring forth life.

40 So is it with an individual. As long as there's any human injections, human ideas, then God's germ of life---the Holy Spirit---cannot work. You cannot be healed as long as there's just a fraction somewhere that is not rotten yet. It's got all the human elements, all the scientific ideas, all the "days of miracles is past," so-called, all that has to, all ... not only die, but rot. Then, from there grows a germ of life, into a new life. That's the only way it can grow. That's the reason we don't get what we ask for. We try to take with us so much of our own ideas.
That's the reason the Lutheran church couldn't advance no farther than it did, the Pentecostals and the rest, because they inject, by a bunch of theologians, "This oughtn't be this way, this is for another day, this was for that..." There it stays. It cannot grow to that perfect image of Christ, until every word of God is received into you. And then you become that Word, like the seed that went in the ground.

41 I'd like for them to explain Hebrews 11:3. The great ... the scientist we've ever had, as far as I know, was Einstein. When, here not long ago, in New York, I was listening to what he had said. And he was talking about the galaxy, how far out it was, and he proved that there was an eternity. How that a man, going so many million miles an hour, would take him so many---or a million light years an hour---would take him so many years to get over there---one 300,000, or something like that, then 300,000 to come back---and then proved by it, somehow, that the man had only been gone from the earth fifty years. Eternity.

42 And that's just a little galaxy, when God blew them off His hand.
The Bible says, and Einstein finally wound up this---there's only one way that any man can explain the origin of this world. That's found in Hebrews 11:3: "We understand that the world was framed together by the word of God." That's exactly right. Science cannot even touch it. And then you say you don't believe in a miracle? How could you do it?
How could any scientist ever explain Noah's rain, when there had never fallen a drop of rain upon the earth, until that day. But Noah said there would be a rain. And when Noah's rain come, contrary to all science, there was no clouds up there---never had been. No rain up there, and they could prove it, that there was no rain up there. And then when God opened up the heavens, and poured out a gusher that washed the earth away, that was a paradox! How that... It's certainly unreasonable, unexplainable; but we know that God did it, because the Bible says so. And we have evidence on the earth, today, that it was so. God did it. That was a paradox.

43 When God took an old man, by the name of Abraham, at the age of seventy-five years old, and his wife sixty-five, many years past the time of life, menopause... And when He took that man, He gave him a promise at seventy-five years old, to this woman that he was married to, his half-sister. And he'd lived with her since she was a girl. They'd married when she was probably a teenage girl, and here she was sixty-five years old. And said, "You're going to have a baby by this woman."
And what if Abraham had said, "I don't believe in paradoxes. I just can't accept that."? It'd never happened. But you see, when you say you believe anything, then you've got to put it in action. Then Abraham was committed to separate himself from all unbelief, and walk with God alone. And instead of getting weaker, he got stronger. And when he was a hundred years old and Sarah was ninety, the baby come.

44 How could Abraham take his son way back, three days' journey, probably ninety miles from any civilization, up on top of a mountain where the Lord had showed him, to go offer his own son, Isaac? Isaac packing the wood up, as we know, which was a type of Christ, and up on this mountain he was to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.
And when he'd fulfilled everything that God told him but stabbing his own son to death through his throat; when he pulled the knife out of his sheath and raised his hand to obey God to the word, for the Bible says that he knew that God could not make a promise 'less He kept it (and he received him as one from the dead), that He was able to raise him up from the dead, and give him to him again;

45 and when he was ready to obey God to His fullness, He caught his hand and said, "Stay your hand, Abraham."
And there was a ram hooked in the wilderness, around the vines with its horns, on top of that mountain where there's lions, wolves, hyenas, jackals, and the great ferocious beasts that eat sheep. And then he was way up on top of the mountain, where there's no water. How'd that ram get there? Abraham had picked up stones all around, and built an altar. But there was the ram anyhow. It was a paradox.
And any man that believes God, and takes Him at His Word no matter what the situation is, God will perform another paradox, to keep His Word. For Abraham called the place Jehovah-jireh, "The Lord has provided for Himself a sacrifice." He still can cause a paradox to happen. He can do that this afternoon, if you'll just take Him at His Word.

46 Daniel, from a den full of hungry lions! How could it be that that man---how could it be that that man, on a group of hungry lions, stayed in the cave with them all night, without any harm? The angel of the Lord, unseen to anyone else, was standing there. It was a paradox. Something had to keep that lion from getting to him.
When the Hebrew children went into the fiery furnace, that's against all scientific understanding. In that great age, is unscientifically for a man to be thrown into a furnace that was, that's... The men taking them up there perished, and they fell into the furnace and lived in that furnace awhile. And the only thing it did was loosen them from their shackles. That's a paradox. It's unexplainable, unreasonable, but yet it's the truth.

47 Here's Joshua, that we're speaking of. How that that man, just an ordinary man, that just come through a group of creeds that the men had formed, and laws and ceremonies, with nothing in them that says anything about giving man power to stop the sun...
But here was a commission from God. "I'll give you every piece of ground the soles of your foot sets upon. I'll be there." And the enemy was routed. The sun was going down. If them kings had time to get theirselves together again, the next day he'd surely lose men. But Joshua knew he needed sunlight. And he looked up to the sun and said, "Stand still over Gibeon; and Moon, stay there over Ajalon." And for the space of a whole day (that was all night long), the sun stood still, and the moon stood there. That's a paradox. A man walking in the will of God could do such a thing, for he was in a ... he was again in an Ephesus, an Ephesians, for it was the gospel. Sure it was a paradox.
Moses with a stick in his hand, to go down there and deliver the children of Israel, was a paradox. When Egypt had all the armies and their well-trained men---it was a paradox.

48 The virgin birth was a paradox. How could a virgin---against all scientific understanding, a woman that knowed no man---could bring forth a child; not only a child, but Immanuel, who proved to be exactly what it said He would be. How could that happen? It was a paradox. Because God spoke to His prophet hundreds of years before and the prophet obeyed the Word of God. And the Word was spoken, and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. And we believe that. Certainly was a paradox.
How that He could walk on water---that was a paradox. A human being, according to the size of your feet, couldn't do that. But He did. What was it? Unexplainable, but it was yet a paradox. God did it. We believe it.
Feed five thousand people with two fish and five biscuits? But He did it. Multiplied not only fish, but cooked fish; not only bread, but cooked bread. How could He turn water into wine? All a paradox.

49 He healed the sick with leprosy, which they don't have anything to this day---science don't---to cure leprosy. But Jesus healed it with His word. It was a paradox. And He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. His Word still heals the sick. It's a paradox. Certainly.
He raised the dead, after mortal life had gone from them: Lazarus, the woman's son at Nain, and Jairus' daughter. He raised the dead with His word. Because He is the Word.
And then another great thing (in closing), to prove that He was Messiah. To prove what He was, He had to come in order, and answer to the Word. And the Word said, when he spoke to the prophets, "The Lord your God shall raise up a prophet like me."

50 There had been many men raised up. And it'd been for hundreds and hundreds of years, they'd had no prophets.
Oh, they'd had priests, and great men. And as we read the history between the time of Malachi and Matthew---four hundred years---there'd been great men. But there was no prophet.
And then when He come on the scene to prove that He was that Ephesian, made manifest, John announced it. But Jesus was that. He was the Word manifested, Himself.
When Peter came to Him one day with Andrew, his name was Simon. And when Jesus, standing there, never seen the man in His life (listen close), when He stood there and looked at the man, and said "Your name is Simon, and you are the son of Jonas."---that's a paradox. It sure was. It certainly was a paradox.

51 And when Philip, standing there, heard this, and knew that all ... identity, that this was the Messiah, He was certainly ... he believed it. He wasn't numb, neither was he blind. He run around the bank for a few miles, and got his friend called Nathanael. And when he come walking up... The faith of that man that could bring another to the meeting to see... When he walked up before Jesus, Jesus said, "Behold there's an Israelite in whom there is no guile!"
And He astonished the man. He said, "When did you ever know me?" Now watch. This is unreasonable. This is unexplainable. He said, "How did you ever know me?"
Said "Before Philip called you, when you were under the tree, I saw you." A paradox!

52 He had need go by Samaria, and when He went by Samaria (a city of Sychar), He was sitting out there waiting for His disciples to go in, to buy food. And notice. A woman came out to the well, with ill fame. And He said to her, "Woman, go get me a drink, or bring me a drink."
And she said, "It's not customary for you to ask that. We're ... I'm a Jew, or Samaritan, and you're a Jew. We have no dealings with you."
He said, "But if you knew who you were talking to..." Watch this paradox fixing to happen. Don't miss it.
She said, "how, how, can you do ... say this? I'm a woman of Samaria, and you're a Jew. We have no dealings."
He said, "But if you knew who you were talking to, or who was talking to you, you'd ask me for a drink." And He went ahead, till He found where her trouble was. And He said, "Go get your husband, and come here."
And she said, "I don't have any husband."
He said, "That's the truth. You don't have a husband because you've had five, and the one you're now living with is not your husband. Therefore, you said the truth."
She said, "Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet." They hadn't seen one for hundreds of years. She said, "We know that the Messiah's coming, and when He comes He'll tell us these things."
He said, "I am He!"

53 It was a paradox vindicated! It stands to be gospel truth! A gospel that had promised this, and here it's happened and vindicated what it was.
Now, let me give you a great, noble paradox here, just a minute. And John 14:12, Jesus said, promised, that the believer that believed on Him would do the same works. Isn't that right? God who makes the law, or promise, must keep that promise to be God. He does keep it. To think, the God... Why, it's a paradox, itself---for God, who makes the promise, and cannot break that promise, to give that promise of the things that He did to His people, to follow throughout the age until He returned again.
"Go ye into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature. [Every creature, all the world.] He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; and he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe."
He's got to keep that Word. And because He said it, it went from His mouth, it's got to be fulfilled. All scripture's got to be fulfilled. So it's a paradox, alone, to hear Jesus, the Son of God, make such a statement as that. "The things that I do will you do also."
Now, the Bible said, Hebrews 13:8, "He's the same yesterday, today and forever." That's a paradox, 'cause it has to be done. "Heavens and earth will pass away, but not one word that I've ever said will ever fail," He said. It has to be done.

54 Now, friends, I believe that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. I believe He's just as able this afternoon, to cause in this building a paradox, because that He promised it would happen. And how much more has He promised, how much more is it, leading in the Bible to this very age that we're living, the Ephesians again of the church ages.
We've got seven church ages, and we're promised that at the Laodicean church age that there would be another Ephesian. That's right. And we're here. I believe with all my heart, that Jesus Christ, who made the promise...
As I said in my last message, standing over there against that wall when I was here a few weeks ago, every time you move your finger, that goes around and around the world. Never will stop. Every move you make, you'll see it at the judgment. Television proves that it's here---the fourth dimension. Because the television doesn't manufacture that picture. It only channels that wave into a tube, and you see the picture. Color, everything, every moving object that's happening in the world, is going right around through here now, making a record.
Someday your record's going to be closed, and you're going to answer to that record. That's right. God, let me so be blended, let me be so dead to myself, and anything around me, and be conscious of the Word of God living among us today! Let's pray.

55 Lord Jesus, Thou art a paradox, when God was made flesh. I pray, heavenly Father, that You will manifest Yourself this afternoon, proving to us here today ... not only proving to us (there's, I suppose, 90% or more, of the people set here believe that, every word) but that we might see You again. And let know that this Word that You spoke, that's still traveling around and around the world, just like a record. Let us move into that record today, Lord. Let us move in, and not hear it just like it was coming secondly, from a man's mouth. But let that mouth, and person, and people, all sitting here become Your Word.
We're ready to die, Lord, of our own ideas, just to see you keep Your promise, "The things that I do shall you do also." I pray that you'll grant this in Jesus' name. Amen.

56 Just before we call a prayer line---I was having a little bite of ice cream one day, with an old doctor friend of mine. He said, "I want to ask you something, Billy."
I said, "All right."
Said, "Do you believe in..." (That's where I got this thought, paradox.) Said, "Do you believe in a paradox?"
I said, "Sure."
He said, "I know you do." He said---he told me about a certain person that'd been healed, that'd been prayed for, that he'd sold epilepsy drugs to, for years. Sometimes they'd have seven or eight seizures a day. Strong medicine.
And he said, "They never did come back for no more. I see them all the time, and they never had it no more. So I want to tell you something, just to let you know I believe what you're talking about."

57 He said, "During the time of the depression, my son (here now, over the store)..." Said, "He was waiting on the counter, young fellow just, could..." Said, "He was standing down in line for medicine." And said, "A man come up here, and he had his wife---little woman. She was, you could look at her and see, she was just about to be delivered at any time of a child." And said, "She just couldn't stand in that line no more." And said "he brought his wife into the door, just leaning on his shoulder."
And said, "My boy went up, and said, 'Can I help you?'
Said, "'Yes. Here's a prescription from the doctor, but,' said, 'I want to make it clear to you.' Said, 'We haven't got the money yet.' Said, 'We'll get it from the county. But my wife just can't stand it no longer. The doctor said she'd have the medicine right away.' And said, 'I'll---if you'll just give her the medicine, I'll go right there and stand in line, till I get the money from the county.'
"And the boy said, 'Sir, I'm sorry.' Said, 'It's against our rules here, to give out the medicine without having the money. [You know how the times was, in them days.]' He said, 'I feel sorry for you, but I can't do it.' "

58 He said, "I was sitting back here, reading a paper, and I looked up." And said, "Something strangely warmed my heart. So I walked up ... I said, 'Wait a minute, son, wait a minute.'
"The man'd started out the door. Said, 'Well, all right, son...' Started out the door.
"I said, 'Just a minute.' Said, 'What was that?'"
He said, "What...?"
This man explained it to him. He said, "Let me see the prescription." He said, "Just wait a minute, son. I'll get you the medicine."
Said, "I went on back and mixed up the prescription the doctor had prescribed, on his paper." And said, "I went up there and had that money." Said, "Handed it to him not knowing whether I'd get it or not, but I just thought I would. Just felt I should do it."
And said, "Billy, when I put that, that medicine in that woman's hand," said, "it was the Lord Jesus." Said, "I seen a man standing there." And he said, "I read later on, that the scripture said 'Insomuch as ye have done unto the least of these my little ones, you have done it unto me.'" He said, "Billy, what happened to my eyes? Did I actually see it?"
I said, "Yes, sir! I believe it. I believe that you so fulfilled your duty, as a druggist, in the emergency needing for that... Jesus said, 'What you've done unto these others, you have done unto me.'" I believe it.

59 And I believe that same thing today, right here present with this people, that Jesus Christ can manifest Himself, make Himself the Word made flesh, among us this afternoon. Will you believe it? The Lord bless you.
Now we're going to call for prayer cards for the people to come. And we can't get too many, because I think now---if I look at the watch right---I got twenty-five minutes, till we have to close just at four o'clock on account of... But we'll continue on. Now, let's start from prayer card ... I believe it is, "A" was it? "A"... Let's go from A-1. Who has prayer card A-1? I'll just call you one at a time, so if you're crippled we can pack you. All right. Prayer card A-1---who has it? Raise up your hand. Somewhere in the building---where? Way back in the back. Would you come, lady, if you can?
One, two. Who has prayer card two, A-2? Would you raise up your hand if you... Can you walk? All right, come right over here, on this side. Three. If you raise your hand right away, I can get you, we won't have to wait very long. Prayer card number three. Would you raise up your hand? All right, a man down there. All right, come over here, sir.
Prayer card number four. Would you raise your hand? Quickly now, just quick as you possibly can. Prayer card number four. All right. Number five. Just as I call, you stand up, number five. All right. Number six, number seven, number eight, number nine, ten, ten. I ... ten. All right. Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen. Was you coming sir? Fourteen. All right. Fifteen.
Well, that ... that'll be enough right now, that'll be enough for this afternoon, 'cause we haven't got too much time.

60 Now look, I want you to give me your undivided attention. Now, Jesus made this promise, that "A little while and the world won't see me no more. Yet ye shall see me." You believe that? The world, the world is the order of the world, see. They just... He knows they go on off in fashions, and things. But, "They won't see me no more. Yet you'll see me."
For He promised, "I'll be with you, even till the end of the world." Is that right? And the Bible says, Hebrews 13:8, "He's the same yesterday, today, and forever." Do you believe that? That's a promise. Now you don't have to be up here to be healed. Only thing you have to do, is believe that Word to be the truth.
Now I'm going to ask you, if you will, just to be reverent and quiet for a few moments.

61 Did all of them come in, Billy? Got two out, three out---what'd you say? Three more. Number three. Prayer card number three. (What, how---what's the Mexican word for that three? Anybody can say it? All right. Surely they heard it.) What, that, ever who's got that prayer card, come into the line, will you? All right. I think it was somebody had it, and didn't know it, and moved back. All right.
Now, now, how about... Does everybody believe now with all your heart? Well, let's pray again, then.

62 Lord Jesus, now we realize that we can read the Word with our best of our knowledge explain it. But Lord, you're the only one can confirm it. You're the only one can say that it's right, or wrong. And Father, I pray, today, that you'll let the eyes of the people be open. May we see a paradox, this afternoon. Just, Lord, enough to let the people see, that you're present, that you're not out of existence, and that Your Word is the same yesterday, today, and forever, for you are that Word.
For the sake of the sick, Lord, for the sake of those who are suffering. Many are probably here from different parts of the country, or parts of the nation, they must... They're suffering so they couldn't enjoy the meetings, otherwise, if they wasn't healed. I pray that you'll heal them. Grant it, Lord. Now, we're only physical human beings, and can only preach the Word and say what you've said to be the truth. Now Thou art the one to make it real. I pray that you'll grant it, in Jesus' name. Amen.

63 Now I'd just like for your undivided attention, just for a moment. And if everyone will just be seated now, for a few minutes. Now, as far as I know---'course I don't know anyone that I can see in the, in the building, that I would know out there. Now, you don't have to be here to be healed. Anyone knows that, see.
There was a little woman one time, she couldn't get a prayer card, we'd say, and she touched His garment. And He turned around and looked, and said, "Who touched me?" And they all denied it. He looked around, and seen this little woman. She couldn't hide herself 'cause, see, the Spirit of God that was in Him lead Him. He was the Word, and it lead right to her. And He told her what her trouble was ---she had a blood issue---and she was healed. She believed it, and immediately in her body she felt that the blood issue had staunched. Is that right? It stopped, right there.

64 Now, He's just the same today. You don't have to be here. Now the Bible said that, in the New Testament now, that Jesus Christ is our high priest. Do we believe that? The only high priest we have, the only intercessor we have, between God and man, is the man Christ Jesus. Do you believe that? And the Bible said, "He is a high priest, that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities." Is that right? How many know that's true? Raise your hands. All right. I'm not among strangers, on this Word.
Now how would He act if you touched Him? He'd act the same that He did when He was here, because He's the same yesterday, today and forever. Is that right? Now, you just believe. You just say, "Now, Lord, I've been in meetings. I've been ... but I'm just going to believe today. I'm not even going to take no thought of myself. I'm just going to believe with all my heart that you're here. I have a need, and you just... You help me, Lord," see. Now, you do that. Don't get nervous---just calmly, faithful...

65 A gift of faith is not something you take and do something with. A gift of faith is, get yourself out of the way. The gift is getting your own self out of the way.
Now here stands a woman. Father God knows, as far as I ever knowed, I never seen the woman in my life. She's a total stranger to me. But, and... There isn't about two or three people I can see out there. I think this is Mrs. Vayle sitting here, Brother Lee's wife. I'm not sure. And I know these three or four boys sitting right along here. Far as I know, that's all that I see in the meeting, at this time, that I know. I believe that's Brother Anthony Milano, from New York, Brother Pat Tyler from Kentucky. Outside of that, I know Fred Sothmann's in there, somewhere. I heard him holler "Amen!" awhile ago. That's about the limit. Heavenly Father knows that.

66 And this woman standing here, and I never seen her, I have no idea what she's here for. She's just a woman come up here on the platform, same as you're sitting out there. Now if this woman's in need, well, then if I could help her, I'd sure do it. But I ... it depends on what she needs. If it's money, I might rig up five or ten dollars. Outside of that I don't know, 'less I'd give her a postdated check, till I get my pay next month.
But, now what if she's got domestic troubles? Then I'd say, "Go get your husband. Let's talk together. Maybe I can help you."
"I have no way of getting home." Well, I'll ask somebody if they'd take you home, going your way. You live down on, what street down here, or whatever it is, I don't know.
But if it's sickness, then I don't know, see. But I don't know the woman. But there's someone here, this Word that promised "the things that I do shall you also."

67 Now perhaps, what if this woman is sick? Maybe she's got cancer. Maybe she has TB, or something that medicine can't help at this stage. Well, now I couldn't, I, by no means, could heal the woman.
But now, if He can reveal to me what she wants, just like He did the woman at the well, or like He told Nathanael, or told Simon what his name was---said "Your name is Simon. You're the son of Jonah. Henceforth, you'll be called Peter," which means the "little stone"... Well, now, if He would do something like that here, in the presence of all of you, that goes to show that that Word is truth. Now, how many will believe that? Is there anybody here knows the woman? Raise your hand. Any people in the building? Yeah, many of you know her. All right. The Father knows that I don't.
But now, let's just see what He would say. Would that be a paradox? I don't know what's wrong with her. Don't know what she's here for, nothing about her. But God knows that.

68 I'm going to speak to the woman. This is the first person I've had before me, for about three months. Now I just want to talk to the lady, just a moment. That is, to what? Contact her spirit. Just like Jesus did the woman at the well---contact her spirit.
Now if the Lord Jesus, lady, can reveal to me what's wrong with you, or what you're here for, or something about you that you know that I know nothing about, something on that order---would you believe it was Him? It'd have to be Him, wouldn't it? [Yes, sir.] It would have to be Him. If He'll do it, then we'll all be thankful that we'll know we're ... that His Word is right. Then we can put confidence in that.
Now if He can reveal what your trouble is to me, and me not knowing you (and you know that), but now if He can reveal to me what your trouble is, or something about you, then that shows that there's a Spirit here somewhere, that knows you, and you know that I don't. So it wouldn't be the man, it would be the Spirit. And that's what God promised, at this time of Ephesus. You believe that to be the truth? May He grant it.

69 I see one thing. She's suffering with something like a sinus trouble, up here in her head. That is true, is it? Raise up your hand, sister. But sinus wouldn't cause you to sneeze, and carry on like that, so you have hay fever, also. That's right. You're not from Phoenix. You're from where there's lots of hills, trees. You're from Flagstaff. Right? You believe God can tell me who you are? You're Mrs. Earl. That's right, isn't it? Now go believing. It'll all be over.
Now, is He the same yesterday, today, and forever? Now the heavenly Father knows... See, the Word vindicated. Now, it isn't me. I'm just a man---just like this microphone. It's a mute without me speaking through it, or somebody. And so is a man, just a mute. But it's the Spirit, and that Spirit's right out there among you, see. He's the healer, not me.

70 How do you do, sir? Another man that's a person that's a stranger to me. I don't know the man. As far as I know, I've never seen him in my life. But now this Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ, is the same-self Spirit. The anointed One, Jesus the man, was the Son of God. But the Holy Spirit was on Him was God. "My Father dwells in me," see. It's the Holy Spirit. So it's still God.
Now, if I can just get myself, and that man can get himself, out of the way, then that part's dead. Then let the Spirit of life go to work, see. That's why I wait just a minute to see what happens, so the anointing gets started.

71 If the Lord God, whose presence we're in, will reveal to me, sir, what your trouble is, or something you've done, or something about you---just something... 'Course normally we would talk more, it would show. But see, there's others standing in line. But if He'd just tell me what your trouble is, would you believe me to be His servant, believe He's present? A rupture. Is that right?
Now you say "How was that done?" I wish I knowed. There's nobody can explain that, that's a paradox, see. There, that you might know, I seen something else---an examination. You got heart trouble, too. Raise your hand. Mr. Anderson, you can go home now. Jesus Christ has made you well. That's right. Just believe, have faith.

72 How do you do, sir. We're strangers to each other. I don't know you. Far as I know, it's the first time I ever seen you, for me to know. That's right. But He knows, both of us. Now, you know why this is taking place? It's His grace permitting it, that it would bring these people conscious of God.
Now, not knowing nothing about you---not even knowing you in no way, just a strange man that come here... Now it would be absolutely a paradox, for something to happen, that to know what was wrong with you, or something you done, or something you ought not have done, or something you should have done, or who you are, or something about you---it'd have to be a paradox, 'cause there's no way for anybody to know that, outside of some revelation of the unseen. That's right. Now if He'll do that for you, between you and I, so that the audience---not a show---but that they might see that Ephesus is here, that this is the thing that bridges between denominations, and the glory land. He promised it. That they might be assured that what we're telling is the truth... Now to know you---you know I don't---that's right. Raise up your hand, so the people see it. Just... I've never seen the man in my life. He's just a man standing here. Ask any of the others. But you're suffering with a rupture. You also have hemorrhoids. That's right.
You've come a long ways to get here. You're not even an American---you're a Canadian. You brought with you a son, that has a mental affliction. You want me to tell you where you're from? You're from the province of Saskatchewan---Saskatoon, the city. Believe with all your heart, and God will send you back home well, with your son. Do you believe it? God bless you. You believe? The Lord God still remains God. There's none other, but Him.

73 How do you do. Here's a lady, a stranger to me, perhaps a little older. I've never seen her but she's just a woman standing here. I'm going to have to hurry, cause I just got seven or eight minutes now. Just look here. Do you believe that these things are true? With all your heart? You know that it's impossible for me to know what's wrong with you, or anything about you. But it isn't impossible for God to know, because He knowed even before there was a world. Isn't that right? How many believe that to be true? Sure.
He knowed every time you bat your eye. He's infinite. And just think by His grace He presented, with His gospel, the same thing He promised to do. Then there's a heaven---we're going to it. And we're in this Ephesus right now. We're in this coming out of one, into another.
You have so many things wrong with you, complications, so many things wrong. And you're not from here. You're from west of here, you're from California. That's right. You also have a son that's afflicted. That's right. You're a... There's something, I keep seeing water, or a great big lake... Oh, it's a ... you have a ... you have someone that's close to you, that lives in Chicago, that knows me. That's right. That is true. And you know I don't know you. But you believe God knows who you are? Mrs. McGuire, you've got your request go home, thanking God.
How do you do? Mighty young person---

74 but sickness and disease is no respecter of persons. How many knows that? We just know that it's no respect of persons.
If thou canst believe with all thine heart, with all thy soul... That asthma would leave you if you'd believe it with all your heart, see.
The chest trouble ... you believe it would leave you, too, sister, and you'd be made well? What did you touch? She's twenty feet from me, or more. She touched the Master. It's congestion of nerves. You'll be all right.
This is a noble thing this young woman stands here for. She straightly is a stranger. I've never seen the woman. But she's been brought here by somebody else. And what brings her here, was because she heard a tape that I made. And she's here seeking the baptism of the Holy Ghost. That's exactly what she's here for. That is true, young lady? That's right. Come here. Dear God, may this child standing here, that's breaking forth from darkness into light, may she receive the Holy Spirit, go to her home, and her loved ones, showing what great things Jesus has did for her. Amen. God bless you. Don't doubt, believe.

75 God can heal all kinds of nervousness, do you believe that? Asthmatic conditions, and make you well. Do you believe that? Then go, and believe with all your heart. God bless you, brother.
How old are you? You have to come out of that nervousness before too long, don't you? Having all kinds of weary spells, and everything happening to you? But it's left you, now.
God heals nervousness, stomach trouble, too. Do you believe that? Then go eat what you wish to. Jesus Christ loves you.
Do you believe out there---every one of you? There's a man sitting there with a shirt, looking to me. Yeah, he looked down at his shirt just then. Yeah. You believe God can heal gland trouble, to make you well? You was believing then, wasn't you, at the same time this little boy got cured of that asthmatic condition. Go home from here, you're going to be well, see. Believe with all your heart.
There's a lady sitting next to your wife, there. You believe your eyes will get well, too? You believe that God will heal that eye trouble? Raise up your hand, if that's what you're praying. See, what did they touch? Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

76 Do you believe? Do you believe, young man? God can heal that blood condition and make you right. You believe that---to take that diabetes stuff away and make you well? Do you believe that? Go tell Him you believe it and go.
Come, sir. You got stomach trouble. You believe God can heal it, and make you well? Go believe it, and you'll be well. He made you whole.
Come, bring this little boy. Look here, son. You've come a long ways. Sometimes change in altitude, change in climate, will do it, will heal asthmatic conditions. But there's one sure healer---Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He gave His Son, that yours might be healed. Do you believe that? Believe it with all your heart, and it'll leave him. He'll be normal, well, again. God bless you, sister.
Do you believe? Is God still performing paradox? The unexplainable, unreasonable things that people wouldn't normally understand? How would they? But it's still true, isn't it? Now, how many is sensing, and knowing in your spirit, that there's got to be something here that's beyond human understanding?

77 Now I think we called at least fifteen people in that line. Every one of them, and four, or five, or six of them, out there in a line---without prayer cards, or whatever it was---out in a line there, out in the audience there.
But we're right now, just one minute of time of closing. Did He do it just exactly the way He said He'd do it? Now, how many believes He's the same yesterday, today, and forever? Sensing His presence. Now you've seen His presence. Now your eye has seen. Your ears have understood. And God has confirmed before your eyes His presence. And that what you feel all the time that condemns you when you're wrong, and tells you not to do that---that same God has become visible to you, here this afternoon in His works. How many says "Amen" to that? Sure. Now He's here.

78 Is there one here in the midst of us, that's never been a Christian, never had any confession, you just never did go to church? Would you stand up and say, "I want to stand---not to you, minister---but I want to stand while I'm in the presence of this person, Jesus Christ, who is the Holy Spirit over us now. I want to stand, and say, 'I want you to save me from my sins.'"
That's all I want you to do, just stand up, and that'll witness. That's all we have time to do. Say, "I want to be a Christian," stand to your feet, and then sit right back down. Is there one in the building? How many's in the building? I oughtn't to say, "Is there one?"; 'cause there might be more then one.
How many in the building will stand right now, and say, "I have been wrong, God. Forgive me. I'll raise up, to give you testimony that I've been wrong. I'll sit down, while I'm here in Your presence. I'll sit down." And stand up? Is there one? Is there more than one? One hand. God bless you, young man.
Is there another? God bless you. Is there another? God bless you. God bless you. God bless you, brother. Is there...? God bless you, back there. Is there another? "I have been wrong, God forgive me." God bless you, sir. "I've been wrong, I'm sorry, Lord." God bless you. God bless you. God bless you.

79 Has there been anybody that's been suspicious of this ministry, and you're convinced, now, that it's true? Raise up your hand and say, "God forgive me." Just raise up your hand, and say, "I was a little suspicious, Brother Branham. It's all gone now." Raise your hand. Not a one. Thank you.
How many believes it couldn't be me, but it's the Christ, the Son of God? Thank you. Then you shall see greater things than this done, as long as you'll believe. Just stay with Christ. I do my best to stay right with Him, myself.
Now, how many here is sick and needy? Raise up your hand. "I'm sick, Brother Branham, I'm needy," see. Just look at the people. Now will you do this, just believe my word this much? Let's put our hands on one another, while I just hold my hands out towards you.
Let's pray.

80 Dear God, I bring to you this little audience this afternoon, where we have heard, and read the Word of God. We know that it's every bit the truth, because it's Your Word. We not only, now, believe it to be true, we know that it's true.
We have seen you, Lord, do something that will make people know that there's still... Besides a paradox of the world, and space, and the natural laws of God, we can see here, where that the law of death working in a human's body, where science has failed to cure by their research...
And Lord, we're grateful for those people. We by no means belittle them. We're grateful for them. But Lord, when it comes to a place that they can do no more, now we see Your great hand come in, knowing that there's no man could heal them. Because he'd be a doctor, or have to take some remedy. But to see the Son of God come down and ... that made the promise that we all believe in.

81 And every person held their hand up that wasn't saved---and wanted to be saved. God, something warned their hearts. Some of them said they'd been wrong, maybe backslid and wanted to come back. I pray that you'll take each one back, for they know, Lord, and know... Many of them may have known me, or of me, for these years, and know that there's no good thing in a man, and especially me. How could there be any good thing? But yet, they see that Word that God promised, made manifest. They're convinced that it's the truth. They've accepted it.
Many here I could not bring to the platform. And Father, Thou bear me record. Never have I said that it would be something that I could do---no more than yield myself to you, and let you take me out of the way, and put Your Spirit in there, to work.
Now, Father, seeing that one person can do that, others can do it. I pray that each one that has their hands laying on each other that's sick and afflicted, will be healed just at this time---that the great Holy Spirit pass through the building, just now, and make everyone well.
Save every one, Lord, give such an experience---pour out the Holy Ghost, Lord, upon this audience. Oh, we're looking for you to do great things, this coming week. Just let it be so, Lord, right now, in the name of Jesus Christ.

82 Now let us all stand to our feet. Do you believe with all you heart? Now I wonder if our sister at the piano, there, would give us a little chord of this, "I will praise Him, I will praise Him?" Have you heard that? Now let's sing it together. Now we'll hope to meet you tomorrow evening. Now, we'll dismiss, officially, just in a moment. But I want to sing this song with you. All right.
I will praise Him (let's raise our hands),
I will praise Him,
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory all ye people
For His blood has washed away each stain.
Let us bow our heads now for the dismissing prayer. All right. Brother Jewel Rose is going to dismiss us. God bless you, Brother Rose.