Expectation
You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net
1 ... and in doing so, it makes us all kind of relax, and some people in ministry of this type, they begin to think, maybe, you'd be some kind of a super person or something. I want you to know I'm just your brother, you see, just a man, see, just a brother. Just ... nothing but just a human, like we all are. And God just give me a little ministry to help somebody, so I just go do the best I can with it, and that's the best that I know.
So then, I thought last night, talking about time with horses and so forth, and riding. Why, you'd realize that we're just mortal beings together, trying our best to do what we can for the kingdom of God, and for the glory of His dear Son, Jesus Christ.
2 And such a response, though! My, that was marvelous. I thought, really, the meetings was set up for, was for just Gospel preaching. And then when you get around where the ... and mention the coming ... the Lord has blessed so greatly in the praying for the sick, until people have just... Really, when they come, they expect a prayer meeting for the sick.
You can... Sometimes I get off an airplane somewhere, or going somewhere in travel, there'd be somebody over there motioning. Got an ambulance sitting out there with somebody sick to be prayed for, at the airport, when the plane's going to come down, or something. So, that's real nice. I appreciate that, that people's got that much faith in God, to believe it. That's very, very nice. And so, I'm thankful for it, and I pray that God will bless.
3 I just shook hands with a young fellow coming in there, a young boy; if he's here, I don't mean to make him conspicuous. A very fine young fellow. Said, "Brother Branham, I was raised up in a Christian home." He said, "I'd taken the habit of smoking, and I used bad words." He said, "Brother Branham, I want to be right with God. Will you pray that...?"
See, bring up a child in the way it should go. They get off amongst these children that doesn't have that kind of teaching, they wander away, but don't worry; God will bring them back. I believe it.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
4 A brother sitting here, said, "Brother Branham, don't you remember down in Phoenix, in a basement in the auditorium one time, you prayed for my wife who was insane?" (I just remembered.) Said, "She's here with us tonight." Said, "She's in her right mind." All right.
I wonder if the woman's close, if she'd stand up. Is this the minister, I believe, or somewhere here? Yes, it's his wife, that was healed there in Phoenix.
Reminds me of the time at Little Rock, Arkansas. I believe it was one of the worst cases of insanity that I ever seen in my life. And someone testified of it in the meeting.
5 I'd just been... (If you want confirmation of this, you might write the chairman of the committee, which was Rev. G. H. Brown, of Little Rock, Arkansas, 505 Victor Street, Rev. G. H. Brown.) And we were praying, and it was about ... got late and I was so tired; that was just before I had my time where they just let me have ... they just let me stay until, like to kill me.
So, I was amazed that night. There was an old fellow out in the meeting there, who had crutches about like the brother here, has got his feet sitting on. He'd been cripple for a long time. And during time of the service the Lord Jesus made him whole. And the next day he was walking around on the street, holding the crutches in front of him, saying, "The Lord took me off of this last night."
Oh, my! The papers give me really write up. Said, "A self-styled Baptist preacher, jammed the streets with ambulances and cars. Such fanaticism."
6 This old brother... I was standing, speaking, like this, and he raised up and said, "Say, Brother Branham, I want to ask you a question." All out of order.
But I said, "All right, brother, what is it?"
He said, "I'm just so happy, I don't know what to do."
I said, "Well, that's fine."
He said, "You know, the strange thing though," said, "when I heard you preaching, I was sure you was a Nazarene." 'Cause he was a Nazarene himself, you know. He said, "I was sure you was a Nazarene." And then, said, "I seen all these Pentecostal people around here, and somebody told me you were Pentecostal." And said, "Now, I heard you say, just awhile ago, you was a Baptist." Said, "I can't understand this."
I said, "That's very easy." I said, "I'm a Pentecostal-Nazarene-Baptist." [Congregation laughs.] We're all one in Christ Jesus. Amen.
7 That night, Mr. Brown told me, said, "Brother Branham, as soon as you wait for a little break, to rest up again..." They let me rest up a few minutes. I get real numb all over; then, they take me off and let me rest a few minutes, and sing songs, and a preacher, maybe, preach a little sermonette. I'd rest up a little and come back. So, I hadn't been out praying for the sick then, but just, oh, two or three months.
So they took me off, and said, "I want to show you a sight like you've never seen."
I said, "What is it?"
Said, "An insane woman."
8 And I went down, standing on the steps, as I went down, at the bottom of the auditorium. They couldn't hear down there only through a PA system, and it was so packed in. But nobody was in that spot, in that floor, 'cause they couldn't get in there on account of this woman. And she was laying on the floor, and her limbs were sticking right up like this, arms and legs both, and she was bleeding all over. And her husband was standing on the steps. A very fine, just a typical good old Arkansas brother, standing there with a pair of overalls on, them washed out. He said...
I tell you, friends, talk about overalls and blue shirts: Some of the best old hearts in the world beat beneath that. That's right. That's right. And he shook my hand. He said, "Well..."
I said, "What's your trouble?"
Said, "It's my wife, Brother Branham."
And I looked out there, and she was laying like that. I said, "Oh, my!" I said, "What's she bleeding so for?"
9 Said, "Well, Brother Branham," said, "we heard that testimony from over Pinewood over there, that that woman was brought from the insane institution was healed." Said, "We thought maybe if we could bring my wife..." He said, "We got her dismissed for tonight." And said, "About a hundred and something miles." He said, "The ambulance wouldn't touch her." And said, "I got two or three brothers to come with me, and we got her in a Chevrolet car"; and said, "she overcome all those men and kicked through the glass and broke all the windows out, and that's what's cut her." She was so bad.
I said, "Oh my, that's too bad." And I said, "How did it come about, brother?"
He said, "Well, Brother Branham," said, "it's just the time of menopause. The doctor give her shots and it run her into that."
I said, "Well, that's sure too bad." And I said, "Well, 'course he didn't aim to do it; he done the best that he knew how."
10 And he said, "Well, she's been up here in the insane institution for two years." Said, "Brother Branham, she's a good woman." Said, "I got five little children." Said, "Right after this," said, "a baby was born during the time of the menopause." And said, "She's in such an awful fix." He said, "I sold my farm and everything else." He said, "And really," said, "I had a team left... I was working around." Said, "I sold them mules so I could get some money to help bring her down here tonight." His two mules, what he had...
I said, "Oh, brother, that sure is too bad." I said, "I'll walk out and talk to her."
He said, "Oh, don't you do that, Brother Branham." Said, "She'd kill you."
I said, "Well, I'll talk to her."
Said, "Well, she don't even know her own name; she hasn't spoke a word in two years."
11 "Oh," I said, "I believe I can talk to her." (Just a kid-like in the ministry. I didn't know then, I didn't realize then: I'd better wait and let God say so.) So, I just walked out in the room. She was just standing there, laying on her back. Said she hadn't been off her back in two years, just laid like that. And she had her hands up like that. I walked out there, said, "Good evening, sister." She just laid there with her eyes back and looking. I reached around, I said, "How do you do?" and took a hold of her hand. Oh my! It was a good thing that God was with me.
Anybody demon possessed is many times their strength, you know. She just grabbed my hand like that, real quick. And I used to be a boxer. I had the undefeated title of Bantam Weight Championship of the three states, and know what grip is.
But she grabbed me like that, and she grabbed like that, and when she did, if I hadn't have threw my foot out real quick and caught her across the bosom with my foot to hold myself, she'd have ... why, she'd of probably broke my bones right there on the floor, when she jerked me like that. And they pulled her hand loose like that, and she let out a great big blow like a ... like a crocodile or something, making a big blow, a funny noise, [Brother Branham blows into the microphone] like that.
I thought, My! And then she started to turn around. Well, I started away from her. And when she did, she started chasing me, like a snake crawling on the floor; you could hear it just like crawling, where she was... And she chased me back up on the steps like that. And there she was crawling right around the floor. And I said, "My!"
12 Now, it's only the grace of God, or there'd be that way here tonight, some of you women, or men, too. See, just God's grace.
And when she put her big strong limbs up against the side of the wall like that, and she backed up to the wall like that, and give a great big kick, and when she did, she went out on the floor and hit a bench that was sitting out there, and the side of her head... A nice, attractive looking lady, about forty-five years old. And hit her head like this, and the hair ... blood flew when it hit, and broke a piece of the bench off. Now she had so much power in those legs to kick herself out like that. And a piece of the bench flew off, and she picked it in her hands like that, and threw it. Just missed her husband, and just tore the plastering off the wall.
I said, "Oh, my! She's in an awful shape."
He said, "Yes." He said, "Now, Brother Branham, will you have to lay hands on her?"
I said, "I wish I could."
And he started crying. He said, "Now, I don't know what..."
13 I said, "Look, brother. Unh-uh, it's not me; Jesus Christ does the healing." I said, "If you will believe with all of your heart that God will heal that woman, and the story that I told about a few weeks ago, that Angel meeting me up there, and telling me to go and be sincere when I prayed, get the people to believe me." And I said, "They won't believe." He said, "There'll be given you signs, like was give the prophet Moses, two signs." You remember the story. And said, "If you get the people to believe you, nothing shall stand before the prayer." I said, "Sir, do you believe that?"
And he put his old bony arm around me, said, "Brother Branham, with all my heart I believe it."
14 I turned around like this, and when I did, that woman squared off the same way. She said, "William Branham, you have nothing to do with me."
And the man said, "Well, that's the first words she spoke in two years."
I said, "That's not her."
He said, "How did she know you?"
I said, "That's not her; that's that devil screaming out," see. [Unclear words], see. I said, "That's Satan. She wouldn't know I was William Branham. He said he recognizes that I've told the truth. And if you'll only believe, you'll see the glory of God, you see."
He said, "You have nothing to do with me. I brought her here."
I said, "You might have brought her here, but Jesus Christ will heal her."
15 And she started crawling up towards me. And I said, "Let's bow our heads." And as we bowed our heads, and I said, "Heavenly Father, this poor brother brought his wife here in this condition. You're the same God that ... those devils and legions You cast out." I said, "You're the same God, so I ask in Jesus Christ's name that the evil spirits come out of the woman." And I just turned around to the man and said, "Do you believe?"
He said, "With all of my heart, Brother Branham."
I said, "Now see, He told me if you get the people to believe, be sincere; and, brother," I said, "I'm just as sincere as I know how to be."
He said, "Thank you, Brother Branham." He said, "What must I do with her?"
I said, "Take her right back to the institution."
He said, "All right."
So I said, "You let them dismiss her."
So he turned around, and after the service, he taken her back. And the thing of it was, she never bothered no one going back, sat up nicely. Went back.
They put her in the institution next morning. And the following morning when they went into the cell, where she was at, to feed her, she was sitting up. And on the third day she was dismissed from the sanitarium, sent home, in her normal mind.
16 About two months after that, I was at Little Rock ... or, not Little Rock, but Jonesboro. And sitting... I kept seeing someone waving at me, like that, in the meeting. I thought, Well, I don't remember them people, and I was preaching. And I looked again, I thought, Well... And so the lady raised up ... or, the man did, rather, and said ... they had some little children there, said, "Do you know us, Brother Branham?"
I said, "I don't believe I do."
The lady said, (she raised up, too) she said, "Excuse me, Brother Branham, but," said, "they tell me that I was laying on my back the last time you seen me."
And I said, "Were you healed somewhere?"
She said, "Yes. I was the lady that was down in the basement of that..."
I said, "Oh, my!"
And there she was, with her five little children hugging at her, normal and well, in her right mind.
17 What is it? Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever; made the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear, devils would be cast out, and the commission follows on. Amen. And that thing is perhaps being done around the world tonight among faithful, believing members of the body of Jesus Christ; and divine healing doesn't lay within me. And each of these brethren sitting here, your pastors... You don't have to wait till they have a divine healing program to be healed: Every one of these men has got just the same authority that I, or anyone else has got, to pray for the sick. And that's all we can do, is pray for the sick.
And not only them, but if they're off somewhere and can't get to you, that good Holy-Ghost-filled sister or brother that lives next door to you has the same authority. That's right, same thing. If you can't get to your pastor... The Bible said, "If any among you is sick, call the elders of the church, let them anoint with oil and pray over the sick. The prayer of faith shall save the sick." And said, "God shall raise them up." Not the minister---God shall raise them up. "And if they did any sin, it shall be forgiven them. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for the other." Is that right? One another to be prayed for, see. "That you may be healed. For the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
That's all you need: Be filled with God's Spirit. And you'd be surprised if you only knowed the gifts that sitting right in this building tonight. Yes, sir.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
18 Now, if I would know sickness, surely I would know gifts. Is that right? That's right. So I know that in meetings, when I meet with Christian people, they are there. The only thing, you have to watch when you tell people, 'cause they hold right on to your word; they'll say something, and you have to know it's directly coming from God what to tell the person. That's the reason ... don't say those things, you see? But you just live humble before God, just don't try to make yourself anything. Just be humble. God will take care of the rest of it, see. He'll make it known.
19 Now, tomorrow, to our sorrow... I wish that really from the depth of my heart that I would have set the meeting a little longer, if we could have got it, for at least another week. I feel like if I could take next week, just about four days of just common Gospel preaching and altar calls, it would be hard telling what would take place. After the people is already minded of the power of the deliverance of God, then everyone be bringing their sinner friend out next week. That would be real... Then we could win souls for Christ. Usually, in these meetings it's just the Christians come. Now and then sinners come in, but usually, just the Christians. And then the believer already believes, see.
So, I just trust that it will be God's will for me to come back again to you real soon. You sure got a fine bunch of brethren, and fine... I've never, any time at any place, ever felt any more cooperation in the Spirit of God, than I have right here at this place. That's right. That's right. That's true.
I've never seen a place I've ever been before that ministers sat behind me on the platform. The first night it kind of bothered me a little 'cause I was conscious of them being there, but just that wall of faith there; I said just leave them alone. That's fine; they're my brothers. That's right. That's wonderful, and I'm so happy for that. When you get that faith there to believe, just anything can happen.
20 Now, we thank you for everything. And tomorrow afternoon, if you can... I think the services begin at two o'clock. Is that right? Two o'clock. That'll let me be here by two-thirty, perhaps. Then I'll speak a little while and then pray for the sick. And then...
You've been very nice in your attendance; and rain and bad nights, you've come anyhow. And you've helped us with the finance to pay the debts. I think you'll have it all together. Mr. Brewer's going to give it to my son tonight, and the expenses to be paid; and if there's enough not to pay all the expenses, it will be paid in the morning. If not, why, after my love offering's taken up tomorrow, it will be made in, and it'll be paid. If it's not, which I believe it ... all the more than paid. And if there's any left over, whatever it is, I will not take it myself; I'll stick it right over in foreign missions, to send across the sea, and do everything that I can. If it lacks a little, then from my love offering, I'll make it up, see.
21 And we want to leave with not debts owing, everybody feeling wonderful and fine, and glorifying God. We try to keep that standard everywhere. And all the ministers, and the people here...
If you're here and you don't belong to a church, why don't you join with these brothers' church, if you live near them. You believe in this type of ministry, well, join the churches that believe in that. Go and join churches that backs that up, that believe in that, see. And you come over and get healed, and go back into a bunch of people where that atmosphere is that doesn't believe in divine healing and things, why, you'll be just as bad off as you ever was, see. That's right. Jerk yourself right up among unbelievers. That's what the Bible said. Is that right? But believers. And so, I wish you could do that. And I pray that you will.
22 Now. Now, if your church is a believer in divine healing, and believing the blessings of God... See, your church doesn't save you. Jesus is your Saviour. But you'll do a lot better if you'll get among people... And if you do believe in divine healing and living among those who doesn't believe in divine healing, you're impediment to them. That's right. Always said... You know, people say, "Do I have to quit this, Brother Branham, if I'm going to join the Full Gospel churches? Will I have to give up shows, dances, and so forth?" No. Don't have to give up anything. Not a thing.
We're nearly all northern people here. We have little scrub oaks out here; they hold their leaves all winter long. When springtime comes, you all don't have to go out and take off the old leaves so the new ones can come on. Just let the new life come up and the old leaves goes off anyhow. So you don't... You don't have to have a measuring stick; just get new life in there, it'll take care of itself. That's right. The old things just fade away and the new life comes on.
23 Over in the Gospel of Luke, the second chapter, the 25th verse, I want to read just a little portion of Scripture. You're so lovely, I just hate to pass a night without speaking to you for a few moments. When I come back, we're going to try to add some of them along, so we can have some afternoon services and just preach the Gospel and have a wonderful time.
... behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; ... the same man was just and devout, waiting ... the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
... 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 when 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 mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Luke 2:25 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.
Luke 2:26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
Luke 2:27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
Luke 2:28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
Luke 2:29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
Luke 2:30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
24 Now, can we bow our heads just a moment?
Kind Heavenly Father, we're grateful to Thee tonight that we have this approach to Thee through the name of Thy beloved Child, Jesus Christ, who has redeemed us from sin.
Oh, we think, that we were one time alienated from God; Gentiles cut off from God; the commonwealth of Israel, led about worshipping idols. And in due season, Christ came and died: the innocent for the guilty. And through the shedding of His holy blood and the right to the tree of life, we Gentiles are now brought nigh. Insomuch that we're called sons and daughters of God. "And it does not yet appear just what we'll be in the final end, but we know we'll have a body like His own glorious body, for we shall see Him as He is." Free from sin, free from sickness, worry, troubles, old age; it'll all be finished then.
O come, Lord Jesus, and help me tonight to spread this Gospel around the world so You can come. You cannot come, according to Your Word, until all the world has heard the Gospel. I pray that you'll hasten the day, Lord, that when all the world shall hear the Gospel; sin and sorrow, pain and death of this dark world shall cease. Till then, give us grace. Give us vision, give us power to bring the Gospel to the people.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
25 Before me tonight, Lord, is a box of handkerchiefs. And as I lay my hands upon them... Nothing within Thy servant to do this, but as a memorial, or a token to the Word of Jesus Christ, which said, that, "these signs shall follow the believer: if they laid hands on the sick, they should recover."
And the great Saint Paul took from his body, handkerchiefs and aprons, and sickness left the people, and devils went out of them. And I pray that You'll heal every one. Watch over them, Lord. May the Angel of God watch these handkerchiefs, till they're gone to their right place. And may when they're placed upon the sick, may every one, without leaving one out, may every one be perfectly normal. Grant it, Father, for we send it in Jesus' Christ's name. Amen.
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.
Acts 19:12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.
26 I've asked that God will bless you all. And I want to speak just a moment, and then we'll start praying for the sick.
Now first, we want to think tonight on this text, if I would call it a text, just for a few moments. And I would like to use these words in it: Expectations. As I mentioned here the other night, you usually get what you expect, don't you? If you come tonight, to the meeting, just expecting to see something that you could criticize the meeting about, the devil will show you plenty of it. You'll go back with a lot of criticism, just like you expected.
But if you come tonight expecting: Just say, "Lord, I come to see You. I come for the benefit to be healed. I come for the benefit of my soul. Well, I expect You to give it to me, 'cause I'm here in this place that's dedicated to Your glory." And you'll get just what you expect. That's right. You always... And you can never go above your expectations. You'll always have to do that.
27 Now. Expecting! See, we see here that when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, there wasn't the press, like we have radio and television, and so forth, as we have now. So the news had to be taken from lip to ear. And then... (Can you hear me in the back in the balcony up there? Is it all right? Can you hear around there?) The expectations.
And then, when Jesus was born... There's usually singing when a king is born. So there was no greetings here on the earth ... people to greet Him. So the angels came down and sang, rejoicing, as today in the City of David, is born Christ the Saviour. God's angelic host, who couldn't understand the mystery of this virgin birth, but yet, sang praises to God in the highest, peace on earth, good will to men, when they sang at His birth. How marvelous.
28 Then we notice again, away back in the East, some magi, or star gazers. I believe they'd noticed the prophecy of Balaam, that a star of Jacob would rise. And they was watching for that star to arise. And we're told by historians that the three magi... They come from different parts, not followed one star, as the Christian tradition has it, but they followed three different stars.
And when they met at Bethlehem of Judea, all three coming from the East, traveling from three different places, they never knew each other until they met. And they consoled ... counseled, rather, with one another. And one of them was from the lineage of Ham, the other one from Shem, and Japheth: three sons of Noah. And these three stars that they had followed, went together and made the one big star that hung over Christ. Jesus said, "When this Gospel is preached to Ham, Shem, and Japheth's people, then the end shall come,"
Numbers 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
29 (All right) when they consolidated and come together.
Now all the observatories they had in that day, not one of them saw the star. And yet, on every city there was a tower, an observatory, that watched the stars. They kept time with the stars. Watches and things wasn't in time then. So only thing they had was a sundial in the day, and stars at night. So they timed what time it was, the first hour, third hour, or so forth, by the stars.
Notice, and here come this star passing right over every observatory, and not one of them noticed it. Why, people go to the meetings and say, "I don't see nothing." You wasn't expecting anything, that's why. Those people in the observatory, perhaps, up there on the tower of observation, they didn't expect to see anything. But there was somebody, was watching for that star of Jacob to rise. That's right.
30 He will be here one of these mornings, and just those who are waiting will be the one that will get it. That's right, just those who are watching. We used to sing an old song: "Be watching and waiting that sight to behold, He's coming again." That's right. So be waiting, watching. You don't know just what time He may appear.
So, tonight, be watching and expecting to rise off the cots and stretchers, wheelchairs, wherever you are; be expecting to feel the unction of the Son of God, when He moves into you, to give you new faith and life, you'll spring to your feet. "It's me! I'm waiting, Lord. The first time You touch my heart, out of the chair I'm coming. The first time You touch my body, out of here I'm coming," see. Be watching, expecting something to happen.
31 Now, the angels came and sang to the shepherds. The shepherds went down into the city to find out this thing that had gone on.
After eight days, it was a custom of the Jewish traditions to bring the child in the temple---all the male children. And they had to be circumcised, and had to offer either two turtledoves (that was a peasant's offering), or a lamb (was a rich child's offering), for the purification of the mother and for the child.
And so when you study the Old Testament, and see those laws of redeemed, the law of redemption. Oh, it's a beautiful thing. I just love the Old Testament because it's just a shadow of the New. If you get lined up with the Old Testament, you'll have a good conception of what the New means, 'cause it's a shadow of it. And just like Revelations 12 there, where the woman was seen with the moon under her feet (the law), and the sun on her head (the Gospel), see. Twelve stars, the twelve apostles, and so forth.
Revelation 12:1 And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:
32 Now, notice closely. They were expecting, these people were, to see God. They had an expectation in their heart to see those things happen, and God granted it to them. Now, you've got to desire it. David said in the Scripture, "When the deep calls to the deep at the noise of thy waterspouts." Now before there can be any deep to call in here, there has to be a deep out there first, to make this deep in here call for it, see. The deep calling to the deep.
Psalm 42:7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
33 I love scenery. My, here some time ago, I was hunting up in the mountains. Not so much for the game; I was just up to get away. I just love the mountains. My mother's a half Indian, and it's just enough about it I love the wilds and I can't get out of it. And so, I can see a sunset and cry like a baby.
I remember up there one day standing on the mountain, the elk herds was high that year, hadn't had no snow, and I was moving around up high, near the timberline. And in the fall of the year, in October, there come storms. It'll maybe snow a while, then it'll rain a while, then the sun will come out.
34 I remember up there one fall, not long ago, I was tramping around, and there come up a storm. And I got in behind a tree and stood like this a while, set my rifle down. The storm went over ... there was an old blowdown there, anyhow. And after a while, after the storm ceased, I listened. Standing there, I thought, Well, which way shall I start from here now?"
Started... I backed down. I was about sixty or seventy miles, as far as I know, from a living human being. Back with two or three pack horses, and camped out. So I was sitting there ... standing there, rather, looking around, and wondering which way to go from there, seeing no tracks or nothing. So I thought, What will I do?
And about that time, way back over on another ridge, the storm had got the elks scattered. And I heard the big males a bugling. Oh, my! Hear it echoing across the valley. Then the deep begin to call to the deep. Way back up here an old gray wolf got to howling, his mate answering in the bottom. Mmmm! My! The deep was calling to the deep. I thought, O God, surely You're the God of the mountains, too, way up here. If you got God in here, you can see God anywhere you look. That's right. It'll move out.
35 Then I stood there a little while, and where the sun peeked out through the crevices of the rocks, as it was setting in the west, shining like the eye of God, looking, running to and fro through the earth, I noticed it shined against those trees. And where it ... cold up that high, the ice had froze on the evergreens, making an icicle. And when it did, there come a rainbow across the valley. Now this wolf hollering up here, and it's mate in the bottom answering. My! And the elk herd, and the rainbow.
I had my gun down against the tree. I run out there and I raised up my hands, and I said, "O, great Jehovah God, who looks down from the Heavens, God gave you this rain ... gave us this rainbow sign." I said, "I can see another rainbow sign in Revelations 2, where Jesus sitting to look upon like jasper and sardine stone; Reuben and Benjamin, the first, the last; with a rainbow crossing the seven church ages, the colors. Oh! The same yesterday, today and forever. Alpha, Omega---the beginning and the ending. He that was, which is and shall come. The root and offspring of David. The Morning Star." Sitting behind me, seven colors; God's covenant with the church, and He wrote with Jesus Christ, His Son, of a perfect redemption.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Revelation 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
36 I began to scream. Why, if they'd of got somebody to come up and look, they'd a thought they had an insane person there. Around and around the tree I went as hard as I could go, jumping up in the air and screaming. I didn't care who seen me. I was worshipping God. It don't make any difference to me what anybody thought.
Now, around and around again, and I thought, Oh, my, Lord, why do I ever have to leave here? Isn't this beautiful up here?" But like "Let's build three tabernacles..." But there was somebody down at the bottom of the hill waiting to be prayed for, of course. So, I thought I might as well just rejoice a little more. And around the tree I went again, shaking my arms and screaming to the top of my voice, "Hallelujah! Hallelujah to God! Hallelujah to God!" I thought, Isn't this wonderful? My! I was standing there, "deep responding to the deep, call the waterspouts, thy noise." I think, Oh my, isn't this beautiful?
Psalm 42:7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
37 I happened to hear something jump out, went chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp, a little old pine squirrel. A little old fellow, just about that high, and he was the noisiest thing you ever heard. And he jumped up on a log out there, and why, the way he acted, I thought he was going to tear me to pieces. Just about that big, you see. I looked at him, I thought, Now, Lord, You never put nothing before a fellow 'less it's something for Your glory. And I said, "Now, why'd you let that little pine squirrel chirp like that?"
And I happened to notice the little fellow was looking down like that, and he wasn't looking at me, but the storm had forced a big eagle down in there. This eagle was coming up out of this undergrow ... this brush. And I looked, I said, " Oh, the eagle's what's excited you." And that little fellow, it looked like it might going to tear that eagle to pieces. So the big old eagle, he jumped up on a limb like that.
38 And I thought, Now why did God turn my attention from that rainbow, and that wolf calling, and so forth, to something like this? I thought, Well, Lord, You're in Your nature, so I was having such a wonderful time, why did You do that? I thought I'd study it just a minute. I thought, Well now, that eagle, he's a scavenger and nothing good about him. I thought, Well, what's he doing? I'd seen the big fellow looking at me. I thought, Oh, I understand. He's so brave, he's not scared of me. I thought, I'll try out his bravery.
I said, "Hey, fellow, you know I could shoot you?" Them big gray eyes, wall, looked at me, looked over at this little squirrel. He wasn't scared. I thought, Oh, Lord, I see. You want somebody not scared.
That's the trouble with the church today: You're afraid. You're afraid when you ask, you won't receive. That's the reason you don't receive. Don't be scared. Ask, then believe you're going to get it, you'll get it. God will give it to you.
39 So I thought, Oh, I see: the bravery." I thought, What makes him brave? Now, there's got to be some reason to make him brave. And I said... I grabbed my rifle like this; I said, "I'll scare him." And I grabbed my rife like I was going to pull it up like this, and he flipped them big wings and looked back at me again, looked back. I thought, Well, why are you so brave? I noticed him: He kept feeling his wings, shuffling his feathers out. Oh, I see. God gave you two wings, that's God-given power, and you trust it.
And I thought, If God gave an eagle two wings to take himself out of danger, and he has that much trust in his wings, what ought a church that's baptized with the Holy Ghost do? see. There he was moving his feathers. I thought, Yeah, as long as he can feel them wings, they're all right, he ain't scared of nothing. I said, "Praise God!" As long as I can feel the Holy Spirit moving, devils can't scare nothing (That's right), when the Holy Spirit's around.
How marvelous! No wonder you could stand. Not like the Rock of Gibraltar, but the Rock of Ages. It'll stand after the Rock of Gibraltar's gone.
40 So, I thought, Isn't that marvelous? Well then I said, "Wonder why he..." Now I said, "Now that timber's not very high and he knows that's his get-away." Before I could get that rifle to my shoulder, and especially with little old peek sights, he'd be in that timber where I couldn't shoot him, and he knows that. Well, I thought, isn't this wonderful? And I started shouting again. I don't know whether I scared him then or not.
But anyhow, he looked around a little while. And I thought, I admire you, fellow. I wouldn't shoot you. If you're that brave, I love bravery, and I sure wouldn't shoot you. And he sat there a little while. After a while, he just give himself a little pitch like that, with his feet. And he got tired of hearing that there little old pine squirrel, "chatter-chatter-chatter-chatter-chatter-chatter." And I thought, That's right. Just put you in mind of some of these people around here, "Days of miracles is past. There's no such thing as divine healing. Holy Ghost ain't for this day." Just jump on away from it, that's all. That's right. Just get on away from it. Go on away.
And I noticed him... Now, he just didn't flop-flop-flop-flop-flop with his wings. He just made a big jump, and made about two flops, then he set his wings. And as that air rode up, he never moved a feather. He just knowed how to ride that air; he just went on, on, on, out of sight.
41 I stood there. I cried like a baby. I said, "That's it, Lord! It ain't 'run here and run there, and flop here and flop there.' It's just 'set your wings of faith in the power of God, and when it rolls in, ride up. Ride away from this saying, "The days of miracles is past, there is no such a thing."'" Ride out. Don't keep trying to pushing and shoving, just set your faith in God's power. When the waves come in, ride on out on it like that. That's it. Amen!
Then the deep really called to the deep then. Marvelous! Deep calling to the deep. Unless there is a deep... Before there is a fin on a fish's back, there had to be a water first for him to swim in, before he ever had the fin, or he wouldn't have no fin. Is that right? Before there could be a tree to grow in the earth, there had to be an earth first for it to grow in, or there'd be no tree. Is that right? In other words...
42 Here, I read sometime ago where a little boy eat the eraser off of a pencil, and he'd eat the ... and eat the pedal off of a bicycle, a rubber pedal. And they couldn't understand why the little fellow was eating rubber all the time. So they took him down to the clinic and examined him, and the doctor said, "Why, his little body's craving sulfur." There you are, see. Now, the little boy was taken out of the earth where sulfur is, and as long as there was a crave for sulfur in here, there had to be a sulfur to respond to that crave, see.
Now, how many in here believes in divine healing? Let's see your hand. The power of God? Thank you. Look. Before there can be a creation, there has to be a Creator to create that creation. Is that right? Well, as long as you're hungering for divine healing and the power of God, there's got to be a fountain open somewhere. Is that right?
If there isn't divine healing, you wouldn't have that in your heart. The Creator, God, has to create that in your heart before you could even think of such a thing. Hallelujah! Then, you want more of God; you hunger for more of God. And because that you do hunger is a very fine evidence that there is more of God to receive. And if you crave divine healing, that shows that there is a fountain of divine healing somewhere or that creation wouldn't be in your heart. You get what I mean?
43 Quickly now, just a couple more minutes. Oh my, I just love Him that's all. I just can't help it. See, as I think of it! Any route you take, anywhere you want to start from, you'll see Jesus Christ in His power. That's right. Any road you want to make; two natures, two atmospheres, two signs, two anything you want to, there's Jesus Christ right in the middle of it. Amen! Yes.
44 Now, look at this. I see Simeon, an old man (an old sage, as they called them), long white hair, about eighty years old, we're taught; and long beard. He had a reputation. He was a master in Israel. And he worked around the people then, and so forth; well thought of. But one day the old fellow, perhaps, was out praying somewhere, and the Holy Spirit come to him and said, "Simeon, you're not going to die... You're an old man, but you're not going to die until you see the Christ of God." And he went around testifying, telling the people. Now he wasn't afraid it would hurt his reputation.
I can imagine a fellow saying, "Look at that old guy. Why, he's a little bit off at his head, see, because, look, he's nearly dead right now. And yet, David looked for Christ, and all back the prophets looked for Christ, and it's farther away than it ever was. Here we are in all this conglomeration and what we are now, and yet, that old fellow says he ain't going to die till he sees Christ. There's something wrong with the old fellow. He studied too hard."
No, but the Holy Spirit revealed it to him. That's a good reason to testify of it. Is that right? "The Holy Spirit said so."
Luke 2:26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
45 Now, then the first thing you know, when Jesus was born... Simeon knowed nothing about it. But let's do just a little drama here at the end, if you will.
I imagine it's Monday morning in the temple. And oh, my, the people are coming; there's about two million Jews then or more. I suppose, maybe, fifty or a hundred babies was born, or maybe more than that, every night. Well then, every morning there'd be a great long line of mothers standing there with their babies, and some of them poor, with turtle doves, and some with little sheep, for the purification and the circumcision of the child, and what more, coming up the road to the priest to minister the order.
Then, let's say it's Monday morning now. And, oh, there's been a great conglomeration around the city and everything, and everybody's busy and they're ... all the temples are full. And Simeon had a little time, over in the prayer room, to pray a while. Went over there.
I just imagine he was reading Isaiah about the 40th chapter, when "All we like sheep have gone astray." "The Lord has laid upon him the iniquity of us all. Oh, he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, with his stripes we were healed." I can hear Simeon say, "Now, I wonder who that could be otherwise than Messiah." And the same time the Messiah was in the temple, in the arms of his mother.
Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
46 Let's look, coming up along the line now. I see these fine ladies there with nice little needlework blankets, little pink and blue over their little babies, and they're cooing them on the chin, and so forth. And, oh, how they was walking along. And there was a girl there that had a bad name: She had a baby without being married. Hmmmm. Belonged down there in Nazareth somewhere. My, there she is in the temple. There's that baby, was born out of holy wedlock. Mary knew who that baby belonged to. She walked right along with this baby. "Keep your distance from her. Don't stand around such a person."
It reminds me of some of these half-sister churches today. We know where we're standing. I know what this Holy Ghost means to me: It's life! I don't care what the others think about it. Life. Might make me act peculiar, that's to the world.
47 But notice: They kept their distance. "Keep away from her." They ... shunning around. And every time... She held the little baby in her hands. The rest of them with fine little blankets on, but He was wrapped in swaddling clothes.
Now, I'm taught that swaddling cloths is what goes on the back of a yolk of an ox, when they plow with it. The baby was born in a manger, so they just unwrapped the... Had no clothes to put on the little fellow. You talk about poor! And, yet, the King of glory! And they unwrapped this swaddling cloth and wrapped it around the little fellow.
And here He was, little fellow, laying in His mother's arms, a little girl about eighteen years old, twenty, coming up, holding this little baby, cooing, looking down in His face. She didn't care. It didn't blush her when they called her a "fanatic," or so forth, or this, that, if she was in disgrace. Didn't pay any attention to her; she just moved on. She knowed where she was at. She knowed what it was all about. Make any difference what the outside world says. You remember the same thing with your testimony, if you're born again, let them call you fanatic. That's all right. You know where you're at. The world knows their own. God knows His, too.
48 So here she comes along with this baby, walking along. I can see people come by, say, "Wonder why they're staying away from that little old girl. Oh, my! Look at her with that swaddling cloth. My, that must be a poor kid. Well, we're refined, so we go to a better church, and we don't have to fool with nothing like that."
Here sat an old man back there. Oh, he had a little spot of deaf in him, back here. I can hear him sitting there reading the Scriptures. All at once the Holy Ghost... Now, look. If God gave Simeon ... the Holy Ghost give Simeon this promise that he wasn't going to die until he seen this Christ of God, the Holy Ghost is under obligation to see that he sees the Christ, then. That's right. He made him the promise, He's obligated. (I hope you're getting between the lines here. I'm watching it.)
The Holy Spirit's obligated to the Word. God's obligated to His Word. He certainly is. I'm obligated to my word, and you're obligated to your word. And if your word's no good, then you're no good. If God's Word is no good, then I can't worship God. Because I wouldn't believe there was any, if He wouldn't back up His word. That's true.
49 So then, I see her moving along. Here's Simeon, sitting there reading. And all at once, the Christ in the temple. The Holy Ghost had give him the promise. The Holy Ghost knowed all about that. So, you see, Simeon sitting there reading. So He said, "Simeon, stand up on your feet."
Simeon said, "Yes, Lord." He laid it down. "That was the voice of the Holy Ghost," I can hear Simeon say.
"Stand up. Start walking."
"Where, Lord?"
"Just walk. I'll take care of the rest of it."
50 "How am I going to walk after I get out of this stretcher?" I don't know. He'll take care of the rest of it. You just start walking, see, when you get out.
"How am I going to get up out of the wheelchair?" I don't know, but you just keep walking. He'll take care of the rest of it.
"How am I going to get over the cancer, heart trouble?" I don't know. Just take His Word and keep walking. He'll take care of the rest of it. See here. He's obligated to His Word. That's right.
"How am I going to tell my mother, if I get the Holy Ghost? My daddy? They belong to a different church." Just get it. He'll take care of the rest of it, see. You don't have to worry about that. He will take care of it.
"How will I face my school friends, my playmates?" Don't worry. Just keep going. He'll take care of that, see.
51 Simeon raises up. Here he starts, not knowing where he's going, just walking. But the Holy Ghost is directing his steps. Don't you believe men are led by the Spirit of God? They that are sons of God are. Is that right? Here he comes, not knowing where he's going. But he's led by the Spirit of God. He moves over to this line of circumcision coming down, these mothers. Here he starts walking down, not knowing where he's going. The Holy Ghost is leading him. And the Holy Ghost brought him right straight before this little despised mother, standing there with this baby with swaddling cloths.
I can hear the Holy Ghost say, "This is it."
He reached over and got the baby in his arms, took it out of Mary's arms, tears rolling down his white beard. Said, "Lord, let Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy Word, for my eyes have seen Thy salvation."
That's right. The world spurning it, and that man loves it. The same thing today. The world spurns the baptism of the Spirit and the works of the Holy Ghost, but there's hungry hearts that's coming to it, moving to it.
Luke 2:29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
Luke 2:30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
52 Now, look. The same Holy Spirit... There's no two Holy Spirits; there's only one. And the same Holy Spirit that give Simeon that promise is the same Holy Spirit that drawed you out here tonight. Is that right? He made you come, sister, you sister, and you, you, you, you, every one of you. He brought you here. The devil would never bring you around a place like this. I guarantee you that. The Holy Ghost brought you here. If you believe in divine healing, then the Holy Spirit's brought you where the fountain's open, just like He did Simeon. You embraced God's promise like Simeon did.
And at the same time, in the temple, was an old woman by the name of Ann. And she was blind, we are taught. And she was waiting for the consolation of Israel. At the same time, the Holy Spirit struck her. Here come an old blind prophetess, walking among the people, not knowing where she was going. Maybe blind here, but she was led by the Holy Spirit. Moved up to the side of the child and lifted up her hands and blessed God, and all those that waited the consolation of Israel.
53 If the Holy Spirit could lead that blind woman to the promise of God, how much more would He lead you and I to His promise?
She was expecting, and waiting for the consolation of Israel, that was the Christ. She was expecting to see Him. Simeon was expecting to see Him. And I'm expecting to see Him tonight. I'm expecting to see Him. I'm expecting to watch His power. I'm expecting to see something done, because He promised me that He would do it. That's right. Whatsoever you expect, that's what you will receive. Shall we pray?
54 Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, Thy beloved Child, as Simeon of old embraced Him in his arms, may we with the strong arms of faith tonight reach out and embrace Him, bring Him nigh unto us who are needy. May He come to Your people tonight. Save the lost, bring back the wandering sheep gone astray: straying around over the country, no church home, no place to go, like wandering stars; know that they ought to be at their Father's house feasting and dining on the good things of God. Bring them back tonight, Lord.
That poor sinner who's never eaten at the table of God, the good things of the Spirit. May he realize tonight, and leave that garbage can from whence he has eaten, and turn to the table set with blessed, holy things. Grant it, Lord.
May the poor, sick, and crippled, and afflicted people, by arms of faith reach out tonight, and embrace Jesus Christ as their Healer.
And now, Father, when He was here on earth, You sent Him. You told Him that He was to do Your will; "I come in the volume of the book to do Thy will, O God." And now, He returned back to You after making the sacrifice of His own self, that He could bring many sons unto God.
And now tonight, Lord, I, as Your servant, along with these other servants, are here to do Thy will, O God; as it is written, by Him which said, "The things that I do shall you also." Grant it tonight. And may that same power that led Simeon, and Ann, John the Baptist, many of the others, and all the other righteous, may He come and lead us into deeper depths and higher heights of Thy love and power, for we ask it in His name. Amen.
John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
55 Sorry to take so much of your time, but I just feel... Oh, what a fine audience of faith!
Now, if you were come tonight and you wanted to see Jesus---if you wanted to see Jesus---what type of person would you look for? A real fine scholar? No. Ask somebody who knows what the original writing of the Bible was in: just plain, not even good grammar, just like you use out on the streets, common people, see. That's the type of person you'd find.
Where would you find Him at? The great high classics? Oh, no. Down on the river, among the poor, the outcast, whoever would receive Him. Those classic spirits, religious as they can be, great fine synagogues. Remember, scholars... Well, who could beat them priests for holiness? If they did one thing wrong, they was stoned. They had to be holy, without blemish. That right? Scholars of the Word, but, yet, failed to see God. That's the way it is today.
56 Now, as God took ... takes His man but never His Spirit. The same Spirit was upon Elijah come on Elisha, then on John the Baptist, and predicted again in the last day. Is that right? God taken His man, but... He took His Son, but the Spirit come back, see. The devil takes his man but never the spirit. It comes right back, very religious. Didn't Paul say, "In the last days they'd be heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness and denying the power thereof: from such turn away?"
Now, we're all here. That's right. God's people is here; Satan's here. The antichrist is not a communist. Communist is not the antichrist spirit. The Bible said in Saint Matthew the 24th chapter, that, "the antichrist would be so close to the real thing, that it would deceive the very elect, if possible." That's right. It's religious. It's all in Revelations 17: sitting upon a scarlet covered beast, and how that she had daughters that went out from her. You're not blind, see. All right.
Someday I hope just to cross the country teaching the Gospel, just to the best that I know how. But now it's prayer for the sick.
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.
2 Timothy 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2 Timothy 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Revelation 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.
57 When we see Jesus standing there, what kind of man was He then? He was a man of sorrow, acquainted with grief. Yet, He had a personality... He could tell them when it was necessary to be told. He got some sticks one day ... or, some ropes and beat the whole bunch of them out of the temple. So if it come necessary, He could do it. Then if He'd look at you and your heart would melt, see.
And now, how did people receive it? Those who approached Him, (now watch) those who approached Him as a loving, kind Saviour, they felt virtue. They were told of what was wrong with them, what for them to do.
Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Matthew 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Mark 11:15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
58 But they wrapped a rag around His face one day, and hit Him on the head with a stick and said, "Now, You're a seer; you're a prophesier. You know what people's doing and everything. You tell them out there what they're thinking about and what they're doing." Now, they hit Him on the head, and said, "Now tell us who hit You?" He never opened His mouth and said a word, see.
You've heard these people say, "Let me see this divine healer go heal this person, we'll believe it." Just remember that fellow's possessed of the devil, see.
The very first thing that Satan did when he met Eve was that thing. The first thing he did when he met Jesus, he said, "If you're the Son of God... Now, you have power. If you're the Son of God, perform me a miracle here that I can see you do it. Make this bread in ... this stones into bread. Let me see you do it now, and I'll believe you," see.
Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Matthew 4:3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Matthew 26:67 Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands,
Matthew 26:68 Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?
Luke 4:3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.
Luke 22:64 And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?
59 Took Him upon the pinnacle of the temple, said, "Now, dash your foot down, or jump off of here, right there. It's written in the Scriptures. God give you Scripture for it."
Jesus said, "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Get away from me, Satan." Is that right? He never clowned for Satan. He only did the Father's will.
Now, look. He didn't claim to be a healer, did He? He said, "I can do nothing in myself." When He passed all them crippled people and so forth, never healed a one of them. He healed a man had a disease, something like prostate or something like that, he had it for a long time. He said, "Will thou be made whole." Never healed any of the crippled. And the Jews questioned Him. He said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you. The Son can do nothing in Himself, but what He sees the Father doing." Is that right? "The Father shows Me what to do and I go do it."
Now, if He's the same yesterday, today and forever, died and rose from the dead, He said, "The things that I do, shall you do also." Is that right? That's a promise.
Matthew 4:6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Matthew 4:7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Luke 4:9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
Luke 4:10 For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
Luke 4:11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Luke 4:12 And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
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.
John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
60 Of course, you know I'm doing something. Certainly. I'm bringing myself down from the anointing of preaching down into this, see, for the healing, see. Getting back to ... settle the audience. Be reverent.
Now, He didn't claim to be a healer, but He saw visions of what the... Jesus said, "I do nothing." That means He didn't do one thing without God first showing Him. Now if you want to read that, you turn to Saint John 5:19 and see if that's right, see. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in Himself but what He sees the Father doing, (see) that doeth the Son likewise." He never taken credit; He give it to God, see. No human flesh can glory in the sight of God. So He said that He done what the Father showed Him. He knowed where a fish was, had a coin in his mouth.
Paul standing, preaching one time, seen a man that was crippled, or something wrong with him, laying in a stretcher, or cot, or something another, said, "I perceive that you have faith to be healed. Stand up on your feet. Jesus Christ makes you whole." And he jumped up. That's the Gospel.
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.
Acts 14:9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,
61 Now, if Jesus will return here tonight, and do the things that He did when he was here on earth, do the same manifestations... He called the woman at the well and said, "Bring me a drink."
She said, "The pump ... the well's deep and you have..."
He talked to her a little bit and He said... went right straight to her trouble, said, "Go get your husband."
She said, "I don't have any husband."
Said, "That's right. You've got five."
Why, she run into the city and said, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever done." Why, He didn't do that. He only told her one thing. But if God could show Him one thing, He can show Him all things. So she said, "Isn't this the Christ?"
John 4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
John 4:11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
John 4:16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
John 4:17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
John 4:18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
John 4:28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
John 4:29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
62 Philip come to Him, got saved, went out and found Nathanael. Said to Nathanael, "Come, see who I found; Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph."
He said, "Could anything good come out of Nazareth?"
Said, "You come, see."
So when He, standing in the prayer line praying for the sick perhaps ... what He done sixty percent of His time, or better, was praying for the sick. Yeah, about eighty percent. Praying for the sick.
And perhaps Philip come up to Him in the line ... or, Nathanael. Jesus looked and Him and said, "Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile."
"Why," he said, "when did you ... how do you know?" (In otherwise, "There's a Christian man that's honest.") Said, "How did you know I was a Christian man and honest?"
He said, "Before Philip called you, when you was under the tree, that's when I saw you."
Philip said ... or, Nathanael said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, the King of Israel."
You know what the 1944 version of that would've been? "Mental telepathy, a devil, fortuneteller," something like that, see. "Blind lead the blind, don't they all fall in the ditch?" That's right. Let us not be like them tonight. Let us be open hearted and receive our lovely Lord Jesus into our hearts.
Matthew 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Luke 6:39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
John 1:45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
John 1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
John 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
John 1:48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
John 1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
63 [Gap in the audio] ... ' course I wouldn't know if you just went through what we used to have, the old fast line, the way people just go through so fast, and just run them as hard as they could. And I'm glad that you mentioned that, something, so I can get a starting place to get to talk to you.
Now, as far as in life, we're both strangers to each other. Never knew one another. But God knows both of us, doesn't He?
Now, what if our Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour, was standing here tonight, wearing this suit that He gave me, and He was standing here, looking to you... Now, He'd know what your trouble was. Is that right? But now about healing, what do you think He would say? Why, He'd say, "Child, don't you believe that I healed you when I died for you nineteen hundred years ago? Could you accept that?" You'd say, "Yes, I can, Lord." Well, if you could accept it, then just as you believe, so will it be. Is that right?
64 But now, being the King of prophets, God Emmanuel, He would know what was wrong with you, and what was your trouble, and so forth. Is that right? But, otherwise, He could do nothing for you. Is that right? Well then, if He's risen from the dead and could... If He could come into my body, and take my voice, could He say the same thing that He would say if He was standing here in flesh? Did He promise to do it? He did. That's right. Makes Him the same yesterday, today and forever. And then we, the believers, could see Him. He'd be with us, in us, to the end of the world. That's through every age, on down to the end of the world. Is that right? That makes Him the same yesterday, today and forever. Is that true?
Now, you're conscious that something's going on, aren't you? See, now right between you and I now, stands that light.
Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
65 Now, to heal you, I couldn't. To hide your life, you couldn't, see. Because it's all in the hands of God now, see. That's right. Oh, solemn, much sorrow, and much danger. One thing, you're extremely nervous. You've got enough to be nervous about. It's just turning black all around where you're at. Oh, it's... You got ... it's heart trouble. And that's...
Why, you've been give up by the doctor to die. That's been about a month ago or more. And he said that there was ... you had two holes, or leaks, or something like that. Some funny name he called it. I heard him just saying when he said it. But there's some funny name, about... But what it is, it amounts up to, two holes in your heart; I see the blood dripping through. Are those things the truth?
Is the same Jesus who knew Philip was under the tree, could see you under the condition of what it...? Is that right? Is He standing here? Is He your Saviour? Is He your Healer? Come here.
66 Now, I realize I'm just a man, sister. But now while that is on here... I'm you're brother and God's servant, see. Now, the power of healing, true, is here, see. But I can only do with it, if He will let me. I'm going to pronounce a blessing that you live and not die. And I'm... Will you give God praise?
Our Lord Jesus, I lay my hand upon this woman, and I ask for her life to be spared. And for this which the doctors could not do, may the power of Almighty God do, in Jesus Christ's name. I bless thee, my sister, for your healing in the name of Jesus, the Son of God. Amen.
Now, you write me your testimony. God bless you.
67 The Lord be blessed. Now, before the anointing gets me till where I don't know where I'm at, how many believes that Jesus Christ is here now? That's the same Jesus. Now, that's His power. That's His wonder that we said He would do.
Now, be reverent, everywhere. Be expecting God to do for you what He did for her. Just believe it, is all you have to do.
Now, keep praying out there. Just believe it and see if the Holy Spirit can't come out through the audience there, and heal you where you're at, up in the bleachers, or wherever you are. Just believe is all I ask you to do.
68 Come, lady. How do you do? 'Course you're conscious that something's near. But we are strangers to one another. I don't know you. Never seen you in my life, as I know of. I suppose you never knew me before. No. Then we've never seen each other before. The first time in life we've ever come face to face with one another. But Lord knows you, and He knows me.
You are a Christian believer, 'cause your spirit just feels so welcome. And I know that this is the Holy Spirit here. And I know it welcomes you.
Now, if Jesus our Saviour, being the Saviour of both of us, and God the Father of both of us, then we become God's children. Then we're here to help one another. And if God has sent me to help you, then I must do what God tells me to do. Then I'm asking you to believe on Him, and to believe that He sent me with a divine gift, just to make faith for you.
69 Now, if we've never seen each other before, why, there'd have to be some way that ... if He would tell me anything about you. If I'd, probably when it strikes me, keep talking to you, it would just keep on talking. But it's just something... For instance, if you're sick, or if there's something wrong with you otherwise, if you've done something wrong, if He'd just speak that out and tell you about it, you'd be willing to accept it, wouldn't you?
I can tell you, before anything happens, that you really are a believer. Your trouble: You're real nervous. And that's due to the time of life that you're living in, coming into menopause. That's a lady's age. But... Excuse me. Something happened. You've had an accident. I seen a stick or something hit you in the head, wasn't it? Is that right? And it's caused you to have hemorrhages inside the head. Is that true? Come here.
Oh, Jesus, Son of God, I bless this, my sister, for her healing. And now, enemy, leave her. I rebuke this tumor. In the name of Jesus Christ may it go out from her and she be made well for Thy glory. I bless thee, my sister, for the healing of your body. God bless you now. Go rejoicing.
70 Have faith. Don't doubt. Just keep faith, keep believing. Now, let's be reverent, and just believe with all of our heart now. Now, be just as reverent now.
How do you do, lady? I say, how do you do? We are strangers, I suppose, to each other. [The lady speaks to Brother Branham] Yes, ma'am. You was in my service where? ["At Evansville."] Excuse me. I'm not hard of hearing, but it's just... You can understand. About five or six years ago. Oh, yes. He come from, I believe, from St. Louis, over there one night. Yes. Yes, Von Huesen, that's it; that was Brother Von Huesen. They had the same place, I believe, I was in the other day, over there, here a few weeks ago or ... I see.
71 Well, then, you and I are strangers to each other, not knowing one another. But do you believe that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead? And do you believe that He can ... by sovereign grace and election, that He sends people here on earth, and sets them aside to preach the Gospel and to do different works for Him? You believe that, don't you? Then if we've never met in life, and if God would say something that was wrong with you, you know I have no way of knowing it. Well, it'd have to come from some supernatural resource. Is that right? Well then, would you accept that as God? See, you'd have to. Thank you.
See, it's just... I'm trying to feel the approach. You see what I mean. 'Cause it's the way you regard it. Not me. But you have to respect what I'm talking about or it just won't be, see. It's just your approach to God. That people ... that woman touched His garment one time and she got healed. But another one hit Him on the head and everything else, they couldn't feel no virtue. It's the way they approached Him.
72 Yes. Now, the lady is just breaking up in front of me, but there's something... I see she has a ... it's gall bladder trouble. It's in her ... it's in her right side. And she has... There's something wrong with the throat. Is that right? And then, also, I see you when you're standing with clothes ... you got a growth, and that growth is on the right shoulder. Is that right? Is that...? Was that truth?
Now, what spoke to you wasn't me. It was my voice, but I wasn't operating it, 'cause I wouldn't know what to say. No. But it was some other voice ... it was my voice but something speaking my voice. Is that right? Do you believe it was God? Then come here.
Kind Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus, Thy beloved Child, I ask for the healing of my sister. And I bless her now, and condemn the enemy, and make her well. In the name of Jesus the Son of God. Amen.
I bless thee, my sister, in Jesus' name for your healing. Amen. God bless you, my sister. Go, being happy, rejoicing. Don't doubt. The Bible said, "Go ye and sin no more (that's unbelief), or worse will come upon you."
John 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
73 Now, be real reverent. Just keep praying, [unclear word]. It has stood over you twice tonight, see. Now, have faith. I know your trouble, but I can't say just what. It was over the other lady, too, but I want to see you healed, see. Then I can tell you it's "Thus saith the Lord."
Now, be reverent everywhere, please. See, each person's a spirit. As you move, it... Just believe me. Just be quiet, you know, just be just reverent as you can be.
All right. Let the patient come.
74 Faith is moving everywhere. Now, be real reverent. All right. How do you do, sir? You are a believer. You're already anointed. But we're strangers to each other, perfectly strangers, yes, sir. I don't know nothing about you. As far as I know, I've never seen you in my life. But only God knows you; I don't. Does anybody here know the man? Anybody in the building know the man, know him?
All right. Then if we be strangers to each other, my brother, and we know not each other, and God knows us both. May He help us. May He help me as His servant, to help you, his servant. 'Cause we both want to live; we want to serve God. We want to do all we can for the kingdom of God. Yes, sir.
Now, the man leaves me. You've been healed, and that was ... but you wasn't at a platform. You were sitting in an audience. And your wife was being healed at the platform. And it was somewhere ... it was Brother Bosworth standing to my right hand side, smiling. That was Brother Dilbert. It was at Evansville, Indiana. That was the truth. Was that true?
Here, it's moving again; just a moment now. You... Oh, it was ulcers you had. And you're standing now for an elderly man; that's your father, and he isn't here, and he's got kidney trouble. Go home, lay your hands on him and believe in the name of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
75 How do you do? Now, everybody, just reverent. I'm not beside myself. I just have to get my bearings, see. Visions are something ... you're in another world. And now, I can't hardly see out over the audience, and I've got good sight. But just looks like... I know I can hear people. I can hear people. And it just seems like it's like a yellow haze hanging here. You'll never know till we meet the judgment.
76 This is the patient, isn't it? This is the patient? Come here. I suppose we're strangers, lady; we don't know each other. Perfect strangers. But God alone knows. And I know that God can reveal and can make me know what your trouble... I can't heal you, only just by obeying Him, laying hands... Jesus said, "In my name they shall cast out; if they lay their hands on the sick..." Is that right?
I see a long, white table. There's somebody ... there's doctors, there's something about the back; it's a ... it's a ... you're... Oh, it's kidney stones in the back, and they're wanting to operate immediately. Is that right? Well, Christ can operate right now. If you will believe, and He will take it from you now. Come here just a moment.
Kind Heavenly Father, [unclear words] ... the woman be healed. May these stones leave [unclear word]; you can go home and be well [unclear words] in Jesus' name. Amen.
Praise be to the Living God. Have faith. Don't doubt.
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.
77 Come, lady.
You want to get over that sinus? Lady sitting back there? You believe that Christ can make you well? With all your heart? If you want to accept your healing, stand up on your feet. Say, "I accept it." God bless you. Go on home made well.
There He is. Praise be to the Living God. You want to get over that prostate trouble, sitting down the end of the row, sir? You believe that Jesus Christ will make you well? Can you hear me? You was standing there praying, wasn't you? Stand up on your feet. Jesus Christ heals you of the prostate trouble. Go home and be well.
There was two men standing there; one with a gray suit on, one brown. A man sitting in here, somewhere like that; same thing; you're healed. Go home. Christ makes you well.
78 You believe, sister? With all your heart? You believe me to be His servant? It's not for me to do anything, sister. He told me if you get the people to believe you.
I said, "They won't believe me."
He said, "Take hold of their hand and tell them what is wrong.
I said, "Well, then, they..."
He said, "There'd be two signs given you, like was given to Moses to perform a miracle, two miracles." And He said, "By this they'll believe."
And I said... He said, "You'll know what's wrong with them. You'll know the very secrets of their heart."
I said, "How will this come?"
Said, "Knoweth thou not the Scripture? Didn't Jesus of Nazareth promise this?"
Do you believe that? That's the reason I asked if you believe me. Not believe me as Him, but believe that He sent me to help you. You do? Then go, eat your supper. Your stomach trouble left you then.
79 You believe with all your heart? Have faith in God. Know sugar diabetes can be made well? You do? You accept your healing? Go home in Jesus Christ's name and be made well.
How do you do, sister? You believe God healed you of that female trouble? You do? All right. God bless you. Go and believe.
80 All right. Come, lady. Be reverent. Our Lord is here. Now, two demons are screaming to one another. Be reverent. Coming from this direction. Something wrong with your back, isn't there? Is that right? You had, too, didn't you? Stand up on your feet, lady. You're both healed, now; you can go home and be well. Jesus Christ makes you both well. Say, "Thanks be to God."
All right. You want to get over the heart trouble? You accept your healing from Jesus Christ? God bless you, my sister, and may you be healed in Jesus Christ's name. Amen. God bless you.
81 Come on, lady. Do you believe with all your heart? Are you a believer? You believe me to be His prophet ... His servant? Got the wickedest thing there is to fight. About eighty percent of this audience is suffering with the same thing. It's just coming from all out there. Let me show you. Turn your face this way. How many out there is suffering with nervousness? Raise your hand, see. You have real funny feelings, fearing, worry, upset, think you're going to lose your mind. Satan told you you was, but he lied. You're healed now. Go home and be made well in the name of Jesus Christ.
Since I've [unclear words] you go home now, and do whatever you want to. God bless you. Healed, go home shouting praising God.
82 Come, lady. Do you believe? I want to talk to you just a minute. [Brother Branham speaks quietly to the lady.] Is that the truth? I just... Now, the audience ... nothing wrong with the lady, in the way of immorals and things; she's a nice lady. But it's just something I couldn't say before an audience. And only God alone knows the woman. Is that right, lady? Is that the truth? Just God alone was in there with you, is that right? When it happened. Is that right? Now you're going to get well. God bless you. Let me just lay hands on you, just a moment. In Jesus Christ's name I rebuke the evil one, leave her. Amen. God bless you.
Had a funny feeling a while ago when I talked about that lady here with that back trouble, didn't you, sir? Uh-huh. Sitting with your shirt open there, sitting there. Is that right? Sitting, right there. Yeah. You were healed, too, of the same thing. You had back trouble. You were healed. I couldn't tell you, 'cause I couldn't get to you just then.
What do you think, sitting there, lady, praying? Want to get rid of that arthritis? Sitting right down below in here. You want to get rid of the arthritis? You do? Yes. Uh-huh...