Mary's belief

You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net

1 Thank you, brother. It was certainly ... I have to say "amen" to that. The Lord blessed us this morning in a most unusual way. I had something on my mind I was going to speak about, and just changed it right over. And that's the kind of meetings I like---the sweetness of the Holy Spirit just moving in, flowing over the building.
And then the Holy Spirit last night ... I guess it must have been a prophecy. I said the ministers behind me, that their time would come. They was sacrificing. And this morning, why, before I could even get started hardly, the goodness of the Holy Spirit went right out among those ministers, pronouncing them healed, right out around, telling them their conditions and diseases and what more. Oh, He's good, isn't He? He certainly is. He's a wonderful Father. We're so grateful for Him.

2 Now, tomorrow afternoon, the Lord willing, we're going to change the service from tomorrow night until tomorrow afternoon. And I think that's nice. It gives everybody a chance to keep their churches going. I always think it's a Christian's duty to stand at his post of duty. And that way, when we're having a rally like this, and the brethren who are willing to close their churches and send their people over... I tell all you visitors here now, that's here out of the city and away from these churches, go to church tomorrow. Just pick your choice. There's a fine bunch of brothers here and some fine churches that believes in this same gospel we're preaching. They're standing here. And they'll be glad to have you at their Sunday schools tomorrow morning and their churches tomorrow night. And now, be sure to attend some church, the church that you choose.
I guess the brethren has told you where ... they made some kind of arrangements to say where they're at and what about it. They usually do that. And you're invited to all of them. And so now the church ... wherever you go to church at, the one you represent, whatever you want to do, well, that'll just be fine. Now, I see them getting in the movies or something. So there's a great spirit amongst the people, a great revival seems to be moving this way.
I trust that it'll never lose that beautiful spirit that was in the meeting this morning. That's really something when you see God's goodness and his mercy to come and bless us, and do the things that He did this morning.

3 Now, if the Lord being willing, tomorrow afternoon I want to make it like a good Christian rally, and just let everybody come out. We're just going to preach an evangelistic sermon tomorrow afternoon, if the Lord willing. And Brother Leo, our book man, said, "Brother Branham, you ought to preach one time down here to these people like that old-time sassafras preaching."
The Lord being good to us, we want you to turn in your Bibles if you wish, or just put the text down. I just got a verse to read in Luke, the first chapter, thirty-seventh verse:
For with God nothing shall be impossible.
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

4 Let us bow our heads just a moment. Our heavenly Father, we come in the name of the Lord Jesus to ask mercy and forgiveness of our short-comings. We would pray tonight, Lord, that You would continue to visit us in these great visitations of thy Holy Spirit, that You might show Yourself alive until You appear again in physical form at the second coming. We pray, heavenly Father, that if there would be any among us who has never yet accepted You as their own dear loving Saviour that tonight will be that time that when they will make that all-sufficient one, "Yes, Lord, I believe." Those who have started that way and has not yet come on to the baptism of the Spirit, we pray that they also will yield tonight to the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
Last evening we were so happy, Lord, to see You go out among the people, those who raised their hands that they did not have prayer cards; see your great Holy Spirit go out and heal the sick and afflicted, and call them, doing just like You did when it dwelt in the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, showing that You're still in your church; people getting up from stretchers and walking away; and those who were dying, at the last hope, seen the light of God and accepted it, walked away healed. The great meeting this morning in the fellowship with the Holy Spirit, as we sat together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, O God, how we love that.

5 And we pray that You'll give us thy heavenly blessings tonight. Do not look upon our unworthiness, Lord, because we are unworthy, and there's nothing that we could do to merit anything. So we humbly confess that we are wrong, and we are unrighteous and Thou alone are righteous. And we come in the name of the Lord Jesus as He's bid us to, promising that we would get what we ask for. God, I'm going to ask a great thing of You, and I pray that the Holy Spirit will search every heart here tonight. If they need healing, heal them, Lord. Whatever they have need of, grant it, Lord. And don't forget me back here.
Don't forget these lovely bunch of ministers, Lord. Bless their churches tomorrow. May they be just packed out and the Spirit of God moving through them. May there be an old-fashioned revival break in this country here and just cross the nation. Bless all the peoples everywhere, Father. Now, as I've read these few words, I pray that You'll bless them to our hearts. We ask in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.

6 The morning sun was just coming up over the hill as she was making her way along the little familiar street, coming down off the hill where she lived. And as she walked along with the water pot under her arm she was perhaps thinking, meditating, as young women usually, at about that age, can walk along thinking. And she was on her road to the city well to get the daily supply of water. We're told that her mother was dead, so she just kind of kept home there by herself and her aged father. And she was thinking of the day before.

7 It must have been on the first day of the week, after they had had the Sabbath service, and the sun getting pretty well up and climbing into the Palestinian blue skies. And the sweetness of the flowers as the sun comes up, that atmosphere, that aroma of the flowers and honeysuckles, as the heat drives it down just a few hours before it drives it out again---I love that time of morning. I think it's fresh. I like to get out into the gardens.
I think a minister ought to come to the platform not loaded down with a lot of care, but out of the freshness of the presence of the Lord. Get out early of a morning after all the demons have gone to bed, the night rallying is about over. Then it settles down and gets quiet, and smell that aroma, the sweetness. And I believe if a minister would just stay before God until he came into the pulpit, he'd come as a sweet smelling savor, anointed with the Holy Spirit to bring the message of God to the hungry-hearted people who are waiting.

8 As she made her way down along the path, I believe---or I might say this as a little drama---that she was thinking about what happened the day before. After they had come from church, why, it was customary that her engaged husband, Joseph, was to come home with her that day for dinner. And as dinner was made ready, why... They'd had their dinner and as usual they sat out on the porch, looking across the little valley over on the other side of the hill.
Joseph was a carpenter. And knowing that he was fixing to marry this beautiful young Jewish maiden, being a carpenter, he was building their future home over on the other hill. So, you know, I'd imagine it had to have that little special touch to it, because he was going to bring his pretty young bride into this home. The doors had to fit just right. And he was taking his time about doing it because he didn't want a hurry-up job on this one. It must be ... the windows must fit just right, and the doors just right. I'd imagine when he went in the gate it might have been a big heart shape, so when he went in ... to make the gate in the shape of a heart. Roses all around the house.

9 And they'd planned this for some time, since their engagement. And they would go out there on, say, a Sunday afternoon, and sit down on the porch, and look just across where their future home would be. And as a custom they'd speak about the Lord, because they were both great believers in God. And this Sunday was a special one. As they hurried dinner and got the dishes washed and... Joseph was already sitting on the porch when Mary arrived, and it must have been a conversation something like this as...
They usually talked about the way the house was shaped, and how it would look, and the rabbis would come home with them for dinner. But instead they fell on the subject of the morning's message that they'd heard from the rabbi, the notable, honorable one. And perhaps it was Mary that said, "Joseph, wasn't that a striking message this morning that the rabbi preached, our beloved pastor?"

10 "Oh," Joseph must have said, "that was an outstanding message. I loved it so much when he spoke of that great Jehovah God who led our people out of Egypt. Did it not thrill you when he read the scrolls of Exodus when they were brought out, and how that Jehovah led them by a pillar of fire? And they just had no compass to go ... but they went by the leading of the Spirit. Oh, Mary, wouldn't it be wonderful that if we could live all of our lives watching that pillar of fire and be led like they were?
"And how that when they needed food He rained the manna out of heaven---they had bread. And then when they needed flesh, He blowed in quails from the coast, filled the ground. And when they needed water, He had a smitten rock. When they were sick, He had a brass serpent for an atonement for their sickness, and, oh, how great it was.
"But," he said, "Sweetheart, I believe he spoiled the whole thing when he said, 'But alas, Jehovah doesn't do that anymore.' Somehow or another I have always believed that that Jehovah always remains the same. He just can't fail. And I believe that the reason that we have ... living in the days that we are, is because that our people has lost faith in Jehovah.

11 "I believe that He is immortal, and He doesn't get old and fade away. He's just simply the same Jehovah, and He expects us not... I don't think that I would disregard or disrespect the honorable rabbi, but when he said this morning in his message that Jehovah performed no more miracles, that the only thing that He wanted us to do was to come to church, and pay our tithes, and live a good life as we could and He'd take us up home in glory, I can't hardly believe that, Mary. I believe that Jehovah wants us to walk with Him like they did in that day."
And then it must have been that Mary said, "Oh, dear, do you know, we should read the Scriptures first."
Well, if you've ever been in a Palestinian home and seen some of the old ancient landmarks... The books of the Bible was kept in like a... It's called a scroll, rolled up on like a stick. And they kept them in a container like a waste basket. And just stick them down in this container. And, like the scroll of Isaiah, the scroll of Jeremiah, and all those prophets were in there, so it didn't make any difference which one they read, because they knowed it was all ordained of God because it was their prophet.

12 So Joseph said, "Well, my dear, would you go in and get one of the scrolls." She just by chance reached in to get the scroll and brought it out.
She said, "Well, dear, today it seems like we read from the book of Isaiah." So he pulled open the scroll, and Joseph began to read, and his mind ... his eyes fell upon this portion: "A virgin shall conceive, and shall bring forth a son ... They shall call his name Counsellor, mighty God, Prince of Peace, everlasting Father."
And when he got down to the end, the little virgin lady sitting by the side said, "Just a moment, Joseph, dear. What does the prophet mean by a virgin conceiving?"
Well, Joseph might have said this: "Dear, that's just a little too deep for me. I do not understand it, but I believe it. It's just what the Bible said. I don't know how it will ever happen, but we know this, dear---we know that Isaiah was Jehovah's prophet. Therefore, being anointed with the Holy Spirit of God upon him, he could not prophesy wrong, because he was born a prophet and we know that his words are true. And when he said, 'A virgin shall conceive,' that was not Isaiah. That was our Jehovah, and Jehovah is able to do anything that He says that He'll do."

13 And as they spoke about it---and on down, how his name would be called Counsellor, Prince of Peace, mighty God, everlasting Father, and the government shall be upon his shoulders and there would be no end to his kingdom, and so forth---she said, "It must be the same one that the prophet Moses promised to us: 'The Lord your God shall raise up a prophet liken unto me.' Therefore it must be the Messiah."
Joseph said, "I believe the scribes interpret it that way, that this would be the Messiah that was to come." And as the evening passed on, the night service drew near, why, they went on back to church again.

14 And it was the next morning as she was going along for the water, she could hear the hammer across the way, where the saw ... where Joseph was building on their house. And as she got up and had her breakfast, and stuck the little pitcher under her arm and started down to the city public well... (Now, if we had time I'd like to dwell on that well for a while, but we don't have the time.) So as she was going along with her head down, thinking, she couldn't get it off her mind... And she said, "That remark that Joseph made to me when I stopped him on that scripture of Isaiah 9:6, and how that... He said to me, 'Dear, you know I think you ... I always thought you was the most beautiful woman I ever seen, but somehow in the last few minutes you've been more beautiful than ever. Your big brown eyes sparkle, and just when we mentioned this scripture. Did it thrill you? Or what taken place?'"
Well, she wondered, "What was that when he said, '...a child is born, a son is given.'? Wonder what made me feel the way I did?" And just then, as the little maiden was walking, she noticed something flicker. And she looked around. And "It must have been the sun," she said, "that shined against a rock up on the desert hill there somewhere." And as she went on about her way, thinking about what was taking place, and what they had been talking about, she turned a corner that goes up to the city well, where the ladies meet out there early of a morning and let their buckets down.
Or their crocks---more like a crock or a jug. They got a long neck, two handles. They had a hook they hooked under it, and a windle. They let the jug down. It being made out of clay, why, it sank. They'd windle the water back up, then set it up on top their heads, and walk right on back home; and maybe holding five or six gallons of water, enough for the day---unless they were washing, and then usually they went to the places to wash.

15 Now as she turned the corner she seen that light flicker again. And as she looked---when she had to pass through a little narrow place where just one person could pass---there stood Gabriel, the archangel. It wasn't the sun, the s-u-n, she seen reflecting. He was following her, and he met her, to where he got her in a place where she'd have to look to him. And she looked, and he was all of a glow of light around him. Frightened the little virgin, and no doubt she grabbed her water pot, and those big eyes stared out and looked at the archangel.
He said, "Hail, Mary [or stop], you're highly favored before God." Oh, I like that. That little woman, in the meanest city there was in the world at that time known---the meanest city, anyhow, in Palestine. And in there she had lived such a life until God chose her for a certain work that He was going to do. There she looked into his face, and it startled her.

16 You know, it's usually as we are thinking on those things... The Bible said, "If there be any praise, if there be any virtue, think on these things." I think the reason we don't see no more of it than we do, we got our minds on too many other things. I think the angels would still appear to us if we only kept our minds upon them; but we're thinking about something else---where we're going, a certain program we've got to look at, or certain shopping we got to do. But our Scriptures tells us, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added unto you."
And there then when we see that, that he said, "Thou art highly favored before God."

17 And we notice again... I don't want to leave this scripture, but it was Cleopas and his friend on the road to Emmaus, as they were going along there, broken-hearted, speaking about Jesus being crucified and dead, and the stories that they had heard about Him being raised from the dead, and they didn't believe it... On the road going over---going back to, maybe, go to work on Monday morning, on the road back---it was while they were thinking of Him that He appeared to them. Stepped out of the bushes and began to talk to them just like an ordinary man.
He said, "Oh, why are you so weary? What's wrong with you?"
They said, "Are you just a stranger here?"
Do you believe...? Now this is kind of sticky, but people who had walked with Him, and talked with Him, and walked all day with Him after his resurrection---the same Jesus---and didn't know Him. He will reveal Himself to whosoever He will reveal. Oh, I pray tonight that He'll take the shades from every one of our eyes and will come into this building and reveal Himself in the power of his resurrection, that every person might see Him---the sinner as their saviour, the sick as their healer.
And we notice that He walked with them all day. And then He made out like He was going somewhere else or going on by, and they constrained Him to come in. Oh, I like that---constraining Him to come in. Oh, Jesus, You're here in the church tonight. You must go home with me. I want to take You to my home. I never want to lose this feeling of your presence. Let me take You home, and come in and abide with me. Never want to lose that feeling. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

18 You know I want to stop here in my message just a moment and say the most glorious things that I have ever seen happen is when something anointed me. I wish I could stay in that place all the time. You read in the book, that night when the maniac run out on the platform up there to kill me at ... where? Portland. You was there, Brother Jack, or was ... Brother Brown was there, when that maniac run out to kill me, and threatened to do it. Great big, huge fellow. And instead of hating the man, I loved him. He wouldn't have done that. He was probably a man with a family, the same as I had, and he wouldn't have done that. It was the devil on him that was doing that. And when I loved him, I wasn't afraid of him then. Love casteth out fear. It's when you can love...
You heard the story about the old mother possum coming up to the house. Love---it takes love to conquer. The time that bull was going to kill me out there in the field... Run right up on me. And it wasn't that I hated him. I was a game warden. I reached to get a gun and I'd left it in my car. I was glad I did, afterwards. He run up, and I thought, "Well, if I have to die, I might as well die facing him. I can't run from him. There's nothing ... to get out of the way." And just then I thought, "Well, if I have to go I want to go looking at him." And when it did he ran right to me, because he'd catch me anyhow. And he had a chain hanging from his nose. Just killed a colored man a few weeks before that. I'd forgot about him being in that field. I was going to go pray for a sick man. He threw his knee down like this and hit the dirt, roared, and here he come.

19 And I don't know why, but something happened. Always when a healing takes place, or anything, there's something happens. A love comes in and it just takes everything else out of the way. Oh, I tell you, brethren, you can have all the theology you want to, but give me love every time. "Ever since by faith I saw that stream thy flowing wounds supplied, redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die." Love. Oh, if I could only live in that atmosphere all the time.
And as that struck me, I said, "Creature of God, I am the servant of God. I'm on my way over to pray for one of his sick children. Now, I'm in your territory. I'm in your field here. I didn't mean to disturb you. But in the name of Jesus Christ go back and lay down. I'll not bother you." And he looked like he was coming on. Here he come, just as hard as he could. I just stood still, no more afraid than I am right now. And when he got about three foot from me he stopped. He looked at me. He looked so depleted, one way and then the other, turned around, walked over and laid down. I passed by him within two feet, walked right on by him. Love conquers. Something happens, something takes place.

20 The other night I was telling you about down in Mexico when Brother Jack was there. There was an old Mexican man come up on the platform. He was total blind and the poor old fellow... Their economics are so poorly balanced and they don't have nothing to eat. This old fellow didn't have on any shoes, an old hat in his hand sewed up with cords, an old ragged-looking coat on, and trousers almost to his knees, and dust all over them. He come walking across the platform with a little rosary in his hand, a little bunch of beads. And he got up to me, saying something. Somebody was leading him. And I stood and looked at him. I tell you, brother, until you can feel another man's condition, you can never help him. That's right. That's the reason ... God so loved the world---He had a feeling for it. And I looked at him. I thought, "There he is. Probably a bunch of little children somewhere, working for a few pesos a day. And now after all this, maybe never had a good meal in his life. And here in that condition. Now nature's been so bad to him, or his fate has blinded him." And he was...
I put my foot up side of him. I thought, "Here I stand with a good suit on and a pair of shoes, a good pair of shoes." I don't know whether he ever had a pair of shoes on in his life. I thought, "That's not right. And I got a pair at home. I got another suit at home. That man's got just as much right to them as I have." I put my foot up beside of his, thought I'd give him my shoes before I said anything. Why, his foot was much bigger. And his shoulders much wider---I couldn't give him my coat. I thought, "God, what can I do for him?" If my old Dad would have lived he would have been about his age.

21 What was it? Entering in ... all at once something happened. I began to feel that presence of love, sympathy for the old man. He jerked out the little beads and begin to holler, "Hail, Mary, mother of God, bless..."
I said, "That's not necessary. Just put it away."
And he said to Brother Espinoza, "Where is the healer? I want to get a hold of him."
And I said, "Just tell him to bow his head." I put my arms around the old fellow. I started ... I said, "Lord Jesus, this poor old man! I can't give him my shoes, he can't wear them. I can't give him my coat. But, Lord God, You're the only one can help him now. You can give him something that will fit him. That's eyesight. That's what he's craving for."
No more than I said that, I heard someone holler, "Gloria a Dios!" And there he was---he could see as good as I could---running across the platform just as hard as he could go.
And the next night there was a rick of clothes---old scarves, and aprons, and old coats, and rags, and hats piled up on there---two or three times as long as this here, and about that high. How they ever got the right one, I don't know. But what? They'd seen something. Oh, when something happens, something takes place.

22 That's the way it was with Mary that morning. Something must have took place when she was thinking about Him, and there He appeared into her presence. It was the same thing with Moses like it was with Mary. He said, "You're going to conceive in your womb and bear a child."
Now she knowed the angel's message was scriptural. I don't care what kind of an angel it was that appeared, if that angel's message is not scriptural and a promise of God, let it alone. There's been all kinds of angels appearing, everything, and they bring all kinds of messages. If the angel of the Lord whose servant I am would come ... if that angel would come, no matter how much it looked like the pillar of fire, how much it looked like the light, if his message didn't bear record with this Word, I'd let it alone and let him be accursed. It has to be in this. Joseph Smith, you know, saw an angel (he said), but it didn't bear record with the Word.
And Mary knew that she'd just read the day before (Isaiah 9:6), that something was about to happen. And she knowed it was on its way then.

23 Moses, likewise, when he had give up all the hope with his theology, and was on the backside of the desert herding Jethro's sheep, and one day he saw a ball of fire setting in a bush back there. He come up and took off his shoes as he was bid, and he listened to see what it was. But when he saw that angel was scriptural... Said, "I've heard the cries of my people and I remembered my covenant." He knowed that God made the promise, and that was the angel that would go with him. "I remember my promise and my covenant. I've seen the sufferings of my people and I've come down to deliver them." Moses knowed it wasn't his anymore because of that "I have come down to deliver them." Oh, that's the good part. "I have come down. You just be a mouthpiece for me." So he seen it was absolutely scriptural.
And Mary saw it was absolutely scriptural, for the day before she'd been reading it, perhaps, in the scroll, as our little drama goes. I tell you, it pays to read God's Word daily now. Jesus said, "Search ye the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me." In otherwise, he said, "If I do not the works of my Father [that was supposed to be done when He come], then believe me not. But if I do the works, though you don't believe me, believe the works because they are the ones that's sent of God."

24 We are looking for a heavenly visitor in this day. It's a promise of God. Put on your deep spiritual thinking quick, church, and remember, we are now looking for a visitor and there's many claiming it. But the only way that we'll know this heavenly visitor ... because he'll bear record of the Word.
She knew that that angel was from God when she seen his action. Looked at him. It must be an angel. He said, "I'm Gabriel, standing at the right hand of God." Now when God gets ready to do something He sends a messenger---always. Always has. He always will. Gabriel announced the first coming of Christ. Gabriel will announce the second coming of Christ. That's right. Something major is fixing to happen. And we notice this angel, when he said "Hail, Mary," and told her what was going to take place, she didn't doubt him, because she knowed he was perfectly scriptural, that it was supposed to be that way.

25 Now we're looking for a messenger in this last days, because Jesus said it would be, because all the prophets said it would be, Malachi said it would be. All the prophets have testified. Jesus in the very shadow of the cross spoke more of his second coming than He did of his going away. And when we see these things begin to come to pass, we'd better go to searching the Scripture, because He said there would be false Christs arise and false prophets and would show signs and wonders insomuch that it would deceive the very elected if it was possible.
Billy Graham said in a message, here a few weeks ago, it's already deceived the very elected. I differ with the evangelist. It cannot deceive the very elected, because they are elected of God.

26 Jesus spoke that in the days just before the coming of the Son of man it would be as it was in Sodom. And as we took it before, last ... in this week, that there was an angel came to Sodom, three of them, for three classes of people. One of them was the Sodomites, the other was the lukewarm church, the other one was the elected and called-out church. Abraham and his group, Lot and his group, and Sodom and their group. All ... two of them went down. The evangelist went down to preach to Sodom and to bring out that group of people, of believers, down there. He just got a few of them out.

27 But we notice that the one that stayed behind to the elected church, he showed a sign. And it was God doing that. It was not a myth, it was not a theophany. A theophany don't eat. He eat the flesh of a calf, and eat some hoecake, cornbread, and some butter on it, and drank the milk from the cow. A theophany doesn't eat and drink; it was God made manifest in flesh. It sure was. And what was he speaking? Jesus said, "As in that day, so will it be..." God will come again---come into the flesh of his people that He has bought and sanctified, and will show to his elected church the same sign that He showed to his elected church back there.

28 There was no "come out of it." There was no "this, that." He was already out of it, Abraham was. But the other angels was calling out, calling out down there. But Abraham was already out. And the church ... the very word church means "called out." God's church is already called out. It's called out.
And He gave him a sign that He was the One. And when He did, with his back turned, he told Sarah was in the tent behind him laughing, by a power---the same thing that Jesus manifested in his coming, manifested to both Samaritan and to the Jew. And it's predicted that in this last days that He would send his messenger again. And that messenger tonight is not a man. No, sir. It's the Holy Ghost. That's his messenger---God in his church, moving, showing the signs and wonders just before his appearing.

29 Now, remember, this angel has to be a scriptural angel. Besides that, we're warned of God about false prophets. The Bible said, "If there be a man among you who thinks himself to be a prophet [or so forth], and what he says doesn't come to pass, then don't fear him. I'm not with him. But what he says comes to pass, then I'm with that prophet. Hear him." That's true.
So we find out today that that message is a true Bible message. It's back to the baptism of the Holy Ghost, back to the power of God, back to Pentecost again, restoring the hearts of the fathers back to the children ... or, the children back to the fathers, rather, in this last day. We're looking for a heavenly messenger, and I believe He's here tonight. Amen. I believe that He's here. What does He do? He bears record.

30 Now, listen, friends. Don't take a substitute. Don't just shake a man's hand and put your name on the book. That's ... as far as it goes, that's all right. It might help you to get out of the saloon and get in a decent place and try to live right. That won't do it though.
"Except a man be born again he cannot even see the kingdom of God." Now, see means "to understand." There's a lot of people that say they're born again and can't understand the message of God, can't see the angel of the Lord. Their eyes are blinded, brother. Except a man be born of the Holy Ghost... The same Holy Ghost that wrote the Word will confirm the Word, in the same confirmation of the Holy Ghost in you.
You see what I mean? It will bear record of itself. Then our spirit bears record with his Spirit because his Spirit bears record of his Word. "The Word of God is sharper, more powerful [Hebrews 4] than any two-edged sword, even piercing to the ... asunder ... and the marrow of the bone, and ... a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart." That's "Thus saith the Lord," the Lord's Word, just exactly. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever, appearing in his elected church.

31 Oh, we got great revivals sweeping the lands everywhere, calling out of Sodom, and so forth; but in the elected church we have that person God, the same God that was back yonder. There's only one of them, and that one was in his church manifesting Himself to be the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever, scriptural. If he wasn't with the Scripture, didn't bear record of the Scripture, didn't confirm his Word, then I would not believe him. But being that he does, then I know he's from God---just like Mary did (amen), like Moses did, or any of the rest of them.
If it wasn't scriptural...

32 Now, back in the Old Testament they had more than one way to find out. If a man dreamed a dream or a prophet prophesied, you know what they did with that? They took them down before the Urim Thummim that hung on the post. The Urim Thummim is believed to have been those twelve birthstones in Aaron's birth-... or, his breastplate carrying the birthstone of each one. Then he hung it on the post, and if the prophet stood up and prophesied and... No matter how real it sounded, if the supernatural didn't answer back---a conglomeration of rainbow lights around, and these glittering like that---no matter what the prophet said, he was wrong. No matter what the dreamer dreamed, it was wrong. But God always answers back in a supernatural way. Amen.
Now, and that priesthood ended, and the Urim and Thummim was taken down, but God's got another Urim and Thummim. This is it: God's Word is the Urim and Thummim. That's God's Word. "Let every man's word be a lie and mine be true," said God. "Heavens and earth will pass away," said Jesus, "but my words shall never pass away."
Now, then if one speaks and it's not scriptural, don't believe it. If he speaks and it is scriptural, wait a minute. Try it with the Urim and Thummim. Then if the supernatural answers back that it is the truth, then believe it. That's the way to believe a true message. If the Bible promises anything and the Bible says it's so, that's God's Urim and Thummim. If the preacher is preaching like the Bible said, that's God's messenger, God's witness. Then if it is, then the supernatural of that Word will be made manifest and prove itself to be God. God keeps his promise.

33 We're looking for a messenger. That messenger is the Holy Spirit. The Bible said, "A little while and the world won't see me no more [Jesus did], yet ye shall see me, for I'll be with you to the end of the world. The works that I do shall you do also. More than this shall you do, for I go unto my Father." Now, the word there more, in the right translation... I'm using it there in more because it said in the King James greater. Who could do any greater? He raised the dead, stopped nature, done everything.
But then He was in one person. All of God was bottled up into one man, Jesus Christ. But in this time He's across the universe in his church, doing more of it, the same works. "The same works that I do shall they do also. More than this shall I do, because I return back to the pillar of fire that I was before I was made flesh and dwelt on the earth. I showed myself alive by the same works and the same manifestations I did." That is exactly right. Jesus said, when He was here on earth, "I come from God and I return to God." Is that right? All right. If He was God...

34 He was spoke to there one day, and they was talking to Him about not being fifty years old yet and saw Abraham. He said, "Before Abraham was, I AM." I AM was that pillar of fire that was in the bush with Moses. That was the scriptural pillar of fire. That same is the I AM. Not "I was" or "will be"; I AM, always just the same yesterday, today, and forever.
We see when I AM was made present among us in a body of his own Son that He created ... own body. Crossed his cast from God to become a human, in order to bring us back to salvation and back to the garden of Eden again. Crossed Himself, spread his tents among us---eat like us, and slept like us, and walked like us and looked like us. He become us, that we through Him might become Him, joint heirs with Him into the kingdom.

35 Then, when we find that pillar of fire, when it was with Him, it performed signs and wonders. And He confessed, "It's not me that doeth the works; it's my Father that dwelleth in me. He doeth the works. For verily, verily I say unto you the Son can do nothing in Himself until He sees the Father do it also. And the Son does what the Father shows him. He worketh and I worketh hitherto." Amen. Right.
He died, rose again on the third day. And a few days after that there was a little critical, hooked-nosed Jew, with a bunch of stuff in his pocket, going down to persecute the church, all them that was in "this way." Went down on his road to Damascus and he was stricken down. And when he looked up he saw a great pillar of fire hanging there, saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?"
He said, "Who are you, Lord? Who is this pillar of fire?"
"I come from God, I go to God." He said, "I am Jesus, and it's hard for you to kick against the pricks."

36 The prophet said there would be a former rain and the latter rain, and in the latter rain would be both former and latter together---a great church universal that would sweep from one side of the world to the other side of the world. A great message, great signs and wonders, would be accomplished by this church. Daniel said the people that know their God in that day shall do exploits. That's exactly where we're living at in this day.
Now the mechanical eye of the camera shows over us that that pillar of fire is the same pillar of fire that led the children of Israel. Now, it's got to do the same things it did when it was in Him, or it is not the same pillar of fire. But if it does the same things, how can you doubt it? It's scriptural.

37 "Hail, Mary, blessed art thou amongst women. Thou hast found favor with God." Oh, church, hail. Blessed are you among the people because you've found favor with God. You've believed for eternal life and God's give you the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Right. This messenger will be a true messenger of God, the Holy Spirit, which is God's message.
Notice, Mary as soon as she seen it was scriptural, she didn't say, "I'll go over and see whether Dr. Jones says it's right or not." She didn't go by to see if Rabbi Kabinsky thought it was right or not. She never had nothing to do with it. You know what she said? She said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to your word." For she knowed that word was God's word, that messenger was God's messenger, that angel was God's angel, because it stayed with God's Word. Amen. "Behold the handmaid of the Lord"; said, "How will it be?"
Said, "The Holy Ghost shall overshadow you and this holy thing that will be born to you shall be called the Son of God."
She said, "Here I am. I don't know how it's going to happen. It don't make any difference. You said so, it's scriptural, I believe it, I accept it." She started right out praising God before she felt life, before she felt any sign of anything. She didn't want no more signs. She had his Word and that was all was necessary. Amen. I like that.

38 Moses, as soon as he got a hold of God and seen it was scriptural, here he went to Egypt. As soon as Mary got a hold of ... the angel got a hold of her, rather, and she seen him and knowed it was God because it was scriptural, she took his word and went around testifying of something that didn't even show one evidence of ever being.
Another thing, she testified of something that never had happened before. Oh, praise be the Lord! She testified of something that had never happened. Never had a virgin conceived. But she had the angel's word and the angel was scriptural, so she knowed it was promised. And the angel had the Word of the Lord and promised it. And because she thought herself humble and lowly yet God had chose her, so she was just happy about it. She went forth with her message, telling everybody she was going to have a baby before she even had the first sign of a baby. She didn't wait and say, "Now wait, let me feel and see if I feel any better or not." No, no. Oh, God, give us more Marys.

39 Beaumont and the rest of the world needs Marys like that, that can take God at his Word and start rejoicing before anything happens. What about you women in wheel chairs, and you brothers and sisters here with heart trouble, and sickness, and everything, when the presence of the Lord is so close? My, my! You know it's the Word of the Lord. The Lord promised it. You say, "Brother Branham, if you'll come down and lay hands on me..." That's not it. You're already healed because "He was wounded for your transgressions, He was bruised for your iniquities, the chastisement of your peace was upon Him, and with his stripes you were healed." It's already past tense. Just receive it and start rejoicing.
"Thank You, Lord. I now see it. Bless God, I'm healed. I don't care what anybody else says or how I feel, I'm healed anyhow." That's it.

40 The angel's message ... it's always been that way. That's the way God wants. What did it do? The changed ... by taking God at his word changed the whole natural course of life for her. It'll do the same thing for you. It certainly will. It'll take you, sinner, and wash you as white as snow. It will take you, critic, and make you one of us. It sure will. It'll take you that's sick and make you well. It'll take you that's on your road to hell and change you around and start you up to heaven. Just take Him at his Word and believe it and start rejoicing.
The messenger of the Lord is here, the Holy Ghost moving around over the people, anointing them. If you're a stranger, you want to know what's the matter with them people, that's what it is. Joel promised it. On the day of Pentecost Peter said, "This is that." I want to add something to that. If this isn't that, I want to keep this till that comes because I'm having an awful good time with this. And I believe this is that---the same that that was that at that day. Oh, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.

41 Mary didn't wait. She didn't care about critics, she didn't care what anybody said, she had met an angel. She'd seen his voice ... or, seen his presence and she knowed that he'd told her the truth because it was scriptural---promised a blessing to her, just go on believe it. And she knowed it was going to happen. Oh, there's something another about it, when you hit something like that you can't keep still about it.
The angel told her that her cousin Elisabeth... Was up in the hilly country of Judea. Was old, about seventy years old. And she had conceived and was going to have a son. It was already six months with her as a mother. Of course, the little baby, little John, hadn't had no life yet. They kind of worried about it. So we find out that Elisabeth...
Zechariah was her husband, which was a priest. He was at the temple along about six months before this happened. You know, God gets to getting things together amongst the humble people.

42 Look at Zechariah. Now the angel Gabriel came to him. He was in the temple ministering, and when he did, burning incense was his lot, standing at the altar. And he happened to look at the right-hand side, the right-hand side of the altar. I guess you always wonder why I bring the people this way. It's where He stands. So, at the right-hand side of the altar, and there stood an angel. And told him that after the days of his ministration there he was going home and be with his wife, and she'd conceive and bear a son, a child.
And that preacher doubted that word. Why, he had many times ... if he was going to be the father of the child, look at Sarah. He had some examples in the Bible. Look at Hannah at the temple, many examples like that. And still he doubted.
How much difference it was from that calloused teacher of philosophy... How much difference there was from that seminary minister than there was from that little virgin. She never questioned. She said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord." That's all. She took him at his word and that settled it. But this man couldn't believe it.
He said, "I'm Gabriel that stands in the presence of God. My word shall be fulfilled." He knowed what he was talking about. He said, "Because you doubted me you'll be dumb until the day the baby is born." He went home. His wife conceived and hid herself six months.

43 Mary thought, "Oh, isn't that wonderful? Now I'm going to have a baby, and there Elisabeth, my cousin [Jesus and John were second cousins.] there ... I tell you, it's going to be wonderful because that she's going to have a baby, and I'm going to have a baby. I just can't hold it any longer. I'm going right up to tell her." Right up to the mountain she went, as hard as she could go. I can just see her pretty little face shining---she was just about eighteen years old, I imagine---and her black hair blowing back like that. And she was on her road, this little robe wrapped around her.
And you know Elisabeth had hid herself. I kind of like that. I think it looks so disgraceful to see women out like here with these shorts on, and things, when they're to be mother. It looks pitiful. What a difference. That's horrible. (I know I oughtn't ... I maybe not oughtn't to say it. If I offend you, you forgive me. But you'd listen to your doctor; I'm your brother, see.) So there the woman in that condition; but she hid herself. I can imagine her sitting back there, you know, kind of snubbing a little, knitting some little ... what is it? Little booties, you know, getting them all ready like that, and knitting a little blanket. But she was afraid, because she said, "Now I'm old and..."

44 Notice the angel of the Lord... They were righteous, the Bible said, her and Zechariah. They were righteous, keeping all the commandments of God. That's where angels appear---always appears in a righteous family, somewhere where God can use something, something to work with. And then, she was making these little booties. And I imagine there was a little window---like it is in Palestine sometimes, no window light in it, but just a little shade hanging down. And she heard something. She raised up, and she looked coming up, and she said, "You know, I believe that looks like my cousin Mary. Look at her little face shine. Why, she's growed up. I hear she's going to get married." So it must've been, "Well, she's a young woman, but that's Mary." So she slips her little robe on, you know, and runs out to meet her.

45 And women in them days are not like they are now, you know. They run and throwed their arms around one another and hugged one another. You know, I like friendliness, don't you? I just hate to see this little old silly stuff, this 1960 version of friendliness. Oh, my, there's not enough of it. Now you southerners down here don't notice so bad, but up there, oh, my! I went to my uncle here not long ago in New York. He had been living in one house twenty years, and his neighbor as close as that Texas flag there, to him. I said, "Who lives there?"
He said, "I don't know."
I said, "You've fallen from grace." I said, "How long has he lived there?"
Said, "He was there when I come here." You don't know your neighbor's dead till you read it in the paper. That's right---no friendliness.

46 Here not long ago Brother Moore and I and Brother Brown went down to see a little boy named David, a few years ago down here in Cal... or, Florida. They had us out there. And Brother Hukstra, I believe it was, told me, said, "The Duchess wants to see you."
And I said, "The who?"
Said, "The Duchess."
I said, "What's that?"
And said, "It's the woman that owns all this property." Said, "She's wealthy."
"Well," I said, "I can't see her. There's too many sick people."
Said, "But she's the Duchess."
I said, "That don't make her any different from anybody else."
So he said... Well, they had her there when I went out. And when I went out... I'm not ... God forgive me if you think I'm making fun of the woman. I'm not. But she had enough jewels on her hands to send a missionary around the world ten times with the gospel. That's right. Standing out there ... and she had on a pair of "specs." She didn't have them on, but she had them on a stick holding it out like this. Great big, old, fat lady. And she come out. I walked out the tent. And I said, "I ain't got time to see her. If I got any time left, let me see them sick people out there," see.

47 And said, "But she lets you have the grounds."
I said, "Well, that's all right if she let David have the grounds, and we appreciate that. But she's all right, nothing wrong with her. Let me see these people down here." Well, they wanted me to see her.
So when I went out, she said, "Are you Dr. Branham?"
I said, "No, ma'am." I said, "I'm Brother Branham."
She said... Now you know nobody can look through a pair of "specs" that far away from you. And she looked over like this, she said, "Well, Dr. Branham," she said, "I'm chawmed."
I reached up and looked at that hand (held out her hand to shake hands). Well, I thought I'd be a gentleman. I got a hold of her big hand and pulled it down. I said, "Get it down here so I'll know you next time I see you," like that. Oh, I like something feeling!

48 Paul Rader---the man that wrote this song that I sing here, "Only Believe"---said one morning him and his wife was having a little family affair, a little fuss with one another. Said first thing you know... He was reading the paper, and she said something, "Paul, will you give me some money?"
Said, "I ain't got no money." And went on like that a little bit, and said after awhile... He never noticed it hurt her feelings. She kind of sat there. And said, "Well, if that's how easy her feelings are hurt, let her sit there." You know how we do, brethren, sometimes, I guess.
And so then he said she'd always stand at the door and kiss him when he went out. Then he'd go to the gate. Then when ... he'd turn around and wave good-bye, and she'd wave good-bye. Said he got up and got his hat, and said, "Just let her pout it out." Said he went to the door, and said stuck out her lips, and kissed her, went out to the end of the gate, turned around and looked back. Said she was standing there at the door. Said he waved and she waved.
Said he started on down the street. Said something begin to deal with him. "You done wrong, Paul." (Poor old Paul's in glory tonight.) But said, "You done wrong, Paul. What if something would happen to her today?" Said he got to thinking about it. Oh, my, what if something would happen? "You'd never see her again on earth." Oh, my!
He said it got worse. Said he said, "Lord, forgive me. I'll go back and make it right." Said he run back real quick and opened the gate, shoved the door open, looked all around. He could hear something going [sound of sniffling]. Said she was standing behind the door, crying. Said he reached around. He never said a word. He went [sound of a kiss] kissed her again, run back out to the end of the gate, and turned around and waved. Said she waved, just like she did the first time, but the second time had a feeling in it. So I think that's the way it is today. We want ... I want a feeling in it, something that's real to me.

49 Not long ago me and my wife were downtown. There was a lady said, "How do you do, Sister Branham?"
And I looked around at her, and I said, "Hey, hey, that lady spoke to you, Honey."
Said, "I spoke to her."
I said, "Well, I know she didn't hear you. I didn't. I'm sitting right here by you."
"Oh," she said, "I smiled at her."
"Oh," I said.
[break in tape]

50 She said, "You know, Mary, I'm to be a mother."
"Yes, yes," said Mary, her little eyes sparkling---you know, half full of tears of joy. "Yes, yes, I know all about it."
"You know all about it?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know all about it."
"But, Mary, I'm bothered. It's six months with me as mother now and the baby's never moved. Now you know that's all unnatural. About three months is about right, but this is six months, and little John hadn't never moved yet." So she said, "I'm just a little bit worried about it and everything."
She said, "Yeah, I understand it." And said, "You know, I'm going to have a baby too."
"Oh, I see. You and Joseph is already married."
"No, we're not married."
"What, Mary? You're not married, and going to have a baby?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Oh, Honey, what do you mean?"
"Well, the same way I knowed that you was going to have a baby. The angel Gabriel met me and he told me about your case, and he said the Holy Ghost would come upon me, and it's already done. And the baby that I'll have will be the Son of God." And said, "She even told me ... he told me what to name it." Said, "I shall call his name Jesus."
And I can see Elisabeth's face brighten up. Said, "Whence cometh the mother of my Lord? for as soon as your salutation came into my ears my baby leaped in the womb for joy."

51 I want to ask you something, friends. If the first time that the name of Jesus Christ was ever spoke by mortal lips brought a dead baby in the womb of a mother to life, what ought it to do to a born-again congregation that claims to be filled with the Holy Ghost? Hallelujah! Amen! It ought to heal the cancer, open the blind eyes, set the captive free, fill with the Holy Ghost, and all kinds of things in that precious name of the Lord Jesus, make the sinner weep for his sins. Oh, my!
This crowd looks to me like it's swimming around and around. Oh, what God could do right now! The messenger of the Holy Spirit of God is in the building today---the messenger, the Holy Ghost, bringing peace, reflecting Jesus Christ. The great pillar of fire hangs over us. You say, "I don't see it." But you can feel it, so... One sense of the body is just as good as the other one. So your sight could deceive you more than your feeling.
So then if it don't do the same work, then it isn't the same Holy Ghost; but if it does the same work, then it is the Holy Ghost, the same one. Amen. Do you believe that? How many ... is there sinners? How many in here would like to say, "I would like to enjoy these blessings, sit in this Shekinah glory with you people and enjoy the blessings of God."? Would you raise your hand, say, "Remember me, Brother Branham, as you pray." God bless you, brother. God bless you, brother. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you, brother. You, over there, you and you. That's right. Another raise up your hand, say, "Brother Branham, pray for me." God bless you, young man. That's very fine.

52 This morning as I was going in to the breakfast a sweet little boy came, put his arms around my neck. His father is one of the pastors here of the Assemblies of God. I believe he's on the platform. He was this morning. And the little boy was called out in the meeting somewhere and had crossed eyes---and his little eyes just as straight as mine is. That's been years ago.
And another little brother come up and shook my hand. Said his little girl had a great big goiter on her throat. And I was down at Jack Moore's church. Said the Holy Spirit moved around and called her out there in the audience and told her. The goiter just vanished and disappeared and went away. There she was. Oh, my!
What is it? What is that pillar of fire? It's the angel of the Lord. What is the angel of the Lord? The same one was in the burning bush, the same one that was in Jesus Christ, the same one that's in you tonight. Amen. The same one here, the same great Lord Jesus.

53 Would there be another, before we pray, would like to raise up your hands and say, "Remember me, Brother Branham. Remember me."? God bless you, sir. God bless you. And the little boy way back, and way on the outside there, all the way back. Yes. Wherever you are, God knows. Now let's bow our heads just a moment. And now, sister, would you play for me this: "The Great Physician Now Is Near"? Just a chord, if you will, please.

54 ... remember near Fort Wayne... I was in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I've been in the pulpit now thirty-one years. This has been about twenty-eight years ago. I was praying for a little boy and that music was going on. The little boy was healed. Jumped out of my arms, a paralytic, run down and jumped into the arms of his mother. And when he did a little Dunkard girl was playing the piano. And she raised up, that hair fell down across her lap, like that, she began singing in the Spirit; and the piano she was playing, them ivory keys moving right on, "The great physician now is near, the sympathizing Jesus"---hundreds of people standing looking at it.
Not a bit more than it was Sunday before last in my Tabernacle, where three to four hundred people standing there, and this pillar of fire appeared visible the second time in Jeffersonville. (The first time ... when they took it down on the river.) And there He stood for fifteen minutes, letting everybody see Him and look at Him. Brother, we're at the end of the road.

55 Our heavenly Father, we are coming now, Lord, to Thee as unto a living stone. We're coming, Lord, because that we believe that You are, and a rewarder of those that diligently seek after Thee. We pray for your blessings. We pray that You'll help this audience tonight. And those that raised their hands, may they be a partaker of this great Holy Spirit, the messenger of the last day.
"I'll pour out my spirit upon all flesh." You promised it. In the last days You said there would be a former and latter rain together: that is, on one side of the earth and on the other side of the earth, both sides, would come a rain. Into the foreign fields and into these fields would come a rain. So we believe that that hour is here. We see the Holy Spirit making manifest the same things like He did when He was here before. Bless these dear people, Father, I pray. Be Thou near them. Give them life eternal. Grant it, Lord. I commit them to Thee now, in the name of the Lord Jesus. With our heads bowed, let's just pray a little bit.

56 "The great physician now is near, the sympathizing Jesus. He speaks the drooping heart to cheer." Oh, breathe on us, Holy Spirit. Come into your church, Lord Jesus, the great morning star, the pillar of fire. Burn your way through every unbelief into the hearts of the people tonight. May they be like Mary, that they can see your presence and know it's You, then your promises are still good, every promise. You promised to do this. Your promise was that You'd already healed them, for You was wounded for their transgressions, "with the stripes you were healed." Grant it, Father, to this waiting audience. We're waiting on You now. Move, in Christ's name, I pray.
Just watching for a few moments to see what'll take place. Oh, how sweet. Let's raise our heads real easy now. I was waiting for you to get quiet. How many people in here that's sick and doesn't have a prayer card? Raise up your hands for God to heal you. A confirmation is three, I believe. Is that right, in the Bible? If I have told the truth, preached the truth, then God's obligated to back that truth up, if that's his truth.

57 Now we got a bunch of prayer cards in here. We're not calling them. I just want you to know that it doesn't take prayer cards. Ask the ministers if it does. Ask the brothers who go with me everywhere.
We'll be riding down the road, I'll say, "Wait. At another corner there's going to be a certain thing. A man is going to be standing there. He's got a certain thing, and wants me to go to a certain place, a certain thing. We're going over here and this is going to happen." Sure. It never fails. It just can't fail---it's God. Now what is it doing? Vindicating that He is the same. Now it isn't me; it's Him.

58 I don't see a person in front of me that I know, unless it's this two little girls. I believe this is Brother Evans' two girls. Isn't that right? Right here, that's the only ones that I know. I was looking just to see if I could see anybody that I really knew. But only ones I see that I know... I seen Brother Evans somewhere awhile ago, but I've lost him. Oh, yes, here's Brother Dauch, sitting right here, from Ohio. Brother Bill Dauch, a friend of mine, sitting right here, and Sister Dauch. There's Sister Evans. Now I've got her, right back behind... All right. Right along in there, Brother Evans or Sister Evans. Where's Brother Welch? Sitting back there. All right.
So that they'll know who you all are, raise up your hand. Anybody in here knows me, and know I know you, raise up your hand---know that I know you. All right, see. Now you that know that I do not know you, and you're sick, raise up your hands. Raise up your hands. Just look and see where it's at. See? About everywhere. All right.

59 If Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, the Bible said that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was God. Is that right? And the Word was made flesh. That's when God's word that He spoke was made flesh.
Do you know the very dirt that you're sitting on is the manifestation of the word of God? That's God's word made manifest. If it isn't, where did it come from? He made the world out of things that doth not appear. He brings the earth together. Just spoke the Word. Said, "Let there be," and there was. He's a creator. All right. So the chair that you're sitting on is the word of God. The dirt that the floor rests on is the word of God. All these things are from the dust of the earth, the word of God. And you, yourself, are the word of God. That's right. Then why can't that little heart in there begin to move all the doubt out of this thing here. Let it be.

60 Now, and the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the marrow of the bone and the ... sunder of the marrow of the bone; and the Word of God---which is Jesus---is a discerner of the thoughts, in to the heart and mind. Is that right?
Now when the Word was here and made flesh and dwelt among us in the form of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, a little woman by faith touched his garment one day. He didn't feel it physically, but He turned around and looked, said, "Who touched me? Who touched me?"
Even Peter rebuked Him, said, "Lord, everybody is touching You."
He said, "Yes, I perceived virtue went out of me. I got weak. My strength left me." And He said... Looked all around over the audience and He found the little woman. Told her her blood issue that she had, her faith had saved her (is that right?) and she was healed. He never said, "I did it." She did it herself. Said, "Your faith hath saved you."

61 Now, the Bible said He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. And the book of Hebrews said that He's the high priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities. And if He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, if you touch that same high priest, the same high priest will act the same way. The way He acted the first time, He has to act the second time. If He didn't, He acted wrong when He did it the first time. If He made Himself known as Messiah to the Jews and the Samaritans by perceiving the thoughts in their mind and telling them who they was, or what they was, and so forth like that, or something they had done... ?
How many knows that's the truth, that's the Bible truth, that's the way He made Himself known? Well, if that's the way He made it known to the Jews and to the Samaritans, He's got to make it known to the Gentiles, or He made it known wrong to them. See what I mean?
Now all that believe that, raise up your hand, say, "I believe that He promised it." Thank you. That did it. See, remember what the angel said: "If you can get the people to believe you." See? Not believe me---it's Him---but believe that He sent me to you. Now you pray and touch the high priest. And if He will turn me from this platform and speak to you, you let ... you be the judge whether it's right or not. You be the judge whether it's right or not.

62 You just say... Now look away from me as a man, and say, "Lord Jesus, I'm in need." And don't try to press your way if you don't get nowhere then. Just relax yourself, say, "I believe it, Lord, there's not a doubt in my mind. The man don't know me, and I'm way away from him. I'm out here in the audience [way back in the back, or standing around the ring, or somewhere like that]. Now I know I believe You. If You'll just let me touch You, let him turn to me, I'll know that that isn't Brother Branham because he don't know me. Neither does he know who I am, or what I've done, or what I have done, or what I will do. But You know it. So if You'll just let him turn, I know it's You. I'll believe his message then, because You got him under control. See, it's You speaking through him, see."
Would you believe that? How many would believe it if they could see it done with their own eyes? Not back in some dark room; right here before the public like our Lord's doing. Don't have ... it ain't nothing secretly; it's right out here. It's just to the believers. Now you just pray.

63 I might have been mistaken. I thought it was somewhere right here, but it must not have been. I'll watch it---it's a light. Did this side raise up their hands that they were sick too, and didn't know me? Now He's right here. You that sees them pictures and things, just think---that mechanical eye of the picture saw it before many people ever saw it ... take the picture. If I die tonight, if this is my last day on earth, my testimony is true. The mechanical eye of the camera has proved it seven or eight times in different nations. It's true. The church knows it around the world.
I've told the truth because I speak of Him. That's the reason I'm not afraid but what He'll speak back that I've told the truth, because I'm not testifying of myself; I'm testifying of Him. Now be real reverent and believe.
Say, "What are you waiting on, Brother Branham?" I'm waiting on Him. If He don't tell me, I can't do it, that's all. It takes your faith to do something. Or maybe He's not pleased with us doing it. How many's got prayer cards then? Anybody got prayer cards? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, about eight prayer cards left, 9. We'll call them up if He doesn't do it. I like to see it done without prayer cards so that you see the prayer card has nothing to do with it.

64 God, help us tonight. Now I pray that You'll grant it. I've come here with good faith, come here believing, believing that You would do it. I pray that You'll help me now. Give to me of your Spirit, Lord. Grant it, so it can be for your glory. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Yes, here it is. Thank You, Lord. Do you believe God will heal you of that hernia, lady? Make you well? All right. Accept it. Raise up your hand. All right. Have you got a prayer card? You don't. You don't need it. I never seen that woman in my life. Are we strangers to one another, sister dear? I don't know you. If that's right, raise up your hand so the audience can see. Was that your trouble? You was sitting there praying, wasn't you? Now I got a contact of you. You were praying to Jesus, "Let it be me." Is that right? Wave your hand like that. Raise up your hand, wave your hand, so they see. Now, how did I know what she was praying about and the words that she was saying? Don't you see? It's Christ.
Here, a little lady just moved herself around, sitting there, now. You want to get over that heart trouble, sister? You don't have to come up here. Just look this way. You want to get over your heart trouble? All right. Raise up your hand, say, "I accept it." All right, go home, your heart trouble's over. Jesus Christ makes you well.

65 The little lady sitting right behind her, you got female trouble. Stand up if that's right. All right. Have you got a prayer card? You have one. I didn't aim to call you. All right. Go home. You're bothered with your eyes. They're going bad, too. Is that right? Wave your hand. Not because you got on glasses, but they're getting worse. All right. They won't no more now. Go home, Jesus Christ makes you well.
Say, do me a favor, will you? That they might know, being that you had a card... That lady sitting there next to you, over on this side over here, suffering there with a goiter, you believe that Jesus Christ will make you well? It's an inward goiter, but that's all right. Believe and it'll go away from you. All right.

66 Now if you believe I be a prophet of God, put your hand on the woman next to you, crying there. The angel of the Lord's over her. She's got trouble with her head. If that's right, stand on your foot, lady, the one that just called then. All right. Raise up if that's the truth, the one with the handkerchief in her hand. All right. Jesus Christ makes you well. Go home, be healed.
Do you believe Him? Now is that angel scriptural? Here, way back here, there He is---way back here, way back. There's a man and his wife. The wife has diabetes, the man has arthritis. Oh, if I could just make them understand. God, help me. Mr. and Mrs. Wilkerson, stand up on your feet. Jesus Christ makes you well. Go home and be well. Christ makes you well.
Do you have a prayer card? You don't? You don't have one, you don't need one. While you're standing on your feet, listen to this, friends. I do not know you at all, do I? If I don't know you, shake your hands back and forth. See, I don't know you. You was sitting there praying. Is that right? Something's happened to you. Is that right? All right. Is that what your trouble was? Is that what your name was? All that he said is right? Wave your hand back like this if it's right. Wave your hand. All right. There you are. Go home, Jesus Christ makes you well.
What did they touch? Do you believe the angel, as before, is the angel of God? It's not me. I don't know them people. I'm testifying, they're testifying, we don't know one another so it has to be the angel of the Lord. And He's doing the very scriptural things that Jesus said He would do just before it burnt like Sodom. Amen.

67 Let's see if you'll believe. Here, here it is again, right here in the corner. Wait, it's the lady... No. Just a moment. No, it isn't the lady standing there. It's a lady sitting down here. That's right. A little lady sitting here. I seen a child, but it's a lady sitting down, and she's suffering with hemorrhoids. And that's her little girl sitting there. She's suffering with asthma. That's "thus saith the Lord." Stand on your feet and accept your healing. Jesus Christ makes you well. Stand up, both of you. If we're strangers to one another, raise up your hands and wave your hands. All right. Go home, honey. It's all over, little girl, you'll be made well.
Do you believe? Look here, look here, look here, look here. Can't you see that, Brother Jack? Look here, right here, standing right over this man here. The man's suffering with a hernia. That's right. He's not from this city---from a city called Orange. Right. His name is Mr. Sack. Is that right, sir? If I'm a stranger to you, wave your hands back and forth like this. You were sitting there saying, "Let it be me, Lord." Is that right? Wave your hand.
O God, [unclear words] ... can you fail to see it? I command every sick person in here to stand on your feet and receive your healing in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Rise up, don't be afraid. Believe Him with all your heart.