Calling Jesus on the scene



1 ...we read the Word of the Lord. In Matthew's gospel, the 8th chapter beginning with the 23rd verse, we read this:
And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
...behold, there rose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
And his disciples came to him, and woke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
And he said 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.
But the men marveled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the seas obey him!

Matthew 8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.

Matthew 8:24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.

Matthew 8:25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

Matthew 8:26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

Matthew 8:27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!

2 Let us bow our heads now for prayer. Our heavenly Father, we are so happy tonight to know that this great one who makes the winds and the sea to obey Him is with us. We are grateful that we have this great witness of His living yet today, and knowing that He's eternal, He can never die. He's alive forevermore, and has showed forth His great mercy to us, the children of man in these days. We are a needy people, Lord, so needy that no one else could meet our needs but You. So we're looking for You tonight, to come into our gathering here, and to make yourself known to us by forgiving our sins, increasing our faith, Lord, and healing our sickness and afflictions.
And when we go to our homes tonight, may we be happy, saying like those from Emmaus, "Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us along the way?" For we ask it in His name. Amen. You may be seated.

Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

3 (I'm almost like Zacchaeus---these things are always too short for me.) I want to speak to you just for a few moments, now, before we pray for the sick---thanking you for your fine cooperation in believing in the Spirit last night while we were speaking, trusting that it'll be a great outpouring of His blessings.
Always remember, what we're here for is to try to increase your faith in His presence, that you might receive that what you ask for. Then by faith you believe.
Now remember, every redemptive blessing has already been purchased. The price is paid. There's only one way that you'll ever be able to receive it: that's to believe it and to accept it. He's the high priest of our confession. The Hebrew says there, the Hebrew letter says, "He's the high priest of our profession." To profess and confess is the same thing, of course. So, we ... He's the high priest of our confession. Therefore, He cannot do anything for us until first we confess that He has done it. And then when we confess it, then He is the high priest, a mediator to go to work on that and make it right. So we pray, trusting in God tonight, in His kindness and mercy, that He will give to us His abundance of grace tonight.
And now remember, you must accept it.

Luke 19:2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Hebrews 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

4 Now, we're going to pray for the sick before we leave, laying hands upon them. But I wish that you could have faith enough you don't have to have that. I wish you could just reach up and say, "Lord Jesus, I believe you. I..." He believes the Word.
See, God is different from we are. If we would say something for you to do, and you didn't believe it, well, we'd say, "Let them alone. They don't have to believe it." But that's not God, our Father. He constantly will do something else to make you believe. He's trying to keep His Word, and He will keep His Word. Now the reason He's doing the things that He's doing now, is because that He promised to do them. Not that He has to do it, but He promised to do it. And that's our confidence---that He always keeps His promise.

5 Now each one of you when you have sick loved ones, and so forth... Say if they can't---like the little girl here, she's too young, and that condition she is---just, when you believe, lay your hands upon the child while the service is going on. Others that has loved ones, in your heart you're thinking of them. By faith lift them right up before God in prayer.
Now, and therefore... Then believe, when something happens. You can't make yourself believe. You ... it's something... It's a quality that's in you. Faith is the substance; not just imaginary. It is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things that you believe and you don't see.
And all the whole Christian armor, now remember, is by faith, all supernatural. Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, meekness, patience: that's all unseen things, and that's the whole Christian armor. The Christian always looks at things that he does not see because he's looking at a promise.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

6 Here some time ago, many years, I was called on the scene one time in a hospital, to pray for a boy that was dying with black diphtheria. I've quoted this many times because it's a very outstanding case to me. The father was rather an aged man ... the mother... And this young man was about fourteen years old, I guess, and he was their only child. And he was dying with black diphtheria, and something happened to his heart. He was unconscious. And they were just all... Just barely living---I forget what his heart beat was; respiration was very low.
And the old father kept visiting the meetings, begging, seeing the manager, and everybody. "Come pray, come pray, that's all. Just come to the hospital and pray."
The manager said, "Bring him to the meetings."
He said, "We can't move him from the hospital; he's dying." And said, "If Brother Branham would just come and ask God, God would grant it."
I thought, "What a faith!"

7 I went to the hospital and the doctors wouldn't let me in.
And they said, "No, you're a married man. You have children." Billy Paul was small then. Said, "You cannot go in," said, "because you have a child."
And I said (now, I understood that the doctor himself was Catholic), and I said, "If the priest wanted to give the last rites to the child if he was Catholic, would you permit him to go in?"
He said, "That's different. The priest has no children, see. You'd pack the germs to your child."
And I said, "But look, sir, let me take the responsibility. I'll sign a paper. I'll take the responsibility. If I haven't got faith enough to go in there then ... I ... for that, then I have no business going in the first place." I said then, "But I'll take the responsibility." And I said, "Think of it, now, if that boy was Catholic and he was dying, and would you by any means keep the priest from giving last rites of the church?"
He said, "No, I wouldn't do that."
I said, "I mean just as much to them as the priest does to a Catholic."

8 And he said, "All right." And he finally agreed.
He dressed me up like a Ku Klux Klan of some sort---all this kind of stuff all over me---and took me in there to this little boy, dying. The mother and father knelt on the other side, and I prayed just a simple little prayer. "Lord Jesus, I trust you to raise up this boy on the basis of the faith of this father and mother," and laid my hands upon the little fellow. He'd been unconscious for about three days, I believe. He was just barely breathing. And I got up, said, "Amen." Prayed about a moment, and got up.
And old father took the mother in his arms and said, "Think of it, Honey, our boy's healed." No sign of it at all. And they were just hugging each other and thanking the Lord.
And the little nurse, a little child, a young lady rather---she was probably about eighteen, twenty years old. She had her nurse's band, and she was a graduate nurse.
And she said, "Sir, I'm afraid you don't understand." She said, "The boy is dying."
He said, "Oh no, the boy is going to live," the father did.
And said, "How can you act like that? And you know your boy's dying---under such a false impression as you've been given."
He said, "That's no false impression."

9 She said...
Look now, I might ... there might be a doctor sitting present. I don't know this about medicine and instruments, medical terms. They give him some sort of a cardiogram, and his heart was so low. It had been low that long... The doctor said, the nurse repeated the doctor, said, "That's never been known in history, if a heart ever get that low, for it to ever revive again."
I'll never forget the old man---looked old, fatherly-like fellow ---walked up and put his hands upon the little nurse's shoulder. He said, "Sister," he said, "see, you're looking at that chart." Said, "That's all you know is to look at that." But he said, "I'm looking at a divine promise."
The boy's a missionary in Africa, now, and he has got three children. It depends on what you're looking at, see. He believed.

10 Now that's the same faith, "If You'll come lay your hands upon my child..." "If you'll speak the Word, my servant...," see. That's something that you have. It wasn't putting on an act. The old fellow believed that. He'd got ahold of something. The woman that touched His garment: "If ... I must just touch His garment," that's it. You must grasp ahold of that faith, down in your heart.
It's just like, you say... You know, you men, if you're the right kind of a husband, there's no woman in world that you love like your wife. There might be other women might be more fair. There might be women that would be prettier women, and so forth. But something ... if you really love your wife, there's something in there that you don't notice what she looks like. You love her. And you don't know why, but you love her.
And women, you the same to your husbands you love; and you young girls, to your boyfriends, boyfriends to girlfriends. If you've met that person that you know you love, there's something in there. You know you love them.
That's the same thing it is about faith. You know it's going to happen. There's not a shadow, no matter how many would say contrary. You still believe the same thing because that's genuine, real genuine faith.
Now have that tonight, while we speak on this subject. I've spoke so much and been in meetings so long now, I haven't had a let-up hardly since Christmas. And I'm a little hoarse in my throat from changing weather and time, and so forth. I'm wanting to speak to you tonight on the subject of, "Awake Jesus," or "Calling Jesus On The Scene."

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.

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:

Matthew 9:21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.

Mark 5:27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

Mark 5:28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

Luke 7:7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

Luke 8:44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.

11 From our Scripture reading, we find that there had been a great meeting. Jesus had been going about doing great wonders, always doing good, and also doing what was pleasing to God. He always pleased God, but He didn't please Himself, the Bible says. And we find out that He was ... thoroughly made Himself known, who He was by His works. His works identified who He was. And virtue had gone from Him. He had been teaching parables all day, and virtue had gone out of Him.
And He had ... was going to cross the sea, across over on the other side. By being what He was, He knew there was a great job ahead on the other side. And He was very tired; virtue had gone out of Him---all day long that the people had touched Him by their faith to believe Him, and so forth. And He had ... the virtue had left Him and He was tired. So He went back in the back of the ship and laid down on a pillow, the Scripture tells us, to take a little rest while the ship was crossing the sea, crossing the sea of Galilee---an opportunity for a little rest. His disciples picked up their oars and hoisted the sails. And just as seamen would do, they... That's what their (many of them) their occupation... They were fisherman there on the sea, and they knowed how to control these boats. And they was back at their occupation, just having a great time of rejoicing, a jubilee time---perhaps talking about the things that had happened that day.

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?

John 8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

John 10:38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

John 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

12 You know, there's something about it. That when we see our Lord Jesus do things, and can know that it's Him, that nothing else could do it but Him, we just simply... When we get together, we just ... everybody wants to testify. Everybody wants to say something, and they want to talk about it.
You can have a revival at your church. The pastor can speak a marvelous message, or the evangelist, or whoever it might be. Or you can see some certain thing take place, or something in the neighborhood. Someone was healed. The neighbors get together and talk about it.
"How marvelous! Was you there? You should have seen it. It was the most outstanding thing." Something about the works of God that thrills man's heart more than anything else that happens. There's ... it's just an unforgettable experiences when we come in contact with the Lord Jesus, and see the things that He does. So great and marvelous is His ways.

13 Now, we find out that they were rejoicing over the works that had been done in that day's revival. And perhaps I would liken us tonight in the same manner.
Now, we have just witnessed one of the greatest revivals, I believe, that the world has ever seen, in these last ten, fifteen years. It's been a revival---not just like the days of Billy Sunday, or the days of the Welsh revival, or the days of Wesleyan revival, or the Moody revival, or Billy Sunday revival---it's been a world-wide sweeping affair, around the world. Great healing services, and great revival fires has burnt on practically every hill there is in the world. Right tonight, way over in the lands of Africa, down in China and Japan, this gospel's being preached and the people are being healed right this very minute, around and around the world. It's been one of the greatest revivals because, I believe, it's one of the last revivals this world will see---a world-sweeping revival.

14 But, now, in the last few years it's quietened down. You don't notice the enthusiasm in the people that used to be. I remember of having the privilege by the Holy Spirit to spearhead that revival that started. That angel of the Lord appeared on the river, and said that about ... many years ago. And to see it happen, to see it set ministers' hearts afire everywhere... Revivals broke out. Why you could just simply walk into a building then, and the people just get up out of their cots and stretchers, and walk away healed. You didn't even have to say one word. Just ... just being there, that's all it taken.

15 I remember one night in Vandalia, Illinois. Walked into the meeting. And no more had been in the meeting over five minutes and there wasn't a feeble person around the place, anywhere. Wheelchairs pushed out and piled up, blind was seeing, and deaf and dumb speaking, and just simply it... The Spirit of the Lord was present, and He just healed the whole group of them. Now, that's when you can do something, when revival is going on.
But let that revival fire die down, then you can hardly ... the people are still Christians, but they're not revived into that spirit, that great atmosphere that does something. It's just like in a forge in a blacksmith shop: you've got to get the iron hot before you go to pounding it on the anvil. If you don't, you'll never straighten it out. That's what it takes to have a revival, is everybody under the heat of the Holy Spirit that's brought down the powers of God in a revival moving. Then there's prayer meetings going day and night, every minute everywhere. Why, the people wouldn't even leave the grounds.

16 I remember in Jonesboro, Arkansas, when I first started. My ... about my third meeting (first, in St. Louis, then at Corning, then down to Jonesboro), the papers stated 28,000 people in the meeting. For twenty or thirty miles from the city was this tent set up. You couldn't get a farmhouse to stay in, the little city of Jonesboro. And people coming from miles, packing lanterns, walking through the jungles, catch a bus and come. I sat out in the wilderness one evening, praying before the service started. And I seen young ladies coming, with their shoes and stockings under their arm. And then, before they'd get down there, they'd stop and brush off the dust from their feet, and put on their stockings and shoes, and go into the meeting.
And I seen them lay their sick children under old cotton trucks, and stay there day and night. Hold papers and canvas over them while it was raining, storm a-blowing---not leave their place, waiting just to get inside the building. There's where the blind was seeing, the deaf was hearing. And the ministry tonight is a hundred miles beyond that; but the revival fires has died down.
See the people walk up there, and say... Just point your finger and say, "Well, do you believe, brother?" That's all. He was out and gone. That's all that had to be done. They believed. The revival was a-moving.

17 Now, these disciples had seen that. And in an amateur form they were living the joy---while Jesus was resting---of what they seen done that day. And I think the revival is doing something like that---that we're now just living in a quietening time, while He's resting, maybe, between the meetings, or the revival and His coming. And we are rejoicing over the things that we have seen done during the time of this revival---great, wonderful works. No matter what the world says, we've still seen it done. It's a statement. It's a fact. It was done.
They must have took an opportunity, while the sails was going along pretty well, to talk about Him, about His acts, about His claims, about His Messiahship. Many of them might have, of these disciples, might have spoke of what they had seen done one to another. Just like we do. During the time of the revival at Shreveport, during the time of revival at some other town, we talk about it.

18 Now that's the way they were doing.
Maybe it was Simon, as we talked about last night, saying, "Well, when Andrew told me about Him, I was just a little bit skeptic. But when He told me who I was and who my father was, that took all the guess out of me. I believed it then."
Might have been that Philip might have said ... some of the other one... Might have been Andrew said (as we talked about the lady at the well last night), might have been talking about her when they said something like this:
"Brethren, you know when my strange time was, when I... We went away to get some victuals, and we come back. And we was standing outside the bushes, and we seen Him talking to this ill-famed woman. We thought in our hearts, 'What if some of the priests would come up and see this, our master, talking to a woman of this caliber? What would they say about Him?' And then we remembered how we knew that ... had confidence in Him, that it was for some purpose that He was talking to her.
"And then when He told her, 'Go get your husband and come here,' and she said, 'I have no husband,' how our hearts jumped 'cause we thought, 'There's one time there's a failure.' Jesus had told the woman that she had ... go get her husband, when she had no husband. You remember the look that we had on each other's face, as we marveled to think that all the confidence we had in Him, and here it was dropped all of a sudden?
"Then we find, immediately He spoke up and said, 'You've told the truth. For, you've had five husbands, and the one you have now is not yours.'
"Then when she recognized Him then, as the Messiah, the Messiah God, and said there that 'We know that Messiah's coming. You must be a prophet, for we know when the Messiah cometh, He's going to do this.' And the testimony in that city... That woman's testimony had bearing on the people of the city."

John 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

John 4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

John 4:8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

John 4:16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

John 4:17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

John 4:18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

John 4:19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

John 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

John 4:27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

John 4:39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

19 Then it might have been young John that said, "You know, I'll tell you what made it real to me---that day when He broke the bread. Now, we was all hungry. And He had went out into the wilderness and we couldn't find Him. And there we met Him, and all the multitudes came around.
"First thing you know, we find Him saying, 'Send them away to the city to get some food.' And He told us to feed them, then. And He got those five biscuits and two little fish. And He broke that bread. And I noticed His hands. When He would reach back for another piece of bread, that biscuit was growed out again. And then, when He'd reach back, put it out on a plate and reach back, that fish was growed out again---not only the regular fish, but it was a cooked fish, see, already growed back again."
What kind of an atom did He turn loose, brethren---cooked fish, cooked bread---bypass the growing of it? We know He's the Creator; but here He's making creation of already-cooked fish and cooked bread.

Matthew 14:15 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.

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.

Mark 6:36 Send them away, that they may go into the country round about, and into the villages, and buy themselves bread: for they have nothing to eat.

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.

Luke 9:12 And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place.

Luke 9:16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.

John 6:9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

John 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

20 John might have said something like this: he said, "You know, when I was a little boy, we lived down by Jericho. I remember my Jewish mother used to rock me to sleep in the afternoon, take my afternoon nap. I used to look up in her eyes and she'd tell me Bible stories."
And you know, that's a good thing for any mother to do to her child. Bring up a child in the way it should go. It would be better than to turn on a television to watch some of these here things that goes on on the television. It'd be better off if you read him a Bible story, 'cause it's impressing his little mind.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

21 Now he said, "She used to tell me about the story of a Shunammite woman receiving her little boy back to life by the prophet Elijah. I liked that. And then she used to tell me about our people coming up out of Egypt. We was right on the Jordan River. And she'd point across the river and say, 'John, they camped just on the other side. And they were forty years in that wilderness; and God fed them manna. Their clothes never wore out, and God gave them bread, fresh, every morning.'
"And how ... my little childish heart, I used to say, 'Mama, has God got a lot of big ovens up there in the sky? He bakes all this bread, and gets His angels ready to bring down the morning bread, and lay it out on the...'
"'No,' she'd say, 'John, you're too young to understand. God doesn't have ovens in the sky. He don't need ovens. We have to have ovens. But God doesn't need it because He's the Creator. See, He just speaks and the bread's laid out on the... He is the creator.'
"And brethren, when I stood there today and watched Him take that piece of bread and tear it off, and when he reached back for another piece, it was created, I knowed we wasn't following a false prophet. That was the Creator, Himself, in man."
And

Exodus 16:15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.

Numbers 14:33 And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.

Deuteronomy 29:5 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.

Joshua 5:6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people that were men of war, which came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: unto whom the LORD sware that he would not shew them the land, which the LORD sware unto their fathers that he would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

1 Kings 17:22 And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.

Psalm 78:24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

22 then, they might have discussed the attitude of some of the people. Some believed, some did not. And then his attitude towards the people... Now, you know, Christianity has changed so much in these last days. Now you've got to baby a person, promise them a whole lot, give them a whole lot to make them believe, come to church---and promise them that they'll have better associates---everything. That's not Christianity.
Christianity is not babied. Christianity is rugged. Right. It's a ... Christianity is not a hot-bed plant. A hot-bed plant is a hybrid plant, mostly. You have to spray it all the time to keep the bugs off of it. That's because of its weakness. And that's the way you have to do with a lot of Christians: kind of spray them with a lot of promises. You don't need it. A real, genuine, healthy plant don't need any spraying; the bugs stay off of it.

23 It's just like today, that ... man trying to take things and pervert them. God in the beginning, He said, "Let every seed bring forth of its kind." I was reading in "Readers Digest," here, where they're taking what we call a hybrid corn. And it makes a prettier ear, sure---great, big, fine ear---but it is no good. Nothing to it. And they make a better tomato; it don't even taste like a tomato. They make ... they've got a chicken now that don't even have wings. Hybreeding.
See, now remember, you might have hybrid corn. But you can't plant that seed back; it won't produce again. It'll die. Why? It don't have no life in it. You have to hybreed it each time. If it wouldn't, it would just keep on multiplying.
That shows that evolution according to man's ideas is wrong.

Genesis 1:12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

24 You can take a mare horse and a jack, and breed them together and get a mule. But a mule cannot breed itself back again; it's finished. That's all. He's finished. And they say now that in another twenty years, if they don't keep these people from eating this hybrid stuff, like of ... corn, and wheat and stuff, that they're hybreeding---that it's changing the posture of women. They won't be able to have babies in twenty years from now. It's killing the generation. It hasn't got the stuff in it.
Man's not made like he used to be. Look at man today. Why, there used to be ball games that's rough. Now, they have to wear helmets. They kill a dozen every year hitting on their heads like a guinea---it dies right now---fights and everything. Man's made up out of a bunch of muck. It's because of hybrid stuff. It has polluted the whole system of our living, our whole economy.

25 And now, hybreeding has got into the church, too. Instead of having a real rugged bunch of Bible believers, they've hybrid it by denominations. And they have to ... "I got this, and I got that. And I belong to this, I belong to that." It's hybrid. And the thing can't produce itself again. We need a book of Acts again.
But the only way you'll do it, is get back to the Bible, and away from some of this hybrid religion. Hybreeding, have to be babied---no faith, just a bunch of powder puffs, just sissified, babied into it.
I say, "Are you a Christian?"
"I'm Methodist."
"Are you a Christian?"
"I'm Presbyterian."
"I'm Pentecostal."
That don't mean that to God. You're a Christian because you're borned in the Spirit of Christ, and the Word of God lives in you.

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

26 You know, I always enjoy a hybrid [thoroughbred] horse. You know, he's got sense. You can teach him things, do things for him, and he'll learn. But you take an old mule, you can't do nothing to him. He's just a big, old, long-eared donkey. He sits there and you could talk to him, and he'll stick his ears out and "Haw, haw, haw," see. That's ... he's just a hybrid. That's what's the matter with these so-called Christians' hybrid donkey religion.
You tell them, "Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever."
They say, "I don't believe it," see. So you can't never teach them nothing. Denomination, it's gone anyhow.
"My church believes it this way."
"Mine believes it that way."
But God's Word says He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. I like... Not a hybrid Christian. I like a pedigreed horse. He knows who his papa was, who his mama was, who his grandpa and grandma was. He knows all the generations, all the way back. So does a pedigreed Christian. He knows who his Father is. He come from God. He's a word of God. He's the same as he ever was. He's a real pedigreed product of God. The Word of God is in him, Jesus Christ manifesting Himself.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

27 But to unbelievers... Jesus wanted to shake off a bunch of parasites one day; He had too many following Him. He had His disciples, then He had the seventy (the ministerial association), then He had the congregation by the thousands. And then He made this statement: He said, "Except you eat the (blood), eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, you have no life in you."
Now, what do you think a medical doctor would say, sitting out in the congregation? What do you think a sensible, thinking man would---what we call sensible thinking? He never explained it. He didn't have to explain it.
"Why," the doctor'd say, "get away from that fellow; He's crazy. We'll be human vampires, drinking the blood of a man, eating His flesh."

Matthew 10:2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

Luke 10:1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

John 6:52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

John 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

28 And the congregation ... I imagine the priest said, "This is the time. Here's where we come in. Out we go. We'll never attend another one of the meetings." Away they went. Then He got all of them away from Him.
Then He turned around and said to the seventy, He said, "What will you say when you see the Son of man ascending up into heaven, from whence He come?"
Now, them seventy said, "The Son of man ascending up from whence He come? Why, He's had us at the very manger where He was born. We know His mother. We seen the clothes, the swaddling cloth He was wrapped in. He was born down there at Bethlehem of Judea. He was brought up over here in Nazareth. There's His brothers, and sisters, and all of them with us. And then He said, 'this Son of man ascended up'?"
Now, He didn't explain it. He just said it. Now, they couldn't explain it. They couldn't fix it out in their mind.
"Well," they said, "here's where we come in." So they went out; that's as much as they could stand. They still have the same groups. That's right. We still have them.
We notice.

Luke 2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

John 6:62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

29 Then He turned... Remember, those disciples couldn't explain that either, but they had faith. Then Jesus turned and looked to the twelve and said, "Will you go also?"
Then Peter made those notable words, "Lord, where would we go? For we are fully persuaded. We know that You have the Word of life, and You alone."
They couldn't explain how they was going to eat His flesh and drink His blood. They couldn't understand how He was going to ascend up from where He come down from, when He was born in Bethlehem. They couldn't... But see, faith don't know no failure. It's anchored. It stays there no matter what anything says. It stays there. They were ordained to this life, and he ... they stayed there.

John 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

John 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

30 Now, those different kinds---some believed, some said, "A man never spoke like this."
Some didn't believe, and they said, "Oh, that's... Mighty disgusted at it."
Some said, "A man never spoke like this man. There's something strange about Him. What He says, He's able to back up."
Well, they did say that, you know. They said, "You don't talk like a priest." "He doesn't talk like a rabbi. But what He says, God backs it up. He vindicates what He says." Oh, my!
It must have been young John, then said, "Think of it! We have Him with us right now." What a comfort that must be, what a security. What a security that ought to be to us.

John 7:46 The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.

31 I'm a missionary---round and around the world. And I've seen all kinds of religions, all kinds of gods that they have, their heathen gods---the Mohammed, the Buddha, and Sikhs, Jains, oh, whatevermore; and the heathen gods of the tribesmen. But every one of them... There's none of them right, but Christianity. Every one of them, their founders are dead, and they got the grave of where he was buried. But Christianity is the only one that is right, because our founder died, buried, but rose again. And we can prove that He's alive.
At the grave of Mohammed for the past two thousand years, nearly, there has been a white horse. Change guards every so many hours, waiting for Mohammed to rise up from the dead, and ride down the world and conquer it.

1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

1 Corinthians 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

32 But Jesus is already up from the dead; been up for two thousand years, and is with us tonight.
And then, when we see the darkness, and see the end of time the way it is now, coming up to the hours that we're living... While we are sailing life's solemn main, when the stormy seas and the vessel can wreck at anytime, these little lights can snap out like that.
Or, we might never leave this building tonight, none of us. We don't know what time death is coming. And what a secure feeling it must have been to those disciples to know that the very Creator, that had thoroughly identified Himself to be that person, was sailing with them. And what a blessed thought it is, what a blessed hope it is, what an assurance it is, at this dark hour at the end of world's history, to know the Creator is sailing life's solemn main with us, safely tucked in. Bombs, whatever may come---let them ride, burst, blow, whatever they want to---it makes no difference to me. I'm sailing with the Creator. What a security, while sailing these waters.

33 Now, all speaking, talking of Him, about what great things He'd done... After a revival feastings, Jesus was probably resting like He is, I said, between the revivals. And we ... He had been so clearly identified to who He was. The people knew who He was; ... of those who'd been blinded, but those who had a hold on the Scripture. Because they knowed that the Scripture, God's Word, has been given, allotted, to each generation; and that promise of that age has to be fulfilled. And He fulfilled exactly what was supposed to be done, in the time of the Messiah. He met every qualification. Then we ... he was assured that He was the man.
But you see, He was so common. He didn't dress like a priest. He had no ... not an education, as what we'd call education. We have no record of Him even going to school. But there was something about Him that was different.
And then He invited them... When they couldn't understand, said, "Search the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and that's the thing that testifies of me. They tell you who I am."

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

34 And now, remember, they all had this in their hearts and was thinking of these things.
And while sailing around on the sea, how they could be like children as long as He was in the ship with them. Now, friends, what that ought to do to us. The same identified Jesus Christ, the same Creator, the same God, is with us tonight. What a security it is, what a feeling to know that His presence is here.
Now, we find, right when they was having this great time, all of a sudden trouble arose. The ship rocked; the sails blew off; the water filled the boat. All hopes for survival was gone.
Now, isn't it strange? Just like it is now, as we're coming down to the end now, isn't it strange? We can talk about how great He is, we can tell how great He is in our church when we testify. We tell our (employees), employers how great He is. We tell the people on the street how great He is. And when trouble strikes, we're flusterated, see. We just ... things that we've seen Him do, the things that we know He does---and just let a little sickness or a little trouble strike the home, watch what happens. All gone to pieces, all hopes is gone. Though they had seen Him do so many things, all forgotten when trouble strikes.

35 Like now, we have seen this great revival. We have history of other great revivals. We have His presence. We know these things. And sometimes trouble sets in that we can't remedy.
They... For instance, like now we have trouble in our churches now. We have denominational troubles, arguments in our churches. We don't know what's going to take place. We see a great thing forming up there. All of us believers in the Bible see something's fixing to take place. There's nobody but what knows that.
All the churches are going to be brought into that ecumenical council of churches. And when you do that, you're going to forfeit your great evangelical teaching of the Bible. And the Pentecostals are sympathizing with it---going right into it, like a hog going to its slaughter. Right. Ecumenical council, many great Pentecostal leaders agreeing with them.
I'm telling you, don't you never stick your neck in a thing like that. That's exactly what the Bible said would come to pass. There's the beast and the mark, perfectly. Everything's set right in order. And we see this, and we wonder what's going be the outcome of it.

Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

36 Trouble set in. And they forgot that the very one that they were talking about, the very Creator was in the boat with them. Now, you say, "If I could think that..." Well, remember, we still have Him, because He's the Word, always.
In John 1:1, as we spoke last night, He was the Word; and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. And we still have His Word that directs us to His thoughts and His doings for this day. See, the... Not the thoughts Moses had in his days, not the thoughts of the disciples, not the thoughts of Luther or Wesley, or the Pentecostal age, or any of those---we have the Bible here that tells us of what's going to happen now, see. We see the Pentecostal revival in the Bible, the Lutheran, and all those church ages. We saw them. But we also have the Scripture here telling us what is going to be now. And that's God---God interpreting His own Word for this age that we're living in. He's His own interpreter. And yet, we get flusterated. Don't be flusterated.

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.

37 His disciples sometimes get in physical troubles that they can't remedy, such as sickness, cancer, so forth, that the doctors can't ... don't know what to do about it. We, like them, forget who's in the ship. They should have known that He knowed all these things.
He knew they were going to happen. He was there. He knew all things, so He knew this was going to happen. It'd already happened to Him... Why was He letting it happen? When He got in that ship, He knew that was going to happen. He knows that we had to meet this condition, and He has foretold us here in the Bible it would be that way. Now, what was He doing? Testing their faith.

38 Why would He let a fine, little, mother-looking woman sit in a wheelchair like that? Why would He let a fine young fellow here, these young men sitting here in these wheelchairs---and ladies, and so forth? Why would He...? And still, they might be crippled, just live an ordinary life. But there may be some sitting here with heart trouble. If God don't heal you, you may be dead before morning. That's right. He knowed it was going to happen.
Maybe it's time to give our faith a test. That's what it was done for then. He said so, see. Same now. He had proven who He was by the words and signs that... He had proved among them that He was the vindicated, anointed Messiah that was to come. And He's proved among us by the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and the return of the things that He's promised in this day that He would do. He's proved that He's here. He's proved that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. And see how easy we can get flusterated at any little thing? We should never let it happen. No.
He said, "If I do not the works that is written of me, then don't believe me." And as the church, if the Holy Spirit today isn't doing the things that it was supposed to do for this hour, then don't believe the message. You've got a right to disbelieve it.

John 10:37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

39 But He promised that these things that He's doing right now would be taking place right at this time. So it ought to make us feel so secure.
Say, "I'm going up to the meeting. The great Holy Spirit, I understand, is up there revealing the secrets of the hearts of the people." That's exactly what He said He would do when He'd be revealed in the last days. Jesus Christ said Himself that that's exactly what He would do.
And He said the world would be in the condition like it was in the days of Sodom. That's just where it's at now. He said the churches would be separated, just like they was then---Lot, the lukewarm, down in Babylon or, down in Sodom, and the Sodomites. He said Abraham, the elected, called-out group... And He sent a messenger to the elected group, and He sent two messengers down to them, representing each one. And that's just what He's done, even to every name, to every action, every move, everything just perfectly; every sign, every manifestation just exactly the same. He said it would happen. Now what are we scared about? What do these things haunt us for? He's trying us; see what we'll do about them.
Notice,

Genesis 19:1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

Luke 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

Luke 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

40 He told them, said, "Now, if you can't believe me, believe the works that I do. They testify of who I am." They should have known Him, but they didn't. He was God who created, the creator of the winds and the sea. If He could create the winds and the sea, could He not more make them obey His Word? If He created everything, can't He make everything obey?
Let us remember, also, He created our bodies. They also will have to obey His Word. "Well," you say, "if I could just be sure of that." Well, we are sure of it. He's here to prove it's so. They have to obey it. Remember, He's got... When we were laying nothing but maybe a spoonful of ashes, He promised to raise up that ashes. He promised to raise it up. The body has to obey Him. And that's... When we die, we rest assured that we'll be raised up because He promised He'd do it; and His promise is His Word, and we believe. Do you believe in the resurrection of the body? Sure. If not, you're not a Christian. So, we believe that He'll raise us up at the last days. He promised to do it. And what is that? That's His Word. That's where we stake everything that we got, right on that Word.

John 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

John 6:39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

John 10:38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

John 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

41 And then, when it comes to the time that we see the Word being identified to be with us, then we're like the disciples in another case when they was out on the sea, and they was about to sink again, on another occasion. And they seen Jesus come walking on the water, and they got scared.
They said, "It's a spook. It's scary," afraid it was a spirit. And they cried out with fear. The only thing that could happen, they was a-scared of it. And so is it today. The very ... only thing that can help people, they're afraid of it. He said, "Fear not. It's I."
He speaks. How would you know it was Him? He's identified by His Word. That's the way He was identified the first time. That's the way He's identified every time---by His Word.
Notice,

Matthew 14:25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

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.

John 6:21 Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went.

42 after these disciples found themselves at the end, it must have dawned on some of them that the Creator was still with them. I hope it does that to us tonight, for Hebrews 13:8 says He's the same.
Then what did they do? They awakened Jesus. "Go awaken Jesus. Wake Him, call Him on the scene." He's very easy called. They had seen so many things that God had done, and the Word's a-vindicating Him; so have we. And He was not hard to be called into action. They woke Him up and said, "Do you... Carest thou not that we perish?"
You say, "How can we be sure of this? Can we prove it?"
John 14:12, Jesus said, "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also." That's exactly, our faith bringing Christ in our presence.

Matthew 8:25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

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?

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.

John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

43 He said in Luke, 17th chapter, "In the last days, when the Son of man is being revealed, it'll be a time like Sodom and Gomorrah." We see that happening. He said before that time taken place, in Malachi 4, that there'd be a message go forth that would restore the people back to the original faith that was once delivered to the people---always God's program to do that. Then the wicked would be ashes, and the righteous would walk out upon their feet. We see all these promises. He's waiting right now for you, you, you, every one of you, to call Him on the scene. Calling Him on the scene, that's where He wants to be---called on the scene of action.
Notice, when you call Him on the scene... So then we'd say, "Let us wake Him," then call Him to confirm His Word, and the thing that He promised to do. The way He ... we would know in the revelation of Jesus Christ in the last days, would be like it was in the days of Sodom. He promised that revelation to the church, when He would be revealed. So don't doubt, fear. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Malachi 4:3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.

Malachi 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Luke 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

Luke 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

Luke 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

44 I heard a woman one time... When I was talking about Him being so great, she said, "There's one thing I have against your teaching, Mr. Branham."
I said, "Thank you. If you only have one thing," I said, "I hope God only finds it that way."
She said, "Well, you brag too much on Jesus."
I said, "I hope that's the only thing that's against me." And I said, "I don't brag enough on Him."
She said, "Oh, yes, you do." She said, "You make Him divine." Here's a woman who didn't believe that Jesus was divine. She was Christian Science. And said, "You make Him ... you make Him divine. You make Him God."
I said, "He's either God or the greatest deceiver the world ever knowed." I said, "He..."
She said, "Well, I can prove to you by your Bible that He wasn't. He was just merely a prophet."
I said, "He was a prophet, truly; but He was God, also."
She said. "He was a man, and He was mortal."
And I said, "That's true also."
She said, "On the road down to raise Lazarus from the grave" (St. John, the 11th chapter), said, "the Bible said, 'Jesus wept.'"
I said, "That's true."
She said, "Well, that proves that He couldn't be divine, and weeping."

John 11:35 Jesus wept.

45 I said, "Oh, my, lady! Is that your argument?" I said, "That's a weak one." She said... I said, "True, He was a man when He was weeping. But when He put His little body in motion, pulled His little shoulders back, and said, 'Lazarus, come forth'; and a man that had been dead four days and was rotting in the grave, stood on his feet and lived again---that was more than a man. That was God."

John 11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

46 He was a man out here in this boat that night, when He was out on the sea, where ten thousand devils of the sea swore they'd drown Him. That little old boat tossed about like a bottle-stopper out there, on the stormy sea. He was a man, tired, sleeping. But when they awakened Him and called Him on the scene, He put one foot up on the brail and looked up and said, "Peace, be still," and the wind and the waves obeyed Him. That was more than a man. That was God.
He was a man when He come down off the mountain hungry, looking on a tree to find something to eat. He was a man when He was hungry; but when He had taken five biscuits and two fishes and fed five thousand, that was more than a man. That was God in that man.
Every person that's ever amounted to a hill of beans has been people who believed that. Right. Poets, and whatmore, believed that---that God was in Christ reconciling Himself to the world.

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 4:39 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.

Luke 9:14 For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company.

Luke 9:16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.

John 6:10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

John 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

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 now, Christ is in the church reconciling the people to God. He promised to do it.
It has been written that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do you believe that? I believe it with all of my heart. He's just waiting, now, to be called on the scene.
Now the only thing that can call Him on the scene is for us to awaken Him in ourselves. Call Him on the scene.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

48 He was the greatest gift that God ever give the world. "God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son. Whosoever believeth on him shall not perish, but have eternal life." Watch God in His gift.
Now, the people use God's gift. A little woman, one time, she believed that He was the manifestation of God in flesh. And she said, "If I touch His garment I'll be made whole." Now, she touched His garment.
And He turned around and said, "Who touched me?" See, "Virtue, strength, has gone from me." She touched His garment. That was her using God's gift, see. He got weak from that.
But when He went away from the home of Lazarus... Remember (St. John 5:19), Jesus said, "Verily, verily I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in himself, but what he sees the Father doing." Remember, Jesus Christ never performed one miracle, never did anything in the way of the supernatural until first He saw a vision on what to do.
How many believes that to be the truth? St. John 5, "Verily [not what I hear, not what somebody tells me], what I see the Father doing, that doeth the Son likewise."
Now if that isn't so, then the rest of the Scripture isn't so. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in himself. But what He sees the Father doing, that doeth the Son. The Father worketh and I worketh hitherto." In other words, He just acts it out, and done what God told Him to do.

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?

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.

John 5:17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

49 Now remember, when He went away from the home of Lazarus, He was gone several days. Lazarus got sick and they sent for Him. He didn't go. Two days later, Lazarus got sicker, so they sent for Him again. He still didn't go. Then, when the appropriate time the Father had showed Him would happen, Lazarus died. And He turned when Lazarus died, and said, "Lazarus is dead, and I'm glad for your sake I wasn't there." They'd been wanting Him to pray for him, and so forth. And He just done what God told Him to do, what He saw---a vision. See, He'd seen a vision on what to do. "But I go wake him." There you are.
Watch Martha come on the scene. She said, "Lord, if Thou would have been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, whatever you ask God, God will give it to you," see. He knowed what He was going to do.
Watch Him at the grave of Lazarus. He said, "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me already. But I just said it for these that stand by. Lazarus, come forth." And Lazarus raised from the dead. Now, He never said a thing about getting weak there. That was God using His gift. And the people using God's gift was different, for He was the Word. And "the Word is sharper than a two-edged sword [says the Bible], and discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart." That proves that God is in the midst of the people. Yes, let us believe it. He's ready, according to His Word, to be called on the scene tonight.

John 11:1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

John 11:2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was 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 11:14 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.

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 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

John 11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

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.

50 How many's here, sick and needy? Raise up your hands. Let's see your hands. How many's sick and needy, anywhere? Only thing He's waiting for, is to be called on the scene. Just ask Him.
Now, what if He was standing here with this suit that He gave me, and you came up in front of Him and said, "Lord Jesus, I want you to heal me." You know what He'd say? "I've already done it." He was wounded for our transgressions; with His stripes we were healed. He can't do it the second time. So see, He's already done it. You have to believe it.
There's nothing you can do meritorial to anything, to earn your salvation or healing. There's nothing you can do about it. It's a free gift of God. See, it's grace---a free gift. If I give you a million dollars, and you straighten up my tie, I didn't give it to you; you done something for it. See, God's gift is free. The only thing you have to do is believe it, that He has purchased this for you. It's already purchased. He did it for you.
And there's not a man in the world...

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.

51 I don't know what you'd have here in Baton Rouge---everything is drifting the country, impersonations and that... We know that's just got to be that way. But when a man comes in and says he has power to heal you, he's lying.
God alone can heal. "I am the Lord thy God, who heals all thy diseases." He'll not share His glory with anybody. There's no man has power to heal. But there is men has gifts to manifest God. Your pastor (pardon me), he can take God... By a gift of a teacher, he can explain the Word so you're bound to see it. If you got any eyes to see with, you'll see it. There's another one, maybe, some other gift. But there's always a gift that manifests the presence of God. And through there you, yourself, have to believe it.

Exodus 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

Psalm 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

52 A sinner might come here at the altar as a young man or woman at the age of fourteen years old; and they'd bring you your meals here, and you'd cry to the Lord until you were ninety years old---you'd never be saved. But the... You've got to first accept what He done for you, see. You've got to accept it yourself. Then, when you accept it, then He is a high priest, mediator, to make intercessions upon your confession of what you believe. Now, that's the same thing by a gift this a-way. It's getting your own mind away from you, and then see what He says do.

Hebrews 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

53 I see people come to the platform, they jump up and down, scream and say, "Oh, Brother Branham, I got all the faith in the world." What are you doing up here, then? That's emotion, not faith. Genuine faith knows no defeat. It's already done. It's already over. God said so, and that finishes it, you see. God said so.
Now, that's the same thing anytime. When you really believe it, that touches Him. Now, that little woman that touched His garment, she said, "If I but just only touch His garment, I'll be made whole;" and she did it. And when she carried out what her faith wanted her to do---touch Him---He felt it, see. And He turned around. He spoke to her. Now, He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. If you would just only believe Christ. Believe Him. Let your faith touch His garment.
And He, right now, is the high priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities. We all know that. And if He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, He'll have to act today as He did yesterday, if He's the same high priest. Now, won't you believe it? Just have faith in God.

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.

Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

54 If I've told you a lie, then, God won't back it up. [Gap in the audio.] "... of me, if they don't testify of me, then don't believe it," see. And if the Scriptures doesn't testify of what I'm telling you now, that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, then don't believe the Scripture, because the Scripture said He was. And He promised these things for this last age.
You remember, just at the end of the Jewish age, that's how He revealed Himself Messiah. The end of the age of the Samaritans, He did the same. Now, it's the end of the Gentile age. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Awaken Him in your conscience. Call Him on the scene while we bow our heads.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

55 Heavenly Father, just a word from You, now, will be sufficient. It'll be all that we need---just a word from You. May the people clearly understand. The achievement, what we are trying to do, Lord, is to let them get the benefits of the Lord Jesus that they love and serve. May they do it tonight, Lord, because your death was not in vain. You were wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement of our peace was upon You. And with the stripes we were healed.
I pray, God, that everyone in here in divine presence, will understand this and will get the vision, and will be healed for the glory of God. Through Jesus Christ's name, I present myself, with this congregation, to His honor and glory. Amen.

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

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.

56 Now, be real reverent just for a few minutes. Now, just a word from Him would mean more than all I could say, or all anyone else could say, because it's Him a-doing it. He is the one. He's the doer. And we are trusting that the Lord Jesus will grant these things to you.
Now, each one... Now, let's see. What time is it? I didn't know it was that. I tell you, to get out here on time, what we're supposed to, we haven't the time to bring up this line. Let's call it right from the audience.

57 Now, let's just take the Scripture just a minute. Now, the Bible promises in this day that the repeat of Sodom and Gomorrah will be repeated. How many believe that? Now, raise up your hand. The Bible identifies that. Now, and then, what was that at Sodom and Gomorrah? It was God in the form of human being. And the way that Abraham knowed it, is when He said, "Why did Sarah laugh in the tent behind," or why does she doubt it, the words that He had spoke to be so? He could perceive what Sarah was thinking behind Him. Now, you just see if that wasn't...
Now, that wasn't to the church at Babylon or, the church at Sodom. No, no. That wasn't to them people down there in the denominational ranks. No, sir. Never goes to them. They got their messenger, see---but to the elected church, the super-seed of Abraham, that's supposed to believe the Word regardless of what circumstances is. Abraham called those things which were not as though they were. God said so, and he believed it. Now friend, I know that God's obligated to this Word to keep it.

Genesis 18:1 And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

Genesis 18:13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

Luke 17:28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

Luke 17:29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

Luke 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

58 Now, I want you, wherever you are in the building, to sit reverent for a few moments, wherever you are. And believe, just believe with all your heart.
Now, if I could heal you, if I could heal this little girl that my heart goes out for, if I could heal that little thing lying there, I'd crawl from here to the North Pole, if I could, to do it. Anybody that's got any human feelings... But I could no more than do that than nothing.
Maybe some of you there won't live but a little bit, with a cancer. If I could heal you, I wouldn't be fit to stand on this platform if I could do it, and wouldn't do it. I couldn't. My heart goes for you. I'd do it if I could, but I can't. There's no other man can do it. That's right.
But you see, Jesus has already done it, see. And He's only trying to get you to believe that.

59 But I feel sorry for the people. There's been so many things that just blinded them this way and that way. The poor people are like sheep without a shepherd, hardly. They don't know what to do. One says this, and one says that.
Don't think what man has said: "Days of miracles is past. There's no such thing as baptism of the Holy Ghost." No, remember, Peter said on the day of Pentecost, "The promise is unto you and your children, and them that's far off; even as many as the Lord our God shall call," see.
Jesus promised these things would happen in the last days, that God would return in the form of human flesh (like you and I here tonight), and would work that same thing just before the world would be destroyed. And the world would be like a Sodom, see. Now, we got the Sodom condition. Right. Every position, every person, everything's sitting just exactly right.
Now, can't our faith come to that? Can't we call Him on the scene? Call Him on the scene. Your faith is the only thing that can do it. Now you believe with all of your heart, each one of you, now.

Acts 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

60 And I want to ask you something. Without any prayer cards, without anybody up here, if that great Holy Spirit will come down here, and by the anointing of you and the anointing on me, and will identify that Jesus Christ is working in among us like this, what more could He do? There's not another promise in the Bible above that. That's a supreme promise. How many know that? Sure, it is. It's the last thing to the church age.
The Jews in time of the tribulation period and on ... there, they have a visit back there. But not to the Gentile church. This is the last thing promised to the Gentiles. It's true. See, it was the Gentiles down there in Sodom that was going to be burned. And that ... here's the ... bride (which was the royal seed of Abraham being the bride), called out from amongst the Gentile---that's their ending sign. All of it.

61 Mark it in your book. I'm an old man. But just mark it in your book, and see if it comes to pass or not, see.
You're at the end now. When, I don't know. I'm looking for Him today. If He isn't here today, I'll be looking for Him tomorrow. If He isn't there tomorrow, I'll be looking the next day. If He isn't here this year, I'll be looking next year for Him. I know He's coming. I don't the minute or the hour. But I know everything is fulfilled, ready for the rapture. The church is called out. It'll be a secret going---just vanish, and that'll be all.
The world will go right on, just the same: people preaching, and people thinking they're getting saved, just exactly like they did in the days of Noah, and so forth. Noah entered into the ark and people went right on, the world turning just the same---think of it---and eternally lost, thinking they're saved.

Genesis 7:7 And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

2 Peter 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

62 Some of these days, I'm going to bring a big tent to this country and pitch it up here, so we can have afternoon services and instructions, so you can understand these things better---get all our brethren together so we can have services.
Now, if Jesus Christ fulfills His promise, then we are obligated to believe Him. I want you all, each one of you, just to have just simple childlike faith to believe Him.
Now, if you'll just kindly start with your heads bowed, and start praying and saying, "Lord Jesus, now I know that this man doesn't know me. And I'm needy. And we're told that You're a high priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities. If You'll just let him... If I can touch You, just speak through him, Lord, that I know his ... know it's You. I know he doesn't know me."
And that's out there in the audience, just a mixed-up audience with belief, unbelief, make-belief, sinners, saints, all together.

Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

63 Now you must believe.
Now, if He will do this from this audience here... I want each one of you in here to say, "Brother Branham, I know that that has to be Him," just looking upon the congregation as He did then.
I want you... If you really will believe, I want you to raise your hand and say, "Lord, I'll accept it with all my heart, that I believe it's Christ Jesus, according to His promise." All over the building, God bless you. That's fine. Oh, it's just too bad we haven't got a month to be around here. See, just let... I'm new to you. See, it's hard. You just keep believing.
Now, it's a light. Now, God is light. We know that---pillar of fire. And now, you just pray, and touch it, and may the Lord Jesus answer.
Now, I take every spirit in here under my control in the name of Jesus Christ for His glory. Now, be real reverent, pray, be real reverent.

1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

64 Now, here it is. There's a lady right here in front of me. She's got her head down, and she's praying for her own affliction. If you want to raise your head now... She's right here in front of me. Do you believe with all your heart? Do you believe that God can heal that diabetes and make you well? Now, that's what you have, diabetes.
I do not know you. You're a total stranger to me. But do you believe me to be His servant? If we're strangers to one another, raise your hand like this, so the people can see. Here's the lady. And now she's suffering with a diabetic condition. And do you believe that God can tell me who you are? Would it make you believe? You're Mrs. Martin. If that's right, raise your hand, see. You just have faith. Don't doubt; have faith.
Now, what did she touch? I want to ask the audience. What did she touch? There's a woman with her right hand up, and mine, too, before God, see. She touched something, just a simple little woman. If ... actually, to tell you the truth... Now, you see if this is a... It surprised her. She didn't know she had that much faith. Faith is not something you manufacture; it's something you have. She was surprised. Even right now, the woman feels different than what she did a few minutes ago. She knows something has happened to her.

65 Here, don't you see that light? I... See it right here over this woman, right here, right back here? She's suffering with a... She's got her head down. She's praying. But she's suffering with trouble with her back. If she'll believe with all of her heart, she can be healed of that back trouble. Sure she's going to miss it, as certain as anything, see. Her prayer's still moving on. Lord help me. Mrs. deVille, it's you.
That's grace. The woman was praying, wasn't even thinking, didn't even hear me say nothing. Now, you ask her if she knows me. That's who she is, and that's what her trouble. What did she touch? That's the vindication of Jesus Christ. The Word discerns the thoughts that's in the heart.

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.

66 Do you believe? Just have faith. Pray, anywhere. Just believe. That's all you have to do. Just believe. Just believe that I've told you the truth. Now, I'm not He. I'm just His servant, just His servant.
If you just have faith enough... I can't call him. I know what his trouble, but... Just wait awhile; maybe it'll change. Certainly not impossible. But you've got to move out of that bracket. He can't believe for himself. You've got to believe for him.
A lady suffering with kidney trouble. She isn't from here; she's from Mississippi. If she'll believe with all of her heart, God will heal the kidney trouble. Mrs. Palmer, if you'll believe with all your heart, you can be healed of it. It's left you... Turned right over; it's gone from her. Have faith in God; don't doubt.

67 There's a lady sitting right next to her. She's suffering with arthritis. Do you believe me to be God's prophet, lady? You do? Do you believe if God would tell me who you are, would that help you to believe? Your name is Mrs. Meadow. You believe with all your heart, now. You can be healed too.
That's caught fire to a lady next to her. She's sitting there, also. There it's going, right down the line. A lady sitting there, she's suffering with---next to her---is suffering with diabetes, with sugar diabetes. They want her to go to the hospital, but she refuses to do it. She's got a son she's praying for, also. That son isn't here. But do you believe God can tell me what's wrong with that son? He's got heart trouble. You believe, and He'll heal you. Do you believe God can tell me who you are? Mrs. Dufflee, D-u-f-f-l-e-e, kind of. That's right. If that's right, raise up your hand. Oh, your hand's up. All right. Now, you believe and you can be made well, too.

68 Do you believe that that's the same thing that...? Do you believe that Jesus Christ's presence is here now? How many accept that? Oh, what a security! What a security!
See, what did you do? You awakened Him. You brought Him on the scene. Here He is on the scene. Now, it don't make any difference what the boats are saying. Remember, He can say, "Peace, be still." Do you believe that with all of your heart? If you do, stand up on your feet and accept it. Stand up and say, "I believe it with all my heart." Raise right up to your feet. "I now believe." That's right. No matter what your trouble, stand up. Give Him praise.
Heavenly Father, we bring to You this audience. They're conscious that You're here, Lord. May every devil of unbelief, may it leave its hold, and may Jesus Christ heal all of them. Satan, come out of this audience. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are resented.

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.


“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” — 1 Corinthians 16:23