Abraham
You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net
1 Good evening, friends. Very happy to be here tonight. I was just presented with some kind of a present. I believe it's a talking machine. Well, I'll use it a little later on. Can you hear me up on the platform all right, up and around the balcony? Ok? No. I guess, maybe, I'll have to get this thing around me. Now, is that better? Can you hear up there, now, around this side? All right, that's fine. All right, sir. So, we'll set this one back.
Well, we're happy to be here tonight, to greet you again in the name of the lovely Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And I am happy tonight that His grace extends even to me. And by His grace, I one day came to Him and He saved me from a life of sin and give me the opportunity to preach the Gospel to His people everywhere, calling them to a life of salvation, out of a life of sin. Along with that He gave me the great privilege of praying for His dear beloved sick children. And I'm happy for that opportunity to be here tonight to do that for you.
2 And I'm very sorry... Billy... They come got me a few moments ago, and our manager isn't here yet. So, I may have to hire somebody, sure enough. And at this time, our Dr. Brother... Brother Toms here from South Africa will... Tomorrow night, if Brother Moore isn't here, will you give us the message before coming in? Will you? All right, that's fine.
And it makes the meeting a little hard on me to try to stand up here to speak to you, and then go ahead with the other service, too. I'm not used to it and it throws me out on the line, of praying for the sick, and so forth, 'cause it's a ... it's a duel anointing; it's something different.
And Brother Toms is a very forceful speaker. I've knowed him for a long time, since we were in Africa. And I understand that his wife's here. I don't know whether I ever met the sister or not. I hope to get to do that. And Sister Toms, Mrs. Branham is looking for you to come by, soon as the service is over, and you all come that way. And I want to see that little boy that was named after me---little William. And so, we'll probably, maybe be able to see you before going to Zurich. We just got one day to leave here and get to Zurich ... to New York, to go to Zurich.
3 Now, tomorrow... Didn't... You know, this is half the meeting is already gone; would you think of it? This has been one of the shortest long meetings I believe I've ever had, so far. Seems like I just started couple days ago. You're such a lovely people, come out at nighttime, sit out in the open air, listen. And the manager not here to preach to you, and put up with my slobbering and going on.
You know, I eat a lot of new grapes out of Canaan, and it causes you to slobber a lot, you know. So, I'm trying to take his place, and so forth, and then hold the prayer lines; and it certainly makes it kind of hard. So, you pray for us, and tonight I'll try just to speak a few moments, to get aligned up with the meeting, just the feel of the Spirit and work all ... see that... And then I'll ... we'll form a prayer line then, and start praying for the sick.
4 And I just wonder, while we're speaking this way, don't you think that one night we ought to just come in and ... usually when ... come in of a nighttime, and not the discernment, but just line up everybody that's got prayer cards and pray for them. And I think that would give everybody a good chance to get into the prayer line that wants ... have cards, a holding them. And we just have to take a few each time in these kind of lines. And then, to give everybody an opportunity to come and be in the prayer line. And soon, we're looking for something to happen, but when... I'll be able, then, to just go and pray for the people right out.
If you only knew, my dear beloved friend, what it is to go through what you do under a vision. I brought it on myself; it's not... Now, I don't operate it myself, but it come on. I just... The people rallied for it, and I kept going, and now I can't even hold a meeting without it, hardly. But if you only knew what you go through with. Just imagine going into another world, back down the line, thirty, forty years in somebody's life, looking at somebody... And you know your voice is coming in here at Macon, Georgia, yet you're away, somewhere else, in maybe some other nation.
5 You know, Daniel had one vision, and he was troubled at his head for many days; just think: one vision, see. And you don't realize what that is. And there's no way to explain it; you just have to believe it, that's all.
Someone asked me, said, "Why is it you get weak when you get off the platform?"
It isn't while I'm standing here that I feel weak; it isn't after I'm out from under it that I feel weak; it's between the two places. And that's just when you're coming out of it. 'Course, it's hard to explain that, but if you'll read the Bible, you'll see that it's true, it's absolutely true.
Daniel 7:15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
6 So now, tonight, coming over, I thought maybe if Brother Moore... Billy said he wasn't here. So, I just got a little text of Scripture here that I might read, if God willing. And talk to you just for a few moments to kind of get the crowd settled down, and on the thoughts of the Bible.
See, after all, whatever I say, is just a man. And now, whatever God says, that's God. Mine can fail 'cause I'm just a man; but what He says is the truth, and it won't fail. And now, like the vision, what is that? Yes, sir, that's the Word of the Lord, but it's secondarily. If it's contrary to this here, in the Word, then it's wrong, see. It has to be...
Now, here is the Word of God to the whole world---the foundation, the plan of salvation, everything, this is in the Word. But as an individual who's did something, or something they might not have done, and should have done...
Now, a vision or a word from God is absolutely the Word of God to them, but it must line up with this Bible. If it doesn't, it's not of God.
7 So, I'm so thankful, and of these... Ever since I can remember as a little boy, visions come to me---just a little baby boy.
The first thing I can remember was a vision, where I was born in the state of Kentucky, and told me I'd live in Indiana near a city called New Albany. I've lived within three miles of it all my life. And I wasn't but eighteen months old when the vision came. And the very time when I was born, that Angel that you see on the picture here was hanging over the little crib bed where I was born in.
8 And my people, of course, formerly, the beginning, are Catholic. They emigrated from Ireland to come here. And then, my father and mother didn't go to any church at all. And they was raised up in the mountains; my father, a logger. And when that light came in that morning at six o'clock on April the fifth ... or, April the sixth, 1909, and that light hung over that little crib bed there, a little trundle bed... I don't know whether you all know what a trundle bed is or not; a straw tick, a shuck pillow. How many ever seen a shuck pillow or a straw tick? Well, would you look! Now, I'm not the only country boy around here, am I? There's just plenty of us. Well, my, that's mighty fine. I feel like I could come without a towel, now. That's just fine.
Well, my mother, like, scared her to death. My mother was fifteen years old, my dad was eighteen---just kiddies.
And so, since then that's been; nothing ... nothing that I had, nothing that I merited. It's just a little gift that God give, sovereignly give. That's the only way they are given, is by the sovereign grace of God.
9 And now, let us turn to His Word and read just a few moments. Be reverent, and we know that God will add His blessings to His Word.
Now, over in the Old Testament... I love to go to the Old Testament, because it's a type of the New, a shadow of the things that's to come.
And now, if I speak just a little long, will you pinch me on the leg, or something, here, brother, and let me know that I've spoke too long; 'cause I want to try to pray for everybody I can before leaving Georgia. My first time in your state, and I sure fell in love with you; your first night here. You're just ... such a welcome feeling. I don't say that because you're here. If I'd say that just because I was in your presence, I'd be a hypocrite. And I don't have to say that. I say it because I mean it from my heart. You're very nice.
10 And now, in Genesis 22:7 we read a portion of Scripture, and then, read some of the 14th verse, also; 7th, 8th, and 14th, we'll make it.
And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?
And Abraham said, My son, God will provide for himself a lamb for the burnt offering: so they both went on together.
Now in the 14th verse we read this:
And Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said ... this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
Now, shall we bow our heads just a moment while we speak to the Author of this Word.
Our Heavenly Father, we come to approach Thee in the all-sufficient name of the Lord Jesus. Knowing this first, that He's promised to hear us, and give us a hearing, when we ask in His name.
Now, Thou has said that wherever two or three are gathered in Your name (the name of the Lord Jesus), You would be in our midst. So, we know beyond a shadow of doubt that You're here tonight. And we pray, now, that You'll give us a few words, Lord. And encourage us tonight, Lord, from Thy Word.
Genesis 22:7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
Genesis 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
Genesis 22:14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.
Matthew 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
11 And we pray, now, not knowing why that Brother Moore hasn't showed up in all these nights, and I pray, Father, that You'll help him and bless him, wherever he is.
And I ask Your blessings upon all that are unsaved, tonight. May something be said or done here, tonight, that will cause the unsaved to believe You and receive You; the backslider to come back; those outside of Christ to be baptized into the body of believers. And may every sick person here tonight, Lord, every one that's cancer ridden, TB, whatever it might be, may they be perfectly whole tonight. And may there not be a feeble person left among us. May every cripple person walk out without crutch or support. May those on cots rise up and walk.
And may the Lord Jesus just throw out His arms of power and grip every heart in such a way that they'll know that He's here, granting these blessings. And when we leave tonight, may we say like those who came from Emmaus, "Did not our hearts burn within us because of His presence." For we ask it in His name. Amen.
Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
12 Now in the speaking ... of the reading, setting forth of the Scripture, tonight we're speaking on Abraham. And in the book of Genesis, God gave ... or, appeared to Abraham in five ... or, seven compound redemptive names. One of those names was Jehovah-jireh, the one that we have under consideration tonight. Then He was Jehovah-jireh---"the Lord will provide a sacrifice." Jehovah-rapha---"the Lord the healer," and the shield, the buckler, and so forth, on down, of the compound redemptive names.
13 The night, in the discussion at Houston, Texas, when this Angel's picture was taken... Many of you've heard the story, perhaps, of how it happened about. We were having a lovely meeting in Houston, and sponsored there by many of the churches. And a certain minister said, that wrote a piece in the paper, and said that I was a "religious impostor," and imposing myself as a servant of God, and I ought to be run out of town, and he'd like to be the one to do it. So, he challenged me to a debate on the Scripture. Said that I could not support divine healing by the Scriptures.
Well, Mr. Bosworth was managing that meeting. And here he come in the room, you know, real excited, said, "Looky here, Brother Branham. Looky here." Said, "Call his hand."
And I said, "Now, look, Brother Bosworth. All the fussing you could do with that man, he'd walk away with the same belief he had when he come in."
You don't get nothing by fussing. Jesus didn't come to fuss, He just done what the Father told Him. If they believed it, all right; if they didn't, all right, anyhow. So, after all, if God confirms the Word... Jesus said, "If you can't believe Me, why, believe the works I do, that the Father sent me."
John 10:38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
14 And he said ... but Brother Bosworth said, "But, Brother Branham," he said, "I tell you," said, "I ... I ... I think you ought to take that up."
And I said, "Oh, no, Brother Bosworth. Just let it alone." I said, "Look. We're having about eight thousand people now, and there's about seven thousand of them want to be prayed for, and give one of the nights to fuss with that preacher, and the only thing you go away..." I said, "If he's born an unbeliever, God made him an unbeliever, and how is he going to be anything else but an unbeliever."
I said, "God predestinated a man ... men of old was foreordained to this condemnation." I said, "The Bible said so."
So, if they can't believe, just like pouring water from a duck's back, they can't believe. Ain't got nothing to believe with.
And I said, "Then, you never heard a man was ever born again of the Spirit of God say such a remark as that." I said, "Because he's got God in him; he believes all things. What God wrote, he just believes it. But," I said, "Now, the man don't believe, so just let him alone."
Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 And he said... Next day he put in the paper, said, "It shows what they're made out of, because they're afraid to preach divine healing in the light of God's Word." That was too much for Brother Bosworth.
He said, "Brother Branham, if you won't do it, let me do it"---eighty years old.
And I thought... My, I looked at him, I thought of Caleb, you know, standing there: "Let me take this city," you see.
And I said, "Brother Bosworth, that man's just out of the cemetery ... or, seminary." (Excuse me; about the same way.) So I said, "Brother Bosworth," I said, "Brother Bosworth, you're eighty years old, nearly, and that man's just about thirty-five years old."
He said, "That doesn't have anything to do with the Word of God." He said, "Will you let me do it?"
And I said, "No, Brother Bosworth. No. Don't fuss with him. Just let him blow or toot his own horn, and go on."
And he said, "Well, Brother Branham," he said, "you know, to the public I feel like I'd just like to show him that he's wrong." He said, "If you'll let me do it, I promise you I want fuss one bit."
So, I said, "Well, all right. Go ahead."
16 And down the stairs he went to the reporter, you know, and so he told them. And then the next day, great headlines "Ecclesiastical Fur Will Fly." You can imagine how the paper prints it, you know. So, here they sat. And that goes to show... I seen something that night that will make me believe that someday all born-again Christians will be one.
I don't care if they fuss down there, like they do everywhere else---one's a trinitarian, one's a unitarian, the other's a oneness, and the twoness, and the fiveness, and all these ups and downs, and scruples, and their baptisms, and so forth, all these things.
But that night, when they come, twenty or thirty thousand packed in the auditorium. They didn't care whether they was oneness, or threeness, or drinking from one fountain, two fountains, or riding a one-hump camel, two- three- four- or five-hump camel; there was one thing on stake, and that was divine healing. They all believed it. And here they come by trains, planes, and everything, packed out the big Sam Houston Coliseum. And so, I wasn't going down, 'cause I just don't like to hear people fussing around the Word of God.
17 So, that night something kept telling me to "go down." So, couple of policeman come and got me and I went. I went way up in balcony thirty. And so then when they got started, why, they come out there, and so after... He wanted Mr. Bosworth to take the first part.
So, Mr. Bosworth said, "Well, I have written here, six hundred questions ... six hundred Scriptures that proves that Christ's present attitude towards the sick is just the same as it was the days that He was here on earth. And God has never changed in His attitude towards the sick. And if Mr. Best, here, can take one of these Scriptures and disprove it by the Bible, there'll be no debate. I'll just sit down."
So, Mr. Best stepped in, "I'll take care of that when I get up there."
He said, "I'll ask you one question. If you'll answer me 'yes' or 'no,' I'll sit down and hear the rest of it." He said, "Was the redemptive names of Jehovah applied to Jesus? Yes or no?" That settled it; that was all.
18 If it wasn't, then He wasn't a Saviour, He wasn't Jehovah-jireh. And if He was, He's Jehovah-rapha, the same yesterday, today, and forever. So, he couldn't answer it.
So, when he got up, he preached a pretty good Campbellite sermon. That's right. Just talking about the resurrection when this mortal puts on immortality, and divine healing would be in the millennium, when we're immortal. I don't get it. So, now he said it was a Baptist sermon. I was rocked in a Baptist cradle; I know what Baptists believe. But it was no ... was no Baptist doctrine connected with it.
And then, afterwards, he kept saying, "Bring on that divine healer. Let me see him heal somebody. Then let me see him... He could work them up in their psychology, and so forth, and let me see them in a year from today, and I'll tell you whether they're healed or not. Bring that divine healer forward."
Mr. Bosworth said, "Aren't you ashamed to say that?"
So, he knew I was up there. So, he said, "Now, if the debate is settled," he said, "all right." Said, "Now, if Brother Branham wishes to come down and dismiss the audience," said, "I know he's here, but he don't have to."
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
19 So, my brother was standing by me, and he said, "Now, you sit still."
I said, "Well, ain't I sitting still?"
And so, my wife was standing there, you know. And he said, "Now, you ain't going down there."
I said, "I never said a word about going."
And so, I was sitting way up. And so, he said, "Now, if he wants to come..."
And about that time I heard something go "Whewww," that circle of light come down. I don't care who says anything then; that settles it.
I raised up.
And Howard said, "Sit down."
My wife said, "Look at there, Howard." So, my brother sat down.
20 About five hundred ushers put their hands together and made a line; come up to the platform. I said, "I'd like to shake hands with Mr. Best."
I said, "Don't no one think hard of him."
I said, "We got boys over in Korea, fighting, that we can have freedom of religion." I said, "I don't believe what he believes." But, I said, "I differ with him in theology, but after all, this is America. He's got a right to believe what he wants." I said, "Don't none of you think hard of him, because his mother loves him the same as mine loves me."
I said, "Now, I was reminded, though, when he kept saying, 'Bring that healer forth,' the same spirit that said, 'Come off the cross and we'll believe you.'"
Christ saw visions, and one day they put a rag around His head and hit Him on the head, and said, "Now, if You're a prophet, tell us who hit You and we will believe You." I said, "That's the same spirit." But, I said, "I'm sorry that our brother's anointed with it. But," I said, "Now, as far as healing anybody," I said, "I ... I don't claim to heal anybody."
Matthew 26:68 Saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?
Matthew 27:40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
Matthew 27:42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
Mark 15:30 Save thyself, and come down from the cross.
Mark 15:32 Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
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?
21 I said, "If preaching divine healing makes me a divine healer, then preaching salvation makes you a divine saviour." I said, "I only preach it by the Word, that's all."
And I said, "Now, as far as the visions, God speaks for His gifts." I said, "That's without questioned."
And about that time when he said that, the Angel of the Lord come above, where I was at and made a great big whirl, and here He come down through the building like that, coming down. People begin scream. I said, "He speaks now." I said, "If I tell the truth, God's obligated to speak for me. And if I don't tell the truth, God will have nothing to do with a lie. You know that."
And just then here He come. And they took the picture of it there, and he took it down to the Douglas Studios; shot the picture of it, took it down... A Catholic boy took the picture, and a Jew. And so, they went down to the studio to look it over. And they said, "I don't believe it'll show. I believe it's just ... we just imagine that, too, 'cause everybody's pointing to it, and so forth."
22 But when they took it down, and pulled it out of the acid... He was up there to take Mr. Bosworth's picture. And when Mr. Best was holding debate with him, he'd hold it like this, and put his finger under Brother Bosworth's nose, and say, "Take it like this." He said, "I want them to hang it up in my... I want to take that old man and skin him, and take his skin and tack it on my study door for a memorial to divine healing." Could you imagine a brother talking about one like that?
So, he said... And that night when he put his finger under his nose, and he'd draw his fist up, and had the studio set that big camera out ... oh, there was several cameras then, to take the picture. Well, then, you know what happened? God wasn't willing that His servant should be taken with a picture like that, and every one of them was blank. Not a one of them showed up.
But when they pulled this other one out, there was the picture of the Angel of the Lord on it. And they sent it to George J. Lacy, FBI fingerprinting document; he kept it in the place for several days, and then, it was copyrighted in Washington, DC as the only supernatural Being that's ever been scientifically proven. And that's right. In Washington, DC, now, copyrighted.
23 And then, they come and said, "We'll give the analysis of it."
Mr. Lacy said, "Whose name's Reverend Branham?"
I said, "Mine."
He said, "Stand up."
I stood up. Kind of a redheaded fellow, kind of hard, [unclear word] eyes. I hope he's not sitting present to hear this. So, he ... hair hanging down in his eyes. When he seen it, first, he was very hard about it.
He said, "Rev. Branham, come here." Said, "You'll die like all men do," see.
I said, "I'm sure of that, but I'm prepared for it."
He said, "But as long as there's a civilization here, your picture will never go out of existence." He said, "That's the only time a supernatural Being was ever photographed." He said, "The light struck the lens. It's the truth," like that.
And he submitted it to me, and I give it over to the Douglas Studios at Houston, Texas; they're the ones that own it. And he said some little thing there to me, something, said, "The testament unto the testator..." something. Said, "Well, as long as you're living that picture will never be in force, but, afterwards." Said, "Wait till you're gone; it'll be on ten-cent stores," and things like that.
24 So, what it is, is ... what it is to me, if I... If this is my last night on earth, if this is my last night to be on earth, my testimony's the truth. The church knows it, millions around the world; I've come in personal contact with, guess, more than ten million people, around the world. It's been seen by thousands times thousands of people, everywhere. I trust that God, that it will come visible, here, in Macon before I leave, before the audience. And they see the works and signs of it; that's the truth. And the scientific world can't say there's no supernatural being anymore, 'cause it's scientifically proven. They're without an excuse, now.
So, we're thankful to the Lord, tonight, to know that our great Jehovah God was with the father Abraham, and is still here tonight with His church, moving on, just the same as He was in the days gone by. To my opinion, the same pillar of fire that led the children of Israel, Jesus Christ, the Angel of the Covenant, the same yesterday, today, and forever, scientifically proven.
25 Now, Abraham ... to speak about him for about ten minutes, or so. Abraham was come down with his father, from in the Land of Chaldean, the Shinar Valley, and dwelt in the city of Ur. They came out of Babylon, the people did, after... Babylon was first called the Gates of Paradise, later called Confusion, because languages was broken up there.
Abraham, after coming down into this land of Chaldea, the city of Ur, Abraham was no more than anyone else. I want you to notice this tonight, Christians, and get this real good and deep, that God calls His people by sovereign election. God only calls by election.
"It isn't he that willeth or he that runneth; it's God that showeth mercy." And every man and woman here that ever had God to tug at their heart, ought to be ashamed if they never heeded to the call. And there's many people in the world today that's gone and passed the line of conscience, and will never, never come to God.
Romans 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
26 But God called Abraham, not because he was good, but because God chose Abraham.
Jesus said, "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you." Jesus said, "No man can come to the Father ... or, come to Me accept My Father draws him first."
Why are you out here tonight? Is it because you're intellect, or... Why ain't you at the ball game? It's because you love God more than you love ball games. That's the reason you're here. God called you and put a different desire in your heart.
Now, the election of God... God calls man by sovereign election. Do you notice it? I wish we had time to go into details. When you go to talking about the Word, the Holy Spirit just starts getting it just wonderful.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
27 Abraham was election. Isaac was justification. Jacob was grace, but Joseph was perfection, see. As you get them moving, and Abraham being called... God saw Abraham and called him by sovereign grace and election. And told him, "Separate yourself from your people and among your kindred, and I will bless you."
You notice, today, that God always calls a separation. People today, when you're choosing your pastors, usually people today want mixers. I don't know how it is with you people down in here, but up in the north the people want mixers. All we want, "Oh, the fellow's a good sport. We want somebody that can ... or sit in a pulpit, and can... Oh, it wouldn't hurt if he did little things on the side, you know, just so he could mix with all crowds. People want mixers, but God wants separators. The Holy Ghost said, "Separate thee, Paul and Barnabas."
There's some people, in choosing their pastors today, get a six-footer with shoulders about so wide, black wavy hair, to present ... make himself ... dressed in a tuxedo suit, and everything, and an after-dinner suit, or something another, on the platform, because it's a psychological effect. God don't care an ounce for that.
Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
28 Listen! Listen to the Scriptures. God told Samuel one time, said, "Go up and anoint one of Jesse's sons to be king."
Jesse thought the same thing that our modern thinker believes today. He sent his great big son out there, a six-footer, you know, with his black, shiny hair. Said, "My, he'll look like a real king," great big husky fellow, fine looking fellow. And said, "Look what he'll look with a robe on and a big gold crown sitting on the side of his head."
And Samuel got the oil, and the Lord said, "But, I've refused him." That's right. No matter how six foot he was and how striking he looked, God said, "I've refused him."
So, he brought the next biggest one down and showed him. God said, "I refused him, too." And he went on till he showed the sixth one. Then he said, "Have you got another one?"
Said, "Yeah. I got a little old scrawny, ruddy-looking fellow out yonder in the sheep pen, out yonder somewhere, taking care of the sheep, but I'm sure he'd never make a king."
"Well, go get him."
And as soon as David came forth, a little ruddy fellow, stooped shoulders, perhaps, with a little sheep coat around him, Samuel run and poured the oil on him; he said, "This is the king." That's God's choice. Amen. Man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart.
Sometimes you get a great big church with a lot of crosses, and statues around it, and plush seats, and a ten-thousand-dollar organ in it; that don't attract God. Sometimes there's more salvation in a little mission down on the corner, than you can poke into the place. That's right. Man looks to the outside, but God looks at the heart. Always remember that.
1 Samuel 16:1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.
1 Samuel 16:6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.
1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.
1 Samuel 16:8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.
1 Samuel 16:9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.
1 Samuel 16:10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The LORD hath not chosen these.
1 Samuel 16:11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.
1 Samuel 16:12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
1 Samuel 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.
29 Now, Abraham called out of the land of Chaldea; God met him down there. Probably a little old fellow; seventy-five years old when God called him. Probably a little bitty fellow, long whiskers, bald-headed, and stooped shoulders, but God found grace ... Abraham, rather, found grace in the sight of God, and God called him by election. Amen.
Through what? Someone that would follow him, would listen to Him. And he had a wife sixty-five years old. He told Abraham, said, "Now, separate yourself from among your people." That's the best thing to do: come out from among it, get away from it.
Someone said, "Well, I still go to the poolroom. I think maybe I could win some of the boys." Stay out of the poolroom. Stay off the devil's ground. That's right.
You'll never do it that way. Separate yourself and show your color. Be a Christian. Act like it. Live like it. Talk like it. People will believe it.
Notice. Jesus said, "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to Me." Lift Him up in your life, in your living, what you do.
Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
Genesis 12:4 So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
John 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
30 Then, God called Abraham, and he separated himself from his people to go into a strange land. Isn't it strange, when God calls a man, he calls him from among his associates, to dwell among strange people speaking strange languages? Kind of strange how God does that, isn't it? But He still does it; come out.
You don't talk like the old crowd no more. You come over into a crowd ... out there where you're whooping and hollering and carrying on for the devil; you're shouting and praising the Lord in this other crowd. You have to be amongst a strange people. Separate yourself from the crowd you once associated with.
Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
31 How God in His mercy called him, and He said, "Abraham, I know you're an old man now, you're seventy-five years old, Sarah sixty-five, but I'm going to bless you, and give you a baby. And out of this baby the whole world is going to be blessed; all nations is going to be blessed by this baby."
Now, Abraham never wondered about it; he just simply took God at His Word. I like that: just take God at His Word. And he went right on testifying that the baby was going to be born. I can imagine seeing, getting everything ready, buying up all the diapers, and the pins, and everything, getting ready for the baby; nothing wrong.
"Sarah," he said, "how do you feel?" The first week.
"No different."
First month passed: "How do you feel, Sarah?"
"No different."
"Well, glory to God, we're going to have it anyhow."
First year passed: "How are you feeling, Sarah?"
"No different."
"Well, praise the Lord, we're going to have it anyhow."
Genesis 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
Genesis 26:4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
32 He took God at His Word regardless of circumstance. He said, "God said so. And no matter how you feel, or what about it, we're going to have it anyhow. God said so." Amen.
If we be the children of Abraham, we've got to have that kind of faith, regardless of what symptoms says. God's Word... We look at the unseen, what God says about us.
So many people rely on symptoms. "Oh, if I could look..." "If my hand was just a little straighter." "If I felt just a little better with my stomach trouble." "If my head would quit hurting." That has nothing to do with it. Go right on, glorifying God, testifying about that, things that you don't even feel, or see, or taste, smell, or hear. Believe it anyhow!
33 Why, you tell about... There was a man by the name of Jonah, had the worst symptoms I ever seen. He was backslid, first. That's right. He done something God told him not to do. And he was on a stormy sea, caused a lot of trouble, had his hands and feet tied, throwed out; and a big whale swallowed him and went down to the bottom of the sea.
Now, you talk about some symptoms: backslid in his heart, and in the belly of a whale, seaweeds wrapped around his neck. And anybody knows, when a fish feeds, it eats his belly full, he goes right to the bottom and rests his swimmers on the bottom. Feed your goldfish, and see if they don't do it. Goes right down to the bottom, and it's, probably, forty fathoms deep there. And here this preacher was, backslid, and his hands tied behind him, in the belly of a whale, in the bottom of the sea, and a big storm up at the top.
You talk about symptoms! He looked this way, it was whale's belly; he looked back that way and it was whale's belly; everywhere he looked it was whale's belly. He had some symptoms, but you know what he said? "They are lying vanities. I don't believe a one of them." He said, "Once more will I look to Your holy temple," not to the whale's belly, but "to Your holy temple." You can't hide a saint from his prayer. That's right. There ain't nobody here that bad off, tonight. That's right.
Jonah 1:15 So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
Jonah 1:17 Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 2:4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
Jonah 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
34 But he said, "Once more will I look to Your holy temple, Lord." For he knew when Solomon dedicated that temple, he'd prayed, and he said, "Lord, if Thy people be in trouble anywhere and look towards this holy place and pray, then hear from heaven." And he believed the prayer of Solomon.
And if Jonah, under those conditions, could believe the prayer of Solomon, under a temple that was dedicated here on earth, how much more ought we to believe, tonight, by a resurrected Lord Jesus sitting at the right hand of God with His own blood; making intercession for our confession. Refuse to see any symptoms, and say, "They're lying vanities," and walk away from it. Amen. Don't pay no attention to circumstances. What God says is the truth. Not what you see; what you believe.
Jesus never said, "Did you see it?" He never did say, "Did you believe it?" ... or, (I beg your pardon) never said, "Did you feel it?" He said, "Did you believe it?" That's it.
So, you act on what you believe, not what you see. Not what ... just what you believe. And if you believe God will keep His Word, then go acting like it. Take Him at His Word and go ahead, then you're going to get somewhere. I know it's the truth.
I've trusted it, brother, in the hours of death and I know it's the truth. If it worked for me, it worked for Abraham, it worked for Jonah, it'll work for you. Just take Him at His Word and believe it.
1 Kings 8:30 And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.
Jonah 2:4 Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple.
Jonah 2:8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.
Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
35 And Abraham refused to see any symptoms of Sarah not having this baby. Oh, they told him he's a little off at the head.
Now, you'd imagine what a doctor would say today if an old man seventy-five or eighty years old going down say, "Well, here's my wife. She's seventy and I'm eighty, and we're going to have a baby." Well, they'd say, "The old man's a little cracked in the head."
Sure, they did then; they would now. But Abraham wasn't cracked in the head; he took God at His Word. That made the difference, and God honored him for it, too.
36 I can see him as he goes on, he said, "Lord, will You give me a ... how will you confirm this to me?" And He took him out there that day... Wish we had time to get into it; it's time to quit now. But, I wish we had time to get into all those things to bring this up to this little point; but we'll jump, to hit a few high places.
Look out there that day when He told him He would confirm it. And watch how it was to Abraham.
He killed that little heifer of three ... the sheep at three, and the goat at three, and he cut them apart. And he put a turtledove and a young pigeon there; set the birds off of them.
And the evening time ... or, when the sun went down, watch what happened first: a real deep sleep fell over Abraham. Showing, "Abraham, now, I made a covenant with Adam. 'Adam, if you'll do... I'll take you in partners with Me. If you'll do certain things, I'll do certain things.' And Adam broke his promise."
Man always breaks his promise. "But Abraham, this is not what 'if you'll do;' this is what 'I'm going to do.' This is My covenant with you." Amen. Unconditionally.
Oh, brother, if you ever see that, your eyes will come plumb open. That's right. It's not what you done; it's what God did for you in Christ. That's right. Nothing of yours; it's what He done.
Genesis 15:9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
Genesis 15:10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
Genesis 15:11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away.
Genesis 15:12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
37 And there, He said, "Abraham" ... put Abraham to sleep to show that he had nothing to do into it. "Now, Abraham, you haven't got one thing to do into it."
And then, before him went a horrible darkness: showing death; every man through the valley of shadow of death. Beyond that was a smoking furnace: every man deserves to go to hell. But beyond that went a little white light. And that little light went right between each one of those covenants, each one of those beasts, like that. Everyone that was cut, together. Each one was sacrificial beast, except the turtledove and the pigeon.
Now, if you'll notice, the turtledove and pigeon: The reason it wasn't cut apart, because a turtledove and pigeon represents divine healing. The covenant was broke from gra... law to grace, but the covenant of healing lasts always. From always do; there's no cutting it apart at all. That's right.
Genesis 15:10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
Genesis 15:12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him.
38 Now, He made the covenant. And notice, He went between those, proving, showing to Abraham what through his seed He would do, Christ Jesus, in the years to come. That He'd make a covenant through Christ to the Gentiles, for every man in the world. Everybody that would come, this covenant would be ... it's with you tonight, unconditionally.
If you become a Christian, every redemptive blessing of God belongs to you. It's your personal property. You got a right to claim it. If you let Satan push you over in the corner, well, that's up to you. But, brother, stand up there toe-to-toe with this Scripture, and say, "It is written." That's right. That's the way your Lord did it.
Genesis 12:17 And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.
39 Any man, I don't care, you might be a weak Christian; you don't need people coming through with gifts of healing, you don't need these things. The only thing you do need is take God at His Word, and stand toe-to-toe with Satan, you'll defeat him on the ground.
Jesus brought it down to that picture, when Satan said, "If Thou be the Son of God, do this."
Jesus said, "It's written, man shall not live by bread alone."
He took him somewhere else, said, "If Thou be the Son of God, cast yourself down. Perform a miracle here before me." That spirit still lives you know. "Let me see you do it, and I'll believe it. You jump off this building here and show me you can do it, and I'll believe you're the Son of God."
He said, "Satan, it is written!" Right on the Word of God.
Took Him up on a mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment. Said, "These belong to me." So, you see where the kingdom of the world belong to? He said, "These belong to me. I'll do with them what I want to. If You'll worship me, I'll give them all to you."
He said, "It is written, 'man shall not live by bread alone.' It is written, 'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.'" And He kept throwing the Scripture to him, and defeated Satan with the Father's Word.
And any man or woman, tonight, if you're here sick and needy, stand toe-to-toe with Satan, and say, "It's written, 'By His stripes I'm healed.'" Stay with it and watch what happens.
There'll be a difference around Macon here with the sick folks. Take God at His Word. He'll do it.
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.
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 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Matthew 4:5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
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.
Matthew 4:8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Matthew 4:9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Matthew 4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
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 4:4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Luke 4:5 And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Luke 4:6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Luke 4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
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:
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
40 Now, in this covenant: When he made the covenant with Abraham there... Now notice, in the Old Testament... Now, when we make a covenant with one another here in America, how do we do it? We walk out and shake one another's hand. Say, "Let's shake on that." That's the way we make a covenant.
Down in Japan, when they make a covenant, they take a little salt and pitch it on one another, like that, to make the covenant.
But in the Orient, how they make a covenant: They kill a beast. And they stand between this beast, the pieces of the dead body, and they write out their covenant, whatever they made, sign their name to it. They tear it in half, give it to one man, the other man keeps the other half. And then, they take an oath over this dead beast's body. If either one of them breaks this covenant, let them be as the dead beast.
41 And that's what God was showing, that He was going to do in the days to come. That, when God came down here on earth in the form of the Lord Jesus Christ, walked among men, and He was taken to Calvary and torn apart. And God taken the body up to His right hand and sent down the Holy Ghost upon the church. And when we come together again, them pieces, just like the old covenant, it's got to dovetail one with the other. And if you ever go in the rapture, you're going to have to have the same Spirit in you that was on Jesus Christ. That's God's covenant with His church. Amen.
Don't you take a cold formal handshake. You take a heart-warming experience from God of being born again. Don't care where you belong. Yes, sir. 'Cause God... Remember, when these two met together, if these didn't dovetail, it was throwed out. It had to be the same thing. And the same Spirit was upon Christ, has to be on the church.
God taken the body of Christ and set it on His right hand, the power above, and He sent the Holy Ghost back. And it's going around, looking out the church. And when they come together, it'll have to be the same body, same signs, same wonders, same baptism, same signs and wonders, same Gospel. Amen. That's right.
42 Notice. When He made the covenant, and He confirmed it there later on, Abraham went on. Glory to God. And after that experience he really had the victory then. He got to be ninety and nine years old, almost a hundred. God appeared to him in the name of the "Almighty God."
The word comes from the word ... the Hebrew word: El Shaddai, which means "the breast, the bosom of a woman." El Shaddai, the Almighty, the strength-giver, the nourisher---like the mother to the baby. When the little baby is fretting and sick, the mother pulls it up to her bosom and it nurses her strength and her life into it. And another thing it does, it means He's a satisfier. While the little baby is nursing ... it's satisfied while it's a nursing. It ain't well yet, but it's satisfied as long as it's drawing from the mother. And God is El Shaddai, the bosom, not one breast, two breasts.
He was wounded for our transgressions, with His stripes we were healed. He is God of our strength for spiritual; He's God of our strength for our physical. And no matter which one you need of it, move up to the breast tonight and take a hold of it. God's Word is going to... Nursing from it, you'll come back to health, and strength. The strength of the Holy Ghost lays in God's promise. [Unclear word]. Take up there one time and take a hold.
Brother, I tell you, you see a little baby crawl up in his mammy's arms, he's just as satisfied. I don't care how his little tummy's a hurting, it's all right as long as he's nursing from mammy.
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.
43 Now, I'm telling you, a believer that once takes a hold of God's eternal Word for a promise, if anything come or go, he's satisfied. He's laying right there, nursing away, pulling the strength right out of God. By His stripes we were healed, wounded for our transgressions, with His stripes we're healed; pulling down the blessings of God, satisfied as he's laying there.
Come by, and say, "You don't look any better."
Say, "Glory to God, He healed me." Amen. Stay right with it.
Say, "You ain't got the Holy Ghost."
"That's what you think." Amen.
If you was only pulling from where I am, you'd think you had it too. That's right. Amen.
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.
44 "I'm El Shaddai, the Almighty. And He is still El Shaddai, the Almighty God, the pacifier to the saints. If the saint is sick, if he can hear the Word of God correctly, if he's a seed of Abraham, we are, being the seed of Abraham, when we are dead in Christ, we take on Abraham's seed and are heirs according to the promise. But first, you got to be dead in Christ, born of the Holy Ghost. The same Holy Ghost that led Abraham back there, leads you then. Then you believe like Abraham, what God said is truth and nothing else is going to work.
Don't care what anybody else says, what the bishop says, or what the pope says, or what anybody else says, if God's Word says it, that's truth to the believers and Abraham's children. The covenant's to you. When you're circumcised... Abraham was circumcised by flesh as a confirmation. You're circumcised, the heart, by the Holy Ghost as a confirmation.
Oh, my, I feel religious right now. I feel like I could almost shout, too. You know Baptists shout, also? Yes, they do. When they get right down to God, they really get into it.
Notice, brother, nursing from the breast of Almighty God, the nurser, the life-giver, our mother, our Father, the nurse-Father. My, my! What a picture we got here. Wish we could stay with it longer, but we have to hurry on.
Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
45 Anyhow, after the little baby was born, little Isaac, as God promised, they was a hundred years old, when the baby was born. Think of it.
Got to hit another little point here, like to take ... if you'll forgive me for taking your time. It's just a little encouragement to you. You might not agree with this at first, but you look it all over. This will give you something to do tomorrow in your spare time. Look this over in the Bible.
Now, when Abraham... When Lot took his choice, and went down to the plains down there in Sodom and Gomorrah... We realize how he was a lukewarm believer, and what happened to Lot. But God never did bless Abraham until he fully separated himself from Lot. Lot kept hanging on; he was a hair in the soup. He just absolutely couldn't go on.
Genesis 13:11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
46 And that's what's the matter today: We got little old Lots hanging around, and the reason that we can't go on with God. Somebody, one of the church members, said, "Well, if he preaches that, I'll get out of here."
Put the hair out of the soup, and go on, that's the only thing to do. Preach the Gospel (Amen.), regardless if you have to preach it to four posts. I'd rather lay on my stomach and drink branch water and eat soda crackers, and preach the true Word of God, than eat fried chicken every day and ride in a Cadillac. Amen. I'd rather do it, and know that you're right in the sight of God. Amen. I don't say that for a joke. This is no place for a joke, and I don't believe in joking, but that's the truth. Amen.
47 Now, I want you to notice. Then when this Angel came down, God Himself... Did you notice, Abraham talked to God in a body, a physical body, had dust on His clothes, eat the meat of a calf, drinking the milk from the cow, eat some corn bread that Sarah baked in there? God Himself. What did He do? He knowed He was going to be made flesh sometime, so way back here, to prove to Abraham, He just jumped up a bunch of calcium and a bunch of atoms and throwed them together and lived in that body. Come right down and had a appetite. Amen.
Abraham called him the LORD. That's right. He was. And as soon as He told Abraham what was going to happen, He vanished.
Sarah laughed when she thought (She was nearly a hundred years old.) was going to have a baby. Hundred years old and going to have a baby! Could you imagine that?
Now, brethren, let's say... We all know that Sarah gave birth to the baby. We'll all admit that. Look what God did. Now, here's some encouraging for all us old folks. Now, I want you to notice this. What it is ... and to you young ones that's coming on, to get old one of these days, watch what God did there.
I was up on a lake here, about six years ago, when that revelation come to me. And I tell you, they thought they had the Salvation Army out there. Oh, my. I was the noisiest guy they ever heard in their life.
Genesis 18:3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:
Genesis 18:8 And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.
Genesis 18:12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
48 Now, I tell you what God did. If you'll notice real closely, the Bible is this... That's where preachers miss it. That's where these big schools miss it. The Bible is wrote between the lines. The Bible said... Jesus, the Scripture claims, "I have hid it from the eyes of the wise and prudent and will reveal it to babes such as will learn." See, it's between the lines.
I got a little girl tonight, I married a few years ago; she's the mother of my three children. And she can write me a letter, she'd say, "Dear Bill, I'm sitting here tonight thinking of you, and I'm praying with you." Now, that's what she says on the letter. But between the lines, I love her and she loves me, so I know what she's talking about, see. I read between the lines.
And if you want to really read the Bible with a spiritual understanding, get in love with the Writer. Amen. Then you can read between the lines, see where God pulls it out.
Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
Luke 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
49 Notice. I can see Sarah there, little grandma, you know, great, great, great, great, great grandma, hundred years old nearly, little dust cap on, little shawl over her shoulders, walking on a cane. And you know what? Something happened. Now, you know it would be hard for that woman to give birth to a baby, anyone knows that. The first thing, Abraham had lived with her since she was about seventeen years old, and she was about forty-five years past menopause. Now, the impossible. But notice, Abraham, the longer it went, the stronger he got.
Now, today, if you get prayed for tonight and tomorrow you ain't perfectly well, you'd say, "Well, there ain't nothing in divine healing. I never got it." Then you're not a child of Abraham. That's right. 'Cause Abraham, the older he got, the greater miracle it was going to be.
So, he was strong giving praise to God, said Romans 4. The longer it went, the more blessing it would be; the more miracle it would be, longer it took. So, Abraham just kept getting stronger and stronger, giving glory to God. As his shoulders went down, down, he kept giving more praise to God.
Romans 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
50 Here's Sarah. Now, we know that God would have to make her womb fertile; we know that. Now, you're a mixed audience, you listen to a doctor, I'm your brother. Look. He'd have to make her womb fertile, because she was forty-five or fifty years past menopause. Think of it. When she was a young girl, and healthy and everything, then she didn't have babies. But here now, she's nearly fifty years past menopause, and now she's going to have a baby.
Now, He'd have to make her womb fertile. And besides that, if he was going to ... she was going to go... They didn't have Cesareans in those days, you know. So in order to give birth to that baby, to go in labor, she's going to have to have a new heart put in her, 'cause an old woman that old couldn't stand labor pain; you know that. All right. Then, she's going to have to go in labor, so she'd have to have another heart. And in order to do that... The milk veins was dried up, so they just had to have new milk veins put in.
Now, God don't patch up anything like that. What God did to Sarah: He turned her back to a young woman. Now, that kind of struck you a little bit, but just hold on. Now, don't jump up and run, see. Let's hold on just a minute.
51 He turned Abraham and Sarah, both, back to about twenty-five years old, like He's going to do everybody one of these days, that's His children. He showed in them what He was going to do to him and his seed, after him.
Notice. Sarah and Abraham immediately took a trip and went plumb to Gerar on camels. Follow it, take it on the map and see how far it is: about three hundred miles. Quite a trip for an old couple like that, don't you think? A hundred years old little grandma and her shawl, running along like this, and Abraham, with his beard hanging way down. My!
52 Went on down with a three-hundred mile trip. And above everything, there was a young king down there named Abimelech, and he was looking for a sweetheart. And all of those pretty girls around there, and he fell in love with this old grandma; wanted to marry her. Nonsense, brethren. Abraham said, "Sarah, you're fair." She was the prettiest woman there was. Amen.
And that man, with all them young women like that, wouldn't have wanted that old great-grandma with a little stick in her hand and a little shawl over her shoulder, little dust cap on, you know; he wouldn't wanted to take her for a wife. But God had turned her back into a beautiful young woman again, like He's going to do all the seed of Abraham some day. But what does old age or trouble mean, anyhow? Hallelujah! Doesn't mean a thing to the believer. Hallelujah! We'll laugh in the face of death one glorious day.
Genesis 12:11 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
Genesis 20:2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.
53 My wife looked at me the other day; I was combing what hair I had. She said, "Honey, you're almost bald-headed."
I said, "Yes, but I haven't lost a one of them."
She said, "You haven't?"
I said, "No."
She said, "Well, where are they at?"
I said, "Where was they before I got them? If you'll tell me where they was before I got them, they are there waiting for me in the resurrection." Hallelujah! Amen.
Every atom, everything that once made them are still there waiting. I've got the blessed old promise here, the Bible, and Calvary's cross, and the Holy Ghost confirming every word. Glory! Some glorious day when He shall come! Let fools sleep if it wants to, it don't make any difference to me. Amen. I know in whom I have believed, and am persuaded He's able to keep that I've committed to Him against the day. Amen.
54 Abraham [unclear words]. Abraham, couple mornings after, the Lord had met him there. I can hear him say, "Sarah, honey, why your gray hair's turning black again, and your little withered-out brown eyes are becoming just as black and shiny again."
Why, I hear to Abraham, "Your shoulders are straightening up; your beard is turning black again."
And the first thing you know, there they was back sweethearts again. Exactly. Wish I had time to go a little farther in it. But just before you get it, I want to show you grace again, brethren. So, this might kind of squeeze my Arminian brother's toes just a little, but I don't mean to do it, you see. But now look here, that you might know truth.
Now, Baptists, if you don't shout over this, I'm going to say, "You're backslid."
55 Notice, what he done. As soon as they got down there to Gerar, and Abimelech looked out and said, "Well, of all I've waited for, there she is." Little grandma now, see.
Why, it couldn't have been, brethren; that's silly to think such a thing, see. Well, she was a beautiful young woman. He took her over there and put earrings in her ears and fixed her all up.
That night... Now, he was a very good holiness brother. Now, he went to bed that night and said his prayers, and stretched his big feet out like that, and thought, Oh, tomorrow I'll marry this beautiful girl I've waited for her all my life, and there she is. Her brother sitting out there in the tent, but he said that was his sister and she said, 'That's my brother.' So, oh, they're fixing her all up and tomorrow's the wedding. My, my.
Genesis 20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
56 He dozed off to sleep and God appeared to him, said, "You're just as good as a dead man." Brother!
He said, "Well, what have I done? I'm just as ... just as innocent as anything."
He said, "You've got another man's wife."
"Why," he said, "well, Lord, you know the integrity of my heart." He said, "Didn't that man tell me that was his sister? Didn't she just say, 'That's my brother?'"
Said, "I know the integrity of your heart, that's the reason I kept you from sinning against Me. But if you don't restore her back, you're a dead man." Now look, a good boy, a good fellow, but it shows you the sovereign grace of God.
Said, "Her husband is My prophet. Now, I'll not hear your prayers, but you go back."
Genesis 20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.
Genesis 20:5 Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.
Genesis 20:6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.
Genesis 20:7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
57 "'My prophet?'"
God told him not to leave Palestine and he left; he's backslid. Not only that, but he's sitting out there telling a lie, saying, "A man's...", cared no more for his wife than to do something like that. But He said, "That's My prophet. Take her back and restore her, and let him pray for you." That's Scripture, brother.
I know that's... Where're you at, Baptists? What's the matter with you? That's right. There he was, him backslid, running from God, sitting out there telling a lie. Now, that don't give you license to lie, or anything, remember that. We'll straighten that out in a few minutes. All right. God made him pay for it. But, there he was sitting out there in that condition.
And God said, "He's My prophet. Go take his wife back to him, and let him pray for you and I'll heal you." So, he went out and did so.
Genesis 20:7 Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
58 Abraham, when he become older, first thing you know, the little fellow was born. Little Isaac, age about twelve years old, here he goes out. God had met him again and said, "Abraham, I know through this child you're to be the father of the nations, but I tell what I want you to do: I want you to take him out yonder to a mountain that I will show you, and I want you to take him up there and offer him up for a sacrifice."
Well, how is he going to be the father of nations, now about a hundred and fifteen years old, and here's the only child that he had, and take the little fellow out there and kill him? But, you notice, Abraham took the boy and some servants; didn't tell his mother. So, they went four days' journey out into the wilderness.
Genesis 22:2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
Genesis 22:3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.
59 Now, ordinary men can walk a good... Why, I patrolled for about seven years, walking thirty miles every day. And men in them days didn't ride in automobiles like we ride today, so they could probably easy go thirty miles, or, say, twenty-five miles. Well, say, four days' journey would be a hundred miles back. And then he lifted up his head and saw the mountains far off. And then when he got close to the mountains... (Watch; this is His sovereign grace here, watch him.), he said to the servants, he said, "Now, you stay here while the lad and I go yonder to worship. And the lad and I will return." Oh, my! Oh, my! "The lad and I..."
"How're you going to do it? You're taking him up there to kill him. But how are you going to do it?"
"It's not my business to figure it out," would say Abraham. "God gave the promise and I receive him as one from the dead. And God is able to raise him up from the dead." Amen. That's the children of Abraham. That's their hope they have in Him tonight.
Genesis 22:5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.
Genesis 22:6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.
Genesis 22:7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?
Hebrews 11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
60 So, they took the little fellow, put the wood on his back---very type of Christ (We're hitting just the high spots now.)--- and he walked up the hill. And when he got up top of the hill, way up the top mountain there, when he was going to offer the sacrifice, little Isaac, he said, "Father?" Said, "Here is the wood, and here is the altar, but where is the lamb, the sacrifice for the altar?"
And Abraham, with trembling voice, the old man looked around to him and said, "My son, God will provide for Himself a sacrifice."
He took his own son, bound his hands. Look, a double proof of our salvation tonight. God gave him a double ... we don't have... God proved it twice through Abraham and swore to it with His own hands (That's right.) that He keeps His covenant.
We don't have nothing to worry about, if God called us into His loving grace. Brother, I'm telling you, if you've ever been born again of the Spirit of God, you ought to be the happiest person in the world, 'cause you have eternal life, everlasting life; cannot perish. Amen. You're sowed with the incorruptible seed of God.
Genesis 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
61 If a seed goes in the ground, a grain of wheat, it cannot produce anything else but a grain of wheat. So, if you go around, say, "Well, praise the Lord, I've been saved, I've got the Holy Ghost," and living any kind of a life, you better get back to the altar to God again. 'Cause the incorruptible seed of God cannot be one thing ... you cannot be a wheat and a cocklebur at the same time. You've got to either be a wheat or a cocklebur. You all got cockleburs down here? All right, greenbrier, then, ever what you want to call it, some other weed, you see.
You can't be a wheat and a weed at the same time. If you've got the spirit in you of the life of wheat, you'll produce wheat. If you've got the spirit in you of the life of a cocklebur, it'll be a cocklebur. And if the Holy Ghost is in you, you'll believe God, love God, and act like a Christian. That's right. If it isn't, you'll know them by the fruits they bare.
Oh, what we need today is a good old-time Holy Ghost revival. What we need today is an old-time shaking again of the power of God, a moving of the mulberry bushes to go forward to battle again. God is giving the moving, if people will just listen to it and believe it.
62 Now, up on the mountain there. He took his own son, tied his hands behind him, laid him upon the altar, reached down and pulled out the knife, pulled the little fellow's throat back, and raised his hand to stab his own son to death. And about that time, the Holy Ghost caught his hand and said, "Abraham, stay your hand!"
Don't be scared to walk right down to the last row of life with Him. God will be there on the scene. He's Jehovah-jireh, "the Lord will provide a sacrifice." He will make a provision.
And about that time, he heard something bleat, and there was a little ram hooked in the wilderness by his horns. Where did that ram come from? They was a hundred miles from civilization. And they was up on top of the mountain where there's no water. How did that ram get there? God is still Jehovah-jireh. No matter what the circumstances is He can provide the sacrifice at anytime. Amen. No matter what the circumstance is in, He's Jehovah-jireh.
Genesis 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
Genesis 22:9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
Genesis 22:10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
Genesis 22:11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
Genesis 22:12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
Genesis 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
63 Now, look, it wasn't a vision. He walked over and picked up the ram, laid it upon there, and stabbed it with a knife and blood run out of it. It wasn't a vision he saw; it was actually a ram. It was Christ, the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world. Hallelujah! There He was, Christ. It wasn't a vision.
That lamb was spoke into existence in one minute, and went out of existence in another minute. The same way that God made Himself manifested in flesh before Abraham, and went out of existence in another minute.
He's the same God, that someday these atoms of ours will break and go out ... life will go out of this body, and He will speak it back into existence some day in the resurrection. He's Jehovah-jireh. How will He do it? I don't know. That's His business, but He said He would do it, and I believe Him. Jehovah-jireh, "the Lord will provide for Himself a sacrifice."
Genesis 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
Genesis 22:13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
64 No matter what it is, the lamb was there. He provided a lamb when he needed a lamb. When you're sick and you need healing, He'll provide for you. If you need salvation, He provides for you. If you need a revival, He'll provide for you. If the meal barrel's empty, He'll provide for you. Amen.
If you're all downhearted and drooped over, God will provide for you. "For He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, with His stripes we were healed." Amen. The Lord provided sacrifice, the Lord provided Lamb.
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.
65 Here not long ago I was taking a little story on old, blind Bartimaeus. It said that he was a blind man for years and years. During the time of his married life, while he was blind, he had a little girl born in the home. And the little girl, he'd never seen her in his life.
So, one night, he used to ... well, he used to sit up at the gate, at Jericho and different places. He had two little turtledoves that done little tumbles, like that, back and forth, to entertain the tourists that come by, so they could give him a coin, to make his living.
And the poor old fellow...) One night his wife got sick; he goes out and he prays. He said, "Jehovah, if You'll only let her live, I promise You tomorrow I'll offer these two turtledoves for You for a sacrifice." And his wife got well. He kept his word and went up and offered the turtledoves.
66 Not long after that his little girl got sick. And she was ready to die; the doctor had give her up. He went up and he said, "Jehovah, if You'll only heal my little girl, tomorrow ... I only have one thing to give You, that's my lamb." And today they got dogs that leads the blind around; them days they had lambs that led the blind around.
So, he said, "I've got a lamb here that leads me, where I'm blind. That's all I got. But if You'll just heal my little girl, I promise You I'll give you this lamb tomorrow."
He went back in, the fever left the little girl. The next morning he was on his road up to offer the lamb for a sacrifice.
When he passed by Caiaphas, the great high priest was standing there, said, "Blind Bartimaeus, where goest thou this morning?" It was a beautiful spring morning. Said, "Where you going, blind Bartimaeus?"
He said, "Oh, high priest," he said, "I'm going up to the altar to offer this lamb." He said, "My girl was sick and God healed her, and I promised that I'd offer ... give this lamb today."
"Oh," he said, "blind Bartimaeus." Said, "You can't offer that lamb, blind Bartimaeus." Said, "I'll give you some money and you go buy a lamb."
He said, "Oh high priest, all that's appreciated, but I never offered God a lamb, I offer Him this lamb." And this is the lamb. God have mercy, the lamb. And he said, "I offered Him this lamb, I promised Him this lamb."
And he said, "Blind Bartimaeus, you cannot offer that lamb; that lamb is your eyes."
He said, "That is right, oh, high priest, but if I keep my promise to God, God will provide a lamb for blind Bartimaeus' eyes."
67 He went on and kept his word to God. On one cold November day, sitting by the side of the gates of Jericho, shivering in his rags, with no turtledoves, alone. They heard a noise. Usually, Jesus around there's a lot of noise. They said, "What's the matter."
Said, "Jesus of Nazareth comes by."
He screamed, "Oh, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me." God had provided a Lamb for blind Bartimaeus' eyes, because he kept His promise to blind Bartimaeus.
Let me say this tonight, my dear brother, sister: That same Lamb that was provided for blind Bartimaeus eyes is provided for yours tonight. "For He was wounded for your transgressions, bruised for your iniquity." You say, "Can this be applied at this time?" He's Jehovah-jireh. He will provide if you will believe. Shall we pray.
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.
Mark 10:46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
Mark 10:47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.
Luke 18:35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:
Luke 18:36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.
Luke 18:37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.
Luke 18:38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.
68 Our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee tonight for the provided Lamb. Praise the Lord for sinners slain. Give Him glory all ye people, for His blood can wash away each stain.
We're so thankful for that Lamb of God that was provided back there, come from the foundations of the world. All down through the ages they've drawed remuneration from His great, supreme sacrifices. Tonight, Lord, we pray that You'll let every blind man that's blind in sin and trespasses, walking around and stumbling in darkness not knowing where he goes, may he tonight look to God, to the Lamb of God, and receive his spiritual sight at this time.
Grant it, Heavenly Father. For we ask it in the name of the Lamb of God, Thy beloved Child, the Lord Jesus.
69 While we have our heads bowed, I wonder if there'd be a sinner here tonight, say, "Oh, God, pass me not, O gentle Saviour."
[Gap in the audio.]
70 Father ... the boy run to Him, said, "Lord, have mercy on my child." Said, "I brought him to the disciples and seem like they can't do nothing for him." Said, "He has a bad spirit that throws him the fire, and makes him pine away, and he froths at the mouth, and falls into the water. The devil trying to kill him." They call it epilepsy today, but then it was a devil. It's still a devil.
And he said, "And I took him to the disciples they couldn't..." Said, "Lord, can You help me?"
Jesus turned around and said, "I can if you believe. For all things are possible to them that believe."
The father said, "Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief."
Oh, is that our cry, tonight? "Lord, I believe. Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief."
71 Now, in this vast audience here, I realize that there's many people, and many I don't know. Frankly, there's none that I know expect my own associates that's here with me, and this minister. I can't call his name, but he was with me the other day at the hotel. He's one of the chairmen, or something, on the committee. He's the only one that I know of. There's another minister with him, but I believe that I don't know who the man was.
Now, if Jesus, the Son of God, has raised from the dead, He will do the same thing in His resurrection, if He is the same, that He did when He was here on earth. Is that right?
When He was here on earth, He did not claim to be a healer. He said, "I do nothing of Myself. The Father shows Me what to do and then I go do it. I do what the Father shows me." Is that right? "I do nothing of myself. Verily, Verily I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father doing, that doth the Son likewise. The Father worketh, and I worketh hitherto."
John 5:17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
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.
72 Now, to make that plain to some of you, you new converts. Jesus said, "I can't heal the sick, I can't do a thing. First, the Father shows Me a vision, and then I go act it out in drama, and do just what He told Me to do."
Look at the grave of Lazarus. Look at all the places through the Bible. He did just as the Father showed Him. He passed by the sick, the afflicted, dead, died on every hand, and everything; but when the Father showed Him what to do, He went and done it.
Now he said, "The things that I do shall you do also. And a little while and the world---the unbeliever---won't see me no more. Yet you shall see Me; you'll see Me."
He promised that He'd be with us to the end of the age, the end of the world. The world hasn't come to the end, yet. "Jesus Christ," the Bible said in Hebrews 13:8, "is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Is that right?
Well, my contention is here in Georgia, as it has been three times around the world now, that Jesus raised from the dead, and is alive tonight among men. And He's here in the same principle, same power, same signs, same wonders, working in His church; continuing the work with His church that He paid for while He was here on earth, with His Supreme sacrifice. I believe that with all my heart. I believe it because the Bible said so, and because God comes and confirms it to be so.
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.
John 14:19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
73 What do you think Jesus would do if He was here tonight? He'd be doing the same thing He did then. He looked out... There's a fellow named Philip, got saved (this is for the newcomers). A fellow named Philip got saved. He went out and called his friend, Nathanael. He found him under a tree, praying. Now, listen close. So he said, "Come, see who I found, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
Why, the man was a very good church member, real aristocratical sort of a fellow. He said, "Could there come any good thing out of Nazareth?"
It was a mean little old city; cutthroats and things lived there. He said, "Come and see." That's a very good answer. "Come and see."
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.
74 Well, he came, and when he walked up, perhaps, maybe as many people as standing here, was standing around where our Lord was speaking. And when He was speaking to people, well, the first thing you know, why, up come Philip, walking along, with Nathanael with him. Nathanael looked over to see Him, Jesus standing in the prayer line. He might have been in a prayer line, anyhow; he was in the presence of Jesus. And He looked over and said, "Behold, an Israelite in whom there is no guile."
Now, if I'd say it in the words today, I'd say, "You're a Christian, an honest man." Quite astonishing.
He said, "Rabbi, when did you know me?"
Why, He said, "Before Philip called you, when you was under the tree I saw you."
He said, "Thou art the Son of God. You're the King of Israel."
He said, "Because I told you that, you believe? You'll see greater things than this." Because then, he just become a believer, you see. He could see greater things. And he did, and his name's immortal tonight.
What did the educators, and Pharisees, and religious of that day say about Him? They said, "He's a fortune-teller. He's Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. And He casts out devils by the prince of the devils."
Jesus said, "Now, if the devil cast out devils, then his kingdom's divided and can't stand." The devil cannot heal the sick.
Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
Matthew 12:26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?
Mark 3:22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
Mark 3:23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
Luke 11:15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.
Luke 11:18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.
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.
John 1:50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
75 Someone got me the other day on that; they called me up on the telephone, said, "I'll differ with you." Said, "Look, when Moses and Aaron when down," and said, "those magicians done everything that Moses did."
I said, "Whoop, wait a minute. The magicians could bring the curses but they couldn't take them away. Healing lays in God alone." Amen. That's right. They could bring it. When boils broke out, they broke out, too. That's right. They could bring the curse, but they couldn't take it away. 'Cause God, "I am the Lord thy God that forgiveth all of thine iniquities, who healeth all of thy diseases." Comes through God alone.
Exodus 7:10 And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
Exodus 7:11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
Exodus 7:12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
Exodus 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
Psalm 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
76 Now, I want you to remain seated. Now, in the line there, the prayer line, I suppose I'm strange to each and every one. Is that right? If you are, raise your hand. If you all are stranger to me, raise your hand. How many out in this audience that doesn't have a prayer card, and you want God to heal you tonight, raise your hand, regardless... Oh, it's just a solid mass, you see.
I will say this: If I have correctly represented Jesus Christ to you, and I claim that this is a divine gift sent from Him... Then, if Jesus, standing in a crowd, and a woman touched His garment, and He looked out in the crowd and found her... If blind Bartimaeus, and all that mass over there, could be in such agony... Jesus couldn't hear him, of course; the distance is from here to the other end of the place there, and thousands of people standing around. But his faith touched Him. He said, "Thy faith has made thee whole," see. "Thy faith..."
He looked upon the people, perceived their thoughts; the woman touched His garment, run out into the audience. He looked around. He said, "Somebody touched me. I got weak; virtue went out."
And He looked around over the audience to see who it was; directly He seen the little woman. He said, "Now, your faith ... your blood issue stops," see. Because she believed!
Matthew 9:22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
Mark 5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
Mark 5:34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
Mark 10:52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
Luke 8:45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
Luke 8:48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
77 Now, Jesus is alive tonight, making Himself manifested in the spirit of men. He did even before the cross. That seems to be a hard thing for people to understand, somehow. Before the cross, Jesus was in Moses. Jesus was in David. Jesus was in Joseph. Look at his life, carried out, just exactly portrays the life ... the life of Christ, two thousand years even before He was born, see. And He's here after the cross; He died that He could come back and be among men. So, He's among men tonight, alive. How many believe it? God bless you.
Of course, you know I'm talking, waiting for something. I tell you just what it is: It's this person right here, the Angel of Lord. Exactly, the pillar of fire, of the Lord. I'm just as you: a man, a poor ... born a sinner, saved by grace, just like you.
And many of you old-timers here tonight, was back yonder preaching, the old Baptist, and Methodist, and Pentecostal, and Nazarene, was back yonder preaching when I was a little boy. I respect you, my brother. You've made the way, hewed out the stumps and things so when these things come along, they could run clear. I respect you and so does God. If there's any credit to be given at the day, I want to stand and see you get it. God bless you.
78 Now. Now, His presence is here. Now in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, I take every spirit here under my control.
[Gap in the audio.] Now, listen. Be quiet. Don't move around; just sit still; pray.
Who needs prayer? Look this way, you without prayer cards. And you with prayer cards, when you come here, if He goes to speaking to you, don't say... Just wait, let Him get through talking, then you'll know what He's speaking of. See what He tells you to do. Sometime when you break up, then you break the vision, you see? And that stops me. 'Cause I hear you talking, and back here, maybe here's a little girl or little boy talking, and then it brings me out of the vision. Just let Him get through talking, and hear me ask you, and then the vision's over, see. Now, be reverent everywhere.
79 Now, is this the lady? Now, if you will, someone watch time. And Brother Woods, you watch real close tonight if you can; don't let me stay too long, but let me stay as long as possible.
Now everybody real reverent, and be in prayer.
Now, you can imagine my position standing here before this, I suppose, three thousand people, right on it, maybe more. And standing here, to this woman, a stranger. Would you like to walk up and take the place, before the audience? Neither would I, but I'm depending on Him, the Lord Jesus. He promised, said, "I will be with you."
And He has been to this time, and I believe He will. And will help me now, 'cause I believe Him and I trust Him. And I believe that He will do it. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, surely will help us tonight.
And let's just keep in prayer. And if He talks, believe on the Lord with all of our heart. And I trust that the Lord Jesus will bring these things to pass, each one.
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.
80 All right, sister. Now, just a little talk with you... Now, the first thing I see, 'course you're wearing glasses, you see. Well, now, being that you're the first patient here, are we strange to each other? We don't know each other? Our first time meeting tonight? Just so the people will know that, would you raise your hand, so that they'll know that we... There's just no way at all, I ever know you; you're a perfect stranger to me.
But God has knowed you since you were born and before you were born. He's knowed me the same way. Now, if I was ... if you need healing of your body, I don't know. But if you do (see), if I could do it, I would. If I wouldn't, I'd be a brute (see), if I could do it, and wouldn't do it. But I can't do it, because it isn't in man to do it; it's God. [Unclear words.]
Now, if He will let me know, just like you and I talking, like the woman at the well of Samaria talked to the Lord Jesus. He talked to her just long enough to get a conversation to strike her spirit. And that's what I'm doing; the same thing. Just to know: If He will reveal to me what you're here for, will you accept it as His presence, and Him doing it, and will believe then? You'll accept it? If it's for finances, you believe He will get it? If it's for salvation, you believe He will get it, and if it's ... whatever you ask Him, you believe you'll get it? If God will reveal it to me what you're here for, then it shows He knows what you want. Will the rest of you all do the same: believe with all your heart? All right, just believe.
81 Now, as I look to you, as Peter and John said at the gate called Beautiful, to the crippled man, "Look on us," see. 'Course, he was trying to see ... perhaps the vision struck, as it does for all things, showed him that the man could walk. He just picked him up, because he knowed he could walk, after he had seen the vision that he could walk.
Now to you, your trouble ... you've got a hernia in your back. It's in your back, where your trouble is. Then, also, you've had an examination of some sort, and it's a growth on your spine. You have a growth on your spine. And then I see him looking at your wrist. You got a growth on your right wrist, got above a little knot. You can't see it here, but it's there anyhow. That is truth.
Then you're not from here. I see you come from the south, this way. And you're passing a street, walking; it's got a lot of great big palm trees, and you're by a seashore. You live in a city where the sea rolls in and out like this, and it's a ... it looks like I ought to know. It's [unclear word]. You're from Miami. That's where you're from. That's right, you are. Now go back home and be well. Jesus Christ can make you well, in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
Acts 3:3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
Acts 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
82 Have faith in God. Don't doubt; believe. You shall have what you ask for, if you can only believe.
Now, oh, if I could only ... my audience could only know what a feeling that there puts on you. I just feel like I'm shaking to pieces right now, see. It's because of that woman's healing.
Now, it just seems like it streams from out in there, just pouring every way. What is it? You're conscious now that Something's here besides man, see. And your spirit... See, it isn't me that does this. You're the one who does it, see. The woman... It wasn't Jesus healed the woman; the woman caught this, pulled it through Jesus. It's God's gift, but your faith is pulling God's gift, see. God can use His gift, or you can use it.
Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
83 Now, see, this woman standing here. I suppose we're strangers to one another, lady? Well, God knows you, doesn't He? I don't. But if God will reveal to me, just for His glory, which you know that He receives all the glory, for man cannot do those things. Now, if He will reveal to me what you're here for, will you believe it, and accept ... that you believe that you'll get what you ask for?
It's some contact with somebody else. You are... You suffer with a trouble that upsets your stomach, but it's under your right side, which is a gallbladder. You have gallbladder trouble. And you have, I believe, it's a blood condition: diabetes, also. You have sugar diabetes.
And I see someone standing near you. You're ... it's a young man, kind of husky. It's your son; he's a preacher. And he's with somebody that's got ... wearing [unclear words] or something another, that's got a [unclear words]. No, it's Foursquare, a Foursquare preacher. And he's kind of a husky fellow, and he's redheaded. That's right. Go home, you have what you ask for. Your faith makes you well. Amen.
84 Come. Do you believe? God bless you, lady. We're strangers to each other. 'Course I can see your trouble; it's this place on your nose. Now you look to me just a moment. Maybe... Seeing that's your trouble, maybe God will tell me something else that you can see... Anyone can see that, you see. Like, if you go out here and say, "This man sitting here is crippled in a wheelchair." Anybody sees that. "This man here on the stretcher, this man here," sure, anybody sees that. But the thing that somebody looks well, and then the mysterious part ... what about them? That's the part.
Now, you look to me. You'll realize that Something's come over you now. That is the Spirit of the Lord. Now, that is a growth that you're afraid of being a cancer. And that was caused ... you got it hurt. You hurt your nose sometime ago, and it's been coming like that, growing up to this place. And somehow another, between you and I, there comes great roaring waves, like water roaring. And you're leaving ... you're going through some ... it's a sea. You're a missionary. And you're from, I believe, it's Bermuda Islands, or somewhere, in one of those places where ... off of a ... [The sister says, "Bahamas."] Yes. Where you're ... and you're trying to go back, aren't you? ["Yes."] God bless you.
Have faith in God. Believe.
85 Lady, are we strangers to each other? We are strangers to each other. I don't know you, but God knows you. Now, quickly, I begin to see like a little dark shadow moving, and it's a wearisome spirit, causing you to be nervous. You get real nervous, don't you? You have a nervous condition, especially... I see you in kind of a late of a afternoon, like that, you get your most nervous, and sometimes you sit down from your work. That's right.
Then you have something wrong in your back, kidney trouble, that's in your back. Then you got... You're wearing your glasses, and that's from weak eyes. And that was caused from some kind of a something that happened, like a ... I'd say smallpox, or something, settled in your eyes long ago. ["Yes."] That is true.
You believe you're in His presence? Do you believe that that's Him speaking through me? That wasn't my voice then; that was His. Now, this is mine. Do you believe then, if He [unclear words] lay hands on you? What'd He say would happen? "They shall recover." Is that right? Come here. This I do in obedience to the commandments of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Let this woman be healed. Amen. God bless you, sister. Go rejoicing now, and God be merciful and bless you.
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.
86 How do you do, lady? Do you believe with all your heart? We're strangers to each other, I suppose? Oh...
You want to get healed of that throat trouble? You was healed then. Jesus Christ made you well, lady. Amen. Amen.
See, you don't need your prayer cards. You don't have to have them. You just have to have faith in God. Just look this way and believe that I've told you the truth. See, that's all I ask you to do.
The lady was sitting there praying. And she was praying, said, "Lord, let the man turn around and call me and I will accept it." If that's right lady, wave your hand, raise up your hand and wave. See, just quoting your prayer to you, see.
You're in this dimension, you're not in this world, you're somewhere else, see. Oh, isn't He wonderful? He's raised from the dead. Why don't you say, "Praise be to the living God, the great Jehovah." He's not left His people without a witness. He's come to us in this day, and we worship Him and praise Him with all of our heart. Amen.
87 Now, look this way just a moment, lady, that I might be able to say something to you, perhaps that would help you. I hope so. It'll have to come through God, you know that. I see you... You've been to a doctor, and a doctor was examining a left eye. And it was in some sort of a place like a... No, this is... Yes, now wait, there's another vision moving into my ... that's far back behind me. You was in a place where they operated or burnt something or another, burnt a growth off your eye. And then it's come back again, and this doctor tells you it has to be cut out now. That's the truth. Do you believe that Jesus will let you get well? Come here.
Almighty God, in the name of Him who sees between us, God be merciful to the woman. May she be well and live a long life. In Jesus' name I ask it. Amen. God bless you, lady. Go now, and be healed. Have faith. Don't doubt.
88 Do you believe, lady? Now, we're strangers to one another. But there's one thing that's sure: God knows us both, doesn't He? You're suffering with a hideous thing called cancer, and then the death spirit hanging near you. And one thing you need worse than that, it's salvation to the soul. That's right. Will you accept Jesus as your Saviour, now? You're a sinner. If you will repent now and give your life to Christ, Christ will heal you. Do you give Him your life?
Almighty God, her sins be forgiven her. And I pray, God, that You'll take every sin away, and heal her tonight and make her well. I condemn the devil that's bound this woman. Come out of her, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
All right, little lady, you've cried hard. You know you've been condemned. On your road to here you were praying that God would do something for you. You was ready to repent. Is that right? And your sins are forgiven, now. Go on your road rejoicing, and serve the Lord Jesus. Amen.
89 Now, I didn't read the woman's mind. Now, this woman here, lay your hand over on my hand just a minute. I won't look her in the face. If God will reveal to me what's wrong with you standing here like this, never looking at you, will you believe that Jesus sent me? Will you do it, lady? You have diabetes. Jesus Christ makes you well. Is that right? Go on your road rejoicing.
You don't have to do that. Just let me have your hand a moment, lady. I see you trying to get out of a bed, lady. You're stiffened in your body; it's arthritis. Is that right? Go off the platform. Jesus heals you, makes you well.
Come, will you, lady. Come.
Just a moment. Where's the colored people? It's you, on the cot. Do you believe me as God's prophet? You have no prayer card, do you? Do you believe that God can tell me what's wrong with you? Will you accept me as His prophet and obey me? Then get up from the cot, and go home and eat your supper. Jesus Christ will make you well. Amen.
90 Lady, do you believe that God heals you of diabetes? Go on your road rejoicing, and be made well. Jesus Christ heals you. Amen. Let's say, "Praise be to the living God." Let us say, "Praise be to God."
All right, sister, do you believe me? Jesus make you well. Believe with all your heart. Jesus Christ heals you. Go on your road rejoicing, saying, "Thanks be to God."
Sir, what if I told you, you was healed standing in the line? Would you believe me? You are, my dear brother. Go on the road [unclear words] and enjoy it.
Come. Do you believe, lady? Go eat your supper. Jesus Christ heals you of stomach trouble now. You can go be made well.
Do you believe?
91 Come, lady. Do you believe with all your heart? Do you believe me to be God's servant? The kidney trouble leaves you then. Go on your road rejoicing, and your back made well. You can go on home made well, in Jesus' name.
Come. Do you believe?
Just a moment. Do you believe me, lady? Look at this foul, black streak coming across this way. Don't you see it? Here it is. It's them two women sitting right back there in that second row. Both of you are suffering with female trouble, lady's trouble. That's right. You have the same thing. All three of you stand up. Jesus Christ heals all three of you. There goes the streak away from you. Go on your road rejoicing, and be made well. Have faith in God.
92 The lady sitting right back there with back trouble, do you believe Jesus Christ makes you well? Do you believe it with all your heart? If you do, you can receive it. God bless you. Go home and be made well, if you can believe. Amen.
You want to get over that hay fever? Do you believe that God will make you well? You do? All right, He heals you. Lay your hand on that lady next to you there; she has heart trouble. Let's see if she'd get healed, too. Lord Jesus, I pray that You'll bless her also, and make her well. Amen.
You know the reason she was healed ... lady, with the baby? That heart trouble you've been having, this lady here had heart trouble, too. You was both healed at the same time. So, you can go home and be made well. God bless you.
And now, you had the same thing; it left at the same time it left from her; there's that same hook up right like that. You're healed. Go home rejoicing and be made well. Hallelujah.
93 Do you believe? Have faith in God.
Your arthritis is gone. Go home. Amen.
You want to get over that phlebitis, sitting back there? Do you believe that God makes you well? Your faith healed you just then, lady. Rise to your feet; Jesus Christ makes you well.
Come, lady. Your anemic condition is gone, also. So, you can go on your road rejoicing. Amen.
(Just a minute, just a minute; can't get my breath).
Do you believe? All right, your female trouble's gone from you. Have faith.
94 Is this one of the patients? Are you the patient, sir? Do you believe? Do you believe on me as God's prophet? I believe you're telling the truth. You've been hurt. You've been struck with a piece of steel or metal, and you've had a brain operation. I see something like trains, or railroad. You had an operation. You're a Catholic, also, by faith. You're a Catholic. And your name is Davis; your first name's Walter. You live at 909 Second Street. Go home, sir. Pray the Lord Jesus; He makes you well. Jesus Christ grant it to you.
Why don't you get up, with gallbladder trouble, laying on that cot, lady. Rise up, in the name of the Lord Jesus.