Faith
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1 Good evening, friends. Happy to be back in the house of the Lord again tonight in the service of the great King. Been a wonderful day: had fellowship with many of our brethren this morning, having breakfast with them and just had a wonderful time, enjoying this day greatly.
And now, tonight to get right straight as quick as we possibly can... We're just a little late. And beginning at eight o'clock is what throws me off. I think that's pretty late at home. And last... Usually I speak just a little long, because I try to get just as much in as I can, knowing we just got five nights ... and two nights after this; and it's not long enough. If we had about two weeks...
2 See, the first thing, you have to get used to each other. As I used to say, get all the spooks away where we won't be afraid of each other and know that we're not here to harm one another. We're here to help one another. And so, then, usually a person when they're healed, too, oh, right away they're just feeling marvelous.
And now, if you don't know the approach of how to hold that healing, it'll come right back, and you'd be worse than you was the first time, see. Now, sickness is the devil. We know that. You can't pin that on God. God don't make people sick. God makes people well.
And so you... The Bible said, "When the unclean spirit's gone out of a man, he walks in dry places and returns again with seven other devils worse than he was." Now, if the good man of the house isn't there to keep him off and know the very attack that he's going to make, then it's worse.
Matthew 12:43 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.
Matthew 12:44 Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.
Matthew 12:45 Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.
Luke 11:24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
Luke 11:25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
Luke 11:26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
3 Just like a growth, it's a life. It's got a life in it. That life is growing like a cancer. It developed from one little cell. You developed from one cell. You come from a blood cell through your father. And that was a blood cell. And it went into the womb, and there it begin to multiply cells, and it brought forth a child. It growed into the size person you are now. Tear it down and go right down to one cell, then what's after that one cell? Is a life. That life is a spirit. Your spirit come from God.
But where did that cancer, which is developing cells, where did it come from? It come from one cell. But what's behind that cell? Is another life. And what life is that? A life of death. God can't be... Life can't be associated with death. They don't agree.
4 Jesus never preached a funeral. Death and life can't stay together at the same time, see. So, they come from the devil. Then when that... We're not dealing with that growth. We're dealing with the life in that growth, that's making it grow. And when that life goes out, it shrinks. When anything dies, it actually shrinks. How many in here ever killed a wild animal, a deer or anything? Let's see your hand. All right. You weigh it soon as you kill it.
And just let it lay there, and tell the boys how much it weighs, and in the morning weigh it again. See how far off you are. Shrinks. An undertaker, be here telling the same thing about a human body when you die. It begins to break down. They tell you it's a artificial eye or teeth, they take them out, because they'll push out.
5 But then, it's like a little animal run over in the street, a little dog or something. But leave him lay there for about seventy-two hours and watch what takes place. He's way bigger than he was the first time, see. It shrinks, then it goes to swelling. Well, as soon as that growth begins to swell and the patient'll say, "Oh, I'm so sick. Oh, I'm so sick. I lost my healing." That's a sign you got your healing. You just got it vice-versa.
And I suppose in the afternoon service, they're teaching those things anyhow. So, in the big campaigns we try to get that in. And in my tent, I'm going to try do it myself in the afternoon service, give the instructions of how to approach, how to maintain your healing. Just as much to know how to maintain it as it is to receive it.
6 And then, if you don't... Just like salvation: you accept Christ, and the first thing you know, immediately the devil take... How many in here is borned again? Let's see your hands. Praise the Lord for that. How many was tempted and went through temptation immediately after you was borned again? Let's see your hands. Everyone of you. Sure. If you didn't, you wasn't born again. See, you've got to have... Every son that cometh to God first's got to be chastised, child trained, no exception, every son, every person that comes without exception.
Well, then, what happens? This growth begins to break up. If it's a growth on the inside of you, the impurities, it'll give you a fever. Sure it will, because a heart's got to beat that through and purifies the blood stream. And certainly, you got to get worse right away. But you won't get worse for about seventy-two hours, 'cause that's when corruption sets in.
Hebrews 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 And it's just like if you was a cancer and going to take you off the earth, you wouldn't deal with the way of healing just to take your body away; just take the life out of it and it'll automatically go away. So that's the main thing, is we're dealing with the spirit. "In My name, they shall cast out demons," the devil.
Now, a lot of times, we have a person like that's deaf, that can't hear. Well, the doctors say, if there's any operation he can do, if a bone's been pulled out of place like in sometimes losing the teeth will pulling the jaw in, cut the bone ... cut the nerve, rather, he can't hear. The doctor sometimes in a operation, could correct that.
Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
8 But what if there's nothing there that he can't tell what done it? Just like a... My hand is turning black and blue. They can't understand why. It's got a transparent band around it here, shutting off the circulation. After while that hand will die. If the doctor ... the only thing he can work on is what he can see or feel. That's all he can do.
But what if it's a spirit in there? He can't see it, feel it, no way to contact it, only in the supernatural. Well, they say, "That's the same thing about hearing." They say, "He's just deaf." But what makes him deaf, doctor? The nerves died in his ear. But what made them die, doctor? They didn't die all over him. So just why did it die in the ear?
9 Now, the Bible said it's a deaf spirit. The Bible said it's a deaf spirit. And when the deaf and dumb (see), the deaf and dumb spirit came out of the man, he could speak and hear, see. It's a spirit. What happened? That transparent band that our physicians and working on the anatomy, what they have been trained to work on, they can't find it. They know the nerve went dead, but what made it go dead? That's the next thing.
Now, the Bible said it's a devil. All right, when you've get that thing released, first thing you're going to get feeling in there. And why, your hand will be all right. If nature isn't interrupted, every cell will produce just exactly of its kind. Yes, it all has to be of the devil---all sickness.
Mark 9:25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
10 Remember, before we had any sickness, we had no sin. And sickness is an attribute of sin. When sin came in, sickness followed it. And so sickness is to shorten your days. And it's of the devil.
And some people, those people... If you ever hear of people say, "It's such a blessing; God makes people sick so He can bless them," that's thinner than a broth made out of a shadow of a chicken that's starved to death. Don't you never believe such a thing as that. That's not Scripture.
If it is, Jesus Christ defeated His own purpose when He come to the earth and healed them that was sick and afflicted. He came to the earth to defeat exactly what He come to do, then. So, see, that won't hold water. No, sir. No, sir, Jesus came to rid sickness, and to rid sin, and to rid every [unclear word].
11 And you can't deal with sin in any manner unless you're dealing with sickness. That's right. Now, He just didn't die for one stripe, made Him ... for sickness and the other one for salvation. It was all through giving of salvation. "He was wounded for our transgressions; with His stripes we were healed."
Just like if a big serpent had his foot in me and was tearing my side out, there's no need of cutting his foot off and arguing whether I'm cutting his foot off or not. Just knock him in the head; it kills the whole thing. So that's the way it is about sickness and sin. If you knock sin in the head, you kill the whole thing. That's all, 'cause it's just an attribute of 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.
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.
12 And so that's the way it is, and we must understand how to approach it. And now, you pastors here, just remember, last night especially, after I left the platform, you'll find out, that after I'm gone a long time, you'll find out women and men will be testifying to you that they're healed, and they don't know it. That's right. It left. I could ... why, I was so weak for a long time after the service was over. And I know that many things happened, that the people hasn't found it out yet. But it's true.
Now, quickly to the Word. And I know I'm holding you too long, 'cause my wife told me so. And said you was... Sorry. Pastor Boze wanted to know if I'd ask everybody if they could hear all right. Can you hear all right? Can you hear up in this side? Over here, they... Can you hear over here? All right, back in the back of the main auditorium, can you hear all right? If you step it up just a little bit back there, ever who's doing the engineering.
13 And now, quickly, let's pray and ask the Lord to bless us in His Word. And then we'll go right straight to the healing service.
Heavenly Father, we stand in Thy august presence here now tonight to bow our heads to express to Thee the very adoration of our hearts. We love Thee with unchangeable love. Twenty-five years ago, You placed that divine love in my heart for the Lord Jesus, and it grows sweeter every day. I'm so happy that we grow in the Lord, till we become in the full stature, the measure, the stature of Christ.
And today, see through a dark glass, but when we see Him face to face, then we'll know as we are known. And here we have troubles and trials, but the attributes of our salvation being so dear to us... But someday when life is over, it does not yet appear just what kind of a body we'll have, but we know we'll have a body like His own glorious body, for we shall see Him as He is.
And then, we'll have no more prayer for the sick, no more sermons to the sinner. It'll all be over. And Father, while it's called the day, let us walk, for the night cometh when no man can work. We ask it in Christ's name, that He'll take over this service tonight, and deal with hearts, and be in the Word, and encourage people, Father, to believe. For in Thy beloved Son's name, we ask it. Amen.
John 9:4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
14 This blessed Word of God which I do love to read. I want to read a portion out of Romans, the 4th chapter, the 18th verse.
And against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations (Listen at this.) ... and the promise should be fulfilled.
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither ... the deadness of Sarah's womb:
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
May the Lord add His blessings now to His Word. Been hearing good reports today of the things that's happened in our little meeting here in this little congregation as small as it is gathered. Yet, the Holy Spirit has met with us and blessed us.
Romans 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
Romans 4:19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
Romans 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
15 Now, we're speaking tonight upon Faith. And I thought it would be nice, maybe, if we would use this great character of Abraham for an example of faith, because it was through Abraham the promise was given.
And we'll kind of review the life of Abraham just a little, because he was an outstanding character. And he was a man who believed God. And now, he had no great background to believe God, because it's commonly believed that he was from a family of idolaters. He came down from Babylon, (his family), dwelt in the land of Chaldea, the city of Ur, the valley of the Shinar, and was just an ordinary man. He was no Angel. He was just a man like you and I.
And God looking over the earth to see for a man that He could put confidence in, that would believe Him regardless of circumstances, He found Abraham, and called Abraham by election.
Genesis 11:31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.
16 Now, I want you to notice (This might take just a short time; I've got my watch before me so I won't go too long.), God, the infinite, eternal, immortal God knowed everything from the beginning, He knowed the end. There was a cycle like a panoramic, going around. And it's a perfect circle. That's eternity. There's no end to a perfect circle.
If you start on top of the platform tonight, you could bore right through to the ground, all the way through the ground, right into the earth and through the earth and out into space, You'd still have a perfect circle.
And that's the way eternity is: just endless. And then, when Satan upset this program, there was a little ... a block started back here and it just dropped down. And it comes along for a certain space, and it's called time. Then it goes back again. Now, it doesn't cease to be eternity. Some people say that we will be in eternity. We are now in eternity. Eternity just dropped down into a time limit, but it moves on.
17 Christ standing back at the beginning ... at the end, when it started, He foresaw everything that would be. And He just come down to redeem the sinner, and to bless us; and went up and standing at the other end of the road, making a blessed, old highway across the way, that scarlet streak of the blood. And some glorious day, we'll take a hold where she's tied to eterni... or time to time, and will give it a pull, and the church will be lifted out, and eternity will roll on just the same. He knowed all things. He had to be, to be infinite, the immortal.
And back there, when He saw that it would take something great, He had the program in His own mind, when He seen that Satan had...
18 Now, Satan cannot create. Satan can only pervert what God has created. And sin... Listen, sin is only righteousness perverted. Did you ever think of that? Anything that's sin...
For you to be married and live with a wife, that's exactly what God said. But to be immoral is pervert. It's the same act, but it's to pervert what God has made right, see. And all sin is righteousness perverted, and Satan perverts what God has made. And He made you to be a son or a daughter to Him, and Satan perverted you (See), changed your way of thinking, changed your mind, changed your appetite, changed your desire.
19 And what a good mess he's made out of the nations today. I think of how the nations has become so polluted. I'm speaking of ours in the U.S. All we've got down there is people with their heads sticking in the televisions, and radio, and this old silly music of rock-and-rolls, and all kinds of stuff like that. It's of the devil. It's of the devil.
And men and women will stay home from a prayer meeting to go and listen to that woman, Lucy, "Our Sister Lucy," or "Our..." Oh, some kind of silly thing. And what is it? I've got the crime records on it myself right from the files of the FBI which I have in my own possession, that all married, ninety percent of that, they're married four or five times, and caught on the street in filth and orneriness. And you stick your head to look at that, it shows what's in the heart.
20 A real, borned-again child of God loves the Word and stays with the Word and with the Bible. God help you Canadians. Don't never let that American pollution get in here. And that's right. Where did it come from? Where do you get it from? America. Where does America get it? From Hollywood. Where did Hollywood get it? From hell. That's exactly where it's at.
Why, it's stripped our women. It's made immoral everywhere. The whole world's become a conglomeration of immorality. I heard the other day that some mayor down in Florida was going to pass a law, that women had to dress orderly from the neck to the knees to come on the street. I'll move to Florida if it is. Yes, sir.
21 I'm so tired, you look this way and that way; everything is immoral. I had a little crucifix hanging up in front of my car. Some fellow was riding with me the other day. He said, "Hey, Brother Branham, I thought you was a Protestant."
I said, "I am."
He said, "That's Catholic."
I said, "When did the Catholics have the option on the cross?" That's the emblem of Christian faith. Little saints, dead people like Saint Cecilia and all them, them dead people that Catholics pray to, that's a sign of Catholicism---not the cross. Christ raised from the dead. Yes.
I said, "I see so much evil on the street. When I see that evil, I look at the cross and think, 'Oh, God, how I love You for saving me from such corruption.'" That's right. Let Him always be before our face.
22 Now, Abraham was called by election. Abraham is election; Isaac is justification; Jacob is grace; and Joseph is perfection. Now, in the beginning when God called Abraham, He called him not because he was a good man, but because God foreknew Abraham. God knew what Abraham would do. He knowed Abraham. He said, "I'll know that Abraham will raise his children to fear the Lord." God knowed him. God knows you.
That's the reason we... As Congressman Upshaw used to say, "We can't make ourself something that we hain't." That's right. No matter how much you try to impersonate, you can't do it. It's the sovereign grace of God that calls you.
23 And Abraham was called by the grace and by election. And when he was called ... when he received his call, he was given the covenant of God, not because he was a good man; but it was given unconditionally to him.
Now, this is going to hurt legalist believers just a little bit now. I don't mean to pinch, but we want to know the truth, see.
There's nothing that a man can do to save himself. You are already saved by grace. That's right. You can't stop eating meat; you can't stop doing this; you can't stop. There's nothing you can do. Christ saves you and that alone. And that's right.
You can't even come to Him unless He chooses you first. He said, "You never chose Me, but I chose you. And no man can come to Me, except the Father draws him first. And all that comes, I will give him everlasting life and raise him up at the last day." Amen. That settles it. Oh, my, that would make the Methodists get happy. Think of it.
John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
24 It's not what we are, but what Christ is for us. Christ become you and I, that you and I might become Him. He took our sins, that we might take His righteousness. So, it's nothing in my arms I bring; simply to Thy cross I cling. Nothing I could do, nothing you could do. It's the grace of God.
Then God tried man one time and made a covenant with man upon a condition: If you'll not touch this tree, then you'll live forever. And man broke his covenant. Man just can't keep his promise to God. His adversary's too great. And God knowing that, He was determined to save man, so He made the covenant unconditionally. Oh, brother, the trouble of it is with the full Gospel people tonight, you're scared... How can anything happen to you? How can...?
"Those who He foreknew, He predestinated. Those who He has predestinated (or foreknew), He called. Those who He called, He has justified; and those who He has justified, He hath already glorified." So quit being scared. God's the One's that's driving the ship, not you and I. We're just to stay on it. Amen. God made a promise; God keeps His promise. No matter how ridiculous it seems, God keeps it.
Romans 8:30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
25 And He met Abraham and He gave him the covenant. Now, not, "Abraham, if you will do certain things, I'll do certain things." He said, "I have already (past tense. It's already settled.) I've already made the covenant with Abraham. I'm going to save you, and I'm going to bring you home with your father at a ripe old age, nothing you can do about it. I've already done it."
You say, "Brother Branham, if I only had God to say that to me." Wait a minute. God said, "Abraham, and his seed after him." That's a good word. Hallelujah. Means "Praise our God." That's true. We are the seed... How are we come the seed of Abraham? When we joined the church? No, sir. When we're baptized? No, sir. How do you become the seed of Abraham? "We, being dead in Christ, take on Abraham's seed and are heirs according to the promise."
And the same faith that Abraham had, comes to us by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. That's the reason you can believe in divine healing and call those things which are not as though they were, 'cause God said so. That settles it.
Genesis 15:18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
Galatians 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
26 Abraham was seventy-five years old when the Lord called him, and Sarah, his wife, was sixty-five. And He said, "Abraham, I'm going to make you a father of nations, and I'm going to bless you. And I'm going to give you a baby." To a man seventy-five and a woman sixty-five...
Now, could you imagine a man seventy-five years old taking his little wife by the hand, (her sixty-five), toddling down the street, and going to the doctor, say, "Doctor, we want to make ready now. We're going to have a baby."
The doctor'd say, "Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm. Well, hmmm, hmmm. Yes, sir. Uh-huh. Well, what's your address? Where do you live?" He'd have the psychopathic group up there after you right away. Sure. They'd say he's just a little bit off.
Genesis 17:4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
Genesis 17:5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
27 Now, here it is. Every person that takes God at His Word, to the world is considered a little bit off. That's right. You're just peculiar. The Lord said you was. And if you're not, you're not His. That's right. That's kind of rough, isn't it? But that's the Word. That's what you got to stay with. No other foundation, but this is already laid.
So Abraham... Could you imagine Sister Sarah going downtown and getting the pins and the Birdseye, and getting everything ready to have the baby---sixty-five-year-old woman? And Abraham saying, "Well, we're going to have a baby all right. God said so."
28 Well, I imagine that lots of his friends around him said, "Poor old fellow! You know what? there's something wrong with him. Look at that old couple toddling down the street, saying they're going to have a baby, and we know that they've lived together since she was about eighteen and him about twenty-eight. And they got married when she was just a girl. They lived together all this time, and yet here they are saying they're going to have a baby. You know, I believe their age has got the best of them. They're kind of flipsy. This must be a real hot summer. The weather's gotten them down or something."
But it didn't make any difference what anybody said. Abraham had God's promise. That makes the difference. It's who made the promise. Is that right? And He made it to Abraham, the chosen. It's the promise and who it's made to.
Now, the promise of God is just as real tonight to the seed of Abraham, as it was to Abraham. He's the same God. You know, I feel pretty religious right now. I really do. Think of it. That would make a Baptist shout. Why? Because God has promised and by grace are we called, and when we receive Christ as personal Saviour...
29 A man said to me the other day; he said, "Now, wait a minute, Brother Branham, you're getting away from your Baptist doctrine when you go to say, 'receiving the Holy Ghost.'" Said, "We received it when we believed."
I said, then, "Why did Paul say, 'Have you received it since you believed?'?"---Acts 19.
Oh, he said, "I want to ask you something." Said, "You were preaching on Abraham, and 'Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.'" Said, "The only thing he can do is believe. What else can a person do but believe? And God imputed it to him for righteousness because he believed."
I said, "That's true, but He gave him the seal of circumcision as a confirmation of his belief." I said, "If you haven't received the Holy Ghost yet, God's never recognized your faith. And the Holy Ghost is the seal of God."
Ephesians 4:30 says, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you're sealed until the next revival?" Oh, no! "Until your eternal destination." How long? Forever. God settled it once for all. And now you're the seed of Abraham...
Genesis 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Acts 19:2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Romans 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
Galatians 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
30 If you're not deceived in your experience---that same spirit was with Abraham is in the seed of Abraham and you believe God. That made it hard on preachers that don't believe in divine healing. But that's what the Bible said.
And when you become a son of God... I take the nature of my father, because I am his son. And Abraham believed God and received the circumcision as a seal of the promise that was to come. And now, we have received the promise itself: the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit dwelling in the man makes him a son of God, and he believes like God believes.
What did I say? He believes like God believes. And where did... How'd God make the world? Hebrews 1. He made it out of things He had nothing to make it with. He just said, "Let there be." And He believed His Word. And the very ground that you're sitting over tonight is nothing else but the Word of God made manifest. If it isn't, where did He get the material to make it with? Where did it come from? God spoke His Word and believed His Word.
Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
31 And Abraham took God's Word at the impossible till it was made possible. Mary, the virgin, took God at His Word, and the impossibles was made possible. The whole course of life was changed, and she brought forth a Baby knowing no man, because she took God at His Word.
And if anybody will take God at His Word, His Word shall be made manifest. And if that seed falls on the right kind of a ground, it will produce exactly what it said to do.
Put me on record for this and on these tapes that's going on: The right mental attitude towards any divine promise of God will bring it to pass, if you'll look at it right and realize who made it.
32 Now, if you've never had the Holy Spirit, no man can even call Jesus the Christ only by the Holy Spirit. Oh, you say ... you might say, "The preacher said so. I read it in the Bible." That's all true, but you don't know it yourself until you've experienced it. The Bible said that you can't know that Jesus is the Christ only by the Holy Spirit. That's right.
So, you see, that's the seed of Abraham. And the same promise that was made to Abraham has been made to you. And Abraham took God at His Word. What God said, Abraham called every other thing wrong and against hope. There wasn't even a hope, yet believed in hope, and called those things which were not as though they were, because God said so.
Now, if you're dying with a cancer, if you're blind, if you're crippled, or whatever you have, God promised to heal. And accept His Word and call those things... You say, "I ain't any better." Quit looking at that. The seed of Abraham don't look at the condition. They look at Who said the Word. God said so.
1 Corinthians 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
33 People take symptoms, always looking ... "Oh, I was prayed for. My hand was crippled; I'm no better." And you'll never be no better as long as you look at your hand.
Here some time ago, I stood by a dying child. Been about eight years ago; boy about twelve years old. An old father sent for me to come, and I said, "Well, sir, I'm in these meetings."
He said, "Brother Branham, my baby's a dying." And he said, "I'm an old man, my only son." He said, "If you'll come and pray for him, Brother Branham..."
I said, "Well, I'm just here. I've been ... eat a big dinner," and I said, "and under no anointing."
Said, "Just come pray the prayer. I believe in you, Brother Branham."
I went down at the hospital, and the doctor said, "Who's this?" And he wouldn't let me in. So, I kept talking to him; finally he let me go. I said, "The boy's dying. He's unconscious, been unconscious two days, sir. I said, "Look..." Now, the man was a Catholic.
I said, "If I was a priest and he was a Catholic boy, would you let me in to give him the last rites?"
He said, "Well, that's different."
I said, "No, it's not. Not a bit different. We believe, and this old man believes that if I pray for his boy, he'd get well."
Said, "Go on."
34 So, he sent me back there, and we got down there beside the bed; the boy's unconscious. I laid hands upon him and said, "Heavenly Father, this man has believed You, and I come just as a witness that I believe with him to lay my hands upon the boy in commemoration of Your Word, saying, 'If they lay hands on the sick, they shall recover.' I believe You, Lord. He believes You. Now, we commit it to You."
And the old fellow raised up crying. He run across and grabbed his wife. He kissed her, said, "Oh, honey, isn't it wonderful?"
She said, "Oh, dear, it's so wonderful."
The little nurse standing there scratching her head. She said, "How can you all act like that and this boy dying?"
Well, the old men wiped the tears from his eyes and he said, "Madam, the boy's not dying."
Oh, she said, "Sir, he is dying." And it's some kind of a ... something. He had black diphtheria and this one... That's the reason they didn't want me to go in, because afraid I'd pack diphtheria to my boy, my own child. And I said, "If I had that kind of faith, I ain't got no business in here anyhow."
So, I said, "Just let me in, I'll take responsibility for that."
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.
35 So, the old man was just rejoicing, and the lady said, "Look, that heart, it's slow; some kind of a cardiogram something, if it ever goes down, it never comes back again."
I will never forget what the old man said. He put his arm around that little nurse. He said, "Look, sister dear," said, "I'm not disputing your word." He said, "See, the only thing that you have to look at is that machine." Said, "That's all you're taught to look at, is that machine." And the medical and scientific research that they have ... it's wonderful. We all appreciate that and thank God for it." But said, "The only thing you're looking at is that machine." Said, "That's all you got to look at." But said, "I'm looking at a divine promise." Said, "God promised to do it." And that boy is married and got a wife and child now.
Sure, laid like that for another day. And all at once that thing begin to come up again. "And it never been known," he said, "in all the world's history for it to do it." It depends on what you're looking at, see.
36 If you look at your hand... Don't look at that; look at God's promise. God said so. And if God said so, that settles it. It's always right with the seed of Abraham. They believe it to be the truth.
Now... And people still look at symptoms. They'll be prayed for many times. Symptoms is a great thing, and you should ignore. The Bible said...
Here, if anybody had symptoms, it was Jonah. How many remembers the story of Jonah? Now, that man had a right to have symptoms. Now look, he was backslid, 'cause the Lord told him to do something, and he wouldn't do it. He took the easy road. And he was backslid, out on a stormy sea. And they'd tied his hands and feet, and throwed him out of the ship, and a big fish swallowed him---the whale.
Jonah 1:2 Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
Jonah 1:3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
Jonah 1:4 But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
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.
37 And anyone knows that when a fish feeds then he goes down to the bottom, and rests his swimmers on the bottom. I don't know how many fathoms deep it was out there, but Jonah was backslid, hands and feet tied, in the belly of a whale, on a stormy sea, at the bottom of the sea with seaweeds wrapped around his neck, and in the vomit of the whale. If he looked this way, it was whale's belly. That way was whale's belly. Everywhere he looked, was whale's belly. You talk about symptoms, he had them. You're not in that bad a shape.
But you know what Jonah said? Jonah said, "They are lying vanities. I won't even look at them." But he said, "Once more, Lord, will I look to Your holy temple."
When Solomon dedicated that temple, he said, "Lord, if Thy people be in trouble anywhere, and look to this holy place, and pray, then hear from heaven." And Jonah believed that God heard Solomon's prayer, and God put oxygen somewhere and kept that man alive for three days and nights, and took him a fish ride right straight over to Nineveh, and put him over there to prophesy.
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.
38 And if Jonah under those circumstances could believe God and refuse to look at anything that was contrary to God's program, you're not in that bad a shape. How much more ought you to look tonight, not to a temple made with man's hands, not to a earthly temple, but to a heavenly temple where Christ the Son of God with His bloody garment stands before God the Father tonight to make intercession upon any confession that you make in His redemptive blessings and claim them.
How much more ought you to say, "I won't look at nothing but God's eternal promise." I tell you; the God of heaven that kept Jonah alive three days and nights can carry you through the deepest of trials. Amen. There you are. Depends on what you're looking at.
Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
39 "Once more will I look to Thy temple," and Abraham believed God. He didn't care what the outlook was. Why, sure, it was impossible. Sixty-five years old. She was about twenty-five years past menopause, so it was impossible. But Abraham wasn't looking at the impossible; he was looking at what God said. And he was making ready for it.
Oh, I feel good. Look. He was looking at what God said. He didn't care what anybody else said. He looked what God said. And he refused anything else. Oh, my. Can you do it? Do you believe it? That faith rooted and growing in you? Look, how much greater a covenant have we tonight? How much more has the thousands of years of witnesses that's proved God over and over and over and over, and then Him come right down in the midst of us here and prove that He's here.
See Him heal, and bring up in wheelchairs, make the blind to see, the deaf to hear. And then we poor, little weaklings calling ourselves Christians, and will faint, and fall away at some little something. Why, it's as spineless as jellyfish. Certainly. What do you want? God's Word. If God said so, that settles it.
40 Now, I can see Abraham say, "Well, Sarah, praise God, we're going to have it."
She said, "Yes, Abraham, honey, I believe you." Here they went. That's a good couple.
Well, after the first month passed, I can hear Abraham say, "Honey, how do you feel?"
"No different."
"Bless God, we're going to have it anyhow." Sure.
Another month pass, "What about it, Sarah?"
"No different, honey."
"Glory to God, we're going to have it anyhow." Right. Why? God said so.
41 First year passed, "Any different, Sarah?"
"No different."
Year older, "Hallelujah, we're going to have it, anyhow. God said so." And when he was a hundred years old, he was still praising God stronger every day. Why? He had the promise of God anchored in his heart. Why, it was a greater miracle twenty-five years later, than it was the day He promised it. He got stronger all the time. He never weakened. He got stronger. And if it don't happen right now, if something takes place, and you're perfectly normal, and ten years taken off your life, say, "Well, I don't know whether divine healing is right or not." What an excuse of Abraham's seed you are, see.
You take God at His Word, and regardless of what the circumstances is, you still call God's Word the truth. Amen.
Romans 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
42 That's old-fashioned, sassafras, backwoods, sky-blue, sin-killing religion, brother; but it'll help you. It won't whitewash you; it'll wash you white. It'll take all the roots of bitterness out, and put not a wishbone, but a backbone in you, and make you call those things which God said to be the truth, in regardless for what your criticizing neighbor or pastor might say. You say, "It's the truth. God said so. If God said it, that's right. I believe it. It's to me. The faith anchors in my heart, and I believe it, and I call those things that are not as though they were, because God said so."
Then, you'll see a revival sweep Saskatchewan, till the people will be coming from England, from all over Europe, Asia, and everywhere else to come to the Saskatchewan revival. If these people right in here tonight would just take their hearts and sit on that one thing, "God said so," what a revival. Don't just make it up in your mind; in your heart, say so. That's when you know it's going to happen. There isn't nothing can ever shake it. It's right there. It's going to happen anyhow.
43 Abraham was... Now, another thing he was called. When a man has got this kind of a promise give to him, he's asked to separate himself from unbelievers. That's what makes so many people fail with healing. Come down, and the Lord perform a miracle on them, and they get off amongst unbeliever say, "Now, you're just worked up, dear. Now, you know there's nothing to that. Now, that's just mental emotion. That's the devil."
And the first thing you know, there's the devil coming right back. And you say, "Well, I ... may ... maybe I ... I ... well..." There you are right back in the same condition, only worse. Separate yourself. The Bible calls for separation.
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:
2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
44 You know, when you go to choose your pastor, usually the people choosing their pastor, they want to choose a good mixer. "Oh, we want a fellow that's sociable, that can do this and do that." God don't call for that kind of man. God calls for separators. Separate, come out from among them; separate yourself.
You take a lot of times people choosing their pastor. I don't know whether you do it here or not. Down in America they got a lot of Hollywood evangelism, little sissified boys that's ashamed to say what truth is. And a lot of pastors are afraid to tell people where they're standing, on account of their meal ticket.
Brother, what we need today is to take off your coat, roll up your sleeves and preach the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit. I don't mean a bunch of fanaticism; I mean an old-fashioned Holy Ghost, God-sent revival. That's what the world needs; not so much of this Hollywood carry-on. Call God's Word right and the devil's wrong. Make it right and wrong.
2 Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
45 Sometimes, we see those things in our churches; but Abraham, he walked on. He separated himself from all of his associates. And God told him, "Now, you'll sojourn in a strange land." And every man that comes to Christ has to sojourn amongst strangers, it used to be. You used to not like to go to church and associate with the people who loved the Lord. But whenever you take God at His Word and receive His promise, then you change your association.
The boys down at the pool room ain't got any more on you no more. You won't play cards; you don't drink; you don't act like you used to. You've separated; you've crossed the line, come over the Euphrates and become a Hebrew, a called-out.
46 Then, and he was asked to sojourn in a strange land among strange peoples speaking strange languages, but he did it because he believed God and wanted to inherit the promise that God had give him. Oh, how my heart... I just preach too long. I just feel like I could almost preach right now, sure enough.
And to think of the little time that we have. We'll hit the high places for a few moments. Now, we'll notice Abraham as he came out and become a sojourner in a strange land among strange people. And first thing you know, he had someone with him who was lukewarm: Lot. Lot was his nephew and was lukewarm.
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.
47 You know the red-hot Christian and the lukewarm Christian can't dwell together. That's what's the matter today. That's what makes the church the way it is. We're just getting into that Laodicean church age that's just lukewarm, and God said it makes Him sick at His stomach. He'd spew you from His mouth: just enough religion to go out to church and sit there like a wilted flower. That's right.
Brother, we ought to have an old-fashioned red-hot prayer meeting, and a testimony meeting, and men and women out praying, and house to house work, and on the street; and doing something for God. We've lost our zeal. We've lost our love. We've lost the things that God gave us. We let it slip out of our hands.
And a bunch of so-called... You've went after a lot of noise instead of the real old-fashioned Gospel. If there's a Negro laying here... (I don't mean to make remarks about them.) But an old Negro man one time... And this is not a joke. I don't mean to joke, 'cause this is no place to tell jokes at the platform. This is the place to preach the Gospel, but to get this point that you might see.
Revelation 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
48 An old Negro man one morning, just kept saying, "Oh, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah." He didn't preach at all; he just kept hollering, "Hallelujah."
When he got home, his wife said, "Parson," said, "I want to ask you something." Said, "What made you holler so much this morning?"
He said, "Honey, what I didn't have in lightning, I had to make up in thunder."
And I think we've had a lot of thunder instead of so much real, pure, holy, unadulterated Gospel teaching. If it'd been so, then the church would've been solid on the rock Christ Jesus, and she'd be moving on. Amen. That's right. It might scorch a little, but I'd rather be scorched now than burnt forever. So, just really know that it's the Gospel truth.
49 Now, when Abraham, then this little fellow along with him, lukewarm, there come up a fuss. That's the way it usually does. You take a lukewarm member, and the first thing you know, they'll pop their chewing gum awhile, and look over and say, "Now look, Sally wore that kind of a hat to church tonight, you know that's not right." Here they start. That's it.
And if you thought Sally was wrong with that kind of a hat on, why didn't you go pray for her, and she didn't straighten up, then take her out to one side and put your arm around her, say, "Sister dear, I want to ask you something." Talk to her like that. That'd show more Christianity, than it would be to raise a little cult ... or, a little friction in the church. Any Christian would do that.
Genesis 13:7 And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
50 Look, then what did Abraham do? They started fussing, so Abraham said, "Now, Lot, before we have any quarrels between us, you separate yourself from me and I from you. Now, you look any way you want to. You take your choice." That's the way a Christian does, give them the benefit of the doubt. "Take your choice. You go east; I'll go west. You go north; I'll go south. And I'll give you the benefit of the doubt."
Well, right quick that backslider, he wanted to look for the easiest road. So, he looked over and he seen Sodom: a lot of waters; the Jordan swept through there. It was a paradise, almost like Eden.
So, he said, "I'll take this way," and leave his poor old uncle with all those cattle and things out there on the barren lands. But Abraham... When Lot separated himself, and God saw that great move that Abraham had done, that great thing, that he had submitted himself, and give his brother the benefit of the doubt. And took the poorer part, and let Abraham go on with his big fine ... or, I mean, Lot with his great refine ... fines and things like that as he went down and perhaps become the mayor of the city and sat in the gate to be the judge. And his wife become the leader of all the societies and everything down there, the way she lived.
Genesis 13:8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.
Genesis 13:9 Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.
Genesis 13:10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
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.
51 But you know what God said to Abraham? He said, "Abraham, rise up." Amen. I know you think I'm crazy. Maybe I am, but just leave me alone. I feel better this way. So He said, "Raise up, Abraham. Look around." Said, "Look to the east, look west, north and south." Said, "Walk throughout the land, 'cause it's all yours (Amen.); look it over."
That's what's the matter with Christians. That's what's the matter with people. You don't know what you own.
You know, if somebody give me the Bible... This blessed Bible here is your possession. Everything that God promised in here is yours. It belongs to you. But maybe you say, "Well, the Lord saved me. Praise the Lord. I'm glad for that. I don't know about divine... I don't know about these things."
Genesis 13:14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
Genesis 13:15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
Genesis 13:16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.
Genesis 13:17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
52 My, could you buy a house without looking through it? If I own anything, I want to look around. You know the Holy Ghost is like a great big arcade. You know what a arcade is. And you're baptized into it. And if I own the arcade, I'd like to go around those shelves and see what I own, look around, look at this. If something seems to be a little high, I get me a ladder, climb up to it, look around, see what belongs to me.
And that's the way you ought to do as a Christian. Look through the Bible, see what the promise is. Every one of them is to the believer. Amen. Remember, when we used to sing the songs before we backslid, "Every promise in the Book is mine, every chapter, every verse, every line. I'm trusting in His love divine. Every promise in the Book is mine." That's right. Yes, it's yours.
53 If you're sick, God said He'd heal you. If you're worried, God said He'd give you peace. If you're a sinner, God said He'd save you. If you've been saved, He said He'd give you the Holy Ghost. Peter said so in the Gospel on the day of Pentecost, said, "Repent, every one of you and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, 'cause the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to them that's far off (all over to Prince Albert), and as many as the Lord our God shall call."
How can you take the blessed Holy Spirit out of this age then? If God's still calling, He's still giving the Holy Ghost. Amen. That's the truth. All right, the promise is to them that believe.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
54 One fellow said to me not long ago, said, "Oh, preacher, I don't believe in divine healing."
I said, "Well, you're a unbeliever. It's not for you anyhow. It's just for believers." That's right. It isn't for unbelievers. It's for them that believe. That's what salvation... The Holy Ghost is for them that believe, not for them that believe not, but to him that believeth. That's right. It's only for believers.
And everything God promised in the Book, we ought to take His Word and say it's the truth. Anything contrary say it's a lie: "Let every man's word be a lie and Mine be truth." That's what God said. And Abraham's children believe that, that's become God's children through Christ, receiving the same Spirit was on Christ comes on the church.
"Can you drink the cup I drink?" He said to the woman that wanted her sons, one one place, and the other.
"Yes."
"Can you be baptized with the baptism that I've been baptized with?"
"Yes."
And He said, "You shall." That's right. "A double portion shall come upon you." That's true.
Matthew 20:22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
Matthew 20:23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.
Mark 10:38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
Mark 10:39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:
Romans 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
55 Like the garment of Elijah that fell upon Elisha: the double portion. The Holy Ghost come upon the church, and "These things that I do, more than this shall you do, for I go to My Father." It's God's promise; you're just afraid to claim it.
Just like a little girl that wants something from her daddy---or a little boy---they say, "Daddy, will you give..." If you're a right daddy, you make them a promise, you'll keep your word. How much more will God keep His Word to His children? You might make a promise and then break it. But God can't break it, because He can do it. And He won't promise until He's got the strength to do it.
And Abraham said, "He counted him that He was able to keep His promise." And that's the reason he believed Him. What do you count Him at tonight? To keep His promise?
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.
Romans 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
56 Then we find out after that, Abraham said, "Lord, I'm almost a hundred years old now; I still believe You. Now, how am I going to know that I'm going to receive this promise?"
And look what he said. He said, "Abraham, come out here. I want to confirm this promise to you." Oh, I love that. God always confirms His Word. He confirms His promise. Said, "Come out here, Abraham, alone to yourself. I want to confirm My promise to you---My covenant." And now, listen real close.
And He said, "Go get Me a heifer of three years old, and get Me a she goat three years old, and get Me a ram of three years old, and a turtle dove and a pigeon." And Abraham went, and got them, and slew them all. And he cut the heifer, and the she-goat, and the ram. He cut them apart in the middle, but he didn't separate the dove and the pigeon. Why? They were both offerings for sickness. Always the dove was an offering like...
Jesus said, "Go show yourself to the priest and offer the offering Moses required." And it was offered two turtledoves for the cleansing of leprosy. And some of them was over running water, and how one was killed, the other one ... the blood upon the other one, and so forth for a cleansing, for healing.
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.
Matthew 8:4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
Mark 1:44 And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
Luke 5:14 And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
57 And now look, the reason he cut these in two, because the covenant of salvation had been clave between the Old Testament and the New Testament, upon the different sacrifice: upon the one sacrifice upon animals, and the other one upon the Son of God. But the dove, the healing has always been based upon the faith of the people. That's the reason they could not be separated.
Now, watch. This ought to almost make the Pentecostals shout (Notice) even as far off as they are. Watch what happened. He cut them in two, and he said, "Now, Abraham, watch the birds off of them," that they didn't come down to eat the carcasses of the beef, until the sun was going down. And when the sun was going down (Now, listen close.), God caused a deep sleep to fall on Abraham. In otherwise, "Abraham, there's nothing you can do about it. The covenant is still unconditional, and I'm going to do it; so I'm just going to put you out of the picture. You go to sleep."
And when Abraham went to sleep, showing that it was nothing he could do... He couldn't stop eating meat, or keeping days, or doing this, or doing that, or trying to merit himself something, or being sprinkled this way and baptized backwards and up-and-down, trying to merit something. It's the grace of God that does it every time. It isn't you; it's God.
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.
58 "So, Abraham, you're not even in the picture. I'm the One to do this." I'm so glad that He does. I just like to just believe Him and follow Him. After all, He's got the right to say "yes" or "no." I'm so glad that He saved me, aren't you? And He never done it because I was any good, or you was any good, or we merited anything; He done it because He loved us. That's right. We never loved Him; He loved us. We couldn't change our nature, no more than you could tell a pig that he was wrong eating in a manure pile. Why, certainly not.
I wouldn't think nothing to see a pig eating in manure. That's his nature. But I hate to see the day that I'd see a lamb eating in the same diet. And what gets me is... I don't condemn a sinner for what he does. The sinner's all right. If he wants to drink, and rouse, and fuss, and carry on, stew, that's his business, go on. That's your business.
But you that call yourselves Christians and then do the same thing the sinner does, that shows your nature hasn't been changed. You're still a pig. That's right. That's right. I don't mean to hurt you. I want you to be cured. You know, you have to rub the scab off sometime to get the thing to heal up right.
So, that's what the Gospel does. It gives us an old-fashioned rubbing down. Then, it pours some burning alcohol or something in the back of it to kind of make it burn a little bit.
59 Now, notice what he did. Then He said, "Abraham, I'm taking you out of the picture. You have no more to do with this at all." And Abraham went to sleep. And when he did, the first thing he saw before him was a real black darkness: death that faces every person. "It was once appointed unto man to die and after this the judgment." A horrid darkness, horror, shaky. You know what a horror is? A darkness come before Abraham.
But after that, he looked and he saw a smoking furnace. Every sinner deserves to go to hell. God's confirming His covenant now. Watch. And then after the smoking furnace, he saw a little white light: salvation. And this little white light went up to these beasts and went right in between each one of these beasts, making the confirmation of the covenant with Abraham---this little white light.
What was he speaking of? In a symbol if you're spiritual minded, you'll pick it up right quick. It was Christ he was speaking of. Every one of those animals, every one of those birds, them beasts, everything spoke of Christ at Calvary. Now, let me get it to you a little bit so you can understand it.
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.
Genesis 15:17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
60 In Canada, what if you and I in Canada or anywhere in America was going to make a covenant one another. I'd say, "Sir, will you do a certain-certain thing?"
"Yes, Brother Branham."
"Well, I will do a certain thing. Let's shake hands." You reach over and get his hand, shake hands. That's the covenant, confirming it. "Yes, sir. It's settled, is it, boy?"
"It's settled." That's the way we do it, isn't it?
Now, in Japan when they make a covenant, it's a strange thing; but they get a little cruse of salt, and they get out there and talk the covenant over. And one gets some salt and throws it on the other one, and then throws salt back on him. Now, that's confirming a covenant.
61 But in the Orient, back in... The Bible becomes a new book to you if you're ever in Palestine and in the Orient, the eastern country. It's a eastern book. It's just a new book when you see it in the light of the eastern people.
And in this day how a covenant was made, what they did, they taken a beast and killed it. They killed the beast, and they wrote the covenant out on paper or a lambskin, wrote it out on here, and they took that, tore it apart up over this dead beast's body. One man took one piece, one man took the other one, and took an oath to God, that if they broke this covenant between them, let their body be like this dead beast. What a binding covenant. And that's how that God confirmed the oath to Abraham.
62 Now, look, when Christ was on earth, the Son of God, which Isaac, the promised one, or the child... How'd he know he was going to have it? He was speaking to him what He was going to do by the killing of these sacrificial beasts, speaking of Christ.
And what did God do at Calvary to confirm the covenant? He took His own Son to Calvary; and on Calvary's cross He tore Him apart. He said, "Father, into Thy hand, I commend My Spirit." And God rent the Spirit from the body, and He took the body up to glory (You believe that?), sitting at the right hand of His majesty, and sent the Holy Spirit that was in Him, down to the church to confirm and to do the same things that He did when He was here on earth, to write the covenant on this and to that...
Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.
63 And brother, the only way in the world that the covenant will ever be keeped ... or, be kept, is when you and I receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, that God tore Christ apart and sent the Holy Ghost down for you and I. The only way we'll be able to go up in the rapture is when that body comes to receive its spirit again ---the raptured people that's in the covenant. And the covenant is the circumcision by the baptism of the Holy Ghost, that's Abraham's seed. Amen. Whew! I feel like shouting myself. My.
God made the promise, and He tore Christ apart at Calvary. On Pentecost, He sent the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and the Spirit that was in Christ is in you and you're a new creature. "And the works," Christ said, "that I do shall you do also; even to the end of the world I'll be with you." Hallelujah!
Oh, my. Friends, when I think of it to see how perfect it is that the Scripture lays on it. You may think I'm excited, but I'm not excited. If you felt like I did, you'd do the same and act the same.
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.
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.
64 Look, friends, God made the promise. God sent it back, and here each night is confirming that promise, that it's the truth. God keeps His covenant. God confirms His covenant.
When you see Christ going through the audience and doing the things that He did when He was here on earth, knowing like Abraham, knowing like Christ did when He was here on earth, the different things. The woman at the well, and all these things taking place the way they did: It's God writing on the second piece of paper, pulling out His church for His name's sake, with the same Spirit was on this body up here. And this body is a raptured body that'll go to meet this one. God took an oath by Himself, for there was no other He could take it by and swore that He would keep it. [Gap in the audio.]
65 Hallelujah! My, my, don't be scared of "Hallelujah"; it means, "Praise our God." He's worthy of every praise that could be given Him. Amen.
A woman the other day told me, said, "Mr. Branham, you brag too much on Jesus."
I said, "I don't brag enough."
She said, "You make Him more than a man."
I said, "He was more than a man."
Oh, she said, "You're mistaken. He was a prophet." She was a Christian Science. And she said, "He was a prophet, but he wasn't ... no, he wasn't divine."
I said, "He was either divine or the biggest deceiver the world ever knowed." She said ... I said, "If He wasn't Emmanuel's blood... If God, the Father, didn't overshadow that virgin and create a blood cell in her (That's right.), that brought forth the Son, Christ Jesus... Nobody, no man had nothing to do with that. God Himself did it."
66 And the blood's why we're redeemed. That's what's the matter with the church tonight. It's in anemic condition. It needs a blood transfusion from Calvary and the old-fashioned baptism of the Holy Spirit back into the church again, hellfire and brimstone preached till it's scorching the coattails of the believers. Amen. That's true.
What we need today is an old time Saint Paul's revival and the Bible Holy Ghost back again. Correctly. What we need is some preachers that'll get out and preach the truth of the thing.
67 Now, if we notice this, how that God keeps His promise. This lady said to me, she said, "Mr. Branham, if I'll prove to you he wasn't nothing but a man..."
I said, "He was more than a man." I said, "He was God." I said, "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself."
Said, "Oh, no. He was Joseph's son."
I said, "He was God's Son." I said, "He was divine."
She said, "I'll prove to you by your Bible that He wasn't divine."
I said, "I want to see you do it."
She said, "All right. In St. John, the 11th chapter, the Bible said, that when Jesus went down to the grave of Lazarus, He wept."
I said, "What's that got to do with it?"
She said, "Well, it shows he wasn't divine or he couldn't weep."
I said, "Woman, that won't work." I said, "Let me show you something. He was a God-man. He was both man and God. God was in Him." I said, "When He went down to the grave, that's right, He wept. That was a man, but when He pulled that little self together, and said, 'Lazarus, come forth,' and a man had been dead four days stood on his feet and lived again, that was more than a man. That was God speaking out of there. Sure."
John 11:35 Jesus wept.
John 11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
John 11:44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
68 I said, "It's true when He come down off the mountain that night, He was so hungry. He was looking around for something to eat. Looked on the tree and couldn't find nothing to eat. He was a man when He was hungry; but when He took five biscuits and two or three little pieces of fish and fed five thousand, that was more than a man. That was God." Amen.
When He was out there on that ship that night, tossed about like a little old bottle stopper, laying so tired and weak, virtue going out of Him, in the back of that ship, where ten thousand devils swore they'd drown Him... He was laying out there and the winds and the waves tossing around, and He woke up ... they woke Him, and He put His feet upon the brail of the boat, and looked out, and said, "Peace, be still." And there was a sudden calmness. The winds and the waves obeyed Him. That was more than a man speaking. That was God speaking through those born lips.
He cried for mercy at Calvary, that's true. He cried, "My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" He died like a man, but on Easter morning when the seals was broke, and then the Roman seal was tore apart, and He rose from the dead, He proved that He was God. That's right.
No wonder the poet said:
Living, He loved me;
Dying, He saved me,
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever:
Someday He's coming---oh, glorious day.
Amen. No wonder blind Fanny Crosby could scream out:
Pass me not, O gentle Saviour,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others, Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Thou, the stream of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Or Whom in heaven but Thee?"
Matthew 8:24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
Matthew 8:25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
Matthew 8:26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
Matthew 14:19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
Matthew 14:21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
Matthew 21:18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
Matthew 21:19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Mark 4:38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
Mark 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Mark 6:41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
Mark 6:44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
Mark 11:12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
Mark 11:13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
Mark 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
Luke 8:23 But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
Luke 8:24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
Luke 9:14 For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.
Luke 9:16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
John 6:9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
John 6:10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
John 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
69 I'm so glad tonight that there is a covenant God has made with His people: the tearing of His Son apart, and setting Him on His right hand, and sending back the Holy Ghost to witness Him unto the end of the world. Amen.
Are you Abraham's seed? Do you believe? "A little while, and the world sees Me no more, yet you'll see Me; for I will be with you, even in you to the end of the world." The second piece of paper, God's covenant with His church. And the same Spirit that worked miracles, and done signs, and people drawed from Him and everything, is working right through the body of the church the same thing tonight. He's the same. God's covenant was Christ. Christ is the seed of Abraham through Isaac. Amen. There you are. My.
When Abraham was ninety and nine years old (17th chapter of Genesis). He was an old man, now, nearly a hundred: ninety and nine. And Sarah was ninety years old. And here he was all drooped over, walking around. And the Lord said, "Come here, Abraham, I want to speak to you. You've believed Me for all these years." He said, "I am the Almighty God." Amen.
Genesis 17:1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
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.
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.
70 "Almighty" there in the Hebrew is El Shaddai, which means "the breast like a woman." The breast is not Shaddai, means "single." Shaddai is a plural: breasted. "Abraham, I am the breasted God." In other words, "You're old and your strength is gone. You're as good as dead, and Sarah's womb is as good as dead, but I am the breasted God. The only thing you have to do, Abraham, lay on My arm and just nurse your strength back again." Glory! The same yesterday, today, and forever, New and Old Testaments, the breasted God, not breast God, but breasted God. "He was wounded for our transgressions; with His stripes we were healed": The breasted God. Amen. If He was that to father Abraham, He's that to Abraham's seed.
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.
71 If you need salvation, nurse your strength back. The baby when it's, oh, sick, and it's fretting and crying, the mother picks the little fellow up. She holds him to her bosom. She coos to him. And the baby is nursing the mother's strength into its body and saving its own life. Not only is it saving its own life, but while it's being saved, it's satisfied. It quits crying. It quits running from pillar to post. It just lays there, and nurses away, and nurses its strength out of its mother.
And so is it with every believer in God. If we have need of salvation or healing, we rest our eternal soul, our body upon God's eternal promise, and just take a hold of God's Word, and perfectly satisfied, and call those things which are not as though they were, and nurse away on God's promise. "God, You promised it, I believe it and hold to it." Oh, God.
72 Heavenly Father, I pray tonight that in Christ's name that You'll speak to this people, Lord, and let them know that You're still the Almighty, the breasted God, the One Who made the promise, "Who was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes, we were healed."
Why, His very shadow upon the earth, like the moon to the sun. And the moon gives light while the sun is gone away. And so is the church to reflect the light of the Son of God, while He's gone away. And someday, the moon will go down, and the sun will rise, and they both will blend together then; the moonlight and the sunlight becomes one.
When the Son of righteousness rises with healing in His wings, these old sick bodies will be made immortal. This soul that's tempted and tossed about will then be stable forever in the presence of God.
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.
Malachi 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
73 Oh, Father, while we're living and watching and waiting, may we with that eternal, blessed Holy Spirit, that dwells within our hearts, and knowing that He's here to visibly show Himself present to do all kinds of wonders and signs among the people. As He did on the days that He walked in a corporal body here, He made the promise. And today we see Him do the very same things.
O God, may these people tonight never forget that second piece of paper: that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God took His life at Calvary and raised up His body on the third day and He sits there at the gate of the throne of God to make intercessions, while the Holy Spirit was upon Him, is here on the world to continue; and God tore Him apart and put the Spirit upon the church to continue till He comes again.
Romans 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
74 Father God, may these people, these lovely people here of Canada, realize tonight, Lord, that You're trying to get to them the honest Gospel truth. Grant it, Lord. How much more could You do? What more, Father? There's nothing You could do. You've said it in Your Word. You've sent anointed men to preach it, and now You're here confirming it, and proving it to be just as it was: the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, the covenant that He made with Abraham and his seed.
Now, Father, we realize that many people are not Abraham's seed. You know, we realize, Father, that You said, "It was to the seed, not seeds." And Jesus said, "A little while and the world will see Me no more (the seeds); yet ye shall (the seed)..." For they'll recognize, they'll recognize the Spirit of Christ when He moves and shows that He is alive. And they'll rejoice, and believe, and call the things which are not as though they were, because they take God at His Word.
Grant it tonight, Father, that the blessed Holy Spirit will move in our midst and do the things that Jesus did when He was here on earth, that at the day of judgment when I shall stand to give an answer, or give an answer, an account for the message tonight... Each one of us will have to answer. Then, Lord, may He come and confirm it where we'll be without an excuse. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Genesis 15:18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
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.
75 Friends, don't think me to be rash, or arrogant. No. But oh, my, what a blessed promise and what a truth. Do you realize what sin is? The Bible said, "Go, and disbelieve no more, or worse than this will happen to you." How many know that? It's true. Jesus said so.
Remember, the covenant---remember the piece of paper, the covenant that God tore in two---was Christ. Christ was both God and man. Do you know that? He was with the Holy Spirit. He said, that, "You'd be baptized with the same Holy Spirit not many days hence." And God cut Him in two to make a covenant with us, swore by Himself that He'd do it. And He told Abraham He would do it and the covenant would be to His seed ... Him and His seed afterwards, and tore the thing in two---Christ at Calvary---tore Him in two, raised up His body on the third day, sits at the right hand as a memorial that God has swore Himself. My, how can your heart ever beat away from it?
Genesis 15:18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
John 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
Acts 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Hebrews 6:13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
76 God swore, "When I see the blood, I'll pass over you." God swore by Himself for there's no other He could swear by, "I'll keep the covenant. I'll confirm it with any persons that will believe it and accept it." And He said, "I'll do more than that. A little while, I'll send back the Holy Spirit." Which is the tore part from Christ, and He'll be with you, in you to the end of the world. And the same things He did when He was in this body, He'll do among His people until He comes again.
Exodus 12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
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.
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.
Hebrews 6:13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself,
77 Now, the Holy Spirit is here, and each night... We're not a great big number of people. We don't care to be a big number of people. I never want to be big. I want to be honest. I never want to be great; I want to be sincere. I want to love the Lord. I want to serve the Lord. I want to help the people.
Now, only way I can do it is tell you what the Word said. Then, it's up to God to come and confirm that Word. Now, I want to ask you something. When Jesus Christ, God's Son, was here on earth, what kind of a works did He do? Just see what He did. He said, "I do nothing, till the Father shows Me first by vision." Is that right? Saint John 5:19. No, He said, "I don't do it Myself. I do nothing. I can do nothing till the Father shows Me first."
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.
78 People come to Him and a lot of times... He even asked a boy one time that had epilepsy... He asked the father, He said, "How long has he had it?" Turned right around and tell another things that... He told the woman where she had five husbands, and told Nathanael where he was when he prayed, over under the tree. And told Peter what his name was. Said, "Your name is Cephas, but it'll be called Peter, which is by interpretation 'a little stone,'" and so forth. He knew their name. He knowed where a fish was, had a coin in its mouth. And He said, "I do nothing till the Father shows Me first."
Now, that Jesus that died---God's covenant---and raised again, that same Spirit was on Him is in the church, and promised by God that it would be to the end of the world. It's up to you to receive it.
John 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
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.
79 Now, I hope that the people never get in your mind that there's any man on earth with any sort of a gift can help you any more than to point you to the finished work of God at Calvary. I trust that you don't have them in Canada. It's too bad, we have plenty of them in the United States. But we don't have them, I hope, in Canada. For any man that claims to be a healer and says God lets him heal the people, he's taking the virtue from the cross.
A man wrote a subject here not long ago about blood pouring from a woman's hands, and oil, and stuff like that, and said, "It's divine."
I said, "Brother, did you know that's antichrist? Did you know that's against Christ?" If that's divine, what happened to the blood of the Lord Jesus, see? I said, "Don't go after those little fantastics. Stay with the Bible."
80 Here's the Bible. God put His Word down here and will confirm it. You don't have to go off after such stuff as that. Stay with Christ. And any gift that points you anywhere away from Calvary... I don't say God couldn't do it, but I'd just rather stay with the Word. I'd rather just know that God pointed it. There's where it was finished. There's where it was finished for me. There's where Jesus said it was finished, and there's where I believe it, see.
Now, the only thing you have to do (Your healing, your salvation was purchased at Calvary.), you have to reach and receive it. That's the only thing. And then, when you receive the promise, call anything contrary to that promise as though it was not, and God will bring it to pass. As a servant of the Lord, I give this promise through the Word of the living God. And I know it's the truth. Watch Him what He's doing here in your midst. See the things that He's taking place.
John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
81 Now, we're going to call a prayer line and pray. Now, coming to the platform as the people come... If you'll... We're a little bit earlier than ... [Gap in the audio.] walk you to the platform. I know there's four or five different kinds of cards out here now, 'cause they had three or four days already of giving out cards. And where is ... [Gap in the audio.]
... give some to speak with tongues. It's been very much misused, but it's a gift of God just the same. And He's give some interpretations; that's been misused, but it's true just the same. God has real. Where you see a bogus, remember, there's a real one that's made off of. Before... When you see a bogus dollar, remember, that's impersonating a real dollar. When you see a false gift of something pretending, remember, it's made off of a real one. That's right.
82 When you see an old witch out here on the street, a fortuneteller, hold out your hands, and, "You are so-and-so." Remember, that witch is impersonating a real true prophet of God. That's right. When you see anything false, it's impersonating; Satan has perverted something and making a false conception of some real thing God has.
When you see an old hypocrite walking down the street and you know they're a hypocrite, remember, they are patterning off of a real genuine Christian somewhere.
83 You go to India and you find they want to clown for you, lay on spikes, or walk through fire, and everything like that, clowning. That's a hypocrite. Remember, back in that kingdoms back in there in the interior, there's a man who really suffers for his sins trying to atone for it. That's right. Where there's a false, there's a true.
Now, Jesus is true. Anything contrary to Him or contrary to His Word is false, in my way of thinking. Now, Christ made the promise. God swore that He'd do it. God swore that He would do it. How many understood me, say, "Amen." And God tore His life in two at Calvary, promising, and has promised the Holy Ghost to come back and do the very same things that Christ did. And the Jews laughed and made fun of Christ, because He could discern their spirit and tell them what was their troubles and so forth; and they said He was Beelzebub.
And Jesus said, "You say that against Me, it'll be forgiven you; but when the Holy Ghost comes and does the same thing, one word against it, you're doomed forever in this world or the world to come."
Matthew 12:32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
Mark 3:28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
Mark 3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
Luke 12:10 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.
84 God promised to do it. And no matter how much people teach against it, God will do it anyhow; because He promised He would do it. Jesus come, not to show His authority, not say, "Here I heal the sick to show My authority." He healed the sick to fulfill the Word of God, the promise of God. And God's not healing the sick and showing signs and wonders here and things to show His authority. He's doing it, because He promised to do it.
Oh, God bless your hearts. I wished I could, some way I could make you believe it. If there was, I'd... If taking a quarter, and putting it on the floor here, and pushing it with my nose all the way around this city, right out on the street, pushing it with my nose, would make you believe, I'd start off right now doing it.
I don't want to see you, friends... There's people here, if I come back a year from now, they won't be here; you'd be gone. This crowd of people, and old, and afflicted, and so forth, you'd be gone, many of you. And I'll have to stand with you at the day of judgment and answer for what I speak of. So I've got to be real sure.
85 Now, are they all lined up, Brother Cox? Some handkerchiefs? Oh, they want me to keep them here? Let's bow our heads just a moment.
Heavenly... [Gap in the audio.] One time when Israel was cornered into a corner, the Red Sea had them blocked off. One writer said that God looked down through that pillar of fire, 'cause God's path led through it, and the sea got scared and moved back and made a way for Israel to pass over to the promised land. Old mothers, and dads, and little children, and wives, and so forth are laying tonight sick and afflicted, waiting for these handkerchiefs, here where Your presence is.
When these handkerchiefs is put upon the sick, may God look back through the blood of Jesus and remember His promise. And may the sickness depart from their body, and may they cross to the land of good health and strength. Through Christ's name, I pray.
And dear God, now I stand here before You. People are lined up, people are sitting in the audience. I've spoke the best that I know how, telling the people of Your goodness and Your promise. Now, Lord God, will You speak and tell the people and let them know that I have told the truth; confirm Your Word, Lord, with signs following. I ask in Jesus' name. Amen.
86 All right. How do you do? Now, to ever who it is, step this mic up a little farther. Now, tomorrow night, the Lord willing, I want to take just a few moments to explain the best that I can. It's supernatural; you can't explain it, but how this works. It's not me. You just disbelieve and it'll never work.
If Christ was standing right here Himself, and you didn't believe Him, it would never work. When He come to His own country, the Bible said, "He c-o-u-l-d n-o-t, could not do many mighty works because of their unbelief." Any gift of God is operated by you, by the patient, or the people. It's not me. I don't know a one of you, know nothing about you.
Matthew 13:58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
87 But for instance, here stands a lady. I guess we're strange to each other, are we, lady? I do not know you. And God does know you. Well, now for instance, what if Christ would appear here, which He can't in a corporal body, 'cause every eye shall see Him and every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess when He comes. But He promised, the second, His Spirit would be in the church, and He would raise up people to do the same things that He did, to manifest to the people that He's living and not dead.
Now, if He was standing here tonight, and if you're sick, other needs you have, I don't know. I can't tell you, 'cause I don't know you. But there's only one thing He could do: refer you back to the Word. And His Word give a promise that He would be with us and would do the same things that He did. And when He was here on earth, He didn't claim to heal the people, but He knew their heart as the Father would reveal to Him. Is that right?
Now, how many knows that's the truth? Well then, if Jesus of Nazareth ... What is it? Humble yourself and submit yourself. Now, she has to submit herself.
Romans 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
Philippians 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
88 That woman might be a critic standing there. I don't know. She might be an infidel. I couldn't tell you. If she is, you just watch what happens to her in a few moments.
How many remembers what that guy did, come and tried to hypnotize me? Sitting there, trying to hypnotize me, make me bark like a dog, he did in these army camps. They hired him to come in. And the Holy Spirit turned around and said, "You child of the devil." Said, "They'll pack you out of here." He's been paralyzed for years now. They packed him from the meeting. Sure. Just watch what happens.
Let's... Just submit yourself to God; take off all your doubts now, and lay them away, and never pick them up again. Say, "Lord, I'm just going to watch. I'm going to pray. I'm going to believe tonight with all of my heart." And just ask God to do it, and see if He will. Sure, He will. He's obligated, friends.
89 Now, lady, you just look at me just a moment while we talk. Now, I'm going to give a little illustration, a Bible illustration, for the newcomers in here.
One day our Lord Jesus went up to Samaria, and He sent the disciples away. And a woman come out to talk to Him. And He said, "Bring Me a drink," to the woman. He'd never seen her. She'd never seen Him.
Why, she said, "It's not customary for you Jews to ask me a Samaritan such as that. We have no dealings."
He said, "But if you knew who you were talking to, you'd ask Me for a drink."
Why, she said, "The well is deep, and You have nothing to draw with, and how could You do it," and so forth.
And the conversation went on. After while, He found just exactly where her trouble was. He said, "Go, get your husband."
She said, "I have none."
"That's right; you got five."
She said, "Sir, I perceive that You're a prophet. And we know that when the Messiah cometh (which is Christ), when He comes, He will tell us these things, all things. But Who are You?"
He said, "I'm He."
John 4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
John 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
John 4:11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
John 4:16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
John 4:17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:
John 4:18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
John 4:19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
John 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
90 Now, if that was Jesus yesterday, and if He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, He'd have to be the same Jesus today. Is that right? Do you believe that, audience? And if He will do it, and this woman and I both here standing before God, and the Bible laying between us here, that we've never seen one another and know nothing about each other... And here we are standing here. And if Christ will perform that tonight, and you go away disbelieving, I'd hate to stand in your place. Now, that's all I would know.
But now, may the good Holy Spirit of God come as we yield ourself to Him in Christ's name, and prove that He is living and here, and God has by His oath has kept His promise. And the Holy Spirit is here fulfilling the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ, just before His second coming and the ending of the world. I pray in Christ's name. Amen.
91 Now, just to talk with you a minute, just as our Lord, because you're the first patient here. And I don't want to call you a patient. I don't know. I can't say that. But I just said that, just subconsciously said it. But you're the first person I'm to talk to. He don't have to tell me. He might not. But I hope that He does. But if He will tell me something in your life back, then tell you what's going to happen, you would believe it, wouldn't you? You promise that you'll believe? You do, you promise.
Now, may the Lord grant it. The audience is under oath that they'll believe. We're under promise and oath that we'll believe. Now, it's up to Him.
See where I stand? Looky here, here's at least a thousand more people. And I've made that challenge before five hundred thousand in heathens. Now, why? Because I believe. I believe that He'll keep His Word.
92 But now, if you're sick, I couldn't heal you. You know that. It'd just have to be your faith in Him. But it would raise your faith if He would come down and confirm and say that He'd do just like He did do, you'd know that that second piece of paper, as I've taught in the covenant, was God's works to a man.
Now, if the audience can still hear my voice, I see the lady walking up-and-down a floor in a house. She's extremely nervous. She's got a inward trouble that bothers her too. That's right. And I see you a lot younger than what you look tonight. And you're something another, you're looking in a glass. You got your mouth open. It's a swelling in the roof of your mouth. That's been many years ago, and it still happens today. Your roof of your mouth swells up. That's true.
93 Another thing, you're always pulling at your neck. You have pains in your neck all the time. That's true. ["Yes, that's true."] Now there's Something here that knows you. Here's another thing: you've tried hard to believe. This is not your first time you've been prayed for. You've come time after time places to be prayed for. I seen you passing by. Now, is that the truth? ["That's the truth."] Now do you believe?
Now do you feel it? As in my heart, now, right now, I don't know what it said to you. I don't know. The only way I know tomorrow, it's setting on tapes. And that's how I know. I know it said something. But I know what it said is the truth. If you'll believe now with all your heart that it's not your brother... You're aware that there's Something here that knows you, that you know. It's things, perhaps, it said to you that's been many years ago. Is that right?
And who was way down in your life years ago that knows everything you've done, see? Who is that? God. Right. Does that fulfill what I was talking about a few minutes ago? That Christ said... The woman said, "Why, He told me everything I ever done."
94 Jesus said, "These things that I do, shall you also." Then is God's sworn covenant true? Is His sworn covenant true? Then what we got to be worried about? Jesus is here. His Spirit is here. We're in a... What happened just now? I went into another world. It's an unseen world. We become so conscious of looking at one another like this. But there's this unseen world in which there's evil. And here's Christ.
In this world, in this building here are evil spirits and war. And Christians anointed, and the angels of God encamped about them trying to energize them with faith.
And here I am standing here just yielding myself, and the Holy Spirit's moving now. And this is what you call heavenly places in Christ Jesus. But remember, Satan always sits with the sons of God. You know that he always does that. Someone with a skeptic idea ... when they do that, he's trying to interfere. But Christians always overcome.
Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
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.
95 Now, lady, my sister, ever what your trouble is, will you tonight accept Jesus as your healer of your trouble? Would you come up and just pray for you?
Our kind, heavenly Father, with my hand to You and the other on my sister, I pray that You'll bless her, and heal her, and make her well, and give her the desire of her heart; and may her testimony cause an old-fashioned revival to start in her church and neighborhood, wherever she's from.
Lord, Thou hast done everything now that can be done. And I ask that You will now with this anointing on our sister, that she'll call the things which has been as though they were not, and go on and live, and be well, in Christ's name. Amen. God bless you, lady. I believe with all my heart, it's over. God bless you.
96 All right if you'd come. Is this the patient? Come. Now, please, don't no one leave. Just sit still a few minutes. I just feel something's fixing to take place. God will honor His Word. And when you move... See, every spirit. I'm kind of in contact of it. I'm watching to see what He'll do. Just have faith in God.
Those of you out there without a prayer card, that is not going to be called upon, you believe. Just believe it. That's all I ask for. Just believe.
97 Now, the lady here. I suppose we're strangers to each other, are we, lady? I don't know you, never seen you. You have seen me before, probably up here at the platform or somewhere. Is that how the... The last time I was here. But I mean to know anything about you, I don't know. I've never... Is that way, what I mean. Just so the audience will know that you're not someone that I know, see. I don't know what He'll say. I don't know what you're there for. I have no idea what you're there for. But He does.
And I'm only trying to get the people to believe on the Lord Jesus, not believe me, believe on Him. You have a ladies' trouble, a female disorder, that's bad. Could be awful bad if something isn't done for it. It's extraordinary case and it causes you much trouble. That is right. Do you believe? That is true, isn't it? You're just trying to get over a little hump there, aren't you? There's something that just... You can't feel right down in your soul, just like you can accept it just now.
98 I'm not reading your mind, but you couldn't hide your life if you had to. You're just open to the Holy Spirit now. And it's all in the mercies of God. Maybe God will tell you who you are. You'll believe Him, would you? Aren't you Mrs. Brinks? That's right. Don't you live at a address called 553 22nd Street East? That's right, isn't it? Now, do you believe? You're over the hook now. Go and accept it.
Father God, bless the woman in Christ's name, I pray. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
99 Do you believe, lady? I don't know you; I've never seen you. But do you believe that Christ is here to make you well or give you the desire of your heart? I have no idea what you're standing there for. But do you remember my sermon, the second piece of paper, the covenant God tore loose and took His Son up to heaven, and sent the Holy Spirit down to do the same works of the Lord Jesus?
And if He was standing here, that's the same thing He done. The people out in the audience are being healed just the same as they are here. You believe that? Sure.
100 What do you think about it, sir, sitting on the end. You got piles, don't you? Do you believe that Jesus Christ make you well? You sitting there with the blue suit and checkered tie. You believe Jesus Christ make you well, heal you? You believe that God can heal you? If you can, all right. You remember, you just have faith.
What about you out there on the other end [unclear words]. You believe God will make you well, sir? If you do, be well. Do you believe that God will heal you of that head trouble? If you do, raise up your ... raise your hand and say, "Praise the Lord." Amen. Go and be made well. See how easy it is, how easy if you can just believe it?
101 Now, you believe? But you didn't come to be prayed for. You come to stand for somebody else. That's a man. It's your uncle. He's crippled, isn't he? That right? Do you believe now? Then go lay your hands on him. May God grant everything that you ask for. I'd like to ask the blessing.
Kind Father, I pray that You'll give the maid the very thing that she's asked for. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen. God bless you, lady. All right. That you bring the sick. Are you believing?
How do you do, lady? You believe with all your heart? Do you believe me to be His servant? Now, see, the Angel when He met me, said, "If you get the people to believe you, then be sincere when you pray..." See what I mean? I try to follow His instructions just as close as I can.
102 Now, the whole thing's begin to [unclear word.] It's you doing it. It's not me. But you know something's happening that... Isn't it? If you're aware that there's something struck you here to believe, a real believer... 'Cause just as soon as the light (I seen it settling), the tears started in her eyes.
Now, you're suffering with a real nervous condition. You've been nervous, upset. And your heart, you've had some excitement. You're here for somebody else. That's a very dear person, isn't it? It's your daddy. If I tell you what's the matter with him, will you believe me to be God's prophet? You'll accept his healing through Christ as his daughter standing there? It's a heart attack. That's right. Is that right? I see him almost dying. He's very weak.
Now, you go, as I send you. Kneel down and pray for him. I'll pray for him here. God will heal him. Do you believe it? Will the audience believe it?
Father God, with the faith in their heart that comes moving up, believing that You're here to make the sick well, and her reaching and getting a prayer card and was called into this line, not even for herself but for someone else. God, I pray, as she's standing for someone else... What a Christian act to know that Christ stood for us all. When we were guilty and unworthy, Christ took our place. I pray that You'll grant her her request. In Jesus' name. Amen. God bless you, sister.
103 Have faith in God, don't doubt. How about it, little lady? Nifty little boy there. Something happened when you picked that child up. You want him prayed for, don't you? Right. You need prayer yourself. Your trouble's in your side, your right side. Isn't that right? You believe me? You're sitting straight from me, no spirit between you and I but the Holy Spirit.
Your little boy has got a rupture. Is that right? I've never seen you in my life, as I know of. We're strangers to one another. I want to tell you something: You named that baby after my boy. His name is Billy Paul, isn't it? You believe me to be God's prophet? Then receive what you've asked for in Christ's name.
Oh, living God, move heavenly Father. Let the people be awakened quickly to know that this is the day in faith, the Spirit of the living God, Who loved me and saved me. In Jesus' name.
104 Now, be reverent now. You never know ... you'll never know the sacrifice. I hope you wouldn't think I was a hypocrite. But it seems right now after those visions, it's just... I'm just shaking with the perspiration on top of my hands. It's just weakness. And looks to me like I can't see very far back in the audience; it looks kind of milky. What is it? It's two worlds. You're laying between them. The people is moving, drawing.
Would you bring someone else? Brother Cox... How do you do, lady? You believe me to be His servant? I don't know you. Christ knows you. You believe what I've preached tonight is the truth? You do? That Jesus, the Son of God, is here in the form of Spirit to do the same things? Do you believe that's Him? If you believe that, that heart trouble, it won't bother, but will leave you. You believe it?
105 Your eyes are going bad too all the time, aren't they? That's right. And you're extremely nervous. Isn't that true? Now, that you might know that I was God's prophet, there's somebody here with you tonight that wants to be prayed for. That's right. And that's your husband. That is right.
If I tell you what's wrong with your husband, will you believe me to be His servant, and believe that Christ is standing here, that me, a man, could know not these things? I see your husband can't sleep at night or something. It's something bothering him. He's up-and-down all the time. And that's caused by a nervous condition, and it's right under his eye. I seen a moving in his eye. It's right in... Isn't that right? Raise your hand if that's true. Then, do you believe God? Then come here. Come here.
Jesus, Thy Word said, "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest." If He were here tonight in a corporal body, we could all fall at His feet. But the woman believes that that's covenant with God. She's brought herself to the platform, and she's respecting You, Lord, as she's praying and weeping here, holding my hand. And as Your servant, her brother, I ask for these blessings, that she may be made whole in Christ's name. Amen. God bless you, my dear sister. And may His blessings be with you.
Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
106 Young fellow, I want to ask you something. What if I didn't say a word to you, just prayed for you. You believe you'd be well? You do? Come here. You was healed when you passed the corner.
Father, I thank Thee for Thy goodness tonight. And I pray now that You'll bless him and ever keep him in the perfect condition in Christ's name. Amen. God bless you, brother. Just on your road and rejoice and being happy.
Do you believe? Would you accept me as His servant? Not as Him, but as His servant, representing Him to you? And then, if He had sent me to represent Him, then my prayer would help you, wouldn't it? If an ambassador went from Canada to Russia, and if the Canadian government had sent him, all the government behind him. Is that right? If we come representing His ministry (it's powerful), and the death of the Lord Jesus, then all heaven is behind the Word. Is that right?
107 Now, if God [unclear words], basically that it's your faith that does the healing. Now, your condition, I know. Your healing has been completed. What about your faith? Would you believe it? All right, from being a nervous type of person, you've caused yourself to have an ulcer in your stomach---a stomach condition. That's right. Isn't that right? You can't eat. But now, go eat you a good, fat hamburger. Enjoy your meal. Let the faith of the Lord Jesus make you whole.
Heart trouble kills a lot of people. But Jesus Christ is the Saviour. Do you believe that, my brother? You do? You now will accept Him in every way, and believe that God will remove every doubt and fear from you, and Christ will let you live, and will you live for Him with all your heart? Come here.
Dear heavenly Father, as I hold myself to this man, knowing and seeing the shadow following him, and as Elijah put himself upon the body of the dead baby, I pray God that You will heal this our brother. And grant his blessings through Jesus Christ's name. Amen. God bless you, my brother. Go on your road, rejoice, and forget all about that you was sick or anything that happened or what more.
2 Kings 4:34 And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.
2 Kings 4:35 Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
108 Oh, nervousness is a bad thing. Christ is the healer. You believe that, don't you, lady? Do you believe He will make you well? With all your heart? Let's bow our heads. I want to show you something, lady. Everyone out there suffering with nervous condition, raise their hands. I want to show what's in this crowd there, see. That full, just can't call them, there's so many of them there. Now, believe with all your heart.
Heavenly Father, in the name of the beloved Son, the Lord Jesus, I challenge every unclean spirit, every devil and ask that it leaves in Christ Jesus' name. May every nervous person in this building be made completely whole at this time. In Christ's name I ask it. Amen. God bless you. Go rejoicing, going happy.
Let us say, "Praise the Lord," everybody. And we rejoice in the exceeding abundance of our Lord Jesus Christ. All right, come up, please.
109 All right, everybody ready? Oh, yes. All right. Heavenly Father, I pray for the little lad and ask that You will heal his eye, make him well, bless his loved one here and may this all be to God's honor and glory through Jesus Christ's name. Amen. Don't doubt, believe, you be well, everything normal and well.
Let's say, "Praise the Lord."
A man that's sitting, looking at me, in a chair. There seems to be a light around the man. Oh, I see. You have accepted Christ as your healer. Isn't that right? I don't know you. That's your wife sitting behind you. Got a back trouble. She wants to be healed also. Don't fear. Have faith, believe God. You shall have what you ask for.
Little lady with her head ... sitting there, and a white hat on, praying, green coat. Have faith in God. God can heal that slipped vertebrae. You believe that?
110 Little lady, sitting there is also praying back there, with a red dress on. Got hemorrhoid troubles, you got arthritis. Isn't that right? You believe Jesus Christ makes you well? All right. Go home and be well in Christ's name. You believe the arthritis left you? Believe you can go home and be well? Accept it? Then go and rejoice. How many wants to be healed? He's here.
111 I speak in the name of Jesus. The Holy Ghost has moved in here, and I can't even hardly see the audience no more. If you'll believe God... If God has manifested Himself here in any manner and you believe God spoke it, I challenge you in Christ's name to accept Him now as your healer. Do you believe it? All right. Put your hands over on one another while we pray the prayer of faith.
Our heavenly Father, we come in Jesus' name. And, Satan, you're defeated, not only are you defeated, but you're exposed. You thought you could hold this group of people, but you can't. They've done got away from you. They've come out looking to every promise of God. They believe in His divine providence and you've lost the battle. Come out of them in the name of Jesus Christ. I adjure every sickness, every disease to leave the people in Jesus' Christ's name. Now, raise your hands to Him. Praise Him. Thank Him.
Believe Him with all your heart. Now, brother...