Expectations

Good evening, friends. That was just in time, wasn't I? I'd had to spring that one on a run to get up, because a....

Brother was just giving the testimonies of everything happening. And Brother Hall just wanted to bring the x-rays to show me that he was healed and so many talking about great things. And today he was reading letters that, oh, my, it just stirred my heart. The mail's so heavy, it'll take me a week to get through it. So I'm happy to hear those wonderful testimonies.

One lady was telling me in a the letter today about.... She was.... Cancer in the very worst stage and that I had saw her in a vision, and was at my hotel room, and come, and spoke, and told who the lady was and what her conditions was. She was healed and normal and well now. The lady's in the audience. Oh, God bless you, my sister. And many other great things that our Lord has been doing, and I'm just so happy and then many of meeting me and saying different things happening. I just trust that they'll never cease, just keep on going, and....

How many's been healed in the meeting, let's see your—been healed by divine healing? Let's see your hands in the meeting. Oh my, just look. Some of them crippled, been people blind, and deaf, dumb, and in chairs, crippled up, paralyzed. How our Lord has worked with us in great, marvelous ways, and how happy and thankful we are for that tonight.

I was just talking to my Brother Shakarian. Now, all of you know Brother Demos. He's here somewhere. I think he's setting right over here to the right. How many knows Demos Shakarian? Let's see. Oh, sure. Would you stand up, Brother Demos? There's something.... Just raise yourself up, will you? Oh, I.... Brother Demos Shakarian [unclear words]. Nearly all of you know him here. He's from down Downey around here. A very fine brother that we've had much friends.

No one knows this man of course. This is Congressman Upshaw. He.... Was talking to him back there and I have—was just thinking.... I could.... Tonight seem like that God put it upon my heart tonight to come and maybe just before going to Africa.... I would like to have my farewell meeting, maybe at my hometown in Jeffersonville.

If I could get that auditorium there, right where the—this was ministered to me. And I would like to have my farewell meeting there. If I can, I'd like to give everybody an invitation to come. All my friends.... At my home I'd like to gather a big group of us together and go right to the little cabin where He met me and talked to me then. And just gather out there on that hill by the thousands and offer our praise to Almighty God right there for what He's done before we plunge to dark fields of Rhodesia and in India, and down in—and back into Jerusalem. I would be so happy....

I don't know whether they—whether I could get that at that time or not. It seats several thousand people, and I would be happy to do it. If it is, I'll have it announced in papers and things. And if you're vacation is that time; I wished I could say I'd pay your way up there, but I'll take up a offering and do the best I can. If I take up an offering.... I never took one in my life. So I might be easier to almost have hitch-hike if you take my offering.

I told you about one time I started to take my first offering. Did you ever hear me about the first time I started to take an offering? I couldn't do it.

I told my wife.... We got in one of those places where we couldn't make ends meet, you know. And I said, “I'm going to take an offering tonight. ”

She said, “I'm going to set right down in front and watch you.” And so, we was just had a tough time. We almost had to do it.

I thought, “Well, I just can't make that. I just got to do it.” I never did take an offering in my church, so I.... Not because they wouldn't give it to me, because they would, but I just.... I was big enough to work, so.... I'd.... Right now....

Now, this is not to be humble, or it's not to show off, but from the bottom of my heart, I wished I had a place where I could work while in these meetings (That's right.) so I wouldn't have to even take up an offering or something. That's the truth. I just dread the thoughts of taking up an offering. Don't know why, but I've often seen that three things that hinder a minister. One main three things, one of them is money, and the other is women. The other one's popularity. That's exactly right.

When a man gets to a place, he just has to scream, and cry, and carry on, and think so much of money, he forgets God; he's gone. That's all there is to it. That's right.

We have to meet expenses and so forth, and the next thing, when.... I have the greatest respects for women, Christian women. I think that a good woman is a—one of the best gifts that God could give a man outside of salvation. I believe that. A good woman, but.... I better keep still right there.

I married a little old fat girl up there I love with all my heart. I've never seen a woman to take her place. So I know as long as I stay a Christian, I'll feel that same way. That's exact.

And the next thing is popularity. When.... Sometimes God can give a man just a little bit of—a few friends or something and they.... Which we all love friends. Now, don't get me wrong. I just love friends. But when you get to thinking.... Maybe you'd had a little audience of people or something a little above the average, begin to think, “Look who I am,” brother, you're on your road right down right then. That's right. That's....

So it should be that way. God knows what's best. That's true. And you have to watch that. Satan sure throws it out there, awful flowery. But if we just stay under the blood, and you pray that I will. Now remember, I'm.... I could fall, but if you keep praying for me and God keeps loving me, I'll make it. And I believe if He prayed for me and I try my best, God will continue to love me then. So I'm.... I pray for each one that way.

And that's the reason in my meetings I usually have a night for ministers to pray for the sick. Last time when I was here, you don't know the fine letters I got at home, you minister brethren. Every meeting I always try to get the minister, the local pastor before the people, let them come and pray for the sick. I'm not the only person to pray for the sick. No, sir. Any Christian that believes in Divine healing is ordained to pray for the sick.

You notice, one night I'll have you stand up and put your hands on one another, and if the person gets healed, then the person say, “Well, sister So-and-so had her hands laying on me.” See? Or, “Brother So-and-so had his hands laying on me.”

Many times a Christian has his hands laying on a sinner. He said, “A Christian man laid his hands on me and I got well.” See? After all, it's the Lord Jesus that does the healing, see. It isn't who's doing the praying; it's Who's doing the healing and who's doing the believing. That's the main thing. It's your faith that heals you (See?), not mine, yours. And so there....

I like to have a night and let all my ministering brethren. come up and stand up and let the people come and pray for them. And when the anointing of the Holy Spirit's down, then let the people come through the line, and the ministers lay hands on them and.... Oh, my. It gets the ministry before the public.

And you don't have to wait till somebody's got a healing campaign in town to be healed, because your pastor or your neighbor that's a Christian, anybody's got a right to pray for you.

The Bible said, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another that you might be healed. If there's any sick among you let them call the elders.” Now, we call them in our groups, we call them the deacons. See? The.... “Let them call the elders of the church, let them anoint them in oil.” It's not call the “elder” but “the elders,” plural, two or three. Where two or three are gathered together and agree and pray (See?), that's the way to do it. And after all, we're here to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ, His mercy and His goodness to us. And we're thankful for Him.

Now, beginning on the fourth day of June, our dear Lord being willing, we're to begin over here at this Bible College at.... You know where he said last night. I can't speak Spanish, so the.... [Someone says, “Costa Mesa.”] Yes, sir. That's where it's at right where he said then: Costa Mesa? Is that right? I'm improving, Bobby. And so I.... That's where the next meeting is going to be at Costa Mesa. And.... I got that wrong now there, did I? [Someone says, “About right.”] Just about right? He said as near as he was, so I'm getting along pretty well.

So that will be the next meeting after Oregon, going up to Grant's Pass with our Brother Hall, where a people up there has went out and built a big tabernacle and we went up there in one meeting and almost, I think, almost paid for the thing, didn't we Brother Hall? Paid a whole lot on it in one meeting. See? And so then with the.... We're going back again this time. I wish you all had them big tabernacles everywhere, just everywhere. You got one here in Los Angeles, and they should have them everywhere over the country, that when we can't get those auditoriums, there'd be big tabernacles open (You see?), like that.

The world with their jazz bands and things has the auditoriums all tied up. But I'm thankful for places like Calvary Tabernacle and different places like that. We can come in here and have a meeting. Thank you. [Congregation applauds.] Thank you very much.

And so this time it's in a tent. And we were out there today looking the place over, and it's a very nice place. And we hope we have a good meeting in there. Tell your neighbors down in that part of the country to come. Now, the Lord bless you each one.

I think that this meeting has already produced a great result. And the fact that we're all kind of in strain because of so many different meetings going on in the city, and we.... I haven't heard of—from Brother Freeman, but I know he's having a good meeting. We're all praying for him that he will have a good meeting.

And we got crossed up a little bit there, not he and I, but through some way a misunderstanding or of management getting the meetings together. They didn't understand either. But it might have been God's will for us to do this (You see?), that we—that we can see that we're brethren, and at the Angelus Temple and the other places where the meetings are going on.

And I understand that Brother King or Cain. [Someone in congregation says, “Paul Cain.”] Brother Paul Cain is to come in, beginning, I guess, Thursday night. Is that.... [Someone answers, “Starts Thursday night.”] Thursday night in this very tabernacle here. And we pray that God will give Brother Paul Cain a very wonderful meeting here with hundreds of souls saved and many healings, and fill with His Spirit and goodness, getting ready for the coming of the Lord.

I'm happy that Brother Kopp here throws his doors open for all of us to come in here at this temple. And the board of deacons and whoever, what the control is, management.... I want to say another thing for our ushers and so forth that you got here. They're wonderful men. So happy for them.

Now, I wish to read just a few words. I'm not sure whether I read this since I've been here or not. But if I do, why, I don't mean to retrace things, but I've been around down in [unclear words] so long here that.... This is the longest I believe I ever come and stayed in one place since I been in the ministry, is right here in Los Angeles. And this is my second trip back in a few months apart, few.... And then nights run anywhere from three to five nights, and we're on the move somewhere else.

Now, in the Book of St. Luke the 2nd chapter.... I'm going to watch the clock and do my best. I talk too much. Mother said I talked before I walked. You know what the old saying is, “Your tongue's your ruin.” That's right. Maybe that's right, but I'm talking for the Lord now.

And so, in the 2nd chapter of St. Luke, beginning with the 25th verse, just to read just a few verses and then pass a few comments and then to call our prayer line....

Tomorrow night after the main line is—one of the lines are over, I'm going to have a ministerial night. I want all the cooperating pastors to get their place here and to set up here on the platform with me, while.... [Blank spot on tape.] ... group the people up, and let all the pastors be out here and along with them praying for them after the service and—that you all might see great signs and wonders to be done. Then Wednesday night is closing night.

Now, in.... We read this way in the Word of God.

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:

For my eyes have seen thy salvation,

We bow our heads just a moment. Our beloved Saviour, tonight we're happy for this privilege to gather here in the house of God in the company of this people to worship Thee, as David of old said he would praise the Lord in the congregation of the upright. And we're so thankful tonight that the Spirit of God still makes our hearts rejoice to praise Him in the congregation of the upright. And now, Father, grant tonight that in each heart there will be a manger made or a room made that Jesus of Nazareth might come in with all the fullness of divine faith, that He might stand in each heart tonight and take the initiative side and take away all doubt, throw away everything that's unlike Him, Lord, all the unbelief and skeptic ideas, and just take over the heart, and oh, what our eyes will see then. What a night this could be, Father, just by every Christian with one accord while we're gathered here where the Holy Spirit has fallen many times. Save; fill the believers; heal the sick and the afflicted, and constantly meetings are going on. What a place and what a time just now for Him to come tonight just at the eve of the closing of this meeting, Lord, and sway every heart to Him with full assurance that He's here, present tense now, to deliver every person that's in the building from anything. And every redemptive blessing is theirs by faith, by believing just now.

God, for these next few minutes just hide us away. May the shades be pulled down of the cares and thoughts of this life over our memories and our hearts. And may we just see Jesus and Him alone. And we know that if we could draw a picture of the love of God, ten million times more than the seas of this earth, banked into one tube a few inches across would reach billions of miles beyond the stars. And thinking of the pressure that there would be on the bottom of that tube. How that water with all them billions of tons of pressure trying to press down, and yet the love of God is searching our hearts tonight, great powers of strength that He would like to find one little crevice to leak through, to come into our lives and give us this great power and unction beyond even man's understanding.

Grant it, Lord, tonight that the doors of heaven will be pulled back and the Holy Spirit will take over full control. May our souls be flooded with such a rush that we'll forget all about being crippled or being sick, and just rise to the feet, glorifying God, taking Him at His promise, claiming His redemptive blessings. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

I'm thinking just now of this aged old priest that we just read about by the name of Simeon. And he was a man who waited for the consolation of Israel.

There's been times where the church has got real low, but God has never been without a witness since the world began. He's always had somebody that He could put His finger on and say, “That's My servant. And I can send him anywhere I want him to go and he'll go.” Aren't we happy for that? God's ministry....

And the day had got very dull in those days. There were hundreds of people, thousands of them that had turned away from the traditions and away from the faith, gone back, lukewarm. But there was a little remnant who looked for the consolation of Israel. That was John the Baptist, and Simeon, and Ann, the prophetess at the temple, and many more who waited constantly believing that God would fulfill His promise. They was waiting. They believed. No matter how long the promise had been, they believed that the woman's seed would come and would bruise the serpent's head like God promised.

Now, the waiting of the Messiah had been four thousand years. And in every generation they had looked for the Messiah to come, but that didn't stump Simeon. He was an old man in his eighties, but still he believed that he would see the Messiah. And he had a long white beard, I can imagine, and white hair. And he was a great man among the people. He had a great prestige. But he had a testimony besides that. That's what I like.

Besides all of his scholarships and all of his popularity, he had a humble heart before God, a receptive heart that God could deal with. And he had a testimony by that that he was going to see the Lord's Christ before he died. Think of it.

Great men, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, a string of prophets and righteous men had looked for the coming of the Messiah for four thousand years: great men. But yet this man, even eighty years old, approximately. He was an elderly man, believed by theologians he was in his eighties. An old man and yet went around and said, “I am not going to see death before I see the Lord's Christ.”

Why, they'd say, “Simeon, why do you think that?”

“Because the Holy Ghost revealed it to me. And I'm not going to see death until I see the Lord's Christ. And I believe what He says is the truth.” Amen. Oh, my. That'll get us feeling religious right away, won't it?

You know, I feel religious once in a while. I can shout. Yes, sir. You might.... That's.... I know salvation don't altogether rest upon shouting, but that goes with it. That's right. And yet somebody said, “You're an awful noisy Baptist.”

Well, I'm a Pentecostal Baptist now, you know. So I got the Holy Ghost. So I.... When the Holy Ghost comes in, He does the carrying on. I just help Him. Amen. I just act out the way He's feeling in me: rejoicing.

Now, I think of Simeon, the Holy Spirit revealing it to him that he was not going to die now until he's seen the Christ. Although he was awfully old, but.... And he had a lot of prestige. Now, what if he thought, “Oh, wait a minute, maybe that's just an expression down there. Now, I just.... Maybe I'm just—I'm just a little worked up. I'd better not say this around where people can hear me, because I've got a great prestige. I belong to the big church, you know, so I'd better be careful.”

But he believed God. And he believed what the Holy Ghost said, it was the truth. And he expected to see Jesus be—or Christ before he saw death, because the Holy Ghost revealed it to him.

How many times God's working with people in the ages past.... When you're expecting anything.... And the only way that you can be expecting is upon some sort of a revelation or a promise.

If I told you I was coming to Downey, California, over here to this place in California on the.... I.... That's where it's at, Costa Mesa. If I told you that I was coming to Costa Mesa.... If I could spell it, I'd write it down, but seventh grade education couldn't get that out.

Anyhow, if I told you I'm coming on June the 4th to begin there, you kind of believe that I'll be there, don't you? If I say I'll meet you there, well, if all possible, I'll do it. Because a man of his word will be honest and keep his promise, let alone a Christian.

Now, there may be something happen that I can't, but as far as I know, the Lord willing, I'll be there. Now, you'd believe that. And the people believe it, so they're are fixing to erect a big tent down there and fix it up. Now, that's because that we promised to be there. I promised I would come back here. And when I got here, found out other meetings was going on. Oh, my. I thought, “I'd better get back,” but I promised that I was coming. So I had to stay here. I promised it. And so God has rewarded us for keeping our promise.

Now, Simeon believed because the Holy Ghost had promised him. He was looking for it. If you're expecting it, you got something behind that you believe that God has promised it, then you got a right to expect it. Is that right? When God promises it....

Now, I might break my promise, because I'm a man. And your friend might break his promise or her promise, but God won't break His promise. He can't, because He's God. Can you imagine how pure and unadulterated His promises are, how infinite?

Why, if I'd go to a spring and my grandfather drank out of that spring and it was clear, and testing the water, it was a hundred percent pure.... My father drink out of it; it was hundred percent pure. And all down through life, I'd dranken out of it at a hundred percent pure, why, I'd have enough faith to go back and believe if I take a drink of water, it would be all right. Wouldn't you?

Through the generations, down through several generations, it's been proven one hundred percent pure. Why? Because the stream that's gushing it up, where it's coming from, its foundations down here, its bed, is throwing up pure water. Now, if it'll test one hundred percent pure, how much more will the promise of God test one hundred percent right. Because the basis of it, God's Word comes from God, which is infinite and pure and holy, and He can't lie, for He's God. There you are.

Now, when God promises anything, say, “That's right.” Amen.

I was thinking when I was talking to the Congressman this afternoon, when I met him, about when he'd been all these years on these crutches and crippled, and the times he'd been prayed for. But he had stood here, and he had seen what the Holy Spirit had said to every one while revealing the hearts and the secrets of the hearts. And he seen that when He'd told people, no matter what was wrong with them, that they were healed, they got up and acted on it and was well.

Then he thought, “Oh, if he could only tell me.” And there the Holy Spirit fell down, told him his condition and all about it, and said he was healed. Up he got. He believed it. No matter what the ifs, how long he'd been crippled or what it was all about, God had done made the promise, and it was him to believe it. Amen

God's promised, “Where two or three are gathered in My name I'll be in their midst.” He's here. And whatever they agree upon and ask, they shall receive it. Whatsoever things you desire when you pray, believe you receive them, you shall have them. They'll be given to you. Now, isn't that wonderful? That's the promise, God's promise. We believe it. I believe it's so.

Not long ago standing at the place when the—this Angel, supernatural Being came down and spoke this, “Who am I?” King, monarch, rich man, poor men and all, thousands come, and, “How could I believe that?” But I know He had told me the truth every time that He spoke to me. And I knowed that was bound to be the truth. And I stepped out saying it was so, and He fulfilled it. And I've never seen Him, and He never will say anything but what's right, because He can't; it comes from God.

Daniel, when they told him they was going to throw him into the lions' den, he was expecting God to be there. He believed that he lived right before God and he had a right. And every day he raised the shades, if there was any in them days, towards the temple and looked towards that holy temple and prayed. Because he believed that there was a burning sacrifice on the altar at that hour at the temple, and he believed that God heard his prayer, because there was an innocent substitute died in his place making an atonement. And when he went into the lions' den, he did not fear the lions because he was expecting God to deliver him. Amen.

Jonah, there's the man that had a lot of symptoms. People think that.... When I look.... They was prayed for, and say, “Well, my hand isn't any better.” That don't mean you're not healed. When you're prayed for, you're healed. And frankly, you're healed before you're prayed for. For Jesus died at Calvary to heal you and paid the price.

If you had a watch in the pawn shop, somebody went down and paid the pawn bill, or ever what you had on it, and the man gave a receipt and sent it back and said here you are it's paid off, you've got a right to go down, not pay for the watch again, go down show the receipt and take your watch. Is that right? Or whatever you got pawned....

And listen. The devil put us in the pawn shop, back there from Adam's sin. But Jesus came down and paid the pawn bill, wrote it on the Word. I got a right for it. Amen. “Satan, get back.” I got a right for it.

Mayo brother told me, “You can't get well.”

I said, “I got a right to.” Amen. My....

He said, “Well, you inherited it from your father.”

I said, “But my heavenly Father redeemed me.” Amen. I'm out of the pawn shop now. Amen. So just move over Satan.

He said, “I'll just pull symptoms all around you.”

And I said, “Stand around, listen at me testify. I'd like for you to hear me.”

He said, “I'll make you sick.”

I said, “I'll testify that much harder. I'll make that much more testimony. If you want to hear me praise God, stick around a little while, you'll hear me.”

I just kept praising God and made it so hot for him he had to flee. Just heard him scoot off his old slewfoot right down the street as hard as he could. Had to. Why? The Gospel of Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Ghost, was burning him up. Amen. He had to. God's Word's right. We've got a right for them redemptive blessings. Let's expect them. Believe them. God's going to bring them to pass, don't you believe it?

I am not taking very much discernment these nights. I just turned myself loose to feel good with the Holy Ghost with you all while I'm here on this time.

And we got a right to anything God promised. Just claim it, receive it; believe it; go on. You got any symptoms, forget about them. The symptoms don't mean nothing. That's right. Just believe it.

Not long ago in Houston there was a boy came by, I believe I might've told you about it the last time I was here. So many things that's happened....

There was an old man.... I'll tell this one then. There was a fellow named John Rhyn, and the fellow was blind. And he was at the meeting here and at Fort Wayne. And he come in the meeting. They was several thousand people had gathered in that night, and about two nights after the piano had played “The Great Physician now is near the sympathizing Jesus,” when the Angel of God in a whirl of a halo whirled down in the room where I was at, and I thought the custodian turned the light on me. And here.... When I had the little boy in my arms, I dropped him, and, why, the girl, Nazarene girl, playing the piano, she jumped up and started running and screaming. She seen that little boy walking off the platform normal. Why, she jumped up. And she was playing “The Great Physician,” and it just kept playing on,

The Great Physician now is near,

The sympathizing Jesus;

He speaks the drooping heart to cheer,

No other name but Jesus.

There He was playing.

About a night or two after that, this old man came through the line. I prayed for him, had a line coming just as fast as they could. Two men was leading him. He was blind. And he said, “Is this Reverend Branham?”

I said, “Yes, sir.”

And he said, “Well, heal me,” said.

I said, “I can't.”

Said, “Well, why can't you?”

I said, “Jesus already done it.” And I said, “I couldn't do what He's already done.”

He said, “Well, can....” He said, “Will you pray for me?”

I said, “Yes, sir.” And I prayed. I said, “Do you believe me?”

He said, “Yes, sir.”

I said, “Go on. You'll get your sight.”

He said, “Well, just a minute.” He held me by the coat. He said, “Just a moment.” Now, he said, “Will I receive my sight?”

I said, “Yes, sir. You're going to receive your sight, going to be all right.”

And He said, “Well....” walked off on along little piece, and he come back. Said, “Say, you told me I was going to receive my sight.”

I said, “That's right.”

He said, “You said I was healed.”

I said, “You are.”

He said, “Well, you told me I was healed, and I can't see.”

I said, “That don't have nothing to do with you seeing.” I said, “I told you.... [Blank spot on tape.] The man, by the way, was Catholic by faith. And I said, ”Look, sir. You told me that you believed me.“

He said, “Well, these other people are talking about out here, they're healed and well.”

I said, “You are too, sir. Get.... Give the Angel of the Lord a chance to....”

And he said, “What must I do?”

I said, “Do you believe what I told you?”

He said, “Yes, sir.”

I said, “Well, I want you act like it?” See? I said, “Go on off here testifying, saying, 'Praise the Lord. He healed me.'”

He said, “All right.” They led him off, and he hollered, “Praise the Lord for healing me.”

The next night the old fellow interrupt the meeting four or five times. He was setting up in the balcony. He'd say, “Everybody be quiet a minute.” He'd raise up and holler, “Praise the Lord for healing me,” and set down.

And I was speaking, you know, when he'd say, “Just a minute, Brother Branham.” He'd holler, “Praise the Lord for healing me.”

The ushers went over there, and I shook my head; let him alone. See? He was having a good time at it.

Well, afterwards he went out on the street, and he sold papers, and he was, “Praise the Lord for healing me.” He'd holler, “Extra, praise the Lord for healing me.”

And the people laughed at him, made fun of him. They thought, “The old man's gone crazy (You see?), went crazy over religion.” See? So they had thought he was ready for the institution.

So he went on like that for several days, guess up to two or three weeks. And one day a little newsboy was sold papers near him, led him over to a barbershop to get a shave. And the barber, a little smart-aleck, was always trying—had more sense than he had gumption to know how to take care of. So he was whetting his razor, and he had Mr. Rhyn shaved about halfway down on his face. He said, “Say, dad, I heard when—that you went up to see that divine healer not long ago.”

He said, “Yep, I went up to see him.”

Said, “I heard you got healed.”

He said, “Yep, praise the Lord. He healed me.” And his eyes come open in the chair. He looked around; he said, “I am healed now.” And he jumped out of that chair with the towel around his neck, and out the door he went, the barber behind him with a razor, down the street. Now, he couldn't see perfect. He could see objects and everything, screaming to the top of his voice. And that man, John Rhyn's in Dowagiac, Michigan, as far as I know tonight, preaching divine healing by faith. That's right. What was it? He expected God to heal him.

Jonah, backslid.... (Now, you know I'm not a Baptist. All right.), went in the belly of the whale, missed his calling, went.... God had him tied hand and foot, throwed him out in a sea, probably three or four miles deep out there from Nineveh. Look at him now, on a stormy sea, hands tied behind him, backslid, throwed out into the sea; a whale swallowed him. Yes. You believe that? I believe the whale swallowed Jonah like the Bible said.

A little girl once.... I think this is Brother Redigar said this, Paul Rader's friend, and I believe it was at the Fort Wayne Tabernacle. A little girl got saved, and she was coming up the street. She had the Bible over her heart and just singing, you know, and her hair plaited back, and her little face a shining. And she was singing that good old hymn.

So there was an old infidel standing on the side of the street. He looked over at her and said, “What you so happy about, sis?”

Said, “The Lord saved me.” Oh, said, “I'm happy.” Said, “Are you saved?”

He said, “Oh, no. There is no such a thing as that.”

Said, “That's all you know about it.”

Said, “Well....” Said, “Do you believe that Book you got in your hand?”

Said, “Yes, sir. I believe every bit of it,” a little old girl all fired up with the Holy Spirit, you know.

Said, “I guess you believe that story about the whale and Jonah.”

She said, “Oh, yes, sir.” Said, “I believe it. Sure it's the truth.”

Said, “How're you going to prove it besides any other way.... besides faith?”

She said, “Why, when I get to heaven, I'm going to ask Brother Jonah.”

He said, “Perhaps Brother Jonah won't be there?”

She said, “Then you ask him.” That's right. “You ask him.” You know where he'd be then. All right.

I believe it's the truth. Amen. Yes, sir. If the Bible said Jonah swallowed the whale, I'd believe it because it's the Word of God. Amen. All right.

There he is now, backslid, stormy sea, hands tied behind him, belly of a whale. Every time that fish eats it goes to the bottom of the sea and or the.... A goldfish, when you feed him, he'll go down and throw his little swimmers out and rest at the bottom of the water, the bowl. He's found his prey and fed and went down to rest.

The whale probably after he got a bellyful of backslidden preacher went down to the bottom of the sea, throwed his wings out like that, or his fins, and he was going to rest awhile. Here this Jonah was down there, seaweeds wrapped around his neck. Oh, talk about symptoms, he had a right to have them. If he looked this way, it was whale's belly. If he looked that way, it was whale's belly. Everywhere he looked was whale's belly. My, you're not even in that bad of shape tonight, no matter where you're at tonight. Look around everywhere, whale's belly, he had plenty of symptoms, didn't he? More than you got.... But you know what he said, “They are lying vanities.”

He said, “Lord, once more will I look to Your holy temple. Now, I ain't going to look at the symptoms. I ain't going to look at how deep I am in the sea. I'm not going to look to my backsliding. I'm not going to look at these seaweeds around my neck. I'm not going to look at the whale's belly, but I'm going to look beyond that to Your holy temple.” Amen. There you are.

Now, he knowed if he could ever pierce through that symptoms, three miles of water, through the whale's belly, onto the temple and get a prayer through to God, something was going to happen. Amen.

I can see him turn over on his knees and say, “Lord, I'm sorry I backslid. I'll take the right road if you just let me out here.”

And you know what? Why, he had faith. When Solomon dedicated that temple of the Lord, he prayed that if God's children be in trouble anywhere, would look toward that temple and pray, then let God hear from heaven. And Jonah believed if he could look towards that temple, he had God's promise that he was expecting the whale to get him out. God made that old whale so sick till he puked him up on the shore. That's.... Well, I.... Excuse me; I didn't mean to say that. Vomited him up on the shore. [Congregation laughs.] I didn't aim to say that folks. Honest I didn't. Anyhow I'm just a country boy, but I'm just as sick when I'm puking as you are when you're vomiting, so....

All right. He put him out upon the shore. Is that right? Aw, it made him sick. If you go into a church that don't believe in divine healing, claim your rights in Christ, you'll have the same experience. That's right. Fellowship not with darkness.

Notice, he looked towards God's holy temple, and if Jonah in the belly of the whale could look towards a earthly temple, where Solomon prayed, how much more ought we tonight look towards the heavenly temple, where Jesus sets at the right hand of God, shaking His bloody garment, making intercession for your cancer, blindness, whatever it might be. Hallelujah. Oh, a brand new case of old time Holy Ghost religion (Yes.) brings you out of it. Expecting his prayers to be heard....

That old whale went right on toward Nineveh just as hard as he could go. God set an oxygen tank down in there and kept him alive. All right. He got it somewhere; I don't know where God put the tank there, but he had the oxygen there that kept him alive. All right.

Like God told Elijah, “Go up and set down up there at the brook Cherith. I've commanded the ravens to feed you.”

My, they said that fellow's crazy, you know, making such a prediction like that, like the Holy Ghost talked to him, and said it ain't going to rain until he calls for it. You ever hear of such a thing? God told him so. He believed God. He went right up there by the brook Cherith and set down. Every morning here come some ravens, packed him along some food. He set down, and handed it down to him, he eat [unclear words] God, knelt down and got him a drink of water and went on. Dinner time come along, here come the ravens back, give him some more. Say, “Where'd them ravens get it?” I don't know. They got some sandwiches somewhere. They had meat and bread. I don't know where they got it, but they brought it. Elijah accepted it and eat it and lived.

A doctor one time said to me; he said, “Brother Branham, don't you believe those people was shouting and going on like that, don't you think that's just emotion?”

I said, “No, sir.” I said, “It's the Holy Spirit.”

Said, “Where's it come from?”

I said, “I don't know. He brings it. I accept it. I live by it. I don't know where it comes from. God commanded it to come. I believe it.” Hallelujah.

Yes. He said it was so. I believe it. Oh, do I feel religious right now. Um. [Blank spot on tape.]