Expectation

Good evening, friends. It's certainly a privilege to be here tonight in this meeting again. Coming in the love of the Lord Jesus to minister to His dear people that's so much in need, and may His blessings rest upon each and every one of you.

A bad night on the outside. Or, it seems that way maybe, to me being a Southerner, but up here it may be all right. I was certainly happy tonight when some of the brethren here at the church come and got me; they've been so nice to me. I appreciate all your kindness.

I've got a little Chevrolet truck I've been coming back and forth in, and since I been here they'd come and get me in a big Oldsmobile. So I certainly feel like I've been honored to be in your meetings, to be here.

We've got, I think, this being our last night at the church, and tomorrow night we move over for our closing night at the hall, at the Andy Cotter, I believe, Johnson City Auditorium, or the brothers announced it. I don't know much about the place, and I couldn't find it, I guess, but we look it up tomorrow to know how to get to it.

Now, tonight we are gathered for one sole purpose, and that's to magnify Jesus Christ to the people. I don't know no other alternative that I would be here tonight.

I'm a married man, have a family, and I really love my home, what little I get to be in my home. They've moved me up to the new parsonage, at the church's parsonage seven years ago, when they built it. And I have never eaten one time in the parsonage without the shades, the Venetian blinds turned down in the kitchen. The people standing on the porch, in the yard, and around like that. I've got two children that's almost neurotics from just all hours of the night up going, when I'm at home. People coming, see there....

If it was just like from here at Binghamton, it wouldn't make much difference; but it's the whole world, you see. They gather in there. I just heard from my wife, and they're sitting in those hotels and motels there from all over the country everywhere. Wanted to know just what day, what time Friday morning, I'll arrive, you see.

And you can imagine what it'll be. And then through the holidays people coming out. And that.... We put in the papers not to do it, but people are sick, and they.... Could you imagine you could feel at ease, and a little baby laying out in the yard, maybe in a car crying? Some old poor sick mother there that maybe a little word of prayer would change the whole situation. The only way to do is just ... the brethren get me and just keep me away from home. That's the only thing. I have to get off somewhere to kind of get if off my mind. It's not good for you if you keep that up.

Jesus told His apostles, “We got to come apart into the desert.” And when you're out there and you got to do something just to keep it off your mind, you'd be thinking about it anyhow. And the prayer of the people has such an effect. Do you believe that? Certainly. Oh!

When I return, the Lord willing, I'll be able to tell you experiences of things of that type, that I have had experience with. For instance, while it's just on my mind, before I turn to my lesson, tonight, being that we just got a couple nights together. We're not in no big hurry, are we?

I was here just recently, old Brother Bosworth.... How many knows F. F. Bosworth? My, nearly everybody knows him. And since Mr. Baxter has resigned, he went into some business that he couldn't take care of these campaigns, why Mr. Bosworth is the floor manager in the meetings now, in the big meetings. A very dear brother, oh, sweet humble. You just love him. You just can't keep from loving Brother Bosworth. Such a saintly, godly, old brother. And he was in Africa, and he was supposed to be on the East Coast, and then we was to go to the West Coast together; that's after we had been there once, where we had the great meetings.

And one night, the room had been so crowded all day long, I was just so weary I could.... I told my wife, I said, “If anybody else calls,” it was on Saturday night, I said, “tell them just go to the church in the morning, and I will pray for them down there, because I'm just getting so tired, honey,” I said, “I just can't hold myself together.” And getting so nervous, I was just getting upset.

Well, she's thirty-five and completely gray headed. You can imagine: she stands between me and the public there. So you can imagine what it is, and just went gray in the last year or two. But.... And she got the people away. When they cleaned up the room, after everyone was gone, we jumped in the car, real quick, and taken a little ride. We went down below New Albany's knobs, not mountains, just kind of little mountains, what we call “knobs” there. And it's kind of rough along this side, and I was driving along there. All at once my windshield just become completely white. And next thing I knew, she was saying, “Billy, what's the matter with you?”

And we had drove about a mile around those cliffs. And I knew nothing about it. It had been a vision. And I stopped the car real quick. We was way up in the wooded country. I said, “Sweetheart, I got to get out here at the road and pray for Brother Bosworth, just at once.” I said, “I see him get off of a train at Durban, South Africa, and he was stricken. I seen them pick him up and put on stretchers, and he's in the hospital and very seriously. And I must pray for him at once.”

Well, we stopped the car; I got outside, went over to the edge of the woods and knelt down, prayed to God to help brother. And then that was Saturday night, and the following Sunday night, I hadn't left the house yet, and some friends was in the house.

And we have four phones to answer on, you can just about imagine what it is, the calls. And that phone only takes long distance. And they said the Louisville operator of the Western Union was calling. And she said.... I went to the phone, and she said, “Reverend Branham, I have a telegram from Durban, South Africa, from Mister, Reverend Doctor Lydare.” And said, “Pray for Brother Bosworth at once. Was stricken after stepping off a train yesterday. In the hospital expecting him to die at any moment.” Like that.

I said, “Operator, could you trace that back and tell me when that left Durban?”

She said, “Yes, sir.” She called me in a few moments, and told me what time it left Durban. I've got off of my travels so many times, the Pan American gives a little chart, and it gives the hours, and so forth. And what had happened, that Angel of God had beat that telegram there, twenty-four hours, just exactly. And the time I got a call through the next day, Brother Bosworth done been healed, was up and going, you see. So, he was healed before the telegram could get there. The sovereignty of God: the Angel of the Lord beat the telegram here, twenty-four hours, see.

Oh, it's past knowing. He's just.... We just love Him, that's all. I just ... with all my heart.

Now, as a man, my words are so limited, like any other man, but His Word is so real and cannot fail, I always like to read some of His words before I say anything about the night service.

Now, in the second chapter of Saint Luke, and beginning with the 25th verse, we read these verses out of God's Word. And then we'll ask Him to add His blessing to it, and then we'll talk a little while, and then our prayer line.

Now, second chapter, 25th verse, I'll start reading.

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

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

And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and then the child was ... when they brought ... the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,

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

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

For my eyes have seen thy salvation,

A wonderful text, for this time, yuletides of the year, of Christmas, the Lord Jesus Christ's birth. Shall we speak to Him just a moment, while we bow our heads.

Our loving Father, we thank Thee tonight for Thy love, that sent the Son of God from glory to earth, to become sin. And tonight with our throne blessings in our heart, by His grace, to know that we were sinners, and He came and took our place, and died as a sinner. Died in my place, He died my death at Calvary. He died all of our deaths at Calvary. And the sin ... me as a sinner, He represented me in His death at Calvary. He represented every believer tonight in His death at Calvary.

And God, reconciling us, and His love to us, raised Him up again for our justification. And therefore, being raised up with Him, we're seated tonight in heavenly places in Christ Jesus with every blessing that God promised, is our redemptive blessings in Him. We thank Thee for this. And You, by faith, Father, foreseeing it, knowing what would take place, has blessed us together, with Christ. Every blessing that He died for is ours right now, for we're seated in Christ. We're resurrected with Christ. And now, we're seated in Him, as believers, in this heavenly place in Christ Jesus.

O Father, it shakes our hearts to know, the sense mind could not understand it. It's beyond any of our senses to comprehend what this means; that we, tonight, are now seated in Christ. Every blessing that He died for is ours right now; we have it. O God, help us to have faith tonight to use Your faith, that You said it was ours. And let us claim it tonight, Lord, every God-given privilege that we have. For You have bought us, called us by grace, washed us in the blood of Thy Son, the Lord Jesus, and has cleansed us up, filled us with the Holy Spirit, set us in Christ Jesus, here tonight to claim anything, any redemptive blessing.

And our enemy tonight is just a bluff. For Christ robbed him of everything he was, at Calvary, when He stripped of everything—power—that he ever had. For God was ... man was reconciled to God at that time through the blood of Jesus Christ when He fully paid the price and the full supreme offering was made; and God was pleased with it. And tonight, we're resurrected in Him.

Now, we thank Thee for this. Knowing this, that no matter what comes or goes, we're in Him. Those who He has justified, He has already glorified. And the Father in His own faith, believing that we will hold to our redemptive blessings, and the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, foresees us yonder in eternity, glorified together with Him, with glorified bodies, free from sickness, free from death. And to live with Him as His dear beloved children, through all ceaseless ages and eons of time to come.

Bless us, Lord, tonight. May our hearts be moved as the Holy Spirit comes down the aisles of our being, and cleanses us from all doubt and unrighteousness. For we ask it in His name. Amen.

Now, someone has been asking why I do not pray for more than I do at night. I might explain that just a moment. See, friends, you don't realize what that does to me. How many knows that that vision takes more out of me than anything else that I know of. The prophet, Daniel, saw one vision and was troubled at his head for many days. Is that right? Look, did you all know that most all poets and prophets and inspired people were considered neurotics? You know: crazy? That's right.

Look. For the people here that probably are not Christians, how about the great folk-song writer, gave America some of its most lovely folk songs, was Stephen Foster. He wrote: The Old Folks at Home, Old Kentucky Home, Suwannee River (many of those), Old Black Joe—many of those great inspiring songs.

Here not long ago.... Old Kentucky Home is just across the river from me. I was over there sitting at the little bench that he was supposed ... or, table; it was valued at a hundred thousand dollars many years ago, when the World's Fair was held at St. Louis. And he was ... here it came, that song. There was his picture, and with the seraphim, supposed to touch him, give him inspiration. I thought, Yes, Mr. Foster, you had it here in the head, not in the heart.

But, if you notice every time that he would write a song, that inspiration would leave him, he'd get on a drunk. And finally, now, just don't condemn the man too quick, see, till you understand. Not being what he should, he'd get on a drunk. He'd leave that inspiration. And finally, when he come out from under the inspiration one day, called his servant and took a razor and committed suicide. He didn't know where he was at.

“Well,” you say, “yes....”

How many of you knows William Cowper? Many of you knows his famous song: “There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins; when sinners plunged beneath the flood, lose all their guilty stains.”

I stood by his grave in London, England, not long ago, and I looked down there, and I thought, Yes, Mr. Cowper. I just read his history. You know, after he had inspiration, and wrote that song.... When he was up there it was all right, but when he begin to come out of it, he tried to find the river to commit suicide; it was too foggy; the driver couldn't get him to it to commit suicide after writing that famous song: There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel's veins; when sinners plunged beneath the flood.

You say, “That's poets.” How about prophets? When Jonah received inspiration and went into a city with a million people in it, and was so wicked that they were very wicked. And he prophesied with such power, after God gave him the message to give the people, when he was anointed prophet, to go down there and foretell, “Within forty days would God destroy the city.” And it went through with such power until they put sackcloth on their animals; repented in such a way.

And that man went up on the hill and asked God to take his own life, and they put little worm to cut the gourd tree down. Is that right? That was prophet.

And look at Elijah, who called fire out of the heavens and rain out of the heaven at the same day, when it hadn't rained for three years and six months; killed four hundred priests himself that very afternoon. And as soon as the inspiration left him, went running to the wilderness, and wandered out there, not knowing where he was at for forty days and nights, and God found him pulled back in a cave somewhere. And a small voice said ... asked him what he was doing back in that cave. Is that right? That's prophets, see. Inspired!

Oh, Christians, most all Christianity in the way we see it today is so shallow; it's like bubble dancing. You speak of Spirit and know very little of it. That's right. You don't get down and deal with the actual facts of it, you see. That's the reason the theologians today just know it from a Word standpoint, and they approach it like that, with a sense knowledge, and know nothing about the indwelling Spirit, the power, see. They don't deal with Spirit. They just look at it and say, “Well, I believe it's this.” You draw your own conceptions. That's the reason they make such fatal mistakes.

Sometimes in the meetings ... I say this: Someone said to me, “Brother Branham, why don't you...?” I got a little letter here not long ago, and it said good criticism. Said, “Brother Branham,” said, “your meeting is head and shoulders above anything I've ever seen. But,” said, “the thing of it is, that you're just so lazy, and won't pray for God's sick children. He had to raise up Oral Roberts to pray for His children.” Said, “Oral will pray for about five hundred while you're praying for one.”

I said, “That's true. But Brother Roberts is God's servant; and he's doing just what God told him to do, and I'm doing the same thing: just what God told me to do.” That's right. Sure. Brother Roberts, if he's a true man of God, which I believe Brother Roberts is, a real man of God, and then Brother Allen, Brother.... All these brothers are real Christian brothers. I believe every one of them. I believe every man that calls on Jesus Christ is my brother. And I'm right with them a hundred percent to back them up in anything. As long as it's in the Bible, and right, I'm right behind them. If they get out of the Bible, I still won't condemn them. I love them just the same. And go to them and try to see if we can't get the thing straightened up now.

Now, on these things.... But many times in the meetings, I get what goes through the line. Brother Roberts and them, they just real strong. Their meetings are faith. It's just with real predominating faith. There's a little brother here, a business man, in this city, by the name of George Gardner. You talk about a faith, he's got it. But what he does, he's just a babe in Christ, and he's not had many up's and down's, and knocks. So he just reaches out there by faith and grab it and it's on God's Word, he says, “The Word said so, and that settles it.” That's the way to do it, see.

Now, those things.... That's the way Brother Roberts does. That's the way Brother Allen does. That's the way Brother Coe does. That's the way we all do, see. It's faith, faith, faith.

Well, now, sometimes the people in the meeting, they get a hold of some things that they can't.... There's something.... But if you've done something in your life, or never done something that you should have done, you could pray over you all you wanted to, and anoint you till you died, and it'll never leave you, see. That's true.

See, before.... In the meeting it's slow. But you have to find the cause before you can find the cure. If you go to a doctor and tell him you're having persistent headaches, and he gives you an aspirin, sends you back home, he's not a doctor. He's trying to get rid of you; trying to get you out of the office. If he's a real doctor, he will take you and examine your blood, and your pressure and everything else, and hunt till he finds the cause, and then start working from there. That's a real doctor, see. But if he just bounces you off like that, that's not a doctor, see. He's not a good doctor anyhow, 'cause he should be ... his patients should be like his own family, that he'd try to hunt it down, see where it's at. A man's got the thing on his heart. Well, now, that's the same thing here, see.

Now, here not long ago, just give you a little case. (Am I taking up too much of the time on these testimonies?) A little case, there was a little woman....

A Methodist preacher down in New Albany, Indiana, which is a very dear friend of mine.... I had the Baptist tabernacle in Jeffersonville, and we were brothers, if there ever was. And he'd always.... If I got a hold of somebody that didn't believe in immersing and wanted to be sprinkled, I'd send him down. I said, “You go down to his church, Brother Len, because you'd make a better member down there, because I'd say he's a real man. And he's a man of God. But he believes in sprinkling, and I'm a Baptist.” And so, I'd take him down. If he found somebody, I'd say, “Now, it's awful dry down there, you see.”

So, if he'd find somebody that wanted to be immersed instead of being sprinkled, he'd say, “Go up and see Brother Billy.” Said, “Now, he'll drown you. He's a Baptist.”—but we just had friendship like that with each other.

Well, he was a good man. And he said, after I come in here about ... it's been about two years ago, a little over, he said, “Billy, all the way around the world you go, and then leave your poor brother sit down here.” Said, “Why don't you come down and hold a meeting for me?”

And I said, “Well, brother, when I come home, I'm trying to rest my mind, and things from the prayer of the sick.”

He said, “Well, Brother Branham,” he said, “I won't ask you to pray for one person, if you just come down and preach for us one night.”

Well, he had a radio program, and he announced it on the radio that morning, and that night, church about like this, and they were everywhere, and out on the streets.

And so when I made the altar call, we had the people up and down the streets with the speakers to accept Christ, and so forth. He'd taken me out.... Come in that night, they held their hands down over the window and picked me up; and going out, he took me down a basement, said, “Wait till they get away, and I will put you in a room down here, and then you can get out.”

And I said, “All right.”

Going down the steps, he put his arm around me, said, “Billy, you forgive me for something?”

I said, “What'd you do, Brother Johnson?”

He said, “Well,” he said, “nothing, but,” said, “I've got a little lady here that's a Sunday school teacher.” And said, “She's so awful bad condition, nervous.” Said, “I'm.... You don't have to see any vision,” said, “just put your hands on her, offer prayer.” Said, “She's been everywhere prayed for.”

And I said, “Sure.”

Said, “She's in a terrible shape.” Said, “Ten years nearly she's been going to this psychiatrist, ten dollars a trip, in Louisville.” Said, “She's having an awful time.”

I said, “Certainly!” And I walked down at the bottom of the steps, and a very attractive little woman, about thirty, standing there.

She said, “How do you do, Brother Branham.” Well, I was expecting to see somebody in a straight jacket, the way he was talking.

And.... I said, “Are you the patient?”

She said, “Yes, sir, I am, Brother Branham.”

I said, “What's the matter, sister?”

She said, “I don't know. That's what I'm wondering.” She said, “I just ... I just feel like I'm walking on the earth, and it's going to burst anytime, and I can't leave home. Somebody's got to go with me. I'm afraid of the steps.” Said, “I got three little children,” and said, “I'm in an awful shape.” Said, “Will you pray for me?”

And I said, “Yes, ma'am.” I put my hands over on her, and I prayed, “Dear Heavenly, help this little woman; with all my heart I pray.” And I went on out. Then they dropped me off in a little while, and I went home.

Two days after that I left for overseas. And while I was overseas, my wife said that poor little thing called about every two or three days; said, “Look. If Brother Branham ever has a meeting anywhere, or when he's home, if the Angel of the Lord ever comes near, Mrs. Branham, will you please let me be first one on the list?'”

And said, “Well,” she said, “I'll do my best, sister.” Said, “All I know to do.”

And she'd say, “Oh, she said, 'I'm just getting worse and worse all the time.' And she said, 'I can't go to one of the meetings.' Said, 'I don't how they'd do; they'd have to strap me in a car, to get me out.' Said, 'I....'” That's a terrible fix to be.... That's the worst thing there is. That's mentally.

So, I said, “Well....” My wife said, rather, said, “Well, when he comes back....” When I come home, she'd call about every day; said, “No,” and said that.... So she come up. And she wanted me to pray for her.

I said, “All right.” And I was going out; they was taking me out then. And so I stopped there on the sidewalk and prayed for her. She went back. A couple days later, she called my wife, she said, “Oh, Sister Branham, it'll just have to take when the anointing is on him, where he can rebuke the enemy.” Said, “I'm dying.” Said, “I just can't stand it any longer. These ten years,” said, “I just can't hold up any longer. I'm just going to pieces.”

So, poor little thing in that fix; you just imagine how she felt. Well, and one morning, there about three o'clock in the morning, He came into the room. And then after daylight come, while there was some people outside, my wife come into my room. She said, “Billy, has something happened?”

I said, “Honey, He's been here ever since early this morning.”

She said, “I thought, when I come through this room, that there was something strange.” And she said, “There's some people out there.”

I said, “Well, honey....”

She said, “Shall I cook you a little breakfast?”

I said, “No, maybe He wants to do something, honey.” I said, “Don't cook my breakfast.”

She said, “Billy, can I call that little woman in New Albany?”

I said, “What little woman, honey?”

And she said, “The little woman that's been calling me, and is so nervous, down there.”

And I said, “Well, it doesn't matter to me.”

And so she called her. And there was a man from the Louisville Baptist church, one of the ... Broadway Baptist church in Louisville, that was healed that morning with cancer on the spleen. And he's just fine, perfectly well now. He used to be a big league baseball player for the Louisville team. The doctors has give him up there in Louisville.

So then, she got the little lady up, and some people brought her. I said, “I want to see her by myself.” And she went over into the little den room; I put her over there so she'd be sure to be by herself. I walked in. Her name in Shane. And she was rubbing her hands like this, sitting there. I walked in. A little mother.

And I said, “How do you do, lady?”

And she got up; she said, “How do you do?”

I said, “Just be seated.” There was a little stool sitting there, and I just sat down. I said, “Now, sister....

She said, “Oh, Brother Branham, is the ... is the Angel of the Lord here?”

I said, “Yes, ma'am.”

She said, “Oh, will you cast this evil spirit out of me?”

I said, “Now, just a minute, sister.” I said, “You have to watch what you're casting out.” I said, “People with those kind of things can get yourself in trouble with it.”

Do you know that?

How many believes Moses was a prophet? Sure he was. God trusted him, didn't He? He said, “Go down there and speak to the rock.” Is that right? Not “Smite it”; “Speak to it.” And there where the whole God's program, the whole Bible, was broke at one time. Moses instead of speaking to the rock, went down there and got angry with the people and smote the rock, and smote it the second time.

Said, “You rebels, must we fetch water?” And he got the water; he was a prophet; he could bring it anyhow, whether it was God's will.... That wasn't God's will, was it? But he had power, he was a prophet. And he brought the water anyhow.

But God said, “Come up here, Moses. I'll deal with you now.” Is that right? And wouldn't permit him to go....

How about Elijah, that young fellow, he was.... Oh, he oughtn't to have felt that about it, he went baldheaded when he was young. And he was going back after Elijah being taken up, and the little children run behind him, said, “Old baldhead! Baldhead!” Making fun of the man. Well, he ought to have knowed better—looks to me like, but that prophet got angry. And he turned around and put a curse on those little children, and two she-bears killed forty-two little innocent children, just for calling the prophet “baldhead.”

Well, what difference did that make? I don't think that was the nature of the Holy Spirit, but that was a angered prophet. So you have to watch what you're doing.

So I said, “Sister, let's talk a few minutes.” I said, “Let's just take a little trip.”

She said, “Oh, no, I can't take a trip.”

I said, “Just a moment, mentally,” just to get her mind started. And when we started talking, just a few moments, I seen a little car running like that, little one-seated black car. I said, “Was you ever in an accident, sister?”

Said, “No, no, I never was in an accident.” And then, just then, here it come across the room again.

I said, “I see a little car. And, oh, a train almost hits it.” And she started screaming then. And then, of course, the vision done started; there was no way of stopping it then. So she said ... told her, said, “Now, you was in a little black car, and you was with a blond-headed man. And you were coming back from being out and doing wrong, and the train almost hit you.” And it told her about her husband, she had just gotten married, and her husband left and went overseas. And she got lonesome, and she started running around with some boy, and she was out with him one night, and broke her marriage vows. And on the road home, they almost got hit by a train. And when the vision left, the woman was laying on the floor, just screaming the top of her voice. And my wife come running to the room. And she wanted to know what had happened.

She got the girl up, and she said, “Oh, Reverend Branham, don't you dare to tell that to nobody.”

And I said, “Sister, the only thing you can do is go and confess that to your husband, and make it right.” I said, “There's your trouble.”

She said, “I have confessed that to God, Brother Branham.”

I said, “It wasn't God you sinned against. You was a married woman, you sinned against your vows.” And I said, “They might pour oil on your head by the gallons; they might pray, and stomp, and kick devils; it'll never make a bit of difference. You got unconfessed sin; it will stay right there till that thing is made right. I don't care how many prayers of faith, or anything else, it'll stay right there.”

And she said, “Well....”

And I said, “You a Sunday school teacher?”

And she said, “Well, Brother Branham, that'll break our home up.”

I said, “Now, sister, only thing I know, that's the truth. Nobody knows that but you and God alone, and that boy.”

She said, “That's right.”

I said, “You told your husband that you was out with a boy, but never confessed it all.”

She said, “That's right.” She said, “But I can't tell him.” Said, “I've got three children, Brother Branham. It'd break my home up.” She said, “My husband's a deacon down there in the church.” And said, “If I'd ever tell him that,” said, “it'd break our home up.”

I said, “Well, there....”

She said, “Well, that isn't what's bothering me.”

I said, “Oh, yes, it is. It's way back in that subconscious there, still cut a streak.” I said, “There's where it's at, right there. That's right.”

And she said, “Well, I ... I just can't tell him. It'd break my home up.”

I said, “Well, only thing I can do, sister, there's what He said. You knowed whether anybody knowed about it or not, so....” Wife.... I was going to the next room.

She said, “Oh, don't leave, Brother Branham.”

I said, “Well, sister, you go get your husband and make that right.”

She said, “I just can't do it.”

I happened to look, and standing by her side was a black-headed man, kind of wavy hair, over to the side like that. And he turned his back, and he had wrote on.... He had a Chevrolet sign wrote on his back. And I said, “Isn't your husband a tall man with black wavy hair?”

She said, “Yes, sir.”

I said, “He works for a Chevrolet company.”

Said, “Yes, sir.”

I said, “He has the same thing to confess to you.” That's right. I said, “He works in a garage. And day before yesterday, he was with a black-headed woman that works in the garage. She was wearing a pink dress. They was in a green Chevrolet car. And she broke his marriage vow to you. And not only that, but he's done it before.”

Said, “Not my husband. He's a deacon in a church.”

I said, “No wonder Brother Johnson's church is not prospering with such as that.” And I said, “That's it.”

And she said, “Not my husband.” She resented it. She believed him. She said, “Not my husband.”

I said, “Look, lady, you better go and get your husband, you all get these things straightened up, 'cause that's all I know, now. I'm just His servant.” And I walked out of the room.

My wife come back in a few minutes. She said, “She went over to the phone; she called him up.” Said, “The women are sitting her back down.” So, said, “What do you think will happen?”

I said, “Well, that's up to them; I don't know. But,” I said, “you never know, no matter how much you scream, how loud you scream, how much you'd pray, that devil has got a legal right to stay right there, and he'll stay there, too. That's right. And he has got a right to stay there. Not only that, but if you're supposed to have done something and didn't do it, he has a legal right of disobedience.” So, there's what it is. Combing that person, you find out just where that cause is.

Then you know where to start for the cure, see. It's unconfessed sin, many times, so you have to watch what you say, stomping this one out and stomping that one out, see. That's right, see. Faith will move. But not when he's got a legal right. Satan knows what his rights is, and what he hasn't got a right to. That's right. Clean yourself up before God and come before Him pure and holy, ask then, see. And now, search your life out.

Then after a while here they come back. She went and got him, and he come up the road in a car. So, they stopped and got out. And she said, “Honey, I got something to confess to you.” And she told him what it was. And he said.... “And you know, wasn't you out?” She knew the woman, said, “Wasn't you out?”

He said, “No!”

Said, “You was at a certain place, at a certain....

He said, “Where have you been?”

And she said, “I've been up to Brother Branham's.”

He took.... He said, “Honey, that's the honest truth.” And he said, “I tell you what.” Said, “Frankly....” Now, it told about him when he was in France, and so forth, and he said, “I started it, I'm the guilty one.” Said, “I was the one who started.... Said, ”If you'll forgive me, I will forgive you. We'll clean ourselves up before God, and walk over there, and take our little children and live like Christians ought to.“ There they confessed their sins to each other and to God, and got right with God.

When they walked back up on the porch with their arm around one another, tears rolling down their cheeks.

I said, “Now, now, Satan will leave. Now something will take place.” And the woman is perfectly normal and well from that minute on, see. There it is. Laying way back in her soul, you see. Things that you've maybe forgot about, but they're laying there, see, and so forth. My, so many things, friends. I've seen our Lord Jesus, thousands of those things right on the platform.

How many has been in the meetings and seen such as that right on the platform, where people had lived wrong, and things, and rebuked their sins. Let's see your hands, people that's been in the meetings. Sure. That's what it's for.

Now, quickly to our text. Now, we got about ten minutes before the prayer line, fifteen.

Notice. A man, Simeon, an old sage, white beard man with long hair, was a teacher in Israel. And he was a great man, had a lot of prestige among the Jews. And the Jews was just about the condition of the church then, is just about like it is today. Kind of cold and indifferent and they had been looking for Christ to come for four thousand years. And little did they think then, when they was in the condition that they was then, that Christ would come then. But, sometimes when you least think, that's when He comes. When you think He isn't coming, that's when He will come.

And then, in this place, the old fellow went around testifying, 'cause one day the Holy Spirit revealed to him that he wasn't going to die until he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he went around telling everybody that he was going to see the Christ before he died.

Now, could you imagine what effect that had on the people? Perhaps, the scientists and the doctors and the ministers and so forth. You know what they probably said about the old man? “He had something happen in his head.” Look at him nearly now, around ninety years old, and his white whiskers hanging down, old man like he is. And even David expected to see Christ. Like at him here, saying, that 'The Holy Ghost told him that he was going to see Christ before he died.' Well, that's ridiculous; it brings reproach upon our church.“ I can just imagine. But he had a real good right to believe it, because the Holy Spirit told him he was going to do it.

Now, we don't have two Holy Spirits; we only have one. The same Holy Spirit that was on Simeon is the same Holy Spirit that's here tonight. Men go; the Holy Spirit remains just the same.

Notice. Then, we're going to use the word of expectations. Usually you get what you expect to. If you come to church tonight, just saying, “I'm going over there, I'm going over there to find something that I know that's wrong.” Don't worry; the devil will show you plenty of it. That's right. You usually get what you expect. If you come expecting to get a blessing from God, God will see that you get it. What you expect! You say, “Well, I don't expect it to be.” Well, that's the reason it isn't. You've got to believe it. And you believe it to be right. Look at the right things, examine it right.

Now, Simeon went to ... was expecting that he was going to see the Christ. Don't make any difference how much people said he was crazy, that didn't bother him one bit. He believed that he was going to see the Christ. So, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, they didn't have television and radio and press like they have today. And probably if they would had it, they wouldn't use it for that. But, you know God has a way of getting His message out anyhow. Don't you think so?

So, when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, three magis, star gazers, came from the East. They said, “We have seen His star in the West.” They were in the East, look, the Orients are east of Jerusalem. So said, “We have seen His star in the East, and have come to worship Him.”

Look. Do you believe they actually followed a star? The Bible said they did. Now, it come over every.... They kept time then by stars. And no observatory, no scientist, all the people standing up on the watches, looking at every star moving, to see what time it was in the night, and so forth. Star gazers. There wasn't anyone seen that Angel ... or, that star but these Magis, for they was expecting to see it. They had read God's prophecy where He spoke through Balaam back there, and said, “There would be a star out of Jacob rise,” and they were looking for it.

So, that's the reason, tonight, that people—the American people —are not expecting. They're not looking for a great Holy Ghost pouring out revival. And that's the reason they're not receiving it, for it's poured out; they're not expecting it. That's all. They're looking to see a reformation in the church, and the people come back and join church and live on out in the world. It's not that age. It's the time where God is filling His people, and baptizing them into the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's the reason they're not expecting it, they're not seeing it—it's going on.

So, is it possible, like in the meetings.... A lady here in the meeting the other night, seen that light where it was standing here. Why, said, “The rest of them didn't see it.” Certainly she could see it and the rest of them not. My! Many times.

And so then, he was expecting to see the Lord Jesus. So, the Magis was expecting to see it. And there was some shepherds out there on the hill that saw the Angels come ... or, heard them, and they sang, “Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, good will towards men.” And then He was born in a manager that night. Eight days afterwards, it was the Jewish custom to take the male child to the temple and have it circumcised. And the mother had to offer an offering for her purification. That's the Levitical law. After eight days, she comes up to the temple.

I can imagine it being Monday morning. And there a great host of people.... There was about two million people in Israel then ... or, in Palestine. And I suppose to say, at least fifty to a hundred babies would be born every night. And that made fifty to a hundred babies, maybe two or three hundred of them, each day had to come and be circumcised and purification for the mother.

And I can look at it being Monday morning. And oh, it's busy around the temple, lots of people coming and going. And way down over on the side, stands a long line, like a prayer line of women standing there with their little babies in their arms. Coming, some of them, rich babies, had lambs to offer. A peasant's offering was two turtledoves. And so, I can look down along the line; I can see the mother standing there with her fine little babies, clean and neat, and little needlework done, you know, around the babies, and so forth. I look way down the line, and I see a little woman standing down there, that all the rest of the women kept their distance from her.

That's about the way they do the church today, that believes in the supernat.... They keep their distance.

“Look. Don't have nothing to do with them people. They're not right, they're holy rollers. Don't fool with them.” I've sailed the seven seas, traveled around the world three times, and I've never seen a holy-roller church yet. Never seen one yet. Just a false name the devil tacked on the church of the living God. There's nine hundred and sixty-nine different churches, I have statistics of those churches, that comes from the government each year and there's not one of them called Holy-rollers, not one of them. So, it's just a scandal name the devil put on them.

So, I can see those women with their nice little babies all in these nice needle works and so forth, and little pink gowns and so forth, standing off, holding their lambs, and so forth, walking up as the priest was doing the ministering at the altar. And this little girl, she stood out by herself, nobody around her.

I can hear some of them saying, “Look. You see her? Yeah, that baby was born out of holy wedlock. That fellow Joseph, they're not even married. Look at them there. And that baby was born, look at it there. That's nothing but disgrace. Keep your distance. That poor little mother, with that little baby in her arms, like this, little veil over her face, maybe, rocking little fellow as He gooed, like that.”

What was He dressed in? Swaddling cloth. Not fine needlework; swaddling cloth. Where was He born? In a manger. Why was He born in a manger? Because He was a lamb. Lambs are not born in houses; they're born in mangers, out in straw. He was the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world. And here He was. You what swaddling cloth is? It's what they take off the back of a yoke of an ox. In the Orients I learned that, that where they plow an ox. They wrap some rags around to keep from rubbing his shoulders. And in the stalls that night there was some swaddling cloth; they didn't even have nothing to put on. We're not worthy of the clothes we got on tonight. When they unwrapped this cloth off the ox neck ... the yoke of the ox and wrapped it around the Saviour of the world.

And here He was, the little mother rocking Him, no clothes to put on the little fellow. He humbled Himself in the humility of His flesh. And there she had Him in her arms, rocking the little fellow like this, and she come up. What kind of an offering? Two little turtledoves, a peasant, poor; yet, He owned the whole heavens and earth. He was made poor that we through His poverty might be made rich.

There she was rocking Him in her arm. No matter what they said, in her little heart, she knew where that baby come from. That's the way with every divine believer today, when they call them holy-rollers and fanatics, they know what's in their heart. They know what's taken place. They say, “Oh, you believe in that old stuff, divine healing?” Don't you worry. You might call them everything you want to, but they know where they're at. They know what they got cradled right here. That's right.

Something.... The peace that passes all understanding. No matter what the world has got to say about it. Praise God. If Jesus Christ could condescend Himself, and wrapped in swaddling cloth, stand there, be made fun of, His little mother standing like that, it's good enough for me. Amen. That's all right. I don't care what the world says. In your heart, you know what it is.

Notice. I can see her rocking Him. The first thing you know, I can see a mother saying, “Don't get around that woman, bypass her around, put her in the back,” see. And there, her standing there rocking the little fellow, and Him looking up, his little starry-looking eyes, looking to the mother. The very God of Heaven, Emmanuel, wrapped in that little swaddling cloth there. She just rocked Him in her arms, with a piece of goods from off of the ox's yoke wrapped around Him.

No doubt, poor little ... the woman looked up, and seen them other mothers. You know how mothers are about their babies? Looked up and seen them nice little babies all laying neatly, little gowns and little beds, and things laying like that. And here she was holding this. But in her heart, she knew who it was.

And then, look. That looked like a disgraceful sight to the Lord. But, wait there's something going on all this time. Back over in a prayer room, somewhere, I can see old Simeon, sitting, reading in the Scripture: “All we like sheep have gone astray. The Lord hath laid upon Him the iniquity of us all.”

I can hear Simeon say, “I wonder who that means? I've been called everything, fanatic, holy-roller. Said I was gone crazy. The Holy Ghost told me one day, I was going to see Him when He come. And I believe it. 'He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.'” He was reading the scroll.

I can see him let the scroll together and stick it down in the sack like that. Look. If God made Simeon a promise to see the Saviour, God's obligated to see that he sees Him. That's right. If the Holy Ghost made the promise, the Holy Ghost has got to see that promise is carried out. If the Holy Ghost made a promise in here, “I'm the Lord that healeth thee,” He's got to carry that promise out to the letter. That's right. He has got to.

How many in here tonight believe in divine healing? Let's see your hands. What makes you believe in divine healing? David said, “When the deep calleth to the deep.” If there's a deep in here calling, there's got to be a deep to respond to it somewhere. How many times have I stood in the mountains and watched the rainbows, and watched the eagle when he soars into the air; and would cry like a baby. Why? I'm a lover of nature. When I see those things....

A while ago, we was at the room where we're at, and they was catching brother's program here, coming in. It was a lovely program, tonight. And I appreciate the song, whatever it was: Down From His Glory. Brother dedicated to me. And we was sitting there talking, in a few moments, I was just rubbing my eyes like that, and a program come on in a few minutes, down there. We hadn't turned the radio off yet. An old timber wolf got to howling. You talk about crying, I did. See, there's something in that. “A deep calleth to the deep.” In other words, here, before there was a fin on a fish's back, there had to be a water for him to swim in first, or he wouldn't've had no fin. Is that right? Before there's a tree to grow in the earth, or a flower to grow in the earth, there had to be an earth first, or there wouldn't be no flower to grow. Is that right?

Here some time ago, I read where a little boy, little baby boy, eat the erasers off of pencils. And he eat the rubber petal off of a bicycle. And they taken him to a clinic to find out what was the matter with the little fellow. And they examined him and found out his little body needed sulfur. There was something calling here for sulfur. And sulfur's in rubber. Now look. Before there could be a call in here for sulfur, there has to be a sulfur to respond to that call. You get what I mean? And as long as you believe in divine healing, there's got to be a fountain open somewhere of divine healing that calls. Yes, sir.

The Indian.... When we first come over here, in these New England states here, our forefathers, they found the Indian. They worshipped the sun, they worshipped something. Why? They were human beings, see. And they knowed there was a deep calling somewhere. They didn't know where it was at, but they were calling for it.

And Hottentots in Africa: I meet them packing little mud idols sprinkled in blood. They know there's a God; they just don't know who He is. And they worship something, because there's a deep calling to a deep. And if there's a deep calling, there's got to be a deep to respond to it. The Holy Ghost had promised Simeon that he'd see the Master. And here the Master was in the temple at that time. Little did anybody know it but Mary.

And here he was sitting back there, reading these scrolls. I can see Him when He was sitting there. You believe we're led by the Spirit of God? Sons of God are led by the Spirit of God. I can see Simeon sitting back there reading the scroll. All at once, the Holy Spirit come, said, “Simeon!”

He stuck the scroll down in the box, raised up and said, “Yes, my Lord.” Oh, my! The very promise that He had give him was in the building at that time.

He said, “Get up and walk.” I can see Simeon, don't know where he's going, but he's led by the Holy Spirit.“ You believe we're led by the Holy Spirit?

Here he comes. He don't know where he's going, he don't know where his next move is, he's just walking, led by the Holy Spirit.

I can see him walk out into the temple, thousands going in and out. I can see him go over to this line, where these women are. Holy Ghost leading right down this line. Here he comes, right down. Stops in front of this little disgraceful-looking woman, standing there, that they called her—disgrace. Picked up that little treasure in swaddling cloth, tears running down his white beard, placed Him up like this, and said, “Lord, let Your servant depart in peace according to Your Word, for mine eyes have seen Your salvation.” No matter how disgraceful it looked to the rest of them, the Holy Ghost led him straight to the Saviour.

In the same time, there was an old blind prophetess sitting over there by the name of Anna. We've said she was blind, about eighty years old. And there she was sitting over there. She was watching for the coming of the Lord, and the same time, the Holy Ghost struck her. And here she come, blind, moving through that crowd. Nobody told her. She was led by the Holy Ghost, through that crowd. Moving around the crowd. The blind woman, and come over, a prophet. Standing there by the side of the child lifted up her hands and blessed God. If the Holy Ghost could lead that blind woman so around those people to come to the promise that God had made, the same Holy Ghost that led Simeon and led Anna by a promise of God, has led you here tonight.

God's under obligation.

If you believe in divine healing to lead you to the fountain that's open.... Don't you believe that? Yes, sir. If your hearts are calling, the deep is calling to the deep, there has got to be a deep to respond to it. You believe it, and God has led you here for that purpose tonight. You wouldn't have come out on a slick snowy night like this just to show what kind of clothes you were wearing. You never come here for no other purpose because you believed that God was the healer.

And as long as that's in your bosom, God's under obligation to place it before you, 'cause you're calling for it. And God will place it before you, then it's up to you to whatever you want to do about it. Simeon could have seen Him and walked away from it. But he embraced it.

And tonight, when the Holy Spirit begins to move through the building, in the prayer line, reach out and embrace God's promise. It's for you. It doesn't matter whether you get up here or not. That doesn't have nothing to do with it. Up here, that doesn't have anything. You just embrace it, right where you're at, and God's under obligation to bring it to you. Don't you believe that?

Led by the Spirit of God. How that Spirit-filled lives are always led by the Spirit of God. Certainly! I'm going to let you in on just a little something now, if you'll just excuse me for another few seconds here ... a few minutes. I want to say something just now. You believe in being led by the Spirit of God?

Here sometime ago, I was in Arkansas, and I was coming out, just when I first started out in my meetings. And I was coming out of a place, where they was bringing me out of an auditorium, at Camden, Arkansas, and the police was bringing me out. And there was the people crying, trying to run through and touch your clothes. You know how people are. And I got a heart, the same as anybody else has. And I was going along there, and I heard somebody hollering, “Mercy! Mercy!” And I looked over to the side, and there stood an old colored man. They have segregation there, you know. Just a little white rim of hair around his head, holding his cap like this, he saying, “Mercy! Mercy!”

The Holy Spirit said to me, “Go over to him.”

Well, I said to the police, I said, “I shall go over.”

Said, “Rev. Branham, you can't do that. You're in the South.” Said, “You go over to that colored man,” said, “you'll start a race riot, as sure as the world.” Said, “These white people wouldn't stand for it.”

I said, “I don't care what they think, God Almighty tells me to go to that man.” And I started towards him. They run over there, and pulled a line around.

And I heard his wife say to him, said, “Honey, here comes the parson.”

I went over there. I said, “What do you want, Uncle?” And they formed a ring around like that to keep the people back, and people screaming and going on, you know.

And she said, “Here comes the parson.” I walked up to him—still the anointing.... They was just bringing me out of the meeting.

And so, then, he come over, said ... feeling like that, said, “Is this you, parson?” And he felt around my face.

I said, “Yes, sir.”

He said, “Parson, is your name Branham?”

And I said, “Yes, sir.”

And he said, “Parson Branham, I never heard of you in my life, but,” said, “my old mammy had the same kind of 'ligion you got.” 'Ligion, you know, said, “Same kind of 'ligion you got.” Said, “Her never told me a lie, all her life, or no one else.” Said, “I's been blind for many years, parson.” And said, “I live about two hundred miles from here. And last night, in the night, I woke up.” And said, “Just as clear as I ever seen in my life, there stood my old mammy, standing by the side of the bed. She said, 'Honey child, you raise up in here, and put on your clothes. And you go down to Camden, Arkansas, and ask for a man named Branham. Tell him to pray for you. You'll get your sight.'”

Oh-h-h-h-h! What a feeling! I didn't know nothing to do. I put my hand on the old fellow, I said, “God, I don't understand this, Your Spirit led me over here, it's led him here, we know not one another; but, if Thou hast sent him, Lord, then You'll, surely, You'll confirm Your Word.”

I took my hand off of him, like that, and they was pushing, you know, trying to break that line, them police holding them back like that, to go through. I took my hands down like that, started back. And he said, “Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Lord.”

And his wife said, “You see, honey?”

He said, “Sure!”

Said, “Oh! You really see, honey?”

Said, “Sure!” Said, “See that red car sitting there—going to take Parson Branham to?” Everybody begin to scream. There it was.

Oh, here about two or three years ago, I heard from him. He's preaching the Gospel, that old man, holding meetings. And how ... led by the Spirit.

One day here in Fort Wayne, Indiana, when it was just coming the time of when this man was healed there, that sent me over to the King of England. And he was sitting there. Lehman was his name. And the meeting was going on, great signs. You Pentecostal people know how the Evangel packed that piece, and We The People, in there. That blind girl: when the whole United States examined it, the Medical Association took her up, see whether it was right or not. And that little girl by the name of Bethel had been blind. I picked her up in my arms, and begin to pray for her, and a vision struck. And said, “Thus saith the Lord,” and there she was healed like that. And they even examined it everywhere.

It come in the Assembly of God paper, and it come out in We The People, that big book. We The People: wrote ... ever ... goes internationally, everywhere. That same meeting.... Just a little bit after that, there was a man sitting there with multiple sclerosis in his back. And I was sitting there, and they'd been watching. Night ... was the last night of the service. And they wanted that man to get where was I at. Some of you might have been in the Fort Wayne meeting. Old Dr. Bosworth and them was there. And they started taking this meeting. And they put this man in my path so that he'd just.... And he wanted to touch the trouser legs of my ... of my trouser legs going out.

And the poor fellow laying there with white shirt on. And the people walking over him. I said, “What a shame! Don't lay that man there. Pick him up.” And then they started to put him back in a chair. They just even climbed up on top of the roof, and for, oh, I believe it was.... I forget how many city blocks, twenty some odd city blocks, cars was parked everywhere, and people outside standing on the street. You was at the Fort Wayne meeting knows what it was.

And that was right following Paul Rader there, my old friend, and so forth. Then, when I started, looked out, I seen a vision, of Mr. Lehman walking. And I know Mrs. Morgan, Mayo's nurse, give up with cancer years ago, laying on the dead list right now. And go to Louisville, Kentucky, and look and see if she hasn't died eight years ago. Come over to Jeffersonville Hospital and look at her nursing now. And so, she was supposed to've died eight years ago. Dead, done pronounced dead, and laying there yet, still on the dead list in Kentucky, of cancer research. And then, when she was there, she felt sorry for that man, because he looked so much like her husband. And I seen a vision of him walking.

But in the vision, He told me, “Go down and pray for that man.” And I went down, put my hands upon him, right without a prayer card, or anything. Walked down and said, “The Lord said, 'Lay hands on you, brother, in the name of the Lord Jesus.'” And I walked back up. And I seen somebody laying on a cot. They was trying to move him over, and a man with arthritis touched me like that, and held on to my coat as I was coming by.

About four or five days after that, or maybe six days, I'll give you her address, if you want to write to them. This one was a farmer laying there with arthritis, and when the man pulled me, he turned around, and I seen him doing something on the farm. I said, “You're a farmer.”

He said, “Yes, sir.”

I said, “Don't worry, for 'Thus saith the Lord,' you're going to be well.” And four days later, Mr. Lehman was going down the road, driving his car, and he looked over in the field, and here was this farmer sitting out there on a tractor, running the tractor, and he jumps out of his car, the man jumps off the tractor; they run grabbed at one another, lifted one another up and down praising God; how that the Lord had did it.

The next morning there was so many people gathered in that Indiana Hotel, where I was staying, (That's the reason we keep the place a secret.) And the little bellhop come up, and he said, “Preacher, you'll never get out through that room this morning,” said, “I'll tell you that.” Said, “There's just too many standing down there.”

Well, I wondered how I was going to get.... Have wife and baby there; Mrs. Morgan was with us. And I said, “Well, I don't know. The women will have to have something to eat.”

And so, after a while another little bellhop come up, said, “Preacher, I tell you what I can do. I can take you down in the basement if you don't mind climbing over some ashes, and it'll take you out in the alley, as you go out.”

I said, “All right.” So, he takes us down; we climbed over the ashes, and went out through the ash shoot in the basement. We was going down the street, and I had my coat up like this. I don't mean, don't want to be bad, but you just simply can't.... You don't realize what a big meeting like that produces. And so, I was going down the street, was going to a little place called the Toddle's House, where we had been eating.

Morning before there, some great man out of this here Hudson Bay Company in Canada had been healed with a stomach trouble, sitting right in the place, when a vision come, told him who he was, and all about it, right there in the restaurant, told him he was healed. He said, “That's right, sir. I'm traveling through here,” said, “that's exactly my name, and that's where I come from.” He said, “I've been suffering with stomach trouble.”

I said, “You're healed, sir.”

And he said, “Well, bless your heart, boy.” He come over there.

I said, “You just wait and see. You could go ahead and eat your breakfast, anything you want, 'cause the Lord has made you well.”

I was going ... I started to go down to that same place. The Holy Spirit said, “Move this way.”

And I turned down that way. Mrs. Morgan said, “Where are you going?”

My wife said, “Look! It's the anointing of the Holy Spirit.” Said, “Just follow along.”

So we went along, and I stopped in front of a place called Miller's Cafeteria. I looked up. I thought, Well, what am I doing here? And I looked and there was my wife, Mrs. Morgan was packing the baby. And I said, “Well....

She said, “Where are you going?”

I said, “Let's go in here.”

So we went in, went down along the side, and I picked up, oh, some stuff we was going to eat, went and set it down. And just as I sat down like that, we bowed our head to pray, I heard somebody say, “Praise the Lord.” And Mrs. Morgan looked over, and there was a woman and a man sitting right....

She said, “Uh-huh! Now you're caught, aren't you?”

And I said, “The Lord told me to come here.”

This lady walked over, she said, “Brother Branham, listen.” I looked over at the table there wasn't nothing laying on the table. And she said, “I've been sitting here ever since this opened up this morning.” She said, “Here's my brother.” Said, “The heart is enlarged so big, till it's come through the diaphragm someway.” She said, “The doctor said that he can't live.”

Said, “We followed you meeting after meeting till we've spent all the money we had.” And she said, “I sold my cow, we live in Texas,” said, “and I sold my cow for enough money to bring brother here.” Said, “We're absolutely, totally broke.” And said, “I was in such a desperate fix, I prayed last night,” said, “all night long. And this morning,” said, “I fell asleep, and I had a dream. And the Lord told me to come and find Miller's Cafeteria, and be here by nine o'clock.” And looked up, and it was just exactly nine o'clock. You know what had happened, don't you?

After her brother was healed, he started crying, like that. And I turned around, didn't want my breakfast, started walking out. Marjorie and (that's the nurse), and my wife was going out. And I said, “Something is telling me, 'Go outside.'” And just as I went outside, a little woman dressed in black, she just fell on the street. Her husband runs this big spaghetti company in Chicago. She's in pretty near every meeting: (May be here for all I know, if she knowed I's here, would be here.) She and her husband's a multimillionaire.

She had come from Mayo Brothers, and she was, oh, swelled way out with a malignant cancer, a growth that could not be cured. Mayo's wouldn't even touch it. She said, “Brother Branham,” she said, “I followed meeting after meeting;” but she said, “I've got in such a place, till I can't go any farther.” And she said, “The strangest thing happened.” Said, “This morning, I dreamed a dream, that I should be standing here in front of this cafeteria at ten minutes after nine.” There it was. That just happens constantly.

I went on up to the corner. And my wife said ... I said, “You go on over to the drug store and get some little books there for the little kid.” Said, I said, “You all go on in just on up through,” and I said, “I'll be in after while.” I said, “He's leading me, I don't know where to go now, but I feel that you all should go ... go on.”

So they started on. And I stood there. There was some fishing tackle and things, up there. And I thought I'd go up here and act like I was looking at fishing tackle. And I was standing there, didn't see nobody. And I said, “Lord Jesus, what do You want me to do, Father.” I said, “What is it You want me to do?” Kept praying like that.

In a few minutes, He said, “Go to the corner.” I walked out, walked up to the corner (You may call this fiction; it's on record, and it's on record in Heaven, too.) And I stood there, and those big Irish cops. I went across the other corner. Though the big Irish cop out there, blow a whistle and the pedestrians would cross and so forth. Kept on, I stood there a little while. After a while another group come across. And way in the back of them was a little woman with one of these little black-checkered dresses on, a little tam. She had a pocketbook on her arm. She was walking across like this.

The Holy Spirit said, “Come up close to her.” I walked up pretty close to her, and she passed like that, went on by, never said a word.

Well, I thought, isn't that strange? I never knew that.

And she was studying. She had her head down. She just turned, she said, “Oh, Brother Branham.” She looked back like that.

And I said, “What's the matter, sister?”

She said, “Oh, am I dreaming?” She said, “Is it really you, Brother Branham?”

I said, “Yes, ma'am. What's the matter, sister?”

“Oh!” She said. Said, “Brother Branham, I'm from Canada, we're only allowed a hundred and fifty dollars a year of American money.” Said, “I've spent every penny I had.” Said, “I slept in a hotel lobby for two nights, and this morning I was going over here to hitchhike to go back to Canada.” She said, on the road.... A young woman, not over about twenty-five years old, or thirty. Said, “I was going back to Canada, hitchhike back.” Said, “I had five cents for a cup of coffee, and that's the last penny I had. And I was going out that way, to hit that highway, and Something said, 'Turn around this way, and start walking.'”

Oh, my! Those that are children of God are led by the Spirit of God. And she was crossed.... I said, “What's your trouble, sister?”

She said, “My arm, brother.” And she said, “Look at here!” And her hand come out like that, just as normal and straight as it could be. Perfectly normal and well.

Oh, He's God, tonight. The same One that could lead Simeon, could do the same thing.

Just once, a little.... I was crossing coming from Dallas, Texas, from a convention, just recently. About last ... about three years ago. I was crossing over and a storm struck us in a plane, and we were grounded. And they put us in a big hotel there. I couldn't afford to stay in the hotel, like that, but the air service put us ... Peabody Hotel, in Memphis, Tennessee. And that night, we was up there. They called us the next morning, said, “the plane will be ready to leave at seven o'clock.” I'd wrote some letters, anointed some handkerchiefs and so forth, and was going to put it in the mail. So I got up, got the mail and started down the street, was going down to put it in the mailbox, and I was going out down there. Walking along. And the Holy Spirit said, “Stop!”

Well, I thought, That was just.... I just imagined I heard that. Went a little farther. And Something begin to go, “Whhewww.” I stopped and I said, “Father, what is it that You would have me do?” I stepped back up to a place like this; it was just a little piece from the post office.“ And I said, ”What would You have me do, Father?“ And I stood there, about ten minutes. I said, ”My, it's getting late. What would You have me do?“ I just stood there a little bit.

Directly, I heard Something say, “Turn and go the other way.” Well, I walked out and turned.

I thought, Maybe there's somebody coming along there, maybe some trouble, maybe bypassing from an accident. I don't know. I went on, just kept walking, and walking, and walking, passed on the hotel, went on down, on down, on down, down towards the river, way down towards the North Memphis there, on down through that way.

I got down amongst the little colored haunts like down there, little houses and things, way down there. And it was coming up just about.... The sun was way up, way past time for me to catch the plane. I thought, Oh, my.

But the Holy Spirit still urging me on, “Go on, move on.”

I was walking on down the street, I was singing that little song you Pentecostal people sing about: “There's people almost everywhere, whose hearts are all on flame, With fire that fell on Pentecost, And cleansed and made them clean.” You know it, I guess. I was trying just to learn it. I said,

There are people almost everywhere,

Whose hearts are all on flame

The fire that fell on Pentecost,

Which cleansed and made them clean;

Oh, it's burning now within my heart,

Oh, glory to His name!

I'm so glad that I can say I'm one of them.

I was going along, singing like that. I happened to look down there on the street, and there around a little, old, white-washed fence, an old colored woman, typical Aunt Jemima, about a hundred yards from me; had a man's shirt tied around her head like this, and she was leaning over a little old gate, like that. And she was looking down the street. I just kind of quit singing, started walking on. I got up there, grinning like that, and the big tears running off them big fat cheeks, like that. She just kind of grinned at me.

She said, “Good morning, Parson.”

I said, “Good morning, Auntie.”

Started walking on like that, and Something said to me.... I said, “Say, what'd you call me?”

She said, “Parson!”

I said, “How did you know I was a Parson?”

She said, “Did you ever read that story in the Bible about the Shunammite woman?”

I said, “Yes, ma'am.”

She said, “I's that kind of a woman.” She said, “I couldn't have no children. And I promised the Lord, if He would give me a child, that I would raise it for His glory.” Said, “I's a wash woman.” And she said, “And I's a Christian.” And she said, “And the Lord give me a fine boy. And I raised him up.”

Said, “But, I'm sorry he took the wrong road.” And said, “He took a horrible disease—syphilitic.” And said, “And he got out amongst the wrong company,” and said, “and he went so long, and getting sick,” said, “I didn't think of anything like that till it's done eat him, till he's full of puss in his blood, and the holes has eat through his heart until his blood drops back when his heart beats it.” And says, “He's going to die.” And said, “He's laying in there,” and said, “he has been unconscious for two days.” And said, “I just couldn't stand it to see my baby die like that, unsaved.”

And she said, “I prayed all night, Lord.” Said, “Lord, I's Your servant. And You give me this baby, but where's Your Elisha?” Said, “What must I do?” And said, “This morning, about four o'clock,” said, “the Lord told me in a dream to go and stand at this gate,” and said, “you'd be coming, wearing a brown suit, and a brown hat.” She said, “The only thing that I missed, is where is that little briefcase that you was supposed to have?” And I had left it in the hotel.

Don't you believe God still is the same God that was with Simeon?

I said, “My name is Branham, Auntie.”

She said, “Branham?”

I said, “Did you ever hear of me?”

She said, “No, sir, I don't believe I ever did.”

And I said, “I pray for the sick.”

She said, “You do?”

And I said, “Yes.”

She said, “Would you come in?”

And she opened up the gate, and it had a chain with an old plow point hanging on it. I don't know whether you know what a plow point is or not, it keeps.... And I walked in that little gate. And she opened the door, that little old two-room, white-washed cabin down there by the river bank. And I walked in there. Listen.

There was a big sign on the door: “God bless our home,” when you come in. No rug on the floor, a little old poster bed, if you know what it is there, a little iron bedstead. And a big healthy-looking boy, laying there, looked about would weigh a hundred and eighty pounds, about eighteen, twenty years old. And just carrying on awful, unconscious. No floor on the rug ... no rug on the floor, rather, and holes that big in the floor, big cracks like that.

I've walked into king's palaces. I've been in some of the most lovely homes there is in the world, but I never was anymore ... felt anymore welcomed than I did in that little colored haunt that morning. I walked in there knowing that the God of Heaven was with her. I didn't know what to do.

And he was going, “Mmm, mmm.” He said, “It's so dark. It's so dark.” Had the quilt in his hand like this, going “Mmm, mmm.”

And she'd pat him. She said, “Mammy's baby.”

I thought, Yes, in disgrace, nearly twenty years old, I suppose. And no matter how disgraceful he was, how much trouble he had got into, he's still “mammy's baby.” That's a mother's love. And if the love of a mother will do that, what will the love of God do? She patted him, kissed him on his forehead.

I said, “What's he talking about?”

She said, “Parson, he says....” Said, “He don't know what he's talking about.” Said, “He's been unconscious. The doctor says he ain't never going to wake up.” And said, “Parson, I just can't see him go like that.” Said, “He keeps saying he's lost out in a big ocean somewhere. And he's in a little boat, and it's all dark around him.” Said, “That just breaks my heart.” She said, “You pray that God will save my baby, before he die, won't you?”

I said, “Yes, ma'am, Auntie.” I said, “Shall we bow?” And I knelt at the foot of the bed. I took hold of his feet, just as cold as they could be, just like death. And she said ... she knelt down. I said, “You lead us in prayer, Auntie.” And you talk about praying. “Mmm.” She got down there just as quiet.

She said, “Now, dear Lord,” she said, “I stood out there,” and her back was wet from the dew of that morning. She had been standing there all that time. God told her, and she was standing there waiting. I didn't know what to do.

So she said, “Dear Lord,” she said, “don't let my darling baby die in disgrace like that.” Said, “I want to see him in Heaven, where he'll never get in anymore troubles.” Said, “Won't You please, dear Lord, let me hear him say with his own lips that he is saved again.” And like that. A prayer.... And I couldn't keep tears from running down my cheeks. I looked at that poor old mammy and I looked down there.

I thought, O God!

And when she got through praying like that, she said, “Will you pray now, Parson, to God save him?”

I walked over there, laid my hands on his black feet. I said, “Heavenly Father, You in Your sovereign grace, I don't know why I'm here.” I said, “My plane has been gone for two hours.” I said, “Why did You bring me down here in this place and I don't know what to do? Looks like that this is where You've sent me. But You led me here, I didn't know no more than to come. And to think that You would bring me down here to this place! What would You have me to do, dear God? I pray for mercy. Whatever it is You want me to do, I don't know, Lord. What is it You wish?”

I heard him going, “Mmm, mmm.” Said, “Mammy!”

She said, “What's mammy's baby want?”

Said, “Oh, mammy.” Said, “It's getting light in this room.” And in five minutes from then, he was sitting on the side of the bed, with his arm around his mammy, the other arm around me, praising God.

About two years later, I pulled in there on a train, I got off to get me a sandwich there, and I was going on to California. And I got off a train there, and started running down, along the place there towards.... I heard somebody holler, “Hello, Parson Branham!”

I looked around, there was a redcap standing there, big smile on his face. I said, “How do you do, sir.”

Said, “Don't you know me?”

And I said, “No, I don't!”

He said, “You remember one morning, the Holy Spirit led you down to my mammy's house where I was dying?”

I said, “Are you that boy?”

Said, “Yes.” He said, “I's not only healed, but,” said, “I's saved now, Parson Branham.” Hallelujah! Praise God!

Your kind Heavenly Father that would ground.... And listen, when I got back to the hotel, I called them to tell them that I'd be late, and I was just exactly on time. God kept that plane on the ground, and I caught it anyhow and went home.

I tell you, “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that would save a wretch like me. Once was lost, but now I'm found. I was blind but now I see.” Hallelujah!

To think of the sovereign grace of God that would ground that airplane up there, in the air, ground that plane, for the sake of an ignorant colored woman. Hallelujah! Oh, my Lord!

He's interested in anything that we do for His glory. He's God. He loves us. His amazing grace. His sweet.... Oh, how sweet the sound that saved a poor wretch like me. Yes!

Oh, Christians, oh, it makes my heart jump for joy. My, mind, how those experiences sweep through my mind. Sure. I'm expecting Him. I believe that He's going to do the exceedingly abundantly. I know that He's here tonight beyond any shadow of doubt, the same Holy Spirit that led there, that same Angel of God.... I don't have to wait on Him, He's right here now. He's right here anointing me, right now. The whole crowd is becoming milky looking over there. That same Angel of the Lord. He's here. His love and grace is the same tonight. His attitude towards any person in here is the same as it was towards that poor ignorant colored woman. Yes, sir. And many thousands of the others that I could quote.

What will it be when I cross over the ties yonder some of these days and strike the other side? And see those dear people face-to-face, when I can sit with them through ceaseless ages, talking of the love of God. No wonder His children will crown Him King of kings and Lord of lords. He's raised from the dead. He's a living Christ tonight. He's right here in this building now. His power is predominate. His power can do anything that you'll let it do, every one of you here. We're sitting in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Do you believe it? We are.

The only thing I'm asking you to do is be expecting that you're going to get healed. Believing you're going to get.... Do you believe it? Are you expecting to go out of here tonight, well? Certainly!

You can call a prayer line now, bring the people up. Them people that comes up on this place here, no sign they're going to get healed. There's no sign at all. You don't even have to come up here. The only thing you have to do is to have faith and believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God that raised from the dead. And He's alive here, among us. He's just as much out there as He is up here. The only thing that's lacking is your faith in Him.

Everything that God could do is already done; it's your time to act next. He sent His Son to take your sins. He sent His Son to take your worry. He sent His Son to take your diseases. He sent His Son to heal your afflictions. And Jesus paid the price and put it in Calvary, and the only thing you have to do is look to it. The preacher comes with the Word and preaches it, lays it down, and shows you it's God's will. And if you won't take God's Word, to me, that would be enough. But I'm not God. God is in His mercy. Besides that, He sends on in the church prophets, and teachers, and evangelists, and everything to get to magnify and get you to the point He's not willing than any should perish, but that all might come to repentance. His blessings is for each one of you. Hallelujah!

The Holy Spirit already moving over that audience right now. Here, I'll tell you something. I won't call the prayer line. I challenge every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ to look this way and to believe that the Gospel truth is the truth.

How many in here that don't have prayer cards wants to be prayed for? I want somebody that ain't got prayer card. Raise your hand. All right. You got a prayer card, lady? You want to be prayed for, sitting right there?

Stand up to your feet just a minute. I don't know you. You're a perfect stranger to me. God does know you. Isn't that right? Do you believe me to be His servant? With all your heart? If our Lord Jesus is raised from the dead, I testify the truth. And if the truth is.... The truth is the truth. God's obligated to give the truth. You're suffering with high blood pressure. Isn't that right? If that's right, raise up your hand.

Here's another thing. You're not from here. You come from New York City, somewhere up in that country there. You come this way. You've been in the meeting before. You were in a meeting, and that was.... I see Mrs. Brown, an old woman, standing. It was in a New York meeting. It was my meeting and you were healed. And you had cancer, didn't you? And you're healed of high blood pressure now. Go on your road rejoicing. Jesus Christ makes you whole.

Do you believe Him to be the Son of God? Hallelujah! Amazing grace, how sweet the sound. Have faith in God. Don't doubt. Believe all things. If you can believe it, God can do it.

That little girl sitting there has kidney trouble, doesn't she? You're her grandmother aren't you? There's the children right behind you, that has kidney trouble too, is that right? You're the grandmother of the child. Put your hands over on them.

Almighty God, I condemn that devil. Come out of them in the name of Jesus Christ. They are babies. You leave them.

Don't fear. Have faith. Believe.

Lady sitting right there has a back trouble, don't you, lady? Sitting right here, right in there, have a back trouble. Jesus Christ makes you whole now, you can go home. You don't have no prayer card, or nothing else. You don't need any. Just go home, be well. Jesus Christ heals you.

Sitting right here, you have a kidney trouble, also. The lady, had a heart trouble with it, that lady with the feather in her hat. Isn't that right, lady? A kidney and heart trouble. If that's right, raise up to your feet. You accept Jesus as your healer? It turns light around you.

How am I knowing these things? There stands that pillar of fire. Looks like all of you could see it. It's right above the lady's head. There it is, standing there. Go home, lady. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and get well. Hallelujah!

You see what I mean? It's nothing vulgar. It's the power of the resurrected Jesus Christ. Look and live. Believe with all your heart.

What do you think about it, lady? Sitting there with a red dress on. There's a dark shadow between you and I. The Holy Spirit is speaking to me. It's positive. It's true. You're bothered with a nervous condition. Isn't that right? You with a.... Yes, sir. You know what it is? It's a change of life; it's menopause, or at least that's what your doctor said. If that's right, raise up your hand like this and shake it. That's right.

You're healed. Jesus Christ makes you whole. Your faith touched Him, like the woman with the hem of the garment.

Oh, challenge your faith! Look and live. Praise be to God!

There He goes, moving right over to this corner, to the lady standing there. You got something wrong with your back, lady. It's in your spine. Stand up to your feet just a minute. I see it's in your back. It's in your spine. Isn't that right? You believe me to be God's prophet? You do? Doctor can't do nothing about that, can He? He tried, but he failed. There's nothing could be done.

Here—that you might know I'm God's prophet, you are ... you got a mother, and she has something wrong with her eyes. It's the cataracts on her eyes. She's sitting in front of you. Isn't that right? It's your mother. Isn't that true? That's right.

Say, you answer.... Your name is Mae, your first name. Your last name is Hall, isn't it? Yes, sir. Don't you live 74 Broad Street, here? All right. Lay your hand over on your mother. Satan, you're defeated in the name of Jesus Christ, come out of the woman.

You think I'm crazy. I'm not! The Holy Spirit is here, predominating.

What do you think about it, lady? You had your hand laying on her then, on your friend there, sitting next to her. You have headaches all the time, don't you? Stand up on your feet. You had your hand on the woman; I seen that Angel jump from her to you. That's right. You have persistent headaches. Starts in the back of your neck, coming up. Just the time of life you're going through, also. Don't worry about it. It's going to leave you. I see you later on. You're not ... you ain't got nothing on your head then. You're all right. You're going to be well. That's right. Do you believe it?

I see you ... you're going into a house by the number of 110, that's your number, 110 Moore Street, or something like that. Isn't that right? You answer by the name of Alice, don't you? Raise up your hand and answer to Jesus Christ, as His servant; healed. Hallelujah!

Do you believe Him? Stand to your feet, every one of you, right now. It's moving all over you. Everywhere, accept your healing right now.

Lord God, in the name of Jesus, the Son of God, I cast out every unclean spirit.