Blind Bartimaeus

Good evening, friends. Very happy to be here tonight, again, serving the Lord. Trusting with all my heart for a great outpouring of His divine blessings tonight, on us all.

I just did get here. I was just coming in in the back, and they were waiting out there for me—one of the ushers, and my boy. Just then, I heard “Only Believe,” and we just had to hurry to get in. And so we are sorry to be just a little late.

Brother Caubles was standing at the door and told me to remember tonight about praying over the handkerchiefs. And that's very fine. We like to do that, because we've had a great lot of blessings for the people. We send out many handkerchiefs each day around the world for sick and afflicted people, and have a great success in doing so. And I'm sure that it'll be a great blessing to all, even if you don't need it at the present time, to carry around your house some little symbol of that.

Here some time ago, I was.... I have a testimony that ... now, this, I never seen this, so I wouldn't know. But I have no right to doubt it, because it was a minister, and I believe, a very good Christian man. And he had one of those handkerchiefs in his Bible, keeping it on Acts 19. And the usual ... asked him to do it. And his boy was struck down by a car.

And, now they tell me that they'd taken him to the hospital, put him under x-rays; and the bones were so broken that they had to handle him lightly, and—his arms and legs—and his back was out of place. Now, this is his story. And they went and got the handkerchiefs and laid it on the boy. And the next morning, when they went up to x-ray to see how to set the bones, there wasn't a broken bone in his body. That's right. Now, I never seen it, I only know the man. That's the testimony.

I know this testimony: Some time ago (It just seemed to be so remarkable to me.), there was a.... It happened in, I believe it was Fayetteville, Arkansas, or near there; I was having services. And I'd ask the people with handkerchiefs, I'd pray over them and have them put them in their Bible.

And so, I was at Jonesboro at the time. And a little lady that had her handkerchief prayed over, and she put it in the Bible. So they.... One day, about two or three weeks later, she was washing ... or, cleaning, a lamp chimney.

Did any of you ever clean a lamp chimney? I used to have to do it at home, 'cause I had the smallest hand. My mother's sitting there looking at me; she remembers that. We used to have a big old lamp chimney that had a moon and owl on it. Do you remember them old chimneys? I'd get my hand up in there and clean the chimney out. Did you ever run out of coal oil, lamp oil, kerosene, or what you call it? and had to put some water in the bottom of the thing to make the wick reach the kerosene? Did you ever do that to make it burn?

Say, I'm right at home tonight amongst country folks, sure enough. So we just live here in the city, we're still country folks, aren't we?

And this young married woman, she was washing her lamp chimney out. And her husband had gone to the city to get food and food for his cattle, and so forth. They were cotton raisers. And she cut the artery, or the vein, whatever it was in her wrist there. And the blood started spurting up.

Well, the first thing she done was first the old superstition to get some cobwebs and put on it. Well, she went and got cobwebs; 'course the blood would just throw the cobwebs off. It wouldn't do nothing. It might bring some kind of a disease to it anyhow, 'cause it's just a superstition. And she bled.... One of the pillow slips got real wet with blood—saturated. Then she got a sheet. And her closest neighbor's about two miles. You'd have to walk in with boots on if you didn't drive the team.

And so, she seen that she was getting weaker and weaker. She couldn't live much longer. And the blood wouldn't stop. She was trying to hold it, and screaming and frantic.

Now, this is her story. She went and thought of that handkerchief that was in the Bible, and went to the.... I don't say the handkerchief done it, now. It was her faith that did it, see. She went and she said, “God, I'm dying and there's no help that I can get anywhere. But, if You'll just help me....”, and went and got this handkerchief, and laid it on her hand, and never even stained the handkerchief.

And that same night she walked with boots on out through a muddy field for two miles, or better, to a highway. And got out of her boots and had her shoes under her arm.

I've seen a many time, young ladies, sixteen and eighteen years old, very fair; coming to church packing their shoes under their arms (not fifty years ago—last year), and get near a church and sit down on the side of the road and dust off their feet and pull on their hosiery, put on their stockings, and come to church. Might be people in here did that a long time ago, but that still exists down in Arkansas and some of those countries.

Then she gave the testimony, come by Greyhound bus, hung her lantern on a limb where she seen how to get out to the bus. And came in and gave that testimony, walking in the building before thousands of people at Little Rock. And gave the testimony that the blood stopped immediately as soon as she put the handkerchief on.

I'm remembering another one just while waiting and bringing things just.... One time there was a little lady, in first part of the ministry. It was a great upset that night, It just lives old memories over. A lady was standing with a little baby, very typical southern type, with his little legs around her hips, like this. And she was holding it. And the woman had a female trouble. And I prayed for her, and it just looked black around her, and I prayed again. This has been about, I guess, eight years ago. And I prayed again, and it just ... it stayed black right around her.

Well, in them days, sometimes I just stayed with a patient till I had some assurance of something. And I prayed again. And I noticed.... Very seldom ever a vision taken place. I'd know what was wrong by just a vision.

And there was the lady. And a horrible thing had happened. And it told her of living untrue to her marriage vow, which just a few days before that. She started crying, dropped her head down. And the man behind her was her husband. He pulled her around and said, “What's this?”

And she started confessing.

And it turned around and told him of the same thing for him.

And they put their arms around one another, pulled the little baby between them, and forgave one another. And knelt down there and gave their hearts to Christ. And the minister baptized them in the church the next morning.

That night coming through, there was a lady wanted a handkerchief prayed over like you're coming tonight. It was sent to a club-footed baby, way down somewhere in the country. And so, the lady, not being at the service, not knowing instructions, not knowing how to take a hold of faith.... That's a hard thing, then.

So they just.... The lady put the handkerchief.... The lady told her, said, “Tie it around it's ankle.”

Well, the handkerchief stayed on there for nearly three months. It had gotten dirty, and she'd washed it. And she wrote and told her sister that sent it, said, “There must not be nothing to that.”

Said, “Well, if your faith ain't strong enough for it, mine is.” She said, “You just keep it on there.”

Said, “Well, the thing's just coming to pieces.”

She said, “Tie strings on it, and tie it around anyhow. Keep it right there.”

For regardless of what taken place, how long, you're the one that gets in a hurry, not God.

And one morning, not many mornings after that, they went back to the crib and found the baby normal and well.

Now, many things like that has happened ... handkerchiefs. Now it is.... It's not some.... It's Scripture. If you think it's superstitious to believe the Scripture, then it would be a superstition.

But, now, many people anoint the handkerchiefs, anoint them in oil. Well, that's perfectly all right. Whatever our Lord will bless, I'm sure for it. I know you are too. But, if you'll watch the Scripture, they never anointed the handkerchiefs. They taken from the body of Paul handkerchiefs, or aprons—the body of Paul—handkerchiefs, and aprons, and little things that he wore on him.

I often wondered where they got that to be Scripture. And I believe they got it here (I'm not sure where Paul picked it up.) when the Shunammite woman went to Elisha, and he told her he said ... told Gehazi, said, “Take my staff and go lay it on the baby.”

Now, if the Lord hadn't just put something on my heart a few minutes ago standing there, I'd speak on this tonight. But tonight's Friday night, and I know I keep you late; and tomorrow's a big rushing day. I'll let you out early tonight, and hold you a long time tomorrow night.

So then, they....

The Shunammite woman went to Elisha, and Elisha took this staff, sent it by Gehazi, and said, “Lay it upon the child.”

Now, Elisha knew that whatever he touched, when he had the anointing of the Spirit on him, that it was blessed. And I think that's what Paul did, and that's what the people saw. It wasn't Paul, it was God on Paul, and just a token, or a symbol of faith, you see. And so, they'd taken from his body handkerchiefs and aprons, and diseases went from the people.

What is that? What would you imagine? The people ... some people touched the garment of Jesus and was made well. Others smacked Him in the face, and hit Him on the head with sticks, and spit in His face—never felt any virtue at all. It was their attitude of approach. It just depends on what attitude you come in. If you come believing that you're coming to get help, and you're confident that you're coming to the right person—Jesus Christ—and you're coming His provided way of approach, you're going to receive something, if you come reverently. If you come, “Well, I'll go touch and see if it helps me,” that won't do you any good at all, see. It's your approach to God's divine article is what does it.

Just like the brass serpent: Why, the serpent didn't have no virtue in it; it was a piece of brass. They brought it up out of Egypt. Neither did the pole have any virtue in it—not a bit—but it was obeying what God said do. What brought the power, what brought the virtue is obedience to the Word of God, and that's the same thing tonight.

And now, as I pray over these handkerchiefs with all my heart, I would.... If you'll excuse me for not doing it. Dr. Caubles, I'll ask you to help. Now, if you fail to get this, or if you're from any part of the country, you'll know your handkerchief. I don't know whether my secretary's here tonight or not. I suppose so, somewhere in the building. We send out scores of those things. Thousands a year goes all over the world; great testimonies returned. Now we'll be glad ... it's free of charge. Everything we have is free.

Now, if you fail to get yours.... We don't have handkerchiefs, 'cause it cost us so much—maybe twenty-five cents apiece. And you send out a couple thousand a week, you know what it would cost you. So we just don't have the money, but we buy hundreds of yards of ribbon. And I pray over that ribbon—cut it in little bitty pieces—and send it to all different parts of the world. And the people pin it on their underneath garment. Instructions is given on what to do. And we'll be glad to send....

Now, it's not that we want you to write to us, friends. I know a lot of these radio programs today; they: “Just write me. I want your address. Just let us know you're listening at us.”

I have nothing against that, but you know yourself it's a publicity stunt to try to get your address to keep carding you and mailing you and billing you to send them money, and so forth. Which, that's all right. I have nothing against it. If God tells you to do that, all right. But, brother, we can hardly answer half the letters we get now, see. So, it isn't to get your address; it's trying to help you. That's the only alternative we have.

And now, I will pray for these after I'm sure His anointing Spirit is on me, see. It would be better, because I....

God, to serve Him is like a dual personality, I guess, or something. You go out here, you like to work and build, help to build a house, go fishing, or hunting, or whatever it is; you're just on your own then. But when that Spirit of God strikes you, it's something different then. It's the anointing of God using that individual vessel. And if it's truth ... if it is the truth, then them words that come forth, uttered by a being—it's either God or the devil. You'd know that.

Now, it's what you think it is is what'll determine what you get from it, see. Now, if you believe it to be God, there's only two things could speak. It had to be supernatural, and in supernatural it only come from two resources: that's either God or the devil.

And I want somebody to ever put their finger on a scripture, or any person, that was ever healed by the devil, or any scripture that even pertained to the devil healing. The devil could put curses on you, but he can't take them off. The Lord's the only one who can heal sicknesses or diseases—is the Lord.

So, that's what they claim: Jesus, He was Beelzebub. They said He was Beelzebub because He could read and know what was wrong with those people; know what their diseases was, know what their names was, and who they was and where they come from. Not everybody, I suppose; He said just as the Father would show Him.

But they said, “Well, He's a fortuneteller.” But the thing of it was, He healed the sick by that, and they couldn't understand that. So that got them all tore up. So they didn't know what to do about it. So it's the same thing tonight. But on this here, is God. Obeying His command is what God has said do.

I am glad tonight. I don't know whether Brother Daugherty has raised up, or give a testimony, and Sister Daugherty. Is Betty with you, Brother Daugherty? One of my first books I published called, “I Was Not Disobedient To The Heavenly Vision”; to a little lady, a little girl, dying with something like St. Vitas dance, just screaming and going on. The doctors had give her up, and ministers had prayed.

I was having a meeting. There's men sitting right here tonight, pitched in fifty-cents apiece to pay my railroad fare to come over here in Louisville, catch a train to go to St. Louis to see this little girl.

And laying there in the bed. Poor Brother Daugherty, Sister Daugherty, all worn and torn. I was in there several hours, and went down to his church and prayed. And the poor little child laid there, gnawing its tongue, and eating a.... Oh, horrible condition. A little blond-headed girl. Just very pathetic, like a animal, just screaming and going on. Screamed so much, and been sick so many months until it just didn't look like a human being.

And I waited, I went down to his church, I prayed, I made all kind of promises to God. Come back, and was sitting in his ... a Ford car, sitting out in front of the house. I can just almost see it now. Looking out across the hood of the car, and there come a vision, “Thus saith the Lord.”

That settled it. Where are you at, Betty honey. There she is, right there. All right. There's the little girl now, a young woman fine and healthy by God's grace. Her mother and dad sits there too, and her little sister.

The first case that was my going to St. Louis, my call to there, went there for my first revival, begin with Betty's testimony in St. Louis, Missouri.

How many ever read that little book called “Heavenly Vision”? Amen. You remember testimony of the Daugherty family? That's the little lady sitting right there now.

How the Holy Spirit told me, said, to have Reverend ... the young Reverend here, to stand to one side, and the father to stand to the other side, have the mother to get a little piece of white cloth and wet it, and stand there and be wiping down the baby's face and hands and to its feet, just as I repeated: “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.”

When it come right to the end then, the Spirit of the Lord come down, said just exactly what to do. There's Betty sitting there, testimony, living and well.

Well, He's just God, that's all. We just love Him. We're trying to think it's way off somewhere else, when it's right with us. “I'll be with you, even in you, to the end of the world.”

The Lord bless you now. And I promised that I'd try to let you out just as early as possible. I'll read a scripture here, and go right straight to the service, speak a little, and then we'll have the prayer for the sick.

Now, I think, if I'm not mistaken, Brother Caubles, is it Sunday night at the...? [Brother Caubles says, “Memorial Auditorium.”] Memorial Auditorium. And so, that's down on Fourth Street—some of the visitors, and so forth. You've been real lovely this week, all of you, to come to the church. Sometimes people don't want to go to church. They say, “Well, these people, that's in a church....”

But remember, you're just as much interdenominational here as you would be in the auditorium, just the same. “No creed but Christ, no law but love, no book but the Bible.” That's the way we do it. And we don't have.... “We have fellowship one with the other, while the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all unrighteousness.” Isn't that wonderful?

Now, in the book of St. Luke, and beginning with the 10th chapter and the 46th verse, I shall read just a portion of the Scripture.

And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.

And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.

And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.

... Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.

And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I may receive my sight.

... Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole ... immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

Shall we speak to this One now, that this is written after.

Kind Heavenly Father, we address Thee in Jesus' name, thanking Thee for this scripture, and for being alive today. Many things has changed in the world. Times has changed, transportation's changed, people has changed, but Thy Word never changes. It's forever the same. And I thank Thee for it.

And may that same lovely Jesus, and the faith of this blind man who could stop the Master on His road, may it stop Him tonight. Many of the people here that are sick, and may He heal them all. Forgive us of our sins and shortcomings. And may Thy love be with us tonight. And may it be brought through Your servant, as we being units, or offsprings of God, sons of God, a part of God, with God's Spirit to minister one to another.

And may the love of God so wrap our hearts together, that there'll be no place at all for doubts. And may just perfect love and faith exist in this building tonight. And may many be healed, saved, backsliders reclaimed, and the angels of heaven rejoice when the meeting's finished. For we ask it in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

Now, our scene for the next few moments is a tragic one in one way. There's hardly anything ... way I could describe the darkness of this scene. It's a blind man; he's sitting by the walls of a great, wicked city.

And I've often thought that how that men could say that people were blind for the glory of God. I never could see that: a person shut off in darkness and blackness for the glory of God. God created man to have five senses, and then take the sense of sight away from him and say it's God's will. That's always been a hard thing for me to see. I can hardly believe it.

And just like I was talking to a fellow not long ago about ... nothing about.... If there, perhaps, may be a Catholic friend sitting here, I'm not saying this for any down. Remember, the Protestant religion needs to be built up a whole lot before the Catholics can be criticized. That's right. But the Carmelite order of the Catholic Church, them ladies to go in, young ladies, and just stay behind prison walls all their life. They'd be a lot better off, to my opinion, out trying to do something for the glory of God, I think.

But now, we Protestants have things just as bad. We know to do good and do it not, and then to us, it would be evil. But, some of those things are hard things for me to see. Maybe it's because of me. I don't know.

But, this poor, blind man sitting outside of a big, wicked city; always was a wicked city. As far as I know, still a wicked city. In the Bible, it's represented as the roads to hell. Jerusalem sits on a hill; Jericho sits in the valley.

And the good Samaritan found the man coming from Jerusalem, down to Jericho when he fell among thieves. Think of it: He was backsliding—coming from the heavenly to the cursed. Jericho is a cursed city. Jerusalem is a blessed city. And he was on his road, backsliding, when he fell among thieves and robbers that stripped him.

And that's when you'll fall among thieves and robbers, when you start backsliding away from God. Just expect the enemy to be along the road.

And here we see this blind Bartimaeus sitting at the gate, maybe a cold November day, and the wind's a-blowing. His ragged coat's ... and he's sitting there. Not only that, but perhaps hungry—a man blind, and then hungry.

Many beggars was in that day, so he had a lot of competition. Very few nickels was given to him. I imagine there was so many beggars till there was no way at all the man could have any assurance. And everything that he had, he had to beg for it. And so many other beggars along; just now and then he got a coin.

And that was a hard life. There's no surgery. And if there was such a thing as surgery for his eyes, well, he didn't have the money to pay for it. And perhaps the doctors wouldn't have done it without money. I doubt them having surgery of that type, or maybe in his case. I understand, according to some theologians, that he was born blind.

So the man, anyhow, was blind, sitting there, winter time coming on: Hopeless, helpless, nothing to eat, hungry; sitting outside of the walls of a great, cruel city; and it coming wintertime, shivering in the cold. What a tragic scene. My! That could picture some darkness. And not knowing that just down the road a little piece come relief for him.

There might be some of you sitting here tonight in almost in that condition: Hopeless as far as medical is concerned, helpless as far as any help is concerned, and don't know that maybe standing right near you, stands your healing, just as close as it was to blind Bartimaeus.

And there he was sitting at the gate, begging. And I can imagine as he was sitting there, begging, coins.... It'd been perhaps, wintertime coming on; not many travelers that day. The great stones—cobblestones—in the road. That road led from Jericho to Jerusalem was well polished with travelers as they traveled over it.

The great Joshua, the conqueror for Israel, led the Israelites up this same road to Jericho. And also on that same road went Elijah and Elisha one day to the translation of Elijah. Many great historical marks was along the side of the road, but the scream had come like it is in Louisville, Kentucky, tonight: “The days of miracles is past.”

Poor fellow, without a hope, sitting outside of the gates; no church to take him in, nobody to help him. And what help could be done couldn't console him, because the man was blind and he wanted his sight. And there he's sitting here.

Then I can imagine, the first thing you know, somebody begin to slip by. He begged for a coin, sitting in his prison of darkness, and no coin dropped in. He hears something. Now, after a while he hears some footsteps approaching. What is it? Somebody says, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”

Oh, my. “Faith cometh by hearing.” Somebody had told him that there was a man who prayed for the sick and opened the eyes of the blind—healed the sick. He was God's Son.

Now, but what little chance did blind Bartimaeus have, sitting by the side of the gate. A beggar himself, and in this distress, sitting there, and all hopes gone. And yet, the only hope that he had was passing by.

Now, he had one thing he could do: that was call.

Now, if faith cometh by hearing, hearing of the Word, and he knew that Jesus come by, he couldn't say, “Now, wait. I'm might see Him another day. I'll try tomorrow night at the next meeting.” He didn't have that opportunity. That was his first and last opportunity. The only opportunity he ever had, or ever would have, to ever receive his sight.

So, he had to do something. He raised, and screamed to the top of his voice, “Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me! Have mercy on me!”

There, Jesus facing up that road, a road that.... You and I, tonight, all of us are guilty of sending Him up that road. On His mind He knew that He was going to Calvary up that road. On that road He knowed He was going to Gethsemane. He was going to Pilate's judgment hall. He was to be beaten, mocked, and His great gifts of God was to be put at trial. Going to put a rag around His head and smack Him on the head and say, “Now, if You know all what's in the people's hearts and minds, tell me who hit you.”

All those things faced Him, a-quivering, bittering, death there He had to face. He knew also, hanging in His mind there, that He was going up to have His hands placed around a pole, His clothes stripped off of Him, and lashes that would burn plumb into the bone was going around Him. And His blood would bathe His side. And a cruel, thorn crown would be placed on His head. And He'd be nailed to a cross, and hang there, bleeding, bleating, dying, as the most bloody sacrifice was ever offered in the world. And all of that confronting Him. And He's walking; I can see Him in His air of quietness as He walked straight and the disciples going along, putting the people off the road.

And to think what little chance with all of that hanging before Him, did this poor, unseen, unthought-of, blind beggar, hunched against the wall.... When businessmen come by, half ... one-half, not even a speck of authority to the size of this would pass him by without giving him a penny. But, yet, how is he going to attract that man? With one thing: “Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.”

And to think, with all that hanging in front of Jesus, that blind beggar's cry stopped Him still in His tracks. He stopped.

Oh, friends, His love and compassion for the sick was so great, till no matter what the task was ahead of Him, He was always willing to minister to those who were in need. It stopped Him still, a cry from an unprivileged ... from a blind beggar. An old, ragged beggar standing by the side of the wall stopped the Son of God still in His journey.

Your cry tonight will stop Him. He's passing through here tonight. Your cry will stop Him.

He said, “What...? Bring him here to Me.”

And they brought.... [Unclear words],

now. I want you to notice another dramatic thing here. Wish we had time to get into it. Something come to my mind.

Now, notice, he didn't know how he was going to find Him. The only thing he knowed, he sat in a dark world he'd never seen. But there he raised up, throwed aside his old, ragged coat. If it'd been an hour before that, if he'd have lost that coat, or if he'd had to lay it down, he'd folded it neatly, and laid it to one side because he knowed he couldn't find it any more. He was blind, hardly anybody would help him. But now faith takes a hold. Faith springs on what? “I've attracted the attention of the Son of God, and He's bid me come to Him.”

Every one of you here tonight's got the same bidding. “Whosoever will, let him come.”

“I've attracted His attention. He's called me. Now, I won't need the coat any more as long as I obey Him. He would've never give me the invitation if He didn't mean to give me help.”

And He'd never been wounded for your transgressions if He hadn't have meant to take them away. He'd have never been striped for your healing, unless He meant to take it away from you.

You've got His attention now. What do you do?

Here's faith going in action. Throws aside the garment. “I won't need it anymore. I'm going to be a new creature from now on.” He throwed aside his garment.

“How can you see?”

Out in his dark, black world where he couldn't see nothing, he spread forth his ragged sleeve like that, and his bony arms sticking through it. He made a way to find Jesus. No matter what condition he was in, he had His attention. He didn't know which way he was going. He knowed it come from that direction. So here he goes with his arms stretched out. His ragged sleeves hanging down, tears running from the place where the eyes should be, running to Him. Didn't know how he was going to find Him, but the Word of God said, “Come,” and he was going.

There's the main thing. No matter how sick you are, how bad you are, how many trials you've had. When He said, “Whosoever will, let him come,” He meant you. That's right.

“How am I going to get to it, Brother Branham? The doctor said I can't get well.”

Throw it aside. Let's go. We've got His attention tonight. He's passing this way. He's been here every night this week. He's here now. He'll be anywhere where two or three are gathered in His name: “I'll be in their midst. Whatever they agree upon and ask, they shall receive it.” We've got His attention now. He's moving through the building.

Now, raise your hands of faith to Him and say, “Lord, that I might receive my sight.”

He said,

“What would you have...?”

Now, Jesus didn't say, “Now, will you sign a pledge card to go to church six months out of the year? What church will you join if I heal you?” That wasn't even in the question. The main thing was: “Get the man his desire.”

That's the thing tonight. No matter whether you're Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, or whatever you are, if you ask Jesus Christ for healing tonight, He'll do it. That's all. He's promised it in His Word, and He's obligated to His Word to do it. That's right. He'll take care of the rest of it, if you'll just obey Him there. Just believe His Word.

There he was, “That I might receive my sight, Lord.”

And He looked around to him and said, “Thy faith has saved thee.” He never said, “Now, I know that you're going to be well.” He just said, “Your faith has saved you.” He knew that if that man respected the gift of God in that measure, God would be obligated to reward him of his faith. There you are. He come with a full heart. Jesus knowed what he was coming for. Jesus knowed what he was looking for. He knew the depths of his faith. And He said, “Thy faith has saved thee.”

The man turned around and said, “I'm going to get it. It'll be mine.” Walked around, said, “I begin to see daylight already.” And away he went. He could see daylight. God had healed him.

I read a little story here, not long ago; maybe it's mythical, maybe it's not. I don't know. They say that Bartimaeus was born blind. Said he used to have two little turtledoves that they would turn over one another and do little enchantments that'd attract the tourists' attention that was coming by. In order ... so many beggars, if he didn't have something to attract their attention, he'd never get a coin. So they would do little tumbles over each other.

Said he had a little girl he had never seen. And the girl got sick one night, and the doctor could do nothing for her. And he went out and prayed and said, “Lord, if You will heal my little girl, tomorrow I'll offer these turtledoves as a sacrifice.”

Well, the next day the little girl was better. Immediately, blind Bartimaeus goes up to the ... or, the sacrifice to the temple, and gives the sacrifice over. He didn't have no turtledoves now.

And then one night, they said his wife got sick, sometime later. And nowadays, a blind man is led by a dog. Them days, a blind person was led by a lamb. A dog was a cursed thing amongst the Jews. And they.... So he had a lamb. And so, the lamb led him.

And so the next morning, he was going up to the sacrifice to offer his lamb because his wife got well ... or, was better the next morning. And it said ... Caiaphas, the great high priest said, “Where goest thou, blind Bartimaeus?”

He said, “Oh, priest, I am going up to offer my lamb for a sacrifice.” He told him the story that his wife was sick and he promised God that he would give the sacrifice of the lamb if He would heal his wife. And God had healed his wife, so he was going to make his word good.

“Why,” he said, “blind Bartimaeus, I'll give you the price of a lamb, and you buy it at the stalls.”

And he said, “No, I never offered God a lamb, I offered Him this lamb. This was the lamb that I offered.” That's it.

You try to say, “Well, God was good to me; I'll to this.”

Now, God wants you. You're the lamb that God's after, see.

“I'll send my children to Sunday School.”

That's wrong. You must take them to Sunday School, see. You must go, too. God wants you. Now, be an example.

Now, notice. And then the high priest said, “Blind Bartimaeus, you cannot offer this lamb. Why, blind Bartimaeus, that lamb is your eyes. Why, you can't offer that lamb, it's your eyes.” And said....

He said, “Oh high priest, God will provide a lamb for blind Bartimaeus' eyes. I promised Him this lamb and I must offer it.”

Well, on that cold afternoon, when that noise came down the street; God had provided a Lamb for blind Bartimaeus' eye. He give him back his eyes.

That same Lamb is provided tonight, here in this church for your sickness, for your troubles, for your heartache, for your diseases. For whatever you have wrong, God has a provided Lamb. That's the Lamb of God that gave His life at Calvary for every one of us. For your sickness and your sins, the Lamb is provided for you tonight.

While we're on this well-beaten Ecclesiastical road, where many are passing by, saying, “The days of miracles is past.”, can't you hear that little noise somewhere down in your heart: “He rose from the dead. He liveth forevermore.” and “I'll be with you, even in you, to the end of the world.”?

May He be so real to you tonight, you believers, until you can't help from believing. And may He come and do something just a little different tonight, and make it so real to you, till you go away saying, “Yes, I believe.”

My ministry is not to minister to individuals. The thing of it is, is to come together, sit in heavenly places. Then when you see God's Spirit moving, and you're sure that it's God's Spirit moving, then you just accept God where you are. Accept Jesus, and healing will take care for its own, then. Shall we pray?

Lord, in the name of Jesus the Son of God, that Lamb provided from the foundation of the world, that was made sin from the foundation, that was wounded back there from the foundation for our healing. I pray that people here tonight in Louisville, Kentucky, in this little church tonight, will close the doors of their hearts from all unbelief and refuse to accept it. And may they, tonight, just look to Calvary and say, “Lord, I have known in Thy Word that You said 'The things that I do shall you also.' And, 'I'll be with you, even in you to the end of the world.' And, 'A little while and the world seeth Me no more (the unbeliever) but yet ye shall see Me, for I'll be with you, even in you, to the end of the world.'”

Come, Lord Jesus. Manifest Your love, and compassion, and Yourself to this audience of people tonight, by taking away their iniquity, and healing their diseases. In Jesus Christ's name, the Son of God, I ask it. Amen.

All right. I believe we was in “Q” last night. Is that right? giving prayer card “Q.” Well, let's take 85 to 100, if that number hasn't already been called.

[Break in tape.]

... do what He could only know as the Father showed Him. Is that right? Now how many believers in here know that that's the truth, that Jesus did know nothing, or could do nothing, unless first the Father showed Him by vision? Let's see your hands. That's exactly. He said that. We're aware of it. Now then the Father dealt with Him. He said, “I can do nothing ... I do nothing in Myself, but what I see the Father doing, that I'll do.”

Then He walked down amongst people who were sick, dying; walked by the dead, everything else, but He didn't.... He raised some of them. He healed some of them. But He only did it at the command of Jehovah God, His Father. Is that right. And Jehovah God, His Father, was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. So Christ was Jehovah God. That's right. He was either God or the biggest deceiver the world's ever had.

If He was just a man, and a different person from God, then you're in sin. His blood was no more than mine or yours. He was either God, and that was Immanuel's blood, or you're still in sin.

Today when they try to break up God and make Him something that He isn't, I tell you, that's one of the biggest curses on the Christian church today.

They say, “Oh, He was a good man. Yes, He was a teacher. He was a philosopher. Oh, He was a prophet. What He said come to pass.”

He was more than a teacher, yet He was a teacher. He was more than a prophet, yet He was a prophet. He was God. God was in Christ. He was the Immanuel Jehovah anointed, walking here on earth, living among men.

First Timothy 3:16: “Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness, for God was manifested in the flesh, seen of angels, preached on the world, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”—God Himself.

So now, Jesus was God's manifestation of His own being on earth, unfolding Himself into a human being to take away sin and make a way for sickness to be healed.

And if there is no divine healing, there is no resurrection of the dead. It's the earnest of your resurrection. Amen.

I quit preaching quick tonight, you noticed it: The Angel of the Lord is here. That's right.

Now in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, I take every spirit in here under my control for the glory of God. And may the Lord Jesus Christ, who is my full Guide, that my life is now surrendered to Him as an empty channel that He speaks through, may He have control in my life, that His Spirit may control everything that's in here. And cast out every evil spirit, heal every sick person that's in the building. Believe me as God's servant, for I speak in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Now, Father, to these handkerchiefs, You know the people. You know what they mean. And I pray that You'll heal every one that these handkerchiefs represent, as I lay my hands upon them. They're not mine now at this time; they're given to You; they're Yours. May Your Holy Spirit charge every handkerchief with a blessing. Grant it, Lord. May every sick person be healed, and God glorified.

One place in the Scripture where God looked down through angry eyes through the pillar of fire, and the Red Sea got scared and moved back. And Israel went over into the land of promise. May sickness tonight that's cut these people off from health, may God look back through that pillar of fire tonight, that every one of these handkerchiefs, and when they're laid upon the sick bodies, may the enemy move back, and the people cross to the promise, of God's promise of good health. For I ask it in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

All right. Bring your patient.

Now, would everyone reverent just as.... Just a moment. This man standing here, a deaf spirit's on him. Bow your heads so we can get that to leave.

O Lord, kind Heavenly Father, feeling this enemy now, as it shakes—would try to hold the man, but.... He may be so deaf that he can't even hear your Word; I don't know, Thou does. And now, Lord, if that be the case, let Thy servant's faith mount, Lord, highly. Move down into his body, knowing this: that Thou has promised by laying on of hands, casting out spirits, and here's a spirit of deafness. The man can't hear, perhaps; but Thou, Lord, can give him his hearing.

And now with faith, believing, I come to challenge this spirit that's on him. And in the name of Jesus Christ, who I represent.... Calvary, where He won the victory over you, Satan, and all your kind, and your sickness. For He triumphed! And He sent His servants that they might minister His blessings to the people. Come out of the man! In the name Jesus Christ, I charge thee to do this.

[Brother Branham speaks aside.] Do you hear me? How deaf was you? [The man speaks to Bro. Branham.] Thirty years. You may raise your head. Hear me all right? [The man says, “Praise the Lord.”] Amen. Say, “I love the Lord.” [The man says, “I love the Lord.”] What I say low, you say real loud. Praise the Lord. [“Praise the Lord!”] I love Jesus. [“I love Jesus!”] Now, watch. I'm whispering. This microphone's alive. Glory to God. [“Glory to God!”] Now, hold this ear. Praise the Lord! [“Glory to God!”] Glory to Jesus. [“Glory to Jesus!”]

The man is well. Sir, your faith has made you whole. Now, God has blessed you; you serve Him. Yes, I see there's something else wrong with you, also. You have a rupture, don't you? [The man says, “That's right.”] That's right? [“That's right.”] Do you believe He's going to make that well? [“I do.”] God bless you. If He can give you your hearing, He can do that, can't He? You're standing close, and I have a contact with your spirit. You're aware that something's going on, isn't it? Yes, sir. A strange feeling you have never felt this. Isn't that right? Just raise your hand high, see. You're so close now, in anointing of God, you're....

Say, don't you do some kind of work around a jail, or jail services, isn't that right? In a jail? [“About sixteen years.”] Yes, sir. I see you do. Yes, sir. And isn't your name Kopp, or something like K-O-double-P. That's is right. Go home now, you're well. God has made you well. God bless you. Go and just be happy and rejoice. Believe.

Now, you might wonder why I challenged that spirit of deafness. The man, not able to hear the Gospel, see, then he don't know how to receive faith. Others, perhaps, just leave it to them. Sometimes cripples, or something, or something like that, you can challenge it. Now the man can hear. He'll be able to hear the rest of his life if he keeps that faith. But now, in about another thirty-six, or seventy-two hours, that man will get just as deaf as he ever was. That's right. 'Cause that thing in there which was cutting off his hearing will swell again.

What it was, it's just like what's a transparent band around my hand, and the circulation's cut off. The doctors would come and say, “Well, the nerves is dead in your hand, Reverend Branham. We'll amputate this finger. No matter how much salve, how much you put on, that'll never get well until those nerves get right.”

Well, if the nerves is dead and just died that far, why didn't they die out this way?

Now, the doctor, the only thing he can work on is what he can see, or feel, or some of his senses will declare. “Well, there's nothing can do.”

See, a spirit,

now, in that man's ears. The eardrums that was in his ear, the life that operated those eardrums was cut off—circulation.

Now, the doctor says, “Well, the nerves died.”

Well, what made them die? That's what I want to know. They didn't die all over his body; just died there.

Now, you Bible believers believe God, don't you? Well, the Bible said, “When the deaf spirit come out of the man, he could hear. The deaf what? Spirit. Deaf spirit come out. When the deaf and dumb spirit come out, he could speak and hear. The same spirit like ... a deaf spirit was holding his ears, a dumb spirit holding on this nerve here on his vocals. Well then, when they left, it was loosed.

Now, if I cut the band loose from my hand, well, the first thing you know, it gets to feeling different; I can tell it. Well then, that'll be all right for a little while, then it'll get to hurting, aching. It'll get worse than it ever was.

Don't you disbelieve. Just keep holding right on.

I've seen people come to this platform totally blind (not here, but in my meetings), stand and read the Bible. I've never seen the spirit challenged yet but what something happened. Read the Bible. In less than a week, be back the following meeting again, trying to get their sight. They just.... They got knowledge, but they haven't got faith.

Faith.... The Bible said, “When the unclean spirit's gone out of a man, he walks in dry places.” Is that right? “And then he returns back bringing seven other devils worse than he was.” Now, if the goodman of the house isn't there to keep him away, he'll enter in by force. So the goodman of your house is faith. Hold there and don't....

I felt a little feeling moving across the audience a few minutes ago, about calling a man's name. Well, didn't Jesus tell Peter who you are? Don't be skeptic; believe! Just think.... It's nothing unscriptural. If anything's a little worry in your mind, just put a note up here. You'll see it's “Thus saith the Lord” in the Bible. So, just don't do that, 'cause that hinders the work.

All right. Is this the lady? How do you do? All right. Jesus Christ, of course, knows everything. He knows all of us. He knows you, He knows me. And perhaps, maybe, I don't know, we may have never met in life. I don't recognize you. If we ever have met, I don't recognize you. And perhaps wouldn't now, anyhow. But, if we've ever met on the street, or met anywhere else, you can realize that something's going on now that wasn't going on then. It's because it's in the presence of His Being; not mine, your brother. In the presence of Him. That's right.

And I see a man and a woman standing in a woman's place. And there's something ... they got a baby—a little child—a little girl baby. Now, it seems that this child is school age, and there's something in the legs. There's something wrong. It's a.... It's you! You was born with something wrong in the leg. It's a vein condition in the leg. Isn't that right? And haven't you got somebody on your mind that's near death with a cancer?

Lord Jesus, merciful Heavenly Father, send Thy loving Spirit to this one tonight. And grant Your blessings to her as I bless her. In Jesus Christ's name, may it be so. Amen.

God bless you, sister. Go and live now. May God be with you and bless you. Amen.

All right. Be reverent.

You were praying, wasn't you, sir? You're believing with all your heart? You want to get over that back trouble? You do? If I told you you were healed, would you believe me as God's prophet? Stand up and accept it, then. Your faith has saved you, brother. Go in peace. God be with you.

All right. You? Supposing that we be strangers to each other. Only God alone knows between us. That's all. But one of these days, we're going to have to meet again into His presence, and give an account for all that we've done or said here on earth, when the great book is opened in the judgment.

“Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” That's it, isn't it? Baptism of the Holy Ghost. You just got it. That's it.

You got high blood pressure, caused from a nervous condition. Go. You're going to receive it. Jesus Christ will grant it to you.

God, grant this in Jesus' name. Amen.

May the mercies of God rest upon those, His children, who believe Him and have faith in Him. God be merciful.

Do you believe that rupture's gone? You do? Well, stand up then, accept it. God bless you.

All right. We are strangers to each other, I suppose. Do you believe the things that you see comes from God? Well, you realize that you must have His help, and must have it immediately, if you live much longer. You realize it's cancer, don't you? And now, that cancer is located in the ear, isn't it? Isn't that right?

Almighty God, grant that this horrible demon will leave the woman, in the name of Jesus the Son of God. Amen.

Go believing, don't doubt. You shall be well, just have faith. Take His Word, don't....

Mother, I thought it was you, but it's the lady sitting near you, He's hanging over. There's grace of God. Got bowel trouble, haven't you, lady? Isn't that right? Mother, lay your hands over on her there, will you?

Kind Heavenly Father, be merciful to her, and heal her. And my poor dear mother sitting there, sick, tonight, too. Grant it to her. May this be done through Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

Do you believe? Do you know my mother? Ever acquainted with her? You just met her, huh? You know the reason you just met her? You've come from a long distance coming here. You live in Illinois, don't you? If that's right, raise up your hand. That's the reason you don't know mother. God bless you, now. You're going back to be well.

Have faith, don't doubt. Just believe God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. You do? All right. If you do, you can be made well.

All right. Are you believing with all your heart? 'Course, you know, longer I speak with you, more it would be known about you. You get sick once in awhile, don't you. That gallbladder what does that. Isn't that right? Causes something in the stomach, but it's.... The gall duct can't come into the stomach, or at least that's what the doctor told you. Nice little fellow. You're worried about a child, or a son. He's not here. But the son suffers ... had polio. Isn't that right? I'm not reading your mind, lady. You're in the presence of God. Do you believe for you and your son? Come here.

Father, I bless this poor woman. And may Your blessings be upon her. You said, “Whatever you bind on earth, I'll bind in heaven. What you loose on earth, I'll loose in heaven.” Therefore, I ask for the blessing of my sister's heart's desire in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

God bless you, lady. Go now. Receive and believe with all your heart. All right.

How do you do, sister? Do you believe Him now with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind? Believing God is going to do this for you? Such great faith. You believe the asthmatic condition's going to leave you, don't you? All right. You go ahead now. You're healed.

Got spinal trouble, haven't you? Do you believe God's going to make you well? You're a stranger too, here. Do you believe God will tell me where you're from? If I will, would you stand and accept your healing? You're from Michigan. Stand up, go home, and be well. God bless you. Just have faith, don't doubt. Believe with all your heart, God shall grant it.

How do you do? Do you believe with all your heart? Been getting weak lately, haven't you? Something slipped up on you here that you don't know about. Besides your eyes going bad, you've got TB also. You're acquainted with that, are you? It wouldn't look, to look at you, but you are. Do you believe He's going to make you well now? Do you know that's the first disease that God ever healed in the Bible? First promise He ever made was take away consumption. Do you believe you have it now, while you're in His presence? Do you now, like blind Bartimaeus of old, accept it now? Go, saying, “Jesus, I take Your Word. I believe I'm healed.” What you're wanting me to do is lay hands on you, 'cause that's where your faith lays. Come here.

Kind Father, spare the life of a dying woman. And may Thy mercies be given to her, and may she live through Jesus Christ. Because He lives, may she live also. Amen.

God bless you, lady. Go now, be of good cheer.

Come, sir. I want to ask you something. You've asked for this opportunity, to God, in prayer. You said if you could ever get here to this platform, I'd offer this prayer that you could go home and eat, your stomach trouble would be over, and you'd get well. You was thinking that when you was sitting down there. Is that the truth? Now, go eat, for your faith has saved you.

Do you believe, sister, with all your heart?

Do you believe He heard your prayer, sir, with that internal trouble sitting there? Do you believe He did? He did. Raise up, now, you can go home and be made well. God bless you. Amen. God bless you. Your faith saved you, brother. Go, rejoicing, being happy.

The gentleman sitting next to you there has that bronchial all the time. Isn't that right, sir? Now, you all put your arms around one another. Put your arms.... That's right.

O Lord Jesus, grant this blessing. For Jesus Christ's sake I ask it. Amen.

God be with you.

If you believe, you can be healed of that tumor without an operation. Do you accept your healing right now? May the Lord bless you, my sister, as I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ, praying that you'll never have to have the operation. Amen. Go now. As you have believed, so will it be to you.

Oh, He is wonderful!

Excuse me. Do you believe the kidney trouble's going to leave you, you're going to get well? You do? Raise up your hand, say, “I accept Jesus Christ now as my healer.” [The lady repeats.]

O God, merciful One who sent Jesus Christ, Thy Son, and raised Him up from the dead that He'd show forth the same signs that He did while He was here on earth. May our sister be healed. Amen.

God bless you. Go now, believing with all your heart.

How do you do? Into His presence we both enter, and only for His glory, lady. And it's Him, the one that can help you. I'm just your brother. Been having some trouble. It's a stiffness coming into your body. I see you trying to move from a bed, or something, and you get kind of stiff, and.... It's arthritis. Is that right?

A little trouble, too, like a heart trouble's been fluttering around, trying to bother you, too. Isn't that right? Will you obey me as God's prophet? You asked God to fill your soul full of the Holy Ghost. Go off the platform just stomping your feet like that, and get rid of the arthritis, in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

Let's say, “Praise be to God.” Obedience is better than sacrifice, hearkening unto the fats of rams.“ You must believe Him.

I seen someone get hurt. I can't place it. Oh, yes, I do. It's a lady, and she was.... Today she's hurt her ankle. Yes. You sprained your ankle somehow. I seen you limp or turn sideways. You were at a steps. And that was ... had a initial or something: YWCA. Is that right? You sprained your ankle today there. Is that right? Same clothes. All right. Stand up. Jesus Christ heals your sprained ankle. You can go home and be made well.

The rest of you can be healed, too. Do you believe it? Let's bow our heads just a moment.

Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, come near now, and bless this people who was waiting. As Thy servant, strength is going. More must be done. And I ask Thee to be merciful to the people. And at this time, may Your Spirit come upon them.

And now, with your heads bowed, every one of you, your eyes closed, I'm going to ask you.... They touched my side, and I know that I can't tell my own being. It's time for me to go. But He's here to make well every one of you, if you'll just believe with all your heart. Surely, I trust that I've found grace in your sight, that I've told you the truth after God telling me so. And God has confirmed it to be so.

Now, I would that you'd just lay your hands on someone near you. The Scripture said, “These signs shall follow them that believe. They shall lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover,” and you all are believers. Then put your own faith out to work, and lay your hands over on one another. And each one of you start praying right now. Praying right out as you would in church, and asking God to heal the person next to you. And while you're asking healing for them, healing shall come to you. Now just start praying for one another. Praying that God will heal one another.

Lord Jesus, I ask You to grant this blessing tonight. Now, I send the power of God, through Jesus Christ's name, into every human body in this building for healing.