Then Jesus came and called
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1 St. John, the 11th chapter, beginning with the 18th verse, I wish to read.
Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem about fifteen furlongs off:
And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou are the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. [Watch that.]
Then when she had said so, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
John 11:18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
John 11:19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
John 11:20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
John 11:21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
John 11:22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
John 11:23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
John 11:24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
John 11:27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
John 11:28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
2 Let us pray.
Heavenly Father, confirm those words to our hearts tonight, as we wait on Thee now. Thy Word, thy servant and the text is all committed to You. In Jesus Christ's name. Amen. You may be seated.
3 My purpose of being here is to try to help the people of God---not insomuch as to pray, and lay hands upon the sick---but that they might recognize Jesus Christ in our midst, the Son of God in our midst. We're speaking tonight on this subject, "Then Jesus Came, Called."
4 Now on this time that we're speaking of, it was a very sad time. If you ever read the story in the life of our Lord, we find out that He was a great friend to this boy Lazarus. He was... After the going away of Joseph ... or He'd left, and come and lived with Martha, Mary and Lazarus. And they were great friends. He was like a pastor to them, a real friend. They'd made Him little things to wear---a coat to wear, I believe they claim. And it was wove throughout without a seam. And then they had done things for Him, because they believed in Him. It was ... they believed, and had seen that... They'd left the church, and so forth, to follow Him.
That was a great thing in that day, which even the penalty of it could be death, to go away from it.
5 But Jesus... This fellow that was going around, as they claimed, tearing up their churches, and saying evil things about their priests, and so forth, it had done a great harm to them, they thought. And to even confess Him would have been to be put out of the synagogue.
And then, if you're out from the church, they thought you had no chance for redemption. If you didn't belong to one of their sects---like Pharisee, Sadducee, or something---there was no redemption, if you was outside of that. And if they had the right, the keys, and they could just kick you out if they wanted to, that was their own thing. No wonder Jesus said, "You, by your tradition, have made the Word of God of no effect," see.
Matthew 15:6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
Mark 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
6 And that's repeated again, 'cause we all know history repeats itself every so often. And it's sad to say, but it was prophesied to repeat, and it's done it again. We find that Jesus wasn't well thought of.
Many times people want to judge the man who doesn't agree with them. We're not to do that. We can disagree with one another, yet be friendly. If I couldn't disagree with the man, and still love him and pray for him, and disagree with him upon the basis of the scripture, and for better enlightenment, then I won't say nothing to him. I always want to disagree with him friendly, because I love him. And I certainly don't want him to be lost. And he should do the same thing with me. We don't want to be lost. We must base our thoughts upon what the Word says. That's the Word, the truth; not our creed, not our thoughts, but what He said. No private interpretation---just what the Word says.
2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
7 The other night I did something, it seemed sacrilegious almost. I believe I was at a ministerial breakfast, the other morning. I put Jesus on trial. I said, "Just as they did then, so do they do today." Maybe it'd be good if I repeated, just for a moment, if we have the time. Now, I said, "Today we find out that in Luther's reformation, he ... in the time of that, he said, 'The just shall live by faith. The men that believe, that's got it.' But we found out many of them said they believed, but didn't have it."
In the days of John Wesley, if they got the second blessing (they called it), sanctification, entire sanctification, they got happy and shouted. Everybody shouted had it. But they found out they didn't have it. A lot of them shouted, and didn't have it.
The days of Pentecost, they said, "Now, the restoration of the gifts is come, the baptism of the Spirit. He that speaks in tongues has got it." Find out, many spoke with tongues, and didn't have it.
Habakkuk 2:4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Galatians 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
8 So they say, "Well, the fruit of the Spirit, that's what it is." Oh, no, not the fruit of the Spirit. Christian Science has that, where hardly... Love---it's a fruit of the Spirit. And they have more love than anybody, and deny the deity of Jesus Christ---just call Him a prophet, just an ordinary man, see. So that doesn't do it. Let me just question that, just a minute.
Let's take Jesus on trial. God forgive me for this statement from the platform, but I'm going to be against Him for a minute just to bring you to light, see.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
9 I've got two people here... Tonight I'm talking to you back in the other day, when Jesus of Nazareth was on earth. I come to you, to reason with you against this fellow, Jesus of Nazareth.
Now we all know that God is love. The Bible says He is. All right. And the love of the Spirit is long-suffering, gentleness, patience, meekness, and so forth---love.
Now, say, I want to ask you something. We'll go to take what we hold Christian. Look at this old priest of yours. His great, great, great-grandfather was a priest. He had to be born in that lineage of Levite to be a priest. We find out, now, he doesn't have a young man's life like the rest of you did. What does he do? He sacrifices himself. He's up there to study the Word, the Word of God. He goes through it day and night, day and night, has to know every letter of it, every word on the scroll. He has to know it by heart. There's just something about it that he must know.
Exodus 29:38 Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Galatians 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
10 Then besides that, when your father and mother was married, who joined them together as husband and wife? Your godly old priest. Who was it come to your father when he was needy, had owed some money on his farm, and the mortgages was going to take it? Who stood by him? Your kind old priest. Who stood by your mother in the room there, when she was giving birth to you? Your kind old priest. Who comes to you when you're sick and needy? Your kind old priest. Who was it blessed you, and committed you to God, and circumcised you the eighth day? Your kind old priest. When your father and mother was about to divorce, who brought them back together, held them together? Your kind old priest. When there's trouble in the neighborhood, who takes care of it? Your kind old priest. Certainly.
11 Now, this kind old priest knows that the Bible says that God requires a lamb for a sacrifice. Many of you men are businessmen, so you don't raise sheep. Yet, God requires a sheep. They made some stalls up there. They sold their sheep, so that the businessmen could go up and buy them---offering a sacrifice for their soul that God requires.
What did this young fellow called Jesus ... where'd He come from? Said He was borned a virgin birth. Whoever heard of such a nonsense thing? We know His mother had Him before her and Joseph was born---or, her and Joseph were married, He was born. Now, we find out that He's a bad name to begin with. What membership card does He have? If He was a godly man, what group did He join with? When your priest studied, studied, studied, studied to know that Word, here He comes down, tearing down what he's built up. Do you call that God? Certainly not.
12 Now the other day, when your priest had made that place up there, where you could buy the sacrifice, what did this young fellow do? Kindness? He beat ... put some ropes together, some ... plaited some leathers, and looked out upon the people with anger, kicked over those tables and beat them out of there. And you call that fruits of the Spirit? Looking upon them with anger?
And look, depriving a man of his opportunity to worship Jehovah. The businessman wants to worship Him. He don't raise lambs, and he went there to buy it. And He turned it over and kicked them, and run them out. Who has the fruit of the Spirit there, see?
There you are, see. Not the fruit of the Spirit, not speaking in tongues, not shouting...
Matthew 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
John 2:15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
13 You say, "Then Brother Branham, what is the evidence? What is the evidence?" The vindication of the Word of the hour. They had the Bible. He was exactly what Jehovah said would happen. It don't need any interpretation. It interpreted there. There was your priest, there was all they had, and everything else just so routine, and everything. But, yet, they failed to see the Word. And He made that Word live out to that age. That's the evidence.
That age... Luther had the evidence of his age, Wesley of his age, Pentecostal of this age. But we're in another age. Those things were good. But like the baby's got a finger, an eye, a nose; after a while he has to become a human being. He has to become a mature child, then be born---have a soul, body, spirit, can move around.
14 Now we find out that all this, Jesus had declared. And just a few, just those who He had ordained to life, saw Him. Not great crowds. His crowds could never be like Caiaphas' crowd. Why, Caiaphas could have called the whole nation together. Jesus called just a few together. Not many knew Him. Thousands times thousands when He came on the earth---he went through the earth, and they never even knowed He was here.
So it'll be again. He'll come to those who are called to life. He knows who's called to life. And He'll not... It's His business to take care of that.
15 Now we notice that, then they'd come out of the church, and they believed Him. Everything the Word had been saying about Him, there He was. One day He left their home. I want to speak of three things. Jesus had left, death had come, and all hopes was gone. I want to speak on those three things, for a few minutes.
Jesus had left. And when He left, trouble come in. Now, when He leaves you, or your home where you dwell at, trouble's on its road. Satan's got a open door when Jesus leaves. He had gone. And as soon as He did, then death came in. And when Jesus goes out, death comes in. To be separated from Him is death. So death come in when Jesus went out.
16 And death had lingered, with Lazarus.
And then, the one that they believed in, and loved, they had sent to Him to come pray for Lazarus; 'cause they'd seen Him and knowed that He knowed God, that whatever God... Martha expressed it back there, "Whatever thou sayest to God now, God will do it." She recognized that He and God was one. He was the Word of the hour. So she recognized that. And she knew if she could ever get in contact with Him... But He was gone, and they couldn't get ahold of Him. And they sent for Him. And instead of Him coming, He went on further. And then they sent again. And instead of Him coming, He went on further.
Sometimes we wonder why those things happen. But doesn't the scriptures say that all things work together for good to them that love God? He knows what He's doing. If He delays, that's all right. He knows what He's doing. There's a purpose.
John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
John 11:3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.
John 11:6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
John 11:22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
17 We find out that He said in St. John 5:19, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in Himself but what He sees the Father doing." The Father had told Him to go away, and to be away so many days.
After the days was accomplished, then He said ... what He said then that, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth." And He said, "Well, he does. But he's dead. And for your sakes I'm glad I wasn't there." 'Cause they'd been trying to get Him to go to him to heal him, or say what had to be done. But He knowed what had to be done. So He done just exactly what He was ordained to do: stay away.
You notice Him at the grave when He come back, He expressed that---when He come back and found his home.
John 11:11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.
John 11:14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
John 11:15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.
18 All hopes was gone. Lazarus had died. Every hour they kept thinking, "He might come on the scene. He might come on the scene. He might come back." Finally he died. The breath left him.
They went out, embalmed him, taken the blood from his body, wrapped him in linen, spices. They embalmed him, and laid him into the grave. Put a rock over the grave, which was the custom of burying in them days. A hole in the ground, then maybe lay a rock over the top of it---that was their custom.
First day passed, second day passed, third day passed, fourth day passed. The man was already rottening in the grave. His nose had probably fell in (that ... think that's the first thing that falls in is the nose), and is already rottening. His flesh had gone back to the dust, or was going back. His soul was four days' journey somewhere from him. All hopes of ever seeing him again in this life was gone.
And then when all hopes was gone... They'd waited---maybe he'll come the first day, second day, no. Then he died. He hadn't come. Then desperation set in.
John 11:17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.
John 11:39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
19 After awhile there was somebody must've told her, "The Master's outside." Here goes Martha down the street.
Jesus came in that dark hour. When every hope was gone, that's usually when He comes. He comes... Just at that darkest time, then Jesus appears on the scene. Now watch. He come and called for Martha. His presence brought new hope. No matter if the boy was dead, yet His presence brings new hope.
20 You might be sitting here tonight, my friend, when the doctors has give you up. Cancer, heart trouble, maybe in a chair, crippled, all science has said there's no hope for you. The deposits of calcium has knotted your bones, that you can't bend them no more. Or either your heart is so bad the doctor says you might go at any minute. Oh, and great bunches of the people with cancer, and T.B., maybe the last hope you've got---and it seems like that the doctor has turned you down. Yet to be in the presence, and recognition of the presence of Jesus Christ, brings hopes again.
21 Somebody can even name it to you. Maybe you've never heard of it before. Let somebody say, "I know where there is a church. They believe in God, and they pray for the sick." Quickly (now you're ready to die, see), new hopes spring up. It always does in that dark hour. That's usually when somebody says something about it, tell you about Jesus. His presence brought new hopes.
May it do the same thing tonight, like it did last night: when we seen that vindicated Word, beyond any shadow of doubt, that's been made manifested, proved; that that Jesus that lived nineteen hundred years ago, that died on Calvary, rose up on the third day, and appeared to those disciples and opened their eyes, and made this promise of the day, is right here tonight in our presence now. It's bound to bring hopes to people. New hopes flash up.
22 Maybe somebody said, "The church has been kind of dry for awhile. We haven't had any good, fresh water for a few months. We haven't had a revival. Looks like everybody's so stagnant," or something or other. "We just go to church, and sing a hymn, and hear a few messages and go back." But all of a sudden, then when we begin to get dry, then Jesus comes on the scene, freshens us up, brings something new to us. He's always there to do that. New hopes comes when Jesus comes in. His presence brings new hopes.
She knew that He was that manifested Word of God. She'd seen that age---or if she wouldn't, she'd still been orthodox. She'd still belong to the church. But she'd seen that promised Word. She'd seen that promised Word manifested by Him. And she knew that He was that living Word. And when she heard about it, she didn't care how many criticized, or what else, she took out for Him, just as hard as she could go, see. She knew He was that manifested Word.
23 No doubt but what she'd read of the story of Elijah in his day. Why, he was God's manifested Word in that day. He was a prophet. And the Word of the Lord comes to the prophet. And there was a woman in there, who had a little baby, that had been given to her by a blessing that the prophet had blessed her by. And she had the child. One day, about eleven o'clock, he must have had a sunstroke. He was out in the field with his father. The Bible doesn't say that it was sunstroke, but he began to cry, "My head, my head," about eleven o'clock in the day. And he had a servant, the father did, to take him to the house. He laid on his mother's lap till about noon, got sicker and sicker, and finally died.
2 Kings 4:16 And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid.
2 Kings 4:19 And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother.
2 Kings 4:20 And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
24 And now, instead of going to despair the... All the neighbors come in screaming, and going on. But that steady mother ... her baby was dead. She took him up in that little room that she'd provided for the prophet, and laid him up on his bed, like that. And she said to the servant, "Saddle me a mule, and you ride straight. And don't you stop unless I tell you to." Oh, my! That's it! You ain't got time for debating, and fussing. This is past that day. Let's go on. We got to get there. We got a need.
And so, she said, "You go forward. Don't you slack your riding, unless I command you to." And they went till they got to Elijah.
Elijah, being a man of God---not like Christ; Christ knew all things, 'cause He was God---Elijah was a portion of God. That was Christ in Elijah. And that was the message of the hour. For the Word of the Lord for that hour was with that prophet.
Jesus was the fullness of all those prophets. Every one of them only manifested Him, that's all. All the way from Joseph, and thirty pieces of silver, every word he portrayed Christ. So did Moses.
Genesis 37:28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.
2 Samuel 15:30 And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
2 Kings 4:21 And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him, and went out.
2 Kings 4:24 Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, Drive, and go forward; slack not thy riding for me, except I bid thee.
Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Luke 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
Revelation 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
25 David, sitting as a rejected king up on the hill, weeping because he was rejected... Eight hundred years after that, the Son of David sat on a hill. That was the Spirit of Christ in David there. And He ... why, He was both root and offspring of David. And so He sat upon the hill, weeping as a rejected king. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have hovered you as a hen her brood." What was it? It was Christ, back there.
It was Christ crying, when David wrote the hymn, "My God, why has thou forsaken me? All my bones, they stare at me. They pierced my feet, and my hands. They parted my garments among them. They cast lots for my vesture." That was Christ, speaking in David.
He was the manifestation of the Word. Christ come to fulfill them things that had been spoken by the prophets, 'cause the Word was with the prophets. I said that in the lesson last night: said He'd come to fulfill what the prophets had said about Him, 'cause they had the Word. And Elijah was God's prophet, the Word of that day.
Psalm 22:1 To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
Psalm 22:16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.
Psalm 22:17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.
Psalm 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
26 So the Shunammite woman stayed with that prophet, until he come and manifested the power of God, and laid himself upon the baby, and the baby come to life.
Now, Martha must've recognized this, although she'd been busy taking care of the house, dishwashing, and so forth. But there she showed her colors. She showed really what was in her. She went to get Him, immediately. If God was in Elijah, God had to be in Christ. Knowed He had proved that He was that person. Amen! I like that type determination. She goes to Him. She had to get to Him. And she find out there, as she got to Him... Now, remember ... knew that He had never changed, that God never changes His program. If He was in Elijah, and could raise the dead, He was in Christ and could raise the dead, though He had not, 'cause it's the same God.
2 Kings 4:30 And the mother of the child said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And he arose, and followed her.
2 Kings 4:34 And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm.
2 Kings 4:35 Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.
27 Neither has He changed yet! Just as much God tonight, as He ever was. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. He changes not. And He knew she knew that it was in Him. Watch just a few minutes. It proved it, when she said something to Him about her brother. And she said, "Lord, I believe that You are..."
And He said, "I am the resurrection, and the life. Though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. I am---that's I AM was in the burning bush with Moses. I am the resurrection! I am the life! I was the One! I'm still He! I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die."
After this great assurance that she had, that He was the promised Word, when He said (being a prophet, He could not lie), therefore when He said, "I am the I AM. I am He that's the resurrection and the life,"
Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
28 she said, "I believe that You are the One, the Son of God that was to come into the world. Although my brother's dead, laying out there in the grave (his body has decaying now), but even now, whatever you say it'll come to pass."
All she wanted was to hear Him say it. Oh, Martha, where are we tonight? "Just speak the word, my servant will live." Just hear Him say it. They might've come told her He said it, but here He was Hisself. O God! Open blinded eyes, that they might be able to see, when He in his presence speaks, the Word always is manifested.
She said, "Whatever You ask God, God'll give it to You. Just let me hear."
She wanted Him to say the word. That's all she wanted to hear. Just get the word. That's all she needed, was hear Him say He'd do it.
Matthew 8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
Luke 7:7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.
John 11:22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
John 11:27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
John 11:39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.
29 And He would've done it right then, but you see, by the vision that the Father had showed Him, He had to be standing by the grave.
Oh, my! Hold your faith. God's working everything right. It'll be all right. Just wait till she got to the grave. Notice, if she could just get Him to say it. Even when He was yet... All hopes gone, all, everything. He was dead, rottening in the grave. But just hear Him say it, it's all she wanted.
Now, when He said, "I am the resurrection, and the life," she believed it. She believed it. Now, notice, now she had to believe for the impossible. When she heard Him say, "I am the resurrection, and the life. Though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me, shall never die." Said, "Do you believe this?"
And she said, "Yes, Lord, I believe it. I believe that You are the Son of God that was to come into the world." I like that.
I like that.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
John 11:27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
30 I've said this before. It might stand again, now. I was talking to a woman not long ago, in a certain church I mentioned here awhile ago, that doesn't believe that He was God, His deity. He was just a prophet, an ordinary man. He was that, truly. He was that, plus God, see. He was the manifestation. Jesus is the body, the boy, the man. God was what dwelt in Him. God was in Him. He was a God-man. He was a man, yet He was God manifested in flesh. When we see Jesus, we see God. That's what He said. "When you see the Father, you see Me." You see the Father, because He was the reflection, because He was the Word, amen, that was in the beginning. Amen.
John 12:45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
John 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, shew us the Father?
31 He called the prophets gods. Did you know that? He said, "You call them gods, who the Word of God come to. How can you condemn Me, when I tell you I am the Son of God?" 'Cause the same Word said He would be there. And there the Word, made manifest again. And still they wouldn't believe it.
This woman said to me, "I can prove..." She said, "I like to hear you preach, but there's one thing you do too much."
"Well, what's that?"
She said, "You brag too much on Jesus."
I said, "I hope that's all He has against me. When He..." I said, "I hope that's all the fault He can find in me." I said, "If I had ten thousand tongues, I could not speak enough. Oh my, what He has..."
She said, "But you make Him God."
Said, "He was, or else He was the greatest deceiver the world ever had."
She said, "He was a prophet."
I said, "He was a prophet, that's true, a God-prophet: the fullness of the Word. The prophet just had the Word come to Him. That's what makes him ... made him a prophet. But He was the fullness of that Word."
And she said, "I can prove... You make Him divine."
I said, "He was divine."
She said, "He can't be divine."
I said, "But He was."
She said, "You said you believe the Bible."
I said, "I do."
John 10:34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
John 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
John 10:36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
32 She said, "I'll prove to you by your own Bible that He wasn't divine."
I said, "Do it. If the Bible says so, then I'll believe it, 'cause I believe the Word is right."
She said, "On the road from ... down to Lazarus' grave ... you remember that in St. John 11?"
I said, "I certainly do, madam."She said, "Well, now on the road down, He cried. The Bible said He wept."
I said, "Certainly the Bible said He wept."
Said, "How could He be divine, and weep?"
I said, "He was human."
"Human and divine?"
I said, "Yes, lady. You failed to see He was a man, going along there, crying with those that were crying. That's right, grieving with those who grieve. He was a man. But when He straightened His little frail body up and said, 'Lazarus, come forth,' and a man that'd been dead four days stood on his feet---that took more than a man. That was God in the man. Who can raise the dead, but God?" He is the resurrection, and the life. That's right.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
John 11:35 Jesus wept.
John 11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
33 That night, out on the sea when He was out there, tired, laying in the back of the boat, where... Ten thousand devils swore they'd drown Him that night. And that little old boat, flopping around like a bottle-stopper out there, on the stormy sea, them devils thought, "We've got Him now. He's asleep. We'll sink the whole bunch." Oh, He was a man, tired. But when once aroused, he just put His foot upon the brail, looked up and said "Peace, be still." And the winds and the waves obeyed. That was no ordinary man.
He was a man when He was hungry, and come down off the mountain looking for a piece of bread, or something to eat, or a fig off of a tree. But when he took five biscuits and two fishes, and fed five thousand, that was God in that man. Right.
Matthew 8:24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
Matthew 8:26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
Matthew 14:19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
Matthew 14:21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
Matthew 21:18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
Matthew 21:19 And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
Mark 4:38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
Mark 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Mark 6:41 And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all.
Mark 6:44 And they that did eat of the loaves were about five thousand men.
Mark 11:12 And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
Mark 11:13 And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet.
Luke 8:23 But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
Luke 8:24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
Luke 9:14 For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.
Luke 9:16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.
Luke 9:17 And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.
34 Oh, every man that's ever amounted to a hill of beans believed that. All the poets that believed that... No wonder one wrote:
Living, He loved me; and dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever:
Someday He's coming---oh, glorious day!
Eddie Pruitt [Perronet], who... His songs would not sell. One day he was staggering under the impact of the Holy Spirit, grabbed a pen. He wrote the inauguration song when he wrote:
All hail the power of Jesus' name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all.
Certainly, that's what we believe He was. Yes, sir!
35 She's got to believe for the impossible now, to the modern thinking of that day. So do you have to believe for the impossible, to see new life, to see something happen. But if He recognized ... she recognized Him to be the Word, then the impossible can take place, because He is the creator, and will stand by everything He said.
Now all things are possible to them that can believe. That's His Word. But the impossibles are made manifested when God is took at His Word. Yes, sir! When God's took at His Word, the impossibles are made manifest. When God says it'll be, then you take that Word and watch what ... the impossibles happen. It certainly will.
But notice, even in all that, she said, "Even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God'll do it." She knew that if she could just get that word to come from Him, that's all she needed to do, was get that word. Yes, it was her darkest hour. And Jesus come along and called. Oh, what a thing they saw! A resurrection!
Let's look at some more, where the dark hours come.
John 11:22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
36 There was a man one time named Job, one of the oldest prophets in the Bible. He was a great man. He'd loved the Lord. And he'd done all he knowed how to do. And Satan desired to sift him. So he said to God one day ... God said to him, rather, "Where have you been, Satan?"
"Oh, walking to-and-fro, and up-and-down on the earth."
Said, "Have you considered my servant Job? There's none like him in the earth. He's a perfect man."
"Oh," he said, "sure. You give him everything, do everything for him. Certainly, he's a great man. But let me have him one time. I'll change the tune. I'll make him curse you to your face."
He said, "You can't do it." That's His confidence in a believer. Why? He's infinite. He's eternal. He knows the end from the beginning. He knowed Satan couldn't do it, for He is the Word. He knowed what Job would do.
Job 1:7 And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Job 1:10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.
Job 1:11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Job 2:2 And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
Job 2:3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
Job 2:5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.
37 Now remember Job. He broke him out in boils, killed his children, took everything he had, his health was gone. Even his comforters came, and they couldn't do nothing but just accuse him of being a secret sinner. And old Job got in such a place until he got so distressed. You have to get in distress first. You have to get to the time where it's the end of the road.
Job got in to the end of the road, when he said, "Cursed be the day that I was born! May the sun not even shine, and may the moon not shine by the night! May the name never be called!" And in that distress, then Jesus came along.
He looked down and said, "I see a flower die. It rises again in the spring. If a tree blows down, it comes up again through the scent of water." He seen all botany life living again. But he said, "A man layeth down, he giveth up the ghost. Where is he?"
He knowed he was an old man. He said, "His sons come to mourn over him, and he perceives it not. O that Thou would hide me in the grave, and keep me in the secret place till thy wrath be past. Appoint me a time, and set me a time."
He went going on like that talking. He was at the end of his distress. What would happen? The leaves live, come back in the trees. The flowers come back again. Everything else come up. But a man layeth down, and giveth up the ghost. He was in distress. He didn't know what could happen to him, and him at that age.
Job 1:18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
Job 1:19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
Job 2:7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
Job 3:3 Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.
Job 3:4 Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.
Job 4:7 Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?
Job 14:7 For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
Job 14:9 Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.
Job 14:10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?
Job 14:13 O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!
Job 14:21 His sons come to honour, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.
38 When he did, then Jesus came along. God pointed his head towards the sky, and he saw Jesus coming in the last day.
The darkest of hour, when his wife said, "Curse God, and die the death," yet he said, "Woman, thou speakest like a foolish woman. The Lord gave, and the Lord taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." Even his wife turned him down, his church turned him down, everybody had turned him down. In that dark hour, when he didn't know where he was going from there, Jesus came along. Then he screamed out, "I know my redeemer liveth, and at the last days He'll stand upon the earth. And though after the skin worms destroys this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom shall I see." In his darkest hour, then Jesus come along. Yes, sir!
Job 1:21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
Job 2:9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
Job 2:10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.
Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
Job 19:26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
39 Moses... For Moses the darkest hour come for him in Israel. He was right in the line of duty. Met God up there in the bush, who said, "I am the I AM." He went down there and fought through all kinds of impersonation, of Jannes and Jambres trying to impersonate his word. All these, he stood true to God. He finally got Israel to believe in him.
Here he comes out of Egypt, going up to the promised land, where God said, "You'll worship Me on this mountain." That was the Word of God. Moses knowed he had to go to that mountain. Amen. God said so! No Pharaoh can kill him. No devil can kill him. Nothing can kill him. He's coming to that mountain. Hallelujah! I feel religious. He's going to that mountain.
So are we on our road to glory. Nothing's going to stop us. God's going to vindicate His Word. I don't care what takes place, He's going to do it anyhow. Yes.
Exodus 3:12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
40 On his road right in the path of duty, here he is hemmed in between the mountains. He listens and hears a roar behind him. What is it? Pharaoh's chariots by the thousands coming, armored with spears and things, to ride them down and tramp them down. There's the Red Sea, had him cut off. What did he do? He got in distress. The people all screaming, "Oh, we're in for it now. Pharaoh'll kill us! The swords will be run through us! Our babies will die here in the wilderness!"
Moses cried out, "Oh, God!"
And then Jesus came on the scene. He was the pillar of fire. That's right. He come down, and He hung between him and the danger. Amen! He's our go-between. He's the same Jesus. Amen! A mediator. There He stood, standing there: darkness to the Egyptians, those who were coming to try to do something about it, He was light to them to walk by. And in the morning... When the winds started blowing real hard that night, then what did He do? He had come in the form of the pillar of fire.
Exodus 14:10 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.
Exodus 14:11 And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
Exodus 14:12 Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
Exodus 14:20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
41 Remember, He's still that pillar of fire. Yes, sir.
When He was on earth He said, "I come from God, and I go to God." And after His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, St. Paul, on his road down to Damascus, he was struck down by that pillar of fire. Remember, he was a Hebrew. He would not have said this: he said, "Lord, who are you? [capital L-o-r-d, Elohim] Who are you that I persecute?"
He said, "I am Jesus."
Amen! Hallelujah! He's the first and the last! He's still the same! "A little while, and the world seeth Me no more. Yet you'll see Me. I'll be with you, even in you." The same pillar of fire, the same God doing the same thing with the same promise. Amen! Making His Word manifested. "I am the resurrection and the life. I'm He that was, He that is, and He that shall come." Yes, sir! "Thy fathers eat manna in the wilderness." He said, "They're every one dead. But I am that I AM." Moses and the burning bush, that was the I Am. He's still the I AM. Not I was, I AM (present tense, all the time).
John 16:28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.
Acts 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
Acts 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
Acts 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
42 We find out here, that Moses was backed out into this corner, and the ... that Christ had come down. Now the Bible said that Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. The reproach of Christ---Christ was the anointing, the logos that went out of God, the angel. Any Bible reader knows that that angel was Christ. And there he was in the wilderness, and He came on the scene in the form that He was supposed to be manifested in. Glory to God! He comes today in the form, the same Christ manifested in. He told them He would take them out. He was doing it. There He come to stand by His Word, to vindicate it.
Then after He'd done come, like He did to Martha, then He called. He said, "Moses, why are you crying to me? Speak to this people, that you go forward." That dark hour, the Red Sea opened up and they went across on their journey to fulfill the Word of God. Yes, it was Moses' darkest hour. And then Jesus come along. We got time now... And He called Moses.
Exodus 14:15 And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
Hebrews 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
43 We want to draw your attention to another little man. His name was Jairus. There's so many of them in the world today. He was a secret believer. He loved Jesus. He'd heard about Him. He believed Him. But you see, he'd already joined himself to an organization. And he just couldn't come out, and confess it. He believed it, but he couldn't confess it. So he'd done joined up with the unbelievers; but he really believed it.
You know, when a man gets in that shape sometimes God brings him to the showdown. It's in distress when we really show our colors, what we really are. So there he was. He was already joined up to the unbelievers. He done went over and put his name on the book, and so forth. And he was a priest. And so he just couldn't hardly make a confession, 'cause that was his meal ticket. And so... But he still believed Jesus.
44 One day his little girl got sick. Oh, my. There's no doubt, a man like that would have called the doctor. The physician come, attended to the child. The fever got worse and worse. After awhile she got so hot, and everything, she finally got to the point of death. He was in distress. He had to do something. He just didn't know what to do. Now, he thought, "If I could only find Him, wherever He is..." Now, he never waited until it got nighttime, like Nicodemus did, to have a private interview. Time was for action. The time had come for action. And he must act then.
I think, brother, sister, the same is now. The time is come for action. The time has come to believe, or don't believe. That separating line comes to every man and woman. It comes to every child. Sometimes when you pass that line, there's only one thing left: that's judgment, when you pass between mercy and judgment, when you pass that line.
45 Remember, he got in distress. He didn't know what to do. There stood his priest, all the rabbis standing around him. The fellowship was with him, all down there watching his little girl die. The doctor standing on the outside with his hands folded, shaking his hands, "I give every medicine I know, and still..." See, it was Jesus working all the time. Jesus was doing this for a purpose, to bring the color out of that little fellow.
After awhile, I can see him go get his little black hat and pull it on, put his little priest's coat on.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm hurrying down by the river. I'm going after Him."
Oh, my! Away he went
46 in that hour of distress. He had to make a decision: let his child die, or... He knowed that was the manifestation of the Word. He was a priest and he'd read the Word. And he knowed that that was God's manifestation. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself. He knew that. And he was forced to the issue. He had to make a decision: let his child die; or make his confession. When he got in that distress, it was about that time that Jesus came along. He went to see Him. He said ... He said, "I'll go with you, whatever you say."
And out on the road, here come a runner. The dark... Same day he had made his confession that he believed it. He'd done excommunicated himself then, put himself in public eye, saying that he was a believer on Jesus.
Matthew 9:19 And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.
Mark 5:24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
Mark 5:35 While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?
Luke 8:49 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.
2 Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
47 And here come a runner, said, "Don't bother nobody, 'cause your girl's already died. She died yesterday. She's already dead. Don't fool with it no more."
And though his little heart liked to have failed, but he looked and seen those eyes of Jesus, who said "Didn't I say to you, don't fear, if you want to see the glory of God. What you scared about? I've already told you I would go."
He's already said He would come. He's already said He would do this. And here He is, doing it. Amen. He said He would rise on the scene in the last days, and do these things, as He did---that we read last night, and talked. Here He is, doing it. What are you scared about? Remember when He came and He called her from the dead. He came on the scene, and called her from the dead.
Old blind Bartimaeus, one time, had his darkest hour.
Mark 5:36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
Mark 5:41 And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.
Mark 10:46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
Luke 8:50 But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.
48 Jesus was down there, organized the Full Gospel Business Men's breakfast, down there in Jericho. And He had Zacchaeus down there. He had met him in a tree, down the street. So when He was... He wouldn't organize anything else, I'm sure, see. So then, when He come down there, He had... Zacchaeus went with Him. Old blind Bartimaeus had been blind since he was a little boy. So he thought Jesus might come out that gate. He was waiting.
After awhile he heard a lot of noise, and everybody coming by. And he heard priests say, "Hey! Hey you! You going up the hill there---we hear that you raise the dead. We got a whole graveyard full of them up here. If You be the Messiah [if you be the Messiah], come up here and raise these dead."
You know, that same devil still lives, in the form of religion, the same way. "If you be the Messiah, you raise the dead. We got a graveyard full of them up here. Come."
Oh, everybody screaming, one hollering, "Hosanna to the prophet," and the other one hollering this, that, and the other---such a confusion.
And this old blind man thought, "Oh, I've missed him. He come out down there, and I thought He'd come here. I been put in the wrong place." Then he got to screaming, thought, "If He is the Word, he's God. He's got to be." He said, "O Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me." In that hour of distress he called out.
Matthew 21:9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
Matthew 21:15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased,
Mark 10:48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.
Mark 11:9 And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:
Mark 11:10 Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
Luke 18:38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.
John 12:13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.
49 Now Jesus, if you'll mark Him here, was in Jericho. Where they said he was sitting, he was 150 yards from where Jesus was, with thousands of people rushing around Him. He couldn't have heard that man's cry. No, but He felt it. He stopped. I want to preach one of these nights, "And then Jesus stopped." Oh, and then Jesus stooped. Oh, but when Jesus stopped, what was it? He called him.
"The Master has come. Don't be worried," said the disciples. "He calls thee. He's calling you." Called him out from that crowd!
He does the same thing now. Does it soak in? The Master has come, and has called for you. And He's calling from blindness to light, darkness to light, like He called Lazarus from death to life. The Master has come, and He calls for you. And when He called, He give him back his sight.
Mark 10:49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
50 The little woman with the blood issue, one time, up on the hill, had spent all of her money with the doctors. No doubt they'd sold the team, they'd sold the farm, had it mortgaged. They'd spent all they could with physicians. None of them done her any good. She constantly got worse and worse. The blood wouldn't stop. Constantly on and on it went. She got deeper and deeper. And one day while sitting there, knitting, up on the hill there where she lived, she looked down into the valley. And she seen a boat come in. Everybody began to run. "Hosanna to the prophet!"
Mark 5:25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
Mark 5:26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
Luke 8:43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,
51 She'd heard about Him. Faith comes by hearing. Now she said, "I'll go down and get a look at Him." And when she walked down there and she first got a sight of the Word of God manifested in flesh, there was something about His talk and His look, that she knowed that was Him. Yes, sir!
"Oh, if I could only attract His attention some way. If I could only touch Him in some manner."
And she slipped through the crowd, and she touched His garment. Now, remember, it wasn't her finger that He felt. No, sir. Because the Palestinian garment hangs loose.
And Peter said, "Everybody's touching."
He said ... but He said, "This was a different touch. I perceive that I have gotten weak."
Matthew 9:21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
Mark 5:28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
Mark 5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
Mark 5:31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
Luke 8:45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
Luke 8:46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
52 Jesus had come. Her money was gone. Everything was gone. In that dark hour when the blood wouldn't stop, and the doctors couldn't stop it, Jesus come. And what did He do? He called, looked around until He found her. And He said. "You had a blood issue, but it stopped." He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Master has come, and He calls for you. He's come and He called. He called her back to health.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
53 The little woman at the well, that we spoke of last night... All hope was gone. Perhaps, maybe, her fifth husband had left her. And she just took the sixth one that night. And she was a little doubt about him. Morally she was gone. She wanted to be a real lady. No doubt, she'd been reading the Bible. And she was going along there, going up about eleven o'clock.
She couldn't come early in the morning, when the righteous women come. And they packed their water up on their heads, and their jugs, and went back down. So she couldn't come and mix with them. They had a segregation of that in that day. The right and wrong didn't mix together. The immoral stayed in their place. So she couldn't come with the rest of them. They wouldn't let her come.
So, after everybody got their waters, and went back, she come for better.
54 And then she come up there with her pot on her head.
No doubt, she's going along thinking. "Now, the man that I married, got ahold of last night, I'm doubting him. He's a man... He acts so funny. I just don't know about him. I haven't got a chance. I'm ousted from society. And I can't go to those churches. They don't... Just look at them. I don't know what to do. I'm in distress.
"And I've been reading the Bible. Surely some day that prophet will come on the scene. I know they claim that there is no such a thing, and this'll be maybe a hundred years off, maybe a thousand years off. 'We've been looking for it for thousands of years, and it's never happened yet. So we ain't looking for it now. Everything's so, oh... No, we've got churches, and things. So we don't need nothing like that, now.' "
So, she was going along there thinking. You know, when you think about Him, that's when He appears to you. Like we had last night, when they was on the road to Emmaus.
John 4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
55 When she'd thought all those things, she heard a man say, "Bring me a drink." But that, in her darkest of hours when her morals was gone... Maybe a pretty little lady, been through ... gone in the streets and lived there. Sometimes it's not the little girl's fault, it's her parents' fault---let her get out like that.
And there she was, maybe her little curls all hanging down. She was depleted, going along weary. Nobody had anything to do with her, a child. Maybe a big story behind it. Anyhow, I know one thing. She had read the Bible, and she believed the Bible. And there was a little seed, laying down in her heart says, "If it ever happens, I'll know it." She was predestinated to that.
56 Look at that old Judas standing there, and acting like what he did. He was black down in the bottom of his heart. The light was shining up here in his works, but down in his heart he didn't believe it. And here she was... See, the light couldn't get down to that. But here she was, believed. She believed it, but her life was blacked out. When the light struck, it took the blackness out. But when the light struck up here, it blacked it all over. That's the difference.
See, she was born for that purpose, see. She said... When He told her how many husbands she had, she... What happened? She got all at once excited-like. She got in distress. She said, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. I know that when the Messiah cometh, He'll do these things." Then He called her.
Then He called her. "I am He, He that speaks with you."
She recognized it by the Word of God. He called her from her sin, to a light, and her name is in the Bible. And she's got immortal life today.
He can call you the same way, because He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Yeah. Her morals was gone. But still she knew that He had that discernment. She knowed that that had to be the Messiah. Then, when Jesus said, "I am He, I am He," she knowed that was.
John 4:19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
John 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
John 4:26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
57 One time the disciples was out on the boat. All hopes was gone. The storm... They'd went away without Jesus. The storms was... Just like it was at Lazarus' house, all hopes was gone. The little old boat had water-logged. And they were screaming, and crying, and maybe praying, and going on---the lightning a-flashing. And the boat filled up with water, the mast poles dropped down, the oars broke. They were holding one another, crying.
And in that real darkest of hour, then Jesus come walking along. But He looked like a shadow to them. He looked scary, like a spirit. And they cried out with fear. That's what's the matter, today. Jesus comes in an hour, your dark hour, and you're afraid of it. You don't know what it is. They didn't know what He was. They said, "Oh, it's a spirit!" They're screaming.
Matthew 14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
Matthew 14:27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
Mark 6:48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
Mark 6:49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out:
Mark 6:50 For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
John 6:19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
John 6:20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
58 And then He called and said, "Fear not, it is I." In the darkest of hours, Jesus come along to help. That's the way He always does come, in the darkest of hours. Then Jesus came, and manifested Himself, and come to them.
Peter said, "If it be You, bid me come on water."
Jesus said, "Come on."
You know what, friends? Soon He will come for those in this last days. Now, isn't it strange that the church has got in this dark hour again?
Matthew 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
Matthew 14:29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
59 Now, I'm going to say something here. It's not a doctrine, I'm just prophesying. You know what's happened? It's going to come to a place soon, mark my word, that all denominations are going to have to join the ecumenical council. If they don't, they can't have the support of the council.
Therefore, there'll be a boycott, that nobody can go to these churches, or go to any churches. Unless you have a mark from your own church you cannot buy, or sell. You see it. Just as it was, so is it going to be again---a mark unto the beast. And the church shall realize, and that's spiritual people. And you Pentecostal people, anyhow, ought to recognize this. You begin to feel it. When your churches ... Many of your organizations of the Pentecost, (and I don't have to call your name, but you know), right now they're coming into it. They've done witnessed that they were.
And when you do that, what are you going to have to do? You're going to have to forfeit your evangelical teaching of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. You'll have to forfeit your doctrine of the Bible. And the members is not going to stand for it. Real borned-again Christians will die first. They're warned by the Word. They know this thing's coming. Yes, sir.
60 And isn't it strange, that right in this darkest of hours, then Jesus comes along and calls us? Says, "Don't get discouraged, it's Me. I'm still with you. I'm here to manifest my Word." As He was then, so is He now. He said He would do that. Oh, my! The Master is come, and He's called for us.
Many sick people here no doubt that are sitting here, and the doctor has told you that there's no hope for you. Maybe your doctor said... All right, but remember, the Master has come and called for you.
61 And some day, some day the Master's going to come, and call for every name that's wrote on the Lamb's book of life. If yours are not there, get it on there now. For He's going to come and call. Even those that are in the grave shall hear His voice, and come forth to life. The Master will come, and call for you.
And while He's calling today, answer and make preparation for that day, is my advice to you. The promise of this age, He promised He would be here. The things that He did, He would do again. And now again, the Master has come, and calls for you.
62 Let us bow our heads. I've got about six more pages here, but I can't get to that now. Let's bow our heads. I promised to let you out early, and it's already a quarter after.
Heavenly Father, O Lord, let it happen again, all these things that I've said. "Jesus has come, and calls for thee. What does He do when He comes? He calls." Let it happen again, Lord. Let thy Holy Spirit come among the people, tonight, the Lord Jesus in the form of the Spirit.
Let Him come tonight, and reveal Himself, and then manifest Himself. Like those people, how they believed we will believe also, Lord. There's many here, maybe, that's never had this opportunity. We pray that You'll grant it to them, again tonight, for we ask it for the glory of God, in Jesus' name. Amen.
63 [Brother Branham speaks to pianist] That's it, sister. Go ahead with that. That's fine. Go right ahead. Oh ... be real quiet, everybody.
Do you believe that He is come? He has. That He still calls when He comes? Now, if you'll just only believe, if you'll just believe the Word of God, God will grant it.
Now, look. I haven't got time to call a prayer line up here. I'm going to call one tonight out there, if the Lord willing.
But the Master has come. He has come to fulfill His Word in the last days. And what He was then, He is today. What His manifestation, or identification, was then, it is today, because He's still the Word of God. Do you believe that? And the Word of God is a discerner of the thoughts, and intents of the heart, the way He did then. The way it's always been, He is still the same. If He would do that just now, would you believe Him? Would it make you believe Him?
You people out there now... Let me look first, and see if there's anybody that I know sitting anywhere in here, that I know.
64 All that's around up in here that don't know me, raise up your hand. Know that I know nothing about you, in your seat, raise up your hand. I guess everybody. All right.
Now, you believe. You just believe, with all your heart. Now, have faith. Believe God. I'm going to ask you to be real quiet. Be seated. Don't stir around, please don't. See, you are a soul, body, and spirit. Your spirit... Now, the Holy Spirit is real timid.
65 How many remembers, many years ago, that the Holy Spirit, when I come by here, told you... When I'd take the people by the hand, He told me this discernment would come, then it'd go on, remember? Remember that? But He said, "If you can get the people to believe you..." Remember that day, many years ago? You got to believe.
I seen a man, I believe it was down here at the other meeting, sitting out there. And the Holy Spirit ... I had been watching him while I was preaching. He was a crippled man. He had crutches on his arms. And just when I started to make the call, Satan came to the man---a black shadow. And I watched it with my own eyes. He got up and walked out. He'll always be crippled, see. And so, where he beat him was right there. If he'd just ... see. But just ... I don't know why. I guess he just listened to the enemy. But if you'd stand and watch those shadows, see those things and forms, the way they are, and watching how they do, see, it would be...
66 Now, I cannot heal. The man that tells you he can heal you, he is wrong. You're already healed. But it's recognizing the presence of Jesus Christ. Now if Martha knew that if she could see Him again, that she'd get her desire because He was the manifested Word, can't we believe that much tonight, to believe Him? Sure, we ought to. He has come. He's come. He's come in the form of the Holy Ghost. That's who He is.
Now, you just pray. See, up here, I had somebody standing right here by me, you just ... pray. And you see, there's so many people praying. It's all over the building. You just have to watch it. You can't... Say, "Brother Branham..." No, sir. I couldn't do it, no more than you could dream me a dream, see. You might think you... If I could have you dream a dream of me, you'd believe that. But you can't do it yourself. You can't say "Brother Branham, I'm going to dream a dream of you now." No. You can't do that. Neither can I see a vision. Ever who gives the dream to you, that's the One that has to do it. The same way it is with a vision.
67 I see a man sitting right here at the end of the row, with arthritis. If he'll believe with all his heart, God'll heal him of the arthritis. You believe He'll do it, sir, sitting out there, the Mexican man sitting at the end of the row? Will you believe it? Then all right.
The lady sitting next to you, she also has arthritis, too. You believe God'll heal you, lady? (Has this got a rebound to it? I'm afraid the people don't hear it.) You will? All right. How about the other little Mexican lady sitting by her? She suffers with a stomach trouble. You believe God'll heal your stomach, lady? She got it. When you see that light go down, that means it happens. It struck her. There it was whirling out around [end of side one of tape]. That does it, see. When He could find faith, see... Many things He could not do because of their unbelief.
Matthew 13:58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.
68 Here's a lady sitting here, praying. She's scared. She should be. She's got a cancerous condition, real bad. I don't know you, but God knows you. Do you believe that God can tell me about this cancer, or something or other? Look at me. So many are praying. Just want to see it. Look here. Now, you're not from here. This is not your home. You're from a place called Porterville, California. You believe God can tell me who you are? Your name is Mrs. Wintham. That's right. Now, believe---the cancer will leave you. If thou canst believe---that's all God asks you to do---if thou canst believe. Do you believe that with all your heart?
Somebody in this section over here, can't you believe? The Master has come, and called for you. He's called you from death to life, from sickness to health.
69 Here's a man sitting right back here, head down, praying. He's really not praying for himself. He's praying about somebody else. It's a girl. It's his daughter. You believe, sir? You got trouble with your leg, you got trouble with your knee. That's right. No need a-weeping. That's Him there by you. Your daughter's in the hospital, isn't she? Tuberculous case. You believe. You believe? The Master has come, and calls for you. Will you believe it for your daughter? You will? He visits her tonight, and you. May it be over.
Here's a little boy, a little brown-faced boy. He's suffering with a skin disease, and asthma---a little Mexican boy. He isn't from here. He's from San Jose. Do you believe, son? Another thing, your father's here with you. He's a minister. That's right. Do you believe God can tell me what your name is? Will it make you believe, real strong? Your name is Reuben. Now believe.
The Master has come, and he calls for you. Oh sinner! Oh sick person! Don't you see the Master manifested in the human being, between believers? He's come to call His believing children to health. He's come to call the sinner to repentance. Backslider, church member, the Master has come, and calls for you.
70 Do you believe it? Do you believe Him for your needs, right now? If you do, raise up your hands and say, "I believe for my needs." Then raise up on your feet, now, and accept it. The Master is come, and He calls for thee. And whoever you are, whatever needs you have for, the Master has come, and He calls for you. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.
That little woman went into the city, and said, "Come see a man who told me what was wrong." You didn't go into the city. You come and seen it yourself. So the Master has come, and calls for thee. Raise up your hands, and praise Him and say, "Lord Jesus, I'm a sinner; forgive me. I'm a backslider; take me back, Lord. I need the Holy Ghost; fill me. I'm sick; heal me. I'm crippled; make me well." The Master has come and calls for thee. Raise up your hands, now, and give Him praise.
John 4:29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
71 Do you believe?
I will praise Him, I will praise Him,
Oh, praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory all ye people,
For His blood has washed away each stain.
Do you love Him? Now, don't you love to sing to Him while He's here? He's the Spirit moving around through the building. He knows your heart. He knows all about you. Let's sing it to Him with all of our hearts.
I will praise Him, (Raise your hands when you
do it.) I (now just praise Him) praise Him,
Oh, praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Oh, give Him glory all ye people,
For His blood has washed away each stain.
An old lady in the wheel chair, if you'd just believe on the Lord right there...
I ... (Just try it once more, leaning
on something.)
I will praise Him, I will praise Him,
Oh, praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory all ye people,
For His blood has washed away each stain.
Now while we sing that again, turn around and get ahold of somebody's hand while we sing it. Sing "I will praise Him." Come on, all together now.
I will praise Him, I will praise Him,
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory all ye people,
For His blood has washed away each stain.
72 Oh, sinner friend, won't you walk up here now? Come up and give Him praise, all ye people. All ye people that wants to confess Him as savior, in His presence while the saints are worshipping in the Spirit. Won't you come here, and stand and say, "I want to testify tonight. I want to give Him praise. I want to come. I'm not ashamed of Him. I want the world to know that I accept Him as my Saviour right here, while He's present." Come while we sing it.
I will praise Him, (won't you come?)
I will praise Him,
Oh, praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Give Him glory all ye people,
For His blood has washed away each stain.
73 Oh, that's it lady. Come right on. Who else will come in the presence of Christ? Come right up here, sister, stand here. Some other person that wants Him to be your savior right now, not ashamed. He said "If you're ashamed of Me before men, I'll be ashamed of you before my Father, and the holy angels." If you're not ashamed of Him now, and you want Him for your Savior while He's here, He sees you. It's so perfect. The Word itself, making it known, come up while the saints are worshipping. Won't you come up? God bless you, sir. Here comes an old lady, coming through, great age. Won't you come now?
I will praise Him, (sing it now) I will
praise Him, (That's right, young folks,
come right on around.)
Praise (God bless you, lady. That's the
way to do it. God bless you, young
man.) ... sinners slain;
Give Him glory all ye people,
For His blood has washed away each stain.
While the ministers are going to these people now, won't somebody else come? Backsliders, would you come? Say, "I'm ashamed of my life." Here He is. If you believe me to be God's servant, raise your hand. Why, Jesus Christ is in the midst of us. Won't you come?
Give Him glory (Won't you come give
Him glory?) ... ye people
For His blood has washed away...
Mark 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Luke 9:26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels.
74 Martha, are you coming, or are you going to sit in the house with Mary? Are you going to stay back in some organization, and say, "Oh, my church don't believe it this way," when Christ is made manifest? Are you going to sit back, and say that? Or are you coming out? "Well, I tell you, when..."
"I called today." This is the hour. Death hangs around you, like Jairus' daughter. Come now. Backslider, come now. Sinner, come now. This is the time.
The Master has come, and He calls for you. He's calling you. You say, "How do I know?" He's using my voice. If He uses my voice to tell sickness, afflictions and things, don't you know He's calling also for sins? Come out. Come now. This may be the last opportunity you'll ever have.
75 Once more, He's calling you. You ought to come, friend. I don't want to embarrass you, to call you out like this. That's not right. You... Sometimes, maybe... Them Pharisees thought they were saved, but they wasn't. You're thinking the same thing. Come now, be sure. No, don't just take a half-way chance on it. If there's any doubt in your mind don't take no chance. Come out now. Now's the time---now, while the fountain's open, while the Holy Spirit is here. The Master has come. But don't doubt, 'cause what He's trying to tell you, you're doubting. Give it over. Come on now. The Master has come, and calls for thee. That's right.
I will praise Him, I will praise Him,
(Won't you come give Him praise?)
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Oh give Him glory all ye people,
For His blood has washed away each stain.
Now, while the sinners are coming to claim Him, let the people give Him praise at the same time. Up with your hands. Sing the praises, all together.
I will praise Him, I will praise Him,
Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;
Just give Him praise, you people down here praying. Ask Him to forgive you. That's what He'll do. The Master has come, and calls for you. God bless you.