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1 ... God. Let us remain standing with our heads bowed just a moment. Heavenly Father, we thank You for every graceful thing that You have given to us. We're unworthy of--of any of Your blessings. These are certainly unmerited blessings that we receive. And we pray, God, that You'll continue to be with us. Just walking in and feeling this wonderful spirit in the meeting, I know it comes from You. So I pray, Father, that You'll continue to honor the meeting tonight with Your Presence, and heal all the sick and the afflicted. Grant it. May this be a--a great night that we'll not forget soon, because of Your Presence. We ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen.
2 I want to apologize
for keeping so late last evening. I will try to be faster tonight, and just
so that we can hurry up and--and pray for the sick. I certainly felt good about
last night's meeting. They seemed like that there was many people got healed.
And I had plenty of support, everybody praying, and together. That's the way
we stand. So the Lord bless you. Now, I think tomorrow night we're to be...
I guess they've already announced it. It's another--another place, I think.
All right.
Now, let's turn in the Book of Numbers the 22nd chapter, right quick, for just
a little text to pass a few comments, and then we're going to place the most
of the time in the prayer line.
Billy said he gave out enormous amount of cards, two or three hundred of them.
And it'll take quite awhile to get them through the prayer line, so I--I will
just speak for a few minutes, not over thirty minutes, if possible, and then
start the prayer line, pray for the sick. In Deuteronomy, in... Pardon me.
Numbers, 22nd chapter and the 31st verse, I wish to read this.
7 You know, we can change our mind, and because we--we learn a little different, we know we were wrong. But I don't believe that God can change His mind. Because if He does, then He certainly could not be infinite, and He could make a better decision if He would change it. So He... The faith that I have in Him, that--that He doesn't change His mind... Because if God ever makes a decision, He has to stay with that decision. See? And each time the same problem comes up, He's got to act in the same way He did the first time, or He acted wrong in the first time. See? So it gives us somewhere to have a--a basic faith. Now, we cannot...
9 Yes, faith isn't just
a loose-leaf, something that you can fly it here and over somewhere else. It's
something that's got to be sure. It's got to be stable. And now, I cannot base
my faith upon some theory. It's got to be a proven fact before I can have faith.
Just like a man choosing a wife to marry, why, he, he's got to have faith in
that woman, he marries her, he certainly is fixing hisself for a lot of trouble.
See? So he's got to... You got to have faith, some solid facts, some faith to
base it upon; upon her word, upon what somebody else has said, or something.
He's got to have something to place his face on--faith on.
11 So I feel that to
meet God, there is just one thing that I can base my faith upon, and that's
His Word. Because we have different ideas, pretty near all of us. We'd set down
and go to even talking about something to eat, why, we would different on something
to eat; and we're made different; our appetites are different. And therefore,
it makes our churches, we see they are different in their ideas of what's right
and what's wrong. That gives us, every one, a privilege to take a choice.
But to me, I--I believe that the Word of God is right. And I--I don't believe
It's of any private interpretation. I believe it's just what It says, that's
the Truth. And that's the way I take it, just on the basics of It being the
Word of God. And now, I haven't got faith enough, maybe, to make all of It act,
but I certainly wouldn't want to stand in the way of somebody who did have faith
enough to make It act.
Like, for instance, Enoch had enough faith that he didn't have to die. He just
took an afternoon stroll, and got tired here on earth and just walked on up
to heaven. I'd certainly like to have faith like that. But I hope that we do
get that faith someday, as we grow on into Him. Now, our...
15 The reason I chose
this place, because it seems like that here to me is one of the places in the
Bible that would be a--a critical place for the text tonight, because it looks
like that God did change His mind, and told Balaam one thing to do and then
told him something else to do. So I thought, maybe, just for a while, we'd try
to straighten this out just a little, and see what He really told him.
So now, to outline this, we know that Balaam was a--a--a prophet. And Balak
was the king of Moab at the time. And they were not infidels up at Moab; they
served the same God that Israel served. Because Moab, the nation was founded
by Lot's son by his daughter, and so they served the same God. If you notice,
their sacrifices and everything was just exactly the same: bullocks, and also
the rams, speaking of the second coming. And now if fundamentalism is all that
God requires, then Moab was just as fundamental in his offering as what Israel
was. But we find them now, Israel is in the line of following the Word of God
to a land that had been promised them. And they come...
17 Here would be a type
of the natural and spiritual, meeting. And when the natural and spiritual meets,
there's always a collision; because they run right head-on into each other.
And Israel here would, I'd want to represent it as a spiritual church, and Moab
as the natural church, just the church, what we call church natural.
And we're all sure that there is a--a church, and there is a Bride coming out
of that church. We know that, that that is true. And they clash here. And we
notice that when they clashed here, it come under something that I would like
to speak a moment on. As soon as they clashed, and one seen what the other one
was doing, there was a great impersonation, one of the other.
And that's where we find it today, that we do get too much impersonation. And
when you do that, you're always in trouble. You cannot live the other fellow's
life. We cannot impersonate something. We must be just what we are. You mustn't
never try to. If this fellow does something; because he does it, you think you
have to too. You don't do that. You're an individual to God. And we mustn't
try to impersonate each other.
21 And now, Israel,
right in the line of duty, marching on their way to a command--by a commandment
of God to a promised land, they clashed with Moab, another group of believers.
And I hope this doesn't sound too bad. But the little illustration I want to
make here is, Moab being settled down in a land, he was more like an organized
affair. He had his celebrities, and his dignitaries of the--of his kingdom.
But Israel was just a--a wanderer. They had no certain place they went. They
just wandered as the Lord led them. Now, I believe also, Balaam, later in his
prophecy, said, "The people would not be among the nations. It would just be
a scattered." And that's what it's always been. And we find out, the clash come.
24 Just as Cain and
Abel, they also came together in a clash. And them being brothers, and both
of them of the same mother, Eve. And we find that they--they realized that they
were mortal, and they had been put out of Life, out of the garden of Life. And
they both was trying to find a way to get back in there. And if you noticed,
both boys was very religious. Cain was just as religious as Abel was. And they
both built altars, otherwise, a church. They both made sacrifice. They both
prayed. And they--they served God, both of them, but one of them served Him
wrong.
Now, you see, you can be ever so sincere and yet be wrong. You can be wrong.
"There is a way that seemeth right, but the end thereof is the ways of death."
Now, we--we see that this was so true with Cain and Abel. And when they seen--Cain
saw that Abel's sacrifice was received... And I might stop here to say, why
did God receive his sacrifice? Is because that--that he was... By a revelation
he understood that it was not apples, or I believe they now they got it the
pomegranates or something that they eat in the garden of Eden, that caused sin.
And he found Adam... Or, I mean, Abel believed that it was--he--it was blood,
which it really was. And Abel by revelation, faith, offered unto God a more
excellent sacrifice than that of Cain; which God testified by it, he was righteous.
See? And the whole church is built upon a Divine revelation of the Word of God.
The whole...
27 Jesus said so. One
day, coming down off the mount, He said to His disciples, "Who do you say I
the Son of man am? Or who does people say I am?"
"And some of them said, well, You're Moses, You're Elias, or one of the prophets."
He said, "But who do you say I am?"
And Peter made that great statement, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living
God."
He said, "Blessed art thou, Simon, son of Jonas..." And here's the great argument
amongst believers.
Now, the Catholic church says that, "There He--He built His church upon Peter,
for He said, 'Thou art Peter,' little stone, 'upon this stone, little stone,
I'll build My church.'"
Well, now, the Protestant mostly believe that it was upon Himself that He built,
upon Him, the Cornerstone. But, you see, He was the Cornerstone to the building.
I believe that what He built the church upon...
33 Not to be different,
but (You see?), the question was, "Who does men say I am?"
And Peter said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
He said, "Blessed art thou, Simon, son of Jonas; flesh and blood never revealed
this to you. You never learned this by going to a seminary. See, you never learned
this by some manmade affair. But My Father, which is in heaven, has revealed
this to you. See? Upon this Rock I'll build My church, and the gates of hell
cannot prevail against It," the spiritual revelation of Jesus Christ, Who is
the Word. Then it'd be the spiritual revealed Truth of the Word is exactly where
the church rests.
36 I think that's what
Abel had at the beginning: a spiritual revelation that it wasn't the fruit of
the field, or the works of our hands, or so forth. It was blood. And he offered
to God a more excellent sacrifice than--than Cain did.
We find in Abraham and Lot, the same thing in a choice, because Lot went down,
when the time come, when the spiritual and the--and the natural church come
in a clash, because of the herdsmen. They had to separate one for another. And
whenever this does, it sets up a jealousy.
We find out that Abel, be--because God had received him, and He did not receive
Cain's beautiful big offering he had toiled so hard for, and was religious,
and bowed down and worshipped, and so forth, done everything that Abel did,
only he didn't have the revelation of what was the truth. So we find out that
when God accepted Abel's revelation and his offering, it made Cain get jealous
of Abel. And there was the first murder.
We find out that jealousy become between the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot, and
they had to separate. We find out that Moses and Korah had a clash also. Jesus
and Judas had a clash. And as ever, it's been the same thing, and so is it today,
the natural church and the spiritual church has a clash when they come together.
Now, the natural tries to match the spiritual, always with a carnal impersonation.
But as it was with Esau and Jacob, it will not work.
41 God has His church
called, named, set aside. And in the age that She lives in, He'll reveal Himself
to Her, each and every time, just as He said in Romans the 8th chapter, that
the foreknowledge or predestination of God might stand sure. Cain--or I mean
Esau and Jacob, before either boy was born, before they even had a chance to
make a choice, God said, "I hate Esau and love Jacob," for He knew what was
in them from the beginning. And we know we're in...
Keep that in mind, He knows what's in your heart. He knows what you mean. No
matter what we say, He knows what you mean.
And it's always caused trouble. And they--the... Always, the natural always
tries, since Cain destroyed Abel, the natural has always tried to destroy the
effects of the spiritual. We find it the same thing today, the very same thing
today. It proves that it comes from Satan, because it's jealousy and impersonation
of Truth.
45 So we really believe
that God never changes His mind about what He said; He always keeps It true.
But He has a permissive will. Now, there, where the trouble lay. We try to work
on God's permissive will, and He will permit it. But also if we take His permissive
will, though it's not right, He will make His permissive will to work out together
to glorify His perfect will.
There's nothing will go wrong with God. We're... He knows just where the clock
is a-ticking at tonight. There's nothing wrong. Every lick is hitting just exactly
the way it should be, everything. We think it's wrong, but He knows it's right.
It's supposed to be like this.
Like at the beginning God just permitted sin to come. He didn't not... That
wasn't His perfect will.
49 But, you see, God,
the great Spirit, the Father, in Him was attributes, and these things that you
see displayed now is just His attributes being displayed. He dwelt alone; He
was not even God; God was an object of worship. He was the Great eternal One.
And in Him was attributes, such as to be Father, to be Saviour, to be Healer.
And now, how could He first... He had to be Father, because it proves He was
Father, but He dwells alone. He alone is immortal. And now, but His attributes
has to be displayed.
Now, to be a Saviour, there has to be something lost. And God cannot purposely
lose anything and then redeem it. It wouldn't be becoming to His holiness and
His great judgment. But He put man on free moral agency, knowing that man would
fall. And in that then, He became man Himself in order to redeem back man that
fell. That's the reason that Jesus was Emmanuel. If God sent another person
besides Himself, then that wouldn't be just. God had to come Himself and take
place. And God could not be come down in Spirit and take place; He had to be
made flesh in the flesh of His Own creative Son.
And He showed here, in the beginning, that His perfect will was to create man
out of the dust of the earth. But, you see, He permitted sex to be brought in.
He never did intend children to be born by sex, but it was permitted, which
soon will fade away.
52 Now, we find out
that Moab was a illegitimate to--to begin with, because it was Lot's son by
his own daughter. Now, notice, as the natural church Moab repre--represents
the--the natural church, Moab does, and Israel, the spiritual church. Now, Israel,
the bride, was the--represents the called-out.
The church Itself, the word "church" means, "called-out one, come out," those
who have come out. "Come out of her, My people. Be ye separated, saith the Lord,
and I will receive you unto Myself. Touch not their unclean things." The Church
of God is called out of the world, out of the chaos of the world. You're no
more of the world.
54 As I was trying to
say, the other night to you, it's when you know that you have the earnest of
your--of your eternal redemption right now in you by the baptism of the Holy
Spirit, it's already quickened you. You are now risen with Him, and we're setting
together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. See, you're no more of the world.
If you love the world, and your affections are still on the things of the world,
then the love of God's not even in you. See? We are from--free from the world.
There's no more desire.
In the Hebrews, I believe the 10th chapter, said, "There was a continually remembrance
of sin each year, those beasts' body was offered. But in this case, the worshipper
once purged, has no more conscience of sin, no more desire to sin." The whole
thing is gone from you, because you have been quickened into a new Life.
56 And then the church natural is just a bunch of people in denominations, that joined. It's no more... I don't even no more call it "church." I don't like to refer to it. I like to refer to it as a lodge: Methodist lodge, Baptist lodge, Pentecostal lodge. But the church is the borned again that's in Christ Jesus, that's new creatures. And so we still see that--that God keeps His Word.
58 Now, Moab seen, Moab
looked down upon the field and seen God moving amongst this people who was not
even an organized nation. They were just floating around from place to place.
But the strange thing that, they come upon these nations and they took them.
Everything was in their road, they took them. Now, they found out, Moab looking
upon it and Balak, he looked down upon the nation of Israel, and he said, "The
people cover the whole face of the earth." He said, "And they lick up the nations,
just like a ox licking up grass."
And they found out, one of the great keynotes was that how they got this great
revelation, there was a prophet among them. They had a prophet, now, someone
that led them. It wasn't a manmade system like he was used to, his--his delegations
with him, and so forth, but it was--and his dignitaries. But they had a--a leader,
a Divine-called leader.
And, oh, what a sad day it was, when the church world left off the Divine leadership
of the Holy Ghost and adopted a bishop or anything else to take Its place. It
was a sad day. The Holy Spirit is to be the Leader of the church. He is sent
to confirm the Words of Jesus Christ to make the church live as it did live
at the beginning.
61 Not long ago, a very
famous school here in--in this city, a seminary... And they have one in Phoenix.
And one of the men, or a couple of the students was--came down to me and said,
"We like you, Brother Branham. We don't have nothing again' you, at all, but
we'd just like to straighten you out."
And I said, "Well, I sure want to be straightened out." So and so I said, "If
I'm wrong, I certainly don't want to be wrong; I talk to too many people."
And he said, "Well, here's your trouble." Said, "You are trying to introduce,
or to make live again an apostolic religion, when the apostolic religion ceased
with the apostles."
And I said, "Yes, sir." I said, "Well, now if..."
He said, "Now, I wouldn't debate it with you."
I said, "I wouldn't either. We don't. We're not supposed to do that. We're brethren."
And he said, "Well," he said, "I would just like to help you."
I said, "I'm certainly willing to get help."
And he said, "Now, you see," he said, "now the a... That's true."
65 And I said, "Now,
on talking, we mustn't use textbooks." I said, "I won't use mine," and I had
none but this one. But so--so I said, "I won't use textbook, just the Bible.
And, you, we just use the Bible."
He said, "All right."
I said, "Now, we believe that the apostolic church begin at the day of Pentecost.
Do you agree with that?"
He said, "Yes, I do."
I said, "Now, we realize that God gave the church power there, for these apostolic
movements."
He said, "Yes, that was the framework of the church. Now, the church is already
set in order, and we got all of our pastors, and our great organizations and
things. We don't need those things anymore to draw people."
I said, "Now, where does the Bible say that?" I said, "You tell me where the
Bible says that at." See?
And he said, "Well, it doesn't exactly say that in that way."
I said, "Well, then, I can't receive it 'less it says it just in that way. See,
see?" I said, "We're..." I said, "That's the way it has to be."
70 I said, "Do you believe
that God's still calling people?"
He said, "Yes, sir."
I said, "Now, you will believe that the Bible is correct, every answer?"
"Yeah."
I said, "Now, the spokesman at the day of Pentecost was Peter, who had the keys
to the Kingdom."
"That's right."
And I said, "Now, whatever his decision was, Jesus said, 'What you bind on earth,
I'll bind in heaven; what you loose on earth, I'll loose in heaven.'"
He said, "I'll believe that."
I said, "Now, in Acts the 2nd chapter, the 38th verse, Peter said to those people
who were marveling at these people speaking in unknown tongues. And they asked
him what they could do to be saved, and he said, 'Repent, every one of you,
and be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin; you shall
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; for the promise is unto you, and to your
children, and to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall
call.' Now, if God's still calling, that same promise is for them."
75 Well, he come over
here and was with one of Billy Graham's groups up here praying for a meeting.
And a group of them was setting up here in California somewhere, a few weeks
ago, in real deep sincere prayer, consecrated to God, fasting, and the Holy
Ghost fell on the whole bunch and begin to speak in other tongues, and... Yeah.
Now, he is a member of the--of the Friendly church, the Assemblies of God in
Tucson, Arizona. He said, "Oh, Brother Branham, I go up there and feel so good."
Said, "Just raise back my hands," and said, "the glory of God. I just sing."
And said, "I never could do that in a New Testament Baptist church."
I said, "I see you can't. That's why you're out."
So there you are (See?) God keeps His Word. What He says, He'll do it. God has
to keep His Word.
78 Now, we find out
here that this carnal impersonation that Moab had... He saw this prophet among
Israel, that was able to bless, curse, lead, and so forth, so he tries to match
it by politics.
Now, that's just what's taken place in the churches today. They have tried to
match it with some kind of a system. You can't do it.
The Holy Spirit must be alive in the church, always, leading the church for
the age that it's living in, to confirm the Word that's promised for that age.
God spoke the Word from the beginning, and it's so much for this age, and so
much for that age, and certain for them age. It always happens just that way.
And, see, and the Holy Spirit must be alive in the church to make this church
live its day. It must be here today to confirm this latter-day ministry, latter-day
signs, latter-day pour out of the Holy Ghost. It's just got to be here to do
that, and you cannot get it through the working of systems. God has a system.
He is the One Who's give us the Holy Spirit.
81 Now, we notice here
that Moses had a King, and that King was God that anointed him. And Balaam also
was under a king, Balak. And it was more like a political setup (See?): Balak.
Balaam, a prophet of God, he went to Balak for his information. Moses went to
God for information. There was the difference. Yet, both of them were prophets,
because they were both called of God; both met God, both talked to God, and
both Spirit-filled. Now, I'm coming home.
Now, they were both Spirit-filled men. Now, that is true. The Bible said that
God met with Balaam and talked with him. See? So we notice, each one of these
prophets, both of them being prophets, men of God, they catered to their headship.
Moses catered to God. And Balaam here catered to Balak.
Notice here, in typing the spiritual and the natural, how perfect it was. Moses,
sent by God, in a line of duty, is met and challenged by another man of God.
Could you imagine such? But look what a setup they had up there. It was an organized
nation.
86 And Moses was leading
the children of Israel, just as God would tell them where to go, led by a Pillar
of Fire, and a supernatural Being that was leading the way. And Moses was getting
his information through the--the Logos, of course, that went out of God, that
Pillar of Fire, which was the Angel of the Covenant, which was Christ, the Anointed
One. And he was getting his message through There, and giving it to the children
of Israel, on the road to a promised land.
But this man was all settled down, and he had his kingdom. He had his churches.
He had everything right there in order. So he sends over to get this man to
come over and to curse this people. And notice, could you imagine, that one
prophet, one man of God seeing the works of God with another man, and try to--to
challenge that works of God, when he knew, ought to have knowed better.
88 Now, Balaam, first
when... Balak sent to him and told him, "Come over and curse this people." Now,
Balak done the very thing--or Balaam, rather, done the thing that was right;
he sought God. He sought God, first. Now, that's what he ought to have done.
And then God give him His perfect, clean-cut answer, "Don't go with him. Leave
them alone. Don't you curse those people. They are blessed." See? Now, that
ought to be enough. When God says anything, He cannot change that. Notice, His
perfect will was, "Don't you go. Don't attack that people. They are My people."
That was His perfect will.
But Balaam didn't like those people to begin with. See, there you are. How many
Balaams do we have today, the same way, same thing? They know better. They had
them in the days of our Lord Jesus. Nicodemus come and said, "Rabbi, we know
You're a man sent from God, or a--or a teacher sent from God. No man could do
the things that You do 'less God was with him." See, they looked. There was
a Balaam again. See? Now, Balaam didn't like the people.
92 Notice his headquarters,
after they had sent some fine men over there to tell him, "Now, there's some
people coming up down here. And I understand that you're a prophet, you're a
great men, so you come up here and curse this people."
Balaam said, "Now, you wait a minute till I go in and pray, and stay all night,
maybe the Lord will meet me and He'll tell me." All right, the next morning,
the Lord met with him and said, "Don't go. Don't curse those people. They're
blessed."
All right, Balaam went out and said, "Well, I can't go, because the Lord told
me not to go."
Now, notice when they went back and took the headquarters, for him to go down
there and stop this meeting they had (You see?), well, then they come to find
out, the headquarters sent a better set of people, higher dignitaries, maybe
a bishop, somebody else, or it might've been a state presbyter, somebody sent
down there, "Tell him to go down and stop that anyhow." See?
Notice, his better influential group, better gifts, more money, said, "I can
exalt you to a better position. I might make you, instead of just being an ordinary
man, I can make you a little higher now. I have the right to do that, because
I'm king here in this great movement. And I--I can do something better for you,
if you'll just do it."
97 Notice, the new offer
blinded him. He ought to have knowed what God said, God will do. But it blinded
him. And as a prophet of God, he should've not been influenced by such a group.
He should've got out of that group to begin with.
And if I'm talking to some man of God here... When they try to tell you at the
headquarters, that, "The days of miracles is passed," and this what we're doing
here, and the Lord Jesus is blessing us, "and that's a bunch of fanaticism,
work-up and emotion; there's no such a thing as Divine healing," get out of
that group right there. Get out of it, because It's the Word of God being made
manifest. They say, "There's no such a thing as apostolic days. There's no baptism
of the Holy Ghost. That speaking in tongues, there's nothing to it there."
Oh, but, brother, don't you listen to that. There's a many one like Balaam today,
setting back in their office, reading these Books of the Bible and know that
It's the Truth. But yet just because of position's sake, they won't take their
stand. Just exactly right.
100 Notice, God... He
knew he shouldn't have been in this group, or Balaam should've know it. They--they
get out of the will of God. Them fellows will talk you right out of the will
of God. When you find the will of God, don't let nobody talk you out of it.
I've knowed of good people, come to the meetings, get healed, and go back. And
they'd say, "Oh, well, there's nothing to that. You're just worked up. There's
nothing to it." And the people go to doubting. I've seen people come and receive
Christ in their heart, go back; maybe speak in tongues, and go back. And the
church would say, "Why, you're a--you're a disgrace to Christianity," and so
forth. And, oh, my, don't--don't do that. See? Get out of that group. Stay away
from it...?...
101 Notice, Balaam used
a phony text here, for his conscience's sake. See? He said, "Peradventure, you
stay another night, and maybe I'll ask God. You see? Maybe He might've changed
His mind."
But God don't change His mind. When God give us the declaration of the baptism
of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, that's the way He has to keep it.
He did all through the Bible age, and He will any other time that man will come
upon them basis that He offered there. If you'll come, believing, repenting,
being baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and
believing on God, God's obligated to fulfill that prescription (That's right.),
'cause He's the doctor. And He'll fulfill it if you will--if you will obey it.
But you can't afford now to try to get this prescription, take it over to some
quack druggist that--that might put something else in it. It might kill the
patient. That's the reason we got so many dead church members today; they are
trying to give the wrong prescription. God's got the prescription right here
in the Bible. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. You've got to take
the medicine the way the Doctor said give it.
104 The Bible said,
"Is there no--is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there?" 'Course
there is. Said, "Then why is the daughter of My people in this condition?"
See, we got the Bible. We got the Physician. It's just the druggist is misfilling
the Scripture--prescription. That's what it is. You're trying to say, "The days
of miracles is past. There's no such a thing as the baptism of the Holy Ghost
and all these things. It's nonsense." The Bible is exactly right. God doesn't
take back anything He said. And they try to use a phony way out, something another
like, "Well, we believe that." Well, now, no matter what you believe; it's what
God said.
He said, "I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh." He promised this in the
last days. They try to say the meetings, that you're seeing... They call me
a soothsayer, a--a--a polished-up soothsayer, or a--or a Beelzebub, or some
devil. Well, they got to say that, because they're of their father. That's what
he said about Jesus at the beginning. And it's not us doing this anyhow; it's
same Jesus, 'cause He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. It's His Spirit.
108 Oh, something that could pass, bypass and ful--bypass His commission. So many people try to bypass that. "Oh, come join the church, and it'll be all right. We're an old church. We've been here for many years. We started..." Yes, that's right. If that's so, then the Roman Catholic church has got it on all of you; they're the first of the organizations. They was first. But remember, not the first church, they was the first organization, and the mother of every one of them. Which every one of them is contrary to God. Revelations 17 says the same thing. See? Yes, we are in the last days. Now, remember, God will let you though. See, now...
109 And then Balaam,
he thought, "Well?"
Then God told him, "Go on." Why? God knew what was in his heart. God knew that
was in his heart to begin with, so He told him to go on. He will permit it.
He will permit you to do it. He will bless you many times in doing it.
He blessed even Israel after they... Grace had already give them a prophet,
Pillar of Fire, a deliverance, signs and wonders, brought them out of Egypt,
and everything, and yet they wanted a law. God let them have it, but He cursed
them all the time.
He let Balaam go on just the way he was supposed to, but what did he do? He
went down there, and instead of cursing the people, he had to bless the people.
He could not curse what God had blessed.
112 And I--I told you,
was going to quit at nine. And I looked up, and it's time now, and I got a book
full of notes here.
But I want to say this, in closing, that God never changed His mind. His direct
will was for Balaam not to go. And when God makes a statement, it has to ever
remain true.
Now, the Bible said, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."
Now, that don't mean "in a certain way." That means He's the same yesterday,
today, and forever. Jesus said, in Saint John 14:12, "He that believeth on Me,
the works that I do shall he do also." Is that right? He promised in Mark 16,
"These signs shall follow them that believe."
They say, "Well, that was just for the apostles."
He said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.
These signs shall follow them in all the world, and to every creature. In My
Name they shall cast out devils. They shall speak with new tongues. If they
take up serpents, or drink deadly things, it wouldn't harm them. If they lay
their hands on the sick, they shall recover." Now, that is His qualification.
See, we try to qualify something. We are trying to make--qualify the church
to what we think God's Word is. We can't qualify to the church. We've got to
qualify to God.
117 I've always said,
it's a great matching time. You paint your steps red and watch your neighbor
paint his red. Some of you women wear a certain kind of hat at church, and watch
the rest of the women get that.
Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy had this here water-head haircut, and look all the women.
She wore them little old sack-colored aprons, or things like that, it's a scandalous
for the woman to be on the street with them stretched on like that. Look at
all the women doing the same thing. It's an impersonation, but that's in the
world. The church people picked it up, and it's a shame that they do it. It's
wrong for them to do it, and it's a disgrace. And when we see it creeping into
Pentecost, it's more disgraceful. That is right. But, you see, the church puts
up with it and lets it go.
Now, we don't care. I never cared whether my coat matched my trousers, or my
tie matched my coat. I want my experience to match God's Bible and His requirement.
And that's what we as Pentecostal people ought to do, is have our experience
just like theirs was, because He's the same Jesus, the same Holy Ghost, the
same power. He's a-living today, and He lives among us.
120 It kinda reminds
me of one day His mother had gone off from Jerusalem, from the worship, and
his foster daddy, Joseph. And they went three day's journey, and just presuming
that He was along with them, and they found out that He wasn't there.
And, you know, I want to liken that today. You know, the church has had a three-stage
journey: Luther, Wesley, Pentecost; three-stage journey. God will give them
a message, justification, Luther, he hung onto it; then come sanctification
through Wesley; then the baptism of the Holy Spirit with Pentecost. And I wonder
if we didn't get off all on a big tantrum somewhere to build big things and
do great things like Balaam had in his mind; great organizations, the--the one
to outrun the other one, and this one more, giving gold medals and stars for
Sunday school and who could bring in the most members, and take in just anything
into the church.
I tell you, there's one church there's not a hypocrite in, that's the church
of the Lord Jesus Christ, that's baptized by the Holy Ghost. You're not persuaded
in There. You're borned in There. You're sent in there by the Holy Spirit.
They found out. The parent found out that He wasn't among them.
124 Now, in this hour,
this great crisis is on, when we know that this nation is shaking... Not only
the nation, but the world is shaking. It's at the end time. There is not another
thing that I know to happen but the rapture, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's all ready.
And we see these gatherings. Oh, get every benefit, this convention coming up,
get everything out of it you can get that's of God. If you haven't got the Holy
Ghost, just put it in your mind you're not going to leave here until you get
It. That's the way to do it. Stay there, 'cause you... This is, might be your
last opportunity. There may never be another convention on this west coast.
It may be beneath the sea by that time, 'fore another one. So we don't know
what could happen, so we... We're looking for the judgments of God to come upon
the nation.
126 Now, may I say this.
They thought He was along. But they found out in the crisis that He wasn't.
See? He wasn't with them.
Now, we find out, that in the time that when this great thing has been brought
up, and we find out that we're missing something in our churches, and that is
the power of Christ. Now, look, I don't want to criticize. I love you, and genuine,
true love always is corrective. Now, we're missing Christ in our church. We're
missing Christ amongst our Pentecostal people, our brother and sisters. There's
something wrong. The old fashion prayer meetings they used to have all day and
night, they don't have them no more. Our women used to wear long hair; they
don't do it anymore. It would be a disgrace for women to paint and use paint
back in the early days, and act the way these women do. Something went wrong.
Nothing wrong with Christ (See?), but something went wrong. Something is somewhere.
The pulpit used to, wouldn't have permitted such a thing as that, but it does
now. See? The crisis is on, and we're missing something.
We're missing power that we ought to have, where the big machine ought to be
running up, and great signs and wonders. Well, this building ought to be setting
so full of power of God, now, till a sinner couldn't stay in here; the Holy
Spirit condemning it, right quickly like that, like Ananias and Sapphira. And
we're missing something.
130 Now, what happened?
They went to look for Him amongst their kinfolks, and they didn't find Him amongst
their kinfolks. So where did they find Him? Right back where they left Him.
And I think, when our church got on this great organizational spree that we
had to, one had to outdo the other, and had to have bigger churches, and better
class of people, and better dressed people, and better singers, and stand up
there and...
I like good singing. I like real good old fashion Pentecostal singing. But I
cannot stand that put-on stuff, it just simply don't go with me; hold your breath
till you're blue in the face, just to be heard. Now, I believe in singing from
your heart in the Spirit of God, like I heard in here awhile ago. See?
I like good old fashion shouting, but I think shouting can go on just if the
music's going on or not. The Spirit of God upon the people, It brings down the
blessings and power of God. I believe men can testify, and sing and praise God
at their work, wherever they are. Truly.
And now, we're missing something. Where will we find Him? Right where we left
Him: in the Word. Let us pray.
135 Dear heavenly Father,
one of these nights we're going to close this Bible the last time; the last
song is going to be sung, last sermon preached; the last prayer line will be
called; the last sinner will come in. And then what? O dear God, we don't want
Your permissive will, Father. Let us walk in Your perfect will. Let us just--just
not take a Word here and there, and make It to fit a dogma, or a creed, or something.
Let us take the Word as It is, believing the full Gospel, all that Jesus taught
for us to do. We do not believe that the acts of the apostles is just the framework.
We believe It's the Word of God. It's the acts of Your Holy Spirit in the apostles.
And we believe that the same Holy Spirit, Lord, that come upon them, and the
way they acted, It'll do the same thing in us when It comes upon us, if it's
the same Spirit.
So I pray, dear God, that this convention that we're just on the eve of it to
start tomorrow night, I pray, heavenly Father, that it'll be the greatest convention
that this city has ever had, because of Your Presence. Bless each speaker; O
God, may it be so--so shaking, may the wrath of God be thundered out across
the pulpit. May sinners shake and tremble. May the Presence of Jesus Christ
come so real to the people, that they can just close their eyes and see Him
walking among them. Grant it, Lord.
137 Now, tonight, just
before this happens that we're praying for... Dear God, some of Your children
are sick. They've been wounded, and--and they're hurt. And I've come to pray
for them. Will You honor what I ask You tonight, Lord, for their sickness? I
trust, to You, there won't be a feeble person in this building when the services
is over.
Your servants all through here, setting out there, shouting, throwing up their
hands, and back here on the platform, and saying "amen" to the Word. And, Father,
we are one unit of people. We've come out of the world, out of those cold formal
conditions, and we've been borned of the Spirit. We're alive tonight. And You
said, because You live, we were alive also. And we are trusting, Lord, and believing
with all of our heart, according to the Word, that we are represented in Thee.
Now, make Thy Words real tonight to heal the sick, as I pray for them, and these
others pray. Grant, Lord, it'll be so. And we'll praise Thee for it. We ask
it in Jesus' Name. Amen.
140 And... [Someone
begins to speak in another tongue. Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] Thank You,
Father God.
We feel that, just like one time in the Bible, they was up against a crisis,
and the Spirit of the Lord fell upon a man and He told him where to defeat the
enemy, where to go. Listen to that. Just correct yourself. See, the Spirit of
Life in you, corrects you to the Word. See, if the Word is living in you, It
lives Itself right through the Word.
142 Now, last night
I was late. Now, you're such a fine people, I just... Looks like, and as I start
getting older, I--I--I just wished I could... I will be with you forever, in
another land.
So now we're going to pray for the sick, and now I'm not going to try to bring
too many at a time, like I did last night. And now, Billy Paul give out a bunch
of prayer cards, I suppose a hundred of them. Did you give a hundred, or two?
Two hundred. What was they? C.
Who has C-number-1? Raise up your hand, let's see if that's right now. Prayer
card, look on your prayer card; it's got a number and a--and a letter on it.
C-number-1, raise up your hand. Way up. All right, come down here. Number 2,
3, 4, 5. Now, and, you, somebody get over here and catch them. Now, we want
every one of the prayer cards, but we want them lined over on this side. 1,
2, 3, 4, 5. I see three of them. And have you a prayer card, sir? 4. Now, there
be another one? 5, is that the person coming there? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. C-number-1,
2, 3, 4, 5. All right, now just come as you're called, your number.
145 So last night, I
seen them down there, people crowding. We don't want that. This is a church,
you know, not an arena. So we--we, you have to keep order. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8, 9, 10. Now, just line them up as they go back. Now, prayer card 6, 7,
8, 9, 10. And somebody will hold up their hand when they got--when they're lined
up up there. And we're going to pray for them.
How many's going to believe with me now that the Lord Jesus is going to do a
great work? I'll do all that I can. Now, 6, 7; 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
15.
Now, just come around, so they won't all be crowded at once, you know, and around
it. That's what the numbers are given to you for, to keep you in order, you
know, to keep so it will not be... Then as your number is called, well, you
just come then. All right, and now we want to...
Now, I want all, everybody, to be real reverent now. And we'll pray on now for
about, till we can get these people prayed for. And we don't know what the Lord
might do. We don't know what He'll do. But we're expecting Him to do great things.
Now, I believe, fifteen, have I got that many over there yet? Billy Paul, where
you at? All right. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20.
151 Now, see, they're
already jamming up. So now, I'm going to have, maybe, perhaps some brother to,
as when them comes down to the end of the row, let him call the next numbers
(You see?), so we won't all have to stand, stand there so long when we're praying
for--for the--the sick people. All right. Now, we'll--we'll... I want--want
you to...
I want to speak to you while they're getting those people so they won't be jammed
up together.
153 Now, no one come
until your--your number's called. We called up to fifteen, I believe it was,
or twenty, something along there, I'll say up to twenty, and then let's wait.
And that'll be enough in there right now, whatever is over there.
And now how many cards is there? Raise up your hands. And how many doesn't have
cards? Raise up your hands.
Now, remember, you don't have to have a prayer card. We've been here two nights,
and each night the Holy Spirit has went out over the audience and healed the
people, regardless of prayer cards. Is that right? The prayer card only does
one thing to you: help you to get in line. That's right. But you have faith,
and you watch the Holy Spirit leave the platform right here, and go right out
among them audience there. How many knows that to be true? [Congregation
says, "Amen."--Ed.]
156 Now, I--I believe,
firmly believe, if there was any other church besides the Pentecostal church,
that I would--could go with and believe to, I would be with it, if I thought
there was anything better. And when you hear me say something about the organizations,
and things like that, I'm not against the people. It's because...
What if you seen a man that you loved, out in a boat floating right down towards
the falls, and know that boat was going to sink with him, and you say, "Well,
I love him, but he--he's got his own ways"? No, I couldn't do that. That's not
in me. I'd scream, run out and grab him, shake him, jerk him in, or anything
else, to get him out of there. See?
And I know that that won't float the falls. That's right. It's got to come back
to Christ, as certain as anything. It's got to come back to the--to the--God.
Now, I--I...
159 Everybody in here
has been in my meetings before, is that right? Hold up your hands if you've
been in the meetings. All right. There's not any...
Is there any newcomers that never was in one of my meetings
before? Hold your hands. Well, what do you... I never... Is this the first time
you've been in one of my meetings? Raise your hands again. Well, I--I--I tell
you, I... Maybe I better change this thing. [A brother
says, "Explain a little bit about your ministry."--Ed.] Well, I--I'd
better.
Now, you, to you people just come in, I--I'm going... It's going to take me
just a little, few minutes longer. Let me explain, because you'll go away with
the wrong impression. See?
I believe in every act of God. But I do believe that the Bible promises us in
the last days, that there is to be--come again, the church has got to get in
the same order it was, that Jesus left it when it went away. See, it's the Bride,
it's got to come back to that place. Now, we've come through the great works
of God, through justification, sanctification, the baptism of the Holy Ghost,
restoration of gifts. But in following the line of Abraham...
164 Now, I'm uneducated,
and so I have to use something like John the Baptist. He was uneducated too.
He went in the wilderness about nine years old, and he never got an education.
So his sermons were more based upon like nature, "O you generation of snakes..."
See, that's the worse thing he seen, and the so slimy, and he called them priests
snakes. He said, "You generation of snakes, who's warned you to flee from the
wrath to come? Don't begin to say, 'We got this, and we belong to this.' God's
able of these stones (That's what he seen on the river bank.) to raise up children
to Abraham. And also, the axe (That's what he used in the wilderness.) is laid
to the root of the tree. And every tree that don't bring forth good fruit is
hewn down." That's the kind he burnt, and made firewood out of. You see? But
the good trees... He--he just makes his sermons like that.
So in this, I want to--to say it in this manner. We're at the end time, the
harvest time.
166 Now, in Abraham's
journey, he met God all along in different forms, and so forth, which we could
take it and show it just... We are Abraham's Seed, if we're in Christ. And Isaac
was really his--his lesser son; he was his son, sexually. But spiritually, Christ
was Abraham's Seed, his royal Seed, his faith.
Now, we find that his royal Seed is, travels the same journey, that's Bride
of Christ travels the same journey that Abraham did. And the last sign that
Abraham seen before the promised son came, was when God was manifested in a
human body, and two Angels came down.
Jesus said in Saint Luke the 17th chapter and the 30th verse, that, "As it was
in the days of Noah..." He told about Noah's time. And said, "As it was in the
days of Sodom... (See? His coming), so will it be in the days when the Son of
man is being revealed." Now, He never said the Son of God being revealed; the
Son of man."
169 Now, Jesus came
in three names: Son of man, which is a prophet; Son of God, which went through
the church age; then Son of David. But in between the Son of God and Son of
David, according to His Own Word, and according to Malachi 4 and many Scriptures,
He's to return back into His church in physical form, in the people, in a--in
human beings, in the way of being a prophet. See?
And watch what this Man done when He came down to see Abraham. First thing,
He told Abraham about his name being changed, because He didn't call him Abram,
He called him Abraham. And when He did, why, we find out that--that He said,
"Where is thy wife, Sarah?" S-a-r-a-h; not S-a-r-r-a.
"Why," he said, "she's in the tent behind You."
He said now, she was ninety and Abraham was a hundred, and He said, "Now, I'm
going to visit you according to the promise, the time of life."
And Sarah on the inside, heard Him, listening through the wall of the tent,
and she laughed to herself. And the Angel, Man setting there, said, discerned
her spirit in the back behind Him, and said, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying about
these things?"
Well, they called Sarah forth, and she denied it. He said, "But you did do it."
She was a-scared.
175 Now, Jesus said,
just before the coming of the Son of God, or the Son of--the second coming,
that this age that we live through...
He come as Son of man, a prophet, because that fulfills the Scripture. Moses
said, "The Lord your God shall raise up a prophet like unto me." We all know
that was Jesus. Don't we? So He had to come according to the Scripture, a prophet.
He never called Himself the Son of God; He called Himself the Son of man.
But now He is, through the church age now He's been Son of God. In the millennium
He'll be Son of David, setting on David's throne. But between this time, we
find out by the Scriptures, He's to reveal Himself again as Son of man, a prophet.
'Cause the Word of the Lord comes to prophets only, never to theologians. It
is to prophets. And the Lord said He did nothing, in His unchanging Word we
just talked about, until first He shows His prophets. And the end time, them
seven seals that this Bible has sealed up, the sevenfold mysteries of all of
Christ, has to be revealed first, and it can only be brought to a prophet. We've
been looking for that for years, and we believe that His Spirit is among us
now, so we find.
179 Now, watch when
Jesus come, watch what He did to prove Himself to be that Messiah, that Anointed
One. One day, after He had received... The Father had came down and dwelt in
Him in the form of a dove coming down from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved
Son, in Whom I am pleased to dwell in."
That's the reason He said, "I and My Father are One. My Father dwelleth in Me.
It's not Me that doeth the works; it's My Father that dwelleth in Me."
John bear record, seeing that Spirit of God, like a dove, descending. A Voice
coming from It, saying, "This is My beloved Son in Whom I'm pleased to dwell."
See, and He dwelt in Him.
182 Now, watch when
His ministry started; He had to act Son of man now. Now, watch what He did.
There come up a man by the name of Simon Peter. His name was Simon then, later
called Peter. Andrew had been attending the meeting of John; and then when Jesus
come, and John had introduced Him, he saw Him. And Andrew asked his brother,
Simon, to come to the meeting with him.
And they had been told by their father, as it's said that, "There would come
a time, before the real Messiah would come, that there'd be many false Messiahs
raise up." There's always that way. He said, "But, sons, remember, the real
Messiah, you will know Him because He'll be according to the Scripture. He will
be a prophet. Now, we haven't had a prophet for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds
of years since Malachi. But there'll be many people make claims, which we know
there was--there was a Jesus raised up and carried out a bunch, and so forth.
But this real Messiah will be a prophet." And all Hebrews are taught to believe
what the prophets says are the truth.
184 [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] Right then that uneducated fisherman, who we're told didn't have enough education to write his name, the Bible said he was both ignorant and unlearned, he recognized that to be the Son of God. He recognized that to be the Messiah, because there was a prophet. There was the One Who told him who his name was, and told him what his father's name was. Then he knowed that had to be a prophet, 'cause the Man didn't know him. And he was given the keys to the Kingdom.
185 And we find there
was some standing there listening at that, and one by the name of Philip, who
had a--was having Bible studies with a friend, by the name of Nathanael, looking
for the Messiah. So he runs around the mountain, about a day's journey, and
comes back. And he finds this Nathanael over there under a--a fig tree, pray--praying.
And he said, "Come, see Who we found, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph."
So Nathanael being--or Philip or...
Nathanael, rather, being a good man, he said, "Now, could any good thing come
out of Nazareth?"
He said, "Well," he said, "just come and see."
Now, that's good advise. Come, see for yourself. Don't stay home and criticize.
Come, find out. "Search the Scriptures, in Them you think you have Eternal Life."
Jesus said, "They are They that testify of Me."
So on the road back, no doubt they had a little talk. He told him, said, "You
know that fisherman that couldn't sign that ticket for them fish you got that
day? He told him. You know his father was up there in the church; his name was
Jonas. You remember? So He--He--He told him who he was."
"Oh, I'll have to see that."
189 So when he walked
up in the--maybe he was in the prayer line where Jesus was. I don't know. He
had walked up in Jesus' Presence. Jesus looked at him and said, "Behold an Israelite,
in whom there's no guile."
Now, the first place, you say, "How'd He know he was an Israelite? Well, because
he was dressed?" No, no.
All easterners wear those turbans. They dress alike. And said, "An Israelite..."
And He said, "There's no guile." He could've been a crook or anything, then
he'd have been exposed. He said, "In which there's no guile..."
And so that kind of took the starch out of Nathanael, so he said, "Rabbi, when
did You ever know me? Why, I--I--I don't get this. When did You ever know me?
I never met You. I just was brought up here by Philip. When did You ever know
it?"
He said, "Before you were under the fig tree, while you were there praying,
I saw you."
He said, "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel."
Jesus said, "Because I told you this, you believed? Then you'll see greater
than this."
197 Now, there was those
standing there. Now, let me give you a little warning. There was those standing
there, rabbis and priests, and they said, "This man does this by Beelzebub."
And Jesus turned and said, "I'll forgive you for that," for the atonement wasn't
yet made, "but someday the Holy Ghost will come and do the same thing," He said,
"and to speak one word against That, it'll never be forgiven you in this world
nor the world to come."
199 On to the woman
at the well, the Samaritans... Now, there was three races of people on earth.
We might be black, brown, yellow, whatever we are, but we come from one blood.
And there's three races, which come from Ham, Shem, and Japheth's people; that's
Jew, Gentile, and Samaritan, half Jew and Gentile.
Now, we Gentiles, Anglo-Saxons, we were heathen, worshipping idols. We wasn't
looking for no Messiah.
So when Jesus manifested Himself as Son of man... Now, listen close, and I'll
close. When Jesus came, He was duty bound to represent what the prophet said
He would be, so there before Israel He represented Himself before Peter and
Nathanael and those there as Son of man.
202 Now, He has need
go by Samaria. And He goes up to Samaria, and there He found a woman setting
at the well. We know the story, and as she--they talked together. She come to
get water. He said, "Bring Me a drink."
And she said, "Now, there's segregation here, and we can't have this. And I'm
a woman of Samaria, and You're a Jew. We don't have..."
He said, "But if you knew Who you were talking to, you'd ask Me for a drink."
She said, "Why, the well's deep; what You going to draw with?"
And the conversation went on till He contacted her spirit. And when He contacted
her spirit, He found what her trouble was. How many knows that? Now, how many
of you newcomers knows that the truth? That's right; that was true.
And what did He say? "Go get your husband and come here."
She said, "I have no husband."
And He said, "Thou has said well. For you've had five husbands, and the one
you're living with now is not your husband." She turned.
208 Now, she wasn't
like them priests, said, "He's got a devil. He's a fortuneteller or something."
She turned, and she said, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Now, we haven't
had one for four hundred years. The church hasn't been used to such as this.
But we perceive, I perceive that You are a prophet. Now, I know that we're looking
for the Messiah. And when the Messiah comes, that's the thing that He'll do."
Now, the Bible said He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. If that was
the anointed sign of Messiah back there to the Samaritan and to the Jew... Now,
it never was done before Gentiles. Nowhere in the Bible did Jesus ever do it
before Gentiles. They had four thousand years of looking for a Messiah; we've
had two thousand years with their training also, to look for a Messiah.
Now, if that was His identification just before their day was finished, it's
got to be our identification; because He promised the Son of man would reveal
Himself again in the day that the world become like Sodom again. And anybody
knows we're there. See?
212 Now, I believe that
Jesus Christ keeps every Word. All Scripture is inspired. I don't believe we
have one right, and will be condemned for it, if we add one word to It or take
one Word from It. Revelations 22 says so. I believe He's the same yesterday,
today, and forever.
I certainly honor the Lutheran for their stand in their day, the Methodists
for sanctification in their day, and the Pentecostal for their stand in their
day; but we're living in another day. We're living when there's been stalk,
tassel, shuck, almost like the wheat, but the wheat's inside the shuck. The
shuck has just supported the wheat, kept the hot sun from burning it. And now
the denomination is pulling away from it, so It can lay in the Presence of the
Son to get ripe. So we are--we're in... There won't be no more organizations
rise up. This is the end of it. We've had, always about three years, when a
message starts, they organize it.
This has been going on for nearly twenty years and no organization. It can't.
We're in a wheat time, a harvest time. I can hear the great combine coming.
We're going home one day. Right. "He's the same yesterday, today, and forever."
215 Now, I am not He,
but I am His servant. I do not believe that you lay hands on people and give
them gifts. Gifts and callings are without repentance. They are predestinated
of God, to meet the age and the time of that age. Any Bible student knows that's
the truth. Moses was born just in time, Jeremiah, in time, all the rest of them,
John the Baptist, in time. Jesus was in time, and we're in time. This is what
is supposed to happen.
Now, I claim that He is alive today, and His Spirit... After the church ages,
we're in the Laodicean church age, the last call, and the worst of all of them,
'cause He was put out of the church. Remember, Son of man, and He was put out
of the church; not an organization out of an organization, but a Person out
of an organization. See? None of the other church ages had that, just the Laodicea.
If you're spiritual, you'll understand.
217 Our heavenly Father,
now I have testified truly of You. Now, if this be true, which I know it is,
Lord, I believe it true, You testify that I've told the truth. In Jesus Christ's
Name. Amen.
I'm going to ask something just a moment. I wasn't going to have any discernments
in the line, because I thought all of you had just been in my ministry. But
for these people that's here, let the--some of you people out there go to praying,
and let just someone in the line or something. And now, if Jesus Christ will
take this human being... Now, it won't--won't work without you. You're the one
who does it.
Now, listen, a woman touched His garment one day, and He turned around, said,
"Who touched Me?"
They all said, "Why, You seem..." Or as Peter said, "Why, the whole crowd is
touching You."
He said, "But I perceive that I've gotten weak, or virtue's gone from Me." "Virtue"
is "strength." And said, "I perceive that I have--I have gotten weak."
And so He looked around upon the woman until He found her, and told her about
her blood issue, and that she... He said, "Thy faith has saved thee." All right.
Now, He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. And the New Testament, the
book of Hebrews, said that right now He is the High Priest making intercessions
for you, that can be touched by the feeling of your infirmity.
Now, here, is that--is that one of the patients here, sir? Come.
224 Now, for the audience.
I do this not for a show, friends. Now, stop thinking that. Remember, I get
your thoughts. How many knows that's true and sees it?
Here is a woman that I--I've never seen. I don't know one thing about the woman.
We're probably born miles apart and years apart, and here we stand here tonight.
We're strangers to each other. I don't know you. Now, I have no idea. Here,
here's a--here's Saint John 4 again, a--a man meets a woman. Now, I'm not Jesus
and she's not that woman. But here's just similar. And He said, "The works that
I do shall you do also." Now, I don't know. It takes this woman's faith to do
it. I don't know nothing about her. But now, if I have told that which is truth,
then God's obligated to make the--say this is right. Now, not knowing you, if
God of heaven, and I have told the truth...
Do you believe that what I said about that is the Truth? You accept that to
be true? You believe that? I wouldn't stand here before this Holy Bible and
try to mislead someone, a man of my age, and know I've got to meet God yonder
at the judgment bar. We've got to stand there someday. We know that.
Now, if God can reveal to me, something in your life, that you know that I don't
know nothing about, 'cause I don't know you. If anything, it would have to be
something in your life I would know nothing about, have to be come from a supernatural
power. And then it'd be up to you, what you thought the power was.
228 Now to you newcomers.
Now, I hold my hand. Now, please don't walk around right now, 'cause (See?)
you're each a spirit. When I turn, you just feel like a--a pull from everywhere.
See, you're--you're human beings and got spirits. And you are a spirit. If you're
not, you're dead. So you just respect, just for a moment.
And you men here, pray. I wasn't expecting this, never come for this tonight
at all. I come just to pray for the sick. But that's the newcomers.
230 Now, you believe
that? If the Lord can tell me what your trouble is, or what you're here for,
something you have done, or ought to have done, or--or something else, then
you will believe? All right. I'm trying to contact your spirit. You see? That's
what I'm trying to do. Like He did the woman at the well, He talked to her a
little bit. See? He was asking for a drink. And that's what I'm trying to do,
is get your mind, not reading your mind; but trying to as He did, perceive your
thoughts.
You're here for a stomach condition. You got a stomach trouble. That's right.
Raise your hand if that's true. You believe now? Not only that, but you're hungering
for something else. You want the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Wave your hand if
that's true. See? I seen that Light move down on her, and then move back. See?
Go and receive the Holy Ghost, sister, in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
232 Do you believe now,
newcomer? Now, you say... Now, here (See?) when that anointing once gets started,
then here It goes. See, just as soon as the woman standing, there she is, she's
right now... She recognizes there's Something around her.
How many ever seen the picture of that Pillar of Fire, that Light there? At
Washington, D.C... See? Now, I wish... It's another dimension like. I'm looking
right at It. There It hangs right here by the woman. I'm looking right at It.
Now, I'm a total stranger to this woman. I don't know her. And I doubt very
much whether she knows me, only just by being out in the meeting. That's all.
But if God can tell me something about you, or something like just awhile ago,
would you believe me to be His prophet, His servant? You'd believe that with
all your heart? Well, may He grant it. You are--you're facing an operation,
and that operation is about your hand. There's no places on them, but it's a
nerve condition in your hand. That was caused by an accident, and you're supposed
to be operated on. You believe, and you won't have to be operated on if you'll
just believe with all your heart. Amen. You believe, and you'll get well.
236 Just--just have--just
have faith now. Just don't doubt. Just believe. Now, here, let this one more
woman, 'cause this woman is in a critical condition. You see that black shadow?
How many ever seen the picture taken of the black shadow of death? It's hanging
over the woman right now. If God don't help her, she can't live. She has a tumor.
And the tumor's in the brain.
Dear God, if You're presence, so close now, that knows all these things, I pray,
dear God, that You'll heal our sister. Let her live, Father, for Your glory.
I ask in Jesus Christ's Name. Amen.
238 How do you do? You're
a mighty nice person. If mother had lived, she'd have been about your age, I
suppose. She's in glory tonight. She'd always pray for me when I went to meeting.
I said to the Lord... Ma'am? ["I'm eighty-five."--Ed.]
Eighty-five years old... Bless your heart, sister.
Now, I am a total stranger to you, I suppose. We're years difference in our
age. And I don't know you. I've never seen you. We're just two people met here
on earth, but you are a Christian. You're a believer. 'Cause the reason I know
that, is the feeling of your spirit. You're--you've welcomed me. See? And I
do believe it to be the Holy Spirit, 'cause It gives the works and actions of
the Holy Spirit. See? And I know It's Him. I know this thing that we speak of
is true. Now, I know it's the truth.
240 Now, I don't know
what would be wrong. But if the Lord Jesus would reveal to me what would be
wrong with you, would--you would know whether it was right or not, or tell me
something that you've done, or ought not have done. You'd believe it was that
same Lord Jesus, same God that could tell Philip where he was, tell Simon what
His name was? Do you believe Him to be the same One?
Your trouble is a bowel trouble. That's exact. Isn't that right? You believe
me now to be His prophet? Your name is Mrs. Bayer, Mrs. Bayer; Bayer, like Bayer
aspirin. That's right. You're healed. Go on, Jesus Christ make you well. God
bless you.
You believe with all your heart? Now, if you just have faith, don't doubt...
243 Now, you're really
not here for yourself. You're here for somebody else. It's a man, and he's not
here, a brother. That brother is in a mental institution. Take that handkerchief
you got in your hand, while the Spirit is on you; send it to him. Put it on
him; don't doubt; he'll come out of the institution and be well. Do you believe
it? God bless you.
You say that... "You said that Angel in the last day there He had His back turned.
Are you look..."
I won't look at this woman. I turn my back. Now, lady, the one that's the patient,
can you hear me, say, "yes." If the Lord Jesus will reveal to me what's your
trouble, when I'm looking this way, you'll know whether it's the truth or not.
Is that right? You believe then it's to fulfill what Jesus said, "It would be
done in the last days, as it was in the days of Sodom"? Will you believe it?
You have a lady's disorder, a female trouble. Believe with all your heart now;
it'll leave and you can go home, be well. God bless you.
"If thou canst believe..."
246 You believe God
will heal that heart trouble? Well, just keep on walking, saying, "Thank You,
Lord." Believe and you won't...?...
Get up of a morning, you can hardly move. Arthritis is a bad thing, but Jesus
Christ is the Healer of arthritis. You believe that? When you step off of a
curb, sideways, going down... I see you doing that. You won't have to do that
no more, if you'll believe. You believe that I was sent for this purpose? Then
in the Name of Jesus Christ, may it leave her.
You got stomach trouble. You believe God will let you go home, eat your supper,
feel good about it? Go on your road; eat your supper; believe and you'll feel
fine.
You have a weakness comes over you (That's right.), because your heart's bad.
That's right. You don't have it no more now. Go, believe it.
What if I didn't say one word to you, and just laid hands on you, would you
believe me too--that you'd get well? Come here.
Dear heavenly Father, I pray that You'll heal the woman and make her well, through
Jesus Christ's Name. Amen.
252 How many people
here believe, how many of you newcomers, all you people?
Just think, and I can't hardly see the people coming now. Just remember, one
vision caused the Lord Jesus to get weak. How many knows that? One woman touched
Him. Daniel saw a vision and was troubled at his mind, his head, for several
days. How many knows that? See? All right.
Now, how many of you people believe that, that this is the Holy Spirit? Do you
believe it with all your... Not me now, the Holy Spirit. Now, here's men setting
here that believe that too.
Now, some, now some more of you people that's got them prayer cards, I want
everybody that's going to be in this prayer line, stand up to your feet just
a moment.
256 Now, look, I want
to ask you a solemn question. Have you confessed all your sins that is there?
You believe? Have you confessed, and you--you believe that you're going to be
healed? You've confessed all your sins and made all the wrongs right? Raise
up your hands, if you have, before God, you believe that.
And now, with your hands up also, do you believe it takes the Holy Spirit, and
this is the Holy Spirit that's just a vindicating Himself among you? You believe
that with all your heart? You do? Then every one of you can be healed.
Now, do you have faith and confidence in these ministers setting here? Do you
believe them men too? How about let's pray for you, each one, and then let you
come by and lay hands on you.
This makes me so weak, that I just go on like that, it just--it just gets me.
And I just--I'm going to South Africa after this. For, oh, my, you know how
it is down there where you can't even talk to the people, and there'd be...
We're at least expecting three hundred thousand, one single meeting.
So you just believe. You're here in America; you've seen It in and out.
262 Dear God, these
people are needy. And I don't know nothing else that You could do, Father, to
prove to them by Your Word, that You're the unchanging God. I believe that we
have seen so many great things, Lord, and ate from Your table, with such dainty,
wonderful eternal Food of Life, till we become--it become too accustomed to
It. It--it becomes a common thing. We're not, we don't approach It right, Lord,
when we see... Even I think of myself standing here, I should be on my knees,
knowing that right here that Spirit that raised Him up from the dead is standing
right here. The Spirit was on Him when He was living here on earth is right
here now. And we, poor unworthy sinners, through His grace and mercy He bought
our lives. And here we are, today, carrying on His work, as He said that we
would carry on His work. "The works that I do shall you do also." Promising
these things and proving them, here in this world, Lord, I am so grateful to
You, that I could be counted a part of the people of Yours in this last day.
Dear God, these people are standing. They're sick, Father. I have no way of
healing them. And neither do You now; You've already healed them. You were wounded
for our transgressions, with Your stripes we were healed. So, Father, I pray
that each one of them passing through here, when we're going to pray for them,
that they'll come like they were walking under the cross. For they know, beyond
a shadow of doubt, the a-vindicated Holy Spirit is here on the platform. The
Christ of God is right in the meeting. Forgive every sin. Take away every unbelief.
And may each of them be healed as they pass through this line. In the Name of
Jesus Christ, I ask it. Amen.
264 [A
brother says, "Brother Branham, if we can have everyone sit, and take one section
at a time, that way then they won't crowd."--Ed.] Yeah. All right.
Now, I want to ask something. Will you, my brethren, stand here with me? You
see, here's one thing about it. Many evangelists goes into a city, and they
do all the praying for the sick, and all the rest of it. And when the congregation,
when it's gone, the--the--the people's only built around the evangelist. See?
That isn't so, people. These men, I doubt anyone in this age... I know it, there's
a lot of impersonation, but I won't say what I was going to. But these men might
not do that, that's true, and I very much doubt it.
But they're just as ordained of God to lay hands on the sick, as I or anybody
else. God's just as much to answer their prayer, as He would be to any prayer
there is. Jesus has commissioned, "These signs," didn't say will follow William
Branham, Oral Roberts, so forth, "it'll follow them that believe." And these
men are filled with God's Spirit. They're baptized people, with the same Holy
Spirit. That Spirit was here doing that work just a few moments ago, He's still
here. He's on each one of these men (See?), and they're all filled with It.
So I'm going to ask them to make a double line along here on the sides of this
row here, if they will, so that they can lay their hands upon the sick too,
as they pass through.
268 And they want those
who have prayer cards to stand, prayer cards only, to stand out in the aisle.
And the rest of you pray, just a few minutes now. Stand, on each section, just
stand right out to your left of your section. Stand out, to your section, and
then they'll just call you. When you see this line up here ending, let this
line walk right into it. When this line ends, let this one walk into it.
And when you come by, now, remember, you'll just be taking a walk unless you're
believing. How many of you know, you just feel in your heart, that you've prayed
through about this, and you're going to be healed as soon as you pass through
this line? Raise up your hand, say, "I accept it, Christ, right now, just because
You commissioned these things."
270 Now, I pray for
every one of you. We're going to pray. I'm going to ask Sister Rose or ever
who's at the organ over there, Sister Rose, will you please play "The Great
Physician Now, Is Near," for us. And let the people, all the other people, be
in prayer. And as they pass through this prayer line, I believe every one is
going to be healed. God bless you. The rest of you now keep your head down,
and be praying for others.
Be real sincere. See, that's how that little Baptist preacher got the Holy Ghost
the other night. He was thinking about it, just setting there, real sincere,
and It fell upon the whole group of them. You got to be sincere with God.
272 Now, He's proved
He's here with you. He is here. Now, when anybody tells you that this is just
a bunch of excitement, you know better now, don't you, you newcomers? He vindicated
Himself; it's Him. And no one else could do that. This hasn't been done for--since
the days of the apostles. It's just now come back to the church, as was promised.
The Lord bless you now.
Now, you people, as you pass through this line, come, praying. Everybody now,
"The--the great Physician now is near, the sympathizing Jesus." Now, when you
come, come with your heads down, in reverence. Pass by, and these men lay hands
on you, you'll be healed.
275 Just recently, oh,
it's... I don't say recently. The case was in my mind now. It's been about three
or four years ago, or more. We was right here in California. Two women came
by there, one of them had a--a--a growth on her face, and the other one had
a stomach trouble. And they believed it just so. I laid hands upon them and
said, "Now, I do this in the Name of the Lord Jesus."
It was almost a month later. That lady was trying to eat with that stomach trouble,
she just couldn't do it. One morning, "a real cool feeling went over her," she
said, and she went to eat. And she run down to tell her neighbor, and her neighbor
was shaking the sheets, like that, trying to find the growth that had left her
face that night.
See, just believe, friends. If He does that for one, He'll do it for all. And
it's just a simple thing of laying on of hands. And that's what He said do.
We don't know how it works. I don't know how it works. It's just His promise.
He said it would do it. And I've found tens of thousands around the world; they
just get well. God promised to do it, and it's His promise. See, we just believe
that.
278 Now, we're all coming
over here. You that couldn't get up, move right up close, and we're coming over
to pray for you. Now, I want each one of you men to go right along here, laying
your hands in here, if you will, right along there. And I want to stand here
and pray, and then come lay my hands on them too. All right, get right in here.
You all move right up close, so everybody can reach them now.
Dear God, in Jesus Christ's Name, we're praying for these people, some of them
are afflicted, crippled. There them hands of those ministers, Lord, are going
back and forth from one to the other. I pray that You'll heal each one of them,
Lord. Let the Holy Ghost come upon them people, each of them, Father. And may
the great power of God overshadow them just now, and may they go home and be
well, knowing this, that Jesus said, "If they lay their hands on the sick, they
shall recover." You promised it, dear God. We are believing it. We are believing
it, because You said so, and we know that it's so, so shall these people be
well. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I bless them all. Amen.
280 God bless you. [Brother Branham and ministers lay hands on the sick. Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... my heart accept healing for every one of you. I believe that. Will you believe it with me, each one of you now? That's all. I told you the truth, just as far as I know it. I love you, and God bless you. And I--I believe with all my heart, you're going to be well. And may my blessings be with each one of you now. May God watch over you and protect you. You're in my prayers. Will you pray for me while I'm in Africa like that? I--I--I love you. And I'll see you tomorrow night.