Jesus Christ The Same Yesterday, Today And Forever

Good evening, friends. My, if this doesn't seem like coming back home again. I seen a sign out there said, “Home Coming!” and that's just what I feel like it is. Good old-fashioned home coming. So happy to be here tonight, to minister these few nights with you, in the name of our dear beloved Lord Jesus.

And this is kind of an unexpected affair for me. I just.... All at once, just Something said, “Well, go down and see Brother Reed, and all the folks down there.” Well, we throwed a few books in a little old panel job, and Billy and I come right on down, and we're very happy to be here.

I believe the tabernacle looks a little different than what it used to. Kind of.... They tell me the outside still looks better ... or, more changed, rather, than what it is on the inside. Last time, I was here, I believe we had the skylights through and the people was up on top looking down through the skylights when we was having the service. Well, that's very, very fine.

Well, He has been awfully good to us. I know He's been good to you. He's been good to me. And such a privilege to get back to see Brother and Sister Reed also again. I told him he hadn't changed any. He's still just as chunky as he ever was.

Said he got a new preacher down at their place. I guess that's right, isn't it, Sister Reed? So, I guess he knows what to do in those bedroom miles is at night, back and forth like this. You soon get acquainted with that, get aware of it. I've had four cases of that, so I'm a veteran then of these.

But it's sure good to be standing on this platform again. Say, I hope this is not broadcasted, is it? It isn't? You know, when I get down here among you people here in Arkansas, I just feel like ... I just feel at home. That's right.

And everywhere I've went, and anywhere in the United States, I've always found some people from Arkansas. Everywhere I went, I found some people from Arkansas. I have had very few meetings, when I say, “How many is here from Arkansas,” see? Everywhere. Well, if there's some Arkansas folks there, we're going to have a real meeting. So they really believe. That's right. So, I'm not saying anything against any you folks here that's not from Arkansas. But you find ... I find one thing about the people here, that they just don't try to figure out, and study all about it, and all the techniques of how God could make a man well. They just believe it, and go on and get well. So that's just the way that God wants us to do.

We could never figure it out. You can't figure God out; you've just got to believe God, isn't that right? There was two trees in the garden of Eden, one of them was knowledge, and the other one was life. And when a man went off the Tree of Life to eat the tree of knowledge, he always tried to figure things out from then on. He never has got straightened out yet. So we might as well go back to the Tree of Life, and just believe. Is that right?

And think the first bite he took, he destroyed his fellowship with God. And every time he takes a bite off of it, he destroys himself. He bit off gun powder, kills his comrade. He bit off an automobile, kills more than all the wars. And now, he has got himself a hydrogen bomb. I wonder what he's going to do with that. But every time he bites off the tree of knowledge, he separates himself from God.

And God isn't known by knowledge, God is known by faith. By faith we believe God. How wonderful! And I hope that these few nights to be with you here proves to be a great blessing to all of us.

Now, we're just all home folks. And we just want to.... We love the Lord, I'm sure. And if you still love Him the way you did the last time I was here, you sure are in love with the Lord then.

I remember going up and down the streets, and the people with their children, and laying under cotton trucks and so forth; and it pouring down rain. I never forget, everywhere I go, there isn't a week of my time hasn't passed but what I've remembered that poor colored girl back there in the back of that lot, when she received her sight that night. When I went out to pray for that woman in the ambulance, and she come over here at Blytheville, or somewhere, and testified, not long. And then went on out to California somewhere and testified of her healing.

And then, back there when that colored girl caught the lapels of my coat and wouldn't let me go, back there. I never forget that as long as I live.

There has been much water has went under the bridge since we met last. It has been seven years ago, exactly, this year, when I started out praying for the sick. The Lord has been very good. We've had nearly a half a million conversions since then. And the Lord has blessed greatly, and I'm fixing to leave now, again, to Africa, to India, to Palestine, and up into many of the different European countries, for I believe the time is at hand. I believe our Lord is doing things real quickly.

Recently in Africa, where we had one of our greatest campaigns, had a hundred thousand people out there, and had thirty thousand converts one afternoon—thirty thousand at one time. And in those ... some of those raw heathens breaking their mud idols on the ground and receiving the Lord Jesus as their personal Saviour.

I said, “Now, don't wait for a missionary to come. You take this same message and go to the tribes where the white man can't even go.” And I got a message back in there, that from one tribe—this was about a year after I ... pretty near a year after I had left—that they taken seven van loads, big van loads, of watches, and fire arms and things, that those natives had stole, returning it back; they didn't want it anymore, nothing to do with any stealing, or anything wrong. And one of the men that went out, which was a heathen one day, and the next day went out, and he baptized up to as many as a thousand a week—baptizing his native friends, as many as a thousand a week, in Jesus Christ.

Oh, my! That's what it is. Don't wait to educate a missionary to go in. Let the man take the message to his own people, for God is doing a quick work. The end is at hand. And I believe that with all my heart.

Now, while we're here, just a little group together.... So we.... I have preached to larger groups, of course, but I never did feel any more at home than I do right tonight. Just feel right ... like I was right at home. And so now, we want to take these next few nights and just chuck them full of prayer and faith, and believe God for the impossibles to happen.

And now, it's kind of.... This is a new thing for me tonight. Our party is kind of broken up. Brother Bosworth is down in Durban, Africa, organizing the meetings, getting them together. That's one of the managers. Brother Baxter is in British Columbia, Vancouver, at his home getting a visa to come to America to become a citizen here. And we're just scattered about. Brother Sharritt is out in Phoenix—the business manager. So, Brother Reed called me up the other night, and the Lord told me to come down to Jonesboro. So, Billy and I are down here. Well, I am; I don't know where he's at. Anyhow, he's here ... supposed to be here somewhere.

So, we're happy to be here, and want you all to just put your faith together with us now, and we're going to serve the Lord the best that we know how. Bring in your sick and the afflicted, and let's all pray for them together, that the Lord Jesus will bless them.

(Am I hitting the wrong microphone here, Brother Reed? Is this...? All right.)

Now, I believe that for a few nights, or at least tonight, it would be a good thing for us to talk just a little bit before the crowds get to a place where there's kind of a pressure and a pack on it. And then, we'll talk for a few nights just about the Bible, and about the Lord Jesus, and pray for a few of the sick. And then, this little group.... Now, when the others begin to come, if they do, then you can begin to tell the others about what takes place and explain it to them. And some things that seems mysterious to them, then you'll know how to talk about it. Is that right? I think that would be very good.

Now, Billy and I throwed a few books in the back of our car; Brother Reed will tell you about them. It's some of the books that's been written of our campaigns. Some of them the African campaigns, some of them called Man Sent From God.

They're not mine; I get from other peoples who has wrote them. We never come down here to sell books, now. We just come to preach the Gospel and to pray for the sick. But we have the books along, and Brother Reed will tell you about how to get a hold of them. And if care to take one, why it would.... If I didn't think it was worth while, I'm sure, I wouldn't try to.... I wouldn't even buy them in the first place. But I know that they're a great help. It stimulates faith. My! And so, Brother Reed will tell you a little later how to get a hold of them.

The last time I was here at the tabernacle to pray for the sick, I remember I had made a statement that there would be a time that when the Holy Spirit.... Remember how I used to take the people by the hand and hold their hand? And I wait just a little while to see what He was going to say, and find out what was wrong with the people? You remember when it used.... How many was here in the old meeting? Well, my! Some old timers here. You remember what He said to me, before starting?

Said, “Now, if you will be sincere, it will come to pass that you will know the very secrets of the people's hearts.” You remember that? Remember that? Well, God doesn't tell things wrong. He always tells things right. And we want to believe God with all of our heart.

I remember one morning coming out of a room (sitting here looking at Sister Reed), I was thinking one morning, coming out of the room, I was so tired, in their little stucco home they lived in down here. And she got out on the piano and begin to play for me. I remember, went back, and we was praying in there, and the Lord spoke to me that there would be a little boy in their home. And when I heard of it, I think I was in one of the islands or somewhere. But somebody told me; my wife, or some of them, said, “Just got a card from Brother Reed.” Said, “That little boy is here.” So, I was so happy to hear that. Thank the Lord.

Oh, He's done the exceedingly abundantly about all that we could do or think. Love Him with all my heart.

Is this the same platform, Brother Reed? I don't think it is, is it? [Unintelligible response]. I remember, kneeling right along here somewhere, where the people.... And I said, “I'm going to pray for everybody that comes along.” I stood there for night after night after night. I had got me a new pair of shoes, and I started home with the toes turned up on the ends, like that, where I had been kneeling down; praying so long, the toes was sitting right back like this. My! Way early in the morning, I'd still be here praying for the sick. And they'd bring me some orange juice, or something, I'd slip around behind the desk here and drink it, and get back over in the prayer line, get started again. Well, I still love Him the same tonight. He's sweeter than He was then. Amen. For I know more about Him now, and He's proven Himself over and over. And Christian friends, if I would set in to try to tell the half that He's done since then, you know what time it would be? This time next month we'd still be here talking about what He's done. The marvelous, matchless things!

This always seemed to me like a ... the hopping off place for me, right here on this blessed old Bible Hour Tabernacle. Seemed like it was right here it started off, somehow. The little.... What was that paper? Sun? Sun? Yeah! Arkansas Sun, or [“Jonesboro”] Jonesboro Sun. That little paper.... Got a hold of some of the articles, very lovely written up. And that got on the Associated Press, which they're members, and it sweeped across the country. Wife and I were answering all the mail, you know, and so we had a wash basket, a few days, piled full of mail. Well, we couldn't do it then. So we just had to get started, get a little office set up. Since then, now, we got around about fifteen of those offices across the world; Sweden, Finland, Germany, Africa, Norway, Belgium, France, two in Canada.

So, it just shows that our Lord's great work carries everywhere, doesn't it? But He's still the same lovely Lord Jesus.

Now, we want to talk about Him just a little while, as we go along, a little later on. I don't want to hold you too long, because I imagine your cotton: you're plowing it, or planting it, or something now. So we just open up the Word here and look into it just a few moments. But before....

Now, we're able to pull the pages back, but we're not able to open the Word. Remember, John saw over there the Word, and One sitting upon the Throne. And there was no one worthy to take the book, to loose the seals, or even to look thereon. Is that right? And a Lamb that has been slain from the foundation of the world came and taken the Book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne. And He was worthy, and the only One who could open the Book and loose the seals. So, let's just speak to Him and ask Him if He'll open it for us tonight, as we bow our heads.

Our precious Heavenly Father, we come to Thee just as humbly as we know how to come. And Thou art the only One who can take this Word, and Thou art the only One that's worthy of opening the Word: the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world. O Lamb of God, come into our midst tonight in the power of Thy resurrection. Give us rapturing faith tonight. Give us great faith, love, joy unspeakable and full of glory.

And now, Father, we thank Thee for the opportunity that we have to be back here in the blessed old Bible Hour Tabernacle with Brother and Sister Reed and all these lovely saints of Yours. We thank Thee for the grace that's kept us, oh, at the trials, the heartaches, the shaking times, and down through the shadows, through the cold spells; but here we are gathered tonight after seven years, still in love with Jesus. We just thank Thee, Father, for the grace that's kept us. And it has brought us safe thus far; it will take us on. We're willing to trust it to go on.

Now we dedicate ourselves to You tonight, as Your servants ready for service. And, God, give us an outpouring of the Holy Spirit here in this grounds again, in this city. May the Angels of God come down into this city and the cities around about, throughout the country; visit homes, stir people. Grant it, Lord. May there be an old-fashioned revival begin to move, Lord, that will just continue on and on and on. Revolutionize every life. Bless every believer, Lord. And may we buckle up a little tighter the harness, for we see that we're getting near the end.

Seven years older tonight, Lord, than the last time, I suppose, being here ... or, at least the first time. And someday I've got to come to the end of the road. I've asked You a long time ago, Lord, that when I got there, that morning, when the fog was sweeping in, I didn't want any trouble at the river. I want to cross over. I want to make everything right now, so that there will be no trouble there. It will be great host of these people gathered there that day. May we all take inventory now. And now, Father, when the last sermon I'll have preached, and I've prayed for the last sick person, if Thou doest tarry, I'll perhaps, be an old trembling man, standing, leaning on a cane, as most Branham's go down that way.

My friends, many of them gone over, and I feel the fog coming in from the other side. I've took my last hill, my last battle. I want to take off my helmet, lay it down on the shore, stick the old Sword here, the Word of God, back in the sheaf of eternity, raise up my hands and scream, “Father!” Then push out the life boat, Lord. I want to come across.

Help me now, Lord, while the battle is going. Help me to be faithful, stand at the post of duty. Bless Brother Reed, Sister Reed, all the people here at the church, the sick and the afflicted, through the country here now, Lord. Not because that Thy servant is here, but because Thy Son is here, the Lord Jesus. May His presence bring the people, and may great signs and wonders be done. When the services are closed, and we pray the revival to continue, and we'll bow our heads in humility to the dust from which we were taken, and give Thee praise for all things. For we ask it in His beloved name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

I'd like to read just a few words here, make a few comments. I was laying my watch down here to kind of keep.... I don't want you to stay too long. Our time at home is a little later than this. We got on the other time.

Now, in the 4th chapter of Saint John, I trust to read just a few verses from the 14th verse down. Maybe a few verses out of Saint John 4, 14 beginning: Jesus' conversation with the woman at the well.

But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give unto him ... be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

The woman said unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come ... here to draw.

Jesus said unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

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

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

The woman said unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

And then in Saint John the 5th chapter, and beginning about the 19th verse:

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

For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and he will show you greater works than these, that you may marvel.

And now in Hebrews 13:8 said:

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

May God add His blessings to His Word.

I would just like tonight, being that our theme and subject and our heart, and all that we have and live for is Jesus Christ. I would like to speak a little about Him, of His character, and what He was. The Scriptures....

Someone said recently, “Reverend Branham, why do you teach divine healing?” I teach divine healing because I believe divine healing. I believe it's in the Word of God. And I believe I can sanely and sensibly prove it, by the Scriptures. And you'd be surprised at the attacks I've had through the years, of everything from witchcraft, Buddhism, and throughout the world of all kinds of religions, and cults, and devils, and everything. But, friends, by God's help, I've never seen one ever come yet, but what fell in defeat right there while it was going on, because the Word of God will prevail every time.

The reason I want you to read the book, some of the instances, and with their.... Every one of them is bona-fide, everything is bonafide. You can check it right back.

I have never been scared yet, for as long as I know that God commissioned and sent me to go pray for the sick, it's God's obligation to take care of me while I'm out there praying for the sick. And He will do it.

Now, I never did claim to be any divine healer. Now, I am not that, friends. There's no divine healers. Not even Jesus Christ claimed to be a divine healer. He said, “It's My Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works. I do nothing. It's Him.”

So, a man that would claim to be a divine healer, would just only be ... well, he'd just be deceiving. And anything that that man could do to say that ... well, that he could do anything to help you, otherwise, and point you to Christ, the man would be dishonest.

Divine healing lays in Calvary. And the only thing that you can do is point to Calvary. And there's where your salvation lays. You wasn't saved just five years ago, ten years ago, or twenty years ago, or how long it was. You wasn't saved then, see. You were saved nineteen hundred years ago. When Jesus died at Calvary, He took the sins of the world away. You just accepted your salvation so many years ago. But everything that God can do for both sickness and sin has already been appropriated in Calvary. And the only thing that a minister can do is to point you to what God has already did for you in Christ. Do you understand it?

A man could come to the altar, he could pray all night. He could cry, he could beg, he could plead, walk up and down the floors, make restitutions. But until he believed and accepted, he'd still be a sinner. For Hebrews 3 said, “Jesus Christ is the High Priest of our confession.” Profession, the same translation is “confession.” He's the High Priest of our confession; therefore, He can't do nothing for us until, first, we confess that He has done it. And then He goes to work as a High Priest, making good what we profess that He has done. And He will make good anything that He included in His atonement. And that is: “Wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, with His stripes we were healed.”

Not, we will be, or we ought to have been, but we were (past tense) already healed. God did it back there in Calvary, and the only thing we do is reach up and receive it by faith, and believe it, confess it.

And now, your pastor here can point you to Calvary; that's all he can do. Now, God, after the pastors, He has set in the church different gifts, and sign, [unclear word] ministers, gifts that he can point to the people by different ways. But there's nothing in an individual that could heal another one. There's nothing in me; there's nothing in any other man.

Now, I want you to notice: I believe that God is just as tangible in this room tonight as the light is on my hands. Do you believe that? Now, notice. Get the fundamental foundation first, that divine healing is in Christ. And He is as present and just as close to you as the light that's shining on you now. He's infinite. He's forever and forever. He knowed the beginning; He ... [Blank spot on tape].

Now, how the devil fights this wonderful truth of divine healing, and marks it up. Some day, the church is going to wake up to the fact and realize that the very greatest One, the greatest things that they had, and the greatest blessings outside of salvation, they've turned it down. Many times I found the heathens over there in Africa.... The missionary told them, “Days of miracles is passed.” And the poor fellow is walking around packing mud idols, trying to get healing through mud idols, because they know their fathers ... God winking at their ignorance had healed them through believing in the God of their mud idol. But the theology of preachers today, and the churches and things that deny that power of God to heal.

Now, notice, friends. One day.... Say, for instance, the electric lights. There was a time when a man would've thought that, if they'd have told somebody five hundred years ago, that they'd have had an electric light like that, the person would have said the person was crazy. But there was a man one time who down in his heart believed that he could catch that electricity, and he got a kite and a key, and he fished it out of the skies. And when it run down the string, and hit into the bottle, he stopped it up. And he begin to scream, “I got it. I got it.” He had it, but he didn't know what he had.

That's what's the church ... the matter with the church today. They've got something but don't know what they got.

Now, as long as he had it, he could rejoice and say, “I know it's here. I feel it. I know I got it. It's in here.” But what did He have? He didn't do nothing with it.

Well, then Thomas Edison come along, after Benjamin Franklin, and a long come Thomas Edison and said that he could make it light. There was something in him that told him that he could make it light and help mankind. And so he sat at his desk for.... Tens of thousands of wires; he tried to make that electric current follow that wire. And on and on and on, tireless hours, and nights, and people calling him crazy, and everything. But there was something on the inside of him told him that that electric would light.

And as long as there's something on the inside telling you that it will do it, there's bound to be something there to respond to it. The deep calling to the deep.

As I've often said: “Before the fin was on the fish's back, there's a water first for him to swim in, or he wouldn't have had that fin.” If there's a deep in here calling, there's got to be a deep to respond to it.

Here, when I first started out in the ministry, I was reading on something, that a little baby that eat the erasers off of a pencil, and the pedal off of a bicycle. When they took the little fellow in to examine him, they found out that his little body needed sulfur; and sulfur is in rubber. That baby's body originally came out of the earth, where sulfur is. And if there's something in here calling for sulfur, there's got to be a sulfur out there first to respond to this call, or they wouldn't be any call for the sulfur.

And if there's a deep in here calling to the deep, as David said, there's got to be a deep out there to respond to it, somewhere. And as long as there's a call in your heart for more of God, there's got to be more of God somewhere to find it. If there's a call in here believing in divine healing, there's got to be a fountain open somewhere. Before there can be a creation, there has to be a creator to create that creation. Is that right? And when that creation is in there, God created a hunger in your heart tonight, believing that you could be healed by God. And as long as that is in there, God the Creator put that in there, and there's got to be fountain open of healing somewhere for you. See what I mean?

And Franklin ... or, Edison, rather, he tried wire after wire, and finally he found the wire that would light. It's got to be there. If something inside of him told him it would there, it's got to be there. So, we got electric lights tonight.

And, friends, for twenty years since I've been a Christian, I believed that there was a God just as real as that light is on my hand. And there's power of God in this room tonight to heal every sick person in here, open every blinded eye, unstop every deaf ear, make every lame man leap like a hart, save every sinner, sanctify and fill with the Holy Ghost every believer. He's here, just as real as real can be. Now, if you can just find the wire that carries the current to you!

In the twenty years of research of the Bible, and talking with the Angel of the Lord, and the many things, I find here is two things, that is love and faith. If you love God, just purely unadulterated love, you've got to have faith in Him; it will accompany faith every time. And when love and faith gets married, you ask what you want to, and you will have it. When you know that your Heavenly Father cannot tell you any lie! He's God. He can't lie. And then when you believe Him with all your heart, and you believe that what you ask for, you ask it, not for any selfish motive, but your right motive behind there is, ask it for the glory of God, and believe without a shadow of doubt that Your Father wouldn't lie to you, something is going to take place. When you can get all the cockleburs out of the way, and just look right straight there to Calvary, and believe it with all your heart.

Now, Jesus went about on the earth doing things, doing good. Now, if we was going to look tonight for the Lord Jesus, how many would want to see Him? Let's see your hands. Just say how many want.... Why, all of you would; certainly you would.

Now, let's just find out what.... Before we look for Him tonight in the Scripture ... now before we look for Him, I want you to keep this right here close to you. If you're going to look for somebody, you're going to have to have some kind of a general description of what you're looking for. Is that right? Now, Jesus promised that He would ... or, the Bible says that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Is that right?

Well, then, do you believe that's true? Do you believe that's inspired? I believe it's inspired. So then, if He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, then He's got to be here on earth today just as He ever was, and ever will be. Is that right? The same Jesus. And now, let's see what He said.

“Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” Oh, isn't that lovely? “Even to the end of the world, I will be with you.” Now, watch. “A little while,” quoting Scripture, “a little while and the world seeth Me no more. (That's the unbelievers.) The world seeth Me no more. Yet, ye shall see Me, (the church, the believer), for I will be with you, even in you, to the end of the world.” Do you believe that?

Now, let's look at Him, then, just a moment. Where is He? Now, He's going to represent Himself in His church. “I'll be with you, even in you.” Then that shows that He will be represented in His people. Is that true? Now, let's look what kind of a person He was. Now, if we want to see where He's represented, let's find out what kind of a person He was, and what He did. Let's examine His life a little bit and see what He did, and then we will find out whether He's with us or not.

Now, in the days of the Scripture, He didn't take upon Himself any great name. He was a Man that was humble, but yet a Man that could tell you, if it was necessary. You know what He told Herod, you know what He told the Pharisees. He platted those ropes together, beat them out of the temple, and called them hypocrites and snakes in the grass and everything else. And called Herod an old fox, see, but yet full of humility—humble Man. And He went about doing good to everybody that He could.

Now, I got His picture in my mind what He looks like.

Now, let's see Him at the beginning of His ministry. I can see Him going along, and after He became ... become famous He went out and begin to preach the Gospel. He had been preaching for two or three days, and there was a fellow by the name of Philip came and got converted.

And oh, Philip thought he had found the greatest thing in the world. He had! So he was so enthused till he couldn't keep from telling everybody about it. So he goes to find his buddy, Nathanael. And he said, “Nathanael, come see who I have found, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

And, watch now. Nathanael was a staunch Hebrew, very Orthodox. He said, “Could any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

Philip said, “You come and see!” So I can see Jesus standing in the prayer line, praying for the sick. And the first thing you know, up come Nathanael and Philip, just a walking. And first thing you know.... I believe Philip might have been letting Nathanael go ahead.

And when Nathanael come close to Jesus, Jesus looked up at him and said, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.”

Oh, my! Why, today! Except I'd say the same thing, I'd say, “Here's a Christian, a truthful, honest person, an Israelite in whom there is no guile.”

Well, it astonished the Hebrew worshipper. “Why,” he said, “Rabbi,” or Reverend, Master, Teacher, “well, whence knowest Thou me? Well, You don't know me. You've never seen me. How do You know me?”

“Why,” He said, “before Philip called you, when you was under the tree, I saw you.”

Now, what would that be nineteen hundred and fifty-three? You know what they call it? Mental telepathy! Mind-reading!

The Hebrews, the Orthodox Jews, said the same thing those days. They said, “Oh, well....” They couldn't deny but what He knowed the thoughts of the people.

Someone said the other day, said, “Brother Branham, do you say Jesus was a mind-reader?” Sure. He perceived their thoughts. Call it whatever you want to. I don't mean one of these here, sitting out here, on what the devil has made a pattern of, sitting out yonder, with your hand out, reading down along some circles or something. That's the devil. But everything the devil has got, he patterned it off of God's. You got a hypocrite out there that does all kinds of evil things, but yet, where they got it, it had to patterned off of God. Isn't that right?

Now, notice. Then, the first thing you know when He noticed him and seen him coming, it astonished the man. Now, if you'll notice what a strange thing it was when all those Hebrews then, when they seen all those.... Remember: staunch men, renowned men, holy men, scholars of the Bible. You couldn't lay one finger on their life and say they wasn't holy. They kept the commandments of God just as true as could be kept, see. They were holy. They didn't do one thing, day nor night. Eat, sleep, and read the Scriptures. They had to be born in a certain lineage before they could be a priest or a teacher. Levites. Their great-great-great-great-grandfathers were teachers and so forth, handed down the scrolls, the laws. They studied it day and night, and failed to recognized that being the Son of God. And as it was then, so is it now.

And watch those people. They knew that He could.... He knowed what them people were thinking about. He knew them people had come to Him, what they were doing. He knowed their lives, He knowed what was wrong with them. And they couldn't deny that. And finally after a while, instead of sitting down, trying to solve it out with the Scriptures, and see that it was the Son of God, they said, “He is Beelzebub, the chief of the fortunetellers—the greatest devil that ever lived.” Is that right?

But now, you look what the devils said; the devils turned back around and said, “We know who You are! The holy One of God!” Now, who was right? The preachers or the devils. The devils was.

Look up there at Paul and Silas, when they was coming down the street, and those preachers up there—ministers—said, “Why, these men are terrible fellows.” Said, “Why, they turn the world upside down; they're heretics and so forth.

And when they went down the street, a little old fortuneteller, devil possessed, sitting out on the street, said, “These men are men of God that tell us the way of life.” The devil was right in that case, see. But they classed Jesus over in that type, because the two spirits are close together. And they didn't stop to think, and reason it out in the Scriptures, they just throwed it all in one big bunch and throwed it away, because He taught against their theology.

Notice. Notice again. There He was, stood there, and Nathanael was so astonished, he said, “Whence knowest Thou me?”

He said, “Before Philip called you.”

Now, if He would have said, “Now, you wait and give me a few days to figure this thing out and see what it's all about. I'll go ask my pastor,” or, “I'll look it up, and find out what it's all about.” Probably the story of Philip ... or, Nathanael wouldn't have been written like it is.

But he fell down at Jesus feet, and said, “Thou, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God, the King of Israel.” Heart, ready, willing, ready to accept it. “Thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel.”

Again, as we was reading here tonight, He was going down to Jericho. He need go by Samaria. What a bypass. Here's Jericho going this way, and Samaria way up here, but He had to go by there. I wonder why!

Eleven o'clock in the day and a prostitute came out. He sent the disciples away. He knew she was coming, and He sent the disciples away. About eleven o'clock in the day she came out. Maybe she's just so bad she didn't want to appear before the public; all the rest of them done got their water. Maybe she was out all night, and slept till eleven o'clock in the day. I don't know. But anyhow, she got there where Jesus was. When Jesus saw the woman come, He said, “Bring Me a drink!”

Now, watch. I'm picturing this Jesus. “Bring Me a drink!”

Why, she looked around and saw He was a Jew, and she a Samaritan. She said, “It's not customary for the Jews to ask Samaritans such. We have no dealings.”

He said, “But if you knew who you were talking to, you'd ask Me for a drink, and I'd give you water that you didn't come here to draw.” What was He doing? Watch the alternative He had now. Said, “If you'd come ... you'd ask Me for a drink, and I'd give you water you didn't come here to draw.”

She said, “The well is deep, and You have nothing to draw with.” He went on talking to her. What was He doing? Contacting her spirit. And she looked at Him kind of strange.

And He said, “Go (right straight to the point).... Go get your husband!” That's what her trouble was.

She said, “I have no husband.”

Said, “You got five.”

She turned and said, “I perceive that You're a prophet.”

And she ran into the city and called the men, and said, “Come, see a Man that told me everything I ever done.” He didn't do that. He just told her the one thing she done. But if God could reveal to Him one thing she done, He could reveal everything she done. Is that right?

Said, “Come, see a Man who told me all things I done. Isn't this the Christ?”

And the men come out. He went into the city and spoke to them a while. They saw He was a little different, His teaching from other men. And they said, “We believe now, that He is.”

Now, notice again. Here He goes. You believe He was the Son of God, virgin-born, precious Son of God, full of compassion, full of mercy? Want to show you His limitations.

Now, notice. Just a little bit now. He went by a pool one time called, in the Hebrew tongue, Bethesda. (God willing, I aim to go to that porch in a few weeks.)

Now, into this pool, where you go to the pool, and great multitudes of impotent folk laid there, of lame, halt, blind, withered, waiting for the moving of the water; for an Angel come down in a certain season and troubled the water. Whosoever stepping in first was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

Look. Here comes Jesus. Let's dramatize this just a moment. Here's a woman standing there with a little baby with a waterhead, about like that. Here's a poor old daddy with arthritis, standing there. An old blind mother, screaming. And anyone that's ever read Bible history, and the history of the Foxe Book Of The Martyrs, and so forth, know—and Josephus writing—that they even stabbed one another trying to get in that pool first. The first one in got healed of whatever disease he had; that is, if he had faith. Some of them laughed at it, said the wind just changed around the wall, troubled the water. But they believed it was an Angel. I believe it was an Angel.

And they stepped into the pool.... God's always had some resource of healing for the people since he fell from sin ... or, fell in sin back yonder and sickness came into the world. God's had some way—a brass serpent, a pole, or a prophet, or something somewhere—that the people get to, to be healed.

There, in this great troubling of the pool, the waters moving around, being troubled.... Then Jesus comes by this audience of people. Here He comes now, the very Emmanuel. God was in Christ, reconcile the world to Himself. Here is God Jehovah, dwelling in His Son, Christ Jesus, moving by this pool of water. And now, do you believe He was full of love? Do you believe He had compassion on the people? Watch Him pass that old crippled up father there, withered, screaming, and begging for help. And Him passing through there, and His garments full of virtue, and passed right by him. This mother with the baby with the waterhead! Passed right by. This poor old mother standing there, blind, crying for mercy! Passed right by them.

He went on His way, among that multitude of people, until He come to a man laying on a pallet. Amen. That's right! Laying on a pallet. And watch now; you'll get the key note. And Jesus knew that He had been a long time in this case. If He had compassion, why didn't He catch some of those poor, lame, halt, blind, withered, waiting for the troubling of the water, and Him moving right around every one of them, moving right among like that, full of love, full of compassion; and passing every one of them by.

I got the Messiah looking like ... pretty dark before you now, haven't I? Just wait. Go on reading down, Saint John 5, you'll see why. Looks like if He was full of love, He'd have mercy. Looks like if He would have had mercy, He'd had healed some of those people. That's just where the critics of divine healing fail to see today, because their eyes are blind to the truth of God.

They said, “Let Him go over here and heal this one. Let Him go over here.” [Unclear words] said the same thing about our lovely Lord.

Notice. He went on His way right through till He come to this man was laying on a pallet. They don't say, “He had an infirmity thirty and eight years. Why, he had that infirmity when I was a baby. It was retarded.” He might have had prostate trouble, or he might have had something another, it was.... Let's say prostate trouble or something on that order. TB. It was retarded, wasn't going to kill him; he'd lived thirty-eight years with it, laying there on a pallet. And Jesus came to that one man, not the lame, halt, blind, or withered; but came to that one man and said, “Wilt thou be made whole?” Is that right?

One out of the thousands. “Wilt thou be made whole?”

He said, “I have no man to put me in the water.”

He said, “Take up thy bed and go into thy house.” He wrapped up his pallet, laid it on his back and took off.

The Jews found him and begin to question him. They got Jesus and questioned Him. Here's what He said (Saint John 5:19): “Verily, verily, I say unto you, that the Son can do nothing in Himself, but what He sees the Father doing, that doeth the Son likewise. For the Father worketh and the Son worketh hitherto.” Is that right?

He did not do a thing within Himself, until God showed Him a vision of what was being done. That's His own Word (Saint John 5:19): “Verily, verily I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in Himself, but what He sees the Father doing, that doeth the Son likewise. And He will show you greater things that this, that you may marvel.” In other words, that man healed was diabetic, or prostate trouble, or whatever it was.

Now, watch when He went for that one man. He'd had a vision. Look at Him when Lazarus died. When He knowed Lazarus was going to die, He went away from the city. They sent for Him; He went another day's journey. They sent for Him; He went another day's journey. And then one day He stopped when He knowed the vision was just about fulfilled, and said, “Well, our friend Lazarus sleepeth.”

And the disciples said, “He doeth well.”

He said, “He's dead. And for your sake, I'm glad I wasn't there. But I go wake Him.” Amen.

What? God had showed Him what was going to take place. Showed Him what was going to take place. “I go wake Him.”

When Martha come and met Him on the road, coming, she said, “If Thou had been here, Lord, my brother would not have died; but even now, whatever You ask God, God will do it,” see. Jesus knew that He was going to wake Lazarus, for God had already showed Him. And He didn't do nothing but what the Father showed Him to do. Is that right? That's His own Word.

Well, if He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, He's working the same in His church today as He was yesterday, today, and forever. Is that right? He does what the Father shows.

Or the prophets of old, some of them said.... Look at Elijah, lived to be nearly in his eighties, I guess. And he only done four miracles ... or, eight (something like that) in all this time. He only done....

One man said to me, not long ago, said, “Why, Brother Branham, if that power was back on the earth, he would be just going through the hospitals and raising everybody up.”

I said, “It did ... never did do it.”

He said, “How about Elijah when he went up there and said, ”'Come up here and prove, and I'll show you who is God.'“

He said, “If we had that same God in the world today doing that,” said, “the God of Elijah would come down.”

I said, “Yes. If God of Elijah told his prophet so, he would do the same thing.”

He said, “Elisha done that upon....”

I said, “No, he never. When he made his sacrifice, and laid his stuff in order, and everything like that, he stepped out there, and said, 'Lord, I've done all of this at Your command.'” Amen. “Your command, what You say do, Lord, that I will do.”

Then Jesus in His church today would be just as powerless as your faith is, and just as powerful as your faith is. He'd be limited to whatever God would tell him to do, that he could do. And if Jesus was here tonight, He might stand before you ... or, you stand before Him, He'd tell you your life. He might know what was going on. He might know what you've done, or what sin is your life, or whatever it is wrong with you. But your healing would have to come by God. Is that right?

Now, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He's in His church today. He puts His church in order.

Here sometime ago, a few weeks ago.... I was just telling Brother Shepley and them sitting there of a little lady they had in New Albany Methodist church. The brother there was raised in Kentucky, together. And I was Baptist preacher, and he the Methodist. And so, he said, “Billy, if you'd just come down and have one night at my little church down there. (He had a place down there, and they had the people standing on the street), said, ”I won't ask you to pray for a person.“

And when I started out at the pulpit, he said, “Billy, could I take that back?” Said, “I got one of my Sunday school teachers that's sitting here.” Said, “She's a mental case.” And said, “I've had such an awful time with her.” Said ... but said, “She's a lovely person.” Said, “She's at the bottom of the steps, just lay hands on her.” I did. Prayed for her.

A couple weeks after that, I met her again; she was the same shape. One day, the Holy Spirit came into the room. I said to my wife, “He's here now.”

She said, “Can I call that woman from New Albany?”

I said, “Call her up.”

When she come and set there a little while, I spoke to her a little bit. I begin to notice a little black car, running like that. I said, “I see a little car running. Was you ever in a car accident?”

She said, “No.”

I said, “But you was with a light-headed man, and almost a train struck it.”

And she begin to scream at the top of her voice. She had been going to a psychiatrist for ten years. And there, the Holy Spirit told her of how that when her husband was overseas, she lived untrue to her marriage vow and all that she had done like that. She said, “Well, Brother Branham, I've confessed that to God.”

I said, “You never sinned against God; you sinned against your husband. You'll have to go make that right with him, first.”

And she said, “Oh, I....”

I said, “That's back in the gable-end of your soul, and all they....” I said, “They could pour a gallon of oil on you, and kick, and stomp, and cast out devils, as much as they wanted to, it will never be able to find the cure, till you find the cause. You've got to find the cause first, then you get the cure.” What's wrong. Where's it at?

And she said, “I can't tell him that.”

And said ... I said, “Well, you must.” I said, “Doesn't he work for a Chevrolet company?”

“Yes.”

“And there's a lady works there was wearing a pink dress the other day; he was in a green Chevrolet car. He done the same act that you did.” I said, “Go get him on the phone, out there, and see if that isn't right.”

She called her husband, and they confessed to one another, come back up. The evil spirit left the woman; she's just as perfectly normal as she can be now, see.

First thing, you've got to find the cause. Then the cure will come.

Congressman Upshaw.... You all heard of his healing, didn't you? All of these things. Here, William Hall, pastor of the Milltown Baptist church where I used to be pastor myself.... Right after Upshaw's healing, I come in that night, and my wife told me.... I was fixing to go to Africa in about six weeks. I had to go up to Pennsylvania for a service.

And my wife said, “Billy, do you know that Brother Hall's dying? Cancer on the liver?”

And I said, “Oh, my!” I said, “No.”

Said, “Yes.”

I said, “Will you get rid of the crowd out there, as quick as you can; tell them I'm going to church and I'll see them Sunday.” I said, “I'll go down and see Brother Hall.”

And I went down to see the brother, and there he was laying there, as yellow as a pumpkin. And he knew me. I said, “Who is your doctor?”

He said, “Dr. Dillman.”

Well, Dr. Dillman is a bosom friend of mine. I had prayer for Brother Hall, and I called Dr. Dillman. He said, “Billy, he's dying.”

I said, “Oh, Doc Dillman, I hate to hear that.”

Said, “Yes, we took him up to a specialist in New Albany, put him under x-ray, and took x-ray. There's a big cancer setting right in his liver.” Said, “He's just going die, that's all.”

So I went down the next day to see him; I prayed again for him. Went down to see him, and.... Well, he was just getting so low, he couldn't hardly breathe. So Mrs. Hall followed me out; she said, “Brother Branham, isn't there one thing you can do?”

I said, “Sister Hall, no. Only thing I can do is pray.”

She said, “Do you know another doctor?”

I said.... 'Course, every person for their doctors. I said, “I've got a doctor friend, lives next door to me there, a couple doors from me.” I said, “He's a bosom friend of mine. As a doctor, I think he's fine.” I said, “We're bosom friends.”

I got a letter coming; he's writing to the Medical Association of America about the services, see. And so, I said, “I'd like for him to see him.”

I called up Dr. Sam Adair, and I said, “Doctor would you go down and see Mr. Hall?”

He said, “Well, Billy, I will just go to the hospital and read the x-rays.” Said, “That's all I can do. Look in.”

So he went down and read the x-rays. He come back, said, “The man has got cancer in the liver, Billy, He's going to die.”

I said, “Oh, my! Isn't there some specialist or something you can do to console that woman?”

He said, “Well, I might send him over to Dr. Able in Louisville, and he's one of the best specialists there is, nearly in the south country.”

So they got an ambulance, and went out and picked Mr. Hall up (Rev. Hall from Milltown Baptist Church), took him over to Louisville. Dr. Able examined him; he come back. He wouldn't tell Mrs. Hall. So he called Dr. Adair and told Dr. Adair, and Doctor called me. He said, “Billy?”

I said, “Yes.”

Said, “You know your friend, Hall?”

I said, “Yes.”

Said, “He's going to jump overboard in four days.”

I said, “Oh, my! I hate to hear that.”

Said, “Well, he ought to be ready to go if he's a preacher.”

And I said, “Well, of course, that's all right.” I said, “He's ready to go, but I hate to see him go. He's a fairly young man yet, about fifty-five, fifty-eight years old.” I said, “He's good preacher; I hate to see him go.”

Said, “Well, we all hate to go, Billy, but we got to go.” Said, “That man will be gone in four days.”

I said, “Well....” And I went down and called Sister Hall out, and I said, “Sister Hall, Dr. Adair said ... Abel said he'll be gone in four days.” And she started screaming. Now, she's like an old mother to me.

And I said, “Look, Sister Hall. He's a Christian. He's only going to drop out of this old body of flesh, to go yonder to be with Christ. My, how much better! He's got to go sometime anyhow.”

She said, “Well, can't you ask God? Is there a vision anywhere?”

I said, “He has never said a word to me.”

Well, the next morning.... I went home that night, and there's a big bunch of cars, up and down the lane. Now, after.... Got as many prayed for as I could. The next morning.... Say, I've never got converted from squirrel hunting, so I like to go squirrel hunting yet. So I had an old rifle, and I picked it up, set it out in the room, and I said, “Now in the morning at four o'clock (I'm going to set the clock alarm), I'm going squirrel hunting to get one day's rest anyhow before I go up there and come back, and got to go to Africa for all those meetings.”

So we set the clock alarm, and I crawled in bed about twelve. About three or four o'clock, the alarm.... I got up so sleepy, and I got my old ... started to get my rifle, and I started out towards the middle room. I got out there, rubbing my eyes, and the hall light was on.

I looked and I seen a little old green apple hanging there. I said, “Well, what did my wife put that knotty-looking thing there for?” I looked like that. I thought, Why...?

And I happened to notice it wasn't hanging on the wall; it was hanging in the air. I scooted my rifle over in the corner, got down on my knees. And when I got on my knees, another little green worm-eaten, sour, knotty-looking apple come down, stood by its side. And another one, and another one, until five stood there. Then down come a great big apple, about that big, and just made great chomps like that, and eat up all five of them. And it went away. I happened to notice.... You all seen the picture of the Angel of the Lord was took down here in that debate down here, (we know), and them Baptist people down there was trying to debate. He come right down and let the American Photographer Association take His picture. It's hanging in Washington, DC, now, the only supernatural Being that ever proved was taken, see. So there ... and the FBI agents and all of them there, with their seal and everything under it. And there He was standing there, whirling in the air.

I said, “What would my Lord have me to do?”

Said, “Arise, and go tell William Hall, 'Thus saith the Lord,' you will live and not die.”

Oh, no squirrel hunting that day. I changed them old overalls right quick, and jumped in my car, and down I went. They was working with him, rubbing his hands and things, and I come in. And his eyes set way back. I said, “Brother Hall.”

He said, “What's the matter?”

I said, “I got the Word of the Lord.” Oh, you'll never know how you feel then. Amen. When God says it, it's over.

Said, “What is it, Brother Billy?”

I said, “The Lord Jesus.... How long you been sick, Brother Hall?”

He said, “Mattie, you tell him.” That's his wife.

She said, “Well, he got sick back in a certain month,” said, “about five months.”

I said, “That's what I thought. Five months!” I said, “I seen five green apples hanging before me this morning, and a large one came down and eat up the five green ones. And the Holy Spirit, the Angel of God, who....