The Identified Christ of all ages
You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net
1 Thank you, brother. May be seated. Certainly deem this a grand privilege tonight, to be here in Louisville, Mississippi. We've looked forward for this time, for quite a time, and I thought that I'd get to Louisville. I'm just across the river from Louisville, Kentucky, my native home. It seems like coming home again, to be in Louisville.
Now, up there, some of them call it "Luavul," "Louis-ville," and "Lueyville." And I don't know what it is here. I think we, best way, way I've always call it, was Louis-ville. Look like L-o-u-i-s- would be Louis-ville. But, back home it's "Luavul," and "Lueyville," and "Louis-ville," so we just take our choice, which one we want to use.
The main thing is, that, we're gathered together in the Name of the Lord Jesus. We've assembled here for no other purpose but to serve Him, and that His great Name might be honored among us, more. When we're... When the meeting is over, then it could... It's possible, as it could be now. We know that we honor Him with all of our heart.
2 And now I come here upon the invitation of the ministers of this, the locality through here, and this place. And I come not with something different from them; just the same Gospel. I believe, Jesus said once, that, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that taken a--a net and went to the sea. And when he cast it in, he drew all kind." Now, that's what we get in the Gospel net.
When a man throws a net into the sea or to the lake, he hardly knows what he's going to get out of there. Because, he could get crawfish. And he could get a scavenger fish. He could get spiders, a serpent, and--and whatever more.
But, it's our duty to seine. It isn't our duty to judge. And I come to take my net, that the Lord has given me, and lace it with these men's net, that, we, two nets will reach out just a little further than one net will. So, I've laced my net with you brethren here. All you people here, that belong to these churches around here, I've laced my net with you, to cast out into the sea here, and draw in and see if the Lord has got some--some down in here that hasn't been caught yet. And may the great Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ be so identified among us, in these next five nights here, that we will see all those who are not caught, at this age, may be caught in the--the Gospel net, for the Master's use.
3 Now, we, this cannot be done alone, alone. It must be done with cooperation and prayer, and all of us together, to blend together and put our hearts together, and pray.
And now we've enjoyed about a fifteen-year revival, which according to history is longer than any revival has ever lasted, to my knowing. Usually, a revival lasts about three years, then it gets scattered. But believing that this is one of the last great revivals that the world will receive, and it's come in the last age, the Laodicean age, at the end of the Pentecostal dispensation. And I believe the church now is going out into its lukewarmness, as the Bible predicted. And we're seeing just the catching of the last part, when we see things happening like has been happening in the world, in the last few days.
For instance, the great earthquake in Alaska. Never has been an earthquake like that, in all the world. Did you notice? It come on Good Friday. You know, the last time the world was shaken was on Good Friday, too, when our Master died, and it shook the whole world. And remember, it might be the sign of Him returning. He said, that, "There'd be earthquakes in diverse places." Today we got another one in California, and they're just appearing everywhere, light earthquakes. We notice, even the Capital building has moved out of its place, and moved back. And--and down here in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, there's a swimming pool there, dashed the waters out, from plumb from Alaska. Over in Switzerland, Sweden, and through there, shook buildings and things, around the world.
4 I believe that it's trying to open our eyes, to see the hour that we're living. I'm here in godly fear, that, it may be sooner than we think, of His appearing.
And brother and sister, even to the young folks, let's put all the sincerity we can. This might be the last revival we'll ever attend, and we may not get through this one, until His Coming. I'm looking for Him today. If He isn't here today, I'll be looking for Him tomorrow, if I'm here. And I been looking for Him now, since I heard about Him returning, and that's been thirty-three years ago when I gave my heart to Him. I been behind the pulpit, thirty-three years, try and proclaim His unsearchable riches of His glory. And I trust that God will make Hisself so known among us, that every unbeliever will be saved, and all the sick will be healed, and the saints of the Lord, His believing children, will be lifted up in the--in the Spirit.
5 A revival doesn't mean getting new members. It's reviving that what we've already got. See? It's reviving.
I stood, some time ago, and watching the waves on Lake Michigan, seeing, standing out there, after a great revival in Chicago. I seen the--the waves, how they were coming in, just in a great tide, just sweeping in and out. I thought, you know, it remind me of the song, "Floods of joy over my soul, like the sea billows roll." And them waves start somewhere, out into the lake or in the ocean. And as they come, they build up momentum, all the time. Then, finally, they strike the shore; just to go out, to come in again.
And that's the way the waves of God's glory does. It comes in, just like--just like rolls, over and over, back and back, and back and forth, the waves of the joy of God rolls through our souls.
I wonder, "What was the use of that? What is the use of churning the waters up-and-down?" Nature has a way of taking care of itself.
Just like people, now, when you're in your church with your pastors, when you're having a Sunday school lesson or--or something in your church. Maybe there's no excitement going on, or--or nothing unusual. But, yet, there's just as much God in your heart as there is when you're jumping up-and-down or shouting.
I thought, "Why do they do it?" Same reason God has, a revival, is the same reason He puts a revival on the ocean, puts a revival in the lake. And the water, churning up-and-down, takes all the trash out of the water, throws it up on the bank. And I think that's a good thing, that we have revivals, and kind of get all the superstitions away from us, and all the--the--the world out, churning it out, and throw it out on the bank, so the waters can be free of such.
6 Now, tonight, it's kind of... First time I've ever been here, and yet I don't feel like I'm a stranger among you. I--I am not. I'm your brother. And I--and I, course, the newness of just knowing each other... Probably, some of you, I know I've never seen. Perhaps you've never seen me. And there's always that little tight feeling that you just... It's hard. And we just... It's just that way, now, everywhere. I'm making, starting on my eighth trip around the world. And I--I--I find it, everywhere, no matter where you are.
But when you find Christian people, where the Holy Spirit is, no matter what nation, how far in the jungle, or whatever it is, they do the same thing you do when you receive the Holy Ghost. They do just the same thing. They have the same liberty they do. They believe the same way and act the same way that any Christian does when he receives Christ.
But, in there, you find that tightness. And, I think, the first night is a good time just to kind of get acquainted. And then, now, then, as the meeting progresses and goes on, then we'll get more acquainted with each other than what we are now. But, quicker we get out of it, why, better off we'll be.
7 The Holy Spirit is timid, very, very timid. And--and where you have just one unbeliever or a skeptic setting around, the Holy Spirit just can't work, hardly. Remember, Jesus led a man plumb out of the city, to heal him, one time, get him away from unbelief. He come into His Own city, and the Bible said, "And many mighty works He could not do." We don't want to think it that way, but the Bible said He couldn't do it. See? He cannot do nothing against your belief. You've got to believe it.
Someone has told me, many times, saying, "Brother Branham, I don't care what would happen; I don't believe It." Well, It wasn't to that person.
It's not to unbelievers. It's only to believers, they that believe. "All things are possible to them that believe." Unbelievers get nothing. And so they--they just don't believe nothing, so they get nothing. If they just got a cold theology, that's what they get. But those who believe in God, and believe that Jesus Christ is just as real today as He ever was, that's what they receive. "Just according to your faith, be it unto you."
8 And then in here, I thought I'd give, tonight, what we try to do.
Now, I presume, being that this is Pentecostal sponsored, that most in here are Pentecostal people. And that's where I throwed my lot, although I never did join any Pentecostal church, and no certain church. I don't have any denomination, certain denomination. And, frankly, I'm not very much for it. They can have whatever they want to. But you draw the lines, you see, and God--God don't like lines built in His Church.
Reminds me of a fellow, one time, had some ducks, and he--he cut their wings so they couldn't fly out of a pen. He had some ducks on one side, and ducks on the other. Water begin to come in. The first thing you know, the water got higher and higher, and ducks got together then. See? That's what we need to do. Let the waters go to rising, and then the ducks get together, you see, then. And we're all in the same water. So, denominational barriers can be floated out, if we'll just let the waters get deep enough.
Like a man had a corn field. A fellow kept saying... He had one field, plants off this way; another one this way. And so a fellow flying over, every morning, would look at that cornfield. He said, "Isn't that a fine cornfield here, and one there!" After the corn got a little higher, reached all the way across the fence, it looked like one field. So I hope it gets that way here, that we're one great, big heart-to-heart cornfield for God's Kingdom.
9 Now, our purpose.
Now, many times, people say, "Brother Branham, the Divine healer." No. That is wrong. There's only one healer; that's God. There's no medicine that's a healer, no doctor that's a healer. There's no good doctor that claims to be a healer. And if he does, then he--he--he's telling you something wrong.
I was interviewed at Mayo Brothers, and they said, "We do not profess to heal the sick, Mr. Branham. We only profess to assist nature. There's one healer; that's God." And how sensible that is!
You could break your arm; a doctor could set it. But he couldn't heal it, 'cause he hasn't nothing to heal. It'd have to build tissue. A doctor might pull a tooth out or cut appendix out, but who is going to heal? See, the Bible isn't wrong. The Bible is right in every Word. "I'm the Lord Who heals all of thy diseases." All! No other! No fact. They found nothing yet that would build tissue. They find medicines that they can poison germs, until--until the tissue knits together. But, it takes God, to heal. God is the only healer that there is.
10 So, the Bible is perfectly true. And that's what we stand on: the Bible. It must be THUS SAITH THE LORD. Now, we do believe that God can do things that's not written in His Word, because He's God. He does whatever He wishes. But, yet, I like to see anything, when it comes in a line of a doctrine, come out of the Bible. Because, I believe that the Bible is the full revelation of Jesus Christ. The Bible said that's what It is. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ. And nothing is to be added to It, or anything taken from It. So, I like to stay right in what It says and what It promises. If He'd just do what He promised, that's all I care to see, anyhow. Then I know I'll see Him.
Now, in this we do not try to say we major in Divine healing, because Divine healing is a minor. And you could never major on a minor. But about eighty-six percent, I think it's estimated, of Jesus' ministry, was on Divine healing. He...
As Dr. Bosworth used to say, my... One of my associates that just went to Glory, last few years, about... being about eighty-four years old. He said, "Divine healing is the bait that's on a fish hook. And you never show the fish the hook. You show him the bait, so he takes the bait and gets the hook." So, that, that's what it is. We want to catch the fish for the Lord's glory; catch them out of the world, and bring them into the Kingdom of God.
11 And so, Divine healing, the main thing is Divine healing of the soul. The Body of Christ, it needs healing worse than anything that I know of, is the Body of Christ. It's been so broken up by men's theology and denominational differences, until it's a sick Body. And I... And I tell you, it--it's needs healing, great healing. So I--I trust that the Lord will do a great thing towards the healing of His part of the Body that's in here.
We believe that there is one, one Church. And we never join It. Next Monday, I'll be fifty-five years old, and the Branham family never did ask me to join their family. I was born a Branham. That's how--that's how I am.
Now, that's how we're Christians. We're born a Christian. And you don't join it. You're born into it. Then you take the character of Christ.
12 Now, we find also that, in this, many people here in America, especially, that's been taught. We have the system, or, the--the Lord commanded it, so it's good, of laying hands upon the sick and praying for them. That was the last commission to the church. That's very good. And it's been carried out, down through the ages. Every time a revival broke out in any age, there was Divine healing with it, and the supernatural of God.
And now we find, in this age, and my trying, what I'm trying to achieve, is this. There's been so much in this last day, of people who preaching Divine healing, has put so much self glory in it, that it's give it a bad taste before the public. It's been, "Bless the Lord! Brother So-and-so laid hands on me, and, praise the Lord, I got healed." Now, if I could just omit that!
13 If somebody could say, "The Lord Jesus made me well," how much better that would be, you see. So, with the little ministry that the Lord has given me, is trying to bring Him into your presence, that you would lay your hands on Him, your Sacrifice, and be healed. It isn't so much of laying hands. Which, we do, we all. We pray and lay hands on the sick.
We don't heal the people. They're already healed. Every person is already healed. How many believes that? [Congregation says, "Amen."] Now let's see how our congregation has been taught. There is two-thirds of them believes it, anyhow. Now, that, "He was wounded for our transgression; with His stripes we were healed." Every attribute that he died for, at Calvary, is ours from that time on, everything that He died for. "He was wounded for our transgressions; bruised for our iniquity; chastisement of our peace upon Him; with His stripes we were healed." We were healed, past tense.
Every sinner is saved. From the day that Jesus died on the cross, He forgave every sin of man.
14 Now, God is a great--a great... like a great Being. "In the beginning God..." See? We... He wasn't even God, to begin with. God is "an object of worship." And He was called... There wasn't nothing, to worship. He was self-existent Elohim, and there wasn't nothing to worship Him. When He created Angels, then there was something to worship Him.
But in this great God, Elohim, was attributes. There was attributes in there to be God; attributes to be Father; attributes to be Son; attributes to be Saviour; attributes to be healer. All these attributes was in God. And if you've ever got Eternal Life, you were in God's attributes, because you got Eternal Life. Jesus came as Redeemer. And redeem means "bring it back to where it started from." Right. You were in God's thinking. He might have to breed this with that, and down here and down here.
Like a man making chimes for the church; puts in so-much brass and so-much iron, and gets it just at the right pitch. The molder knows how to put it in. If he doesn't, he doesn't get the right ring.
15 And God knows just exactly where you belong, and what age you belong in. And, therefore, if you got Eternal Life; the word Eternal is "something never did begin, or never can end." So, whoever you were, see, you were, you always were. You were God's attribute being--being displayed, a--a Word. "In the beginning was the Word."
And the word is a thought made manifest. You think it, then speak it. Like I'd say, "The light." I had to think "light" before I said "light." "Microphone," have to say... think "microphone," to say "a microphone."
And we are God's attributes displayed.
16 And I find out, I find two classes of people as it goes along. One of them is the fundamentalists, and the other one is Pentecostals. Now, the Pentecostals got something, but they don't know who they are. And the fundamentalists know something, but ain't got nothing with it. So now, there, it's just like a man has got money in the bank, and can't write a check. The other one can write a check; got no money in the bank. If you could ever get that thing together, it would--it would be a great thing.
But, now, in the face of this, way we try to carry the meeting, is for you, you as the individual, for your need in Christ. Salvation, Divine healing, or whatever you have need of, is to, by faith, know that you're in the Presence of Christ, and by faith you reach and get it. For, that's the only way you'll ever get it. Is... By faith we are saved. By faith we're healed. See? Nothing that God has to come down and do again; He's already done it.
So, you see, the whole thing is--is, God becoming tangible. That, on the great Day that's to come, when Christ sets upon the throne of David and reigns in the Millennium, it's God, tangible, in the earth.
He is now in you. You are His attributes. If you've got Eternal Life, your life always was. And you was God's thinking: the color of hair, whatever you are, you was God's thinking, and you're just materialized.
And that's what God was when He was materialized in Christ; God, displayed, manifested in flesh, in Christ. He became material; God that we could touch. First Timothy 3:16, "Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: for God was manifested in the flesh." See? See? It was God being manifested, getting ready.
17 Now, here we are, in this form, still we're negative. Like taking a picture of something, and snapping it. God says, "He'll have dark hair, blue eyes, and so forth. He'll be this, that, or the other." The picture is snapped, the age of about twenty years old, twenty-two.
Then death sets in, you start dying down. No matter how much you eat, how well you put food back into your body, to make blood cells, you're dying. And there's not a scientist in the world can explain it.
You poured water out of a jug, into a glass, it gets half full; then just keep pouring, it goes down. How about that?
The food you eat makes blood cells. Blood cells builds your body. Every time you eat, you renew your life. When you were one year old, on up, on up till you got about twenty-two. And then, now, you're eating the same food. I'm eating the same food I did at sixteen. At sixteen, every time I eat, it built muscles and big and strong. I got my full matured. And then after fully matured, I'm eaten the same food, and better, and more of it, and I'm getting older and weaker, all the time. But every time I renew my life, then I wouldn't have to die. See?
But God has made an appointment, and man must die and face the Judgment. And you're going to keep that appointment, friends. Just remember that. And while we're here, tonight, we want to remember those things, that we've got to meet that appointment. There might be many you'll stand up and get away from, but that's one we're sure, every one, to meet. And now, in that, it's appointment that God has made with man. This body must, because it is yet negative. It's subject to death.
18 So, He gets the Eternal Spirit, His attribute displayed in that body, then, like any picture in its negative form, it goes into the darkroom. There it's developed. It comes out to the perfect picture. And we go into the darkroom, but to come out after the negative has been a perfect picture, in the image of Christ. We go into the dark grave, into the darkroom for developing. It takes death to develop it.
Just like it takes death, to yourself, to develop the picture of the image of Christ, the life of Christ in you. You have to dump your own out, so that Christ can come in. You have to die to your self.
So does your physical being die, to be formed and mold into the image of Him. But there is still that attribute that cannot be destroyed. It can never be destroyed. It's God, in the beginning. It's God above us, God with us, God in us. And it's all the attributes of God: Eternal Life to the sons of men.
Now let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, we pray tonight that You will bless us and get glory out of our gathering together. We dedicate this building and the grounds, placing ourself upon it, and giving it to You as an offering, Lord, for the honor of your name. Grant it, Lord. Bless everything that we do. May it be to honor Jesus Christ, and to bring Him a living reality among the people.
19 And when the services is finished and we depart from these meetings to go to our homes, may we say, like those who some nineteen ... years ago this last Easter when they was coming from Emmaus, when He appeared among them and did the same thing that He did before his crucifixion... He was a risen Lord, because He was still making Hisself known in the same things that He did before his crucifixion. And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. God, may we say tonight, after nineteen hundred years, when we're on our road back home tonight, may we say, "Did not our hearts burn within us as he spoke to us along the way?" May He identify Himself tonight among us, Lord, as the risen Lord, ready to return for his church. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.
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?
20 Each night, in order to keep the thing orderly, we're ... come to be prayed for, Brother Borders or my son, Billy Paul, one of them, will be here every evening about an hour before services begin. And they bring down little cards that's got numbers on them. This boy will take these cards and mix them up right in before you, see, so that ... and then give you a card, whatever one you want. When I come down at night, each night... That gives the newcomer each day a chance to get a prayer card.
Then, each night not too many will get on the platform at a time, but I bring up so many to be prayed for. Might come to start from... What that's for? It shows that the boy who gives out the cards cannot guarantee you anything, or sell a prayer card to you to show you're going to get in the prayer line. You got the same chance, because the cards are mixed up before the audience.
Another thing is that I might start from any place. I might start from fifty to come backwards, from thirty to go forward, or from just... Sometimes I count how many is in this row, and divide it by this row, and so forth like that, to get a number. And sometimes take a little kid and judge about his age, or some man or woman, or something like that, you know---just anything comes in my mind. Therefore there's no one knows where the prayer line starts, and that gives every person a chance. Then, at the end, all together we pray for every person that holds a card. So we... Just hold your card.
21 Now, many times in the meetings that people don't even get to the platform. If anybody's here has ever been in the meeting before, there's ten out there healed when one is healed at the platform. It takes faith, no matter where it is. You've got to meet that faith, that's all. And faith is not just a myth---just something you imagine. It's something you know.
And now, I'm going to ask you now, as we turn now for the Scripture reading tonight... We're going to read out of the book of Hebrews tonight. And now when we stand to read the Word... We stand when we pledge allegiance to the flag, and we stand in honor of all of our national emblems, and so forth. So let's stand while we read the Word of God, will you? Hebrews, the 13th chapter, the 1 to 8 verse:
Let brotherly love continue.
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which are in adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.
Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, ... I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, ... today, and forever.
Let us bow our heads. Lord Jesus, make this a reality to us tonight. Not just the reading of a word, but may the Word become flesh among us, for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated.
Hebrews 13:1 Let brotherly love continue.
Hebrews 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Hebrews 13:3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.
Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Hebrews 13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Hebrews 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
22 As we speak just for a few moments ... and each night we're going to try to be out by nine-thirty, if possible. I want to thank my sponsors again, and the people that let us have the place here, the grounds, the stock exhibit or whatever it is. We're very thankful. Now, you're just a nice group to talk to and I can just talk a long time, but I don't want to weary you. Each night about thirty minutes---tonight it will be a little longer because of being the first night.
I want to speak on the subject tonight of "The Identified Christ of All Ages," because the Bible says He's the same yesterday, today and forever, in the identity of Christ in all ages. Now, did you notice here, the scripture saying here that remember those who have the rule over you considering their conversation, you see, that the end of their conversations is Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever.
Hebrews 13:7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
23 So many people have different opinions of Christ. As I travel in different parts of the country and around the world, I find that so many people have their different opinions. You'd be surprised to know what some of their opinions are. Some of them think that He's just a wonderful teacher. Well, now, He was. He was that. That's just exactly. And many think that He was a great philosopher, which, He was that. Certainly, He was. And then some of them think that He was a good man. He was that. But see, He was more than that. He was all of that plus. Some of them think that He was a prophet. He was a prophet, but He was more than a prophet. He was what the prophets was, plus, see.
So how would we know, now, if He was teaching ... of his teachings. He was a teacher, and He was a great philosopher. But the only way that we'll ever know today, if we wanted to identify Him today... And I believe that He raised from the dead. I believe that with all my heart. And I believe that He's promised here that He's the same yesterday, today and forever. "And I am with thee always, and I'll never leave thee nor forsake thee."
Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
24 Now, those words are ... they're either true or they're not true. And if they're not true, then what are we doing here tonight? We're wretched people. We're people that's ... well, we are deceived. The whole Christian world is deceived if He isn't the same yesterday, today and forever. If He isn't alive tonight and with us as He promised... "Lo, I am with you always, even to the consummation, or the end of the world. I'm with you always." Now, if that isn't the truth, then, there's something wrong, and we are found false witnesses. Not only are we making ourselves miserable under a false pretense, but we are deceiving others. We're found deceivers of something we're talking about which isn't.
If He's just a myth, or He's just a historical... What good is a historical Christ if He isn't the same today? What good is a God of Moses if He isn't the same God today? What good does it do to take your canary bird and feed him fine vitamins to make him have pretty feathers and good strong wings; and then keep him in a cage, see? It doesn't do him any good. And we talk about how great God was, and then don't say He's the same today, then there's something wrong---we're caged up somewhere.
And that's a false conception of what God is. The Bible plainly says He's the same, and that means He's the same. He's just as He was. He hasn't changed one bit. And He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. And now we have today, in this day and time, just like they did in his day and in all days, we have our own thought of it. But surely, if there's any way in the world that we would truly know, we will have to find out what He was, and then ... find out what He was in other ages.
Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
25 Remember, the Bible said He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. So we'll have to find what He is out of other ages. To know what He was in the age that He walked on earth, the age before He walked on earth, and the age after He was on earth and left the earth, we'll have to find out what He was to know what He is today---always, 'cause He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Now, but, in otherwise, we'll have to go back and search out to see whatever He was.
Now, we find out in St. John, the 1st chapter, beginning with the 1st verse, it says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God..." Now, that's the attributes---his words. They're thoughts now---they're not expressed, see. "In the beginning is ... was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the word was God... And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." In the beginning was the Word. Well, if He was the Word in the beginning, He's the Word today, because He always is the Word.
Now, God's got to judge the world by something,
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.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
26 and people say... Well, now, as ... if I'd ask the Catholic here tonight, "What do you think that God will judge the world by?"
The Catholics say, "By the Catholic church." All right. Now, what Catholic church? Now, they got the Roman, the Greek Orthodox, and many of them. Which Catholic church would it be?
The Lutherans say, "By us." Then you Baptists are out. Then if we'd say by the Baptist, then you Pentecostals are out. So there'd be such a confusion no one would know what to do. So, He never promised to judge the world by the church. He promised to judge the world by Christ, and Christ is the Word. And the Bible is what will judge the world, which is Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.
Romans 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
27 Now, if He was in the beginning, He 'lotted his Word, so much for each generation. Each time that He had this age coming on... He's omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, and infinite. If He isn't, He isn't God. Being infinite, He's eternal. And then, in that, being omnipresent (being omniscient, knowing all things, makes Him omnipresent), He's the same yesterday, today and forever. So, therefore, He could tell the end from the beginning. And in each age ... He 'lotted so much of his Word in each age.
And then, usually men gets it so twisted up and the world gets in such a shape until He has to send some man anointed. All ages has been the same.
He identifies Himself upon the earth in man. God does nothing without man. The Bible said so, you know, see. He always takes man, because it was man He had to use. And let the man ... put him on free moral agency knowing that he would fall, in order to display His attributes as a Saviour, for there was nothing lost. And therefore, He chose man. He could have chose stars, He could have chose trees, but He chose man.
One time, standing looking upon the harvest, Jesus, He said, "The harvest is ripe; the laborers are few. Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest." And He was the Lord of the harvest. See, "You have not because you ask not. You ask not because you believe not. Ask abundant that your joys might be full," see. He's depending on you asking, and believing that you receive what you ask for.
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Luke 10:2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.
John 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
28 Now, then, in the beginning we find out that He 'lotted his Word. We find out, in the days of Moses and all down through, that He identifies Himself each time by his prophets. The Bible says He does nothing till first He reveals it to his prophets. And remember, God is unchangeable God. He never changes. He remains the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Now, we find out in each age that man gets into God's program. They draw up their own mind, and it looks good. It looks good, very fine. And sometimes it's so close it might be one word different---but that one word means the difference between death and life.
It was one word that started this whole ball rolling when Eve disbelieved one phase of God's Word. Remember, she didn't... Satan didn't just kind of throw the whole thing off. He said, "Oh, surely this will be this way, and this is that way, and God so-and-so; but surely He won't do this."
Genesis 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
29 But He said He would do it. And when He said He would do it, that makes it so, see.
Just, you must believe every phase of it. No matter what it says, believe it anyhow. If you can't explain it, believe it anyhow. You cannot explain God. No one can. God is known by faith, not by science. You believe God by faith because He said so, and that settles it. As long as He said it's so, that cures the case---He said so. Don't make any difference how much science says it's not.
Noah couldn't explain how water was up in the sky, 'cause science said there was none there. But if God said so, He's able to put water up there. So that settled it, see. He just believed God. Always a man who's anointed with the Word believes what God said. Regardless of whether he can prove it or not, he believes it anyhow. God does the proving.
30 Listen. Today we're always, like... Man is always praising God for what He done, always looking forward for what He will do, and ignoring what He's doing. It's always been that same thing.
And everybody's got his own private interpretation. God is his own interpreter. God don't need no one to interpret. The Bible said it's without interpretation. It don't need man. God interprets the Bible Himself.
God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. That settles it. God said, "A virgin shall conceive," and she did. That settled it. When God says anything, and vindicates it, that's his interpretation of it. He said He'd pour out his Spirit in this last days, and He did it. There's no interpretation to it---it's already interpreted. Unbelievers might rise, and skeptics might stand, and whatever they might do---but God did it anyhow, because He said He would do it. He doesn't need anybody to interpret Him; He does his own interpretation.
He made the promise, people believe it, and He interprets it to them. He's the Lord that heals all of our diseases. I can't tell you how He does it, but He does it. He said He would do it, that He would do it. So it's up to our faith. He couldn't do it there without faith; neither can He do it here, or any time, without faith.
Now, He is the Word. He's the Word identified for that age.
Genesis 1:3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
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.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
31 Now, the trouble with people today, we find them living in the glare of another age, just like Jesus found when He come. He found them living in the glare of the law, and ignoring what was to take place in his age.
You know what's the matter today? What's the matter with the ... what was the matter with the Lutheran? Well, because they were living in the glare of the Lutheran age, when John Wesley found the secret of sanctification, they couldn't go---because they were living in the glare of Luther's age.
What happened to the Pentecostals? Why, Wesley was so organized until he was living in the glare of another age---they was, in Wesley's age, when the baptism of the Holy Ghost fell upon the Pentecostals. See, they were living on what Wesley said---sanctification. It was hard for them to believe the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the restoration of the gifts. They was living in a glare of another age.
That's what they was doing when Jesus come. Said, "We have Moses. We have Moses."
He said, "If you'd have knowed Moses, you would know me. Moses wrote of me. Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they that testify of me." That was the scripture that was supposed to be ... God identifying, interpreting his scripture for that age. And it's always Christ. It's Christ in every age. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. It's always been Christ.
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
John 5:46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
32 Now, we find out that ... now we find our Pentecostal brethren are living in the glare of a Pentecostal age, and they still miss it. They're trying to interpret the Pentecostal age, when we're plumb past that. We're living on up to the rapturing time for the coming of ... the end-time. But that's the way man does. It's just ... be that way. We got so much that's 'lotted to each age. The Bible's 'lotted out that way, and that's the way we have to have it. That's the way it has to be.
33 The unchangeable God with the unchangeable character, and his characteristics remains just the same. He cannot change his characteristics. He cannot do it.
Anything is known by its characteristics. Now, I don't know whether you all have yellowhammers down here or not. Jay ... we call them flicker, and a jaybird, they're both about the same size. You watch a jaybird flying. If you was in the distance and you watch him, he'll make a beeline when he's flying. But a yellowhammer, he'll go up and down as he flies. See, that's a characteristic of a yellowhammer. You can tell him by his action. Watch a man use his right or left hand. He's a char...
We've got women today that wants to be men. They dress like them, but they're still... Watch them walk, and what they do. They're still ... their characteristics shows that they're women yet, just the same, see. Because it's just that way. We'll get to that later. But, I never ... we're on something else right now.
Remember, you're identified by characteristic,
Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
34 and God is identified by his great characteristic that He cannot change! He said in Malachi 3:6, "I am God and I change not." He absolutely doesn't change. His characteristics are the same. Each time He appeared on the earth at the end of an age, He always sent a man and anointed him with the Holy Ghost, Christ. The Holy Ghost is Christ, the anointed, the Logos. And it went out, and it comes to identify the words of that age. The Word of the Lord comes to the prophets---the Bible said so---and identifies that age, see. He does nothing outside of man.
Now, He can't do it in a group. You can't do it. It just never has been done. He never did use a group---never did. He uses one single person. You're not... Israel was saved as a nation, but you're going to be saved as an individual. One person He deals with. He had a ... He didn't even have a Moses and Elijah the same time. He couldn't have Elijah and Elisha the same time. He couldn't have John and Jesus the same time. He's always got one, because He gets that one person into his divine will.
35 If we started tonight, and I've got one man---some man here that I'd pick out---we'd agree on doctrine just perfectly. We'd start a little group. In a year from today we'd have so many Rickys in there, why, it would be a shame. That's right. They just come in like parasites. You can't keep them out. So therefore, it never was God's system. God cannot change. He deals the same: one individual. He did it through the ages. He's always done it. And his characteristic is identified to that age. Now don't forget that---his characteristic is identified in that age.
36 Look at the days of Joseph, the prophet---how that Jesus was perfectly identified in Joseph. He was born, loved of his father, hated of his brethren, without a cause. He loved his brothers. But they were self-starched Pharisees, like ... and they had nothing to do with him, and hated him because he saw visions, and so forth.
But the very characteristic in him showed that it was Christ. Joseph was a prophet. He foretold the things that happened, just exactly the way that it happened. The way He spoke it, that's the way it happened. And he interpreted dreams. And he never just give a wild interpretation of it. Every time he said it would be that way, that's just the way it was. He was borned a prophet for that age. Exactly right. Now, we find that God displayed his characteristic in Joseph.
37 Every one of the prophets displayed God's characteristic, because it picked up the Word for that age and identified it. God interpreted his Word of that age through the man. Now, no one can find fault with that. That's the Scripture. Well, if it always has been that way, won't it have to be the same today, if He's the same yesterday, today, and forever? God interpreted his own Word. He said, "This thing will happen in a certain age, and this thing will happen," and He comes down and does it. Now, He don't need no interpreting to it, 'cause it does itself.
He doesn't need anyone to interpret Him. He's Elohim, the Self-existing, All-sufficient. He needs no help from nobody, see. He's God, and He does as He will.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
38 And there's one thing that we're sure that He can't do: He can't go against his Word and remain God. He has to keep his Word, because the Word is God.
And God is identified through his promised Word at an age. In a certain... In the days of ... now, what... In the days of Moses He was identified. He was identified, because He was identified by his Word. He told Abraham, "Your seed will sojourn in a strange land for four hundred years. I'll bring them out with a mighty hand." Now, when this great big sign happened... There was a big ball of fire in a burning bush. Moses was a chemist---he was taught in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. What if Moses would have went by, with his educational stand, and said, "Look at that funny tree. It's on fire. It's burning. The leaves are popping, and there's nothing being destroyed, being consumed. Now, after that gets through burning I'll pick some of the leaves and go down to the laboratory, and find out what kind of a chemical it's been sprayed with."? It'd never have talked to him.
But when he took off his shoes, walked up humbly... That's the way we find God: when we take off our pride and lay it down, and walk up in the presence, listen to that voice that's identified by "I AM THAT I AM. I AM the God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Jacob. I remember my promise and I see the condition is ripe. I've come down. I'm going to speak, and I'm sending you, and you'll be my voice." Oh, my! That's the way He does it.
What did He do it? By identifying Himself in his characteristic in the supernatural. The supernatural sometimes is so phenomenal it gets plumb away from the people. The people get to be... Good people, nice people, but sometimes they misunderstand.
Genesis 15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;
Genesis 15:14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.
Exodus 3:6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
Exodus 3:7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
Exodus 3:8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
39 That's what... That was the same thing with Joseph. He couldn't understand. He was a son of David, but he couldn't understand how that Mary could conceive. Now, no doubt when them big, pretty, brown eyes looked into his face and said, "Honey, I know we're engaged to be married. I got something to tell you. I've had a visit by Gabriel, and I've conceived by the Holy Spirit, he told me. And this thing that's going to be born will not be your son. It'll be the Son of God."...
And now, Joseph wanted to believe that, but he just couldn't believe it hardly. It was too hard for him to believe it. But, you know, it was unusual. Women didn't conceive virginally, so it was unusual. And that's ... the unusual things that God does, it stumbles the people. It brightens ... opens the eyes of some, and blinds the others at the same time. It's always did that. He does unusual things in an unusual way.
If Joseph would have only looked in the Scripture to find out what was to take place in that day... Now, there was no prophets then. They hadn't had a prophet for four hundred years. Malachi was their last prophet, and prophets were very unusual. So they had no prophets in them days. So God took secondarily and gave him a dream, and told him, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary, thy wife, for that which is conceived (of her) in her is of the Holy Ghost." See, God identifying Himself. He always does that in the way of the supernatural.
Matthew 1:20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
Luke 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
40 Now these, Joseph and Moses, and if we just had plenty of time we could just go on and on with it---but you understand what I mean: that God in every age always sends a individual, one person. So, why do you hang on to some group, when they're altogether wrong. The Bible said so. Revelations 17, they'd all be collected in one great group. But out of there will come individuals that's right with God. Not the group right; the individual right---the individual in the group.
Now, we find out then, we fuss and go on about we belong to this, and we belong to that. That don't mean one thing to God. It's you as an individual before God. It's, you've got to stand on your own feet. You're the one that has to make the testimony. Each one of you has to do that---answer to God for the revelation.
41 Now, what if I'm speaking here to a person that would ... actually cannot receive it? There's nothing in him to receive from. The Bible said, "She that lives in pleasure is dead while she's alive." Why was it those Pharisees? ... Look at Jesus, all that we know. He was a manifested word of God. We believe that. The Bible said it was. Well, watch when He done his Messiahic sign. The Pharisees that had a little bit of light... They was good people, lived a good Christian life (or a good religious life), had a little light about them. They had organized in a priesthood. They had a little light, but down in the bottom of their heart they had no eternal representation in glory. So when they seen that supernatural done, they said, "This man's Beelzebub, a devil." And what happened? That put what light they had out!
Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
1 Timothy 5:6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.
42 But here was a little ill-famed woman, a prostitute. Down in her heart, well, she had a representation of one of God's thoughts. There she was, weighted in sin. But when she seen that happen, she said, "Sir, I believe you're a prophet. I know when the Messiah cometh, he'll tell us these things." What did He do? He cleansed her life. He was a redeemer to her, because He could lift her up where she come from.
But this Pharisee (think of it), religious as he could be, and Jesus said, "You are of your father, the devil, and his works you'll do." Religious men, belonged to fine orders, and Jesus called them snakes in the grass and devils. They rejected the light of the hour. That's exactly what it 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 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
43 Jesus in his age, what was He? Just like the prophets of their age. Each one of them was God's Word being interpreted for that age. Moses was God's Word interpreted. God said, "I'll send down there, and I'll deliver them. I'm sending you down with my Word. I'll do great signs and wonders." He did it. Mary, she was God's Word interpreted. "A virgin shall conceive." That was God's word interpreted.
Now here comes Jesus on the scene, the God of the prophets. And here they was so organized, and discriminated, and oh, in such a condition till they couldn't even ... they didn't even recognize Him. He didn't come the way they thought He ought to come. They thought God would pull a little lever here and let the corridors of heaven down, and He'd walk down and say, "Caiaphas, high priest of God, I have arrived."
But He had a baby born in a manger, down in a little cave stable in Bethlehem, way down there with the straw and manure of the barn---a little baby wrapped in swaddling cloth and laid into a manger. Had no schooling. Watch how He corrected the word. As He was the Word, He is the Word, He ever remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. Right!
Exodus 3:10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
Exodus 19:20 And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
44 Now I'm not making ... throwing off anything to anybody or anything. That's not my purpose to do that. If that was in my heart I'd get around in front of this altar and get right first. But look, to you people who pray to Mary for an intercessor. Look at Mary. I believe she was a virgin woman, certainly. But she was just an incubator that God used to bring Christ to the earth---the house that God stretched his tent, from being Jehovah to be man. He was Emmanuel: God dwelling among us, camping with us, God handled in the flesh, God housed in a tent called a man that was the Son of God.
Look at Mary. Here's a boy twelve years old, never had a day in school as we know of. Here He is standing in the temple debating with the priests. Watch. Here comes his father and mother. Three days and nights they'd missed Him. And they found Him in the temple. They said, "Son, we have sought..." Mary (listen at Mary) said, "We, your father and I, have sought you day and night with tears." Looky there---denying her testimony. She told Joseph that the Holy Ghost overshadowed her. She told those priests that this was a virgin-born baby. And here she stands and says, "Your father [Joseph] and I." See how incorrect that is?
Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Luke 2:48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.
45 But watch the Word of God. Said, "Know you not that I must be about my Father's business?" The Word always corrects the error by identifying God among them---a twelve-year-old child. If Joseph had been his father He'd have been building houses and cabinets; but He was out there tearing down them denominations of that day. He was about his Father's business. See what He was doing? "Know ye not that I must be about my Father's business?", see? Told his mother... See how that? ... He was the Word! He is the Word! And the Word corrects the error by the identifying of God's characteristic. Amen!
Look. When the world...
Luke 2:49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
46 I can imagine Simon Peter ... I read a little story once of him and his brother Andrew. And his name was Simon, then, you know, and he hadn't been called Peter yet. So him and his brother was fishers with their father, and they was out on the sea. And the old man was getting old, and he called them to the boat one night. And he said, "Boys, you know we have trusted God many times that we'd have nothing to eat, and have bills to pay, and we'd go out without a catch for two or three days. And your mother and I, before she went away, why, we'd all gather round and pray; and God would give us a good catch. Boys, I've trusted God all my life.
"And I always lived, like any true Hebrew, to see the Messiah coming. Now, boys, I'm getting too old now; I probably won't see Him. But I want you boys well instructed." We see him put his arms around Simon, and one around Andrew, and said, "Boys, just before his coming you'll see a flare. There'll be all kinds of false things raise up, so it'll just blind the eyes of the people. Always does that. [And it did just that.] There'd be all kinds of... But remember, don't you be deceived. The Messiah will be a prophet, 'cause Moses said in Deuteronomy, the 18th chapter and the 15th verse, 'The Lord your God shall raise up a prophet liken unto me.'
"Now we haven't had any prophets to manifest the Word of God. There'd been none of them here for the word to come to, so we've just had a denominational affair for hundreds and hundreds of years. But when that one arrives on the scene, don't you be deceived---He'll be a prophet. The Lord shall make Himself known. He will be a prophet, and when He comes He'll identify Himself as a prophet."
Deuteronomy 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
47 I can imagine, one day, that Simon was going down to see Jesus there at the shore. And when he walked up into the presence of Jesus, Jesus looked at him and said... Just started his ministry now, St. John, the 1st chapter. And after the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, here He is. Now, we're told that Andrew seen Him first, and heard John preach, and tried to get Simon to go. And he just, "Oh, well, it's just another preacher. Let it go." And there'd been this, that, or the other. But first thing you know, they thought they'd come see.
He said, "Now the Messiah has arrived!"
Oh, Simon couldn't believe that, so he just walked up one day to where Jesus was standing. Jesus was standing down on the lake that morning, and all the people had gathered up. And the women washed the dishes real quick, and set their clothes back, and everything. They wouldn't wash that day; come down to hear Him speak. Simon had seined all night there, and had probably caught no fish or nothing. Walked up, "Well, I believe I'll just hear what He says." He walked up to Him.
He was a odd-looking sort of a fellow. The Bible said there's no beauty we should desire Him. He didn't look like a king.
Isaiah 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
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.
48 Beauty is of the devil. Always. That's exactly right. And we might get to that a little later on. So then find out...
We see what Cain offered, and see what it was in heaven, and find out what this world ... vain beauty is, and what Hollywood's took over today---even the church. Yes, sir. It's a false conception of the devil, to miss the beauty of the Lord in holiness and power; not in paint, and powder, and shorts, and everything else that they're trying to wear and do.
It's in beauty of the holiness and righteousness. We are not of this world; we're from a kingdom that's above, where dwelleth the righteousness of God. They won't adorn themselves with that; too much television and so forth.
49 So then we find that Simon walked up into his presence, and there stood the one that Andrew believed to be the Messiah. And Jesus, as soon as He looked at Simon, He said, "Your name is Simon, and you're the son of Jonas." He knew then who that was! There was no joke that there was God, identified again right here in the Scripture, in his same characteristic.
If Joseph could just have looked back there and seen that. Jesus, when He was preaching here on earth, He said, "Search the scriptures. In them you think you have eternal life. They are the ones that testify of me." If they'd just have turned back away from the law. The law was for that day, and they were living in that kind of a glare. But here they are today. They couldn't see the Scripture identified right there. And they failed to see it, and they've done it in every age, and they'll do in this one too. Nothing else for them to do. It's been predicted they would, so they'll do it. There's no way of getting around it. The Laodicea age will do the same thing.
John 1:42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
50 Now, watch him there. He stood there, and he said, "Now, we haven't had a prophet for four hundred years, and here's a man who tells me who I am, and who my godly father was. That's the Messiah." Now, we're told that Simon was an ignorant and unlearned man, but he was made the head of the church.
We find out there was one standing there by the name of Philip, and he saw that. And he'd had Bible studies with a man named Nathanael. And if you'll mark where Jesus was to where he found Nathanael, is fifteen miles. That's a good day's journey, so he must have run around there, around the hill, like that. Now, we're going to see. He said, "Nathanael," when he met him. He said, "You know, we've been having Bible studies."
"Yes."
"Well now, we've been believing that it's time for something to happen. The dispensations are changing and we're ... time for the Messiah to come, 'cause we haven't had any prophet now for four hundred years. And Malachi told us that He'd send the forerunner before us, and I believe that to be John."
Malachi 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
51 Now, we know when you see a sign, a true Bible sign, there's a true Bible voice behind it. If there's no voice follows the sign, just the same old theological voice---forget it. It never come from God. There's always... He told Moses, "If they won't believe the first sign, they'll believe the voice of the second sign." There's got to be a voice with the sign. Absolutely! And if it's the same old theological voice---forget it. You already had that. It's something... God's trying to attract the attention of the people by a sign, and then give them the voice, what's behind the sign.
Must be a scriptural voice; Moses wouldn't have believed it. Neither would Paul on his road down to Damascus when he seen that sign of that pillar of fire. He screamed out, "Lord!" That Jew would have never called anything else "Lord" but the Lord Himself. He said, "Who are you?"
He said, "I am Jesus. It's hard for you to kick against the pricks," see. There was the sign, and there was the voice of the sign. Then look what he said, look... Watch his ministry from then on, what he did, and you'll see how to run the church.
Now, we find out that there He was, identified to Simon.
Exodus 4:8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
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.
52 Then we see Nathanael. (We're bringing him around.) And Nathanael said, "Now, wait a minute. Now you must be wrong."
"No, I'm not wrong. You know that old fisherman that we used to fish with down there?"
"Yes."
"You know he couldn't sign his name."
"That's right---that receipt for the fish that time."
"When he walked up in the presence of this one I know to be the Messiah... Now I want to ask you, Nathanael---you're a good scholar, a good Hebrew, and a good reader of the Bible---what will the Messiah be when He comes?"
"Well, He'll be a prophet, 'cause the Bible said He..."
"Well, what would you say if I told you that He told that man, Simon, who he was and who his father was?"
"Aw, I can't believe that."
"Well, let's go find out. Let's go. Come and see."
"Could anything good come out of Nazareth?" he said.
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 1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
53 He said, "Come and see."
That's a good question. Don't stay home and criticize it; come and see for yourself! Come bring your Bible and search it. Here he come. "Could any good thing come out of Nazareth?"
He said, "Come see."
And when he walked up in the presence of Jesus, Jesus looked at him. Now He said, "Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile."
He said, "Rabbi, when did you ever know me?"
He said, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the tree I saw you."
He said, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel."
Why? His characteristic identified Him. Why? Hebrews, the 4th chapter, the 12th verse, says that the word of God is more powerful, more sharper than a two-edged sword, dividing asunder, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. That's what the prophets did, and they were the Word. They were the Word in their age, but here was the fullness of the Word, see. They was the one who could tell what happened, discern the thoughts, and what was, and what is and what is to come.
John 1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
John 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
John 1:48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
John 1:49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
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.
54 So there He was standing there.
Oh, there was some of them stood there, said... They had to give an answer to their congregation. They had to do it, 'cause the mighty works was done and they couldn't deny it. See, they already had healing, as far as healing was concerned. They had the pool of Bethesda up there, you know. At Bethesda they went into that pool and got healed. They had divine healing in every age; but here was a prophet. They had to do it. You know what they said? "This man's Beelzebub, a fortuneteller. He does..."
Jesus said, "I forgive you for that; but when the Holy Ghost comes, in another age, to do the same (word, one) works, one word against it will never be forgiven, not in this world or the world to come." That's blasphemy: calling the Spirit of God an unclean spirit, that's doing the work of God. Think of that real hard now. Remember. Keep that on your mind.
Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
Matthew 12:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
Mark 3:22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
Luke 11:15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.
55 Yes, that's how He was identified yesterday. That was Jesus yesterday. If He's the same today He'd do the same. That's how He made Himself known as the Messiah. That's how they knowed Him, by that Word.
Look. That ... there's only three races of people: that's Jew, Gentile, and Samaritan. That's the Ham, Shem, and Japheth's people. Now, if we believe the Bible, they all come from the sons of Noah---that's the Jew, Gentile, and Samaritan.
Now, the Gentile wasn't looking for no messiah. We had a club on our back, and worshipping a heathen god, we Anglo-Saxon and so forth. In them days we were heathens: Romans and Greeks, and so forth. We wasn't looking for no messiah.
But the Hebrews was looking for it, and He---remember, get this close now---He only appears to those who are looking for Him. Only appears to those who are looking for Him---makes Hisself known to those who are looking for Him. And He made Hisself known to the Jew, many times. We get, later on in the week, get more characters, but right now...
Now, there's a Samaritan. They're looking for Him too. So He was on his road down to Jericho. So He had to go up by the way of Samaria, and He come to the city of Sychar about eleven o'clock or twelve. He sent the disciples into the city to get some victuals. While they were gone an ill-famed woman of the city came out. Maybe a pretty girl, she'd probably, you know, had been turned out by her parents, and everything. And she'd seen nothing in the church. So she just made her living in a bad way, by having too many husbands. And she come to the well, and there was Jesus sitting there---a Jew.
He probably looked a little older than what He really was, 'cause He was only thirty; and we find out, in St. John 6, that they claimed He looked like He was fifty. They said, "You're not over fifty years old, and say you seen Abraham?"
He said, "Before Abraham was, I AM," see. But his work might have made a big strain on Him.
There He was sitting over against the wall. And this woman come up and took the little (you have down here in the south) a windle, you know, and the hook. There's still old wells right there the same way. And it's a little panoramic, like. And she let this water pot down.
John 4:5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
John 4:6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.
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 4:18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
John 8:57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
56 You ought to see them women. You women talk about walking correct! I seen them take them pots that hold about five gallons, and they take and put them on top of their head; one up there, put one on one hip and one on the other one, and walk right on talking to one another, and never spill a drop. Just walk just as nice as you ever seen.
Now in the East, see, the bad women and the good women can't associate together. It's different here, but they can't there. She's marked. She's marked, that's all. If she ever has the wrong husband, she ain't no more associated with. But there... It's all messed together here. Now we find out... But there it wasn't. So she couldn't come with the virgins of the morning, so she had to come up about noon to get her water.
57 So she started to let down the water pot. But there was a predestinated seed in that little woman. She let down that water pot, and she heard a man say, "Give me a drink. Bring me a drink." She turned and looked around, and she seen this Jew. And this Jew, maybe a middle-aged man---I don't know what was in her thoughts then.
So she said, "Why, it's not customary for you, being a Jew, and ask me, a woman of Samaria," see. She didn't know what it was. She just ... maybe the man, maybe, getting smart with her. So she said, "It's not customary for you Jews,"
58 and so the conversation went on. What was He trying to do? He was trying to attract her attention.
The Father had sent Him up there, but now He had to find out, why up there? They were looking for a messiah. He'd done identified Himself with the Jews; now here He is with the Samaritans. And said, "It's not customary for you to ask me, a woman of Samaria, for such."
So He said, "But if you knew who you were talking to, you'd ask me for a drink. I give you waters you don't come here to draw." And they went to talking about worship. Directly He found what her trouble was. We all know what it was---too many husbands. He looked at her, said, "Woman, go get your husband and come here."
She said, "I don't have any husband."
He said, "You told the truth, for you've got five, and the one you're living with now is not yours."
Watch that woman! Look at the difference between her and that organization. Watch her as an individual. Watch those Pharisees, said, "This man's Beelzebub."
Look at her. Not her! She turned and she said, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet." Ah, there's that light, see. When the sun hits the seed in the right time it's going to bring forth life, just as sure as the world---struck that seed in that little prostitute's heart. She said, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Now we know it has been hundreds of years since we've had a prophet, and we know that when Messiah cometh... We're looking for Him. Then when Messiah cometh, this is the thing He's going to do."
Matthew 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
Mark 3:22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
Luke 11:15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.
John 4:7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
John 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
John 4:16 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.
59 That's the sign of the Messiah, don't you see? It was Messiah that was in Moses, it was Messiah that was in Enoch, it was Messiah in every age. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. It's Christ all the time. Said, "I know, we know that when Messiah cometh, that's what He's going to do."
He said, "I'm he that speaks to you."
Oh, my! Upon that, she dropped the waterpot, run into the city and said, "Come see a man who's told me what I done. Isn't this the very Messiah?" And the people of that city, without seeing it done, the whole city believed on Him. That's right. Why? His characteristic of what He was. He was identified to that city of Sychar. He was identified the Messiah of God by his (character) characteristic was in Him, 'cause He was a God of the prophets. He was a prophet. He was a prophet manifested. He's always been, down through the age, the same; and if He's the same yesterday, today, and forever...
Now, to hurry and close,
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.
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 4:28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,
John 4:29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
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.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
60 we're told, in Zechariah 14:6 and 7, that there'll come a day---the prophet prophesied---that it can't be called day nor night. It's a gloomy, dismal, dark day; but in the evening time it shall be light. The Bible said so.
Now look, in closing---geographically the sun rises on the Eastern people first. It rises in the east and sets in the west. Now follow me close. Civilization has traveled with the sun. We all know that, don't we? So has the gospel. The gospel started in the east. It come from the east, across over into Germany, across the Mediterranean into Germany, from Germany across the English Channel into England, from there across the Atlantic into the United States on the East Coast. It's traveled to the West Coast. Now the east and west has met, and the same sun that rises in the east is the same sun that sets in the west.
Now watch. The Son, S-o-n, rose as the Messiah on the Eastern people. And now we've had a day, since his going away, of denominations and get-together, and so forth. We've had enough light---like a gloomy day when the sun's hid by clouds---and they've had denominations. We've built hospitals, we've built schools, we've built organizations. We've did all these things, just exactly the way that we're supposed to do it.
Zechariah 14:7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
61 But He said, "In the evening time it shall be light."
That same Jesus in his resurrected power will rise again; as He promised in Malachi 4, as He promised in St. John 14:12, as He promised in Luke 17, "As it was in the days of Sodom, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man."
Look what happened in the days of Sodom. Abraham---one with the promise of the coming son---here we find him down there, and we see the sign that was done.
Malachi 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
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.
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.
62 Down there in Sodom we seen what taken place. And you know we've never... Now, there...
Lot was a type of the church natural, down in Sodom---the organization. And they got a messenger down there. There was a couple of messengers went down there---a modern Billy Graham and Oral Roberts. And do you know what? There never has been a time in church history where a man was ever sent universal to the church with his name ending with h-a-m until this time. Billy
G-r-a-h-a-m, six letters, A-b-r-a-h-a-m is seven letters. But Billy G-r-a-h-a-m is right out there in Sodom, a-banging away and calling out.
But remember, there was one to the church spiritual who was out---Abraham, the called-out. Watch what kind of sign He give. He never preached much of a gospel; He just told him what ... the promise was near to be... And He said, "Where is Sarah?" Now, remember, she was Sarai the day before that, and he was Abram the day before that. Now He said, "Abraham [A-b-r-a-h-a-m, where is S-a-r-a-h, instead of S-a-r-r-a], where is Sarah [Princess], thy wife, father of nations?"
Said, "She's in the tent behind you."
He said, "I'm going to visit you according to the time of life." A man that eat the flesh of a calf, drink the milk from the cow, and eat corn cakes---drinking milk; a man, dust on his clothes, and sitting there, with his back turned to the tent, said, "Where's Sarah, thy wife?"
Said, "She's in the tent behind you."
And Sarah said, "Me, an old woman, as I am---a hundred years old [as husband and wife had ceased long ago]," said, "have pleasure with my lord, and him old too?" The Bible said well-stricken---been years and years. She was forty-five years past menopause, or longer than that---maybe fifty-five years past menopause. "And me have pleasure with my husband, as a young woman?" She laughed up her sleeve.
Genesis 18:9 And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.
Genesis 18:10 And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.
Genesis 18:11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.
Genesis 18:12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?
63 And what did ... that man in that human flesh said, "Why did Sarah laugh?" What happened? Abraham called that man Elohim, Almighty God represented in a human being. Jesus, our Lord, said, "As it was in the days of Lot, so shall it be at the coming." Watch. When the Son of man is being manifested, made known (Luke 17), when the Son of man in the last days is being revealed, the Son of man being revealed, this gospel is identifying Him---as it was in the days of Lot.
Look how they're doing now. Perverted nations, oh, my! Look at the homosexuals, and look at what we got now. The church is a mess, the nation is a mess, and the whole thing... God's belching it up from the bottom of the earth. The whole thing is a mess geographically, and also in the material. The scene is set. It is time for God to come back in human flesh; the Word that's sharper than a two-edged sword, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, to appear on the scene, to make Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. It's a promised Word that's been 'lotted to this day. We're living in this day, and God is here with us to manifest that and make it true. Let us bow our heads.
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 17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
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.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
64 Heavenly Father, you said it shall be light in the evening time. We see, Lord, all signs: nations are breaking, Israel's in her homeland, earthquakes in divers places, men's hearts failing, perverted minds reprobate concerning the truth. As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, you said men of reprobated minds given over to a delusion to believe a lie and be damned by it... But You promised in that day that You'd make yourself known---the Son of man would be revealed, Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever, by his same characteristic that identified Him in every age.
May He tonight, Lord God, great Jehovah, Elohim, come down in your people tonight, Lord. Come down and make yourself known, that believers might believe; that people might understand and know that You still remain God, and You're the same yesterday, today, and forever. And then, Lord, those who are ordained to healing, and those who are ordained to eternal life, will reach up and get a hold, Lord---for this is the time of visitation. May it not pass in vain. I ask in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.
Zechariah 14:7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
2 Thessalonians 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2 Thessalonians 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2 Timothy 3:8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
65 How many believe that's the truth, that's the gospel? Now, are we living in that day? That's the next thing. If it is, God's solemnly obligated to identify it. Now, if you will give me your undivided attention ... I'm going to be just a little bit late, I told you tonight---maybe fifteen minutes.
We give out prayer cards. A's? A's? All right. Let's start right quick. A number 1. I'll call just one at a time so you can... Stand right over here if you will. A number 1. Who's got prayer card A number 1? Raise up your hand. Now if you can't raise up, some of them will come get you. A number 1. All right. Now just come as you're called. Just your number. All right. A number 1. All right. Number 2, would you raise up your hand. Number 2, prayer card A number 2, raise up your hand. Would you come, lady? Now, if there's somebody crippled and can't get up, the ushers will pack you. Number 2, 3. Just raise your hand---it'll save time. Real quick, if you'll ... call... Number 3, would you raise your hand? Right here, lady. Number 4, raise your hand. Number 4. Number 4? Come. All right, number 5. Prayer card number 5. Right here, lady. Number 6.
66 Can she walk? Okay, that's... Take her a chair down there. The lady's sick. I think maybe her husband, ever who it was sitting there with her, take her a chair there. She's... All right, number 7, number 8, number 9, 9, I get ... yes, here's 9. 10, number 10, prayer card 10? 11, 12, 13, 13? 14. Go down to the other end down there, 14. 15.
Now just wait just a minute till these get in line, to see where we're at here. Now the rest of you just hold your card just a minute. Now, how many in this congregation that are sick and don't have no prayer card, raise up your hands like this. All right. I don't care where you are. All right. Now just be reverent. Now look. While they're getting the prayer line lined up, you all give me your undivided attention now. You must listen to what I'm telling you, see.
Notice.
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 5:25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
Mark 5:28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
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,
67 One time there was a woman... Jesus was passing through the country, and He crossed over the sea and He went into a place... There was a woman had a blood issue. And all the priests and them was out. They was making fun of Him, of course. And this bunch out there believed Him, and He was going through the crowd. And the woman said within her heart...
Now listen close now. Are you listening? Say 'Amen.' Now, the woman... See, anything distracts from what you're doing, see. Every person is a... I'm not dealing with you as a body; I'm dealing with you as a spirit, a soul, see. And that moving, you got your mind going somewhere else, see. I'm trying to get ahold of that. Notice. Now there was a man looked upon Paul earnestly, believing. Paul said, "I perceive you have faith to be healed."
Now notice.
Acts 14:9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,
68 This woman, as she was passing through here, she couldn't get to Him. Everybody was putting their arms around Him and everything. Let's say, just for saying now, she didn't have a prayer card and she couldn't get in the line. And so everybody, "Hello, Rabbi. Say, are you the prophet? We believe that there's coming a prophet, but I don't know yet, see. I'm not sure. I'll get put out of my church if I believe that," see. And you know, just the same old story over.
So then this little woman, she believed it. So she slipped by, and she said, "If I can touch the border of his garment, I'll be made well." So she touched Him.
Now, if anybody ever seen the Palestinian garment---they got an underneath garment, and then the outside garment swings free. Now, if some woman touched one of you men's coat, just the tail of your coat, like that and went away, you'd never know it in a crowd like that. How about that big garment hanging that far out from Him, and she was down on her knees and just touched his garment and went back. Jesus stopped. He said, "Who touched me?"
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.
Mark 5:30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
Luke 8:44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
Luke 8:45 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?
69 And look what Peter said now, with the keys to the kingdom. In other words, let's just put it in our day's words. "Well, Lord, You say some of the awfullest things. Well, them people will think that You're crazy, there's something wrong. Everybody's touching You, everybody saying, 'Hello, Rabbi. Say, are You their divine healer'? Or, some of them even said 'Say, we've got a graveyard full of people up here if You want to raise one for us. Come up and we'll believe You, if You'll do that.'" Some for Him; some against---just like it is in every crowd, see---making fun, and some believing Him.
And Peter said, "Why, everybody's touching you. Why would you say such a thing as that?"
He said, "But I perceive that I have gotten weak. Virtue has gone from me." (That's strength.) Look. He looked around on the audience and He found the little woman. She couldn't hide, see. She had that seed laying in there. O God, give us that seed. That's what we need right now. He found her and He told her of her blood issue, said her faith had healed her.
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.
70 Look. You say that... If He was here tonight, I'd do the same thing. If He walked down through this building tonight, you believe if you touched Him you'd be made whole? Well, let me tell you: in the book of Hebrews, the 3rd chapter, it says that He is right now a high priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities. How many believe that to be the truth? Well, if He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, how would He act today? The same as He did yesterday. Is that right?
Now you don't have to be up here. You just believe, and you say this, "Now, Lord, I ... this is all strange, but the man tells it out of the Bible."
It sounds strange in every age. But search it and see if the scriptures... Jesus said, "Search the scriptures; they testify of me."
John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
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.
71 Now search the scriptures. That's true.
We're in the last days. All nature's proving it's the last days. The church in its conglomeration---you're all going to the great big ecumenical slaughter pretty soon up here, see---just the mother harlot and all of her daughters, just as the Bible said, taking the mark of the beast and don't know it, see. All ... get to that later. [blank spot]
He's a high priest. How you do it? With your faith. Touch his garment, and see if He don't turn and do the same thing that He did then. The Bible said He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. That would be very convincing. Do you believe that?
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.
Hebrews 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Revelation 17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
72 Now, everybody ... don't nobody stir around now. Be real reverent, see. You must respect the Holy Spirit. Respect ... only way you'll ever get anything from God is to respect his message---respect it. Now listen. Let's just take---all you Methodists, Baptists, Pentecostals, Catholic, and all---just take your religion, your denomination, just set it over here for, aside, a few minutes and say, "If He is the Word, the Word is the discerner of the thoughts that's in the heart. That was the Messiah yesterday; that's Him today. It's got to be, and He promised it today."
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.
73 Now, now here's a little lady standing here. Now don't nobody move. Just be real reverent and stand still. Now I, by a gift... Now a gift is just not something you take, like a chopping ax, and go to chopping and cutting away. That's wrong. A gift is know how to get yourself out of the way. It's just relax yourself, and get yourself out, and then God comes in and uses you the way He wants to. A gift is get yourself out of the way, see; not something put in your hand, go to stabbing and sticking. That ain't God, see. The thing we do is just get yourself out of the way, then the Holy Spirit comes in and goes to using it any way that He wants to use it.
Now, you got to get yourself out of the way. No matter what God would do here, He has to do it on you, too. No matter how much He'd anoint me, He's got to anoint you. If He don't, many mighty works He could not do.
74 Now, I believe I seen somebody, a little boy, looked like, sit over here in a wheelchair, or something. I thought I seen a man back there. No matter what it is, where you are---now you just believe. Here's a little woman has to sit here bowed over.
Now remember, I cannot heal anybody. There's no such a thing as any man healing; it's God. How many understands that now? Healing is already purchased. It's to get you to believe that his presence is here to keep his Word. Now, I've told you his Word that He promised to do this, and you all believe it. Now if He does it, that identifies Him here.
75 Now, here's a woman standing here, a little lady. She's much younger than I am. And here's a picture of St. John 4---a man and a woman meets the first time. We're strangers, I suppose, young lady, are we, to one another? We are. Now I want the audience to look. I do not know her. I have never seen her. You heard her just say I don't know her; she doesn't know me. Here we stand. Now she might be sick, she might be financially, it might be domestic trouble, it might be for somebody else---I don't have the least idea. I don't know the woman, never seen her. But if Christ was standing here with this suit on that He gave me...
Now, and say she's sick. If she'd say, "Lord, will you heal me?" Why, He'd say right back He can't do no more, and tell her He's already done it. How many believes that, see? He couldn't do ...
76 but He could identify Himself as being the Messiah. He would know that, because He would do ... have the same characteristic.
Now it wouldn't be me if He did that, because... First it was God in the pillar of fire (God above us), then God with us in Christ, now God in us, see; sons of God in the adoption that Christ come to do, to redeem God's attributes as He did at the beginning. Now, if his Word dwells in here and I've told the truth, and that is it; and the Word is in here in my heart, then God will identify Himself as that being the truth. Then what ought that to do to this congregation? What it ought to do, when you see the scripture right here before you!
Now, now I have to talk to the woman because I've been preaching---just talk to her just a minute till the Holy Spirit gets to moving. And then you all start believing. (Now, we'll see you tomorrow night. Now, see, this here, you're in another world, another dimension. You just ... you don't know what's taking place. Ever who's on the microphone, just keep it stepped up.)
77 Now, I just want to talk to you like our Lord did to the woman at the well. Now I'm a man, you're a woman, the first time we've met on earth. And now, if He told her, "I want a drink of water," or something like that... Do you remember the story? Did you ever read that in the Bible? You read it. All right, now, if the Lord Jesus will do the same thing tonight---will kind of reveal to me what your trouble is, or what you've done, or what you're here for, or something or other like that---you'd know it had to come from some supernatural power. Would you believe it to be what I've showed you the Scripture says it's going to be? We see the earthquakes, we see the world in its chaos, we see the denominations the way they are---and it's time for that to happen, isn't it? Do you believe that? Well now, if He would identify Himself with that, that would have to be God. It couldn't be me as a man. I'm just your brother.
John 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
78 Now, you are a Christian. Not because you're saying, "Praise the Lord!" You could be a deceiver standing there saying that, see. But if it was, He would know it, see. But I feel your spirit vibrating. It's true you're a Christian. Now, if the Lord Jesus will reveal to me what's wrong with the woman, how many will believe now with all your heart? Now look on me, sister, just a moment here. See now, it has to be a vision, you see. I'd have to see it in some way, 'cause... Yes, sir, now here it is. Praise be to God! I take every spirit in here now under my control in the name of Jesus Christ. Be reverent. Look here just a moment. Look on me. Now's the time for the Lord to say something, or do something. If you're conscious ... if you've ever seen that picture of that light, it's standing between me and the woman.
And she's here ... she's suffering with a blood disease. It's a diabetes. If that's right, raise up your hand. Now, watch. Someone might say, "You just guessed that." Look here, young lady. You're a very fine person. Look here. You believe me to be God's servant? You do. I can't heal. I don't what it was told you. Ever what it was, was true, wasn't it? Here's something else. I see a girl. It's a little girl you're praying for. It's got something in her ear. It's a running ear, isn't that right? Yes, that's right. It's going to be well. You're going to be well. Believe, sister.
79 Now do you believe that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever? If you just believe, just have faith, see, don't doubt! See, it discerns the thoughts and intents of the heart. How many knows the Word does that? The Bible said so. It shows you've been reading the Bible. Now no matter where you are, believe now. The anointing...
How many's seen that picture of the angel of the Lord was took over here? Now that same light is not two foot from where I'm standing right now. See, it's another dimension. See, we only live in five; this is another one. Now, be reverent. Just a moment.
Now, here's a lady. I don't know her, I've never seen her, we're strangers to each other, I suppose, and this is our first time meeting? Just a man and a woman---and if I could do anything for you, I'd certainly do it. But, I'm just a man.
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.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
80 But by a gift of God...
I want to identify, I want Jesus to identify Himself to the Word that I have just preached, to show that this is the hour (the Word that's 'lotted for this hour), that we've passed the denominational ranks---we're fixing to go to the rapture. Just trying to get people faith to believe.
See, just like in the pyramid, see, that headstone that never did come on---on your dollar bill it's got it, see. And now that ministry, with the headstone---where it was way down here in the Lutheran, Wesley, and down through---it's just... Not a pyramid doctrine, now see; I'm just showing this for an illustration. That headstone will have to be so perfect like the rest of it, till it fits right straight into it. The ministry of Christ will be in his church---just exactly like Him in Spirit---when He comes to take the church. He redeems the whole thing and it goes in the rapture.
81 Do you believe that? I just said that 'cause to relax a little, see. It's ... visions are hard. That one woman touched his garment, and He said, "I perceive virtue..." And that was the Son of God. What about me, a sinner, see? You understand?
Now, if the Lord Jesus will reveal to me your troubles, will you? ... Now don't be scared---that won't hurt you. You have a real strange feeling, see. That's when that light settled over you. Now if that's ... so people don't ... raise your hand up---real sweet, real kind feeling, see, just moved over you. Now you couldn't hide your life at all. You're suffering with a sinus condition. That's right. Got somebody on your heart you're praying for, aren't you? That's your husband, and that husband has trouble with his eyes which is caused by sugar diabetes. Now believe with all your heart. [Unclear words.] Do you believe? Then according to your faith be it unto you, my sister. Have faith, don't doubt, believe with all your heart.
Luke 8:46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
82 Now we're strangers, too, with each other. You believe that? ... Now standing in the presence of a man wouldn't make you feel like that, see. You know it's something besides me. I'm just as... Just like that desk there: it's just a desk, and I'm just a man. But you believe you're in his presence? Not mine; his presence? Thank you. See, you really believe that, too. And you must believe it, because I see a shadow. Now you must believe.
Now you're suffering with inward troubles, inward organs. You've had an operation. That's right. Operated, and it's no good. You're still bothered. That's exactly right. Then you have severe headaches, here, bothering you. Now you know something has to know those things, doesn't it? You believe now you can receive it? You believe it? All right, go and receive it then, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Everybody now...
83 Do you believe that God can reveal to me the thing that you're desiring? Would you believe it then, that that knot on your side would go away? All right, then go believe it. [Unclear words.]
I know you're weak. I don't want to keep you no longer than I can help. Do you believe me to be God's servant? You do. I'm a stranger to you, and we don't know each other. If I could help you I would sure do it, lady. I'd walk, crawl, push a quarter with my nose through the streets of the city to help you, 'cause you're young, and you are shadowed. I realize now, after I've spoke to you and said that, you do know what's wrong. So you know that you must die right away if something isn't done for you. You got a female disorder. It's in your females and it's malignant. It's a cancer. And you must die right away if God doesn't help you. [She says, "One more month."]
That's right. You believe that He'll heal you? Look, sister, that's your only hope. Believe it right now with all your heart, and live for the kingdom of God. I lay my hands upon the little lady. In the name of Jesus Christ, I condemn the devil that's taking her life. May he leave her, and may this girl live, in Jesus' name. Amen. God bless you, sister. Believe it now with all your heart. Believe with all your heart.
84 Another shadow---you believe that God can heal it and make it well, take it away from you? Had a real strange feeling when that was taken care of, didn't you? It really actually left you right there. That's right. Now you believe it with all of your heart and it'll stay away from you. Go believing. God bless you.
Look on me, sister. You want to go eat your supper and feel good about it? You do? Just go ahead. That ulcer will leave you and you'll be healed.
Look this way, lady. What you scared of? You got a nervous condition. It's been bothering you for a long time. You believe that God can heal that nervousness and make? ... Ninety percent of this audience is vibrating with the same thing right now. That's exactly right. See, you want a place to put your foot always. They all tell you to get next to yourself, and believe this, that---but you've got to have a starting place. You're on it right now. Believe it, will you? The Word of God says you're free. You believe it? All right, go then, be free of that thing. God bless you, sister.
85 Believe God can heal diabetes and make you well? You do? Just keep moving, say, "Thank you, Lord Jesus. I'll go and believe with all my heart."
Nervous, lady's trouble, and you have female disorder. Do you believe that God (stomach trouble, too), do you believe that God can make you well? Go on your road rejoicing, saying, "Thank you, Lord."
Look on me, sir. You're a mighty strong man but them nerves are mighty weak. You believe it's going to be ended tonight? Go receive it, in the name of the Lord Jesus. Believe it with all your heart.
Come, sister. Look this way. Yes, I see you trying to get up, crippled, at the side of the bed. You got arthritis. Do you believe that God will make you well? Just go on, believe it, and say, "Jesus Christ makes me well," and believe it with all your heart.
My sister, do you believe that God can heal that diabetes and make you well, too? All right. Go on your road and say, "Thank you, Lord Jesus," and believe.
86 He would like to make you believe you're going to lose your mind. He's been telling you that, but it's a lie. You're free now. Go on and rejoice. Jesus Christ makes you well. Do you believe God can heal that stomach trouble, make you well? Go on your road rejoicing, saying, "Thank you, Lord Jesus."
Come, lady. Now the same thing---don't you let him tell you that! It's a nervous condition. You believe that God's going to make you well tonight? It's your only hope. Start on your road rejoicing, happy, and smiling, and be like you used to be.
Do you believe with all your heart? How many believes now with all your heart? I believe Jesus saves and his blood washes whiter than snow. What about you out in the audience? Do you believe it? You pray now. Say, "Lord Jesus, the man's away from me, so maybe back in here somewhere, Lord." Pray and believe.
87 This man sitting right back here---gall bladder trouble. Do you believe God will heal the gall bladder and make you well? Your faith ... you touched something. I don't know him, but he touched something. That lady rejoicing next to you there---do you believe that God will heal the arthritis in you, lady, and make you well? You believe it? All right, you can have yours.
The one sitting right next to you---you got trouble with your eye. Do you believe God will heal that eye trouble and make you well? All right. If you believe it, you can have it also. One sitting right next to you has got trouble with the lip. Do you believe that God will heal that growth on your lip and make you well? You can have yours also. I challenge you to believe it. Amen. Have faith in God. Don't doubt; just believe, have faith.
88 A lady sitting here, looking back there so honestly, sitting there suffering with heart trouble---do you believe that God will heal the heart trouble and make you well, lady? If you do, you can have what you ask for. Yeah. Now, you put your handkerchief up to your face---you got trouble with your neck and with your back. It's caused from an automobile accident. You was hit in a automobile. It hurts your neck and back. You believe you're going to get well? You can have what you ask for.
What about over in here? Somebody over here wants to believe? There sits a lady looking at me, is real nervous, sitting right there looking at me. That's her son sitting next to her---has got heart trouble. You believe that God will heal both of you? If you do, raise up your hand, say, "I accept it." Then you can be healed, in the name of Jesus Christ.
89 God's characteristics identifying Himself. Do you believe He's here? How many believers? Lay your hands on one another then. Put your hands over on one another. Put your hands on each other then.
Our heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, may the devil leave this audience, and may he be cast out into outer darkness.