God's Way that's been made for us
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1 Together now, hold it up, real big now.
Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now I'm found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Let's bow our heads now. Our heavenly Father, we thank Thee for the great privilege that we have to come to Thee. First, we cannot come except by Christ. So therefore, we place His Name ahead of our prayer. And then we know by His Word, that You will answer it, for we ask in His Name. No righteousness of our own, nothing that we possess that we could do; but by grace alone we come, asking in Christ's name.
Father, there may be many men and women in here, around this building tonight, who are sinners. Thou didst die for the sinner. May this be the night that God will speak to their heart and call them by His grace into the kingdom. Grant it, Father. Maybe they've wasted a many a year, wandering around in sin, but may this be the hour.
2 Thank You, Lord, for Billy Paul tonight, my poor, little, motherless boy, tossed about. Thank you, Lord, for giving him the Holy Spirit as the assurance now, some glorious day we'll see mommy again, all things will be all right. O God, let the Angels let her know today. She cried so at her death, that, "Serve God ... someday Billy Paul would be a man and receive the Holy Ghost." Prayers are answered. God, bless the boy now. May he follow along in the footsteps of the Master. How his little voice was trembling when he said, "Daddy, I've just received the Holy Ghost. I'm so happy."
God, may that be the experience of every unborn-again person here tonight. May they receive the Holy Ghost tonight. We've did any sin, forgive us, Lord. Heal the sick. Bind up the brokenhearted.
And now, Lord, I don't even know where to start to speak tonight, but Thou will provide. I believe Thee, and I ask that You'll give us something that would help the people, for we ask it in His name. Amen.
Isaiah 35:1 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
Isaiah 35:2 It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.
Isaiah 35:3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
Isaiah 35:4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you.
Isaiah 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Isaiah 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Isaiah 35:7 And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
Isaiah 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
Isaiah 35:9 No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there:
Isaiah 35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
3 Just for a little Scripture reading here, in Isaiah 35 I wish to read. Because my words will fail; God's Word will never fail. Therefore, no service is complete without first the reading of the Scripture.
The wilderness ... the solitary places shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even in the joy ... singing: and glory shall come to Lebanon shall ... give unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.
Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
Say unto them that are of ... fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with ... recompense; he will come and save you.
... he will open, ... the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing: for in the wilderness shall the waters break out, and streams in the desert.
And the parched ground shall become a pool, and a thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass and reeds and rushes.
And an highway shall be there, and a way, ... of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go ... thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there in:
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
4 May the Lord add His blessings to the reading of His Word. I want to speak tonight, if God willing, just a few moments to you. I will watch my watch here, that I don't keep you too long tonight.
5 After through the services of this week, trying to show people that there's no need of being scared. The worse thing the devil can put upon you is fear. If you even had a cancer and didn't fear, and believed God would heal you, you wouldn't be in too bad a shape. God take care of that; if you were sick, whatever it is, if you didn't fear... So fear is one of the worst things that Satan can place upon the person.
Now, this week I've tried to prove by the Scripture, that the man that's born again of the kingdom of God has nothing to fear. You're absolutely safely secure in Jesus Christ. "All the Father has given Me," He said, "will come to Me. No man can come unless the Father calls. The Father has got to lead him up to Me; and he that comes to Me, I will in no wise cast out. And all the... No man can pluck them out of My Father's hand; no man is greater than He is. He that heareth My words and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life; shall not come into condemnation, but has passed from Life ... from death unto life. He that eats My flesh and drinks My blood hath," not will have, "but hath (present tense) everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
"Wherefore grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby you're sealed until the day of your redemption." There you are. "Sealed away until the day of your redemption." Not just from one revival to another, but till the day of your redemption.
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
John 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
6 My, how the Holy Ghost come in this morning and blessed us on that, kept us here till one-thirty, this morning, from about nine-thirty. How He blessed us.
Now, tonight, I want to speak on a... Isaiah said here, "There shall be a highway, and a way of holiness." Now, I want to speak on: "God's way, God's Way That's Been Made For Us."
Isaiah 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
7 Now, if I was going to New York City, the best thing for me to do is not try to find, geographically, how I'm situated and take off north. But the best way to do is get a map and follow the map (is that right?), a highway. If I don't, I get in trouble.
There is no short cuts in God's kingdom. You know, we try to make a short cut; we get out here in a pond somewhere and mire down. And that's what we do when we get off the grand old highway of God. God's made a path, a way.
8 When the children of Israel come out of the land of Egypt, they followed God's path. It led up to the Red Sea. It's strange, that God would lead His path up that way. But His path went right through the sea.
So when it come time, and the showdown, and Israel stood there before the sea, God's path led across the sea. So God looked down through the Pillar of Fire, the sea got scared and moved back, and Israel went across on dry land. God's path led through it.
Exodus 15:23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
9 Then He went right up to the wilderness into the spring of Marah, "bitter" water. Isn't it strange that God would lead His children through bitter waters? But them all goes along the road. But when He was there, the remedy for the bitter waters was standing on the bank. Moses cut down a tree and throwed it in the water, and turned sweet again.
Some through the waters, some through the flood,
Some through deep trials, but all through the blood.
That's the way God leads His children: God's path, God's provided way. If the children of Israel would have to try to bypass, and go around, down this way, they'd have got in trouble. They had to follow the Cloud of Fire, the Pillar of Fire that led them. They followed That.
And if the church tonight, will only follow the Pillar of Fire, the Holy Spirit, you'll make Canaan as sure as anything. God has a way, a provided way.
10 There's two ways a man can go: and that's his way or God's way, and that's the right way or the wrong way. And your way is always the wrong way, and God's way is the right way. And you can't be in your own way and in God's way at the same time, so you got to get out of your own way so God can have His way in you. That's right. God makes a provided way.
Man has always wanted to make his own way. In the garden of Eden, God made a man so he didn't have to shift for nothing. God made him perfect, but man wanted his own way. He wanted to tamper. He wanted to find out. And then as soon as he fell... We've went through that this week, in the studies of the Scripture. He made himself a religion. He didn't wait for God to make him one. He made one himself, but he found out that his religion, his covering, wouldn't work. That's always been man. He wants his own way. But God had a way. So man made fig leaves and put them over him, him and his wife, but when he come down to face God, he found out that wouldn't work.
And I tell you, friends, there's been a many a man, and is tonight, that's coming down to the end of the road, will find out that that little shallow religion that you're holding onto won't work. Nothing short of being borned again will work. Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water and Spirit, he will in no wise enter into the kingdom." No wise, no matter if he's Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, whatever he is, he will not enter in until he's born of water and Spirit. "Born" means he's "changed." He has to die before he can be born. So you got to die to yourself, be reborn again in Christ Jesus. That's right.
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
11 Now, I want you to notice, he found himself trying to make his way. We had, this morning, how Cain tried to make his way. He brought down some apples, and pears, and peaches, and pumpkins, ever what it was, laid it upon the altar and said, "Now, there, Lord, I built an altar. I built a church. I'm a good church member." See? "I go to church every day. I come here, built the altar. I put the sacrifice upon it. Now I'm going to kneel down and pray. And now, Lord, I want You to receive me." But God refused him.
And that same old religious spirit lives right down amongst the church today, the very same thing, just as religious as it can be, and knows no more about God than the Hottentot would know about Egyptian knight. You know that's the truth: religious spirits. Don't think that Stalin is the antichrist. The Bible said the two spirits would be so close together, deceive the very Elect if possible.
Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Mark 13:22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
12 We find out that Judas Iscariot come right down, and went out and rejoiced and preached the Gospel, come back, hollering and shouting, and having a big time with the rest the disciples. Saint Matthew, the 10th chapter. But he followed the disciples right along, yet the incarnated devil, and come right along; as Jesus was the incarnated God; the Cain and the Abel from the garden of Eden. But when it come time for him to go up to Pentecost and get the blessing, he showed his color.
And when you go to talking about being born again, receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost, nine times out of every ten, them spirits will show their colors, what they are. They'll say, "That's a bunch of fanaticism. Leave it away." Brother, it's God's provided way for man today. Hallelujah.
13 Look, God has always made a provided way. God's under obligation to make a way. God makes a way for nature. Why do we have these big floods through the country? You cut off all the timbers and things like that, let her wash down. You build up a dam down here and fills up the riverbed; there she goes, the water. You interfere with nature. God had a provided way. That's what causes the flood. Anything that man tampers into, that God has made perfect, then you imperfect it. That's right.
14 Now, just like, for instance, like the ducks. I like to watch the ducks, of seasons when I go hunting up in the mountain. I'd be up there in the fall of the year. Well, there the ducks all come out of Louisiana and down there, and down in the swamps. And go up north and they settle down, make a nest and raise their little ducklings. Then the little fellows raise up, maybe come along about September, this time of year, or late September. And then the little old duck, little drake, he's never been off that pond. He's just right there in a pond.
After while the frost flies up there on the mountain. A little snow hits up there, and a cold breeze blows down across that mountain. That little old duck feels that. Now, he's never been nowhere but on that pond, he ain't a year old yet. He sticks his head up in the air, a little honker, and run out in the middle of the pond, and go "honk-honk," every duck on the pond will come to him. Every duck on the pond knows that he's a born leader. And that little old duck will rise off that pond, without a compass or anything else, and go just as straight to Louisiana, to the rice fields, as he can go.
15 Looks like Christians ought to have duck sense, anyhow. Doesn't it? That's right. Right.
Why? You say, "It's instinct." No, they go God's provided way. God give them a way, an instinct to lead them down there, and they believe it.
But God give man the Holy Ghost, and he rejects It, he wants his own way. But God has a provided way for us. Hallelujah. I feel kind of religious tonight, after this, and a few nights of revival.
Notice, there it is. Yes, sir. That little duck will go down there.
16 And I will tell you something else. You'd go out here, and a newspaper say, "Tomorrow it's going to be pretty weather," and you'd go hunting and watch them rabbits go to settling down in that grass. Don't you be interested in them newspapers.
You watch that old sow take the shucks off of the north side of the hill and take them over yonder, south side of the hill, and make her a bed over on the south side of the hill. She knows more about it than all the newspaper commentators in the world. Right. She's got an instinct. She's getting around on the south side, to hide that cold north wind coming down. Oh, my.
17 If a hog's got sense enough to hide from the breeze, what about you with the Holy Ghost? Hallelujah. That's your instinct. Yes, sir.
And God gave them an instinct. It's God's provided way for them. They live in God's provided way.
You take a flower, when he dies, he goes down in the ground. Not the end of him, he lives again. God made a provided way for him, and he believes in it.
18 God always has made a provided way. Sometimes it don't lead through pleasant things; sometimes it goes through the hardships; but it's God's provided way. God makes it anyhow.
One time He had a man in God's provided way, he had to go in, through a lions' den, but he went God's provided way. God brought him back out again. Hallelujah.
Daniel 3:12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
19 I can see some Hebrew children setting down there in Babylon one morning. They refused to bow to an idol. That's right. They said, "We won't do it. Beat all the music you want to, and sound your cornets and trumpets, but we'll not bow down to your idol." Hallelujah.
Give us some more Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (yes, sir), that'll not bow down to your worldly stuff. We don't have to knuck' down to it. God has made us free by the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah. Yes, sir.
20 Now, I can see down there, one morning. Let's turn our cameras down that way a minute, and watch and see. I can see them boys down there, one morning. They said, "Now look, the king said, 'Everybody that don't bow down, we're going to throw him in the fiery furnace.'"
And they went and prayed through, one night. The next day, when the sound come that they'd bow before the image, why, they turned their back to it.
So he come around, said, "Boys, did you do that?"
"Yeah."
"Well, we'll heat the furnace up, seven times hotter than it ever was."
21 Now, isn't that strange? There was a gangplank laying out here, going up to the mouth of the furnace.
All over Babylon was red that morning, the fire roaring. I can see King Nebuchadnezzar, as a modern man today, he set out there and said, "Now, we'll just burn all of that Holy Ghost religion out of them guys."
Oh, yeah, don't you think the devil won't burn you. He sure will. But remember, the Holy Ghost is fire itself.
22 Now, want you to watch. God's way led right up that gangplank. I can see Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, walking the death march. I can hear Shadrach say, "Abednego, did you pray through?"
"Yep."
"All right, then."
"Are you sure you're in God's way?"
"Yes, sir. And God said in His Word for us not to bow to idols, and we won't do it. God is able to deliver us from this fiery furnace. But if He don't, what of it. We're not going to bow down. We're going God's provided way."
I can hear somebody say, "Are you sure you got His provided way?"
"Yes." Hallelujah.
Some say, "Well, don't you think all them people possibly could be right, instead of you?"
"No, sir. The Bible said so, and we're staying with it." Right up that gangplank they go. I can... The heat just so... The intense heat was almost... It did kill the men that brought them up.
Daniel 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Daniel 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
23 They just about ready to step in. God hadn't said a word. They're still walking the provided way. Walked right up to the mouth of the furnace. Just about time they got ready to step into the fiery furnace... You know, I got an awful black picture here in front of me just now. Men that tries to live true to God, walk in God's provided way, fixing to be burnt up, what a picture...
24 Notice, all the time there is something going on down here, there is something going on up there, the same time. Let's look up there a little bit and see what goes on. I can see Him sitting there, and His princely robes around Him. Hallelujah. I can see, the first thing, coming from the right, a great big angel, called Michael. They got one up there. Did you know that? I can hear him run up there by the side of Him, say, "Master!" I can see him taking his sword out of his shield, like this, and say, "Have You looked down at Babylon this morning? There is men walking God's provided way. There's men who's willing to seal their testimony this morning. Our brethren is just about to be burned." I can hear Him say, "Let me go down there. I will change the picture." I believe He could've done it; I do.
I can hear Him say, "No, can't let you do it. Gabriel, You've been a... Or, Michael, You've been a very fine Angel. So put your sword back, stand at attention there."
25 Here comes another angel. He's called Wormwood; makes the waters bitter. Here he comes up, said, "Master, look down there. I've got all the control of the waters. You turned it over to me in the antediluvian destruction, and I washed the whole world away, all but Noah and his people. Now," He said, "let me go down there and I will wash Babylon off the map."
I can hear Him say, "Woodworm, you can do it, that's right, but I can't let you go. It's a man-size job." Ha, ha.
26 Oh, I can see Him raised up, like that. They're just about to make the last step. I can see Him reach over there and say, "Come here," to a big thunderhead hanging back yonder. Oh, my. It obeyed Him.
I can see Him, to hear Him say, "East wind, north, west, and south, come here and carry this thunderhead. I'm going to drive you like horses. I'm going to set on this thunderhead, this morning, like a chariot. I'm going down to Babylon, Myself." Hallelujah.
I can see him reach up and get a hold of a zigzag lightning and crack it across the skies, like that; just as they make their last step, walking in God's provided way. And about the time they hit in there, He passed by the Sea of Life and picked up a palm, and He was standing down there fanning the breeze off of them. Hallelujah. He's always there when men will walk God's provided way. Yes, sir.
27 One time there was an old "quack" preacher, an old holiness preacher back yonder, a long time ago, by the name of Noah. He said, "You know, it's going to rain, going to come a storm."
I can hear the people go around and say, "Say, do you hear that old holy-roller up there? He said, 'It's going to rain.' Why, it never rained upon the earth. And it's going to rain? How, where'd that water come from? Well, let's go get the science out and find out if there's any water up there. Why, no, there's no water up there. What's the matter? That old preacher is off at his head."
But God said so. God said, "Prepare an ark, Noah, for the saving of your household, for the saving of the people." And Noah just had sense enough to do it. That's all. He come and prepared the ark.
Genesis 6:14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
28 And one day, I hear some of them down on the corner, talking, down at the business corner. Some of them say, "Hey, what about that rain story up there, that old "quack" preacher talking about it's going to rain up there? Did you ever hear of such a thing? And he thinks he's in God's provided way." He was. Amen.
The first thing you know, there come a thundering and a lightning. I can see the old, big, old mammy camel out there, look up and say, "Papa Camel, do you hear what that was? That was thunder. That's what Noah said. Let's get to the ark." Down across the hill they went. And here come papa horse and mama horse, and all the rest of the pairs, right into the ark, one by one. God closed the door, sent the rain. Noah was in God's provided way.
Some of them got on logs, said, "I will float through." But I will tell you, when the storms begin to rage, the ark went up. Hallelujah. Why, they were in God's provided way. God will always bless people that'll walk in the way that's provided. He never provided a log. He never provided this. He provided an ark.
29 And today, my brother and sister, there is a way provided for men and women, that's through Jesus Christ the Son of God, who died yonder at Calvary, and through His blood we have remission of sins, and can receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, as approval of God, that He's accepted us into His Son, Christ Jesus, safely secure. Hallelujah.
30 Going to call me holy-roller, anyhow, so you might as well get started now. All right. I feel pretty good. All right.
31 Do you believe that? That is God's way and the only way. It ain't the Methodist way, ain't the Baptist way, ain't the Presbyterian, ain't the Pentecost. It's Christ's way. Christ is God's provided Way. He's God's provided Sacrifice. He's Jehovah-Rapha. He's Jehovah-Jireh. He's Jehovah-Manasseh.
When Abraham offered up Isaac, he called the place there Jehovah-Jireh, "the Lord will provide Himself a sacrifice." And there it is, the Son of God. Amen. God always makes a way of escape. Yes, sir.
32 One time there was an old preacher down there preaching, by the name of Elisha. He got up there and he looked out over the country, and he said, "I tell you, it's the awfullest I ever seen."
The old king down there went and married a little old painted-up Jezebel, enough paint on her face to make... The only woman in the Bible that ever painted her face. And you know what God did to her? God fed her to the dogs. That's the only one I know.
You see a woman with a lot of paint on her face, you know what you can call her? Say, "Hello, Miss Dogmeat." That's what she is, like dog meat. Oh, my. Listen, brother, I just turned back from Africa. That stuff come from the strain of heathenism. The heathens paint themselves.
Oh, brother, when a man or woman gets right with God, you don't have to tell them that; ashamed, themselves. Hallelujah. That's right.
33 "Boy, the first thing you know, she'll have all these Israelites doing that." Elijah said, "Lord, close the heavens. Do something about it."
God spoke down and said, "Now, Elijah, tell you what you do. Go down and speak to Ahab."
And here come an old preacher, walking down through there, with a big piece of sheepskin around him like that, face burred out with whiskers like a woolly worm. Walked up before the king and said, "The dew won't even call--fall till I call from it." Hallelujah. He was in God's provided way. Yes, sir.
"Ah, get away from here, you fanatic. All right, we know what we're doing."
1 Kings 17:1 And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.
34 Old Elijah said, "Lord, what must I do? You provide the rest the way. I've done that."
Said, "Get up yonder by the brook Cherith and set down."
"All right, a very bad place, but I will go up and set down. You said, 'Go up there.' If Your path leads up there, I will walk up there."
Walks up and set down. Said, "Now, Lord, what am I going to do here?"
"Set there. Just stay there."
35 And the first thing you know, he begin to get hungry. He said, "Lord, I'm getting a little bit hungry." And here come a raven by.
Some of them said, "Look at that old holy-roller preacher setting up there on the hill. Why, isn't he crazy? Well, that guy setting up there in the sun, will die. Why, he's a fanatic."
And the first thing you know, all the waters dried up. There's no water to drink down in the land. But every time Elijah wanted a drink, he just stooped down to the brook Cherith and drank. Then when he got hungry, here come a raven by with a sandwich in his mouth, said, "Here you are, Elijah."
You say, "Where did the raven get...? You mean you believe that, Brother Branham?" Yes, sir. Yes, sir. "You mean that a crow brought Elijah something to eat for three years and six months?" I believe it. Say, "Where did he get it?" I don't know. The only thing that I know, the crow got it somewhere, he brought it to Elijah; Elijah eat it and lived three years and six months on it. That's right. I believe it.
36 That's the same thing about... You say, "What makes you so happy? What makes you shake your arm?" I don't know. The only thing I know, Calvary paid for it, and the Bible taught it, the Holy Ghost brought it, I got it. Hallelujah. I don't even know where it come from, but I got it. Hallelujah. That's right. I can't tell you where it's coming from, but It's got here. Oh, my. It makes your coat fits you better. Sure. Hallelujah. Don't get excited. That means "praise our God." Amen. That means "so be it." Oh, my. Sure, it is. I don't know...
37 And they said he was crazy, setting up there? My. Come a... Come time to eat, here come the colored porter up, said, "Here you are, Elijah. Here's your breakfast." Why, he was better off than half the people in here tonight. I imagine there ain't very many in here tonight that's got colored servants. But he had some colored servants, some crows bringing him something to eat at every meal. Hallelujah. Glory. God had a dining room somewhere; He fixed it up, cooked it up, sent it to him. Hallelujah. That same God lives and reigns today.
He stayed in His provided way. God said, "Go up there and set down," so he done it. That's all he knowed to do. What do you think about that, believe that it's true? That is. Amen. Yes, sir.
38 A little girl was going down the street one day, she said [unclear words] going, said... "Oh, hallelujah. Hallelujah." She just got the Holy Ghost.
So there was an old infidel setting over in the corner, said "What's you so happy about, young'un?"
Said, "Oh, Jesus just saved me and filled me with the Holy Ghost." Said, "I'm so happy."
Said, "Look, what's that you got in your hand?"
Said, "My Bible."
Said, "Do you believe That?
"Sure."
Said, "Do you believe all of It?"
"All of it."
Said, "Do you believe that story about Jonah?"
"Yes."
Said, "Do you believe that actually that whale swallowed the man?"
"Yes, sir. I believe it."
Said, "How you going to prove it any other way besides faith?"
She said, "Well, when I get to heaven I will just ask Brother Jonah."
The infidel said to her, said, "What if Brother Jonah is not in heaven?"
Said, "Then you'll have to ask him." Hallelujah. Only one place left for him, that's hell.
If you reject God's way, you've got to go to hell. You have to. It's the only other way. So you're in the one way or the other. Amen. All right.
39 I can see him down there, sitting up there, and the ravens bringing him something to eat.
Walked back down there. He went down the hill, one day. And God said, "Now, the pool is dried up. I want you to go down there to a widow's house." What a place for a preacher to go. God told him to go. That's the provided way. He walked down there. And she wasn't an Israelite, either. No, she wasn't. And she walked back there... And he went down the hill.
1 Kings 17:9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
1 Kings 17:10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
1 Kings 17:11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
40 And as he went down the hill, he met an old widow standing in the yard, a breaking her stick together. Said, "Go in and give me something to eat, and bring me some water."
She said, "As the Lord lives, and your soul never dies, I've only got enough meal in the house to make one little cake for my son. I'm taking two sticks that I might bake this cake, and he and I eat it and die."
Said, "Go, fetch me a little water, first, and bake the cake and bring it to me." Hallelujah.
What's she going to do? There's God's provided way. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all His righteousness."
1 Kings 17:12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
1 Kings 17:13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
41 You say, "Brother Bill, my mother run away from home." "My husband won't live with me."
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Hallelujah); all these other things will be added." That's right.
"How am I going to do it, Brother Bill?"
Just go ahead and do it. Jesus said, "Follow Me." That's right. Keep your eye single. All right.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
42 And the first thing you know, she goes in: she takes these two sticks and break them. You know how the old Indian way of breaking a stick? That was the cross, of course. And in the cross, they burn it right in the middle. That's where the fire was, burnt that hoecake oven.
Brought the hoecake out and give it to the preacher; he stood there and eat. Said, "Now, go back and get one for yourself and your son. For, thus saith the Lord, the barrel is not going to run empty, or the cruse dry, until the day that God sends rain on the earth." Hallelujah.
What? Because she sought the kingdom of God first, because she walked in God's provided way; God rewarded her. Do you believe that? Yes, sir.
1 Kings 17:14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
43 There was a woman one time who lost her brother. His name was Lazarus. Oh, he was a good boy; she hated to give him up. And he died. She sent for her Pastor, or the Evangelist, which was Jesus. She had come out of the church, and she had give up all they had. And she sent for Jesus to come, pray, and He just went on. Sent again, and He just went on. He said, "I do nothing till the Father shows Me." The Father had already showed Him Lazarus was going to die.
He come, after while, after about three or four days. He said, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I'm glad I wasn't there. But I go wake him."
So then she heard Jesus was coming, so she went out to meet Him.
John 11:14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
John 11:15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
John 11:20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
44 That was God's provided way, go meet Jesus. That's right, always. When you got sorrow in your home, go meet Jesus. Got sickness in your home, go meet Jesus. Got heartaches in your home, go meet Jesus. Hallelujah. If you got a need for anything, go meet Jesus. Go meet Him. He's got all the remedy, everything there. He ain't got the remedy. He's got the cure. Amen. Then she went to meet Him, and she fell down at His feet.
45 And she had read a story, one time, where there was a woman way back in the Bible, and a Shunammite. She was very mindful of a preacher by the name of Elisha. So she made a little chamber on the side of her house there, put a bed and a candle and a stool, so forth. And Elisha come by and he seen all this goodness she had done for the preacher, paid her tithes and everything, you know. So he said, "Go and ask, see what we can do, if I shall speak to the king or to the chief captain."
She said, "I abide with my people and everything's all right."
Said, "All right, go ask her what can I do."
Gehazi said, "She's barren. She has no children."
Said, "Go tell her, thus saith the Lord, 'About this time of the year, according to life, that she'll receive a son.'" And she did.
2 Kings 4:13 And he said unto him, Say now unto her, Behold, thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the host? And she answered, I dwell among mine own people.
2 Kings 4:14 And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old.
2 Kings 4:15 And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door.
2 Kings 4:16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
2 Kings 4:17 And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.
2 Kings 4:18 And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers.
2 Kings 4:19 And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.
2 Kings 4:20 And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
46 The kid got to be about eleven or twelve years old. One day, about noontime, he was out in the field with his daddy. I believe he got a sunstroke. He begin to holler, "My head. My head." He sent one of the servants in with the baby, the little boy, set him on his mother's lap. At noon he died.
What an appropriate place. She took him up and laid him on the preacher's bed, where the prophet had laid. Good place to go. Laid right on the preacher's bed.
She said, "Saddle me a mule now and go forward, and don't stop your riding until I bid you."
2 Kings 4:21 And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.
2 Kings 4:22 And she called unto her husband, and said, Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men, and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God, and come again.
2 Kings 4:23 And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.
2 Kings 4:24 Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.
47 I like that. Go forward and don't stop. Just keep going. That's right.
The trouble of it is, we stop and talk to too many people. We stop for too many social parties. We have so much sew-and-sew, and organize a stitching party, you know, "Stitch-and-sew and talk about Miss So-and-so." You know how it is. All these different things come into the church, when you ought to throw all that gully-wash out, and have an old fashion, God-sent revival. Pray through, till you've bashed heavens down and the Holy Ghost comes like a rushing mighty wind and fills the place and the people. Amen. That's what we need.
She said, "Don't you stop."
2 Kings 4:23 And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.
2 Kings 4:24 Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.
48 And her husband said, "The man's not at Carmel." Said, "This is neither new moon or Sabbath."
She said, "All is well." She wanted to get to the prophet. So she went straight on.
Elisha looked out and said, "Here comes that Shunammite. Something's wrong with her; I don't know what it is."
She run up. And he said, "Is all well with thee and thy husband, thy child?"
She said, "All is well." I like that. She's taking God's provided way. Said, "Everything's all right now." And then she begin to reveal it.
He told Elisha, said, "Go, take my staff and lay it..." Or, told Gehazi, "Go take my staff and lay it on the child."
But she said, "I'm not going to leave you." So the prophet came back over, prayed, walked up-and-down the room, laid his body upon the dead child, and it come to life.
2 Kings 4:25 So she went and came unto the man of God to mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, Behold, yonder is that Shunammite:
2 Kings 4:26 Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, It is well.
2 Kings 4:29 Then he said to Gehazi, Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way: if thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again: and lay my staff upon the face of the child.
2 Kings 4:30 And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.
2 Kings 4:31 And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice, nor hearing. Wherefore he went again to meet him, and told him, saying, The child is not awaked.
2 Kings 4:32 And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed.
2 Kings 4:33 He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the LORD.
2 Kings 4:34 And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.
2 Kings 4:35 Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
John 11:21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
49 The woman, Martha, knew that the Shunammite realized that God was in His prophet. And if God was in His prophet, surely God was in His Son. So if she could get to Jesus, she'd have the remedy. So she runs and falls down before Him. She said, "Lord, if..." That's what He was. "Lord, if Thou would've been here, my brother would not died. But even now, whatever You ask God, God will do it." Oh, I like that. "Even now, whatever you ask God, God will do it."
John 11:22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
50 That's good tonight. You say, "I'm a sinner, Brother Branham." Even now, whatever you ask God, God will do it. "Have mercy on me, a sinner," He will do it. If you're sick, "Have mercy on me, Lord," and He will do it, even now. You say, "The doctor give me up; but, "even now, Lord." I haven't walked in five years; but, "even now, Lord." I haven't heard nothing, for I don't know when; "even now, Lord." I haven't spoke a word, in I can't tell you when, but, "even now, Lord, whatever You ask God..." and He's setting at the right hand of the Father, making intercessions upon your profession. Hallelujah.
Said, "Even now, whatever you ask God, God will do it."
John 11:22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
John 11:23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
51 He straightened His little self up, said, "Thy brother shall rise again."
Said, "Oh, yes, Lord, in the general resurrection in the last day, he will rise again."
He said, "I am the Resurrection and Life." Oh, my.
The Bible said, "There's no beauty to look at Him, little frail-looking Fellow." But He said... When He straightened Himself up, there was God.
Isaiah 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
John 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
52 He said, "Now, your brother will rise again." Said, "I am the Resurrection and Life," saith God. "He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?"
She said, "Yes, Lord. I believe that You are the Son of God which should come into the world."
Said, "Where you laid him?" Here He starts to the grave. Jesus wept.
John 11:27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
John 11:34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.
53 A woman told me not long ago, a very good woman, a Christian Science, who didn't believe that Jesus was the ... and Deity. She believed He was a prophet. She believed that He was a good Man, but He was not--He wasn't a virgin born. They deny the virgin birth.
54 Not only that, but a survey showed that eighty-five percent of the Protestant preachers of the United States claim that the virgin birth was a fake. Right. I could easily do that, I could easy think that by the way you live it. That's exactly the truth, believed it was a fake. And a greater percent than that didn't believe that Jesus would visibly return again. No wonder we need a revival.
Brother, listen here. You hear so much about revival today. We never had a revival.
55 I followed up another man, here not long ago, where they talk about a lot of this. Said, "He went to one city and he had five thousand conversions." We followed right behind it (not me), a group of ministers, and took the cards and followed them back again, and in thirty days time they couldn't find thirty that claimed to be saved. You know what I think? I think it's conviction instead of conversion. When a man is born again of the Spirit of God...
What we need today is not a protractive meeting, but an old fashion, God-sent, Holy Ghost revival: an old-time, sky-blue, sin-killing, blood-washed religion. Amen. Makes you take them tire tools back and do repentance. That's right.
56 She said then. She said, "Well, looky here, Brother Branham, I can prove to you that He wasn't nothing but a man."
I said, "Do it. If you can prove to me that He wasn't God, then I will accept it."
She said, "No, He wasn't divine. He was just a man. And I can prove it by the Bible, that He was just a man."
I said, "If you can prove it by the Bible, then I will accept it."
She said, "Are you ready?"
I said, "I am."
57 She said, "When He went down, in Saint John 11, when He went to the grave of Lazarus, He wept."
I said, "What has that got to do with it?"
Said, "Why, it proved He wasn't nothing but a man; He was crying."
I said, "Looky here, lady. He was a man truly, but He was more than a man. He was a God-Man." God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. Yes, sir. He came to do the will of the Father. He walked God's provided way. He never looked to the right or to the left; He done what God said do. He was God's provided way.
John 11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
John 11:44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
58 And on the road to Lazarus, He wept. He was a man when He was weeping. But when He stood there by the side of a grave, where a man had been dead four days; and the crawling skin worms running in and out of his body, and a stink around; when He said, "Lazarus, come forth," a man had been dead four days, stood on his feet and lived again. That was more than a man. Hallelujah. Yes, sir. He was a man crying, but He was God in the resurrection.
Matthew 4:2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.
Matthew 14:17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
Matthew 14:18 He said, Bring them hither to me.
Matthew 14:19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
Matthew 14:20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
Matthew 14:21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
Matthew 21:18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
Mark 6:38 He saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes.
Mark 6:39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.
Mark 6:40 And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.
Mark 6:41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
Mark 6:42 And they did all eat, and were filled.
Mark 6:43 And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes.
Mark 6:44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
Luke 4:2 Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.
Luke 9:13 But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.
Luke 9:14 For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.
Luke 9:15 And they did so, and made them all sit down.
Luke 9:16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
Luke 9:17 And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
John 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
John 6:12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
John 6:13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
59 He was a man when He come down off the mountain that night, hungry, looking all around, over the trees, for something to eat. He was a man when He was hungry.
But when He took five biscuits and two little pieces of fish, and fed five thousand people, that was more than a man. That was God in flesh. Hallelujah.
Mark 4:37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
Mark 4:38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
60 He was a man when He laid on the boat that night, when virtue had went out of His garment; till He was so weak till even, a mighty sea roaring, ten thousand devils of the sea swore they would drown Him that night; when that little old boat, tossed about out there, like a bottle stopper on a mighty sea. I know He was a man when He was laying there asleep, but when they said, "Carest thou not that we perish?"
He stuck His foot upon the brail of the boat, said, "Peace, be still," and there was a calm. That was more than a man. Hallelujah. That was my God. Hallelujah. Right, He was; yes, indeed, is.
Matthew 27:42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Mark 4:37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
Mark 4:38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
Mark 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Mark 15:31 Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
Mark 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
61 He was a man when He was hanging on Calvary, when they give Him the greatest tribute they ever did. When they said, "He saved others, He cannot save Himself." What a wonderful tribute, or compliment, they paid Him. If He saved these others, Himself, He couldn't save others. So He had to give Himself in order to save others. He was a man when He cried for mercy, when He said, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken Me?" He died like a man. Yes.
But when He rose on Easter morning, He proved He was God. No wonder the prophet said:
Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever;
Someday He's coming, O glorious day.
Hallelujah. I love Him. Don't you? Walk in God's provided way.
62 I can see some wise men one time, going to His birth to worship Him. I can see them all getting ready. They're packing up their camels.
I can see Jim Jones and all the rest of them, and John Doe packing up. I can see them laying these card tables, packed here on the side like that, and they laid everything else on, and they was going to go to worship Jesus. They come to find out, when they got there, decided the old camels couldn't walk.
That's just what's the matter with the church today. You've packed so much world with it, it turns you back. That's right.
Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
63 I can see him start out like that, and all of them. They get to the side of the mountain yonder, they can't even get through, because, "Strait is the gate and narrow is the way, but few there will be that'll find it." Yes, sir.
I can see one old guy packing up; he was making himself light, "Because I'm packing up, to go to heaven."
Brother, I'm not packing up to go to heaven. I'm unpacking to go to Heaven. Hallelujah. There's a rapture; cut loose everything. The Bible said, "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us, that we might run this race with patience."
Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
64 I can see that old fellow going [unclear words]. I can see his wife around, say, "John, what's the matter, boy? Where you going?"
Said, "I'm going to worship the Lord."
"How do you know you're going?"
"Well, I'm going."
"Well, you haven't even got a compass. You haven't even got your ministerial license. What in the world's the matter with you? Will they receive you? You're going to worship the Lord?"
"Yes."
"Take your compass."
"No, I don't need it."
"Don't need it? How you going to get there?"
65 I can see him point up to the morning Star, say, "I'm going God's provided way." Amen. God provided a Star to lead the wise men. They didn't need a compass. They needed God's provided way, the Star. Glory.
And the same God that led the wise men to Christ, by the Star, is here tonight in the form of the Holy Ghost to lead you to the Christ, the new birth, the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which is God's provided way. "Except a man be born of water and Spirit, he won't even see the kingdom of God." Men and women, have you received it?
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
66 My time's up. Oh, my, I just feel like getting into it. Put my hand down in my pant's pockets, and preaching like an old sassafras preacher. Why? I love it. It's all right to have ice cream, but you got to have some bacon and beans to stick to your side, nothing but Jesus [unclear words] up. That's what we need. Don't you believe it? Truly.
Acts 19:2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
67 God has a provided way. Are you in it tonight? Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? Now, you good Baptist friends of mine, and know that I belonged... I was a Baptist, and my pastor here is a Baptist. But I want to tell you something. Acts 19 says, "Have you received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" Not "when" you believed, but "since" you believed. Yes, sir. If you haven't, It's for you tonight. God has a provided way.
68 Brother, sister, don't try to go your own way. Don't go through fig leaves. Don't go floating on a log, like they tried to do in the antediluvian destruction. Don't put fig leaves over like Adam did. Don't try to go King Nebuchadnezzar's way, to persecute the Church of God. Don't go all these other different ways, these forms and ways, that we could men... mention many.
Don't go like the Pharisees did, a very religious person, said, "Now, looky here, we're in a high place. And if there be anything go on, we'll know all about it."
And God slipped out there, and born the Child in a Bethlehem manger, took Him down to the world; and out of the world, capital punishment; they didn't know nothing about it. Right. God's provided way.
69 Oh, one time there was a woman, she had spent all the money she had. Hallelujah. Doctors couldn't do her no good. And one day she just about to faint. She'd had an issue of blood for many, many years. And one day she heard some roaring in a [unclear words]. She looked out, and there had come God's provided way. That's right. Oh, my.
I can see her come down by the high, classical Baptists. "The days of miracles is passed." She just crawled right between their legs. They had to move.
I see her come there to Brigham Young and all of his wives; she just passed right on through. What did she say?
70 I hear them say, "Martha, where are you going, that the physician can't do you no good? Where are you going? I seen you down there, with that [unclear words]. Teacher."
She said, "I'm going God's provided way."
"Where is it at? You don't mean that hypocrite over there?"
"That's where it's at. I'm going right on in."
She squeezed through, and around, until she got to this fellow here. And he belonged to this kind of a church, and this and that, and they all tried to push her back. But she made her way to Jesus.
Some of them said, "Now, wait a minute, sister. If you eat meat, you can't do it." She was going God's provided way.
"If you haven't taken up serpents, you can't do it." She went God's provided way. She wanted to get to Jesus. That's right.
Psalm 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
71 I think of David of old. Hallelujah. Yes, sir. When he said there... Where he talked about... He said, "Taste and see the Lord is good. It tastes like honey in the rock." A little old description I used to use, thinking about an old scrip they used to carry on their side here, a little sack that they put honey in, the old shepherds did. And when the sick would give... the sheep would all get sick, they'd take off some of the honey out of the scrip bag and put it on a limestone rock, and call the sick sheep, and let that sick sheep go to licking on that rock. And when they go to licking the honey off of the rock, he went and licked some of the limestone in while licking the honey. And you know what happened? The sick sheep got well.
72 Now, look here, brother. I got a whole scrip bag full of it, tonight. And I ain't going to put it on the Baptist church, Methodist church, the Presbyterian church, or the Pentecostal church. I'm putting It on Christ Jesus, where It belongs, and you sick sheep go to licking and you're sure to get something out of It. Yes, sir. Lick on Him. Like that old man [unclear words]. Lick on Him; you'll get it.
Don't pay no attention to what your church says. Pay attention to Christ. Follow Him, for in Him, He is the church. I see, go God's provided way. He never said the Methodist was God's provided way, neither did He say the Baptist was, or any other church. He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."
You say, "Well, how do it know I'm in Him?"
"By one Spirit we're all baptized into one body," become members of that body, I Corinthians 12. That's right, subject to God's...
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
73 Everything He's got in His Kingdom belongs to us. He just takes the whole big book full of checks, and signs His name on the bottom of them, say, "Here you are, son. Anything you need, go get it." Amen.
Don't be afraid to fill it out. Fill it out and hand it in, say, "Thank You, Lord." Hallelujah. It'll come to pass.
"Whatsoever things you desire (Mark 11:24), when you pray, believe you'll receive it, you shall have it."
1 Kings 17:4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
74 Sign out the check, say, "Lord, I need healing." Tear it off, say, "There You are, Lord, I ask in Jesus' name for healing." Say, "Thank You, Lord," and walk right on, believe for the healing. That's right. Like them crows sending down that food to Elijah. There it is.
Say, "I need salvation for my soul." What will you do? Just write out and say, "Said, 'Come unto Me, all ye that labor and heavy laden; I will give you rest.' That's for me, Lord." Fill out the check. "I need salvation. Hand it to me, Lord."
"Here it is." "Thank You, Lord." Walk away with it.
Need the Holy Ghost? Yes, sir. "Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem till you're endued with power from on High. After this the Holy Ghost come upon you, you will be witness of Me in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world." You believe It? Fill out the check and send it up signed, see what happens. God will give it: God's provided way. He provided you a Checkbook; go ahead and fill it out. God promised it. You believe that? Sure. God always has a provided way.
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
75 There was a little old guy by the name of Jairus, one day. Oh, he had kind of joined himself up with a bunch of unbelievers, like a whole lot of preachers who've joined up the same way today. The Bible said, "Yoke yourself not amongst unbelievers." All right. The first thing you know...
Wonder who said that? You are?
Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mark 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
76 Well, the Bible said, "These signs shall follow them that believe. In My name they shall cast out devils, speak with new tongues, take up serpents, drink deadly things; they lay hands on the sick, they shall recover." You preach that in half the churches today, they'd kick you out the door. That's right. That's right. Don't know God's provided way, but that's what He said. That's what Jesus said. Do you believe it? Yes, sir.
And then if He said so, "Amen, I believe it." I think it's the truth, and I'm walking His way, what He said do. And He's confirming it with signs, wonders, following. That's right.
So just do the same thing, walk right in. It's for every... Whosoever will, let him come on in. Come on. God's called you, you've got to come. So come right on in. Don't wait any longer. Take it, tonight.
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
77 I see this little old fellow; he joined himself up. He loved Jesus, but yet, he was just kind in a way... He didn't want to lose his prestige, you know, the blessings. So they come out [unclear words].
So the Lord said, "Now, look at that little old fellow down there. I predestinated him to eternal life, and there he is with that bunch of unbelievers. So I will fix him up." He just let his daughter get sick.
He said, "Well, I will call in Doctor Doe."
Doctor Doe looked her over. He said, "Pulse is getting low, Jairus. Tell you what we better do; we better do this, that." And he gave her all the drugs, and so forth. She went right on, dying.
Then he said, "I wonder if God has got a provided way?" Oh, my.
78 The Man that he had criticized so much about divine healing. Or heard about Him... He said, "Yes. Yes. Uh-huh."
"Jairus, don't you think He's a hypocrite?"
"No," said the Holy Spirit, "He's not a hypocrite. You believe in Him."
"Oh, all right, yeah. Oh, I guess He is."
79 See, that's the way some of these borderline preachers is (That's right.), just afraid. Oh, God take the wishbone out of you and put a backbone in you.
I like what Buddy Robinson's testimony is. He said, "Lord, give me the backbone the size of a saw log. Put plenty of noise in the gable end of my soul. And let me fight the devil as long as I got one tooth left, and then gum him till I die." I like that. That's right. He said, "I had an old coon dog. She died, old. She fought coons till she didn't have one tooth left, then she just gum them coons, and squeal." I like that. Right. Hallelujah.
80 You say, "Brother Branham, I hardly got very much education. I'm too small. The preachers will turn me down."
Let's just go back to the story. "It ain't the size of the dog in the fight; it's the size of the fight in the dog." That's what it is today. Stand up there. Find out today though, the dog would stand there.
81 Like the old chief said one day, as he was getting ready to go.
Said, "How you getting along, chief?"
Said, " [unclear words]." Said, "There's two dogs in me. One's black and one's white. The black one wants me to do wrong, and the white one wants me to do right." Said, "They're always fighting and quarreling."
I said, "Which one wins, chief?"
Said, "Depends on which one chief feeds the most."
82 And that's about right, too. Yes, sir. All right, brother. I'm telling you, what the world needs tonight is a good old shaking.
83 Jairus said, "Now wait a minute." The daughter got real sick. The only hope there was, to ever get her, was to go to Jesus. She... They took off for Jesus.
While he was on the road... I see him come up there. And the woman just got healed with the blood issue. Here he goes on, he said, "My daughter is laying now... I don't care what the priest says, what anybody says. Will You come, lay Your hands on her? I believe You're God's provided Way for her healing. Will you come, lay Your hands on her, she'd get well?"
Said, "I will go."
Here he starts, going on. The first thing you know, here run a man from their house, saying, "Jairus, don't weary the Master, because she's already dead." Oh, oh, my. I can see his little heart jump in him, like that.
I can see those lovely, tender eyes of Jesus roll over to him, say, "Didn't I say, 'Fear not, and thou shall see the glory of God'?" He's God's provided way.
Mark 5:22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
Mark 5:23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
Mark 5:35 While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?
Luke 8:41 And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:
Luke 8:42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.
Luke 8:49 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.
Luke 18:35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:
Luke 18:36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.
John 11:40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?
84 There was an old man by the name of blind Bartimaeus, set at the gates one day, begging for alms. It was getting cold weather, about October. He heard a noise coming down the street. "What is that?"
"Why," he said, "that's Jesus of Nazareth."
He never watched... He pulled off his robe. He never laid it down, and fold it up so, you know, he could blindly find his way back to it. He threw his robe aside. God had provided a way, and he was after it. He had run down here.
Some [unclear words] say, "Sit down. Sit down. He ain't got no time to fool with you."
He screamed the much the louder, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. Have mercy on me." He was pressing through. "Have mercy on me. I know You're God's provided Way for my eyes. O Lord, have mercy on me." That's right.
Mark 10:48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.
Mark 10:50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
Luke 18:37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.
Luke 18:39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.
85 I read the history of blind Bartimaeus one day, a little story. They said that he had been blind for years. He had a little daughter he'd never seen. One night... And he used to go up there and set at the street. He had a little lamb. The lambs used to lead the blind people like the dogs does today; the dogs lead the blind man. They had a lamb trained to lead the blind. And then one said, one day, that...
He had two little turtledoves, and they would do little tumbles, like that, to attract the tourists' attention, going into Jerusalem, or into the city, and they would drop coins in his cup. He was blind.
So one night his wife got real sick, so he went to the Lord. He said, "Lord, I haven't got nothing. I'm a poor man. I'm a blind man. I haven't got nothing to give You. But I believe You, Lord. And if You'll just have mercy and let my poor wife live, tomorrow I will give You my turtledove for a sacrifice." The Lord healed his wife that night.
The next day he went back to the priest, offered up the two turtledoves for a sacrifice. Then he had nothing but the lamb.
86 Not long after that, his little girl got sick. The doctors could do nothing for her. He said, "Lord, I only got one thing left," and said, "that's the lamb. But if You'll let my little girl, who I've never seen, if You'll only let her get well, then I will give You my lamb for a sacrifice." Then the Lord healed his little girl.
A few days after that, he started up the street, that lamb leading him. And Caiaphas, the high priest, come, said, "Blind Bartimaeus, where goest thou?"
He said, "I go, oh, high priest, to the temple. The lamb is leading me to the temple to offer the lamb for a sacrifice."
"Oh," he said, "you can't do that."
Said, "Yes," Bartimaeus.
Said, "Here, I will give you the price of a lamb. You go buy one."
He said, "I never promised God a lamb. I promised Him this lamb, this lamb."
Said, "Blind Bartimaeus, thou cannot take that lamb. That lamb is your eyes. You can't see without that lamb. That lamb leads you. That's your eyes, blind Bartimaeus. You can't offer that lamb."
Said, the old man trembled a little bit and said, "O high priest, God will provide a lamb for blind Bartimaeus' eyes." God bless his heart. When he heard that coming by; God had provided a lamb. There He is.
87 He's God's provided Lamb tonight. He's the Lamb provided for our eyes, your spiritual eyes. He's the Lamb provided for your soul. He's the Lamb provided for your escape of hell. He's the Lamb provided for your glory in heaven.
Won't you receive Him, while we pray, while we bow our heads?
88 O Lord God, Creator of heavens and earth, Author of everlasting life, Giver of every good gift, send Thy blessings upon this people. These poor little things, they have prepared remarks, Lord. But I know that You have a provided way.
You said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the coming of the Son of man." A preparation time, a time when a place to be prepared for those who wanted to escape the wrath. I pray, God, that right now, that that Lamb of God that was provided for the blind man's eyes, or the woman with the blood issue, to stop the blood issue, the Lamb that was provided for dead Lazarus... God, have mercy.
When I think about it, that's the same Lamb was provided for my blind eyes, one day when Mayo Brothers told me, three years ago, I didn't have a hope of ever being well again. God provided a Lamb.
Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
89 When You sent Your Angel down yonder at Green's Mill, and said, "Go, do this," how could I do it before a great world of atheists and unbelievers? But God provided a Lamb.
God, my poor little church here, Lord, as I look at it... And I think of many thousands of miles across the seas, and frozen plains and icebergs. How I've set there many time in a lonely room, praying, think about the times that won't come by here and shake my hand... The old sawdust spread on the floor, the windows shaking when the wind blowed...
90 I think of bringing my own darling wife, and laying her down here at the foot of the cross, preaching her funeral, remember seeing my little baby, Lord, that's laid on her arm.
I remember poor little Billy Paul, that You filled with the Holy Ghost a few hours ago, coming down to her grave there that morning, to put an Easter flower on it, and he started crying; I put my arm around the little fellow and said, "God has provided a Lamb, a sin offering. Someday this little grave will open; mommy will come out; so will little sister. God has a provided Lamb."
91 Some of these days, God, when my last sermon's preached; might lay me out in a room, and I'd feel the pulse coming up my sleeve, the cold death tide's floating into my room, as the window's open, the curtains blowing, shove out the lifeboat then, Lord. I will take my last ride. I will just spread the sheet. Lid will close down, and the sheet will be covering me.
I want to walk down through the valley of the shadow of death. I want to come to the Jordan, "Spread out of my way." And scream, "Give away, Jordan. Crossing over." Lord, push the lifeboat by me then. Receive me, will You, Lord? Receive me then, will You, Lord? Not only me, but every one in here, may be received at that time, will You, Lord? Grant it. Since then, there'd be many of us cross, and go back to the paradise and then live forever.
Father, if there is that man or woman here tonight that doesn't know You, don't know what the value is all about, never been born again, never found God's provided way, may they find it just now, as we pray, through Jesus Christ's name.
92 With your heads bowed, my sinner friend. God bless your heart. Many outside or inside... The Holy Spirit is here. Have you ever accepted God's way out, God's provided way for you? Nothing you could do to merit it. God has provided it for you. Won't you come, receive it? Won't you, tonight? If there's a sinner friend here, raise up your hand, say, "Brother Branham, pray for me. I want God's provided Lamb in my life"?
We haven't got room here for an altar call around the altar. There's no room, so just ask you to raise your hand. Will you do it, a sinner? God bless you, sir. God bless you, sir. And God bless you, sis. God bless you and you. Back in the back again, anybody back there?
Over on my right hand side now? God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. Somebody else would raise their hand, say, "Remember me. O God, give me grace tonight... Your Lamb life." God bless you, sister. I see you, sitting here.
Somebody on the outside, walk up and lay your hands against the screen, and say, "Brother Branham, remember me. I want God's provided way."