Thy faith has saved thee

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Thank you, Brother Moore. Good evening, friends. It's a pleasure to be back here tonight, in the closing of this service, in Shreveport, representing Jesus Christ to the audience again. Not a pleasure at all to be closing the meetings, but a pleasure, I've had with you all while being here. How kind you've been to me---supporting me with your faith and all that you've done for me. I appreciate it.
I thank Brother Moore and his staff from the Life Tabernacle, and all the other ministers, cooperating ministers, and all the laity, and the people who's come. We thank you, every one.
We want to thank the people, who have ... the overseers of this auditorium, the custodians. I've met two of them, I think, as I was coming in. Lovely, fine men. I'm glad they are. They have a lot to do around here in different services, and so forth. I pray that God will be with them.

2 And now, awhile ago, sitting back in the dressing room... I'd been back there for quite a little while. I was in prayer. Come over a little early tonight, and I was sitting back there hearing this lovely singing. I thought, "My, that's just like heaven to me," to hear those pretty songs. And I sent out a request for one of my favorites: Then Jesus Came. Down From His Glory, Jesus Came, and Only Believe, is my favorite songs.
And I certainly am thankful that our Lord Jesus has did what He has for us, and trust that tonight will be the climax when great, marvelous miracles and signs and wonders will be done tonight in His name.

3 Now, after leaving here tonight, I've got about eight hundred miles to drive, so that getting home sometime tomorrow, tomorrow night. And the very next day leaving for down in Kentucky. And then, returning from there, going to Denver, up into Canada. A pretty full schedule---very hard. But, I think while I've got a voice, and God has let me find favor with many of His people, let me give my life as He did, for the upbuilding and for the ongoing, of His blessed kingdom, of which He died for.
I'm going to ask you all... Perhaps before I can get back again to the tabernacle, or here, I'll probably go overseas. The Lord has set the time. I set it; He wouldn't let me go at that time. But He spoke to me, "September." So that's the time. So, going over in September into India, Africa, Palestine, Germany, many other countries, perhaps, before getting back---England, France. So, be in prayer for me. Will you? And I'm going over to try to do all that I can to bring this glorious Gospel.

4 I'm just wondering, friends, tonight, if we can call: The Jews Seek Signs; Greeks ... Wisdom. The Jew is still a Jew; he still seeks signs.
Picture Pethrus, the head of the Philadelphian Church in Stockholm, Sweden; of which Brother Moore, and Brother Brown, and I have just returned recently, last two years from over there. They said they sent a half-a-million Bibles down to those Jews which have been returning back to Palestine.
They're reading the New Testament. They'd never heard of Jesus ever being on earth. Been down there since, I guess, the carrying away of Babylon, or the Roman captivity. And they read the Bible. They said, "If this is the Messiah, if Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, let Him see us ... let us see Him do the sign of the prophets ... we'll accept Him."
Oh, my. I hope that's so. I hope God'll be with me. If I could stand out, many thousands of them, and ask them that question, God'll be there. He'll show the Jew.

5 And perhaps... What if this would take place? I don't say it will. In there, if I'd ask them if Jesus ... reading the Scripture, and see that He didn't claim to be a healer; He only claimed to see visions. What the Father told Him to do, He went and done it. We all Bible-readers know that. Jesus said, "I can do nothing of myself," Saint John 5:19, "but what I see the Father doing, that doeth the Son likewise. The Father worketh, I worketh hitherto."
Well then, if that's what He was on earth... Many people come to Him, He hadn't seen no visions, He thought they had faith enough. He said, "Thy faith saved thee." "According to your faith be it unto you." But when He had a vision, He just said what God told Him to say. "Go." "Go over.", and so forth.

6 Now, if they see, and I say, "Now, Jesus Christ is the Jewish Messiah (as I represent Him to be), and He's risen from the dead, claiming the things that He did while here on earth, He's given it over to His church. Now, if Jesus will do that, will you accept Him as personal Saviour?"---say that to them, like I did in Africa.
And on that same thing in Africa, I saw thirty-thousand raw heathens come to Jesus Christ in one altar call. Thirty-thousand breaking their idols on the ground, throwing away all their charms, wiping the mud from their face, and their superstitions, their paints and things that they use for war, heathen paint; and coming to Jesus Christ. Thirty-thousand at one time.
Let me say this in love and respect. Not because I was there, friends. My, no. But because Jesus Christ was there, that was more converts that's been brought in Africa for the past hundred-and-fifty years as far as I know, done in five-minutes time on what the world calls fanaticism, and what Jesus Christ commissioned us to do. You see what I mean? I'm trying my best to get the Lord Jesus to every person that I can, before the end comes.

7 Now, if those Jews would, one-hundred-percent, receive Jesus Christ then, and tell them, "Right on the spot where you're standing, right here in Palestine, right here in Jerusalem, the Holy Ghost fell the first time on the Jews. Now, while you're standing in your same tracks, receive ye the Holy Ghost." And what if the Holy Ghost would fall on thirty, or forty, or fifty thousand Jews at one time? You know what would happen? The Gentile age would be finished. That's right.
Let the Jews once get straightened out and watch what takes place. We sit home and think about it, and so forth. The Jews get out and does the job about it. The Jews has been the greatest missionaries that God has ever had. They've certainly...
Paul packed the Gospel to all the known world in his day. Many sick and afflicted was in Jerusalem, but he had to go to Asia and somewhere else; he had to scatter the Gospel.
And you know, the Gentile dispensation is to soon finish. All believers know that. Might be, this is the time. God have mercy, Christian. God have mercy, sinner. If you're not a Christian tonight, don't pass through the threshold of these doors until you are a Christian. Accept the Lord Jesus Christ now as your personal Saviour.

8 God be with you.
I hope I have tried. And I thank each one of you again. I've tried to say how much I appreciate it. I can't do it. May the Holy Spirit tell every one of you what I think in my heart.
I suppose... They told me, I believe, you've taken up a little love offering for me. You didn't have to do that. But, I'm a poor man. I don't have anything of this world's goods. That's the truth.
The only thing that I have tonight is a little home built up there. Brother Moore drawed it out for me and wanted to build it himself. I let the people build it from an offering. I didn't keep it myself. After I looked at it, I thought, "That's not right There isn't any Branhams got any homes. We're all vagabonds, travelers." I said, "It's not right for me have this; sick people has give us. What if something happened to me." I've turned it over to the church down here and let it be used for a parsonage. Now, I don't want it myself.
The Tabernacle at Eighth and Penn Street owns the church. They could put me out in the morning if they desired to.

9 But someone give me a car. Brother Moore started off... The people took up some offerings down through here. I got a car (I've been swapping it in every year), and an old truck. That's my possessions. Maybe a couple hundred dollars in the bank.
It takes about a hundred dollars a day to run my business. You could imagine, we're overdrawn half the time if you don't meet it just right. Just come to the bank and you'll see. That's right.
What little I have in the love offering at the end of the meeting, when we're through with all the expense, that settles it. At the end of the meeting, you take up a love offering. If it's enough, I go home and ask my secretary how much does the office need. How far are we back-drawn. We fill up, pay off everything we can. If there's any bit left over at all to carry me ... more than the next meeting, I put it in the foreign missions.
Someday I'm going to have to answer for every penny of money that's been given me. And if I put it to God's work, I want to be a good steward of His affairs. I try that. God knows that's the truth. That's right.

10 I went to a little dinner the other day. My boy put a white coat on me. I felt so out of place with that coat on, I couldn't even speak at that dinner.
I said, "Billy, that don't look right."
He said, "Wear it, Daddy. It's my coat. Wear it."
Well, I didn't want to hurt him. Brother, sister, I say this humbly, not to be a pulling, or try to get sympathy. The clothes that I have is clothes people give me.
The suit I got on, Brother Moore was with me when I got it four years ago in Sweden. Pair of shoes, my wife bought it for me. I got another suit over there was given to me in Florida. Another one I got in Finland. Two, I got in Germany ... or, not Germany, but Africa. That's where the clothes come from. That's what people give me. Some of them's hand-me-downs. That's true. I got a suit in California about five years ago, and been wearing it ever since, and it was about six, seven years old when I got it. But what is it? It's good enough. He didn't even have but one garment; and borrowed somebody's grave to be laid in.
I could've been pretty well off if I'd took all the money people offered me. But, I want to be just as poor as those who come to be prayed for. We're fellow citizens of the kingdom of God. I'm not saying that just to be saying. I'm saying it because I want you to know, friends, that the kingdom of God does not consist of riches, or fine clothes. It's a submitted heart to God. Where God...

11 Sometime ago in California, a fine Arminian friend said, "Brother Branham, you ride in that old Chevrolet truck?"
I said, "Yes, sir."
He said, "If we just get rid of that ... a new blue Cadillac," said, "I got one sitting out there; and a custom-built Packard that's only got about three hundred miles on it. Take your choice."
I said, "That's nice. But wouldn't it look nice, me coming down through Arkansas, somewhere, riding in a Cadillac car, and a poor little woman out there pulling a big sack behind her of cotton, eating bacon and corn pone for breakfast, making about two dollars a day; say, 'Oh, there goes Brother Branham."? Not me. I don't want that. No, sir.
Naked came I into this world; naked I shall return. But what's on the inside of me, I expect, will take me beyond the stars and moon, to where the one that I love waits for me. And I'm doing all that I can to serve Him until He calls me. Shall we pray?

12 Heavenly Father, looking down upon these words here that's been inspired by the writer, I pray that You'll open the Word tonight. And may it go so deep in the heart. My heart ... looking here and seeing this poor man leaning against his wife, and her sitting there crying. The little baby stretched out on a cot here. Oh, God, if there's just anything I could do, will You help me? Anyway that I could represent You in any manner, help me, dear God.
Many sitting here, perhaps with cancer and heart trouble. May not live till morning if You don't give them some faith ... or, they get some faith to receive their healing.
Oh, God, I pray tonight, that something might happen unusual. May You manifest Yourself tonight like you did to those at Emmaus. Do something a little different, so that everybody here will recognize that it's You, Father. Grant it.
We thank You for the Word that you give us this week. For everything that You've done for us, we thank You. Now open the Word, Lord, to our hearts. And may we say when we leave like those from Emmaus, "Did not our hearts burn within us as He spake to us?" For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

13 In Saint Mark, the 10th chapter, beginning with the 46th verse we read this:
And they came to Jericho: and as He went out of Jericho with His disciples ... a great multitude of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timeus, sat by the highway side begging.
And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, saying, Jesus Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
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.
And Jesus stood still, ... (Oh, I would love that. His faith stopped Jesus in His tracks.) And Jesus commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of a good comfort, arise; He calleth thee.
And he cast away his garment, and rose, and came to Jesus.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I do unto thee? And the blind man said unto Him, Lord, that I may receive my sight.
And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith has made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

14 Just for the next few moments I want to say these words about the little text---just for a short time. We're going to try, and we'll see how many people I can pray for in this line, if these men'll just hold me up to pray for them.
Our scene tonight is a very sad, tragic look, as we see Jericho. Jericho was always a cursed city since the Jews possessed Palestine. Joshua said, "Cursed is the man that'll build this city."
Jericho always represented backslidden. Jerusalem sits above Jericho: the heavenly. And as a ... left Jericho, going down, you were going away from God: The cursed city. The blessed city---the cursed city.
In the time of our scene tonight, was blind Bartimaeus, an old, blind beggar, perhaps ragged, begging for his pennies as he sat by the side of the fence, or wall, by the highway, where it passed by the highway. Perhaps a cold, November day, because he shivered there. He was cold. And as he sat there by the side of the highway, he had a lot of competitors; many blind people was in the land at that day.
Hardly a stranger passing by would give him a coin now and then, but you can imagine how hard it was on beggars when blind, leprosy, and leprous-stricken, deaf, dumb, all kinds of beggars just filled the road. What would one poor, old beggar have up beside of all that group of people.
As he sat there in the cold wind, no doubt, caught away in this dark world that he lived in. On the inside was a group of people who professed to be very religious, yet very indifferent, very wicked, very sinful.

15 There was so many beggars and things, perhaps, they never even thought of blind Bartimaeus.
And here he was sitting out there, shut off in the dark world. Along the side of him, run the Jericho Road, running up through Jerusalem. The cobblestones in the road was, perhaps, well polished from many travelers going back and forth over the road. Over this same road, the great warrior, Joshua, led the children of Israel, many years before. Over this same road, walked Elijah and Elisha as they went to Jordan.
No doubt but this old blind beggar was sitting there saying ... in his dark world, saying, "If I'd only lived in the day when Elijah and Elisha passed by, I would've cried out and they'd have prayed for me. God would've give me my sight. But now, all the people in the city and around say the days of miracles is passed."
But, perhaps, down in his heart, he believed that God still lived. How little did he know just down the road, come his deliverance.
I wonder if that ain't our case tonight. I hope it is. Many of you sitting here sick and afflicted, needy. Some of you dying with sickness.

16 The same thing, great cities, great scientists, but in your case there can be no help come.
Perhaps, blind Bartimaeus, if he would've had money, there would've been no way you could've helped him ... an operation. I've been told that the man was born that way. That I don't know. The Scripture doesn't back that up.
But anyhow, he was blind. And if he could have an operation, he wasn't able, because he was a beggar. So, there might as well not be any help for him. If he come through medical science, and they didn't have any way to operate, or no money to be operated on. There he sat in this horrible condition, but down in his heart he was a believer.
Do you know, I always think if a man will really believe, God will shove something by him. Don't you believe that? If there's a hunger in your heart for God, there's got to be something to respond to that hunger.

17 And here he is, sitting there in his darkness. Now, no one coming by. After a while, he listened. He hears somebody whispering. They say, "He's coming this way." Let's dramatize it a moment. "He's coming this way."
After awhile, I hear a bunch hollering, "Good evening, Father."
The priests are coming by. I hear some priests saying, "And the very idea. That Beelzebub coming into the city to interrupt our churches. He doesn't do nothing but speak evil. Why, we know the days of miracles is past. He only casts out devils through Beelzebub. He's a fortuneteller. That's how He knows who touched Him, and so forth. Why, He's nothing but Beelzebub. And He's anointed with the devil. And He only got the devil to help Him.

18 Down in old blind Bartimaeus' heart, something begin to churn over. "I wonder if He's really coming this way."
After awhile he heard a bunch of screams and shouts, "Hosanna!" Somebody who believed Him. I can hear the priests say, "Listen to that bunch of radics. Listen. Look what follows Him. Look who comes to His meetings. Them poor, cast out."
The Bible said, "The common people heard Him gladly."
"Look what kind of a crowd He associates with. That shows there is nothing to Him." Too bad they didn't realize who He was.
I wonder today if that isn't a great thing today, too, Christian friends. We just don't realize who He is. Don't realize that He's the same today as He was then.

19 I can hear them blaspheming Him. After a while, blind Bartimaeus kept saying, "Who's passing? Who's passing?"
Some said, "Jesus of Nazareth passes by."
Oh, my. A new hope come into his heart. Something's happened. There's his first and last chance. He'll never pass that way again. That's his only hope.
How do we know that, tonight, there isn't men and women sitting here that's your only hope? He may never pass this way again.
Then he grabbed his rags. He said, "Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me."
Perhaps the roar of the people and the screams, Jesus never heard his voice. But he thought, "Oh, he's going to pass me. Oh, Thou Son of David, have mercy."
Jesus in a deep study. His face was placed towards Jerusalem. Being the Son of God, He knowed that He must go to Jerusalem and there be crucified the next few days.
Do you know what, friends? You and I are part of the fault that He was on that road that day. Did you know that? Our sins and sickness put Him on that road that day going to Calvary.
There He, walking slowly, lived in another world that man didn't understand Him. When He spoke, people said, "Oh, you speak in parables. Who can understand what You say? You never answer anything correctly to us. We can't understand. Tell us clearly."
He'd give them something in a twisting word, and walk by; go on. They didn't understand Him. He wasn't of the world, and they were of the world.

20 And now, with a howling mob from every side, some half singing, his friends, "Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed be the name of the Lord. Praise God forever!" The sick people that's been healed, perhaps, following Him, praising Him.
And the priests criticizing, "All right. Let us see you do a sign. You've done it somewhere else. Come over here. We got somebody that's crippled. Let me see You make them whole. We'll believe You. We believe You're of the devil, the Beelzebub. Don't come around our churches. We don't want that kind of stuff in our city. Bypass us."
All that screaming going on. Jesus never noticed it. He walked steadily on towards Jerusalem, knowing that that was His own children crying for His blood. And He couldn't turn them down. How can a father turn his own children down?
Here He walked on to Jerusalem.

21 But this poor, old blind beggar standing way back. People tried to stop him from crying---I believe good people, with good intentions. But said, "Sit down. Don't make so much noise. Why, the days of miracles is past. You know our priests tell us that. Do you want to be considered with a bunch of fanatics? Sit down."
He turned a deaf ear to them. He said, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me. My only hope is leaving me. O God be merciful to me, a blind man."
Something touched the Master. And the faith of that blind, ragged beggar stopped Jesus Christ in His tracks. It'll do the same thing tonight.
He stopped, looked around. Said, "Bring him here."
Oh, now, some of them said, "Be of a good cheer. He calleth thee."
Oh, look at faith go to work now. Faith leaps up. Grabs his ragged coat and throws it sideways. Not laying ... noticing where he lays it: nice, so he could pick it up ... or, find it when he feels his way around the wall. He had an audience with Jesus. He knew he would get what He wanted, as long as He could have an audience with Jesus.
Brother, sister, tonight, let's just have an audience with Jesus tonight. "Ask," He said, "and you shall receive. What you ask the Father in My name, that I'll do." Let's ask an audience with Him tonight.

22 Now watch. He wasn't distressed anymore. He was all thin, poured [unclear word]. Probably eat a bowl of soup every three days till his nickel, or coin had been dropped in. His ragged arms hold on till it goes through his ragged sleeves and he throws his arms out like that. "What? I've stopped Him. I've got an audience with Him. I'll be able to speak to Him."
How's he going to see Him? He's blind. Didn't make any difference. He attracted the attention of the Master.
Down through his dark world he went plunging towards where the sound come from, not knowing how he was going to get back in that crowd, what was going to take care of it. How he was going to find his ragged coat. That didn't make any difference to him. The main thing was, "Get to Jesus right now." His old bony hands reaching out, moving towards where he heard the voice.

23 Jesus didn't say... He said, "What would you that I would do for you?" Never rebuked him. He didn't say, "Bartimaeus, are you a Pharisee, or a Sadducee, or a publican, or what are you, Bartimaeus?" That didn't matter nothing to Jesus. A man in need had faith enough to stop Him. He didn't say, "Do you belong to the Sanhedrin Council? Are you a good member of some church?" He said, "What would you that I would do for you? Now, you stopped me. I don't' know. The Father hasn't showed me. But, what do you want?"
He said, "Lord, that I might receive my sight."
Amen. Down in his heart churning over. "They told me the days of miracles is past, but I believe something's going to happen."

24 Now, He didn't say the days of miracles is past, Jesus didn't. He didn't try to... Bartimaeus wasn't asking, "Lord," said, "I'm a blind man. I've been told the days of miracles is past. But I'm told, if I'm a believer in God, that I'll go to heaven someday. Oh, Good Master, tell me what heaven looks like. Will I receive my sight when I get to heaven? Is this God's blessing for me to be blind, as I've been told? Is it God... If God wants me to go to heaven, then what does heaven look like?"
That wasn't what Bartimaeus wanted. Blind Bartimaeus wanted to receive his sight. That was the first thing: get out of that dark world he was living in.
Jesus said, "Thy faith has saved thee." Turned and walked on, on up the road.
I can see old blind Bartimaeus; he's staggering in the dark. Walked over, got out of the crowd. Said, "Let me see, now, if I can see my hands. I believe I am. He's done told me what is Word is. He's God. What He said is true."
Waited a little while; the crowd going on up the road. He said, "Let's see. He told me as I believe, and I believe. Oh, I see now."
Light begins to break into his eyes. Screamed to the top of his voice and down the road he went to follow Jesus. There it is. Why? All because he found an audience with Him. Let's just have an audience with Him now. Let us confess our sins, and our weaknesses as human beings,

25 if we ever want to have a right to have an audience with Jesus just now.
Let us pray.
Kind Heavenly Father, O God, is there somebody here with faith enough to stop You just a few moments? Years has passed. It had been many, many years since Joshua had been at that gate. Been many years since Elijah and Elisha walked down the road, one by another. But Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Many years has passed since then, but You're here in Shreveport tonight, because You promised to. You said, "The things that I do shall you also." Then, Heavenly Father, I pray that You'll anoint Your people here tonight.
I know this is a great thing, Lord. I'm unworthy to ask it. But, will You let Thy servant have of Thy Spirit tonight once more? that these people might know that they have an audience with You.
And while they're looking this way, and their hearts filled with joy, anticipation, great expectation, may the same lovely Jesus speak to them: "Thy faith has saved thee." Grant it, Lord, for we ask it in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

26 I wonder why... Sometimes, I maybe wonder, how that people could doubt our Lord Jesus. Scripture just come into my mind, just before calling the prayer line. It's found over here in Saint Luke, the 11th chapter, 14th verse.
And He was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.
But some of them said, He casts out devils through Beelzebub, the chief of the devils.
And others, tempting him, sought ... him show them a sign from heaven.
After making a man that couldn't speak to speak, and then wanted a sign from heaven.
Shreveport, God bless you. You people here, you've been blessed with many, great men that's passed through your borders. I look around tonight, at the vacant seats through this place. I think about over the places perhaps churches the same way. Just a little warm.

27 About the same time, a year or two ago, there was a great man pass through here, the name of Billy Graham: a glorious, wonderful servant of the Lord. He came into this city, and he roared out with a voice of judgment to you. He condemned your church-going, and your whole formal condition. He condemned your politics. He blasted it from one side to the other.
Shreveport was very religious during that revival. He moved out there even till my friend, Brother Moore, called me. Said, "Brother Branham, I wish you'd come down, pray for the sick." Said, "Everything in Shreveport's become God-minded since that man has been here."
How'd you forget so quick?

28 I want to read another scripture. Saint John 5:33.
Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness of the truth.
But I receive not testimony from man; but the things that I say, that ye might be saved.
He was a bright and a shining light, and ye were willing for a season to walk in his light.
But I have greater witness than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father sent me.
And the Father himself, which has sent me, has bore witness of me.
Jesus speaking of John. Said, "You all went out to see John." Said, "You had a great time when John was here." Said, "For a season you liked to walk in his light."
John came, neither eating or drinking ... fasting, had a great meeting till all Jerusalem and Judea was moved. And John bear record of Jesus. And then when Jesus come confirming John's ministry with signs and wonders, they didn't receive Him.
May the Lord bless now. And may you keep in the sweet spirit of prayer until the services has ended.
If I have truly testified of our Lord Jesus Christ, the truth, I know that He will come tonight and confirm the words that's been said.

29 If there be any strangers here that has never been in the meetings before, I want to make this clear so that you'll always know: I never one time said I was a healer. And I don't believe there is a man on earth that's a healer. Even Jesus Christ was not a divine healer. He said, "It's not Me that doeth the works; it's My Father that dwelleth in me. He doeth the works."
When He passed by a big bunch of cripples, and blind, and twisted, and halt, and lame at the pool of Bethesda, He healed a man with a prostate trouble, or something. It wasn't going to kill him. He had it for thirty-eight years, and it was retarded. He could walk, get around, laying on a pallet. He said, "Will thou be made whole?"
He said he had no one to put him in the water.
He said, "Take up your bed and walk." If you notice, Jesus knew he was laying there. He went on.
The Jews questioned Him in the 19th verse (that's the 5th chapter of Saint John), " Why, don't He heal them all."
Why did He walk through that crowd, full of mercy, and full of power. He was God on earth. Why'd He walk through that crowd, a great multitude; three or four times as many as is in this building tonight. Great multitudes: Lame, halt, blind, withered. Walking right through them and never healed a one, but this one man, and he wasn't too bad.
He said, "When I'm coming down to the pool, somebody else can outrun me; beat me to the pool."

30 And they questioned Jesus. Listen at His words. Saint John 5:19: "Verily, verily I say unto you [That's absolutely, absolutely I say unto you.], the Son can do nothing in Himself, but what He sees the Father doing, that doeth the Son likewise." That's His Word.
And He said ... Now, He did know the thoughts of the people, He perceived it in the audience. He felt the pressure of blind Bartimaeus' faith calling Him.
A woman touched His garment one time, because she said if she did it, she'd get well. She touched His garment. She spent all of her money with the doctors. She had it for many years---about eighteen years. None of them could help her. And she touched His garment and run back in the audience, and thought, "Oh, Thank God. I'm going to be well because I thought if I could only touch Him, I'd get well."
And while he was standing there, Jesus walked along, people crowding around Him, He stopped looked around till He found this woman. Said, "Thy faith has healed thee, My daughter."
There you are. He's a High Priest that can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.

31 He found a woman at the well. He talked to her a while till He found out what was wrong with her and told her. He knew where a fish was, had a coin in its mouth.
When Philip got converted, he went and found Nathanael. Said, "Come, see who I've found, Jesus of Nazareth."
He said, "Could any good thing come out of Nazareth?"
Said, "Come see."
Philip was standing out in the audience, perhaps. Jesus was casting out evil spirits, praying for the sick. He turned around and seen Philip. He said, "Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile."
Why, Philip said ... or, Nathanael (rather) said, "How did you know me?"
He said, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the tree, I saw you."
He ran forth and said, "Thou art the Son of God. You're the King of Israel."

32 Jesus said, in leaving the earth, "A little while and the world will see Me no more. Yet, ye shall see Me for I will be with you, even in you, to the end of the world. (Is that Scripture? Now there's going to be some world that can see Him, and there's going to be some ye's that will see Him.) For the things that I do shall you do also; even more than this, for I go unto My Father." Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Here is my contention, stranger. Jesus is not dead. Death couldn't hold Him. He come up from the grave, and His body went to the right hand of the throne of God. His Spirit is here on earth dwelling in men, doing the same work that It did when It was in the body Christ Jesus. And His body is the church. Surely that's clear.
May the Lord add His blessings.
All right. Where's Billy? I didn't get at him.