Expectations
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.
Sermon translation in French: 50-0810 - Shp
E-1 Thank you very much. Good evening. Happy to be out again tonight. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] I think that that's just their regular routine, for me singing that when I come to the platform each night. But it is a great privilege for me to be out here. Anyone who stands and ministers the Word of Life to people, it's a privilege that God has given them. And I'm very happy for this--for this part of it. And I trust that it'll be a great meeting.
Many peoples are being healed that doesn't know about it right now. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... meeting, that many times come here, just praying for the sick. And under the anointing of the Spirit, you feel something that's whirling, things like that. And there it is. It--it's surety I feel...
E-2 It would... The person's faith is a pulling. Then when it lets up, it's over. And that's how sometimes, I can tell out into the audiences of how the people are--are healed. It's because that they... I feel It tugging and pulling, and just it's like someone pulling my...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... and--and lets up... Sometimes I just want to turn around, because I've got my mind on something else. I'm watching--watching every move. And I just let it go, because I know the person will notice in a few days that something's happened to them. See? And a man was just testifying of some...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
E-3 I met him in the hotel lobby; he said, "Brother Branham, I was just setting in the meeting," and said, "something just come all over me." He said, "I went home, and I said, 'Lord Jesus, what's the matter? What's happened to me?' And he'd been wearing a truss for thirty years." And he said that he laid down there a little bit and went to sleep again, and said he dreamed that he was at the meeting again. And said he seen the Lord walk through and point towards his truss. He woke up and took his truss off, and...?... There it was all gone.
A lady said as she was had been... She was at her home. She'd returned back from the meeting. And she'd had a stomach trouble that bothered her for a long time. She couldn't get in the prayer line. And said, she said, "...?... true, surely he'd know about the rest of it would be true." So said she just believed God. And she was...
It was about a day after she'd been at the meeting; she was washing her dishes. And said all of a sudden, something happened, and a real cool feeling went through her, and she begin to crying. And said she didn't know what had happened. And she run over and taken some sweet milk. And usually the sweet milk would... stomach so hot with fever, she'd vomit it right up. She drink a glass of sweet milk and really felt fine. Said she run over to tell her neighbor, and her neighbor was just on all fours, thanking God, that she'd just been healed too.
What it was, the Angel of God had seen her faith and was passing through the neighborhood, confirming His Word with signs and wonders. There they was. And those two women were just so happy, rejoicing. The other one had a female disorder. Said it struck her the same time.
E-4 See, when I speak of this One Who has come down from heaven, a gift sent from God, and I just declare Him here. I'm just His mouthpiece. I do nothing but what He says. And when I can get you to believe Him, He'll go anywhere wherever you are and confirm His--the Word of God. Now, that is true. And it is true. Many people, now, that...
Seems like when I speak anything else besides the Holy Spirit, I feel like something just kind of tightens down, that it just a little bit, that it might be a little bit misunderstood. So if you'll just let me, for a moment or two, tell you...
E-5 You see, when I speak of an Angel, I--I do not mean the worship of an Angel. Does everyone understand? I do not mean a wor... No, no, no. No, you don't worship an Angel; you worship God (See?), not an Angel, but the ministry of Angels... I believe that every one, that the Angels of God watch over us. And I believe that--that Jesus said, "Their Angels always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven." I...
Now, my people formerly were, behind me, were Catholic. And that might be just a... You might think it was a little bit of a Catholic idea, but it--it--it isn't. No. I believe...
E-6 Someone told me here not long ago, said, "Brother Branham," said, "now, why don't you give all the praise to the Holy Spirit and say that's the Holy Spirit?"
I said, "My brother, I must be truthful. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] Whether it's the Holy Spirit..." I said, "It--it--it's a gift sent from God. He never said He was the Holy Spirit, never told me Who He was. He said, 'I'm sent from the Presence of God.' And It does not feel like the Holy Spirit when It comes. The Holy Spirit makes me feel happy. But when That comes around, it--it isn't that feeling; it's a very sacred, august feeling like. And it's different, but It's sent from God."
He said, "Brother Branham, the ministry of Angels, that was back in the Old Testament, like Daniel, and so forth." But that's an error, friends. That--that--that--that is wrong. Now, he said, "Since the Holy Ghost come, the Holy Ghost leads the church."
That's the truth. The Holy Ghost leads the church. That is true. But there's ministering Spirits sent from God, special gifts, friends.
E-7 Now, let me just ask you this, and then you... We all know that--that John the Baptist was--was a Christian, or a holiness man (Don't you believe so?), a Holy Ghost man? He was born from his mother's womb full of the Holy Ghost. But it was an Angel that came down and announced his birth: Gabriel (Is that right?) before Zacharias. Mary... Gabriel came again.
Now, Angels come to people. But when Gabriel comes, it's something major. See? [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... Gabriel will announce the second coming, and sound the trump of God, the dead in Christ shall rise.
E-8 Now, notice this. Then you say, "Well, they were before the Holy Ghost came."
Well, after the day of Pentecost and they received the Holy Ghost... How many here believes Philip had the Holy Ghost? Let's see. Well now, who was it? The Holy Ghost told him to go to the desert Gaza, or was it the Angel of Lord that appeared to him? Not the Holy Ghost, the Angel of the Lord (Is that right?) appeared to him.
How many believes that Peter, Saint Peter had the Holy Ghost? Let's see your hands. Sure. You all believe. But when he was in prison, and they had a prayer meeting at John Mark's house, it was the Angel of the Lord that came into the prison. Is that right? He had the Holy Ghost.
E-9 How many believes Paul had the Holy Ghost? Well, after fourteen days where there's no moon, stars, or lights, he was down in the gallery, praying. And he came out and said, "Be of a good courage, for the Angel of the Lord, Whose servant I am, stood by me last night, and told me." Is that right? "The Angel of the Lord Whose servant..."
How many believes John the Revelator had the Holy Ghost? Sure he did. Well, the whole Book of Revelations was revealed to him by and Angel. And John fell down to worship the Angel. Is that right? He said, "See that you do it not." No true Angel would stand to be worshipped. That's right. Said, "...?... be worship, worship God; for I am of thy fellow servants, and the prophets, and those who's had the testimony of Jesus Christ." He was an Angel sent from God. John, or those apostles, or any of them, the Holy Spirit is in the church.
E-10 And the teachers here of the Scriptures will teach you these things. There's nine spiritual gifts in the church. They operate anywhere in the church.
For instance, if this tent here tonight can feel the entire body of Christ. The Holy Spirit leads the body of Christ. And in this body there's nine spiritual gifts. They are here in the body. Gifts of healing, gifts of prophecy, it might fall upon someone here tonight, this lady setting here, this man, or this man; and he may give a prophecy and it would be true. But it would never work on him maybe again. It might come back at the...
See, that doesn't make him a prophet. That makes... We're in the body. By one Spirit we're baptized in the body and subject to these gifts. And when the body's setting here... Remember what Paul said, "If something be revealed to one setting by, let him hold his peace and so forth," like that? That's the apostolic church. That's where it should be now. And in that...
E-11 And he might--and here might be one tonight with the prayer of faith, that would pray a prayer of faith that would heal someone. That gift of healing might be on them tonight. It might be upon this lady here tomorrow night, and upon this man over here the next night. It might come back to her. It's in the church--the body.
Now, those are the nine spiritual gifts that's in the body now. They work through the body. But then there is gifts and callings without repentance. That's an a vindicated prophet sent from God, from... You don't receive that. That's a gift sent from God, that's born in your birth, come down through, and been set you down through. And that... A prophet, not a gift of prophecy...
Who ever stood to judge Isaiah, to see whether his prophecy was right or not? They knowed from his time through that he was a prophet. Who stood to say to Jeremiah, when God told him He made him a prophet before he was born from his mother's womb. And all those who lived right, they knowed he was a prophet.
But this Spirit of prophecy that's in the church now. He said, "If one prophesies, let two or three judge. See? See if it's a wrong spirit got into the church. See, this is the--the day, the order. So the teachers will get those things, later on. But what I mean, if they haven't already got into that...
E-12 So with the church. It's time that the church needed some good old fashion apostolic teaching of God to--to get the thing lined up. The gifts and callings are in the church, but the people don't know how to control themselves (See?); they don't know to--to take ahold of God.
And now, I've asked the managers today in talking to them, I said, "Give me an opportunity in the--the advertisement in the "Voice of Healing," for ministers who would like... I'm not a teacher, but I do love God. And the times between my healing campaigns, let me come to individual churches and so forth, and teach and preach the Word, just like that, in the individual churches."
E-13 So I believe we're living in the last days, just in shadows of the coming the Lord. And I--I want to... I know I'll have to give an account for a lot. And I want to be able to say that day, "Lord, I've done the best I could." He said...
I want Him to say, "Well done." And I want to do all that I can to help the people.
Now, this is the beginning service. When I come to pray for the sick, I stay in my room, and I fast much; I pray much, and I seek the Lord, and It come down, then minister to the people. And He does the ministering...?...
E-14 [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... is what I mean. Then start the... Just let the prayer line run on and on and on. See? And...?... of a night, we start the prayer line right away. We'll start that right away so I can meet them face...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] to pray for them. See? Just be reverent.
E-15 Now, tonight, if I can have a few of minutes of the time just to read some of the Word, which I do not believe that any service is complete without first reading the Word, for It's the Word. That's what stands. That's the Foundation, the Word, the revelation, and visions. Now, the first is the Word. And if we read the Word of God, if nothing else happens...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] God will bless His Word. But my words will fail, like any other man's word will fail. But God's Word can't fail. It's impossible.
Now, listen closely while I read from the Scripture, and then speak to you just a few moments, then we'll form the prayer line, start praying for the sick. I see many of you along through the front here, especially, holding prayer cards. And I just trust that God will heal all of you tonight, every one.
E-16 Now, while the Lord... Up here on the platform, if He heals those on the platform, you out there in the audience, accept it just upon my... Accept it. Believe it with all your heart, and I'll just...?... He--He will make you well. Probably in the prayer line, you won't even think of having prayer cards, won't even get to come in the prayer line to be prayed for; you'll being healed there.
Now, in Luke the 2nd chapter and beginning with the 25th verse... And I'll try to start the prayer line just exactly at nine-thirty, if the Lord willing. And now, on... At least we give a hour to the service...?...
Now, everyone that has their Bibles... How many Bibles we have? Let's see your hands. Oh, that's just wonderful.
E-17 Now, I just love to carry my Bible. When I was a little boy... Maybe Sunday, or Sunday week, I want tell my life story, how that... They'd tell me I looked like a preacher. And I'd...?... on my face till I wanted to...?... I didn't want to look like no preacher, Bible under my arm. I thought that was a sissy. But I find out, friends, it's takes a real man. I wanted to be a man that was six foot tall and weighed a hundred and ninety pounds. I wanted to be a real man. But see, I couldn't...?... little.
But look, you can't judge men by the size of his statue. I've seen men that weighed two hundred pounds, didn't a ounce of man...?... Man is judged by character...?... man...?... And then be a man after the heart, a man after God's heart, and God will bless you. Now, the 25th verse.
And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him... (That's what type of a man he was.)
And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and behold the parents brought the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
Lord, now lettest... thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
For my eyes have seen thy salvation.
E-18 Shall we bow our heads just for a moment of prayer, if you will. All right, everybody be real reverent and pray.
Our heavenly Father, we're approaching Your throne just now. The cares of the day is past. Sun has set behind the western horizon. Someday our mortal life will be set the last time. What we did today spiritually is before You now. Forgive us of all of our wrong. We've gathered here at this place, God, tonight in this tent to speak of Thy...?... and the leading of the Holy Spirit, and the Angel of God, and the heavenly host. God, meet with us, will You?
Standing here in this city with unbelievers, and--and is black work. I expect it to rise, doubt, criticize. But we're so thankful for the Word. Down through the hours of...?...
E-19 Now, tonight it's been faithful little group that's gathered in here that come for no other purpose, but to know more about You. Some of them are very sick, Father. And I've tried with all my heart, with all that I know how, to speak to them concerning the gift of what You told Your poor unworthy servant to do. And I'm so thankful that in these past few nights, You have confirmed and testified that I have told that which is true. And I'm very thankful, Father. I trust that it's believed among all, Lord, giving Thee all praise and all the glory, for we know it comes only through You. We believe You, Father, tonight with all we can.
Oh, Satan would take my very life, but I'm depending on You. And I realize that I shall face demons after while, supernatural beings, who will come out in that poor old form of a dark cloud going against my very soul. Then, Father, if You don't cover me with Your Blood and protection, it quickly would come upon me, and I could have no more services, for I would be laying helpless. Oh, help Thou me, Lord. Help me to be sincere, for I realize that we're not wrestling against flesh and blood now, but spiritual powers. Which men who...?... the five senses could not understand how these things could be. But with You, all things are possible. And especially when it's in Thy Word which has come to pass. Protect us.
May the Angels of God...?... their post host then...?... May they stand in the aisles, and may the great, the Angel of God spread forth His great wings throughout this tent tonight. May He distill dew drops of Divine...?... and drop them on every soul. May there not be a feeble one in our midst when the service is over.
Hear the prayer of Your humble servant, my Father. As Thou hast sent me to do this, confirm Thy Word again tonight, Lord. May many believers be added here, for we ask it for Your glory, in the Name of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
E-20 Just a few words upon "Expectations." Now, I want you to give me just very close attention, if you will. This is a little difficult. Standing here, already there's an anointing. And then trying to come over to speak on the Word, it's--it's a hard thing...?... now.
Expectations, usually, every one... Can you hear all the way around, everywhere, all right? Can you hear back, way back in the tent?...?... Well, that's fine. Down this way, all right? Can you hear down in there? Fine.
Now, you usually get what you're expecting. And if you come to the meeting tonight to criticize, or to make fun, or just to stir up...?... the devil will give you something to criticize, and he'll give you something to arouse your curiosity. You get just what you're expecting.
And if you come tonight expecting to see the Lord in His work, God will show you Himself, and will give you such peace. If you'll just come tonight expecting to be healed, you'll be healed. You get just what you expect.
E-21 Now, notice, this man that we're going to speak of, his name was Simeon. He was commonly believed among theologians, He was around eighty years old. He was an aged old man of faith, a noble teacher of Israel, with a wonderful reputation. And he lived in the days just before the coming of Jesus. And he was a devout man.
God has never left Hisself without a testimony. There's always been somebody somewhere that God could put His hand and say, "Here's My servant." He's always... It's gotten down to, sometimes, just about one left. But God has always had a witness. You believe that, don't you? Noah, and--and down many times through His prophets, and so forth... But He's never left Hisself without a earthly witness that He could work through, speak through, who would go out in the midst of criticism, and declare Him. That's right. And I'm thankful that He's got many, many hundreds of servants now He can work through just before the coming.
E-22 Last meeting our manager Brother Lindsay, he was reading me a letter of the Baptist preacher that ordained me in the Baptist church. And he... I told him about the vision the Lord had give me, and he made fun of that. He criticized it. When I told him about the Angel coming, he said, "What did you eat for supper today, Billy? Better run back over..."
I said, "Brother, I do not appreciate this. All right. If you don't want me, there'll be somebody who will receive it, for God has sent me, and I shall go."
He said, "Take it around the world then, Billy, you said you would." But I have. Amen. I never took it, but the Lord has sent it, and it's just...?... And he had a great letter that Brother Lindsay in his office, of this Baptist minister now apologizing greatly, writing to Brother Lindsay to put it in the paper that he apologizes. He said, "If I'd..." he'd have been more spiritual, he'd have understand more about the powers of God, and how visions and things is done.
E-23 It followed me since the days of my birth. I had nothing to do with It coming, none of my righteousness. My family was none of them Christians nor nothing. Yet I was just born at that time, and God ordained it. That's why I'm here tonight. Nothing in--in myself that I could say, even as Christians...?... to know.
For when my people become a...?... I remember the first one in my family was my mother...?... I baptized her myself, wade out in the river; and then my old grandfather, ninety-some-odd years old, and his arms hanging around my neck. And on down it went.
E-24 Now, Simeon was an old man, that'd believed in God's Word. Now, remember, he had a great reputation. Now, I know that I'm speaking tonight to ministers who has great reputations, peoples with Christian characters here. But the best reputation you ever had was being a Christian.
Now, Simeon was a great man. But now, the Holy Ghost came down and revealed to him, though he was old, that he was not going to die until first he'd seen the Lord's Christ. Now, it was a spiritual revelation by the Holy Spirit that he was not going to see death until he seen Christ. Now, remember, he was old. But he was... That's...
I imagine some of them said, "Well, that fellow's just a little off in his head. Why, he'd... We been looking for Je--for Christ to come for four thousand years."
E-25 Great men from Adam on down had looked for the woman's Seed to come and bruise the serpents head. They'd looked for the Christ for four thousand years. That's right, people; you know that. But here, an old man, old in age, said, "I'm not going to die until I see the Christ, for the Holy Spirit told me so." Pretty good reason, isn't it? He believed what was told him. Do you? The Holy Spirit give him the revelation, "You're not going to die, Simeon, until you see the Lord's Christ."
And he said, "Amen. I believe it." Stayed right with it.
All right. Now, we haven't got two Holy Spirits; there's only one. And that same Holy Spirit that revealed that to Simeon is in the building tonight.
I love the Word. The Holy Spirit feeds on the Word of God. Christians should always read the Bible, for the Holy Spirit feeds... Its food is the Word of God. "Man shall not live by bread alone (Amen. There it is.), but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." That's what the Christian lives on, the Word. And the Holy Spirit loves the Word, and He's here tonight to receive the Word. And It's in you. And as the Word comes forth, then the Holy Spirit takes the Word of God and reveals It.
Simeon, he's an old man now. He believed. It was revealed by the Holy Spirit that he wasn't going to die until he'd seen the Lord's Christ.
E-26 [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... of Divine healing over the coals not long ago. And he said, "I believe Brother Branham called it out on the platform that had a cancer, that he'd be well." Said, "He had the man to go ahead and testify, and tell the people to testify of their healing before they were healed. Those out in the audience as long as they go ahead and testify, to believe God and testify..." Said, "Then he goes around and says those people were healed."
I said, "The only thing I could do, take...?... His Word and what God said."
He said, "That's the reason Divine healings isn't... There's no Divine healing."
Friends, that person just did not understand. There's no other way in the world to be healed, only through Divine healing [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... faith.
E-27 Look, Abraham believed God, and he testified concerning the things that was not, for he had God's Word. That was enough for Abraham. Twenty-five years later, the promise came to--come to pass.
And today we believe God, express His Word, say that it's done before it is done; because faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things you can't see, taste, feel, smell, or hear. See what I mean? All right. That's it. You expect it. And when you believe it in your heart, you say so.
Do not look to symptoms. If you look to symptoms, you're sure to be lost. Any man any time who looked to the natural things, always lost their victory.
E-28 Look, talk about your symptoms, what if Jonah in the belly of the whale would've looked at symptoms? First thing, he was backslid. And he was bound hands and feet. And he was throwed out of a ship in a stormy sea. A whale swallowed him. Always when a fish...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] the water was...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... he goes down to the bottom...
Watch your goldfish lay his fins down on the bottom and rest after he... The seas approximately, many miles deep right off the peninsula there, very deep place for...?...
All right. Let's say it was five miles deep. And there was Jonah, backslid, running from God, hands down behind him, on a stormy sea, five miles deep in the sea, in a whale's belly. If he looked this a way, it was whale's belly; that way it was whale's belly, right up it was whale's belly. Everywhere he looked, it was a whale's belly. Talk about symptoms, he had a lot of symptoms around him. But he said, "They're lying vanities." He said, "Once more will I look towards Your holy temple, Lord."
He knew that when the temple was dedicated, that Solomon said a prayer, and said, "If Thy people be in trouble anywhere like that, and will look towards this holy temple and pray, then hear from heaven." And he believed that God heard Solomon's prayer.
E-29 If Jonah, backslid, the belly of a whale, five miles deep, whale's belly all around him, could look towards a natural earthly temple, through a prayer of an earthly man that had been prayed, and believed that God heard, how much more ought you and I, as Christians, bound with diseases, look towards the heavens, where Christ sets at the right hand of God with His own Blood making...?... intercessions now for anything.
Symptoms, they're lying vanities. Don't receive them. Don't have nothing to do with them.
If you look to them, you're looking away from God. We look at the unseen, not at what we see. No one could look at what they see and be a Christian. You've got to believe the things that's unseen, for it's by faith are you healed, not by sight or by feeling.
E-30 What if someone came up in the morning to your door, express agent, and throwed a whole basketfuls of rattlesnakes, and had your name on them. Said, "Here they are; they're yours."
You know they're there, just like you know your symptoms is there. If you receive them, they're yours. But you don't have to take them. You can say, "I don't want them."
Say, "Your name's on them."
Say, "I don't want them. I won't have them."
He can stand there and argue as much as he wants to. But until you take them and sign for them, they belong to the express company until you sign for them. Don't sign for nothing the devil brings. You say, "There it is, though I refuse to have it." That's right. "Take it back." Have nothing to do with it."
If you won't testify that you've got it... When you testify you still have your sickness, the devil keeps it with you. But you refuse to testify of it. Say, "I won't have it. No, sir."
E-31 Oh, my. That's when you're getting faith. Give your faith a chance. Turn it loose; unbridle it; let it work. You've got it all bound down with traditions. Turn it loose; cut it loose. Let God have His way with you. Somebody's word's right, either what you're looking at or what God says. God's Word is true. Believe It. All right.
But the first time you testify of your sickness, it brings you right down to that realm again. You signed for it. Refuse to sign for it. Testify of what you believe.
E-32 When I had stomach trouble, so bad till even the doctors said there's not...?... you. That was Mayo's too. I accepted Him upon this Scripture. He's the High Priest of my confession. I said, "I refuse to testify any more, nothing but what God says. I believe His Word."
Jesus died to heal us. Every one of you is healed. Every one of you is healed right now. Jesus has already healed you; you just have to confess it and believe it. That's right. By His stripes you were (past tense) healed. That's when He did it at Calvary. That's when He overcome all sickness and sin and all, at Calvary, for you. Just like a table set, it's there. Only thing you have to go is go eat. You have to accept it, believe it in your heart, and confess it. And He's the High Priest of your confession.
E-33 When I started to eat and swallowed the first mouthful... The doctor said, "One mouthful, if he eats, will be indigestion. Boy you'd die right now."
And I eat beans, and corn bread, and onions. Yes, sir. I took and I asked the blessing over it, and got it in my mouth, and chewed it up, and swallowed it.
Devil said, "You'll die." And here it come right back up.
I held my hand over my mouth, swallowed it back again. I said, "No, sir. Huh-uh. I refuse. No, sir." Somebody's right; either what my system said, or what God said. I'm looking to what He said.
E-34 I went out on the street, and the hot water running down my mouth soon as I... I was singing. I--I can, I will, I do believe that Jesus heals me now.
Someone said, "How you feeling?"
I said, "Wonderful."
"You healed?"
"Sure."
"How you feeling?"
"Fine."
"Anything wrong?"
"Nothing." And go... [Brother Branham illustrates--Ed.]... go back it again.
"How you feeling?"
"Fine."
"Are you healed?"
"Sure."
I stayed right with it day after day and week after week, and I was healed one morning. I believed Him. I took Him at His Word. Nobody ever cast it away from me, but the Word said so.
And the Word of God will defeat Satan any place, any time, anywhere, and on any condition. That's right. That's what it is; it's God's Word. "Heavens and earth will pass away, but My Word shall never fail." Believe It.
E-35 Gifts are added to stimulate faith. But faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the Word. That's where faith comes, by hearing the Word of salvation. It's just like this. Jesus... But God said, "Come unto Me, all--all the ends of the earth, and drink."
A little tree, when it's planted in the earth, a little apple tree about that big, it's stuck right out in the ground. Every apple that'll ever be on that tree, every blossom, every leaf, every limb that'll ever be on that tree is in it right then. If it isn't, where does it come from? Now, the tree is put in the ground, and the only thing the tree does, is drink. It just drinks and drinks until it swells out, and swells out, until it pushes out limbs, blossoms, apples.
And Christ is the inexhaustible Fountain of Life. We are planted in Him by the Holy Spirit, and then just drink from Him. Every person that's a Christian... The devil don't care how much you come to Christ, as long as you don't drink. You can stand at the table and your mouth watering and say, "Well, I'm here. I'm here." You're afraid to turn your faith loose. See?
E-36 I love guns. A man in the last meeting at Minneapolis... The brother knowed my weakness: I love to hunt. And he gave me a rifle. And oh, how I love it, of hunting, and rifles and fishing. So he said... "I've got the rifle setting at home just to go hunting. If I never use it, it'll never do me no good."
And when you receive the Holy Spirit, everything that you have need of for earth's journey's in you then. Turn it loose and let it go to work. See? Let your faith loose and believe God.
E-37 Now, Simeon had a promise of the Holy Spirit that he wasn't going to die until he seen the Lord's Christ. And he wasn't afraid to testify of it either. Some of them said, "Show him to me."
"But He'll be here. The Holy Spirit told me so." How marvelous. Don't you love that? He went around telling people, "Yes, I'm not going to die until I've seen Him."
"Why, Simeon, I'd quit saying that, because you're a great man among the people. 'Cause the seminary teaching...?..."
But I'll tell you, brother, the seminary, or cemetery, or whatever you call it, it's all about the same. So nothing against it all right. But a seminary minister always reminds me of a incubator chicken: just chirp, chirp, and ain't got no mammy to go to. So that's--that's...
When you're borned again, brother. It don't make no difference about a seminary experience; you got a Father Who'll watch over you and not scared to take God. No matter what the people says; it's what God says to be the truth. Somebody's right and wrong. Not what you was brought out from the hatchery, but what God said about it; that's right.
E-38 Now, notice, Simeon didn't care. He said, "Oh, the Holy Spirit told me so."
I want you to notice. Now, they didn't have a press in those days, and they didn't have the radio and televisions that we have today. So the only way they could send messages was write a letter, or from mouth to ear.
Back over on the hills of Judaea one night, the Angels came down and sang to some shepherds, said, "Go down in Judaea to Bethlehem, for down there is born Christ the Lord." Some wise men, astrologers, came from over in another part of the country, came over to visit. Magis came to visit the Christ, for they seen the sign from heaven that He was coming, the morning Star.
Well, one morning it came to pass within the temple... (Closely now, we'll start the prayer line.) Notice, one morning in the temple... Let's imagine it's on Monday morning; they're all busy around the temple, and Simeon's out in the prayer room, praying. Mothers all came up to the temple.
E-39 There was many believing people in Jerusalem in them days, and they come to the offer purifications, and circumcision of the child after eight days. And oh, let's say there were fifty mothers standing lined up that morning, ready for circumcision and offering up their... Some mothers standing out there, two lambs, or lamb, whatever it was. That was a rich child that brought the lambs. But a poor child had to offer turtledoves or pigeons.
Look all down through there, and way down the line, notice, I can see a little bashful mother standing with a baby wrapped in swaddling's cloth, holding two little turtledoves, was a...?... And He--He was poor. I'm glad God loves the poor people. I see her turn, looking at her Baby and smile. He don't even look towards this lady...
E-40 And all of a sudden, through all of that mass of people, the Holy Spirit spoke out there to Simeon. He--here He come, just...?... Faith moved him into the temple, coming right down through the people, walked right down that line, and stopped just where that mother was, picked up that baby in his arms, and said, "Lord, let Thy servant depart in peace according to Your Word, for my eyes have seen Your Salvation."
Why? He had the promise of the Holy Spirit. That's why the Holy Spirit led him. For the Holy Spirit had promised it, and here was the promise here. See? So if the Holy Spirit promised he would see Him... Now, the baby's going right down the line. He knew he'd come right out, led by the Holy Spirit.
E-41 And the same time, there was an old woman there, claimed to be blind, Ann, a prophetess. Maybe she's way over in a corner, setting in a chair. All at once the Holy Spirit moved on her. And here she come weaving through the people, moving around through them people, blind; came to where He was at, and then prophesied.
What was it? The Holy Spirit leading on those people who had the promise.
How many of you tonight believes in Divine healing? Listen, friends, isn't it strange? You believe Divine healing, and God can heal you, don't you? Isn't it strange the Holy Spirit's moving, just at the right time, right before the... Don't you believe it's sincere? It's the Holy Spirit that's... It takes--brings you right up to the right place now. You can be healed right now. You're at the right place, the right time. The same Holy Spirit that led Simeon has led you here tonight. Are... You believing you have the promise of the Holy Spirit, you're going to be healed? You believe that? Isn't it strange you're right here tonight. The same Holy Ghost that led Simeon has led you just at the right place, a healing meeting...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
E-42 And now, if you believe...?... As sure as... How many believes in Divine healing? You know the very reason you... Before you can believe... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... [Double recording, not intelligible--Ed.]...?... the rubber off of a bicycle...?... The doctor found a...?... got a little rubber erasers...?... There's something calling for sulfur. Brother...?...
See what I mean? Or it wouldn't any call in here. See? So when it calls for something... If there was a desire in your heart to be healed by Divine healing, there's a fountain somewhere. Hallelujah.
I know you think I'm a holy-roller, so go ahead and think it. I don't care. Hallelujah. If there's a desire in your heart calling for God, there's bound to be somewhere; The deep calls to the deep. But it'll respond somewhere. There has to be a...?... that creates in you heart, for He'd...?... a Creator to create it.
And if there's a... If there's a creation in here calling for sulfur, there's got to be sulfur somewhere, 'cause I'm in need. And it's the hunger and thirst of more of God...?... shackles...?... denominations and so forth...?... begin to cry out for the Holy Spirit." God alone...?... God is calling. The deep calling to the deep... There had to be something happen. The stones will immediately cry out. And now you...?... in healing, God will...?... and send it out. The deep calling to the deep... And if you come out expecting, God will heal you. You're bound to receive it. Oh, my. It's got to. You have to receive it.
E-43 Not long ago at Fort Wayne meeting...?... We had a great service there. Thousands were attending. There a man with multiple sclerosis, lay ten years bound on the bed, his spine damaged. They moved...?... the meeting. The last night, I just passing by in...?... trying to get him in to where I was. He laid on the platform. People walked over him. Finally they got him there. I said... tell the story and I looked over, I said, "Sir, can you see it?" My, the deep calling for the deep... I moved down; I said, "You believe me?"
Said, "Sir, lay your hands upon me; that's all I desire."
I laid my hands upon him. There...?... this man...?... Immediately life came into his body, his crutches...?... Down through the building he went...?... It even caused the king of England to send for me to come pray for him. I got the letters of it now. King George of England, where we just came from... There...?... went and told him what had taken place, and what it done. "Brother Branham he sent and he prayed a prayer..."
E-44 Now, many great things is going on. Just a little inside life. Many times, I don't tell people this. But down on the inside, where things goes on... Brought the man to speak... Here not long ago, I was in...?... many places over there in Sweden. We set down at the table. Many things the Lord shows. I said to my Brother Baxter, which is standing present now; he was with me...?... And I said, "Brother Baxter, when we raise up from here and start out," I said...?...
He said, "Where?"
And I said, "It'll...?... me and remember what I said."
We'd been gone about a half hour from there...?... two women up there...?... Brother, standing there, and the brothers stand down on the street. And I said, "You know, as we pass a corner here, there'll be a man with a white hat on, step out. He will want me to come and pray for wife...?... just right." And we'd gone about two or three squares and turned, and here come the man walking down the steps.
Those things have showed. That's just inside, the world knows nothing of.
E-45 In Fort Wayne, they found out what hotel we was in. And oh, my, you couldn't even get... Well, they just lined the lobbies full, and everything. I couldn't get out of the building. And the bellboy taken us down through to get breakfast, and was taking us over a big ash heap, and down the alley, down in the basement. And I was going down to a little place called, I believe it's called "Toddle House," or something like that. And I was eating.
One morning we was going down, a couple mornings after that, I had my coat up like this. Not as if I didn't want to meet the dear people, but it's such a pull. I was just about gone. And I was going down the street, Mrs. Margie Morgan, nurse I was speaking of, she usually goes to many a meeting to help--help keep the patients lined up.
E-46 And then I was going along through there, and I was walking down towards Toddle House. And the Holy Spirit said to me, "Turn to your left."...?... the Lord.
I said, "Let's go this a way."
Said, "Here's the place."
I said, "Let's go this way though. The Angel of the Lord tells me to go here." We walked on down the street a little piece. There was a--a place up there, said, "Miller's Cafeteria." Something said, "Go in here." They that are led by the Spirit of God... You know what I'm speaking of, a leading.
And I went in. My wife was with me; we had our little girl. And I set down at the table. I had some prunes, and a--a cup of--of orange juice, or something. I set down and just asked the blessing. When I raised up, I heard somebody say, "Praise God."
I looked over the side. Mrs. Morgan said, "Now, I told you if you went there." Said, "They didn't know where you was going to be at...?..."
I said, "Sister Margie, this is the Spirit of the Lord. He never sends me falsely."
And my wife said to her, said, "...?... Spirit...?..."
E-47 She walked over there, she said, "Brother Branham?"
I said, "Yes." She started crying. I took her by the hand, and I said, "I know that you want me for something."
She said, "Here's my brother." Said, "Brother Branham, we've sold our possessions. We had cows. We had a little place, and we sold it. And we followed for about six or seven meetings." Said, "My brother's in such a place, his heart's... diaphragm," said, "come out." Said, "It's getting worse, and worse, and worse." Said she spent everything...?... much money...?... Said, "We chase from meeting to meeting, trying to get in. We got prayer cards, and got almost to the line, then to be turned down. And...?... missed his spot, and we couldn't understand it." Said, "He just fought right on, held on." Said, "All our money's gone." Said, "We have just about three dollars left." Said, "Last night, I prayed all night long." Said, "We've been fasting so our money would hold us out to the end of the meeting." And said, "We just paid our hotel room." And said, "This morning about four o'clock," said, "the Lord woke me up in a dream and said, 'Go down to Miller's Cafeteria at nine o'clock and be standing there.'"
Oh, God. I looked at my watch; it was just exactly nine. Oh, my, the Spirit of the Lord upon me. I laid my hands upon the brother; his heart straightened out like that. The people begin screaming. I slipped out, and went on out like that. And went outside the building while they were rejoicing.
E-48 Just as I went out the door, there was a lady from Chicago, dressed, real fine young lady, fell on the street. "Oh, Jesus, thank You."
And I said, "Stand up, sister." She crumbled and got me by the side of the coat, and I took her up by the hand; I said, "What's the matter?"
She said, "Oh, Brother Branham, I've been dying," said, "with cancer," she said, "in such a horrible fix." And said, "I just couldn't go on. I know I can't live but a few days." Said, "Mayo's has turned me down and everything." Great big malignant, like that said, "Can't be done." Said, "When my clothes are so tight." Said, "I just couldn't go any farther." And said, "I prayed, and the Lord told me this morning in a dream, to be here at Miller's Cafeteria on the outside at ten minutes after nine." There they was. Oh, my.
We went on down the street. We started walking on down. Why, in a moment, her clothes was loose on her where the Holy Spirit healed her.
E-49 We went right on down the street. I was going to start across the street, and Something said, "Don't cross the street." We was going over to a drug store to get a little coloring book for the baby, had to keep it in the room all day. I said to the wife; I said, "You all go ahead, and go right through the alley. And have a brothers stand out there. I'll be down in a few minutes." And so I--I said, "He tells me to wait here."
And I stood there for about twenty minutes. I seen my wife get the book and things and go on. So I waited there just a little bit. And there's a...?... standing there looking. I went back to where some fishing tackle, you know, and I got back in the corner, I said, "O heavenly Father, what would You have Your servant do?" Stood there, I waited just a little bit.
You can't just imagine it; you got to actually... It's a Voice that...?... It said, "Go down to the corner." I went down to the corner...
E-50 I went down to the corner and stood there, just crossed over, went over to the other side, stood there about ten minutes. The cop kept blowing his whistle, and the traffic--pedestrians had passed by, and so forth. I stood there.
And after while, there was a... I seen a woman coming behind all the rest of the traffic. She had on a little checkered dress, and one little Canadian tams like. And she had her pocket book on her arms, and was looking sideways. And the Spirit said, "Go near to her."
I went over there and stood by her, like that. Stood where she'd pass, and she passed right by, looking the other way, went on by. I thought, "O God, I never seen it in my life. I know that something... I--I know that was Your voice."
And just then, she turned and looked backwards. She got twenty, thirty feet away from me, said, "Hello, Brother Branham." And she run right back. She went, "Oh..." begin to crying.
I said, "What's the matter, sister?"
She said, "Brother Branham, I'm from Canada." Said, "I followed you all through Canada." She said, "Two nights, I've slept in the hotel lobby." She said, "Someone gave me a nickel yesterday to do something for them." And said, "I got a cup of coffee. And I was on my road out, about two squares below here, to hitchhike back to Canada." Said, "I couldn't..." They can't have, just so much money when they come over here. And said, "If I go back to Canada, I'll have one five cents for coffee." And said, "Alone there was crying, going along." Said, "Lord, I'll always be like this." Said, "Yes, and the Holy Spirit said, 'Turn to your right.'...?..." Said, "Now, cross the street. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... didn't know where I was going."
And I said, "That's your trouble?"
She said, "My hand, Brother Branham."
I said, "In the Name of the Lord Jesus, stretch forth your hand." And there it come out like that.
E-51 Big cop standing in the street, said, "I know you, Brother Branham." [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... little old prayer line was right...?... old fashion blessing...?... there. God alone let her see it...?... [Double recording, and not intelligible--Ed.]... I just [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] it...?... the glory to...?... And then I'll start the prayer line. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] It's time right now.
Excuse me for just a moment or two longer if you will.
E-52 The plane was forced down. This is the inside life that I don't tell every one all the time. So it... I was forced down. I was supposed to be home. The wife said...?... I was supposed to be back, we was going over to Texas, been to Texas, coming back. And I stayed there. A storm forced us down. So I stayed all night, and the next morning told me to be at the--down at the hanger, told me to be there at nine o'clock, down at the ramp.
So I had to... So I got out. And I had some mail I had to send back. And I thought, "Well, how far am I from the post office...?... town."...?... just about two squares, right...?... "I'll go mail it."
It was a beautiful morning; the sun was out, springtime, and I was going down the street, singing. Had a little song the Pentecostal would sing. What is it?
... people almost everywhere,
Whose hearts is all aflame
With the fire that fell on Pentecost,
And we're telling now far and wide,
His power is just the same... (Something like that, you know.)
E-53 I was going down the street, singing that just to, oh, my, to myself, you know, having a glorious time. I'd been...?... Jehovah God how great You are, how marvelous, how marvelous. And--and the birds was singing in the trees...?... Hallelujah. It's wonderful, isn't it wonderful? Going along like that.
And I started to cross the street, and I heard the Angel of God speak clearly as you hear me; He said, "Stop here." I waited a little bit. I waited a few moments, and I started to cross the street. Looked like I just couldn't do it. I moved back up in a corner, and I said, "O Father, what is it You would have me to do?"
I was nervous and in a hurry (See?), 'cause I thought had to make the plane. I said, "I was nervous and in a hurry." And I said, "Oh, what--what would have me do?" He lets me stay there...?... I got quiet a few moments. I heard His voice say, "Turn and go back."
E-54 Where I don't know. I never question. I just turned and started going back. Went down the street, passed by the hotel, went on down, on down, on down. I was going along humming,
Only believe, only believe,
All things are possible, only believe;
Went right on down in the city, went down there towards north Memphis, where that little colored huts are down there, a little old clapboard places. I was going; I thought, "What am I doing down here? He said, 'Go back,' and here's where I'm going." I just went on. Went on there, I walked up along side of the hill, and went down to the little place, and went down towards to the river...?...
And I happened to pass by... There was a very typical old aunt Jemima, hanging right over the fence, like this. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... man's shirt tied around her head. And she was looking.
E-55 Just a beautiful morning, the sun up high upon...?... fragrance of roses. Oh, my, the flowers blooming like spring.
She was hanging out over the fence, like this. She just looked at me; tears was streaking down her cheeks. She said, "Good morning, parson." Parson, that's what they call ministers...?... Said, "Good morning, parson."
I looked up, and I said, "Good morning, auntie." And I said, "How'd you know I was a parson?"
And she said, "I prayed my prayers for you."
I said, "Yes, ma'am."
She said, "Parson, did you ever hear about that woman, that Shunammite in the Bible?" Said, "The Lord give her a child when she was past the age of bearing?"
I said, "Yes, ma'am. I've read that many times."
She said, "I's is one of them kind of women too." Said, "The Lord give me a child, and I promised the Lord I'd raise him a Christian." Said, "Parson, he took the road that's wrong...?..." And said, "Here he lays in here now, dying with venereal disease, syphilitic. The doctors had give him up. They'd give him...?... everything that could be done. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] And said, "The doctor was here last night, and said--said, 'He won't live till morning.'" [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
"... been like that?"
She said, "I got up at day and I said, "But Lord where is Your Elijah." She said, "And I begin to pray." And said, "I prayed and prayed." And said, "This morning while I was praying, I fell asleep." Said, "I dreamed that I'd be standing here the next morning." Said, "Then I heard you coming, singing that song." Said, "The Lord that that's you." See, see? They that are sons and daughters of God are led by the... She was expecting.
E-56 She said, "I was expecting you along. When I seen you coming the Holy Spirit said, 'There he is.'" I said, 'Oh, I...?...'"
I said, "Auntie, my name is Branham. Did you ever hear of me?"
She said, "No, sir. I never heard of you, Parson Branham."
I said, "Well, auntie," I said, "the Lord has sent me forth to pray for the sick. I got down and...?... last night." and my campaigns. And I said, "Auntie, this morning I was going to the post office, and the Holy Spirit told come this way...?..."
And she said, "Come in, parson." Opened up the gate. I walked in and looked in there, there was a great big fine looking colored boy laying there, had that blanket...?... him, going, "Umm, umm."...?... told me to do...?...
Said, "Oh, my." And she said, "Parson Branham, praise the Lord...?..." ...?... pray with all my heart for him. I said, "I believe the Lord...?... now." So we knelt down, started praying. I said, "You pray."
And wanted to see how she prayed. And oh, you talk about a prayer; you ought to have heard that old saint call out to God. Said, "I cried like a baby." I said, "Mother..." And I stood crying as she said, "Lord, surely, You haven't...?... Hear me, Lord." Said, "Here is Parson Branham standing here this morning...?... Holy Spirit, He told me to go stand at the gate. Lord, here he is...?... my Father." She'd been crying like that.
When she raised up, and he was going, "Umm." And she took her apron and wrapped--wiped the tears out of her eyes. She said, "Honey child, don't you know mammy...?..."
I said... No matter how old he was, he was still mama's baby. A mother will never forget, a real mother. She patted him like that on the cheek.
Said, "Umm. Is that your voice, mammy? Umm, said, "...?... it gets dark. See, I'm cold, mammy, so cold. I don't know where I'm going, mammy. Umm, mammy, mammy. Pray for me. Pray for me. (Like that.) Umm." He started going out again like that.
She said, "Won't you pray, Parson Branham?"
E-57 I knelt down, put my hands on his cold feet. I said, "O God, it's all...?... I don't understand, but You sent me down here."
About that time, no more than said that. He said, "Oh, mammy." He said, "It's getting light in here." In a few minutes he was setting on the side of the bed.
About a month from there I heard from him. The doctors pronounced him well. He got--got back to God, and he was living perfectly well. Why? That old mammy was expecting God to come on the scene. She prayed, and she believed.
The same Holy Spirit that led her out there, the same Holy Spirit that led me down there, the same Holy Spirit that led Simeon in the temple has led you here tonight. Be expecting to be healed. Now's the time to receive it and to let God heal you now, or to give you whatever you have need of. Don't you believe that? He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.
E-58 God bless you while we pray. Our heavenly Father, our hearts yearn tonight when we think of the great experiences that Thou has given to us. Someday when life is over, and we meet those dear beloved people who have been such great faith warriors, trusted and believed You, O God, may You set us down around the throne of God where all the evergreen trees, where the sea of life is flowing, there, set down and talk together, year after years while eternity rolls on... See all those who've been fried in furnaces of fire, throwed into lion's dens, Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail; those who led by the Spirit down through the ages, even this last closing age, when the great robe of the church has been throwed around us... O Father, how we thank Thee.
Speak to every heart here tonight. And may there be no feeble among us. May there be gallant patriotic faith to stand forth upon God's promise, which is infallible. It has to come to pass. You promised Abraham; he believed it. You are leading us today by Your Spirit.
E-59 Going into the service now, ask You, Father, to be with us and bless every one. Help as I pray for the sick. May ever who's out there check the vision. Look up, get the promise just now. Say, "Father, I now believe You. I have the promise. I'm here under Your anointing."
The Holy Spirit's falling down like tongues of fire, setting upon each heart burning with Christian faith, who believes it. Bless us now, Father.
May the Angel that has sent forth through Thy servant stand by me tonight meet these diseases, till every demon spirit will scream, Lord. May the power be predominate for driving out of every sick person that's in this building, out of these afflicted people who's setting here in these chairs, bound, shaking, stroke, paralyzed, palsy, whatever it is, cancer ridden... And O Christ, hear Your servant's prayer. Grant it, Father.
Bless us tonight as Your gathered children, gather us with great faith just before the great tribulation and the coming of the Son of God, for we ask it in His Name. Amen.
[A brother calls the prayer line--Ed.]
... lead me on, to the light;
Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me home.
When this way growing drear,
Precious Lord linger near,
When my life is almost gone;
At the river I'll stand,
Guide my feet, hold my hand;
Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me home.
While they're lining up, you who are on cots, just hold your card. The ushers will get you.
E-60 Look, I'm thinking of Israel standing over in the wilderness, looking over the stormy Jordan to the promised land, weary. Look here, saints; God had give them a promise that they should inherit the land. Is that right? They've come a long ways down through the wilderness. But to a...
E-61 [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... then at last after bank. There was a stormy rough Jordan in the month of April, coming down out of the hills of Judaea to a flood. But just beyond there laid the promised land. That's where you sick people are standing tonight. Faith... Joshua looked all around and seen the Israelites numbered in the millions. There was no architect, bridge builders in them days among them, no material to build with. Joshua looked around.
But in the midst of them there was a go-between, something that would make the way, the ark of the covenant. Joshua put the ark first with the priests and started towards Jordan, to give away when they touched Jordan, and they passed over to the promised land. Why? They had the promise.
E-62 Tonight, friends, we have wearies and trials, and the last river we come to is going to be Jordan. Is that right? I think someday our little home there, don't get to stay in it much. My wife's almost a stranger to me. My baby one time when I was coming in, didn't even know me, was scared of me. I'd changed. I lost my hair and everything else, and my shoulders was stooped. Wasn't her daddy. I thought, "O God, but I'm on the battlefield."
Some of these days, I'm--these mornings, I'm coming down to where she's a floating muddy. That's right. I'm going to raise both hands and scream to the top of my voice, "Give away, Jordan. I'm going to cross over." Amen. And we're going over, for we have the promise: "In My Father's house is many mansions. If it wasn't so, I would've told you. I'm going to prepare a place for you, and come again to receive you unto Myself." Some of these mornings, we're going to cross over, aren't we?
E-63 Now, while you're here tonight, and in need, let's cross over now into promises of God's promise of your healing. Is there a promise? "Whatsoever things you desire, when you pray, believe you receive them, and ye shall have them." Is that right? Saint Mark 11:24. Jesus Christ speaking then. His Words cannot fail.
Someone said, "Brother Branham, aren't you afraid that you'll make a mistake some time?"
No, no. He promised me. I believe Him. I can make a mistake, but He can't. His Words can't fail.
Let's pray again. Now, you softly play this, "Abide With Me," will you, sister? Just chord us a little note.
E-64 Now, friends, look this way. God is not dead. The Spirit of the Lord that I've been speaking of...?... tomorrow night we speak on what it is. Right here on my right side, not on the... That is true. I can feel It coming near to me. I'm not a hypocrite. God's Spirit's always near. But you can just... I'll... Someday, God will maybe let you know what I mean...?... begins to settle down. This flesh begins to feel strange. With His Spirit around, it's just milky like, just kind of a strange feeling, like a real reverence, awe.
Let's just be reverent, every one. Let your spirit loose. Now, believe with all your hearts; you'll feel the effect. Friends, God knows that I'm telling the truth. He's here.
Now, Father, will You just bless us tonight. They're forming this prayer line here, Lord. Many of those who's coming that's needy, will You bless them tonight with Your Presence, for we ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen.
E-65 Are you the patient? Howard?...?... May you come right up close...?... Are you the one? [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
[A brother comments--Ed.] She wants to come...?... vibrate over my hand. Maybe just to--just to wait just a moment...
And everybody, just be reverent and in prayer. Just think of the Lord and His goodness. Do you believe that, all of you, with all of your heart?
Now, this doesn't heal the people, but it does find out. It--it doesn't move on my hand at all. [A brother commentates--Ed.] [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] Just a moment...?... Now, you believe, sister, with all of your heart? [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... you mother with this little baby now. I want you to be well tonight. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... just speaks through you like that. But when He heals you like that... [Blank.spot.on.tape; the record skips grooves, making it difficult to understand, there's much static--Ed.]...?...
Thy humble servant, Lord. Help us, Thou Jesus. Lord, many You come tonight, heal...?... Hear the prayer of Your humble servant, Father...?... them in the Name of Thy Son Jesus. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?...
E-66 Look this way. Are you...?... back trouble...?... is discerned. That's why it wasn't...?... We want to thank Thee, heavenly Father, for Thy mercy and Thy goodness. And now, dear God, while we are praying and asking, I ask You to heal our beloved...?... Grant it, Lord. May this demon power that's bound her back, leave her immediately, Lord...?... You laid Your holy hands upon her. Doctors has said this...?... arthritis, but the devil has bound her...?... upon the Sabbath? And Father, we ask You now to...?... through the power of the Holy Spirit, through the merits of Christ at the cross. Come out from the woman, thou spirit of the...?... All right. Is it all right? [Blank.spot.on.tape, and words are not intelligible--Ed.]
Everybody be reverent. Pray. Have faith in God. God will grant it. All right...?... in you will, brother. [A brother makes a comment--Ed.]
E-67 Howdy do, sister. You believe with all your heart? [A brother makes a comment--Ed.] Watch this now. [There is much static making it difficult to understand--Ed.]...?...
Now, these things...?... All right. I want you to watch. Now, look here. The Bible says in the mouth of two or three witnesses...?... Now, you have...?... Some of them are...?... now...?... Now, that's a Presence of some supernatural Being...?... your life...?... Yes, ma'am. Now, I put my hand on it...?... Now, here's...?... I don't know...?... Something supernatural happened as you can see here. Is that right? You received the physical results of the supernatural action. Is that right?...?... Now, the sickness leaves the person, and it's gone now. I want you to look...?... now...?... Now, I'll hold my hand just as still as I can. You believe...?... in this, audience. Now, the things that I've said would be...?... have be the truth. Is that right? If it is, just raise up your hand...?... Everything...?... all you people?...?... There they are. See?
E-68 Now, I want you to watch. If that doesn't leave, well, sister dear, you'll go off the platform the same way you come on. If it does leave...?... show visibly here. If you noticed, may...?... that I don't know just what all she's done around...?... come in crippled and blind, and so forth, being healed. You can see what happens to them. But you have to accept it, just what I'm telling you to do. And here's what the Angel told me. "If you get the people to believe you, and be sincere when you pray, nothing shall stand before your prayer."
Now, I said, "They will not believe."
He said, "You'll be given two signs...?... by this will believe you." Is that right? Now, you know that this...?... First thing, it's caused from a fever. Is that right? No one knows but you and God. And them things telling...?... Is that right? Now, if that leaves, then there...?... I see something...?... my hand now. See that little old...?... there? While I was talking to you, something's happened to you...?... That is just a nerves...?... [The words are not intelligible--Ed.]...?...
E-69 Here's a woman who's had a hard time down through life, troubles with...?... [The words are not intelligible--Ed]...?...
And now, Father, I put my hands...?... I pray, God, that You'll heal...?... make this demon come out that's bound our sister...?... Come out of the woman.
Now, before I raise my head...?... [The words are not intelligible--Ed.]
Satan, leave the woman...?... Now, just a moment. [The words are not intelligible--Ed.] Have mercy upon our sister. She's crying, Lord...?... She wants to lay her affliction aside...?... Father, God...?... heart...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
Now, before I raise my head or look to my hand, holding it in the same position, that hand has turned normal, hasn't it? Now, you can raise your head, audience. Now, 'fore I raise my head or look, sister... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
E-70 [A brother comments--Ed.]...?... Is that right? You have a stomach trouble too. Is that right? You believe that Jesus Christ...?... Have I told you the...?... You're ready to serve Him now with all your heart?
Shall we bow our heads. Our heavenly Father... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
May he push back...?... Knowing this stomach trouble bothers him and this demon is now vibrating against my hand, for he knows that his hour has come to depart from...?...
Thou demon, come out him. In the Name of Jesus Christ, leave the man.
All right, you can raise your head, audience.
All right, brother, you believe with all your heart now? All right, go home and you eat what you want to. That getting up and things is over now. You just go on home...?...
E-71 [A brother comments--Ed.]...?... you love the Lord? You do...?... How hard...?... Here's what you're worried about...?... and you think much is wrong about...?... Your main thing is your nerves. That's what's bothering you; you're nervous...?... Sometimes you think...?... You've had a lot of ups-and-downs in life, haven't you? That is right. You've had operations and things, and so forth. Is that right? Now, Jesus is here to heal. Do you believe in the Lord? All right, will you bow your head. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
Truth...?... Thou choking spirit, leave her in the Name of Jesus, the Son of God. Come out from...?...
All right, you may look, friends. The goiter has left her throat. She's give her life to Christ, and she's going to be His servant the rest of her days...?... God bless you, lady.
E-72 All right, come. How do you do? [A brother comments--Ed.] That's what's caused most of your troubles: nervous...?... comes on you...?... in the evening, don't it? Will you promise God, with all of your heart, that you'll serve Him, you'll turn from your sins and serve Him? You promise that? Will you quit smoking? You will? Give your life to Christ. He'll let you get well.
Almighty God, have mercy upon our brother standing here, knowing that...?... holding him...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] Nothing is hid before You, Lord. You know all things. God, be merciful to the...?... Forgive him of every trespass, and take this desire of smoking away from him, and heal him tonight. Hear the prayer of Your humble servant. May his nerves quieten. May he go away tonight with a great faith in God, feeling strong, meeting the oppositions tomorrow, saying, "Oh, how I thank You, Lord, for Your healing me." May he walk all the days of his life packing this Bible, preaching the Word, talking to others, telling them how You heal; may he lead others to Christ. Hear the prayer of Your servant.
Satan, upon the confession of this man, your powers is weak when Calvary's brought near, for you know all your time, lost your victory when Jesus died at the cross. And I stand tonight as His representative. I say in His Name, Jesus Christ, come out of the boy and leave him alone.
Look here, sir, on me. All right. Your cigarette habit is gone; your sins are under the Blood; and your nervousness is over. Straighten yourself up and say, "Praise the Lord." Walk away from the platform, and go on home.
E-73 All right, come ahead now. Stand near me. Howdy do, sister?
My, such a faith bank in here pulling, I can hardly catch what's wrong with this...?... pulling me around, it's a... That's it; just keep believing. Just keep believing with all your heart.
[A bother comments--Ed.] Yes, ma'am. You're main trouble is...?... surgery. Have a lot of troubles, don't you? You're a deep thinker, always take other people's troubles too...?... just skip that. Yes, I believe it's...?... I'm not reading her mind now, I'm just telling you what's the truth. And she knows it's the true. Now, the thing you've got to do now, is look to Jesus Christ, and believe Him with all your heart. Do you believe that while you're standing here, if I ask God, that nervousness will leave you? You believe it? Do you believe the story that I told about that Angel, is the truth? You shall have what you asked for, sister.
E-74 Heavenly Father, a poor little nervous mother standing here, trembling, and Satan binding her, Lord, trying to shorten days and send her to a premature grave. Lord, You're here in mercy and in full compassion. And hear Thy servant's faith, Lord. If it could be drove away from her here on this platform tonight, she'll go home believing and glorifying You. Help me, dear Father, to have faith to make this power to leave her. You said, "In My Name they shall cast out devils," and she will believe it the rest of her life, Lord. Have mercy as You challenge this demon.
Thou demon of oppression that's binding our sister, in the Name of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, leave the woman. Come out of her.
There it is. (All right, friends, you raise your heads.) Now, I'm not ho--yelling at you, but sometimes you can't baby devils, you know, and you... All right, sister, it's over. Feel good? Say, "Amen." That's fine. Go off the platform, just rejoicing and having a...?...
All right. Let's say, "Praise be to the Lord."
E-75 He's the next in line? [A brother comments--Ed.] Up here tonight to be prayed for...?... praying for him. Look this way, sonny boy. That isn't your child. Isn't that right? When did you...?... all the time...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] God lets...?... You heard Jesus say...?... cross on Calvary...?... getting worse all the time...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
God, grant it. And this blind spirit, I adjure thee by Jesus Christ, leave the boy.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] [The words are not intelligible--Ed.]...?... I--I believe he's going right...?... Isn't that right...?... brother? And before the hand's got arthritis, setting there dying with...?... arthritis...?... Is that right? Is this true? Have faith, believe.
E-76 He's nervous. That might have corrected some of it. You believe me, brother, with all your heart? You're a stranger to me, aren't you? Yes, brother..?... trouble. Isn't that right? And do you believe with all your heart? Say, brother, I believe, by faith, you're Catholic, aren't you...?... Aren't you Catholic by faith? Is that right? Please raise up your hand. I thought I seen you...?... You believe me with all your heart? Go home and serve God with all your heart, and Jesus Christ will make you whole. God bless you. (Now, everyone be just as reverent.) God bless you, my dear. God bless you. You shall have just what you believe now. Have faith. Yes, sir.
E-77 I'm trying to catch the lady there in the... And there sets a man... And there sets a man in...?... There set a poor old crippled brother setting there. Look this a way, sir. Do you believe with all your heart? Look this a way. I see a man... That man's had a stroke, hasn't he? He's had a stroke. I see the man crippled...?...
All right. No only that but you got a heart trouble too, haven't you? Yes, you've had a lot of heart trouble...?... Yeah, you got clot of blood too, haven't you on the brain? Is that right? Stand up on your feet. You don't have to be crippled. Jesus Christ will heal you right there. That's right.
Everybody believe? Now, believe with all your heart now. Come forward, you that's...?... be healed. Let's all together, and let's have prayer while the Holy Spirit's moving. You there, lady. Yes, you raised up there with cancer, Jesus Christ healed you just now also. That lady over there with the female trouble, God's healed you just then, sister. For...
Let's bow our heads everywhere. Be reverent, everywhere. Have faith in God. Every one reverent just a moment. I'm trying to speak...?... Oh, my, glorious. Let's pray, everybody. Now, you bow your head.
Father... knows... Keep...?... before You. You can make lame walk, the blind to see, the deaf hear, the dumb speak. Thou art here. You can make those who are bound by the powers of Satan be loosed. Almighty God, send Your blessing upon the people, just now, for the Holy Spirit's coming in power, breathing upon every one...?... Have faith. You can be healed right now. Rise up from there in the Name of the Lord Jesus. You...?...
Many peoples are being healed that doesn't know about it right now. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... meeting, that many times come here, just praying for the sick. And under the anointing of the Spirit, you feel something that's whirling, things like that. And there it is. It--it's surety I feel...
E-2 It would... The person's faith is a pulling. Then when it lets up, it's over. And that's how sometimes, I can tell out into the audiences of how the people are--are healed. It's because that they... I feel It tugging and pulling, and just it's like someone pulling my...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... and--and lets up... Sometimes I just want to turn around, because I've got my mind on something else. I'm watching--watching every move. And I just let it go, because I know the person will notice in a few days that something's happened to them. See? And a man was just testifying of some...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
E-3 I met him in the hotel lobby; he said, "Brother Branham, I was just setting in the meeting," and said, "something just come all over me." He said, "I went home, and I said, 'Lord Jesus, what's the matter? What's happened to me?' And he'd been wearing a truss for thirty years." And he said that he laid down there a little bit and went to sleep again, and said he dreamed that he was at the meeting again. And said he seen the Lord walk through and point towards his truss. He woke up and took his truss off, and...?... There it was all gone.
A lady said as she was had been... She was at her home. She'd returned back from the meeting. And she'd had a stomach trouble that bothered her for a long time. She couldn't get in the prayer line. And said, she said, "...?... true, surely he'd know about the rest of it would be true." So said she just believed God. And she was...
It was about a day after she'd been at the meeting; she was washing her dishes. And said all of a sudden, something happened, and a real cool feeling went through her, and she begin to crying. And said she didn't know what had happened. And she run over and taken some sweet milk. And usually the sweet milk would... stomach so hot with fever, she'd vomit it right up. She drink a glass of sweet milk and really felt fine. Said she run over to tell her neighbor, and her neighbor was just on all fours, thanking God, that she'd just been healed too.
What it was, the Angel of God had seen her faith and was passing through the neighborhood, confirming His Word with signs and wonders. There they was. And those two women were just so happy, rejoicing. The other one had a female disorder. Said it struck her the same time.
E-4 See, when I speak of this One Who has come down from heaven, a gift sent from God, and I just declare Him here. I'm just His mouthpiece. I do nothing but what He says. And when I can get you to believe Him, He'll go anywhere wherever you are and confirm His--the Word of God. Now, that is true. And it is true. Many people, now, that...
Seems like when I speak anything else besides the Holy Spirit, I feel like something just kind of tightens down, that it just a little bit, that it might be a little bit misunderstood. So if you'll just let me, for a moment or two, tell you...
E-5 You see, when I speak of an Angel, I--I do not mean the worship of an Angel. Does everyone understand? I do not mean a wor... No, no, no. No, you don't worship an Angel; you worship God (See?), not an Angel, but the ministry of Angels... I believe that every one, that the Angels of God watch over us. And I believe that--that Jesus said, "Their Angels always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven." I...
Now, my people formerly were, behind me, were Catholic. And that might be just a... You might think it was a little bit of a Catholic idea, but it--it--it isn't. No. I believe...
E-6 Someone told me here not long ago, said, "Brother Branham," said, "now, why don't you give all the praise to the Holy Spirit and say that's the Holy Spirit?"
I said, "My brother, I must be truthful. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] Whether it's the Holy Spirit..." I said, "It--it--it's a gift sent from God. He never said He was the Holy Spirit, never told me Who He was. He said, 'I'm sent from the Presence of God.' And It does not feel like the Holy Spirit when It comes. The Holy Spirit makes me feel happy. But when That comes around, it--it isn't that feeling; it's a very sacred, august feeling like. And it's different, but It's sent from God."
He said, "Brother Branham, the ministry of Angels, that was back in the Old Testament, like Daniel, and so forth." But that's an error, friends. That--that--that--that is wrong. Now, he said, "Since the Holy Ghost come, the Holy Ghost leads the church."
That's the truth. The Holy Ghost leads the church. That is true. But there's ministering Spirits sent from God, special gifts, friends.
E-7 Now, let me just ask you this, and then you... We all know that--that John the Baptist was--was a Christian, or a holiness man (Don't you believe so?), a Holy Ghost man? He was born from his mother's womb full of the Holy Ghost. But it was an Angel that came down and announced his birth: Gabriel (Is that right?) before Zacharias. Mary... Gabriel came again.
Now, Angels come to people. But when Gabriel comes, it's something major. See? [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... Gabriel will announce the second coming, and sound the trump of God, the dead in Christ shall rise.
E-8 Now, notice this. Then you say, "Well, they were before the Holy Ghost came."
Well, after the day of Pentecost and they received the Holy Ghost... How many here believes Philip had the Holy Ghost? Let's see. Well now, who was it? The Holy Ghost told him to go to the desert Gaza, or was it the Angel of Lord that appeared to him? Not the Holy Ghost, the Angel of the Lord (Is that right?) appeared to him.
How many believes that Peter, Saint Peter had the Holy Ghost? Let's see your hands. Sure. You all believe. But when he was in prison, and they had a prayer meeting at John Mark's house, it was the Angel of the Lord that came into the prison. Is that right? He had the Holy Ghost.
E-9 How many believes Paul had the Holy Ghost? Well, after fourteen days where there's no moon, stars, or lights, he was down in the gallery, praying. And he came out and said, "Be of a good courage, for the Angel of the Lord, Whose servant I am, stood by me last night, and told me." Is that right? "The Angel of the Lord Whose servant..."
How many believes John the Revelator had the Holy Ghost? Sure he did. Well, the whole Book of Revelations was revealed to him by and Angel. And John fell down to worship the Angel. Is that right? He said, "See that you do it not." No true Angel would stand to be worshipped. That's right. Said, "...?... be worship, worship God; for I am of thy fellow servants, and the prophets, and those who's had the testimony of Jesus Christ." He was an Angel sent from God. John, or those apostles, or any of them, the Holy Spirit is in the church.
E-10 And the teachers here of the Scriptures will teach you these things. There's nine spiritual gifts in the church. They operate anywhere in the church.
For instance, if this tent here tonight can feel the entire body of Christ. The Holy Spirit leads the body of Christ. And in this body there's nine spiritual gifts. They are here in the body. Gifts of healing, gifts of prophecy, it might fall upon someone here tonight, this lady setting here, this man, or this man; and he may give a prophecy and it would be true. But it would never work on him maybe again. It might come back at the...
See, that doesn't make him a prophet. That makes... We're in the body. By one Spirit we're baptized in the body and subject to these gifts. And when the body's setting here... Remember what Paul said, "If something be revealed to one setting by, let him hold his peace and so forth," like that? That's the apostolic church. That's where it should be now. And in that...
E-11 And he might--and here might be one tonight with the prayer of faith, that would pray a prayer of faith that would heal someone. That gift of healing might be on them tonight. It might be upon this lady here tomorrow night, and upon this man over here the next night. It might come back to her. It's in the church--the body.
Now, those are the nine spiritual gifts that's in the body now. They work through the body. But then there is gifts and callings without repentance. That's an a vindicated prophet sent from God, from... You don't receive that. That's a gift sent from God, that's born in your birth, come down through, and been set you down through. And that... A prophet, not a gift of prophecy...
Who ever stood to judge Isaiah, to see whether his prophecy was right or not? They knowed from his time through that he was a prophet. Who stood to say to Jeremiah, when God told him He made him a prophet before he was born from his mother's womb. And all those who lived right, they knowed he was a prophet.
But this Spirit of prophecy that's in the church now. He said, "If one prophesies, let two or three judge. See? See if it's a wrong spirit got into the church. See, this is the--the day, the order. So the teachers will get those things, later on. But what I mean, if they haven't already got into that...
E-12 So with the church. It's time that the church needed some good old fashion apostolic teaching of God to--to get the thing lined up. The gifts and callings are in the church, but the people don't know how to control themselves (See?); they don't know to--to take ahold of God.
And now, I've asked the managers today in talking to them, I said, "Give me an opportunity in the--the advertisement in the "Voice of Healing," for ministers who would like... I'm not a teacher, but I do love God. And the times between my healing campaigns, let me come to individual churches and so forth, and teach and preach the Word, just like that, in the individual churches."
E-13 So I believe we're living in the last days, just in shadows of the coming the Lord. And I--I want to... I know I'll have to give an account for a lot. And I want to be able to say that day, "Lord, I've done the best I could." He said...
I want Him to say, "Well done." And I want to do all that I can to help the people.
Now, this is the beginning service. When I come to pray for the sick, I stay in my room, and I fast much; I pray much, and I seek the Lord, and It come down, then minister to the people. And He does the ministering...?...
E-14 [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... is what I mean. Then start the... Just let the prayer line run on and on and on. See? And...?... of a night, we start the prayer line right away. We'll start that right away so I can meet them face...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] to pray for them. See? Just be reverent.
E-15 Now, tonight, if I can have a few of minutes of the time just to read some of the Word, which I do not believe that any service is complete without first reading the Word, for It's the Word. That's what stands. That's the Foundation, the Word, the revelation, and visions. Now, the first is the Word. And if we read the Word of God, if nothing else happens...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] God will bless His Word. But my words will fail, like any other man's word will fail. But God's Word can't fail. It's impossible.
Now, listen closely while I read from the Scripture, and then speak to you just a few moments, then we'll form the prayer line, start praying for the sick. I see many of you along through the front here, especially, holding prayer cards. And I just trust that God will heal all of you tonight, every one.
E-16 Now, while the Lord... Up here on the platform, if He heals those on the platform, you out there in the audience, accept it just upon my... Accept it. Believe it with all your heart, and I'll just...?... He--He will make you well. Probably in the prayer line, you won't even think of having prayer cards, won't even get to come in the prayer line to be prayed for; you'll being healed there.
Now, in Luke the 2nd chapter and beginning with the 25th verse... And I'll try to start the prayer line just exactly at nine-thirty, if the Lord willing. And now, on... At least we give a hour to the service...?...
Now, everyone that has their Bibles... How many Bibles we have? Let's see your hands. Oh, that's just wonderful.
E-17 Now, I just love to carry my Bible. When I was a little boy... Maybe Sunday, or Sunday week, I want tell my life story, how that... They'd tell me I looked like a preacher. And I'd...?... on my face till I wanted to...?... I didn't want to look like no preacher, Bible under my arm. I thought that was a sissy. But I find out, friends, it's takes a real man. I wanted to be a man that was six foot tall and weighed a hundred and ninety pounds. I wanted to be a real man. But see, I couldn't...?... little.
But look, you can't judge men by the size of his statue. I've seen men that weighed two hundred pounds, didn't a ounce of man...?... Man is judged by character...?... man...?... And then be a man after the heart, a man after God's heart, and God will bless you. Now, the 25th verse.
And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him... (That's what type of a man he was.)
And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and behold the parents brought the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
Lord, now lettest... thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
For my eyes have seen thy salvation.
E-18 Shall we bow our heads just for a moment of prayer, if you will. All right, everybody be real reverent and pray.
Our heavenly Father, we're approaching Your throne just now. The cares of the day is past. Sun has set behind the western horizon. Someday our mortal life will be set the last time. What we did today spiritually is before You now. Forgive us of all of our wrong. We've gathered here at this place, God, tonight in this tent to speak of Thy...?... and the leading of the Holy Spirit, and the Angel of God, and the heavenly host. God, meet with us, will You?
Standing here in this city with unbelievers, and--and is black work. I expect it to rise, doubt, criticize. But we're so thankful for the Word. Down through the hours of...?...
E-19 Now, tonight it's been faithful little group that's gathered in here that come for no other purpose, but to know more about You. Some of them are very sick, Father. And I've tried with all my heart, with all that I know how, to speak to them concerning the gift of what You told Your poor unworthy servant to do. And I'm so thankful that in these past few nights, You have confirmed and testified that I have told that which is true. And I'm very thankful, Father. I trust that it's believed among all, Lord, giving Thee all praise and all the glory, for we know it comes only through You. We believe You, Father, tonight with all we can.
Oh, Satan would take my very life, but I'm depending on You. And I realize that I shall face demons after while, supernatural beings, who will come out in that poor old form of a dark cloud going against my very soul. Then, Father, if You don't cover me with Your Blood and protection, it quickly would come upon me, and I could have no more services, for I would be laying helpless. Oh, help Thou me, Lord. Help me to be sincere, for I realize that we're not wrestling against flesh and blood now, but spiritual powers. Which men who...?... the five senses could not understand how these things could be. But with You, all things are possible. And especially when it's in Thy Word which has come to pass. Protect us.
May the Angels of God...?... their post host then...?... May they stand in the aisles, and may the great, the Angel of God spread forth His great wings throughout this tent tonight. May He distill dew drops of Divine...?... and drop them on every soul. May there not be a feeble one in our midst when the service is over.
Hear the prayer of Your humble servant, my Father. As Thou hast sent me to do this, confirm Thy Word again tonight, Lord. May many believers be added here, for we ask it for Your glory, in the Name of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
E-20 Just a few words upon "Expectations." Now, I want you to give me just very close attention, if you will. This is a little difficult. Standing here, already there's an anointing. And then trying to come over to speak on the Word, it's--it's a hard thing...?... now.
Expectations, usually, every one... Can you hear all the way around, everywhere, all right? Can you hear back, way back in the tent?...?... Well, that's fine. Down this way, all right? Can you hear down in there? Fine.
Now, you usually get what you're expecting. And if you come to the meeting tonight to criticize, or to make fun, or just to stir up...?... the devil will give you something to criticize, and he'll give you something to arouse your curiosity. You get just what you're expecting.
And if you come tonight expecting to see the Lord in His work, God will show you Himself, and will give you such peace. If you'll just come tonight expecting to be healed, you'll be healed. You get just what you expect.
E-21 Now, notice, this man that we're going to speak of, his name was Simeon. He was commonly believed among theologians, He was around eighty years old. He was an aged old man of faith, a noble teacher of Israel, with a wonderful reputation. And he lived in the days just before the coming of Jesus. And he was a devout man.
God has never left Hisself without a testimony. There's always been somebody somewhere that God could put His hand and say, "Here's My servant." He's always... It's gotten down to, sometimes, just about one left. But God has always had a witness. You believe that, don't you? Noah, and--and down many times through His prophets, and so forth... But He's never left Hisself without a earthly witness that He could work through, speak through, who would go out in the midst of criticism, and declare Him. That's right. And I'm thankful that He's got many, many hundreds of servants now He can work through just before the coming.
E-22 Last meeting our manager Brother Lindsay, he was reading me a letter of the Baptist preacher that ordained me in the Baptist church. And he... I told him about the vision the Lord had give me, and he made fun of that. He criticized it. When I told him about the Angel coming, he said, "What did you eat for supper today, Billy? Better run back over..."
I said, "Brother, I do not appreciate this. All right. If you don't want me, there'll be somebody who will receive it, for God has sent me, and I shall go."
He said, "Take it around the world then, Billy, you said you would." But I have. Amen. I never took it, but the Lord has sent it, and it's just...?... And he had a great letter that Brother Lindsay in his office, of this Baptist minister now apologizing greatly, writing to Brother Lindsay to put it in the paper that he apologizes. He said, "If I'd..." he'd have been more spiritual, he'd have understand more about the powers of God, and how visions and things is done.
E-23 It followed me since the days of my birth. I had nothing to do with It coming, none of my righteousness. My family was none of them Christians nor nothing. Yet I was just born at that time, and God ordained it. That's why I'm here tonight. Nothing in--in myself that I could say, even as Christians...?... to know.
For when my people become a...?... I remember the first one in my family was my mother...?... I baptized her myself, wade out in the river; and then my old grandfather, ninety-some-odd years old, and his arms hanging around my neck. And on down it went.
E-24 Now, Simeon was an old man, that'd believed in God's Word. Now, remember, he had a great reputation. Now, I know that I'm speaking tonight to ministers who has great reputations, peoples with Christian characters here. But the best reputation you ever had was being a Christian.
Now, Simeon was a great man. But now, the Holy Ghost came down and revealed to him, though he was old, that he was not going to die until first he'd seen the Lord's Christ. Now, it was a spiritual revelation by the Holy Spirit that he was not going to see death until he seen Christ. Now, remember, he was old. But he was... That's...
I imagine some of them said, "Well, that fellow's just a little off in his head. Why, he'd... We been looking for Je--for Christ to come for four thousand years."
E-25 Great men from Adam on down had looked for the woman's Seed to come and bruise the serpents head. They'd looked for the Christ for four thousand years. That's right, people; you know that. But here, an old man, old in age, said, "I'm not going to die until I see the Christ, for the Holy Spirit told me so." Pretty good reason, isn't it? He believed what was told him. Do you? The Holy Spirit give him the revelation, "You're not going to die, Simeon, until you see the Lord's Christ."
And he said, "Amen. I believe it." Stayed right with it.
All right. Now, we haven't got two Holy Spirits; there's only one. And that same Holy Spirit that revealed that to Simeon is in the building tonight.
I love the Word. The Holy Spirit feeds on the Word of God. Christians should always read the Bible, for the Holy Spirit feeds... Its food is the Word of God. "Man shall not live by bread alone (Amen. There it is.), but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." That's what the Christian lives on, the Word. And the Holy Spirit loves the Word, and He's here tonight to receive the Word. And It's in you. And as the Word comes forth, then the Holy Spirit takes the Word of God and reveals It.
Simeon, he's an old man now. He believed. It was revealed by the Holy Spirit that he wasn't going to die until he'd seen the Lord's Christ.
E-26 [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... of Divine healing over the coals not long ago. And he said, "I believe Brother Branham called it out on the platform that had a cancer, that he'd be well." Said, "He had the man to go ahead and testify, and tell the people to testify of their healing before they were healed. Those out in the audience as long as they go ahead and testify, to believe God and testify..." Said, "Then he goes around and says those people were healed."
I said, "The only thing I could do, take...?... His Word and what God said."
He said, "That's the reason Divine healings isn't... There's no Divine healing."
Friends, that person just did not understand. There's no other way in the world to be healed, only through Divine healing [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... faith.
E-27 Look, Abraham believed God, and he testified concerning the things that was not, for he had God's Word. That was enough for Abraham. Twenty-five years later, the promise came to--come to pass.
And today we believe God, express His Word, say that it's done before it is done; because faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things you can't see, taste, feel, smell, or hear. See what I mean? All right. That's it. You expect it. And when you believe it in your heart, you say so.
Do not look to symptoms. If you look to symptoms, you're sure to be lost. Any man any time who looked to the natural things, always lost their victory.
E-28 Look, talk about your symptoms, what if Jonah in the belly of the whale would've looked at symptoms? First thing, he was backslid. And he was bound hands and feet. And he was throwed out of a ship in a stormy sea. A whale swallowed him. Always when a fish...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] the water was...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... he goes down to the bottom...
Watch your goldfish lay his fins down on the bottom and rest after he... The seas approximately, many miles deep right off the peninsula there, very deep place for...?...
All right. Let's say it was five miles deep. And there was Jonah, backslid, running from God, hands down behind him, on a stormy sea, five miles deep in the sea, in a whale's belly. If he looked this a way, it was whale's belly; that way it was whale's belly, right up it was whale's belly. Everywhere he looked, it was a whale's belly. Talk about symptoms, he had a lot of symptoms around him. But he said, "They're lying vanities." He said, "Once more will I look towards Your holy temple, Lord."
He knew that when the temple was dedicated, that Solomon said a prayer, and said, "If Thy people be in trouble anywhere like that, and will look towards this holy temple and pray, then hear from heaven." And he believed that God heard Solomon's prayer.
E-29 If Jonah, backslid, the belly of a whale, five miles deep, whale's belly all around him, could look towards a natural earthly temple, through a prayer of an earthly man that had been prayed, and believed that God heard, how much more ought you and I, as Christians, bound with diseases, look towards the heavens, where Christ sets at the right hand of God with His own Blood making...?... intercessions now for anything.
Symptoms, they're lying vanities. Don't receive them. Don't have nothing to do with them.
If you look to them, you're looking away from God. We look at the unseen, not at what we see. No one could look at what they see and be a Christian. You've got to believe the things that's unseen, for it's by faith are you healed, not by sight or by feeling.
E-30 What if someone came up in the morning to your door, express agent, and throwed a whole basketfuls of rattlesnakes, and had your name on them. Said, "Here they are; they're yours."
You know they're there, just like you know your symptoms is there. If you receive them, they're yours. But you don't have to take them. You can say, "I don't want them."
Say, "Your name's on them."
Say, "I don't want them. I won't have them."
He can stand there and argue as much as he wants to. But until you take them and sign for them, they belong to the express company until you sign for them. Don't sign for nothing the devil brings. You say, "There it is, though I refuse to have it." That's right. "Take it back." Have nothing to do with it."
If you won't testify that you've got it... When you testify you still have your sickness, the devil keeps it with you. But you refuse to testify of it. Say, "I won't have it. No, sir."
E-31 Oh, my. That's when you're getting faith. Give your faith a chance. Turn it loose; unbridle it; let it work. You've got it all bound down with traditions. Turn it loose; cut it loose. Let God have His way with you. Somebody's word's right, either what you're looking at or what God says. God's Word is true. Believe It. All right.
But the first time you testify of your sickness, it brings you right down to that realm again. You signed for it. Refuse to sign for it. Testify of what you believe.
E-32 When I had stomach trouble, so bad till even the doctors said there's not...?... you. That was Mayo's too. I accepted Him upon this Scripture. He's the High Priest of my confession. I said, "I refuse to testify any more, nothing but what God says. I believe His Word."
Jesus died to heal us. Every one of you is healed. Every one of you is healed right now. Jesus has already healed you; you just have to confess it and believe it. That's right. By His stripes you were (past tense) healed. That's when He did it at Calvary. That's when He overcome all sickness and sin and all, at Calvary, for you. Just like a table set, it's there. Only thing you have to go is go eat. You have to accept it, believe it in your heart, and confess it. And He's the High Priest of your confession.
E-33 When I started to eat and swallowed the first mouthful... The doctor said, "One mouthful, if he eats, will be indigestion. Boy you'd die right now."
And I eat beans, and corn bread, and onions. Yes, sir. I took and I asked the blessing over it, and got it in my mouth, and chewed it up, and swallowed it.
Devil said, "You'll die." And here it come right back up.
I held my hand over my mouth, swallowed it back again. I said, "No, sir. Huh-uh. I refuse. No, sir." Somebody's right; either what my system said, or what God said. I'm looking to what He said.
E-34 I went out on the street, and the hot water running down my mouth soon as I... I was singing. I--I can, I will, I do believe that Jesus heals me now.
Someone said, "How you feeling?"
I said, "Wonderful."
"You healed?"
"Sure."
"How you feeling?"
"Fine."
"Anything wrong?"
"Nothing." And go... [Brother Branham illustrates--Ed.]... go back it again.
"How you feeling?"
"Fine."
"Are you healed?"
"Sure."
I stayed right with it day after day and week after week, and I was healed one morning. I believed Him. I took Him at His Word. Nobody ever cast it away from me, but the Word said so.
And the Word of God will defeat Satan any place, any time, anywhere, and on any condition. That's right. That's what it is; it's God's Word. "Heavens and earth will pass away, but My Word shall never fail." Believe It.
E-35 Gifts are added to stimulate faith. But faith cometh by hearing, hearing by the Word. That's where faith comes, by hearing the Word of salvation. It's just like this. Jesus... But God said, "Come unto Me, all--all the ends of the earth, and drink."
A little tree, when it's planted in the earth, a little apple tree about that big, it's stuck right out in the ground. Every apple that'll ever be on that tree, every blossom, every leaf, every limb that'll ever be on that tree is in it right then. If it isn't, where does it come from? Now, the tree is put in the ground, and the only thing the tree does, is drink. It just drinks and drinks until it swells out, and swells out, until it pushes out limbs, blossoms, apples.
And Christ is the inexhaustible Fountain of Life. We are planted in Him by the Holy Spirit, and then just drink from Him. Every person that's a Christian... The devil don't care how much you come to Christ, as long as you don't drink. You can stand at the table and your mouth watering and say, "Well, I'm here. I'm here." You're afraid to turn your faith loose. See?
E-36 I love guns. A man in the last meeting at Minneapolis... The brother knowed my weakness: I love to hunt. And he gave me a rifle. And oh, how I love it, of hunting, and rifles and fishing. So he said... "I've got the rifle setting at home just to go hunting. If I never use it, it'll never do me no good."
And when you receive the Holy Spirit, everything that you have need of for earth's journey's in you then. Turn it loose and let it go to work. See? Let your faith loose and believe God.
E-37 Now, Simeon had a promise of the Holy Spirit that he wasn't going to die until he seen the Lord's Christ. And he wasn't afraid to testify of it either. Some of them said, "Show him to me."
"But He'll be here. The Holy Spirit told me so." How marvelous. Don't you love that? He went around telling people, "Yes, I'm not going to die until I've seen Him."
"Why, Simeon, I'd quit saying that, because you're a great man among the people. 'Cause the seminary teaching...?..."
But I'll tell you, brother, the seminary, or cemetery, or whatever you call it, it's all about the same. So nothing against it all right. But a seminary minister always reminds me of a incubator chicken: just chirp, chirp, and ain't got no mammy to go to. So that's--that's...
When you're borned again, brother. It don't make no difference about a seminary experience; you got a Father Who'll watch over you and not scared to take God. No matter what the people says; it's what God says to be the truth. Somebody's right and wrong. Not what you was brought out from the hatchery, but what God said about it; that's right.
E-38 Now, notice, Simeon didn't care. He said, "Oh, the Holy Spirit told me so."
I want you to notice. Now, they didn't have a press in those days, and they didn't have the radio and televisions that we have today. So the only way they could send messages was write a letter, or from mouth to ear.
Back over on the hills of Judaea one night, the Angels came down and sang to some shepherds, said, "Go down in Judaea to Bethlehem, for down there is born Christ the Lord." Some wise men, astrologers, came from over in another part of the country, came over to visit. Magis came to visit the Christ, for they seen the sign from heaven that He was coming, the morning Star.
Well, one morning it came to pass within the temple... (Closely now, we'll start the prayer line.) Notice, one morning in the temple... Let's imagine it's on Monday morning; they're all busy around the temple, and Simeon's out in the prayer room, praying. Mothers all came up to the temple.
E-39 There was many believing people in Jerusalem in them days, and they come to the offer purifications, and circumcision of the child after eight days. And oh, let's say there were fifty mothers standing lined up that morning, ready for circumcision and offering up their... Some mothers standing out there, two lambs, or lamb, whatever it was. That was a rich child that brought the lambs. But a poor child had to offer turtledoves or pigeons.
Look all down through there, and way down the line, notice, I can see a little bashful mother standing with a baby wrapped in swaddling's cloth, holding two little turtledoves, was a...?... And He--He was poor. I'm glad God loves the poor people. I see her turn, looking at her Baby and smile. He don't even look towards this lady...
E-40 And all of a sudden, through all of that mass of people, the Holy Spirit spoke out there to Simeon. He--here He come, just...?... Faith moved him into the temple, coming right down through the people, walked right down that line, and stopped just where that mother was, picked up that baby in his arms, and said, "Lord, let Thy servant depart in peace according to Your Word, for my eyes have seen Your Salvation."
Why? He had the promise of the Holy Spirit. That's why the Holy Spirit led him. For the Holy Spirit had promised it, and here was the promise here. See? So if the Holy Spirit promised he would see Him... Now, the baby's going right down the line. He knew he'd come right out, led by the Holy Spirit.
E-41 And the same time, there was an old woman there, claimed to be blind, Ann, a prophetess. Maybe she's way over in a corner, setting in a chair. All at once the Holy Spirit moved on her. And here she come weaving through the people, moving around through them people, blind; came to where He was at, and then prophesied.
What was it? The Holy Spirit leading on those people who had the promise.
How many of you tonight believes in Divine healing? Listen, friends, isn't it strange? You believe Divine healing, and God can heal you, don't you? Isn't it strange the Holy Spirit's moving, just at the right time, right before the... Don't you believe it's sincere? It's the Holy Spirit that's... It takes--brings you right up to the right place now. You can be healed right now. You're at the right place, the right time. The same Holy Spirit that led Simeon has led you here tonight. Are... You believing you have the promise of the Holy Spirit, you're going to be healed? You believe that? Isn't it strange you're right here tonight. The same Holy Ghost that led Simeon has led you just at the right place, a healing meeting...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
E-42 And now, if you believe...?... As sure as... How many believes in Divine healing? You know the very reason you... Before you can believe... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... [Double recording, not intelligible--Ed.]...?... the rubber off of a bicycle...?... The doctor found a...?... got a little rubber erasers...?... There's something calling for sulfur. Brother...?...
See what I mean? Or it wouldn't any call in here. See? So when it calls for something... If there was a desire in your heart to be healed by Divine healing, there's a fountain somewhere. Hallelujah.
I know you think I'm a holy-roller, so go ahead and think it. I don't care. Hallelujah. If there's a desire in your heart calling for God, there's bound to be somewhere; The deep calls to the deep. But it'll respond somewhere. There has to be a...?... that creates in you heart, for He'd...?... a Creator to create it.
And if there's a... If there's a creation in here calling for sulfur, there's got to be sulfur somewhere, 'cause I'm in need. And it's the hunger and thirst of more of God...?... shackles...?... denominations and so forth...?... begin to cry out for the Holy Spirit." God alone...?... God is calling. The deep calling to the deep... There had to be something happen. The stones will immediately cry out. And now you...?... in healing, God will...?... and send it out. The deep calling to the deep... And if you come out expecting, God will heal you. You're bound to receive it. Oh, my. It's got to. You have to receive it.
E-43 Not long ago at Fort Wayne meeting...?... We had a great service there. Thousands were attending. There a man with multiple sclerosis, lay ten years bound on the bed, his spine damaged. They moved...?... the meeting. The last night, I just passing by in...?... trying to get him in to where I was. He laid on the platform. People walked over him. Finally they got him there. I said... tell the story and I looked over, I said, "Sir, can you see it?" My, the deep calling for the deep... I moved down; I said, "You believe me?"
Said, "Sir, lay your hands upon me; that's all I desire."
I laid my hands upon him. There...?... this man...?... Immediately life came into his body, his crutches...?... Down through the building he went...?... It even caused the king of England to send for me to come pray for him. I got the letters of it now. King George of England, where we just came from... There...?... went and told him what had taken place, and what it done. "Brother Branham he sent and he prayed a prayer..."
E-44 Now, many great things is going on. Just a little inside life. Many times, I don't tell people this. But down on the inside, where things goes on... Brought the man to speak... Here not long ago, I was in...?... many places over there in Sweden. We set down at the table. Many things the Lord shows. I said to my Brother Baxter, which is standing present now; he was with me...?... And I said, "Brother Baxter, when we raise up from here and start out," I said...?...
He said, "Where?"
And I said, "It'll...?... me and remember what I said."
We'd been gone about a half hour from there...?... two women up there...?... Brother, standing there, and the brothers stand down on the street. And I said, "You know, as we pass a corner here, there'll be a man with a white hat on, step out. He will want me to come and pray for wife...?... just right." And we'd gone about two or three squares and turned, and here come the man walking down the steps.
Those things have showed. That's just inside, the world knows nothing of.
E-45 In Fort Wayne, they found out what hotel we was in. And oh, my, you couldn't even get... Well, they just lined the lobbies full, and everything. I couldn't get out of the building. And the bellboy taken us down through to get breakfast, and was taking us over a big ash heap, and down the alley, down in the basement. And I was going down to a little place called, I believe it's called "Toddle House," or something like that. And I was eating.
One morning we was going down, a couple mornings after that, I had my coat up like this. Not as if I didn't want to meet the dear people, but it's such a pull. I was just about gone. And I was going down the street, Mrs. Margie Morgan, nurse I was speaking of, she usually goes to many a meeting to help--help keep the patients lined up.
E-46 And then I was going along through there, and I was walking down towards Toddle House. And the Holy Spirit said to me, "Turn to your left."...?... the Lord.
I said, "Let's go this a way."
Said, "Here's the place."
I said, "Let's go this way though. The Angel of the Lord tells me to go here." We walked on down the street a little piece. There was a--a place up there, said, "Miller's Cafeteria." Something said, "Go in here." They that are led by the Spirit of God... You know what I'm speaking of, a leading.
And I went in. My wife was with me; we had our little girl. And I set down at the table. I had some prunes, and a--a cup of--of orange juice, or something. I set down and just asked the blessing. When I raised up, I heard somebody say, "Praise God."
I looked over the side. Mrs. Morgan said, "Now, I told you if you went there." Said, "They didn't know where you was going to be at...?..."
I said, "Sister Margie, this is the Spirit of the Lord. He never sends me falsely."
And my wife said to her, said, "...?... Spirit...?..."
E-47 She walked over there, she said, "Brother Branham?"
I said, "Yes." She started crying. I took her by the hand, and I said, "I know that you want me for something."
She said, "Here's my brother." Said, "Brother Branham, we've sold our possessions. We had cows. We had a little place, and we sold it. And we followed for about six or seven meetings." Said, "My brother's in such a place, his heart's... diaphragm," said, "come out." Said, "It's getting worse, and worse, and worse." Said she spent everything...?... much money...?... Said, "We chase from meeting to meeting, trying to get in. We got prayer cards, and got almost to the line, then to be turned down. And...?... missed his spot, and we couldn't understand it." Said, "He just fought right on, held on." Said, "All our money's gone." Said, "We have just about three dollars left." Said, "Last night, I prayed all night long." Said, "We've been fasting so our money would hold us out to the end of the meeting." And said, "We just paid our hotel room." And said, "This morning about four o'clock," said, "the Lord woke me up in a dream and said, 'Go down to Miller's Cafeteria at nine o'clock and be standing there.'"
Oh, God. I looked at my watch; it was just exactly nine. Oh, my, the Spirit of the Lord upon me. I laid my hands upon the brother; his heart straightened out like that. The people begin screaming. I slipped out, and went on out like that. And went outside the building while they were rejoicing.
E-48 Just as I went out the door, there was a lady from Chicago, dressed, real fine young lady, fell on the street. "Oh, Jesus, thank You."
And I said, "Stand up, sister." She crumbled and got me by the side of the coat, and I took her up by the hand; I said, "What's the matter?"
She said, "Oh, Brother Branham, I've been dying," said, "with cancer," she said, "in such a horrible fix." And said, "I just couldn't go on. I know I can't live but a few days." Said, "Mayo's has turned me down and everything." Great big malignant, like that said, "Can't be done." Said, "When my clothes are so tight." Said, "I just couldn't go any farther." And said, "I prayed, and the Lord told me this morning in a dream, to be here at Miller's Cafeteria on the outside at ten minutes after nine." There they was. Oh, my.
We went on down the street. We started walking on down. Why, in a moment, her clothes was loose on her where the Holy Spirit healed her.
E-49 We went right on down the street. I was going to start across the street, and Something said, "Don't cross the street." We was going over to a drug store to get a little coloring book for the baby, had to keep it in the room all day. I said to the wife; I said, "You all go ahead, and go right through the alley. And have a brothers stand out there. I'll be down in a few minutes." And so I--I said, "He tells me to wait here."
And I stood there for about twenty minutes. I seen my wife get the book and things and go on. So I waited there just a little bit. And there's a...?... standing there looking. I went back to where some fishing tackle, you know, and I got back in the corner, I said, "O heavenly Father, what would You have Your servant do?" Stood there, I waited just a little bit.
You can't just imagine it; you got to actually... It's a Voice that...?... It said, "Go down to the corner." I went down to the corner...
E-50 I went down to the corner and stood there, just crossed over, went over to the other side, stood there about ten minutes. The cop kept blowing his whistle, and the traffic--pedestrians had passed by, and so forth. I stood there.
And after while, there was a... I seen a woman coming behind all the rest of the traffic. She had on a little checkered dress, and one little Canadian tams like. And she had her pocket book on her arms, and was looking sideways. And the Spirit said, "Go near to her."
I went over there and stood by her, like that. Stood where she'd pass, and she passed right by, looking the other way, went on by. I thought, "O God, I never seen it in my life. I know that something... I--I know that was Your voice."
And just then, she turned and looked backwards. She got twenty, thirty feet away from me, said, "Hello, Brother Branham." And she run right back. She went, "Oh..." begin to crying.
I said, "What's the matter, sister?"
She said, "Brother Branham, I'm from Canada." Said, "I followed you all through Canada." She said, "Two nights, I've slept in the hotel lobby." She said, "Someone gave me a nickel yesterday to do something for them." And said, "I got a cup of coffee. And I was on my road out, about two squares below here, to hitchhike back to Canada." Said, "I couldn't..." They can't have, just so much money when they come over here. And said, "If I go back to Canada, I'll have one five cents for coffee." And said, "Alone there was crying, going along." Said, "Lord, I'll always be like this." Said, "Yes, and the Holy Spirit said, 'Turn to your right.'...?..." Said, "Now, cross the street. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... didn't know where I was going."
And I said, "That's your trouble?"
She said, "My hand, Brother Branham."
I said, "In the Name of the Lord Jesus, stretch forth your hand." And there it come out like that.
E-51 Big cop standing in the street, said, "I know you, Brother Branham." [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... little old prayer line was right...?... old fashion blessing...?... there. God alone let her see it...?... [Double recording, and not intelligible--Ed.]... I just [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] it...?... the glory to...?... And then I'll start the prayer line. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] It's time right now.
Excuse me for just a moment or two longer if you will.
E-52 The plane was forced down. This is the inside life that I don't tell every one all the time. So it... I was forced down. I was supposed to be home. The wife said...?... I was supposed to be back, we was going over to Texas, been to Texas, coming back. And I stayed there. A storm forced us down. So I stayed all night, and the next morning told me to be at the--down at the hanger, told me to be there at nine o'clock, down at the ramp.
So I had to... So I got out. And I had some mail I had to send back. And I thought, "Well, how far am I from the post office...?... town."...?... just about two squares, right...?... "I'll go mail it."
It was a beautiful morning; the sun was out, springtime, and I was going down the street, singing. Had a little song the Pentecostal would sing. What is it?
... people almost everywhere,
Whose hearts is all aflame
With the fire that fell on Pentecost,
And we're telling now far and wide,
His power is just the same... (Something like that, you know.)
E-53 I was going down the street, singing that just to, oh, my, to myself, you know, having a glorious time. I'd been...?... Jehovah God how great You are, how marvelous, how marvelous. And--and the birds was singing in the trees...?... Hallelujah. It's wonderful, isn't it wonderful? Going along like that.
And I started to cross the street, and I heard the Angel of God speak clearly as you hear me; He said, "Stop here." I waited a little bit. I waited a few moments, and I started to cross the street. Looked like I just couldn't do it. I moved back up in a corner, and I said, "O Father, what is it You would have me to do?"
I was nervous and in a hurry (See?), 'cause I thought had to make the plane. I said, "I was nervous and in a hurry." And I said, "Oh, what--what would have me do?" He lets me stay there...?... I got quiet a few moments. I heard His voice say, "Turn and go back."
E-54 Where I don't know. I never question. I just turned and started going back. Went down the street, passed by the hotel, went on down, on down, on down. I was going along humming,
Only believe, only believe,
All things are possible, only believe;
Went right on down in the city, went down there towards north Memphis, where that little colored huts are down there, a little old clapboard places. I was going; I thought, "What am I doing down here? He said, 'Go back,' and here's where I'm going." I just went on. Went on there, I walked up along side of the hill, and went down to the little place, and went down towards to the river...?...
And I happened to pass by... There was a very typical old aunt Jemima, hanging right over the fence, like this. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... man's shirt tied around her head. And she was looking.
E-55 Just a beautiful morning, the sun up high upon...?... fragrance of roses. Oh, my, the flowers blooming like spring.
She was hanging out over the fence, like this. She just looked at me; tears was streaking down her cheeks. She said, "Good morning, parson." Parson, that's what they call ministers...?... Said, "Good morning, parson."
I looked up, and I said, "Good morning, auntie." And I said, "How'd you know I was a parson?"
And she said, "I prayed my prayers for you."
I said, "Yes, ma'am."
She said, "Parson, did you ever hear about that woman, that Shunammite in the Bible?" Said, "The Lord give her a child when she was past the age of bearing?"
I said, "Yes, ma'am. I've read that many times."
She said, "I's is one of them kind of women too." Said, "The Lord give me a child, and I promised the Lord I'd raise him a Christian." Said, "Parson, he took the road that's wrong...?..." And said, "Here he lays in here now, dying with venereal disease, syphilitic. The doctors had give him up. They'd give him...?... everything that could be done. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] And said, "The doctor was here last night, and said--said, 'He won't live till morning.'" [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
"... been like that?"
She said, "I got up at day and I said, "But Lord where is Your Elijah." She said, "And I begin to pray." And said, "I prayed and prayed." And said, "This morning while I was praying, I fell asleep." Said, "I dreamed that I'd be standing here the next morning." Said, "Then I heard you coming, singing that song." Said, "The Lord that that's you." See, see? They that are sons and daughters of God are led by the... She was expecting.
E-56 She said, "I was expecting you along. When I seen you coming the Holy Spirit said, 'There he is.'" I said, 'Oh, I...?...'"
I said, "Auntie, my name is Branham. Did you ever hear of me?"
She said, "No, sir. I never heard of you, Parson Branham."
I said, "Well, auntie," I said, "the Lord has sent me forth to pray for the sick. I got down and...?... last night." and my campaigns. And I said, "Auntie, this morning I was going to the post office, and the Holy Spirit told come this way...?..."
And she said, "Come in, parson." Opened up the gate. I walked in and looked in there, there was a great big fine looking colored boy laying there, had that blanket...?... him, going, "Umm, umm."...?... told me to do...?...
Said, "Oh, my." And she said, "Parson Branham, praise the Lord...?..." ...?... pray with all my heart for him. I said, "I believe the Lord...?... now." So we knelt down, started praying. I said, "You pray."
And wanted to see how she prayed. And oh, you talk about a prayer; you ought to have heard that old saint call out to God. Said, "I cried like a baby." I said, "Mother..." And I stood crying as she said, "Lord, surely, You haven't...?... Hear me, Lord." Said, "Here is Parson Branham standing here this morning...?... Holy Spirit, He told me to go stand at the gate. Lord, here he is...?... my Father." She'd been crying like that.
When she raised up, and he was going, "Umm." And she took her apron and wrapped--wiped the tears out of her eyes. She said, "Honey child, don't you know mammy...?..."
I said... No matter how old he was, he was still mama's baby. A mother will never forget, a real mother. She patted him like that on the cheek.
Said, "Umm. Is that your voice, mammy? Umm, said, "...?... it gets dark. See, I'm cold, mammy, so cold. I don't know where I'm going, mammy. Umm, mammy, mammy. Pray for me. Pray for me. (Like that.) Umm." He started going out again like that.
She said, "Won't you pray, Parson Branham?"
E-57 I knelt down, put my hands on his cold feet. I said, "O God, it's all...?... I don't understand, but You sent me down here."
About that time, no more than said that. He said, "Oh, mammy." He said, "It's getting light in here." In a few minutes he was setting on the side of the bed.
About a month from there I heard from him. The doctors pronounced him well. He got--got back to God, and he was living perfectly well. Why? That old mammy was expecting God to come on the scene. She prayed, and she believed.
The same Holy Spirit that led her out there, the same Holy Spirit that led me down there, the same Holy Spirit that led Simeon in the temple has led you here tonight. Be expecting to be healed. Now's the time to receive it and to let God heal you now, or to give you whatever you have need of. Don't you believe that? He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.
E-58 God bless you while we pray. Our heavenly Father, our hearts yearn tonight when we think of the great experiences that Thou has given to us. Someday when life is over, and we meet those dear beloved people who have been such great faith warriors, trusted and believed You, O God, may You set us down around the throne of God where all the evergreen trees, where the sea of life is flowing, there, set down and talk together, year after years while eternity rolls on... See all those who've been fried in furnaces of fire, throwed into lion's dens, Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail; those who led by the Spirit down through the ages, even this last closing age, when the great robe of the church has been throwed around us... O Father, how we thank Thee.
Speak to every heart here tonight. And may there be no feeble among us. May there be gallant patriotic faith to stand forth upon God's promise, which is infallible. It has to come to pass. You promised Abraham; he believed it. You are leading us today by Your Spirit.
E-59 Going into the service now, ask You, Father, to be with us and bless every one. Help as I pray for the sick. May ever who's out there check the vision. Look up, get the promise just now. Say, "Father, I now believe You. I have the promise. I'm here under Your anointing."
The Holy Spirit's falling down like tongues of fire, setting upon each heart burning with Christian faith, who believes it. Bless us now, Father.
May the Angel that has sent forth through Thy servant stand by me tonight meet these diseases, till every demon spirit will scream, Lord. May the power be predominate for driving out of every sick person that's in this building, out of these afflicted people who's setting here in these chairs, bound, shaking, stroke, paralyzed, palsy, whatever it is, cancer ridden... And O Christ, hear Your servant's prayer. Grant it, Father.
Bless us tonight as Your gathered children, gather us with great faith just before the great tribulation and the coming of the Son of God, for we ask it in His Name. Amen.
[A brother calls the prayer line--Ed.]
... lead me on, to the light;
Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me home.
When this way growing drear,
Precious Lord linger near,
When my life is almost gone;
At the river I'll stand,
Guide my feet, hold my hand;
Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me home.
While they're lining up, you who are on cots, just hold your card. The ushers will get you.
E-60 Look, I'm thinking of Israel standing over in the wilderness, looking over the stormy Jordan to the promised land, weary. Look here, saints; God had give them a promise that they should inherit the land. Is that right? They've come a long ways down through the wilderness. But to a...
E-61 [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... then at last after bank. There was a stormy rough Jordan in the month of April, coming down out of the hills of Judaea to a flood. But just beyond there laid the promised land. That's where you sick people are standing tonight. Faith... Joshua looked all around and seen the Israelites numbered in the millions. There was no architect, bridge builders in them days among them, no material to build with. Joshua looked around.
But in the midst of them there was a go-between, something that would make the way, the ark of the covenant. Joshua put the ark first with the priests and started towards Jordan, to give away when they touched Jordan, and they passed over to the promised land. Why? They had the promise.
E-62 Tonight, friends, we have wearies and trials, and the last river we come to is going to be Jordan. Is that right? I think someday our little home there, don't get to stay in it much. My wife's almost a stranger to me. My baby one time when I was coming in, didn't even know me, was scared of me. I'd changed. I lost my hair and everything else, and my shoulders was stooped. Wasn't her daddy. I thought, "O God, but I'm on the battlefield."
Some of these days, I'm--these mornings, I'm coming down to where she's a floating muddy. That's right. I'm going to raise both hands and scream to the top of my voice, "Give away, Jordan. I'm going to cross over." Amen. And we're going over, for we have the promise: "In My Father's house is many mansions. If it wasn't so, I would've told you. I'm going to prepare a place for you, and come again to receive you unto Myself." Some of these mornings, we're going to cross over, aren't we?
E-63 Now, while you're here tonight, and in need, let's cross over now into promises of God's promise of your healing. Is there a promise? "Whatsoever things you desire, when you pray, believe you receive them, and ye shall have them." Is that right? Saint Mark 11:24. Jesus Christ speaking then. His Words cannot fail.
Someone said, "Brother Branham, aren't you afraid that you'll make a mistake some time?"
No, no. He promised me. I believe Him. I can make a mistake, but He can't. His Words can't fail.
Let's pray again. Now, you softly play this, "Abide With Me," will you, sister? Just chord us a little note.
E-64 Now, friends, look this way. God is not dead. The Spirit of the Lord that I've been speaking of...?... tomorrow night we speak on what it is. Right here on my right side, not on the... That is true. I can feel It coming near to me. I'm not a hypocrite. God's Spirit's always near. But you can just... I'll... Someday, God will maybe let you know what I mean...?... begins to settle down. This flesh begins to feel strange. With His Spirit around, it's just milky like, just kind of a strange feeling, like a real reverence, awe.
Let's just be reverent, every one. Let your spirit loose. Now, believe with all your hearts; you'll feel the effect. Friends, God knows that I'm telling the truth. He's here.
Now, Father, will You just bless us tonight. They're forming this prayer line here, Lord. Many of those who's coming that's needy, will You bless them tonight with Your Presence, for we ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen.
E-65 Are you the patient? Howard?...?... May you come right up close...?... Are you the one? [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
[A brother comments--Ed.] She wants to come...?... vibrate over my hand. Maybe just to--just to wait just a moment...
And everybody, just be reverent and in prayer. Just think of the Lord and His goodness. Do you believe that, all of you, with all of your heart?
Now, this doesn't heal the people, but it does find out. It--it doesn't move on my hand at all. [A brother commentates--Ed.] [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] Just a moment...?... Now, you believe, sister, with all of your heart? [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... you mother with this little baby now. I want you to be well tonight. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?... just speaks through you like that. But when He heals you like that... [Blank.spot.on.tape; the record skips grooves, making it difficult to understand, there's much static--Ed.]...?...
Thy humble servant, Lord. Help us, Thou Jesus. Lord, many You come tonight, heal...?... Hear the prayer of Your humble servant, Father...?... them in the Name of Thy Son Jesus. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]...?...
E-66 Look this way. Are you...?... back trouble...?... is discerned. That's why it wasn't...?... We want to thank Thee, heavenly Father, for Thy mercy and Thy goodness. And now, dear God, while we are praying and asking, I ask You to heal our beloved...?... Grant it, Lord. May this demon power that's bound her back, leave her immediately, Lord...?... You laid Your holy hands upon her. Doctors has said this...?... arthritis, but the devil has bound her...?... upon the Sabbath? And Father, we ask You now to...?... through the power of the Holy Spirit, through the merits of Christ at the cross. Come out from the woman, thou spirit of the...?... All right. Is it all right? [Blank.spot.on.tape, and words are not intelligible--Ed.]
Everybody be reverent. Pray. Have faith in God. God will grant it. All right...?... in you will, brother. [A brother makes a comment--Ed.]
E-67 Howdy do, sister. You believe with all your heart? [A brother makes a comment--Ed.] Watch this now. [There is much static making it difficult to understand--Ed.]...?...
Now, these things...?... All right. I want you to watch. Now, look here. The Bible says in the mouth of two or three witnesses...?... Now, you have...?... Some of them are...?... now...?... Now, that's a Presence of some supernatural Being...?... your life...?... Yes, ma'am. Now, I put my hand on it...?... Now, here's...?... I don't know...?... Something supernatural happened as you can see here. Is that right? You received the physical results of the supernatural action. Is that right?...?... Now, the sickness leaves the person, and it's gone now. I want you to look...?... now...?... Now, I'll hold my hand just as still as I can. You believe...?... in this, audience. Now, the things that I've said would be...?... have be the truth. Is that right? If it is, just raise up your hand...?... Everything...?... all you people?...?... There they are. See?
E-68 Now, I want you to watch. If that doesn't leave, well, sister dear, you'll go off the platform the same way you come on. If it does leave...?... show visibly here. If you noticed, may...?... that I don't know just what all she's done around...?... come in crippled and blind, and so forth, being healed. You can see what happens to them. But you have to accept it, just what I'm telling you to do. And here's what the Angel told me. "If you get the people to believe you, and be sincere when you pray, nothing shall stand before your prayer."
Now, I said, "They will not believe."
He said, "You'll be given two signs...?... by this will believe you." Is that right? Now, you know that this...?... First thing, it's caused from a fever. Is that right? No one knows but you and God. And them things telling...?... Is that right? Now, if that leaves, then there...?... I see something...?... my hand now. See that little old...?... there? While I was talking to you, something's happened to you...?... That is just a nerves...?... [The words are not intelligible--Ed.]...?...
E-69 Here's a woman who's had a hard time down through life, troubles with...?... [The words are not intelligible--Ed]...?...
And now, Father, I put my hands...?... I pray, God, that You'll heal...?... make this demon come out that's bound our sister...?... Come out of the woman.
Now, before I raise my head...?... [The words are not intelligible--Ed.]
Satan, leave the woman...?... Now, just a moment. [The words are not intelligible--Ed.] Have mercy upon our sister. She's crying, Lord...?... She wants to lay her affliction aside...?... Father, God...?... heart...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
Now, before I raise my head or look to my hand, holding it in the same position, that hand has turned normal, hasn't it? Now, you can raise your head, audience. Now, 'fore I raise my head or look, sister... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
E-70 [A brother comments--Ed.]...?... Is that right? You have a stomach trouble too. Is that right? You believe that Jesus Christ...?... Have I told you the...?... You're ready to serve Him now with all your heart?
Shall we bow our heads. Our heavenly Father... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
May he push back...?... Knowing this stomach trouble bothers him and this demon is now vibrating against my hand, for he knows that his hour has come to depart from...?...
Thou demon, come out him. In the Name of Jesus Christ, leave the man.
All right, you can raise your head, audience.
All right, brother, you believe with all your heart now? All right, go home and you eat what you want to. That getting up and things is over now. You just go on home...?...
E-71 [A brother comments--Ed.]...?... you love the Lord? You do...?... How hard...?... Here's what you're worried about...?... and you think much is wrong about...?... Your main thing is your nerves. That's what's bothering you; you're nervous...?... Sometimes you think...?... You've had a lot of ups-and-downs in life, haven't you? That is right. You've had operations and things, and so forth. Is that right? Now, Jesus is here to heal. Do you believe in the Lord? All right, will you bow your head. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
Truth...?... Thou choking spirit, leave her in the Name of Jesus, the Son of God. Come out from...?...
All right, you may look, friends. The goiter has left her throat. She's give her life to Christ, and she's going to be His servant the rest of her days...?... God bless you, lady.
E-72 All right, come. How do you do? [A brother comments--Ed.] That's what's caused most of your troubles: nervous...?... comes on you...?... in the evening, don't it? Will you promise God, with all of your heart, that you'll serve Him, you'll turn from your sins and serve Him? You promise that? Will you quit smoking? You will? Give your life to Christ. He'll let you get well.
Almighty God, have mercy upon our brother standing here, knowing that...?... holding him...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] Nothing is hid before You, Lord. You know all things. God, be merciful to the...?... Forgive him of every trespass, and take this desire of smoking away from him, and heal him tonight. Hear the prayer of Your humble servant. May his nerves quieten. May he go away tonight with a great faith in God, feeling strong, meeting the oppositions tomorrow, saying, "Oh, how I thank You, Lord, for Your healing me." May he walk all the days of his life packing this Bible, preaching the Word, talking to others, telling them how You heal; may he lead others to Christ. Hear the prayer of Your servant.
Satan, upon the confession of this man, your powers is weak when Calvary's brought near, for you know all your time, lost your victory when Jesus died at the cross. And I stand tonight as His representative. I say in His Name, Jesus Christ, come out of the boy and leave him alone.
Look here, sir, on me. All right. Your cigarette habit is gone; your sins are under the Blood; and your nervousness is over. Straighten yourself up and say, "Praise the Lord." Walk away from the platform, and go on home.
E-73 All right, come ahead now. Stand near me. Howdy do, sister?
My, such a faith bank in here pulling, I can hardly catch what's wrong with this...?... pulling me around, it's a... That's it; just keep believing. Just keep believing with all your heart.
[A bother comments--Ed.] Yes, ma'am. You're main trouble is...?... surgery. Have a lot of troubles, don't you? You're a deep thinker, always take other people's troubles too...?... just skip that. Yes, I believe it's...?... I'm not reading her mind now, I'm just telling you what's the truth. And she knows it's the true. Now, the thing you've got to do now, is look to Jesus Christ, and believe Him with all your heart. Do you believe that while you're standing here, if I ask God, that nervousness will leave you? You believe it? Do you believe the story that I told about that Angel, is the truth? You shall have what you asked for, sister.
E-74 Heavenly Father, a poor little nervous mother standing here, trembling, and Satan binding her, Lord, trying to shorten days and send her to a premature grave. Lord, You're here in mercy and in full compassion. And hear Thy servant's faith, Lord. If it could be drove away from her here on this platform tonight, she'll go home believing and glorifying You. Help me, dear Father, to have faith to make this power to leave her. You said, "In My Name they shall cast out devils," and she will believe it the rest of her life, Lord. Have mercy as You challenge this demon.
Thou demon of oppression that's binding our sister, in the Name of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, leave the woman. Come out of her.
There it is. (All right, friends, you raise your heads.) Now, I'm not ho--yelling at you, but sometimes you can't baby devils, you know, and you... All right, sister, it's over. Feel good? Say, "Amen." That's fine. Go off the platform, just rejoicing and having a...?...
All right. Let's say, "Praise be to the Lord."
E-75 He's the next in line? [A brother comments--Ed.] Up here tonight to be prayed for...?... praying for him. Look this way, sonny boy. That isn't your child. Isn't that right? When did you...?... all the time...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] God lets...?... You heard Jesus say...?... cross on Calvary...?... getting worse all the time...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
God, grant it. And this blind spirit, I adjure thee by Jesus Christ, leave the boy.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] [The words are not intelligible--Ed.]...?... I--I believe he's going right...?... Isn't that right...?... brother? And before the hand's got arthritis, setting there dying with...?... arthritis...?... Is that right? Is this true? Have faith, believe.
E-76 He's nervous. That might have corrected some of it. You believe me, brother, with all your heart? You're a stranger to me, aren't you? Yes, brother..?... trouble. Isn't that right? And do you believe with all your heart? Say, brother, I believe, by faith, you're Catholic, aren't you...?... Aren't you Catholic by faith? Is that right? Please raise up your hand. I thought I seen you...?... You believe me with all your heart? Go home and serve God with all your heart, and Jesus Christ will make you whole. God bless you. (Now, everyone be just as reverent.) God bless you, my dear. God bless you. You shall have just what you believe now. Have faith. Yes, sir.
E-77 I'm trying to catch the lady there in the... And there sets a man... And there sets a man in...?... There set a poor old crippled brother setting there. Look this a way, sir. Do you believe with all your heart? Look this a way. I see a man... That man's had a stroke, hasn't he? He's had a stroke. I see the man crippled...?...
All right. No only that but you got a heart trouble too, haven't you? Yes, you've had a lot of heart trouble...?... Yeah, you got clot of blood too, haven't you on the brain? Is that right? Stand up on your feet. You don't have to be crippled. Jesus Christ will heal you right there. That's right.
Everybody believe? Now, believe with all your heart now. Come forward, you that's...?... be healed. Let's all together, and let's have prayer while the Holy Spirit's moving. You there, lady. Yes, you raised up there with cancer, Jesus Christ healed you just now also. That lady over there with the female trouble, God's healed you just then, sister. For...
Let's bow our heads everywhere. Be reverent, everywhere. Have faith in God. Every one reverent just a moment. I'm trying to speak...?... Oh, my, glorious. Let's pray, everybody. Now, you bow your head.
Father... knows... Keep...?... before You. You can make lame walk, the blind to see, the deaf hear, the dumb speak. Thou art here. You can make those who are bound by the powers of Satan be loosed. Almighty God, send Your blessing upon the people, just now, for the Holy Spirit's coming in power, breathing upon every one...?... Have faith. You can be healed right now. Rise up from there in the Name of the Lord Jesus. You...?...