Perseverance

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Thank you, Brother Neville, the Lord bless you. Good morning friends. It's a privilege to be here this morning in the presence of the Lord, in the Tabernacle with the people. And it's a rainy day outside, and I just drove up just now, and the way you were singing and clapping your hands, they must be having showers of blessings on the inside. So that's very good. So we're very thankful for this day. It's a ... We got to have the rain. If we don't have the rain, then the Master cannot gather His fruits. So we have a rain inside, spiritual, or there won't be any fruits for the harvest. We have to have a rain on the outside or we won't have any natural harvest. That's right.

2 And, you know, both of it, it takes something that died so that we can live. The harvest brings on life, and life has to produce death. Through death we live. Do you know, every day by your natural life, something has to die so you can live. You have to ... something dies. So you eat and live by dead substance. If you eat pork chops, the hog died. If you eat beefsteak, the cow died. If you eat corn, it died. If you eat wheat bread, well, it died. If You eat kale, it died. You live by dead substance, naturally. Then isn't that proof that something had to die so we could live eternally? Christ died, the Son of God, that we can live eternally. So I'm so happy for all of that this morning, to be knowing that these great disastrous times that we're living in now, and know that Christ died for sinners, and that was me, that He died for me.

3 Now, I guess last Sunday you remember that the Lord, a few days ago, spoke to me and said we were going to ... You notice in the last Sunday's tape there were coming disasters. Just coming down I was listening to the broadcast, Germany's got the worst flood they've ever had in the nation. It's killed hundreds, and people are even hanging themselves. I jotted this down, coming down. And dikes has broke through, and everything, in Germany. And England has the most terrific windstorms, that's blowed, I believe, seventy thousand houses away, already, see. Well, we're at the end time. Jesus will appear one of these days, and we're at the end time. Just remember, this is just beginning, it's going to continue to come on and on. We're at the end.

4 Now, tomorrow, right after the message today, we're getting ready to leave for Arizona again, so we ask the church to pray for us, as we go. And then I got great decisions I have to make, friends, and I can't make them alone, 'cause I don't know what to do. And I will ask this church, as a group of believers sojourning here with me, that you'll pray for me, that my decisions will be the right place to go. Some three hundred overseas cities, I think, is calling, in Switzerland, Germany, and Africa, and everywhere. So we pray that God will just help us to do the right thing where He can use us at. And you pray for me. I'm going to be praying for you always, you know that. So you pray for me that the Lord God will guide me.
Now, coming back from Arizona, the Lord willing, I want to call the attention and we'll announce it at the church, they will here, and I would like to have a little longer time to speak with the congregation here. I got a message, and I like to preach about eight hours or something, see, so like that. When we...

5 A lady was talking to me, Mrs. Wood here of the church, I was speaking to her, and I was at Milltown at the Baptist church there where we was having service, and I believe one of their first services, said, "I come in at ten o'clock, Brother Branham, you were preaching." And said, "You preached on till noon, then all afternoon, then they had a little fifteen, twenty minutes time to eat lunch." And said, "We left that night at ten o'clock, you were still preaching." I said, "Well, you know I don't know too much, but, you know, when I get what little I know out of the way, and let Him go talking. He knows a whole lot." So, and I just like to hear it, too, so I... But I was just saying that in a round about way.

6 But, coming back, the Lord willing, I would like to start early and just run on through for a message that the Lord's putting on my heart. And I pray that He will grant the fullness of it to me out in the desert, for the church in the last day now. See, just one of the last moves of the Spirit, I believe, is at hand. And we're believing that the Lord Jesus is fixing to turn the heavens loose with the powers of God, that it will rend the heavens, that we believe that He's going to do it. And so we're trusting that He'll give a fuller message on it as we return. Then have about ... begin about nine o'clock at morning, or nine-thirty, and run on through till about two or three o'clock, or whenever I get time to get through with it, you see.

7 Then I think then maybe go to Africa from there. So if the Lord continues to lead that way, or Switzerland first, then Palestine and Africa, on the conventions. So, be in prayer. Whatever you do, just look up today and pray, pray. That's all, that's the only hope that we have, is prayer.
We're past the ... I hope I don't sound sacrilegious, or like somebody that didn't know what they were speaking of, but I believe our nation, as a nation, is already past redeeming. There's too... If there was enough Christians or enough together to pull it together, but as much pulling has been done, great evangelists and great services everywhere, and still it continually plunges on into chaos. So I believe that just like all great nations, see, all of them must fall. They, all these systems and so forth must fall.

8 Thinking of men giving their lives for a democracy. That's a loyal thing to the nation. That's good. Nothing against that. But what about our lives for Christ, you see? A man be a hero; raise up, a young fellow just in the bloom of life, and have his head shot right off his shoulders, to be a hero, and perhaps maybe don't even hear about it 'less it's his only family at home, or somebody around his neighborhood that knew him. But yet we're afraid to step out and take that all-sufficient move for Christ, you see, where, "He that finds his life shall lose it; he that loses his life for my sake shall find it, keep his life." So let's just put everything that we've got right in the Lord Jesus and just seal ourselves away from the things of the world, and look to Him and believe His Word and move right on with Him.

9 Now, just before... Now, today, pardon me, Last Sunday I kept you so long on that subject of the oneness between God and His people. And now today I thought I would let you out earlier today, because last Sunday there was many to be prayed for and I didn't have time to run the prayer line after we got through preaching. And I think they gave out some cards last Sunday or something for the people, or whatever it is, we'll call for them if they're in the building, and, if there's not, we'll pray anyhow.

10 Now, today I just want to speak on the subject to kind of build up faith. You've got to. If you're building any... If there's ministers here which there's no doubt there is, knows that when you are speaking to the people you have an atmosphere of preaching for salvation, then you want to make that call to that. And then if you want the atmosphere for healing, you get the anointing yourself, by the Word of God, and deliver it to the people, and that puts the whole group in the anointing for certain things. Otherwise, under expectations of certain things. See, we're expecting something.

11 And you know, I believe then, to bring that a little higher, that God's got all of His church now, the called-out remnant of His church, under expectations of His coming, you see. I remember at the gate at His coming, there must have been a tremendous Good Friday when they knowed He was coming to the feast, and expectations. Many of them was expecting Him to be there, to see some kind of a miracle He would perform. Or ... and others were wanting to see Him. Others wanted to make fun of Him. And it was kind of a different Passover than had been for a long time, when He rode into the city. Let's just be expecting Him to come to take us home, and then we'll ... when He comes this time.
Now let us bow our heads as we speak to Him. Now over this audience of people, if there is any request here that would like to be known to God, would you just raise your hand to Him, and, like, "God, be merciful to me. I need salvation. I need healing, I want a closer walk with You." God bless you. It's all over the building.

12 Our heavenly Father, as we approach thy throne of grace, in the name of the Lord Jesus, that One who brought us this amazing grace, how we thank You with all of our hearts for Him who was without sin and came down and purchased the salvation for us, the unworthy ones that we being unworthy yet might be brought nigh unto Him by the shedding of His blood, that He might wash us by the water of the Word and present us unto His Father as a chaste virgin, cleansed, sanctified by His blood, and made acceptable in the sight of God, washed and ready. As we're thinking of the washing of the sacrifice, thinking that when John seen Him coming into the water, he spoke and said, "I have need to be baptized of Thee, why comest Thou unto me?"
He said, "Suffer it, John, to be so." Oh, I love that. In other words, "John, you are the prophet, I am your God. We are the leading men of this day. I know you understand, and so do I understand. But, remember, John, it behooveth us, it's becoming to us that we fulfill all righteousness." John, knowing that the sacrifice must be washed before it's sacrificed, and He was the sacrifice, so he baptized Him, the sinless One, washing the sacrifice before it was presented.

13 God, wash our hearts this morning. Wash us with the water of the Word, that we might present ourselves to You. Cleanse us, Lord, from all unbelief, that we might be drawn nigh unto Thee as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, for this is our reasonable service. We thank You for these things. Thank You for every person that's present. Praying that You'll bless the great universal church of the living God, throughout the nations and around the world. This morning where ministers are standing in the pulpit, I pray that You'll pour out Your Spirit, Lord, in a miraculous way upon every faithful pastor at his post of duty, on the evangelists, upon the missionaries. O God, when I think of them out there some of them without a pair of shoes on, old ragged pair of trousers wrapped around them, going through the jungle, to bring peace and deliverance to those that are away from Christ.

14 God, we say, "Send Jesus quickly. Come, Lord Jesus." And now we see nature, the very sign like the star that led the wise men to Bethlehem, on the move again. Jesus said there'd be perplexity of time, distress between the nations, signs in the heaven and earth, sea a-roaring, great storms and tidal waves and earthquakes in divers places. These things are just ... they are buzzers that sets our hearts alarm, Lord, that we know to be ready. We don't know what minute or hour He might appear.
And as we come today, we pray that You'll bless the secret behind every hand that raised up. God, You know all about it. I pray that You'll wash them, Lord, and their sacrifice and desire, and give to them what they have need of. And as we're coming today, Lord, I pray if there be those here who doesn't know You as a Saviour, that this will be that day, that greatest day of their life, when they'll say "Yes" to the Lord Jesus. Grant it, Lord.
Bless those now, Father, as we are trying to make ready to cause people to have faith, by reading Your Word. God, send Your Word with power, out across the building here, and into the lands where the tapes will go, and the foreign nations, wherever it may be, and may many be saved and healed today for the glory of God. We ask it in the name of His beloved, Holy Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

15 We pray that God add His tremendous blessings now as we read His Word. Remember, my words will fail, they're a man's word, but His Word cannot fail. "Heavens and earth will pass away but My Word shall not." What a hope that is today! I feel like singing with Eddie Perronet, "All hail the power of Jesus' name, let angels prostrate fall; bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all. On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; all other grounds is sinking sands, all other ground."

16 Now, to many of you that read with us and would like to mark the text, and sometimes refer to the Scriptures that I have written out here on the notes, we're going to start, read this morning from St. Matthew 15:21.
Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre of Sidon.
And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
And he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast to the dogs.
And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat ... the crumbs which are fallen from their masters' table.
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

17 Now, this morning we want to talk on faith. Now, my subject this morning is: "Perseverance." Perseverance means to be persistent, to make a goal. Now, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
We have our body, and our being here is like a seed. And a seed on the outside has a shell; inside the shell has a crust, or a pulp, pardon me; and inside the pulp has a germ. That's the way we are: body, soul, spirit. Now, to the body there's five senses: see, taste, feel, smell, and hear. To the soul there's conscience, and so forth, five avenues to it.
The inside is one, one, avenue. And that avenue is the same place that God set every man from Adam and Eve, self-will. You will to live or you will to die, either one you want to. It's ... you're based on free moral agency, and whatever spirit that you let dominate you will bring forth the fruits, your life will be dominated by the inside. And faith... So many people rely upon these five senses on the outside. They're fine, nothing against them, if they agree with this sixth sense. This soul ... this spirit only can be of two kinds, one of them is the Spirit of God, the other is the spirit of the devil. You can't serve two masters at the same time. You're wholly given to one or wholly given to the other. And if you've got the Spirit of God in you, you've got faith, and you'll believe every word that God wrote. And if you haven't, you might be...

18 Now, the devil is not like some people think, "he's mean and everything," but he's deceitful. The devil makes you think that you're right. But when you disagree with the Word, that shows that it isn't the Spirit of God, 'cause the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible. And then it's got to be agreeable with the Word. And remember last Sunday, just one little disbelief in God's Word. Eve, Satan told her the truth, and he never denied the Word being true, but that one little part of the Word caused all this trouble. The woman disbelieved it because she was hunting for wisdom instead of staying with the Word. When God says anything, heavens and earth will pass but His Word shall never pass away. God's Word must be fulfilled to the dot. Just to the very tittle and jot, it must be fulfilled.

19 Now, perseverance, to be persistent, to try to make a goal, trying to, you've got your mind set on something, and you're persistent in it because you believe it's the thing that you want, and you believe you can get it. Now, pardon me. To be persistent, you've got your mind made up now that what you're going to do. Now, you cannot have faith in God without knowing the Word of God or knowing something about God.
Now, someone told you, "If you go touch that post, you'll get well. You're sick." Now, I wouldn't believe that. You might do it. But that's just a little too strong for my faith. I don't believe there's any virtue in that post, no more than I believe there's virtue in a statue or a monument or a crucifix, or something like that.
I believe the virtue is in Christ, and Christ is the Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." Now, the Word itself comes back in the form of the Holy Spirit, into us, and it's Word in you. God in you. So many wants to point God to some mystical something way away, or, so far away they overreach it. God is in you, the hope of glory, Christ, the mind that was in Christ, in you. You're reaching plumb away from it, trying to get what's been given to you. God, in the human being!

20 Christ, when He was on earth, was the body of God. God created this body. It was a different body, yet it was a human body. You know, Solomon built Him a house. But Stephen said, "Howbeit the most High don't dwell in houses made with hands, but a body has Thou prepared Me." Now, God prepared Himself a body in the form of the Lord Jesus, which was the Christ, meaning the anointed one. And, now, all that God was, was in Christ, He was the fullness of the Godhead bodily. That's what the Scripture says. Now, and all that God was, He poured out in Christ. He was Immanuel, God with us!
And all that Christ was, He poured out into the church. What is it? Anointed one, to continue His work that His Word might live constantly. He lived by the Word of the Father. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth from the mouth of God." And the church don't live by bread alone, but by the Word of Christ. And the Holy Spirit comes in and takes the Word of Christ and makes it a living action today. "These signs shall follow them that believe."

21 See, God can't change. If God ever makes a decision, it has to remain that way. If He changes, then He's human like I am, He's just a man that can make a mistake. But He's infinite! So, and He's infinite and He's omnipotent, and He cannot make a mistake and be God. So His first decision When a man sinned He forgave him on the basis of believing His Word. The second man comes, He's got to act the same way or He acted wrong when He acted the first time. If a man was healed by divine healing, by faith in God, He granted that to the first man, if the next man comes, God's got to act the same way if it's met on the same basis. If He didn't, He's a respect of person and show partiality, which sure wouldn't make Him God, see.

22 You've got to have faith in what you're doing. "And if your heart condemns us not." If we know the Bible teaches us something and we fail to do that, then there's something we can't have faith in. See, you can't get yourself together, because you know there's certain things there that God teaches, that you will not cope with. And when you do that, then where're you at? You see, you can't have faith on what you're coming to. You can't come up here and say, "I ... last night I was out drunk, and, Lord, I want You to heal me this morning. I won't drink too much more." You've got to surrender yourself, got to give yourself completely to God. You've got to obey every bit of the Word. Sell out completely and then take the Word. That Word is in the church. It's a living Word.

23 The Bible said, "The Word is a seed that a sower went forth to sow." Now, you can't expect to sow cockleburs and get wheat. If you sow wheat, you reap wheat. If you sow cockleburs, you reap cockleburs. So, you've got to have the Word of God.
And no believer will ever place God's Word somewhere in the past, never make Him a weakling or a historical God. He is a historical God, of course, but "He's the same," the Bible said, Hebrews 13:8, "the same yesterday, today, and forever." Therefore, just as much as He was in history, He is today. He cannot lose His power. And where the weakness is that it fell in our churches, in the beginning, in the early apostolic church. And what did we do? We started taking that church and breaking up fellowship and making different sectarian people and organizations, till we've got it down to a big chaos of nothing. Back to the Word! Back to God! Back to the living Word!

24 If that Bible don't produce everything it says it is, on every promise, I haven't got any faith in it. But the very first Word that said, "Come unto me all ye that labor and heavy laden," when I tested it, it was truth. Then is this the Word or isn't it the Word? If it's the Word, it's got to produce everything it promised. If it isn't, then which is right and which is wrong? It's all God's Word or, to me, none of it is. None or all, one. So I believe it, every precept, every line, every punctuation, every comma, every hyphen, I believe the whole thing to be the Word of God. Hang my soul upon it!

25 Not touch a pole, touch something else, or a totem pole, or some man or some woman; I believe in touching God through believing His Word through faith. Then when you do that, that Word becomes in you a life, germitized Word. And every one of God's Word is germitized. The only thing, that you take a handful of wheat and hold it here on the platform, it'll never make anything staying here. It's got to get into ground. Not only ground, but the right kind of ground to support it. If the good Word falls in poor ground, it'll bring a poor crop. You take good grains and put it in good ground, under the right condition it'll bring forth a hundredfold. So is the Word of God when it's brought into the human heart, with a faith, undying faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit and the power of God there to water it, it'll germitize and bring forth everything it said it would do. It's a Word. It's God's Word.

26 Jesus said, John 14:12, "He that believeth on Me, the works I do shall he do also." Why, certainly! I believe that. "These works that I do," the right translation of that, "more than this shall you do." It says, "Greater than this shall you do." You couldn't do greater; He stopped nature, He raised the dead, He done everything. But, in other words, God was manifested in one man, Christ, now He's manifested universally in His church. "More than this," the same works.

27 Someone said to me not long, to be a little critical, said, " 'Greater works,' He said, 'shall you do.' We do the greater works."
I said, "Do the lesser before you do the greater. Just show me the lesser works." You can make it, twist it around and try to make it say something, but still it remains the same. And you watch anybody that's got faith enough to believe that, it'll manifest itself the same way that God did it. Now we got so much today under the emotions and so forth, and things. I have nothing to say against it, that's between the individual and God.
But, to me, every word, every action has to come from this Bible. It has to be God's Word, then I know it's true, if the Bible backs it up and says it's true, with a promise, then it's the truth. It's somebody that's found faith, that stands there on that Word and makes it live again. "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever." When we see that in the promise of God, then we can be perseverant. We can really believe, stay there because it's God's promise. Stay right with it no matter how long it takes it, it'll bring it out.

28 You know, He spoke one time of the seed of a mustard, or faith as a grain of mustard seed, the smallest. A mustard seed is among the smallest seeds that there is in the earth today. But what is it? It won't mix with nothing. Mustard seed won't mix with no other. You can take kale and spinach, and make rape and so forth, and you can bring different substance by mixing seeds. But mustard don't mix, they tell me that you can't mix it with nothing. It's mustard, and it remains mustard.

29 And when a man takes a Word of God, no matter how little that faith is, but if it won't mix with any unbelief, it'll bring him out to the light. Some of us has great faith that'll just perform miracles. Some has faith just to hold on till it happens. But if it's genuine faith, once ahold of it, there's nothing going to shake you from it. It ain't going to mix. Then that person is persistent. He has perseverance. No matter how many people says, "The days of miracles is past," he doesn't believe it. He holds on because he's met the conditions and sunk that Word into a heart of faith that believes it. There he stays.

30 I know it. I've seen carcinoma cancer go off of people, and deaf, dumb, and blind, universally, around the world, the dead raised up, and I know it's true. Right! Working upon vision, of course, then you know. Then you know what's the will of God. You cannot work until you know the will of God. A promise in the Bible that tells you a certain thing, that's God's Word. Then He sends His Spirit back into the church in gifts, to manifest Himself just to comb out the little differences and so forth, to make Himself real among us. Oh, what, how could we ask for anything different, see, when He comes to us and makes Himself so known, so personalized Himself, God amongst His people.

31 "A little while and the world..." The world; there's the Greek word cosmos which means "the world order." It'll sink. Every world order must sink, every nation that's dominated by Satan. Always has been and always will be, outside of Israel, when they become a nation. Satan took Jesus up top of the mountain, said, showed Him the kingdoms of the world, all that was and would come, said, "I'll give them to You if You'll fall down and worship me."
He said, "Get hence, Satan." He knew He was going to fall heir to them in the millennium. But every one ... I've stood where the Pharaohs once governed the world, known, and you'd have to dig twenty feet beneath the earth to find their kingdoms, their seats where they once set, the Caesars of Rome and the Pharaohs of Egypt, all these things. And if the world should stand, so will these democracies be. But there is ... what do they all speak of? Something in a human heart trying to find that unity.
And if you'd only look up, unity comes from God, the power of God. When the believer, the creation here on earth that God has created, is united with God, then there comes a unity and gives faith. And when a man sees that, he's persistent, nobody's going to shake him.

32 Jesus said over there, "The works that I do shall you do also. A little while and the world, cosmos, sees Me no more." That's the world order, "They see Me no more."
Many church members, fine people going to church, living under that thought that they're all right. Why, you're not all right as a church member. You're a citizen. You might try to do right, but, friend, let me tell you, you must be borned again. You don't come into the church, you don't come in the church by shaking hands, you don't come in the church by church membership. You come into the church by birth.
I've been in the Branham family fifty-two years, they never asked me to join the family to make my name a Branham. I was borned into the family of Branhams. I'm a Branham by birth.
That's how you're a Christian, by birth, when you're borned of the Spirit of God. Persistent! Yes, that's when you can achieve something. All men down through the ages has always been able to achieve what... They're persistent if they have faith in what they're trying to achieve. It depends on what your achievement is. Depends on what you're trying to do, whether you're persistent or not, how much faith you got in what you're doing. We must have faith in God. We must believe God.

33 Now, I got many scriptures wrote out here I want to refer to. Now, if a man is trying to be persistent, and he's got to have something first that'll give him faith in what he's doing. Now we remember, to begin with, the Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Now, remember that. God, when Christ was on earth, He said, "The works that I do shall you do also." Mark 16, said, "Go ye into all the world." The last address that Jesus gave to the church. Listen.
The first commission He ever give His church, was, go into the cities before He came, Matthew 10, and to "Heal the sick, cleanse the leper, raise the dead, cast out devils, and as freely as you have received, freely give." That was His first commission to the church.

34 The last commission, or the last words that fell from His lips when He went up, until He comes again with a shout, the voice of the archangel, He said, "Go into all the world, preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned, and [And is a conjunction, tying your sentence together.], and these signs shall follow them that believe in my name they shall cast out devils, speak with new tongues. If they took up serpents or drink deadly things, it shall not harm them. If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover." The Bible said, "They returned back with rejoicing, the Lord working with them, confirming the Word with signs following," see. They were persistent in it because they had something to achieve. They had a straight commission. How far was that commission to go? To all the world, to every creature. How many generations? Every generation, every creature.

35 Peter said, on the day of Pentecost, "Repent, every one of you. Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, for the promise is unto you and to your children and to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." How can you place the Holy Ghost and the power of Christ way back in some (almost a prehistoric), way back in some generation back there? God knew that they'd say that. That's the reason He said, "I'll not leave you comfortless. I'll pray the father send you another comforter, the Holy Ghost. A little while and the world won't see Me no more, yet ye shall see Me for I..." And I is a personal pronoun. "I'll be with you, even in you, to the end of the consummation." Amen. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. God living in His church, in His people.
"What denomination, Brother Branham?" He don't pull strings on denomination. God deals with individuals. Each man, each woman, boy or girl that will believe on Him. No matter what denomination they belong to, He's hunting hungry hearts.

36 Now, persistent, trying to achieve something. All men through all ages has been that way. Now we take, for instance, Noah. Noah was very persistent after he had found the will of God.
You've got to first find the will of God. Now, you've got to find the will of God this morning, as you're coming to be prayed for, you've got to find the will of God, whether it's God's will to heal you or not. The next thing you have to do, if you're coming to get salvation, you've got to find out whether it's God's will to save you or not. The first thing you have to find out, what God's will is. And then, if you really have received the seed in your heart, then you can be persistent. There's nothing going to move you. No matter what wisdom man tries to say, "It's not so, and it's not this and that and the other," it doesn't move you one iota, because you know what the will of God is. He spoke it into your heart, your faith sits there and it'll hold right on no matter if there's no more than like a grain of mustard seed. It'll bring you right out to the place. The will of God. Yes.

37 Noah, after he heard the voice of God telling him that there's going to be a flood came, come, pardon me, that was going to destroy the world, nature was going to cut up. Didn't Jesus say, "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of man"? Nature would take a rampage, and we see it today.
I want to stop here for a minute. When I was coming into Bombay, where the Lord gave us the greatest crowd we ever had, 500,000 at one time, to preach to. There was a piece in the newspaper I was reading, said, "The ... well, the earthquake must be over." Said, "A few days before the earthquake come, all..." In India they're poor, real poor. They build their fences out of rocks, and so forth. And the little birds flew out of the rocks from their nests and went out in the field and set in the trees. The cattle that stood around the walls and towers, went out in the field in the hot sun, wouldn't stand in the shade. They stood in the sun out there. They didn't know what this strange thing was. Then, all at once, an earthquake shook the walls down, the towers down. If the little birds had been in there, they'd have been killed. If the cattle had been standing beneath that, they'd have been killed.

38 Don't you see the same God that warned the birds and the beasts in the days of Noah? And what do you want to call it premonition, or whatever you want to say, how God dealt with His birds? He give them the instinct to fly out of that wall and get away from that thing before it struck. Do you think that God thinks enough of a sparrow to take him out of the wall, how much more are you than a sparrow? He knows how to take care of His own.
Sister laying here on this cot, stretcher, if He fed the sparrow and clothed the field with grass, how much more does He think of you! How much more are you than a sparrow? Have faith in God regardless of feelings or anything else. It's God's Word. You take a hold of it and hold to it. Right! Be persistent, believe it, hold onto His Word.
Then after the earthquake stopped, the little birds flew back, flew into their places and made the rocks ... holes, or places in the rocks again, and built their nests. The cattle, the same.

39 God that was in the days of Noah. Noah! Well, you think science would have said to him... They had greater science then than they do now. They could achieve greater accomplishments than they can now. They had a dye that makes things look perfect till this day. They had an embalming fluid that they could make mummies. We could not do that today, so I'm told. Then another thing, they built the pyramid. Who could build a pyramid today? Them great boulders there, as I stood there and looked up there and seen the Sphinx, and, why, it'd take many flatcars to put its one foot on there. How did they get those boulders up in there? Where did they do it? Gasoline power won't do it. There's nothing that we have, unless it would be the atomic energy, and that might have been the same thing that caused the antediluvian destruction that throwed the world out of cater and throwed it away from the sun, pushed it backwards and caused the rain.
If God said there would be rain, there was going to be rain regardless of whether there'd ever been or not. No matter how many scientific proofs there was to Noah, Noah, heard the voice of God, said, "It's going to rain." And there had never been rain upon the earth. You see?

40 As He took Abraham up to the top of the mountain, and there told him to sacrifice his own son. And when Abraham got Isaac ready, and little Isaac questioned... A type of God and His Son. Tied his hands behind him. He said, "Here is the fire, and here is the wood, and so forth, here's the stones, here's the altar, but where is the sacrifice?"
And that old father, now about 114 years old, with a son that he had waited for for twenty-five years, through difficults and so forth, and how he had held to that undying Word of God, had been planted in his heart, he was going to have the baby anyhow. What was he? Persistent. He said, "I've held him this far. I know that if God give him to me by believing Him, He'll raise him up from the dead." There you are. Persistent, holding that Word of God first.

41 And, that, when he got ready to take his life, there was an angel caught his hand and stayed the knife. And there was a ram hooked by its horns, in the wilderness behind him. Where did that ram come from? He was three days journey, and any man in that day could walk easy twenty-five miles. I walk twenty-five and thirty every time I go hunting or on patrol, or anything, I easy walk it. And we got so-called gasoline feet. That man went from three days journey, and then looked far off and seen the mountain. Why, wild beasts would have killed that ram. And another thing, he was up on top of the mountain where there's no water nor nothing. No wonder he called the place Jehovah-jireh, "the Lord will provide for Himself a sacrifice."

42 "How can He do these things, Brother Branham, in the days of science, in the days of the great scientific world? How can He perform this? How do you think He'll ever get by with it?" He's still Jehovah-jireh, the Lord. We keep His Word and He's able to perform that what He said. Amen. He can take a dead, cold formal church, He can take a member out of that church and put the life of God into that fellow, and set him afire with the gospel. He can take a prostitute off the street, He can take a drunkard out of the alley out yonder, make a man and a lady out of them, because He's Jehovah-jireh, "the Lord will provide for Himself a sacrifice." Amen.
How we've put God down on our basis! We think on our basis. We believe on our basis. Turn that thing loose. That's what got Eve in trouble, she was thinking on her own basis. Think on God's basis, what His Word says. Lift yourself up above that, by faith, believing His Word.

43 Noah said, "I don't care how much science can prove there's no water up there, God's able to put water up there. He will do it because He promised it. If He promised it, He'll do it."
And he ... what did he do? He wasn't just go around and say, "Well, He told me that. Yes, I believe it." He done something about it. Oh, brother, sister, do you see what I mean? He didn't just sit there and say, "God said so," he done something about it. If you want to get saved this morning, God promised salvation. Then do something about it, just don't sit there. Don't join one church and take your letter from church to church. He promised salvation, deliverance.

44 If you're sick, "Why sit here?" As the leper said that day when the city was beseiged, "Why sit we here until we die?" When Samaria was besieged by the Syrians, they said, "We sit here till we die, we'll always be here. We'll die right here. If we go in the city, they're dying in there from starvation. Let's go down to the camp of the enemy." Oh, my, what a poor... What a little faith they could have. What a little thing... Thy go to the camp of the enemy who was trying to kill them. But said, "If we die, we're going to die anyhow. So if we save ... we'll get our life saved, why, we'll do well." And they went down there, and God honored that little speck of dingy faith. And not only delivered them, but delivered Israel.

45 What we need today is men and women who will take God by His Word and be persistent with it. God will cause the earthquakes and the shakes to go down to the camp first. God will take care whether there's going to be rain up there or not.
Say, "Well, Brother Branham, the doctor told me I was dying. I got cancer." That may be so. The man's telling you all he knows how. But, only thing he can do, he's got five senses to work with, two of them he can use. What is it? One sense is feeling, the next place is seeing. Seeing and feeling, he can feel something, or see something through an x-ray. That's all the man has to work with. That's all he knows, but he's doing the best he can do. But don't look at that, he's come to his end. Look up here what this promised! Say, "How can it be done?" God said so. That settles it when God said it. That settles it, it's eternally settled forever in heaven, His Word is. And His Word was made flesh, and His flesh today in you, if you'll let it come flesh. "If ye abide in Me, and My Word's in you, then ask what you will and it'll be done," St. John 15. See, we want just let them words stay in here. Believe it, it's the truth. It's a seed, it'll bring to pass everything that He promised.

46 Now, notice, if science would have come out there, a group of scientists, and said, "Mr. Noah, you're a fine minister. We appreciate you. You got a nice congregation here, your family, but, however, if you ... we don't agree with you, and we know that you're different. You're just causing fanaticism to be sowed amongst the people, and you're even scaring some of the people, telling them that the world's coming to an end. We want to show and scientifically prove to you."
Oh, that devil never did die. He's just still trying to do that. That same one that said, "If thou be the Son of God, let me see a miracle. Perform a miracle and turn this bread, this ... You're hungry. Make this stones bread, I'll believe you." The same devil in them educated priests, said, "If thou be the Son of God, come down off the cross and prove it to us," see. That devil don't ... he just don't die. See, the devil always takes his man but his spirit stays here for another. But let me tell you some encouragement, God takes His man but His Spirit stays here for another, too. Yes, somebody's going to receive that Word. Somebody's going to be anointed one way or the other. It depends on what spirit's on the inside of this grain. That's when you're going to believe it or not believe it. That's...

47 Someone said to me not long ago, a minister. It'd be surprising. And I was in a doctor's office when he said it. And I tell you the truth, I found more believing doctors in divine healing than I have ministers. That's right. Yes, sir. I've been under ... I was interviewed you know there on account of Look magazine, or not Look, but, what was that magazine that wrote that miracle of Donny? Reader's Digest. Yeah. And when they had me interviewed there at Mayo Brothers, you know what they said? "We do not claim to be healers, we only claim to assist nature. There's only one healer, that's God." Oh, my! There you are. It's men who can think. Somebody who can look out yonder and look over the whole thing. We are human beings. We are subject to death, mistakes and everything. He's God, infinite.
We must believe it. If I could explain it, then it's no more faith. I can't explain why a black cow can eat green grass and give white milk, but she does it. That's right. You can't explain it either. No, sir. I can't explain how God does these things, but He just said He would do it. I'll never know it, you'll never know it, but we believe it. By faith are you saved. By faith are you healed. Everything that comes from God has got to come by faith.

48 Some time ago, I was standing to do a broadcast, a fellow was making fun of the meeting, didn't know who I was. He said, "I don't believe that." Said, "It couldn't be done. I just can't believe it like that." He said, "I've got to... It's got to be scientifically proven to me."
I said, "Then you could never be a Christian. You can never."
He said, "Oh, I'm a Christian."
I said, "You can't be. You cannot." I said, "Scientifically prove to me where Christ is." I said, "Are you a married man?"
He said, "Yes."
I said, "Do you love your wife?"
He said, "Yes."
I said, "Scientifically prove to me what love is." I said...
"Well," he said, "I couldn't do that."
I said, "Then you haven't got anything I call love, see. Now, you just... That's a make-belief in your mind, see. If you can't prove it scientifically. Tell me what... Go down here and buy me a quarter's worth of love. Buy me a dime's worth of faith. You can't do it."

49 And the whole armor of God is faith, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, meekness, gentleness, patience. The whole armor of the believer is faith. We believe God by faith, because, God said so. Then what is it? Abraham was justified, by Paul, by faith; but, by James, by works. Abraham was talking what God saw, and James was talking what man saw. "Show me your faith by your works," "without your works," and so forth, see. Then if you don't have works with your faith, it shows you haven't got faith, you're just talking from your mouth. But if you really got faith, you believe it and act like it. That's right, put it in action!

50 Noah did, he put it in action. He went right ahead building the ark. No matter what any science said, "Now, look here, we'll scientifically prove to you there's no rain up there."
"I don't care how much you can prove to me, how much you can say that by scientific research, or whatever you want to call it, God told me 'There is coming a rain,' and I believe God." That's it. "It's going to rain."
"Where's it coming from? Mr. Noah, I would like to ask you, sir, reverend, where is that rain coming from? Where's it at?"
"Well, God's able to put it up there if He told me it's going to be there." Right!

51 And today they say this can't be done. They see the discernment in the meeting. They say, "It's got to be a telepathy." A telepathy, a telepathy? A discerning of spirit, of visions of the Lord! What kind of a telepathy did the prophets have? What did Jesus have when He stood there that day?
Here come Philip up, and he got saved and went over and got Nathanael, brought him up before Jesus, and Nathanael said, "Ah, now there could be nothing good come out of Nazareth."
So when he come up to where Jesus was, Jesus looked at him and said, "You are an Israelite. You have no guile."
And he said, "Rabbi, when did You know me? How did You ever know me?"
Said, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the tree I saw you."
Now, physically, that was... If you was ever there, it's fifteen miles around the mountain. The two places, a days journey around the mountain. How could He've saw him? Then what? Being a man of faith, being a man that wanted to see the Word of God made manifest, wanted to know that God said, "The Lord your God shall raise up, when the Messiah comes He's going to be a prophet just like He was." And he saw that, and he knowed. He said, "Rabbi, You're the Son of God." That's right. His name's immortal.

52 But there stood those great starchy priests that had enough DD, PhD, LLD's behind them, perhaps, come through a line of ministers standing there, thought they knowed the Word. They did, word, but there's a lot don't... Not knowing His Word, but knowing Him, know Him that's in the Word. That's right. Knowing Him, the life that's in the Word. Now, they stood there and said, "This man's Beelzebub. He's a fortune-teller. He sees those things. He's a fortune-teller. That's..."
Jesus turned and said, knowing... Now wait, they never said that out loud, they thought that in their heart. And He knew their thoughts. Does the Bible say that? St. Luke. Yeah, He knew their thoughts. See, they thought He was reading their mind. Perceived their thoughts. He said, "You speak a word against Me, I'll forgive you for it. But, in otherwise, someday the Holy Spirit's going to come to do this same thing, and you speak one word against it, you speak against that, it'll never be forgiven you in this world, neither in the world to come."
See, see, the Holy Spirit, they couldn't understand it. They had to answer their congregation, 'cause their congregation was standing there. And they said, "Well He must be reading their minds. He's got a telepathy. He's Beelzebub, a fortune-teller. And anybody knows that a fortune-teller is of the devil. And they called the work of God "a devil," calling the works of God.

53 Don't you know that anything the devil has is something that's perverted from the real? What is a lie? It's the truth perverted. What is an adultery? Is a righteous act perverted. All sin is truth and righteousness perverted. What is death? Life perverted. Certainly, it's the way it is in His Word. That's the way it is, and people just try to shadow it, shade it, make it say things because they don't know, they don't know. They don't have faith to take the Word. But Nathanael did.

54 How about Simon when he come up there? Heard that old Pharisee father of his say, "Simon, my son, before the end time comes, there'll perhaps... I've looked for Him to come in my days, but He didn't come. He may come in your time. And if He does, Simon, here's what will happen. There'll be everything going on, son, and there'll be all kind of false things rising everywhere. But you remember this, stay with the Word, see. Now, if this Messiah rises, He'll be a prophet. And this Messiah will be a prophet just like Moses was, 'cause our Word of God says He'll be a prophet like him. Now, you'll know He'll be more than a prophet, He'll be the God-prophet. But His actions and words will be a prophet, 'cause you could go no higher than that till you go to God, see. So he said, "He'll, be a God-prophet. His works here on earth will show a prophet, so we know that it'll be God. Remember that."

55 And I guess when Andrew come and told him that night, "Oh, we saw the Messiah," I imagine Simon said, "Get away, get away. Go away. Ah, go on, don't bother me."
But the next day when he attended the meeting, walked up in the presence of the Lord Jesus, and He said, "Your name is Simon, and you're the son of Jonas." That took the starch out of him. What did He do? That ignorant fisherman that couldn't even sign his own name, the Bible said he was both ignorant and unlearned. But it pleased God, with that faith, to make him Peter, the little stone, give him the keys to the kingdom, "Upon this rock I'll build My church." What, upon a rock like the Catholic says? No. Upon what, what is it? Upon the spiritual revelation. See, "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father which is in heaven has revealed it to you. Upon this rock, upon the written Word of God being spiritually revealed, I'll build My church, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it." Why? It's more than a mustard seed. It's God's power moving amongst mortals upon the Word, the Word made alive.
That's what was in Noah. He said... The Word is life in him. "And I'll prepare for it."
"Well, if didn't rain yesterday. You said it was going to rain. When's it going to rain?"
"I don't know, but it's going to rain."
"How do you know it's going to do it?"
"God said so."

56 Like they said to Abraham, why, eighty years old, him; and his wife, ninety years old. Poor little old wife running along there, been packing some pins and things for the little booties for the baby, for twenty-five years, here she is ninety, on a little walking cane like this, going around. Abraham, humpback, and whiskers hanging down. "What about it, Abraham? Hey, you left the city of Ur a long time ago. You said you going to have a baby. What about it now?"
"Glory to God, we'll have it anyhow!"
"Why?"
"God said so!"
"Why, that's been twenty-five years ago."
"God said so! It don't make any difference if it's 125 years, He'll do it anyhow!" See? Persistent, perseverance, pursuing, pursuing after. You've got a hold of it!
Like the little boy flying the kite. Said, "Where's it at?"
He said, "I don't know, but it's out there somewhere, I can feel it on the end of the line." That's it!

57 A man or a woman that takes God's Word, you got a hold of something. Your anchor holds within the veil. The storms and gales may press and shake in every way, but you're anchored. She's coming right on up to the place. You're perseverant. You're going to believe it.
Noah believed it, sure, and he achieved God's purpose for his life. Do you want to achieve God's purpose in your life? Then be perseverant when you get the Word. Hold onto it, the promise, it's yours.
Moses. How many characters could I go to now! I say here Moses, over in Exodus. Moses, he was a scholar, a diplomat, a soldier. Not only a soldier, he was a general. He was not only a general, but he was a coming Pharaoh. Amen. I feel religious right now, so excuse me. Yes, a coming Pharaoh. If he wanted to deliver his people, well, he had Egypt in his hand. He was the coming Pharaoh, he could do what he wanted to when he become Pharaoh. But God spoke to him, one day yonder in a burning bush.

58 Oh, he run like a coward, with all of his education. All of his theology, he failed. All of his great things, he failed. But one day, in a burning bush, God met him. When God come to him in this burning bush, watch him, with a stick in his hand, his wife on a mule, with little Gershom sitting on her hip, on his road to Egypt. What was he? Going down to take over. He was, had perseverance, he was very persistent.
"Moses, do you think you, at eighty years old, and with a crooked stick in your hand, dry as it can be?" A crooked stick, a one-man invasion, going down to Egypt like one man going over to Russia to take over. We only need ... God only needs one man. That's only ... He only needs one man completely in His hand. One man, that's all He needs. He can shake Russia to pieces with that one man.

59 He took Noah, or Moses, pardon me, He took Moses while he was running this way, settled down to a nice life, lovely young girl, married her, had a baby, falling heir to his father-in-law's sheep, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He had everything made. Had a nice home, place, comfortable living out there, and hunt every once in a while with his crossbow, maybe, and kill a deer, and plenty of berries and plenty of sheep, and wool and trade, the caravans come through. Why, he had it made, nothing he had to worry about. But one day, one day the burden of the people, his people that was burdened was done left his mind. They were down in Egypt. He had failed, so God can do something else about it. But one day when God met him in a burning bush, you talk about perseverance, here he goes!
"Where's your army?"
"I don't need any. My army is an unseen army." Like it was at Dothan one morning, with the prophet ... My army is an unseen army." Here he goes, the only thing you can see is an old crooked stick, leading this mule behind, and the whiskers a-blowing. "Praise God!" His eyes set towards heaven, going down to take over.
"Sometimes faith makes you act ridiculous, to the carnal mind. But if it's God's Word, it's got to come to pass. Be perseverant, see God make it come to pass.

60 He went down, he was very persistent. Walked up in the front of Pharaoh, looked like he was going to fail. He said, "I'll show you whether I'm sent of God or not." He throwed down the stick on the floor like that, as if to say ... and it turned into a serpent; he and Aaron. And he just called over two astrologers, or two devil-possessed men like we've got in the last days, imitating to the very elect, if possible. That's right. Come down, throwed their sticks down, turned the same thing. Now, Moses knowed this one thing, that the God that sent him was able to take care of him. Now, he didn't know what to act next.

61 You get to a place you don't know what to do, and people say, "He never got healed. Why, there's the thing still there." If God placed that in your heart, do stand still. You just keep on testifying to the glory of God. Keep on!
Moses said, "I know God sent me." What happened? The serpent blowed three or four time, this big, perhaps a python or something, raised over and swallowed up the others. Did you ever think what become of them other sticks? They only picked up the one. He'd eat the rest of them up. They wasn't no more. That's the way God will do one of these days by His power. Yes.

62 Moses was perseverant. Then, the first thing you know, He sent him out, and said, "Do this, Pharaoh." And he said, "If you don't, we're going to do so-and-so." And he called on God, and he sent flies, fleas, everything else upon the earth. What was he? He was determined. God told him, "Bring them children back to this mountain, back here." He knowed he had the will of God, he knowed he had the vision before him. He knowed that heavens and earth would pass away, but that vision could not fail. So he went down there, persistent.

63 Listen, brother, if you can come this morning with a vision of the will of God, if you can come with the Word of God, I don't care what happens, "I'm going to be persistent. I've ... in my heart, since I've been sitting here, I got a vision of God. I'm persistent. I'm going to be perseverant. I'm going down, I'm going to take over. This thing's got to leave me." It's going to leave you, brother. Don't you worry, it'll leave you.

64 David, standing up there before Goliath, why, he was persistent. He said, "You mean to tell me that you will stand and let that modern science, scientist out there... ?" Now it sounds sacrilegious, but I hope you know what I mean. "You mean to tell me that that modern scientist can stand there and say, 'The days of miracles is past,' when the Word of the living God disputes it? You mean to tell me that you'll let modern science say, 'There's no such a thing as divine healing?'" And the Bible, sixty-some percent of Jesus' ministry was divine ... yeah, eighty-six percent, I think, was divine healing. And the promise, and the last promises!
You mean to tell me, my minister brethren, that you'll stand and let this modern so-called denominational cults going into the league of churches here, or council of churches, and mean to tell me you'll stand in that organization and let them smother the Word of God in you, and tell you the days of miracles is past? Who are you anyhow? Have you ever had any experience? Was you ever born again of the Spirit of God? You ... if you have, brother, you'll certainly take God's Word for it. Let everything else be a lie. Certainly!

65 Notice, David had an experience. He took a little slingshot. He didn't have very much. It was a slingshot, but he knew that the God of heaven was with him. And he went out there and slew a bear and a lion, and he knew what it would do. And he said, "You mean to tell me, if God can deliver that bear and lion into my hands, how much more can He deliver that boasting, uncircumcised Philistine out there?"

66 This boasting world of today, saying the days of miracles is past, and a Russia raising up here, storming the churches down and putting them to shame. There's nothing in them to work for. Why is it little old Castro down there, that little devil-possessed fellow ... Now, I know him, shook his hands and met him, and so forth, when I was there. And he talked nice to me, and everything like that, said he believed there was coming a millennium and a Christ, and so forth, but he sold out to the devil. But what did he do? He done some good things. He did do one thing, he counterfeited all that money and started the currency new again. That's what's going to have to happen here one of these days, where these big hogs of whiskey stilleries, and tobacco companies that can take their income tax and put it out on television out here. I know I'm talking on tapes. But let me tell you, that's the truth, though. That's the money that should go to the government. But they can get around it. But you fail to pay yours one time and see what happens. They'll strip you down for it.

67 Mean to tell me that bunch of uncircumcised Philistines can stand out here and defy the armies of the living God? We back up such a thing as that. What the church needs today is going back to God, back to His Word, back to the power, back to Pentecost; not to Pentecostal organization, back to the experience of Pentecost. Them guys are out of the wheel when they talk about Pentecostal organization. Pentecost is an experience, it comes to Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterians, or whoever wants it. That's right. God don't deal with a nation, with a people, with a denomination, He deals with an individual. Always, with the Gentiles, taking a people out of the Gentiles for His name's sake, see. That's the way He deals with them. Now, quickly, I must hurry.

68 David said, "You mean to tell me you'll let that happen?" He said, "This little slingshot!" He went after that lion, killed it, and went after the bear and killed it. He said, "How much more will God give me that boasting Philistine out there that says the days of miracles is past?"
He laughed at him, he said, "I'll take you on the end of this weaver's needle, spear, hang you up, and let the birds eat your flesh." He could do it.
Saul told him, said, "That man's a ... why, his fingers was fourteen inches long." He said, "Why, that man is a warrior from his youth, and you're nothing but a ruddy little boy."
"Oh, but," he said, "I got something to tell you. I got something you don't know about."
"Why, you're nothing," his brother said, "get on back home. You're naughty. I'll have Papa give you a whipping when you get back."

69 What'd he say? He said, "I was herding. Your servant, my father, I was herding his sheep out there one day. I trust in the Lord God. And a lion came in and took one of the lambs, and I went after him." Why? He was given a charge, right, by his father. "And I knocked him down. And when he raised up, I slew him, 'cause I was left with a charge."
Oh, minister brother, we're left with a charge. A lion comes in and gets one of His servants and takes it out, I'm coming with a slingshot this morning. A slingshot of prayer of faith shall save the sick, and God shall raise him up. What He said! We're coming after him, to bring that lamb back to the fold. We need you, every Christian, we need every one of you. We need you, we got to have you. Father's give us a charge, let's go get it. Let's keep charge.
He said, "And if He could do that for that sheep, how much more standing here defying the armies of the living God! I'm ashamed of my brother and all the rest of them," he said, as much to say. "I'm ashamed of your weakness."

70 I'm ashamed of my ministerial group someday when I hear them stand and coincide, side up with the unbelievers and saying, "Oh, there's no such a thing. There's not. You ... we don't expect those things to happen."
Peter said, on the day of Pentecost, "The promise is unto you and to your children, and to your children's children, to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." If He's still calling, He's still pouring out the Holy Ghost. If the Holy Ghost is still living in you, it's got to live the same life it did back there in Christ Jesus.
If you see a branch come up, and it puts forth an apple, well, the next one's not going to be a pear and the next one a plum. If it is, it's grafted. That's right. But if the original root of the tree puts out another branch, it'll be an apple. So, today, we got a lot of organizations and denominations that's been grafted. Them trees will live. Yes, sir.

71 I seen a tree the other day with nine different citrus fruits on it. And it had pomegranate, and it had, I believe it was grapefruit, lemon and all on it, but it really was an orange tree. And I said to the man, Mr. Sharrit, my friend, I said, "Well, how is that, being an orange tree?"
He said, "Well, you just split the tree and put this grafted one in there."
I said, "Well, when it brings forth fruit, will it bring forth the orange?"
He said, "No it brings forth after it's kind."
There you are! Brother, when I tell you, when churches are grafted into Christ, or supposed to be, just slit in there by name, calling themselves the churches of Christ, when they do, what do they bring? Denominational fruits. But if that branch ever brings forth another limb, it'll be like the first one was. Let me tell you, brother, if the Holy Ghost is real in the church today, the kind of church it had that wrote the book of Acts behind it, if the church of the living God, the church of Jesus Christ become again alive by the same Holy Spirit that fell on the day of Pentecost, it'll write a book of Acts behind it. Right. It'll be persistent, perseverant until that thing comes to pass. O God, have mercy on us. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

72 Samson, Samson, he was very perseverant as long as he could feel those seven locks around him. He knowed that was a promise that God give him. And every man and woman could be as persistent as Samson was, as long as you can feel that power of promise around you, of God. Here is the Word, the Word said so. And you can be perseverant as long as you know that you've got that promise in your heart, that faith that told you, while you're sitting here now, that faith says, "I am healed. I am healed," see. You feel that, just keep walking on. Brother, God will take care of the Philistines, don't you worry.

73 Did you ever think how Samson, with that old jawbone of the mule... You know how thick those helmets was? Some of them about an inch, or an inch and a half of solid brass. To take a two-handed sword and hit him on the head with it, it wouldn't hurt him. And Samson took an old rotten, excuse me, that old dried jawbone of the mule, and picked it up and beat down a thousand of them. Why, the first lick on top of one of them heads, that jawbone would have went to a million pieces. But, see, the miracle was in the jawbone the same as in Samson. He felt, "If I can feel that promise there," he said, "bring them on." Brother, he begin to knock Philistines right and left. Why? He was persistent till the last Philistine was laying on the ground. Amen! What did he have? Not very much. He had a mule's jaw to fight against swords and spears and trained men. But he had the power of God on him. You notice, the power of God came upon him, first.

74 Oh, brother, fight till every symptom's gone. Hallelujah! Fight till every doubt is gone.
Say, "Well, my case is different." Take that jawbone and knock it out of there.
This one said, "But, you know, I'm just a little different, I'm getting too old." Knock it out. Abraham was a hundred. Go on.
"Well, but my case is very bad." Jonah was in the belly of the whale, hands tied behind him, laying down in the whale's vomit. Everywhere he looked was whale's belly. He had plenty of symptoms, but he turned over and said, "Once more will I look to Your holy temple, Lord." Can't hide Him. That's it, persistent! Perseverance, stay right with the Word of God. Why did Jonah stay like that? Because he knew that when Solomon dedicated the temple, he prayed and said, "Lord, if Thy people be in trouble anywhere and look towards this holy place, then hear from heaven, answer their prayers." And he knew this one thing, that God would hear that prayer.

75 And if Jonah, under those circumstances, could have that much faith in God, what about you? There's none of you here is that bad under circumstances. Now how much more! Look to a temple where a man finally backslid, Saul, who prayed the prayer, but was God's dedication when the Holy Spirit witnessed it by a pillar of fire to come in and go down in behind? The same pillar of fire that you have the picture with you today, moving among us, doing the same signs and wonders. What's the matter? Listen quietly. Listen. How could we, when we look not to an earthly temple, or some organization or some denomination, but to the right hand of God, where Jesus sits there with His own bloody garments, amen, His own blood before the Father, to make intercessions upon your confession. Amen. Hebrews 3, said that "He is a high priest, ever living to make intercessions," oh, my, before the Father this morning. A high priest! If Jonah could look out, refuse to see the whale's belly, how much more can we fail to see the little ache and the little pain, or the little whatever we got. I look towards Your holy promise, Lord. You can't hide a saint from His prayer, that's all there is to it. Sure, oh, he was...
I got to hurry up, my friends, I'm going to be too late again. Let's ... a few more, little texts here.

76 John, he was so sure, 'cause God told him. You know, now his father was a priest, you know, but strange, he didn't go down to be a priest, he went to the wilderness. He didn't want to get mixed up in man's theory. He went to the wilderness to find out, at the age of nine. His father and mother being old, knowed they'd never see their prophet son ever come into power in that day.
And, remember, that same spirit is promised us in this last day, Elijah.
Remember, Jesus never referred to that when He said ... He spoke of John the Baptist. If you notice, "I send My messenger before My face," Matthew 3. 'Cause, you don't, you got a contradiction in the Scripture.

77 He said, "Before this day comes, of the great and terrible day of the Lord shall come to burn the earth with fire." The earth wasn't burnt with fire back in them days. The world would be burnt with fire after this coming. He would send the Elijah to straighten the things up and bring the people back to reconciliation. And what this Elijah, the first one come, would restore, would bring the faith of the fathers to the children, but the one in the last days would restore them back to the faith of the fathers, see. See, back to the original Pentecostal fathers, the right message, the beginning. Elijah! "God, send him," is my prayer. "Send him, O Lord, send him quickly." We'll pray for him, that he'll appear on the scene. And God always has His representative somewhere in the earth. He's never been without a witness somewhere, always got a witness standing true. And I believe he's... I believe that we're shadowing the coming of the Lord right now. Time for the power of God to rise again in the form of a prophet of Elijah, and send down here and straighten the people, and bring them, that little group. As it was in the days of Noah, as it was in the days of Lot, so will it be, just in a minority, the church will be.

78 All right, we find John didn't go down to get his ecclesiastical training, but he went to the wilderness to get an experience. When he come back out, he talked wilderness. "Generation of vipers," snakes he found in the wilderness. "Axe is laid to the root of the tree." His sermons was based upon such as that. But, watch, they come around, he said, "There's one standing among you now that you don't know." He knew what he was talking about.
"Are you the Messiah?"
He said, "No."
"Are you that prophet, that Messiah-prophet was to raise up?"
"I am not," he said, "but He's standing among you now."

79 Perhaps maybe Caiaphas, the high priest, had been there. Which, I guess he wasn't ... he was too dignified to come down to a place like that. But him, some one of the priests might have said, "Sir, here's Brother Jones. He's a fine fellow. Brother So-and-so here, Brother John Doe, I believe the Lord's making him a messiah."
John said, "I'll know Him. There will be a sign following Him." He knowed it. Blessed are the spiritual that understand. Blessed are they who has eyes and can see, ears that can hear. Said, "I'll know Him. God will identify, identify Him." God vindicates His servants. Yes, sir. And after awhile He come, he looked up there and he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world." He was persistent that no PhD, LL, double L, whatever it was, going to come in, some priest, some favorite man of the hour with some kind of a fandango. He was ... that man come down there and he knowed who He was because there was a sign following Him. He knowed who it was.
"These signs shall follow them that believe." God's church being raised up and put in power. Yes. Now, down till I finish the text now. John, persistent. And he had perseverance because he knew that he would know that Messiah, because the Messiah was to bear a sign. And we are seeing signs today, signs of the coming Messiah, pressing in. Now listen quietly now.

80 When this Greek woman, when she heard of Jesus, "Faith cometh by hearing." Now, she was a Greek, a heathen, so she heard and she come. You know what? Faith finds a source that others don't see. Faith finds a source that others can't see.
You say, "Oh, what's up there? What's down here? What's over there? What is that little... Oh, it's the little mission. It's so-and-so. If God was going to do anything, He'd come to the Roman Catholic hierarchy, He'd come to the archbishop of the Methodist church, He'd come to the Anglican fathers, or some of them. He'd come..." Yeah, that's what they thought in the beginning. But where was He born? In a barn. Where'd He get His disciples? Off the river, fishermen, low degree, no education. See, God does what He wants to, but you know Him.

81 How was it different here, of Moab up here, when Israel was passing through? Moab offered seven bullocks, just exactly what Israel had. Moab offered seven sacrifices, rams, just exactly what Israel. Fundamentally, they was exactly the same. And they were actually brothers, Moab come from Lot's daughter. And here was Balak up there offering the same sacrifice, down here, just as fundamental as he could be. But what made the difference? One of them had a smitten rock, a pillar of fire, a sound of the King in the camp, a bunch of interdenominationals. They had no home, no place to call their own. They were drifting, pilgrims and strangers, wanderers about, professing that they were pilgrims and strangers. They were seeking a city.

82 That's the way it is today. Not some connection with some great big organization. Which is all right, but, that... I don't care how much organization you belong to, belong anywhere you want to. But, the first thing, put your name on the book there, let God write it in the blood of Jesus Christ, receive the Holy Ghost, with faith to believe every word that He wrote, that it's true. There you are. Yeah.
Now, this woman was a Greek, to begin with, but faith finds a source that others don't know nothing about.

83 Now, remember, His Word is a sword. The Bible said so. It's a sword. Hebrews, the 4 ... 4:12, if you want to put that down. Hebrews 4:12, said, He's ... "The Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword." Let me stop here just a minute. Listen. "The Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even to the asunder of the bone, and so forth, the marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts of the heart." Is that right? Let's stop just a minute, think now, "A discerner of the thoughts of the heart." Does the Scripture lie? It cannot. If it contradicts itself, it's not worth the paper it's wrote on, it's a deceiver. If God's promises contradict themselves, what're you going to believe?

84 Like the Indian boy that come just recently to Dr. Morris Reedhead and them, the president of the Sudan Missions, and stood there and he said, "Remember," said, "we know Jesus lives," he said, Dr. Reedhead said, "'cause He lives in my heart. That's right."
He said, "Yes, Mohammed lives in my heart, too." Said, "We can produce just as much psychology in Mohammedanism as Christianity can." But said, "Well, I want to see those marks of sign ... signs of Mark 16 fulfilled."
He said, "Oh, that," said, "you're just..." Said, "You see, sir, from the 9th chapter ... 9th verse of the 16th chapter of Mark, is not inspired like the rest. That's just put in there by the Vatican."
He said, "Then maybe the rest of it ain't inspired. So what kind of a book are you reading?" Said, "All the Koran's inspired." What a shame! What a disgrace for a Christian church! It's either the Word of God or it isn't the Word of God. And if you can just put faith in it, you watch it work. You believe it, accept it. Yes, sir, if we believe it.

85 What? A discerner of the thoughts of the heart. Now look, "In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God," St. John 1, "and the Word was made flesh, Christ." And when He come here, he looked down upon the people. A little woman touched His garment, He turned around, said, "Who touched Me?" Peter rebuked Him. He looked around and said, "Who touched Me?"
Said, "Everybody's touching You."
Looked around and said, "But I perceive I got weak." Looked out, "your blood issue has stopped." What? The Word of God perceiving the thought.

86 Them Pharisees says, in their heart, they said, "He's Beelzebub. See, that's what he is. That's just exactly.
He turned around and said, "I forgive you for that." Jesus looking upon the audience and perceiving their thought. What was it? The Word, the Word made flesh, a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. That's what the Word of God is now. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, see.
You've got to get the living Word in you to have the living God in you, because the Word here is God when it's made flesh in you, made Spirit and life in you. When it goes into your flesh and your faith, and becomes life, then you are a living example. You are an epistle of God, read of all men. You won't have it like Christ, not the fullness, because it's divided up on the day of Pentecost.

87 Now, you people that believe you have to speak in tongues to have the Holy Ghost, I want you to listen to this just a minute. When the Holy Ghost came down, upon the day of Pentecost, it was tongues of fire. That was the pillar of fire that led the children of Israel, had separated itself and was upon each one of them, God in His church. Yes, sir. the Holy Ghost. That's right. There's where they received the Holy Ghost, when they spoke in tongues. It wasn't an unknown tongue, they was speaking to people out there who understood them. The gospel must go out at that time. They went out into the audience, and then out into the courts and begin to speak with languages, not unknown. You get the cart before the horse when you think you have to speak with unknown tongues. No, sir, they spoke with languages. The people understood every man, "How hear we every man in our own tongue wherein we were born?" An act of God sending forth the Holy Ghost. So much for that.

88 This Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword, even a discerner of the thoughts of the heart. And what? It can only be handled by one hand. A sword is dominant. It has nothing in it unless it's handled by a hand. And when a hand of faith can pick up God's Word, it'll do the same thing Jesus did. "The works that I do shall you do also."
Maybe you can cut just a little, maybe you got a weak hand of faith, you can cut enough off to say, "Well, I can see enough daylight to see I'm saved." But what about the other promises? If you got a strong hand of faith, pick up the full Word of God and cut right on through every darkness, amen, until the light of God shines in, and look face to face with God, standing on His Word. Amen.

89 She had many hindrances, this poor little woman did. She had many hindrances, but her faith didn't have any. No, no. She had heard. Faith had took a hold. She heard and her faith had took a hold. Now, they might have said this to her, "You know you're a Greek. You know you'll never get nothing, because there's segregation, you see. You'll never get nothing here." But did she pay attention to that? No, sir. She had faith, and that faith was all she needed, because she knowed that that was the Word of God standing there. She had faith. Some of them might have said to her like this, "But wait a minute!" Her own nation, her own church might have said, "Now wait a minute, the days of miracles is passed. Don't you go down there. The days of miracles is passed." But something another about faith, it has a source and it don't pay any attention to that, it just don't notice it. She had done picked up that Word. He is the Word. She had faith to hold it. She walked on. They might have laughed at her, said, "Well, everybody else is going to laugh at you, 'cause your daughter will be just as sick next year as she is this year. She'll still have that devil, she'll be just as sick." But she didn't pay any attention to that. Faith had a hold, see. "You'll be put out of your church if you ever go to one of that... Just remember, they'll put you out. They'll excommunicate you." That didn't mean anything to her. Faith went on over the top of that. She was determined to get to Jesus. That's it.

90 Now, to save time, when we could take a text of each one of those and stay with it, but now to save time. When she got to Jesus, she still got a disappointment, her, herself, but not her faith. When she got to Jesus, He said, "I'm not sent to your race." What a flat rejection! "I'm not sent to you people." Just think, the one that she thought she had so much faith in, and He turned her down. "I'm not sent to you people, I'm only sent to Israel. You're a Gentile, I'm not even sent to you. And, besides, you're nothing but dogs." Whew! That didn't bother that faith, just kept moving on. Yes, said, "I'm just sent to the lost sheep of Israel."

91 Now, if that would have been one of us, oh, my, that would've been it. Your denomination's nothing to it. "Oh, He talked about my denomination, I'll never hear Him again!" There you are. Go ahead, see, you'll never get nothing. Just stay with that Word. Where that Word is, you go right with it. Faith had anchored!
Some of them might have said, "Well, now, I'll tell you what, they'll laugh at you. They're going to put you out of your church."
"Let them put me out. See, it's all right."
Jesus said, "I'm not sent to your race, I never come for you people at all. And you're nothing but dogs, not meet for me to take the children's bread and cast it over to you dogs." Whew!
What if that've been one of you Methodists, one of you Baptists, Presbyterians, one of you Pentecostals? Oh, my! You'd have said, "Why, that imposter! I'll tell doctor So-and-so and So-and-so he was right." See, you ain't got no faith.

92 She knowed there laid help. She had heard. Faith cometh by hearing. Hearing what? The Word. She knowed there was something real there. Yes. Still she held on. No matter... He said, "Now, remember, I'm not sent to you. The Father never sent me to you Gentiles, you bunch of dogs. Do you think I'd take the children's bread and cast it over to you bunch of unworthy dogs? I'm not sent to you." But still her faith held right on.
Brother, she was not a hothouse plant, had to be babied, petted around like some of the crop of today, "Oh, my, well, I'll never go again, That's just all there is to it." Oh, my. No wonder you can't hold that sword of faith, no wonder you compromise on the Word. You go somewhere where you can hear some kind of a little sissified something put together. You little hothouse plant, you. The first little bug strikes you, it kills you, have to be sprayed all the time. "Oh, don't believe that stuff, the days of miracles is passed," it's the devil's spray.
Tenderfoot! She wasn't. Brother, she was sturdy. She really had something. She held on. What'd she do? She admitted He was right. She always... And real true faith, listen, whether it cuts your organization or not, it'll admit the truth. Yes, sir, the truth, the faith. If you have faith, and it's the Word of God and the promise of God, no matter what the others say, you believe it, you admit it. She said, "That's the truth, Lord. I'm a Greek, I'm unworthy. I'm a dog, I'm not ... I'm unworthy of anything, but I'm only after the crumbs."

93 I'm a crumb-hunter, myself, aren't you? I just want the crumbs, Lord. I can't have a church like they did on the day of Pentecost. If I can't, Lord, let me just have the crumbs that fall. Peter said, on the day of Pentecost, "This is that." And I've always said, if this isn't that, I'll just keep this till that comes, you see. Yeah. I'll just keep this until that appears, see. This is the Word. When somebody ... I don't ... I may not have enough faith to go like Enoch, and take an afternoon stroll and walk up home with God, but I'll tell you one thing, I'll never stand in anybody's way that has that much faith. Yes, sir. If he's got it, praise God, I'm so thankful for it. Let that Word anchor in there. I hope it anchors in me like that when death becomes, I see a road open yonder, just walk right on out. That's right. Yes, sir. Oh, I'm just after the crumbs.

94 But, you try to tell some of these modern people today, you just take the crumbs. "Oh, no!" If they can't have first place, they don't want nothing at all. "You'll either come down to me..." Like Naaman was with his leprosy, "You'll come down and you'll strike your hands over me and you'll tell me all these different things, and so forth, or I just don't believe it at all. That's the way. Why, I just won't go back no more." That's the reason you don't get nothing, see.
You got to be willing to take crumbs. Do you hear it? Take the crumbs, my brother, take the crumbs, my sister, regardless of what He gives you, just receive it. Say, "God." thank Him, "I just got a little bit of faith, but I'm sure going to hold to that and thank You for it. I believe that can be made well. Yes, sir. I believe the Word of God is right, I'm going to hold right on to this, that I'm going to be well." You watch what happens. Just take a crumb, least little crumb. Sure.

95 Remember, she had never seen a miracle. She was a heathen. She had never seen Him perform any miracles. She had never knowed that He was God. She had never knowed, only just by hearing. But when she got there, perhaps, and seen something that He had done, that was different. See, they heard them say, "Well, you know, in their Bible it says the Lord will raise up a prophet, and he'll perform miracles and know the secrets of the heart, and tell the people these things, and great things will take place." "Is that so?" She had never seen it done, but she believed it anyhow. There you are. There you are.

96 I think of Rahab the harlot, she had never seen Israel, but she heard, and she hid the spies. Denied her own, her own church, her own people and everything else, and hid the spies, because she heard. She never said, "Wait till I hear Joshua preach some time. Let me draw my conception after I hear him preach. Let me see God open up the Red Sea somewhere, or let me see Him do something like that. Then maybe I would've hid you all, if I'd seen something like that." She didn't wait for that. She said, "I believe. We have heard. We have heard."

97 O God, I heard, I know that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I know that He's God manifested in the flesh. I know that He lives today in His church. I know that He's here now. I know. I know that wasn't my picture He had taken, I know it was His. I know that's the same pillar of fire with us today, because it's doing the same works, the same signs, the same wonders, the same things that He did. It's the same pillar of fire that led Israel. When, Jesus, anybody that knows your Bible know that He was the angel of the covenant, the angel that went before them in the wilderness. Didn't Christ... Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater treasures than that of Egypt, followed a pillar of fire out into the wilderness.
Jesus, when He was... That pillar of fire was made manifest, He said, "I come from God and I go to God." He went back to the Father.
Then after His death, burial, and resurrection, and ascension, Paul, Saul it was then, of Tarsus, on the road down to Damascus, was struck down by that same pillar of fire. Nobody else saw it. All of them standing around, they didn't see it, but Saul saw it. And a voice said, "Saul, Saul, why persecute thou me?"
Said, "Who are You, Lord?"
He said, "I'm Jesus. See, I come from God, I go to God."

98 Now, if I told you that the life of John Dillinger was in me, you'd expect me to have big guns out here to shoot you. If I told you the life of an artist was in me, you'd expect me to paint the picture of an artist. Listen, church! I'm not scolding you. Look, if the life of Christ is in the church, it'll do the... If the Holy Spirit is in the church, if this pillar of fire that science has taken the picture of, and so forth, that we see here in the church all the time, if that is the Spirit of Christ it'll do the works of Christ. Jesus said, "If you can't believe me, believe the works that I do. They are the ones that testify of me." If the Holy Ghost is still real, then the Holy Ghost will testify for Himself. Believe the works of the Holy Spirit.

99 There's been a lot of make-belief and put on. You expect that. God said it would come. But what's it trying to do? If there's a bogus dollar, it's got to be made off of a real one. You've seen people claim to have the Holy Spirit, and live in adultery, and drink, and everything else, they haven't got it. They're trying to impersonate it. But there's a real genuine somebody that's got it, got the Holy Spirit, and God confirms His words with signs following. Harlot heard, she believed it.

100 Now, this woman, this Syrophenician woman, she believed also, this Greek. She said, "Lord." First she said, "Thou Son of David." A Gentile has no hold on Christ by the Son of David; that was through King David, the race of Jews. He never paid any attention to her. But when she turned and said, "Lord, help me!" Amen, that got Him. He was her Lord; not a Son of David, but He was her Lord. "Lord, help me!" That caught Him. And He turned around. Said, "It's true the dogs eat the scraps from the master's table. That is true." Look what, that woman had the right approach to God's gift. What did she say? He said she approached it right.

101 He disgraced her, He said, "You're ... I'm not sent to you. You're dogs in your generation. Your races are nothing but dogs. I'm not sent to you."
And she said, "It's truth, Lord." There's the Word. Amen. Stay with the Word. Faith will always recognize the Word. "But the dogs eat the crumbs under their master's table." That got Him. "Lord, help me!"
He turned and He said, "For this saying, O woman, great is your faith. And, for this saying, the devil's left your daughter." What, she got what... She approached God's gift in the right way. You've got to approach the... And, remember, that was the first Gentile that ever had a miracle performed on them by the Son of David. Remember, that was the first miracle performed to a Gentile, that's right, this healing of the Syrophenician woman. That's right. She had the right approach to God's gift. Faith, in the midst of the Word, is right reverent, humble, see.

102 You're not going around saying, "Huh! I won't believe that stuff. If our catechism doesn't say it, uh-huh, I don't see." No matter what your catechism says, you put the catechism or anything else above the Word of God? The Word of God is right. Everything else is a lie, see.
And she come reverently, peacefully, reverently, humbly. You got to be humble. The way up is down, always. "He that humbles himself shall be exalted, but he that exalts himself shall be abased."

103 Look at Martha that day. Oh, I know I'm keeping you a long time, but I'll pay it up sometime for you and make a real short one. Listen, I just got a few more things to say just now, I'll go. Hope I'm not wearing your patience out. Martha, she was very, had very much perseverance in the presence of Jesus. Look, she come up there and she said, "Lord." Now, remember, she sent for Him to come pray for her brother, and He didn't do it.
Now, in John 5:18, Jesus said, John 5:19, I believe it is, Jesus said, when He passed through the Bethesda pool there, and saw ... He know a man had an infirmity for thirty-eight years. Look, about two thousand people standing there, water-head babies, lame, blind, halt, withered, twisted up. Jesus passed through the pool, looked all around, full of love, full of compassion. See, we don't know what love means. We take it on a human side. Full of compassion, sure, you're talking human compassion. Real compassion is do the will of God, see. There it is.

104 "Oh, I wouldn't say nothing to him, 'cause he's a good boy. He drinks, he does this." He needs Christ. "I wouldn't say it to him, because he's belonged to that church a long time. I wouldn't name divine healing to him." Oh, brother, you don't know what compassions is.
Jesus passed through there, He knowed the will of God. Remember, He'd just raised up a dead man. And remember what taken place here. He passed through that pool. There, go by the side of this pool, there was mothers with little babies. They were trying to wait for the angel of the Lord to trouble the waters. He walked on by, then He went to a man that had an infirmity, let's say a prostate trouble. He had had it thirty-eight years. It was retarded, it wasn't going to kill him. He said, "Will thou be made whole?" What about this blind, lame, blind, halt, withered? Said, "Will thou be made whole?" See, He knows just where to go. God, the Word, led Him. Now, He said, "Will thou be made whole?"
He said, "Sir, I have no one to put me in the pool." He could walk. Said, "When I'm coming down, somebody else beats me in."
He said, "Take up your bed and go in your house." He was questioned. And they brought Jesus to the court to question Him.

105 And if He done that same thing today, He'd be questioned. That's right. "He left two thousand, what about them? I know old Brother So-and-so down there. Sister So-and-so, she's a good woman. Been laying there for twenty years. If there's any God about Him, He would have went down and done that." That same old devil says the same thing today. "If thou be. If this be. It that is." Same old devil, see, same old thing.
So these Pharisees was questioning Him up there about these things. Watch Him, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in Himself but what He sees the Father doing." See, He had a vision. The vision showed Him. "What I see the Father doing, that doeth the Son likewise." Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. See, the same God.

106 Now, Martha, in His presence, she was standing there. She said, "Lord, if Thou would have been here."
Now, why didn't He come? Because the Father had showed Him a vision that Lazarus was going to die. Now, look, they sent, and He went to another city. And they sent again, He went to another city. Then finally He said, "Lazarus sleepeth." Oh, they ... that's the terms that He had. There's no death to a Christian. We know that.
Oh, he said, "If he sleeps, he does well, taking a rest."
Said, "But he's dead," told them in their language. "But I go wake him." Oh!
Walks up to where she was, I can see this. Come into the city, I can hear the Jews say, "Uh-huh, there's the divine healer! Uh-huh. They left their church, everything else, to follow Him, and when the real case come on, even His friend He slipped out of town, sent, now He's come back." Jesus walked on.

107 But little Martha, something down in her heart. She was always kind of dilatory, she wanted to keep the house clean and everything, and Mary listened to the Word. But this is where she showed her color, she slipped right out and went down there. Now, she, you know what I believe, she had read about that Shunammite woman, Shunammite, you know, in the Bible. Now, what'd she say? She went out, she said, "Lord." That's what He was. It looked like she had a right to upbraid Him, say, "Why didn't you come? Why, we'll not ... We believe now You really are a holy roller." See, that miracle wouldn't have happened.

108 And that's the reason it can't happen today. Oh, He's here in the Spirit form, not that you see but what He's Spirit with His Word, see. Oh, sure. You pray for a revival, and it breaks out in the church, something or another takes place, and somebody holler "Glory to God, hallelujah," you'd close the church. Don't know what a revival is. Christ comes to the church, and then you don't even make Him welcome. Perform a miracle and heal somebody, and say, "Well, it might have been telepathy." No wonder He can't deal among you. No wonder the Laodicea church is on the outside, knocking, trying to get back in His own church. That's the age we're living in now. These denominations has turned Him out till He's on the outside, trying to get back in. That's right, put out!

109 Now, we find that Martha walked up to Him, said, "Lord, if Thou would have been here, my brother'd not died. But even now, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You."
Watch Him, He tested her. He said, "Thy brother shall rise again."
She said, "Yes, Lord. He was a good boy, he'll come up in the general resurrection. He'll rise in the last day."
Said, "I am the resurrection and life." There put the test. A man standing there saying... He was the only man that ever lived, the only man that ever will live that could say that, the Son of God, said, "I am the resurrection and life."

110 The Bible says, "No beauty we should look at Him." Probably his little shoulders stooped down, turning gray, when He was thirty years old and he was judged to be fifty.
Said, "You're only fifty years old, and say that you seen Abraham. Now we know you're crazy," see. His work brought Him down.
He said, "Before Abraham was, I am." Amen. They didn't know it. There He was enveiled in human flesh.
Said, "I am the resurrection and life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"
She said, "Yea, Lord. I believe that You are the Son of God that was to come into the world."
"Where have you buried him?"

111 I got a little thing here that I've always said, you know, I hope if I hurt anybody's feelings I don't do it meaningly. A Christian Science woman told me one time, she said, "Brother Branham, you brag too much on Jesus."
I said, "Oh, no, no." I said, "I don't brag half enough. Wish I had some more language I could brag Him with," see.
And she said, "Well, you make him God."
I said, "He was God! He's still God. He'll forever be God."
She said, "He was a mortal. He was a man."
I said, "He was both man and God."
She said, "I'll prove to you He was only a mortal man, by your own Bible."
I said, "Let me hear you do it."
She said, "St. John, the 11th chapter, Jesus went to the grave of Lazarus and He wept."
I said, "Is that your Scripture?"
She said, "Yes."
I said, "Sister!" I don't mean this sacrilegious. This is no place for jokes, but I just said it for her. I said, "That's thinner than the broth made out of a shadow of a chicken that starved to death." I said, "Why, you know good and well that it couldn't be such a thing as that." I said, "Let me tell you something."

112 Here He goes, stoop-shouldered, crying, He weeps with you when you weep. He feels your pains. He's a high priest can be touched by the feeling of your infirmity. Weeping, going down to the grave, knowing what the Father had told Him. For He said He did nothing till the Father showed Him. There He was, see, going. He was going to raise him, but He could weep humanly with humans. Going to the grave, weeping. But when He stood there, oh, man, to take away the stone.
Said, "He stinketh!: His nose had done fell in. Seventy-two hours, see, or four days and nights. See, his face has fell in, he's corrupted, he's rotten.
Said, "Take away the stone." He stood back there and said, "Father, I thank You that You've always heard Me, but I just said this." See, they'd already told Him. "I just say this for these that stand by." "Lazarus, come forth!" Amen. And a man that had been dead four days, stood on his feet and lived again. That was more than a man. That was more than a man. Sure was.

113 That was more than a man that come down off of the mountain one night, hungry, looking for something to eat. He was a man, He was hungry for something to eat. But when He took five fish, or five biscuits and two fish, and fed five thousand, that was more than a man. That's right. It's true. Yes, sir.
He was a man when He was laying in the back of that boat that night, so tired, virtue gone from Him, preaching and healing, and a devil come up, and probably ten thousand devils of the sea, said, "We'll drown him now, he's asleep." Like they did Paul out there in the storm. "We got him now, we got him trapped. He's asleep, we'll sink that ship." The devil blowing his breeze across there, and it bouncing up and down like that. The waves didn't even wake Him up. He was a man laying back there, tired, asleep.
But when He once aroused, oh, my! "Oh, go wake Jesus!" Put His foot... Oh, church, that's what you ought to do. Wish I had some time I'd preach now, see, on that, see. Put His foot upon the brail of the boat, looked up, said, "Peace, be still." And the waves and the winds obeyed Him. That was more than a man, took God to do that.

114 Yeah, He cried on the cross, for mercy. That's right. Thirsted at the cross. He died like a man. But on Easter morning, when the angel rolled away the stone, and a man had been dead, conquered both death, hell and the grave, come forth, triumphed over death, hell and the grave. Said, "I am He that was dead, and alive forevermore." That was more than a man. That was God in that man. Yes, sir.
Faith never denies His truth. Oh, such as saying, "The pillar of fire, that wasn't right. And the miracles of Moses wasn't right," they'd always say. No matter how ridiculous it is, it stays right exactly with the Word. Exactly. Oh, you can be perseverant. You can be persistent whenever you really get a hold of God's Word, when you hold to it.

115 Like Micaiah was, Micaiah right there, when four hundred prophets was standing there saying "Go on up, Ahab, go on up." Micaiah knew that his vision was according to the Word of God. He spoke the Word anyhow. They said, "We'll slam you in a prison, and give you waters of sorrow and bread of sorrow."
He said, "Slam me in if you want to." What was He? He was persistent. He knowed the Word of God. He knowed the will of God. He had saw a vision. He knowed what it was. The vision come from God, because the visions compared with God's Word. Today, every believer has to fight, and you have to fight, too.

116 A man here sometime ago was telling me, said he went to ... said, "You know, a little bitty devil about that big stood up before me one time in a dream." He said, "That devil said, 'boo'; and I, 'umph.' And," said, "every time I jumped back, he got bigger and I got littler." Said, "The first thing you know, 'boo,' and I'd jump back. And every time he go, 'boo, boo,' " jump back. Said he'd get back, get back, get back. Said, "He got bigger than I was." And said, "I knowed I had to fight him. So I didn't find nothing, I just picked up a Bible, and he went 'boo'; I went 'boo,' too." Said, "He got to getting little." That's right.
That's what you have to do, take the Word of God. You don't have to say "boo," but say "Thus saith the Lord!" Be perseverant, stand on the Word! It's truth. We believe the Word today. We believe it like Micaiah believed it. We believed it like the rest of them believe. No matter how many says it's wrong, it's still truth. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also." Could any man heal you? No, sir. It's already, you've already been healed. Can any man save you? It's already been done. How many believes that? "He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquity." Is that right? Right. "And by His stripes we were healed," past tense. Everything that He can do for you He's already done.

117 Now He set in the church, to keep the church in line with the Word, what? Apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelists, offices of the church. God-sent, not man-called. God-sent, inspired men to keep the church lined up. Now, what is it? Gifts of the Spirit in the church. Not a bunch of fanaticism, but truly gifts of the Spirit in the church. That's right, keeping the church. If a real church was ordained of God, really filled with the Holy Spirit, if sin would appear in the church, it'd be another like Ananias and Sapphira. When a real church ... I'd like to walk into one, see all the women and men under the power of the Holy Spirit. If somebody had done something wrong, the Holy Spirit rise right up and reveal it. They'd have to clean up. That's gifts of the Spirit in the church. O God, send us a church like that, send us one like that. You believe it? Christ, is He dead? He's alive.

118 How was He? He said there to the woman ... He said, when a Pharisee asked Him about a sign, He said, "You adulterous generation seeketh after a sign." Is that right? Wicked and adulterous! He said, "They'll get it. They'll get the sign, that wicked and adulterous." When was there any more a wicked and adulterous generation ... we got now? When was there more sin? We got more people on the earth right now, they tell us, as many people on earth right now that's ever been on the earth since Adam, is on the earth right now. This is that wicked and adulterous generation. Homosexuals, perversions, everything, on the increase by the thousands and thousands. Churches falling away, "Heady, high-minded, lover of pleasures more than lovers of God, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, despisers of those that are good, having a form of godliness," as the Spirit says, "and denying the power thereof. From such turn away!" See? The Bible said, "Turn away!" We're living in that day.

119 Now, remember, there's people goes around, say, "I got power to heal you." That guy's telling you a lie. He has no power to heal you. Christ has already done it! Not by confession of sins, and so forth, and some priest or maybe a minister forgiving your sins? No, sir, your sins are already forgiven. When Christ died on the cross, He said, "It's finished." What? The complete plan, everything. Christ did it at the cross. You're already saved. Every sinner's saved, but it'll never do you any good till you accept it. You get down there at the altar and scream, cry till you get gray-headed and your hairs fall out, it'll never do any good until you believe, believe that Christ died in your stead, and you ... He died a propitiation for your sins, when you accept Him as your Saviour. Then salvation comes to you. Same thing by healing. "He was wounded for our transgressions, with His stripes we're healed."

120 There's only one thing that Christ could do today to show that He is. First thing, is, you've got to believe upon the basis of His Word. That's exactly right, the truth of the Word. But Jesus said, "The works that I do!" Now, He never said, "I heal" anybody. If Jesus said, "It's not Me that doeth the works, it's My Father that dwelleth in Me." Now Jesus wouldn't take the name of a divine healer, what about some poor ignoramus like me, or somebody else, or anybody else, and try to be a divine healer? How can you be a divine healer when it's already ... everybody could be healed is already healed? You have to accept it, believe it. Now, is it truth? That's what we want to know. Is it truth?

121 Now, if you couldn't take my word, you'd just have to go, or I couldn't take your word, it'd have to go. But God's not that way, He sends gifts into the church, apostles. What is an apostle? A missionary. A missionary is a word, missionary means "one that's sent." An apostle means "one that's sent." A prophet, that's "a seer." A pastor, a teacher, evangelist, all those things, they rightly divide the Word of God, bring it down, and then the gifts of the Spirit to work in the church, to confirm the Word, to show that Jesus Christ lives in the church.

122 Now, we're all acquainted, this is just our church group. I don't know as there's any... I'm not here too much to know whether they're visitors or whether they're not visitors, and so forth. But, friends, today, you people that's sick now, if there was anything to do to help you, I'd do it. If I knowed that somebody here sick, especially this sister here I see on the cot, if I knowed there was something that I could do, like taking, push a quarter with my nose down around the city block, around, I'd do it. I'd get right out there and say, "Don't hold no umbrella over me, if it was raining, just let me push. I want to show God I'm sincere." That wouldn't do any good. I've been in Africa and know where they lay on spikes in India and all kind of things, doing sacrifices to gods, and give their children to crocodiles, and everything else. That ain't ... that's sincerity, but a man can sincerely take carbolic acid for medicine, see. See, you've got... The thing that's truth is what we want to know, and God testifies of His truth. "He that believeth in Me, the works that I did shall he do." Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ the same!"

123 What would He be if you looked for Him today? If I tell you Christ is in me, Christ is in you, what can we look for? Would you look for a man with his collar turned around? No, no, He didn't act like that, He dressed like the rest of the people. If He had scars in His hand? Any man can make scars in his hand, prints of thorns. They've got dozens of them across the country now, impersonators, and blood and fire and smoke, everything. That ain't the Word! "The works that I do!" Jesus said, "If you can't believe me, believe the works that I do. They'll testify of Me. They're the ones who tells who I am."

124 Now let's pray just a moment. Have your requests on your heart. Heavenly Father, I know this has been rude and hard. I pray Thee to be merciful. I don't mean... You know my heart, Lord, but I just pray that You'll help me now. I pray that You'll let these words, though they're broke up and cut up, and not like a minister should do, Lord. And me here, uneducated, don't know how to speak to people, but all I know is just You promised if I'd open my mouth You'd fill it. That's been thirty-one years I've trusted You in that. So, Father, somewhere, maybe some of the people's collected a few words, them that's sick, or those that needs Christ. They're out there somewhere. They need You, Lord, and I hope that something's been said that'll raise their faith in your promises. I pray that You'll grant that blessing.

125 Now while we have our heads bowed, is there those in here who doesn't know Christ as Saviour, would say, "Brother Branham, I wouldn't want to die like this. I'm not fit to die. If I die, I'd be lost. I haven't been born again. I certainly covet your prayer just now. Pray for me, I'm a sinner"? Just raise your hand up, will you say, "Just remember..." God bless you, you, you, you. God bless you. Really mean that from your heart. God bless you. Dozen or two hands in this little group of people here. This little handful of people here, about a hundred or two, something like that, and here's a dozen hands. Right where you are. The altars are sitting full of children. There's no way for me to bring you up to the altar, but, right where you are, pray with me.

126 Heavenly Father, I'm bringing to You these people that raised their hands. I believe in deep sincerity they did it. Let them know that they broke every rule of science right there. Science proves that our arms has to hang down, because the gravitation of the earth keeps us down. But it shows that there was a Spirit in them that has control, a power of that arm, that they lifted it towards the creator that made it. That shows right there. It could not be scientifically proven, because the Spirit is only known... It's a faith. We believe in it. And here a Spirit has come to them and told them to raise up their hands, that they wanted to be saved.
Now, Father God, I'm quoting Your promises. Lord Jesus Christ said, when He was here on earth, "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him first. And all that the Father has given Me, will come to Me. He that heareth My words and believeth on Him that sent Me, has eternal life. He that eats My flesh and drinks My blood, has eternal life, and I'll raise him up at the last day." These are promises. Now these people could not have raised their hands unless there was a spirit there that told them they were wrong. They could not have done this unless You had foreordained them. "All that the Father hath [hath, past tense] given Me, will come." We're predestined to eternal life. Those that He foreknew, He has called; those who he has called, He has justified; those that He has justified, He has glorified already in the sight of God. It's just the great vision of God going along, being fulfilled. These people, before the foundation of the world. You who are infinite knowed the meeting this morning, and knew they would raise their hands, and now they've raise their hands.

127 That's all I know to go by, Lord, it's Your Word. Then, in the name of Jesus Christ, I give You these that's raised their hands, as trophies of Your Word. Keep them, O Lord God, no one can pluck them from Your hand. Give them eternal life. May they find a church, or stay right here this morning and be baptized for the remission of their sins, or confession of their faith. May they, when they come up out of the water, like the Holy Spirit in the beginning moved upon the water, may the Holy Spirit be there to fill their hearts and souls. Grant it, Lord. May they live godly all the days of their life, and be presented as trophies as gems in Your crown at that day. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, we ask it. Amen.

128 The Lord bless you. Now, I really should have been gone an hour ago. But now we're going to call a prayer line. Wait, is there any prayer cards out? Has anybody got prayer cards? Where is Billy, is Billy around? One to fifty? He said he give out fifty prayer cards. Well, now, we can't, there's too many standing. Will you all give us just a few moments time now? If you... Now, what all I've said... Now, just a moment, I know the dinner won't scorch. Wait a minute, this is more, this is better than dinner. It should be, the Word.

129 Listen friends, I want to ask you this question before I say this. What do we go to church for? What's it all about? If there is no resurrection of the dead, if there is no resurrection, then let's eat, drink, and be merry, for we're nothing but logs, dogs, and so forth, anyhow. We don't believe that. We know that there's a living God. Certainly. Well, if He's the living God, I want to ask you something. Then these words that I've said, you might agree with me, you might not agree with me. But if you do agree with me, then yet you could still question that until you see it manifested. That's right. If it's God's Word, God has to keep His Word. If He doesn't keep it, well then it isn't God, then I've been a false, I've been a ... I made a false manifestation, I've been a false prophet. But if God said so, God keeps His Word. Then if God keeps His Word, one Word, you can be perseverant then. You can hold on to your promise and keep it. Is that right.

130 Now, look, did I tell you I could heal you? No, sir. I couldn't tell you I could save you no more than you were saved then. I believe you're saved. You couldn't have raised your hand without God telling you to. Now there's water here, that you can be baptized anytime you wish to. If you want to be baptized in your own church, go right ahead, whatever. We don't have membership here at all, see, we're just a chapel here. Our good pastor here, Brother Neville, was a Methodist, and he's here just ... We're interdenomination, anybody's welcome. We just have congregation comes in. We preach, pray for the sick. We believe in making disciples to Christ, not organizing nothing, see. We don't believe in that. No, sir. Now, you that want to organ... you want your organization, go right ahead. That's perfectly all right, but don't you depend on it. Don't you trust in it. No, sir. You go there for fellowship, but you trust in God.

131 Now, now here's one thing. If Christ still lives... Now, let's take one little Scripture again now. We want to be sure now that it's all clear. A little thing I was going to say a while ago, He said, "A wicked and adulterous generation would get a sign." That was the sign of Jonah, the resurrection. Is that right? How many believes that's the truth? Now I just want to see... That wicked... Do you believe this is a wicked, adulterous generation? Well, what would be the sign of Jonah? Would be the resurrection of Christ. Is that right? The resurrection of Christ, would prove to this wicked generation that Christ still lives, which, He's been raised now for two thousand years, so it'd be the evidence of the resurrection.

132 Well, there's many of us Protestants across the country don't believe in the physical resurrection. Hundreds of churches don't believe in that, the physical return, or anything, see. I believe in the literal birth, death, burial, resurrection, second coming, all of Christ Jesus. I believe that He's fully Christ. The same Jesus taken up, the same Jesus will return. And I believe in the person of the Holy Ghost, He's here now, His Spirit, His life moving in the church.
Now, if this be of Christ... Now I'm going to personalize this. I hope you don't take it like that. I'm going to personalize this. Now, by a gift that was given which this ... in Washington this light hangs, the pillar of fire that's been vindicated for years around the world, and so forth. Now, if that Spirit is in here, then it'll... If it's the Spirit of Christ, it'll do the works of Christ. Now, that's Scripture, that is right. If that Word has come, then this Word that I've told you this morning is the truth. Because Christ wouldn't come in me like...

133 I don't make fun of you Catholic people, but you saying that it was the spirit of Peter was in your church back there. You think a Jew would put up idols? You think a Jew would deny the Holy Ghost and make a little piece of wafer laying on an altar, where mice and rats would pick it up, and you go by saying that's God? What's the matter? You know that's not God. The Holy Ghost is God coming down from heaven, a Spirit. You prostrate yourself before idols, trying to hypnotize a life into that. You are the idol, God brings His Spirit into you and you're His living representative. See, God's in you, reconciling the world to Himself.

134 Now we're going to call the prayer line. Where'd you say you give, from one to fifty? let's begin it, just to start, at one. So what say? All right, we'll just have to call a few at a time, 'cause their... Let's see, let's just call about eight or ten at a time. Who has prayer card number 1? Now don't... Just raise as your number's called, 'cause this is not an arena now, this is church. All right. What say? A, number 1. Who has it? Would you come around here, lady, or right along here somewhere? Just right here, stand right here in front of the altar. A, number 2, who has number 2? Prayer card number 2. Now, hold your hand quickly so we'll... All right, get right behind the lady, if you will. Number 3, number 3. Well, sister, you can't get up, so just lay there, and I'll come pray for you right there. Number 4, A, number 4, raise up your hand. A, number 4, number 4. Way back, way, way, in the back. All right, see, they just come down here, and anybody that wants them, they mix these cards up and hand them out to people like this, where you want them. They don't know. All right, number 4 come here, lady. Number 5, who has number 5? Prayer card number 5, would you raise up your hand quickly. Now we can't take much time now, you're going to miss your turn. Number 5, number 6, all right, number 7.

135 Now, let's see, let the rest of them come. We can get these in this way. Number 8, prayer card number 8, who has number 8? Are you prayer card 8, lady, you have 8? All right. Raise your hand so I can see you, see. Now. Number 9, who has number 9? All right, that's fine, lady. Number 10, prayer card number 10, who has number 10? Would you raise your hand, ever who it... All right. I'm sorry. All right, this man over here. All right, sir, come over here. Number 11, number 11. Please raise your hand, number 11.
Don't receive the card unless you're going to use it, friends, 'cause if you ... You see, if you get up and go out, and don't use your prayer card, then you're ... you shouldn't do that. Number 11, number 12. All right. Right over here, sister, go right back around the back. Number 13, right around there. Number 14, number 15. That's good, that's the way to do it. Number 16. Now you're doing it. Number 17. Just take your places back there. 17. Let's see how many more we got now. What say? Come around that way if you will brother, so we're getting mixed up over here. Number 17, number 18, 19, 20, 20. All right. I think that just about make it right there, for a little bit. Let's see how we get down here in the line, we'll see. 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25. Now let's see about them, see how many is in there now. Number 25. And I believe we're just going to be about crowded out here, don't you think so? 25, I think, 25. All right, now we got another 25 coming just as soon as this bunch is over. We got another 25 coming. All right, 25.

136 All right, now let's see how many in here that's got prayer cards. How many in here hasn't got prayer cards and still you want God to heal you, raise up your hands. Believe. That you got... You ain't got prayer cards but you want God to heal you, raise up your hand.
Now, while they're getting those lined up, give me your attention now, 'cause if you miss this now you won't know what to do. Now, we're going to take our time, just take our time. Now, don't be in no hurry. I have to get quiet, myself, because the Holy Spirit in these kind of things wouldn't anoint in that way of doing.

137 Now, how many in this room, or this prayer line standing here, that knows that I know some of these people. I believe I do. I know. I know this lady right here, this lady here. She comes here at church, can't call her name. Baker, uh-huh, I know her. I'm not sure, I don't... I believe this big tall fellow standing right here, I believe I know him. I don't know his name, but I've seen him here.
Well, anyhow, each one of you in the line, and each one of you out in the audience that's sick, that knows that I do not know nothing about you, raise your hand, know that I don't know you. I don't know nothing about you. I'm a stranger. Now let's see the prayer line again, raise up your hand, know that I don't know nothing about what's wrong with you now. All right, all right, all right. Just about hundred percent, I think. All right. And in the audience now, now you raise up your hands, you that's sick and raise up your hand and you'll say that I... "He don't know me or nothing about me." See, there's a lot of people here. I come in and out, and some people I know and some I don't know, see. And I don't know. But them that I do know, I wouldn't know what was wrong with them.

138 Now I want to ask you something. Now if... Now, look, there was a little woman. You people that won't be in the prayer line, see, you people that won't be in the prayer line. Now, there was a little woman, one time, she wasn't going to be in the prayer line either, and she had a blood issue. But she believed that that was a godly person. Now, listen close now, don't miss it. She believed that Jesus was the Christ, and she said, "If I can only touch the hem of His garment." Now, she didn't have any Scripture for that, see, no more than just maybe like Elijah taken ... or taking his staff and laying on the child, or something, see, or touching Elijah's bones after he was dead. But she believed if she touched Him she'd get what she asked for. She slipped through the crowd and reached over. Now, if anybody was ever in Palestine, they have an underneath garment and a top garment, and it swings loose. That's the reason they have feet-washing and things, the dust picks up on their feet. And she touched the border of His garment. Now, if she touched my coat, like that, I wouldn't feel it, and it hangs right close to me. But she touched down at the hem, the border, which probably was that far from His feet, or, His body. She touched the border of His garment, and went back and set down, or whatever she did. Jesus stopped.
And, remember, all the crowd had their arms... "Hello, Rabbi! Glad to see You! Are You the prophet? We're glad to see You. Oh, you hypocrite! You're a fine man!" Oh, just different expressions.

139 Now listen real close. Then this little woman, she touched His garment, and she went back because she was satisfied she had touched God. Jesus stopped and said, "Who touched Me?"
Peter rebuked Him, said, "All is touching you. Why do You say a thing like that?"
He said, "But I perceive that I've gotten weak, virtue's gone from Me." He looked all around over the audience till He found that little woman, and He told her about her blood issue, and it had stopped. Is that right? Now, now, hold that. Now, you say "Amen" to that, that means "so be it." Now, notice now, does the Bible say, to you Christian readers, that Jesus Christ now is a high priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities? How many knows the Bible says that? Well, if He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, wouldn't He act the same way He did then? Well, then, if you sitting out there would touch Him up there, and if I be His representative, His voice here now, wouldn't He say the same thing that he did then? Doesn't that sound Scriptural? Isn't it right? See? How do you know you touched Him if He didn't act the same? See? "The works that I do shall you do also."

140 All right, now you without the prayer cards, you just pray and say, "Lord Jesus, I didn't get here in time to get a prayer card, but I'm praying to You, and I believe what this man said is the truth. So I'll... Will You please just let me touch Your garment, Lord Jesus? You're my high priest. I ain't looking to that little bald-headed man standing up there on the platform. I'm looking to You, and I'm touching You and I'm believing that You're going to make me well. So, I'm touching You, You speak to Brother Branham and do the same thing here like You did to that woman. And I'm going to believe You with all my heart." Will you do that? How many will do that, raise your hand, say, "I'm going to do it." All right, you just pray. Now here's the place to put your faith to work. You believe it, don't you doubt it. You believe it with all your heart. Amen.

141 And then you in the prayer line, now is it ... which is the first person? Just come right here. Now, just stand right there. That's good enough, see, stand right there. I believe, a while ago, you raised your hand, I didn't know you. That's right. We're strangers to one another. All right.
Now I want to ask this audience something. Here's my hands up before God, and she raised her hand that we knowed one another not. Isn't this a Bible picture of St. John 4, when Jesus met a woman at the well? A man and a woman met for the first time. And what did Jesus do? He went to talking to her. What was He doing? Now, He said, "The Father..."

142 He had need to go up to Jerusalem, or up to Samaria. Now, see, the Jews had seen that sign, for He was a prophet and he showed the sign of a prophet. And there's only three races of people, that's Ham, Shem, and Japheth's people. Now, the Jews had seen their sign, 'cause they was looking for a Messiah. They saw it. Now the Samaritans must see it, because they was looking for a Messiah.
Not the Gentiles, not one time did He ever perform that on a Gentile, but He prophesied "In the last days," like He did, "As it was in the days of Noah and in the days of Lot," when the angel come talked to Lot, told Sarah what she did in the tent behind Him. Jesus said that would repeat again at the last day. How many Bible readers know that? See, right. See? Now we're in the last days, it's the Gentile's time. If He... See, I said in the beginning of my sermon, if God does anything, makes Himself known one time, He's got to remain that way.

143 So how did Nathanael know He was the Son of God? Because that He told him where he was at, something about him.
How did this woman know? Look, let's take her conversation, see how much more she knowed about it than all them preachers down there. She went out there. She might have been a beautiful woman. She was going to get a bucket of water. She pulled up the bucket of water. He was a Jew, she was a Samaritan. And so, pulled up the bucket of water, over against the little panoramic there where the well is. Still remains there at Sychar. So then He was sitting there like that, He said, "Woman, bring Me a drink." She turned around. Now, she was a woman of ill fame, you know, she had been married too many times. And said, "Bring Me a drink."
She said, "It's not customary for you Jews to ask a Samaritan woman something like that."

144 The conversation, see. The Father had sent Him up there. Now remember, He did nothing till the Father showed Him, see. So now He set there, so what was He doing? He was trying to find where her trouble was, so she could take a message to that people. Said... Wanted to find her trouble, you know. Said, "Bring Me a drink."
She said, "It's not customary."
He said, "But if you knew who you were talking to, you'd ask me for a drink."
She said, "But the well's deep, You have nothing to draw with. How would You get water out of here?"
And went ahead talking, the conversation, you know, about worshipping at Jerusalem. What was He doing? He was trying to find her spirit, to see what was wrong. He found it. You know what it was? She had five husbands. And He said, "Go get your husband and come here."
She said, "I don't have any husband."
Said, "You've said well, you've said well, for you've had five and the one you're living with now is not your husband."
Now watch. Now, she didn't say, "He's a fortune-teller," like them preachers did. She didn't say, "He's Beelzebub." She said, "Sir, listen, "I perceive that You're a prophet. We know when the Messiah cometh He'll tell us these things." That was the sign of the Messiah.
Jesus said, "I am He that talks to you."
She ran into the city, and said, "Come and see a man that told me the things that I've done. Isn't this the very Messiah?"

145 Well, if that was the sign of the Messiah to the Jews, to the Samaritans, wouldn't it be the sign of the Messiah to the Gentiles? Wouldn't the Messiah then, if He's raised from the dead and living in His church, manifesting Himself through, wouldn't He do the same works when He promised He would do it?
Now me standing here talking to you, I don't know you, never seen you in my life, see. But if the Lord God will tell me something that you're here for, you know whether it's true or not. See, tell me something you have done, something you ought not have done. If He can tell you what you have done in the past, surely He'd know what the future was. Is that right, if He could tell you that? Sure. And if He'll tell me what you're here for, will you believe Him to be the Son of God? To believe that... How many in the audience will believe that? And me and this woman here with our hands up, we don't ... we're a stranger. I have no idea, you know I don't, to you standing there, just a stranger to me. But if the Lord God... I'm talking to you to get the Spirit started to anointing the people, you see, and then it just breaks right through. And I'm just looking at you to see what He will tell me, 'cause I know nothing about it. But if He will tell you something, then you'll know whether it's the truth or not, won't you? Will everybody believe, if He'll do it? That's right.

146 Now, Heavenly Father, I can do no more now. It's up to this time, it'll take You from here on, Lord. I've brought the people to Your Word. That's all I know. You've promised these things. And it'd take weeks and weeks, we could still be on it, telling of Your promises of these very things for the last days. As we've been all these times around the world, You've never failed us, Lord. Now here stands an audience of people. I know that one of these visions will make us weak. I realize it. Virtue went out of You, the Son of God, unadulterated Son of God. How much more would it be for me, a sinner saved by Your grace?
I pray, Father, that You'll let it happen now, that this message this morning will not go unfruitful, but these young converts, maybe twenty or thirty of them that's just raised their hands to You, that they will be satisfied, Lord, that their God has raised from the dead and He's living forevermore, making Himself known, the very God that knows the secret of the heart, and promised in the last days it would take place again. Here we are, the end of time. And the Gentiles has had two thousand years, just like the Jews did, to learn of God, and now they're getting the same sign and rejecting it just like the Jews did. The Jews rejected their Messiah, 'cause they had it all denominated up. And so have they today, Lord, done the same thing. But we cannot vouch for that. We're only to bear witness, Lord. Just like a sheep, it don't manufacture anything, it bears wool because it's a sheep. And, Lord God, let us bear the Spirit of God, because we are Christians. We believe in You. We believe in the Son of God. Now, Lord, I'm unworthy, but take... Who is worthy? Who is worthy, Lord? None of us. We're all born in sin, shaped in iniquity, come to the world speaking lies. Forgive us of our filth, Lord. And now use us in this last day that You're dealing with the human race. In Jesus' name. Amen.

147 Now, in the name of Jesus Christ, I take every spirit under here, in here, under my control, see. Now be reverent. Not knowing you, knowing nothing about you. It's a gift. Just the way you pull yourself before God, empty yourself out. Let Him do the looking. I don't know, but I know He's here. I know He's standing here. Yes, ma'am, here's your trouble. You want prayer for a cancer. That cancer's on your face; it isn't noticed, like but it's up around your eye. That's right, raise your hand.
I felt that come right in from out there in the audience, you said, "He guessed that he looked at it on her face." I did not do that. Stand still. Satan, you're wrong. Stand still, sister. You get him started, if he gets started then he'll go on a rampage. We rebuke that devil, in the name of Jesus Christ, and put him to shame.

148 You have more than that wrong with you. You got heart trouble, too. Complications, just all nervous condition, been that way for years. That's exactly right, weary, dreary feelings, and everything. That's... If that's true, raise up your hand. Now you're healed. You're faith has saved you. You can go home now and be well. It's all right. Just go believing, only thing you have to do, thank God.
Do you believe? Just stand right there, lady, look this way. You believe me to be His servant? Can God heal heart trouble? All right, He's healed yours, then. Go believing.
Do you believe He healed cancer? Then go back to your seat, say, "Thank You Lord Jesus."
What if I didn't say one word to you but just ... would you believe if I said you was healed when you come up there in the line? That you'd take my word for it? You are, and there's no need of telling you you're already healed. I haven't touched a person.
You won't have to have an operation if you'll believe God. Do you believe it with all your heart? The tumor's gone. Go home and you'll be well.

149 Look this way, sister. You believe me to be His servant? Just a moment. Now, there's a man keeps appearing before me here, he's got the same thing this woman has, somewhere in the audience. Now, see that light over the picture? Now it's standing right here. Can't you see that? It's this man sitting right here. Do you have a prayer card, sir? Young fellow, I believe you're Brother Huff, aren't you? I just recognized you. I don't know what's wrong with you, Brother Huff. You know I don't. You believe God can tell me what your trouble is? You have a trouble. You was sitting there, believing. You should believe on account of your daughter here recently. You believe, don't you? This woman has arthritis; you do, too. If that's right, raise up your hand. Believe with all your heart and you both can be healed. God bless you. Satan thought he'd get by with that man, he missed it. Have faith now. Don't doubt. Now, this man here ever... Brother Huff, you don't have a prayer card, do you, Brother Huff? You was just sitting there, believing. You watch what happens to you. Just believe now with all your heart.

150 Everybody in prayer. Do you believe now? Now, you realize these things just makes me so weak I just...
Do you believe with your heart? If I'd tell you you're going to get well, would you take my word for it and believe it? Then go and Jesus Christ make you well. Believe it with all your heart."
Do you think that God can heal nervousness and make you well? Go, believe it. I believe I... I'm not sure, I thought I knowed that woman. I wasn't sure. A vision broke over her but I stopped it, just looked back the other way; 'cause I believe I knowed the woman, but I wasn't sure.
Now be reverent, everybody. Do you believe? See, I got a big long prayer line here, I don't want... Just stand. And right now, I've preached to you for about two or three hours, but right now I'm twice as weak as I was with all the preaching. See, it's just sapping my life. But, these, we could keep talking to people, that'd be all right, that don't make a bit of difference. You just stand, talk long as you want to to people, more keeps happening, but I stopped so I can save my strength a little bit for others coming in the line. See what I mean? How many's ever seen it where a lot of times I stop and talk to people, it tells them all about them, and about who they are and where they come from? My, you've been in the meetings, you've seen it, you know.

151 This is next... Are you the next? All right, sir, do you believe with all your heart? Well, fine. We are believers, believe with all of our heart. And not knowing you, the Lord Jesus would tell me something wrong with you, you'd know whether it was right or not, wouldn't you, sir? Yes, sir. This being our... I guess we're strangers to one another. I don't remember your face. We're ministers together, and we're ... but we don't know one another, personally as friends. All right, sir. Then you look this way, sir. Do you believe me to be the servant of Christ? With all your heart. All right, sir. This man suffers with a colon condition. It's in his colon. It's also a heart trouble you're having. You're a minister, that is true, you belong to the United Brethren Church. You come from Ramsey, Indiana. Your name is Mr. Beanblossom. Reverent Beanblossom, that is true. Is that right, raise your hand. Then go home and be well. Jesus Christ make you well. You believe with all your heart.

152 Arthritis is no job for God. You believe He can make you well? You believe He'll heal you? Go and believe Him with all your heart and you can have it with all ... just believe with all...
Brother, I know you, know your condition. Do you believe right now, while I'm under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, that God will heal you and make you well? Go and believe it, Brother Collins, and be made well. All right.
I ... looked like I've seen you, but I'm not sure. But if God will tell me what your trouble is, will you believe me to be His prophet, or His servant? You believe it? All right. You suffer with a nervous condition. That's what you want prayer. Is that right? Raise up your hand if that's right. Go home, be well. Believe it ride over now. Have that little faith that really makes it well.

153 Well, you believe Christ will make you well right now while you're standing there? Believe it, and go home and say, "Jesus Christ makes me well right now." Believe with all of your heart. You must believe, to live. You know that, don't you, sister? If you don't, you must die. You know that. But He heals all kinds of diseases, cancer, anything else, and makes you well. Do you believe that with all your heart? Then go and believe with all your heart, and be made well, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
All right, brother, you know I know you, and so I'm just trying to catch, though. But will you believe that Jesus Christ will make you well right now while you're under the divine anointing of the Holy Ghost? Go and believe it with all your heart.

154 Now ... what? All right. Just a moment now. From... Where did I stop at a while ago? 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 go right up and get in line. 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, on up to 50 line up right there now, the ones that's got your prayer cards, so you hand them to the usher or the brothers as they come through.
Now let's take just a moment's time for rest, just a minute. Are you believing? All things are possible, only believe.
Brother and Sister Spencer, I knowed you since I was a little kid. I know what your trouble is, and know what you're standing there. You believe Jesus Christ will make you well, standing there? O God of heaven, grant Your blessings upon this aged couple, sending them to be well, Father. Way up in the years here, but still serving You. I bless them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Return to your ... God bless you, sister. He'll take eighty-three, you got more years coming, believe it with all your heart and God will be with you. And you, too, Brother Jess. God bless you.

155 You're believing now with all your heart? Wait, I believe I've missed this little sister down here. All right. We got two stretchers, we got to get to them just in a minute. You don't mind waiting just a minute, sister, ever who the other person is?
Now be real reverent and stand quiet, everybody be reverent. See, you must be real, real reverent. Now let's rest just a moment, see, from the vision, just a second. And be real reverent. Now everybody look this a-way, and let's sing quietly, "Only Believe," now. All of us together now.
Only believe, only believe,
All things are possible, only believe;
Only believe, only believe,
All things are possible, only believe.

156 Now, he asked me to go pray for them now, but I'm just kind of relaxed just a little bit now. Then they start the line again, in just a minute I'll stop. Now, where is the people that's to be prayed ... that lady there in the chair? All right, just a moment, I'll come over to her brother, see, just a minute. All right, just a moment. Now, everybody real reverent. I'm quite sure you realize what I'm under here, see. Not only here, but, in the foreign lands, sometimes to thousands times thousands.
I heard a little ... felt a little resentment a while ago, of somebody's name was called. Don't you realize that Jesus knows your name? Haven't you seen that? Must be strangers in here, they haven't seen it. Why, my, sometimes here at the platform He tells the people all their sins, and digs it right out. You know that. Every... Didn't Jesus tell Peter, "Your name is Simon. Your father's name was Jonas. The son of Jonas"? See? Just to show that He's here. Now, anyone knows, everybody here is bound to say that there's some kind of Spirit doing that. Now, you can say, "It's Beelzebub," or you can say, "Christ." God will judge whatever it is. I'm telling you that's the promise of the Bible, God's Holy Bible here gives it the promise.

157 Now, now be real reverent a minute. Now, just a moment. Is this the next man? All right, walk out this way, sir. Don't know the man. God knows him. But, sir, if God will say to me what you're here for, it would make you believe, wouldn't it? It sure would. How many more out there would it make believe? Here's two people meeting, the man's younger than I am. God's fed him all of his life. He's standing there with his eyes closed. But if God will reveal to me what the man's here for, or something about it, it ought to make every one of you believe with all your heart. Don't you think so?

158 Here, just a moment, right back here, sitting in the row right back here, is a man, praying. He's got a very odd thing. I see a flash. He's been hit by lightning. Yeah. Have faith, my brother. I'm a stranger to you, sir. If that's right, raise up your hand, we don't know one another. God knows you. Have faith now.
Now you say, "What you doing, Brother Branham?" I'm watching that light. It's moving.
Bladder trouble, sitting there praying with bladder trouble, a man looking at me. We're strangers to one another, aren't we? Tell me what that man touched. Your bladder trouble's gone, sir. What did he touch? He's thirty feet from me. He touched the high priest that can be touched by the feeling.
That man sitting next to you, he's praying, also. Here's what he's praying, "Lord, let it be me next." He said that just now. That's right. How do I know what you're praying about? He that answers prayer. That hernia you're praying for, that's what you got, a hernia. If that's right, raise up your hand. All right, if you believe with all your heart, the thing will heal up.

159 I challenge your faith. In the name of Jesus Christ, you believe! Oh, my, what a feeling! He's here. Yes. Now let it happen. Now you'll see who's boss. He's boss. Let the infidel say something now, the unbeliever. The Lord Jesus Christ, to prove to you that the end time is here, that's His Spirit on me. That's Him. It's not me, I don't know you. It's Him. You just believe with all your heart.
This man, I believe which was the next, this man here? Sir, I just have to watch the way that goes. I don't know you. If God will reveal to me what you're here for, will you believe me to be His prophet, His servant? You're a gallant person. You're standing here for somebody else, that's right, goes to the church with you, ulcers. That is right. You're not from here. This is not your home. You come from quite a ways. Believe He can tell me where you're from? Missouri. That's exactly right. Mr. Frills, now if you believe with all your heart, you can go home and be made well, and all the rest of your things you're asking for. Go and believe the Lord Jesus Christ.

160 Do you believe? Seems like I ought to know you. I've looked at you somewhere. Oh, I do, I know where you were at. You are... Now, wait a minute. I'm not beside myself, but this is anointing. You are... Now, wait a minute. You were healed in Louisville, Kentucky, or your sister was healed. You're what's ... Huff, Sister Huff's girl. That's right. Do you believe with all your heart, to be healed like your sister was? Go home, receive it, Jesus Christ make you well.
Brother, believe that nervousness is gone for good, and just go home, say, "Thank You, Lord Jesus, I'm going home, be made well." And He'll do it.
Do you believe with all your heart, sir? What if I'd come down and laid hands on you, with this anointing? You'd believe it would happen to you? I'll come down and do it, in the name of Jesus Christ. You'll die laying there, you're very, very, sick, nothing can be done. Absolutely, it's in the lungs. That's right. You'll die laying there as sure as the world. Now, why not just believe Him with all your heart. [Brother Branham prays for several more.]

161 "Pass me not, O gentle Saviour." Raise up your hands now. Going to lay hands, with the anointing of the Holy Spirit I'm going to lay hands on these people. The Bible said, "These signs shall follow them that believe. All right. [Congregation sings "Pass Me Not" while Brother Branham continues praying for the people.]

162 Let's pray now for these cloths here. Our heavenly Father, they taken from the body of St. Paul, handkerchiefs, or aprons, and it said that "Unclean spirits went from them." We realize that we're not St. Paul, but we know that You're still the same Jesus, for You're just as much alive today as You was in the days of St. Paul. I pray for these requests, Lord, that these handkerchiefs represents. little cloths and handkerchiefs, and little boots for babies. God, I pray that You'll grant it.
We're taught that Israel was on its march to the promised land, a great pillar of fire went before them, a prophet represented them, represented God, for them on earth. And this prophet led them out to the Dead Sea, and it shut off the road. There was something in the way while they were walking in the line of duty. God looked down out of the heavens through that pillar of fire, and the sea got scared, and it rolled back and opened up the road right through the sea, for Israel to go on, on the path of duty, and they went to the promised land.
God, when these handkerchiefs are laid upon the sick and the afflicted... Satan has crossed their line, he's hindering them from the path of duty. Let the power that raised up our Lord, who's present now, come upon these handkerchiefs. And, whenever they touch the sick, may the devil get scared, while He looks down through the blood of Jesus Christ, and may every one of them be healed and continue on in the path of duty. Grant it, Lord. We thank You. Your presence is here. Oh, this glorious anointing of Your Spirit that shakes we mortal beings, Lord. How we thank You for Your goodness! Bless these now, in Jesus' name.

163 With your heads bowed, every person in here. Not only bow your heads, now I'm going to ask you to bow your hearts with it. What more could God do to let you see that He's here? Now take my word. This anointing is so tremendous right now till I'm almost dizzy here. I am not a fanatic. You know I'm not. I'm not given over to illusions. I'm only telling you what is truth. It's Scriptural. That light has actually spread all over, it looks like it's just everywhere around here. Such a tremendous need! Believe me.
The Bible said, in Mark 16, "These signs shall follow them that believe." How many believers are here, say "Amen." Well, the Bible said, "These signs shall follow them that believe." So that you'll know it's not me, you're just as much into it as I am. This is just a gift from God, to manifest Him, it tells things. And I take any to record, through the years, has it ever told anything but what come to pass just exactly? Perfectly true, every time. It's got to be, because it's God. Now, don't just kind of halfway look over, look for something way out yonder. Look, He's here now, right now!

164 Now, if you are a believer, put your hand on somebody next to you, and they're going to put their hand on you. Don't you pray for yourself, you pray for them because they're going to be praying for you. Now that you might know, and if you will do this, I'll assure you. Well, there's not any stretchers or cots left, they're all gone. But you've been here when the stretchers and cots was laying here, crippled, lame, halt, blind, never one time but what every bit of it. Now, the way you pray in church, if you're Methodist, pray like the Methodists do. If you're Baptist, pray like the Baptists do. If you're Pentecostal, pray like they do. Whatever you are, pray. But you pray for the person that you got your hands on. Then believe.
Now, remember, the Bible said, "These signs shall follow them that believe. If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover." Now you pray for each one, as individuals. I'm going to pray for you, collectively, from the platform. Now, each one in your own way.

165 Our heavenly Father, we are approaching Thy mercies. We would not come in our own name, we've not been given a promise by that. But we've been given a promise by Your own dear Son, that, "If you ask the Father anything in My name, I'll do it." That was Your promise. Now, Father, I pray that You will manifest Yourself with these believers. They're laying their hands on the sick, on each other, and we are coming now to the throne of God, bringing them. In the Bible, in Mark, the 11th chapter, the 23rd verse, it says, "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 said. If ye abide in Me and My words in you, ask what you will, and it'll be granted."
Now, Father, on every precept of Your Word, I have accepted it regardless of what others say. I have believed it just the way it's written. For it is no private interpretation, we're told, but just the way it's written. If You're going to judge us by this Book, You certainly seen that it come to us in the right kind of a shape, because we're to be judged by the Book. And now, Father, I believe with all my heart, and beyond even the gift of the Spirit of prophecy that You make known. And that's the reason I know it's You, because it's always exactly with the Scripture. Now we come, Lord, and thank You for it. And anoint us now. We're approaching the enemy's grounds.

166 O Satan, you are a defeated being. You have no power. The Son of God taken your power, stripped you of everything you had, at Calvary; proved that He was with us, by the resurrection. And like those coming from Emmaus, He has appeared to us this morning and done something the way He did it before His crucifixion, therefore we know that He's raised from the dead. And, Satan, we're coming in His name, the name of Jesus, with the power of Christ. And you are defeated, and you're only a bluff. And if we'll accept your bluff, you'd kill us prematurely. But you can't do it. We're coming, challenging that by the Word of God, by the vicarious suffering of Jesus. We defeat your bluff. We call your hand, Satan. And we're coming out after that sheep, like the lion in the days of David. We're coming to bring that sheep back to good health and strength. Turn them loose, in the name of Jesus Christ! Come out of this place! Get out of this people, Satan! We rebuke you, in the name of Jesus Christ. Let them go, for by Christ's name, we're bringing them back to Father's throne this morning, with health and strength, through the name of Jesus Christ.

167 All you people now that believe that the prayer of faith is prayed, that you've laid your hands on somebody, that you have believed, and believe that Christ has healed them, and you believe that you're healed because the person prayed for you, and you accept it right now that you are healed, I don't care how crippled, how blind, how deaf, whatever you are, how weak, how sick, stand on your feet, in the name of Jesus Christ, and accept it. Amen. Get up, everywhere, no matter what's wrong. Stand up to your feet, raise up your hands and praise God for His goodness.

Perseverance

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Let us bow our heads just a moment. Our heavenly Father, we are happy today to be alive and be here, with the opportunity once again to preach the gospel, the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ. And we pray that as we present Him to the people today in the form of the written Word, may the Holy Spirit quicken the Word to all of us, that we might prepare ourselves for his coming. We ask it in his name. Amen. You may be seated.

2 There's just something special about Chicago. Every time when I come to Chicago it just seems good to me. From the very first time that I ever was here to minister, I always ... seemed like there's just something special that draws me to Chicago. And I come so much till I guess you get tired looking at me. But you're such a great city and so many here---about five million people, I suppose, or something close to that---that maybe... I'd like to get around to all of them, see if they're all like these that comes to the meetings. If they are, it's a wonderful place to be. For your presence always creates such a wonderful atmosphere of Christian faith and fellowship. It's always a privilege to be here.
Our first time coming was on the invitation of our little brother, Joseph Boze. And now since, the Christian Businessmen has this wonderful chapter here, and I have been invited many times by them, and by this fine ministerial group of the full gospel people throughout Chicago. So I deem this a grand privilege to be here today and to see Brother Sonnmore. And we met them last evening after the services, and asked them if they were coming down, and they wasn't too sure. But I see the Holy Spirit must have led them here anyhow. We were grateful.

3 Last night when we were talking, my son and I were sitting together having... I hadn't eaten yesterday, and so I was having a little sandwich last night. And we were talking what great persons that Brother and Sister Sonnmore were, and why we deemed it such a privilege to have fellowship and to know them. And here he is down here at Chicago with us today. The Lord bless you.
I guess your sweetheart came too. I know you feel that way about her---she's still your sweetheart. And that's the way we ... I know we, all of us Christians, feel that way about our wives. And they're still our sweethearts. I hope it never changes in my family, and it never changes in your family, that we always feel that way about our wives. After all, they stand side by side with us to help us fight these battles, and we need them. Although I've said many scorching things to them, but it wasn't in such a way to make them feel bad; it was such a way to keep them in line with the gospel.
And, see, that's Satan's tool, where he works the hardest. That was his first instrument. He's never changed. He stays right there to... And he's ... we just have to pray for our sisters constantly. Of course, they pray for us too. And together with one unit we can march forward like an undefeated army, with our great chief captain Christ Jesus and his Word going before us, making a way for us.

4 Now ... and to be here with Brother Carlson, who is... I just couldn't speak words for how much I appreciate Brother Carlson. Many times that I've been... He's seen me to a place where I'd be beaten down, and stand with me. And still he proves out to be a real brother. I appreciate Brother Carlson. I appreciate all of you. The Lord bless you good.
Now, I know you're going to have service at your church after awhile. And I appreciate your pastors, who's nice to say that there's going to be service here. And I see two of them sitting on the platform, perhaps ... I suppose---and many of them out in the meeting, out here in the congregation. We're very grateful. Want you to remember that tomorrow night is this missionary rally, as I call it, for our Brother Joseph. And we're going to be right here. I guess they've already announced it, the places and so forth.

5 And thank you for your prayers. A few days ago when I come almost not being with you any longer here on earth, when a gun exploded in my hand, down to the shooting range... Someone had given me a gun that wasn't... It had been a re-bored gun, and it wasn't the type of shell that really should've been shot in it, only the factory said that it was perfectly safe---which if it'd been bored right, it would have been.
But there was a head space made the shell blow back in my face instead of go out the barrel. And about six tons of pressure hit me right in the face, and ... which disintegrated the gun, and blowed the barrel out on the fifty yard range. And the bolt went one way, and the gun melted in my hand. And here I stand this afternoon still living. Thanks be to God. Amen.

6 They wanted to examine my eyes to see... There was so much shrapnel over my face, looked like they took a piece of hamburger, a handful of it, and just placed it over my face. There's only one little spot, or two, right there (the frown that you could see), that's left. Just in a few days it was all ... in about three days it was all cleared up.
There's a specialist doctor... They run me over to have a look, and see if any of it went in the side of my eye. And he shook his head, and wrote back and said, "The only thing that I know, that the good Lord of heaven must have been sitting there with his servant, 'cause the man that found him should not have found nothing but just the lower part of his body. Anything would burst a gun at that pressure, one inch from my eye, should have blowed head and shoulders both off."
So, see, God's still good. Satan tries to kill us, but he cannot take us until He says "Ready." That's right. That's right. He just can't take us. And so we're thankful for that.
And I'm grateful to God that He gives me the opportunity to still remain here on earth to bring the same message to his people that I did---amazing grace, how sweet the sound. Someday expect to spend eternity with you. And many of the groups when they heard about it... We didn't say nothing, just kind of kept quiet. But, phones ringing, people calling in, prayer groups gathered everywhere around, making groups, and saying, "Well, we don't know whether He hear us or not, but we're sure praying." That's the kind He hears (that's right)--- them humble little groups. And I'm grateful to you.

7 And last evening before we left the convention grounds Brother Carlson had the whole group to stand and said ... and pray for me that ... for God to help me. And that just does me so much good, because I depend on those prayers. And I'm knowing, though, that one day, if Jesus tarries, I'll have to go. And then I want the partings ... leave behind me footprints by the gospel---the gospel, the power of God by his Word. I want to sow seeds, that when the rain does fall (the Holy Spirit), that'll bring up to life the kind of seed that I've sown---Bible seed---that'll bring a Bible church, that'll bring a Bible-believing Christian that'll believe, bring a Bible Holy Spirit into action because the Word was written by the Holy Spirit. And when He comes He picks up his own Word. And I just like to stay with that. He can do things that's not wrote in here, but I just hope that I can live long enough to see Him perform everything He's promised in here. That'll just be fine for me.

8 Now, it's so good to be here, and looking forward for tomorrow night. I would like to call your attention to just a little text here I would like to use for about thirty or forty minutes, the Lord willing. And Brother ... had said that ... announced praying for the sick, and I forgot to tell him to give out prayer cards. But God will surely make a way for us some way. We'll keep the line straight or something or another, until we get them prayed for. All right. So we're sorry, but just didn't think.
Now let's turn to St. Mark's gospel, if you will. I've got a few scriptures here written out, and if you would ... got your pencil and would like to mark them as I refer to them this afternoon, we'd be very happy. St. Mark, we want to begin with the 7th verse, or the 7th chapter, and begin with the 24th verse. St. Mark 7:24.

9 My right eye, where the fifteen pieces of shrapnel went just below my eye... And that shrapnel was so powerful till it tore the bark off the trees, nearly thirty yards away from me. And fine shrapnel blowed into my eye. And the doctor said, "I never seen anything..."
The big shrapnel stuck in my skull and around my cheekbone like that, and went around my eye. One piece flew through here, and knocked the top of that tooth off. And fifteen pieces went just below the sight and made a half-moon circle below the sight---never touched the sight---and went plumb back in the eye and bedded. One piece would have hit it, this eye would've been gone. And so, it's ... the drawing of the eye makes it a teeny bit weak, but it'll be all right. It'll be fine and dandy after awhile. I praise the Lord for it.
Even the physician himself said, "I don't understand it." But said, "When that gets..." See, that's just happened a little over two weeks ago, so it's still a little weak. But he said it would be all right, and I'm sure that's the Lord's sanction. It'll be all right.

10 Now let's begin with the third ... the 24th verse of the 7th chapter:
And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into a house ... but he could not be hid.
For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
And the woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would come and cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.
And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter lay upon the bed.
If I would want to title this for a text, I would call it "Perseverance." And may the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Word.

11 Perseverance: According to Webster's dictionary, I was just looking, it means to be persistent, to ... in making a goal. You must be fully persuaded and be persistent. Then you're perseverant. And it's a good word, I like it. I'm very fond of that fine word: perseverance. And I think that's the attitude that all Christians should be in at all times. Be perseverant.
And men through all ages that has faith in what they are trying to achieve, has always been perseverant. All down through the history of time, men that's ever done anything has been men trying to achieve something. And they have to have faith in what they are trying to achieve, and when they do, then they are perseverant.

12 I was thinking a few moments ago, sitting in the motel room and saying, "Lord, what should I say this afternoon to thy children? for I hold the purchase of your blood for forty-five minutes or an hour maybe, this afternoon. The elect, the children of God in this ... that's sojourning here in this great city, and its round abouts---pilgrims and strangers to this world... No place here that they could really call home. But their home is beyond, and they're pilgrims. And I cannot just lightly enter in to say something to these people that might offend them. And I must say something that would help them."
I don't come to the church just to be seen or heard. I come to try to help that people, try to do something for them, that they might leave the church not saying, "Well, I sat there this afternoon in vain. I learned nothing. I had no visit of the Spirit." Therefore, I like to stay in the Word---because the Spirit travels with the Word---and read his Word, and talk of his Word.

13 Then I got to thinking on perseverance. And I thought, "Yes, many men is perseverant." Before you can be perseverant, you have to have faith in what you're trying to achieve. You've got to first have faith before you can be perseverant. So faith and perseverance works hand in hand together. They are brothers. You must believe, or you'll have no ... you'll have no confidence. You won't know whether you're right or wrong. But when you have reached that place that you have faith in what you're trying to do, then you can be perseverant.

14 I was thinking: at the beginning of the history of our nation, when a handful of soldiers on a cold winter day, and the odds all against them, them was American soldiers. When I read the history of our nation it makes me cry in my heart. But their leader was a Christian. The Delaware was froze over, ice gorges in it. And I understand about half of the American soldiers didn't even have shoes on their feet. With stuff wrapped around their feet, them was American soldiers. And the obstacle was great, the odds was against them.
But yet, after all night prayer until he was wet up to his hips in snow where he had knelt and prayed, their great leader become perseverant, for he had assurance from God that he could cross that Delaware anyhow. He was perseverant, although three bullet holes was placed through his clothes. He had heard from God. And no matter what the odds was, he was still... He could be perseverant because he heard from God and believed that the God that was leading him to a victory for this great nation was with him. So therefore, the Delaware froze over meant nothing to him. No matter how much ice there was, or what the obstacles was, still he could be perseverant, because he felt he had God on his side.

15 How great that is, when we can hear from God and be rest assured that we're right in his fellowship. Then there's nothing too great. There's nothing great enough that can stop that person. Men that's ever amounted to anything, at any time, through any age, has been men who believed in God and had faith in God, and stood against the enemy on every side, and was perseverant because they believed in God. I believe every Christian, therefore, should be very perseverant.
I'm thinking back in the beginning, as we can think of the great prophet Noah. He came from the family of Seth---righteousness, which was in humility. If you ever trace the genealogies of these lineages we find out that Ham's children ... or not Ham, I mean Cain's children, all become smart, educated, scientists, great business figures of the world. But Seth's children were humble servants of the earth. They were sheepherders, and they were farmers, and men of humble character.

16 And let's think of Noah, just a common farmer out in the field with his crude tools, trying to make a living for his children. And he was not an architect by no means---just a good man, God's blessings upon him. Every day when he'd come into the house he'd gather his family around when he come in for his noontime meal, and they'd perhaps all kneel down and pray to God.
One day when he was out there in the field, probably all disturbed... And his soul was vexed because sin was great upon the earth, because the sins of the people had come up before God in such a way that it even grieved Him that He'd ever created a man.
So it must have been something like the modern times---great, high-towering buildings, great things. You know, they did things back there in science that we can't do today. They built pyramids and sphinx, and many things that they did that we could not reproduce today. They had a dye in that they could put a coloring in anything that stayed permanently, still to this day. After thousands of years we don't have it. They had an art of embalming that we don't have today. Many things they were further advanced than we are today. What a smart world!

17 And then their churches must have been greater than our churches today. But in all of it, they become a bunch of corruption, because the world was completely covered with people multiplying upon the earth. And then violence set in. You people here in Chicago has a harder time living your Christian faith than the man would out on the prairie, somewhere in the western plains, where he doesn't see the things, and the corruption, and violence that you have to look at each day. Therefore, it takes great grace and power to keep you from the things of the world.
He has one little church sitting out somewhere, him and his family drive for many miles to go to, on a Sunday morning. He probably doesn't see anybody else until the circuit-rider comes by, when they meet again. Here every day you're meeting with conflict on every hand, and the devil trying to persuade you this way and that way. It's a battle every hour of your life... [Someone says, "It's a good one, though. Hallelujah!] ' Cause we've got a great victory (amen), and a great victor.

18 Now, Noah one day while out on the plains, perhaps digging around, fixing his crop, God came down and began to speak to him. And He said to Noah, maybe something like this, "I can see your heart, and I know the sins of this world vex you. Therefore... They're all great cultured people, and they've gotten completely away from me, and they're smart, highly educated, polished men. But I want you, for the saving of your household and all that will come in, go over and start preparing a great boat, because I'm going to send rain down and destroy the whole world."
Now, there had never been any rain before, and so science would have said to him, "Where's the rain coming from?", and so forth. But after Noah had caught the voice of God and seen God's program... There's ... great thing that so many miss seeing, is God's program. Now there's nothing running out of line. It's just exactly right, just exactly on time. He's never behind. The coming of the Lord will be just perfect. The church will be just exactly in order when He comes. I love that.

19 One day... In Matthew 11:6 we read a little sermon. I might have preached it around here one time, on the forgotten beatitude, when John the Baptist, in prison, sent over to see if Jesus really was that One. And John was a great man, and he paid Jesus a very poor compliment, but Jesus told him, "Just stay..." 'Cause John was worried. His ministry had been saying, "There's coming one whose fan is in his hand. He'll thoroughly purge his floors. He'll take the wheat to the garner, and He'll burn the chaff with unquenchable fire." Oh, my, what a Messiah coming!
But when He come on the scene, it was different---a little humble man with no cooperation from any of the sects around there. And they... The sect was different, and they ... his preaching was different, and He was pushed around from place to place, and running here and running there. So that seemed kind of strange. Couldn't understand it. "Why? Why? Surely I preached it, and they ought to all believed it. And here when He comes, my, looks like I'm let down."

20 Jesus didn't tell them, "Now I'm going to give you a book on how to behave yourself in prison. I want you to give it to John." He said, "Just stay till the service is over. Just wait till the afternoon service is finished." And when... There was ... the lame walked, the blind seen, great miracles was taking place. He said, "Go show John these things. Tell him I'm right on time---there's nothing wrong. I'm right exactly on time."
And that's the way God is today. He's just exactly on time. All of our stewing and worrying will do nothing. Just be perseverant with the Word of God, and move on. God's right on time ... be perfectly, just exactly, like all things. The sun, the moon, and every thing that's God's has to work on time.

21 Now, Noah, after he heard this, though not being a scholar, though perhaps laughed at... As the Bible said, they were mockers, made fun of him. He knew all that laid ahead of him in a great scientific world. He was sure that nobody was going to believe him, hardly. But for 120 years he was perseverant.
And as he put up the ark, laid the timbers in it, and poured the pitch into it and fixed it up, the people laughed and made fun of him; but he stood right in the door and preached the coming judgments of God. Didn't stop him a bit. Why? He had faith in what he had heard. "For faith cometh by hearing, hearing the Word of God."
So no matter what goes on, as long as you're staying with the Word of God, be perseverant, no matter what sickness you got, and what the doctor said. The good man is probably doing all he knows, but he's in a scientific world. We're in a spiritual world, where we are risen with Christ. New life, passed from death unto life, we are a new creature in Christ.

22 So Noah was very perseverant with his message. He was fearless! No matter what any of them said---they might have called him anything---that didn't stop it a bit. He had faith in the word of God that was said to him, went right on building the ark. No matter how scientifically they could prove that his message was wrong, contrary, God's able to bring rain in the skies, if his Word said so.
How could God heal a man dying with cancer when the doctor give him up? or the woman? How could He make the cripple walk? and so forth. How can He do it when there's nothing in the medical realms that can touch it? But that's that world. That's the other world, like it was in Noah's time. They made fun of the world that Noah lived in. But Noah went right on with his message. No matter how much scientific they could prove it wasn't there, to Noah it was there because God said so.
That's the way it is with the true believer today. No matter how much they say, "That's not the Holy Spirit; it's psychology. It's some kind of an illusion, it's a telepathy"---whatever it is, that don't stop God's people a bit. They know God made the promise that this day would be here, so they are perseverant and press on with the message.

23 Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man." See, perseverant. He could be, because he knowed what he was going to achieve. And he knowed what God had promised, and he knew that God laid it in his hands. And he didn't have to take "no" or "yes," or whatever anybody else said. He wasn't looking to what they said; he was looking to what God said. And so, no matter what the rest of them said...
Maybe the religious of that day surely disagreed with him. They surely did, because none of them was saved. Every one of them perished. But Noah had the word of the Lord. And it didn't make any difference what they said, he was perseverant. They might have called him crazy, holy roller, and some of those names that they give the believers today. That didn't stop him one bit, because he had a deaf ear to that. He had one achievement: build that ark! Anybody wanting to come in, they had a welcome to come in, but it was God's business to bring them in. He just preached the Word. That's all we got to do today---stay with the Word and be perseverant.

24 Moses, another man that was perseverant. He had all the training he could get in Egypt, a military man, a great man. And in his military strength, or in his own strength of his own knowledge, he went out to deliver Israel because he knew it was time for it to happen. But he imagined in his heart that the people were trained enough to understand that the hour was there and he was the person that had come to help them. But they didn't. So you see the wheels didn't click together. Something was wrong.
And when God can speak in a meeting, and if the wheels ain't together, it won't do you no good! You've got to line yourself with his promise. You've got to line your way of thinking. Not what somebody else said, or somebody over here said, or some organization said, or some doctor said---you've got to line yourself with God's promise! Then you hear his voice speaking, say, "It's you!" Then you're perseverant, brother. Nothing's going to stop it then. It's true. Anything can happen, but it'll never take you.
You can be perseverant, because... We can't die; we're already dead. We have the earnest of our salvation right now because we're risen with Him, raised with Him, and sitting in heavenly places right now with the assurance.

25 I was speaking the other night, said, "As Israel..." They didn't know where they were going. They just had a promised land. But before they got to this promised land a great warrior named Joshua (which means "Jehovah saviour") went over into the promised land and brought back the evidence that the land was there, just the way God promised it. They had the evidence with them. Then he could be perseverant! That's the reason he hushed Israel in their argument. They said, "We can't take it. Oh, we must go back. We must do this..."
He said, "We're more than able to take it!" Why? He was looking at what God said. And he had the evidence.

26 When Jesus come on the scene, He promised us a land. "In my Father's house are many mansions." And there's life beyond death. And He crossed Jordan---what we call Jordan, death. He crossed over into the other land and brought back the evidence. On the third day He rose again. He eat, drank, and He said, "Feel me, I'm not a spirit; I'm flesh and bones." And He said, "I'm going to give you a earnest of this, but wait up there for ten days."
They got perseverant after that, too, because they had the power, the evidence of the resurrection in them. That's the reason they loved not their lives unto death, because they could be perseverant, they had the evidence. They had achieved something through Jesus Christ's death.
Does He mean that to you this afternoon? Can you be perseverant in saying, "I believe it. No matter what happens, it's still mine because I'm risen with Him already in resurrection. I look back, and see the life that I once lived I don't live no more." What's the matter? That shows you died with Him and you're risen with Him. And you have the earnest, the first payment, on your eternal resurrection.

27 Yes, Moses failed. But one day... You know, Moses had never heard the voice of God. He'd just been told by his mama and the teachers of that day, such-and-such was coming, God was going to send a deliverer. His mother said, "Son, I believe you're that person." Moses didn't know for sure. He couldn't understand. Therefore, the first little mistake come up, the first little flaw, the little threat, he ran to the wilderness.
But one day, while he was herding sheep, he found the burning bush. And from that burning bush came a voice, and it said, "Surely, I'll be with you." He was perseverant. Why? He had faith! "I'll be with you."
"I'm a man of slow speech."
He said, "Who makes man deaf, or dumb, or to speak?
"Uh, they won't believe me."
"I'll be with you."
Then he was perseverant.
When he went in there before Pharaoh and he seen some of them people trying to... (Im...? I'm doing something wrong here, I guess. I walk too much. Thank you. Sorry, brother. I guess I deafen you, too. If you'd run that down a little bit, I ... it'd be better, perhaps.)

28 Down there in Egypt, Moses come into conflict. And so... A man has to know what he's talking about if you're going to be perseverant. So he run into conflict. He run into some impersonators that was trying to do the same thing he did. And they did it, in a measure. But that didn't stop him. He was perseverant. Because he seen mockers of the right thing... He just continued right on, because that he knew that God sent him. And what the outcome is, that's up to God.
When Israel cried, he was perseverant. "We're pressing on." When they wanted to go back, he said, "We're pressing on!" He was perseverant. Yes, he was persistent. Persistent---my, what that means to us today. Men of all ages who's got faith in God is persistent.

29 Look at David. Little David, no doubt raised in a lovely, believing home. His father, Jesse, a great man of God, no doubt gathered all those boys around at night and had family prayer before they went to bed. Probably read the scrolls, and talked about great Jehovah that had opened up the Red Sea; and a great prophet, Moses, had brought them out, following the pillar of fire---all these things. That created faith. "Faith cometh by hearing, hearing of the word of God." Little David got to thinking of that.
Oh, of course, he was kind of the smallest one of the family, so they put him out to watch a few sheep, and he was responsible for those sheep. And one day a lion come in and got one. And he thought, "Now, what am I going to say to my father about this sheep being missing?" And he happened to remember that "My father read from the scrolls, and told me that God was a great God to deliver his people. And He would bless Israel, and He was with Israel. And I'm one of them. And all that's circumcised and in that covenant, God's blessing is upon them. And I'm one of them. I'm circumcised, and God's blessing's upon me. I have a right. One of my father's sheep's gone, so I'm going after that sheep."
And he grabbed up his little slingshot, and went and brought that sheep back by killing the lion. Why? He was perseverant. What was God doing? Training him. A bear come in and got one. He went and got the sheep from the bear.

30 One day when he took his brothers up something to eat, when the armies were one across the ditch from the other---a little valley where a little brook run between them... And there was a big Goliath out there, boasting. Perhaps David looked at him, come by and looked around awhile. He looked up to see who the biggest one was, and the largest man, in the army. And it was Saul, the leader---head and shoulders above all.
"Well, why don't he go out there?" he thought, walked on. I imagine he was thinking, "God, my Father, I know if You care that much for one of them lambs out there, how much do You care for the people that's called by your name? Now they're in conflict. They're all afraid." And he got very perseverant. He took right out after Goliath with that same slingshot and won the victory. Why? He believed in what he was trying to achieve. His achievement was right. It was in the will of God, in the word of God, in the plan of God.

31 And if you can find out what your place is in the plan of God, even though you be sick, and nearly dead... You say, "I'm a Christian. How could that be in the plan of God?" It might be in God's plan to heal you and give you a testimony that will shake souls to the kingdom of God. Certainly. He lets those things happen. Maybe you had your ups and downs and the enemy scorching you from side to side. It might have been that way. That's all in the plan of God. Look at Job, when he was afflicted, sores all over him. It was all in the plan of God. But Job, too, was perseverant because he knowed that he was keeping God's word. Nothing was going to bother him.

32 I could think today of Samson. He was perseverant, too. He was perseverant as long as he could see that the promise of God was with him. Every time that the Philistines would make a brag, or get him into the corner... Probably little bitty old skinny arms, and a little sissy-like fellow with seven little locks of hair hanging down, that they all called sissy, and... But he'd feel around to see if them locks was all right. He just let the lions roar, let the Philistines lock him up, do anything they wanted to. He'd take the whole city gates and pack them up to the top of the hill. Why? He was perseverant! Why? He seen and felt and knowed that the promise of God hung upon him. Amen.

33 What ought you Pentecostal people to do when you see the Holy Spirit moving among us? You see Him performing signs and wonders, taking sinners and making them saints, taking the sick and healing them, making the blind to see, the deaf to hear---and even raising up the dead, doing all kinds of signs and wonders! And then we sit back like a bunch of whipped pups. What we ought to be is perseverant. Stand up there and take God... Feel his Spirit sweep over our souls in the power of his resurrection!
And then back up on his Word, say, "Would you pray for me again?" Pray for me again? God made the promise and Jesus died---once! That settles it. That's all of it. Then be perseverant. Yes, sir. Be like real soldiers. Oh, how great He is.

34 As long as Samson knowed that his gift was with him, he could feel those seven locks, he could face any Philistine. Why, he took the jawbone of a mule and beat down a thousand Philistines. Could you imagine that? Now that's one for the scientists today, science. An old jawbone. Did you ever see a bone after it gets ... lays on the ... bleached out like that? Why, it's as rotten as it can be. Just hit it and it'll fly to pieces. And them helmets is somewhat a inch and a half thick, over the top of their heads with a big coat of mail over the top of them, which is probably another inch---great big fellows, big spears in their hand. And here this little bitty curly-headed shrimp stood out there with a jawbone, and beat them skulls right in, and killed a thousand of them single-handed! Why, he didn't scare. Why? He felt, he seen them locks was still hanging there. He was very perseverant.
As long as a Christian can know that he's living above sin, that the Holy Spirit is blessing him and standing with him ... be perseverant and press towards the mark of the high calling. Christians should be that way, very persistent in their claims to God. Stay with it.

35 I spoke a few moments ago about John the Baptist. I'd like to say something else before leaving that. You know, John was kind of an odd child. We don't have too much history about his life. We know his father was a priest out of a school of learning, Zechariah. His mother was Elizabeth, just a common housewife. They were old, and God appeared to him one day by the angel Gabriel and give him a promise of the child. And that must have been kind of sad to the old couple's hearts, because they knowed that that boy was going to be God's leader. He was going to be the man of the hour. They knowed that he'd go through all kinds of trials and tribulations, and people against him, and everything, 'cause they're always that way. If they're not, there's something wrong with the time. That's right.
So then, we find out that it must have been kind of heartbreaking to the old couple, knowing that they was going to have to die and leave this boy, before they seen this son of theirs come into his full anointing, to be the fore ... the leader, or rather, the forerunner of the coming Messiah. They believed that, and they perhaps told him that. Now when John was yet in his youth, his father and mother died.

36 And it was strange. This young man that God had called, isn't it very strange that he didn't go over to the same order of religion that his father belonged to? Correctly, it was a custom of that day, that the people... The priesthood had to come from Levi, of course. So he had... The Levis were priests, and they went to their temple and learned all the orders.
But you know, John didn't do that. We're told that John went out into the wilderness. He didn't want to get mixed up in their traditions. He had an important job. And men had it all twisted up. So he ... if he was going to be positive, he had to be the one to introduce the Messiah. And he had to be sure of who it was.
So, perhaps if he had went to the clergy and said, "I'm Zacharias' son..."
"Come in and register and pay your tuition [They sold the home up there.], and we'll train you around here, and you can serve tables," and so forth. Oh, my! Went to his seminary and got all indocumated, and all educated up, and so forth like that.

37 They'd have said, "Now, if you're to introduce the Messiah, what about our grand high priest today? Don't you think he's a lovely man? Look how he can stand, and how he can bow. Don't you think that looks like a Messiah? Perhaps that's him."
Oh, the other priest would have said, "Oh, no, no, no. You're wrong. It wouldn't be an old man like that. It would be this young man here, this young evangelist, just setting the country a-fire. You know that that would've been him. Why, look. Why, he can quote all of our creeds and so forth. He knows all the traditions of the elders better than anybody else. And he's such a great man. Even the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians, and all of them cooperate with him. He's got the greatest ministry in the field today. That's the guy, John."

38 John didn't want to get mixed up with such nonsense as that. He had an important job. What'd he do? He stayed there until he heard from God! God said, "I'll tell you who he is. You just go on out there. But who you see the Spirit coming down on, that's the one. That'll be the sign of the Messiah. You just go ahead and preach. And you preach repentance, and baptize them unto repentance, and tell them that I'm a-coming. But don't let them bring you somebody and say, 'Ordain him now and make him the chief bishop, or make him the Messiah, or whatever it is.' You wait until you see this sign. When you see this sign, then that's the one. You tell Israel that's the one. You say, 'That's Him,' when you see the sign that I tell you to see."
O God, help us today. Not "A million more in '44," and all these other kind of foolishness we get---blood, fire, smoke, and vapor, all kinds of things. Stay with the Word! All kinds of sensations, the devil can impersonate every one of them. Stay with the Word.

39 John waited. He'd baptize a few and he'd look all around. He'd baptize a few more. Priest would say, "Who is this you're talking about?"
He said, "There's one standing here somewhere." That's what he said. "There's one standing in your midst now. You don't know Him; neither do I. But He'll be the one that'll baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire. I'm only baptizing with water."
"Who is he? Say, I'll tell you, our brother, he just got his PhD the other day. That's him! Dress him up, put his robe on, his high priest hat, or whatever it is. Send him down there, let him show his credentials. He's got fine fellowship with everybody. Come down here. Is this him, John?"
"That's not him!" Amen.
Like old Samuel, another prophet before him, getting one out of David's sons---out of Jesse's sons, pardon me. Trying to find David... Brought that little bitty, stooped-shouldered, ruddy-looking fellow, and he said, "That's him, that's him."

40 So they got ... perhaps maybe brought all their theologians around, said, "Is this him? Is this him?"
John said, "No, none of them. God's refused them all. I don't know who He is. But He told me what I would find."
"Well, looky here, what's wrong with this fellow?"
"I don't know. But I've got a certain sign that I've got to find."
One day come walking down a little man with no reputation, only a black dirty name behind Him---born a illegitimate child, so the people thought. Yes, come walking down there with a man named Lazarus. John looked up (he was persistent all right), he said, "There He is, that's Him!"
"How do you know?"
"He that told me to go baptize with water, said, 'Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending upon and remaining on, he's the one that will baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire.'"
He watched for that sign of the Messiah. He was persistent. "How do you know it's Him?"
"I know it's Him!"
"Why? Now tell me. Find this ... and go to this ... school of learning. Where do you get this?"
"God told me so." He heard the voice of God and he knowed that it was Him.

41 This poor Greek woman (We'll have to hurry and get to her right quick), talk about her a few minutes. I imagine she had some difficults too. The first place, we find out that she heard of Him. That's the first thing to do. You have to hear of Him. She heard of Him. She heard of what? His fame, who He was. No doubt some good person had scattered the news. And she had a child that was sick, and nothing could do it any good. It was possessed with, perhaps, epilepsy. It had a spirit that would ... probably going to kill her, be on her all of her life. She heard of others being healed.
Now maybe somebody'd said, "Now wait a minute. But first, you can't go to that group. He's a Jew. He belongs to another organization. You can't ... He's from another group. You can't go to Him."

42 You know, somehow faith finds a source that others don't know nothing about. No matter how much they try to say, "Don't go," they go anyhow, see, 'cause faith finds its source. Others don't see it. That's right. Now she knowed his Word. And the Bible said in Hebrews, the 4th chapter and the 12th verse, that "the Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword, cutting even to the ... asunder of the soul, and a discerner of the thoughts of the heart." That's what the Word of God does. It discerns even the thoughts that's in your heart.
Listen! Faith is the hand that can wield that sword. No other hand can do it---no ecclesiastical hand, no organizational hand, no group hands, no national hand. It takes the hand of faith to do it! It depends on how strong that hand is. You might cut enough away from you to see that you're free from sin. And if it's strong enough, you can cut into healing. You can cut into anything that God promises. It's all out there. As He told Joshua, "Everywhere the soles of your foot steps, that's possession." It depends on how strong that hand of faith is that wields that sword of God's Word.

43 Oh, it's true. She had many hindrances, but her faith didn't have any hindrance. You might have some. I have plenty of them, lot of hindrances. But about your faith, that's the thing. If you can't be persistent, if you're going to let everything hinder you... Now physically, you might feel bad. Physically you might not feel well. And otherwise, you might not feel like going to church. You might not feel like doing anything. But your faith don't have no hindrance. It moves on anyhow.
Maybe your pastor prayed for you, anointed you with oil. That's what he's supposed to do. And you go back and say, "Pastor, I don't feel any better." Oh, my. You're not ... you oughtn't to have come up in the first place, see. See, you're going by your feelings. But your faith, if you've got faith...
Well, you'll say, "I'll just wait till Brother Roberts comes by, Brother Branham, or some of them others."
Oh, my! That's not it. It's your faith in the Word of God! God said, "Call the elders and let them anoint you with oil and pray over you. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick."
If you've got faith in God and faith in the prayer, then go on anyhow. There's nothing going to stop it, see. Why? You've got faith. You believe it. Faith don't have any hindrances.

44 Oh, but the woman had plenty of hindrances, and you have plenty of physical hindrances, and spiritual hindrances. But if your faith believes in God, there's no hindrances to your faith.
Somebody might have said, "Now wait a minute. Now you're a Greek going to a Jew."
"You're a Baptist going to a Pentecostal." You know, all of these things.
Some of them might have been saying, "Now just a minute, dear. You know good and well that the days of miracles is past. There's no such a thing as that. That's only emotion. Haven't we had that all down through the ages?
"We've heard that bunch of Jews that claim to believe in some supernatural God. Our God down there in the temple can do just as much for you---more than what he could do. There's nothing to that.
"You don't see our people all carried away with such illusions as that. We go down to our idol and we bow down to it, and we pay our tribute to it, and all this. And we go back and we live peaceful lives. We're not always tore up like that bunch of holy rollers. Always stewing, this, that, and the other, you know. That's just another one..."

45 But you see... Another might have come up and said, "Now wait a minute. Do you know your husband's a businessman in this city? And your own son might have been a priest to the great goddess down there, the Grecian goddess. Do you know, it would be terrible. Your husband will turn you right away from home. Why, you shouldn't go down there. That's horrible."
And others might stand and say, "You go down there with such a thing as that, you'll be the laughing stock of our nation. Everybody will just ha-ha and laugh at you," the little woman standing listening to all that, you know.
You know ... and others might have walked up. The priest of her goddess might have walked up and said, "Now just a minute. You go down there and you take your membership from this church."

46 Oh, she had plenty of hindrances, no doubt. But you know, that didn't stop her. She held on! All of them might have been right, but still there was something inside of her. She believed that she was on the right path. She believed that if He was God at all, He was God of every nation. If He was God at all, He was God of the whole creation. And if He could heal a Jew, He could heal a Gentile. So what difference did it make whether she was Jew or Gentile? She was going to get in the presence of God. Oh, my! That nailed it down.
Now. She fights through all of that... Now look what she had to come through, and many other things. If I had time I could go through it, you know---but just say them things. And she had to fight against all that. Then she gets to Him, and now He's hid Himself in a room.
Now, the guard at the door said, "Nope, nobody coming in. He's in there, but He's tired, don't bother Him."
Maybe Simon sat there with his disciples. "But now, if you get to Him, you'll have to pass over me."
Another, here stood Andrew behind him, another behind him. Oh, my. But somehow ... I don't know how she done it, but she got to Him, you see.

47 And then when she got to Him, she explained her case, what she had in mind. Her daughter was sick. And now look at the disappointment. Even the very one she come to, the one she knew to be God... And she ... He said, "I'm not sent to your race." Whew! What a mark that was!
"I'm sent to the children of God, and you're nothing but a bunch of dogs." Why, wouldn't that have blowed the Pentecostals sky-high! Oh, my. Hmmm. Oh! "I'm sent to a race of people who has believed in Me. I'm sent to the Jews---the children. And I've got to feed them, not you bunch of dogs."---calling her a dog, said He wasn't sent to her.
But you know faith. She still held on. She was persistent, perseverant. Why? She had faith. She knowed that that was God! And she knowed that if He could heal a Jew... He created a Gentile, the same as He created a Jew. There was somewhere she could touch Him. Oh, brother, I like that. Just keep punching. Amen.

48 Knock. Now the right translation to that is not "he that knocks"; it's "knocketh." He that asks ... just not say, "Lord ..." or he that knocketh, just walk away. No, you just keep standing there knocking: "Lord, I'm wanting in! Open up to me!" That's it, that's it. Like the widow and the unjust judge, see. Just keep knocking constantly.
She was determined! Faith caught something, and she was persistent with it. She knowed that she had to get there, 'cause maybe one of her neighbors had the same kind of a situation---some Jewish woman that she knowed had a daughter the same way and was healed.
She had to get there, that's all there was to it. She must get there, she was persistent, no matter if He turned her down. All right, that's true.
Said, "You bunch of dogs are not even worthy of food. I've got to feed the children over here."
She said, "That's true, Lord."

49 See? What? Faith... This is a scorcher, and I hope you get it. Faith always recognizes the Word to be true. That's right. Faith always sanctions the Word with a "Amen." No matter what anything else is, the Word's always right. No matter if they say the days of miracles is past, and the Bible says "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever," faith says, "That's the truth." That's right. If they say the Holy Ghost is just for a group back there, 120 on the day of Pentecost, and the Bible said ... Peter said on Pentecost, "The promise is unto you, and to your children, and them that is far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call," faith holds to that. Nobody can take it away from you. You got it!
"Oh, I don't know if... Nobody ever did receive it."
God promised it, and here I am after it.
"That's for another day."
It's for me too, because something in me tells me that He just loves as much today as He ever did. He's the same God. Then you can be persistent and stay right there, knocking, seeking, holding on until the Holy Ghost comes down upon you. Amen! Now I feel religious. Yes, sir. Amen. I know that's true. I've tested it. I know it's the truth.

50 All right. Her faith held on. My! Oh, I love that. "Yes," she said, "That's true, Lord. I'm a dog. I'm a Gentile. I'm not worthy of any of these blessings. They actually belong to the Jews. You come to your own. I believe every bit of that." But still, still down in her heart, she wasn't hurt. She didn't feel bad about it; she was recognizing the truth!
Now, if God'd come tell you in some of the cold formal conditions that you'll perish in your sins if you continue that way, well, you'd blow up. My, my, my! You wouldn't listen to it. You'd say, "That's a false prophet." Yet the Word tells you that's the truth. But you won't listen to the Word. Oh, brother, I like it.
Well, she wasn't a hotbed plant. She wasn't a ... had to be sprayed, a hybrid like some of the crop that this generation has produced, had to be babied around. No. Have to take this... Oh, she'd take it any way He'd give it. That's all. She was there for it. She wanted it. Not, "Lord, now You quit talking like that to me, and You come over to my house." That wasn't ... He just ... He just wanted to hear... She just want Him to say so. That's all. That's all she wanted to hear, just Him to say so.

51 She didn't have to be sprayed over and babied and petted and, "Oh, now, dear, you should come. You know, if you'll come tonight, I'll go with you sometime somewhere else." Oh, mercy. "Oh, I tell you what, I'll have our pastor to get you a front seat, and I'll get a special interview with him after." Oh, my. Babied ... such stuff as that. That's hybrid stuff.
"All the Father has given me will come to me," said Jesus. And, "No man can come except my Father draws him." Weigh that up in your scales one time, see where you are. Yes, sir. You find out it'll flash. Amen. Yes, sir. Put the Geiger on that and find out what happens. That's right. It'll flash. Why? It's the real genuine Word of God. Jesus said, "No man can come to me, except my Father draws him. And all the Father has given me will come."
You don't have to baby and pet them, and promise they're going to have a fleet of Cadillacs if they'll receive the Holy Ghost. And they're going to ... business is going to prosper, and they're going to have bigger churches and higher steeples, and better educated preachers and... Oh, nonsense! Get away from it! Faith that holds the Word of God yields the power of God! Right. And you're persistent.
"Why, I ain't got no fleet of Cadillacs yet, and I been over here with you all a year. All I got was a lot of persecution." Oh, you hybrid donkey. Don't even know what papa and mama is. That's the way it is though. My, my. Yeah.

52 Oh, she admitted to the truth. "I'm not worthy of it, Lord." That's right. But she said. What? "I'm here just for the crumbs. That's true, the children eat. You're right, Lord. Your Words are true, every one of them, and I'm not worthy to sit at that table with the children. Certainly not. But, Lord, let me call something to your attention. The dogs are willing to eat the crumbs that fall from the children's table." Hallelujah! That got Him.
How different it is today. How different it is with we people who call ourselves Pentecostals. If we don't get the whole loaf, and it's smeared with butter, we don't want it. No, sir, not have nothing to do with it. Oh, my. Whole hog or none at all, you know how they say it.
Brother! She was after the crumbs. She said, "Lord, You're the ... that's the truth. What You said is the truth." Faith always recognizes the truth. But she said, "I'm here just for the crumbs, if I could just only find some crumbs. I'm a dog, but the dogs are privileged to eat the crumbs." Oh, brother.

53 Now remember, she was a Gentile. She'd never seen a miracle. No, sir, she'd never seen a miracle---she was a Gentile. But she didn't have to be shown. He didn't have to come, say, "Now look here, I want to show you something. I want you to watch. See that... Watch here. I'm going to pray a minute. Watch the blood run down on my hands." He could've done that. Sure He could.
He could've said, "Wait a minute. Let me show you one of my miracles. Bring me a little water. You know, Moses the prophet, that I'm the ... I'm succeeding him. But I tell you, he turned the sea into water down there, to blood. You believe that?"
"Yeah."
"Well, get me a pan of water here and I'll show you I can do the same thing."
Oh, that would've been nonsense. She didn't want to see that.

54 She was like Rahab the harlot, when the spies went over to spy out the land, and Rahab saw them. That was her first opportunity she had. She didn't say, "Say, bring Joshua over here and let me see him. Let me size him up. Is he a great big handsome fellow? Does he have curly hair? Well, you know, I might believe him to be the leader of God's band."
She didn't want to see Joshua. She didn't want to see any of his miracles. She said, "I heard [amen] That God's with you, and I want to go with you, too!" Amen. She was persistent. "I don't care what the rest of my people do, how well they're dug in, how much they're fortified. God's give you this place, and I want to go with you." Amen. She was persistent. Yes, sir. Like Rahab.
That's the way this Gentile woman was. She was persistent. She said, "The dogs can eat the crumbs."
Jesus said, "For this saying..." Oh, my! What? She had approached the gift of God in the right way.

55 And if you approach the Holy Ghost, the gift of God, in the right way, you'll not only get crumbs, you'll get a plateful---if you'll just approach it in the right way. There's only one way to approach it: that's not take your letter from one church to another; that's not run from one denomination to another; that's not for, see ... repeating what's called the creed, or the apostles creed. It's not the apostle's creed.
And, if you'll repeat the right apostle's creed, it'll be all right. Acts tells you how to do it. Peter said, on the day of Pentecost, said "Repent!" There you are. "Repent, every one of you and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." That's the creed. That's the way to do it. Yes, sir.
She had it then. She had it right. She was approaching the gift in the correct way. And if you'll approach it in the same way, "Repent and be baptized," then you're sure to get the Holy Ghost 'cause God promised it (exactly right), with an authoritative word.

56 You say, "Well, St. Christopher So-and-so said so-and-so, and great ... Dwight Moody, great men..." I don't say they wasn't, but they're unauthoritative! If they are... There's only one authority, and that's this Bible.
Say, "Why, the Wesleyan church does this way, and they sprinkle instead of baptize," and all these other things that they got all mixed up. Say, "Well, they were great people."
I don't care. I believe they were, too. I believe they were great people, too. But they're ... they haven't got the authoritative right to do that. For the Bible said, "Whosoever shall take one word away from this, or add anything to it, the same of his part will be taken from the book of life." This is the Word! This is the truth!

57 But, "I know, but you see, we're schooled, and our pastors have done so-and-so. They've got this education, and they study the Bible, and they've studied all history. And they claim that the days of miracles is past."
But God said it isn't! Jesus said, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works..."
Someone said, "Oh, sure. We do greater works because we've got a greater organization than He had. We got greater---we're all the way around the world." Wait a minute. Before you do that, do the works He did first and then you can do the greater. He said you do his works first, and then go greater. You can take the translation of that from the original. It doesn't say greater; it said more. The same works and more all the way around the world, and then you got it right. Yeah. There it is, unauthoritative word.

58 Someone asked me the other day, said, "Well, Brother Branham, don't you believe in purgatory?"
I said, "Sure, I believe in purgatory."
Said, "Well, fine." Said, "That's good." Said, "You know..."
I said, "But I don't believe that after you die some priest will pray you out of it, or some preacher." I said, "I believe in purgatory, sure, purging your soul. But we do that now. When we do something wrong let's get down and have a purgatory, say, 'God, cleanse me. Take the thing out of me. Purge me, wash me, make me new.' I believe in purging my soul. Yes, sir. I do that daily. I'm in purgatory daily then, see---so, just purging my soul every day before God."
"Well," he said, "St. Andrew, and St. So-and-so, and St. Francis and all these others, they..."
I said, "That may be all right."
"And you know St. So-and-so, St. Cecelia..."
I said, "That may be all right, too. I don't say that." Well, you say... I say, "That's the reason you got six hundred different books to go from. You don't know where you're standing. But that's unauthoritative word!" I told them I didn't believe in intercession of saints.
"But St. So-and-So said..."
But I said, "Peter said, 'There's no other mediator between God and man but that man Christ Jesus.' He had the authority! Those apostles had the authority!" Arguing about baptism... I said, "What do they say about it? See what they said. The others is unauthoritative word. This is the Word."

59 When you got God's Word ... if our ... if we've got God's Word and know that it's the truth, we can be so persistent, brother. Move right on in because God said so. That's the reason I have always depended on that. I don't go on myself; I go when He tells me. I stay right with his Word. I don't go right or left, I stay right with it. And that's the reason He blesses it. Stay with it!
No matter how the devil tries to throw everything in front of you, say, "You'll be put out of your church ... you'll do this..." Stay with it! God promised it! It's his Word! Amen. Stay with it. It's authoritative Word, God's authoritative Word. That's right. He did say to that church, "Whosoever's sins you can remit, is remitted; whosoever's sin you retain." But what kind of church was it? Wish we could preach on that a while some time. All right, we won't now.

60 "For this saying (the crumbs), oh, you can go find your child now." Now He never went to pray for it. He just said it, and that's all she wanted to know.
I can imagine her saying, "Thank you, my Lord. Blessed be your holy name." ... go right back.
All them critics standing on the street, "Hey, what did you get?"
"My daughter's healed."
"How do you know? She was having a fit when I left up there."
"That don't make a bit of difference. I got it!"
"Why?"
"He said so." Amen, amen.
She met the pastor of her ... goddess down there, and he said, "Why, you know what? I've got your letter wrote out."
"I'll save you the trouble. Don't even bring it to me. Just throw it in the fire anyhow."
"Why?"
"I'm on my road! I've got my request! My daughter's healed!" Amen. Remember, she was the first Gentile that a miracle was ever performed on by Jesus Christ. Yeah. Faith admits the Word is right.
Now we've got to hurry 'cause it's going to get late, and we don't want to stay here too long. Oh, it's just getting good now. Amen.

61 Martha in the presence of Jesus, with a dead brother. She'd read the Word, how the Shunammite woman went to Elisha. That was God's word. You believe that? You believe Elijah was his word? The Bible said, "The word of the Lord came to the prophet." That was God's word. So as soon as she got to the word, she found comfort, that's right.
And Martha, she knowed that Jesus was that Word. And she got to the Word to find comfort. She was persistent. Maybe when she went down the street, someone said, "Uh-huh, now he's slipped back in town since your brother died, that one that you believed in." But she was persistent. She walked right on down.
When she got to Him she never upbraided Him. She said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother had not died. But even now [oh, brother], even now, whatever you ask God, God will give it to you." That's persistent, brother.
He said, "Oh, sure. Your brother will rise again."
She said, "Yes, Lord, I believe that. He was a good boy. He'll rise in the general resurrection the last day."
Jesus said, "But I am the resurrection and life." Amen. "He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." He seen she was persistent.
Like Elisha saw the Shunammite woman. She said, "As your soul never dies and I'm not going to leave you, I'm going to stay here till I find out what the will of God is."
Oh, brother, if you'll just take Bible and sit down and see if your creed's right, if you'll just see if the Holy Ghost is right, just read through the Bible. And be persistent, and hold on to that promise when you get it. You believe in healing, hold on to that promise. Be persistent. Be a real Christian. Yes, sir. Sure. Be persistent.

62 When Peter had been taught of his father... I'm going to leave my regular run of scripture here. I'm just going to say something again 'cause it's getting late. When Peter had heard of his father, Simon... No doubt him and Andrew out on the ship there many times with his father... The old gray-headed man was dying. Said, "Son, I've always believed I'd live to see the Messiah. But there'll be a big grumble about it, you know, just like there always is when God does something. There'll be this, that, the other. But I'm going to tell you, don't you take any other evidence but our scriptural evidence. For the Bible said that the Lord our God would raise up a prophet unto us liken unto Moses, and that prophet we should hear. And we know what that Messiah is going to be."
And when Peter walked up there, kind of a little doubting, 'cause Andrew had to go get him... And so, when he went and got him, said, "Come ... come over here tonight and listen to Him a few minutes."

63 And when Peter walked up into his presence He said, "Your name is Simon; and you're the son of Jonas." Talk about persistent. He was so persistent that Jesus said, "You're a rock." Yes, sir. "You're really going to stay in the path. I'll give you the keys to the kingdom: and whatever you bind on earth will be bound; what you loose in heaven will be loosed. Whatever you loose or bind in heaven and earth, I'll do it in heaven as you do it on earth." Persistent. I'll say he was persistent. Yes, sir. He had perseverance. Yes, sir. All right.
Philip was standing there and he saw that. He was very perseverant---so much that he crowded in one of his denominational friends, and said ... persuaded him to come see for himself. Very persistent, sure.

64 The woman at the well---she was out there, and ill-famed, in a bad condition. And one day when Jesus come up to the well and saw her standing there, and asked for a drink, she scolded him. Said, "Why, you're a Jew, and you ask me such a thing as that?" Said, "Well, you know good and well you, a young Jewish man, ain't got no business asking me, a Samaritan woman, such a thing as that. We don't have any dealings with one another. Don't you know there's segregation? Where you from anyhow? Don't ask me such a thing as that."
He looked her in her face and said, "But if you knew who you were speaking with, you'd ask me for a drink."
Oh, persistent. He knowed where He was standing, too, didn't He? The Father had sent Him up there, you know. He had need to go by Samaria when He come to Sychar. And then when He stood there, and we see Him standing there, very persistent. He didn't take her insult. And she looked at Him, and He begin that...
She said, "Why, we worship in this mountain, and you say in Jerusalem." And the conversation went on.
And He said, "Go get your husband."
She said, "Well, I don't have any. What are you asking me such a thing as that for?"
He said, "You said ... you told the truth. You've had five and the one you're living with now is not yours."

65 Oh, brother, that changed things. She stopped! She said, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Now we haven't had one of them for many hundreds of years. But we're taught that we're going to get a Messiah. And when that Messiah comes, he'll be a prophet."
He said, "I am he that speaks with you." Oh, did she get persistent! She got perseverant.
Now remember, if anyone knows the oriental customs, a woman of that fame has no business telling men nothing. That's right. No, sir. They won't even listen to her. A woman of ill-fame, coming down the street marked with ill-fame, the men won't have nothing to do with her. That's right. Her voice is nothing.
But, brother, she got awful persistent. She got the priest and she got all of them. She was determined they was going to know. She said, "Look." In other words, "Search your scriptures. The man told me the things that I've done. Isn't this the very Messiah!" Quieten her voice if you could. You couldn't do it. She was persistent. "That is the Messiah. There's our chance. That's who we've waited on, and there He stands."
And with that woman's tremendous persistency, even the people in the city believed on it. Didn't say, "Now you come tell me what... Who am I? Where did I come from?" They didn't believe that. The persistence of that woman proved that He was Messiah. And the Bible said, "And the people of that city believed on him because of the testimony of the woman." She had struck fire. Oh, my.

66 I can see a little old woman out on the street, and she's done wrong. She's done everything in the calendar that's wrong. And the first thing you know, she staggers in a little old mission somewhere, the paint and manicure all over her face---and sitting up there looking, and saying, "I ain't fit to be in this place."
And the first thing you know the Holy Ghost said, "I've chosen you." Stop her testimony once! Oh, brother, she's so persistent ... she might not... The insurance man come to the door, she keeps her head down in shame to go to the door. The next day she can give a testimony that'll shake the shingles right off the top of the house. She's persistent, brother. She knows she's struck the right thing. That's it. Be persistent. Don't give up.

67 John the Baptist was persistent. He knew. It reminds me of Tommy Nichols. I don't guess he's here with us, is he? He's a dandy little old brother. I can just brag about him plenty now. And he was with us the other night. I had a vision of being in glory, and come back. And Tommy never pulled any punches, even in that national ... international magazine. He put it in there just the way it was. Many of you read it. And the little insert at the bottom of the pages, did you read that? Talked about the ministry of the bygone days, and said that God had even used me many times, and evidently proven that He's raised the dead. And what ... they had the testimony (we have it) of down in Mexico one night not long ago.
I was having a meeting in Mexico City. And we was in that great arena out there, and thousands of people were standing. And I just had about three or four nights. And one ... the second night there... The first night, I just talked to people. They were all standing there, poor, no seats to sit down, just standing out in the middle of the arena---and ... somewhere about twenty, thirty thousand of them. And I begin to speak to them about the Lord Jesus, and about his great grace, and his mercies to the people, and give them testimony what He'd done.

68 And the second night we went down to pray for them. Across the altar come an old Mexican man, blind, had no shoes on, his old rusty feet and everything, the way he looked. I thought of him, and I thought...
Here not long ago when this rifle blowed up on me... What it was, was a converted Winchester to a Weatherby Magnum. I think the man that give it to me is sitting right here now. And he...
I always wanted a Weatherby Magnum. I don't never play golf, and get out with that bunch of women and things out there. God give me a sport, to hunt and to fish. And I always loved the Weatherby Magnum. They're pretty, and I wanted it, but they cost too much. I've got friends would have bought them for me. As I said the other night, "How could I let a man buy a Weatherby Magnum for me for hundreds of dollars, when I got missionary friends that ain't even got shoes on their feet?" No, sir. Them poor old Mexicans down there got them old rusty feet.
... and old coat on, and all ragged, and maybe never had a good decent meal in his life, and four or five kids at home---and then besides that was blind. I would've give him my coat, I would've give him my shoes, anything---he was a much bigger man. But I give him my love. Put my arm around him and prayed for him, and God opened his eyes right there on the platform. He run up and down through there screaming.

69 A little old Mexican woman... That went into Mexico, all throughout the city. The next day there was a rack of clothes much wider than this here, piled that high, of just old shawls and hats---people trying to get healed.
A little Mexican woman that morning took her little baby to a doctor, just barely breathing. Pneumonia choked into its lungs. While she was in the office the little baby ceased to breathe. The doctor put the pulmotor on him, and he couldn't bring it back. It was dead, nine o'clock that morning. Told the mother, said, "We'd take it back..."
She said, "No, I'm going to keep the baby." And she put it in her arms and run home. She went to her neighbor and said, "Did not you say that one of our people received his sight last night over there?" She was a Catholic. Said, "Did not ... say one of our men received his sight on that platform?" She said, "I'm taking my baby."

70 There she went with that baby, through the rain. She went nine-thirty, ten o'clock that morning, and stood there till half past ten that night, before I ever come in. It raining, them poor Mexicans standing there; them women, their hair down in their face, standing there in that rain, falling in their face. Brother Jack Moore, and many of the brethren, we come down. There was so many around that arena they had to take me over, and climb up a ladder on the outside, and put a rope around my arms and let me down, to get to the platform in the back of it---so many people around.
I got up there and begin to speaking. I'd just begin to speak, and I heard the awfullest commotion to my right. I thought, "What is that?" And I tried to preach, and there was an awful commotion again.

71 And Billy come over to me, my boy, and he said, "Daddy, I give Brother Espinoza them prayer cards, and he give them over..." I don't know, I called him "Mañana," he was so slow. And said, "He give them... He give out the prayer cards, and that little woman over there wants a prayer card for her dead baby." Said, "Daddy, she's been standing here all day in that rain." Said, "We just can't hold her."
Said, "We got around 150, 200 ushers standing there, and she just tears right on through them." He said, "We've throwed her off the platform three or four times." And said, "We just can't do nothing with her."
I said, "Brother Moore, go over and pray for her. She don't know who's who. Just go on..." Little old Mexican woman, I ... she was a nice, pretty little woman about ... little fellow, and looked to be about twenty-five years old, probably her first baby. And so Brother Jack started off over there.

72 I said, "I was speaking about our Lord..." And I looked out, and I seen a little dark-faced Mexican baby standing before me, no teeth, just "gooing" and laughing. I looked again. I said, "Wait a minute, Brother Moore. Tell her to bring the baby here."
And they opened up the line when the Brother Espinoza... Many of you brethren know him, you Assembly of God brethren. He was ... that's where he's from. And they made ... opened up the line. Here this little woman come running up there, and fell down on her knees, saying, "Padre, Padre."
I said, "Get up. Stand up." And she had beads in her hand. And I said, "Just put them away." I said, "What's the matter?"
Brother Espinoza interpreted. Her baby was dead, and she was standing there crying, tears, her little eyes swelled up, little mother. She had it laying... Under a little blanket, little blue-looking blanket hanging down. There was the little dead baby. It was stiff, you could see the way its little arms and things laying. It'd been dead since that morning.

73 I said, "Now, Brother Espinoza, don't interpret this." I said, "It's a vision I just saw."
He said, "What?"
I said, "It's a vision. Don't say nothing. Let me pray."
I said, "Heavenly Father, I don't know what this means. But I was looking out there, and before my eyes come a little baby looked to be about this size." And I said, "I'm going to lay my hands upon this little dead form." And about that time it started kicking and screaming, as hard as it could, like that. I said, "Brother Espinoza, go to her doctor and get a written statement." He did.
Why? She was persistent. Why? She didn't care what the church said, whether she was excommunicated, what it was. If a blind man could receive his sight, her baby... ! No man could restore sight to the blind. Anybody knows that! Like, even the Pharisees said, "Who could restore sight to the blind except God only?" No man could do that, and she knowed that. And she knowed if God was here on earth in power enough to give a blind man his sight, He was the same God that could raise the dead yet! She was persistent. She stayed all day. The undertakers calling for her baby, she stayed all day anyhow. The ushers trying to keep her out of line, and she stayed anyhow---turned down every way! But she stayed. Why? She had perseverance. Why? Faith caught a hold! Faith said, "It's so." Faith knows no difficult! Faith knows no defeat! When you got faith, you have perseverance.

74 Let's pray a minute. How many wants perseverance? Our heavenly Father, I believe, Lord, with all my heart, that if the people could only realize... I believe they're good people. I believe they're your people. I know they are. They love You. They've passed from death to life. But right in their minds is Satan all the time trying to misquote something to them, trying to take away from God's Word. I pray, Father, that You will rebuke him. Grant it, God. Let your Holy Spirit come upon this audience just now.
They have ... no doubt the bigger part of this people in here today has felt your presence. They believe. But let them realize that they have a hinderer also, and that's the enemy. He might speak through precious friends. But yet your Word is the same. You ... how could You raise that dead baby for that Mexican woman because she had faith, and wouldn't raise somebody else's baby? How could You heal a blind man that couldn't see, unless You would heal some other blind man? But what it is, many of them are stopped.

75 Some of them has perseverance. They just move on anyhow, no matter what it is, like the little Syrophenician woman that we spoke of this afternoon, that stood before You. You just told her, "Go thy way. The devil's left her." That's all she wanted to know.
Now, You don't have to come in our midst to say that now, Father, because You've already said it. "Whatsoever things you desire, when you pray, just believe you receive them, and you shall have them." We know that's your Word. Now if we ask anything, then we should be perseverant after that. We should know that it's ours. You give it to us. You can't lie; You're God. If You give it to others, why don't You give it to us?
When we ask, we shall receive. You said so. "Knock, and it will be opened; seek, ye shall find; ask, and it'll be given." Well, God, promise after promise, You've given us. "If anywhere two or more are gathered in my name, and shall ask anything, it shall be given to them." Now You promised that. "Wherever two or three are gathered [no matter how small the meeting is], I'll be in the midst of them." Now You promised it, Lord. That's your own promise, that's your own Word. I believe it.

76 I believe that just as well as You was standing right here before us today, come down the corridors of heaven and walked here and said, "I'm in your midst because you have gathered together."
Well, my faith tells me You're here anyhow. So You're here just the same as You would be if we heard your audible voice. Here's your voice on paper, your promise, and it's ours. You've protected this blessed Word down through bloodshed, through the ages, but still it remains, 'cause You said heavens and earth will pass away, but your Word would not.
I pray, Father, now, that the people will understand that your Word is what it is! It's God, and it's in our midst. It's here now---the living God with the living Word to make known to every person by the lips of a preacher, by the lips of a prophet, by the lips of a teacher, by the lips of a missionary... Why, You're here, God, and we hear it and we know it's so.

77 Then we feel You. We looked back and see where once we was hewed out of a hard lump of sin; and now we've been lifted up. Where the blessings cannot come to us there; now we have it. Once we were blind; now we can see. Once we were numb; now we have feelings. Once we were dead; now we're alive.
The earnest of anything that we desire; all things are ours. We are told that in the Bible that we now possess all things, and all things belong to us. Bless your people this afternoon, Father.
If there's a sinner here, Father, I pray that You'll save him just now. May they come ... in their heart, may that heart be the altar of where their soul rests. And may they lay their unbelief upon the altar of their heart and say, "God, from this day on, I'll believe You."

78 And while we have our heads bowed, and in prayer, I wonder just how many in here feels that way. "Lord, take the unbelief out of my heart." You may be a church member. You may be loyal. But still there's some of the Word you say "I doubt it being so," you're still a sinner.
If one little misconstruing of God's word to Eve caused all this death, sorrow, graveyards, sickness, old age... That's just because... Not... Whole lot of it was the truth, but just right ... just one little thing wasn't right, and Eve believed that. You might believe ninety-nine and ninety-nine millionths of the Bible, and that one millionth disbelief, you're still a sinner. That one taken people from Eden; that one millionth won't let you back in again. You know if one millionth drove you out, one millionth won't let you back after such a penalty in suffering has been paid.
Won't you believe now with all your heart? Raise up your hand and say, "God, be merciful to me," if you want to believe like that. God bless you. God bless you. He sees ... be sincere now.

79 You don't have to come up here around an altar. Jesus said, "He that heareth my words and believeth on him that sent me, hath eternal life." That settles it. You either believe or don't. If you believe that with all your heart, you've passed from death to life. Now you're in growing procession. You're in the right field now. You can keep raising up from justification, to sanctification, to the baptism of the Holy Ghost, on into glorification. "For no man could raise his hand except my Father called him." And "All that the Father has give me will come." And "Those who he foreknew he has called: and those who he has called he has justified: and those who he has justified, he has glorified." I'm quoting Scripture, his Word. That is right. Believe it now. Have eternal life. Believe and live; doubt, die. So have eternal life and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Wherever you raised your hand ...

80 [prophecy is given from audience]. Be reverent, everybody, now. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Believe Him with all your heart. While you're making your decisions in your heart after that, believe with all your heart now. Confess all your wrongs. Then you can be persistent. Many here might say, "I don't understand that." Why? She interpreted it in plain English. Surely you believe the Bible.
He promised that, that He would pour out his Spirit. "Precept would be upon precept; and line upon line; here a little and there a little: hold fast to that what's good. For with stammering lips and other tongues will I speak to this people. And this is the Sabbath." But for all that they would not hear and turned away deaf ears. Believe on Him. Be persistent, accept Him now. Have faith in God.
Go from here to your church. Go tell your pastor that you've accepted Christ. The church, the full gospel church in your neighborhood, wherever it is, go tell them you've accepted Christ. Ask for your pastor to help you, guide you further into the kingdom. Many of you... How many believes that Christ forgives you your sins? Raise up your hands. (That's your unbelief.) God bless you. Thank you.

81 Now. Instead of calling a prayer line, I'm going to stand here and ask the Holy Spirit to call people out of that audience. Now be real reverent will you, for the next few moments as you...? Just be seated and be real reverent. I do not see one person in this building at this time that I know. There's no one that I know that I can see. But I have just spoken to you. This is not Mr. Sims from Zion looking at me right here? No, it isn't. I see it isn't. I just want to be truthful and find out if there was. There's no one here that I know.
Do you believe that the church is shaping into condition? How Luther had a wide, broad way---just to accept Christ. In the minority come the Methodist measure. The Pentecostal come more in the minority, the church becoming more like Christ, more like Christ and the powers to live. And now the Pentecostals have to shape theirself in condition to receive the headstone, have to be so honed that there won't be a sound of a hammer or a buzz of a denomination. It's already cut out. It's God's program. The Holy spirit hones it into that condition. You believe.

82 Jesus promised in the last days the works that He did would it be also. I quoted Hebrews 4:12 a while ago. "The word of God [that was Christ] is a discerner of the thoughts of the heart." When He was here on earth He discerned their thoughts and what was wrong with them in their hearts, and proved it. Surely, if He would do that for you this afternoon you couldn't go away from here an unbeliever. Would you be persistent if He'd call you?
How many sick is in the room? Raise up your hands, with your heads bowed, say, "I want God to remember me in prayer." All around, everywhere. How many knows that I'm a stranger to you? Raise up your hands that know I don't know you. Sure, it's just everywhere. Now be reverent, pray just a moment.

83 I'm now believing in what? As Samson did, reach around there and feel those locks. When I was standing here fixing to say, "Let the people just pass by, and get these ministers down here to lay hands on them," something struck me. I saw a vision move over the audience. Then I know them locks are still there. His promise is still here. Now you pray and see if He isn't the same God. Then if He's here in our midst this afternoon, can't you be persistent with your faith to believe in God? Amen.
Now just pray, ask God to bless you. Do like that woman that touched the hem of his garment. Look how persistent she was. She thought, "If I can only touch his garment, I'll be made well. I believe. I believe that that man is the truth. No matter what the priests are saying, I believe that He's that Galilean prophet, and I believe it." And she said, "If I can touch his garment, I'll be made well."

84 Now He's still that same high priest---the Bible says so---that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities. If you're real, real sick now, why don't you just by faith break beyond them sound barriers of the world---them sound barriers that say, "There's no such a thing. The days of miracles is past. There's no such a thing." Won't you break beyond that where you can be free, and touch his garment? And if He promised in the Bible that we would do the same thing He did, and I've brought the right message to you that He is the same, then let Him work it. He promised it.
Just like the Syrophenician woman, I'm standing here this afternoon because He promised it. And you sit there ... He promised it! And don't let no devil, or no doubt stand in your way. And He'll grant it. He'll break right through those barriers and pick you up. You believe it.
If the Lord should speak to me and tell me upon a bunch of strangers something that you know, it'll be a vital evidence, a proof of the Bible that He's here with you. Then could you go home and be persistent, saying, "Praise God."? Could you do like that little Syrophenician woman? She knowed she was going back to find that baby all right. Yes, sir. She knew it would be so. You just have faith. Believe now.

85 I wasn't aiming to do this. I preached on something else, you see. I was going to make an altar call. And when I made the short altar call, then something moved to this. Let's start across ... I can't find the one place in the building, I got to start from one side. I'll start from my right and go across to the left. Now, have you got time? Say, "Amen." All right, then sit quiet just a minute, everyone. Don't move around, just be reverent, see. It ... it disturbs, see, when...
Now, somebody up and down in these rows in here somewhere, you just believe with all your heart, and say, "Lord, I truly believe with all that's in me. I believe that Jesus Christ, the son of God, is here. I believe that God made the promise, and God will do just exactly what He promised."

86 The man sitting here looking right at me, sitting about second person, wearing a brown suit, he's troubled with an eye trouble. I don't know you. You're a stranger to me. You might know me; I don't know you. That's true, isn't it? Someone might say, "The man's wearing glasses." That's not his trouble. It's trouble all right, but he's a man old enough to wear glasses. It's a growth on his eye. That is right. It's on your right eye. That is right. You're a member of the Philadelphian church. That's true. You believe, and that growth will leave your eye. Now if that's true, what was said, raise up your hand. What did he touch? That same one that makes you cry and praise God and shout, see. That's it, the same one.
Right straight back behind him, that blinding spirit was there. Right back behind him is a woman looking at me. Let's see, about 1, 2, 3, 4, sitting in there, she's got eye trouble too. If she'll believe with all of her heart, the thing will leave her. That's right.

87 The lady sitting right back behind there, also with that bladder trouble. Will you believe that God will heal you with the bladder trouble? She's wearing glasses. She's got a pink-looking dress on. That's it. I'm a stranger to you, is that right, lady? If them things are true, raise up your hand. It has left you. Your faith has made you whole. Have faith in God.
What about somebody in this aisle, in here? Do you believe? Just have faith, that's all you have to do.
This lady sitting right here with flowers on her hat, sitting right back there with arthritis, you believe with all your heart? Yes. You, lady, yes. Kind of graying hair, with a white dress on. All right, you. Pointed your finger down. It's left you. I'm a stranger to you. I don't know you. But Christ does know you.
That was right, wasn't it? All right. Have faith in God. You believe Him now? That man sitting way back there, don't you see that light over him? He's praying for someone. It isn't him. He's praying for some woman. It's his wife. She's got low blood pressure. His name is Mr. Mark. Have faith, sir. I don't know the man. I've never seen him in my life. God knows that's right. If that's so, sir, raise up your hand. Believe with all your heart, it'll be done.

88 You believe? What about over in this a-way? What about some of you all? Have faith. I see a colored lady sitting right down here. It really isn't her. Yes, she's praying for somebody she brought here. She went to a hospital and got somebody. It's the man sitting on the end. The man really doesn't know what's wrong with him. But if God doesn't heal him he's got to die. You brought him from the hospital here. That's right. Kind of even hurt his mind. That is right. True.
And you, that you believe me to be God's prophet. I'm a stranger to you. Is that right? You're just a stranger come in here. All right. If you believe with all your heart, you've got something you want prayed for too. That's a growth. And that growth is on your right leg. If that's right, raise up your hand. Now believe.

89 That colored lady sitting second from her, there with the hat on. That lady's suffering with a nervous condition. As soon as I said that about her, she knowed about it and it raised her faith. If that's right raise up your hand, lady. You believe it?
That white man sitting right behind the colored man there, that's got his hands up. He's praying for a friend of his that's got cancer, dying, and the man's not here. And you're praying for him. You started praying as soon as I made that mention. If that's right wave your hand like this. Believe, and you shall have what you've asked for.

90 Can you be persistent! The Holy Spirit's across the whole building showing you that He loves you! Do you believe? Are you persistent? Perseverant? How many believes for your healing now while is present here? That's Him! You've broke in now. We've got Him in our presence. Raise up your hands.
Lady, you sitting there with them crutches laying under there, what are you using them for? Throw the things away, or let them lay there, and go on and go home. Jesus Christ makes you well. Do you believe it? I'm just watching things happen to you.
Are you believing? Put your hands over on one another. Just put your hands on one another now, every one of you. Now when you get ready to leave, get out of there. Get out of your chairs, everything else. Just believe.
Can't you break through that barrier of unbelief? How dense can we get to be, friends? Can't you see that Jesus Christ is right here now? Has done more for us in this meeting than He recorded in the Bible that He ever done? Do you believe?
Lord, I believe, Lord, I believe,
All things are possible, Lord, I believe;
Lord, I believe, O Lord, I believe,
All things are possible, Lord, I believe.

91 Whether she's here or not, I don't know. There's a woman praying. It's a pastor's wife. She's got a kidney condition. Her name is Mrs. Miguel. Believe with all your heart and you can go home and be made well.
Lord, I believe............
Don't worry about that church condition. It's going to clear up also.
........ Lord, I believe, (Oh, people!)
All things are possible,
Do you believe now? Are you persistent? Stand up!
............ I believe.
Lord, I believe, O Lord, I believe,
All things are possible, O Lord, I believe.
I love Him, I.........
How many claim your healing now? Raise up your hands, saying, "The thing's going to leave me. I've got the faith right now. It's left me. I believe it!"
... He first loved me
And purchased my salvation
On Calvary's tree.

92 Truly, from the bottom of your heart, do you believe just like that little Greek woman did? "Lord, I'm in your presence. I receive your Word of promise into my heart. And just as that woman believed that her daughter would be well, I believe that I am well, and every request that I have made, it's mine now." Do you believe it? Raise your hand, say, "God, I give you my hand of promise, I believe it with all my heart. And from this hour on, I'm going to be persistent as I can be. I'm healed! By his stripes and his promise, my faith takes a hold of God's Word and I am healed." Do you believe it?
My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
O Saviour, divine;
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my sin away,
Oh, let me from this day
Be wholly thine!

93 Let's bow our heads. From the depths of your heart, from the innermost being that you know anything about, the very soul that controls you... You who raised your hand a while ago, when I asked for that altar call and you wanted Christ to come into you, to make you a real persistent know-so Christian, do you now believe that you possess what you asked for? If you do, raise up your hand to God. All over the building look at the hands. My!
Every one that was sick, and without any hesitation (like the Ethiopian, or not the Ethiopian woman but the Syrophenician woman, that believed with all of her heart that she'd find her daughter well, and she did), believe that the disease, or the trouble, whatever was wrong with you, that in the presence of Christ this afternoon---as He's blessed us by coming in here with us---you believe that you have faith in his promised Word of his being together with us; and "ask what you will it shall be given"; and you've asked, and you see his sign; you truly believe that it's not some creed, some hoax, some denominational, some soothsayer, or some fortune-teller; but you believe it's your Saviour Jesus Christ, working in you and giving you faith to believe it, raise your hand and say, "I accept it, and I believe it with all my heart."
Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.
Before our Father's throne,
We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
Our comforts and our cares.
When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again.
Until I see you, God make you persistent. Take his Word as a torch, and the sword in your hand, and let faith wield out yonder, and cut every darkness away from you until you see Jesus in the fullness of his blessing. God bless you.

Perseverance

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Thank you, Brother Parker. It's a privilege to be here. I'm sorry that I was a little late, but a very serious case of sickness just behind the curtain. I was ministering to the little baby. And I'm so glad to be here again tonight, and I trust that I won't keep you like I did last evening. I kept you so long. And I went home, and I kind of felt ... or, I went to my motel, and I kind of felt bad about ... when I seen what time it was. I was speaking here for about an hour and forty-five minutes.

2 And of course, that's a short one for me. The other day I spoke six hours. See, if a fellow knows a whole lot, he don't have to talk so long. But when he don't know so much, you just have to fill in so, I guess. It's ... see, I just wait on Him. And when I feel like that He gives me something to say, well, then I say it. And I just kind of have to stumble along until then.
I was trying to speak last night about reasoning. Now, when anything reasons against God's Word... I don't mean reason, just any reasoning, because Paul reasoned with the people. And trouble today, people just take anything that comes along, and don't reason it out with the Scripture. But when it's reasoning against God's Word, then stay away from it. That's the enemy, see. But when it's reasoning with God's Word, that's God, see. That's right, the two reasonings. So we believe in reasoning with the Word, believe that the Word is right.
Now, you cannot scientifically prove the Word, because it's ... and you never will, because it's so contrary to science. If it's scientifically proven, then it isn't any more faith, see. You've got to have faith, and faith is contrary to scientific proving. So you must believe it. Not prove it; believe it. That's the idea.

3 Some time ago I was talking to a man. I was at Toronto, Canada. We was having a great meeting there. The Lord was blessing in such a marvelous way. I was across in... It wasn't in Toronto, now. I take that back. I forget the name of the place in Canada we were having the meeting, and... I'll pick it up in a few minutes. I've traveled so much till I can't think of the names of the place sometimes. And it ... right across from Detroit. What's the name? Windsor, correctly. Windsor, Ontario.
And there was a ... had a television set sitting on the street, some kind of a screen-type, and there was a cowboy there playing, strumming on a guitar, over ... broadcasting from the United States. And the man come out, and was talking to me.
Said, "I'd like to sell you that."
Said, "No, sir. Was just passing by." Said, "I don't believe I want it."
And he said, "Well, I'll make it to you real cheap."
I thought ... I explained it to him. I said, "I'm a tourist." I said, "I'm..."
"Oh," said, "you're just passing through, I suppose?"
I said, "No, I'm down here in a motel." And I said, "I'm just here for a few days."
He said, "You're not with that meeting over there?"
I said, "Yes, sir."
He said, "I don't want to hurt your feelings, but," said, "you're listening to a quack."
And I said, "Oh?" And I said, "Mister," I said, "you think so?"
He said, "Yes, sir," he said, "I do."
And I said, "Well, why would you draw an opinion of that?"
He said, "Well, because the man's talking about something that he doesn't know nothing about."
And I said, "What do you mean?"

4 "Well," he said, "for instance, last night, that soldier there that had been in the army, and laying on this cot, and had ... supposed to be paralyzed." He said, "I got up and walked around there." Said, "That was just ... that was an act." Said, "That man knew the man all the time." Said, "He was just laying there acting like that."
I said, "Why didn't you go to the man that was on the cot and check up, and see who he was, where he come from? If you were really deeply interested don't you think you should have done that?"
He said, "Well, here's the whole thing." He said, "I ain't trying to discourage you."
I said, "Oh, you won't."
So he said, "I think that I believe in science."
I said, "So do I."
He said, "Well, anything that cannot be scientifically proven is not right."
I said, "I don't mean to be different, but I just say that vice-versa."
"Anything..." he said, "is not real."

5 And I said, "Anything that can be scientifically proved is not real." I said, "It's the things that cannot be scientifically proved that's lasting and real."
"Oh," he said, "that's wrong." And he said, "Looky here what science has done." First he said this. He said, "Well," he said, "I do not believe it."
I said, "Well, I want to ask you something. Are you a married man?"
He said, "I am."
I said, "You love your wife?"
He said, "I certainly do."
I said, "So am I. I appreciate that. But..." (Am I doing... ? [Someone says something to Brother Branham.] Oh. All right now? I'm sorry. I can't tell it here, you see.)

6 So they... Said, "Anything you cannot scientifically prove is wrong."
I said, "Well, now. You love your wife different from any other woman?"
"Yeah."
I said, "What is that? See? Got children? What makes them children different from any other children?"
And when he had talked, in just a few moments... And he said, "Well," he said, "now, for instance this." He said, "You see? There's not a wire around us anywhere."
I said, "That's right. There's a great thing." I said, "Now, here it is. That man's over in the United States. And without a wire, or anything connected to it, to the United States, through a wave---some kind of electronic wave of whatever it is---brings that man's picture here just as perfect, and reflects it on there."

7 He said... he just said he couldn't understand how ... that discernment. He said, "I think it's just a put-up piece of business."
I said, "Oh?" So, I said, "Now that's not a put-up piece of business. You wouldn't say that," I said, "because it's absolutely there's a wave coming through here, and we're taught that that same picture's coming right through us. And that messages, and songs, and everything's going right through us. But then it's hitting a certain crystal, or something in there, that's ... or tube, that can reflect that picture, and the picture of the man, that's traveling through the ether waves of the air. And we don't know where it comes from. It just ... we know where it comes from, but," I said, "we can't see it. And it passes through, and reflects it there."

8 I said, "That's the way God... See," I said, "that's how that fellow knows those things." I said, "See God, see, sends the ether wave down." And I said, "It might pass through thousands, and millions of people until it comes to that spot. And then it reflects it."
And so, he said, "Oh," he said, "That's all right." But said, "Look. See, we've got a sending station. We've got a sending station that sends that."
I said, "So have we. We got a sending station. That is right---a sending station, and a receiving station." So He's still our heavenly Father, isn't He? And we love Him because that He loved us first, and sent Jesus Christ that He might die in our stead, that He ... we might be the righteousness of God through Christ. So glad.
Those visions sometimes are ... they kind of stumble people. They don't understand. Sometimes people thinks it just goes on only right here in the meeting. Oh, my! This is the little part of it. It's out there's where it really happens.

9 Today I was sitting in the room. We had a... Usually Friday's a fast day for me. I don't eat on sometimes Tuesdays and Fridays, till sometime in the afternoon, just a little... That's not a regular fast. That's just a couple of days a week to fast. So, a long fast comes in more days, when the Lord puts it upon you. But that's just in respects and honor of God's great memorial to us, the fasting command. And so, after three o'clock, usually I have a little something light.
Somebody told me where you could buy a little steak down the road here, for about ninety cents---just about right for you to eat. In preaching and these things you have to keep kind of emptied-up. So we were planning on going down there. And my son and my nephew wondered why we didn't go down there, but we turned and went to another restaurant.
And then, sitting in there, I noticed...

10 In a few moments we were talking, and some people were there---there was always ... grand to meet my friends, you know, and talk with them. And so I'd shook hands with some of the folk.
In a few moments, two ladies came in. The Holy Spirit said, "The one with the white hat on..." Moved around. Never seen them in my life. And it's strange. When one woman was going to sit like this, she turned around and was facing right at me. That's grace, see, knowing just... Nothing happens by chance. So she was looking right at me. Strange.
My own son, who's stood with me here on the platform for years... But he asked me a question, something about the great millennium, or something. And, "Oh," I said, "Billy, I don't understand those things." I said, "I just got my ideas about them." I said, "I don't teach them, because I might be a million miles wrong in it, see." I said, "I just got my ideas."
And he said, "Well, I'd like to know about this," and something another. And then, all of a sudden he didn't catch it. And he doesn't know I'm say ... about me saying this now, if he's present. But if Charlie and Billy's close, did you notice, Charlie? All at once Billy changed to grace right quick, about the grace of God keeping.

11 See, he didn't realize that that minute, the Lord had given me contact with that woman's spirit. And there she was. She wasn't too sure it was me, because she had only seen me last evening. I thought, "Lord, I see the woman, the condition she's in, and what's happened. Maybe she's with the meeting." I knew she needed help.
And just then, after we'd finished our dinner, some ... before finishing, some sweet little sister from down somewhere come along and paid for my dinner. So then ... she and her husband, and children.

12 And so, then I got up to go pay for the dinner. And I guess Billy and Charlie noticed. I let them go on, because I knew the lady was coming somewhere, because I knew she was behind me. In a few moments she spoke to me. And there I was able to tell the lady just what had happened, what had taken place, and not by chance; but that was the beginning for her healing.
Long years ago... She was a woman, I suppose around close to sixty or something. And in the time of menopause she had gotten extremely nervous, and she wasn't able to pull from it. And she said, "I only heard you once. I come from way away. And last night," she said, "that remark you made about breaking through that sound barrier, so you could get free," she said, "all day I struggled at that sound barrier."
I said, "Don't struggle no more, see. It's over now, see. Go through it." And I said, "The sound barrier is the barrier between faith and disbelief. When you get beyond that unbelief of a shadow of doubt, you're free then, see."

13 And the lady had ... during that time she'd got ... how menopause sometimes, especially either coming in, or going out, makes the people so nervous. And she'd never been able to pull through that. The woman thinks sometimes that she's lost, and she goes off. And she's a Pentecostal believer. I think so. But the lady had wore ... wearing make-up, and short hair, and everything. But the reason she had did that, she was trying to shake from that, see, trying to shake away from that horrible feeling.
And we just got to talking about... See, that's how ... Billy don't know now that I'm saying this, or Charlie. That was what grace ... the reason you were feeling that, Billy, talking like a blue streak, you know, "Grace, how come is this? And how come is that? And how do you know so-and-so?"
I said, "It's the grace of God. Those who He foreknew He called; those who He called He justified; those who He justified, He's glorified already. It's all God." And that was it. And she don't have to worry about that.
She was trying to shake from that thing. She'd go out, and she'd do this and do that, trying to get away from it. But today that poor little woman struck the key. She'll get all right now. And she may be here tonight. I don't know, or she might have went home. But she might be here yet tonight, in the meeting.
But just goes to show that how the grace of God will do things. It's exceedingly abundantly above all that we could do or think, isn't it? Wonderful.

14 Now tomorrow morning is breakfast, and I asked Brother Parker if I was to speak at that breakfast---and trying to get away from it. But he said no, that I was supposed to say a few words. And then, tomorrow night, I want to try, the Lord willing, to preach, to bring a little message.
And I don't think I'll try again like last night, because I felt real bad: sitting here before teachers, and renowned teachers, and those theologians like Dr. Lee Vayle, and all these other brethren here who I know, and oh, my! graduates, and so forth, that's studied the Bible, and trained in that---and then me standing here try to bring a message of that type. I thought I'd come to pray for Brother Parker's sick children; I'd better stay on that line. So, we're here to help.

15 Now tonight I want to try to speak and read some scriptures, so that it won't take me too long, about thirty minutes or something. Then I want to pray for you sick people tonight. Just believe. Now anybody knows that human beings can't do these things. It's impossible, see. And it's got to be the Spirit of God.
And so we ... the only thing we can do is pray for the sick. I can't heal anyone because you're already healed. If anybody tells you that they can heal you, that's wrong, see. If anybody tells you they can save you, that's wrong. You're all saved anyhow, see. The only thing you have to do is just accept it. You accept what Jesus did for you. He was wounded for your transgressions. With his stripes you were healed. You were healed---it's already past tense.

16 The only thing you have to do is accept what He done for you. That's all. And you're under the blood, every one of you, or God would destroy the whole thing. You're still under the blood as long as there's a bloody sacrifice laying there for our sins. And then one day... When you leave this world without accepting that sacrifice, then you stand for your own sins. And you're condemned already, you see, so you can't stand.
And your healing is just ... God makes such a beautiful way. See, faith cometh by hearing. Preach divine healing. Believe it, accept it. If that would be me, that's the way I'd do it. If you couldn't believe my word, all right. And you'd be the same way about anyone else. But not God. After He sends his Word, then He puts in the church different gifts and things, just to try to get it to the people. He's so loving, and full of kindness.

17 Let us turn now in the book of St. Matthew, the gospel of St. Matthew, the 15th chapter, 21st to the 28th verse. St. Matthew, the 15th chapter, the 21st to the 28th verse. Listen closely the reading of the Word:
Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord help me.
But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat ... the crumbs which fall from the master's table.
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

18 Let us just bow our heads now, while we talk to the author of this Word. Gracious heavenly Father, we are now approaching thy holy sanctuary in the name of the Lord Jesus. And it's all-sufficient, all that we have need, because He said, "If you ask the Father anything in my name, I'll do it."
Therefore, we could not come in our own name, or the name of a church, or any congregation, or any nation or race. We just come simply in the name of the Lord Jesus. And we know that You'll hear us, because He said You would. And we're not asking tonight to stand at the throne of thy judgment, for we would be condemned; but we're asking to stand at the throne of mercy, to which we all seek refuge.

19 Now, Lord, I realize the tremendous weight of the meeting, and how that it must have poured from You---this virtue---as You looked upon the multitudes of sick, lame, halt, blind; as You stood at the pool of Bethesda and seen that great multitude. Yet, there was just one man that You were led to, and You said You knew he'd been that way a long time, and You healed him, or asked him to accept it.
And then being questioned, You said, "Verily I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in Himself, but what he sees the Father doing." Lord, won't You show us the will of God tonight for this sick, waiting, multitude? We are waiting the moving of the water that the sick might get in, and be made whole.

20 I pray thee, God, forgive our sin of unbelief, long as we have been following Thee. And we confess, Lord, that we're a way short of the requirements as ministers, and as Christians. So be merciful to us, O merciful God.
And as a man cried one day with a boy with epilepsy, said, "Lord, help my unbelief," we cry to Thee tonight, Lord. After we read the promises of this precious Bible and see what could be done, then we cry, "Help our unbelief." Send the presence of the Lord Jesus in our midst tonight as we speak on the Word. And may the Word become flesh, and our spirit catch it, believe it.
May we see the returning approaching of the Lord Jesus, as He promised---as the days are drawing out now into minutes and hours, or maybe hours and minutes. And we don't know just how close we are, Lord, but we see things are getting ... looking ripe. So help us tonight.
We present the Word to you tonight, Father, that You'll bless it. Get honor to thy name, to which name we ask it in, the Lord Jesus, and for his glory. Amen.

21 I would try to draw from this little text tonight, or this scripture, for just a few moments on the subject, a word called "Perseverance." I draw that from the verses that I have just read. Perseverance: it's to make a goal, be persistent. I like the word, and it's very fitly to the church of this day, or it should be---that the church should be perseverant.
Men of all ages that has faith in what they're trying to achieve has been perseverant. No matter what you're trying to do, you've got to believe in what you're doing.
A man once said to me, a doctor, he said, "Oh, I believe, Brother Branham, if the people would believe that they could go out and touch that tree and would be healed, I believe it would happen."
I said, "But my precious brother, men can't have faith in touching that tree. Faith has got to be based on something. And therefore, when a person can base their faith upon the Word of God, then you can be perseverant because it's the Word of God."

22 As the old brother said, colored brother, down in the southern states, he said he would rather be standing on the Word than in heaven.
And someone asked him why. He said, "Because both heaven and earth'll pass away, but my Word shall not." So that's right. Standing on the Word. Then you can have something---not what someone else said, what some school taught, what some minister said, what some doctor said; but it's "thus saith the Lord." Then you can hold on.
And anybody doing anything, if they're trying to achieve something, they must first have faith to believe it. Like the father of our nation is called ... our first president, George Washington. Just up the coast a little bit... When I was reading here a few years ago about Washington, I'd seen them ... where they had that coat that the bullets went through.
And we're told that the night before (Valley Forge) when he crossed the river, praying all night, till plumb above his hips was wet where he'd knelt in the snow, he was seeking the will of God because the opposition looked great. The Delaware was full of ice. About half of the American soldiers had shoes on their feet. Looked like he was crippled, but he sought refuge in God.
And the next day he crossed Valley Forge. He was perseverant. Bullets went through his coat and never touched him. He was trying to achieve something, so he sought God, and got the answer. Then he could be perseverant.

23 That's what we do. You must first find the will of God before you can do the will of God. You must first know what his will is in the matter, and then don't turn it loose. And as the lady said today, she was trying to get beyond that sound barrier. Then the plane just picks up speed and goes on unlimited, when it passes the sound barrier.
Well, when you can pray until you've passed the doubt barrier, then you're running free. You can go on. And then ... there's nothing can bother you then, because you're running free. You're past the unbelief. It's done been settled. It's all over. When you get the assurance in your heart that it's going to be that way, you're just as happy as if it had already happened.

24 For instance, perhaps a loaf of bread... If I was starving and a loaf of bread would save my life, and I would ask for the bread and some man would give me 25 cents (and that's the purchase price of a loaf of bread), I can be just as happy holding the 25 cents in my hand as I can with the loaf of bread, because it's the purchasing power. Amen. Then I've got it. I haven't got the bread, but I've got the purchasing power. Well, that's faith.
When you can pray until you've got the assurance, you can be just as happy as if the cancer's gone, shout just as loud, because you've got the purchase power, the faith that moves the thing. Then you're perseverant. No one can tell you anything different. Doesn't matter what anyone says then. You've done crossed over the sound barrier. You're free then, purchasing ... and being persistent.

25 Noah, as we talked on him last night, or about him, when he heard the voice of God speak to him, and told him of the oncoming judgment... After he heard the voice of God give the witness to him what was going to happen, and constructed him---or instructed him, rather, pardon me---on what to do, he was very perseverant.
Scoffers had nothing. No matter how many ecclesiastics stood up and said, "Noah, you're wrong," he pressed right on. He built the ark anyhow.
The scoffers could have come around by the thousands and said, "Look at the old fogey. Look at him."
The scientists could have stood there, and said, "Noah, looky here, fellow. We love you, but you've lost your mind. We've got a instrument here that can shoot all the way to the moon. And we can prove that there's no rain, or water between here and there that would drown the earth. Look in this instrument. It'll prove it."
Noah would've ... might've said something like this. "I don't care what your instrument says. You're looking at that instrument. I'm looking to God, and what He promised to do." That's it. It depends on what you're looking at, where your faith is. Now, if the instrument declares it, that's all the farther you can go if your faith is in the instrument.

26 Like a precious old brother... I was called about fifteen years ago to pray for a boy dying with black diphtheria. He had heart trouble, and they'd took the cardiograph, and it showed that his heart was way down. I forget what the beat was, but he was going.
The old mother and dad called me from the meeting, and they sat on the steps for two or three days, and said, "If you don't come..."
I said, "Well, get someone."
He said ... I said, "God's got his men everywhere."
He said, "But, Brother Branham," said, "you don't understand." I ... He said, "Can I explain it?"
I said, "I'll try to understand it." And I said, "I'm tired, and it's not right for me to go one place if I cannot go another." He said... But I said, "Unless the Holy Spirit would tell me to go."
He said, "But look." He said, "We've sat in that meeting for a week." Said, "We know that it's impossible ... for our own people in our neighborhood has sat in that meeting, of different denominational churches, and the Holy Spirit has told them exactly what to do, and how to do it, from the platform. And it's been exactly what the Spirit said." They said, "Brother Branham, we know that you could not do that." Said, "It has to come from God." Said, "Therefore, if you'll come and pray for my boy," the old dad said, "he'll get well."

27 Well, he was perseverant. Very persistent. So I got my coat, and took off. We went to the hospital. And doctor met me and he said, "I wouldn't bother him." Said, "The boy might die at any minute." And the doctor belonged to another denominational church, because I questioned him.
I said, "But, sir, the boy is dying." I said, "Are you a Christian?" He said he belonged to another church, a certain denomination. I said, "Well, if your priest would come, and that boy belonged to the same denomination that you do, and that priest wanted to give him the last rites, would you let that priest go?"
He said, "Certainly."
I said, "Well, if this father believes that just as much if I can pray for that boy he'll get well, as you believe the boy'd be saved if the priest give him the last rites...?" I had to be a little persistent, too. So he let me in.
The little nurse turned up her little nose, and went back. So, we knelt across the bed. The boy was unconscious.

28 So I put my hands upon the boy, and prayed just a few words of prayer. And I said, "Father God, I do not understand, but this poor old man is crying out. And he asked me to come here. And only thing I know to do is ask You." And I said, "I pray that You'll spare the boy's life in the name of the Lord Jesus," and got up.
And the old father turned around to the mother, put his arms around her neck, and they began to hug one other and wipe the tears from their eyes, and saying, "Isn't it wonderful, mother?" And I looked, and that little nurse turned her head and looked.
And said, "Think of it. Bob's going to be well. Oh, we praise the Lord," they said.
And the little nurse... They reached across the boy, and shook my hand, and said, "Thank you, Brother Branham, for obeying the Lord to come pray the prayer of faith for our boy." I never said no more than the prayer.
And then the nurse said, "Sir, I don't believe you understand."
He said, "Oh, yes, I do."
Said, "You claim you love the boy."
Said, "Certainly we love the boy."

29 "Well," said, "you see..." He said... She said, "How can you act like that when the boy is dying?" Said, "Now in all medical history when this [certain thing ... I don't know what it was] instrument goes down that low, the boy cannot pump back again." And said, "You see, the boy could die at any minute. His heart's only beating..." I forget what his respiration ... it was very bad, and his heart was so bad. He had open valves, and everything ... in it; and one of the valves was blocked or something. And said, "He's unconscious now. He's even too weak to know anything." And said, "Then you can stand there and laugh, and carry on like that [she didn't know what kind of carrying on that was], and say ... act like that, and your son dying."
And the old gentleman (I'll never forget him), he turned and put his hand as a father upon the little lady's shoulders---was about eighteen years old, little snicklefritz, you know ... you know, little Annie, and said, "Listen, honey." Said, "You know, you are looking at that instrument, see." And said, "That's all you know about." But said, "I'm looking to a promise in the Word of God." Said, "My boy is going to live, for He said the prayer of faith shall save the sick. And that's been prayed over my boy."
Well, that's about fifteen years ago. The boy's married, and got two children. See, the persistency, that he will believe no matter what instrument says anything. His faith wasn't in the instrument; it was in God's promise.

30 Noah, after he'd heard the promise of God, he could be persistent, be perseverant.
Moses, he'd knowed intellectually by his godly mother, our beloved sister Jochebed... He'd heard her teaching in the intellectual manner, how that his life had been spared from the crocodiles, and how that God had made him a proper child, and he was born for a deliverer; and how that Miriam, his sister, the prophetess, had followed him down to the bathing beach, where Pharaoh's daughter was bathing; and how that God had brought him right up and nurtured him right in the palace of Pharaoh; and how he was going to deliver the children. Now, intellectually he knew that. But, you see, the first little mistake...
Oh, don't miss it, church. You might know it from a Word standpoint. You might know that the Bible said the prayer of faith shall save the sick. But you pray until God says the prayer of faith saves you. That's the difference.

31 Moses knew intellectually that he was a deliverer. But when he thought the children of God would understand him when he slew the Egyptian, the first little rumor come up he wasn't perseverant at all. Just before it even got to Pharaoh, he took for the desert, because he wasn't perseverant. He wasn't too sure. He just knowed it from the Word standpoint, the promise.
But one day he saw a bush that was afire, and it was burning and it did not consume. So Moses took ... went up the mountainside. And sitting back in that bush was that big pillar of fire that was to lead him the rest of his days. And in this pillar of fire spoke out a voice: "I have seen the afflictions of my people. I've heard their groanings and I remember my promise to Abraham, and I'm come down to deliver them. Now, go down there."

32 Now talk about perseverant, he walked right up in the face of Pharaoh, said, "Let them go." Why? He'd talked face-to-face with God till he had his commission. I think if minister brethren today would just not take it from an intellectual standpoint; but would find them a place on the backside of the desert on those sacred sands where Satan cannot place his dirty feet of unbelief, and stay there until a message comes from God and positionally places you in the ministry, then all the devils out of torment could not shake you from it. You know you're called.
I think each Christian ought to do that. Before you come out and confess the Holy Ghost, confess that you have the baptism, there ought to be such a personal contact with God until all the intellectuals in the world couldn't explain it from you. You know. You've been there. You've had the witness. You know it's so. That's a requirement.
Jesus told the disciples. "You wait. You know the intellectual part. You know the Word. But you wait up there at the city of Jerusalem until you're endued with power from on high." Then they knew. Oh, my.

33 How little David, way back on the backside of the desert---little, ruddy, stoop-shouldered fellow herding his sheep out there for his father---one day a bear come in and got a lamb, and he took off after him. And took his little slingshot and killed the bear.
And then again, a lion come in and got one, and he run out with the kid. And little David ... that was his father's sheep. And he took after him with the little slingshot. Not with a magnum rifle now; with a slingshot with a rock in it. But his trust was in God. He slung the rock, struck the lion, knocked him down. And when the lion rose up he slew him, brought the sheep back. He was persistent, because... Why? He had a charge for his father's sheep.

34 I think that ought to be the feeling of every clergyman. We got a charge from God for the father's sheep. The old devil of sickness has struck among you Christians. He's trying to take you out. I ... having no education I know nothing about medicine. But the only thing I got is this little slingshot of prayer. I'm coming after you tonight, going to bring you back. He promised the prayer of faith shall save the sick.
Maybe the great intellectual, the great scientific medicines and things, might laugh at it. I don't know nothing about that. As David, when he tried to take up a sword and put on Saul's ecclesiastical jacket, it didn't fit him. Never does fit a real man of God. But he picked up... He said, "Let me go with what I've proved."
That's the only thing I know, Christians: is to go with what I've proven to be truth. That's God's Word. His Word. Standing on faith, come after his sick children. Let's bring them back to shady green pastures and still waters, and good health, strength.

35 Little old Samson standing out there, and called up ... as we spoke of him the other night. The Philistines all around him, he had nothing but the jawbone of a mule. But when he could reach back to feel those seven little locks, he was very persistent.
Shamgar, many people never read of him in the Bible. He was one of the judges of Israel. Just one little paragraph wrote of him in the whole Bible. But when he was standing there, after his harvest was over... His little children was thin and poor, his wife---maybe the sleeves out of her dress. The Philistines would come right in, take everything they had as soon as they got it all worked up. Got up to a good place, then the Philistines would come in and take it away from them.

36 So, about time he got all of his grain thrashed out in the barn, thought, "Well, maybe we can live. I can sell a little of it, and get some little dresses for my girls, and some shoes for my boys; maybe be able to get a little cheap dress for the wife this year," he heard something. Pulled back the barn door window and looked out there (the barn door, rather, and looked out). Here come a thousand Philistines---armor, spears, swords, trained men---tromp, tromp, right up the highway. There they'd pack away his grain.
He stood there. Now, he wasn't a fighter; he was a farmer. He didn't even have a sword, as far as we know. But he happened to remember, "I'm a Jew, and I'm circumcised. I'm a child of God. I've got a right. I've got access to the same God of David. I've got access to the same God of Moses. I've got access to the same God of Daniel." And he... The Spirit come upon him, and he grabbed that oxgoad and went out there, and was persistent. And he slew a thousand Philistines with an oxgoad---a stick, what they punch the ox with. Slew a thousand Philistines.

37 I was one time going into a stadium where I was to preach, and there was great field of people, many thousands, waiting. And I read a little something over that stadium that always... It was a football stadium. It always encouraged me. It was a little sign there that said, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog." So I think that's a whole lot of it. It's got a lot of real Christian come-at-it persistency. "God promised it, and it's mine." That's right.
John the Baptist was very persistent. They'd say---maybe Caiaphas or some of the priests would come out and say---"Here's Rev. Dr. PhD So-and-so. Don't you think he fits the Messiah?"
John said, "It's not Him."
Brought another one. "Here's a good man. What about him?"
"That's not Him," for he knew when he saw that dove descending from heaven, that would be Him. Then he was persistent. Oh, it's so much in the Bible to talk about, I never get to it.

38 Let's get to the Greek woman. First place, she was a Greek. She wasn't a Jew; she was a Gentile. But she had heard of the fame of Jesus. She'd heard of the critics also, how they criticized Him. But she didn't pay attention to the critics. She was listening at the fame. She, being a Greek...
You know, you always got something to hinder. But, you know, somehow or another faith finds a source that people don't see. Faith finds its source. People don't see that. So it must have been with this little woman, that faith had found a source. The Word of God, the Bible said in Hebrews 4:12, is a sword, the sword cutting the marrow to the bone, to the sunder, to the spirit; and it is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. That's what the Word is.

39 That's the reason Jesus could discern what was in the people's thinking, because He was the Word. And if the Word abides in you... And then it isn't you; it's the Word that goes out and discerns. And there's only one thing that can handle that, that Word. It isn't an education. I'll assure you of that. Faith is the only thing that can wield that sword of faith. As I said the other night, faith in God's Word will cut a hole through any difficult. But you got to believe it.
She had many hindrances. She did herself, but her faith didn't have any hindrances. No. Faith don't have any hindrance. Faith just believes it. It don't have a hindrance at all. You're already past the sound barrier, as the lady was talking of. Faith don't have a hindrance. You might have it, but your faith doesn't have it. Your faith has no hindrances at all.

40 She might... They might have said to her, "You are Greek. You shouldn't go over there. That's a Jew. That's a Jew that they're claiming all these things about. You're a Greek." But, you see, they was trying to have a race barrier there; but faith don't know a race barrier. Doesn't know it at all. No, 'cause she might have thought this: "If He is who I believe He is, He's God. And if He's God, He's the creator of every creature. If He's God at all, He's God of the whole creation. And if He isn't God of the whole creation, then He isn't God." That's a good way to look at it.

41 Well, no matter if she was a Greek, she was still persistent. She had perseverance. Then somebody might have come up with this old proverb, you know (They still have it today.): " The days of miracles is past. There is no such a thing." But no matter how many hollered at her, "the days of miracles is past," she still was persistent. That might have been for them who believed it, but not for her. Something had already happened inside that let her know that it wasn't past.
Until you get past that barrier, you'll never do no good. You've got to come apast that barrier: "God was, but isn't now." He's still God if He ever was God. If He isn't the same God today, He never was God, see. That's it. It's man lost his faith; not God lost his power. God went back on his promise? It's man went back on the promise to believe.
She was still perseverant. If the days of miracles was past for all of them, it wasn't for her. Why? She'd struck apast that sound barrier. She got a hold of something. Something had struck her.

42 Well, there's always another group to a little lady like that. Some of them might have said, "You know what? Your husband is a businessman. He belongs to the big church over here on this side. And if you go down there to that group, your husband will leave you."
Now, that's a great big barrier to pass. I tell you, if you ever get a hold of faith like she did, that won't make any difference. That didn't make any difference to her, husband or no husband. She was on the road to meet Jesus. She was perseverant.
And then there might've been the group that always stands around, says, "But wait a minute. If you go down there, Lydia [or what her name was], you know you'll be the laughing stock of our nation, because you know there's no such a thing down there. And you know that's just a Jewish fable. They've had all that kind of stuff that we've heard about it, but it's nothing but just a proverb, a song that they sing." You know, they still got that group. Yeah. So, but when she got to that group---she'd be the laughing stock, and so forth---she was very perseverant. She went right on apast them.

43 All right. Then there come the ministerial group. Oh, my! That's a bad one to pass. "Now looky here ..." (I've called her Lydia. I hope there's not a Lydia here, but it might be all right. I hope you have the same faith she had.) So then, when Lydia got to the ministerial association they said, "One thing to it. You know you're a member up here of our church, and that's a Pentecost...," or some kind of a group down there, you know.
Anyhow, said, "If you go down there we're going to give you your church record, your letter. We're going to take you right off the book. You cannot come back to the church anymore. We're just going to send you away, and you'll be a laughing stock. Your husband will put you away in divorcement, and he'll marry a better looking woman than you are," and all these things.

44 But that didn't stop her a bit. Church letter or nothing else didn't stop her. Why? She had heard. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing of the Word of God. She was perseverant. She crowded right on through every barrier.
Now she arrives at Jesus. Now she thought, "It's all over now." That's the way some people think when they get the Holy Ghost---"It's all over." It's just beginning. That's when you need to be perseverant, when you arrive. When she arrived at Jesus, Jesus said ... give her a real hard shaking. I believe He knew she was coming. So when she arrived, He turned around to her, and let her know that He wasn't sent to her race. Oh, my! What a letdown that would have been. Oh!
But what did it do? That didn't stop her a bit, not at all. Still she called Him Son of David. Of course, the Gentile has no hold on Christ with the name of Son of David. No, no. See, the Son of David was under the kingship, and Christ is the king of the Jews. But to the church, He's not the king; He is the Lord. Amen. He's the husband, as Sarah called Abraham her Lord. He's Lord of the church, but king of the Jewish race.

45 So when she worshipped Him, and said, "Lord, help me," Jesus said, "But you know, it's not meet for me to take the children's bread and cast it to you dogs."
Oh, my! If that would have been a modern Pentecostal, she'd have turned that little nose up and said, "I'll never go to a meeting like that again." Why? They don't have the hope that she had. That's right. She had the hope. She had heard, and faith had caught it. She had a reason; she had a need. She just wasn't going to turn loose. That's right. I like that. Yes, sir. Still she held on, although she was called a dog, and a race that was lower than a dog.
Said, "I'm not sent to your race. I'm only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
And she said, "Lord, help me."
He said, "It's not meet for me to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs." Oh, my!

46 She wasn't a hotbed plant, to have to be babied. No, no. No, no. She wasn't a hotbed plant that had to be babied. She wasn't a modern hybrid, so-called believer of the crop today. She had a hold of something. Not, "Well, I'm Methodist, and I don't have to take that." "Bless God, I belong to the Assemblies. I belong to the Church of God. I don't have to take that." No, no. That's a hybrid type. You're bred into some organization. But a real true, thoroughbred Christian's born of the Word of God and holds on, no matter what takes place.

47 Anything that seems to be dumb to me is a mule. A mule don't know where he come from. He's not mule, nor he's not horse. He's a mix between a mule and a horse. He's not gentle; he's mean. He's low-down. He'll wait all of his life to kick you just before he dies. You can call him, he'll just stick them big ears up. "Haw, haw," see. He doesn't know. That's right. He's hybrid.
That's what's the matter with the church today---too many hybrid so-called Christians. That's right. They stick their ears up, say, "Haw! The days of miracles is past. Haw, haw!" You don't know whether you're a Christian or a sinner. You don't know whether you're a believer or an unbeliever. Hybrid.

48 Anything's hybrid is off the real main beaten road. We ought to have a little time to talk on the original seed, see where it comes from. Hybrid don't know where it belongs. Don't know who his papa was, who his mama was, or nothing. No, he don't know. He has no pedigree. He can't have a pedigree. He can never breed himself back.
That's what's the matter with the churches today. They can't breed themselves back. They're hybrid. They don't know whether they belong to God, or some denomination. Only thing they can produce is a member, not a Christian, I believe. Maybe I oughtn't to have said that, but it's already said. That's right. He don't know what he belongs to. He just knows he's Methodist, Baptist, or Pentecostal. That's all he knows.

49 But, oh! How beautiful is a thoroughbred! Oh, my! He can tell you who his pappy was, his mammy was, his grandpappy, and grandmammy, and great-grandmammy, and all the way back. He knows. He's gentle, kind. You can talk to him; he listens. Put his head on your shoulder, he's full of love. Why? He's thoroughbred.
So is a thoroughbred Christian that's borned of the Spirit of God. They don't go into any denominational arguments. They know who their Father is. They know where they come from. They know where the Spirit come from. They know who they're borned of. They don't argue your creeds. You can talk to them about love, about divine healing, all these things because they're borned of God. Persistent? I should say. You don't have to beat them. They'll pull the load anyhow. Right. Oh, my! How wonderful. Hybrid Christians, that's ... got today.

50 Not her. No, sir! Watch. When Jesus said, "I'm not sent to your race," giving her a test... She'd had an awful time getting to Him. But when she got to Him, then she had a disappointment. "I'm not sent to your race."
But when she said, "Lord, help me," He said, "It's not meet for me to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs."
Listen to this. "Lord, that's true. [Oh, my! Faith will always admit the Word right. Yes, sir.] True, Lord. But I only want crumbs."
That ain't a modern believer today. "You'll come right down and do it the way I want you to, or I just won't receive it." That's the way Naaman was, trying to get rid of his leprosy.

51 But you have to take it the way He brings it. And when faith gets a hold of it, you'll go on with it. Yes. She was only hunting crumbs. Remember, this woman had never seen a miracle. She was a Greek. But she believed it anyhow. She was like the harlot, Rahab.
The harlot, Rahab, when she heard... When she hid the spies she was a Gentile, an outcast, a prostitute. But she heard. She didn't say, "You bring Joshua up here, and let me take a look at him. Let me see how tall, how handsome he is, how he combs his hair, how he grooms himself, how big he is, how bigger shoulders." She didn't care what he looked like.
She said, "I've heard what God did for you. [There you are.] I don't care what Joshua looks like. I don't care whether he's got a PhD, or LLD, or hasn't got nothing. I know God's with you, and I want protection." Amen.

52 "I don't care whether they call them holy rollers, Pentecostal fanatics, Full Gospel, whatever it is---I want God. I want his grace, I want his power, I want his love, I want his forgiveness. I don't care what you have to be called. I don't have to see this, that, or the other; whether He's big or little, or whatever He is. I just want to see Him. I want to have his grace and mercy with me." That's what we need.
Watch. This woman had the right approach to God's gift. How much different it was to them Pharisees. How much was it to them Jews, the rulers. Said, "We would see a miracle from you." Oh, the ecclesiastical side.

53 This poor little ignorant Gentile said just, "Lord, I'm just wanting the crumbs." Said, "You know the dogs do eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table, and that's all I'm asking for." She didn't say, "You have to come down to my house and lay your hands on my child." She didn't say, "If you'll come down and speak in another language out yonder, and tell me all about it, I'll believe it." She said, "I only want the crumbs. Just the off-falls is all I'm looking for." See, she had the right approach. She had the right approach to God's gift. She was the first Gentile that Jesus ever done a miracle on, first Gentile.

54 Faith always admits the Word's right, and faith always acts humble. Faith always admits the Word right, and always acts humble. Look at Martha and Mary. When little Martha had been made fun of so much, or been talked about being so much about keeping the house clean... But when Lazarus died she went to Him. Look how persistent she was. Perseverant.
She had to pass through all the critics that said, "Where is that holy roller preacher that was around here, claimed he loved your brother so?" see. Jesus knew [The Father had told Him, "Go away and wait till Lazarus dies, and I'm going to bring you back"], because He said so. He said He didn't do nothing till He seen the Father show Him first. That's right.

55 So He went away, and they sent for Him, and He didn't come. I imagine she got laughed at then.
"Where is he? Uh, huh. He run."
Then sent again, and He run again, went to another city. Then finally He turned and said to his disciples, "Lazarus sleepeth."
Said, "Well, he's doing well."
Said, "He's dead. And for your sake I'm glad I wasn't there. But I'll go and wake him."
But little Martha didn't hear Him say that. Here she come, persistent. She said, "Lord, if thou would have been here, my brother would not have died. But even now whatever You ask God, God will give it to You."
I like that. Oh, I love that. "Even now. Even now."
You might say, "Brother Branham, the doctor told me I..."
But even now.
"I've been sick for forty years."
But even now, Lord. Oh, my.
"I've been seeking the Holy Ghost for a long time."
But "Even now, Lord, while I'm in your presence..."

56 "Whatever you ask God, God'll give it." And He turned with not very much encouragement. See, He tries you, see how persistent you are. Don't give up. And if faith really gets a hold, it won't give up. Said, "Even now, Lord, whatever you ask God, God'll give it to you."
Jesus turned and said, "Yes," said, "Martha," said, "your brother shall rise in the resurrection. He will rise at the last day."
Said, "Yea, Lord. He's a good boy. I knew he was a good boy. All that I believe."
Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead yet shall he live. Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?"
Now what did that get to her?

57 Now she had a right to upbraid him, and say, "Why didn't You come? I called You. I left my church. I left my organization. I left my friends. I quit the card party. I didn't go at the bunco game no more. I left it, every bit. I come believing in You." Remember the Holy Spirit hadn't come yet now, teaching different.

58 But said, "I left everything, and followed You. And when I needed You, You didn't come. When I sent, You ignored me and went on. I sent again, and You ignored me." Looked like she could have had an argument with Him, but she forgot all about it. She wanted to get to Him. That's the reason she got what she asked for.
Like the Shunammite woman before Elisha. She was persistent. She come up and fell down at his feet, and she said ... Elisha said after he found out what her trouble was, he told Gehazi, he said, "Take my staff. Go lay it upon the baby." And he girded up his loins, and went on.
But she was persistent. Her faith wasn't in the staff; it was in the prophet. And she said, "As the Lord God lives, and your soul never dies, I'll not leave you." She was persistent. He couldn't get away from it. So he girded up his loins, and took off. Amen. That's what it is.

59 If the Shunammite woman could have that much faith in a prophet, if Martha had that much faith in Jesus, how about today when we've got two thousand years of miracles constantly pouring? When around the world, and around the clock twenty-four hours, the people are being healed and filled with the Holy Ghost the world around; miracles of healing and raising the dead, and casting out devils; can't we be persistent to hold on to the Word of God, knowing He's no respect of person nowhere? Persistent until He comes? Sure. Persistent. Certainly.

60 Like the woman ... come down to the tabernacle about three years ago. I was in there for one night. A woman was in there had a tumor weighed fifty pounds. She was out like this. The woman may be here tonight. I come in through the back door, and went into the little old tabernacle there, and was preaching. So I turned around and went back. She was from California, and she couldn't walk. And she was persistent, though. They said ... she said, "I come for Brother Branham to pray for me."
And some of the elders said, "He announced that he wouldn't be praying for the sick tonight."
She said, "Which way does he go out?" Not me; she had faith in God.

61 So two of the elders of the church, or three, got this big heavy lady, and packed her around to the little door where I go out the back of the tabernacle, not knowing myself she was there to be prayed for.
And I got through preaching. I started out, and she caught me by the trouser leg, and she held there. She said, "Brother Branham, I won't take your time to pray for me, but just lay your hands on me." That's it. She was determined.
About six or eight months later ... the lady standing there that night was swollen out like that. The doctors wouldn't touch her for nothing.
She's been back in my meetings down through California; will be there again now. She's been to the Tabernacle since, just as flat as I am. And said, "Any of the women can come and examine me. There's no mark of knife upon me. The thing left me." Why? She was persistent. Amen. Her faith was set.
My faith is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood with righteousness;
When all around my soul gives way,
Then He's all my hope and stay.
For on Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.
Persistent. Their faith had a hold of his Word and they wouldn't let go.

62 Like Micaiah was down there before Ahab and Jehoshaphat. There was fifty ... or no, four hundred, I guess, fine cultured men come out, well fed, dressed---Ahab's prophets. They come out there prophesying. Jehoshaphat, being a righteous man, there was something didn't hit just right. See, he didn't have no faith.
All them fellows standing there, the whole seminary was out. Said, "Looky here. Go up, Ahab [because they was judging]. The land belongs to you, Ramoth-gilead. It's yours, so it belongs to you. Go up and take it. The Lord's with you."
A guy had a great big set of horns, like this. He said, "By this you're going to push them all the way out of the land."
Jehoshaphat looked around and seen there was no faith. "No matter," he said. "Here," he said, "haven't you got another one?"
He said, "Another one? There's four hundred of the best. They're educated, they're trained. They're men of God."

63 But you see, there was no faith there. He said, "Surely you ought to have another one somewhere."
He said, "I got one, but I hate him." He said, "He's always bawling me out."
"Oh," he said, "let not the king say so. Go get him."
Says, "That's Micaiah, the son of Imlah."
So, you know what? The deacon board went over and met him. Said, "Now looky here, Micaiah. If you want to come back into the organization again, all you said against them, it will be forgiven you---if you'll just say the same thing they say. You say the same thing."

64 Micaiah, I like that man of God. He said, "I'll say only what God puts in my mouth." So he got over before him, and he said, "Give me tonight." And he must have prayed all night. Along about daylight he saw his vision. When he saw the vision, he compared it with the Word.
That's the way to check whether your vision's right or not. Not all kinds of visions is right. But if it's contrary to the Word, you leave that vision alone. But if it's with the Word, stay with it.
So Micaiah gave his prophecy, that he saw Israel scattered like sheep. Now four hundred ministers standing there, all of them well..., all them prophets, great men, ecclesiastical force. But Micaiah was persistent. He had checked his vision with the Word. He knowed it was right. He knowed what that real prophet... Elijah had prophesied evil against Ahab, and how could he say good when the Word said evil?
How can you bless what God has cursed, or how can you curse what God has blessed? It must be with the Word. Sometimes you have to stand alone, but stand there. Right. Be persistent. Stay right with it. No matter what anybody else says, stay with it. Micaiah stayed right with it. And of course, we find out ... and it proved out that he was right.
Faith never denies the truth of the Word, but holds to it no matter how ridiculous it might seem. Faith holds right on to the truth of the Word. Peter (in closing)... Oh, my! Why didn't somebody pull me? I didn't know it was getting that late! Excuse me, friends. I'd better stop right here. I'll say just a couple of more little comments here, see, and then we'll go. Let's change it just a minute. All right. Notice. (Thank you.)

65 There was Peter, the apostle. We'll bring it down home just for a moment. Peter, the apostle, he had a good old father. His name was Jonas. And I can just imagine Peter and Andrew, and Jonas---they were fishermen. And I can see old Jonas, about eighty years old, out there as the little old feeble arms, helping them pull them nets in. He sees he's losing his strength, knowed it wasn't going to be very long till he was going to go away.
I can see him sit down on the side of the boat after a good catch that day. He'd prayed that morning. He said, "My sons, come near me." He might've said it like this: "You know, we people have looked for a Messiah, and we know He's coming. I've so longed to see Him. I thought surely He would come in my generation. But it seems like I'm going to go before He comes. I'm getting old.
"But, my sons, don't be disturbed now. Just before his appearing there's going to be all kinds of fanaticism raise up around it." Always is.

66 It's the devil, trying to put a scarecrow out, scare you away. But remember, the scarecrows is always at the good tree. Just remember that---not out on the old sour apples, no. It's always where good eating's at.
So, he said, "Just remember. Now, there'll be some raise up saying they're this, and some saying they're that, and some are saying they're so forth, and claiming messiahs and everything else. But don't you believe it. Now the only way to be sure is take what the Word says.
"Now the Word said Moses, the prophet of God..." And the Word always comes to the prophet. He said, "Now, Moses said that 'the Lord your God shall raise up a prophet liken unto me.'
"Now, it's been hundreds of years since we've seen a prophet. But remember, when the messiah cometh, he won't be saying he's that. But when he comes, he'll be a prophet, and you notice him.
"Now our Bible tells us if a man claims to be a prophet, and what he says comes to pass, then listen to him because ... you can fear him because he's from God. But if what he says doesn't come to pass, don't pay attention to it. Just go on, see, because it's not right. So now you boys remember that."

67 Andrew, you know, was the first one to find him. He said, "Hey, Simon. Come on, go down to the meeting in the morning. He's going to be down here. The churches won't have him, so he's down here in another place. So you came down here."
And, "Oh," Simon said, "now remember. We're Pharisees, and we've got to stay..."
"But I just want you to come. Just sit down and listen for a few moments, watch it."
So the next morning... I can see after they got through pulling the nets, why, Jesus came down to the coast. And the first thing you know, Simon must have come up in the audience. And when he come walking up through there, Jesus looked over at there, and said, "Thy name is Simon. And you're the son of Jonas."
Now you talk about a persistent boy, he was, from then on. Nobody could make him doubt it then. He knowed it. Because why? He'd saw that sign of a Messiah. He saw the Word. He knowed that the man didn't know him, didn't know his name, didn't know nothing about him; and here He told him, not only him but who his father was, and what his name was, the very one that told him to look for this sign. He was persistent.

68 Little old Philip, when he heard this story he didn't have to see it. He believed it, for he was looking for a messiah. He was so persistent till he went around the hillside, about fifteen miles, and he found a guy named Nathanael. He didn't have to go back, and say, "Now wait. Let's sit down and calculate this." He said, "Come see who we have found, the one that Moses spoke of." Amen. I can hear him tell the story about Simon.
Oh, Philip ... or, Nathanael might have said, "Now wait a minute, Philip. You've gone off on the deep end."
"Just come see. See if I'm on the deep end."
So, when he walked up in the prayer line, or in the audience, wherever it was, I can see Nathanael begin to look around, say, "Kind of a good feeling here tonight, somehow. Looks pretty good."
And Jesus caught his eye and He said, "Behold. There is a Israelite indeed in whom is no guile." That took him off the rocker.
He said, "Rabbi, when did you know me?"
He said, "Before Philip called you. When you were under the tree I saw you."
And he looked around, and he saw all of his pastors, and the deacons, and the presbyters, and the bishops, and all of them standing around. But, brother, he got very persistent right then. He said, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God." Hallelujah!
There you are. He was persistent. Why? He saw something. He heard something. He realized that it was scriptural, so he could stand persistently, regardless of what the rest of them thought. He seen something. He had a hold of something. He held on to it.

69 The little woman at the well, ill-famed. She'd seen so much bogus amongst the people professing... One day (it must have been about eleven o'clock) they went into Sychar to get some food, the disciples, and Jesus ... left alone. The Father had sent Him up there because He had need go by. He was going to Jericho, but He went up around the mountain because He had need. One soul, and her a prostitute. Oh, amazing grace! One soul out of the whole thing, and her an ill-fame, calling off of his regular journey plumb up here.
She might've been ... about eleven o'clock she come out to get some water. She might've started to let the bucket down, and her curls dropped down over her face. And she started to let the bucket down. She heard somebody say, "Bring me a drink." She looked over quickly, and there sat a Jew.
She said, "It's not customary for such a thing, a Jew to ask a Samaritan anything."
He said, "But if you knew who you were talking to, you'd ask me for a drink." What was He doing? Contacting her spirit. Father had sent him up there. Now, the subject is there. Hallelujah! I saw something then. O God! Father sent him up there, and now here's the subject before Him. He don't know what to say, but He carries a conversation. He said ... talked about worship at Jerusalem, and the Jews and so forth, and the well they talked about. After awhile He found where her trouble was.
Said, "Go get your husband and come here."
She said, "I have no husband."
Said, "That's right. You've had five, and the one you've got now is not your husband."
She said, "Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. We know that the Messiah is called the Christ. He's coming, the anointed one. And when he comes, he'll be a prophet. He'll tell us those things."
He said, "I am He that speaks to you." Talk about persistence!

70 You know, it wasn't actually... If you know the Oriental custom, a woman of that type should never approach a man in the market place. That's right. Not till this day in India, and different places. No, sir. The men wouldn't even hear her. Look at her. She's marked a prostitute. They'd turn their back, no matter what she said.
But what? They couldn't ignore her. They couldn't ignore the woman. Why? She had a hold of faith. She had a message. They couldn't stop her.
She said, "Come see a man who's told me the things that I've done. Isn't this the very messiah? Isn't this he?" And the Bible said the whole city believed because of the woman's testimony.

71 The little woman with the blood issue, she was persistent. I imagine she seen all the denominations standing there, and she pressed right on by them. One said, "Wait a minute. Where're you going? Aren't you John Doe's wife? up there on the hill, that he just swapped that team of horses the other day to pay the doctor."
"Yeah, but he couldn't do me no good."
"Well, you're too frail. You'll get tramped on down there in that bunch of people. Listen at them. They're nothing but a bunch of fanatics that's Galilean backwash. They don't even belong to an organization. All he does is tear up our churches. Go on back up there. I'll call your pastor."
She just ignored it. She was persistent, and went walking on.
"Well, you're too weak to go to the meeting." That didn't stop her a bit. She was going anyhow. Little pale cheeks. She's going anyhow. Going anyhow.
Maybe her husband said, "Get back up there on the hill where you belong," see.
"You are my husband, and I love you. But I must touch Him." Walked right on past him.
Here stood a... "Step out of the way," and she passed another line of people.
They said, "The days of mir..." [Gap in the audio.]
And the bishop come around like this, said, "Hey, we heard you done miracles. Let's see you do another one." Another one stepped in this way, that way.
Finally she thought, "How am I going to do it?"
But you know, faith always finds a way to do it, like the Syrophenician woman. Faith finds a way to touch Him. If you don't believe it, you get to praying right now, and see if your faith don't find a way to touch Him. Faith finds the way. And after awhile...

72 Reminds me of Abraham Lincoln. They'd shut him out. Great man. Said, "How you going to get in?"
He said, "I'm going to trust God."
Said, "They're going to close the doors in your face."
He said, "I'll still trust God."
So when all the senators answered... They were going throw him out on this measure that they was trying to vote against. And so... They knowed Abraham Lincoln was for it. He had such a pressure, and such a status before the people that he could put his point over. And they wouldn't let him in the door.
And when they got up, and began to call the names, they called different ones and different ones, and there was Lincoln's seat empty. Said, "Abraham Lincoln?"
Down through the chimney, said, "Present."

73 Faith finds a way. It might be down the chimney, but it'll get there. What difference does it make, so it arrives? Faith finds a way. It may be crawling, may be singing, may be shouting---whatever it is, it finds its way, moves right on.
She'd try to touch, and blocked off and blocked off. Finally, she just stooped down and reached over and touched his garment. Jesus turned and said, "Who touched me?" Why? She had perseverance. She touched Him.

74 I must close. I just feel so good, I hate to do it. But we've got a big prayer line coming up. Listen. I was in Mexico about four years ago, and they told us we could have the bullring. General Valdina had brought me down, first American non-Catholic that had ever been brought down. When the bishop of the Catholic church went up before the president, and said, "Your honor, sir, this man is coming in here non-Catholic," and said, "he gets government support, from General Valdina, military support." Said, "Our nation doesn't stand for that."
And so the president sat back. He said, "The man's a reputable man."
Said, "Oh, he's just a renegade."
Said, "I don't think tens of thousands of people would go out to hear a renegade."
And he said, "But you see, sir," the bishop said to the president, "you see, sir, only the poor and illiterate is the only thing that goes to hear him."
He said, "You've had them for five hundred years. Why are they poor and illiterate?" That was a good question.

75 They wouldn't let us have the bullring, so we got a great big place out there. And those poor Mexicans. Thinking: we sit in here listening for an hour and a half, and get tired. Many times those people come there at eight or nine o'clock in the morning---no seats. They stood up leaning against one another all day. I wouldn't be in the pulpit until about eight or nine o'clock that night. But they stood there so they'd get a place to stand, about thirty thousand. And there they was, all leaning against each other.
I was just to be there three nights. And I remember one night there (second night), coming across the platform ... I seen him standing on the platform. Billy had let him up, an old Mexican man. His feet was callused all over, and his pants all ragged, no shirt on---just a coat wrapped around him, it ragged ---an old hat tied up with strings. He was blind. He kept saying something. When he got close to me, took out little beads and went to saying a "Hail, Mary." I had him put it up.

76 So, I put my arm around him. I looked, and me with a good pair of shoes on and a suit of clothes. Got just as much right to have a pair of shoes and suit as I have. Yes, sir. So, I thought, "I'll give it to the old man." His feet was much bigger than mine, his shoulders way out like that. I looked at his gray hair, blind. I thought, "If my daddy would've lived, he'd been about that age. He may be somebody's daddy."
I put my arms around him, started praying. And when I opened my eyes like this (they don't interpret the prayer), I seen the old man going around looking as well as ... you know, he could see, and everything, in the vision. I just held real still. Directly I heard him holler, "Gloria a Dios", means "Glory to God." He could see as good as I could. Oh, down through there he went lippity, clippity, hard as he could. The amazing grace.

77 The next night there was a rick much longer than this platform, piled that high, of old shawls and coats laying up there to be prayed over. And when I got on the platform that night... It'd been raining since about ten o'clock in the morning. Those people stood right through the rain, them Mexican women with their hair all down in their face, and just soaking wet.
And I had to get on a ladder and come down a wall. They picked me up in a car, and let me down on these ropes on a ladder, to get on the platform right beside the wall where I had to come around the wall in a car.
And I was speaking. And Billy come over to me and said, "Daddy..." A Mexican man... (I don't know what his name was. I called him "Mañana," which means tomorrow. He was so slow. And so he was always... He'd come and get me, and they was about... They brought him because that he couldn't talk to me. Nobody talks to me when we're coming to the meeting. And he couldn't talk English, so I just called him Mañana. And so he would blabber off something. I didn't pay any attention because I didn't know what he was saying.

78 So, he got me on the platform that night, and I was speaking, and Billy come running up. He said, "Daddy, Mañana give out all them prayer cards." And said, "There's a little woman down there's got a dead baby." And said, "I've got over a hundred and fifty, two hundred [forget what it was] ushers, and they can't stop that woman."
Said, "She's got that dead baby on her hip, and she'll run between their legs and run over their shoulders, and everything else with that dead baby." And said, "She ain't getting no prayer card." And said, "We done give them all out. And if I put her in line ahead of them people that come and got a prayer card, there'll be a riot as sure as the world."

79 And now, Brother Jack Moore... Anybody ever know Brother Jack Moore? Many of you ... he was with me. So, I said, "Brother Jack, she don't know me from you." I said, "Go on over there, and pray for the baby, and it'll be all right."
And these ushers would take and hold her back, and she'd stand there. And as soon as they'd turn their head, she'd run right between their feet like that, hard as she could. And she'd upset four or five of them. They'd shove her back again. They couldn't keep her off the platform. Oh, persistent! My!
And so, Brother Jack started over to pray for the little baby, Billy was taking him over. And I said, "As I was saying..." Then Brother Espinoza, a Pentecostal brother from California, was giving the interpretation. I said, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen."

80 And when Brother Espinoza started to say that, I looked right out here, about two or three feet from here, and there was a little Mexican baby in a vision---little old ... no teeth, just gums, just laughing at me. And I rubbed my eyes. I looked again, and there it was. Little bitty fellow. He was just laughing, them little black eyes just staring.
And I thought, "Wonder if that's that baby." I said, "Hold it just a minute, Brother Espinoza." And Brother Jack was going off the platform. I said, "Tell the ushers, Brother Espinoza, make a way and let the lady come up."

81 She was standing about the distance of this building out there, still pressing her way with this dead baby in a blanket. It died that morning about nine o'clock. The doctor pronounced it dead. Died with pneumonia. So, she ... they made a way, and here she come up to the platform. She fell down, and began to holler, "Padre." It means "Father." I tried to get her to stand up.
When she stood up, Brother Espinoza said, "Has she got a prayer card?"
I said, "No. But, Brother Espinoza, don't say this. I don't know. I seen a little Mexican baby in a vision right out before me here." And I said, "It may be her baby. I'll just pray and let it go on like that."
He said, "All right."

82 I said, "Don't interpret the prayer." And I told her to stand up, and Espinoza told her in Spanish to stand up. She stood up. I said, "When did your baby die?"
"Nine this morning." It was about ten-thirty then, that night.
And I said, "Do you believe?"
With all her heart. There wasn't a doubt in the little thing's mind---pretty little woman, looked to be about in her early twenties, twenty-two or twenty-three---typical little Mexican señorita.
So she had this little baby and a little blanket over it. There it was laying there, just soaking wet, that blanket. She'd been standing out there since that morning. She'd seen a piece in the paper about that old man getting his sight, so she was ready to bring that baby. And so, I asked her if she believed. She said, "Yes."

83 So I laid my hands over on the little baby. I said, "Heavenly Father, now, I don't know. I just saw the vision. And upon the basis of that vision, it may be the baby. That's all You said to me. I'm just going to put my hands on it, commit it to You."
And the little baby went "Whaa!" and began to kick its little feet, like that. And I looked around. She jerked the blanket off of it, and people begin screaming, and I said, "Now don't you say nothing about this, Brother Espinoza. Get a runner, get somebody on that case, and go and get a signed statement from the doctor before you say anything, because if you're going to say anything about it, it's got to be authentic." So, she ... he got a runner.
And the next day he himself... They went to the doctor, he signed the statement that the baby died that morning at nine o'clock. And that was that night at ten o'clock, and the baby as far as I know is living in Mexico tonight, happy. Why? Because the woman ... like this little Syrophenician woman, she was persistent. She knew she had a hold of God. Catholic, or no Catholic; priest, or no priest; church, or no church; excommunicate, or no excommunicate; laughed at, or no laughed at, what was she? She was perseverant. She knew that there was a God.

84 Listen. Bible-promised signs proves He keeps his Word. Bible-promised signs, we can read them and be persistent, and know that He keeps his Word. Let us pray.
Before we pray, is there some in here tonight that would like to be remembered in this prayer? Whatever you have need of, just raise your hand, and say, "God, make me persistent, Lord, till I can get the desire of my heart. It's for your glory. Lord, stay right with me. Let me stay with You. Give me a hold on You tonight.
"I'm going to watch. I'm going to listen. I'm going to believe. When others are being prayed for, I'm going to believe tonight. I'm going to be persistent that I'll never leave this building until I've got a anchor in my faith. My faith is anchored in me, rather, that I am going to be very perseverant, because I believe. I want to get a hold of your Word right now for my case."

85 Our heavenly Father, You see the hands. The story of this little Gentile woman, how that she was persistent... She was very perseverant because faith had come by hearing, and hearing of God's Word. And with all of her hindrances ... and here we sit tonight with not one third the hindrances she had.
Her daughter was an epileptic, and she was a Gentile, which God had not promised to visit. She was turned down by her friends. She was turned down probably by all that we spoke of tonight. But we know that even Jesus tested her faith, told her that He wasn't sent to her. And said that she and her race was dogs.
And the truth was, Lord, when faith gets a hold of the Word, it admits the truth. Said, "But the dogs get the scraps." And that touched the heart of our Master. He said, "Oh, woman, great is your faith. Be it unto you as thou hast believed."
And when she got home, the fit was off of her daughter and she was lying across the bed. The devil had left her.

86 Heavenly Father, give us that faith tonight. May we come, and after tonight be perseverant in our faith; because we can have faith if we know You've promised it in your Word. Anything that You promised, and our faith takes a hold of, it belongs to us. You told Joshua, "Everywhere the soles of your feet sets, that I've given you." And we realize that footsteps meant possession. Father, if some of them tonight has never walked high enough up into the kingdom of God to receive the Holy Ghost, may they receive it tonight. May they make footsteps tonight, footprints.
And then them who have never been able to reach up high enough and walk up there and possess the blessing of divine healing, may they walk up tonight, be persistent. May faith catch a hold of them right now by these remarks from these others.
Those who've never accepted You as Saviour, may they reach up tonight, and get a hold of You, and accept You. The Bible said, "As many as believed was baptized." Grant it, Father. And may they be baptized also in water, and also in the Holy Spirit. Grant these blessings, and help your poor, humble servant, as I minister now in the name of thy Son, Jesus. Amen.

87 Now, I believe that Billy Paul, if he's in the building said that he gave out prayer cards. And I think he said fifty. Is that right? Fifty prayer cards. And we want them to stand up. Now, don't race at it. Just come one by one.
Who has prayer card number one? Some one? What did you say? A1. All right. A1, is it the gentleman? A2. Would you raise your hand? All right. A2? Did I see the hand of that person? A2? All right, sister. A3? 3, all right. 4, 5, raise your hand. I didn't see 4 even. 4? All right, next in line. 5, raise your hand. Prayer card 5.

88 Now, Billy comes down to the audience, gets up here, shuffles the cards up together, gives the people a card, anybody that wants them. Anybody have to be here to get them, of course. Now I think if they come early and got a prayer card, they ought to have right to be first up here, don't you think so? That's right. And now ... but Billy don't know who's going to be first on the line, because the prayer cards are shuffled up. That makes it to him.
Then sometimes, I start vice-versa, backwards, upside... You've seen it done. That's right. Last night we didn't even have any prayer cards at all. See, that isn't the idea.
All right, 5, 6? Raise your hand. 7? All right. As I call the number you stand up. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11? Just make your way over here and get in the line right along here. 12?

89 Now if you can't raise up, some of the brethren will come and get you, pack you. You're going to get up here, yes, sir. All right. 12? Did I see 12? Prayer card 12? All right. 13, 13, 14, 15. Be watching your card now. 15? 15, 15, 16, 17, 17, 18, 18, back, 19. Thank you, Brother Vayle.
19, 20, 21, 21? I didn't get it. 21, 22, 22, prayer card 22? Thank you. Let me know, you know, because it might be somebody deaf, and they miss their place, you see, or somebody can't get up. Somebody watch the other's prayer card, and then be looking at your prayer card.
What was that 22? 23, 23, prayer card 23, 24, 25, 26. Good. 27, 28, 28, 29, 29, 29, 30. Thank you. 31, 32, 33, 33. I didn't see it. 34, 34, 35, 36, 36, 37, 37? I didn't get it. 37, 37. Look around at your neighbor. He might have a prayer card. 37. He might be deaf, might be able ... can't get up, see. He's paralyzed, and can't move. 37.
Somebody must've got it, and went out. If they come in, put them in the line, position them in their place now. The ushers will be there to help. 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 47. That's good. 48, 49, 50, 50, the man back there.

90 Now is all the people that has prayer cards up? Has anybody else got a prayer card? All prayer cards standing in the row? I want to be sure of this now. We called one, 37. I seen a couple of brethren come in since then. I just wonder. I've called prayer card 37, and it didn't answer. That's the only one that I seen myself that didn't answer. Prayer card number 5. Did it answer? Brother Vayle said he didn't notice prayer card number 5. Number 5, is it there? and 37?
Now, if you'll just give us a moment or two, friends. Now we'll ... someone coming in with a baby. Maybe it might be some of the women and brothers has to step out with their little ones. And if they're out now and that number comes in, put them right in line, right in their place, put them where 37 and 5 belongs. And that makes everything just right then. 37 and 5. Everybody now be alert, be ready, be willing.

91 Now. Thank you. Hear that better now? Reason they are doing this is because under the anointing I don't talk very loud. Now, while they're getting them together I might say this. I want it from your heart. If you don't believe it, don't raise your hand. But if you do believe it, I want you to raise your hand.
Now. We know that Christianity has been growing in the grace of God through the years. Martin Luther was the first reformer from the Dark Age, and he preached justification by faith. How many knows that? Then the church was like a pyramid. It was down here, great... Anybody even professed to be a Christian, it was dangerous, could be killed.

92 Then along come Wesley with the message of sanctification, then become more in the minority. Then after Wesley come the Pentecostal group. Then it become up. And anyone knows ... not teaching pyramid doctrines now, or anything. I'm just giving an example. But the headstone was never put on the pyramid. Why? It was rejected, see. So, if the headstone would come to the pyramid... If anyone's ever been in Egypt, those stones are so closely fit together till you can't place a razor blade between them. That's where's the mystery. How'd they get them up there? They fit perfect.
Now, the headstone ... it'll have to be the stones that's made up here at the top, already part of the headstone. It'll have to be honed so perfectly, until when the headstone comes it'll have to fit just exactly with it to make the building complete. Is that right?

93 So the church... Now, if the headstone come in Luther's time, look what a out-of-the-way place it would have been. Look if it come in Wesley's time.
It'll come in its own predestinated time. But the church will be honed in such a condition until the church's ministry will be so close, and be just exactly the same kind of ministry that Jesus had, to make it all fit together for the rapture. Like, the head knows more than the feet, see. The eyes are more use than the feet. The eyes is a prophet of the church. It foresees, see. And all these things come in the head, the head part.
Now, I want to ask you a question. Excuse me, brethren. This may be off the beaten path. But if I'm wrong, you forgive me, and you brothers out there. I believe that the church will have to come to that spot for the rapture to be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. I believe that we're living in that day, that when the church will certainly be in a minority. It'll be a small group.

94 You know, when Jesus preached, there wasn't one percent of the one millionth of the people on earth ever heard Him. Look what heard John to make preparation, see. It's the elected that hears it. That's all. That's right. "No man can come to me except my Father draws him first. And all the Father has given me will come." That's right.
Now, I believe that there's a church coming into that perfection, that ministry of perfection, where the offices, where apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelists for the perfecting of the church, them pastors, and teachers, and so forth---will be so with the Word until the whole thing will work right up to the coming of the Lord. I believe that, and I believe we're nearing that time now. I believe it's so.
Now we know that Jesus said, and taught us all through the Scriptures, that the works that He did would be done also. Now, my brethren, I hope that if you disagree with me it'll be on a friendly basis.

95 Did you know that the Bible speaks of the appearing of the Lord, and also the coming of the Lord, and it's two different words? Search it and find out if that's right. The appearing and the coming is two different things. The appearing of the Lord is now. He's appearing amongst his people. We see Him in his same works, the appearing, his Holy Spirit. But his coming will be in the physical being. It'll be to catch the church up.
But see, we've been down through the Word, justification, sanctification, baptism of the Holy Ghost. And now the church is getting in such a condition, ready, waiting. The offices ... and the offices of the church is coming into its place. The teachers are placing the places. The gifts are manifesting themselves.
Oh, there's a lot of impersonations. That's right. We expect that. But there's real, too. Before there can be a bogus dollar there has to be a real one for it to be made off of it. That's right. We have all those carnal comparisons, but that don't take away from the real. It only makes the real shine out.

96 So, the Lord is now appearing among his people---great signs and wonders, raising the dead, healing the sick, and doing the very same things that He did that hasn't been done for two thousand years. See, the church is honed up through that, brought up until it's right at the time that headstone is coming to meet the church. And then, it'll all go together, and be raptured. The ones fell asleep in the first watch, second watch, third watch, on to the seventh watch. The appearing of the Lord. Last night I touched it, how He'd come.

97 Now remember, not the man. That's a office in the church. Not the marvelous teacher man; it's the marvelous Holy Ghost teaching in the man. Not the marvelous man with the gift of discernment; the marvelous Holy Ghost in there using the man, see. Always said like... Peter referred to it one time on Mount Transfiguration: the holy mountain. It isn't the holy mountain; it's the holy God on the holy mountain. It's not the holy church; it's the holy God. Not the holy people, but the Holy Ghost, see. It's the Holy Spirit in these last days.

98 Now when that angel of the Lord came to Abraham, there in the time before the destruction, now, that was God appearing in human flesh. And Jesus said "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the coming of the Son of man." As it was in the days of Lot ... He give the morals of what they were doing in the days of Noah.
In the days of Lot, watch that messenger to Abraham. Watch the messengers to Lot in the nominal church. Just, "Come out, come out," and Abraham pleading for them. Notice. The angel, God, Elohim, appearing in a form of human flesh shows that Elohim in the last days will appear---not the coming of Christ, but the appearing of Christ in human flesh---in his church, making his same signs and things that He did, and hasn't done it in the church for two thousand years, see---the appearing of the Lord.

99 Now. Is all the prayer cards in the line? How many's sick out there, and hasn't got a prayer card? Raise up your hand. Do that again. Raise up your hands, all that's sick, all that's praying, believing. All right. The woman that touched the border of his garment, she didn't have no prayer card either, but she touched his garment. And the Bible said that He right now is a high priest (Is that right?) ever living to make intercession, a high priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities. Is that right? And the Bible said in Hebrews 13:8, "He's the same yesterday today and forever." Is that true?

100 Well then, if He's the same high priest, if you touched Him like that woman did... Not physically; her faith touched Him, because He said virtue went. Everybody was touching Him physically, but her faith touched Him. And He turned around, and knowed her blood issue ... and said her faith had saved her.
Don't you believe He's the same high priest tonight? And if these words are true, He's appearing in human flesh. Then you let Him appear in your flesh, giving you faith in his promised Word, St. John 14:12, "... the works that I do shall you also." Then I'll... If there's offices in the church, then let me relax myself before Him, and William Branham part go away, and let the Lord Jesus speak through me---appear in human flesh like He appears in yours.
So there'll be a witness of two, and two's a confirmation in God's Word. Two is a witness. Then you have faith to touch Him, and I have faith, and through both of us confirms his Word that it's the truth.

101 Now, you sick people again out there, now, I can't go down through that ... discernment through that line. You know it would take me right off the platform. One little woman caused the Son of God to say He got weak, and Him the Son of God. What do you think I would be, a sinner, saved by his grace? I couldn't even stand one of them if He didn't say, "The works that I do shall you also, and more than this shall you do."
I know the King James says greater but it's actually more, see. Greater, He couldn't do no greater. He raised the dead, stopped nature, and done everything, see. So, it's just more of it, because there'd be more people. The Spirit was just in one man there. Now it's universal around the world in all of his people. Believe.

102 Let's just take for a start these crowded in this way. How many there that doesn't know me, and I don't know you, and you're sick, and you believe that God can reveal to you your trouble? Raise up your hands. All you there that hasn't got prayer cards, and you want something from God, raise up your hand. In here? You pray.
Let me turn my back. You pray. The angel that appeared in human flesh had his back turned to the tent where Sarah was, and He told Sarah what she did. Is that right? That same angel was God. And the same God that was there was promised by Jesus, who was God, to appear in these last days before the burning of the earth, just like He did in the days of Sodom. Do you believe?

103 Of course it's a vision. There's people standing there I don't know. It'll be up to Him. Here it is, if I can find where it was. Yep. The lady sitting right here, heavy-set, did you raise your hand a few minutes ago? You believe God'll heal that rheumatism for you and make you well? If you do, raise up your hand. All right. You can have it. What did she touch?
The man sitting next to her, what do you think, brother? Do you think that comes from God? You do? You believe God can tell me what's your trouble? Would you believe it? Would you accept it if I could tell you through God's Spirit? I'm talking here, sitting close to me. Do you believe it? Will you believe it? All right then, your high blood pressure will leave you.
That man sitting next to you had the same thing, a little thin man there. He had high blood pressure, too. If that's true, raise up your hands, both of you. Hallelujah! Go believing. Don't doubt.
What did they touch? They never touched me. I don't know the people. I've never seen them in my life. You're all strangers to me. That's right. If you just believe, that's all you have to do.

104 Here's a little lady sitting right back here, looking right at me. She's just tearing into the kingdom of God. She's praying for her unsaved sons. If you'll believe with all your heart, they'll be saved. Will you believe it? You can have it. You believe, all of you?
You believe God'll heal that nervousness for you, sir, sitting there? You was asking to do it right then. It's all over. You have it.
The little lady sitting back there, praying for that grandchild, do you believe that God'll make it well? Retarded, but you believe that God'll make it well? You believe it with all your heart? Planning on bringing it to church tomorrow night. You won't have to. God'll make it well, and you can bring it. How about it, lady? You believe it? All right. You can have it.
I'm a total stranger to the woman. I don't know her at all. Never seen her in my life. Are we strangers to one another, lady? If it is, raise up your hand. Wasn't that what you was praying for? If it was, wave your hand like that. Don't you see? Elohim, God. How can you doubt? Can't you be persistent?

105 Just to start it here in the line. Now you have a prayer card. They didn't. Do you believe me to be his servant? Do you believe I've told you the truth tonight on God's Word? I don't know you, never seen you in my life. We're strangers as far as I know. But do you believe if God can tell me what's wrong with you, or something you ... something that you ... you'll know whether it's the truth or not. You know what ... if I can tell you what has been, and then tell you what will be, well, you know that will be right.
You're not here for yourself; you're standing for somebody else. And that person's not here. That's your wife. She's in another state. She's in Georgia. She's got kidney trouble. She's very sick, got complications. That is right, isn't it? Do you believe with all your heart now? Go home and find her the way you believe it. Amen. Don't doubt. "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to those who believe." Amen.

106 Now, that was a man. Here's a woman. Let's have just one more, and then we'll start just praying for the sick, see if we can get down that line. Come near me, sister. I believe we're strangers one to another. We don't ... we're just two people that met here, the very same way in a panoramic like this at Sychar there, where Jesus met the woman at the well. Here we are, man and woman, met first time in life.
Oh, my! I wish that... I could see the power of Satan moved away. How can we stand and see this, and then not believe?
Here's a man and woman. We've never seen one another. She's just a woman standing here. I don't know one thing. I've never seen her in my life. Now. What about it? I don't know one thing. Well, what is it? God promised it. God's Word says so.
He promised me that one night up yonder, many years ago. Said I was born for this. I believed it. Tens of thousands of times, around the world, and not one time it's ever failed. What is it? It's showing you that the time is at hand. It isn't me; it's Him. How do I know this woman?

107 Little old brother had his son healed. He said, "I know it has to be God, Brother Branham. People in my neighborhood I know, they said..." I know it's a promise for the last day, and it's here. The Bible in Malachi 4 promised it. Said it must come to pass before the great and terrible day of the Lord shall come, that shall burn the earth. And we know we're living in that day.
Here's two people standing here. I don't know the woman. 4, 5, 6, 7, or what ... everwhat it was out there, and there's a whole line, if I can only stand here long enough. And that's what I'm trying to do now, get myself shook away enough that I can go on with the prayer line. Does something to you, and it's a constant ... like a throb out there in that audience. It's faith.
Oh, if you could just ever just break through that little barrier there, get free, like a bird getting out of a cage: he's got the wings---just get out the door.

108 Lady, just to talk to you a minute now, I don't know you, but God does know you. Then if something you'll have to say that ... if He will tell me something about you, what you're here for, like the woman touched his garment or something on that order, some Bible sign to show that... You know it has to be something, because I don't know you. Then, if you ... you'd know whether it'd be truth or not, 'cause you know about it. And then, if it is the truth, my! wouldn't that be wonderful? My! Certainly would.
Now. The lady's very sick. I see it now. I see her at the doctor's. She's been turned down by the doctor. She's suffering with all kinds of complications. One thing, you've got a hernia, and you're supposed to have an operation. And you've got such a bad heart until there's no doctor'll take the case. That's "thus saith the Lord." But there is one here will take the case. Glory! Don't doubt. Glory! Believe Him with all your heart. Do you believe?

109 Now you know I know what's wrong with you. Whether I told you or not, if I pray for you, you know there's some kind of anointing here. Is that right? Do you believe it? Our heavenly Father, heal my sister tonight, and make her completely free, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Prayer of faith shall save the sick. God shall raise them up.
You're conscious that I know what's wrong with you. Would it help if I told you? or would you just...? If I prayed for you, you'd know there's some kind of anointing here that knows you've got heart trouble. Excuse me. Go ahead.
Now, when you were standing right out there a few moments ago, and I asked anybody that had a need raise up their hand, you raised up your hand. And when you raised up your hand a real strange feeling hit you, wasn't it? Because, that's when your nervousness left you. Go on your road.

110 If I prayed for you, you'd get well anyhow, wouldn't you? But would it help you if I told you what you were here for? It was female trouble, lady's trouble. You believe now? Go and be well, if you can just believe with all your heart.
Now what if I just put my hands on you, prayed for you. You'd believe me? Heavenly Father, grant it in thy name. Jesus, You said how much greater is their reward who has never seen, yet believe. I pray that You'll heal him, Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus.
You're conscious that I know what's wrong with you. Don't do any good, though, if I tell you. You believe if I just prayed for you? Heavenly Father, may he cough no more. May it be over. May it leave, in Jesus name. You believe it?

111 Come, sir. If I could heal you, I would do it. I can't heal you. I can pray for you. Will you believe He'll hear me? Come here. Our heavenly Father, I bless my brother in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son. Grant his healing. Amen. Believe it. Don't doubt.
Come, sir. You believe He'll hear our prayer? If I could heal you, I'd do it. I can't. I can only pray. You believe it? Heavenly Father, as the Syrophenician woman, may he get his desire tonight. Go home and be well in Jesus' name. Amen.
You believe if I'd pray for you, you'd get over it? Be a great relief, wouldn't it? They've tried everything [unclear words] and everything else, but it didn't do you no good. But God is a healer. You believe that, don't you? All right. Heavenly Father, I pray in Jesus' name that You'll heal the woman, and make her well. I lay my hands upon her, O, Lord. I believe that your Spirit is here. It's got us anointed. I pray that You'll heal her. The prayer of faith will save the sick and God shall raise them up. Yes.

112 Now be real reverent. Sit still. Now, see, He might call something out there. And if you're moving around I can't catch it, you see, 'cause each one of you is a spirit. And if you're in contact, you see, when you do, when you move it upsets me, you see. You understand? See? Jesus took a man and led him plumb out of the city, away from all the unbelief, see. Sit real still, be in prayer.
Here's a lady. You believe God will tell me what your trouble is? Would you accept it? Look at me. You got a growth. You believe God can tell me where the growth is? It's in the intestines. That's right. You believe that God'll heal it? Then go. As you have believed, so will it be to you, and that's all. All right.
God is no respect of persons. If He healed that lady going down there with the female trouble, He can heal you, too.
How do you do, sister? You believe if I ask He'll make you well? I can't heal you, but I can ask Him, and He can do it. I believe you're already healed. Don't you think so? All right. That's the way to do it. God bless you. That's the way.

113 Do you believe if we'll ask God...? Jesus said this: "These signs shall follow them that believe. If they lay their hands on the sick they shall recover." You believe that I believe Him? Then, in the name of Jesus Christ, I obey his commandment for laying hands on the sick. Will you also believe it, sister?
You believe, passing through here? You're not coming just to come by Brother Branham, because wouldn't do you no good. But you're coming believing that Christ is standing here somewhere, and we don't see Him. Is that right? Come. Heavenly Father, I bless this woman in the name of Jesus Christ. May she be healed. Amen.

114 Do you believe, sister? Our heavenly Father, I pray in Jesus, name that you'll heal this sister, and make her well. God bless you, my brother. [Unclear words.]
Do you believe that God'll make you well? Our heavenly Father, only You can heal this man. I pray for him, with my hands upon him, and asking if he wilt be made every whit whole. Grant it, in Jesus' name. God bless you, my brother. Go believing. You believe, too, sister. Heavenly Father, I ask for her healing in the name of Jesus Christ. God bless you.
Come right along, both of you? Well, bless your heart. My, this is sweet. I hope some day to see my papa and mama come down through the kingdom of God. If I pray for you, you'll believe that He'll make you well? Our heavenly Father, this little couple, I lay my hands upon them with all the reverence and respect that I know how. If it laid within my power I would make them whole. I cannot do it, Lord. But I believe in You who will. I ask it in Jesus Christ's name. Amen. Go now, both of you. Be well, and live a good, happy, long life for the kingdom of God.

115 That's the most hardest thing. No one knows about it, see. Everybody tells you get next to yourself, and how can you? see. Nervousness. Ooh, my! That old dark shadow following you all the time, nothing you can do. Everything's gone wrong. That's it. You believe He'll let me cast it away from you? Satan, come out of her. In the name of Jesus Christ, leave this poor little woman. Shame on you. I adjure thee by the living God, whose presence is here now, whose servant I am, let it be from this night on. God bless you, lady. With all my faith and hope, you're free. Go on your road rejoicing.
Do you believe, my brother? Let's pray. Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son, let the power that raised Jesus from the grave quicken this body, and make him well. Amen. Lord bless you, my brother.

116 You believe, sister? Our heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, your Son, I lay my hands on this woman while we're in the presence of this ... shrouded presence of Jesus Christ. May she be healed. Go. Bless you, sister. Go just rejoicing happy and believing.
Come, sister, you and brother. Let's have your hands. Heavenly Father, I bless them. In the name of Jesus Christ may they get their desires tonight, be made perfectly whole, and live for the kingdom of God, in Jesus' name. Go believing, now. Don't doubt. Just believe.
Can you believe? Everybody believe? Many times people thinks you have to ... everybody has to be told. You don't have to be told. I know it. And if I go to talking about it, it just gets more, and more, and more. And see, and then get weaker, weaker, and weaker. And that line is still long. But God knows everything. Don't you believe that? Certainly He does. How many believes, whether you say anything or not? Amen.

117 Now He didn't leave me, when I just started that. He's still here. He's here. You believe it? What about you? You believe it? I don't know you. God knows you. But you believe He can tell me what's wrong with you? If I tell you, you'd be surprised. You just get real weak. Got weak spells. That's right. You believe that He can make you well from that? A preacher who wants to preach the gospel? You are a minister, and you just get so weak you can't preach. Isn't that right? But you can be strong from now on. You believe you are? Then go on your road, and say, "Praise the Lord." Hallelujah! Amen.

118 Oh, America, America. How oft would I have hovered you. How oft [unclear words].
Something strange about you. Oh, I know now. Here it is. You're the lady that I met in the restaurant. It's over. In the name of Jesus Christ, let this woman go home now, being well. Lord, let her recover from this. I believe You will, because today, that great mysterious leading into that restaurant, knowing what's caused this... The poor woman's tried to shake from it for a long time. But now she's coming free. Go in Jesus' name, and be well, and happy.

119 All right, sir. You believe if I ask Him you'll be made well? In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, grant the healing of my brother, as I lay hands on him for the glory of God. Amen. God bless you, my brother. Go.
God bless you, my brother. Many days---it's been long here. Let's pray. Our heavenly Father, oh, if I could only hold my daddy tonight like this. But it's hers. Help him, God. Bless her, too, Father. May they have the healing, and live a long life. And some day in glory, when we're all turned back to young people again, may I meet them again with the testimony of Jesus Christ. I ask this blessing. Amen. God bless you. Go believing. You'll be all right. Just have faith in God. God bless you. Isn't that sweet?
You believe, young man? In the name of Jesus Christ, I obey his commandments by laying my hands upon yours, and asking that the devil depart you, and be made well.

120 Do you believe, sister? Then, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who said, "These signs shall follow the believers," let her be well. Amen. Don't doubt. Just go now. Be perseverant. Believe it.
How do you do, sister? This is the hour of deliverance for you. Do you believe it? In the name of Jesus Christ, may she be set free right now. God bless you, sister.
Brother, I know what that old stick means, to be hobbling around on it. This'll be the hour of deliverance. Are you going to be perseverant in the presence of God now? Not in our presence, but his presence that I'll pray for you, and you're going to get well. Do you believe it? Our heavenly Father, I bless our brother in the name of Jesus Christ, and may the power of God make him well. Believe it. Now go on your road.

121 May the little fellow be set free. In the name of Jesus Christ, may it be from tonight on. In Jesus' name. Now watch what happens to him.
How do you do, sir? I wish you could stretch it out to the Lord Jesus tonight. Let Him bless you, make you well. Heavenly Father, I pray for this boy. I pray that the power that can make him well, Jesus Christ, will heal him. May he turn so the blessings of God could come upon him in Jesus Christ's name. Thank You, Lord. God bless you, boy. Go believing now.
How do you do, little fellow. [Someone speaks to Brother Branham] I believe he will, don't you? The little boy can't talk, you see. But just believe. Now we're going to pray and touch God. I believe that little boy will come back well, don't you? He's got a bad [unclear words]. My, my! Heavenly Father, may the dumb spirit upon this child depart, and may the child talk. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Just receive it now.

122 Gracious God, who brought back Jesus from the dead, heal this sister and make her well, as I lay my unworthy hands upon her, but believing in Christ, the worthy One. I ask for her healing. Amen. Bless you, sister. Believe it now.
How do you do, sister? Our heavenly Father, as this woman crosses the platform humbly, reverently, knowing that healing is something that's already been done. The people believe it, then... As I said tonight, be like that woman of long ago, persistent, perseverant. They believe it. God shows them his sign---they accept it, they believe it. May she be healed in Jesus' name. Amen.
Do you believe, sister? Our heavenly Father, the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and God shall raise them up. I pray that you'll grant this blessing to our sister, that what she asks for, in the name of Jesus Christ... I'll lay my prayer with hers, my faith with hers, and may it be granted. Amen. God bless you, sister.

123 How do you do, sister? You believe that He'll make you well? I'll put my faith with yours and we'll lay our prayer on his altar, and believe it in his presence. Our heavenly Father, I pray that this dear woman as she stands here tonight, crippled, all these things, Father, I pray that you'll grant her recovery, God. I'm laying my prayer upon the altar with hers, placing my faith upon the sacrifice, Christ Jesus, and asking that she will be made well. Amen. Believe now, with all your heart.
How do you do, brother? Do you believe that God will make you well? Our heavenly Father, this young gallant-looking man stands here before me. We're standing in your presence as brothers. I ask You, Lord, as I lay my prayer with his, grant it, Lord, that he will be given his request. In Jesus' name, amen. Believe it now. Be persistent. Go on. It's been asked, so let it be done.

124 How do you do, sir? You believe with me now that you can go back down this aisle well? Our heavenly Father, I pray that You'll grant his request. I lay my prayer with his prayer, my faith with his faith, all in your Bible and in the blood of Jesus Christ. We ask it in his name. Amen. The prayer of faith shall save the sick and God shall raise them up.
My brother, you're going to believe with me, aren't you? Heavenly Father, as I hold his hand may the power of almighty God come upon our brother, and may every frail doubt that's trying to hang on be broken loose. May he pass that sound barrier and on, buzzing out through yonder, through the kingdom of God, persistent, claiming his healing through the stripes of our Lord Jesus Christ. Bless you, brother.
How do you do, sister? I believe this is the hour. I lay my faith with my sister's upon God's holy altar with my prayers, and my faith with hers. I ask God in the name of Jesus Christ to give her her request. Amen. So shall it be.

125 Our heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, may my prayer that I lay with my brother's, my hopes with his hopes, my faith with his faith upon your holy altar. Receive it, Lord. I offer this in his behalf, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Be persistent now. Hold right on to it. God bless you, my brother.
Our heavenly Father, they said the prayer of faith saves the sick. I offer mine with my brother. I feel for him. Lord, I pray that You'll heal him. Hear us, Lord, as I ask in Jesus' name. Amen. Bless you, brother. Be persistent now. Believe Him.
Come, my sister. Our heavenly Father, as I stand here in thy presence, and in the presence of this congregation, in the presence of this woman, I ask as I lay prayer with hers upon the altar, receive it, Father. I offer this in Jesus Christ's name. Amen. God bless you. Be persistent now. Don't cut it out.

126 Come, sister. Would you like to go home and eat your supper, be made well? Just go ahead. Do you believe, sister? Heavenly Father, I pray that you'll heal her, as I offer my prayer with hers, in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.
Bless you, brother. Our heavenly Father, I lay my hands upon brother. In the name of Jesus Christ may he be healed. I offer my prayer with his, Father, upon your holy altar. In Jesus' name let him be healed. Amen. God bless you, brother.

127 Now to the audience Jesus said these words, Mark 11:24: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you 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 say." Do you believe it? All right. Then lay your hands on one another, bow your heads. Lay your hands upon each other. Don't doubt. "Now if you say to this mountain be moved..."

128 Yes, ma'am. Lord Jesus (now while you're praying, I'm praying, for a lady brought a little boy up here). Father God, I pray that you'll grant the healing of the little boy. Now I lay hands upon him, and believe in Jesus' name that it shall be done, as I put my faith with this loved one here, upon your altar. And may he recover, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen. Now believe, sister. Be persistent.
I just don't know. Praying for the sick has been something I have never been able to understand. Before I ever went out with discernment, or anything, somehow I'd just go pray for the sick when I was just a local Baptist minister down there. Somehow or another they just got well. I don't know.

129 Many of you has read the stories about ... even God sending the animals in; how people has come through dreams and revelations; people who never heard before has come from miles across the sea to be prayed for. I just pray a prayer of faith, is all I know, and I believe it. I believe it. God promised it. And then if He promised that, now you don't have to take my word for it; you take his word for it. And then you would have to take my word about Him calling me to pray for the sick, but I think that he's proved that.
Looky here. Years ago when I told you about this great light, pillar of fire, told you how it looked, before any scientific picture was ever taken of it---now look at the pictures they've got of it.
Now that same light is standing right here where I am right now. I'm looking right straight at it, right here, an emerald-colored light. Now that mechanical eye of that camera don't take psychology, you know. The light was there. Here it is, doing just exactly what it said it would do.

130 Jesus said, "I come from God, and I go to God. A little while the world won't see me no more; yet you'll see me." Now here. What was He? The pillar of fire that led the children through the wilderness. It was made flesh in the form of a man, Jesus Christ. He died, buried, rose up into heaven, and on the road to Damascus Paul met this same pillar of fire.
You say, "Oh, that's wrong."
Oh, no. He said, "Lord, who are you?"
He said, "I'm Jesus." Now. Now, none of the rest of them saw it. Paul saw it.
Nobody else saw that dove, but Jesus ... over Jesus but John, because he knowed he was going to see it, because God told him he was, see. That's it. He was persistent. He knew it. Now, here it is.

131 Now. I prayed for each one of you. I prayed for each one. Jesus said, "If you 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 say." Now I have said it; now let it be done. It's written to be spoken. I have spoke it; let it be done.
Now, let us pray, with our hands on each other, as believing children of God. If you ever was persistent ... how can you keep from being persistent?
If these mighty signs would have been done in Russia, it wouldn't be communist today. These mighty signs had been done in China, it wouldn't be communist today. Oh, America, America! How oft has God visited you, and how much longer will He permit it? The end time is here. The evening lights are shining.

132 Now, Lord, I love these people. They are your people, and together we are brothers and sisters in your Son, Jesus. And now, Lord, as I spoke tonight of David with the little slingshot, he was interested in the father's sheep. And no matter how little it was, he was ready to display and to conquer with what little he had to conquer with. And You was with him.
Lord, I'm coming after these sheep tonight. They've been sick. I've obeyed your commandments. You've showed your presence, your willingness. You've healed them with cards, without cards, showing that You are here. You never fail. You're the omnipresent God. And I'm coming to challenge the devil that would keep them behind the sound barrier of unbelief. Now that I prayed them through tonight, I break the way with the Word of God and set them free. In the name of Jesus Christ, I bring them back to the faith. Come out, Satan.

Perseverance

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Greetings to this fine audience here tonight---Sister Webster and Brother Green, and all the audience---the members of this assembly. It's always a privilege for me to come to the house of the Lord, and then tonight to be back again in one of the Foursquare churches of his.

2 I remember years ago, when I first came to Los Angeles, I'd heard of Sister McPherson. But she had done climbed the golden stairs before I become in the way.
And when I went to Los Angeles the first time I went up to Forest Lawn. I heard she was buried up there, and I went up and stood by her grave, and bowed my head and gave thanks to God for a noble life. Since then I have seen the Foursquare sign in nearly every nation I've missionaried in. I've had the privilege of being in the Temple waiting in her waiting room. Before she'd go to the pulpit ... she had a room there, and I've sat there many nights while speaking at the Temple and think of the hours that she might have meditated before entering the pulpit---the sacredness of opening up the Word of God. To be here tonight with some of the followers that's trying to keep that message alive... God be with you, bless you.

3 And then to be back with Brother Green, a precious dear friend, Brother and Sister Green. And when I was out there awhile ago and met him, I told him how much I enjoyed that message in song the other day that ... up there at the Businessmen, about ... "The Name of Jesus," or something, he called it. They don't have it recorded yet. I told him, "Let me be the first customer," it was so ... such a beautiful song.
And I thought they might sing for me tonight when I got down, and my wife and children are back there to listen at it. And I'm sure they enjoyed it, too. And his voice is not ... it's really familiar around our place. I've got many of his recordings. When I get feeling real bad I go in---I have one of those record players---and I put on a whole bunch of his records and just sit back, and listen to them. I want to say to the wife back there, I just got some more of them now. I certainly enjoy them. They are a haven of rest, just to hear them gospel songs, to know that they are sang not from some mechanical trained voice, but coming from the heart of a real Christian.
He told me he had some out there yet tonight. I want my wife and them to look it over, and see if there's any he's got out there we haven't got, and be sure to pick them up. I think they have them out in the vestibule, and they're...

4 You know, the main thing is... What I think about singing, I like these ... I like trained voices but I don't like an over-trained voice. Then you just see how long you hold your breath---till you get blue in the face---and you're not singing nothing anyhow. But I like good old Pentecostal singing, where you just open up and sing. I like that. And Brother Green has that, he and Sister Green. And so we're ... know that ... that's backed up by these choirs, and so forth; and it's very fine to know that these things we can get ahold of them.

5 Now, Brother Green and I first met, I believe that I can think of, I believe it was in Kansas City when we used to have the conventions out there. How I used to sit out... They said, "Well, it ain't time to come on yet." But I'd wait out in my car, and I wanted to be sure to hear that singing, when he and Sister were singing.
So I told him out there, I said, "I trust that some of these days when I've crossed over the river..." I love singing so well, and I just can't sing, that's all. I've always wanted to sing, and I just can't do it. And I used to try to sing a song at the church, "Old-fashioned Meeting in an Old-fashioned Place," and I'd mess it all up. I'd just take my wife's hand when I got home, and I'd say, "Honey, I'll never try it again, so help me." I'd just get everybody else all messed up.

6 But one of these days I'm going to sing. And I've always thought, maybe over on the hillside, where the river of life runs down along by the throne, when that great choir of all the redeemed---those great voices will be on that hillside singing. I hope there's a little shade tree over on the other side. If you want to see me, just come around there. I'll be sitting there listening at them.
Then when you get over in your palace some morning, and walk out on the porch of your palace... And way down somewhere down there, in the woods, there's a little shack built somewhere. Walk out on your porch and hear somebody singing, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound," you'll say, "Oh, Brother Branham made it, because there he is. He finally got there." So I'll be able to sing then. Until then I just have to make a joyful noise to the Lord.

7 Aren't we happy? We haven't got a thing to worry about, not a thing. We've anchored in Christ, sitting in heavenly places, caught up in rapturing grace right now, sitting in his presence in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Death itself can't touch us. Anchored away, nothing can bother us---just simply secured and waiting for his coming. And we're grateful for this.

8 Now, I've got about 150 miles to drive tonight, and ... after the service. And with a fine crowd like this, it takes me a long time to get started; and then twice that long to get stopped. So I try to get right into ... say what I planned on saying as quick as possible. I want to thank the pastor and associates, and all, for this opportunity to come here to give my testimony of his grace tonight in this fine congregation.
I climbed some time ago up on South Mountain, looked down over the valley. And I thought of about thirty-five years ago when I first entered this valley. How this city has grown---just got just spread out all over the Maricopa Valley here. Just as far as you can see is city. I was sitting there with my wife, and I said, "You know, honey, perhaps about three hundred years ago there wasn't nothing raced through here but coyotes and javelina hogs, and so forth, around through the country. And then man came in, and began to build. Then civilization began to spread; then sin and violence set in."

9 I thought, "Wouldn't this be a wonderful place?" I've always thought someday I'd like to live in Phoenix. And then I ... looking upon the valley, I could almost in my heart feel like weeping, that what a beautiful place it would be if it was here without sin.
How they've taken just the desert and converted it into a living quarters! Today we were riding up around on the head of the Camelback---lovely homes up there, almost like you're entering paradise. And then it would be beautiful, but sin is here: everywhere whiskey joints, immorality, just everything that's wrong---all kinds of devices and traps of the enemy to trap human souls.
My wife said, "Then why are you here, Billy?"
I said, "Honey, it's black. But you know, there's ... all through that darkness down there there's little spots of light. That's God's chosen. And I'm here to put my shoulder with theirs, put my heart with theirs, my voice with theirs, and cry out against the darkness.

10 That's why I'm here in Phoenix again." May God in heaven help us.
And after the night is over, and our little meeting is passing through the city---from church to church, amongst all the denominations of the full gospel, and to end it up with the Businessmen's convention over at the Ramada---I trust that we'll leave a mark across here that will mean that in the little light that's been scattered that many souls will find Christ, many sick people of the faith will be healed. We already begin to see a ... showing results.
And I trust tonight, if there's any would come in here tonight under this care of ... the shelter of this place, that something will be said in the song, testimony, or the reading of the Word, or something, that'll cause you to go out the door a different person than you come in. Help us all to do it.

11 And now before we approach the Word, let's approach the author by the way of prayer. Let us bow our heads just a moment. With our heads and hearts bowed before God, would there be a request among the people tonight that you have something special that you'd like to ask the Lord to help you in? Just raise your hand, and way down in your heart say, "Lord, you know what it is." Thank you. God bless you.

12 Our heavenly Father, we are coming now in that all-sufficient name, the Lord Jesus, knowing this: that He promised, "If you ask the Father anything in my name it'll be granted." We come first to confess that we have erred, we have did wrong, and there's none of us good, not one. And we're coming to confess our sins in the name of the Lord Jesus. We're asking for pardon.
And Thou did see the hands of the people that was raised up tonight, and You know what was beneath that hand, what they had need of. And I'm offering my prayer with theirs, laying it upon thy altar, and asking for mercy---that You, Lord, will give mercy, and will answer each and every request.
We want to thank you for this church, for its pastor, and for all the laity, and all the deacons and the trustees, and all that comes. Bless them, Lord. And we know that our meetings and coming together would altogether be in vain, if You didn't meet with us.

13 So we pray, heavenly Father, that we have the assurance now that You're with us. Continue, O Lord, to be with us through the night. Help us. If there by chance would be those who have come in from the street, or the hedges and byways of the world, that's been in their life indifferent toward You, may this be the night that they'll say that all-sufficient "Yes" to God in surrender, give themselves over to Jesus Christ.
If there be sick among us, Lord, Thou art the great physician who has never lost a case. We think of the day that we're living in, when sickness and gross darkness is covering the earth. But we think again that when You were leading your people, Moses brought them out of Egypt taking them to the promised land, and all down along the journey for forty years. And when they entered the promised land there wasn't a feeble one among them.

14 How many physicians tonight would like to look in upon the prescription that Moses had, that kept all those people healthy for forty long years! And yet, You have not hid it. You've made it known to us all, and it's written here on the pages, so simple. "I'm the Lord that heals all of thy diseases." May we realize that tonight, Lord, the sick and needy, and know that there's not a disease but what you are the remedy, the double-cure.
Bless the reading of thy Word. And may our hearts now come down to the seriousness of the meeting. From our hearts being filled with joy over the singing of the gospel, and testimonies, and so forth, we're just so grateful. Now may we hear thy Word. And speak to us, Father, and bless these few notes that's been prepared for the evening, for we ask it in his name, and for his glory. Amen.

15 There's many people who, coming to the service, likes to always mark down what a minister has to say, or read from the Scripture. And if you do that, I want you to turn with me tonight for just a little reading found over in the book of St. Matthew's gospel, the 15th chapter, the 21st to the 28th verse. I would read this:
Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, ... Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
But he answered and said, I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
But he answered and said, It is not meet for me to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
...she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat ... the crumbs which fall from the masters' table.
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

16 If I would call this a text, I would like to speak just a moment, or for a few minutes rather, upon the subject of "Perseverance." I thought, being that Mrs. McPherson and the church has always stood so gallantly for divine healing, and we cannot preach the full gospel without preaching divine healing because it is part of the gospel...

17 I remember as a little boy reading an article in one of the magazines---"Life," or "Look," or some of those magazines (I was just a young lad)--- of them making light of Mrs. McPherson of preaching divine healing. And they said that she had a trick that she did. Said women that had goiters, she put a pin under her finger and the women put a balloon under her garment. And then Mrs. McPherson would lay hands on the woman, would stick the pin into the balloon, and would deflate the balloon.
I was a sinner, but I had better sense than that, to think such a thing. If the pin stuck the balloon it would burst. So I said, "No doubt but what that woman is suffering persecution." And then, since I have become a worker in the vineyard I realize what she had to stand. Standing for truths, you're always hated of the enemy.

18 The word "perseverant" means to be, I think, according to Webster, persistent---to be perseverant, persistent in making a goal. And every person on earth, or that's ever been on earth, that ever achieved anything had ... that amounted to anything, had to be perseverant. You've got to be sure first what you've got your faith anchored in. Now, faith is just not a thing that's so easily floated around at some kind of a---we would call it in a street expression---a hocus-pocus. Faith can only have its right position when it's placed upon something that's steadfast.
If I told you to go out and put your hand on that tree and be healed, you could doubt that. So ... why? We have no background to anything. You'd only have my word. And if I told you that washing in a certain water out here in the valley would bring healing to you, it would depend on how much confidence you had in me. And faith cometh by hearing. Hearing what? The Word of God.
Therefore, if this be the Word of God (and it is), what it teaches we can rest upon it. God cannot change. God must forever remain God. His word must be just as true in this age as it ever was in any age.

19 Now, we are finite. We can say something this year, and maybe even tomorrow have to alter it, because we're not too sure, because we're finite. We're just presuming. And presume means to venture without authority. But when God says anything, it's perfect. He don't have to alter it.
Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong, giving praise to God because he knowed that He was able to perform, or to keep, or to do that what He had promised. Then if God's ever called on the scene for a decision ... and the decision that God makes first it has to forever remain the same. It can never change. It cannot be altered, because He's infinite; and anything that's infinite never had a beginning or an end. So He cannot take it back next year, and say "I was wrong."
And then, if that was his decision, then every man that makes that same ... comes to that same decision that God made for one man upon the basis of his faith to believe it, He's got to meet that same thing every time a man believes it. God's got to act every time the way He acted the first time, or He acted wrong the first time. And who can accuse God of acting wrong? God's got to ever remain with his decision.

20 "If thou canst believe..."
Now, to achieve anything you've got to set a goal and say, "This I believe," and tie yourself to it; and keep going, moving up closer to it, knowing that you've ... it's there---knowing that there's something there that you're coming to.
Like it was said, the little boy with the kite. Holding the string in his hand, he said ... the man said, "What are you holding, son?"
He said, "My kite."
He said, "I don't see nothing but a string."
He said, "But there's a kite on the end of it."
The man looked up, said, "I don't see the kite."
The little boy said, "Neither do I."
He said, "Well, how do you know you got a kite?"
He said, "I can feel it tugging at the end."
Well, that's the way faith is. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." As long as you set your faith on it, and then anchor to it, you're coming to it. No matter if you can't see it or not, you know it's there anyhow. You're tugging at it, and it's pulling you. Any man that's ever done anything worthwhile has set a goal, and then been persistent, perseverant to make that.
Great men...

21 George Washington ("the father of our nation" is called), when he come to Valley Forge... After all night in prayer---until he was wet with the snow up above his hips, kneeling in the snow---the next morning he crossed the Delaware full of ice. Why? He was perseverant. He had the answer. Nothing was going to stand in his way. Although three or four musket bullets went through his coat, but it never hurt him. He tried ... he wanted to achieve something, and he had prayed through on it, and he was perseverant. Nothing stood in his way.

22 Could you imagine Noah in his day, how perseverant Noah was? Now, he was just a farmer, and they lived in a greater day of scientific research, perhaps, than we have today, because in those days they built pyramids. And if any of you have had the privilege of being at the big Egyptian pyramid and seeing the Sphinx and so forth, why it's amazing to see. How they ever did get those boulders up there in the air almost a city block high---they weighed thousands of tons! Today we could not reproduce it. We don't understand.
They had something... They had a dye. They had something they could embalm a body with that would make it look quite natural for thousands of years. We don't have those arts, colorings, and so forth, that they had. A great scientific age.

23 But one day, while Noah was out in the field, maybe fixing his crop, God appeared to him, and told him, "Make ready for the saving of your household, and build an ark. And it's going to rain." Now we all know that the antediluvian world it had not rained. And now, that didn't cope with the scientific thinkers of that day. His message was contrary.
No doubt that smart scientists could have come to him and said, "Now looky here, Mr. Noah. Now we got instruments that we can shoot the moon, and we can do all these scientific researches. And there is no water up there! And how is there going to come any water down from there, when there's no water up there to come down? You're foolish. You're doing something that there's nothing to. There's no water up there."
But Noah could say, "God said that it would rain, and that settles it. God said so."
A hundred and twenty years he was persistent in the face of the scientific world of his day, still claiming his message was right because it come from God. He had a goal to make, he had a message to take care of, and he was persistent in doing so. No matter what the rest of the world said, Noah heard from God. That's all that mattered to him. He had heard the voice. He was sure it was God, and he was making ready something that seemed very silly to the world. But yet Noah knew that God would keep his word.

24 Should that not be a lesson for us today, in the hour...? As Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man." A message that's silly to the world, they don't understand it; but yet those who've contacted the Holy Spirit knows that He will return again.
I can see the people as they pitied poor old Noah about how much fun he was missing, and of the world and the things that's going on; but Noah, still persistent, held right on.
One day God said to Noah, "All right, you've done your part now. Now come into the ark, you and your household." And they noticed the birds began to fly in, and the animals began to go in two-by-two. Noah and his family went in.

25 And there's always borderline believers, I call them---people that'll come to church. They'll enjoy a message, maybe from the choir, or from the singers, from the minister, or a testimony. They'll enjoy it. But to come in and be part of it, they just won't do it. They like to listen; but they won't be part of it. They do not want to be identified with them. They want to stay off to one side. That's always been, and no doubt there was in that day.

26 Then when the ark door was closed many of those people said, "Well, let's go up and stand around. Now, if it comes to pass that, for instance, the old man was right... We all kind of thought that the old fellow was a little bit off, but I enjoyed listening to him preach standing there in the door. And now we know that something closed that door. Now, he's a good old man. And if it would happen to be some water come down up there, why, he'd take us in."
You see, you don't want to trust ... you don't want to strain God's goodness. You want to be sure that you just come in while you got a chance to come in. Then the first thing you know, the first day it...
Look at how God puts a strain on his people sometimes. I'd imagine the first day Noah said to his family, "All right. Now we'll climb up into the upstairs. Now in the morning the skies are going to be dark. Never was dark before. We've never seen it. Rain's going to fall. Lightning will sweep across the skies." And the next morning up comes the sun. No sign. All day long Noah and his family looked. Well, things went on just exactly the way they did.
I imagine the borderline believers said, "Aw, the old fellow was wrong." They went on back downtown---eating, drinking, and being married.
I imagine his family. What a strain it must have been on the man. But he didn't give up and start knocking on the door, and saying, "People, pry the door open. I was wrong." Why? He knew he had the truth, and he held on to it. If it didn't rain today, it will tomorrow. That's it.
All right.

27 Then the second day come, and we notice the sun came up. It crossed over, just like it did every day---no sign of rain. Still he was persistent. On to seven days Noah was sitting right there. Said, "If it didn't rain today, it will tomorrow." See, he was anchored. He was persistent---perseverant---because he knowed that God said so, and it had to be that way.
Now, finally on the seventh day, when he looked out the window, the skies were blackening, the wind was blowing across the hills, the trees were bending over, people were screaming, not knowing what to do. And after awhile great big drops of rain began to break down for the first time, striking upon the streets. The sewers filled up, all the little springs broke up, the water began to rise. People got into their boats, and they sank. The winds were rough. And it got deeper, and deeper, and deeper. After awhile it began to come up on the ship. He watched out the window.

28 Finally, the people screaming... There was no way for him to reach out and get them. He was way up in the upper story. They'd sinned away their day of grace. There was no more left for them. It was too late then. Finally... What a feeling it must have been to Noah, when he watched out on the street and seen all the little boats, whether they were God-constructed or not!
You see, people think that today---they can construct their own ark. They can make their own salvation. You can't do it. God made the salvation for us, and we've got to accept it. Just a man-constructed ark will not stand. Anything that man can achieve that's contrary to the will and the Word of God, it will not stand.

29 But how it must have been when Mrs. Noah and her daughter-in-laws and sons, and so forth, when they seen this water coming up on the ark---and yet the ark was still sitting flat.
But after awhile they felt it cut loose. She was floating! Oh, Noah knew that all of his ... what he had tried to achieve, what he had done, his message was paying off then. It was cut loose. He was leaving the earth. Like it is when a man will stay (not come up and shake hands with the pastor, put his name on a book), but when he will stay there until he feels something cut loose inside of him, and he begins to float out yonder by faith---knowing that his sins are past and he's anchored his soul in Christ, and there's something raising him higher and higher. Persistent, perseverant.

30 Moses was very perseverant. After he'd went down in Egypt and killed a man... And with all of his education and his training, and yet he done the thing wrong because he trusted in what he could achieve by his education, and by his own... We're told that he was a military man. And what he'd been trained to do, we find out that it failed. And when it failed, he wasn't perseverant on that. He run to the wilderness for forty years.
But one time he met God in a burning bush, took off his shoes. He saw the glory of God. He seen a dry stick turn into a serpent and go back to a stick again. He saw a leper hand be healed by the power of God, and he heard the voice of God speak to him. Nothing was going to stop him then.

31 I've often described him (I hope it's not a sacrilegious way), an old man eighty years old, with his wife sitting straddled a mule with a young-un on her hip, the next day; and the beard hanging down, the stick in his hand, going ... his eyes set up and towards the sky, and a white beard blowing. And somebody say, "Where you going, Moses?"
"I'm going down to Egypt to take over." A one-man invasion! It looked kind of ridiculous. But God's ways to the carnal mind is ridiculous; but it's precious to those who's anchored in it. They know what they're talking about. They press on.
Oh, what a thing that must have been! Noah, or

32 Moses rather, going down to Egypt (a nation that had the world scared, about like Russia today), a one-man invasion---an old man, eighty years old, with his wife sitting on a mule, and a crooked stick in his hand, going down to take over! The thing strange about it, to the world, he did do it! He took over. God only has to have one man, one person somewhere that's tied to Him---someone who knows where they're standing and is perseverant. The persecutions then, difference doesn't bother him at all. Going down to take over, and he did it.

33 It looked very ridiculous when there stood a man some fourteen feet tall or more (I believe his fingers fourteen inches long), with a spear in his hand like a weaver's needle, probably half from here to the door out there---standing over and challenging Israel. There was Saul on the other side, head and shoulders above his army of trained men, all of them well-trained---and bluffed. That's right. And the devil wanted to proposition with them.
That's the way the devil does when he thinks he's got the best side. "Come over. Let's not have no bloodshed. Just two of us. If I whip your man, then (we'll) you'll serve us. If he kills me, then there'll only be one of us die instead of armies of us." What a proposition he can make! Everybody was scared to death.

34 And it looked ridiculous to see a little stooped-shouldered kid come up with a little sheepskin wrapped around him, a slingshot tied on his side, with some raisin cakes in his hand, to see his brothers. That devil made his boast in the front of a man of God one time, and he called his hand on it. Why? He knowed who God was.
He said, "I ... you mean to tell me that you'll let the armies of the living God ... let that uncircumcised Philistine defy the armies of the living God? I'll go fight him." Oh, my! Why? He was persistent.

35 His brothers said, "Aw, we know you're naughty. Go on back home with them sheep Dad told you to watch. You just come up here to see the battle."
You can't outtalk a man of God, when something's done happened to him. So he goes up to Saul. Saul, I imagine, scratched his head and looked down. He said, "I admire your courage, son, but that man is a warrior. That man is a warrior from his youth, and you're nothing but a youth and don't know nothing about (a sling) or, about a spear, or how to duel."
Oh, but watch him introduce something. "Your servant kept the sheep for his father." And he said, "One day a bear came in and he took one of my father's lambs, and I went after him, and I slew him. And then a lion come in and got one and took him out. And I went after him, and I slew him. Now," he said, "the God that give me the victory over the bear and over the lion, how much more will He give me the victory over that uncircumcised Philistine that's defying the armies of the living God?"
Saul said, "But you're just a kid." He said, "You haven't got nothing on---just a little sheepskin. Wait, I'll put my armor on you."

36 So he took him and put his armor on him. Could you imagine? The Bible said he was ruddy, a little bitty ... maybe 110 pound man putting on a great big armor of a man that weighed about 250, about seven foot and something tall. He was all mashed down. Could you imagine that?
David looked down. The shoulders about that much too far out, and it looked like a skirt on him, hanging way down like that, his breastplate. He found out that the ecclesiastical vest didn't fit a man of God. Said, "Take the thing off of me. I don't know nothing about it. But let me go with what I know is right." There you are! He went in the power of the Spirit.

37 I believe it was Hudson Taylor once said to a Chinese missionary... This Chinese boy said, "Mr. Taylor, I have felt my call in Christ." He said, "Shall I go now and study to get my Bachelor of Arts, and then for my Ph.D. and all I have to have, my doctor's degree?"
Mr. Taylor said, "Go now, son. Go now. Don't wait till that time comes. You'll waste away too much of your life."
I think that's right. I agree with Mr. Taylor. Go now! I'm not trying to support my ignorance now, by trying to say we don't need education. That might have its place. But education without salvation has no anchor. It's all sails, and no anchor. Go when the candle's lit. Don't wait till it's half burnt up. Go when you light it. If you don't know nothing no more than how it got lit, tell others how it got lit; and maybe they'll get lit too. So just as soon as the candle's lit, go tell everybody how you got your candle lit. And maybe they'll get lit off of you, see.
Notice. Certainly David was persistent, because he knew.

38 Samson was met on the field one day with a thousand Philistines around him. And he looked all around. He wasn't a trained man that knew how to duel. But when he turned his head he felt that covenant, them locks, strike his shoulders. That's all he had to feel. He got ... the first thing in his hand was a jawbone of a mule, and he beat down a thousand Philistines. Why? He was persistent because he knowed that God had made a covenant with him of those seven locks. As long as they hung in their place nothing was going to bother him.
Oh, brother, sister, how the church of the living God ought to stand tonight persistent. As long as we can feel the covenant of the Holy Spirit, the blood of Jesus Christ cleansing us from all sin, we should never let nothing stand in our way. Persistent, certainly.

39 John, the great prophet that was spoke of to raise up, when he was in the wilderness he was told by God... They was looking for a messiah, of course---four hundred years before they had had a prophet. But God told him in the wilderness, He said, "Now, they'll try to tell you, 'Dr. So-and-so is the guy ought to be the messiah, if you're to announce him. Why, he's the best person in our congregation.' And they're going to say, 'Well, the high priest's grandson up here, he's the guy should have it,' and so forth. But look, John, this is a real job. You've got to be sure. So I'm going to give you a sign. Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining upon, that'll be the one that'll baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire."

40 John stood there, watched over the congregations as they come. And he ... everybody coming this, that, and the other. But he couldn't see Him. One day, while standing debating with the priest saying, "You mean to tell me the time will come when the daily sacrifice will be taken away?", he said, "There'll come a man...," and he looked. There it was!
Said, "Behold, there's the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world."
He knew it because God had told him "upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending..." He knew it. He was persistent.

41 Back to this little woman. We just got many things we could say about different ones that was perseverant, persistent, holding on to achieve. I've got a little slogan that... I say it quite a bit---it might be good for you to take it. "A winner never quits; and a quitter never wins." Just think of it: a winner never quits, and a quitter can't win. You must hold on. And before you even start, be dead sure you're right. And then be persistent. Let nothing move you. Go on. I've had quite a bit of experience of that, and you know it. But I know this one thing: when you're dead sure that you're in the will of God, when you're dead sure you're centered in Calvary, nothing's going to move you. You're there.

42 This little woman, she was a Greek, and a Syrophenician. And she'd heard about the fame of Jesus. Now, how does faith come? By hearing, hearing of the Word. She'd heard of Him. And you know, she might have had a lot of things to hinder her by her being a Greek. Faith cometh by hearing. We know that. And she had a lot of things to hinder her. But faith finds a source no other knows anything about. Faith finds this source that no one can explain it. It's something that you know. Others can't see it; but faith sees it. Faith sees that, where the natural eye doesn't see it. But the inside eye sees that thing.
Now, she had a need of Jesus. She had ...

43 first thing you have to do if you're going to find Christ, you've got to know that you've got a need of Him. When you think that you just don't need Him, then you'll never find Him 'cause you won't search for Him diligently. Did you notice that scripture where it says, "Seek and ye shall find; knock and it'll be opened."? Actually that's just not knock like [Brother Branham knocks on pulpit] and it'll be opened.
He that's ... not just say, "Well, I went out, Lord. Here I am. You want me?" No, that's not it. He that seeketh, he that knocketh---continuation. It has to compare with the rest of the Scriptures, like the unjust judge and the widow. She constantly knocked on his door. She was persistent. If he turned her away today, tomorrow she was on his hands again.

44 That's the way you want to get God. Be on his hands every morning, every night, every day, all the time constantly. Just keep seeking, keep asking, keep knocking. Just don't knock a little while and get tired, and go away. Just keep standing there. "Lord, I'm here and I'm not going to leave. I'm on your hands now. I'm going to stay right here. You getting tired listening? I'm having a great time knocking, 'cause I know You're coming." That's when something happens. He has to get you off of his hands, so He comes out to answer you. Now faith finds this.

45 His word is a sword. The Bible says in Hebrews 4:12 that the Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword. Now there's only one thing that can hold this sword. That's the hand of faith. The hand of faith is the only thing that can yield this sword of (faith), sword of the Word. Now, you might have a weak arm---just enough to pick it up for justification, you're so weak. Maybe that's all you can cut through. But this sword of the Word will cut free every promise that God made in it, if they got a good strong arm of faith holding it there.
"I believe God for my healing."
"I believe God for my baptism."
God made the promise, and faith holds this sword. It'll cut her out of the rock yonder. Every promise of God can be cut free by the Word of God, for it is a sword.
She had many hindrances, but her faith didn't have any.

46 You might have a lot of hindrances. Every person that starts out to meet Christ will find you got a lot of hindrances, but your faith don't have any. Faith don't have no hindrance. Faith has hairs on his chest, great big muscles. Reasons raise up and said, "You know it's reasonable..." Faith pulls his muscles back and sticks out his big chest, and says, "Shut up! Sit down!" And reason jumps over in a corner and takes his stool. Right. Faith's got muscles, and he means what he says.
That's what we need tonight. That's what the Foursquare church needs, that's what the Pentecostal group needs, that's what the whole world needs. That's what I need; that's what you need. And we ought to be ashamed to admit it, but we need a faith that will hold God's Word and say it's true; meet the devil, and say "thus saith the Lord."

47 I was reading the other day where a man said the devil got before him, and said he was just a little bitty old devil. And he said, "Boo!"
Said, "I jumped back." And said, "He said 'Boo!'
"I jumped back every time he'd holler 'Boo!' And I'd jump back and he'd get bigger and I'd get littler."
And said, "He kept saying 'Boo!'" Said, "I'd get smaller each time when I jumped back, and he'd get bigger."
Said, "I knowed I had to fight him after awhile." Said "I looked around, thought what... I found the Word of God." Said, "I'd hold it in my hand. And the devil said 'Boo!' and I said, 'Boo back!'"
And said, "When I said 'Boo back!' ... every time I said 'Boo' he got smaller, and I got bigger." That's it! You've got to fight him sooner or later.
You know that people don't believe there's a devil. I run into him all the time, head into him every day. Any other believer does. Yes, you've got to fight him sooner or later, so you might as well start right now. There's only one thing he's afraid of, is that blood and that Word. Faith holds it. It's strong, marches on.

48 Now, we find out this little Greek woman, as I said, she had many hindrances---but her faith didn't have any. Faith don't have any hindrances. They might have said to her, "Do you know you're a Greek? You're a Greek. You know, you don't belong to his denomination. Don't go down there to that bunch." Now that's one of the hindrances, see. But if you got faith, you're going anyhow. It don't make any difference what denomination He's in---just so He's there.
She had a need. She had a daughter that was dying with epilepsy. And she had to get to Him, because the doctors couldn't do nothing for her---can't do it yet. So she had to get to Jesus. She'd heard that He'd heal those kind of cases.
"Well," they said, "He's not ... He never come with his revival to your denomination." That didn't hinder her. That little woman had faith. She was persistent. She just passed that group. Her faith pulled her away from it.

49 Oh, if they could just do that today. Somebody says, "There's a meeting tonight down at the Foursquare church."
"Well, it don't belong to your denomination. You better stay away from down there."
Just press right on through. Your faith takes you right on. See, faith has no hindrance. It goes anyhow. Nothing's going to stop it. As I said, it's brawny, big muscles. It's got the floor; rest of them's scared of it. Yes, sir. They'll run from it like smallpox. They just get plumb away. They haven't got nothing to do with that. When big faith raises up and says, "I know who I believe and I'm persuaded," that's it.

50 There might have been another group that come along, say, "The days of miracles is past. There is no such a thing as that. That's a bunch of holy rollers down there, them Jews. We're Greeks. We're smart. We're intelligent group of people. We give the world art, music, and religion, and there's no such a thing as that." But she was persistent. Days of miracles wasn't past for her, because something had done told her down here that it wasn't, and that Jesus had what she was looking for. And she was determined to get to Him. Regardless if her denomination sponsored it or not, she was going anyhow. She was going to get down there. She was persistent, still persistent. Days of miracles might be past for them; but it wasn't for her.
That's the way it is with every believer. Them people say the days of miracles...

51 A man told me some time ago said, "I don't care what you'd say Mr. Branham," said, "I don't believe there is such a thing as divine healing."
I said, "Certainly not, to you." It wasn't for unbelievers; just for those who believe. That's right. It wasn't sent to unbelievers. It was sent to believers. You can't enjoy it, because you know nothing about it.
He wanted to tell me there was no such a thing as the Holy Ghost. I said, "You're just about thirty-three years too late for that." I said, "I know better. I've done received it."
"Ah, nonsense."
I said, "It might it be to you, but not to me. It's real to me. It's life, something anchoring." He come too late to tell me that.

52 They've come too late to tell us about divine healing. We done been healed. We done been filled with the Holy Ghost. We done got rapturing grace. Amen! It's too late for any of those things. They might as well shut up! We done got it. Our faith can say "Sit down! I know what I'm talking about."
"Well, Doctor..."
I don't care what Dr. So-and-so said. The Bible said it, and I've got faith in that book in my hand. And my faith holds it out there. Jesus is coming. I believe that I received the Holy Ghost because I see Him living in my life. Amen! It's according to the Word. Nothing ... a manifested revelation, a perfect vindication of the Bible being right, and Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. Let them laugh that away. They can laugh all they want to.
We'll just be as persistent as they was, when Noah was, Moses was. All the rest of the impersonators raising up---

53 Jannes and Jambres threw their rod down, turned into a snake. There was those men, just as honorable as they could be, did exactly what God told them to do, and there come a bunch of impersonation of them---throwed down their rods. Only thing they could do was stand still and see the glory of God. Amen. God'll stand by it.
If He sent you and you're sure of it, you're going to achieve the work that God predestinated for you to do. You'll stand there, and God'll take every carnal impersonator away from you. Right. Stand there. You can be persistent, because you know who you have believed and what's right. Examine your revelation with the Word. If it's contrary to the Word, leave it alone. If it's with the Word, God's bound, duty bound, to keep his Word.

54 Now, there might have been a bunch of ladies standing down on the corner, you know. And they said, "Here she comes. Now she's got that kid up there that's got epilepsy, and Dr. So-and-so said that there's no cure for epilepsy. And here she is, going down to that off-brand denomination down there, for that fanatic prophet to come up here and heal that child." So they said, "We ought to stop Suzy [I hope there's not a Suzy here], but we ought to stop Suzy and tell her, because she's been a good woman. There's nothing against her life.
But we ought to stop her. And the only thing that I know to do... She's passed by everybody else, so she won't break this barrier. You know what, Suzy? Your husband will leave you because he's a trustee or a deacon on the board. And he'll leave you sure as the world if you go down there."
She was still persistent. She went right on. See, faith don't know no hindrance. It must get there.
Then she passed another group that said, "You know what? When you return back defeated, and find out there's nothing to it, everybody in the neighborhood will laugh at you." That didn't even make her ears turn red. She was persistent. She went right on. I like that. I like that persistency.

55 Then here stood one of the deacons, and said, "If you go down there, you know what they're going to do? Put you out of your church 'cause you've associated yourself with them holy rollers, or them people." Said "You know [Excuse me. Ought maybe not said it, see.] you've associated yourself with them. You'll get put out of your church."
She was still persistent. Faith knows no defeat. She had one thing to achieve, and that was get to Jesus. She had a need, and He's the only one that had that need.

56 And I'm saying this tonight, brother, and sister: I'm fifty-three years old. I've been serving Him since I was about twenty. He's met everything that I had a need of. And when it comes to the hour of my death, I'm sure what I need right then---two wings to reach across the river---He'll be there. Don't you worry. I know He'll be there. I'll just stick the old sword back in the sheath, and take off the helmet, and lay it down upon the river when I ... bank, when I hear the dashers. And I'll scream "Send out the life-boat! I'm coming home this morning." It'll be there. Yes, sir! The morning star will come down and light up the way. Across the river we'll go. Yes, sir. Amen!

57 She was persistent. She had an achievement. She knew that she had to be perseverant in order to get to Jesus, so she had to pass by everything. Finally she arrived. Now, finally got here. Everything's fine now. And then here come another hindrance. The very man that she had professed to have confidence in, the man she tried to get to---Jesus---He said, "I'm not sent to your race. [Oh, my! Would that not have made us Pentecostals blow-up. Hmm, hmm, my!] I'm not sent to your race." Whew! That was a shock. But do you know what? Faith knows no shock.

58 And then again He turns around... After all these things she'd passed through, and her faith holding, that she knew that Jesus could give her her desire... And she went through every one of these barriers, and when she got to Him, then turned down flat. "I'm not even sent to your race." I can imagine her standing there and her eyes gleaming. She'd ... she was in front of Him then. That's all she had to be. And said, "Besides that, your race ain't nothing but a bunch of dogs." Oh, my!
What if He'd said that to you? You'd have said, "I'll take my papers from this Foursquare and go over to somewhere else. I'll never go back there again. I'll take it from So-and-so..." Oh, yes! Yes, sir.
But still she held on. Oh, see? Faith knows no defeat. Ain't nothing going to stop it. Though Jesus said to her, the very one she'd come to, said, "I'm not sent to your race, and they're nothing but a bunch of dogs." Whew! But what? She had a hold of real faith. Faith knows no defeat, I don't care what it comes from. Knows no defeat, because she had faith. Still she held on. Oh, I love that.
She was not a hotbed plant, a hybrid, like some of them today ---

59 these hybrid religions we got today, you know. They ain't no good. Everything now's hybrid, hybrid. Even they got hybrid churches, hybrid Christians---took in by shaking of hands. Oh, they can dress better, and maybe use better English, and so forth like that. Ain't got no life in them.
You take a big fine ear of corn hybrid, maybe it's twice as pretty as the other one. Plant it, it'll die. Ain't got no life in it. That's right. We don't want nothing hybrid. We want the genuine thing. If you haven't got it, stay there till it comes. Why accept a substitute when the Pentecostal skies are full of the real? Nothing hybrid---it won't stand.
You have to always spray a hybrid plant to keep the bugs off of it. That's the way with some of these hybrid Christians. You have to baby them, and pet them, and promise them they'll be deacon or something else. Keep some of the worldly bugs from them of unbelief. "They'll get out of the church." Kick them out anyhow. They never was in.

60 You can't join a church. You might join a lodge. You can join the Methodist lodge, Baptist lodge, or Pentecostal lodge. But if you ever come to Christ, you'll be born into the church---that's right---the mystical body of Christ. Others are lodges. That's right. That's all right, nothing against them, but you're born into the church of the living God by the Spirit of God. You can't join it at all. And when you're born in there, you got a birth---you're not a hybrid no more, a hand-joiner, or a hitchhiker. You know a hitchhiker is always thumbing. That's the way. "Well, I know. But Dr. So-and-so..." No, no. That's it. That's it. That's exactly.
She was persistent. She wasn't a hybrid. You didn't have to spray her all over with perfume, make her right. She stood there.

61 Part of our crop today, too many of them's hybrids, just... Something like David duPlessis, I believe, once said, "God has no grandchildren."

62 Trouble with our Pentecostal movement, we're getting Pentecostal grandchildren. They come in because their fathers and mothers were Pentecostal. We take them in on the cradle roll, and they come up without the experience, and there they say they're Pentecostal too. No, sir.
God don't have grandchildren. He ain't Grandpa; He's Father. Right! And if you ever get to heaven you'll pay the price like your mother did, your daddy did. Amen. That might sound crude, but it's truth. It's a crude way of making a point, but you understand that kind of English, I'm sure. If it isn't very good English, it gets the point what I'm trying to say, if you just listen to it. Yes.
She wasn't a hybrid, she didn't have to be sprayed over, and babied now. "Well now, sister dear, I tell you, well..." Oh, no. No, sir. And no matter what knocked her down, she said, "It's truth, we're nothing but a bunch of dogs. It's true that we're not worthy of it." Oh, my. She admitted that He was right.

63 I'm going to say a great big mouthful. Get ready. Every time genuine faith will admit the Word's right. And any time that something says that the days of miracles is past, or something against the Bible, it's not genuine faith. The faith will always admit truth. You must stay with the Word. No matter what anything else says, what anybody else says, it's the Word's right. "Let every man's word be a lie, and mine true ... Ever who'd add to or take away from the same will be taken his part out of the book of life."

64 God's going to judge the world by a church? Which one? Catholic? Six hundred and sixty-five different denominations? How's He going to do that? God's going to judge the world by Jesus Christ. And Christ... "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." God and the Word is the same. This is God on print. You've got the Holy Spirit? Plant that seed in there. It brings it to life, breaks that life forth, and manifests and vindicates it.
Jesus said in St. John 12, "He that believeth on me [St. John 14:12, rather], the works that I do shall he do also." So it always admits to the truth. Oh, my!

65 But you know, she said, "That's true. We ain't nothing but a bunch of dogs, and we're not ... You really wasn't sent to us. But Lord, I'm not looking for all the bread the children had. I'm only searching for crumbs." Oh, my.
Now did you notice people? They want to get this ... get healed, and get the Holy Spirit the way they think they ought to have it. "Now, I'll come down, brother, if you'll bring me up and take me into a room where nobody will see me, and you lay your hands upon me, and bless me, and put the Holy Ghost in me. I'll accept it." Oh, no.

66 Naaman wanted to accept his healing like that one time. But Elisha told him to get out there in the old muddy Jordan and dip seven times. I can just see him get off his chariot (oh, a great man), hold his nose. Here he comes out in the water tip-toeing like a cat in molasses, you know, coming out like this, you know, getting out like that to get down in the water. He said, "I hate to do this," hod-dod down. (Some people come to the altar like it was a sickening affair for them. Yes. "Oh, I don't want to do that.") He ducked one time, and said, "I still got leprosy." The prophet said seven times. Right! Until he obeyed the Word completely, until you obey it completely...
Had a good man standing on the bank, said, "The prophet said seven times, father. Just keep on dipping." That's it. If you don't get it the first night, just dip again the next night. Just keep on till you get it.

67 Now remember. She was like Rahab, the harlot, this little woman was. She'd never seen a miracle. She'd only heard about a miracle. What will she do in the day of judgment to us? She'd never seen a miracle. She was a Gentile. She'd never seen, but she'd heard. And we've both seen and heard, and still doubt. Oh, my!
She was like Rahab, the harlot. When the spies come over she didn't have to say, "I'll tell you. You bring Joshua over and let him hold a service for me, and I'll see the way he grooms his hair, and the way he talks, and the etiquette he uses at the pulpit. And I'll see whether I can accept him or not."
She said, "I have heard that the God of heaven was with you, and the only thing I ask is to be spared." There you are. That little woman was really persistent. She held right on. "Just spare me. I'll do anything that you want me to do." Oh, there you are.
That's it.

68 This little woman, no matter what the difficult was, she was persistent. Oh! She had the right approach to the gift of God. She had the right approach---humility. She fell down at his feet, and she had humility. She didn't stand up and say, "Now You wait just a minute. You know we people are Greeks; You said we were dogs. Just a minute here, sir. Do You realize that we're the masters of art, and we're the masters of so-and-so, and such-and-such?" She never thought of that at all.
She just admitted that He was right, and fell down at his feet, and said, "Help me, Lord. I'll just eat the crumbs. If my daughter can't have a whole slice of bread, will You just let her have the crumbs if she's a dog?" Oh, my. There you are.
Would we be satisfied with just the crumbs if the Holy Spirit should reveal to somebody tonight you're healed? Would you be ready just to take the crumbs? Or would you want God to walk over and raise you up, and give you some kind of a feeling? If you'd just say in your heart, "My sickness is over," you haven't got it no more. "I believe that I'm going to be healed from tonight on." Would you take the crumbs?
Or would you want everybody to come up and lay hands on you, and pour oil, and go through the regular ritual like that; or are you just looking for crumbs? God'll honor that.

69 You know, many of the disciples had seen Him after his resurrection. Thomas said, "No, I won't believe it. I got to put my hands in the prints of his nails in his hands, and in his side. Then I'll believe it."
He said, "Come here, Thomas." Said, "Touch me." And he did.
He said, "My Lord, and my God."
He said, "Thomas, because you have seen, and felt and everything, you believe."
"Yes, Lord."
He said, "How much greater is their reward who has never seen, and yet will believe."

70 Are we ready? Are we Gentiles like that Gentile woman? Was she an example to all of us?
"Just give me the crumbs, Lord. Just let me hear some man... I've never read the Word, but tell me that You heal the sick. That crumb will be enough for me. I believe it. Let me hear somebody say, and read it from the Word, that the Holy Ghost... Peter said on the day of Pentecost, 'Repent, every one of you, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

71 ' Lord, I feel that that's right." That's a crumb.
Come on. That's all you have to do. Come! Are we ready to take the crumbs? Are we ready to humble ourselves? She was. She was ready to humble herself. Faith always admits the Word right. Faith is always humble. Faith humbles itself. Now, she was just looking for the crumbs.
Watch what Jesus said. "For this saying, for this saying [I'm willing to take the crumbs, Lord], for this saying, thy child is whole. You have your request because you believe it."
Faith admits that the Word of God is right. Faith admits all these things. Martha, Mary, down through the Bible we could call many---the Shunammite woman---many things and cases that we could call. We haven't got time to. Of this ... I've got about five pages here, written of people, now, who approached for crumbs. But let's by-pass that just a minute. I feel the Holy Spirit close. I don't think it's necessary.

72 Let me just give you one little experience. The Businessmen wrote the little thing up in their ... the little article not long ago in their magazine. And remember, when you make a printed matter you better be able to back it up. We have it, a documented statement from the doctor.
I was noticing in the church tonight quite a few Spanish people. I was in Mexico City, and we were having a glorious meeting. I'd been there about three nights. There was a man that I called Mañana. He was supposed to get me at six o'clock, and would get me about nine. And I always ... because he was so slow, I said he was "tomorrow." And when we got out to this big ring where I was preaching, they had to take me up on a ladder up here, and then let me down on ropes down on the platform.

73 The night before there had been a Mexican man that had come to the meeting. And the old fellow---raining, as it was---and he come to the platform blind. And he came down. I looked. And I had good shoes on, and a good suit; and the poor old man---he was bare-footed, his trousers all ragged. And I tell you ... my interpreter was... You people know him, Brother Espinoza, up here in Sacramento, California, Pentecostal brother. He was interpreting. We'd had about, in the two nights, I think around about thirty or forty thousand converts from Catholicism to Christianity and the Holy Spirit.

74 And this old blind man come across the platform. And if you don't feel for the people you're praying for, there's no need of praying for them. You've got to feel yourself in their place. And I thought, "If my old daddy would've lived he'd have been about the age of that old man. Here he is. He's got no shoes." And he had no shirt on, an old coat---ragged, dusty---and an old hat in his hand sewed up with cords. Probably the old fellow never had a decent meal in his life. And then, how cruel fate had been to him. Here he was, staggering in blindness, and his eyes was white.
I looked at the old fellow, and I just put my arms around him (and Brother Espinoza wouldn't interpret the prayer), and I said, "Heavenly Father, if I could give him my shoes, I'd slip out of them so nobody'd see them, give him my coat, send him on the road. But he's much larger than I. But God, have mercy on him. Give him back his sight."
He hollered "Gloria a Dios!" I looked around. He could see as good as I could.
The next night there was a rack, or rick, as far as this building is long, about this high with nothing but just old shawls and old ragged clothes. The economics of Mexico is poorly balanced. Maybe Pedro gets (he's a brick mason), he might get sixteen pesos a day, but it'll take four days' work to buy him a pair of shoes. But he'll have to save enough out of that to pay several pesos for a grease candle to burn on a million dollar gold altar for his sins. That's what boils me,

75 seeing those precious people.
They come there at nine o'clock at morning---no seats to sit down. They leaned against one another like sheep in a pasture. Raining. Them women standing, their hair streaking down soaking wet, wait all day in the hot sun or rain, just to hear the Word of God. Oh, what will they do when Phoenix rises in the day of the judgment with them, when fine churches everywhere you can't even herd them in? There she stood, or he stood rather, with his sight.
That night when I got in it was raining hard. Brother Jack Moore (many of you know him), Brother Espinoza, several of the brethren, was on the platform. And Billy, my son, he usually gives out prayer cards. And he couldn't speak Spanish to those people, so he had to let Mañana do it. But he just went around to see that Mañana didn't sell a prayer card. So that's where we had to watch him, on selling a prayer card. So he just watched him, and he'd walk up and watch, and see that he'd just hand the prayer card to So-and-so, and like that. So he said...

76 Come to me... I got to preaching. Great big pile of them clothes laying up there. How they ever knowed which belonged to who, I don't know. So they were ... I was ... just got to speaking, and Billy tapped me on the shoulder, said, "Daddy, you're going to have to do something with that little woman out there." Said, "I've got almost three hundred ushers, and they can't even hold her," a little bitty Spanish girl about so high, a beautiful little thing. She had a dead baby in her hands under a blanket.
And he said, "Mañana give out every prayer card." And said, "She has no prayer card, and there's ... the line's been standing formed there for the last two hours waiting for you to come." And said, "She wants to bring that dead baby up here, and we can't hold her off."

77 Well, she'd come right over top of them ushers, run right under their feet, or anything. She was persistent. She wanted to get there. She had seen that blind man healed the night before. She was persistent.
I said, "Brother Moore, she don't know who I am. She don't know which is which. You just go down there and pray for the baby. That'll settle it."
He said, "All right, Brother Branham."

78 So Billy got him by the arm like it'd be me, so went on down across the platform. I turned around and I said, "I'm very happy to be here tonight." And the meetings are not strange to you people here in Phoenix. Right before me I seen a little Mexican baby---no teeth, laughing---and a vision setting out here. I said, "Wait a minute, wait a minute, Brother Espinoza. Get to the..."
"What's the ... what's the matter?"
I said, "Get to the microphone." I said, "Tell her to come here."
He said... "Daddy," Billy said, "you can't bring her over all them prayer cards."
I said, "Get her here. I just saw a vision."

79 So he called her, and they get back. And here she come with a quilt in her hand like this, and a little baby laying in there---been dead since early that morning, died with pneumonia---a little bitty fellow about that long. And here she come, the tears running down her cheeks, her little black eyes, her hair hanging down, very charming little lady. She run to the platform and fell on her knees, and began to cry, "Padre..."
I said, "Stand up just a minute." I thought, "Lord, what if it ain't that? What if that wasn't that? I don't know. I just seen a little Mexican baby---little, no teeth, his little gums---and it was laughing at me, sitting right out there."

80 And she was crying. And I put my hand upon the wet blanket, and it raining then. And I said, "Heavenly Father, this little woman---no doubt in my mind but what You're answering her." I said, "I saw the vision, that You know to be truth, of a little baby. I'm only accepting it by faith that it's this baby. I don't know the woman nor the baby, but something ... You're worked on both ends of the line." And I laid my hands upon it.
And when I did, it kicked and screamed just as loud as it could scream. The mother jerked the blanket off of it, and there it was alive in her arms. I said, "Brother Espinoza, don't mark that down, but send some good loyal person." And she was telling it in Mexican that the doctor pronounced her baby dead with pneumonia that morning about eight or nine o'clock, and here it was after ten that night. And I said, "Send and get a written, documented statement from the doctor that pronounced it dead."
And the Mexican doctor wrote a statement and signed it: "I pronounced the baby dead, no respiration or nothing, in my office this morning at nine o'clock." And here it is ten o'clock that night. And the next morning the baby was in the doctor's office to be examined. Normally again. Why? Because the little woman was persistent.

81 Faith knows no defeat. If there's five thousand standing there in the place, nothing takes the place. Her church could turn her out, her neighbors could laugh. But a God that could open the blind eyes of a man the night before could raise her baby, because He's the same God yesterday, today, and forever.
And if this group of people here tonight---crumb searchers, if you are---the very God that brought you here, that could lead you to a place like this, the God that saves you, the God that could fill you with the Holy Ghost, that same God can wipe away every bit of the sickness and sorrow, whatever it is, in your hearts tonight, if you believe that. Persistent, perseverant.
Reach and grab that little crumb of faith now, saying, "Lord, thank You for it. Here I come."
The neighbor will say tomorrow, "You're not healed."
Say, "Oh, but I am. I am. I found a crumb last night down at the Foursquare church. Something anchored within me. Nothing's going to stop me anymore. I have it." Let us bow our heads just a minute.

82 Are you needing a crumb tonight? Could you take the crumb, and be persistent with it---the little crumb of faith that come to a little Gentile Greek woman, never seen a miracle in her life, a heathen idolater? But she heard that it'd been worked on someone else. She'd never seen it, but she believed it. And all the disappointments she had, yet, upon the basis of something in her heart telling her that her child could be healed... You know, when she got home she found her daughter laying upon a bed. The spell had gone from her. Not only for herself, but for her daughter who wasn't present...
Do you need a crumb tonight? If you do, would you just raise up your hand and say, "Lord, just a crumb is all I ask."

83 Our heavenly father, look at those crumb-seeking Gentiles. Times hasn't changed yet, Lord. They've heard. They've heard that You heal the sick. They've heard that You fill with the Holy Spirit, You give rest to the weary. O God, grant that these that tonight is crying like that precious little lady of many days ago, "Lord, truly we're not worthy to receive the blessings like thy people Israel. But we only seek a crumb that falls from the Master's table."
And tonight we have showed the great food that You've fed your church. And tonight we have not only crumbs, but we're invited to the table. We don't really have to take the crumbs, but we're glad to get them. But we're invited to the table tonight. Jesus has his table spread where all the saints of God are fed. He invites his chosen people to come and dine.
Grant tonight, Father, that each one who has a need, that need will be met.

84 And while we have our heads bowed, and our hearts, in humility before God, I just wonder how many people in this building tonight that is not saved, that if Jesus should come and the world would meet its end tonight, and you'd... You're willing to take the little crumb of faith that's been placed in your heart, and come to the table tonight, presenting your little crumb of faith before God, and would like to do so, would you just stand up and come down here, and let us pray for you here at the altar? Would you just come without any delaying? Just walk down. God bless you, my brother.
Would someone else come? The Lord be with you, my sister. Just come here. Would there be someone else here that's wanting a crumb, would just come down to the Lord's table? Say, "Lord, I'm not worthy to come. I'm a dog. I'm just ... I'm not worthy no more than that woman was, but I'm coming just for a crumb"? Would you come, sinner friend? Come. Might be your last time.

85 You see how the world's getting today? People don't want to come anymore. You can't hardly persuade them. The gospel looks like it's going to the fields. God bless you, my good brother. God bless you. That's wonderful. Just stand right here just a moment.
Someone else take the side place here, and say, "I stand with this man." Lord bless you, son. God bless you, that's right. Come right down. Say, "I want a crumb, Lord. A crumb's all right for me. Something touched my heart. Now I'm coming down." God bless you, son. God bless you, my brother. Stand right here.
Someone else feel a little crumb in your heart of faith, that would entice you to come to the table now? Would you come down with these four young men standing here waiting? I preached about a woman tonight, and it's men that's coming. What about it, sister? Won't you come, too, for the crumb? Have you got that little bit of faith that tells you that you're wrong? Say, "Well, I don't know what a crumb is, Brother Branham."
The crumb is that in your heart, now, that tells you you're wrong. You should repent. Come on, won't you? Rise up, and come sweetly, quickly, to the fountain filled with blood? Won't you move out?
"I'm wrong, brother. Pray for me." Come down. God bless you, brother. God bless you. Someone else? "I want just a crumb, Lord. This little crumb in my heart. I'm coming now to present it." Will you come?

86 Now is there any here that's backslidden, gone away, and you'd like to come? Will you come now? Some without the Holy Spirit, you have not received the Holy Ghost? Oh, friend, if this light's been made so real to you in the last days, won't you come stand too? This might be the time that that great desire in your heart---something telling you, "I believe the Lord's going to give me the baptism of the Spirit tonight. I want to come stand." Come around the altar. Will you do it? Stand with us for prayer, you that feels a little crumb that "I need the Holy Ghost." If a man can come all the way from Ohio, fly down here in a jet plane (God bless you, Brother Grant), a Presbyterian can fly from Ohio down here in a jet plane to stand at the altar, what about the people in Phoenix? God bless you, my sister. Stand right here just a moment. Won't you come?
.....drawn from Emmanuel's veins.

87 Won't you come while the fountain is open tonight, just filled with good things of God? I wonder, while we wait just a moment, surely there's more than that in here that'd be willing to take crumbs. Certainly there should be. Won't you come? Just do as I'm asking you once. Just take it sincerely in your heart, say, "I'm coming down. This is my time to come. I'm coming anyhow." God bless you, sisters. That is very good. We're waiting now patiently for you to come. Let's bow our heads now while we're waiting. Sing this hymn of the church:
There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Emmanuel's ... (Won't you
come now? Won't you take your
crumb and come?)
.........beneath that flood
(If you want the Holy Spirit,
won't you come, come in now?)
Lose all their guilty stains,
Lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath...
(Come, friend.)
Lose all their guilty stains.
The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all your sins away.
God bless you, my brother. That's the way to do it. I wonder if the ministers here now would come stand up here with us. Ministers in the building, come stand around here with us a minute now, instructors who's interested in lost souls.
...may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.

88 I wonder if there's ministers here, instructors in the Word, that would like to come. Remember, eternal destinations is being decided right now. Here's about seven, or eight, ten people standing here, and you know what that means. One soul's worth ten thousand worlds. We mustn't take this lightly.
Now you that's sick, and wants prayer of faith prayed for you, would you just stand right where you are. That's sick and needy. That's good. Now my minister brothers, that's right. Lay your hands over on these people.

89 Now, you sick people stand kind of close enough together that you can put your hands on each other.
Now the Bible said to you sick, "These signs shall follow them that believe." You have to be a believer, or you wouldn't be standing. "If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover." You know that's right. That's the scriptures that can't fail.
And to these penitent ones coming to the altar, my brothers and sisters who comes to the altar tonight, mortal beings that knows that you've got to face God sometime: the Bible said some men's sins go before them, some follow. You're confessing yours tonight, that your sins will go before you, and be forgiven through the blood of the Lord Jesus.

90 And you here seeking the baptism of the Holy Ghost, God made the promise over in Acts 10. We read, "While Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on them that heard it," they were so hungry. Now you're hungry, and you brought that little crumb up here. Now let's take a real full meal of God's blessings. All of it's for you.
Now, you people who believe in prayer, let's just bow our heads together and pray now, and believe. Now just forget who's around you. Know that there's nobody around you but Jesus Christ. And each one pray the way you do, the way you're used to praying. And brethren, lay your hands on these people, and let's believe now the Holy Ghost is going to come and perform these things that we're asking for.

91 Our heavenly Father, we do not feel that we're standing here in vain. We thank Thee for these souls. We know that You're here now to save them. I pray that you'll grant it, Lord. May their faith look beyond the shadow. May these seeking the Holy Ghost that's got believers' hands laying on them, the sick and the afflicted, may the power of God move into this building up and down these aisles, and through these people and save every sinner. Fill every believer with the Holy Ghost, and heal every sick person. Grant these things, Lord. I believe that You are here, and You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. Your promises cannot fail.

92 We believe that. You commissioned your church, and they went up to the city of Jerusalem. They went to the upper room, and were there continually praising and blessing God. And all of a sudden there came from heaven a sound of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were assembled. Thou art the same, and you're able to do the same. Let the power that come down on the day of Pentecost baptize this group of people tonight in the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This prayer I offer in Jesus' name for these people, for the glory of God.

93 Raise up your hands now. The prayer of faith has been prayed, the prayer of faith of forgiveness. Raise up your hands and say, "Praise the Lord." Just start praising Him, and blessing Him. Just confess your sins. Believe with all your heart. Raise your hands up to God and say, "Thank you, Lord Jesus. I believe this minute You give me the Spirit of the Lord, You'll baptize me with the Holy Ghost, and give me the blessings.

Perseverance

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Thanks. Thank you, Brother Joseph. "Now I believe."
Now I believe, now I believe,
All things are possible, now I believe;
Now I believe, now I believe,
All things are possible, now I believe.
Let us bow our hearts now in His presence. Our heavenly Father, we are grateful to Thee again, tonight, because that You have been with us through the day, and have guided our steps. And we are assembled together again, tonight, in the name of the lovely Lord Jesus. And we are here under great expectations. We are looking now for the time that You will give us the climax of this gathering together, that when You will heal the sick, all the afflicted people tonight. May there not be a feeble person left among us tonight. May their faith move up, Lord, from ... and don't look at their troubles any more, but to the one who is the remedy, or the cure, for their troubles. And, God, we pray that You will break the bread of life to us, afresh, from Thy Word, that will encourage us. "For faith cometh by hearing, and that the Word of God." And we will praise Thee, for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

2 You be seated. So glad to be back here tonight. I just passed by the door out there, a few moments ago, and there was a great multitude of people milling around, walking up-and-down the streets. And the bus driver said that ... pardon me, the cab driver said, "Them people didn't come to church, did they?" I said, "Yes, sir. They can't get in," I said. The people has claimed that people don't like to go to church, see. But they ... I believe that the gospel yet is the greatest drawing power there is on earth, yet in its simplicity.

3 We had a great time at the Full Gospel Businessmen's breakfast this morning. The Lord did bless us. He met with us there in a great way. They had sold, I believe they said, seventeen hundred tickets, and they let in three hundred more, and then they couldn't let no one in no more, and they stood in the aisles and around the doors. And the Lord, when we made the altar call, gave us many, to rise, to receive eternal life. So that we're very thankful for.

4 And then I want to thank some brother. He couldn't get in out there, I don't think. And he gave Billy, awhile ago, a carton of .22 bullets, for me. I got them back here. I'll enjoy them, sure. Thank you very much, if you're outside and can hear it, or inside, whichever it is. I certainly ...
That's been a great blessing to me, sometimes, target shooting. And, now, you have to have something to kind of let off the pressure. And so that's the way I do it, sometime when I get a chance, and can, why, I run out to the range and shoot a little while, just merely to let off the steam. I believe Jesus said, "Let's come apart into the wilderness awhile."

5 Now, we love you so much! And tomorrow is Sunday, and everyone wants to go to church on Sunday. And I know, or pretty sure, you all know where the (I try to say Stone Church, it's) Rock Church is. That's the church that's sponsoring this meeting, I guess, and others are visiting here. And you strangers that's out of town, that's come in to the meeting, and if you don't ... Now if you have a post of duty, you go there. That's what you're supposed to do. Always stand at your post of duty. That's your duty to God and to your pastor, to the rest of the congregation. But if you don't have any place to go, I'm sure you would be certainly welcome at the Rock Church, for I guess they've announced the services.

6 And you people that get saved in these meetings, we never know. Now, we usually make an altar call, what we call an altar call, see, and that's all right. I have nothing against that. That's good. But I believe, if you'll remember the Scripture, they didn't have an altar call. "As many as believed, see, they were added to the church." Believers!
And if you don't have a church, well, I'm sure that Brother Vick would welcome you to his church, or any of these other men around here. If you haven't had Christian baptism yet, consult them. And don't stop. Just keep on going, just keep pressing on.

7 We never know, never even know how many is healed. And you pastors, brethren, just remember, when the meeting is over, maybe weeks, somebody come up to you, like a little lady, and say, "You know, I used to have a lady's trouble, it isn't there no more." Somebody, "I, you know, all at once, I just didn't want no more cigarettes. It just all left me," see. They're healed, so many, you can't call them. See, it's just everywhere. And I've never had a meeting yet but what that was the results afterwards, where the Lord healed the people and they wasn't conscious of it right then, but they got all right. And first thing you know, they was, they just get up and walk away, and it's all over. But maybe they don't understand it right then, but, it's by-and-by it's over.

8 I remember, in Finland, long ago. I guess there is Finnish people here. There was a little boy had been raised from the dead. You probably read the book of it. The news went in, all into Russia. I saw it in a vision before it happened, two years, and told it across the nation.
I remember that little Finnish girl, that night standing out there in the hall, and she had one leg was about six or eight inches shorter than the other one. She had a big built up shoe, with a strap around her, and one in her toe, a little hook. And she had the belt over her shoulder, and come across this a-way and down into the toe of her shoe. She had two crutches. And poor little ragged-looking fellow. And every time she'd go to move, she'd have to lift that foot up with her shoulder, that strap; and then shove it out like that, and set it down, and then put the crutch down. And we had to ...
We was at what they call (now if there's a Finnish brother, or sister here, I don't pronounce this right) Messuhalli, and it run all the alphabets. And they would let about twenty thousand come in, or whatever it was; and then had them go out, and then let me speak to another twenty thousand.

9 And the little boy had been raised from the dead, at Kuopio, had been killed by an automobile. And, oh, my! They don't broadcast rock 'n' roll and things there, it's just news and things, so this got on the news. And they come all the way from Russia, up in there.
And, I seen, that night. That was right after the war, about five years, I guess, after the war. And I seen Russian soldiers and Finnish soldiers, with their arms around one another, loving each another, patting each other on the back. Anything will make a Russian pat a Finn, will settle wars, that takes the love of Jesus Christ to do that.

10 But those great big communistic soldiers standing there! We passed by a group of little Finnish soldiers, little fellows had never shaved yet, just slick-faced, with them big boots on, coming down the street, watching the people. They was just crowded on both sides, for city blocks. And those soldiers standing at attention, the tears run off their cheeks. They said, "We'll receive a God that can raise the dead." They're human beings like we are.
But what it is, thing that professes Christianity and doesn't produce any results, they lay it aside. They want some reality. See, that's the reason communism has raised up, because the let down of the church. The church is guilty of communism, because it was the one who let down. And now, just think, only one percent of Russia now is communist, one percent. Ninety-nine percent of the people are still Christian. What they need is a real on fire, with a prophet with thus saith the Lord. That would drive the communistic force into the sea. What we need, is, they need the real Christianity.
And these Russian soldiers standing there that night, I come into a little vestibule and into a little hall. And this little girl, I'll never forget her, she was little ragged hair and little skirts ragged. And she had come out of the ladies' room. And they were told not to bother me.

11 I'd get out on the street and buy candy. I have children, myself and I like children. I think anybody that doesn't like children, there is something wrong with them. And so these little fellows, I'd have a string a half a block long, following me. I'd give them candy. They give me some of that money there, and it was no good here, great big bills like that, and I'd buy candy. I don't know what I was buying, but I give it to them. And then they asked them on the streets, you know, if I walked around, just kind of go ahead and ignore me, I guess, so get a little exercise.
And then when I come in that night, that little girl thought she had done something wrong, and I know she had ducked her little head. And she looked up out of her little blue eyes, and she was going to see what I was going to say.

12 And the two soldiers in front of me had went on to the door. And they were singing, "Only Believe." Two more was behind me. I motioned to them, "stop."
I wanted to see what that child would do. She was about, I guess, about eight years old, ten. I learned later, she was a little Finnish, war orphan. Her father and mother had been killed in the Russian war. And so I looked at the little fellow, and she had these crutches. And she thought that I'd ... she had done something wrong, you know.

13 And I looked at her. I said, "You want to see me?" And, course, she couldn't understand English. And I motioned my finger to her, come over there. And she raised up her head and looked kind of childish like. She put these little crutches out, and raised her little limb up, kind of like that. Here she come, walking over.
I thought, "I'll just see what the child does." And I just stood there like that. And she got real close to me, and she looked at me; and looked up like that, then looked down. I thought, "I'll just see what she does." And she picked up my coat, looked at it in her hand, and kissed my coat pocket, and put her hand down.

14 I was going to say to her, "My little sister," I didn't know how to talk. And I looked out in front, I seen her running down the street, just as normally as any child. And I said now, I couldn't talk to her, I said, "Honey, Jesus Christ makes you well."
And she pulled her little skirt out, typical little Finnish, and said, "Kiitos." That means, "thank you," see, for kissing the pocket. I believe, if I'd have been the biggest hypocrite in the world, God would have honored that child's faith.
And so she, I thought, "Well, she'll find it out, after awhile, anyhow. See, it'll go on, she'll be all right, 'cause I done seen her in the vision." It has to be! What I tell, it just it has to be.

15 So that night, there had been so many things the Lord had did, and I was just about ready to leave. And I said, "Well, just call a few more."
And my brother said, "No," said, "you're ..." And Brother Baxter said, "You're worn out now, Brother Branham." Said, "Now, you just quit now, come on, 'cause we got to go somewhere else." And said, "You just ...
I said, "Well, I just feel maybe to have about four or five more, there is so many here."
And so the next one in the prayer line was that little girl. The Lord just knows how to work things just right. So I said, "Mrs. Isaacson..." She may be here now. She was my voice of Finland. And so I said, "Now you just say the words that I say." She said, "All right."
And I said, "Honey, the Lord Jesus healed you, rewarded you out there, for that what you did." I said, "Now you go over there and have some of the men to take those braces off. Just watch what happens." And she hobbled across the platform. And I kept on with the rest of them.
In a few moments, here she come with the shoes, braces over her head; just as normal, both limbs as they could be, running up-and-down the steps. See, faith, faith, love finds its place. That's right.

16 I had a little experience today, and just show you what fellowship means. The last time here in New York, or I was over here to Brother Hudson, I think, in ... I don't think that was in New York. That's, I don't know which is New York around here. It's just all New York to me, all the way from Tucson here, looks to be.
So then I used to come here with Sister Brown and Brother Berg. I'm sure many of you know them. And I've been trying to get ahold of that dear old saint, for the last day or two. And there was no one in church, and then today I got her on the phone. I got ahold of the janitor. And, well, I thought I was talking to a sixteen-year-old girl, she's got so much spring in her voice. I said, "Sister Brown, you'd never guess, in a month of Sunday's, who this is."
And she said, "Bless you heart, I sure wouldn't."
And just as happy as she could be. I said, "Brother Branham," and she just started screaming; just such a sweet old thing.
And she is eighty-three years old, and preaches twice a week. And just think, she entered the ministry before I was born. And I was about ready to give up, because I was getting so old. I took new courage.

17 And I told her I was here with Brother Vick over here. And the nice things that she said about Brother Vick! I tell you, that makes ... That's real Christianity. Both of them big churches, right here in New York, no competition among them, you see, just really brothers and sisters in Christ. I tell you, that means a whole lot for the pastor, you know. Both of them here, old churches established like this, and still just brother and sister, working hand in hand. That's the way we should do it. That's very fine. I think that's complimentary to Brother Vick, of his great work here for the Lord, and his great feelings for others, in both of them. The Lord let them live a long, long time yet.
And, Brother Vick, I thought we were getting pretty old, but we are children yet, see. We're just children.

18 I remember Brother Bosworth when he was dying, he was eighty-four. I said, I liked to burnt my old car up, getting down there to see him. Then I seen him raise up, his little bald head, he raised his arms out like that. I just fell right in his arms, and screamed, "My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof!" And I said, "Brother Bosworth, I want to ask you," I said, "are you sick?"
Said, "No."
I said, "Well what's the matter?"
He said, "I'm just going home." You know his sense of humor.
And I said, "Well, Brother Bosworth," I said, "I'd like to ask you something. When was your best time?" He said, "Right now."
And I said, "Yet you know you're dying?"
He said, "I can't die." Said, "I died about seventy years ago." He said, "I'm a new creature in Christ." And he said, "Brother Branham, all that I have lived for, for the past sixty years, has been the Lord Jesus. And, any minute, I'm looking for Him to walk in the door and go with Him for eternity." I thought.

19 I remember Paul Rader. How many can? Many of you remember Paul when he died out there. And they called, they had the ... Moody Bible Institute, I believe sent down a little quartet to sing for him. And they were singing "Nearer, My God to Thee," you know. And he said... He had a sense of humor, you know. He said, "Who's dying me or you?" He said, "Say," said "raise up them shades, and sing me some, sing me some good snappy gospel song."
And they got to singing, "Down at the cross where my Saviour died, down there for cleansing from sin I cried!"
He said, "That sounds better." Said, "Where is my brother, Luke?"
"Well, Luke didn't want to see his brother die, so he was in the next room."
Said, "Go get him."
And Luke and Paul travel together, like Billy Paul, my son and I travel together.
And Luke come in, tried to brace himself up, and took ahold of Paul's hand. Paul reached up and got him, said, "Luke, we've come a long ways together, haven't we, brother?"
He said, "Yes."
Said, "But think of it! In five minutes from now, I'll be standing in the presence of Jesus Christ, clothed in His righteousness." Oh, my! That's ...
Let me go like that. That's it, clothed in His righteousness! In five minutes from the time he was holding his brother's hands, "I'll be standing in the presence of Jesus Christ, clothed in His righteousness." He squeezed his brother's hands, and went to meet Him. Oh, my. what a day that'll be, them gallant soldiers!

20 See, I stand here and talk to you, and all my time is gone, and guess that's the way it goes. Nine o'clock, but I'm going to hurry, tonight, sure enough. Just got just a few little scriptures.
... write down scriptures and know where to refer to them at. Sometime make a ... write out a name, and then ask Brother Vayle what it means, 'fore I come in, you know. Get it out of the Bible here, and he tell me how to pronounce it. And so I lack a whole lot in education.

21 But I promised tonight to pray for the sick. And now my main purpose, my meetings, is the reason I don't have too many times; once or twice, maybe, during a campaign, I'll bring the people up like I'm going to tonight, without the discerning, because just to lay hands on the sick. Many people believe that. Now, that's good. That's the Scripture, see. But you remember, that was kind of the Jewish tradition. See, Jairus said, "Come lay your hands upon my daughter, and she'll live."
But the Roman said, "I'm not worthy that you come under my roof. Just speak the word!" Watch what he testified. Said, "I'm a man under authority." He was a centurion. "And I say to this man, 'go' and he goes. And this one 'comes,' and he comes." What was he testifying? That just Jesus' word was enough to heal his servant; He had power over all sickness. "You just say the word, my servant will live."
He turned around and said, "I never found faith like that in Israel," see.
Now that's where I try to get the people to believe.

22 You know, many people say, "Oh, glory to God, Brother So-and-so laid hands on me. Hallelujah! I got well!" That kind of looks like the brother had something to do with it, see.
Now if you can just recognize the presence of Jesus Christ, see, and let ... It's His hands that counts, see. And just accept Him, then nobody laid hands on you but Christ. You touched Him, and His hands touched you, see. And no man gets praise anywhere. It's all the praise ... 'Cause, that's all can be done anyhow. If we take any praise, we are robbing God from it, because God is the one does the healing.

23 And remember, there is no such a thing as any man, be doctor or minister, that's a healer. "I am the Lord thy God that heals all thy diseases," see, "all." No medicine heals. There is not no doctor claims medicine to heal. No, no. Medicine only keeps clean while God heals. Medicine cannot build tissue, cannot mend a bone, see. You might cut appendix out, but who is going to heal the place it come out from, see? Might pull a tooth, but who is going to heal the place it come out of, see? God is the healer, He is the only healer. The Scriptures doesn't lie, they are perfectly right, so He is the healer.

24 I'm very grateful for all the things that we got, like medicines that they can think of, that will kill germs. Nothing against that. I pray constantly for them. But we get some place, we don't have any medicine to help the case. And then another thing, sometimes a medicine that will help one will kill the other, see.
But I know a toxine that's absolutely not a remedy, but a cure, that's the blood of Jesus Christ. Faith in that blood!

25 Now tonight, though we ... did Billy ... I forgot to ask him. I run in. Did he give out prayer cards, did he or didn't he? If he didn't, I was going to have him do it now. We are going to just talk a little bit about faith, and then go right ahead and call this prayer line up, and pray for the sick, by laying hands upon them, try to get every person in the building that we can. Now, you have faith now.

26 I want you to give me your undivided attention, just for a few moments, as I read this Word. And now I want to read from St. Matthew's gospel, the 15th verse ... The 15th chapter, rather, beginning with the 21st verse. And this is not too much Scripture to read, you see, it's a little bitty text. But, you know, it isn't the ... It isn't how much; it's the quality. Not the quantity; the quality! See, there is enough on there, in them few verses there, to save the whole world. Sure. See, it's not the size of it, it's what it is.

27 As I was telling here sometime ago, a little boy, I believe it was in this state, that was searching around in an old attic and he found an old postage stamp. And he knowed a stamp collector, so he took it down to find out how much it was worth. And the stamp collector said... Oh, 'course, the little boy had ice cream in his mind, you know. He said, "I'll give you a dollar for it." Well, my, that was, the sale was made right away. I think he sold it for about, I think, it was five hundred; and it went on to, the last time we heard, I forget how many hundreds it was worth. You see, the little old stamp, the paper wasn't the thing, it was just an old piece of paper not even worth picking up. But it was what was on it, that counted.

28 That's the way with this here. This is just a piece of paper, but what's on it is the Word of the Lord, and that's what makes it so valuable. All right, 21st verse.
Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
But he answered and said, I am not sent but to the ... unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
But he answered and said, It is not meet for me to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto dogs.
... she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat ... the crumbs which fall from their master's table.
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

29 Now just for a few moments, in the way to make a ... to build on this, I want to take a text to say what I've got written here on these scriptures. I want to call the word "Perseverance," and just one word.
Perseverant, now we know the word, I think that it means "to be persistent," and persistent in something that you're doing. In making a goal or something, you have to be persistent.
And men through all ages, that's had faith in what they're trying to achieve, had to be persistent, especially if you're trying to do something right. Because, you're going to meet, you're going to meet an opposition.

30 You people, tonight, that's going to be prayed for, I'm saying this for your glory, for your understanding. If you're not ready to come in the prayer line, don't come. Because, you must remember that this is the time when God is going to take you at your word, and you've got to take Him at His Word. And it doesn't matter what anyone else says, or how you feel, your feeling has nothing to do with it. Jesus never did say, "Did you feel it?" He said, "Did you believe it?" See, you must believe it. And your healing is already secured, Jesus Christ healed you at Calvary. And, no matter what your trouble is, you must accept it. And before you can accept it, you've got to believe it, because, faith is based; or, healing is based on faith, and faith is based on the Word.
Now, you can't say, "If I touch this microphone, I'll be healed." There, there's no basic to that, see. That's in your mind.
But when it's thus saith the Lord, then you can know that's true, 'cause, all heavens and earth will pass away, but his Word will never be changed. So it's true.
Now you've got to be persistent. No matter how much the devil tries to tell you, "Well, you're just feeling bad." Don't you believe one word of it!

31 Here sometime ago, I was called to a bedside, took out of a meeting and called to a bedside where there was a young boy dying. And the old father came to me, it's been about fifteen years ago, I guess and he said, "Would you come to my son, he is dying with a horrible thing?" It's a disease of the heart, I call ... I believe it's called some kind of a heart disease, I forget what the name of it is now, but it was real, real bad.
And so I said, "Yes."
Oh, I beg your pardon, it went on to his heart, but it was polio that was in his body. It was polio. And that was before we had the Salk vaccine. And then the boy was real bad. And so when I went to pray, the doctor wouldn't let me in. And he said, "I can't let you in."

32 And I said, "Well, I'm ..." I was about forty years old, and I said, "Well, I'm forty years old." I said I ... "My faith tells me that it's all right to go pray for this man's boy, because he wants me to pray for him."
He said, "But look," he said, "you're a married man. You have a child of your own. You'll pack that polio to the boy."
And I said, "Well, let me go in." He wouldn't do it.
And the man himself, the doctor, as I understood, was Catholic. I said, "I want to ask you something. If I was a priest, and this man was Catholic, and that boy was dying, would you let me go give him the last rites."
He said, "That's different. That's a priest."
I said, "No. I mean just as much to them, as a priest would to the man who was a Catholic."
And finally he said, "If you'll sign this paper."
I said, "I'll sign anything, see." And so he dressed me up like a Ku-Klux, and I got in there. I didn't mean to say that like that; forgive me, see; but anyhow, white, and all over my face.

33 And I went in there, and the boy was so low till he was just barely breathing. And he had been unconscious, about two days. And I don't understand medicine and the great scientific researches that God has let man do, doctors for sick people, and so forth, but there is some kind of a cardiogram, something he had taken. His heart was so low, I forget just what the beat was. It was just about gone. And so the mother was standing there. I spoke to her, so I got on the other side of the bed. And the little nurse, oh, some nice little lady, she, I guess she was in her early twenties, maybe, twenty-one, twenty-two years old, she was the nurse that was attached to the ... or had to take care of the patient.

34 And so I went across on the other side of the bed, and knelt down, and I just ... a little simple prayer, laid hands upon the boy. I said, "Lord Jesus, this father and mother has brought me here to pray for their son, and he is dying. And only You, Lord, can help him. And I know that You said, 'These signs shall follow them that believe; if they lay hands on the sick, they shall recover.' I plead that promise to You, Lord Jesus, for the sake of this boy's life." No change come at all. I said, "I thank You, Lord."
And the old father raised up, and said, "Lord, I am so grateful to You, ever grateful, for healing my son." And he reached around and the mother fell into his arms, and she said, "Dad, think of it, he is going to be well now." And I stood and looked, and they were happy and rejoicing, and weeping. The boy was just as low as he could be. They said, "Oh, it's wonderful!"

35 And the little nurse looked around, she looked at me. She said, "I believe you misunderstand the doctor's orders." She said, "I believe you misunderstand. The boy is dying."
"Oh," the old man said, "no he isn't dying, he is going to live."
And so she said, "Look, sir," said "I appreciate anyone having faith like that, but," said, "how can you laugh and go on like that," said, "and you see there is no difference in the boy." And said, "The boy will die." Said "He can't live. Well, we don't see how he has lived this long." Said, "It's never been known among the sick people, or science, rather, that a person ever went that low with a heart beat like that," some kind of a cardiogram, something, "that ever come back again."

36 And I'll never forget that old man. He put his hands upon her shoulder, just like a father to a daughter, he said, "Look, my dear child." He said, "That cardiogram is what you are looking at. That's what you're trained to look at. And that's all you know about, is that cardiogram. But," said, "I'm looking at a divine promise."
The boy is married and got three children now. It depends on what you're looking at. He never got any better for two or three days. But after awhile, the first thing you know, here he come right out of it, and went home. He is a missionary in South Africa now, with three children.

37 Now, see, it just goes to show, you've got to be persistent. That never bothered that old man. That settled it.
Just as when that woman touched the garment of Jesus Christ, that settled it. That's all. She was persistent till she got there, but that settled it.
You must be the same way. You must be persistent. And anybody that's ever got anything, and ever been able to achieve anything, has been persistent.

38 George Washington was persistent at Valley Forge. All the odds was against him, and the enemy was across the river. But after all night in prayer; and the American soldiers with no shoes on their feet, about one third of them had shoes, and they crossed the river at Valley Forge, through the ice. And three musket bullets went through his coat. But he had an answer from God, and there was no need of him backing down. Nothing could stop him then. He crossed it because that he was persistent. He had heard from God.
And that's the way we've got to be. If God says so, that settles it.

39 Noah was very perseverant after he had heard from God. When he heard the Word of God tell him to build an ark, he built it. No matter what anyone else said about it, and how anyone else thought about it, Noah was persistent. They might said, "Well, that old man, that rain story," and so forth, "the old fellow has just stayed up there in the sun too long. There is something wrong with him." That didn't stop him at all. He didn't hear a word of it. He just only heard that God said, "It's going to rain; build an ark," and he was persistent in doing it.

40 Now, Moses was very persistent; first, a running coward. He had been educated, and, oh, he could even teach the Egyptians wisdom. He was so smart, and yet he failed on the job. It took forty years to put the education in him, that Pharaoh give him; it took God forty years to take it out of him, before He could use him out in the wilderness. And sometimes we have to get emptied up before you can be filled up. And now he had been a failure. And he had run out and married this beautiful Ethiopian girl, and was--and had settled down and had a son, Gershom, and going to fall heir to Jethro's sheep and everything. He had long forgot the feeling of the people.

41 But one day, while he was on the backside of the desert, traveling down a familiar old path, he saw a bush burning. Now, he never tried to examine the bush, and said, "I believe I'll go over and take off a few leaves, and take it down to the laboratory and see what's the matter, that they don't burn up. And it had been burning there for an hour, but they don't seem to, tree be consumed." If he'd have thought that, it'd never talked to him. But he drew up with this in his heart, that he would go to find out. And a voice said, "Take off your shoes, for you're on holy ground."

42 I want you to notice. One day he's a running coward, and the next day he is a radical, the next day; when he had left Egypt, when he had the whole army in his hands, to deliver the people. And, you know, when you hear the voice of God, it makes you act funny, do things funny, odd and peculiar. Now just think, he is eighty years old now, probably beard hanging down to his waist, maybe his bald head shining, hair around his neck. And here he is on his road down to Egypt, with his wife sitting astraddle of a little mule, and the baby on her hip; a crooked stick in his hand, eyes up, just praising God. What an odd-looking sight!
"Where you going, Moses?"
"We're going down to Egypt, to take over."
A one-man invasion! You couldn't stop him. He was persistent. Why? He had heard the voice of God, that was enough to make him persistent. An old man, eighty years old, was going to take over the nation, and he done it. He had heard the voice of God. How is he going to take over, with that stick in his hand? A trained army, a million men standing there, more than a million men, had conquered the world in that day; and here goes an old man, eighty years old, wife sitting on a mule, and a stick in his hand, going down to take the nation over. Why, people would have thought he was crazy.

43 You know, when you hear the voice of God, and hear the Word of God, you are kind of crazy to the world. But if you hear the voice, you know what you're doing.
And nothing ain't going to stop Moses then, he was on his road! He was very persistent. Even when Pharaoh, he stood before him, and throwed down the stick and it turned into a serpent, and the magicians came and could do the same thing, Moses didn't run out like a coward. He stood there. He knowed God sent him, no matter how many carnal impersonators that the devil could bring up. He stayed at his post of duty, 'cause he had heard the voice of God. He just stayed there and watched the serpents crawl, and after awhile, his serpent come over and eat the rest of them up. What happened to them sticks that the serpent eat, where did they go to? Figure that one out. All right.

44 David, after he had trusted God, and saw the Lord God being with him, that helped him kill a bear, single-handed, and also a lion. And then he got a courage up, that God was with him. He knew God was with Him, because God had done something for him.
God has done something for you. He saved you, that's the greatest miracle there is.
Now He said he would do something else. And the time came that when Goliath made his boast. Why David said, "Do you mean to say that you'll let that uncircumcised Philistine stand there and defy the armies of the living God? What's the matter with you fellows?"

45 Well, Saul was the most able man among them, head and shoulders above his army. And this David was just a little runt, a little bitty fellow, ruddy-looking, kind of a boy like, little stoop-shouldered, little sheep herder. And so Saul said, "I admire your courage, son, but, remember, that man is a warrior, from his youth, and you're nothing but a youth."
He said, "But thy servant was keeping thy servant's sheep, one time, and a bear come in and took one. I went after him, and the Lord delivered him in my hands." Said, "A lion went, and," said, "I knocked him down with my slingshot. And when he got up, to roar against me, I took my knife, and caught him by the beard and killed him." And said, "How much more will the Lord God deliver that uncircumcised Philistine in my hand!" Amen.
And if God saved your soul from a life of sin, how much more can He take that cancer!

46 Notice little old David. Saul said, "I admire your courage, but you're not a fighter. But if you want to go, I'll dress you up," so he took his armor off and put it on him.
Why, little old David with all that Ph.D. and D.D.D. hung onto him, why, he found out that Saul's ecclesiastical vest didn't fit a man of God. So he said, "I've never proved this stuff, take it off of me. Let me go the way I want to go, of what I know is right." Oh, my! And here he goes. And he was persistent, that he would take Goliath, and he did. And he slew Goliath.

47 I think of his sheep. There David was, such a loyal man to his post of duty. And this lion, which could have killed him easy, come in and took one of the father's sheep, and went out. And he didn't have nothing, really, to fight the lion with, but a little slingshot.
You boys know. How many times I've had to pay for a window! And a little piece of leather, with a string, you know, and ram this rock around and sling it. And we used to knock these old snake doctors off the fence, and things, and throw it with these slingshots. That's all David had; wouldn't hardly kill a rabbit. But we find out that David, whatever he had in his hand, it wasn't very much, but he had courage. And he knew that was the father's sheep. And he was sent out, by the father, to take care of these sheep. He was responsible for them. And now he took whatever he had in his hand, and took out to get that sheep, persistently, that he would take it away from that lion.

48 Did you ever see a lion, what it looks like? You've seen these in the cage; why, they're kittens. You ought to hear one in the jungle. These fellows around here, they've been in cage and captivity; you hear one of them roar, it sounds bad. You ought to hear one out in the jungle, hunting him, and know that he is hunting you, too. Then, oh, my, he's a great fellow! When he roars; the beatles, monkeys, baboons, and jackals, everything stops. He's a king, and they give him room.
But here David goes with this little slingshot, to bring back that sheep, and he did it.

49 Oh, my, how I could take a text on that for a few minutes. Yes, sir. You're God's sheep, too. Disease has took ahold of you. I ain't got very much, not even a slingshot, but I got the Word. I'm coming after you, tonight, to bring you back. I'm coming to rescue you, with the Word of the Lord. I don't know nothing about medicine and cutting on with knives, and things, but this I've proved. I know that this is right, so I'm coming after you sheep, to bring you back to the shady green pastures of God's love again. God, help me with this little slingshot.

50 David had it wrapped in his fingers, and he had five stones in his hand. What is that? F-a-i-t-h in J-e-s-u-s. And here he comes, and he brought back the sheep.
Now that's the way we're doing tonight, having faith in Jesus, and persistently we're going to stand on His untouched Word. And we believe that God will keep His Word. If He doesn't, then we're all lost. Every word of God is punctuated with an "amen," to the believer. That's right. Yes, he was persistent.

51 And also Samson, when he met those Philistines, did you ever think of that? Why, Samson, they've got him pictured as a man having shoulders like barn doors. Well, it wouldn't be no secret to find a man like that, could pick up a lion and tear him in two. But Samson was a ... Forgive me for this expression, I'll just make it like he was a little curly-headed shrimp, just a little mama's boy, seven little sissy-like curls hanging down. What, and remember, he was a weakling until the Spirit of the Lord come upon him, then he took the lion and tore him to pieces. That's right. First, the Spirit of the Lord upon him, then he knew where he was standing.

52 And if the church can only get anointed, anointed with real faith. When that lion roared, I guess Samson shook. But the Spirit of the Lord come upon him. He was persistent, said, "I'm ready to meet you," grabbed that lion, pulled him apart and throwed him over to one side, and walked on.
They fenced him in, one night. And he picked up the gates of Gaza, put them upon his shoulders, and walked up to the top of the hill with them. My, oh, my, what a man, a little shrimp like that. But, the thing of it was, the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. He was. That's what made the difference.

53 Then one day, he was surrounded by a thousand Philistines. And there he was, there wasn't nothing he had, so he picked up the jawbone of a mule probably been dead for forty years or more, it was a real old dry bone. And those Philistines had on helmets, and coats of what they call mail, which was great big laps of steel or brass, a helmet about a inch thick and he picked up that jawbone of that mule, and killed a thousand Philistines.
Did you ever think? Take that old dry jawbone off the desert there, and strike one of those helmets, why, that jawbone would go into a thousand pieces. But he stood there, and through them steel helmets, them with spears, just beat them right and left, till he beat down a thousand. The rest of them run up in the rocks.
What was it? As long as he could reach back there and feel them seven locks, that was God's covenant. There wasn't nothing going to bother him as long as he had that covenant promise.

54 And nothing can bother the church of the Living God as long as we can feel that Holy Ghost, the covenant of God's Word in our hearts, the Pentecostal blessing. "For the works that I do, shall you do also. The life that's in me, will be in you. As the Father hath sent me, so send I you." The Father that sent Him, come in Him. The Jesus that sends the man, goes in the man. It isn't the man; it's Jesus. It wasn't Jesus; it was God. "As the Father sent me, so send I you. Lo, I am with you always, even to the consummation. I'll be with you to the end of the world. And the works that I do, shall you also. A little while and the world won't see me no more; yet ye shall see me, the believer, for I'll be with you, even in you, to the end of the world," Jesus Christ. As long as I can feel that Spirit of God around, something is going to happen. I can see people that will believe it, that will reflect the praises and glory of God.

55 Every time you look at the moon, it isn't the moon shining, it's the sun shining on the moon. If I just say, "Moon, what makes you shine?" "It's just not me shining. It's something shining on me. I'm supposed to keep the light going, in the absence of the sun."
And the church is a type of the moon. We're supposed to reflect the light while the absence of the Son of God, 'cause we are sons and daughters of God, the lesser light, and as long as we can see that moon reflects the same kind of light the sun does. Oh, it isn't the people it's God in the people.

56 I used to, when I used to, I was game warden for several years. I love animals, and I like to take care of them. So I was a conservation officer for seven years. I used to pass by an old spring. That was the best spring I ever drank from. And I always liked it because it was so jolly, always bubbling up , just bubble, bubble, bubble. And I thought, "My!" I lay down and drink. One day, I thought, "Little spring, what makes you so happy? Is it because that rabbits drink from you?"
If he could speak, he'd say, "No, that isn't what makes me bubble."
And I'd say, "Maybe a deer drinks from you, once in awhile."
"No, that isn't what makes me bubble."
"Well," I say, "little spring, maybe it's because I drink from you, about once a month."
Said, "No, that isn't it." I'd say, "Well, what makes you bubble like that all the time?"
If he could speak, he would say, "It isn't me bubbling. It's something behind me, making me bubble. It's bubbling up."
And that's the way the Holy Spirit is to the believer. There is something behind you. You can't push it, tear it. It takes care of you. It's the one that does the bubbling, Something within you. As Jesus told the woman at the well, "Wells of water bubbling up into everlasting life," regular geysers just spraying up the joys of God through your soul, all the time. And as long as the church could feel that around them, what you scared about, see?

57 Samson didn't fear. He was persistent. All he had was a jawbone of a mule, but he was persistent because he knowed his locks still hung there.
The doctor might have told you, "There is not a chance for you to get well. You're dying. You got cancer." But as long as you can sit here and feel the glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ, what difference does what the doctor says now makes any difference? See, you be persistent. He would appreciate you if he's a good doctor, he would tell you that he wants you to get well. That's what he wants you to do. And you must do it; to have faith, you must be persistent.

58 John was so sure that he would see the right sign! He knowed God told him he'd know who the Messiah was. He was so persistent!
And somebody might have said, "Well, don't you think this is Him?
He said, "I'll know Him when He comes." He was so sure, that he said, "This is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world." He knew it was. He testified to it. "I saw the Spirit of God descending from heaven upon Him, like a dove, and I know that is the Son of God," Persistent! Oh, we could go on and on, with characters.

59 This little woman, she was a Greek from the country of Syrophenicia, and we find out that she must have heard about the praises and glory of the Lord Jesus. "Faith cometh by hearing, hearing the Word of God." She heard, and when she heard ...
You know, faith finds sources that others don't see. Now if you don't have faith, well then, there is no need of trying to show it to you. Because, faith can see it. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Faith sees what the blind people doesn't see. Faith is the sixth sense. Five senses are fine,as long as they don't disagree with the sixth. But the sixth sense is faith, "it's the substance of things hoped for," you don't see, taste, feel, smell, or hear, but yet you know it. Faith tells you so. And it's so sure that it's real, that it comes to you a substance. Not just imagination. It's something you have.
I see people come on the platform, say, "Brother Branham, I've got all faith!"
"Well, what are you doing up here, then?", see, see, see.
I don't have it." And, but there when you got, when anything ...

60 You've had things to happen, you just knew it was going to be. Yet you didn't know how it was going to be, but it was going to be. That's faith, that's real faith. It's going to happen then, when you know that it's going to be. Now, faith finds a source that others don't see.
His Word is a sword. The Bible said so, in Hebrews 4:12, that it is a sword. But it takes an arm of faith to wield that sword. Only faith can do it, hold the sword.

61 She had many hindrances, this little woman. Now, she had a daughter that was having epilepsy, and she was very, very bad. And she had heard that Jesus healed epilepsy. Now, "faith cometh by hearing," and that was her child, so she was determined to get down somewhere and hear Jesus. And now she had many hindrances, just many, many hindrances, but her faith didn't have no hindrance.
Tonight, people has lots of hindrances. If you ... Your mind has lots of hindrances. But, your faith, there is nothing can stand in its way. Faith knows no hindrance.

62 Let's just think of some of the things that might have happened to this little woman. They might have said unto her, that, "You are a Greek." In other words, "Your denomination is not sponsoring that meeting down there. You don't have any right to go down there." Well, if that would have been in her mind, she wouldn't have sat very long anyhow. She, the jug would have filled up, and she'd have left. But we find out, that didn't stop her. Whether she was Greek or not, she had faith. That's all she needed was faith.

63 Now somebody might have come to her, and said. "Well, the days of miracles is passed. There is no such a thing. Those people are just a bunch of fanatics." But still she was persistent. She was going to go anyhow.
Let's think another one. Some of them might have said, "Well, you know what, your husband is a notable man here in the city, and if you would be caught down there with that group, well, your husband will actually leave you." But still she was persistent. She had faith, and had a need to use it.
Some of them might have said, "Why, if you go down to the card game or whatever kind of amusement you go to, the people will laugh at you." She was still persistent.
And then that old thing might have come to her, "You know, the pastor will put you out of the church if you go down there and get mixed up in something like that." But that didn't stop her. She was still persistent. She was going anyhow. Why? She had struck faith. Faith is going to do it. I don't care what others think; faith does it.

64 Finally, she made her way through all these obstacles, and she arrived at Jesus. Now, seemingly, all of her trouble was over, she arrived at Jesus; but, it wasn't, it was just starting.
Many people would say, "Well, if I know Jesus ..." Yes, we see that every night. See, He comes right with us, each night, proves Hisself to be here, but still we come back the next night, with all of our troubles again, you see. See, is that right? Now that's right.

65 She arrived at Jesus. She'll perhaps maybe ... If she hadn't had that kind of faith, the first discouragement after finding Jesus why, she would have been ... she would have blowed up, and went back. But, you see, faith won't do that. Faith won't turn it loose. Faith is persistent. It holds right on. Now watch, she had all confidence and faith in this man. Now if she had just been mocking, or just saying, "I'm going down to give it a try, I'll see what He's got to say. If He says something against our creeds, we'll ... we'll just leave. That's all." But she come to get something, and she was determined to stay there till she got it. There you are, that's the person; like the queen of the South, we preached on the other night.

66 Notice when she got to Jesus. Instead of getting a welcome, she got a turndown. Now when you ... What you think of the people today would get to that spot and be treated like that? Jesus told her right quick. After she come through all these barriers, and finally ... [Gap in the audio] she said ...
She come to Him. And she run up to Him, to worship Him, and said, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me, my daughter is variously vexed with a devil. And I've known that You're the great Healer, and I come to ask You to help me." He just ignored her. Looked at her, walked on. Oh, my! She was a little more than our modern Pentecost; my they'd have turned up their nose and walked back, said, "I don't have to do that." But not that woman. She had faith. She stayed right there.

67 Now she went after Him again, "Lord, can't I just have? And she wasn't thinking about what she had come through. She wasn't thinking about what she would have to go through. The only thing she knowed, she believed if she could get Him to say so! That's all she needed to know, if He would say so! She knowed it was working on others, why wouldn't it work on hers?
You fight every inch of the way. God, down in Egypt, give Palestine to the Jews, but they fought every inch of the way! God told Joshua, "Everywhere the soles of your feet rest, that I have given you." Footsteps meant victory, possession, and just as far as you can climb into the Kingdom of God. If you just want to climb a little piece, and say, "Well, I believe I may not have to go to hell, but I believe that I'll be saved at the end, if I join church," you ain't got much ground yet. But every promise in the Bible is yours, but you'll have to fight every devil guard away from it, with a two-edged sword, and claim it for yourself. Be persistent, walking right into it.

68 Now she got right up to the very God Himself. And He ignored her. And she run after Him, crying. She was persistent. "Lord, help me," she said. She worshiped Him, said, "Help me!"
Listen to that rebuke. "I'm not sent to your race." Oh, my!
Then a lot of them would have got up, said, "Well, I guess He wasn't sent to us. This revival don't. Guess I'll go away."
See, Jesus knowed she had that kind of faith, see.
And another thing He said, "Your race is only a bunch of dogs. Whew! My!
Don't talk like that to the modern Pentecostals. M-m-m! You say that, they'd say, "Well, I'll just leave this bunch and go join the Assemblies. And the Assemblies say it to me I'll go to the others, and the others, and the others, you see."
But not that woman. She had faith.
Said, "Your ... I wasn't sent to you. I wasn't sent to your race. And, besides, you're nothing but a bunch of dogs. It's not meet for me to take the children's bread here, and cast it to you bunch of dogs." Oh, my!

69 That don't stop faith. Faith is still there, just as fresh as it ever was. What does faith admit? The truth. She said, "That's the truth, Lord." Oh my! See how little you can get, not how big you can get. Faith makes you little. Notice, still she was perseverant.
Yet, He wouldn't pay no attention to her. He ignored her. And finally she got in His way and He couldn't get around her, and then He told her, said, "I'm not sent to you, and your ... to your race. And your race is nothing but a bunch of dogs. And I'm not going to take the children's bread, it's not right for me to take the children's bread healing to this group, and give it over to you dogs."
And she said, "That's the truth, Lord."
Faith will always admit the Word is truth. Amen. See, if you got real faith, and the Bible tells you that you are doing wrong, you'll admit that you're wrong. You won't say, "Now, wait a minute here, I belong to ..." No, no, that's not faith. When the Word says it, that you ... That's where you're right or wrong, is by the Word. That's right.

70 Now she said. No, sir, that, she just couldn't believe that she could stop at that, so away she goes. And she said, "Truth, Lord, we're nothing but dogs, but I'm only asking that I could just get some of the crumbs that falls from the master's table." She was crumb hunting. Just think of that.
Today, we either get the whole loaf or we won't take any at all, see. We've got to be all of it or we don't take anything.
Still she was persistent. She went right on. She was not a hotbed plant that had to be babied and sprayed over, to keep the termites off. No, sir. She wasn't one of these hybrids like the modern crop of today, that call themselves Christians. When the Word of God said it, and she believed it, she seen it vindicated, she was ready to go after it regardless of what anybody said. Even Christ Himself couldn't stop her. That's what faith does. Oh, that admits the Word being right. She was hunting for crumbs.

71 Remember, she had never seen a miracle. She come out of a denomination that didn't believe in miracles. She believed ... had come out of a denomination that said, "There is no such a thing as miracles." She was a Gentile. She had never seen a miracle, in her life. But yet, when faith takes ahold, God is there. She had never seen it, but she had heard about it.
If you don't believe there is miracles, read the Bible and they're promises to us today. Faith took a hold.
She was something like the harlot Rahab. When she heard, by the spies, she didn't want to see Joshua, and see the way he dressed and what kind of a warrior he was. She said, "I have heard that God is with you. I have heard what God did." And she wanted salvation, and she got it; right, because she was persistent, also. She said, "I'll hide you. I'll do anything. But one thing I want you to swear to me, that I'll be saved during this time." Oh, my, that's the idea.

72 And this poor woman was the same. She wanted, she knowed that she was going to get it. There was no doubt. No matter what she had to climb through, she was going to get it anyhow. So Jesus couldn't even turn her back, by calling her of the wrong race, calling her a dog, "It wasn't right to take the children's bread and feed dogs," and so forth like that. But still she went right on after it anyhow, because she was persistent. She had a need, her daughter was dying. Others had been healed, so why couldn't her daughter be healed if that was the God of creation?
Jesus said, "For this saying, the devil left your daughter." Oh, my! She had the right approach to God's gift.

73 Do you know God does things sometimes just to do things a different way, just to find out what people will do? Now it's over your head, you haven't seen it and haven't noticed it, but I done something just now to do something. That's so help me. And I watched it work. See, you say things, you change your attitude, you change your voice, you change sometimes your sermon; watching and seeing certain things, then watch and see how it acts. Because, the prayer line is fixing to come up, it would be better for that not to be among you, see. Just to see it happen, then you change yourself and go back somewhere again, see. God did that very thing. He still does it, noticing.
She had the right approach to God's gift. And remember, she was the first one, the Gentile, that God ever done a miracle on. She was the first Gentile.
Faith admits the Word is truth. And it's reverent, very reverent, and that's what, and perseverant, and that's what it is.

74 Martha, when she went to meet Jesus. Now if there is anyone had a right to condemn, it would have been Martha, 'cause she had sent for Jesus to come pray for her brother when he was in a serious condition, dying, and Jesus... They had left the church, they had come out of the old dead movement that they were in, and had followed the Lord Jesus, believing Him to be the anointed Messiah. And then His very friend, Lazarus, that He come up with ... And they had been excommunicated from their church and from society. And His very friend that He come up with, was laying sick, at the point of death. The doctor could do him no good.
And she sent for Jesus, and Jesus just simply ignored her sending. And He went to another city, and He did the same thing there. They sent again, and He just ignored it and went on.

75 And then after Lazarus was dead, and had been buried four days. His face had already fell in by that time, that hot country. The nose falls first, as I'm told, and probably his flesh had already fell in. Because, after seventy-two hours, corruption sets in the body, and so we find out.
I got to bury a man in a few days, Wednesday. And he died last Wednesday, and they just locked him up, and just waiting there for me to come to preach his funeral. Probably they couldn't hold him out any longer, because his face would fall in, see.
And that's what was happening to Lazarus. He was already dead.

76 And then after he was dead, and it was all over, then here come Jesus slipping into the city. So then they knowed they was going to get criticized, because perhaps was already criticized.
But Martha, she had been very dilatory, seemingly; about fixing a place for Jesus to sleep, a place for Him to eat, and so forth. Even asked Jesus, one time, to make her sister come help her. But down in her heart, faith struck. While Mary sat still, crying, and doing nothing about it, and give up; Martha slips out of the house, and down through the city. No doubt, she met some on the street, said, "Where is that divine healer that you had around here? What about Lazarus now?" She passed right on by.

77 She got to where He was at. Watch how she was. She run up to Him. She had a right to upbraid Him, she had a right to tell Him, saying, "Now why didn't You come when I called You?" If that would have been a Pentecostal of today, or a Baptist, or Presbyterian, they would change churches right quick, see. Sure. "Why didn't You come when we called You? She had a right to, seemingly. But she didn't have a right to.
As I said last night, you've got no thought. It's His thought, see, what He does. "'Thy will be done,' pray like this." He is not an errand boy. He is God. Notice, "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done.

78 And when she got to Him, she approached Him in the right way. She said, give Him His right title, "Lord!" Not upbraiding Him, but, "Lord, if Thou would have been here, my brother would not have died." Oh, my! I can see Him pulling His little, tired body together. And He said ... "If You would have been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You." See, she knowed what the God of creation was. She knowed He was the anointed Messiah. She approached Him right, upon her knees said, "Lord, if You would have been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You." Oh, if we could only think that! "Even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You."

79 KJVLink 184 He said,"I am the resurrection and life." No other man could ever say that. "I am the resurrection and life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
She said, "Yea, Lord. I believe that You're the Son of God that was to come into the world."
He said, "Where have you buried him?"
I was talking to a woman not long ago, and she said to me, she said, "I like to hear you speak, Brother Branham, but," said, "there is just one fault you have."
I said, "Thank you," just one fault. I said, "What's that?"
She said, "You brag too much about Jesus being divine." I said, "I hope that's the only one He can find in me," I said.
You brag too much about Jesus being divine." Said, "He wasn't divine."
I said, "Oh, yes, He was divine."
She said, "Well, you make Him God."
I said, "He was either God or the greatest deceiver the world ever had," see. And I said, "He was God."
She said, "He was just a man. He couldn't have been God."
I said, "He was. He was God and man, together."
And she said, "You said you believe the Bible."
I said, "Yes, ma'am, I do."
And she said, "If I prove to you, by your own Bible, that He was not divine, would you accept it?"
I said, "Certainly, if the Bible said He wasn't. But," I said, "I don't believe it's in the Bible."
She said, "In St. John, the 11th chapter, the Bible said, 'When Jesus went down to the grave of Lazarus,' the Bible said, 'He wept.' " And said, "If He wept, He could not be divine, and weeping."

80 I said, "Well, lady, that won't stand up." I said, "I want to tell you." I said, "That's thinner than the broth made out of a shadow of a chicken that starved to death," I said, "because that won't hold up to the Bible." I said, "Look, He goes down to the tomb see and He stood before the tomb, and He said, straightened His little body up and said, 'Lazarus, come forth!'"
He might have been a man, crying; but when He called that man out of the grave, that had been dead four days, and his soul a four-days journey somewhere! I don't know where it was at, neither do you. So, anyhow, He called him back. Corruption knew its master. The soul knew its creator. And a man, that had been dead, stood on his feet and lived again, after being dead four days. That was more than a man. That was God!

81 It was a man when He come down off the mountain that night, and was hungry, looked all around over a fig tree, to find something to eat. He was a man when He was hungry. But when He taken five biscuits and two fish, and fed five thousand, that was more than a man.
He was a man when He was laying out in the back of that boat, that night, where ten thousand devils of the sea swore they'd drown Him. And that little old boat in that storm, like a bottle stopper out there somewhere, floating up-and-down like that. He was a man when He was asleep, He was tired, virtue had went out of Him. But when He put His foot up on the brail of the boat, and looked up and said, "Peace be still," and the winds and the waves obeyed Him, that was more than a man. That was God in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself.

82 He was a man when He died on the cross, crying for mercy. That's right. But He was God on Easter morning, when He broke the seal to the tomb, rose up and ascended on high, yes, sir, ever living to make intercessions. Every man and woman, that ever amounted to a hill of beans, believed that. Yes, sir.
He is the same yesterday, today, and forever! "Believest thou this? Yes, sir. He is just as great right here among us, tonight, as He was then. Believest thou this? He is the same healer, tonight, He was then. Believest thou this? Sure. He can't fail. Be persistent. Hold your position in Christ, your confession. Hold fast your confession in Christ.
She was persistent and she got the resurrection of her brother.

83 The Shunammite woman was persistent in the presence of Elijah. Elijah come by and blessed her, and told her that she would have a son. The son got about twelve years old. Out in the field, he must have had a sunstroke. This woman had been very kind to Elijah. She was a Shunammite woman, and she came from the land of Shunem. And she found out ... She said to her husband, being a rich man, she said, "I perceive that this man that passes by here is a holy man." She said, "Let's do him some kindness." Said, "Let's build him a little room on our side of the house here, when he comes by, and put him a little bed and a pitcher out there, so he can rest himself."
And her husband said, "That would be very nice."
"So you do something to these little ones, you do it unto me." Jesus said.
So he said, told his servant, Gehazi. Said, "Go ask her, can I speak to the captain, or what can I do for her?"
She said, "No, I dwell among my people. I'm all right."
And Gehazi said, "But she hasn't got any children."
Said, go tell her." There come a vision. Said, "Go tell her, about this time she is going to bear a child." And she did.

84 The boy got about twelve years old. His father being old. He was out in the field, one day, he must have had a sunstroke. It was about noon, begin to cry, "My head! My head!" He sent the boy in. He laid on his mother's lap until he died. Look what an appropriate place, she took him out in that room where that prophet had laid on that bed.
And she said to the servant, "Saddle a mule, and you take out to Mount Carmel. Up there there's a den somewhere, where this preacher is living. He was the one who had the power to see a vision, said that I would bear this son; and if he is close enough to God, he is God's messenger of the hour. And I know, if he could tell me why, if I'd get to him, he'd tell me what God took the child for. Let me get up there." She said, "If anybody salutes, don't you salute. And don't stop; just keep going."
Oh, I like that! The urgent time's now. People are dying, we oughtn't to be fooling around on the road. Get going. And she was persistent.

85 And Elijah. You know, God don't always tell His prophets everything that's going to happen. He looked up and he seen her coming, he said, "Here comes that Shunammite." And said, "She is full of sorrow, but God has hid it from me." He said, "Run, meet her." And she ...
He said, "Is all well with thee? Is all well with thy husband? Is all well with the son?"
I like this, that persistency until she got into the presence of the messenger. And she said, "All is well." Her husband wringing his hands, and walking up-and-down the room, a crying, and the baby laying on the bed, dead, but, "All is well." Amen. Why? She had come to her goal. She had made her goal. Her persistency, that she could get to the man of God, the man of God could tell her why. And then she fell down at his feet and revealed what was happened.

86 Now he reached over and got his staff, and said to his servant, "Take this, and go lay it on the baby." Now, I think that's where Paul got laying handkerchiefs on the people. See, because Elijah knew that everything he touched was blessed, but if he could get the woman to believe it!
But the woman's faith wasn't in the staff, it was in the prophet, see. And she said, "As the Lord God lives, and your soul never dies," see, she had witnessed there he had eternal life. Said, "And thy soul never dies, I'm not going to leave you." Oh, my, stay with it! That's it.

87 That's the way to get what you want. Like this Shunammite woman, like this Syrophenician woman, stay with it! Stay right there. Stay right with Christ. Take ahold of it, tonight, and hold there. Just don't move. Tomorrow, if somebody say, "That's just..." Just shut their ears up to them. You got faith. You stay there.
Said, "I won't leave you."
And Elijah said, "Well, can't get rid of her, I might as well go with her." So he girded up his loins, and away he went.
Watch when he got into the room. He didn't know what to do. He never prayed. He just walked back and forth, up-and-down the floor, until he felt the Spirit of God come on him. Then he went and laid himself over the baby, and he sneezed seven times, and come to life.

88 Martha knew, if God was in that prophet, surely He was in His Son, see, and that's the reason she could be persistent.
And if we've had thousands of years of experience since then, to know that God keeps His promise, how persistent ought we to be tonight when we can see the presence of Jesus Christ, oh, my, and shine like the stars!

89 I remember one night, at home not long ago, there was a woman, and I didn't know the woman wanted to be prayed for. I didn't go down to pray for the sick that night. And it was so packed around the place! And some of my trustees are sitting in here somewhere, tonight, was there. There was a woman come from California, had a fifty-pound tumor. She wouldn't go to a doctor; and then, when they made her go, it was too large to be operated on, a big water tumor. And she was way out like this, a great big tumor. And they had brought her there. They had. They couldn't bring her in the car. They had to put her in a trailer, like, to bring her. And they had brought her in. I didn't know it, and I just went ahead and spoke. And she said, "Well, isn't he going..." I made an altar call. Said, "Isn't he going to pray for the sick?"
Said, "No."
She said, "What door does he go out of?" Now just think, her faith! And they took the woman around, and packed her around to the back door, where I go out through the pastor's study and went to my car.

90 And the woman laying there, caught me by the trouser leg, and she said, "Brother Branham," great ... Oh, my, she was out like that. Said, "If you will just lay your hands on me, God will make me well." And I did that.
And about three months from then, I was in a meeting. And here she stood, just as perfectly normal as any woman in the country; and invited any sister there to go with her into a room, and undress and see if she had had an operation or not.
Why? She was persistent. She was determined to get what she come for. That's the way it is. Yes, sir. Their faith had a hold of the Word.

91 Micaiah, one time when he was called in. When Jehoshaphat had made an alliance with Ahab, that's when the believer and the unbeliever mixes up. And he said they wanted to go have war; they was going up to a place, to take their own ground. Fundamentally, it belonged to them. Said, "Why should these Assyrians be eating corn that belongs to Israel? Joshua give us that!" That's exactly right. So they went and had a big school of preachers down there, a whole seminary; five, four or five hundred of them, well trained Hebrew men.

92 And so Jehoshaphat said, being a righteous man, he said, "But shouldn't we consult the Lord?
He said, "Oh, yes, maybe that's so." Ahab, you know what a fellow he was, so he goes down. And said, "I've got the answer, I've got four hundred prophets. We'll bring them up here.
So they got down there, and one of them, Zedekiah, I believe it was, made hisself two big horns and went up there, saying, "Thus saith the Lord. Go up, it belongs to you. Thus saith the Lord, You will push them Assyrians plumb out of the country, with these horns."
Jehoshaphat looked around, you know, and he said, "Haven't you got another one?"
Another one? When four hundred trained Hebrew prophets from the school, what do you need with another one? We've got four hundred! The whole seminary is here, and all of them with one accord, saying, "Go up, the Lord is with you. Thus saith the Lord."
Jehoshaphat said, "Well, haven't you got another one?"
He said, "Oh, I got another one I might consult," said, "that's Micaiah the son of Imlah, but," said, "I hate him." Oh, sure. Said, "Well, he don't even agree with these denominations and things." Said, "We, you have to ... He's a strange fellow," they said.
"Oh," he said, "don't let the king say so. Go get him."

93 So they sent one of the fellows down, said, "Now, Micaiah, you know you're put out of the association, you don't have fellowship with them no more. But now if you will just say the same thing they do, they might give you your fellowship card back, when you come back again." Could you imagine talking to a prophet like that?
Micaiah said, "As the Lord God lives, I'll only say what He says." Now there you are. Amen. That's it.
"Well, you know what they could do for you?
That doesn't matter. I'll only say what He says." He went back to him, he said, "Now you let me have tonight, and I'll see what the Lord said."
He come back the next morning, and he said, "Go on up. Yes, sir. Go on up. But I seen Israel, like sheep scattered, having no shepherd."

94 Then this Zedekiah comes up, and takes his hand and smacks him right in the mouth, "that little holy-roller," set him down and said, "Which way did the Spirit of God go when it went out of me?
He said, "You'll see."
So he said, "What about it?"
Said, "I saw a vision last night. I saw God sitting up on a high place, and in this, His great high throne." And said, "All of them was around Him. They had a council, 'Who can we get to go down and to deceive Ahab, to get him up there to fulfill what the prophet Elijah had said? What can I do about this?' " And said, "A lying spirit come up, and said, 'I'll go down and get in those prophets, and cause them to make a lie.' And the Lord said, 'You're the one that can do it, 'cause they were seminarially trained, you know.' Said, 'You go do it. That's all you can do.' " Went down there, and he did it!

95 Now you say, "Well, who would know what was right?" Micaiah was with the Word!
How can you bless what God has cursed? How can you tell people that they can live like this and do these things, and still maintain the fellowship of Jesus Christ? You cannot do it. You've got to be borned again and filled with the Holy Ghost. [Gap in the audio.] "... Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto your children, and them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." That was the prescription. You don't want to tamper with that prescription.

96 A doctor can write out a formula to you. And you take that to some quack druggist, and he don't mix it right, you'll kill your patient.
And that's what's the matter today, you've adopted handshakes and everything else, instead of that. Come back! God let Peter write an eternal prescription for salvation. It's never been changed, and it can't be changed. Shaking hands and joining church, and things, will never take its place. It's got to come back, word by word, the way it's wrote there. That's the prescription they used all the rest of the way through the Bible. They used it on up to the Nicaea Council, and then they changed the prescription. That's the reason we got so many dead members today. Truly. You've got to get the real prescription. Then know, if it hit the target there, it'll hit the target now, "It's for you and your children, and them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." Don't adopt anything to it. Don't add any more to it. If you put any more to it ...

97 Remember, a prescription is just enough antidote in there to take the disease, and enough to kill enough of the medicine for the patient. And if you don't, you put too much of the antidote in there's something another that won't work, weaken it down too much, it won't help the patient. You put too much of the poison in, it'll kill the patient. It's got to be just right.
And He wrote a eternal prescription, for it's for every generation. Not shake hands, join church, and all these other things. He said, "Repent, and then be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. It's promised to you and your children."
They took that prescription and fulfilled it at God's great counter. And when they did, on the day of Pentecost, they healed the sick, they done everything that there was to be done; 'cause it was God, Christ in them. All right.

98 Micaiah knew that that was the Word of the Lord, because it was exactly what the Bible, the real prophet, said. God had cursed that man and cursed his wife, because of their evil. And if He had cursed it, how could these men come around and bless it?
Here is where they got their idea. The land belongs to them. It actually was given to them. But their sins had drove them away from it. So they thought, because the land belonged to them, that that was all they had to have. No, sir.
It's on conditions. Absolutely. You can have divine healing, you can have salvation, you can have the baptism of the Holy Ghost, but that's on conditions, that you meet God's conditions. Outside of that, it's not for nobody but believers.

99 A man said to me not long ago, a minister, he said, "I don't care if you'd raise and have doctors' statements of raising the dead, and everything else," said, "I don't believe it."
I said, "Certainly not, it's not for unbelievers."
It's only to believers. It wasn't given to unbelievers. It's only sent to believers. That's all it's for, is for believers, not unbelievers. Certainly, they admit there what's wrong.

100 But Micaiah knew. When he seen his vision was exactly with the Word of God, then he knew it was right. And he was persistent, whether it took his life or not. He said, "You'll find out, when all this happens that I've said, comes to pass, then you'll know where it's at."
Same way, the blind man, he couldn't argue their theology; but he knowed his eyes was opened, so he was very persistent about it. Like Philip, like Nathanael, woman at the well, they were all persistent after they got ahold of God.

101 Now in closing, we're going to start the prayer line just now in a minute, just something comes on my mind just now to say.
Not long ago, I was in Mexico, down. The Lord had sent me down to Mexico City, at that big ring there. Oh, people were by the thousands times thousands. And the night before, there had been an old blind man come on the platform, and, it was one of the most horrible sights. There was a...
How many knows Brother Espinoza? See, there is many, sure. Well, now, he was my interpreter. He can tell you this. And there had been a blind man come up on the platform, poor old Mexican.

102 And their economics are so poorly balanced there. For instance, maybe a brick mason will get so many pesos a day, maybe say five pesos a day. I don't know what it would. And that's Pedro, and he gets... He is a brick mason, so he gets five pesos a day, but he has to work five days to buy himself a pair of shoes, see, in their economics. And what about little Pancho then, Chico, the little one that has to work out here and only gets two pesos a day, and got five children to feed? But they have to save enough out of that, to burn a grease candle on a million dollar gold altar, for his sins, you see. That's what burnt me up, and so then see them doing penitence to dead women, and crawling on their knees, and things like that.

103 So, one night, this old man come across the platform, he didn't have no shoes on. His hair was gray. He had an old hat tied up with strings. He was coming across the platform. I looked at the old fellow. And here I was standing with a nice pair of shoes and a good suit. He was blind. He was walking like this. And he said, and he kept saying something. Course, I can't speak just a few words of Spanish. He come across this a way. And I got to him, I put ... I thought nobody would see me; I put my foot out like this, to see if my foot, if my shoe would fit him. If it was, I was going to slip them off and let him have them. And then, his foot was much bigger. And so I kind of ... I said, "Bless you, Dad."

104 And I put my shoulders up, see if my coat would fit him. And it wouldn't fit him, and much bigger. Didn't have no shirt, just an old coat on. And I thought, "Poor old fellow, maybe never had a good decent meal in his life." His old trousers, ragged, and dust all over him. And here the devil had even blinded him. And there he was, walking across there, saying something. And I thought, "If my daddy would have lived, he'd been about the age of that old man." I thought, "O God!"
And I put my arms around him. You have to feel for the people. If you don't feel for them, there is no need of praying, you don't have compassion. And I put my arm around him.
I said, "Don't say this, Brother Espinoza." They don't interpret the prayer, anyhow.
So I said, "Heavenly Father, be merciful to him." And I had my hands laying on him like that.
He hollered, "Gloria a Dios!" That means, "Glory to God." He looked around like that, and the old man could see as good as I could. There he went, walking off the platform.

105 Well, the next night, they had about, oh, almost from here to the door, would be the platform, and just old shawls and old ragged clothes piled up there, to be prayed over. And it was pouring down rain, they couldn't get ... And they come there that morning, around eight or nine o'clock; and I wouldn't be there until that night, about eight or nine. So there was so many people around. No seats to sit down in, like you got. They leaned against each other. And standing there in that rain, the women with their hair all down, wet, just waiting to hear the word of life.

106 And General Valdia taken me in. I guess you know, I believe he is one of the Christian businessmen. First protestant ever taken in under the government protection. General Valdia in Mexico, so then I was ...
That night I got in, they let me down on some ropes, back out the back of the ring. I come down into it like this, by ropes, from back off of a car. And while I got down into the ring, I walked over there. And Billy come to me, my son, he said, "There is a fellow there been giving out prayer cards." I called him "Manana," that means "tomorrow," he was so slow, and he never would come get me. So he'd give out the prayer cards.

107 And Billy said, "Well," he said, "Daddy, there is a woman down there that's got a dead baby." And you all seen this article in the Businessmen's Voice. And he said, "She's got a dead baby." And said, "We haven't got no prayer cards." And said, "I've got around three hundred ushers that can't hold her."
And she was a little bitty woman, just young lady, very pretty young woman. And she was ... had this little dead baby, and a little blue striped blanket on it, holding it, little stiff form, about this long, in her arms, had been standing there since that morning. The baby died at nine o'clock, and this was about ten that night. And so she was holding this little baby in her arms.

108 And I said, I said, "Well, just tell them ushers to hold her off. If you put her in with them people holding a prayer card," I said, "it'll make ..." And I said, "Why don't you tell her come around."
Said, "You can't tell her nothing." Said, "She just won't listen to it."
And I said, "Well, enough ushers over there, surely, to hold her off."
Said, "You can't do it."
I said, "Brother Moore." How many knows Brother Jack Moore? He is a ... I said, "She wouldn't know the difference between you and I. She don't know me." I said, "You go on down there and pray for her, Brother Moore."
He said, he said, "All right."
I said, "You go down and pray for the baby, and that'll satisfy her, and she'll go on home."
He said, "All right."

109 So I turned back around. I was speaking on faith being the substance of things hoped for, and about Jesus, and how He did when He was here on earth, speaking to them. And just as I started to speak, I looked out in front of me, in a vision, and there was a little dark-faced baby, and he was laughing at me. And I looked again.
Brother Espinoza said, "What is it, Brother Branham?"
I said, "Never mind, "Brother Espinoza. Just keep the crowd entertained, just a moment."
And I went out. I said, "Wait a minute, Brother Moore." And so he had done got down to where the little woman was. And I said, "Tell her to bring the baby here."
And so here she come up on the platform. She fell down on one knee, with a rosary in her hand. She was saying, "Padre," that means "father," you know.
I said, "Stand up now. Stand up." Got her to stand up. I said, "Baby dead?" She couldn't understand. The tears running down her little face, and her hair stringing down. Now this is true; there is my Bible. And, I put my hand over on the little baby, and I thought that would satisfy her. I didn't know that was the baby. I couldn't say it.

110 And I said, "Heavenly Father," I said, "before me was a vision of a little baby, and maybe this would be the one. And if it is, I pray Thee, Lord, to honor this little woman's faith, to give her baby back."
And just then that little fellow let out a scream and begin to cry out, just as hard as he could. And the little woman, she didn't know what to do. So she ... I told Brother Espinoza. I said, "Now don't you say it. And wait, you go and let a doctor sign the statement to that."

111 And in the Voice, the Christian Businessmen's Voice, just recently, it appeared. See, before you write anything, you've got to have evidence that that's right. Doctor signed the statement, "The baby died, with pneumonia; all respiration left it, that morning at nine o'clock," in his office. And this was ten something that night, when it come back to life again, because a little woman was persistent.
If God could open the eyes of a blind man, He also could give her baby back. He is still the same God, tonight, friends. You've got to be persistent, to achieve something. What if she would have listened, and said, "Well, the baby is dead," and just give it up and go on? See? See there, that same faith that lived in the women like the Shunammite woman, it still lives in people today. Once in a while, they can strike that something. Not a put on, not a make-belief; but something that's real, something that's genuine. Don't you think we can do that tonight?

112 Now we are going to pray for the sick, laying hands upon them, in the name of the Lord Jesus, to pray for them. Now we probably can have the line through in about, oh, perhaps twenty or thirty minutes. Now we can't stop for a discernment, you really understand that, because it would be so much. But we're going to pray, lay hands on the sick. Are you ready tonight? Do you feel that in your heart, something is anchored, the presence?
How many has been here in the meetings through the week, let's see your hands. I guess practically all of you. All right. How many that's never been in one of the meetings before, raise your hands. Well, my, that's half. Well, I guess some can't get in. Well, let me just say to them ... Course, some of them may have a prayer card.

113 Divine healing is something that God has already done. See, it's something. We believe, and I believe with all my heart, that the Bible of Hebrews 13:8, "that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever," He is the same. And I believe that the life that was in Christ should be in us, if we're Christians. And He said, in St. John 14:12, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do, shall he do also." Said, in St. John 5:19, "I do nothing till the Father shows me." Is that right?
Now here, for instance, here. Every one of you, as far as I know, is strangers to me. All right, I want everybody to be real reverent for a moment. And if Jesus Christ doesn't appear among us, in His same power, then I'm a false prophet, don't listen to me no more.
How many here doesn't have a prayer card, you won't be in no prayer line, raise up your hand, anywhere you're at. You look this way, and pray with all your heart, and believe. This is a hard ... Wasn't, didn't come prepared for this now, but I know we ain't got much longer to stay here.
Now I'm going to take every spirit in here under my control, in the name of Jesus Christ. Now sit still. And if you don't believe, why, better keep your head bowed.

114 But if you're a believer, the Bible said that, "He is the high priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities." And how did He act when the woman touched Him? He turned around and knowed who she was, and what was wrong with her. He perceived the thoughts of their heart. Don't you believe He is the same today and forever? If you have a need, you pray now. And what is ...
"What are you talking about, Brother Branham?"
If I'm His servant, and I claim that His life is in here, then the same works will show theirself. Now, you know a man can't do those things. It's impossible. But Christ remains the same. I want you to believe that.
Anywhere in the building, I want you to have faith in God and just believe, and you say, "Lord Jesus, the man doesn't know me. And I've been hearing about this, but maybe it's so, and maybe. I don't know. But I know he doesn't know me. And I know if he could tell me ... Now he says, 'Your healing is already done.' "

115 If Jesus was standing right here now, with this suit on, that He gave me, He could not heal you. How many knows that, you Bible students? No, He has already done it, see. See, He could prove that He was Jesus, same yesterday, today, and forever; not by nail scars--His life! Anybody could have nail scars and wear long hair, maybe a beard. We don't even know He would dress like that. We couldn't say that that was right, see. But any man could do that. But His life is what it is, His life in you.
Now you pray, and you say, "Lord Jesus, let me touch You," and find out whether He remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. If He'll do it, will you believe? You know that's the way He did it. That proved Him being Messiah.

116 This little lady sitting here, keeps looking up at me, and putting her hands over her face, and so forth. You have a ... You don't have a prayer card, I suppose. You, I mean the little lady, you don't have a prayer card. No. All right do you believe me to be God's servant? If the Lord Jesus Christ then ... We are perfectly strangers, we're a difference race, one from the other. But if I can just speak to you.
Sitting in front of you is a good friend of mine, Mr. Dauch, from down in Ohio, that had a complete heart failure, not long ago, at ninety-one years old. Doctors give him up, and everything. I started to him. He is a lovely brother, he and his lovely wife, sitting there. They're good friends of mine. And I started to him. And I was just coming out of a filling station, trying to get to him, about a couple, three hundred miles from me. And I was driving as hard as I could, to get to him 'cause he ... She called me, said, "Bill is dying." Complete heart failure, and a heart attack, and ninety-one years old. And I started out of the filling station, I seen Bill standing before me, walking to me, on the street. "I come with 'thus saith the Lord.' He won't die."

117 Here he sits right here now. That's been months ago. He has got much faith. He is sitting close to this woman. She is sitting right behind him. He believes. She is believing, too.
Now, I don't know you. But if Jesus Christ ... While, we're talking like our Lord talked to the woman at the well. If He will tell me what's your trouble, what you want, or something, well, you'll know whether it's the truth or not, won't you? It's for a son, and that son has a mental condition. It's a ... If that's right, raise up your hands, if that. That's that's right. All right. If you will believe with all your heart, and take that scarf that you've wiped your face with, lay it close to him, and don't doubt, that condition will leave him. Now the very God that could tell you ... Don't you doubt. Can't you see what's happened?

118 Look; right at this woman, going right to her sitting here, a colored lady. I'm a stranger to you. But there is something you're desiring. And me being a stranger, another race; just like our Lord and the woman at the well, one a Jew, and the other a Samaritan. If God ... Have you got a prayer card? You don't have a prayer card. I mean this little lady with a red striped dress on right there. Yes. All right. I don't know you. We're total strangers. Is that right? And now if God can reveal to me what is wrong with you, or something, now you know whether it's right or not, won't you? Frankly, there is nothing wrong with you, only you have a hungry heart. You are seeking the baptism of the Holy Ghost. If that's right, raise up your hand then you will receive it, if you will believe with all your heart. Just don't doubt. Have faith in God. Amen. Do you believe with all your heart? I want you to believe with all that's in you.

119 Here is a lady sitting here, looking right at me, right down that aisle here. She is suffering with a heart trouble. I hope she don't miss it. God, tell me who. She is Mrs. Fitzgerald. Do you believe with all your heart? You can have your healing. Raise your hand. I'm a stranger to you. Is that right? Your heart trouble is gone. Is that your name? That's right. I don't know you, never seen you in my life.
The lady right behind you, she has got a lot of faith now. She's got a prayer card in her hand, but the lady is suffering. And being it's the Holy Spirit, that light hanging right over the woman yet. She is suffering with a ... She has got a tumor in her neck. And she's also got a fallen stomach. That's right, isn't it? Just lay your prayer card on the floor, you don't need it no more. Have faith in God.
Do you believe with all your heart? See? Just have faith. Don't doubt.
Here is a man right back here, is that tumor.

120 See, that devil, thought he would miss it then. There is a man sitting right over here, that's got tumor. The tumor is in his back. I don't know the man. I've never seen him. He is a total stranger to me. But when I seen that devil go out there, that black shadow; and then I seen it run over this way, it went to this one, for mercy. They're trying to congregate around there. Satan thought he would miss that, I'd miss it, but the Lord showed it to me.
The man sitting right here, he's got tumor in his back, and his name is Mr. Carson. If that's right, raise up to your feet, and be healed in the name of Jesus Christ.
Do you believe? Have faith. If you...

121 Here is a woman sitting here. She's got a kidney trouble. She has got complications. Her name is Mrs. Byrd. That's right. Is that your name, lady? Am I a stranger to you, and is that the trouble you had? If it is, stand up on your feet and accept your healing, in the name of Jesus Christ.
Go ask those people. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Don't you realize that His presence is here?
That was my son telling me I better not go on. See, I got a meeting tomorrow and on and on, see.
I challenge any man or woman in here to believe. You couldn't hide your life if you had to now, in the presence of God. That's exactly what our Lord did. That's exactly what He promised in the last days. That's exactly what happened before Sodom burned. That's exactly the last sign that would come to the church, and we're here now at the end time. Do you believe it?

122 What's your prayer card number? [Someone speaks to Brother Branham.] All right, I'll tell you what would be best, let's take the people by the sections. He says there is many prayer cards. Now you see God is here.
Now is there any ministers? This is all right, Brother Vick? Is there any ministers here, brethren? Now I'm laying hands on these people, I don't want them people go say "Brother Branham did this," see. I'm just your brother. Your pastor has just as much right to pray for the sick as I do.
He might not have this gift; no, he hasn't see. There is only one of them in the world, at a time. That's what the Bible said, see. That's right. And that, now notice.

123 But your pastor is ordained of God, if he's a believer, to pray for the sick. And I'm asking some of you minister brethren to come here and stand with me while we pray; let some God, Spirit-filled ministers that believes in prayer for the sick, along with Brother Vick and Brother Boze. Where is Dr. Lee Vayle and some of them that would come here, so that ... The Bible said, "These signs ..."
Let's stop right here, brethren. How about right here? Come right here. Yes.
"These signs shall follow them that believe. If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover." Do you believe that? Do you believe we're in divine presence of Christ? Amen.
I just wanted you to see. Because I spoke the way I did, it was for a purpose, see, or the purpose worked right. Great things are fixing to happen, if you'll just believe it.

124 Now I'll tell you what I want you to do, brethren. I want you to divide up half on one side, and half on another, make a little alley like through here, so the people can come. I'm coming right down with you.
I'm going to ask someone who is a song leader, that would come here, that could lead songs. I want to go down there and pray for the people. Somebody who can stand here and direct the people that's going to be prayed for. Thank you, choir, for giving us ... That's mighty nice of you, giving us that room to come like that. All right.

125 Let the ministers line up just like this, right. Turn, face each other, see, like this, and like the brother and I. Like Billy and I here, standing like this, one with the other.
Now how many has prayer cards on this side? Let's see your hands. There is quite a number. I suppose it would be best if we could let them come out on this side, and come right down along the side, this a way. Now before you ... But let's let the first part of the line that has cards, let them line right up over here, and we'll start praying for the sick, and laying hands on them.

126 I wonder how many here, tonight, that's all right and well, and you are interested in these people getting well? Raise up your hand. Sure, you are. Now remember, will you pray with me? You pray with me. Now you pray with your pastors.
Now to you sick people that's going to line up and be prayed for here. Remember, when you come through this line, and these ministers and myself touch you, remember, it's just an act just the same as you was baptized. You've come, having hands laid upon you, by believing-ministers, that, God promised that, "The prayer of faith shall save the sick. And these signs shall follow them that believe." These men come here to testify that they believe in this ministry. And they are come here as associates to ... with us together. We are all of one accord. We're in one place at one time. It's time now for the healing. But, if you don't believe it, don't come, 'cause it won't do you any good. See, you've got to believe it. Now do you believe?

127 Now let's just bow our heads just for a few moments. And we're going to sing slowly now. Everybody with your head bowed. "Lord, I believe," Only Believe, now everyone together. Let's be praying now, see.
Let's imagine seeing Jesus coming down off of the mountain. What Jesus? That same Jesus that's here in the Holy Ghost form. Same one that knows what's in your heart, whether you really believe or not. The same one that knows all about you, tells you night after night. It's Him. You know it couldn't be me.
And now after His presence ... Now, the little Syrophenician woman, remember, after she got in the presence of Jesus, still she had trouble. You're going to have trouble. When you come through this line, I want you, each one, to believe that you're going to be healed. If you're not, don't come in. Don't just don't take the others' place. Stay there until you have enough faith that you're going to be healed, and then God will grant it to you.

128 Now those on my right side here, line up over on the side while the rest of us sing "Only Believe." You with a prayer card, some of the boys will be standing here to receive your prayer card as you come in the line, over on this side, the right-hand side. Go out on the right-hand side if you possibly can, 'cause it'll confuse them, starting this way. You can't go backwards. You have to come around this a way, see; have to come one way, go around. If you brethren will just step back there and let them come through this way. It's a bit, may seem a bit confusing, because that there is such a group of people to be taken care of. But now watch my son, Billy Paul, watch the ushers there; they'll tell you just how to do it, won't be a bit confused. Then you see, on this side, as you come through the prayer line, then you'll go right back to your seat. And then we'll take this other side, and they'll come from that way, and come through, see.

129 Now we'll stand here, just vice versa, the line, from one side to the other, and pray for them. All right.
Now I believe if you brethren will move down just a little bit, so these brothers here can get in right here, so we can all be laying hands on the sick. That's just fine.
Now listen, brethren each one of you now. Each one of you brethren, do you realize what you're doing, see, you know the position that God has put you in? Now this challenges your faith. You just remember that you're going to believe that every person that you touch, has to get well. They just have to do it. God said so. I'm going to touch them, with you, and I believe they're going back to be well. Don't you believe that? Let's just have a word of prayer among ourselves, while the rest of you go ahead and line up, we're going to pray for the condition of our own faith.

130 Heavenly Father, there is many sick people here. And some of them, Lord, still believe that they should have hands of the elders laid on them. That's all right, Father. We know that You taught that. You said, "These signs shall follow them that believe; if they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover." You promised it, and the people believe your promise. Your presence is here. No one can doubt that, Lord. And here is your ordained ministers standing here, ordained of the Holy Spirit, for the ministry of praying for the sick.
Now, Lord God, let every one that we touch, tonight, be healed. We pray the prayer of faith for these now. We're going to believe, that, as we lay our hands on them, they will recover. Amen. Condition us, Lord. Take away our sin and take away our iniquity. Purge us with the blood of Jesus Christ, that we'll ... Our hands are not holy. Only through Your holiness are we permitted to do this. So grant it, Lord, as I commit myself, with this bunch of brothers, that we're here to help these people to be healed. Grant it, Lord.
Now I pray for the people, each one that comes through the prayer line. O God, they're coming as if they were coming to water baptism, they're coming right to the table of the Lord, they're coming beneath the cross of Calvary. As they pass through here, may they realize that the unseen Christ is standing amongst these brethren, standing here now to grant to them reward of their faith. And I commit it all to You now, Father, in the name of Jesus Christ.

131 Now I want everyone else, have your heads bowed. Listen close now to your instructions. If you don't, you're just taking a walk, see. Now remember, if God will let me know the conditions and so forth, and you believe that, see, now just take my word, you've got to believe that this settles it. If it doesn't, it might make you worse. See, settle everything! If you've got sin in your life, step out of the line and confess it. Don't come in the line till you're prayed through. And if you're going to use your life for something besides the glory of God, don't come in the line, see. If you are ready to make a dedication to Christ, fully surrendered, and fully persuaded that this is Jesus Christ, this great Holy Spirit here; and that you are going to receive your healing when you pass through this line, no matter whether you feel different, or what, you're going to be persistent to hold right onto God's promise until the victory comes, like that woman that we talked about. Do you feel that way, audience? If you do, raise up your hand, say, "I accept that." I don't see no reason for anybody going out of here sick, tonight.

132 Now I want you, that's not in the line, to pray. I guess Brother Joseph is going to stand here to lead the singing, and I'm going to get down here, so I can pray, too, and lay hands upon these people as they come through.
Now look, friends, the services will be tomorrow night. We don't know what will happen, somebody getting healed, and screaming and praising God, and so forth. We might get not officially dismissed for a while now, but please stay and pray with us. We need you right now. Pray that the enemy will not be able to crowd any doubt in these people's mind. What if that was your mother standing there, your sister, your wife, your husband, your baby? You would want somebody to pray real sincere. Remember, it's somebody's mother, somebody's sister, brother, somebody's child, and we want to be sincere about this.
And when we pray, I want you men, with all your heart, when you lay your hands upon these sick, believe that God is going to make that person well, 'cause they're going to believe it.

133 And now... between now and tomorrow night, why, before I come on the platform, tomorrow night, there ought to be three or four hundred testimonies going right here, of, "I was wearing crutches. I was, and I don't have them no more. I was sick, I'm not sick no more." Within the next twenty-four hours, devils will be leaving this place, because the blessings is pronounced upon the people.
Now let us bow our heads as we pray, each one as they pass through the line now. Brethren, just laying your hands upon the sick. All right.
[Brother Branham goes down with the ministers, and prays for the sick. Blank spot on tape.]

134 Don't you feel right, now? How many believes that you are healed? Passing through the prayer line here, time after time after time, it happened right here, that, before they got away from the platform, I believe that each one of you will be well. I believe it. I accept it for you. My faith goes with you, that they will be well. Do you believe that, brethren? Oh, my, isn't He wonderful!
Let's just now sing a praise to Him before we're dismissed. And then let's just raise up our hands, and hold them up high. And, remember, we've been through, by the cross, and there is where we got the light.
At the cross, ... first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
Oh, it was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
At the cross, at the cross where I first saw
the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And... ... ... . .