The Resurrection

Thank you, Brother Vayle. Good evening, friends. Good afternoon, rather. I seldom have the.... The service, it's always evening, so I get use to saying that.

We are very happy to be here in the arena this afternoon. Every time I look across there and see those things, them rings, I just think of how many—what a difference when I use to go out and box in them myself, and now, I'm out fighting the devil, just giving it to him with all I got.

And you know, there was one way that I found out in boxing, something I learned, was the technique of defense. You got to have a defense. And so that's a good thing. And the best defense that we have is the Blood of Jesus Christ, isn't it? Just say, “It's ”Thus saith the Lord.“ Satan, here it's written.” That does it.

Do you know the Word of God will defeat Satan, anywhere, anytime, night or day, any place, the written Word? And Jesus defeated Satan by the written Word, showing that it could be done. That brings it to the baby Christian. No matter how small, how little, whatever more, you can say, “It is written.”

When Satan come to Jesus, our Lord, and he said to Him, “If (That's the question mark.)—if Thou be the Son of God make these stones bread here. You can do it if You're the Son of God.”

And now, He said that, “It is written.” He never used His power, He said, “It's written.” It was written twice in the Bible, I believe, in—over in the Old Testament and in the Psalms. And that, “Man shall not live by bread alone, by every word proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Then again taken Him and said, “If You'll fall down here or jump off this temple, why....” He knowed.... Why, if He'd have done that without God telling Him to do it, it'd killed Him wouldn't it? Sure He would. He was just a man. So He had to do what God told Him do.

Now, if God told Him to get up there and jump off the temple by what.... How did Jesus work with the Father? By what? Visions. That's what He said, “I do nothing except the Father shows Me.” So the Father hadn't showed Him, and He knowed better than to jump off of it, didn't He? That's right. So then He didn't do it.

And then he took Him upon the pinnacle of the temple, and then he taken him from there upon a mountain. And here's what shocks we people. And He showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. Just think of that. In other words, He just opened up, and He saw all the kingdoms of the world: United States, Russia, Great Britain, all of them. He said, “These are mine,” Satan did. Jesus knowed they was his. He said, “And I will give them to You if You'll fall down and worship me.” See?

But Jesus knew in the millennium He was going to fall heir to them anyhow. What's just a few years to wait? See? Why, He knew it was going to be His anyhow. So He said, “It's written: 'Thou shall worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve.'”

So Satan got enough of that when He just kept pouring the Word onto him, just pouring the Word to him. That settled it. But did you ever think now, that these nations are Satan's? (What about that, doctor?)

They're.... The Bible says that they're controlled by Satan. That's the reason we have wars. But over in Revelation said, “Ye.... Rejoice ye heavens and earth, for the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ.” Is that right?

Now, that's when Jesus knew He was going to take over. And He ruled and reigned a thousand years. Won't have any war then, all the swords will be beat into plowshares (Is that right?) and into pruning hooks. And we will have no more war. Won't that be wonderful?

And all the old people, in the resurrection will turn back to young men and women again. Isn't that marvelous? See? When you're old, most of us we're passed that bloom of life.... When you're born, God intended that. And if nothing interrupts your life, you'll become to a full statue of man or woman, whatever He intended you to be, if there's not some interruption. Satan does interrupt Him. And then when....

Did you ever think that the color of hair that you got when you was a young woman of about twenty and you was a young man, do you realize that that'll be the same color of hair in the resurrection? That's right.

Just think; if a yellow grain of corn goes in the ground, a blue grain don't come up in its place, does it? No. See, the whole Christian principle is based on resurrection. The same one goes down; the same one comes up, see.

And now, when you was about sixteen and, or twenty.... You was around about your best, I guess, it was about twenty, twenty-one, and I think the cells reach their best. You remember when the first morning you was combing and you happened to run into a gray something here in the side? You went and said, “Look, mother.”

Yes, I was about twenty-five maybe. And you happened to notice mother, those beautiful dove eyes like that.... Wrinkles is beginning to come under them, strange, about twenty-five. After while them wrinkles begin to get more and more. That hair begins to get grayer. And then that flesh begins to fatten out, water comes in. You begin moving back then. Death has set in. It's going to conquer you. That's right. God said for it to. That's the only avenue He can take you out of here. Is that right?

Then you're living up till that time, and then you're dying. You're going back until the day that it'll finally conquer you, and your cells deteriorate, go back into the dust of the earth. But God don't lose nothing. He knows right wherever He had them in the first place. If He didn't, how did they ever come on you? Nobody didn't paste it on you and makes you bigger. You just pushed out and drove, and pushed out till they come to the regular size. Is that right? Then all that death can do for you is take you out of this life.

And some writer said one time said, “The only thing death could do to a believer, that God harnessed it to a buggy, and it pulls the believer in the presence of his Maker (That's a good idea. Is that right?), just pulls him right up to God. And then that's all it can do.

Then in the resurrection.... See, all death can do is take you out of this life. Then it's finished. And in the resurrection then there's—death has no part at all. Then just what you was when you were your best what God had you, that's what you'll be in the resurrection.

If I had a chance, or was going to be here a little longer, I can take God's Bible and prove that's the truth. Exactly without a—without a shadow of doubt, just exactly what He done to, back in the Old Testament, and the things, and prove it by the Word of God that you'll be just like you are when you were young, and you'll be young forever.

We will vary in size. Different.... Now, you say, “Oh, you ... I believe we will all look just alike.”

Well, God's not that type of a person. Look at His creation. He's got palm trees down here, and He's got oak trees up in my country, and He's got pine trees over in the mountains. He's got little mountains, big mountains, little trees, big trees. He's got deserts, and jungles, and deserts, and mountains, and plains, and seas.

God's a God of variety. He has white flowers, blue flowers, pink flowers, red flowers. Is that right? He's a God of variety. Look what He made, look what He made in the first place. Then you can see what He is.

When we resurrect, we will be redheaded, blackheaded, and blondes, and just exactly like we was here, but in a resurrection of perfection. Say, that ought to make all of us old folks start shouting, oughtn't it? It sure ought to, because that's the truth. That's “Thus saith the Lord.” Yes, sir. And it will not fail.

So then if you are anchored in Christ, and by one Spirit we're all baptized into one church.... You think you're going to let me get by with that? Ha-ha-ha-ha. By one Spirit we're all, not joined in, but we're baptized into one body, body of believers (See?), all baptized, not joined in, baptized in. How we be baptized? By one water? No. One lake? No. By one Spirit we're all baptized into one body, and become members of that body. Oh, my. If that don't make me feel good to think of that. So, what can harm you?

And then in that body when we come in, we are sealed, not from one revival to another, but until the day of our redemption: Ephesians 4:30, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you're sealed until your redemption.”

Now, if you're having just ups-and-downs, backsliding up-and-down and in-and-out, and this, that way, and you don't know where your standing, you haven't sealed yet, see. When a boxcar out here on the track that's passing by here, the first thing you know they start packing it and putting things in it. Well, then, it has to be inspected before it can be sealed. The inspector comes around; if everything's going to shake loose on the track, he will make you tear it out and put it over again. That's what we do from one revival to another (That's right.): clean her out, start over again, just come on back and start again.

But when once you've really got packed in, and God's Spirit has the right-of-way and you become a child of God, then the door is closed; a seal's put on that door, and that door cannot be opened until its destination. Is that right? The work's destined to be. So therefore, we are sealed by the Holy Ghost until the day of our redemption. Amen.

My, so what we got to worry about? Why are you walking along with a long face, like you eat oats, or the bottom of a churn. Why, my, smile. We're happy. We're Christians, and God has ordained us so and has given Christ for us. And no man could come to Him now....

You say, “Well, bless God; I tell you; I got to seeking God.” No, you never. You never did seek God. Man never did seek God. There's no such a thing as man seeking God. Did you know that? God seeks man. That's right. No [unclear words]. You said, “Is that Scriptural?” Yes, sir.

Jesus said, “No man can come to Me except My Father draws him first.” Your whole nature is all together against God. And it has to take the Holy Spirit to first put that desire in there for you to linger after God. Is that right?

And then when ... “All that comes to Me, I will give them everlasting life.” There you are. “And then, I will raise him up at the last day.”

So now, whether we live, whether we die, whether the world stands, or whether it doesn't, whether the people thinks this or that, there's only one alternative that we should have: That's worship God, and be just as happy as we can be. Believe Him for everything He said. Because and life, or death, or nothing can separate us from the love of God that's in Christ. And there we will be with Him in His presence forever. Say, “Brother Branham, that sounds very Calvinistic.”

Well, I believe in Calvinist doctrine, as long as Calvinist stays in the Bible, see. If it gets out of the Bible I don't believe it. I believe this; I believe every believer believes it with me, that the church has eternal security. God has promised and said He'd be there without a blemish, spot, or wrinkle. Is that right? God's done said so, so that....

Now, if you're in the church, you're secured with the church. Is that right? That don't mean Methodist, or Baptist now, or Pentecostal. That means Holy Spirit born again church, that one we're born into. Then you're secured while you're in the church.

This building has been built here for security of weather. And as long as I'm in here the weather ain't going to bother me, see. It ain't going to rain on me here, because there's a roof over me. You stay in the church; you got the protection of Jesus Christ. Is that right?

Now, I just ... speaking just a moment till the people kind of got settled down. And I sure wished that I hadn't have made arrangements for another meeting somewhere. I still believe that Miami and its hold can be turned up-side-down for God. But what it's going to take is a month.... It's faithful few that's sitting here this afternoon with such a hunger to do that, or see that, until you can't sleep or eat.... When the travail of soul comes upon the person, Zion will bring forth children; that's for sure. But when you get that kind of a place, then you—were going to get somewhere.

And I trust that this little meeting will never die, that it'll live on, and on, and on. Now, there's been seeds planted. Now, Paul said “One plants; another waters; God takes the increase.” And I pray that God will pour out the water, and the Holy Spirit will take the increase.

Now, this afternoon I'm suppose to speak, or preach, or whatever you.... As I've said before I'm not a preacher much; I'm what they call a spare tire, see. And then when I just preach around I....

Now, now, reason I say that, I say that because of the respect of.... Now, saying is loving my Lord; 'course I love Him, sure I do. And I love Him just as good as.... I don't.... If getting an education makes you love the Lord more, brother, I'd start to college right now. I just don't.... But God don't require an education for His love. He requires a simple heart just to believe Him. That's right.

And many times, I say this with.... Now, I'm not trying to use this for crutches to support my ignorance, but education has been the greatest hindrance the Gospel of Jesus Christ has ever had. That's right. The greatest hindrance that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has ever had has been education. That's right. The theology has broke—has taken the place of the Holy Spirit. That's true.

And now, I remember when I was a little boy.... I've always liked horses, and I come over with the finest little chap here. It's Brother Vayle's boy called him Gray, I believe his name is. And if he isn't a swell little lad ... I ... He said, “To me, Brother Branham,” he said, “these palm trees are for people that live here.” He was a Canadian. He wanted to get back to the snow country.

So, he likes horses, and I said, “I tell you; you won't go wrong as long as you love nature, because God's in nature.”

And so we were talking, and I was thinking when I was a little lad that's what I liked. I liked.... My father was a rider, and he was a good rider. He used to go out, and he was a shot. Oh, my, what a shot with a revolver. He'd take these great big stone marbles, and roll them out like that, and have two guns, and shoot one, and would knock the marble in the air, and burst the marble with the other gun before it hit the ground. I couldn't hit a wash tub like that, it laying still. But I like that outdoors. And a rider ... I seen him ride, till honest I'd be scared to death, riding bucking horses.

But when I was just a little lad.... He met my mother. My mother is from Paris, Texas. My father was from Kentucky. And so, my dad was there breaking horses when he, in a rodeo, when he met mother. And so he.... They were married, and mama was only fifteen years old when I was borned. So that.... She was just a kid, and pop was eighteen.

But I used to want to be like my daddy. I just loved my daddy. He didn't—wasn't a Christian until a little bit before he died. I led him to Christ. But he was Irish through and through, and a real drinker. And no matter what he did, I don't care what he did; he's my daddy anyhow, see.

And listen, young folks, and whenever it gets to a place that you have to call your dear mother and daddy, no matter what they done, when it comes to a place that they're not mother and daddy just the old man and old woman, that's when you've taken one of the greatest backsliding states that's you've ever took. You'll never know what that mother means to you, and a father, until you hear that squeaking of the casket as it's going out the door. You realize it's not the old man then. You realize them gray hairs in his head; you help put them there.

And I know my old daddy worked for seventy-five cents a day until mother would take the scissors and cut his shirt loose in the back where his shirt was sunburned to his back. Seventy-five cents a day to make a living for me when I was too young to know hardly what it was about, four or five years old. Huh, he's my daddy yet. The snow probably lays over his grave today in Indiana, but he's my daddy anyhow. Yes, sir. And I loved him.

I remember I used to want to be like him. I remember one time when he used have a little old farm we worked on. I had an old plow horse. And dad let me use that one, because he's gentle and so old. And I'd plow with it, and then we'd go down to where the old watering trough was, had an old log cut out and the water trough. How many ever seen one of them little things? Say, why did I wear a tie over here this afternoon for? We're just country folks, aren't we? Because we live in Palm Beach that hasn't taken the country out of us yet has it? Yes, sir. An old watering trough where the bees would go down there you know and hum around, get the hair out of their mane, or a tail of a horse and put it in there and make a horsehair snake. Did you ever see one of them cells move like? We use to do that.

And then, I.... When I'd get in, I'd come in a little early and water my horse first. Poor daddy, he'd go plumb till dark, and had to milk the old cow. And my brother did, I couldn't milk, never could.

So then, I'd come around there, and I'd water the horse, and I had to do some more chores around the house. And I'd get out there, and my brothers would all climb up along on this side of the fence, and pop would be back at the back of the place still working. I'd get the old horse, and look around, and see that mama or none of them was watching, you know. I'd get dad's saddle, and throw it over, and get me a handful of cockleburs, and pitch them up under the saddle like that, and then pull the gird up real tight, and climb up on him. Anybody here that ever rode with a cocklebur under the saddle, you know what.... Poor old horse. Oh, I'm ashamed of myself yet of that.

The poor old fellow so tired and old, too sick to get his feet off the ground, and them cockleburs a pinching him, you know. He'd just stand there and bawl, you know, like that, jerk his feet up and down like that. He couldn't buck. He was too old, stiff. He'd just bawled and go on like that. And I'd jerk off this hat and sway from one side to the other. And I was a real cowboy. I'm telling you. Yes, sir. My brothers all sitting there, just clap their hands you know. Oh, we.... I was a real rider. Well, it's no more than sitting on a chair there and somebody rocking you. You see?

So, when I got to be about eighteen years old, I was sure they needed me awful bad out west to break their horses. I knew they just couldn't hardly get along without me, so I slipped off from home and went out west. I landed in Arizona just about the time of was rodeo time, got me a pair of Levis, and went out there, and I thought, “Now I'm going to go home in the silver saddle, and I'm sure going to make a lot of money.”

So I climbed up on the side of the corral, you know, and they went forth, and they turned the horse loose there. They was going to have a rider to ride this horse. And brother, they had his.... When he come out of the chute, put him in the bulls pen when he come out. I.... That horse made about two bucks and a sunfish, and the saddle went one way, a rider went the other. The pickups got the horse, and the ambulance got the rider, blood pouring out of his ears and nose, laying out there all crumbled up on the ground.

I thought, “Oh, oh. That don't look like that old plow horse I rode. I don't know whether I'm going to have a silver saddle or not.”

So then, caller went by, and he said, “I will give any man here a hundred dollars that'll ride this horse two minutes.” And he went right down along all them bunch of cowboys lined up along the corral fence, all disfigured, you know, real cattlemen. Here I was sitting there and my feet spread out trying to look like a cowboy, with that hat on and my ears pulled down. And that fellow walked right straight up to me, and looked in my face, and said, “Are you a rider?”

Ha, I said, “No, sir.” I done changed my mind right quick, that I wasn't a rider. That wasn't my old plow horse, and I knowed I couldn't stay on that thing. That's the reason I say today I'm not a preacher, see.

When I was first ordained at a Baptist church, and had local exhorter license, I had my Bible under my arm, and every time I'd meet anybody'd say, “Say, are you a preacher?”

“Sure. Yes, sir.”

One day I was over at St. Louis, Missouri, and there was fellow named Robert Daugherty, a Pentecostal preacher. And that man, I heard him in a tent meeting, and I was supposed to help in this meeting. And that man preached till he go so red in the face, he'd lose his breath, and go plumb to his knees, buckle. I don't think.... And he'd catch his breath; you could heard him about three blocks away; he'd come back up and he was still preaching.

Somebody said, “Are you a preacher?”

I said, “No, sir.” My old slow Baptist ways don't think of it that fast. So I.... That's the reason I'm kind of careful about saying I'm a preacher (You see?), especially when Doctor Vayle and many of these men, who are sitting around who are real preachers. But whenever I—whenever I do this, I like to talk about the Lord. We all do that, don't we?

So now, let's read some of His Word and ask Him to help us, and I want you now ... I believe the crowds about settled down and gathered in. And I won't speak to you too long I trust. And I want to read some Scripture, where I know that His Words will never fail. And I'm a great believer in the Word, are you? Yes, sir. This is “Thus saith the Lord.” I believe it. Hang my soul on any phase of It there, say it's right.

Now, now, you could've let that alone just for a minute longer [unclear words]. All right—all right. In the 11th chapter of Saint John I want to read ... (Oh, I didn't really mean that so sincerely, but thank you anyhow.)

In the 11th chapter of Saint John beginning at the 18th verse I want to read a few Scriptures here. I want to speak on the resurrection. Say, what a text to take, amongst a bunch of people that.... Well, maybe we need a resurrection. Don't you think so?

An old minister one time he went and preached repentance one night. The next night he come back and preached repentance. He preached it a full week, and he started the second week on repentance. Some of the elders met him at the door and said, “Can't you preach nothing else but repentance?”

He said, “Oh, yes. Let them all repent and then I will change.” So that's right. We're ... As soon as everybody repented, why, then it was all right to start something else. So, that's a good idea.

Now, in the 11th chapter and the 18th verse:

Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:

And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

But Martha, as soon as she heard ... Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou would've been here, my brother would not die.

But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou will ask ... God, God will give it to thee. (I like that, don't you?)

Jesus said unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

But Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

And whosoever liveth and believeth [Blank spot on tape] shall never die. Believest thou this?

She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the son of God, which should come into the world.

Now, let's lay aside our cares just a moment now, next few minutes, and let's speak to Him. Let's bow our heads first.

Father, we thank Thee today for a happy, joyful heart that's made possible only by Jesus Christ. How can we be anything else but happy and know what we know? We're so grateful to You to be mindful of us, and to bring us into this great fellowship, and also relationship with Thee: fellowship through Christ, relationship to God, by the Son of God. We thank You.

And now, we pray that all of our cares of this life may be brushed aside right now. What we're going to do tomorrow or the next day matters not. It may not even come, but now, we're going to speak on Your Word. And I pray, God, as not knowing what to say, that You will circumcise the lips of Your servant, and will circumcise the heart of the hearer. And may the Holy Spirit take these things which are of God and place them into the heart of the believer and of the unbeliever. And may He so water it with the blessings of power, until it'll bring forth fruit for the Master.

Hear us, Lord, and may there not be any people sick left in this building this afternoon. May there not be one sinner left in the building. May the sinners be saved and the sick healed. And may the saints be full of power and glory, magnifying Jesus Christ the Son of God, Whom we ask in His name for these blessings. Amen.

Now, for.... We want to take our thought on the great principle of Jesus' ministry and what He was. And now, in our text where we're at at this time, was just at the beginning of the budding of His ministry.

Now, if you'll notice the first year of His ministry He was, oh, He was all of it. And the second year of His ministry, they beginning to find fault. Just a little later they crucified Him. That's the way with a revival, it'll grow up and blossom. And then as soon as the tinsel gets knocked off, begins to settle down. And Jesus, in this time speaking, was just in the beginning of His ministry.

And how that the people were coming from everywhere to see Him. And He was staying with some friends: Martha, Mary, which was two sisters and their brother's name was Lazarus. And I have read that where Martha and Mary for their daily bread, they made little tapestries and things for the temple—needlework. And Lazarus was training to be a scribe, that would write the letters of the law. It'd taken a real consecrated man to do that. They wouldn't receive nothing else, but a writer, a scribe.

And Jesus had left and come up to Bethany to live with them. And His ministry was in its best right there in Bethany.

And now, let's take back a little piece to find out about the ministry of Jesus. God always declares and warns people before He does anything. Do you believe that? And I say this with holy reverence, that I believe that the signs and wonders that you're seeing taking place today, Christian friends, is a perfect vindication of soon coming judgment. Amen. Judgment has got to strike the world; for if people won't receive mercy, there's nothing left but judgment. Mercy always foreruns judgment. Did in the antediluvian destruction. It did through John the Baptist, and so is it now, the forerunning of mercy. And if you spurn mercy, there's only one thing left—is judgment.

Like you say, “Will God stand and judge me at the day of judgment?”

No—no, your attitude towards Him now, you're judging yourself. God has already pronounced, “The day you eat thereof that day you die.” That just settles it. That's ... He has to stay by that; He don't have to pronounce any more judgment. Your attitude towards it is the recompense. What you think of His way of escape, if you refuse to walk in His way, then you're already judging yourself as you judge Him.

Now, before God sends a message to the earth, God sends Angels sometime as message—messengers to the earth to bring His message. Do you believe in that? God has Angels.

Now, sometime ago someone called my hand on that, and said, “Brother Branham,” a great fundamental brother, he said, “there's only one flaw that I can find with your message to the people.”

And I said, “What's that my brother? If it's not Scriptural, then I will get rid of it and repent.”

He said, “Well, you're always referring to an Angel, and said, 'The Angel of God met you and told you so and so.'” Said, “Brother Branham, don't you know, that God doesn't use Angels to direct His church?” Said, “The Holy Spirit directs His church.”

I said, “That is true, but God also has Angels, ministering spirits sent from God.”

And he said, “Oh, Brother Branham, that was Old Testament doctrine.” Said, “You mix the New Testament with the Old.”

I said, “One's just the shadow of the other.” And I said, “You've got to have the Old Testament. It's just a shadow of the New. And the Old Testament, and both of them together, confirms God's attitude towards the people.”

Paul said in Hebrews the 12th chapter, “Seeing that we're compassed about with such a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every sin, every weight, and the sin that does so easily beset us.”

Now, he said, “Well now, Daniel had Angel, and so forth.” But said, “The New Testament does not support Angelic beings coming to individuals after the Holy Spirit has come.”

And I said, “Oh, brother, I different with you.” I said, “I believe that the Holy Spirit is here. He's the One that fills us. And our life is not our own, but it's the life of the Holy Spirit in us that makes us Christians.” I believe that, that ever fiber of a Christian's body is controlled by the Holy Spirit. I believe that your eyes are. You can't help when you look to see an evil, but if you lust after it, you've already committed adultery. You turn your head. The Holy Spirit makes you do that. Is that right? You might be tempted. Temptation is not sin. Heeding your temptation is sin, see. You can be tempted. Christ was tempted like we are, but never sinned. So the Holy Spirit is God that helps us bear out the truth of God, and we're written epistles read of all man.

Now, he said, “Now, what about the Angels in the New Testament?”

I said, “Why, look at the—Mary, the virgin, she was visited by an Angel.”

He said, “Oh, but that was before the Holy Spirit came.”

I said, “Then I'd like to ask you this. Do you believe that Philip had the baptism of the Holy Spirit?” All of us do that, don't we? “Why, when Philip was down in Samaria with a great revival going on, it wasn't the Holy Spirit who come and called him out to the desert Gaza; it was the Angel of the Lord (Is that right?), the Angel of the Lord.”

Why, we all believe that Peter had the Holy Ghost, don't we? He was the chief spokesman at Pentecost at the inauguration of the church, and we know he had the Holy Ghost. But when he was in prison, and they were going to cut his head off the next day, and they were having a prayer meeting down at John Mark's house, who was it went up there to the prison and loosed him? The Holy Spirit? The Angel of the Lord. And it was in a form of a Light. Is that right? Came in the window, raised him up, loosed the shackles, passing him by the guards, opened the gates. And Peter thought he was dreaming all the time until he got outside. Oh, I tell you; to be packed away under the power of God means something. You lose your own senses and everything when you're carried away by the power of God.

Now, that was the Angel of the Lord. The great Saint Paul surely had the Holy Ghost. And he taught the Holy Spirit. And he said in Galatians 1:8, “If an Angel from heaven would teach any other thing, let him be accursed.”

And when Paul was out on the sea, and fourteen days and nights of no moon or stars, he went under the gallery to pray and come up shaking his hands. I can see him screaming and saying, “Be of a good cheer.” Oh, my. What's happened to that little fellow? Why, he said, “The Angel of God, who's servant I am, stood by me last night saying, 'Don't fear Paul. You must be brought before Caesar, and lo, God's give all them that sail with you, to you.'” He said, “Wherefore, sirs, be of a good courage for I believe God that it'll be just the way it was spoke to me: the Angel of God who's servant I am.” Now, that was an Angel of God. The whole book of Revelations was wrote by an Angel, and God does have Angels.

Now, and before God sent Jesus to the earth, He sent an Angel. And an Angel come to a home: Zacharias and Elisabeth. They were great renown believers, Christians as to call. And that's the kind of a home that an Angel can get to.

And you know what I think today the reason that we don't have no more Angelic visitations than we do? We who call ourselves Christians, play cards half the night, read old “True Story” magazines, have beer in the icebox. And that's the reason Angels don't visit us. You can't mix oil and water.

Now, brother, I'm just an old fashioned sassafras, backwoods, Holy Ghost, second born preacher. And I believe in the old fashioned corn bread, and sauerkraut, potatoes, and beans. It ain't ice cream, but it'll stick to your ribs and carry you through the times.

Now, I believe in old time Holy Ghost salvation, cleanse a man's heart up, and that's all I know to say about. So ... I just put on.... And let's just ask God to pour it out upon us, now what do you say? Let Him stand in the form of the old-fashioned raining down of power of God.

Now, these Angels come into these homes when they were renowned homes.

And he went.... One day Zacharias down at priest, a making a sacrifice, and his order was to burn incense. And while he was burning the incense, the Angel of God came, Gabriel, to his right hand side, and spoke to him, and said, “Zacharias” Told him that when he went home after the days of the ministration of the temple that he was going to be with his wife, and she was going to bare a child. And she was an old woman. See how God always.... He takes the very ridiculous to do what He's going to do. Who would ever think that He'd take a hillbilly, or something like that, that hardly knowed their ABC's or something to make a minister?

When He got Peter, James, and John, the Bible said that they were ignorant and unlearned men. He didn't look for any scholars. He went down and got an old fisherman down there with an old greasy fish apron around him, hardly didn't know his ABC's, and made a saint of God out of him, and give him the keys to the kingdom. Amen. All right. That's the way God does. And He came down to the very ridiculous.

Someone said not long ago.... Now, God bless you, my dear Catholic friends here, see. Said, “Brother Branham, if that gift would been given, the Pope of Rome would've knowed about it.” He knowed just about as much as Caiaphas knowed that that was the Christ that was born.

God doesn't deal in great bigwig rings like that. He's come to the poor and humble, and takes that which is not, to bring to pass that ... [Blank spot on tape] same foolishness of preaching to condemn the mighty and wise. God does that. He always takes the very lowest to bring it up.

If them apostles could've said, “We're educated; we're smart; we got all kinds of degrees.” They'd have had something to glory in, but they were ignorant and unlearned men. And God taken that which was not, and made that which is. Hallelujah. Oh, I love that. When I think.... Then everybody's got a chance.

You say, “Now, wait a minute preacher. Paul was an educated man.” That's exactly right, and said he had to forget everything he knowed to learn Christ, too and die daily over it. Yes, sir.

Now, that is truth. And that's where our world is—our churches are failing today. We're trying to get into our pulpit.... You people who are electing your pastors, you're trying to get the very smartest, newest, freshest thing out of the seminary, that you can find; and sometimes that's the worst thing you could have. Right. What we need today is a man with an experience of God who'll lay the axe to the root of the tree and let the chips fall where away and preach the unadulterated Gospel if the church turns him out.

A fellow said to me not long ago said, “Preacher, if I preach that,” he said, “I'd be preaching to four walls.”

I said, “I'd rather be preaching to concrete blocks the truth of God (That's right.), and have favor with God, if I had to eat soda crackers, and drink branch water, and be preaching the truth, than to have fried chicken three times a day, and have my collar turned around, and standing for something that I knowed was a lie.” Amen. Amen. That's free. That's right. God's Spirit....

What we need today is a good old fashioned Saint Paul's revival, and the Bible Holy Ghost back in the church again as a light of God.

This priest standing there making his sacrifices, or while they was offering pray, waiting, and oh, a righteous man, godly man.... And over to his right side appeared this great Gabriel, the Archangel.

God always sends minor Angels, but Gabriel announced the first coming of Christ, and Gabriel will announce the second coming of Christ. Right. The Archangel of God will announce the second coming of Christ.

Now, I want you to notice, beautifully here. And the Angel told him when he went home, he would be with his wife, and she'd bare a child. Now notice, that scholarly man, who had plenty of examples to look to, he said, “How can these things be? My wife is old,” maybe ten, fifteen years passed the menopause.

But look where Sarah was. She was forty years a passed the menopause. Look at Hannah. He had plenty of examples, that he ought to have been able to have read in the Scripture and know that that was the truth. But many times He read it, but he didn't apply it as the same God then, being the same God then. And that's what's the matter today, we think the days of miracles are passed. We're failing to see that the same God that was, is now, and always will be.

How easy the Jews condemned Jesus, when they seen.... Why, they'd walked through the Red Sea, their fathers had, and on dry land. And all these miracles and signs, and then still didn't believe that that was their God who was doing the same thing. That's the way it is today.

It's a failing of the church when we.... Theology and such and education has took the place of the old-fashioned mourner's bench. We used to have a mourner's bench. You took that down in the basement. We don't use it no more. That's the truth. And we.... All the fire we ever had on the altar, we put it in the stove. What we need today....

You say, “Well, Brother Branham, I'm afraid you'll get a little fanaticism, a little wild fire.” I'd rather have a little wild fire than no fire at all. Sure I would. I can put up with a little fanaticism before I could put with something that's so icy, and stiff, and starch, and ungodly. How can God move into a place like that? Go into a place and the spiritual thermometer registering hundred below zero. Somebody say, “Amen,” and everybody stretch their neck, and look around, and see who said it. Preacher said, “You interrupt me.”

A little old woman one time lived up in Kentucky. Her boy come out there to Indiana and joined a nice, big church. It wasn't a church that I belonged. It was a Methodist church, and I was a Baptist. And he went down to a Methodist church. And they begin.... It was a great, starchy church. She come out of a little old fired up Methodist church.

She went down that morning where her son and them was going to church at. And she walked in. Why, the man at the door didn't even want to let her in. She had on a little old calico dress, or gingham, or whatever you call it up around her neck like this, and little old laced up shoes, and long sleeves like that. And come walking, tripping like a little mammy, you know, ought to, walking in the church, and the doorman looked back at her like that, as to say, “What are you?” And it had embarrassed her boy. Ha-ha. Brother, if you got a mammy like that you ought to thank God for somebody.... What we need today is some more old-fashioned mothers like that.

She was so happy to get to church, and she got—setting in the church. The preacher said something another about the blood of Jesus Christ. She said, “Amen.” And everybody stretched their neck like a crane to look around and see who it was. And the preacher lost his text. He said, “Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm.” He didn't know what had happened. Why then, she set there just.... She didn't know she was out of place. She was setting there....

Look. Listen. Brother, she might not have had her name in “Who's Who,” as this great book of “Who's Who” they got, but I ... She had her name on the Lamb's book of life. And I'd rather have my name there, than all the “Who's Who's” of this world. That's who's, to my opinion, who who is. God's who's who. I'm glad my name's in it.

You know that famous book they got out, “Who's Who” of the four hundred millionaires, and so forth, all the dignitaries of the world. Let this world have theirs. Our name's written in heaven on the Lamb's book of life, and that's who's God's who who is. Might be silly to the world, but their name's on the Lamb's book of life.

She was sitting there with her arms folded just as bright as she could be. And the preacher said something else after while that she thought was a [unclear words]. She said, “Amen.” And everybody.... And you know what? The usher come and put her out of the church. She was interrupting the pastor; he couldn't preach his sermon. Talking about falling from grace. Oh, my. That just goes to show the difference. Yes.

Now, Sarah, a little woman way in her eighties, and she had the baby. Now, why couldn't Hannah have.... And Hannah did the same. Now, how about Elisabeth? But John said, or not John, excuse me; Zacharias said, “Oh, she couldn't do it. She's too old.”

Look. Here's the sovereignty of God. The Angel said, “I am Gabriel who stands in the presence of God. And My words shall be fulfilled in their season. And because you've doubted My word, you'll be dumb till the day the baby's born.” Hallelujah.

When God says anything, commissions it and sends it to the earth, all hell might explode, but it'll never change God's Word. It'll be anyhow. God's done spoke it. That makes it right. Shew! Oh, that settles it with me. When God says so, I believe it, don't you? That's it. All right.

We notice then, well then, he was dumb, and he went out to the people and beckoned. They thought he'd seen a vision. He went home to live with his little wife, and surely, she conceived. And she hid herself for six months.

Six months later this same Angel came down into Nazareth, a wicked little old city where a young lady was having a—maybe a blue Monday washday. She's walking down; she was engaged to a man, a widower of four children, had that pot of water on her head, walking down through the street. And all at once, a great Light flashed before her, like a great Light standing there. And in the middle of this Light stood the great Archangel, Gabriel. And he said, “Hail, Mary.” In other words, “Stop.”

It frightened the little virgin. It would frighten you. Think of such a salutation as that. “Hail, Mary. Blessed art thou among the women, for thou has found favor with God.” Oh, my. “Thou has found favor with God.” Told her what was going to happen: that she was going to bare and bring the Child, knowing no man.

And she said, “How will it be?”

He said, “The Holy Ghost is going to overshadow you,” Gabriel speaking. “The Holy Ghost is going to overshadow you, and you're going to conceive. And in your womb is going to come forth a blood cell, and it's going to develop into be the Son of God. And you'll call His name Jesus.”

And now, look at the difference between Mary, that young woman, and this old callused preacher. Just look at the difference. The preacher said.... He had plenty of examples back there for women to actually to bring children in the natural way, had plenty of examples of those, after they'd past of age; but this little girl had to believe something that never had happened before. She had to believe for a virgin birth. And she didn't question. She didn't say, “Wait, let me see what this says, or what that says.” She just took God at His Word. She said, “Behold, Thy handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to Thy Word.” And the Angel left her, after telling her about Elisabeth and so forth.

Now, here's what I like about Mary. She didn't wait till she felt life for this. She didn't wait till anything stopped. She didn't wait till any natural, visible sign of it all. She just took God at His Word, and begin to testify and glorify God, that she was going to have the baby before she had any visible results from what the Angel told her. She believed that it was the Word of God, and God would do it, because God had spoke it. And she took God at His Word.

And if we could ever get to a place where men and women in this day would be that simple, that would just take God at His Word ... Don't wait to see whether I can move this foot or not, or this arm or not, or whether this cancer looks like it's gone, or this heart trouble is any better. Take God at His Word; get a happy mental attitude towards it, and start rejoicing, saying, “God, You said so, and it's got to come to pass [unclear words].” Yes, sir. She didn't wait till she was positive. No, sir.

And then she'd heard about something else. She'd heard that an.... Her cousin was going to have a baby. Oh, so right up into Judea she went to help her rejoice.

Many people get saved, and—they say they do, and just set and say, “I don't even tell nobody about it.” Why, you haven't got saved right. You might have some kind of a little mental upset up here. But brother, when you really get saved in the old-fashioned way, brother, and God comes into your heart and makes you a new creature, you can't set still. You just can't do it. The whole world's got to know it. You got to tell them about it.

Could you imagine, Philip, down there, Stephen, a man full of the Holy Ghost, the Bible said. How could you stop him? Why, he was like a house on fire in a dry weather on a windy day. Why, you couldn't put him out if you had to. They.... Only way they could stop him was kill him. He was full of the Holy Ghost. He wasn't no preacher; he wasn't.... He was just a deacon, but he was out on the street testifying and glorifying God. They couldn't stop him. The Holy Ghost had him so wrapped up, till he wasn't his own. He only looked through God's eyes. He only seen what God seen. He only acted on what God said.

Oh, God, if we could ever have a revival like that, you'll see the whole thing broke down, and America would have a real coming back to God, when we can get the people who won't think their own thoughts, won't take their theology. But we just take what God said, and live by that. Do you believe that's what we need today?

Away she goes, up in the hills of Judea to testify, to talk about Him. I can see Elisabeth when she looks down and sees her coming; she was lovely; she loved her cousin. So she runs out to meet her.

Now, Elisabeth had hid herself for six months. So when she seen this girl coming, she run out. And she was so happy, she put her arms around her, hugged her, and called her name, and begin to rejoice. And she said, “I'm so happy to know that you're going to be a mother.”

She said, “Yes.”

Said, “Well, I'm very happy, but I'm just a little scared, because it's six months with me as mother, no life yet,” all subnormal. See how God does? Always the ridiculous. All subnormal, the little baby John was six months with no life.

And then, she said ... And Mary said, “Well, I've got something good to tell you. The Holy Ghost appeared to me also, and told me that I was going to have a child a knowing no man. And I'd call His name Jesus.”

And just as soon as that name, Jesus, come through human lips for the first time, little John received the baptism of the Holy Ghost and begin to leaping in his mother's womb for joy. That's right. And if the ... If the Name of Jesus Christ spoke by a human being could make a dead baby come to life, what ought it do to a church that's borned again of the Spirit of God? It ought to bind every devil, heal every sick person. Amen. That's right. What ought it to do to a people who claim to be borned again?

Little John in his mother's womb, six months of developing of cells and no life. The Bible said that John the Baptist was born from his mother's womb full of the Holy Ghost. Amen. Oh, I like that: Born from his mother's womb full of the Holy Ghost. And he begin to leap and jump for joy.

You know when the Holy Ghost comes on you, something's got to turn loose. If a baby's born, and that baby.... Somebody said, “Well, I'm borned again.” You sound like it. All right.

Now, if a baby is borned, and that baby's born still birth, you know what's the matter with that baby? The baby's born dead. And that's what's the matter with a whole lot of still born children in these formal churches today. You're born dead. You got a conception, but never received life. What to do with a baby like that, is pick him up by the heels, and give him a little bit of posterior protaplasma stimulation. I will tell you: He comes to life right quick.

And if there's anything the church needs today is a good old fashioned Gospel, Holy Ghost spanking by the hand of God pouring out His power. It'll make the church come to life. Amen. That may seem flat, but it's the truth. Yes, sir. You spank him a little bit, and he will let out a squall, crying.

Oh, my. I can see Martha, or Mary, when she was up there, and Elisabeth went out to reach, and grab her, and hug her. What a marvelous time.

You know today we kind of lost that kind of feeling for one another. Isn't that right? I never forget Miami. That woman's here, I don't mean to hurt your feelings. There's some lady let us have a great big place down there; she was suppose to be.... What is them? Duchesses? Dukes, duchesses, or some kind of a woman like that. And I was having a meeting, and they had it at a little place. They said ... Brother Huckster said, “Brother Branham,” said, “the Duchess wants to see you.”

I said, “The who?”

He said, “The Duchess”

And I said, “Who is she?”

He said, “Why, she's the greatest woman around here.”

I said, “Oh, is she borned again?”

Said, “Well, I don't know.”

And I said, “Well, what's she any more than these other people out here?”

Said, “Well, just speak to her as you go through the back of the hall.”

I said, “All right.”

And when I got back there, there stood a great big woman with about enough clothes on that you could put in a aspirin box. And that woman, she had.... And enough jewelry on (Now, that ... I ain't making fun. I'm stating facts, because I'm in the pulpit.) that would've fed poor children, and paid my missionary trip twice to Africa. And she had a pair of specks in her hand on a stick holding them out like that. Now, you know that woman couldn't see through them glasses out that far, holding it out like that. She had her hands so full of jewelry. And she reached [Blank spot on tape] said, “I am so charmed to meet you.” Held her hand up like this.

I reached out over her big fat hand [unclear words]. I said, “Get her down here so I know you when I see you again.”

What we need today, brother.... There's people putting on too much dog, we call it in the street expression. What are you anyhow but six foot of dirt? God have mercy on you. I don't care how you can dress, how you can act, what kind of a home you can live in, what kind of a car you can drive, if you're not born of the power and Spirit of the resurrected Jesus Christ, you're lost, and will go to hell just as sure as a martin will go to its box. Amen. That's the truth. Oh, my.

Here some time ago my wife, and I were going down town. There was a young lady on the street; she said ... People just getting away from love. And that's the main thing you got to have. Going down the street, and I was riding ... my wife. Some lady said, “Hello, Brother and Sister Branham.”

I said, “How do you do?” And I said to her like that, bowed my head to her, and said, “Howdy do?” Riding on down the street, and I said, “Did you speak to her?”

She said, “Yes.”

I said, “I must be getting hard of hearing.” I said, “I never heard you.”

She said, “Oh, I—I smiled.”

Now, I said, “A little silly grin to take a place of a speak to [unclear words]. I don't like that.

[Blank spot on tape] ... is a good old-fashioned Holy Ghost sent revival, men back to believing the Word of God, that God will take care of us like He did in the old days, He will take care of us today. Do you believe that? God will take care of us. What we need today is another refilling, another like the disciples. Three days....

Some of you trying to test an experience, or trust it, that they had ten years ago. That's all right, but what about today? You need one today; today is the day, sure, a filling. The disciples about three or four days after they received the Holy Ghost, went back and got in one accord, and begin to pray again with one accord, until the Holy Ghost shook the building where they were setting. Amen. What we need.

Oh, my. You get away from all this here dignity. I can prove to you that dignity, the devil is the pappy of every bit of it. In the beginning he wanted something more glamorous, and everything than what Michael had. He went over and set him up a kingdom, and that's what polluted heavens, if he'd have stayed there, and God kicked him out. He's been dignifying the church ever since. It's the truth. God doesn't dwell in dignities; He dwells in simple sincere hearts. Hallelujah.

Brother, I begin to notice here not long ago I happened to be preaching at a little old Baptist Church that I was the pastor at, still pastor, Milltown Baptist Church. And I used to go home at night; I looked and there was a nightingale used to set there in a little old cedar bush. I'd stayed with some people out there about twenty miles out. I'd drive out every night just to be alone. And get up in the woods and sometimes pray [unclear words. [Blank spot on tape]

Did you ever get up of the morning, hear all the robins a hollering, all the little birds just as soon as it breaks day. We carouse around all night, and can't get up till about one o'clock on Sunday, even go to church. Set around, and they stick his little heads through the air and sing, sing, sing. You never heard of one of them having high blood pressure. You never did see one on a crutch, did you? God takes care of him. That's right. They just trust that, and commit everything to God, and go ahead.

Now, I've studied nightingales. And I noticed some nights when the storm clouds was coming over; he'd quieten down. Then all at once he'd let loose again and just sing to the top of his voice. I thought, “Wonder what does that?”

Now, science tells us, or the—that they look up to the heavens, and if they can't see any stars or any light, they get sad, so they don't sing. But if he can get his eye on one star, he knows the sun's a shining somewhere. So he knows it'll break day after while, so he just sings to the top of his voice.

And I thought, “Oh, God.” That's right. If I can get amongst some people who's got it, and you squeak a little, “Amen,” out once in awhile, and let's me know that the power of the Holy Ghost still exists somewhere. That's right.

If I could go out today, and I go out tonight and look up and see that great, big bright star, I'd say, “Star, what makes you shine like that? You're so pretty. What makes you shine and give light down here on the earth?” If he could speak, he wouldn't say ... He'd say, “Brother Branham, it's not me shining. It's the sun shining on me. That's what makes me shine.” And that's what makes people....

A doctor said to me not—some time ago, said that these people that shouted, and praised God, and tried to act like they were so happy, that they was excited. Why, brother, we better get excited, don't you think so? Excited.

And said, “Now, no, it isn't. It isn't that. It's not them. It's because the Spirit of God is shining on them.”

Sometime ago I was drinking from an old fountain where I used to go by and drink all the time. And it was always a bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble constantly. I thought, “What makes you so happy a bubbling like that?” I thought, “Maybe because deers drink.” No. “Because that the bears drink.” No. “Maybe because I drink.” No.

If he could speak, he'd say, “Brother Branham, it's not me a bubbling. It's something behind me pushing me and making me bubble.” And that is to every believer that's borned of the Spirit of God. There's Something behind him pushing him, bubbling up out of you, fountains of water, bubbling up unto everlasting life. That's what the whole church needs today is a good old-fashioned, fresh bubbling up. Yes, sir.

Used to be when I was a little kid, I use to think of bubbling. Mama used to ... I used to have to cut rails and things to stick under the old kettle and wash, out in the backyard, in the wood yard. I don't guess you ever did that, big old three-legged kettle out in the wood yard, you know. And mama put her clothes in there with homemade soap. And I'd have to go out and cut wood and fire under there. Oh, my. I thought, “What.... So much of that fire? How.... Why is that thing burn so much wood?”

She said, “It's got to get hot, for you can do business.” And that's the way it is with the church: It's got to really get hot or you can't do business. You got to get something.

She'd take another old kettle she had there in canning time. And she'd can these little yellow tomato to make preserves out of them. Put it between hot biscuits on a cold morning, it'd go good right now.

And so she'd put it in there, and I'd notice she'd pour sugar in. And I'd cut wood and pile around that thing. And I ... Oh, it's so hot. The steam would be coming up out of there. I said, “Mama, ain't that hot enough?”

She said, “Nope, cut some more wood.”

I said, “Well, mama, look at the steam.”

She said, “It has to go to bubbling, popping. And when it gets real, real hot it goes pop, pop, pop, pop, like that, preserves when it's cooking.” She said, “That's what mixes the sugar and makes it sweet.” And said, “It ain't fit to can until you get it to popping.”

I thought, “That's right. When an old-fashioned meeting.... The thing we got to do is pour on the Gospel wood until she gets hot enough till testimonies pop, pop, pop, pop, bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble, turn over like that. She's getting fit to canning, sealed into the Kingdom of God. Amen.

You think I'm crazy, don't you? Well, if I am, I'm happy. Just let me alone. See, I'm doing fine now. I feel better this way, than I did the other way. See? Now, I'm not excited. I know right where I am. See?

Now, oh, a good old-fashion meeting.... Here sometime ago I was up at Gary, Indiana. I was holding a meeting up close there. And they'd taken me over to them big steel mills. And the man was walking me around. He said, “Preacher, I want to show you my—this place.”

I said, “All right.” They had a bunch of benches, like those seats there. And every man was working at a lathe or so forth. And after while, a little whistle blowed. And when the little whistle blowed, why all the people begin to take off their aprons, and that was a five minute whistle. And they swept all the shavings out into the middle of the floor. And the first thing you know, then another whistle blowed. Everybody went out.

He stood there, and we watched them all go out. He talked. I said, “How many men you work,” and so forth.

He said, “I will show you, Reverend Branham, how we clean that up.”

I said, “All right, sir.” He walked over there, and he pressed the button. And I heard something way back, going, “Rrrrrrrrrr.” I said, “What is that?”

He said, “Just watch and see.” And the first thing you know, here come a great, big magnet passing over, dropped down like this, from way up high, come down a chute, picked up speed coming down. It went right down along that floor, and all them shavings, practically all of them, jumped right up against that magnet, went right on out, and went over there. And they demagnetized the thing, and every bit of it dropped back into a great, big cupola there to be molded again.

Huh. I said, “Praise the Lord.”

He said, “What's the matter with you?”

And I said, “Oh, oh, nothing.” I said, “I was just thinking.”

He said, “You must've been.”

And I said, “I want to ask you something.” I said, “Why didn't all of them shavings go up?”

And he said, “Well, you see, Reverend Branham,” said, “some of them, that magnet won't take.” Said, “It can't go to the magnet, because it's not magnetized to it. They're aluminum. Them aluminum shavings won't pick up to that magnet.”

I said, “Hallelujah.”

He said, “What's the matter with you?”

I said, “What's the matter with that.... There's some iron laying there. Why didn't it go up?”

Said, “Reverend Branham, it's bolted down.”

I said, “Glory to God.”

He said, “What's the matter with you?”

I said, “I'm thinking. A way back yonder in the heavens is a big Magnet called the Son of God. There's people being magnetized down here.” Oh, you might be a shaving or a church member, but brother, unless you're magnetized through the power of the resurrection and conformed to His power by the Son of God....

One of these days God will press the button, and some of these shackled down people with worldly lusts and pleasures will be left here, and the cold, formal church members will lay there. But them who were borned again, them that are in Christ, will God bring with Him in the resurrection, going in yonder to the big molding pot. And these old, frail bodies will be molded in it and made into His own glorious likeness.

Why wouldn't it make a man shout? Why, it'd tear you to pieces. That's right. I thought of how glorious. How the people's got away from God.

I noticed these.... Back to our text, how these two girls standing there, women, talking. And so the.... She stayed a few days, and what kind of a man would this man to be, John the Baptist? When he was born.... You know, he never went out to some cemetery, or seminary. And.... Excuse me. And he never went out there, but God took him over in the wilderness. What a seminary, the best God's ever had yet.

Over in the seminary so he wouldn't get any theology, but he'd get kneeology, where God could deal with him out there. And there that fellow stayed in there from about time he was eight years old until he was thirty.

In those days come John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea saying, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of the prophet Isaiah, the voice of one crying in the wilderness. There he was.

Brother, he didn't have on the tuxedo clothes. He didn't have on—his collar turned around. But he had an old sheepskin draped around him, but he preached repentance, and he preached Christ. Though his simplicity had stirred all the regions around about. What we Baptists churches, and all the rest of you need today, is another John the Baptist.

He preached repentance. He preached Jesus Christ. Though in its simplicity had drawed all the regions in. The power of God has been the greatest drawing card the world has ever had. There he come preaching, how marvelous and how wonderful. What a real—what a real man of God in a manifestation he was. And he preached. Then Christ came on the scene.

Then he said, “I must decrease, and He must increase.” John, I like that. He didn't claim to be nothing. He said, “I—I—I'm not him.”

But Jesus said, “Yes, he is.” Said, “There never was a man borned of a man as great as that man there.” That's right. Said, “Howbeit the least of the kingdom of heaven is greater than John. But there's never been a man born of a woman as great as he.” Why? All the other prophets spoke of Him, but John introduced Him to the world. “This is.... Behold, the Lamb of God.” He introduced Him to the world. He was the greatest among the prophets—was John.

And notice. I want you to get this now. As they went on.... Now, Jesus' ministry begin to come great. And he went away from home, Lazarus' home. And when he left, sorrow came in. And let me say this to you Christians, when Jesus leaves your home, watch out. Sorrow's on its road. Sorrow's on its road when Jesus leaves your home. You watch for trouble, just as sure as He goes away. If you drive Him away with your sinful living, your reckless, careless life, sorrow's on its road to your house. Isn't that right?

Now, notice. But in this case He wasn't run away. He went away because God give Him a vision, and told Him to go away, and wait three days. He said He didn't do nothing unless the Lord showed Him in a vision. “What I see the Father doing, that's what I do. I do nothing else besides that.”

So, He knew they'd went three days. And first thing you know, they sent ... Lazarus got sick, so they sent for Jesus to come and to heal him. And He just ignored it and went on. Brother, I'm telling you: If you ever send for your pastor to come and pray for you when your sick, and he didn't come, you'd sure leave a Baptist or Methodist church, and go over, and join the Presbyterian. Or you Pentecost would go to the Baptist or somewhere. Yes, sir. No, you couldn't stand that.

So, they sent for Him again. He just ignored it and went on, for He knew that God's will had to be done. All things work together for good to them that love God. Isn't that right? Keep your heart right with God and everything else come all right.

Now, He went on just a little farther. And the first thing you know, Lazarus taken sick. He got sicker, sicker. The doctors come. They could do nothing with him. We're taught in mythicals, perhaps, I wouldn't say it would be correctly historical; he died with hemorrhages in his lungs. All right. When he died, anyhow, they taken him out, buried him. They embalmed his body, put him in the grave. In order then of burying him, like there is a lot in the Orients today, they dig a hole, and just lay a rock over the top of it where they bury their dead.

So they put him in the grave, and He went on.... First day passed. My, how sad that little home. Then the second day passed, worse, third day, even a fourth day. All hopes was gone. Think about that poor little sad family. Death had struck the home. That was the saddest hour they'd ever seen. Death was in the home. The Man had been down there preaching and healing the sick, had turned them down when their brother was dead—dying. And they'd had faith in the Man. They believed that He was a Man of God. They'd give up the church, because any man that believed on Jesus had to get out of the synagogue. He was a holy-roller, see.

And so they had to get out of the synagogue. As soon as they believe this here, they put them right out. And yet they knew in their heart that He was God's Son. But their theology had tied them up, so they couldn't accept it. They had their own creeds and their own Apostle's Creeds. Did you ever hear of such nonsense?

We got today the apostle's creed. I challenge that to the Bible. There is no such a thing as apostle's creed. If there's any apostle's creed in the Bible, it's found in Acts where He said, “Repent everyone of you, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins. You shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost for the promise is unto you and your children's children, to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

That sounds more like an Apostle's Creed. “Now, I believe in a holy Roman Catholic Church. I believe in communion of saints.” Anybody that believes in communion of saints is a spiritualist. That's exactly right. Saints are dead; they're in the presence of God. There's no mediator between God and man but Jesus Christ. Amen. That's right. Oh, how you get yourself all twisted up. My, it's a shame...

See, I don't want to blame you people; it's the pulpits where it started. No wonder that's the damnation of the country, when Satan got in the pulpit. It's the truth. Failing to preach the unadulterated Word of God, and the Word of God will produce just exactly what it said it would do. But we explain it all away. “It's all away. It's for some other day.”

Could you imagine somebody standing at the platform, saying the baptism of the Holy Ghost, divine healing, and that's for another day? It's like trying to introduce a man freezing to death, and paint some fire for him, and say, “There's a fine fire.” That's what was. You can't warm by a painted fire.

That was fire one time, but what about fire now? Holy Ghost had power at Pentecost through the first age, second age, and on down. What about this age? He's the same Holy Ghost today. The same power, the same signs, the same wonders, the same miracles, if He can get the same kind of faith amongst the people. God doesn't change.

There, what a time—dark hour. The church has turned them out, because they believed on Jesus. And He'd turned them down, seemingly. My, it was a dark hour. But just at the darkest of hours, then Jesus come along. That's usually the way He does it; just in the darkest of hours Jesus comes along.

Maybe it's your darkest of hours, sister, but Jesus comes along. Maybe it's your darkest of hour. There's been women sitting there this week in wheelchairs—walked. There's been those who was on stretchers; there's been those who've been bound for years and so forth around the world everywhere—up walking. Maybe it's yours with heart trouble, worst enemy you got, and sickness. Maybe you can't live over another few days, but Jesus will come along. Just in the darkest of hours He comes along.

Now, when He come along, things begin to change. Little Martha, she had been kind of dilatory and in all the things of the world, but I ... about food and making tables ready. But you know, I kind of like her now. She, as soon as she heard Jesus come, here she started to see Him.

Now, I see her pass by. And say, “Hey, they tell me that holy roller ... Ha-ha. He wasn't here when Lazarus died, was He? So, we see He's slipping back to town now, after the funeral service is over.” He just passed right on by them.

Now, I believe that Martha had in her mind some Scripture. And here's what I think she had. When the Shunammite woman in the Bible, when Elijah passed by and she was blest and give a baby. And the Shunammite woman, when she seen the baby had died, she said, “Saddle a mule now, and go forward, and don't you check unless I bid you. We're going to get to the prophet.”

And she knowed that that was God's representative. And if she could get before the prophet, she knowed God was in His prophet. And if she could only get to that prophet, she would find out why her baby had died. She'd know.

So, the husband said, “Oh it's neither new moon or Sabbath, and he won't be up there, at up at the Mount Carmel.”

She said, “All will be well.” And away she went.

And when they come in ... God hadn't told the prophet nothing about it. He just told Gehazi, said, “Here comes that Shunammite.” He said, “Now, her heart's grieved, and God's kept it from me. I don't know what's the matter with her.” So he hollered, “Is all well with thee? All well with thy husband? Is all well with the child?”

Now, here's where I like her. She said, “All is well.” Settles it. The baby a corpse, her husband a screaming maniac, running up and down the floors, her heart jumping out of her, but, “All is well.” I like that. What was it? She was to the base of where she knowed she'd find out from God what the reason was. She run up to the prophet and fell down and revealed herself.

She grabbed him by the feet, 'course Gehazi jerked her up, and kind of taken care of her, what nobody did such things. So Elisha said, “Now, Gehazi, you take my staff. Don't you go to talking to somebody on the road, but I'm going to give you a commission. You go lay this staff on the baby.”

And the woman now ... And that would've worked all right if the woman would've believed that. That's where I think Paul got the handkerchief idea. Gehazi ... Elisha knowed what he touched was blessed. So it wouldn't work for her, because she didn't believe that. No, sir. She knowed God was in the prophet. She didn't know about the stick. So she said, “As your soul lives, I'm not going to leave you.” She stayed right with him. Well, there wasn't nothing to do, put on his coat and take with her.

And away they went out down through there, and got to the house, and I can just imagine seeing everybody in the yard a weeping and a wailing, that little ten, twelve year old boy laying on the bed. And I want you to notice: she took him into the prophet's chamber, good place to take him, laid him on his bed.

So, old Elisha walked up in all that confusion, and commotion around. He walked in there, and walked up-and-down the floor, laid his body upon the little dead baby. It sneezed seven times, and come to life; took the baby up.

Now, no doubt but what Mary, or Martha, had read that story, and she knew if God was in His prophet, surely He was in His Son. So, she knew if she could get to God's Son, she would know why that that baby, or her brother had been taken. So she got over to Him.

Now, when she.... Looked like she had a right to scold Him, upbraid Him, and say, “Why did You do a certain thing? Why didn't You come when we called You?” But when she got to Him, she fell down at His feet, and said, “Lord, if Thou would've been here, my brother would not have died,” see. She never scolded Him, saying, “Why didn't You come and this, that, or....” If she did, the miracle wouldn't have taken place.

It's your attitude towards.... Your approach towards a divine working of God, will determine what you'll get out of it. If you come and say, “Well, I ... Glory to God.” Stand there and chew your chewing gum, and say this, “I'm just going around to see what them holy-rollers is doing. I didn't see nothing.” Sure. “I never see them [unclear words] just a bunch of maniacs, looked....” If you come to criticize, the devil will give you something to criticize. If you come for to find good, God will show you something good. It depends on what you're looking for.

So, they come. Now, I could see her then. She come up to Him, and she knelt down, and said, “Lord, if Thou would've been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You.” I like that. “What you ask God, God's going to give it to you.”

Now, “Although he's dead, Lord, he's been dead four days. He's corrupted. His body is rotten; skin worms is crawling in his body; bugs is eating him up, out there in the dirt. I know he's gone. All hopes that way is gone, but even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You.” Oh, I like that. “Even now Lord, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You.” If you people in this building today that's sick and afflicted, if you'll get your mind off the symptoms and get onto what God has said, it'll take place right now. “Even now, Lord.”

I think of Jonah. If there ever was anybody in the world that really had some symptoms, it was Jonah. Don't you think so? That guy was on his road down to Nineveh. God told him to go to Nineveh, and he backslid and went over to Tarshish to get an easier road.

And on the road down there.... Any backslidden preacher is going cause some trouble. That's what's the matter with the world today. So, they.... First thing you know, a trouble's come up. And Jonah said, “Now, you tie up my hands and feet, and throw me out in the ocean, everything will be all right.” So they picked him up, and throwed him out in the ocean. And then the first thing you know a big fish come by and swallowed him. I was talking to somebody about that the other day.

They said, “Preacher, do you really believe that—that that fish.... Why,” said, “I can prove it that an orange can't go down a whale's neck.” Said, “Why, it couldn't do it.”

I said, “But this is a special fish God prepared. See? This is a good one. This one could swallow a man easy without any trouble at all.”

It reminds me of a little girl on that story, used to come to the Tabernacle. Oh, she was—got saved down there and filled with the Holy Ghost. Her little face just a shining. She was going up the street, and an old man Dorsey up there that lived at Utica, a infidel to the core, he was standing out there hoeing weeds on Sunday, you know, cleaning his tomato patch out. This little girl come up the road singing, “Jesus loves me this I know.” Just a singing to the top of her voice.

Mr. Dorsey said, “Hey, what are you doing?”

She said, “How do you do, Mr. Dorsey?” Said, “Praise the Lord. I just got the Holy Ghost.”

He said, “Nonsense.” Said, “Where you been down there? Billy Branham will run you crazy.”

She said, “Well, I just feel awfully good.”

Said, “What's you got in your arm there?”

She said, “It's my Bible.”

Said, “You believe that story in there about the fish and the whale, or the whale swallowing Jonah?”

She said, “Yes, sir.”

He said, “Do you believe that—that the whale swallowed Jonah?”

She said, “Well, if the Bible said that Jonah swallowed the whale, I'd believe it,” see. Whatever it was.

She said.... He said, “Nonsense.” He said, “How are you going to prove it any other way but by faith that that whale swallowed Jonah?”

“Why,” she said, “When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah.” That's exactly.

Well, he said, “Then perhaps what if Jonah ain't there?”

Said, “Then you'll have to ask him.” He'd be in hell, exactly. Said, “You'll have to ask him.”

That's a good—that's a good question. That's a good thing. Said, “If Jonah's not in heaven, then you ask him. Because he'd be where he'd be.” Oh, that's right, brother.

And this Jonah, God throwed him—had him throwed out of the ship, and this whale swallowed him. I believe it. [Blank spot on tape.]

You're living here by the seashore or.... Take your goldfish, when that fish feeds, he prowls through the water till he finds his prey. Then when he finds his prey he goes down to the bottom of the sea, spreads out his swimmers and rests. If the water's too deep, and he's way out in the ocean, he stays at the top, of course. But when he's down at the bottom, when he's preying, he goes down to the bottom....

Now, this whale had swallowed Jonah. What a fix that whale was in. Had all that big stomach full of backslidden preacher. That's a whole lot for anything to stomach. And here he was down there in the bottom of the sea. And here was this preacher, hands tied behind him, backslid. Talk about symptoms, he had some.

Look. First place he was backslid. Next place he was on a stormy sea. His hands was tied behind him; he was in the belly of the whale, and the whale in the bottom of the sea. If he looked this away, it was whale's belly. If he looked that way, it was whale's belly. Every where he looked, it was whale's belly. Talk about symptoms, that's worse off than any of you here this afternoon. He had symptoms, what I mean.

But what did he say? He turned over in that vomit down there, got on his knees, seaweeds wrapped around his neck; he looked in the whale's belly. He said, “I refuse to see that whale's belly. They are lying vanities.” He said, “Once more will I look toward Your holy temple, O Lord.” Hallelujah.

What? Why? When Solomon dedicated the temple, the pillar of fire come in and settled behind it. Solomon prayed. He said, “If Thy people anytime be in trouble and look toward this holy place, then You hear from heaven.”

And Jonah believed that God heard Solomon's prayer. And that old whale got so sick at his stomach, till he vomited the preacher right up in Nineveh where he belonged. Is that right?

Well, if Jonah under those circumstances ... Amen. Here it is. Get it? If Jonah under those circumstances, backslid, hands tied behind him, in the belly of the whale, on a stormy sea, down in the ocean, if he could refuse to see the whale's belly and believe that God heard Solomon's prayer, how much more ought you and I today to hear Christ Jesus, Who has died and took His own bloody garments, and setting at the right hand of God, making intercessions on our confessions. What we say He's done, He's ... God's there to make it right.

How much more ought we to refuse our symptoms? It's nonsense. “I won't look at my crippled hand. I won't look at my—about my deaf ear. I will look to your holy temple, Lord, where Jesus stands at the right hand of God making intercessions on what I confess to be true.” Amen. Say, I feel religious right now. I tell you, I do.

Look, just a little bit. Got to hurry, it's getting late. All right. Notice this. I can see then ... Martha, she goes out to meets Jesus. She falls down and said, “If Thou would've been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, whatever You ask God, God shall give it to Thee.”

Now, look. There was a woman with a desire in her heart. She had come exactly the way God told her to to His representative, which His Representative at that time was His Son, today is the Holy Spirit. All right.

Now, the Holy Spirit will bare record of the Word. If it don't bare record of the Word, then it's not the Holy Spirit you're speaking to, because the Holy Spirit feeds on the Word of God. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

Now, then here's a woman, heartbroken, all disturbed, but yet in her soul she was quiet. She got right where she knowed that she could get some results. She said, “If Thou would've been here, my brother would not died. But even now, whatever You ask God, God will give it to Thee.”

He said, “Thy brother shall rise again.”

She said, “Yes, Lord, I know. He was a good boy. He will raise in the general resurrection in the last days. I know he will—he will raise. He was a good boy.” The Jews believed in the general resurrection. Said, “He will raise in the last days.”

Now, look at Jesus, pulled His little frame together. He said, “I am the resurrection and life. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.” Said, “Believest thou this?” Oh, my.

There's the question; here's the woman, right place. The cogs are coming right together. She's standing by God's Representative. She's got a desire in her heart, and she's got the right Man, the right place, the right attitude, and she's confessing, “You are just exactly what You said You was. You're the Son of God that was to come into the world. And I believe that whatever You ask God, God will give it to You, because You are His Representative.” Brother, something's got to take place. Something has to take place.

Said, “I believe just exactly what You confess to be. I believe that's just what You are. I believe that You are just exactly what You said You was.”

He said, “Thy brother shall rise again.” And she questioned said to the resurrection. He said, “I am the Resurrection and Life. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.” And He said, “Whereas...” or, “Believeth thou this?”

She said, “Yes, Lord, I believe that with all my heart. I believe that You are the Son of God that was to come into the world.”

Said, “Where you buried him?”

Said, “Come, see.”

The Bible said, “Jesus wept.”

I'm not trying to scold you, but here sometime ago a Christian science woman said to me, said, “Reverend Branham,” said, “your messages is all right, but,” said, “you put too much emphasis on Jesus Christ. You brag too much about Him.”

I said, “How could I?” I want to know how could I brag too much on Him.

She said, “Well, now, look.” Said, “You try to make Him so divine, and everything like that, when He was a good man, He was a teacher.”

I said, “He was God.”

She said, “He couldn't be God.”

I said, “If He wasn't God He was the biggest deceiver the world's ever had.” That's right. I said, “He was either God, or He was nothing.”

She said, “Well, He wasn't divine.”

I said, “He was divine.”

She said, “If I prove it to you by the Bible, will you accept it?”

I said, “If it was the Bible said He wasn't divine, then I will believe it.”

She said, “I can prove it.”

I said, “All right.” She referred to this Scripture.

She said, “When Jesus went down to the grave of Lazarus, the Bible said 'He wept.'”

And I said, “You mean to tell me that you think that's the reason He wasn't divine?”

Said, “Why, sure He wept. He was a man.”

I said, “He was a man, yes. But He was God also. He was a God-man.”

And she said, “Why, He couldn't have been.”

I said, “He was.” I said, “Look. He was a man when He was crying going down to the grave, was standing there brushing back those tears, out of those blue eyes. He looked, throwed His head back, looked over there, and there laid a man that was in the grave dead, his soul four days journey somewhere, his body rot: The nose had done fell in; the hands had turned black, and the bugs eating through him. Standing there, pulled His little frame up ('cause the Bible said there's no beauty we should desire Him.), pulled His little self together. He wasn't a great, big seven footer; but He pulled Himself together. And He said, 'Lazarus, come forth.' And a man that had been dead four days stood on his feet and lived again.” I said, “That was more than a man.” That was God speaking out of His Son. God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. Do you believe that?

Yes, sir. That was a ... One time He come down off the mountain, and he was hungry, been up at Jerusalem, been fussing with Him, and everything. He come down He was looking for something to eat. He went to a tree. There wasn't any fruit on that tree. And He couldn't find nothing. He was hungering like a man, and He couldn't find nothing to eat.

But just after that He taken five little fishes, and two pieces of biscuit, or something and fed five thousand people. That was a Man when He was hungering looking for something to eat on the tree, but it was God that taken those fish and biscuits and broke it and fed five thousand. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. Yes, sir.

He was a Man out there on that boat that night, when it was pitched around like a little bottle stopper on a sea, when ten thousand devils of sea swore they would drowned Him, Him out there asleep. He was so weak, the virtue had went out of Him. And He was so tired from healing, and going on that day, until maybe the devil said, “We got Him out here asleep, now, we will drown Him.” When He was laying back there, and the waves didn't even disturb Him, He was a Man when He was laying down on that boat asleep. But when He walked up there, when they woke Him, He put His foot upon the brail of the boat said, “Peace be still.” And the winds and the waves obeyed Him. That was more than a man. That was God speaking through mortal lips, His Son. Hallelujah.

And what Christ was then, we have positionally the same powers today. Grant it in Christ Jesus. Where's the faith of the church? “Believeth thou this?”

He was a man when He cried at Calvary for peace, or mercy from God. He cried, “My God, My God, why has Thou forsaken Me?” He was a man when He was crying. But ... And when He died, He was a man. But when He rose on Easter morning, He broke the seals of death and hell. Brother, He come forth, put His foot upon the devil's throat, and took the keys of death and hell, burst forth from the grave and come out. He proved that He was God. Yes, sir.

When He was on earth, He looked like God, He act like God, He preached like God, He healed like God; He was God, God in the flesh. Yes, sir. Now, I believe Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do you believest thou this?

I believe there's a woman one time that spent all her money for a doctor. She could be cured of none of them. But down in her heart she said, “If I could ever get in contact with that Man, I'd be healed.”

One morning, as you desire so will it be, a little boat pushed into the bushes, and there was that little woman down there, come down touched the hem of His garment, was made well of her plague. Believest thou this?

I believe—I believe an old blind beggar stood on the street trying to beg for alms. And Jesus came by; He spoke to him and give him his sight. I believe that same Jesus was then, is today. Do you believest thou this?

I believe that same resurrected Jesus Christ manifests Himself here every night in power, and signs, and wonders. I believe this great commotion that's going across the world now that's called heresy ... Says, “The people has lost their mind.” This bunch of people that's sold out to the world, burned every bridge behind them, and serving God, believing in signs and wonders and miracles, and the big, formal church is saying they're crazy. I believe that's Jesus Christ reincarnated in flesh in the human church here on earth a doing signs and wonders. Believest thou this?

I believe that on the day of Pentecost Peter said, “Repent every one of you, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Believest thou this?

I believe He's the same God that was back there. The same Holy Ghost that fell on the day of Pentecost is the same Holy Ghost that we feel right here now. Believest thou this?

I believe the same power that preached the Gospel all night by Paul, when a man fell and killed himself, and Paul laid his body over his body, and he received life again. I believe that same Holy Ghost power is right here to a fascinate a bunch of people, that'll make them set hours after hours in an old hot building to listen to the glorious Gospel of Christ. Believest thou this?

I believe He's the One that gives sight to the blind, and hearing to the deaf, and speech to the dumb, made the lame walk. I believe He's right here now, the same God that He was then, same power He was then. I believe the same signs and wonders that took place then is taking place now. Believest thou this?

I believe if every person in here right now would say, “Jesus, I now accept You as my Healer,” I believe these women would raise up out of these wheelchairs, walk out of the building. Believest thou this?

I believe every man with a trumpet in his ear, and every woman, would pull it out and be made well; if you'd accept Him in that same power that His resurrection, proving His same signs. You can't set half dead, and believe some kind of a cold doctrine, and then expect to get something from God. You've got to believe that He is, and a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. I believe that He's here to perform everything that He promised to do. Believest thou this?

How many sinners is in here today? I believe God will give you the baptism of the Holy Ghost right now. Believest thou this?

I believe God would save every sinner, fill every saint, and fix us up for the rapture. Believest thou this? I believe that He would do it, and I believe that each one of you believe it. Now, I want you to watch. I want you to believe it with all your heart.

Jesus, when He returned back, raised that dead man there to life again. His soul had been gone, returned back, lived in the flesh again. And many people went up to see Lazarus after he was raised from the dead. I believe that's only a shadow. I'm so glad today I don't know what to do, to know that I have become a bosom friend of His. You've become a bosom friend of His. We've had associations with Him. We are today having our fellowship with Him right now. And our names are written on the same Book that He called Lazarus' name from. I believe there'll be a resurrection one of these days when all those other dead in Christ will God bring with Him. Do you believe that? Then, brother, why can't we have an old-fashioned Holy Ghost meeting here in Palm Beach is what I'm wondering. Believest thou this?

I believe that each one of you right now after seeing what you've seen, hearing what you've heard, seeing His power and manifestations, I believe that each one of you can go to your church and start a prayer meeting yourself. Believest thou this?

I believe you can turn this whole place in here, and make this town so dry from whiskey, that a bootlegger would have to prime himself an hour to get enough moisture to spit. I believe that's the truth. I hear on the police force and everything, that they're bootlegging whiskey in police cars, and things they're bringing in here. What the trouble is, they let down the bars, and their churches has got formal, and they [unclear words] everything else, pollute the country, and members of the church, drink, smoke, gamble, and live like the rest of the world. That's what broke communism loose in Russia. Believest thou this? I've been there. I know what I'm talking about.

When they seen God perform miracles, them communists with tears running down their cheeks, said, “We will accept a God like that. We believe that. Yes, sir.” But because the church got away, got formal, and indifferent, and ungodly, got away, denying the power thereof, just having a form of godliness ... The Bible said they would have a form of godliness, but would deny the power thereof. I believe we're living in that time. Is that right? Believest thou this? They'd be—have a form of godliness, but would deny the power thereof.

Now, as the Holy Spirit is moving in here, moving over this audience, I believe it right now, that anyone has a need of Christ that God will grant it to you right now.

I know my time's gone. Holy Spirit's keeps shutting me, telling me, go.

How many has a need of God? Let's see you raise your hand? I wonder if there's a man or woman in here right out raw.... Now, look. I'm not one of these preachers that believes in this, going around trying to pet and baby people to the kingdom of God. You make a illegitimate child. You can't come in under the fire of Gospel....

Brother, Peter, James, and John, and them didn't pull any punches. They preached it right out there and said, “Oh, you generation of hypocrites, and so forth.” John said, “Who's warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

And brother, they come and was baptized by the scores. There's got to be a time where you got to quit babying people. You can't sissify them. That's what the trouble today. Preachers is handling the Gospel with ecclesiastical gloves on. That's what the trouble of it today. What we need today's a raw, flat Gospel to tell you you're a sinner, going to hell. If you haven't got the Holy Ghost you're out of the kingdom of God. That's right. You can't believe the supernatural, because you have never been borned again. And when you're borned again you have to believe the supernatural, because you're supernatural yourself.

Is there anybody in here that's a sinner and wants to be man or woman enough to say, “Preacher, I've been to the meetings this week. I've watched and seen. I'm convinced that I'm a sinner, and I want you to pray for me.” Have you got grace enough to raise your hand? God bless you, lady. Someone else? God bless you, you, you.

I want you preachers to look. You don't have to baby people around. Tell them the truth. That's what will stand at the day of judgment. God bless you. And God will save you if you're sincere in that.

Anybody over here say, “I'm a sinner, preacher. Pray for me. I want to be saved.” Just raise your hand say, “I want to be saved.” Would you raise your hand? All right. In this side? Anywhere around? All right.

How many in here is without the baptism of the Holy Ghost, say, “Brother Branham, you pray for me. I want the baptism of the Holy Ghost. I belong to church. That's true enough. And I've accepted Jesus as my Saviour, but I know I haven't got the Holy Ghost”?

Now, you say, “Well, I believe I got the Holy Ghost.” That isn't it. You know when you got the Holy Ghost. You don't get the Holy Ghost with some psychic work-up. The Holy Ghost is a gift of God.

And to you, my dear Baptist friends, you've been taught that you received the Holy Ghost when you believed. That's a Scriptural error. Acts 19, Paul preaching to a bunch of Baptists. “Baptists?” They were Baptists. They were from John the Baptist.

When he come through the upper coasts of Ephesus, he find certain disciples. And he said unto them, “Have you received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?” They were disciples and followers.

And look, friends, not only that, but they were shouting and praising God and having a great, joyful meeting. Let me tell you. There's where the world's stumbling right now. Look. They was having a great meeting. Apollos had been up there, a lawyer who had been converted and become a Baptist preacher. And he said, “Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?”

They said, “We not know whether they be any Holy Ghost.'

Said, “How was you baptized?”

Said, “Unto to John.”

Said, “John only baptized unto repentance, saying that you should believe on them that was to come and—Him that was to come.” And when they heard this they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Paul laid his hands upon them. The Holy Spirit come upon them. They spoke in tongues and magnified God. Is that right? That's the Scripture.

I'm not responsible for nothing else but to say what God says. Now, you don't receive the Holy Ghost when you believe. You receive the Holy Ghost after you believe. You receive it after you believe. And It's a gift of God. No faith, no nothing else would give it to you. You can't just imagine you got it; you can't just accept it by faith. It's absolutely a work of God that comes down into the heart and makes known the presence of Jesus Christ.

And when you receive the Holy Ghost, then you believe in all kinds of miracles and signs. And not only do you believe it, but you practice them. “These signs shall follow them that believe. Repent, every one of you and be baptized. Go unto all the world; preach the Gospel. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My name they'll cast out devils, speak with new tongues, take up serpents, drink deadly things, lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” That is a sign of the believer. Believeth thou this? That's what the Bible said, the last words Jesus said when He left the earth.

Now, if those signs are not following you, then you're just imagining you are a believer. Because Jesus said, “These signs maybe will follow? These signs shall follow,” His last words addressed to the church. May God help you while we bow our heads just a moment.

Lord Jesus, flatly, bluntly, old-fashioned way, without any scholarships, without any string-tied ear marking, in a poor way scattered out, but the Holy Spirit has took those words, and buried them into the hearts of the people out here. There's men and women standing here in this building who knows they're sinners and wants to be saved. They asked me to pray for them, for they've been here in the meeting, and they've watched signs and wonders, great things taking place. And we know that they are believing.

And I pray, dear Father, that You'll.... Right now may they in their humble heart accept You as their Saviour and be saved. There are those in here, Lord, who belong to church. And Thou knowest in my heart, we're not trying to tell them to leave their church. We're only trying to get them in such deep sincerity, till You will pour in the oil of Gilead, the balm, and will make them so full of Your Spirit, until they'll be so salty till the other church members will want to be like them, so full of power. When they get sick, they'll call for them to come pray for them.

Oh, God, grant it. And when disputes are in the church, they'll be the ones that sets in the home, and prays, and seeks God until it's all smoothed out, covering it with prayer with a hunger in their hearts to see the church of God move on. God, grant these blessings to the people. We know that soon we're to pass from this life. We've got to give an account for our lives. And I ask You to be merciful to these.

Now, while we have our heads bowed, I wonder if those who are sinners and would want to accept Christ.... Now, every head bowed; every eye closed. Let this be the Holy Spirit and myself. I wonder if you'd just stand up to your feet, say, “Brother Branham, I've been here this week and seen signs and wonders through prayer: of healings, miracles. I've been in the meetings. I've seen these great things happen around the place. The deaf hear; the blind see; the dumb speak. I want—I want to accept Christ as my Saviour now.”

Would you stand up, just stand to your feet wherever you are? Just say, “I want to make a.... Just now say in my heart, God knowing my heart....” Now, after you—you believe that He's there.... Now, “My Spirit will not always strive with man,” see.

Now, if you believe He's there.... Now, it'll be twice as hard for Him to come back again. Now, will you stand, say, “Remember me, Brother Branham. I'm standing now. I'm wanting to accept Christ right now as my Saviour. I want turn my back on sin, and from this day on I'm going to try to serve God.” Sinners who doesn't know Christ, would you stand?

Now, those who have the.... Thank you. Those who have the Holy Spirit—want the Holy Spirit, would you stand? Say, “I want to accept the Holy Spirit. Thank you, thank you. That's good. All around both sinners and those seeking the Holy Ghost.... All right. I believe God's going to grant it. Any one else seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit, wants to be remembered in prayer? God bless you, young man. Sinner? That's right. You're a sinner? That's right. God bless you. Just remaining standing, if you will, just a moment.

Now, Lord, don't let a one of them perish, please. You see them; You know them. And I pray that You won't let any of them perish, but may they become acquainted this afternoon with that Jesus who called Lazarus from the grave. Grant it, Lord, just now. May the Holy Ghost, who's present and all powerful to do this work, I pray that You'll let Him anoint them just now with great faith that'll bring the results down to their heart. In Jesus Christ's name I ask it.

Now, while you remain standing.... Now, those who are sick stand up and say, “Brother Branham, I need prayer for my body.” Now, would you stand, you who are in need of prayer for your sickness? God bless you. What a marvelous time. What an hour. Just remain just a moment.

Brethren, I want you to look over this audience, Brother Vayle, Brother Bosworth, Jimmy. I want you to look over this audience for me. I want you to walk up here with me. Hold your hands towards that audience. (Put your hand....) Ministers up here, I want you to hold your hands towards that audience. Holy Ghost filled ministers everywhere, hold your hands towards the audience, everywhere.

Now, I believe I told the truth or an error. I have the Bible here to back up—tell me I told the truth. The Holy Spirit's here. I believe that if each one of you will be sincere in your heart now, you will get just what you ask for.

Now, when Joshua crossed the River of Jordan, they marched around Jericho, and then they let out a shout, the walls of Jericho fell, and they went in and took the city. [Blank spot on tape]

All want this afternoon.... You want healing? Let's go in and take it. If you want healing, it's yours. God promised it to you. It's yours. If you want salvation, it's yours. But let's go in ahead and take it.

Now, its every one in his own way, with our head bowed, every person in here in your own way, let's pray now. And you pray as I pray. Pray to God in your own way.

Now, heavenly Father, the Holy Spirit here present to give to each one of these people the deep desires of their heart. Many of them are here that's wanting salvation. They raised their hands and stood, that they wanted salvation to their souls. I pray, God, that You'll fill each one of them with Thy Holy Spirit, forgiveness of sin, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

And I also pray, Lord, for all these sick people, who are standing now. Knowing that they're desperately in need, and must have deliverance now. And we believe that You're here. You've ordained this day; You've ordained us to be here. And through this last eight or ten days, that signs, wonders, and miracles has taken place.

And now, Lord, may each person here forget about all their differences, and now accept You, just now. May they say, “I don't care what the world says. I don't care whether they call me a holy-roller, whether they call me a religious fanatic. I am now coming to Jesus Christ in the power of His resurrection. And I'm claiming by faith right now my healing, my salvation. And Lord, I'm going to give You praise like they did at Pentecost. I'm going to stand there and praise You, and bless You until You give me what I'm asking for. I now commit it to You, Lord.”

And in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, may the Holy Ghost drive back every power of the devil, and may each person be filled with God's presence, in Jesus Christ's name.