Expectancy

Thank our Brother Baxter. Yes, sir. Good afternoon, friends. Very happy to be here to hear these stirring talks of these men: Mr. Jackson from South Africa. Just as I stepped behind the curtain there, just as I come in, I was—wanted to hear it. I was a, I guess a little too late for the dedication of the baby, but I was.... Brother Baxter's give me some notes on people to be prayed for.

We want to thank our Lord for what He did last night. He was marvelous, and I just believe it'll be the—really, the exceedingly abundantly.

And I was glad to get to meet Brother Bosworth again. You know, we was talking about him last night, he and his son and them. And Brother Bosworth is feeling very much led that he's to go on ahead of us to South Africa. He wants to go down right away with a—to make arrangements down there and have some services down around Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Grahamstown, Kler—Klerksdorp or—I guess I pronounced that right: Klarksdoff, and Bloemfontein, and through that part of the country there. And just before we come down.... We're.... According to the vision that the Lord has given me in—to return to Durban, and then from there to Bombay or somewhere up in India. And you just remember what I have told you last evening about the vision that the Lord gave, and see if it isn't just exactly that way.

Now, your contribution this afternoon, thank you so much for it, the Lord bless you. Brother Baxter did a very nice job of doing that, which he knows how to do it. We don't beg for money. Never.... I wouldn't have a manager that would beg for money. When come time that our meetings won't pay out, it's time for me to go home. And we don't believe in that. And we've been amended by many of the brethren throughout, and in magazines, and so forth, of keeping the financial part down, saying nothing about it. We have to have finances to run the meetings, but there's none of it personally—just for our meetings. And we.... And if I.... Many and a many times have I dumped the love offering they give me in it. All that isn't just exactly what I have to eat.... And people give me my clothes. And what I don't have to have, that goes right straight to foreign missions. And I know this: to be a steward over His welfare, if it goes to foreign missions, and I go myself to take the message that the Lord has give me, then at that day I'll know I've done the right thing with God's portion. And you....

Sometimes we go into a city, and we'd give it over to different organizations, and so forth. And we wouldn't get out of the city till they'd be calling us “holy-rollers, divine healers.” And I give it to a certain organization one time, and I looked, going down the street in a great big Cadillac car, and a man with a big cigar and diamond rings, drawing about six—seven hundred dollars a month, just going around to distribute the money that.... Well, that wasn't right. Poor little children, starving and hungry.... And I know one thing, as Brother Jackson was saying them little natives back there, and so forth, never heard the Gospel, don't know nothing about Jesus.... No. It's in my heart to take the Gospel to them. And the general orders was, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” And that's what this contribution, and everything that I.... Every penny that I don't have to use just to keep my meetings a going, that goes right in till we get enough fund to go. And then away we go: Sweden, or wherever the Lord would lead.

Now, we're waiting now for South Africa and India. And on that great day, that when our Lord shall come and the dead in Christ shall rise, this mortal shall put on immortality, and we stand before Him to crown Him King of king and Lord of lords, I trust that every man and woman this afternoon, that even put a penny into that offering, that it'll be multiplied thousands of times for you in this life, and eternal life in the world to come. May God give it to you is my prayer. And with a.... As a steward of His welfare, of His finance, I do the very best that I know how to keep it reverent and before God and to....

Soon as we get just enough.... We don't get too much, because we.... It's a great strain, that you realize how we have to hold the meetings. But we just go down, take the offering. Whatever we take, that's just all right. You see?

Now, Brother Bosworth, I said, is supposed to go ahead. He feels led of the Lord to go ahead of us down there to get some of those smaller towns, where we're coming back up into the other place, up into Durban. Pray for Brother Bosworth as he goes.

And I don't know just when He'll be sending me, but I know I am to go. You remember I told you the vision last night. I will have to go there, for the Lord is sending. And I'll do the very best I can to preach the Gospel. And I know Brother Bosworth is a very, very good teacher and will be quite able to do whatever he wants—or God wants him to do.

You know, it's strange, as I see him standing right here trying to speak to you, the Angel of the Lord is near, and I just seen a woman healed with stomach trouble, just right now, setting here in the meeting. That's right. That right? You had it, didn't you? Is that right? Raise up your hand. That's right. You're healed of it now. You just been healed while you were setting there.

Oh, there's many times, if I just speak what He shows, but I just seen that poor woman setting there. And I just looked around and she was so interested. When I said something about I was to being very reverent with the money to take it over there, she nodded her head some.... She might know somehow. I don't know. And she was very sincere. I looked around and I seen a table move before her and seen her moving back like that. I knew it was stomach trouble. I looked back again, and I seen her eating then. I knowed she was healed and might as well tell her. That's right. So....

Here's a dear person that's just been.... The brother has been in an airplane crash and has been killed; it's Ben and Florence Smith. And here's another in here: “Special prayer, Brother Branham, for a man who's in the hospital and [unclear words] that's only forty-two....” All right. Let's bow our heads and pray for these while He's here now.

Heavenly Father, I pray that—as You look down here on this desk this afternoon and You see these people, oh, I think of that bereaved home of that man being killed in that crash. God, all things work together for good to them that love You. Trusting that his soul was right with You, and today he wouldn't return if he had to. If he was asked to, he'd take his choice; he'd stay where he's at. I pray that he was saved, Lord, that You'll comfort all his loved ones, and let them know this, that he said, “I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those that are asleep, for we believe that Christ died and rose again the third day, even so, them that sleep in Christ shall God bring with Him.” We believe that, Lord. He said, “Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.” And we believe it's the truth.

And if this earthly tabernacle be dissolved, we have one already waiting to move into: one, not made with hands; but God Himself has made us a body, that when these spirits shall be set free from this one, we go to that glorious body. Realizing that one day that the blood of bulls and ox and sheep covered sin, but the blood of Jesus takes it away, and we go right straight to the presence of God. How we thank Thee for this. Oh, no wonder we can stand fearless, Lord, because that we have the vision. We have the assurance of the Holy Spirit, and He's here to vindicate and to prove God's power to us, that He loves us and is with us in these dark hours of the closing of the world's history.

This other man here, Lord, in the hospital, I pray that You'll heal him. May Your Spirit be upon him and deliver him this afternoon. And may his testimony cause others in that hospital just get up and walk out and be made well. Grant it, Father.

May there be an old-fashioned meeting, somehow, some way, Lord. Break through here in America and do great things before our Lord comes. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

How many is going to pray for Brother Bosworth as he goes on down? Let's see your hand. All right, Dr. Bosworth, see—I believe you're seated in the balcony. The Lord be with you. And these people will be praying for you and so will I. And then, will you be praying for us as we go down later on wherever the Lord will lead?

Now, when.... Sometimes when you're debate here and witch doctors and everything else standing near, and skeptics and unbelievers and everything trying, first thing falls on my mind is, “My loved ones in America is praying.” Somebody's bound to be praying, because we got literally hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people that pledged they would pray. And that many people, there's prayer going before God constantly for me (See what I mean?), constantly moving all the time. So that's the way....

The Angel of the Lord told me to go, and so that just makes it fearless to me. See, I know He's here. Now, you people setting here this afternoon, just.... I don't know whether I'm going to speak or not. I.... The Angel of the Lord's moving down this aisle again, there's.... You believe I'm a fanatic? No, sir, I'm not. I'm telling you the truth. And your prayer cards that the boy gives out, that has nothing to do with your healing. This woman probably never seen a prayer card, knows nothing about anything about that, or any of the rest of you out in the audiences there that's been healed and knows that you don't have to have that. The only thing you have to have, is to believe what I'm telling you is the truth; and that is, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, that He rose from the dead, living among us today, just like He did those disciples down at Emmaus. He's living here. He does things. Now, those disciples had walked with Him all day and didn't recognize Him. But just the way He done something, they recognized that It was Him. Is that right?

Now, you went to Sunday School this morning. You might've sang your songs, and studied your lesson, and so forth, and come back like all normal Christians do. But just looky here what He done just this afternoon, setting right here. Don't you realize that He's here? It's Him and He's here to make good anything that He has promised in His blessing.

Now, in the.... I don't have time to preach. You realize that. I've just go thirty minutes. I want to use it for a testimony just to bring it right to a point for something, in a little text like, and try to watch my clock back there to be out at four-thirty, so you have time to get back here at seven-thirty for the services.

Now, tonight's the closing service. How many's going to be praying for great things tonight? That's wonderful. I try to get back around.... I believe the boy told me that he'd be giving out the prayer cards around six thirty, or something like that. And come in; bring your sick and afflicted, and lay them up here close. And be praying for them. Don't worry about the prayer card; just be praying. And then God will do the rest of it when you just.... Just be praying.

All right. In the second chapter of Saint Luke, a very familiar Scripture concerning the birth of our Lord, I want to read it just—not to follow up this missionary talk. Certainly not. But to, just to get a point that I believe that'll help you tonight. I.... How many of you here is Christians, raise your hand? Oh, it looks like a whole hundred percent. That's wonderful.

Something happened in this meeting that's never happened before in my—any of my meetings. Right while the Angel of the Lord was a dealing with the people, He stopped and said, “Make an altar call.” And I heard Brother Baxter, my brother who's a genius at that, give an altar call the night before—or I believe, maybe the same night. I don't know when it was. But I just walked in, and Billy had come out and met me and took me around to the room. And when I heard him make an altar call, and I walked out and about five people stood to accept Christ, and then right in the time, at that time where the Lord was moving out over the audience, then He stopped me and said, “Make an altar call.” And thirty-some-odd came. See?

See, obedience, do what He tells you to do. No matter what it looks like, do what He says do and God will take care of the rest of it. Don't you think? Oh, if the church could only get to a place where we just forget about the routine, or whatever it is; just lose sense of time or anything else and just stay with God: do what He says do. Don't you believe the church needs a spiritual leading like that?

We've got our programs all drawed out, and lined out, and so forth. I don't believe it was ever intended for the apostolic church of God to be led by a program. I believe it's God's program to lead us by His Holy Spirit, just the way He will.

Now, in the 23rd verse of the second chapter let's read. I believe that I have that right. Just a moment. No, it's the 25th verse of the second chapter.

...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 to him by the Holy Ghost, ... (Not the association; the Holy Ghost) ... that he should not see death, before he'd seen the Lord's Christ.

And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought ... 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,

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

For my eyes have seen thy salvation,

May the Lord add His blessings to this Word now, while.... If you'll give me your undivided attention for about thirty minutes, by the clock back there, I'll try to have prayer and be dismissed. But I wished you would listen close now. I want to testify.

Now, I want to testify by a text. I'm going to take the text and call it this: Expectancy: To Be Expecting Something.

Did you ever expect something? Usually, you get just what you expect. Did you know that? If you come to the meeting and would say, “Well, I'm going down there. There's nothing to it.” Well, that's just what you'll get out of it. If you'd get down there and say, “Well, I—I'll go down there; but there's no need of me going because I—I ain't going to get healed,” well, that's just the way you'll go back. But if you come expecting God to do something for you, He'll do it. If you expect to find something to criticize the meeting, criticize the way it's conducted, Satan will show you plenty of it. You'll find plenty. But if you come, not to criticize the meeting, you've come, saying, “God, I want to see where You are in it,” God will show you Himself in it. Just whatever you expect, God will give it to you. It's your expectancy.

Now, I want you to come tonight expecting to see God move in the greatest way He's moved since we been here. Let's ask God not to leave one crippled person, one blind person, one deaf, one dumb; not one sick person, or crippled person in our midst tonight. Let's believe in it. Will you do it with me? And I believe God will do it, if we'll be expecting that now, for everybody to be healed.

Usually, as we're talking of expectancy, why, we think whatever we expect to do, that's what it'll be. And now, if I'm expecting to—I got an engagement or an appointment to meet you, I expect you to be there. And I know one thing; that we, every one today, got an appointment that we're going to meet God somewhere, sometime or other. Do you know that? “It was once appointed to man to die and after that the judgment.” And we're all going to meet that. Some men's sins go before them, if you confess them here. Some follow after. So let's meet God now. Let's get the thing right and then be expecting Him when He comes in His glory and power, for Him to say, “It was well done, My good and faithful servant, enter into the joys of the Lord.”

Many things that I've noticed along the journey.... I remember one thing, especially, when I was having a meeting. I'd just started off in my services. And I never will forget.... My wife's not here this afternoon, so I can tell this all right. And we went down.... I went to St. Louis first, where little Betty Daugherty was healed, where all the doctors of St. Louis had give her up. And I went there and prayed. And Mr. Daugherty, a very well known minister in the city, had just been revealed to me about two weeks before that. I didn't have money to go over on the train, and my congregation took up eleven dollars to buy my ticket over there and back. And I didn't have a coat, so one of my brothers let me have his coat to wear. And I went over on a chair car and got there the next morning. Mr. Daugherty standing out there, he was—he was expecting something. He said, “Brother Branham, I have heard that the Lord Jesus has visit you to show visions.”

And I said, “That is right.”

Said, “Do you know anything about my daughter?”

I said, “No, sir, I do not.” We went up to their house and the little thing laying there screaming and going on. She weighed a.... Just a little curly-headed girl, just in a terrible condition.... And I said, “What does the doctor say?”

Said, “Oh, Brother Branham, I've spent money after money and none of them even can tell what it is.” Said, “They think it's Saint Vitus' dance but they're not too sure.” And said, “She's laid like this for weeks, and the churches has fasted and prayed, and we don't know what to do. And someone told me about....” How, I don't know who....

And so, I went in and prayed for the little girl. All groups of people were in praying. We went down through the—from the parsonage to the church and prayed down there. And I went back. Nothing had happened. In them days, I didn't have meetings like this, of course. When I went to one case, I stayed there with that case till I found out what God was going to do about it. So then....

And I went on out in the yard and I walked up and down. I didn't know too much about St. Louis. I walked down the street a little ways and back. Hours passed, and I'd been there about eight hours then, and I was setting in Mr. Daugherty's car, and right out across the car a vision begin to move. Then I knew what would take place.

Then Mr. Daugherty, the old father of Reverend Daugherty, come to the door, and he said, “Brother Branham, have you heard anything yet?” And young Mr. Daugherty was coming around the house.

I said, “Yes, I have 'Thus saith the Lord.'” He begin screaming and throwing up his hands. And I said.... He was somewhere from.... Their home was—had been up in Kentucky, but they'd moved up into St. Louis where he was sent by his church, I think, to take a charge there. And then I said, “I have 'Thus saith the Holy Spirit.'”

He said, “What must I do?”

I said, “Now, first go in and take everybody out of the house but your wife—all the people.”

He said, “All right.”

I said, “Don't doubt nothing now.” And we went in, and we walked into the room, and there was the little girl lying there. I said to mother; I said, “Now, don't doubt anything. You go to your kitchen.” I never seen where her kitchen was; it was a large house. And I said, “Down in the bottom of a drawer you'll find a little pan, like that, that you just bought about two days ago: blue granite. It's never had nothing in it.”

She said, “Yes, sir, that's right.”

I said, “Fill that about half full of clear water right out of the faucet and bring me a white handkerchief.”

And she said, “All right.”

She went and got it, and I said, “Now, Reverend Daugherty, you kneel down here on my right hand side at the foot of the bed, and father—the father, I said, ”You, kneel down here,“ (the father of the Reverend Daugherty, the grandfather of the child); He did.

I said, “Now, Mrs. Daugherty, while I am repeating the Lord's Prayer, when I say, 'Our Father Who art in heaven,' you take that rag out of the pan, squeeze it out, and wipe it over her face. And then, about middle of the prayer, you wipe it across her hands. And then, at the end of the prayer, you wipe it across her feet, for 'Thus saith the Lord,' the devil that's got that child bound will leave when the last water's put on her feet.” I said, “Don't doubt.” And she.... Why, her little tongue was all eat up and her lips and everything, her eyes sunk back.... Weeks and weeks, and I think she'd been bedfast....

If you want to write to him, that's Reverend Robert Daugherty, 2002 Gano Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, if you want his [unclear words] you want his address to write. And so it was a, he went the.... The little thing been there, I think, three months like that. Nothing could stop it; just screaming and clawing its little hair like that, and the streaks on its face and screaming; its mother all worn out.

So we knelt down. I said, “Our Father who art in heaven....” Mrs. Daugherty rubbed the little rag across her face. On down when I said—at the end of the prayer, to “Amen,” when I said, “Amen,” the little child was still screaming. Then I raised up, and I said, “Lord God, who created heavens and earth, who hath sent to pray for this child, in the Name of Jesus Christ, I ask the spirit of sickness that's on the child to leave.” The little girl looked around, said, “Mommy, where are you?” And her mother begin screaming, dropped the pan, fell back in the floor like that. The father begin screaming and laid down in the floor. You'd have though he was a holy roller then (Uh-huh.), so then, the way he was carrying on. And that old dad, the grandfather, fell across the bed and begin to praising God. All formality had left then.

The little girl got up. I took her by the hand. I said, “Honey, what would you like to have?”

She said, “Who are you?”

I said, “I'm Brother Branham.”

And she said, “I would like to have a—one of these milk shakes, you know.”

I said, “Let's go get it.” I just passed a drug store. With her little pajamas on, for the first time out of bed for three months, walked to the drug store and ordered two milk shakes and drank it with the child. And the doors were packed and jammed and the lawn around there. We had a meeting in St. Louis, over at the Kiel Auditorium, and the first night there, fourteen thousand people packed the thing out, and they had to turn them away: Expectancy. See what I mean?

On down into Jonesboro, Arkansas.... How many knows Richard T. Reed, at Jonesboro? Somebody in here. Somebody's got their hands up. Brother Reed.... That fellow there, back over in here.... Very fine man. Was you at the Jonesboro meeting when I was there? All right, here's a confirmation. Good.

We had several days of meetings. My wife had never seen one of the meetings like that: just my first going out. And the people had packed in there till they—I believe “The Sun” paper, “The Arkansas Sun,” said there was twenty-eight thousand people that had entered the city. And if the paper said there's twenty-eight thousand, they were every one there. And so, they was just packed out into, for, as much as thirty and forty miles around the city. You couldn't even find a farmhouse that had a room to rent. And they'd had a places set up and food concessions, and the people in the literal building, the auditorium wouldn't even get out; they'd stay there, and they'd bring in, their loved ones, hamburgers. That's where I stayed for days and days and days trying to pray for all of them.

And I remember the night, my wife came down. We was two city blocks away. The police was out there, just the streets was standing full. Not the auditorium, and the yards, and the fields, and the streets—everywhere, just standing, blocked with people, see if they could hear something going on. And when I got down there, four ushers was standing to get me down through the crowd. I never did know what become of my wife from there, how she got through there, how she got back. And we got to the place. And just as I got up to the place where the auditorium was, well, I come in on the platform.

And just as I come to the platform, I looked. A place had been roped off like that with nothing but just ambulance stretchers. Two nurses was standing here and a little girl dying with TB, about fifteen years old. She kept looking up at me. I knew that she was going get healed. I could tell the way, just the same as I knew that lady was going to be healed just then. Now, I knew she was going to be healed. And I kept watching her.

Just a few moments, I kept seeing somebody motioning like that, with a blue suit on, standing back that way. And it looked like a cab driver. I said, “Are you calling me, sir?”

He said, “Yes, sir.” He said, “Brother Branham....” They had about fifteen ambulances backed up out there, the ambulance row. He said, “I have come down....”

There'd been a man healed that day from Kennett—Clement, Missouri, I believe it was—up that boot-heel part of Missouri. The man had been totally blind for ten years, drawing a blind pension. And that night he was healed there at the meeting, and went back. Why, the next morning he got in home about daylight. He had his blind cane, his hat on the cane like that. He comes walking down through Methodist church a screaming and praising God (They throwed him out.), carrying on. He went over, run up into the Catholic church and turned him out. Why, he was about, set the city wild, everything.

And they took him out there and had him on the radio. He come through that little station down there, over from Jonesboro, I think, and.... Oh, Bly—Blytheville, Blytheville station. You, I guess you, back there from Arkansas, know where that's at, the Blytheville station. That's where they were—his broadcasting had him on the radio that morning. He was a shoe cobbler there, years and years before that. And there he was, perfectly normal and well. And he could see. He stood right there in church and read the Bible and everything: had been totally blind; drawing a blind pension for ten years. And so they was just having an awful time.

He.... This man said, “I have brought patients down here. And I got a woman out here that's dying out here now, if she isn't already dead.” And said, “I can't get the doctor nowhere,” and says, “I—I don't know what to do.” Said, “Can't you come to her?”

I said, “Brother, looky, there's probably a thousand people walled to that wall there? How could I get in there?”

And some men stepped out, said, “We'll take you if you want to go.”

Brother Reed stepped up to the platform, said, “Go ahead.” And out through there—and the pitiful part, them dear people.... I ain't saying this because there's some Arkansas people setting here. See? But I tell you, they may not have too much of this world's goods, but they sure got faith that can make some of these big cities feeled ashamed of themselves. That's right.

They come down there. I seen young girls pack their shoes and stockings in their—in their hands, and be coming. They wouldn't know I was in woods there praying. And see them walk along the side of the road, barefooted, and then put their—dust off their feet and put their shoes and socks: young ladies, sixteen, seventeen years old, and go right on to the church like that. Come in old cotton wagons and things like that, trying to get....

And here, some time ago somebody wanted to give me a Cadillac car. And I said, “Do you mean to tell me that I have....” I said, “Brother, I'm glad you got one.”

One said, “We just gave Avak one; why not give you one?”

I said, “Look, brother, you mean to tell me that I'd go down through Arkansas, and some of them poor little women out there pulling that cotton sack, and their back broke, and eating fat bacon, perhaps, and cornmeal for breakfast, and say, 'There goes Brother Branham,' going down the street out there in a Cadillac car?” I said, “Not me, brother. That don't run in my blood to do that.” No, sir. If I got what I deserved, I'd ride a bicycle or be walking if it was going through there. No, that's right, brother.

But it's all right now, any of you's got a Cadillac, I ain't saying nothing against a Cadillac, but that's just.... That's for you. See? All right.

Anyhow, in there, these poor people, laying out there.... And I'd got to the ambulance, and he got me up there: and friends, one of the most pathetic sights I ever seen. There in that ambulance was an old dad down, the souls of his shoes out, patched.... Oh, when he put me in mind of my own dad, his old blue shirt, faded and patched all over. An old hat in his hand was sewed with twine-cord, around like that, him saying, “O God, give her back to me. God, give her back to me,” wringing his hands like that.

And the driver said, “Here's Brother Branham,” called him by name. And I—and I....

“Oh,” and he said, “Oh, Brother Branham, she's dead; she's dead.” And he said, “Oh, mama's gone,” started crying.

I said, “What is it, dad?” And I looked.

He said, “Look at her.”

Well now, truly, I don't think the woman was dead. See? But her mouth was open to.... Her teeth would been taken out, and she had.... Her eyes were set way back, and like muddy water, like, run down the side. Her forehead was stiffened.

Now, I've seen people that was dead, and I seen the Lord bring them to life. If I had time I'd testify and tell you about it; but you've read it in the magazines and papers, and seen the notary seals and so forth that testify the same thing. I've seen three dead people that was pronounced dead, and laid out and gone, that's come back to life, because Jesus Christ did it. That's right. And....

But anyhow, in this case here, I think the woman was in a coma. I'm not sure. But I went up there and I took a hold of her. She was.... I shook her, and she was laying..... And I said, “Can you—can you—can you hear me?” And her mouth was just open. She was laying stiff. I said, “Dad....” I had a hold of her hand. And I said, “Dad, let us—let's pray.” And he said.... I said, “God, please console the life of this poor man here, that his wife....”

He said, “Oh, Brother Branham, she was so sweet.” Said, “She—she.... We've raised our children.” Said, “We done it. We horrowed over them old clods together, all through her life.” Said, “We've worked so hard.” And said, “And [unclear words] she took cancer.” And he said, “When she got sick,” said, “I—I sold my farm. I done everything to try to save her life.” And said, “And I sold my mules.” And said, “And I—I spent everything.” And said, “The doctor's done the very best he could, but they couldn't stop it.” And he said, “Brother Branham, how we come down here,” said, “we sold her quilts that she's been quilting and making.” Said, “And—and some of those blackberries that she canned last year,” said, “we sold them to pay for the ambulance, bring them a hundred and fifty miles down.” Said, “She's gone now, Brother Branham.”

I said, “Well, dad, she was a Christian.”

“Oh, yes, Brother Branham, she was a Christian.”

I said, “Well, you'll meet her again.”

I said, “Let's pray.” And we got to praying. And as I was praying, like that, I said, “Lord God, You made heavens and earth. You know all things. I pray that You'll console. Thou art God. I know not what to say.” And about that time I felt something moving down. I thought, “Why, that's just psychology. I'm just thinking that.” And I just kept on. I said, “Lord God, You know all things; all thing's committed to You.” And about that time, I feeled her hand twitch on mine. Now.

Well, Satan said, You know what that was?“ Said, ”That's.... She's dying; that's her nerves jumping like that.“ But all the time I could feel the vibration of that cancer. And now, the reason I thought—know she—didn't think she was dead, because that cancer would've went with it; but the germ of cancer was still there. I knew it.

In a few moments, the cancer ceased. It didn't move no more. And I kept holding her hand and praying. After while I looked down; she squeezed my hand. I knowed that wasn't nerves twitching. So he was still crying and praying. I looked over at him. And when I looked over at him, he was just crying and praying. I looked down to her, and this skin on her forehead was wrinkling back, and she was moving her eyes like that. I just held real still. He just kept praying just as loud as he could, just screaming and crying and crying, “God, give her back.”

And she looked over; she said, “Who are you?”

I said, “I'm Brother Branham.”

About that time he looked up, and he heard that, and he looked; he hollered, “Mother, Mother, Mother,” and he grabbed her in his arms like that and begin to screaming.

About a year after that, she was testifying on the radio about it in one of my programs down in Texas somewhere there where she come down, given a testimony.

Well, I said, “Well, I'm going to get back now to the car.”

And that man said, “My, Brother Branham, there's two thousand people packed between here and that door.” Said, “You couldn't get back if you had to.” Said, “Now look, the men that brought you,” said, “I sent them around at the back in a big parking lot. You know where that is, back behind the place there.” And he said, “Now, nobody knows you back there,” which they had been standing back there, but nobody got in. Said, “Now, you go down this way, go through this ambulance row, and come back around. There's an alley like that comes in behind that lot; then you come up into the place there's flood lights. Said, ”You go on up over to the corner, and they're trying to twist their way through those people.

And I said, “Why, they'd see me get out.”

He said, “I'll take my coat off and hold it up to the door like this so they won't see you.” Now, that looked like awful to do that, but I climbed over the seat and went on out the front way, side; went up through that row of ambulances there and come on up and started going through. And I was pushing people this way and that way (You know?), getting in. Was kind of drizzling rain.

Somebody said, “Stop pushing.”

I said, “Yes, excuse me.” I just kept on pushing, go right through them, going on.

Someone said, “Set down.” I just kept on moving (You know?), everybody....

And after while I pushed up against a great big typical Arkansawyer. “Excuse me.” Aha. And he said. And I pushed up against him; he's standing there whittling with a knife. And I.... Somebody bounced me over against him. I said.... He said, “Set down.”

And I said.... I was afraid he was going to set me down, so.... I said, “Excuse me, sir, I didn't mean to do that.”

Said, “Don't you know no better than to push like that?”

I said, “Yes, sir, I do, but I'm very sorry.”

He turned around and kept on whittling, and said, “As I was saying....” (You know?), talking like that.

And I thought, “Good.”

So I watched him a little bit. You know? And after while I heard somebody hollering, “Daddy! Daddy!”

I thought, “Where is that?” I looked coming down through the crowd. Now, the Jim Crowe law is in Arkansas: segregation, colored's not allowed with the white. So you know that. So then.... And I looked, coming down through there, and there come a young colored girl. She looked to be about in her late teens, very well dressed. And she was just as blind as she could be. Her eyes was white with cataracts as my shirt. And she was pushing along like that, hollering, “Daddy! Daddy!” no one noticing her.

Well, I thought, “That poor thing.” And I thought, “I can do something for her, maybe. And I looked around; I couldn't see the men. They'd never got around that corner yet to where the building, so I.... It was big great lot in there, way larger than this place in here—about a half a block, city block back there. So I—and I was standing there watching. And she started coming this way, pushing and bumping everybody, excusing herself, and going on hollering, ”Daddy! Oh Daddy! Where are you?“

So I just leaned over. It looked kind of....

Now, you.... Now, wait till this is over, because you'll think I was a hypocrite doing this. So I moved over to where I got right in the line; when she'd go this way, I'd stay this way till she bumped into me. And she bumped into me like that. Something told me go over there. And she hit me. She said, “Pardon me.”

I said, “Yes, ma'am.”

She said, “Daddy!”

I said, “What do you want? Who you calling?”

She said, “Sir,” (That's Southern talk. You know?); she said, “Sir, I want my daddy. I can't find him nowhere.” Said, “I—I just don't know who.... Nobody will help me.”

I said, “Where you from?”

She said, “I's from Memphis.” That's about eighty miles. I looked out there at those chartered buses and I seen one said, 'Memphis.'

I said, “What're you doing over here?”

She said, “I come to see the healer.”

Said, “The what?” Thought I'd just try her faith. Now, that looks horrible to do that.

And she said, “I come to see the healer.” She said, “They tell me this is his last night here, and I can't even get near the building. I lost my daddy. Nobody will help me back to the bus, and I don't know what to do. Will you help me, kind sir?”

And I said, “I want to question you just a minute. You said you come to see who?”

She said, “The healer.”

I said, “Do you believe such stuff as that?”

She said, “Yes, sir.”

And I thought.... Well, that kind of made me feel little.... You know? And I said, “Well, what do you...? How...? You believe he could—he could help you?”

She said, “Yes, sir.” She said, “Look, the....” She said, “I's was a little girl about ten years old. I got cataracts on my eyes. The doctor told me when they got ripe, he would take them out.” Now, what 'ripe' means, I don't know. But said, “When they got ripe, he'd take them out.” Said, “Now, they ripe, and the doctor says [Brother Branham coughs.] (Pardon me.) if he would take them out, he'd pull the optical nerves out of my eyes. And I can't never be healed until I go in the building and see him.

I said, “Well, woman, do you believe any such stuff as that, in the days that we got these fine doctors and medical science and things, and do you believe that that story about that Angel appearing to that man is the truth?”

She said, “Yes, sir.”

And I said.... Now, she couldn't see me, because she's totally blind. And I said—I said, “How'd you ever hear about this?”

She said, “On the radio this morning, I heard a man testifying, had been blind.” So that was the man from ten years, up there. Said, “I heard him testify and heard him read the Bible.” And she said, “Sir, that's the only hope I have to ever see.”

And I said, “Do you mean you believe such?”

She said, “Listen, sir, is there any way that you could get me to where he's at?” Said, “If you'll get me where he's at, I'll find my daddy after that.” Oh, my. That was too much for me. “I'll find my daddy if I can get in there.” Expectancy, if she could ever get where God was moving, something's going to happen.

I thought of that of that blind man, this mor—that morning. Then I thought of old blind Fanny Crosby:

Pass me not, O gentle Saviour,

Hear my humble cry;

While on others Thou are calling,

Do not pass me by.

Thou the Stream of all my comfort,

More than life to me,

I thought, “That poor, blind Ethiopian girl, standing there, how she was trying....” If one blind man could receive his sight, why couldn't she? And there I felt sorry for her. I said, “Look; be real quiet now, will you?”

And she said, “Yes, sir. Will you go take me in?”

And I said, “Just a moment now. Now, nobody knows we're talking.” I said, “Do you want to.... Who'd you say you want to see?”

She said, “The healer.”

I said, “Look. Do you mean, you want to see Brother Branham?”

She said, “That's him.”

I said, “I am Brother Branham.” Said..... And she grabbed me like that, and she said.... I said, “Look, turn me loose. Turn....”

“Oh, no. No, no.” She held me like that. Said, “No.” She said, “Is you the healer?”

I said, “No, I'm Brother Branham. Jesus is the Healer.”

She said, “Well, you's the man that prayed for that man that got.... Oh....” She said, “Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Lord,” just holding me like that, right by the lapels of the coat.

I said, “Look, lady, I want to take a hold of your hand,” but there's no way of doing that. I couldn't pry her hands loose. I'd pull like that, and she'd pull my coat. And I didn't want to attract attention, so I just got a hold of her hands like this and held them. I said, “Now, you bow your head and don't say nothing. Keep quiet, see,” I said, “because the people will push in here, and then I won't be able to pray for you.”

And she said, “I hear you. I hear you.”

And I said, “Now, bow your head and you believe that Jesus is going to give you your sight?

She said, “I know He is now.”

And so she bowed her head like that. And I.... Here's the prayer I prayed. I said, “Almighty God, the Creator of heavens and the earth, have respect to this poor black girl's prayer.” I said, “Some nineteen hundred years ago, there was an old rugged cross going down through Jerusalem, dragging out the bloody footprints of the Bearer. On His road up the hill, His little frail body, with such a load, fell. He couldn't go no farther. He was bleeding; a crown of thorns on His head; and His shoulders rubbed; His back bleeding; striped and wounded; the blood pouring out down along the street; His little frail body fell. Simon, the Ethiopian, a colored man, come along and picked up the cross and said, 'I helped Him bear the cross.'” I said, “Dear God, You remember that, Lord Jesus.” I said, “Here's one of His children, staggering in total darkness. And I don't know why You sent me around beside this building here, but they're taught the footsteps of a righteous man is ordered by the Lord. Then, Lord, all I know to do is to ask You. I pray that You'll give this poor girl her sight. Grant it, Lord.”

The vibration of the cancer, or the tumors on her eyes; cataracts stopped. That's the only way I had of knowing in them days. You know when that was going on, testified that this other would come. I knew she was healed then. I said, “Now, keep your head bowed.” I said, “Don't you raise your head till I tell you now. Now, you keep your eyelids closed.”

She said, “Yes, sir.” She said, “I feel real cool in my eyes.”

I said, “Just keep your head bowed.” I said, “Now, raise your head till just about where you think you'll look right about even with me.”

She said, “Yes, sir.” Said, “That about right?”

And I said, “That's about right?” I said, “Now, in the name of the Lord Jesus, receive your sight. Open your eyes.”

She said, “Is that lights?”

And I said, “Yes.”

Said, “What's them black—them spots passing by me?” Said, “Is that people?”

I said, “Yes.”

She said, “Oh, Lord, I who was once blind, can now see.” Oh, my, she attracted the whole country around. She screamed and jumped up in the air.

And about that time, I started to go through to see if I could get to the corner and see if the men had got there yet. And I seen an old man stand there, his foot twisted around on a mat, laying, standing there on a club like that, holding it. He said, “Brother Branham, I know you.” He said, “I've been standing here for eight days in this rain.” Said, “Two days of it I haven't been able to eat while I'm sitting here waiting.” Expectancy.

I said, “Do you believe?”

He said, “Just ask God. God will do the rest of it.”

I said, “Then give me your cane, in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Here lays my Bible before me. I stood with my own eyes, that I expect to look on Jesus with someday. And I seen him when he had his leg like this. He had a bunch of children at home. He was holding on to this old club like this.

He said, “Yes, sir,” and he handed that.... As he handed that way.... When his legs.... He jumped into the air like that, and screamed to the top of his voice, and begin to shout and throw up his hands like that.

And I started to easing.... I seen these men trying to get to me and everybody begin to run together then, coming from all directions. And, friend, people, trying to get you, they were trying to hold the babies over like that, trying to get them to even touch me or something: faith, faith, expectancy. They believed.

And listen, this is no sin. Till that time, I hadn't—didn't have a suit of clothes. I wouldn't even let them take an offering for me. That's right. Just.... I just lived by what people sent me by the mail. And my brother, one of my single brothers, had been in a wreck with an old brown suit. You remember, you people from Arkansas, I had it on: a coat of one kind, trousers of another. The trousers.... First, when we started out, he'd had a wreck, he tore the pocket off like this in the car, and he cut it down the side, two or three places. And the wife and I went down to the ten-cent store and got them kind of patches (You know?) you put on with a hot iron and iron them back and forth. I don't know, some kind of a patch. And that's the way we patched them. And this coat pocket here, I'd took a needle and thread and sewed it up. And I'm a long way from being a seamstress. And I sewed it up like that.

And it's the truth, when I'd go to meet preachers, I, preachers would come. I didn't know many preachers. And when they go to meet them, I was ashamed of that old ragged coat. I'd put my hand over like that with my right arm and take my left hand and shake their hand and say, “Excuse my left hand, but it's closer to my heart.” The thing it was.... It wasn't that; it was that old ragged coat that I didn't want them to see. That's right. But let me tell you something, brother. In the midst of all of that, the Lord God of heaven, people were pushing and crowding, trying to touch that old ragged coat and was getting healed. They was expecting if they could touch, God would reward. That same God that was in Arkansas that night is here today, if you can just expect God. It wasn't.... That old ragged coat had nothing to do with it; it was them people's faith in God. They had seen Him move and that they believed it. If you don't expect nothing, you can't get nothing.

Simeon.... Wish I had time to get into some of that. But here was Simeon, an old man, promised him by the Holy Ghost that he wasn't going to die before he seen the Lord's Christ. He didn't care what the rest of the ministerial association said; he believed the Holy Ghost told him so. There's not two Holy Ghosts; there's only one. That same Holy Ghost that told Simeon that—that he was expecting to see the Christ, is the same Holy Ghost that's telling you there's a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Emmanuel's veins. That's right. That same Holy Ghost that tells you there is a fountain open for healing. How many of you believe there's healing in the fountain? Let's see?

Listen. You know what? David said, “As the deep calleth to the deep....” The deep—the waterspouts.... Looky here, there has to be a deep out there to respond to every deep's a calling here. Do you believe it?

Looky here. And otherwise, 'fore there's a fin on a fish's back, there had to be a water for him to swim in first, or he wouldn't have had the fin. Is that right? Sure there is.

And looky here; I seen a piece in the paper some, a year or two years ago, where a little baby had eat the erasers off of pencils. He eat the pedals off of a bicycle. They said, “What's the matter with the child?” The doctor examined and taken analysis of his blood; and come to find out, he needed sulfur. There's sulfur in rubber. See? A deep calling to the deep. See what I mean? They got to.... If there's a call.... If there's a call in here for sulfur, calling for sulfur, there's got to be sulfur somewhere to respond to it, or there'd no call for sulfur. See what I mean? Oh, my, how I feel: very religious.

Listen. Let me tell you something now. If there's a deep calling.... Here not long ago, when the church begin to cool off and get formal through the great Wesley revival, the people begin to hunger for more of God. If you hunger for more of God, there's bound to be more of God to respond to it somewhere. If you've only been justified by faith and know nothing about the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and you hunger for it, there's got to be a Holy Ghost somewhere to fill that hungering. That's right. And if you believe today there is a God Who heals, there's got to be a fountain open somewhere for healing, or that desire wouldn't be there.

In other words, like this: before there is a creation here, there has to be a Creator to create that creation. Is that right? And if there is a creation in your heart here to hunger and thirst for divine healing, a God that'll have mercy on you, there's got to be a God somewhere to have mercy that creates that creation. Amen. Now, that's true. Something, you're hungering....

Well, isn't it strange? Look at Simeon. The Holy Ghost promised him, “You're not going to see death till you see the Christ.”

“Why,” they said, “David looked for Him, and this one looked for Him, and that one looked for Him.”

“No matter what they looked for Him, the Holy Ghost has told me so.” He was expecting to see Him. He didn't care what people said; he was expecting.

When Jesus was born in Judea, in Bethlehem, there was a few stargazers seen cross observatory of star mystics. None of the men at the observatory, or the planetarium, they didn't see it. They knowed nothing about it. But my Bible said they followed a star. I believe it. They seen it. It was for them.

Divine healing today, is not for the unbeliever; it's for those who believe. The baptism of the Holy Spirit today's not for unbelievers; it's for those who believe. Jesus died for believers, not for unbelievers; it's for those who believe. The supernatural follows who's supernatural minded. That's right. When the hungering and thirsting, when you got an expectancy, when you read God's Word and expect to see God perform what He said He would do, God will do it.

Here comes.... I can see down there that day Jesus was born. Here a few shepherds out there.... The angels come down. They never went over to the big church. They never went over to the high and exalted, and educated, and them with the DD's. They come to shepherds, peasants.

Excuse me for yelling. And I'm not excited. I know where I am. Uh-huh. That's right. If you felt like I did, you'd probably be doing the same things. Let me tell you. What it is today is God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; He doesn't change. He moves among His people. He's the supernatural One. He's the All Sufficient One.

When He appeared to Abraham when He was a hundred years old, He said, “I am the El Shaddai.” “El Shaddai” mean.... “El” comes from God. “Shaddai” from Shadah, means “the bosom, like on a woman.” In other words, “Abraham, I am the breasted One. You just come to Me. I know you're old, and you can't—you can't see how it can be possible; but you just lean up here on My bosom and I'll show you how I'll do it.” He's still the Almighty. He's the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, and we are Abraham's seed. Being dead in Christ we take on Abraham's seed and are heirs according to the promise. Why shouldn't we believe the supernatural? Amen. Notice. Don't get scared. “Amen” means, “so be it.”

All right. Watch closely now. I can see Simeon back up there at the temple that morning. They didn't have the radio, and press, and things, the way we have today to scatter news. If they would, they never would've knowed nothing about it. They'd said, “Just some fanatic's down there.” And, “Down there a woman's had a baby. It's a illegitimate child, so what of it?” Don't even put it in the paper; don't waste the time. We got to argue about politics: 'who will be the next politician or something; whether Herod's going to be elected next or not.'“ See? They wouldn't have put that in.

What man calls foolish, God calls great. What man calls foolish, God calls great and what.... And just vice versa. That's right. What is foolishness to God, seems great to man. What is great to God, seems foolishness to people. You've got to get out of the world into the supernatural realm to understand it. Certainly, you have.

Now, I want to show you something here by the help of the Holy Spirit. And I hope it sinks right down deep in your soul.

Look. Let's take Monday morning, say it was Monday. Every time there was some Hebrew children.... A couple million more Jews in Palestine at that time, every eight days there had to be a circumcision for the children. They had to be circumcised, the purification for the mother on the eight days. Well, you imagine how many children was born in twenty-four hours. Every day there was a line of women standing with their babies to be circumcised and purification. The right....

An ordinary rich person could offer a lamb, little male without a blemish. A poor person had turtledove to offer. Now, let's look here. Let's do a little drama here a minute. Oh, I know He's near. Oh, if I could only some way, right in these crucial moments like I stand now.... If I could only transfer what I'm thinking now, what I'm doing, to you, there wouldn't be a sick person left in the building or an unsaved. Wished I could do it, but it's not in my power. Oh, my, how His wings spreads the place.

Look at Simeon. Let's look at that line standing yonder, a line of mothers. There's a little woman standing out there, a little Hebrew girl about eighteen years old, married to a man about forty-five. She's a virgin yet. She's holding a little baby in her arms, wrapped in swaddling's cloth. That's the stuff off the back of a yoke of ox. They hang it there in the stable. They claim that's what it was. And they wrapped Him in it: no clothes, yet, He was the King of glory.

She had a black name to face her. “She was a woman that'd lived unholy, and this baby was borned out of holy wedlock,” so the world said. But she knew Whose baby that was. And here she stands this morning, with a Baby in her arms, holding a peasant's offering, a little turtledove, holding the little Fellow as she watched the Baby, the veil over her face. The other women saying, “Do you know? That's humph... who she is. That baby was born without a father.” See? “Step back; don't get around her.” See? There she stood alone, but she, like all real true supernatural born people, many time has to stand alone. But if you know.... Didn't bother Mary. She knew all what was going on.

Here he is. The line moves up a little farther. They call another mother. They take the offering in. The priest comes to circumcise the child. Mary moves up a few more steps. All right.

Let's look over yonder a little piece. In a prayer room I see an old sage setting over there. He had a scroll out, reading it. White hair hanging down, white beard, way up in his nineties, everybody said, “He's a little bit off (You know?), because he says he's going to see the Christ. Did you ever think of such a thing?” But he was expecting to see Him, reading the scroll: “All we like sheep have gone astray. The Lord has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. Yet we did esteem Him, smitten and stricken of God; for He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquity. The chastise... peace upon Him; with His stripes we're healed.” I can see that old priest rub his eyes, look back again, and about.... He was expecting, said, “Now, Holy Ghost, You told me that one of these days I'd see Him.”

And about that time the Holy Ghost said, “Simeon, stand to your feet.” Hallelujah.

“What's the matter, Lord?” Something going on....

“Start walking, Simeon. I promised you. You been expecting something. I'm going to show you something, because you've been expecting something.” That's right. “Going to show you something....”

All right, here he comes walking. I don't know where to go, Lord, but You said, 'Just walk.'“ I see him walk out down through that bunch of people; hit that line of women; go right down along them women looking along. He stopped by the side of that little woman with that Baby wrapped in her arms, reached over and picked the little Fellow up; looked at Him; he said, ”Lord, let Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy Word, for my eyes have seen His—Your salvation.“ Why? He recognized it. He knew it. He had the promise. Hallelujah.

Don't be scared. Hallelujah means “praise our God,” and He's worthy of all the praises we can give Him. All right. Look at this, friend. You go, call me holy roller anyhow, so you might as well get started.

Look. Let me tell you something. Look. He was expecting it. He had the promise of God. And when it come, He recognized it. Hallelujah. Any man or woman that's got a promise of God, when it comes, you recognize it. When the Holy Spirit's in this building now, I recognize it. Christ, the Healer is here; I recognize Him. David said, “I'll make my praises known; I'll lift up my voice as I worship Him and praise Him; in the congregation of the saints will I worship Him.” Sure. Here He is.

I think of him, come down there, picking up that baby. God had promised. And when God promised, the Holy Spirit come down, said, “Now, Simeon, you've been expecting to see Him; come on out. I want you to see Him because you been looking for Him.”

The same Holy Ghost that led Simeon there to see the Christ child in the arms of His mother, when he was expecting it, the same Holy Ghost has led you here this day. You believe in divine healing? Do you? Say, “Amen.” You believe in divine healing? Are you expecting to be healed. Well, the same God that promised divine healing is here at the fountain. Expect it. Believe it. Signs and wonders....

Look way over in a corner now, as we have a mental vision. I see an old prophetess, setting over there by the name of Ann. We're told that she was blind. She lived with a man once.... She's called a virgin but she'd lived with a man once, about seven years. And he had died, so she just lived in the temple, praying constantly for the consolation of the people. And the Holy Spirit was on her. The Holy Ghost struck her and said, “Ann, you've been looking for Israel's Consolation. Stand up.” Oh, my, I can see her coming; blind, moving around through the people, led by the Holy Spirit, moving around through the people. Comes right down to where Simeon's holding that Baby, raised up her hands and blessed God. She was expecting it.

Brother, sister, He's here this afternoon to bless, to add grace, to do anything that you're expecting Him to do. Do you believe it? Do you believe He's going to give us a great meeting tonight? My time is past. Let's bow our heads.

Almighty God, O God, have mercy, have mercy. I don't know what I'm say, Lord. I'm lost for words when I think I've prayed to You and saying, “What can I see when I see the name of Ichabod wrote all over the country.” The glory of the Lord is departing, and people's, Lord.... O Christ of God, send an old fashion, sweeping meeting, Lord. Grant it indeed, that the people might see You are sending Your Angel. He's confirming Word. Signs and wonders are following; great things are going on, as we're taught in the Bible, “A little while and the world seeth Me no more. Yet you'll see Me.” You, who? The one's expecting to. “I'll be with you, even in You, into the end of the world.” You said, “These things I do not.... The Father shows me what to do.” And here You are now, night after night, night after night, day after day, place after place, working, proving, showing Your great power and manifestation; that You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. God, wake up people, quickly, Lord. I pray that they'll wake up before the time is gone.

O the day is far spent and night is going on when no man can work. Lord God, send an old-fashioned power of awakening in this building tonight, and may there be people filled with the Holy Spirit; those that are wayward and gone, be called back to the kingdom of God. Grant it, Lord. I pray that every blind man will see tonight; every crippled man will walk; every cancer will be killed; every deaf will hear; every dumb will speak. And every thing.... The power of God will take the meeting far away into the realms yonder, where the people will not even know what they're doing; but the power of God may heal every one of them. Grant it, Lord. In Jesus Christ's name, I ask it. Amen. God bless you.