Beyond the curtain of time
You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net
1 I want to announce here that your prayers were answered. Meetings like we had when I was first started in the ministry many years ago... I have never ... we just couldn't even seat the people, and get fairgrounds and everything else. There would be enough there at three o'clock to fill the place up, and they'd have to shut the gates. Wouldn't let them in. And we wouldn't be there till seven, see. Just thousands pouring from everywhere, just...
And I'd taken the last five nights, and the last meeting, and just built around the Word, begin to realizing what a power the Word has, see, because the Word is God, see. "In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us."
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
2 Now, Hebrews 4 said that the Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword. See, the Word of God is sharper than ... even piercing to the asunder of the bone, and cutting, and a discerner of the thoughts of the mind ... the heart, see. That's what ... the Word of God.
Then, if there is a gift to where we can just relax ourself ... and the Word itself---that is Christ, who is Word---comes into us and discerns the thoughts of the mind, as you see. How wonderful!
Then to see what He did in the way He blessed us... And then, that ... I feel that building it around that Word for four nights, just letting the people sit quiet, and then just relax, and the Holy Spirit would call people, and do things out in the audience.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
3 And then on the last evening, last Sunday afternoon, I seen one of the greatest healing lines I ever seen in America, see. There were ... I sent Billy down with a hundred cards, and Gene with a hundred, and Leo with a hundred, and Roy with a hundred---just give out all the cards, about five hundred.
And then, after they had seen the Word take a hold and what it would do---then staying right on that Word, now---bring them to the platform. And I seen men and women throw away their crutches, and so forth, and be healed before they even get to the platform, just to see...
See, the Word of God had done went out through there, and had bedded itself in those five messages (or four messages) in their hearts, till they believed it with all their heart.
Then the only thing they had to do was to have some kind of a little contact, see, something another, and it was a reality.
And just as soon as they'd hit that platform, they'd be healed right there on the platform, just before they get across the platform.
4 I believe Brother ... here, you all know Brother Ed Hooper, don't you you, from Arkansas down there? He was with me in the early parts of the early ministry. He said, "This seems like old times," he said, "the way they used to years ago."
There were people that had tumors that was ... that ... like that, come back well. Blind, deaf, dumb, all kinds of things that our Lord did. Never even have to touch the people, the Word going forth doing it.
Then the Lord gave me a message that I'd like to speak here at the church sometime, when I get back, get a chance off. I'm awfully busy now. I've got to leave again tomorrow ... waiting for this girl to come. And even before I even got my suitcase in the house, there was somebody there.
And I haven't sat down since hardly, see. I haven't even talked to my family since I've been in, see. And it's really a strain. And I've got to solicit your-alls prayers for me, too, that the Lord will help me to hold up.
5 Now...
See our brother here real, real sick laying on this cot. And someone's coming in a little while for us to go to Louisville. I want you to remember in prayer, too, a fine young lady that... She isn't but about eighteen years old. She's a twin, and a Christian girl in school.
And the other girls would talk about her, you know---the two girls---and tell them how they were ... what part of life they were missing, and how they should live like the rest of the girls. And one girl was able just to override it. This other one had a complex, and she felt real bad about it, and just kept going away, and drifting farther back, and worrying about it. And finally she's got a mental breakdown, and she's in an insane ward. Her mother and father is coming just a little bit from Crandel, Indiana, to go over to this institution where they're going to try to send her ... to Madison tomorrow.
6 Now, the girl ... there's no physical break in the girl. There's nothing. Physically, she's perfectly healthy. But it's so hard to explain it, and it really cannot be explained.
Well, what it is, her spirit has wandered, see. Now you've got to catch her spirit, and bring it back to the place... See, there's ... as we just got through speaking here a few weeks ago, on how that the human system operates, how that there's five senses that you enter the body by; and then five avenues we'd call it---five avenues, such as conscience, imagination, and so forth, we enter the soul by... And then, when you enter the spirit there's only one avenue, and that is through self-will, which bases it back like man was created.
7 You can receive it, or you can just let it go. You can accept Christ as Saviour, or just let Him go.
And you're still by that tree---that one of life, and one of death. Every human being is set before that tree, or God would be unjust to put one there, and then not give the other one the equal chance to choose right or wrong. And each one of us has that opportunity. Also in that, the spirit ... we can be healed, or we cannot be healed. Now it's not because that there's not ... that we haven't been healed according to God. We have, for the covenant is unconditional, and He has already purchased our healing. Therefore, our healing is to us. It's ours. Now it's whether we will take this avenue to believe it, or this avenue to just not believe it.
8 Now there's only that one way we can walk into the presence of God. Now, this child, beautiful... Her mother's a girlfriend---used to be one of my girlfriends. She was a nice little lady, come out of a real strict Nazarene home. Sweet little girl. And she's got a lovely husband. I know him, too, real well, the boy that married her. And she's just a... They raised those children to serve the Lord, and put them in school, and they were really grounded in Christ not to do the things that's wrong. But there it went, just on a break. Just like I looked just a few minutes ago, and gazed back to a little boy. Had the very same thing, exactly. And that's... We went down there one night to Brother Wright's and Orville was just in a complete break. And you know, when he would try to run me out of the house---as a good a friend as Orville and I are---just, real ... like I'd be his father. I married his father and mother together. And he'd just jump up, and scream, "Get out of here, get out of here, get out of here," see.
9 Now what we had to do there, was go out into the line of spirit, and catch that boy's spirit, see. A lot of grief had come to his little heart when he was young, and he'd seen a lot. And just brought him right back to the place where he should be, you see. In a few days he was all right.
Now that's the same thing you got to do on this. I have seen it, and I know that it is true. But now, just... I request you all to pray, now, that God'll help me to find this little girl out into a place where she don't know where she's at, then bring her back to her place. That avenue comes through faith. See, she can't have faith for herself. She don't know where she's at, or anything, see. It's got to take our faith here.
10 And now in that, that power of the resurrection of Christ, which He give us the opportunity, that's where you... In one way the Word of God pierces the sinner, and it has to go beyond the preaching of the Word going forth. That's the reason I wanted to speak a little bit this morning before praying for the sick.
You remember the vision not long ago the Lord gave me, you know, about seeing the other side? You remember that morning when I was testifying about seeing the other side? Well, that was true. And the Full Gospel Businessmen's "Voice" has published that article, and put a picture on the back of the page here. And it's got a little "inject" down here, at the bottom, a little part here at the bottom speaking of the ministry, which...
This is an international paper printed in many different languages. And they dedicated the front page, and the first, on that vision, see.
11 And I got them up here, and I wish you would pick up one, and you could read it. And I didn't know how many would be down, the brethren, this morning. And then if you'd happen to fail one, just go to the office. They have them there at the office, and they let us have a group of them. About "Keep pressing on," see, and that's all is in my heart. All I can hear is, "Keep pressing on. Just beyond the river there is a better land, and let's keep pressing till we meet that land.
Now, I think they got here a dedication of Brother Stricker and Sister Stricker's little one, so that... How many does that make now, Sister Stricker? Six little fellows. That's a lovely little family.
12 And so, they was our missionaries over in Africa, recently returned back. And all their children's pretty little fellows, and I can see this one is also, as they bring it up this morning for a dedicational service.
Where is Teddy at? Teddy, would you come up here to the piano just a minute, son, and let's have our song of ... little song. You know that little song? I believe we sing, "Bring Them In." Is that right? "Bring them in from the fields of sin."
And that's... The reason we play this because that, we with all that we can... Parents is bringing them for dedication. We're dedicating them to the Lord, and bringing them in while they're yet babies, that they'll not stray out into that field of sin. Bring them in. Let's just... Do you know it, Teddy? Let's just sing one verse of it.
Bring them in, bring them in,
Bring them in from the fields of sin;
Bring them in [Is there another one? Why,
just bring it right on], bring them in,
Bring the little ones to Jesus.
Bring them in, bring them in,
Bring them in from the fields of sin;
Bring them in, bring them in.
Bring the wandering ones to Jesus.
13 Brother Stricker and Sister Stricker, I realize that you know what that song means---to bring them in. The burning desire from your heart is to try to bring the lost to Jesus. Your little baby, if it would die before it was dedicated, or what more, it's saved anyhow, because the blood of Jesus Christ did that on Calvary. But in commemoration of his great earthly journey, when He laid his hands upon the little ones, He said, "Suffer them to come to me." That's why you bring the baby this morning, and placing your confidence in us that we would be able to pray a prayer of faith for the little one, in dedication of its life to God.
Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
Mark 10:14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
Luke 18:16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
14 What's its name? Marilyn Madge. Marilyn Madge Stricker. How old is she? Thirteen months, born in Africa. Is that right? Well, may ... if there is a tomorrow may this little one be a missionary over there in the field where she was born in. And a beautiful little child.
Would you come, Brother Neville? Marilyn. Oh, my! Always like these little fellows. Isn't this a pretty little fellow? How do you do? How do you do? Let us bow our heads now.
Our heavenly Father, we bring to You little Marilyn Madge Stricker, this lovely little child that was born on the mission field when the battle was going hard. I pray that You bless this child. In the Bible they brought to You the little ones. You put your hand on them, and blessed them, and said, "Suffer little children to come to me and forbid them not, for such is the kingdom of heaven."
15 The mother and father places it into our arms today. We by faith [unclear words] place it into your arms by faith. Bless her life. Give her a long life, Lord. May she be a child of God. May she serve You in all of her life, every fiber of her being be a servant of Christ. Grant it, Father.
Bless her father and mother, her little brothers and sisters. May they raise up also, and be a glorious family for the service of God. Father, we give little Marilyn Madge to You in the name of Jesus Christ for a life of service. Bless her, and her father, and her mother, and her loved ones, and may they live long happy lives in your service. In Jesus' name, Amen.
That's a fine little lady. Thank you, Teddy boy. I love little children, don't you?
16 How many never did hear the vision the Lord gave me? Let's see your hands up. Brother Neville, you got your little book there? Perhaps maybe you'd just read it for them right here, just for the next moment or two. I believe it ... right here if you will.
17 [Brother Neville reading] " The other morning I was lying on my bed. I had just awoke from sleep, and I placed my hands behind my head and relaxed with my head on the pillow. Then I began to wonder what it will be like on the other side.
"I realized that I have lived more than half my life (if I live to be as old as my people), and I wanted to do more for the Lord before I left this life.
I heard a voice saying, "You're just starting, Press the battle. Keep pressing."
As I lay there pondering these words, I thought that I just imagined that I heard a voice. Again the voice said, "Press the battle. Keep going, keep going."
18 Still unbelieving, I thought that possibly I had spoken the words myself. I placed my lips between my teeth, and held my hand over my mouth, and listened.
The voice spoke again: "Just keep pressing. If you only knew what is at the end of the road..."
I seemed to hear the music and words of an old familiar song. "I am homesick and blue, and I want to see Jesus. I would like to hear those harbor bells chime. It would brighten my path, and vanish all fears. Lord, let me look past the curtain of time."
Then the voice asked, "Would you like to see just beyond the curtain?"
I answered, "It would help me so much."
19 What happened, I cannot say. Whether I was in the body, or whether it was a translation, I do not know. But it was unlike any vision I have ever had. I could see the place to which I was taken, and I could see myself lying back there upon my bed. I said, "This is a strange thing."
There were great numbers of people and they came running to me, crying, "Oh, our precious brother." First came young women, apparently in their early twenties. And as they would embrace me, they said, "Our precious brother." Young men in the brilliance of young manhood, with eyes glistening like stars on a darkened night, with teeth as white as pearls embraced me, saying, "Our precious brother."
20 Then I noticed that I, too, had become young again. I looked at myself there, and turned and looked back at my old body lying on the bed, with my hands behind my head. I said, "I don't understand this."
As I began to try to comprehend the place where I was, I began to realize that there was no yesterday and no tomorrow there. No one seemed to get tired. As a multitude of the most beautiful young women I have ever seen threw their arms around me, I discovered there was only a great love that overwhelmed me, and no physical attraction as in the human behavior.
I noticed these young women all wore their hair down to their waistline, and their skirts went down to their feet.
21 After this, Hope, my first wife, hugged me and said, "My precious brother." Then another young woman hugged me, and Hope turned and hugged the young woman.
I said, "I don't understand this. This is something entirely different from our human love. I don't want to go back to that old body on the bed."
Then a voice spoke to me. "This is what you preached that the Holy Ghost is. This is perfect love. Nothing can enter here without it."
22 Next, I was taken up and seated on a high place. All around me were great numbers of men and women in the bloom of youth. They were crying with joy, "Oh, our precious brother, we are so happy to see you here."
I thought, "I'm not dreaming, for I can see these people, and I can see my body lying back there on the bed."
The voice spoke to me: "You know it is written in the Bible that the prophets were gathered with their people."
I said, "Yes, I remember that in the Scriptures. But there are not this many Branhams."
23 The voice replied, "These are not Branhams. These are your converts, the ones you have led to the Lord. Some of these women you think are so young and beautiful were more than ninety years old when you led them to the Lord. No wonder they are crying out, 'My precious brother.'"
Then the multitude cried together, "If you hadn't gone forth with the gospel, we wouldn't be here."
I asked, "Oh, where is Jesus? I want to see Him."
The people replied, "He is just a little higher. Some day He will come to you. You were sent as a leader, and when God comes He will judge you according to your teaching."
I asked, "Does Paul and Peter have to stand this judgment also?"
The answer was, "Yes."
24 I said, "I have preached what they preached. I did not divert from it to one side or the other. Where they baptized in the name of Jesus, I did, too. Where they taught the baptism in the Holy Spirit, I did, too. Whatever they taught, I taught also."
"We know that," the people cried, "and we know that we are going back to earth with you sometime. Jesus will come and judge you according to the Word you preached us. Then you will present us to Him, and all together we will go back to earth to live forever."
I asked, "Do I have to go back to earth now?"
They answered, "Yes, but keep pressing on."
25 As I began to move from that beautiful, joyful place, as far as my eyes could see people were coming towards me to embrace me, crying, "My precious brother."
Suddenly I was back on the bed again. I said, "O God, help me. Never let me compromise with the Word. Let me stay straight on the Word. I don't care what anyone else does, Lord. Let me press on to that beautiful, joyful place."
I am more convinced than ever in my life that it will take perfect love to enter that place. There was no jealousy, no tiredness, no sickness, no old age, no death; only supreme beauty and joy. Hallelujah! Whatever you do, lay aside everything else until you get perfect love. Get to where you can love everybody, even every enemy. No matter if the plane is rocking, the lightning is flashing, or the guns of the enemy are upon you, these things do not matter. Get perfect love.
If you are not saved, accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour now. If you have not been baptized in water, be baptized now. If you have not received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, receive it now. Press on in that perfect love which will take you to that beautiful, and joyful place, beyond the curtain of time."
26 I thought maybe some of you would get to read it. And if you haven't got the little book, why, you can have it. Then, right at the bottom of the page they made a little insert about the ministry there. I don't know whether you noticed it or not---right at the bottom, after you read that, right at the bottom, a little insert at the bottom.
Now, that goes pretty near in every language under the heavens, you see, to be read around the world.
27 Now what... ? You say, "What would you say that, Brother Branham, before you pray for the sick?" It's because of this: that we might know that our efforts are not in vain, see. We must approach God through that channel of love and faith. Faith takes us to the channel. Love is the one that takes us in. (Pardon me.)
Now [Gap in the audio]. Now, do you think that God would (till your faith gets to a spot now) ... do you think ... what would you think, now, if all of the efforts that this tabernacle, and these groups of people here have put forth for the kingdom of God...?
There's many here that's allowanced their children for the kingdom of God. There's many here that's gone without clothes for the kingdom of God. There's many who's rode through storms, and walked with no shoes on their feet to get to the Tabernacle here (that's right), for the kingdom of God.
28 Could you imagine an artist painting a great picture, beautiful till it's sublime, and then just tear it up? There'd be something wrong with the artist. Could you imagine a composer write a song until it's sublime, and then just tear his music up? There'd be something wrong with the composer, see.
There's nothing wrong with God. God don't make a thing like this just to tear it up, and throw it away. It's for his kingdom. It's for his glory. Each one of us play a part in this picture, and in this song. We're a part for the kingdom of God. And that is that we can play our parts as long as we realize where we positionally belong in this place, and then stay right there in that place. And one place we know: it's in love, because that's what makes up the picture.
29 Now it's hard when you see these visions like this and things, to understand what's on the other side. I wish I knowed. The man that did this little insert down there, to say that prophets of old, how they saw these visions, and so forth; and how that today, beyond even what... We can't understand it. But the Lord has let us press into that, and to see what that is.
Now, friends, I wasn't asleep. And just between you and I and this church here, I wasn't in a vision. I know what a vision is. Some here ... just last week, some as many as thirty times a night, it would happen. You can imagine the weight that's on you. Makes you nervous, of course.
30 What if you went to a meeting like that, and just the responsibility that the meeting went right or not was on you, just the responsibility. You got to answer each minister, each question, each everything, the meeting goes right or not. It lays this responsibility on you alone. Look what that would do to you. And there's some of my associates---just simply selling books, and so forth, get so nervous they'd have to go home, see, lay down. Wouldn't come to the church that night. My! Oh, it's just terrible.
Like my daughter-in-law, a lovely little Christian girl, Loyce. Just by going in the meetings just for eight weeks, or seven weeks constantly like that, just had to lay in bed for a day or two, see, with no responsibility. Billy, just to give out a few prayer cards, and just tore to pieces.
But see, the whole weight lays upon me. I have to depend on you to pray for me, see. Besides that, they claim that twenty minutes of preaching under inspiration is compared with eight hours of hard work to your body. I've preached from two to three hours a night, sometimes three times a day, see.
31 And then what about one vision? One vision made our Lord Jesus get weak. That's right. The Bible said a woman touched his garment; made Him get weak. Well, if one vision will make Him weak---Him the Son of God---what about me, a sinner saved by grace? What would do thirty of them in one night?
See, if we just stop and think, it's beyond any human, a human body can't stand that. I'd be in the insane institution somewhere, butting my head against the walls, see. It's such a weakness that you can't... It's an inward weakness, see, that just kills you out. Now. But what would you press then?
I might say this. I see Brother and Sister Cox there, Rodney and his wife, and sister from back in there, new converts. There's a land just out yonder somewhere, that if you ever can just think in your mind and get a view of it, it's the most glorious thing. It's worth every effort that we put forth, see.
Matthew 9:20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
Mark 5:27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
Mark 5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
Luke 8:44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
Luke 8:46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
32 Now before praying for the sick I might say this: What if a little baby before it's born... ? Let's take that. A little baby that's lived in the womb of the mother for these nine months, and that little baby could think, it would say, "You know what? They tell me I'm fixing to be born. Well, what'll I do out there? I don't know nothing but this place that I live here. I derive my strength from inside, and how will I make a living out there?
"They tell me there's a sun that shines. They tell me that the people there walk around, and I don't know nothing but just this place here. This is all I know, right here in the womb of my mother. Here's where I was brought in. Here's all I know is right in this womb. And they tell me that there's just room times room."
Why, that little baby would be scared to death to be born. Is that right? It would be scared to death, because it's coming into a place it knows nothing about, which is supreme---millions of times supreme---to where it's been living. It wouldn't know what it's all about. It would say "What am I going to do?" It would be scared to death to be born.
But we who live out here... Why, we that was back there one time, we would by no means go back there. We wouldn't want to go back into mother's womb again, see. No. We wouldn't want to do that.
33 And that's just the way it is when we're dying, friends. O God! See, you're being born into a place. You've never been there. You can't understand it, how great it is. How's it going to be out there? And the only thing that makes me realize it, or you realize it, is that little touch of life---like the spirit come into the baby in its mother's womb.
See, it's the only way that we could understand what is that great land out yonder, when there's no sickness, no sorrow, no death, no old age, no nothing. Oh, my! Why, when you once get over there, you'd never want to come back to a place like this, no more than a baby would want to go back to its mother's womb, see.
It's so much greater on the other side, see, out there. We can't understand it. Certainly not. We can't. Why, how... ? That little baby is beyond any thinking. So are we beyond any understanding of what that would be out there, see, because we're in the womb of the earth, ready to be born sometime into a new kingdom, into a new world.
34 That's the way that I feel about those visions, and things like that, or that ... whatever happened to me that day when I crossed over just on the outside, and seen what that was; and then come back into here. Could you imagine being a baby, and had a knowledge of how glorious this was? To walk around and see the trees a-blooming, the birds a-singing, the sunshine, and life like this; and then have to be confined into a womb? Why, you wouldn't want to go back at all.
Well then, our thinking would be numb, up to the side of try to think of what that is over there, when the Scripture says, "Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, neither has ever entered into the heart of man, what God has for them in store that love him," see. So we know that it's glorious on the other side. Some day death---what we call death---will give us a new birth, and we'll come into the other world on the other side.
1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
35 Brother George, you won't be old and crippled round over there. Brother and Sister Spencer, and some like some of us that's older, and so forth, we'll be young there forever. This old... This robe of flesh I'll drop, and rise, and seize the everlasting prize, and shout while passing through the air, "Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer." It's all over now. No more long nights of praying, no more... Just enter into that young, joyful age, to be there not for just a year or fifty years, or a million years---when we've been there a hundred billion years, we won't even be started at all. That's true.
So why shouldn't we be happy this morning? Why shouldn't we rejoice? Why shouldn't we take advantage of every great thing God has give us?
36 Here's divine healing. Why did Jesus stripe? To tear the picture up to say there's no such a thing to it? He striped his body down there... The ribs showed through, that by his stripes we were healed. Let's not tear the picture up this morning. Let's embrace it, accept it.
Brethren, every one of you now, that's going to be prayed for, if you'll just stand around the altar while... The message went forth a few minutes ago, through interpretation and tongues, that we'd lay hands on the sick and see the mighty works of God. Now, our brother, you don't have to stand up, brother, there laying on the cot. We'll come to you.
But if there's any others here to be prayed for, like to stand around the altar while brother and I pray and lay hands on the sick, you come right on now. And remember, embrace that picture. By his stripes we were healed.
"I don't understand it, Lord."
Sure you don't. You're still in the womb of the earth yet. But He made those preparations, and He wouldn't take...
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.
37 Why was He striped? Just to tear the picture up, or tear the song up and throw it away? No, sir. He was striped, wounded, and bled that we might be healed. And by his stripes we are healed, every one of us.
Now, as you're coming, gathering around the altar for prayer... Now, a lot of this here super-duper American evangelism, and talk about you got to do this, do that, there's one thing I want to be honest with you about, my friend. The way God heals is on the basis of service to Him, see. It's on the basis of service to Him. We must accept our healing on the basis of we will serve Him after we are healed.
38 Now, the Bible said, "Confess your faults one to another. Pray one for the other that ye might be healed," see. It's on the basis you'll serve God. Many of you here perhaps are in dying condition, and you must die if something doesn't take place. Then I want you in your heart...
Now, we might anoint you with oil. We might pray over you, pastor and I, pray the prayer of faith, do everything we can. But it won't do no good until you yourself enter into fellowship with Christ, see. You've got to come to that fellowship that "I, Lord."
I see a young lady walking up there just now. She come here not long ago to the house, with something like a tumor, Hodgkin's disease. And she was a Methodist by faith. I believe that's right, isn't it, sister? And she had a big lump in the side. Now there she stands healed.
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
39 I see Sister Weaver standing here as one ... as bad a cancer cases that I ever seen in all my life. And the first thing I asked her, would she be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and confess her sins. When I took her in this water here I had to hold her---she was so thin, her arms just little bitty things. And she was baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. And that's at least been ten years ago, hasn't it, sister? Sixteen years ago, sixteen years of spared life because she was willing to come in obedience, when the very best of doctors around here...
Why, her own doctor told me... When I told him, said, "She's healed,"
40 said, "Oh, she'll die with cancer in a few weeks. Don't worry about that. She'll be gone. Another few weeks, she'll be gone." And he'd already just give her about a day to live. And here she is today, after sixteen years, standing at the altar. What more could I say over and over, and over, and over.
Now God just doesn't do that for one of his children, and doesn't do it for another children. He does it for all of his children. Whosoever will may come. You're invited to Him. Now, the prayer of faith shall save the sick. The Bible said that.
Now, if... What I want you to do is confess your wrongs to God, and say, "Lord, heal me." If you have never been converted, give your hearts to Christ. And if you have never been baptized in water in the name of Jesus Christ, there's a pool ready.
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
41 And this little lady across the street here, when that infidel there was converted by it---when she was laying... They sent her home from Silvercrest with TB, dying. And when I went down there and the Lord gave a vision, said, "She's going to be healed." And he met me there the next morning, Mr. Andrews, and just bawled me out, said, "a false hope like that upon that woman."
I said, "Mr. Andrews, it is not a false hope. The woman is a Christian. And when she gets able, she's coming to be baptized."
And he said, "She's dying." Said, "How could she be sent home from Silvercrest?"
I said, "Sir, what you're looking at, you're looking at what the doctors says. I'm looking at what God says," see. Now it's just the difference what you're looking at, see. You look at what the doctor says, you sure will die. But you got to look at what God said. Who's word you going to take?
42 What if Abraham would have took the doctor's opinion of him being a hundred years old, and going to have a baby by his wife, ninety? What would he have done then, see?
Why, the doctor would've said, "The man's crazy." But God imputed it to him for righteousness, because he believed God, see.
And the woman lived. She neglected being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, because I think she was kind of a Methodist, or Presbyterian. She started getting sicker and sicker, and she come and got Grace Weber's---that lived right ... lives there yet, her daughter does---robe, and come here and was baptized in the name of Jesus Christ with a fever ... with diseases of lumps broke out all over her shoulders, and everything, with a fever of 104 degrees. And was baptized right here in the name of Jesus Christ. And she lives just across the street from here---may be sitting here now. Looked around to see if I could see her, a few minutes ago.
Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Romans 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
43 Obedience, you see. It's not just going around... I differ with some of our brothers just laying hands on this, that, and the other like that, and saying some kind of a super-duper faith will do it. That's not it. You've got to have genuine, solid, Bible, Holy Ghost, faith. If you don't, it will not last. It's not lasting.
That's the reason I can thank the Lord that He has helped me so far. The healings that's taken place has been genuine, because they're genuinely built upon "thus saith the Lord." Therefore they will stand.
Now as the little Sunday school... I was waiting just a minute talking to you till they got their places positionally, so we could get quiet now. We just got a couple minutes. We'll start praying.
44 I want each one of you confess your wrongs to God, and promise God that you'll serve Him, and do everything that you can. And pastor and I are going to pray, and come lay hands on you, and you're sure to get healed if you believe it.
How could those people on crutches, and deaf, and dumb, and blind last Sunday afternoon, just walk up to the platform, throw away their crutches? Walk up to the platform, eyes come open. Many like that---hundreds times hundreds of them---till I was so weak I almost had to be packed from the place, just standing and them passing by, see. A line that would reach from here to Jeffersonville High School, almost, lined up, come through the line. And I don't know if there's one of them passed through but what was healed, because they come upon basis of real, genuine Christian faith, and believing. It has to happen.
Now bow your heads every one, and help me pray for them.
45 Lord Jesus, we bring to you this morning this audience standing here waiting, of sick, afflicted, tormented children. They're beyond any hope, many of them, Lord, of the doctor's cure, especially this man laying here on this cot. It's either your grace, or he comes out of the world in a few days. And no doubt there may be some standing along the altar here, with heart attacks waiting them, and diseases and afflictions that would tear them apart.
There's only one thing, Father, that can save them. That's go beyond the five senses here of this body, where the doctors has tried faithfully, no doubt, to save their lives---diseases, cancer, TB, heart trouble. And with all the patching, and tubes, and materials, and germ fighting medicines, the enemy crowds right on in to take their lives.
And I have expressed, Lord, I believe, your opinion to them, and I've heard the man speak in tongues this morning, and gave that interpretation, what would happen today. Some of them is going to receive it, Lord, surely. That's right. I believe it.
46 And now, it is written in the Bible that David, the little shepherd boy, was watching his father's sheep, out behind the desert. And one day a lion came in and got one of his father's lambs, and run off with it. And that little shepherd boy with faith... What did he have to come against this lion? Not a modern rifle, or gun. But he had a little slingshot, and he went after that lion. He killed that lion, and brought that sheep back.
A bear come in, and got one. He went after that bear, that could have crushed him to the earth. But he didn't think about the size of the bear, or the power of the lion, or his swiftness, or his inability with the slingshot.
But when he was standing before Saul, the king, he said, "Thy servant herded his father's sheep, and a lion come in and got one and run out. And I went after him, and brought the sheep back." He said, "The same God that delivered me from the hand ... or, the paw of that bear, or the jaws of that lion, can also take this uncircumcised Philistine, and hand him into my hands."
1 Samuel 17:34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
1 Samuel 17:35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
1 Samuel 17:36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
47 How we know the story goes---that he did. Slew a man that was many, many times bigger than he was, and a warrior. How it stumped Saul, that great king, great mighty man; how that that little boy could have such faith in a slingshot. No, not in a slingshot, but in God.
Now, Lord, standing around this altar, laying here on this cot, is God's sheep, little lambs, as it was, to Him. They have been caught up by a lion called cancer, a bear called TB, other diseases that's caught them, and jerking them out, and tearing them to pieces.
Lord, I'm coming after them with a little slingshot called prayer of faith. It's not very much, but I know what it has done. And I know it's still the same God. I'm coming after them this morning to bring them back, Lord, to shady green pastures of good health, down by the still waters of peace, away from the flusterations, to believe on You.
Now I go after them with the armor that You gave to go in: The prayer of faith shall save the sick, and God shall raise them up. If they have did any sin, it shall be forgiven them.
James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
48 And, Father, we go now to meet the enemy, to meet the lion, to meet the devil in every form that he's in, called cancer, TB, Hodgkin's disease, heart trouble, any other disease. We come defying him, and bringing this lamb back to the house of God again.
In the name of Jesus Christ we go to use this slingshot that You have given us. Be with us, Father, as we reverently approach Thee now, in Jesus' name.
I want you to keep your heads bowed, and we're coming to anoint with oil, and lay hands on the sick, and the prayer of faith shall save the sick. Every Christian in here put your faith to this prayer line.
James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
49 [Prayer line] Only believe ... with our heads bowed now.
Only believe, only believe,
All things are possible, only believe.
O Lord, I believe; Lord, I believe,
All things are possible (Let's just raise
up our hands now), Lord, I believe.
O Lord, I believe, Lord, I believe,
All things are possible; Lord I believe.
50 Our heavenly Father, those who could get up raised up their hands that they'd accepted it. This brother who was laying on the cot raised up to show that he'd accepted his healing. We believe, Lord, they're peacefully walking back, now, to the shady green pastures along the still waters to be well again. Through Jesus' name we give Thee thanks for it. Amen. All right, Brother Neville.