The resurrection of Lazarus

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Good evening, audience, and Brother... I'm very happy to be here this afternoon. I got just a little tired last night, but I feel fine today. And I had the same sort of a convention, religious convention and they said... I feel fine, 'cause the Lord has... prepared for today's services... very...
And then, this type of service coming along this afternoon, speak of His--speak from the Word and--and talk to you friends face to face... thoughts of salvation of your soul. I--I love to do that. I'm... preacher, but I am... I love the Word of God. And I like to talk about It.
But my--my calling is--is to get into a--a gift that came from God for an inspiration for the people. And as Brother Ramsey had rightly said, "It is not just something another that..." Well, as God has just done to one individual person or something, I'm just for a--a little bitty part of it. But it was given to me in order that it be demonstrated before the church, that everybody might catch the vision of the supernatural part that God lives and reigns in His church today. And He's here to bless us all.

2 And the blessings, I trust that... One of the finest groups of ministers I've met, I believe that these brothers here, that... I've just got to shake their hands about once. But they're certainly fine brothers. And I'm so glad to know that when we leave here, we leave these converts, and so forth, in hands of men like that, that love God. May God richly bless.
And may there be an old fashion revival start from this, that'll just sweep out through the country, ready for the coming of the Lord, for I truly believe it's drawing close at hand.
I do not wish you'd say that I was a fanatic, and said when Jesus was coming right now. I--I do not know that. No one knows when Jesus is coming, not even the Angels; just the Father is all Who knows. But He said when we see these signs begin to come to pass, then get ready, for the time was at hand. And we know we're right there at the time.

3 Now, in the--a day like this... The brethren give it to me. And--and usually on Saturday nights, or something like that, I try to put in as much time as possible. The gift has such an effect, for it just pulls the life out of me. And sometimes I get till I don't even know where I'm standing at. It's just such a anointing. You just get to a place... And many times, there's other reasons why they take me. I--I...
We're just all God's children (Aren't we?), just home folks. And I believe you'll love me. I love you with all my heart.
And many times that way, I hold myself on the gift. Now, it's not around me now, 'cause I haven't been praying. I got up, had just a little bite of breakfast, and I won't eat any more, probably, till after the services, and so forth. I have to keep empty.

4 If your--if you keep your stomach empty, the blood is at your brain, and you must be ready. And if you're all full when you're... That's the power of fasting. When you're--when you're full, the blood goes into your stomach to digest your food. You see? And then when you're empty, it's in your--in your brain. So you can be just... 'Cause them two spirits is so close it could deceive the very elect, if possible.
And many pe--many times you hear It cry. I've heard people shout. Now, as I told you, I hope I--God that has let me find favor with you that you believe me. I've heard people shout when it wasn't God. I've heard people cry when it wasn't God. See? And their sympathy sometimes, the devil wants to be petted. And it--it takes a real sheep raiser to know the difference between the bleat of a goat and a lamb; they're so close together. You see?
And so therefore, on this platform, you must be very careful. Can be just one thing is all that Satan wants to--wants to throw out before the public. So therefore, I have to be fasting, prayerful, every minute on the guard, watching for something.

5 And now, on a service like this it just feels like you just... We call it a street expression, just let down your collar, and come in and talk, just... And you don't have to be looking at that; you're just going to talk on the Word.
And then sometimes when it gets in that subconscious position on the platform, goes to calling the people... Critics and things in the meeting, sets in the meeting, and that causes a disturbance. Sometimes they get angry and huff around about it. And I just try to hold it just exactly to one thing: that's on healing, is what I'm representing here on Divine healing, and so forth.
Now, if the patient's up here, and something in the patient, why, it's called out. But sometimes out in the audience, it just pulls right out, the critics and so forth setting there, hurt feelings. A discerning Spirit's an awful... It sometimes you have to speak very sharply. And you don't speak yourself; It speaks. You see?

6 And so it's a great day that we're coming into. Not long ago, I was talking to someone. Said, "Oh, the days of evangelism will be after this church is done gone, and there'll be another age raised up." Don't you believe that. Now is the day. You get ready now. You're probably living in one of the best days that you'll ever see. That's right. You must take heed today to the Word of God. The Holy Spirit's been in the world for evangelism for nineteen hundred years and better. This is the day of evangelism, to move out and get the church in order. God's showing these signs and wonders... [Gap in the audio]
Supernatural... Now, I'm... As I told you awhile ago, I'm just a long ways from being a preacher. I--I usually a little... I don't believe in joking at the platform. This is no place for jokes. This is sacred. This is the platform. See? And we mustn't do that. This is God's house, God's place. So we must be real sincere.
Now, as a minister, I remember when I first got my papers, ordination papers at the Missionary Baptist church, and I thought I was a--a preacher. Oh, my. I just loved to tell everybody I was a preacher.

7 And it kind of reminds me, one time I was... My father was... My mother is from Oklahoma and Texas. And she was born in the state of Kentucky. And my grandfather went west. My mother's mother come off the Oklahoma reservation. She's full blooded Cherokee Indian. And my father's Irish. And my mother, on the other side, by her father, was Irish.
And so there's forgiveness for that. I--I'll tell you that so. We--we know that God, no matter what we are, who we are, God will forgive us (That's right.) of our sins and trespasses.
My father was a rider. And he went west breaking horses. And he met my mother; they were married. I was born when my mother was sixteen years old, and my father was eighteen: just children. And so I used to want to be like my dad.

8 Next Sunday afternoon, the Lord willing, if we get to stay over for next Sunday, I wish to tell my life story next Sunday afternoon from the platform here.
And how I loved my daddy, how I wanted to do things like dad did. And he used to like to ride, so I said, "I wanted to be a rider, also when I got to be a man."
I used to take our old plow horse and of the afternoon when the work was over, and I'd put some cockleburs under the saddle and pull it down, you know, real good and tight, get down behind the barn where the watering trough was, and get on the old horse. And the poor old thing was so tired, he couldn't... He couldn't buck, so he just stand and bawl, you know, and just cut his feet up and down. And I'd take off my straw hat and hit him, like that. And I was--thought I was a real rider.

9 So one day I got to be about eighteen years old; I went out west. I landed in Arizona. And I thought I wanted to be a rider. I went out to their corrals to find out if I could get a job riding in the rodeo. And I climbed up with a pair of Levis on, on the corral fence where they brought the horse out. And they had to come out through the stalls and catching pens.
And I seen a fellow jump on the horse there. And my, my, sure didn't act like my old plow horse. And he throwed that fellow. My, he had a handful of mane in his hand.
And the fellow coming by, caller came by, said, "I will give any man fifty dollars who will stay on him a half a minute." He kept coming on by all those riders there setting, come right straight to me. He said, "Are you a rider?"
I said, "No, sir." I was--I was very scared, because I wasn't a rider.

10 That just reminded me when I was first got ordained as a Baptist preacher. I'd carry my Bible under my arm, you know, and go down the street. And I... Everybody would say, "Are you a preacher?"
"Yes, sir." See?
And one day, I was at St. Louis, Missouri... [Gap in the audio] I went into a tent meeting. There was a minister there by the name of Reverend Daugherty. He's a Pentecostal preacher. And he got to preaching. My, he would preach till his breath would leave him; he'd turn red in the face, and his knees would go together; and he'd go plumb down to the floor and come back, catch his breath; you could hear him for about two squares, still preaching.
Some of them said, "Are you a preacher?"
I said, "No, sir." I wasn't no preacher. I was a preacher all right, till I met him. So when I come around where these Pentecost preachers, I say, "I'm no preacher." And my old slow Baptist ways don't think of it that fast. And so--so I just have to do the best I can. But I do love the Word of God, for It is really good. And It's good to our hearts.

11 And this afternoon, my brother is fixing to go away to the Army. And they sent him... They called him last night. And he has to leave right away to return into the active service.
And here not long ago, I preached a little subject on "The Resurrection Of Lazarus." I don't know whether anybody here heard anything preached on it or not in other places. If you have, raise your hand, of "the Resurrection of Lazarus"? Three or four. And I'm... He asked me... That was one of his favorite subjects, and he asked me if I'd hit on it some ways here this afternoon. And I promised him I would.
You'll bear with me just a little bit, we'll have prayer.

12 Our heavenly Father, now we've come together this afternoon for one purpose: to speak of Thee, and to love Thee. And we all love You. And we've come facing this, today knowing that today may be the--someone may seal their eternal destination from the service today, the attitude towards the Word. We realize that no one can come in a service, and return, and be the same person. We go out... If we reject, we go out worse than we were when we come in. And if we accept, we go out better than we was; for the Word shall not return void; It'll accomplish that which It was purposed for.
And now, Father, realizing that maybe many unsaved are here today, and I'm to speak before them for this Word. And I pray, God, that You'll take the Word and by the Holy Spirit, and may It give out to each one. May every one be blessed, Father. Keep us humble. We realize that--that we're nothing in this earth, and we may not live to see the sun set this afternoon. We may go out to meet God before that time.
And now, Father, bless Thy servant this afternoon. And help me as I minister of the Word of grace to the people, for I ask it in Jesus Christ's Name. Amen.

13 What could we do without Jesus? We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Jesus.
Now, friends, I'm just a little funny about standing up and speaking before people, because I haven't got any education. So now, don't judge me by my--my education, but--but what I mean, what's on my heart, if you will.
I wish to read this portion of Scripture found in Saint John the 11th chapter, if you would like to read just a little with me, and will pray with me, if you will, for just a short time. And I'll try to close and not keep you too long, so you can be here for the evening service. The 11th chapter of Saint John, let's begin about the 20th verse of the 11th chapter.
Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary set still in the house.
Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou had been here, my brother had not died.
I love that, don't you? Just listen at this reading of the Word. Let me read that 21st verse again. Listen.
Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou will ask God, God will give it to you.
Jesus said unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. (There's the attitude of approach.)
Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. (See, those Jews believed in the general resurrection. Listen at the 25th verse. Notice.)
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
She said unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
May God add His blessings to His Word.

14 Now, let everyone just forget about the work you have to do tomorrow, what you've done last week, and let's think of Jesus just now, and get this story kinda in our minds of--of Him, and scene at this time.
This was during the time of His--beginning of His ministry. His ministry had gotten great. They called Him so much till He couldn't go to different... He had to go to different parts of the country, I mean, to minister to those who were in need. And it had a very hard time.
Isn't it strange that God takes those things of low estate and brings them up. When He was borned, He was born with a black name to begin with, black mark on His Name. He was supposing to--to have been a legitimate Child, or--or illegitimate Child; borned by Joseph, being His father, before he and Mary was married.

15 Someone not long ago told me; he said, "Brother Branham, don't you believe that that was just a little bit of a slip-up, like we have in all days now?"
And I said, "No, sir. I believe that He was truly the Son of God. He was God's Son."
And he said, "It's against all scientific research, Brother Branham." He was a scientist. He said, "It's against all scientific research for anything like that to happen." And he said, "First place, your thought of God is just psychology." He said, "There is no such a thing." Said, "It's... that people believed in that."
I said, "No. I--I different with you, my friend. No." I said, "I know there is."

16 He said, "Now, don't you think that if Joseph was really the father... He was just a--a good man, a good teacher, and a smart man. And they just made a religion around Him?"
I said, "No, sir. I believe that He was the virgin born Son of God." And I said, "I believe it with all my heart."
He said, "Well, It could not have been born without He had a earthly father." Said, "Now, corn--it has to have a pollen. All things has to be polled between natural, between male and female. An it's utterly impossible for any child to be born without a direct sexual affair of a male and female." And he said, "He has to have a earthly father and mother."
I said, "Brother, I... or, friend..." I couldn't call him my brother. But I said, "Friend, look, that's... I different with you." I said, "Now, you were just telling me awhile ago that according to some of the Darwin's ethics, or something, that the first man, when he came here, was a germ-- or come on the earth was moon and star, begin as just a tadpole, and so forth." I said, "I want to ask you something. If you will credit Him of having an earthly mother, but you can't believe He come here without having an earthly father..."
He said, "That's exactly right. It's against all scientific research."
I said, "Then if you will credit Him of having a earthly mother, and can't believe that God was His father, and you say they had to have a both earthly father and mother or He could not have been here..."
Said, "That's right."
I said, "How did the first man get here without father or mother then?" Let it be what he wants to be. See? Let him be... If he was a monkey or a tadpole, whatever he was, who was his father and mother? There you are.

17 You have to bring it back till He... God's the Creator. And God the Creator, created a blood cell in the womb of Mary. Come from the Father, which is God, by virgin birth, and that is the Son of God Who we love and cherish today, Who died and gave His Blood at Calvary, that we might have remission of our sins and healing of our body. That's my faith in the Gospel of Christ. Now, I believe it with all my heart.
Now, if today, if we should have an altar call, and--and--in this city today, and ten thousand people would come to Christ, and all ten thousand would die tomorrow; in fifty years from today I would return back, and they would come back, and I would be laying here dying; and they'd say, "Oh, that's fake, that's fake. Jesus isn't the Christ. No, sir. We done been there and come back. And we know that it isn't the Christ," and I was dying, I'd say, "Let me go in Jesus, for I believe Him." No matter what, that's... If I prayed for ten thousand people, and every one of them died in an hour after I prayed for them, I'd still, dying, I'd say, "I believe in Divine healing, for it's the Word of God, and I know it's the Truth." See? That's right.

18 Them theories don't change God's Word. No, sir. God's Word is eternally true, and It's right, and It... our faith is based on there. And by...
I'm not saved today because I got down at the altar and cried. [Gap in the audio] I'm saved because the Word of God tells me I'm saved. Satan can whip me around anywhere on how you feel. But I believe it, because God said so, and I accept Him upon the basis of His Word. That's how I was saved. I believed it, and confessed it, and then it works the results.
But the first thing, I'm saved because God's Word teaches I'm saved. That's how you're saved, if you're saved.
Satan can whip you on your ideas and things, but he can't go around the Word of God. Jesus said, "It is written," and that settled it with all. It is written in the Scriptures.

19 Now, when He was there, He was borned (and as I said) in the world, come in here with a black mark on His Name. How that God so marvelously brought Him here. Just before His coming, the age had got just about like it has come to recently: into a backslidden condition. Israel had been brought into captivity by the Romans, and there they had been taken away. And the priests had got to a place, and got away from the supernatural part of God, been teaching just upon a doctrine of their own theories of what they taught. As Jesus said, "You teach for commandments, the word of men, making the Word of God of non effect." And that's about the kind of a time that He was born. But God has always had a witness here on earth for Him.
Now, notice, then during this time, just before His--His birth...

20 Before God does anything here on earth... I want you to catch this close. Before God does anything on earth, He always sends a witness from heaven to declare it.
Now, before Jesus was born, why, God sent a witness of this. Signs and wonders begin to appear of His coming, just as it's appearing today by witnesses of His second coming again. See? Signs and wonders... This is a day that... There's never been an age through all the church ages that's ever produced what this age is producing right now, for it's the coming of the Lord's drawing near. Don't you believe it? Drawing nigh, rather... And we're nearing the time of the close of this world's history when Jesus shall come.

21 Notice, signs begin to appear. There was a man by the name of Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth: righteous, holy people, keeping the commandments of God and walking in all the statutes and ordinances of God, blameless.
That's the kind of a home we need today. Don't you believe it? In the stead of that in the church today, we have everything else but holiness and righteousness.
But they were righteous people, godly people, walking in the commandments of the Lord, keeping all the ordinances, blameless. Zacharias was a priest at the temple. And his office was to burn incense while prayer was being made.
And one day, while he was in the temple burning incense, Gabriel, an Angel from God, came down and stood by the altar of incense, and said, "Zacharias, fear not. Your prayers is heard." Oh, I love that.
They... His wife was barren. She hadn't had any children. She was past the age of bearing. But he lived right before God and believed on God. And all of his great, dark, long hours of worry finally the Angel come and said, "God has heard your prayer."
Now, if you want God to hear your prayer, send an Angel to your home, live right, do right, treat everybody right, be right before God, and God will grant that to you.

22 Now, he said... Now, notice, sometimes in that day, like it is now when our prayers are a little bit lingered, we become dull, sense-bound. So Zacharias doubted that that could be so. He didn't believe it. And notice, after he had plenty of examples...
Now, Sarah and Abraham, how old they were when Isaac was born... Hannah came to the temple past the age of bearing, went to the temple that day to serve God. Probably the women all went up to Shiloh, maybe to see what kind of hats one another wore, but not Hannah. She went up with something in her heart. She wanted to talk to God. And she prayed in such deep sincerity, till the priest misunderstood her.
Like today, sometimes we're called fanatics because we pray and cry out to God. We're just... We're not fanatics: misunderstood; that's all.

23 But then when... He thought she was drunk. (They did the same thing on Pentecost. They do the same thing today.) She said she was not drunk, but she was praying God take away her reproach. He blessed her. And as soon as she received the blessing from the priest... Notice, didn't wait now. God could've put the baby in her arms right then. But she went home happy, knowing that in due season God would bring it to pass. That's the kind of people we need today, taking God at His Word. You see?
Then he had that example, and many others. But being a priest, studied the Word, and still doubted how his wife, as old as she was, could have a baby after that age by him.

24 Notice that the Angel of God will perform His Word. He'll bring His Word to pass regardless. When the season comes, harvesters are ripe, God is going to send His Word and perform His things.
Today... Listen. I believe that God is going to call a people out of the Gentiles for His Name in this great latter movement here of a revival sweeping the nation. And if the holiness people don't want it, He will raise it up out of something else. That's right. It's got to be. It's got to come. He's able of these stones to rise children unto Abraham.
What's the matter? We've let down the bars, compromising. An old minister used to sing:
We let down the bars,
We compromised with sin;
We let down the bars,
The sheep got out;
How did the goats get in?
You let down the bars (That's what it is.), let down on the Word. We're getting stiff and starchy, afraid to come back to the old fashion Gospel (That's right), to the old salvation that makes you clean up, fix up (That's right), make right and come before God.

25 That's what's the matter with the church today. We need a revival. We don't need a new seminary. We don't need new preachers. We don't need new church buildings. We need a revival in what we got. That's what it is. Stirring up... Amen.
All right. I'm not amening myself, but "Amen" means "so be it." And I believe it with all my heart. That's what the world needs today is an old fashion, God sent, sky blue, sin killing religion, old Saint Paul's revival, and the Bible Holy Ghost back into the church again. That might be pretty strong for a Baptist, but that's right. True. I'm a Pentecostal Baptist. I got the Holy Ghost since I've been a Baptist. That's right.
Notice, Cleans up, sets aside. Makes a different person, new creature in Christ Jesus. All right. Here's what we need.

26 Then he doubted it to be so. But God's going to confirm His Word. Don't you worry. "God's able of these stones to rise children to Abraham," said John.
Watch. Then in all of that, what taken place? God was sure to bring it to pass, 'cause it was at the season, at the time. His Words, every cog must fit the same place; when them prophetic wheels begin to roll together, it's got to happen.
And there's coming a time when there's... Right now, in the near future, that when great judgment's going to be upon these nations that forget God. When you put up with what I've seen the last few days, and see around in this country under the name of religion, and living the way people's living, no wonder communistic things break out, and things the way they are. [Gap in the audio]... that the Bible teaches. That's right.
We're letting down, compromising. But God's going to have a remnant of people, a Blood washed church without spot or wrinkle. Amen. I believe it with all my heart.

27 Notice, then God was going to bring it to pass. And He said, "Because that..." Gabriel the Angel said, "Because you have doubted My Word... I'm Gabriel..." [Gap in the audio]... stands in the Presence of God... [Gap in the audio] "... you doubted the Word, You'll be dumb till the day the baby's born." Hallelujah. I believe God. God send the line. [Gap in the audio]
See, God's determined. When He speaks, He's sovereign. He can't lie. God, the hour is come for something to... [Gap in the audio]
Many times, I go into a place, and the people say, "Oh, I don't believe in that. I believe it's hypnotism. I..." Don't make no difference what... [Gap in the audio]
God can show forth His power, His hand, by stretching forth the hand of His Son Christ Jesus to heal the sick, and to bring the nine spiritual gifts back to the church, get a church ready to be raptured at some of these hours... [Gap in the audio]

28 "'Cause there's doubt in me now. You'll be dumb, but the thing's going to... [Gap in the audio]... or something." He went home to his wife, and she conceived. [Gap in the audio]
There's anything... No matter how impossible it looks, it's going to happen. That's right. And she conceived and hid herself for six months. Six months later... [Gap in the audio] Things are happening around Bethlehem and Judaea, and around in Palestine now.

29 Notice, what's happening again now too. [Gap in the audio]... Behold the Lamb of God. Get ready. Wake up, get your conscience back out here. Get your soul out here with God. Get away from that sense-bound existence, thinking what you just look like... that for another day. Lift up your heads; redemption is drawing nigh. Get ready. Signs and wonders appearing... Critics, infidels wax worse and worse. We've got to put up with them. But we're not looking to them; we're looking to God.
This Gabriel come down from heaven. Let's give just a little drama here. I imagine it'd be like on Monday, a wash day or something in the city of Nazareth. A little woman by the name of Mary, she starts out to the pump, you know, the old fashion. They had great big jars had handles on them. Packed the water on her shoulder and on her head. I can see her coming from the spring, or the pump out there by the well now, packing water on her shoulder, her head, and walking along, a little virgin.

30 With all of the aristocrats, all the fine dressed people through the country, the educated, God came down to Nazareth, the meanest city in the world to pick out of the woman that He found who was virtuous to bring His Son to the earth. My, a little virgin, she's walking home, packing the water. Persecuted and made fun of, probably the way they lived. Then it'd be something like it is now. She didn't get out and rowdy around with the rest of the crowd. She was a fanatic. But she knowed where she was standing with God.
Walking along with her head down, all of a sudden I can just notice a big Light like, swing around her. She looked, standing in that Light stood the great Angel, Gabriel. It excited the little virgin. It would excite you. It'll excite me; It did when He was here, the Angel, whatever He was.
I can hear her say--hear Him say, "Hail, Mary, blessed art thou among women." And the little virgin stopped and was startled at the salutation of the Angel. And she looked at Him. And He said, "I'm..." told He was sent from the Presence of God, told her about her--her cousin, her... Elisabeth was Mary's first cousin. And then told about that, and said that she was going to bring a child knowing no man.

31 Look. Oh, my. I--I just feel good. Notice, right when those calloused clergymen... Zacharias failed to believe the Angel's message. Many times there's many clergymen today, brethren, that don't believe it either. [Gap in the audio]... resurrection power, trying to resurrect a church now, bringing it back to God again. But the social Gospel, denying the Blood, denying the power, denying the Holy Ghost and all... But thank God, there is some who does believe It.

32 Notice, but this little woman... Zacharias back there, he had much Scriptures behind him to believe where miracles had happened on the same order. But Mary, there had never been a baby born like that. But notice, instead of fussing at the Angel like Zacharias did, she said, "Behold the handsmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to Your Word." Oh, I love that.
There it is. Take Him at His Word. Don't try to figure it out, how it's going to be, just take Him at His Word.
And notice, as soon as she got His Word, and heard His Word that she was going to have the baby, she didn't wait till she was positive. She didn't wait till she felt life. She started right out testifying about it.
God, give us some more Marys down here in Cleveland, that'll take God at His Word and testify about It before anything happens, just so the Word of God says so. Amen.
Now, maybe I'm deafening you out there. That thing's got an awful voice. Look, I don't aim to yell at you. But sometimes I get to speaking when you feel the response of the Holy Spirit coming back, knowing that It's anchoring somewhere. It's hard to hold quiet. That's right.

33 Notice, she took Him at His Word. God said she's going to have the baby, told it by an Angel. That was good enough for her. Away she went, testifying, telling the people she was going to have the baby before there was any sign of anything. She had the Word of God; that's good enough.
That's good enough for me this afternoon. If He's Jehovah-rapha, the Healer, if He promised to heal me, I'll take Him at His Word. If He promised me the Holy Ghost was to me, I'll stay there till It comes; that's all. That's right. He promised It; stay with it. Just take Him at His Word and stay right there. That's the only way to do it.
All right. I can see her. She was so happy she wanted to tell somebody else about it. Trouble of it is, the people get saved today, they think, "Well, maybe I'd better keep still. My neighbor don't believe in this." Huh-uh. You never really got saved; I don't believe. No, sir. You can't hold it. That's right. Say, "So well, I--I--I'm afraid to testify of healing, afraid the--the--the doctor won't like it." Brother, if you got healed, you'll testify about it. Don't hold it. Tell it. That's right. Tell it out to somebody else...
You overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and your testimony. That's how you overcome.

34 Notice closely. Now, let's follow a little farther. Let's watch Mary. The Angel told her that. She said, "Behold the handsmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to Thy Word." Went around, begin happy and rejoicing, she said she's going to have a baby; she knowed no man. Impossible with men, but not impossible with God; for all things are possible to them that believe. She believed God took Him at His Word.
When the Angel met me in the room that night, and said to me "Go do this," some said, "Aren't you afraid that you'll make a mistake?" No, sir. I can't make a mistake. Certainly not. I could, but as long as He's here, I can't make a mistake. That's right.

35 I remember here not long ago, standing up in the mountains... I love to hunt. I was way in the mountains hunting elk, late. Now, all my life, that's how I learned of God was by hunting, being out. I never went to shows, dances, never smoked, drank. I was a black sheep, sure enough. And all of them laughed at me.
But I'd go hunting. And out there in the woods, I'd see a sunset, and I'd cry. I'd hear the winds blowing through the leaves of the trees, and I'd wonder, "Oh, my. What brought them trees here?" Flowers would die in the wintertime, come back to life in the summer; how the little flowers would go away and come up again; how the winds would... that little seed up and bury it in the ground, and tears from the fall would bury the seed. Is that all of it? No. The ground would freeze, and the seed would burst; the pulp would run out. Is that all? No. In there there's a germ of life. Just as sure as that warm spring sun begin to shine, yet all soft petals fall off, seed, pulp, everything else gone from the flower. But God's made a way for that flower to live again. Just as soon as that sun goes to shining, there's a germ of life in there somewhere that's stayed through the freeze. And I'll tell you, it'll live again.

36 And if God made a way for a flower to live again, what about a man that's made in His image? The freeze might come, but when a man's borned again of the Spirit of God, there's Life in there, Eternal Life that'll stand the freeze. And when the Son of Righteousness rises with healing in His wings, there'll be a church to go up to meet Him in the air. Amen.
You're going to call me a holy-roller anyhow, and I might as well have a good time anyhow. So there you are.
Notice. Yes, sir. There's a Life comes from God that only God alone can give. The freeze might come. It might break me this way or that way. But when that germ of Life in there, it'll stay. That's right. And God will bring it forth again in a resurrection. Oh, my.

37 Standing up there in the mountains I was telling you, one fall, I remember, about four years ago, I was way up in Colorado. I'd go seventy miles back by horseback to a little ranch out there where nobody goes, way up in the top of the Corral Peaks, just to be alone. An old rancher and I, and he sleeps by my side at night, only soul there. That old camp bag in--in night time. We live there and look at the stars.
First time with him... I was talking to him about the Lord; he was unconverted. I felt a hand reach over under my... bag, about one o'clock in the morning, said, "Preacher."
I said, "Yes."
He said, "Looks like Him up there, don't it?"
I said, "Oh, God bless you, brother. Let's settle it right here." That's right. The deep calling to the Deep. There's got to be a Deep to respond to it.

38 There one day I was up in the mountain, going along. It was early in October, and the freezes was coming, the storms a blowing. The wind would blow against the evergreens in storm. I got behind a tree, and I was standing like this, the wind blowing. I was waiting. The storm passed over, and the sun came out. I walked out from behind the tree. There was an old blow-down near, and I looked.
And oh, the... It'd been cold while the rain was blowing, froze all over the--the evergreens, and the sun was setting. Down through the crevices of the rocks over there, flickering against there made a rainbow come down through the valley. Oh, my. I looked at it, and I laid my gun down; I said, "O Jehovah God." Seventy miles from civilization, I stood down there.

39 And a old gray wolf got to hollering up on the rim; the mate answered down at the bottom. The elk herd had been lost; I heard them bugling one to another. Then the deep begin to call to the deep. And here's where there's something in nature that pulls out. I love that.
God's in His nature. Look at the sunset. Get saved once and watch how different things look when you get saved and look at God in His nature out there. That's right.
Standing and looking at that, I thought, "Oh, my. How wonderful, how that I have to go down here." And I'd run around and around and around the tree, and shake my hands. If somebody would've come by, they'd have thought I was out of the insane institution. And I scream to the top of my voice. I said, "O God, O God, how great You are. Why would it be that I'd ever have to go down into the valley."
I remember Peter and them said, "It's good to be here; let's build three tabernacles."

40 Looked at that... [Gap in the audio] Thought I heard something moving. I looked over where there was a big old eagle that had been forced... [Gap in the audio] He was under the brush. [Gap in the audio] " You wouldn't have put an eagle before me unless You wanted me to see You..." [Gap in the audio]... wait till I see it about him. [Gap in the audio]

41 May be your darkest hour. Don't worry, Jesus will be along. It may be your darkest hour, sister; may be yours, sister; may be yours, brother, but don't worry, Jesus will come along. He's always there just in the darkest of hours.
There they was setting there... [Gap in the audio] Them people. And he said, "There they goes out, and she's going out to the meet Him now." She just pressed right on by them. She knowed in her heart if she could ever get to Jesus, she'd get the desire of her heart. That's right. There you are. She probably read in the Bible where the Shunammite woman... When her baby was dead, and she knowed if she could ever get to Elijah, that she would know why that baby died, or get the will of God.

42 Now, he--she knew, Shunammite woman knew, that God was in Elisha. There's where the Spirit was in the prophet, and there's where she must get to, that earthly vessel that had the Spirit of God in it. If she'd ever get to Elisha, she'll--she'd get her heart's desire. So she just stayed there. She said, "I'll not leave you." Oh, my. I like that, don't you? "I'll stay with it." Yes, sir.
And went right... She said... He said, "Well, I'll send my handkerchief," in other words. "I'll send this stick to lay on him."
She said, "As the Lord God lives and your soul never dies, I'm not going to leave you." And he stayed right there until Elisha went to the house and laid his body on that dead baby: never prayed. Laid his head and hands over, like that, put his lips out against it, like that, and the Spirit of God that was in Elisha come upon the child and brought it back to life again.

43 Why, she knowed if God was in Elijah, surely He was in His Son. Hallelujah. That's right. There, she said, "If I can only get to Him, I'll find out the reason my brother died. So she pressed right on through that crowd of unbelievers. When she got down there to where He was...
Now, look, seem like... (Closely now. I'm going to close just in a minute.) Seem like that she had a right to upbraid Him, doesn't it? Say, "Why didn't You come to my brother?" Scold Him. "Why didn't You come to my brother?"
If she would've approached in that attitude, she'd have... That miracle would've never happened. It's your attitude of approach, how you approach anything. If you come... Like on the gift here, you've got to approach the gift in the right way. You've got to approach God in the right... You can't come, say, "Now, Lord, looky here. I've been a pretty good fellow. I've... Get some hand-me-downs. But I'll tell You; I want You to take me tonight and say..." No, no. God don't take it like that. You come God's provided way, or you don't come at all. That's right. That's true.

44 That's the way she come to Jesus. She came to Him, and she run and fell down at His feet. Look at her now; let's look at the scene. I can hear her say, "Lord (Giving Him His right title. That's what He was.), Lord, if Thou would've been here, my brother would not have died."
Oh, her heart was broke. She knowed her brother was gone. She was turned out of her church now. What did she have left, just her and Mary, to struggle together.
She said, "Lord, if Thou would've been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, Lord (Oh, my.), whatever You ask God, God will give it to Thee." Oh, isn't that wonderful? "My brother's dead. He stinketh. He's in the grave four days. The skin worms are crawling through him. But even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You."

45 Oh, look, sister, it may be a dark hour to you. "But even now, Lord, whatever You ask God." He's setting at the right hand of the Father to intercede for you. "Even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God will do it."
Say, "Well, I got a cancer, Brother Branham. The doctor says I'm going to die. I can't make it. But even now, Lord, whatever You ask..."
"Oh, Brother Branham, I've had prayer cards, but I just couldn't..." But even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God will do it. Oh, right now, even now, this minute, God can take every cancer away from the people here. He can heal every crippled person. He can make the lame walk. What... "Even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God will do it." God can make the eyes of this blind man break forth. He can heal the cross-eyes of that--cross-eyed girl setting there. He can make this woman here bound, raised to health and strength. Why? "Even now, Lord."
Friends, "Even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You." [Gap in the audio]

46 That went through the heart of Christ. I can hear Him raise--or, see Him raise and say, "Thy brother shall rise again."
She said, "Yea, Lord. He'll raise again at the last day, for he was a good boy." See, they believed in a general resurrection at the last day. He said... She said, "Yea, Lord. He--he'll raise at the last day."
Look at Him. The Bible said there's no beauty we should desire Him, little old spindly looking Fellow, probably was skinny and bony. But I can see Him pull His little Self together, said, "I am the Resurrection and Life." Oh, my. I still believe He's the Resurrection and Life. "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."

47 Look. Oh, there's the gift of God before her. There's everything that she had need of. She's approaching it right. The wheels are coming together. She regarded Him as Lord in title. That's what He was, called Him the Son of God. "Even now, Lord, I believe whatever You ask God, God will do it. (See?) And I believe that Thou art the Son of God which is come into the world." Oh, my.
Something has to happen. When faith like that is met at the right spot, something has to happen. I know that by experience. [Gap in the audio] Oh, brother, sister...
If you approach with faith, that has met at the right time, it has to happen. It's got to.
She said, "I believe what You said is the truth. I believe that You're the Son of God that was to come into the world."
"Where have you buried him?" Oh, my. "Where have you buried him?" Here they go.

48 A woman said to me here not long ago, said, "Brother Branham," said, "He was a good man, but He wasn't Divine. He was just like an ordinary man."
I said, "Oh, yes He was Divine. He was Divine."
Said, "He was a good man, but he wasn't Divine."
I said, "Yes He was."
"I'll tell you what." She said, "Here's the reason He wasn't." Said, "When he went down to the grave of Lazarus, it proved that he wasn't Divine because he went to crying. And that showed that he was a man. The Bible said, 'Jesus wept.'"
I said, "Look, lady. He might've been a man when He was weeping, but when He said, 'Lazarus, come forth,' and a man that had... [Gap in the audio]... returned back that had been dead four days... [Gap in the audio] and Christ reconciling the world to Himself.
He was more than a man; He was a God-man. He was God in that man. He was personifying Himself here in His Son: God was, Himself, in Him. It's God, dwelling.
Look at Him. He was a man truly when he was crying, He was a man. But when He raised the dead, He was God.

49 When He come down off the mountain that night when He was hungry... [Gap in the audio] something to eat.

50 But when He took five biscuits and fed five thousand, He was God speaking out of His Son. God was in His Son. Don't you believe that? Yes, sir.

51 Oh, He was a Man when He was in that prayer meeting, and all the virtue had gone out of Him. He was laying on the back of that little ship that night, when it was floating around like a bottle stopper on a mighty sea, ten thousand devils of the world... [Gap in the audio]...

52 Said, "Peace, be still," and the waves stopped. That wasn't a man; that was God speaking. Oh, my. That was God speaking out of His...

53 He was a God--He cried for mercy like a man at the cross. He did that. But when He rose up on Easter morning, He proved (Hallelujah.) what He was. Yes, indeed. He proved what He was.

54 When He stood at the grave as a mere man and He called a man that had been dead four days, stinking in the grave... Look at Him. He said, "Take ye away the stone."

55 I believe if He'd have spoke to the stone, it would've vanished. Don't you believe so? Looked like if He'd have been a man talking to them two little old women, that He'd took the stone Hisself away, but you've got something to do yourself. That's right. "Take ye away the stone." He was a man.

56 They went over there and pulled the stone away. Then I can see Him, not much to look at with your eyes. The Bible said, "No beauty you should desire Him." I see Him stand there, raised back His head, said, "Father, I thank Thee Thou hearest Me always; but for these that stand by, I said it. Lazarus, come forth."

57 My. And a man that had been dead and in the grave, his body mortified, "rotten" in plain words, laying in the grave, and his soul was four day's journey somewhere out in space... I don't know where it was, neither do you. But he returned back, that soul of that man rushed into its master. The soul returned back into a man that had been dead for four days, and he stood on his feet and lived again. Believest thou this?

58 I believe the Bible said He's the same yesterday, today, and for ever. Believest thou this? I believe He's the One that stopped the mouth of lions with Daniel. Believest thou this? I believe He's the One that's coming some of these days in great power. Believest thou this? I believe His power is here this afternoon to heal every sick person in this building. Believest thou this? I believe He'll give every person the Holy Ghost that wants It, right now. Hallelujah. Believest thou this? I believe He's here wanting to heal this woman, that baby, this woman, all of you. Believest thou this? I believe if we stand to our... [Gap in the audio] thou this? Let's stand and accept Him then, all in this audience.

59 For the 2003 release it was discovered that some of the text that previously followed was a duplication and some was in the incorrect location. The non-duplicated portion was placed at the end of 50--0820A and the duplicated portion has been removed from here. E-59 Lord, people believe that You're here. Lord, send the Holy Ghost in power upon these people. Heal every sick person in the building just now, Father. Grant, Lord, that Your goodness and blessings be manifested unto this people, in Jesus Christ's...

The resurrection of Lazarus

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Thank you, Brother Baxter. Thank you, Brother Baxter.
Good evening, friends, or good afternoon. Very happy to be in this afternoon to speak to you of the love in my heart for this great Lord that we serve, Jesus Christ. And I'm hearing that glorious old song "Only Believe," and of Paul Rader, the writer of that song. And I was a little boy setting at his feet when he was writing that song. Guess, little did he know then that would be my theme song around the world.
But when I was at Fort Wayne and was in the room there where Paul studying the first night there, and I heard that coming in over that public address outfit, "Only Believe, All Things Are Possible." I thought of that great gallant hero. How many ever heard of Paul Rader? Oh, practically all of you. Oh, what a heroic death he had. He never died; he just went to be with the Lord. He...

2 Christians do not die. There's no Scripture in the Bible that says Christians--Christians die. A man that... A person that lives in pleasure is dead while they're living. Death means "separation, separation from God." And sinners are not se... Sinners are separated from God, but Christians never separate from God. They just leave the body here to be with the Lord.
And Paul... I like it so well when he went away. He was a great character to cut up. Do you remember how he used to carry on, any of you know him? He was always cutting up. There was... He'd always pulling some kind of a little joke to someone. And he said when he was... They had the little Moody Bible Institute, they had a choir there singing. And they had the shades pulled down in the room, and they were singing "Nearer My God To Thee."
And Paul looked around and he said, "Say, who's dying? Me or you?" He said. Said, "Raise them curtains there, those shades, and sing some real good fiery Gospel songs." And so they begin to sing "Down at the Cross." And he said, "That sounds better."

3 And then he called his brother, Luke, who had been with him so long, called him up to his bed side, took his hand. He said, "Luke, we've been a long ways together." But said, "Just think of it: In five minutes from now I will be standing in the presence of Jesus Christ, clothed in His righteousness." Bowed his head and went to meet Him. "Clothed in His righteousness I'll be standing in His presence." I want to go like that, don't you?
Lives of great men all remind us
And we can make our lives sublime,
... partings, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Isn't that right? I love that "Psalm of Life."
And that perhaps another,
Sailing over life's solemn main,
For forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing shall take heart again.

4 Used to be, a little poems used to encourage me so. Columbus was one also that used to ... that "Sail on, sail on, sail on and on." I like something that's got some courage. I just despise a coward. Don't you? Someone who's afraid... Stand up there. If you got the right stuff behind you; stand for what you think is right. Be not only willing to live for it, die for it, or anything. If it's right, it's right. Other men has died for what's right.
And so, that's the way with the Gospel. If I didn't think it was right, and I didn't believe He was the Son of God, I'd be against Him. I'd be out here saying everything I could against Him, because I wouldn't think it was right. But I know He's right. And so therefore I'm... I believe it with all my heart.
And if just part of this is right, and the rest of it's not right, then it's none of it right. It's either all right or all wrong. And every word is true. You can hang your soul on any phase of the Gospel and believe it; for it's every bit truth. And just don't be afraid. If you're afraid don't do it, but if you know where you're standing, all right. That's different.

5 I was just... Met some brothers there a few moments ago and they said, "We'd like to take you hunting sometime, Brother Branham." I'd sure like to go, too. I love hunting.
That's where I found God, when a little boy. I seen Him in His nature. You can see God in His nature. Look in the trees; look in the birds; look in all--at whatever you want to. Look at a flower. No man with a right--with his right mind could look in--right in the face of one of those great calla lilies and say there is no God. I believe there's something wrong with a man's mind if he would--if he could look right at that flower, see how it dies and then lives again.

6 Now, you people around here are painting your yards all over with beautiful flowers. I love that. Gets pretty cold up here, I imagine. Then after awhile, in a few months from now, frost will strike that little flower, and it'll bow its little head. It'll die. And the petals will drop off the flower, and the leaves will drop off and--of the stalk. And out of that flower will drop a little black seed. And then they have a funeral procession. God brings a funeral procession along, and He sends a big cloud across in the fall of the year. And it just cries, and the rain falls down and buries that little seed down under the ground, way down.
And then the frozen winter comes along and freezes, maybe it'd freeze six or eight inches. And the little old seed swells up, freezes, and bursts open. The pulp runs out of it. Then comes on through the wearisome winter months.

7 Well, you go look for your flower. There's the bulb all dried up and gone; the stalk's gone; the flower's gone; the petals' gone; the seed's gone. It bursted; pulp run out of it. Everything's gone. Is that the end of the flower? Oh, no. See? Just let that warm sun began to bathe that ground a little bit. There's a germ of life hid in there somewhere that no man can find. That flower will live again.
And if God made a way for a flower to live again, what about you and I that's made in His image? How much more will we live again?

8 Recently I was talking to a man that said to me... We were setting at the "Agricultural Hour," in a little cafeteria listening to a broadcast. And they said they had perfected corn. Scientists had so great, that they could run it through a machine, and you couldn't tell one grain from the other. You could get in a sack here, and take a handful of corn out that had been made by the manufactures, and take a handful of corn out on this side that had been growed in the field, look at them; there's no difference. Mix them up and you couldn't separate them. Take them down to the laboratory, cut them open, and each one has the same amount of calcium and moisture and so forth in it. But said, "The only way you could tell the difference was bury the grains of corn." And said, "The one that man made never was no more, but the one that God raised lived again.
And I said to that old Methodist ministry, "You better hold my hand because I might embarrass you in here." Because here maybe two men, one... They may look alike, and both... May both be men... Maybe could give one another a blood transfusion. But in one lays a germ of life by accepting Jesus Christ, and the other one is dead in sin and trespasses.
God has a provided way if we will just get in that way and travel His way, we're bound to make the shore. Don't you think so?

9 Now, this afternoon I'm just a teeny bit late. I think I usually start around quarter after.
And Brother Baxter... I heard a remark that my wife told me that he made, saying that I was a preacher. Now, let me tell you first. That's an error. Be--for I'm not.
I'm what you call a spare tire. You know what a spare tire's used for? When you got a flat, then you put the spare on and roll in. Now, I don't mean we got a flat. Brother Baxter, I didn't mean that. Ha-ha-ha. I didn't--I didn't... My, I have to apologize for that. He will get me for that. But I meant it to get out my point that's what I'm talking about. I guess he's listening to me there. All right. I didn't mean we had a flat; because we haven't. But a spare tire is when you have a flat and you can roll in. But it's just in spare time.

10 And usually on a Sunday afternoon Brother Baxter brings me down to either tell my life story or to speak a little bit about our Lord. And it gives me a release.
Now, when you're preaching... Why, I could preach all day and night, and it wouldn't hurt me. That doesn't bother me a bit. But then when I had one case of healing or one vision before me, it takes more out of me than eight hours of preaching. See? It just tears the life out of you, see. When you're preaching, you're building up. And when this comes, it's taking down, see. There's a difference.

11 There's no need of me trying to explain these things friends. No matter how much I would try to explain them; I could never explain them to you. So you just try to understand (See?), and just believe me, that it's something that just takes the life right out of you.
One time I wondered how that Jesus could lay on that boat out there in them--in all them waves. And how could He not know that storm was going on. But I remember: He was so tired from virtue going from Him all day, and healing the people, and seeing visions, and it just... He was just so tired, He couldn't get up. So that was it. And they had to come wake Him.

12 By the way, a minister this morning said, "Brother Branham, I want to correct you on something." That's all right. I'm glad to receive that. When... Anyone who can help me and--or tell me something. He said, "I hear you say at nighttime to the people, you're conscious of those people, some of them thinking it's mind reading, when you're talking." But said, "What knocks that in the head, when you go back and tell them things they've not even thought about for years." Said, "They know then it's... And which he said; it is mind reading, Brother Branham."
And I said, "Well, I..."
He said, "Do you know what those people are thinking?"
I said, "Yes, sir."
He said, "Let me give you the Scripture. 'Jesus perceived their thoughts.'"
He knew it was a... See what I mean?

13 He knew their thoughts. He does yet. Is that right? Well, you know what I'm talking about, don't you? Jesus perceived their thoughts. He knew what... They said... He said, "Why reason ye in your hearts, 'Who is the greatest among you or so forth?'"
And then when they said, "This man blasphemeth."...
He said... He perceived their thoughts, and He knowed what they was thinking about. And He said, "Is it just as easy to say, 'Thy sins be forgiven thee,' or, 'Take up thy bed and walk.'" See? Which is it? See? He... So it's just Him. It's not man. It's Christ. So have faith in Him and believe Him.

14 I remember this little... I don't believe in telling jokes from the platform, because it's not a place to joke. And I wouldn't want you to think this was a joke, because I don't believe in it from the platform.
This is... Just a little something, you know, about... When I was first ordained a Baptist preacher, my, I was so happy to get that Bible. And I just carried It everywhere I went. Because, beforehand, I thought nothing but a sissy would pack a Bible.
And so... I used to box all the time till I got my ears beat down one time. I got up to win the Bantamweight Championship of the Three Falls Cities and then in a match. And then I thought no one could whip me, and a little boy from... Billy Frick from Huntington, West Virginia, like to killed me one night. So that taken it all out of me. But I'd had fifteen professional fights and won them all. So then, he sure fixed me on the other one though. Ha.

15 So then I used to always say when I was... Them days I thought, "Well, a preacher, he was just a sissy. And I just thought maybe someday I'd have to preach." And I just thought that would be the biggest sissy that could be. And then after I got saved, oh, my, I wanted to carry that Bible. And anybody, I just liked to tell them I was a minister, was a preacher.
And so the Missionary Baptist Church gave me a local exhorter license, giving me the right to marry, bury, baptize, or so forth in the state of Indiana. And then I thought, "Oh, my. How wonderful."
Somebody say, "You a preacher?"
I'd say, "Yes, sir. Yes, sir." I was happy to say a preacher.

16 And just remind me of... My father was a rider. And he was a very good shot. He used to follow shows. And he'd take guns, and he was one of the best shots I believe I ever seen. He'd take those great big marbles, and roll one of them out like that, and when it stopped rolling, he'd have two guns. And he'd take one gun and shoot and knock the marble up in the air and burst it with the other gun before it hit the ground.
I couldn't hit a lard can setting out four feet in front of me. So I was a long ways from being like dad. But he liked to ride. And he would just break horses.
That's where mother met him in the... When they was in Oklahoma, he was breaking horses. And he was a very good rider. So when I... Say, "When I get to be a man, I'm going to be like my daddy. I'm going to be a real bronco buster."

17 And I remember I used to... When I'd get the old plow horse out you know, of the day, and when we'd plow all day. And the poor old thing would be so tired. It was old anyhow. And the old watering trough was hollowed out of a piece of log.
How many every seen an old log watering trough? They was a bunch of southerners in here today. How many has slept on a straw tick? Say, I'm not the only country boy here, am I? No, my. That's as American as hickory smoked ham and sorghum molasses, isn't it?
Now, we'd get down there on the back by the barn. And I'd water the old horse. And my little brothers, I'd line them all up, and I was the oldest of them. And I'd get on this old horse. And I'd get dad's saddle, and get me a handful of cockleburs and put in under the saddle, you know, and pull it down, jump up on him.
Poor old thing so old and tired. He'd just bawl, you know. He'd hold his head down and bawl. And he was trying to buck. And he was to--he was too stiff. He couldn't, and tired. And he couldn't get his feet off the ground, you know. And I'd take this straw hat off and just swing from side to side. I thought I was a real cowboy back there and just swaying around on this old horse like that, and...

18 One day I decided I'd go out west. And I run off from home and went out to Arizona. I landed out there just in time of a rodeo. So I thought, "Now's the time I'll be a real cowboy. It's just in me from my dad." I said, "I know I'll be..." You know how kids are. I was about eighteen years old. I said, "I better go down and get me a pair of chaps." And I went down and seen a pretty pair of them. I thought... I tried them on. And when I got them on, they was about eighteen inches of leather laying out on the floor. I said, "They're a little longer legged out here, than they are in Indiana."
So I got me a pair of Levis. And I went out, and they let me come in the chutes. And they... The caller went forth, and they brought a horse out there. I seen those outlaws that they call them, the broncos. And so wild off them deserts, till they wouldn't even eat hay if it was laying before them.
And they run them up into the chute, the bull pen, start them through. And you'd have to catch-as-catch-can when they come out. I seen them come out. When I looked at one of them I realized that wasn't the old plow horse by a long ways.

19 I was going to ride and make some money though, you know. And so I got out there and stood on the corral fence with all these disfigured cowboys, bowlegged, my, weather-beaten fellows. And I was just a lad, you know, setting up there looking around at all these fellows. Looked, thought, "I wonder if I looked just as well as they did."
So this... The caller went forth, and he said... This horse was going to be rode. A certain fellow was going to ride him. And he stood up here. And they wasn't fix a saddle on him. Just catch him as he come through this chute. And just as this horse passed through, he dropped into the saddle. My, he could've put all four feet in a wash pan, and throwed the moon over [unclear words].
I looked at that horse, and he made about two jerks sideways, and just made a sunfish. And when he did that man went up, head over limb like that, hit the ground, and the blood running out of his ears and eyes. The pickups got the horse and the ambulance got the man.

20 Here come the caller by, going down through there. He said, "I will give any man fifty dollars who will ride him sixty seconds."
They caught him. Everybody set still. He come right straight to me. He said, "Are you a rider?"
I said, "No, sir." I said, "No, sir."
That's the same way it was when I was converted and got the Bible under... I was just a local Baptist preacher. I said, "Say, I'm a preacher."
And one day I was over in St. Louis in a tent meeting, and they was a holiness preacher there, Reverend Daugherty. And he was a Pentecostal preacher. And I went up to listen to that fellow preach. And his little girl had just, had been called to there. And that's...
You've heard her story. She was the first one healed like that with Saint Vitus' dance. That preacher was in a meeting there, and he started preaching, took a text. He preached till his face look like it was on fire. He just got so weak; he'd sunk in his knees like that, went plumb to the floor still preaching, come back up, catch his breath. You could hear him four or five squares down the street still preaching.
Somebody walked around and said, "You a preacher?"
I said, "No, sir." Ha-ha-ha. "No, sir." My old slow Baptist ways don't think of it that fast. That's all. So I just couldn't do it.

21 But I like to get out here on Sunday afternoon like this, where you're not under that anointing, just come out to speak the Word and not under... See, you'd be surprised at night how much your nerves are on a tension. Just like that. Demon powers moving in here things... You've been in the meetings before and see what happened. Here come a critic, run up or say something like that, you've got to be just at the point, see. One word wrong, is all it takes.
Hear someone walk upon the platform, like that man here a few weeks ago walked up there, and he said... I was just about gone. I took a hold of his hand. I was trying to keep from seeing a vision, just take a hold of his hand to pray. He laid his hand on mine like that. And I said, "Well, sir, there's nothing organically wrong with you." I said...
He said, "Oh, yes there is."
And I said, "No, sir. Let's see again." I took his hand. If it's a germ disease, it picks up. I said, "No, sir. There's not..."
Said, "Look on my prayer card." Said...
I said, "I don't have nothing to do with what you put on your prayer card, sir." I said, "Only thing I'm responsible for is here."
He said... And the brother got the prayer card and read it. He said he had TB, and I forget what all things it was.
And I said, "No, sir. You haven't got it." I said, "Now, you might've had a faith out there in the audience and was healed before you got here."
Then he turned before that eighty five hundred people; he said, "There you are. There's the make-up. My great faith out there."

22 And I turned around. Just then I seen something white move before me. There it was. I said, "You child of the devil, why would you come here on the platform to try to deceive God? You're exposed. Last night you set with a man with a gray suit on and a red tie at a table. And you belong to a cert..." Well, I won't say the church, but anyhow... "You belong to a certain church. And you two got together last night and said you'd come over here. And it was mental telepathy. That the man would pick up the prayer card and the patient would put on the prayer card."
I said, "You think the patient would put on their card their adulteries and things their living in and so forth like that? And you thought it was mental telepathy. Them would take the prayer card, and then transfer it to me by mental telepathy." I said, "That's [unclear words]."

23 And a man screamed up the audience. Said, "That's right, Brother Branham. I was the one setting right with him." And here he come running down to the platform, this man.
I said, "Them things will come upon you."
And there he fell on the platform, grabbed me by the trouser leg, and said, "God, have mercy on my sinful soul." See? Be careful what you're doing, see.
That's right. I don't care what theological teaching he has. This is God today working among His people. And what if it would been there, that it wouldn't been under the anointing. See there? Had to be careful.
But God told me He'd stand with me. That's His obligation. It's my obligation to stand here and tell the truth. It's His obligation to stand with me. That's true.

24 So it's been through the fiery test, friends. Don't believe but what it has... But thank God we're still on the victorious side today, because we're in Christ. And the half as never yet been told. It's in its infancy yet. Watch it when it comes out in its great seal yonder. It'll be a time when this old world's going to receive a shaking likes it's never had before in all the days. The great things lays ahead. Just... We can't make them come to pass, just wait as God shows them.
But when we come out like this on an afternoon, so you can just kind of let your collar down like, you know, and feel free to talk, and makes me feel good. And I hope you feel the same way.

25 I want to read some Scripture and maybe just past a few comments. And if I get too long, somebody raise up and tell me to quit, will you? Because I just love to talk so well, why, I might talk too long. And I'll try not to hold you but just a little while.
Now, there's many times in reading several little texts along. And on the afternoon like this, I don't study of nothing what I'm going to say, because I never did do that. I always just let the Holy Spirit; whatever He wants me to say, I say it.
Maybe I read a Scripture, never even touch it. Maybe He's got something else for me to do. That I don't know. But this afternoon for a familiar text to read that I have read, I want... I was thinking about, maybe the Lord would want me to preach on, "Come and See a Man." But I've been referring to that so many times this week. I thought I would read the--over in 11th chapter of Saint John, "The Resurrection of Lazarus."
How many believes that Lazarus was truly resurrected? Let's see your hands. Wonderful. How many Christians is in here this afternoon, believers on Christ? Let's see your hands. All over the building. Well, my. It's a hundred percent. All right. That's wonderful.

26 All right. I believe I'll just approach it from another way then; instead of preaching to sinners, I believe I'll just preach to the Christians then. And may the Lord... We'll take it on divine healing. Maybe the Lord will speak to us something to encourage you on divine healing then. Maybe He will do it.
Let's turn to Rev--to Saint John the 11th chapter. And let's read a few verses of Scripture here, beginning about the 18th verse of the 9th--of the 11th chapter of Saint John. And now, you remember to, if you want to mark the Scriptures to read at this day, that we were here and we studied on these Scriptures together: now, 11:18:
Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
Then said Martha unto Jesus (Now, listen close.) Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou will ask ... God, God will give it thee.
Jesus said unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

27 Now, can we bow our heads when we... Our heavenly Father, we have read Your Word today of a great event that taken place many, many years ago. But it's new to us today. Every time we read it, it gives something in our hearts.
And we thank Thee for Thy Word that's been preserved down through the age, and for the men who's died, and their blood has stained the earth that our Bible could be given to us today. We bow our head in gratefulness and humility to thank You for their lives. And God rest their gallant souls until the day that they take on body form again and to be immortal beings.
And now, Lord, we believe that the same Jesus that raised this dead man from the grave, is here this afternoon. And we believe that He's able to raise us, and which He is raising the dead, physically dead, proving it with infallible proofs of statements from the doctors and so forth, who studies the anatomy of man and pronounces them dead; and then they come back to life by the power of the resurrected Christ.

28 And now, there are those sitting here who are feeble this afternoon, that's in need of physical healing. And we have chosen these few words to read from Thine. And may the Holy Spirit, the third person of the trinity, come in now, the promise, the Comforter, that You said You would send. And He would take the things of God and would show them to us. And as Your humble servant here speaks, sanctify the lips that speak. Circumcise them, Lord, taking away all words that would not be suitable. And the hearts and ears out there that's to receive it, may the Holy Spirit take the Word right straight to the heart. And may It fall on good ground, fertile, bringing forth a hundredfold. And may this afternoon, Lord, while we're yet speaking, may the Holy Ghost come into this building as a rushing mighty wind, like it did on the day of Pentecost. May the street be crowded out here with people.
God, grant it, Father. May the feeble be made well, the lame, walking, the blind, seeing, the deaf, hear, the dumb, speak, those that are bound with sickness be set free. May there be such a joy in the camp till every heart will be so thrilled till they just don't know where they're at or what they're doing.

29 God, take us away from this sense bound existence; carry us out there in those realms where all things are possible. Grant it today, Lord. Repeat us another day of Pentecost.
Now, upon the pressure of, and the sincerity that we're praying with now, Lord, I ask You in--to answer this prayer by sending the Holy Spirit, directing Thy servant's mind, and my thoughts and speech, and fixing the hearts out there to receive it.
Lord, we don't know what to say, but Thou knowest what this audience has need of. And, God, grant that faith will be built so today, that tonight will be one of the greatest climaxes that's ever come into the meetings. May there be such an outpouring tonight, till it'll never be forgotten among the children of men. Hear the prayers of Your servant, not because that we're here, Lord, but because You are here, and the time is drawing nigh that You shall come to receive Your church.
Bless us. And if there be an unsaved one, anywhere around, grant that they'll see Jesus today and be saved. For we ask it in His name. Amen.

30 Now, just for a few moments to speak on this subject of the resurrection of Lazarus and as a text to believe this.
Now, God is so wonderful. Standing at the big observatory not long ago, where you could take and look through that glass and see a hundred and twenty million years of light space, then you could see the vastness of His universe. And you could think of... We look at this sun and think this is the only sun. There's suns, and suns, and orbits, and suns, and planets, and suns beyond this till they rank in the millions, and God over all this universe sitting there governing it. Could you imagine Who God is? Could you draw any idea Who God is and what He is?
Now, I desire the prayer of you all. Because you know why I feel standing here today, and I'm conscious of these ministers setting here. There's man setting here who's graduated and got the degrees, and ministers who are preachers and know how to form a sermon and set it together and let the Holy Ghost get in there. And me stand up here with my "hit," and "hain't," and "tain't," and "carry," and "fetch," and all my poor grammar. And I feel very conscious of that. But I want to get away from that. That my brethren I know are for me and they love me. And we want the Holy Ghost to come to us today. And that's why we're here, all of us. And we want to shake away from that sense bound feeling.

31 Now, God in His great universe... Could you just imagine just... Let me give you a small picture of what I think God is, what the trinity of God is.
There is different arguments in the world concerning the trinity of the Godhead. If they would just ... they... All of them believe the same thing, but the devil's just got between them and got them all broke up. That's all.
God is just like the air. He fills all the universe. [Gap in the audio.] ... His Son. Son has to be borned of. So the Logos, which was the Son of God that went out of God, that brood over the earth...
Now, let's just picture that as being a white halo coming out of that space. That was the Son of God, the Logos. And there It was in space moving around, like a little child playing before the door of its parent. And He drawed in His mind what should be.

32 And I can hear Him look around and say, there was nothing nowhere no--just vastness of space. The Father covered all the space. And then this God become bodilized down to the Logos. I can hear Him say, "Let there be light." And an atom bursted yonder and the sun come into existence, Deity.
She begin to whirl. Millions of years rolled by. And after while a piece flew off it. [Brother Branham illustrates.] ... star. And He stood out there and watched it. And it went all down; He stopped it over here after it fell a few million years. [Brother Branham illustrates.] ... off went another one. He let it fall near a certain place, and He stopped it. What's He doing? He's got in His mind now that someday there will be an earth. There'll be mankind on earth.

33 God is from above. He's writing the zodiac in the sky. Zodiac starts with the Virgin, the first coming of Christ, ends up with the Leo, the Lion, the second coming. And He's writing His first Bible. There's three of them.
One of them was written in the skies, one in the pyramids, one on this. Everything in God is in a trinity, like a man's in a trinity. All right.
Then after He got all that written, the stars and the planets off that sun. Then I can see a big ball of ice laying yonder somewhere, this earth. And He brood over the earth, moved it over around the sun, dried it off. And He begin His creation on the earth.

34 And then after He got all His creation made, He said, "Let Us," plural, "make man in Our," plural, "own image." Now, if God is unseen, if the Logos was in the form, just mythically speaking, drama, in the form of a Halo, then It's supernatural. Then He had to make a man in His own image. John 4 says that God is a Spirit. And He had to make a spirit man. And He brought it down now; there's deity cannot be seen. Deity is the supernatural. Then He brings It down from a sacred Halo to a little white cloud, something that's more visible; that's man. He give him the rulership over the kingdom.
And he governed the beasts like the Holy Spirit leads the church today. But there was no man to till the soil. Then He put man in the image of man on earth, created him out of the dust of the earth.

35 And there's where science gets mixed up. They say, "No." He might give him a hand like a monkey. He might give him a face like a chimpanzee. He might give him a foot like a bear. But God put a soul in a man.
This white cloud, Deity, came down, not in the animal, in the man. And now, if they want to go back and dig up some old bones, let them dig up as many as they want to; all the fossils, that doesn't have a thing to do on the bearing of the Word of God. There He is.
Then here's this man. And now the man sinned. And when he sinned and fell, then that little cloud in there became marred and black. Then the Logos came down and was made flesh and dwelt among us to redeem this man back to the love of the Father. And He came in by the baptism of the Holy Spirit and chased sin out of the human and brings man back again again in fellowship with God. You believe that? Back...

36 Now, notice. Then, that's where you are. That's what's the matter with you Pentecostal people. Now, I'm... It's my lot this afternoon to preach. And I have a right here at the platform. And I don't never want to know any person from the flesh when I'm standing here.
That's what's the matter with the Pentecostal people. They don't recognize who they are. You're sons and daughters of God. You have in your hand... Look. Then Jesus, it was one time quoted in the Scripture, "Ye are gods."

37 Look. Deity... I'm a part of Charles Branham, because I was born from Charlie Branham, my daddy. I'm a part of him. I've got a forehead like him. My hair was like him. I'm a small man like him. I'm in the nature like him, because he's my dad.
And if we become in spirit sons of God, Deity dwells in the man. Hallelujah! Then you talk about blind eyes being open.
They said nothing impossible to God. God said nothing impossible with you, if you'll believe, not with God, but you. Deity's in man.
The very God that stood back there on the mythical platform of the eternities, and rolled worlds off of His hands, and created these things give you the privilege to be His son, and you're a part of Him. And God dwells in mankind, and man himself is Deity. Hallelujah! There you are. It might choke you, but study over that a little while. See?
He is... God dwells in man. And man becomes a son of God, not him in himself, but the Holy Spirit that's in him is God. The Creator lives in the creation. Oh, my. How I think of that. Then stand with an unwavering faith and ask what you will; it'll be done unto you. There He is. God. There He is.

38 Now, before this Redeemer could come in the days of our text, when Jesus had become very popular. Although He was born with an awful scorn, He came in by the way of a stable door and went out the way of capital punishment (Did you know that?), considered a fanatic, laughed at, spit upon, made fun of, and the very God of Glory. He came in by a stable door.
Why was Jesus born in a stable or a manger? Did you ever think of that? He had to be. He was a Lamb. Lambs are not born in houses. Lambs are born in the barns and fields.
Abel led his lamb away by a grapevine. Sacrificed him on the altar, and Abel died on the same altar his sacrificed lamb died. And every believer, that comes to Christ, must die on the same altar with his dying Lamb, Christ, and die in Christ to be a new creature: die out to the things of the world and become borned again, a new creature in Christ Jesus. Die on the same altar of self sacrifice. All right.

39 Notice. But before God does anything on this earth, He always sends a message, warning, getting things ready.
Oh, I just, I feel kindly religious right now. Look. All right.
I believe that there's a move going on now. God's warning as it was in the days of Noah, getting the people ready. Something's about to happen. The atomic powers and things are about ready to burst in upon us. Millions will die in a split second. But oh, my, God getting His church ready for the rapture, the coming of the Son of God.
Notice. Then before God sends something to the earth, He always sends His message. God sends His Angels to vindicate or to verify certain things.

40 Now, there's minor Angels and there's major Angels. Now, just before the coming of Jesus, God sent Gabriel, the great Archangel.
Look. For four thousand years they had been looking for the Messiah. Now, the old prophetic wheels were coming together. Just about time. The people had got off in their ecclesiastics and so forth. Some of them know no more about God than an Hottentot would know about Egyptian night, yet they can tell you all about the Scriptures.
You try to fight the devil one time just by knowing the Scriptures. He knows it better than any of you. "It's he that doeth the will of My Father."

41 Notice. Then they had it all figured out just how it was to be. But God has never had Himself, left Himself without a testimony. Now, before the coming of Jesus... Let's take God sent Gabriel down from glory.
Now, you can hear of minor Angels coming. But when Gabriel comes, something major's on the road. When Gabriel comes... He's the Archangel. And there's something great fixing to happen.
Listen. Gabriel announced the first coming of Christ, and Gabriel will announce the second coming of Christ. There you are. For He will sound the trumpet of God. All right.
The first coming... Let's take--go back a little bit in some drama. I can see an old priest by the name of Zacharias, wonderful old character. Him and his wife Elisabeth, good people, served the Lord with all their heart. And he--mission at the temple was to burn incense over the altar while the people were praying. And they were keeping all the laws and the statutes of God, walking before God, blameless.

42 And I can see Zacharias at the temple that day making a sacr... people was praying, and he was burning the incense. And then, look. Coming down from glory comes the great Archangel, stands by his side and said, "Zacharias, fear not. For when you... After the days of your ministration here, you're going home to be with your wife. And you're going to bring a child, and his named will be called John." What a salute to that man.
He said, "How can these things be?" I want you to notice. A man of the Scripture, a man who knew all the Bible, a priest, an elect failed to believe God's Angel. All right. Watch.
Then... When God determines anything, His foreordained will has to come to pass.

43 Then I can see Gabriel say, "Because you have not believed my word... I'm Gabriel that stands in the Presence of God. They'll be fulfilled in their season. It's already spoke. But you'll be dumb till the day the baby's born."
Now, Zacharias had many examples. There was Sarah, past the age of bearing, ninety years old, forty years past the menopause. But because she believed God, she had a son, who the world's been blessed by.
There was Hagar... Hannah, I mean. Hannah, past the age of bearing, went to the temple one day up to Shiloh, staggered in there, fell down at the altar, and threw up her hands, and screamed until the people thought she was drunk. She wasn't drunk. She was just misunderstood.
A lot of people said the other night; they was going down and said, "That must be a bunch of holy-rollers up there, all of them screaming and carrying on." You're not crazy. You're just misunderstood. That's all.

44 Hannah was in deep sincerity. And a priest even staggered out and ask her if she be drunk.
She said, "I'm not drunk, but I'm praying, 'God, take away my reproach.'"
She wasn't looking to see what kind of hats the women were wearing, what kind of clothes they were dressed in. She went there to worship God and to ask Him for something.
And if you've come this afternoon, no matter whether you're in crutches, wheelchairs, whatever you are, if you come to ask God something, ask and you shall receive.
And she was misunderstood. But when she raised up and the priest saw that she was sincere, he said, "The Lord, God bless thee." And she thanked God, went home believing. God could've put the baby in her arms right then, but in nine months little Samuel was born. She took him to the temple.

45 Now, Zacharias had all those things as examples, but he failed to believe the Angel. And God told him... Or the Angel told him he'd be dumb. Then he went home. And his wife conceived.
About six months after that, a little virgin was packing water one day. About eighteen years old, she was engaged to a widower, about forty-five, Joseph, who had four children. And she... Let's say it was Monday, that's about the worst day for women, because they wash. I have to still pack wash water on Monday when I'm home.
So there... Oh, let's say it Monday. And I see her coming from the well. And Nazareth, the meanest city there was on the earth, worst than Erie... Yeah.
And there she was packing water, but she was a virgin. She lived right. I don't care how mean your city is; you can be a Christian anywhere. Amen. She believed God.

46 The oriental type was to pack water on their head. I can imagine seeing the little virgin come along packing water upon her head. And all at once a big light flashed before her. There, standing in the light, stood that mighty Angel, Gabriel. Said, "Hail, Mary. Blessed art thou among women." What a salutation. She wondered at His way she--that Angel approached her. It frightened the little virgin. It would frighten you.
It did frighten me. And I noticed that she didn't understand. He told her about her cousin, Elisabeth, going to have a child, being old and past age. Mary and Elisabeth were first cousins. John and Jesus were second cousins. And told her that she was going to have a baby not knowing any man.
Now, look at the difference between a priest, who had plenty of examples by the Word, failed to believe the Angel's message. But the little girl... Never had a baby been born like that. But she said, "Behold, the handsmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to Thy Word." Hallelujah. Don't get scared. I know where I am.
Look. Hallelujah means, 'Praise our God.' And He's worthy of all the praise. All right.

47 She believed Him. She didn't question. She believed Him. Said, "The Holy Ghost will overshadow thee, and that holy thing which is born of thee shall be called the Son of God."
She said, "Be it unto me according to thy words."
And right away she started testifying and telling people that she was going to have a baby, knowing no man, before the baby ever was born. Before she felt anything, before there was any life, any evidence at all, she went testifying that it was so. God give us some more Marys around Erie here, that can take God at His Word. Before you see, feel anything, take Him at His Word. Hallelujah.
Oh, my. I feel pretty good. Don't think I'm crazy. If I am, I'm happy; just let me alone then. All right.

48 Oh, brother. Anyone that'll dare to take God at His Word, God said so. She said it's so and went to testifying of it. If God said that He would heal you if you believed Him, take His Word. Don't look how crippled you are, how blind you are. Take Him at His Word and start testifying about it. God's under obligation to bring it to pass. Amen. All right.
You think I'm pretty noisy for a Baptist? Oh, Baptists get a little excited, too. I'm a different Baptist. I'm a Holy Ghost Baptist. Amen. That's right. I got the Holy Ghost. So... That's the kind of Baptist we ought to have with the Holy Ghost. If some of my brethren would step out and get the same thing, the Baptist Church would come to life again. That's right. Oh, my.

49 I can see her rejoicing, happy, going and telling everybody she's going to have a baby, knowing no man. Could you imagine that? I know... The Angel told her about her cousin. And right up through the hills of Judea she went to see her. She just couldn't stay no longer. She'd heard the good news.
And I can see Sarah... or Elisabeth, rather, setting knitting, maybe. And she seen Mary coming. And she run out and threw her arms around Mary and begin to hug her.
They had love for one another in them days. We've lost that today. You know it's the truth. That's right. People don't even... You can't even... Anyone go downtown, you can't speak to them hardly unless you're up in some big rank like they are. And then they go downtown and speak; they just give some kind of a silly grin. Oh, brother, I like an old-fashioned pump-handle handshake. Get right down to the bottom of it. What are you anyhow? Amen. That's right.
No love for... You don't even know your neighbor's dead until you read it in the paper. There's no love for people any more. You lost that.

50 A long time ago when we used to run out of money, we'd go over to the neighbor and borrow fifty dollars to hold us over. Why, we didn't have to sign any notes. We trusted one another. You can't borrow five dollars now without a ten dollar security on top of it. That's right. No love...
The Bible said, "Because the love shall wax cold the love... Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."
That's what the matter with the world. They're dying for love. We got plenty of teaching, plenty churches, but we need a love of God. Hallelujah. Know what's the matter with me today...
Look. I tell you, brother. There they were. I can see her happy, rejoicing. And she run, threw her arms around her, and oh how happy she was; because that she heard about it.

51 Now, I can hear her say... Put her arms around her, and begin to love her, and they was hugging one another. I like that. Don't you? I like to see women meet one another like that?
And I like to see men grab... Awhile ago a man come out there, and took a hold of my hand, just put his arms around me, a young fellow; said, "Brother Branham, I was in your meeting. And my little girl was healed." With something, I forget what it was. And said, "You stood and said 'thus saith the Lord' that child will be a certain thing." Watch. He said it was just exactly like that. That's right.
And he put his arms around me. I like that. Amen. I'm just an old-fashioned, backwoods, sassafras preacher. I like it. Yes, sir. I believe in it. I believe in old time, sky blue, sin-killing religion. It don't whitewash you, but it washes you white, makes you a new creature in Christ Jesus. Amen. Makes the devil mad.

52 Notice. Here not long ago I was down in Florida. What gets me is to see people who think they're better than somebody else. Brother, we got plenty of it. That's right. What are you anyhow? Six foot of dirt.
I was passing by a museum not long ago, and they had the analysis of a man's body that weighed a hundred and fifty pounds: worth eighty four cents. That's right. A hundred and fifty pound man has got enough chemicals about him to make eighty four cents, just about enough whitewash to sprinkle a hen's nest. And oh, I don't know, a little bit of calcium you could hold on the end of a pen or something. Worth eighty-four cents, then you'll put a five dollar hat on it and stick your nose up. It if was to rain, you'd drown. Some woman are at the... That's right. And you'll think you're something. That's right.
Brother, what the world needs today, is not a new man or not a new president, but an old-fashioned Saint Paul's revival and the Bible Holy Ghost preached back in His church in its power. That's right.

53 We're talking about meetings and revivals. We're having protractive meetings but not a revival. We need a revival. Tear down, go down to the bottom, let the priest hold to the altar and weep. Amen. Amen. Don't get excited. That means 'so be it.'
I used to have an old dog. He'd tree anything in the world but a polecat, skunk. And when I'd get him treed, he'd run around and around, bay the skunk, but he wouldn't go and get him for me. The only thing I had to do was hold up the brush pile and pat him and say, "Sic him, Fritz." Brother, he went and got the skunk.
The worst skunk that I know of is the devil. And brother, if you want to tree him this afternoon, just holler, "Amen." That's "Sic him." We go get him and tree the fellow. That's right.

54 Now, notice. Down there one time in Miami, there was some kind of a Duchess or something like that. Brother Bosworth said, "Brother Branham, the Duchess of something, some island, something wants to meet you."
I said, "Well, who's she any more than anybody else?" See?
He said, "Well, she wants to meet you. Will you wait just behind the tent?"
And I said... Well, he's the manager, so there wasn't nothing I could do. And I said, "All right."
When he stepped outside of the tent, there was a little old place there, a little--had roped off. And here come a woman through there with just about enough clothes on to wad a musket shotgun. She had earrings hanging plumb down like this, looked like the devil had been using her neck for a saddle and using them for stirrups. He'd rode her all over hell anyhow. That's right.

55 Here she come down through there packing a pair of glasses, held out on a stick about... You know people ain't going to look through glasses out that far, holding it out like that, holding them out on a stick like that. And she walked down through there, you know, with her stick out like that, looking like that, looking down. Why, it's a wonder she didn't run over something. She looked like that.
And she walked up to me. She said, "Are you Doctor Branham?"
I said, "No, ma'am. No, ma'am." I said, "I'm Brother Branham."
She raised up her hand. She said, "I am charmed to meet you."
I said, "Get it down here, so I'll know you when I see you again." That's right.
Brother, what are we anyhow? Six foot of dirt. Hallelujah. It's the grace of God that changed our hearts and [unclear words]. And not we in ourselves but it's by His grace are we saved.

56 The other day I seen a little old woman passing into a big church there in the city. And she'd come down, and her daughter and them had joined the church. And she walked in there, a little old calico dress on, ever what you call a goods. And she walked in there, and the preacher said something and she said, "Praise the Lord." And everybody stretched their neck like a goose on a pond, looking around like that to see what it was. Why, it excited everybody. They never heard anybody say, "Amen." She was from up in Kentucky there where they still got a little religion left.
So then, she come around there. And the preacher said, "And Jesus Christ, the Son of God..."
She said, "Glory." And so the preacher said [Brother Branham clears his throat.] Said, "I'm interrupted." Oh, brother, if you don't say it, it interrupts me. All right.
Notice. And then he said a few more words and she said, "Praise the Lord. That's right." And the ushers come and put her out of the church.
I thought, "Oh, yes. Her name might not be in Who's Who, but I bet it's wrote in the Lamb's Book of Life." There's where I want mine. Brother, not "Who's Who." I want my name in God's Who's Who.

57 A day that we're living in is a great matching time. Do you believe that? Paint your steps red and watch all the neighbors get theirs red right away: matching time. Everybody wants to impersonate somebody else: match.
I always said I didn't care whether my shoes matched my trousers, or my shirt matched my coat. I want my experience to match God's Bible.
When He said, "You must be borned again," when they received the baptism of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, I want that. I want my experience to match that. Amen.
Peter said, "This is that." If this ain't that; I'm going to keep this till that comes. I'm going to do that. Amen. I'm having a good time with this. All right.

58 I can see Mary throw her arms around and saying, "Oh, Elisabeth, how sweet it is to see you again." And said, "I've just been told that you're going to have a child in your old age."
I can hear Elisabeth say, "Yes, Mary. That's right. I'm going to have a child. But it's worried me, see. It's six months, no life yet." Altogether subnormal, see. Life comes at about... You feel life three to four months, something like that, two and a half months. Said, "But there's no life yet."
And Mary said, "You know..."
Oh, my. I know I'm suppose to stay here, but I can't.

59 Look. Said, "You know, the Holy Ghost come down and overshadowed me, and told me I was to have a baby also, knowing no man. And I should call His name, Jesus."
And just as she said, "Jesus," little John leaped in the mother's womb, begin to jump like that, received life. The first time the name of Jesus Christ was ever spoke by mortal lips, a dead baby come to life in the wombs of a mother.
Brother, if It will bring a dead baby to life, what ought It to do to a born-again church. Hallelujah! That's right. No wonder it will make a cripple walk, the blind see, deaf hear, the name of Jesus Christ.
Little John dead in his mother's womb, and Elisabeth said, "Whence cometh the mother of my Lord to me?" Said, "For as soon as thy salutation come to my ears, my baby leaped in my wombs for joy." What a baby (Hallelujah.), what a Name: "My baby leaped in my womb for joy when your salutation come to my ears."

60 Brother, what ought It to do to a borned again bunch of people? But you can't curse that Name, and make fun of that name, and doubt that name, and get the joy out of It. You got to reverence It in your heart. Believe It with all your heart. All right.
Then they stayed up there a few days. Then after while little John was to be born. When he was born... At the age of about nine years old, he didn't go off to some kind of seminary or cemetery. It's a seminary, I mean to say. It's all about the same. It's a dead place. That's right.
You know what? A seminary preacher always puts me in the mind of an incubator chicken. A little old incubator chicken will chirp, chirp, chirp, and ain't got no mammy to go to.
That's just about the way with an incubator preacher, with reading, writing, and arithmetic, and know no more about God than a rabbit knows how to put on snowshoes. You know that's the truth. That's right.

61 I ain't got nothing against, but we need today... I'd rather have a man with my boy, who didn't know the difference between split beans and coffee and know the Holy Ghost, than to have all the education in the world and try to pump into him. That's right. Hallelujah. I feel pretty religious.
Look. Let me tell you something, brother. "It's not by power, not by might, but by My Spirit." saith the Lord. There it is. Yes sir. He believed Him.

62 And now, notice. That... What kind of a baby was this to be: out in the wilderness at nine years old and staying? And when he come out at the age of thirty, brother, he had the chips flying, too.
He come out on the banks of Jordan, preaching the Gospel. He stirred all the regions around about Jerusalem, come out to hear him standing on the banks. He wasn't dressed up with a great big fine tuxedo suit on and his collar turned around. No. He had on a pair of old hairy trousers and a sheepskin belt around him like that. But he stirred all the regions around about Jordan. What was the matter? He preached Christ by the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.
And I tell you brother; yet when it's preached in its power, yet in Its simplicity, It'll attract the nations anywhere, the attractions of the Gospel of Christ. Amen.

63 I'm glad Brother Baxter told me I could come down: feel pretty religious.
Notice. Then the first thing you know, what did he do? He stirred the regions. One day along about eleven o'clock in the day, he was preaching and there stood a little old priest across said, "You mean to tell me, Rabbi, that the time's coming when we won't have the daily sacrifice? You're wrong."
He said, "There'll come a time when a Man will be the sacrifice."
"Oh," he said. "It can't be so."
Got so many he had to stand him on the other side of the river, his crowds got so big. And after while, I notice and here come One coming walking down. He said, "Behold..." "Behold" means "to look at." "Behold, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world." There He comes, an ordinary little Fellow walking down through there with His blue robe on and His hair a blowing, about thirty years old. Oh, what a Man. Brother, I tell you; there's the Prince of all princes, King of all kings, Lord of all lords, the Son of the living God, God's divine promise.

64 God is under obligation to take care of His promise. When God brought Israel out of the wilderness back there, out into the wilderness, rather, He promised to take care of them. And what God promised, God's under obligation to do. When they needed water, they went to the rock. When they needed food, God rained manna out of heaven. He opened up the Red Sea.
Look at that manna falling down, what a beautiful type of our church today. As God led Israel in the natural, He's leading the church today in the spiritual.
Watch this. Then when they crossed over the Red Sea, all the taskmasters was dead. The Red Sea, the blood of Christ, the man come through the blood be sanctified from the things of the world set over on the banks over here of a new land, a new people.
There was Miriam; she got real happy. She got a tambourine and she went to dancing. Down the banks she went dancing. The daughters of Israel followed behind her dancing.
Moses got in the Spirit and sang a song in the Spirit. If that ain't an old fashion Holy Ghost meeting, I never seen one in my life. There you are. After they'd crossed over into a new land, then God said He'd take care of them.

65 Then I noticed that night, they didn't have any bread. They didn't care for any. But God rained manna down out of heaven, fell on the earth. And they went out and picked it up and eat it. They said it taste like honey. Did you ever eat any of it? Oh, it's good. My! You ought to taste some, honey.
You know, David of old? He was a shepherd. He was the one who said it taste like honey. It taste like honey in the rock. David speaking of that... He used to carry... The shepherds used to carry a scrip bag on their sides, and they put honey in there. And when their sheep would get sick, they'd put this honey on a rock, and the sheep would go and lick on this rock. And licking this honey off the rock, they'd lick the lime out of the rock and would get well, see.
They'd put the honey on the rock and get the sheep to lick. And they'd licked the honey. And licking the honey, they got some of the lime out of the limestone rock. And the lime got the sheep well.

66 In the old days when people used to get mad dog bit, they would take them and put them on a madstone. If they stuck to the stone, they got well. If they didn't stick, they died.
And I said awhile ago, the worst mad dog I know of is the devil. If he's bit you and made you sick, get to the Rock, Christ Jesus. Stick to it; hang to it; hold on; don't you leave; hang to the wings of the cross and you're sure to get well. Amen.
That manna again... Let me give you something else here. I just love them old nuggets, don't you? Yes, sir. Brush them up; look what they look like.

67 Then God told Aaron... Now, He said, "Now, don't try to keep any of that over. If you keep it over, it'll spoil."
That's what's the matter with a whole lot of the Pentecostal people. You keep it over. "I had an experience twenty years ago." Brother, that experience has got wiggletails in it today. What about right now?
You say, "When I received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, I had joy, peace, and longsuffering." What about now? That experience back there is done gone. What about a new one today? Each day they gathered new manna. And a manna is a perfect type of the Holy Ghost coming from God, the sustainer to take them through the wilderness, as the Spirit is the Sustainer for us today to take us through this journey. We're on our road to the promised land. Is that right?
"In My Father's house is many mansions. If it wasn't so, I would've told you. And I'll go and prepare a place for you." Is that right? We're on our way to the promised land.
Notice. And we're fed daily by the Holy Spirit coming down from God out of heaven, sweet to our souls like honey in the rock. I have to have it every hour of my life or I die. That's true. It has to come to me or I can't live. It'll come--have to come to you or you won't live. That's right.

68 Now, notice. I want you to get it close. Well, let me show you this type first.
Moses told Aaron, "Go out and get several omers full of it, and put it in behind the holiest of holies." Then it'll come to pass that every generation after them, coming in after they made the journey, and was a--become a priest, and become worthy to go in and be a priest, they could go in there and get some of this manna, of the original manna, and taste it and eat some of the manna. Then they would tell them what it was all about. Keep this up in behind the holiest of holies. It'll stay back there. It won't spoil back there, because it's coming directly from heaven, the power of God upon the holiest of holies.

69 And that every priest knew that when he become a priest, he had a right to taste some of the original manna that fell at the beginning. Now, that was their manna to give them all through their journey something as they--a memorial that God brought them from death to life, and would--fed the children of Israel.
And on the day of Pentecost when our Manna come from God out of heaven after the church was inaugurated and the baptism of the Holy Ghost was to come, Jesus said, "Behold I send the promise of My Father upon you. But tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until you're endued with power from on high. After this, the Holy Ghost is come upon you, You'll be witnesses of Me, Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Erie, Pennsylvania, and to the uttermost parts of the world." Amen.

70 Notice. Now, they went back there. Just as they crossed the Red Sea, so did the disciples go back after the pouring out of the red blood of Christ to cleanse the church. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come... Oh, my.
Now, look at the way we got it today. In the Protestant church, we walk up and say, "Do you be--take the... Do you believe the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Son of God?"
"I do."
"Put your name on the book. Be will put you on six months probation, take you in the church. Go ahead drink, smoke, carry on, do anything you want to."
In the Catholic church, we walk up and stick out your tongue, take the communion, the holy eucharist. All right. Then you become a member of the church.
Now, neither one of them is right. When the day of Pentecost fully come, there wasn't a priest come up the road with a communion box in his hand. There wasn't a minister walked out of the seminary and said, "I'm Doctor Jones now. I'll take you by the right hand, and give you the fellowship of the church, and take you in by letter."

71 But when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all in one place in one accord, not saying, "I'm Methodist. I'm Baptist. I'm Lutheran. I'm this."
They were in one place and one accord. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound, not up the road, not from the seminary, but from heaven, a sound like a rushing mighty wind. And it filled all the house where they were sitting. And the Holy Ghost fell upon them. There they went out into the streets, staggering stammering going on like a bunch of drunk men.
Wait a minute, friend. The blessed virgin Mary had to go in there and get the same thing. And if God would not suffer the virgin Mary to come into heaven without receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost, don't think you can wrap yourself around some church and get in with anything less. You're going to get the Holy Ghost or be out. That's all. That's all. That's the Gospel teaching, brother. It might burn you up, and scorch you, and blister you, and everything else, but it'll do you good.

72 Now, as a little boy, we had to take castor oil all the time. We didn't have nothing to eat, boiled old meat skins to get the grease to put in the corn bread. And we'd have to take castor oil every Saturday night. Old tub, reach down there and get ... take an old tub bath... Mom would scrub us and put some more water in the teakettle, and pour a little bit more water in, and scrub the ... on us. Then hold your nose and take castor oil. My, my. I took it till I was so sick. When I'd even come into the kitchen, I started gagging. And I'd hold my nose, and I'd heave and gag. And I'd say, "Mama, this stuff makes me so sick."
She'd say, "If it don't make you sick, it don't do you any good."
That applies this afternoon. If this don't make you right good and sick, it won't do you any good. So ... keep her up; get right; that's the only thing to do. Start over new. Amen. The old-fashioned Gospel will give you a good, what you need. Amen. You know that's right. That's right. It'd make a new creature out of you in Christ Jesus. Might make you throw some things out you don't need in you. All right.

73 They had to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, or God didn't recognize her as one of His. All right. And when they received the Holy Ghost, out into the streets they went screaming acting like a bunch of drunk men, like that, staggering around.
And today they talk--taken the Holy Ghost, put a wafer under your tongue, or shake hands with the minister. Oh, brother, I'm sick and tired of that old dry-eyed confession. There's no more to it than there is a ... like a fellow trying to get a drink of water out of an old dry rag somewhere. That's right.
What we need today is a good fresh baptism of the Holy Ghost come down and stir up the people again.
I was watching your lake out here the other day. When I went down there, it was having a big revival. The waves were just a jumping and a bouncing and a jumping. I said, "There's no more water in it when it's smooth, but it's got a revival." That's what we need today: the wind blowing on us, kind of shake you up a little bit.

74 Notice. And then how glorious... Now, Peter said then, "Now, looky here." All the men and the brethren run together and said, "Look at these guys (religious people); they're all full of new wine. Look at them women up there. What did I tell you. Why, they're all full of new wine."
There come Peter stepping out there. I guess he was a soapbox preacher. That's what they said I was. So all right. He got his soapbox, or stump, or whatever it was and got onto it and said, "You men of Judea, and you that dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known unto you. These are not drunk as you suppose, seeing it's the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken of by the prophet, Joel."
He preached such a sermon, brother, till he shook the stalactites of hell down in the devil's eyes. That's right. And when he did, he said... They seen all this. Said, "This was what was prophesied to be."
They said, "What can we do to be saved?"
He said, "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."

75 What is it? It's the same promise. The same manna that fell on them to give them eternal life, like the manna that carried the children of Israel through the wilderness, the same baptism of the Holy Ghost carries the church through to glory. And every man, as the Priest was then... The middle wall partition's tore down. Every man that'll come to Christ, and believe that He is, and a rewarder of those who seek Him, and give up their sins, and throw their arms open to God, can have, not something that looks like it, some imitation of it, but a genuine heart full of the real baptism of the Holy Ghost, like fell on the day of Pentecost, make the same signs, wonders, and everything else take place. Hallelujah. You know that's right.
Make you act the same way, like a drunk man. Carry on just like they did on the day of Pentecost. Every believer has a right to receive It, just like every priest coming into the priesthood could get the manna. Hallelujah! My, wished I was twice my size; I'd make twice as much noise maybe.

76 Brother, I feel real good about it anyhow. What this church needs today is a good revival, not a new doctrine, a new order, just a stirring up of what you already know about.
Not long ago a brother and I were walking out along a creek. We found an old terrapin. I don't know whether you have them here or not, tortoise, turtle. And he was the funniest looking thing. He spread them feet like this, you know. And I said, "Look at that funny looking fellow."
And when we got down to him, he pulled back up in his shell like that. Puts me in the mind of some of these Christians, when you go to pouring the Gospel on to them. Them old lukewarm church members pull back up in the shell, "I belong to so-and-so. Dr. So-and-so said so." Get in there.
I said, "I'll make him walk." And I went over and cut me a long switch, and I poured it on him. That wouldn't do no good. You can beat them into it.

77 I said, "I'll fix him up." I took him down at the creek and dumped him under the water. Just a few bubbles come up.
Brother, you can go down a dry sinner and come up a wet one, just a few bubbles. You can baptize them this way, that name, up and down this way, back and forward, and sprinkle him, anything you want to he's still a sinner. That's right.
I went and got a piece of paper, and built a little fire, and set the old boy on it. He walked then.
Brother, what we need today is preachers back behind the pulpit that preach the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with Holy Ghost and fire baptism coming down upon the people. It'll make them walk then, not out here on these beaches on Sunday afternoon stretch themselves in a bathing suit. It'll make them walk to church. Not down and play golf on... O brother, does that scorch you.
Walked down there this morning, little ladies laying all around down there on that beach... Little women, I can't say ladies. Ladies don't do things like that. But lay down on the beach there with a bathing suit on stretched out for a suntan.

78 I got a daughter. She's six years old. Let me ever catch her laid out like that; she'll get a son-tan. But it'll be Charlie Branham's son tanning her with a board just as hard as I can. I'll have her going home with a real tanning she won't forget about for a long time.
Some of the people out here talk about them old mammies up in Kentucky being illiterate and so forth. They can come out and teach you how to raise your daughter. That's right.
You put them little old clothes on your girl, and stand her out here on the street, and then some boy make a remark about her, and want to send the boy to the penitentiary. It's you the one that needs the whipping. That's right.
Brother, if the love of God is in your heart, where it ought to be, you won't dress your child like that. Whew, I better shut up. These boys come to preach the Gospel to you.

79 Brother, I believe in being what you are. Amen. And I believe the power of the Holy Ghost cleans you up from such things as that. Don't you degrade yourself laying out there.
Listen, brother, by your diet you're known. Buzzards eats anything. Doves know their diet. That's right. They have no fellowship one with the other. Birds of a feather, flock together. Keep away from them places; love God. If you love the Lord with all your heart, you haven't got no room for such stuff as that. That's right. What we need today is another... Talk about a revival, and people acting like that. All right.
Let's go on with the text. All right. Anyhow.

80 I can see Jesus after He was become popular, got out, and the miracles began to follow Him. He called them out and said what they were. God was with Him, manifesting Himself to Him.
And then one day He went to live with Martha and Mary and Lazarus, was His buddy. Then when He got over there to Lazarus... He left the home one day, not because He had to, but because His ministry was shoving Him away to another country. And because to fulfill a vision God had give Him.
Watch. He left the home. And when He left the home, sorrow and sickness come in. And when He leaves your home, sorrow and sickness is coming in. All right.

81 Lazarus took sick. Theologians believe he died with hemorrhages of the lungs. That I don't know. The Bible doesn't say nothing. Some of the writers said it was. All right.
He got sick. And sometimes God tries your faith. Do you believe that? Every son that cometh to God must be tried. Think it not strange that fiery trials come, because it's only done to perfect your faith, draw you closer. Their worth more than the gold to you. All right.
Then when these things begin to take place, Mary and Martha sent and said, "Have Jesus to come back and pray for him."
And Jesus just ignored their call. He went to another city farther away. Well, then they sent again. He still ignored the call.

82 Now, if your pastor would do that. Oh, my. You'd say, "Why, the old hypocrite," Now, they never told me to say this. But you'd say, "The old hypocrite. I'll go over and join Doctor So-and-so's church. If he won't..."
Don't you know that all things work together for good to them that love God? That's the reason He ain't got no--can't help you. He's a man of God, but he can't help you till you believe in him. You believe your pastor if he's a good man. If he believes in divine healing, and preaches it, and stands by it, and lives the right kind of life, he's got just as much right to pray for you as any man on the face of the earth. But you've got to believe him and have confidence in him as God's man.
And they sent again and He just kept on going. Now, watch. Here's the part I love. He turned around and said, "Our friend, Lazarus sleepeth," and what he really was.
And he said, "Oh," he said, "If he sleepeth he doeth well."
Then He told them in their regular language, the way they know. Said, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I'm glad I wasn't there. But I go wake him." Oh, my. God... Watch at the grave and see if God hadn't already showed Him about it.
"I go wake him." They returned back.

83 Well, the first day passed at the little home. They took Lazarus out, embalmed his body, put him in the grave, the breadwinner. We're taught that Lazarus was a scribe at the temple. And Martha and Mary made little tapestries and things like that: their parent gone.
And so the breadwinner was gone then: dark time. The second day passed. They went to the grave and mourned. The third day passed, the fourth day passed. Corruption sets in in seventy two hours, three days and nights. The skin worms was working through his body. All hopes was gone, darkest hour the little family had ever seen.
Did you ever hit that hour? I've hit it in our home. Love ones be taken away and darkness.

84 Darkest hour the little family had ever seen. And then Jesus come along. He usually comes when it's the darkest hour.
I was laying yonder in Mayo's Hospital. Mayo Brothers looked at me, and they put me in examinations. Said, "Reverend Branham, we're sorry to inform you of this. But you're finished. Nothing can be done for you. You're finished."
And then Jesus come along. Oh, my. O mercy!
It may be your darkest hour now, brother, setting there shaking in the chair. I've watched you for two nights. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Jesus come along about this time?
What about you, setting there with cancer, the doctor says you can't live? Your darkest hour and then Jesus comes along.
He's always there just in the darkest hour.
When the Hebrew children was making their last step in the fiery furnace, then Jesus come along.
When the woman with the blood issue had [unclear words] paid all of her money out for doctors, and none could do no good, then Jesus come along. He's right there. Don't be weary. If you love Him, stay right with Him. He will be there. Jesus come along.

85 Some of them said, "The Master's come."
Now, Mary had always been, or Martha a little dilatory. But her heart was burning. Here she pulled down her veil over her face and away she went.
I hear some of them say, "Where is that holy-roller preacher that preached divine healing? Uh-huh. When the trial come, He run away. Didn't He? Where's He at now? Where is that divine healer?"
Martha and them had left the church, because it was strictly said anybody that followed Jesus would be put out of the temple. So there they was. They couldn't have fellowship in their synagogue no more. Lost their church, lost their pastors, lost their friends, lost everything, and everything was gone. All hopes was gone. They was sitting alone. And then Jesus come by.
Then Martha... I can see her pick up her garments, put it around her, start running out. I can hear some of them say, "Now, wonder where she's going?"
Now, I'd just always imagined that Martha knew down in her heart if she could ever get to Jesus, she'd find out all about what she wanted to know.

86 Now, back in the Bible there... Like the Shunammite woman, Martha probably read this. The Shunammite woman when she lost her baby... I think it had a sunstroke. God give her the baby. And it'd raised to be nine, ten, twelve years old. One day about out about eleven o'clock in the field with its daddy said, "My head. My head." Went in and had a sunstroke. And it died.
Now she said, "Saddle an ass and go forward. Don't stop, lest I bid you. Go to the man of God to Mount Carmel."
Now, she knew that God was in Elijah. Now, listen closely now just before my closing.
She knew that God was in Elisha. And if she could ever get to Elisha, she might not get her baby back, but she would know why that her baby was taken. And her husband said, "It's neither new moon or Sabbath. He won't be there.
She said, "All is well. Go on." And they went a ride... "And don't slack, lest I bid you."

87 I can see her come up to the man of God. Now, he didn't know. God don't tell His prophets everything. He said, "Here comes that Shunammite, and there's something wrong with her. She's got grief in her heart, and God's hid it from me."
Is that right? He didn't know what it was. So he come up ... she... He said, "Is all well with thee, with thy husband, and with the child?"
I love this. She said, "All is well." She'd got to the prophet. She knew everything was all right then. So she rode up by the side come off... She jumped down and fell down at his feet.
Gehazi pulled him back from around her master. What was that? Keeping her away. He said, "Let her alone." Said, "She has sorrow. God's hid it from me." And so she revealed it to him that the baby was dead.

88 Now, look. Here's where I think Paul got the idea, minister brethren, of laying handkerchiefs on the sick. He said, "You take my staff," told Gehazi. "You take my staff; and if any man salutes you, salute him not." That's what's the trouble when we get a commission today, we got to stop and do other things. You see?
But said, "Don't salute him back. And take my staff and lay it on the child." Now, Elisha knew that God was in him. And whatever he touched was blessed. And if he could get the woman to believe the same thing... I think that's where Paul got laying handkerchiefs off of his body. He knew God was in him and what he touched was blessed, but if the people would believe it.

89 So Gehazi went forward. And of course the baby never woke, because the woman believed in Elisha. She said, "As the Lord, God, liveth and your soul never dies. I'll not leave you."
So Elisha girded up his loins and away he went. Went to the house, and there the dead baby laid, and the people screaming. Well how appropriate. She'd built him a little house. So she took the baby and laid it on his bed, where he had laid. That's a good place to lay it, wasn't it? On the bed.
Then the prophet went in. He walked up-and-down the floor. Walked back-and-forth, up-and-down the floor, and then laid his body upon the baby's dead body. And it sneezed seven times and come to life. God was in His prophet.

90 And Mary thought... Martha, rather, said, "If God was in His prophet, surely God is in His Son." So away she went to meet Him. Oh, brother oh, Hallelujah. Away she... I'm not excited. I know right where I'm at now.
Now, watch. Here she went to meet Him, going right on through them critics, you know pushing on by them, saying, "The days of miracles is past." She wanted to get to Him.
Now, look like when she got to Him she could have upbraided Him, scolded Him, saying, "Why didn't You come to my brother? We left everything." Well, that would been the 1951 version of it, but not then. So if she'd have done that, the miracle would never been performed.
But she run just as hard as she could. And she got to Him. She fell down at His feet. Oh, I love that. Now, she come in simplicity. She come in the right approach.

91 If you can get what I'm talking about now. There's a way to approach: simplicity. Don't never think you're better than somebody. Don't think God owes it to you. You owe it to God. Come humble. "Nothing, Lord. I have nothing. I come humbly."
Down there in Mexico when them Spanish would come, them Catholic; as soon as they'd see them things happen, they wouldn't want to be prayed for. If they could even get near, just pass by, that's all they wanted to do. And I never seen one turned down yet.
Humble, of course we've got so much education; we know all about it and all the details, see. We know too much about it.

92 But here come Martha; she run up and fell down at His feet, and she said, "Lord..." That was His right title. Was He the Lord? "Lord, if Thou wouldest been here, my brother would've not have died." Oh. "If You'd been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You."
There you are. There you are. Humble, laying at His feet, a man, looking up and calling Him what He claimed to be, no matter if the world said He was a holy-roller, and He was Beelzebub, a spiritualist, a fortuneteller, she said, "Lord, if Thou wouldest been here, my brother would not have died." Confessing her faith in Him, giving Him His right title of what He was. "But even now, whatever You ask God, God will do it." Oh, I love that.

93 You say, "Brother Branham, I been this way a long time." But even now... "Brother Branham, the doctor told me I had heart trouble. I might die at any minute." But even now, Lord.
You say, "But, Brother Branham, I'm eat up with a cancer." "But even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You."
He's sitting at the right hand of the Father to make intercessions. "Even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You."

94 I can see Him. He wasn't very much to look at. The Bible said there's no beauty we should desire Him. He wasn't a great big six footer. He was a little frail Fellow. He straighten His little frame up, stooped in the shoulders as He was. Said He was gray in His beard before He was thirty years old. Stooped in His shoulders up like that, said, "Thy brother shall rise again."
Oh, my. She said, "Yes, Lord. I know he will raise again at the last day." Them Jews believed in the general resurrection. Said, "I know he will raise at the last day. He was a good boy. And God will raise him up at the last day."
I can see Jesus say, "But I am the Resurrection and Life. I am," not "I will be; I was": I am (present tense.); I am the Resurrection and Life. He that believeth in Me shall never die." Oh, my. He said, "I am the Resurrection and Life," saith the Lord. "He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Whosoever liveth in Me shall ... and believeth in Me shall never die." Said, "Believeth thou this?"
She said, "Yea, Lord. I believe You. I believe You're just what You said You were. I believe You're the Son of God. I believe You're the Lord of heaven that come down here on earth. And whatever You ask God, God will give it to You. I believe that You're the Son of God that was to come unto the earth."
Oh, my. Something has to happen. Something has to happen. Things were coming like this, coming together. Oh, my. Said, "Where have you buried him?"
"Come, and see." Here He goes.

95 A little lady, belonging to a certain church, tried to argue with me not long ago, a scientist church, knowed everything scientifically. She said, "Reverend Branham, do you mean to tell me that you believe He was divine?"
I said, "I know He was divine."
She said, "He was just a man."
I said, "He was more than a Man." I said, "He was the God-Man."
Said, "He wasn't nothing but a man."
I said, "God, was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself." I said, "He was divine."
Said, "He wasn't. He was a man."
I said, "He was a divine Man."
She said, "It's impossible, and I can prove it to you by the Scriptures that He wasn't divine."
I said, "Look, lady. Almighty God overshadowed a virgin. And we know that a baby that's born through the man, that the blood cell comes from the male sex." You believe that, don't you?

96 Here, I notice you all have chickens and things around here, birds in springtime. An old mother bird can go out here and lay a whole nest full of eggs; and she could hover them, and stay on that nest, and keep them warm, until she gets so poor she can't fly off the nest. If she hasn't been with the male bird, them eggs will never hatch. They'll lay right there and rot. Is that right.
I think that's about what's the matter with the church today. We just got a big nest full of rotten eggs. It's time to dish the thing out, and start over new again. Somebody that's been in contact with Christ... Yes, sir.
And there... But when that hen can lay an egg, it'll never hatch unless she's been with the male bird. The germ comes from the man. You're not... The blood cell comes from the man.

97 And we are redeemed through the blood of Christ. And God Almighty is a Spirit. And He overshadowed the virgin Mary and created... God the Creator, created the blood cell in the womb of that woman, knowing no man by sexual desire. You believe it? And that blood cell developed into the Man which was the Son of God. And through that unadulterated blood of the Son of God, creative blood by Jehovah, without sexual desire; through the shedding of that blood on Calvary's cross redeems us from sin and sickness. Hallelujah.
Brother, I'm ready to die for that this afternoon. If you don't believe that, you're lost. That's right. I believe it with all my heart. Yes, sir.

98 I said, "Yes, He was divine. He was the created Son of God." And I said, "God was in Him reconciling the world to Himself."
She [unclear words], " He was just a mere man. He wasn't divine." Said, "I'll prove it to you by the Scriptures. Will you receive it?"
I said, "If you can prove it by the Scriptures, I will receive it. And if I'll disprove you ideal will you receive it?"
She said, "I'll prove you first that you're wrong."
I said, "Let's have you at it?"
She said, "When He went down to the grave of Lazarus," Said, "He went down to the grave; he cried." Said, "That showed he wasn't nothing but a man, because he had sorrow in his heart. He cried. He was a mortal."
I said, "Yes, ma'am. I'll agree with you that He cried like a man when He was going to the grave of Lazarus. But when He stood there in that little frail frame straightened up, said, 'Lazarus, come forth.' That was more than a mortal there. That was God speaking through His Son." Hallelujah. And a man that had been dead four days stood on his feet and lived again. You believe that? Yes, sir.

99 I said, "It's true, woman. He was a Man when He come down off the mountain that night and was hungry. He looked all around over a tree to find some food. He was hungry like a man, hunting for food; He was hungry. But when He took five biscuits and five little fishes and fed five thousand, that was more than a Man. That was God in His Son speaking forth, the Creator Himself." Hallelujah.
Whew. Going to call me holy-roller anyhow, might as well have a big time while I'm here. Let me tell you brethren. Yes, sir. Watch.
He was a Man when He was hungry, but He was God when He fed five thousand. He was a Man when He was laying on the back of that boat, that night when the troubled seas was troubling and bouncing, when ten thousand devils of the sea swore they'd drown Him that night. Laying back there on the back of that boat so tired He couldn't move, when even the mighty waves didn't even wake Him, He was a Man when He was asleep; but when He rose (Hallelujah.), come up there, and stuck His foot on the brail of that boat, looked up and said, "Peace be still," and the waves and wind obeyed Him. He was God when He ho... When the winds and waves obeyed Him, He was more than a mortal Man, He was God.

100 Brother, when He died at Calvary cross, He cried, "My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" He died like a man. But when He rose on Easter morning, He broke every shackle of hell, death, and the grave. He proved that He was God, Emmanuel. He raised on high today. Believeth thou this?
He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Believest thou this? He's here right now. Believest thou this? He's the One that's working among us. Believest thou this?
I believe the Holy Ghost is circling this building now. Believest thou this? I believe we can heal every one of us right now. Believest thou this? Hallelujah. Believest thou this?
The Angel of God is circling this building right now. I believe that any man or woman in here that wants to be healed, can stand at their feet right now and be healed. Believest thou this? Stand to your feet. Hallelujah.
O God, Author of life, Giver of every good gift, send Thy blessings to this people just now. Heal every one, Lord. May Your mercy fall. May Your power be here healing everyone just now. May they come forward and be well in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Hold your hands. Praise Him. He's here now. He's healing people; virtue's going out. Hallelujah. Believest thou this? He's here.

The resurrection of Lazarus

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Thank you Brother Bosworth. Good evening, friends. We're very happy to be here this afternoon to speak to you in the name of our lovely Jesus Christ. So happy to see you looking bright. This has certainly been one bright day for me. Although gloomy outside, but I'm beginning to learn more about the ministry of our Lord than I've ever knowed in all my life.

2 Last night, I... It was last Tuesday night, Brother Beeler and you all, if you're taking recordings, I'd like to ask you and Brother Woods to be sure to keep last Tuesday night, and last night for me. I want those recordings. It was last Tuesday night, well, I've explained to you why I tried something.
And last night I was watching the Holy Spirit as it moved around and in this corner, somewhere over in this way, is a group of mutes sitting. And I seen that hanging over those mutes. It would just go from one to another, like that. Well, I didn't know just exactly how to get it to them. And then I watched and it went right back towards the back of the building then, over some lady was standing back in there. And it come back and went over in this corner here, just kept moving around. And I thought, "Oh, if I could just get that one thing for the people to believe, right now it'll happen, that'll be it. It'd be a climax like Vandalia, Illinois was that time. So it just..."
And all of a sudden, why, I begin to see It, just look like drops a falling. I said, "If you'll just believe God, and listen now, you'll see something you've never seen before."

3 And then the next thing I remember, the boy and them had me out somewhere else. So it was just so glorious. I believe that it's just coming to a place where we're just fixing to get somewhere in the meeting. The people just begin to learn, catch on to what it means.
By the way, of speaking of Vandalia, as I got out of the car a few moments ago, there was a lady, which is in the building here somewhere now, she and her daughter, was giving me a testimony of Vandalia. She said she was... Now if I get it right, I hope I do, she just told me a few moments ago, said, "She was," when I was in Vandalia, "she was washing her dishes..." She had a great big tumor, size of a grapefruit, and said, "she shook her hands, the Lord said, 'Go up to Vandalia to be healed.'"
She went to her husband and he said, "We just can't do it, honey," said, "I only got ten dollars, and so, I just got to have it for something else."

4 So that was on a Saturday, and she was so let down. So then she went ahead and went about, and commenced praying, said, "Now Lord, You done talked to me, now You talk to him awhile, what to do with this ten dollars."
And said, "After while, next morning," said, "she come up and it was raining. Her husband come, said, 'Did you say you wanted to go to Vandalia?'" Away they went.
And they got over there, it'd rained us out in the tent, they had us in an auditorium. And I was so completely gone till I could hardly stand up. So she said, "She couldn't get a prayer card." And that's what she was relying on, getting up in the prayer line. I said, "Well, all of you line up, and all I'm going to do is just lay hands on you. Now if you believe that what you've seen happen, this is the truth, just lay your ... I just lay my hands on you as you pass by. And each one of you'll be healed if you believe it."
Now where I base that, friends, is on what He told me. He said, "If you'll be sincere when you pray, get the people to believe you, nothing will stand before the prayer," see.
Well, now the main thing, I said, "Well, I can't make them believe me, because I have no education, very poor speaker, and oh my, no personal ... I haven't got nothing, see, I'm just ... there's blank." So I said, "How would they...?"
He said, "As Moses was given two signs of a vindication, so will you be given," see. "And by this the people will believe you."

5 And so at that time, the only thing I could tell, or just what was wrong with a person, taking them by the hand, holding their hand, or laying my hand on them like that. And then I just wouldn't say nothing, just let Him say it, whatever it was, is always a hundred percent right. Then He said this other would take place.
Well anyhow, the woman, she come by. And, "Oh," she said, "I just put my hand on her." She said, "She wanted me to stop and prayer with her. Tell her she had a tumor, and all these things." Said, "She'd seen others, and she just wanted it done that way." But said, "It was no choice, she just had to accept what come, that was all." So, said, "Prayed for her." Said, "She went home with a let-down feeling."
Said, "You know, it was just about a month later, that she begin to notice that that wasn't sore anymore, where that tumor was at in the abdomen here, wasn't sore." She goes to get examined, the tumor was gone, she hasn't had it since. The tumor's been gone, a tumor the size of a grapefruit.

6 Now see, the lady herself, she didn't get it, see. But God knew it, see. She passed by, see, God was already speaking on this end of the line down here, on what to do. When she was washing her dishes, or whatever, some way she had her hands in water I believe she said. She shook her hand. And, now that was God speaking. Her life, probably that tumor would have become malignant and she would've died. So God didn't want her to die, so He just moved on her to go up there.
Well, then when He did that, well, then her husband... He had to move on her husband too. See, we ask God for things and sometimes we don't give Him time to answer us. Isn't that right? Why, for instance, people say, you hear people don't even believe in divine healing say, get down and say, "Oh, Lord, I pray that You'll end the wars over the world."
Well, my, my. For divine healing you only got to change one mind. And for ending the war, look at the millions of minds you would have to change, you see. So my, how hard it would be for God to do that. He has to work on this person, this person, this person, out there. And divine healing, He just only has to work on one person, that's you. That's all, see. So it's easy to believe divine healing, than ask Him to change the whole international program.

7 Anyhow, the woman... God told her husband. So they come up there, and that was God's program. Now I told her, "If she would just believe, when she come by, any of them, it would be ... God would do just the same." And said that's what... I wonder if that woman's in the building? She was taking a picture out there a few minutes ago, a movie picture. Are you in here, lady? If you would, just raise up your hand. A lady that was... Where? Oh, yes, yes, sitting right out here. God bless you. That was the lady from ... stand up again so the people can see you. How long? That's been about seven, eight years ago, hasn't it, sister? No tumor, nothing, it's all gone, everything's perfect. Let's say, "Thank the Lord." Sure, He's real.

8 Now what did that? The woman's faith in God, that's right, the woman's faith in God is what did it. Because Jesus already had her healed all along. Don't you believe that? When He died at Calvary, just think what Jesus did. When He died at Calvary, He healed everybody. Is that right? And when He died at Calvary, He saved everybody. There's no sinners after that. In the sight of God everybody was saved. He's the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. Well, you say then, "What do I do?" But, it won't do you no good till you repent and accept it. Then if you accept it, then you go in as a Christian. If you don't accept it, you've already judged yourself, you don't have to be judged. If you go beyond mercy, it's already judgment. God done said, "The day you eat thereof, that day you die." So you haven't even got a chance, see. You've either got to accept it, or go before God.

9 And you don't have to be judged because you're already judged. God done... He said one time, "The day you eat thereof, that day you die." That settles it. And only the blood of Jesus Christ stands between you and that. So, we're happy today to be free in Christ.
Just think what has happened this week, people that was totally blind, has got their sight. Deaf, all kinds of things, has taken place, what our Lord has done. Oughtn't we to believe with all of our heart? I tell you, I feel like I'm... Brother Bosworth, I feel like I'm a new person to get started out in the ministry. I just kind of longing for the time to get back from overseas again to pitch back into some of these American meetings.

10 Now, I give out last night, I was going to preach, or talk on missions for this afternoon. But being that my time got away a little bit, I better just take a little subject and speak just a few minutes, and then go right on, because we got another service coming up right away. And I hope tonight is the greatest meeting that we've ever had yet. Don't you hope so? I trust there won't be one thing, but what God will heal every person in Divine Presence tonight. I believe He will. I'm looking for this.
And then tomorrow, we leave for West Palm Beach, Florida, to be there in the next meeting. Now, there's not too many, I see only one wheelchair and a cot, I believe is what's left, as far as I can see. And to you this afternoon, I want you to look and live. I want you to have faith. And while I speak to you just a little bit on the Word of God... [Brother Branham coughs.] Pardon me, I want you to believe with all your heart that God will stimulate your faith.

11 You know, sometimes I think that... Wonder how the Lord feels about us sometimes, when He does so many things for us, and yet we just sit like we were in a subconscious, don't we? Aren't we all guilty? I am. We just sit and say, "Well, Lord, I wish You'd do something for me."
He can't do nothing no more for us than what He has already done. He's already healed us. He's already saved us. He's already give us joy. He give us His peace. He's our shield, our buckler, our, everything that we have is in Him and He's done paid the price of redemption to redeem us back as sons and daughters of God.
There's only one thing in the world that is left undone, that is physical death. We've all got to die because that was the only way God has of bringing us up Home. That's the only avenue we can travel is through death to get home. So everything is under His feet, everything, except death. And death has done been ... the penalty of death done been taken off and now we just go right into His presence and some day return back and be made immortal and live on this earth, a thousand years with Jesus Christ. Amen.
I believe that. I'm strictly a millenniumist, I believe in the Millennium. I believe all these Hebrew prophets, through the ages spoke on the golden age of Millennium coming, and I believe we're going to have it. We will reign here with Him a thousand years.

12 Now there's postmillennium, premillennium, no millennium. If you say, "Well, I don't believe in any at all." That's all right, we're still brothers. We're brothers just the same, but I just kind of believe there's going to be that reign. That God ... I wish I had time to get into it, I talk on it this afternoon, how that He unfolded, and then folds right back again. How that God unfolded Him before the beginning of time, how He unfolded Himself out of great something that you'd see nothing, brought it into the Logos, and then into man.
And then how, last night I was talking, how He unfolds Himself down through man. Out of the pillar of fire, into the Son, out into man. How wonderful. Then how that man was brought from death, the penalty of death, how he come down. Now coming on his road back through justification, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, then back into... From this mortal back into the immortal like He was in the beginning, and then back in the flesh again. Just like God brought Him in the beginning, to eat, drink. Oh, wonderful, see.

13 Man before he was this man, he was a spirit man. God made the first man in His own image. How many says that's right? Well, what kind of an image has God got? He's a Spirit, is that right? So He made a Spirit man before He made a flesh man.
Then He put man in five senses to contact his earthly home. He might've give him hands like a monkey, and foot like a bear, I don't know. But anyhow, that wasn't in the image of God. God's a Spirit. But then God came down and was made in the image of man to redeem man back to Himself when He was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we go right out of this redeemed life, from this redeemed life into that immortal life again in the supernatural body, then back into flesh again, just like ... bring us right back to the garden of Eden again, just the same thing.

14 Could you imagine how beautiful that was that morning when Adam took Eve by the arm, went walking down through the garden? Oh, my. Those big birds a flying, and peace, no sickness, never to die. She'd never have to use any of this here manicure you put on your face to make her look pretty. And she... That's wrong, I knowed, somebody laughed. What is it you call that stuff? Anyhow, it's paint, you know, that you put on your face, manicure, what, that's in your hair though, ain't it? That's what you put in your hair. Anyhow, it's some way, I don't know, it's something. I'm making it worse all the time.
Never will forget when my wife sent me to get a pair of socks one time, or stockings. And she was supposed to get them kind that's got the full style in the back of them, you know, it's got that little funny thing. And there's two different kinds, one was called chiffon and the other was rayon. I believe the chiffon's the best. Is that right, ladies? Is that Chiffon? And I was going down the street hollering, "Chiffon, chiffon, chiffon, chiffon." Somebody, "Hello, Billy."

15 And I said, "Hello, hello. Chiffon, chiffon, chiffon, chiffon, chiffon, chiffon."
I got down, somebody got talking to me about fishing, I forgot it. So I went down to a girl I used to go with and I said, "Hi, Thelma."
And she said, "Hi, Billy." Said, "What do you want?"
I said, "Hope wants a pair of socks."
Said, "Now Hope don't wear socks."
I said, "She sure does."
"I beg your pardon," she said, "she wears stockings."
I said, "Well, that's what I want." I thought, "I already made a ... showed my ignorance," so I said...
She said, "What kind does she want?"
I said, "What kind you got?" I wanted her to say it.
She said, "Well, we have the rayon."

16 I said, "That's what I want." Oh, I didn't know there was two different kinds. I said, "That's the kind I want, I want it the full style in the back, that thing."
And she got them for me, and I was supposed to pay sixty cents for them, and I think it cost me twenty. I said, "Well, give me two or three pair of them," see. I was...
So I went back up home to tell her, I said, "You see, honey," I said, "I'm Abraham's son, I'm a little Yiddish, you know, I just know how to get things." I said, "You women go to Louisville and look all around for bargains all day long, come back home, spend all your money, and don't have no more bargain you got right here at home. I just go downtown and get three pair of stockings for the price of one."
She said, "Did you get chiffon?"

17 I said, "Yes ma'am." So, I didn't know there was chiffon and rayon, it all sound the same to me. After while she bought another pair of stockings. So I made a mistake, so I just thought I'd better leave away from that, you know. It's like this here stuff you put on your face and in your hair. That's for the women to discuss, isn't it?
All right, how many loves the Lord, say, "Amen." Let's read some of His Word here now and talk in His Word just a little bit. Just on a little old ... Now I'm not, as I've said, lots of times, tell you, I'm not a preacher, I'm just one of these old fashioned sassafras, you know, backwoods, believe in an old fashioned backwoods, sky-blue, sin-killing religion. You believe in that? Then we can get along.

18 I believe that it don't whitewash, it washes white. Makes you clean from sin, straightens you up, takes all the crooks out of you and puts you out of crooked street over on Glory Avenue. Don't you believe in that? Sure, the joy bells of Heaven just ring, and you're just walking every day in the Spirit. There's no condemnation to them which are ... has joined church. No condemnation to them which has shook hands. No condemnation to them which has been baptized, unh-uh. "No condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."
How do you get into it? "By one Spirit we're all baptized into one body." Is that right?

19 Saint John the 11th chapter. I want to read some Scripture, 18th verse:
... Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
... Martha, as soon as she had heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him: but Mary sat still in the house.
Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if Thou had been here, my brother had not died.
But I know, that even now, whatever You ask God, God will give it Thee.
Jesus said unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
Martha said unto Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Jesus said unto her, 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 Thou art the Christ, ... that was to come into the world--the Son of God, which was to come into the world.
Let's bow our heads just a moment.

20 Now Father, these few words, I pray that You'll bless them this afternoon, and give them the right place in every heart. And give them the right place in my lips that we might glorify Thee and give faith to the people by hearing. For "Faith cometh by hearing." And may there not be any sick or cripple left in even for a meeting tonight, may they all be healed this afternoon. Grant it, Lord. May all the sinners be saved. The backsliders reclaimed. Get glory out of the service. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.
Now we like to look at this for a few moments while you pray with me. And I will try to watch that clock and let you out in plenty of time to get back for the services tonight. And I want to talk on Lazarus being raised out of the grave and what manner was he raised. How did he come up from the grave?

21 Now, first we want to get the background of it and find out... And I want you to pray with me now and give me your undivided attention just for a few moments. I believe in the resurrection. I believe in a bodily physical resurrection. I believe in the physical bodily return of Jesus Christ. I believe that His church is His representative on the earth now. I believe that the church is washed with the Blood of Jesus Christ. And the church is a Holy Ghost filled church, preaches holiness to the very extremes. Don't you think so?
I think of in the Bible when there was a sin offering, they taken two turtle doves, or a cleansing for leprosy. Leprosy in the Bible was a type of sin. They used to take two doves, and one of them, they took and pulled its head off, and turned it up like this and let the blood come on the other live mate, take it to the window and turn the dove lose, the live one, and as it fluttered its little wings, why, the blood fell down to the ground off of its dead mate, and that blood hitting, splattering on the ground from the dead mate, cried to the Lord, "Holy, holy, holy, unto the Lord."

22 How perfect that is of the church. How that Jesus Christ, when God came down and was manifested in flesh, took upon Himself the form of sinful flesh, was killed and crucified at Calvary and the blood of the dead mate is put upon the church, the living bride, and she goes across with her wings flapping and the blood of Jesus Christ crying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty." A perfect cleansing for leprosy.
Leprosy, there was no cure for leprosy. They haven't found it yet. Only God can cure leprosy. They haven't found even nothing for it, to help it. But it's a type of sin, it sets in so gradual, it's painless, just moves right in, you don't know it until you're dying. Big white warts come out all over you, limbs drop off and everything. Eat you right into the... Just eats you up, leprosy. Jesus was the only one who could heal this leprosy. He's the only one today who can heal this leprosy.

23 But now, in the beginning of Jesus' ministry, He's such a great person, there never was no one ever on the earth like Him, and there never will be anyone like Him. He was the only begotten Son of Almighty God. We are sons by adoption, through Him. But He is God's only begotten Son.
Adam was God's son. Do you believe that? He was God's creative son. But this is His begotten Son. God begotten His Son. It's just like the blood, the bloodstream comes from the male sex, we know that. The mother is just the incubator for the child. And the mother's blood has nothing to do with the child at all. Although it's born in the blood of the mother, but it has nothing to do with it. It hasn't got one drop of the mother's blood in it, it's the blood of the father. And the life lays in the blood.

24 Here, many of you people around here, you're farmers, perhaps you go out on the farm to get your poultry and stuff. Look at a hen. A hen can lay the egg. And she don't have to be necessarily be with the male to lay the egg. And it's a egg just the same, everything just like. But it'll never hatch. It'll just lay right there, and it'll rot. You can set that egg, but if it isn't fertile, if she hasn't been with the male bird, it'll never hatch, it's no good. For it hasn't got the blood in it. The blood come from the male. Well, that's... No matter, if the old hen can set there on that egg until she got so poor she couldn't get off the nest. Well, the egg won't hatch, it'll rot.

25 I've often made this expression, that's just about like the church today. And every form of godliness we have, go to church, pay your tithes, good church member and everything like that. But brother, they'll never be able to get anywhere, you'll just have a nest full of rotten eggs until they get in contact with the mate, Jesus Christ, and be born-again. That's right.
The old church can hover it till she gets so poor she can't get up. That's right. And don't know nothing else but churchism. But I tell you brother, until a man's born again, it won't do any good and he can't be born again until life comes into him. That's right.
Now look at how God planned that. Now, God is the male part that brought Jesus Christ here. Now God's a Spirit, so there couldn't be any sex. There couldn't be any sexual desire. Because if it was, then Jesus wasn't born a virgin birth. So God is a Spirit, and He overshadowed this Mary and created in her the blood cell that brought forth the Son of God. And it's through His holy blood that we have access to life. And our sexual blood is dismissed, and we have the blood of Jesus Christ that stands for an atonement, making atonement for our sins. How beautiful the picture. Do you believe that? You have to be if you're saved. You can't accept nothing else and be saved. Only He was the virgin born Son of God. God Almighty just overshadowed the woman, she knowed nothing about a man. And so He just overshadowed her and created in her, this cell.

26 Not long ago up in the mountains, I think Dr. Ackerman, if I'm not mistaken, sitting here this afternoon. We was together up in the mountains not long ago. And a perfect infidel come to me and tried to argue with me, as a rancher up there, that there was no such a thing as that virgin birth, it was all nonsense, that there was just a little old slip-up like they always have in every age. Joseph was the father of that baby. I said, "Nope. God was the Father of that baby."
"There is no such a thing," he said, "there is no such a thing." Said, "It's all against scientific research. Corn won't even pull without natural male and female. And woman couldn't have a baby without actually being with the male."

27 I said, "Do you believe..." And he just got through telling me that the first man was a sponge, then he become a polliwog, then he become a frog, and then he become a tadpole, or something another. He brought it on down to a fire-eating dragon, and then finally a monkey, and then put a collar and tie on him and called him a man. I said, "Hmm, such nonsense."
And remember, did you ever read the ethics of Darwin on that. Why, it's crazy. And you people over here, this side of the river let them teach it over here in the school. That's a weakness of Christianity. When you said that little old polliwog scooted around for thousands of years on his shoulder, and he wore a little wart there and a arm come out. Then he quit scooting on that side, he scooted on the other side another thousand years and wore another wart, and another arm come out. Nonsense. Oh, my. Anybody could believe that ... I ain't got that much faith, I just believe what God said, that's all. I haven't got... That takes too much faith for me. I'd just rather believe what God said--that He created man. That's all there was to it.
So anyhow... And then I asked him, I said, "Then you believe that Jesus had a mother, but He had to have a father, too."
He said, "Yes, sir."

28 I said, "I want ask you something then. Where did the first man come from? And who was his father and mother? According to science, he had to have both father and mother. And who was the first man's father and mother? Let him be monkey, tadpole, sponge, whatever he might be, according to your statements, he had to have a father and mother."
He has never answered me to this day. He can't either. Oh, I'm telling you, folks, some people so narrow between the eyes, you lay a lead pencil like that, it'd blind them. That's the truth. It's the truth. They just jump at anything just for conclusions. You don't stop and try to weigh it out. Weigh it against this, this is the only scientific Book there is in the world. This is the only thing... Here's the only book that tells you where you come from, who you are, and where you're going. That's the only book there is in existence, is that Bible. And I believe every word of it, just, I believe it just like it's just written there. I'm just ready to hang my soul on any phase and say it's "Thus saith the Lord." Yes, sir.

29 Some little fellow not long ago had went away to a school. And he had learned a whole lot they ought not to learn. Now I ain't got nothing against schools, and education, and seminaries, and so forth. But you take, God call a preacher, and the first thing you know, they take him out to a seminary and they pump all out of him there is of God out of him, and then pump some of the theology in him, and send him off like that. And he's worse than he was when he went there. Now that's true.
Now look friends, I come up here to talk about God and His work and I don't know nothing but just hit the ax right to the root of the tree and let the chips fall wherever they want to. That's right. And brother, that's true, they pump out of him what God put in him. It puts me in mind, going round like a big old morgue, you know, out there, cold, dead, place, icicles, a spiritual thermometer about ninety below zero, and go in to it. A morgue, always takes a man that's dead and pumps something into him to make him stay dead. That's just about the way it is, they pump all that's in there could be life out, and throw the dead stuff in him. That's right. Keep him dead. That's, oh, it's such a pity.
And this little old woman got sick, she got pneumonia. So she called for her son to come home, the doctor said she was going to die. Some little old Holy Ghost woman was led by the Spirit, went up and told her, said, "You know, do you believe in divine healing?"
Said, "Never heard about it."

30 Said, "The Bible said, 'They lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.'" Why, she wanted to know all about it then. So they went and, said, "Let my pastor come up and pray for you."
So the Full Gospel pastor went up and prayed for the woman. And when he went up and prayed for her, God healed her.
A few weeks after that, the boy come home, said, "Mother," said, "you know what, the strange thing to me," said, "How'd you get well so quick?"

31 She said, "Oh, honey, I got something to tell you." She said, "That woman that used to come by here to sell milk," said, "she goes to that little bunch of holy-rollers down there." Said, "You know they believe in divine healing? And he come up here and read to me out of the Bible in Mark 16, that these signs will follow them that believe; they lay hands on the sick and they'd recover. And he prayed for me, anointed me with oil, laid hands on me and the Lord healed me." Said, "Oh, praise the Lord."
He said, "Mother, ridiculous," said, "you shouldn't get mixed up with that bunch of people, well," said, "you begin to act like them." Said, "That's a shame."
Said, "Why," she said, "honey, he read it out of the Bible."
"Well," said, "mother, we've learned in the seminary that Mark 16 from the 9th verse on is not inspired."
She said, "Well, hallelujah!"
Said, "Mother, what's the matter with you?" Said, "What are you doing?"

32 She said, "Well, I was just thinking, if He could heal me with uninspired Word, what would He do with that was inspired." Said, "How much more." That's right: If the uninspired Word could do it, what would the one's really inspired do?"
So that's right friends, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."
And introducing His life to the world, we find out to go back to His life just a few moments, and interview His life. God spoke from the garden of Eden that He would send Him. Don't you believe that? He said that He'd put enmity between the woman's seed and the serpents seed, and He did that in Christ.

33 Then when Jesus... About the time that God was going to do something, before God does anything He always sends mercy before judgment. He always sends warning. And when men won't heed the warning, there's only one thing left, that's judgment. That's right. If you die in your sins, where I am you cannot come. God sends preachers and everything and gives warning. Sends His Spirit and warns the people.
Now before He sent Jesus, He sent a warning to the people to make ready His coming. And may I stop here just a minute to say this with the deepest of sincerity, I believe the things that you're seeing taking place today across the world, is a warning: Jesus is coming.
Down in Korea, the Methodist, and Baptist, and them down there are having such revival, they're receiving the Holy Ghost and speaking with tongues and having healing services and everything else, in Korea. Let the pressure come on brother, it'll push you to God. You don't have to wonder whether you're a Methodist or Baptist, just start praying, God will take care of the rest of it. You just pray, get close to God.

34 A minister just returned, said to me, said, he went into this bunch of people, he said, "Well, are all those Pentecostal people?"
Said, "There ain't a Pentecostal in the bunch of them."
"Well, look at them all speaking with tongues and shouting."
He said, "Ha-ha. The pressure just pushed them into it." That's all. Don't worry God will do it. He'll push it into them.
We're thinking about, "This church is ours, and that church is ours." When Solomon built the temple, it was cut out from all over the world. And when it come together, one block turned this way, and one turned that way, but there wasn't a buzz of a saw or sound of a hammer for forty years. Every block just went right to its place and the temple was built.

35 And that's the way it's going to be in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the pure in heart shall see God! But the reason we builders are not getting anywhere, the same way they did back there, the Chief Cornerstone was rejected. And that's what's the matter today with the Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostals and all, the Chief Cornerstone, which is Jesus Christ, is rejected. We have all of our theology and things, we speak of this, and what our church believes, and what our church don't believe. We teach it in, pump it in, everything like that. But the baptism of the Holy Ghost and the power of God to let freedom in amongst the people, is rejected. And that's the very cornerstone that'll build a church that'll go home to meet Jesus. Hallelujah. I believe it.

36 The cornerstone is kicked out in a bunch of weeds. They built their church and they built their church, but come to find out, the place where they had left undone, that cornerstone fit right into it. And today where all the power, signs and wonders is been left undone, you find out the Holy Ghost fits right in there for He is the One who brings the power of God into the church. Amen.
God always sends His warnings. Just before the coming of Jesus, He sent an Angel down out of Heaven by the name of Gabriel. Now minor angels comes, my, yes, you see angels. Every one has a guardian angel according to the Scripture. Jesus said, "Their angels always beholds my Father's face which is in Heaven."

37 Here some time ago, a minister told me, said, "Brother Branham, there is no such a thing as seeing angels. Angels don't lead the church, the Holy Ghost leads the church."
I said, "That's right. But we still have angelic beings as ministering spirits sent from the presence of God."
He said, "Well, our church don't believe in that."
I said, "I don't know what your church believes, I know what the Bible teaches."
He said, "Well, Brother Branham, angels might have been back in Daniel's time and back there, but not since the Holy Ghost is come, no angels."
I said, "Do you believe that Philip had the Holy Ghost?"
"Certainly."

38 "Well, who was it come to him and told him to leave that great big revival they was having and go out into the desert to meet that Ethiopian? Was it the Holy Spirit? No sir, the Angel of the Lord come to him." Is that right? Philip had the Holy Ghost.
How many believes Peter had the Holy Ghost? You all do. Well, who was it that night when he was in jail, they was going to cut his head off the next morning, they was having a prayer meeting down at John Mark's house. Who was it shined in there, fire of light come and hung over him and touched him and raised up, got the shackles off of him, opened up the doors and set him out on the street? The Angel of the Lord. That's exactly. He had the Holy Ghost.
Who was Paul, that great saint, fourteen days and nights, no moon, stars, all hopes they'd ever be saved was gone. And he went down in the galley to pray and he come out and said, "Wherefore be of a good courage, for the Angel of God, who's servant I am, stood by me last night, saying, 'Fear not, Paul.'" Is that right? The Angel of God.

39 Look the isle, over on the Isle of Patmos, the whole Book of Revelation was revealed by an Angel. "I, Jesus has sent My Angel to show you things that will shortly come to pass." Is that right? And John started to worship the Angel. But a true Angel will never stand to be worshipped, no sir. He'd say, "Worship God." That's true. Oh, there's false angels, true. Just like there's false spirits and so forth. But a true Angel of God will always point you to Jesus Christ. Yes, sir.
Paul said, "If an Angel from heaven would come preach any other Gospel, than that which you've already heard, let Him be accursed." Is that right? So watch what the Angel teaches. If it's bringing a long in the Gospel and sound in doctrine and everything according to the Bible, then believe it.
So, God always sends angelic beings to warn the world. I believe that there is angelic beings in the earth today, warning the world of judgment to come. I could go a little bit on your flying saucer here just for a few minutes, but I won't take that much time. But anyhow, did you notice, before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, which is a perfect thing of today, God sent Angels down there to call Lot out! Is that true?

40 Look, just before the coming of the righteous One, the great Son of God, God sent an Angel down. And that Angel come to a home that was a respected home. If you want Angels to visit your home, be like Zacharias' home. Him and Sarah was living upright before the Lord, keeping all the statutes and all the commandments of the Lord, living in perfect obedience to the Word and the light that they had. And Zacharias, his office was to wave incense, burning incense at the altar while the people were praying. And while he was waving this incense, standing on the right hand side of the altar stood Gabriel, the great Archangel.
Now, Angels can come, but when you hear of Gabriel coming, be ready, something major is on the road. Gabriel announced the first coming of Jesus. And Gabriel will announce the second coming of Jesus. Right.

41 Notice, Gabriel come to Zacharias and told him ... He was old, his wife had always prayed for children. What a difference today it is. It's a shame, the way our nation is, the people are polluting the nation. There's nothing wrong... Someone said, "Brother Branham, do you think the communists will ever sweep over America, take America?"
No, sir. I don't believe it. It isn't communist that's going to hurt us, it's our own rottenness right among us is what's hurting us. It ain't the robin that pecks on the apple that hurts the apple, it's the worm at the core that rots the apple. And our own demoralization that we got among us now, our women smoking cigarettes, and drinking whiskey, and the barrooms and things filled at night, and cussing and carrying on, that's what's killing us. These churches around here having a form of godliness, denying the power thereof, that's what's killing us. Amen. That's exactly right.

42 Here was Zacharias standing there ... I want you to notice, he said, "Now after the days of this ministration here, you go home to your wife and she's going to conceive and bear a son. And you'll call his name John." And look at that callous man now, that just goes to show about how callous people can get. He had plenty of examples, Hagar, and Sarah, and them. Sarah being a hundred years old and received a child. He said, "These things can't be, my wife's too old."
He said, "I am Gabriel, that stands in the presence of God. My words will be fulfilled in their seasons. But you'll be dumb till the day the baby is born."

43 Oh, my! When God speaks, all Heaven records it. I tell you, it has got to happen! No matter how funny it seems, and how unreasonable it seems, it's going to happen anyhow. Because God said it was. "And my words will be fulfilled in their season."
After the people seen that he didn't come out, they looked and wondered what was the matter with him. After awhile he come out, they seen he was a mute. He couldn't speak, he beckoned to the people to go away. Went home. And his wife conceived. She hid herself. And then about six months later, I like to give this a little drama.
Let's go down in Nazareth. A wicked town, way worse than Evansville. Wicked, really, the worse town in the world. And here's a little virgin living there. No matter how wicked the city is, and how other girls do, and how other men do, you can be a Christian anywhere!

44 Notice, I see her going down to the virgin spring. God willing, I want to pass through there next few months. And then with a big Oriental type water jug setting on her head, and here she comes packing the water up, it's wash day. That's the worse day that I ever knowed of around the house. I still even ... We got an electric washer, I still hate to see wash day come around at home. And then mom used to, down in Kentucky, we had an old boiler, an old kettle sat out in the back yard. How many remembers them old kettles? Look at the country folks. Well, I'll take off my tie now, I feel like I'm at home. Look, brother, yes, sir, old kettle, and I used to have to cut wood and pack that kettle and put under there and boil them clothes. And oh, my that old homemade lye, you know, and get that old soap and everything, scrub over the washboard, it was a sweaty day.

45 I remember then, they'd come around and get a kettle, in the fall of the year, to cook preserves in them. You remember that? I used to have to cook the preserves. And I remember one time chopping an old locust post, old fence rails and things, trying to get that stuff to boil enough. It looked to me like it was hot enough to can. These little old yellow tomatoes, you know, gourd tomatoes. Did you know, they'd go right good now between hot biscuit, and some good old-fashioned white country butter. Wouldn't that go good? My, I should say, that's real eating.
And I remember, mom would get a great big kettle of them and cook them. And I'd chop wood and put under there. I'd say, "Now mama, them things are hot."
And she said, "Honey, they got to get hotter."
And I'd say, "Why do they have to get any hotter?"

46 She said, "They have to get so hot until they go to popping." Go poomp, poomp, poomp, like that. Said, "Then they're getting sweet." Huh. Said, "Just keep pouring the wood on. They'll get sweet enough after a while." Said, "That mixes all the juices and everything together, and that runs all the sugar with the juices, and that gets them ready for canning."
I thought, "That's about right with an old time Holy Ghost meeting too. Just keep throwing the old Gospel wood on there, brother, and let her get hot enough till you have a testimony meeting, pop, poomp, pop, poomp, pop, like that. Runs all the Devil out and gets the Holy Ghost monkeying around with the people like that, sweetened up. Then you have an old fashioned revival on! Just keep laying the wood on it, blowing it just as hard as you can, fanning it. God will take care of the rest of it. It'll sweeten up the preserves and you can can them down then." Yes sir.

47 I can think of the Angel speaking to Gabriel, or Gabriel speaking to the priest. He went up home and about six months later, here comes Mary with this kettle on her head, or pot of water, and right in the face of the road shined a big light, shining down from Heaven. Walking into this light, came the great Archangel Gabriel, said, "Hail, Mary, blessed art thou among women."
Why, the salute kind of frightened the little virgin, she jumped back, she didn't know what it was. There stood the great Archangel, standing in her presence. Told her all about Zacharias' wife, Elisabeth, which was her cousin. John and Jesus were half ... were second cousins, or first, second cousins, Mary and Elisabeth were first cousins. And told her about that, and said, "You're going to have a Child knowing no man."
She said, "How will it be?"
Said, "The Holy Ghost is going to overshadow you." And said, "That holy Thing will be born in you will be called the Son of God."

48 Now, I want you to notice the difference. Now brother, get on your shock-proof vest, listen to this. There a preacher that had all kind of examples to look to back there, disbelieved it, on something that he was going to live with his wife and she was produce a child in her old age, but this little woman had to believe something that had never happened. Never was a baby born a virgin birth. And instead of questioning, she just took the Angel at His word and begin to rejoice.
I tell you what Evansville needs today is like the rest of the world, is some more Marys who can take God at His Word, and start rejoicing over it. Now, she didn't wait till she felt life, she didn't wait till she was positive. She just took God at His Word! Don't wait and say, "Now when my hand gets a little better, I will believe it. When I can move my foot a little more." Believe it now and start rejoicing. Hallelujah! Take God at His Word, It'll produce just exactly what He said. Amen. Brother, I feel like a holy roller right now. Look, you're going to call me that anyhow, so you just might as well get started at it.

49 Oh, when people will take God at His Word! God said, "He would heal you." Believe it. God said, "He'd give you the Holy Ghost." Believe it. God said, "He'd give you eternal life." Believe it. God's still got His Angels, He's still got His men, He's still got His ministry, He's got everything, just as He always had. And He's got somebody's going to believe His Word.
I can see little Mary going around saying, "I'm going to have a baby," knowing no man. "I'm going to have it anyhow." Oh, Mary.
I can see the doctor saying, "Tsk tsk tsk tsk, Mary, say, do you know you'll start a fanaticism. Why, they'll class you with them holy-rollers down there if you start testifying such stuff as that. The very..."
"Well, doctor, it don't make any difference whether I am now or not, I'm going to have it anyhow, 'cause God said so." Amen. That settles it! When God says so, that's the plumb line.
All right, I can notice her now, here she goes up into the country. Oh, my! She's going up to meet her cousin, she had heard about her. You know, she wanted to find out how this was up there. So, way up in the country she went to meet Mary, or Elisabeth. And Elisabeth had hid herself now for six months. And the baby had no life yet. So when she seen Mary coming... Oh, I can see Mary just running, so happy, because she's going to have the baby, no signs or nothing, but she believed it anyhow.

50 So she goes out to meet Elisabeth. And Elisabeth come out to meet her, you know, and throwed her arms around her, I imagine and begin to hug her, and kiss her, saying, "Oh, Mary, I'm so glad to see you, darling." And them hugging one another.
Women used to do that. Men used to have a great fellowship. But that died out somewhere. That's right. We don't have love for one another no more. Don't have no feeling for one another no more. Why, the only way you know your neighbor is dead, is when you read it in the paper any more. That's right. Nobody don't have any feeling for one another. Well, down in Kentucky, we used to go, and help shuck the corn out and cut the wood and everything, when somebody was sick. You don't know nothing about that no more. Nobody knows anything about it. Brotherly love just seems to be ceasing. It's too bad.

51 And I can see Mary and Elisabeth hugging one another. Here I'll tell this on my wife, I ain't spotted her yet, she's sitting around here somewhere. She going downtown here not long ago, we was riding along the street, and there was some girl said, "Hello, Sister Branham."
And I never heard her say anything. I said, "That girl spoke to you."
She said, "I spoke to her."
I said, "Well, I didn't hear you."
She said, "Well, I smiled."

52 A little silly grin. You know what? I like a good old fashioned, Methodist, pump-handle shake like that. Brother, got some feeling in it. Paul Rader said one time, him and his wife was having a little spat, fussing, or something another. Said, "He sitting at his table reading the paper, he'd always kiss her goodbye when he went out the door." And said, "He got up that morning, go out the door," and said, "she was standing at the door with her head down," said, "she puckered up her lips and he kissed her." Said, "She'd always stand when he got out the gate, then he'd close the gate, turn around and say, 'Goodbye.'" Said, "He turned that morning, say, 'Goodbye.'"
She said, "Goodbye."
"Went on down the street, and he got thinking about it." Said, "You know what? What if something would happen to me today? And you know the Lord don't want me to feel that way about that." Said, "Maybe I was in the wrong."

53 He got thinking about it just as... Oh, he got so bothered about it till back up home he went. Through the gate, rushed to the door, when he throwed the door open, she was standing behind the door crying. So he just... Never said a word, just looked at her, pulled her around, throwed her up against him, and kissed her, said, "Goodbye."
She said, "Goodbye."
He went out the gate, pulled the gate together, said, "Goodbye."
She said, "Goodbye."
He said, "The only difference was, the last time had a feeling in it." That's right.
Brother, that's what I think about religion. It's got to have a feeling in it, it's got to have something there, something positive, something real. Makes us know and feel that God is near. And this man's our friend, he's our brother, this is friendship.

54 I can see Mary and Elisabeth out there, you know, just having a great time rejoicing. I can hear Mary say, "Oh, Elisabeth, I'm so happy. You're an old woman here and you're going to have a baby."
"Yes." I can hear her say, "That's true. But you know Mary, I'm just a little upset. I've hid myself now for six months, for you know, there's no life yet to the baby."
Now that's subnormal. I want you to watch, the first thing that... About Jesus now. That's subnormal. About two or three months, life.
She said, "But this is six months and no life yet." Why, she was worried about it.
And then she said, "You know, Gabriel met me and He overshadowed me and said that I was going to have a child knowing no man." And she said, "He told me I was to call His name Jesus."

55 And just as soon as she said, "Jesus," little John come to life, begin to leap in her womb for joy. Brethren, the first time that the name of Jesus Christ was ever spoke by mortal lips, brought life to a dead baby. What ought it to do to a born-again church, that's born of the power of God? If the first time it was ever spoke brought life to a baby, and that baby doesn't only receive life, it the eternal life, it's received the baptism of the Holy Ghost in the mother's womb! Hallelujah! Oh, I feel religious.
Look, brother, I tell you, when she spoke that name, that mother spoke that name, Jesus, and Elisabeth got the Holy Ghost at the same time, she said, "When did the mother of my Lord come to me?" Said, "As soon as your salutation come into my ears, my baby leaped in my womb for joy!" Hallelujah!

56 I tell you brother, if it'll do that to a dead baby, what will it do to a sick man or woman that's born-again of the Spirit of God? It'll give life, too. It'll take death away every time and bring life. That great wonderful name of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, how wonderful He was. Oh, I wish we had time, but our time's getting away quick. Let's hurry. Let's go down here now just a minute, when this little old baby, John was born. He didn't go out to the cemetery, or seminary, all the same place, all the same thing. I've always felt a seminary preacher like I did about an incubator chicken. It just chirp, chirp, chirp, it ain't got no mammy to go to. It was mechanically turned out.

57 That's what's the matter with a lot of these fellows today, they don't know nothing about God and denying the power of healing and the power of God, is because you ain't got no real father to go to. You got a seminary to back you up. I'd rather have the Holy Ghost at any time, to back me up, and the whole world be against me. When God will confirm His Word with signs and wonders following, it shows where you come from. Amen. Amen! Amen means "so be it." Don't let you get scared, I've never hurt nobody yet. I slobber a whole lot up here, but I've been eating a lot of new grapes out of Canaan, that makes me slobber, you know, like a horse eating clover.
But look, brother, I know where I'm at, I'm not excited, I know right where I'm at. So I don't hurt people, just stand, open up your hearts and get into it. That's the way to do it.

58 When I was a little boy we used to go swimming. And I usually had less clothes than any of them. Just had one old pair of overalls with a fodder twine around and a nail for a button. Did you ever have that? All you country boys? We'd all start running, and you know, barely make it, who'd be the last in. I was always the first one because I didn't have to pull off no shoes. Didn't have any to pull off. Only thing I had to do was pull the nail. Them clothes just hung in the air and I was in the water. Then they'd look on to see how the water was. If the water was cold, I'd hold up one finger, it was cold. If I held up two fingers, it was good, come on in. Them clothes'd go to scattering everywhere. Everybody would be in the pool.
And brother, I'm telling you now, to you guys that has never been in the pool, I've got two fingers up, it's just right. Jump into it and find out. You'll find out it's just wonderful. The Spirit of God bathing through the people, Holy Ghost, sanctifying power, cleansing, healing. Oh, it's marvelous. Amen.

59 Notice, oh, I can just think of John when he was born. What kind of baby ought that to be? He didn't go to no seminary, but he went back out in the woods, out there, and stayed with God. Instead of studying genealogy, he went down on his knees and got some kneeology. He knowed what he was talking about. He came out of the wilderness, brother with a, not with a tuxedo suit on, his collar turned around the back, eating fried chicken three times a day. No, sir, that boy come out with a big old piece of sheepskin wrapped around him like this. But he preached repentance! Hallelujah! And he preached such a message it stirred all the regions around about Jordan.
What we need in Evansville and everywhere else today, is some Baptist preachers that'll preach like that! Not compromise with sin--right--that'll preach the Gospel.

60 Old Herod come out there with Philip, his brother's wife, I hear somebody say, "Don't you preach on marriage and divorce?" He stuck his finger right in his face and said, "It's not lawful for you to have her!" Hallelujah!
How could a man that had the baptism of the Holy Ghost in him, do anything else but condemn sin when it was before him? Whew! I feel good. Look brother, let me ... "Oh," you say "I'm crazy." Fine, let me alone if I'm crazy, I'm having a good time. I lost my mind to the world, to find Christ! Yes, sir. It always is silly to the world. But that don't make any difference how silly it looks to the world, I'm enjoying it. I tell you one thing, I'm having a lot more good time enjoying myself and having good health, and prosperity, and everything with this kind of a mind than I had when I had the kind of mind the world's got. Amen.

61 All right, look at little old John, I can see him standing out there, just preaching away. My, how he was laying the ax to the root of the tree. Every tree that didn't bring forth good fruit was hewed down and cast into the fire. Whew! what a Baptist preacher. Brother, that was one Baptist had the Holy Ghost. Yes sir, he really preached it. And he didn't get it when he believed. He got it by unmerited grace, that's exactly right. That's the way everybody else gets it. Not when you believe, but, "Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?" The gift of God is eternal life. The baptism of the Holy Ghost comes down and brings signs and wonders. Amen.
Oh, how I love Him. How God's always kept His Word. God will keep His Word every time. Not ninety-nine times out of a hundred, but a hundred out of a hundred, God will keep His Word.

62 I thought when Israel journeyed, when they come out of Egypt, went over into the promised land, God promised to take care of them. He is under obligation to do just exactly what He promised. I think when they crossed the river there with nothing to eat, no place--no place to go, just come out on bare words that God spoke through His prophet, and said He'd take care of them. And there they was standing on the other side, the task masters all dead, laying in the sea, what a glorious time.
Here some time ago I was preaching on: The Two Trees Out Of Eden, and I said that was a bunch of holy-rollers. And somebody called my hand. Said, "Do you mean to tell me that the great prophet Moses was a holy roller?"
I said, "He sure was. He sure was a holy roller."
"Why, Brother Branham, ridiculous."

63 I said, "I want to tell you something. After he'd passed through the Red Sea and seen all them old things that drove him and made them people do what they didn't want to do, drove them around like old dirty habits and show going and everything else, and going on. Is making you do what you don't want to do. Right down in your heart you know it's wrong to do it. You run out and do things, you're just a slave to it. And when he seen all them drown in the Red Sea, Moses threw up his hands, and begin to sing in the Spirit. And Miriam, his sister, the prophetess, picked up a tambourine, begin to dancing and run down the river, or dancing in the Spirit and all the daughters of Israel followed her." Amen!

64 If that ain't a holy roller meeting, I never seen one. Amen. Amen. Reminds of what I said here not long ago about, up here I was passing through. I like to go hunting 'cause I just like to get in the woods and be alone. I passed through a place one night up in British Columbia, about two years ago, I was hunting and I got lost out there. And there was no place, we was eleven hundred miles from the hard top road. So was on a bunch of horses, and I was chasing a grizzly bear. And I got lost out there somewhere, and I didn't know which way to go. So I thought, "Well, Lord, You help me back, You're the One's with me."
I was riding along, got dark. I got down to an old blow-over where there was an old burn-over, rather, where it'd been a big bunch of trees standing way up high. And the moon was shining. And if you ever talk about a spooky-looking place, you ought to get in one of those. Mmmm, it's worse than a seminary.

65 So you get in there, you know, all these great big old spooky looking trees, and then the first thing you know, here come a big wind coming down. A rushing wind come out of the heavens, and when it hit them old trees, it made it more spooky than ever, they begin to go, "Mmmm, woooh." I thought, "Oh, my." Oh, I said, "Well, what do you know, look at those big old trees, why don't they... Why, they just stand there just as straight and starchy, you know, couldn't move. And the wind a blowing, they go, 'Mmmm.'"
And I thought of over in Joel, he said, "What the palmerworm left the caterpillar eaten; what the caterpillar left the locust eaten;" so forth. And I happened to think of Joel's prophesy. That's right. What one left, the other one eaten. But I thought it was a very bad picture, until I thought over in the 3rd chapter of Joel, God said, "I will restore, saith the Lord."

66 I thought, "Lord, where does this part come in?" I happened to look down and that wind come down through there again, I stopped my horse, just acting like a holy-roller, shouting as hard as I could right there. Just going on, my hands up in the air glorifying God. And I happened to look, the horse all, with his ears looking down at me wondering what in the world was going on with him? And I was just running around and around the tree just shouting and praising the Lord. Having a good time. Because I seen something.
I seen them great big old trees standing, I thought, "Yeah, that's just like these great big old towering churches standing here, and every time God sends a rushing mighty wind like He did on the Day of Pentecost, only thing they could do is stand there like a big old tombstone, go, "Mmmm, days of miracles is past. Mmmm. There's no such a thing as divine healing. Mmmm. That's holy-roller. Mmmm. Don't have nothing to do with that. Mmmm. Just a moan, moan, moan." That's all.

67 I thought, "Well, God, why'd you send the wind for anyhow?" Then I heard it come again, and I happened to look, coming up was a bunch of undergrowth. A little old bunch of trees, when that wind hit them trees, they were alive and flexible. They were just dipping and rejoicing. I said, "There's a holy-roller meeting, there it is, right there now. "I will restore, saith the Lord." Yes, sir.
There's nobody can't say they're not churches, there's nobody can't say... But brother, the life's eat out of them. What the Methodist left the Baptists eat; and what the Baptist left the Presbyterians eat; what the Presbyterians left the Lutherans eaten. Brother, they got it down, one taken out healing; one taken out speaking in tongues; the other one taken out all these other things. They haven't got nothing but a big old starchy thing that don't believe a thing the Bible says. Hallelujah. That's right.

68 But brother, God said, "I will restore." Hallelujah! Right down there come up a bunch of holy-rollers that was just as green and flexible as they could be. Said, "Well, you haven't got no education." I'm as green as a gourd, but I can sure give to the wind. Amen. When God sends the wind I can frolic with it. Let them say you're crazy, I don't care. Just green enough to frolic with the wind. When the Spirit blows just give with it. Lord said, "I'm sending a revival, Holy Ghost power."
"I believe it, Lord, I believe it." Just rejoicing.
"I am the Lord that healeth thee."
"I believe it, Lord, I believe it." Amen. Whew! Wish I was twice my size. Maybe I could feel twice as good. Brother, if I did, I don't know how I'd hold it.

69 Oh, sure, yes, sir. God keeps His Word. He kept it with Moses. Always keeps It. I think of that night when they went in there, didn't have no bread. The little bread they had on top of their head in this trough, it was all gone the next morning. All that day had nothing to eat. When they went in and laid down, it's not their business to worry. Wasn't nothing to eat, no corn fields to get into. No place to grow any corn, there's nothing but a big old desert; not even a sprig of grass. "How we going to get anything to eat?"
That's not your question, that's God's question. He said, "I will take care of you. I'm the Lord, I'm Jehovah-jireh, the Lord's provided sacrifice. I will make a way when there is no way. I am the way."
All right. Next morning when they went out, there laid bread laying all over the ground. Manna. Is that right? They picked it up and begin to eat it. Mmmm, said, "It tastes like honey." Did you ever taste any of it? Now that was the beginning of the journey of the first church of the natural.

70 Now look at the beginning of the journey of the second church in the spiritual. When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they come out of all their churches everywhere, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind, filled all the house where they were sitting. Cloven tongues appeared to them like fire, licking out. My, the first thing you know, the power of God got on to them, they forgot about being Methodist and Baptist and whatever more, and out into the streets they went screaming and staggering. Mary with them. All the rest of them just shouting and dancing under the power of God acting like a bunch of drunks. The Bible said they did.
And them big old starchy self Pharisees stood around, said, "These men are full of new wine."
Peter stood up in the midst, said, "Ye men of Israel, and you that dwell in Judea, let this be known to you, and hearken to my words: but these are not drunk like you suppose, seeing it's the third hour of day, but this is that."

71 If this ain't that, I'm going to keep this till that comes. Amen. Yes, sir. Said, "This is that that was spoken of by the prophet Joel. It'll come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh: your sons and daughters shall prophesy, upon my handmaids and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit; I will show signs in the Heaven above and the earth below;" and so forth.
When they got down like that the manna was just a pouring down on that old apostle. Yes, sir. They said, "What can we do?"
He said, "Repent, every one of you, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For this promise is unto you, and to your children, and them far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
What was it? That original manna fell back there. Every time they tried to keep some of it over, it got wiggletails in it. That's what's the matter with a lot of our Pentecostal churches today, got stagnated, wiggletails in it. Trying to say, "Well, the Lord give me the Holy Ghost ten years ago." What about today? That's right.

72 Brother, we can't build a fire in the same place twice, let's move up. God has got something else for us. Don't you believe it? He told Aaron, said, "Go out there and get two big omers-full of it, several omers, and take it in behind the Holiest of holies, we'll keep it there, and every man in the priesthood that enters the priesthood, from hereafter, can come in and have a mouthful of the real first manna that fell on the day, the first day."
Oh, how typical that was of Pentecost, [Gap in the audio] ... comes to God. Now they want the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, the walls fall down, and you not only have a handful, or a mouthful, you can have a heart-full of the genuine manna that fell on the day of Pentecost, the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Not something that looks like it, but some of the original, some of the real with the same signs, same wonders and everything, that fell with it on the day of Pentecost, we get it again when God gives us the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

73 How long was it to stay? That manna fell until they entered the promised land. And the Holy Ghost is here from the day of Pentecost, and will stay with us until the day we enter the promised land. Amen. That's what the church needs today. Yes sir. Not so much membership. We all got a million more for forty-four, and all these different slogans. Bring the people in, shake their hands, and put them into the baptistery and baptize them and take them back out and they walk outside, smoke cigarettes, go to shows, dances. Why, as a hog goes to it's wallow and a dog to its vomit. That's right. That's pretty strong, that's not skim milk. But let me tell you something brother, that's what the church needs today, is a good old time Saint Paul's revival and the Bible Holy Ghost, is what we need.

74 Reminds me here not long ago, I was a little, well, it's been some time ago. Lot of these people are going along, I thought, "Well..." I seen an old terrapin, and that old fellow was one of the funniest looking fellows. To my brother and I, he was making them big old hang-legged walks like that. I said, when I got to him he went, "Schu," scuff right back up. That just puts me in the mind of a lot of people that can't take it. Go to preaching the Gospel and say, "I will never go back to that place again, unh-uh, unh-uh. No, I can't do it." Go ahead, close in.
I said, "I will make him walk." And I went and got me a switch and I liked to beat him to death, he wouldn't come out. You can't beat them into it.
I said, "I'll fix him." I picked him up top of the shell like this, took him down at the creek and socked him down in the water. Just a few bubbles come up, that was all. He stayed right in the shell.

75 Brother, you can baptize them this way, that way, face forwards, backwards, two times, three times, anything you want to, he'll just go down a dry sinner, come up a wet one. No difference, a few bubbles will start and puff and blow around about it, but he ain't changed, no.
You know what I did? I got me a piece of paper and a bunch of wood and made me a fire and set him on it. Brother, he walked then. If anything you need today, what I need today, what the church needs, is not some arguing about baptism, not some arguing about this church or that, what we need is a pouring down of the Holy Ghost and fire, they'll walk when God pours the Holy Ghost upon them, they'll get out and start moving, don't you worry. Amen. That's right.
Oh, my, I can see Jesus coming back. My, our time just goes, I don't know, maybe I'm just longwinded. But look, brother, when I can see Him, here in the time of our text, He just had to leave the home because His ministry was so great. But when He left the home, sickness come in.

76 Let me tell you something here today, Christians, when Jesus leaves your home, sickness will be there, don't you worry. Trouble is on its road when you drive Jesus away. When you put a deck of cards in there, instead of a prayer closet, put a card table, all right, trouble's on its road. That's right. When you take some of these old love story magazines and put it in the place of the Bible, trouble is on its road. Don't you worry about that. Yes, sir. When you quit going to church and blow up because the preacher told you it wasn't ladylike to wear shorts, you're on your road, don't worry, trouble's on its road. Just keep on, you'll find out.

77 This case, they hadn't drove Him away, but His ministry, He went away because the Father give Him a vision to go. Trouble come in. Lazarus got sick. We're told by historians that Lazarus had something wrong with his lungs. Doctors could do him no good. And they sent for Jesus to come pray for him. You think He come? Unh-uh, He went right on.
Well, they sent again. He didn't come, He went right on. Well, if that had been you, brother, you'd have went from the Methodist to the Baptist, took your letter over there. "I won't fool with that old pastor any more." You'd have went from the Pentecost to the Nazarene. "I--I ain't going to fool with them old people no more." That's the reason God can't do nothing for you. That's right.

78 You're packing your letter from place to place, till it's wore out. Why don't you put your name in Heaven once, brother? It'll stay there, see. That's right. You won't have to pack your letter around. Say, "I come in by letter of profession of faith." Profession of faith. The Devil believes himself and trembles. That's no sign you're born-again. That's no sign you're a Christian. Until you're filled with God's Spirit, you're still in darkness. That's right.
Notice, here He was. Profession of faith. Packed the letter from place to place. Brother, if that ain't a disgrace, I never told it. You need your name written in the Lamb's Book of life. Then God will take care of it. Don't you believe that? That's what we need today, is one of those old time revivals.

79 I remember something about it, a turtle just happened to come in my mind. One time I caught a turtle on a line, I cut his head off. He's an old snapper. I didn't want to take the hook out and I throwed it back on the bank. My little brother come along, side of the pond, he said, "What'd you catch awhile ago Billy?"
And I said, "A turtle."
Said, "What'd you do with him?"
I said, "I killed him." I said, "I'm going to take some to the colored folks down there to use to make turtle soup, going to take..." It was a great big fellow there.
He said, "Is he dead?"
I said, "Sure."
He said, "Well, he ain't got no head."
I said, "No, his head's laying back there."

80 He walked over to where it was at, he got a stick and he put that stick down there. And the old turtle snapped after he's done had his head off, you know. So he had his head up like that, and he stuck that stick down, he went "snap." Said, "Say." My little brother, said, "I thought you killed him."
I said, "I separated his head from his body." I said, "I suppose he's dead."
He stuck that stick down again, he went [Brother Branham claps.] snapped the head again. He said, "He's just dead and don't know it, isn't he?"
That's just what's the matter with a whole lot of people today. They're dead and don't know it! Brother, Jesus Christ will make you alive. That's right. Oh, how glorious.

81 I see Him as He comes into the city now, triumphed, went away, He's on His road back now. And here's little Martha, they had buried Lazarus. He had been dead four days, rotten already, or contamination, ever what you want to call it. My kids would know it better if I said rotten, so that's what it was, his body was rotten, so they just took it back, put him in a grave and covered him up, went on back. Four days was gone, all hopes was gone. The darkest hour that the little family ever seen. Then the first thing you know, they heard Jesus was coming.
Isn't that just like Him? When the darkest hour comes, then Jesus comes along. Was it that way for you? It was when I was laying there in the hospital, the doctor told me I had three more minutes to live, in Louisville, Kentucky, in the Jewish hospital. Then Jesus come along.
Little Georgie Carter, here at Milltown. Nine years and eight months, laying on a bed. Her church taught days of miracles is past. God gave a vision, said, "Go down there." When it's your darkest hour, she was dying. Weighed thirty-seven pounds. Then Jesus come along. Yes, it's always that way, the darkest of hour, then Jesus comes along. I've seen in my own family when things would get so dark I didn't know which way to go. Then Jesus comes along.

82 Jesus come in town, now it seemed like that Martha had a right to upbraid Him, scold Him. Say, "Here, why didn't You come to my brother?" If she'd have done it, the miracle would've never taken place. Watch on the platform those who come reverently, watch what they get. It's the way you approach anything. It's the way she approached.
Now she had a right, looked like. The way us American people say today, "Why, that pastor, I wouldn't have nothing to..." I can hear them all making fun of her, saying, "Hey, where's that holy-roller preacher that was doing all that there divine healing? Uh-huh, when His buddy died, away He went. There you are, where is that Guy that you all come out of your church for? Thought He was such a preacher. And when the real trial come, away He went."

83 But you know, Martha had read the Word. She read over there one time where the Shunammite woman, that God had give her a baby and Elijah told her. And the baby died. She didn't understand why that baby died, but she went to see Elisha. I like that, she said, "Saddle this mule, go forward, and don't you stop unless I bid you."
Said she was going to Mount Carmel to find the prophet. She knowed that that prophet was God's representative. She didn't know why the baby was taken, she was barren, and Elisha told her she was going to have a baby, she did. And the little baby got ten or twelve years old, about eleven o'clock in the day it had a sunstroke, I guess, it begin to cry, "My head." The father sent it out of the field. So the mother, it was laying on her lap and it died about noon time. She took it up and laid it on Elisha's bed.

84 Say brother, that woman knowed something, didn't she? Good place to lay it, in the prophet's chamber, on the pastor's bed. She laid him up there on the bed, she saddled this mule and took off. Now God don't always reveal everything to His servants.
I can see Elisha, saw her coming, and he said, "Here comes that Shunammite," said, "she's got sorrow in her heart, but God's hid from me, I don't know what's wrong with her." I like this, watch. He said, "Is all well with thee? Is all well with thy husband? Is all well with the baby?"
She got to where the prophet was then, she said, "All is well."
I like that, everything is all right. The baby a corpse, her husband like a maniac, walking the floor, her own heart breaking, but, "All is well, all is well." She got to God's representative. Like you should to your pastor. She run up there, she fell down at his feet and she revealed the secrets, that the baby was dead. He said, "Gehazi," to his servant, "gird up thy loins and take my staff and go lay it on the baby."

85 Now I think that's where Paul got laying handkerchiefs on the people, see. Because Elisha knowed that everything he touched was blessed. He knowed that in his body was the power of God. He knowed he was one of the branches off of God's tree. And he knowed God could only operate through him, for he was His representative. And what he touched, He blessed. He said, "Take my staff and go lay it on the baby."
Now the woman's faith wasn't in the staff. She said, "As the Lord God lives, and your soul never dies, I'm not going to leave you till I know something."
I like that. Determined to stay right with it. All right, he girded up his own loins, and here he went. Gehazi went ahead. I want you to notice something pastors, too. He said, "If anybody talks to you, don't talk to them. Don't say a thing, but go take this commission."

86 I think if we preachers would do that a whole lot more, go on God's commission, quit listening to what people are saying, we'd be a lot better off. Get more done. And he said, "Don't you talk to anyone." So Elisha followed him.
Gehazi went in and laid this staff... Sure, it wouldn't work, certainly. The woman's faith wasn't in that, it was in the prophet. And when the prophet got there, notice, he never went in, begin to agonize with God. He walked in, walked up and down the floor, back and forth, pacing up and down the floor. It was all... He didn't know what to do.
He knowed God was in him. So he laid his body over that dead baby, put his lips against its lips, his nose against its nose, and just laid there a little while. He felt the baby, it was warm. Walked back and forth, prayed, walked back and forth again. Went and laid his body upon the baby again, and it sneezed seven times and come to life. Is that right?

87 Now, look, Martha had read that story, no doubt. And she knew if God was in Elisha, surely He would be in His Son. Her brother was dead, but she wanted to see Jesus. Here she goes, she didn't come out to scold Him, she come out to worship Him. And she come running out, she fell down at His feet, and said... Now watch how she approaches God. She fell down at His feet, to worship, not to scold Him 'cause He didn't come do what she wanted to do, she come right. She come in the right mental attitude. That's the way you got to come. You've got to come to Him that way, in the right mental attitude.
Fell down at His feet and said, "Lord," that's what He was, give Him His right title, what He claimed to be. Said, "Lord, if Thou would have been here, my brother would not have died."
Oh, watch, she's at the right place, before the right person. Sorrow, parched, her poor eyes were streaked, beautiful girl, I guess. And her eyes were streaked, the bread winner was gone, her brother was dead, he was buried, been dead four days. Already skin worms in his body. Said, "If Thou would've been here, my brother would not have died. But even now," I like that, "even now, whatever You ask God, God will do it. Even now Lord, he's dead, he'd been dead four days, why, he's stinking. But even now, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You." That's right.

88 Brother, I can just see them cogs coming together like that, see. Something's got to happen. She's at the right Man, the right attitude, the right approach, everything's moving right. Can't you get that way just now too?
Said, "Even now Lord, whatever You ask God..." Maybe the doctor told you you wasn't going to live, you got a cancer. What difference does that make? "Even now Lord." He still hears you, He's sitting at the right hand of God. Don't you believe that? Making intercessions? "Even now Lord, whatever You ask God, God will do it."
He said, "Thy brother shall rise again."
"Oh," she said, "yes, Lord. I know he will raise in the last days, for he was a good boy, he'll raise in the last days." They believed in the general resurrection, you see, them Jews.

89 He said, "I am the resurrection and life." Oh, I like that. "I am the resurrection and life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth Me shall never die."
Brother, He wasn't very much to look at, but He had the words of God in Him that meant truth. 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, "Yes, Lord: I believe every word of it. I believe that You're the Son of God that was to come into the world."

90 There is God's representative, here's a broken-hearted woman, there's a dead man laying over there. This broken-hearted woman with perfect faith, is coming recognizing this gift of God here, the Son of God, greatest gift ever give to the world; giving Him His right title, giving Him His right worship. Said, "I believe that You're the Son of God, and whatever You ask God, God will give it to You." Something's got to happen. Said, "Yes, Lord, I believe it. I believe that You're the Son of God that was to come into the world."
He said, "Where have you buried him?"
Here He goes. Now, on this, some time ago, long time ago, I met a woman who doesn't believe that Jesus Christ was divine. You know that's a common teaching today in the churches? Do you all know that? They believe Jesus was just a prophet, or a good man. If He wasn't God, He wasn't nothing. If He wasn't God, He was the biggest deceiver the world has ever had. If He was just a prophet, His blood was no more than my blood. He was God! He was more than a man, He was divine.

91 Now listen, you people here that belongs to this church, I'm not making fun, and I'm not pushing this off at you, but it's Christian Science. And she said, "If I prove to you that He was just an ordinary man, will you accept it?"
I said, "Yes, if you can prove it by the Bible."
Said, "I'll prove it by the Bible that He was just a man."
I said, "He was a man, yes, but He the Son of God."
She said, "Well, He was just an ordinary man at that."
I said, "He was more than a man, He was divine."
Said, "He wasn't divine, Brother Branham." Said, "I'll prove it by the Bible."
I said, "Where will you prove it?"

92 She referred to Saint John 11. She said, "Going to the grave of Lazarus, He wept." And said, "That proves that He wasn't divine, because He could weep."
Hah! I said, "My, my!" I said, "That argument is thinner than the broth made out of a shadow of a chicken that starved to death." I said, "That thing wouldn't hold nothing." I said, "Do you mean to tell me that that's the reason you believe that He wasn't divine, because He wept?"
Said, "Yes."
I said, "When He went down to the grave, He went weeping, that's true. But He was a God-man, God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself." I said, "He was a man when He was weeping, but when He stood there and the little bitty figure that He was, and a man had been laying there four days, He stretched His little body and said, 'Lazarus, come forth!' Brother, that was more than a man, that was God speaking out of them mortal lips!" A man that had been dead four days stood on earth and lived again. His body was four days' journey somewhere, I don't know where he was, and neither do you, so we won't argue about that. But anyhow, he'd been dead four days, and when He said, "Lazarus, come forth!" A man that was dead four days and skin worms crawling through his body, stood on his feet and lived again!
Brother, that was more than a man, it was.

93 It was true He was a man when He come off the mountain that night, He was so hungry, He looked all around the tree, He couldn't find nothing to eat and He cursed the tree, He was a man when He was hungry. But when He taken those five biscuits and two little, three little pieces of fishes and fed five thousand, that was more than a man! That was God in Him! Sure. Yes, sir.
He was a man when He was laying out there on that ship that night. It floated around, ten thousand devils of the sea swore they would drown Him. That little old ship bobbing up and down like a bottle stopper. The Devil says, "I got Him now, He's asleep laying there. He's so tired from healing the sick till He can't move."
He was a man when he was laying there asleep, that's true. But when He put His foot on the brail of the boat, looked up and said, "Peace, be still." That was more than a man, that was God speaking out of His Son. Hallelujah!

94 He was a man when He cried yonder at Calvary for mercy, when He was dying, but when He rose up on Easter morning, He broke the bonds of death and hell! That was more than a man, that was God in His Son. Believest thou this?
I believe that that same Jesus that was yesterday, is today and will be forever. Believest thou this? I believe a woman who couldn't get in the prayer line, touched the hem of His garment and was made every whit whole. Believest thou this?
I believe it's Jesus Christ that makes the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak. You believest thou this? I believe it's Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. That gives these people the Holy Ghost and makes them scream and shout and carry on the way it is. You believe thou this? I believe the Holy Ghost is right here now. Believest thou this? I believe He's ready to heal everybody in the building. Believest thou this? I believe He's ready to fill every person with the baptism. Believest thou this? Hallelujah!

95 I believe He's here right now, don't you believe that? Believest thou this? Let's stand to our feet and give Him praise right now. I believe you'll receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Believest thou this?
Our Heavenly Father, as You did last night, so be it tonight. May the power of the Holy Ghost fall over this building. God, take away doubts, fears and give the baptism of the Holy Ghost just now, grant it.
I believe He's here to fill every one of you. Believest thou this? I believe if you'll accept your healing, you can get out of the wheelchair. Believest thou this?
I believe if you'll accept your healing, you'll come off the cot. Believest thou this? I believe He's here to heal that cancer. Believest thou this?