The Faith Of Abraham

Praise the Lord! Is that on record, too, back here? You have that on your record? They have their records in the back of the building. I tell you, if I was dying, and I was to hear that singing, I feel like I could go along pretty easy. In the days that when ... this day that we're living, where they're trying to make Jesus just a prophet, see. “He was a good man, a teacher, philosopher, prophet.”

I believe He was God, absolutely, and He was Deity, Almighty God, enveiled in flesh. Born a virgin birth, and He and Himself, and then God came down and tabernacled in Him, and made Him Emmanuel. If He was just a man, if He was just a prophet, a philosopher, we're all lost. If He wasn't God, we're all lost. But He was God. We was saved by the blood of God Himself, when He took on the form of sinful flesh, and became ... flesh and blood was His substance. What a marvelous revelation of the glory of God.

Can you sing that in Swedish? You can? That's very fine. We'd like to hear that one night before the service is over, wouldn't we? Sing in Swedish; I sure would. And some of these days, I want you to sing it in Sweden with me, you two, while we're over there in a big revival. That's just right. Well, all right, that's very fine. Oh, wonderful. Oh, it'll be great when we've all done crossed over, and got on the other side, and hear all these singers. Won't it be wonderful?

I had a visit this morning with the Christian Businessmen again, down in little Glendale, down here. And my! What a time of fellowship we had. Where all the Methodists, and the Baptists, and the Presbyterian, and the Pentecostals, and everybody, forgot what church they belonged to.

You know.... There may be some of them present, I don't know. But you know, when I walked into that restaurant, businessmen, not ministers, businessmen was knelt around a booth in a circle having prayer in a restaurant. Not standing up over the table; kneeling down on the floor. Say, you know it'd be good for us preachers to get that sincere about it then once in a while, don't you think so? Yes, sir. That's right. I appreciate that. The Lord bless them.

If I had any business to do, I'd sure want to do it with men like that. I know it'd be honest. A man that loves God, I can.... I've got a lot of trust in him. And so, that's very fine. Where men of different ... all one faith, of course, but different denominational churches, is broad enough, and wide enough, and high enough, and strong enough, to forget the denominational barriers, and put their arms around one another and be brother. Say, that's Christianity in action, isn't it?

Just think, if we had that tonight, what would take place in California. What if California, tonight, if every person that professed to be a Christian, would forget about his denominational differences, and make everybody, every Christian, his brother? Why there'd be a revival that the whole world would know about. That's right. But as long as the devil can keep you separated, that's as good as he wants. You'll never go forward like that.

You know how the Indians lost this nation to the white man? They wasn't united. We're going to lose it again by not being united. That's right; that's right. We'd better keep united.

I'm a real Kentuckian. You know what a Kentuckian slogan is? Crossed hands; “Together we stand, divided we fall.” And that's what we have to do, stand together. Especially in this great campaign for lost souls across the nation.

I tell you, I wish I could get all the ministers together and say, “I tell you what we're going to do: Let's just unite ourselves together as one big band of brethren, and when we get over in the other land, then we're going to get before Jesus, and we'll just talk it all over and see who's right when we get there. But right now, let's get everybody over there. I believe they'd be so happy to get there, nobody'd want to talk it over, just so we're there. That's right. So, we're happy for that.

Now, there's letters here that represent the sick and afflicted. And tonight, being Friday.... You know we only got one more night of this service ... or, this campaign? One more night, tomorrow night, and then Sunday afternoon.

My, you know, in a place like this.... Someone told me before I come over here, said, “Where you going to hold their meeting?”

I said, “San Fernando Valley.”

Brother said, “You're going to have a time.”

I come on the outside, Brother Arganbright had the big tent set up like this, I said, “Say, faith is the substance of things hoped for, sure enough.” And so, I just think though, that if the meetings of this type, where we come in without hardly getting a chance.... See, my meetings are not underwritten, and they're just ... they're just here. And we just come here, and we don't have any one sponsoring the meeting; just cooperation is all we want from the brethren, and just the little churches around. And it makes it kind of hard. But the brethren has been faithful here, on it, and we appreciate it.

I was just thinking of a real outstanding minister, that I was talking to one of the members of his staff not long ago. And he said before this minister will come into a neighborhood, that churches for a hundred miles area has to sign on the dotted line that they're cooperating.

And they'll be in Louisville, Kentucky, this coming year, this party, and there's seventy big Baptist churches in Louisville alone. That ain't the sma... big Baptist churches, seventy, and it's a Methodist town, 'cause Asbury College is just ... how many? Seventy Baptist churches with members up from, anywhere from three to fifteen hundred; I mean, standing members, of fifteen hundred. What will that do to throw that group together, just Baptist alone, just in Louisville. That isn't counting Frankfurt, and the areas around about in Jeffersonville, New Albany, and tri-cities, and through there, see. There's where you get the momentum.

But you see, when I come out, I don't claim to be any denomination, and just the strength of my ministry has to draw the audience. That's all. Don't have nothing to draw from but just that, just the strength of the ministry. But the Lord has been good to me. And to Him be thanks and praise.

By His grace, I say this humbly, that I've seen in my own millions ... or, my own campaign, around a million souls come to Jesus Christ in these twenty-three years of my ministry. And I hope that isn't evangelistic count. I couldn't count them; I just imagined by.... You taken when twenty thousand, thirty-thousand, so forth, coming at one altar call, it don't take it very long to count up like that.

And in India, no one would ever know how many came. You couldn't estimate; you couldn't see. Just thousands times thousands, and thou ... five hundred thousand at the meeting. So, you can just imagine, as far as you could see, just black hands up. They was accepting the Lord Jesus.

So someday.... We've never noticed numbers in our meeting. Some of the sweetest meetings I've ever had was just about a half a dozen gathered over in a house somewhere for a prayer meeting. Then you just simply ... there's not much unbelief there to hinder, and you just get right into the meeting, and have a wonderful time. And so, wherever the Lord sends, the church never gets too little, or whatever it is, but what, wherever there's a needy soul, I want to lead ... if it's just one soul to the Lord Jesus.

Here some time ago, I was up in the mountains a few weeks ago. Way back in a big snowdrift there, I seen a little tent, just the top of it sticking out. And I went over there to talk to this man, and come to find out that he was from ... he was a Hollander. He said, “Are you the minister that usually hunts back in here?”

I said, “Yes, sir. I am.”

He said, “You know, I once was a Christian.” Said, “I left Holland about thirty years ago.” And said, “You know what my father read to me? The last thing he read....” And we was sitting there by a little old, camp, sheep herders stove, if you know what it is—way back, snow waist deep.

I said, “No, sir.”

He said, “He read to me out of the Bible, that return of the prodigal son. He put his arms around me, and give me his blessings, as I sailed for the United States.” Said, “I got a mother over there now, at Amsterdam,” which we're to visit right away—I got her address and things to see her—said, “eighty something years old. My father has been gone on years ago.”

I said, “Where's his prodigal at?” Said, “Don't you think it's just about time?”

Well, he kind of shook out of it. The next day, we were hunting together, and up on the top of the mountain, after we'd dressed out some deer, laying up there, he come walking over to me, took me by the hand. He said, “Brother Preacher?”

I said, “Yes, sir.”

“You know what you was talking to me about last night?”

And I said, “Yes, sir.”

Said, “I want to do that right now.”

I said, “Here's a good place, right here.”

We knelt down, kicked the snow off of an old stump there, and made an altar out of it. There I led him to the Lord Jesus. A lovely, sweet Christian; just wrote him a card a while ago. Oh, God has got them scattered everywhere. Stop a little while and look around. We can all do something for the Lord. Don't you believe so? Why that was just as sweet a time as it was with me when I was in South Africa where I know the biggest altar call I made of, knowingly, where thirty-thousand heathens come to Christ at one time.

Right up there in that snow, and us kneeling on the ground, wet, plumb up under our arms when we raised up from the place—the moisture, the heat from our body melting the snow. But that soul had been born again, up there in them pine needles, on top of the mountains in Colorado.

There's handkerchiefs going out to the sick now. Shall we pray just a moment?

Our Heavenly Father, as we come humbly, but boldly, as we've been bid to come to the throne of grace tonight, to ask Thy blessings; coming without a shadow of doubt in our hearts. If there is, then forgive us, Lord. And we're bringing before Thee the blood of the Lord Jesus, the righteous Son of God, who bid us to ask You anything in His name, and gave us the promise that it would be done.

And then, Father, I ask that You'll bless every mortal that's gathered under this tent tonight. So thankful for the great meeting last night, the marvelous healings that taken place, the souls that raised their hands and come to Thee. We're so grateful for all these things. And we know that You're grateful, Father. Just.... We're so grateful that You can use us all in here as instruments of prayer, so that these souls can be won to Thee, and the sick can be healed.

Here before me is placed handkerchiefs, cloths, going out to the needy. Way out across the mountains, yonder, Lord, an old blind dad and mother, perhaps sitting, waiting tonight for these handkerchiefs to come in; someone is interested. There lays a mother, sick, her little baby standing around the bed. O God, how long will it be, Father, before these things will be over? Lord Jesus, we send these handkerchiefs in commemoration of Thy Word, where they taken from the body of Paul, handkerchiefs and aprons, and the sick was healed, unclean spirits left the people.

Wherever they're going to, Lord, Thou knows their destination. You seen the people writing the letters, You see them put the handkerchiefs together. Watch over them, Father, until they reach the person that they're intended for, and then may the enemy flee, may the persons be healed. For broken up homes, may fathers and mothers reunite again, may great things be done for Your glory. Give us a great service tonight; heal every sick person here. Get glory out of the service by saving the lost, also. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

He is so wonderful! A little German, over in Switzerland ... rather, a little Swiss, he couldn't say any American words, but he said, “Yesus vonderful! Yesus wonderful!” And so, that's what He is, wonderful.

I was startled this morning, as a fine Christian gentleman walked up to me after the service was over and put his hand on my shoulder, shook my hand, introduced himself. Said, “Brother Branham, when you were at Angelus Temple, about a year ago,” said, “there was a man come on the platform,” and said, “the Holy Spirit was there revealing the things.” And said, “It told this man about a trouble, and it was about a domestic affair he was having. His wife was accusing him of being untrue,” he said, “which it proved out that you said that it was wrong, that it wasn't.” And said.... You know, he met the wife of the man that went on out of the building. She didn't know he was there, and he didn't know that she was there.

And so, when the Holy Spirit begin to reveal, and tell the whole thing. And told the man, said, “Just hold fast, because you're not in the wrong; you're honest. But the lady just believes that.” And to him, weeping, admitted that that was all true. And then when.... The lady went out of the building. And when this man was going out, he met them out there, and she wouldn't listen. But the Holy Spirit got a hold of her, and before they got up to their place.... She drove real fast, got past him, run past him, and got to her husband, and they made it up, and have been living happy ever since, with a family of children. He's wonderful, isn't He?

Well, last night, they was sitting here for the last one of the wheelchairs, and so forth, that's come in. An elderly woman, all crippled up with arthritis.... Many of you has been seeing her here. Got the cots here tonight, but no one on them. She was the last of the cot cases, as far as I know. This is a wheelchair.

Last night when the service first started (She had been sitting there for a few nights, watching me.), she was weeping, and crying. And I turned to her (I guess you remember.), and told her, I said, “Just....” I seen where her trouble was and what started it. But the thing of her accepting enough faith. The Angel of the Lord settled down on her, then she would think, “Oh, I'm too bad,” and it would move up again.

And I couldn't call her, because it just wasn't time to call her. I spoke to her two or three times, but ... then, after a while, after the meeting had done adjourned, and had been sitting here for a few minutes, she said she felt something real warm, or tingling, going through her body. She gets up out of her wheelchair, and goes on home, pushing her wheelchair, last night: well.

Thanks be to the Lord Jesus who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. We're grateful for that, aren't we, and thank Him.

Now, tonight, I will speak just for a few moments. Now, tomorrow morning, is the Christian Businessmen's ... Full Gospel Businessmen, at Clifton's in the morning. I think Brother Ekberg and them are going to sing for us tomorrow. You all tune in on the radio, and listen to it. I'm sure it'll bless your soul. I don't know even what place it is. What's the station? Ah, it's.... What it is? I'm sorry. KRKT, is that right? KRKT, at Los Angeles. I believe that's between eight-thirty and nine, or is it ... eight-thirty and nine, in the morning. Tune in if you can't be at the meeting. And God's blessings rest upon you.

Now, tonight, we're going to continue our message of faith: Abraham. And over in Genesis, where we taken our text last night, the same tonight, the 14th verse, Jehovah-jireh, the Lord will provide for Himself a sacrifice.

Now, I've been three nights. Think that's a long time, but.... On this same subject I stayed about ten months or better once, just digging out the old nuggets. I love to prospect, don't you? God's Bible.... Many people think, “Aw, the Old Testament's something that's throwed away.” No, it isn't. No, sir. It's God's nuggets, and you can dig them out, polish them up, and look at them, and look what you'll find. Every one of them will point to Calvary. Every gem of the Old Testament looks to Calvary. And now, as we bring these things out, it's pointing to Calvary, and Calvary points to you.

A while ago when these brethren was singing that marvelous song:

Down from His glory, the ever living story,

My God and Saviour came, Jesus was His name.

Born in a manger, to His own a stranger,

A God of sorrow, tears, and agony.

You know what He did? That was the highest thing of Heaven, become the lowest thing on earth, to redeem you and I. Just think, Jesus became me, a sinner, that I, a sinner, might become as He, a Son of God. Jesus became me that I could become Him. Tell me that wouldn't make you love Him. When you were without hope, without God, without anything, alienated from God without mercy, and Jesus came and taken your place as a sinner and represented you at the cross of death there at Calvary to redeem you that you wouldn't have to die, but have everlasting life. And just the merely thing as to believe it, and accept it. What a wonder God is!

Now, last evening, and the evening before, we taken Abraham.... Now, as a little background, so we can go right straight to the point, get the prayer line started. And now.... And tomorrow night, maybe, the Lord willing, we want to begin a new subject and run it through Sunday.

Notice. Abraham.... What was it now? God called Abraham because he was a good man? No. God called Abraham by election. God elects people. And over in the book of Ephesians, the 1st chapter, and about the 5th verse, Paul states the word predestinated us to the adoption of sons. Now, that doesn't mean that God just puts you in a little channel and runs you through, and you can't help how you go. Then there would be no reward. But God gives you the free moral agency to make your choice, but God will keep His believer.

And predestination is a hard word among a congregation of people, because predestination.... Really, foreknowledge is a better word. And predestination looks back to foreknowledge, and foreknowledge looks on to destiny. That God, being infinite, in the beginning ... knew the end from the beginning, therefore He knew what people would do, so He could foretell what would take place, for He knew what would be.

Therefore before Esau or Jacob, either one, was born, God could say, “Esau I've hated, and Jacob I've loved,” because He foreknew what they could be. He never made Esau the way he was; He wasn't willing that Esau would be that way, but Esau, by choice (God knew) would take that way. So, that's how He knows us today. He knows your heart. And you might be able to fool your neighbor, you might be able to fool your pastor, but you'll never be able to fool God, 'cause He knows your heart.

Therefore He, by election, He chose Abraham, for He knew what Abraham would do. You remember when He called him out there, and said He'd not keep this thing a secret from him? When He was going down to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, He said, “For I know that Abraham will teach his children; I know it”—God Himself. “I know that Abraham will send this message on down from one to the other, generation.”

But God foreknowing that, and knowing that Abraham would do it, then He told Abraham in the beginning that He would save him, and save his seed after him, and would give him the unconditional covenant that He made with Abraham. Not because Abraham was good, but because God was good.

And every believer in here is a Christian tonight, because, not that you're good, but because God was good to call you. You couldn't come yourself; your nature's against you. You just couldn't, as I said the other night, make a pig believe he's wrong eating slop, because it's his nature, see. Now, a leopard could not change his spots, no matter how bad he would lick; he'd only brighten it. And you don't want reformation, you don't want to try to reform, or do a little better; you've got to be changed completely inside, and the nature come from within, and it'll work out. But get it right inside at the beginning. And you begin with a soul before the world was ever formed, when God created man in His own image.

Now, you got to get that right, and that's what has to be born again; not your thinking. It takes care.... It moves with this. But get this right, and this will be all right, too. If you just get your heart right, your intellectuals will move right with it.

Now, how that He called Abraham, seventy-five years old, and also, Sarah, being sixty-five, told them about a baby they were going to have. And Abraham waited twenty-five years before the baby ever come, testifying every day, perhaps, that he's going to have the baby, him and Sarah. And how was he going to have it when it was getting more impossible all the time? But he didn't look at how old Sarah was, or how old he was getting; he looked at what God had promised. Amen. You see it?

Now, let's get that on our mind. Get that on our mind, not what.... Now, I believe doctors. Sure. We're not against medical doctors and so forth; they're all right. But doctors don't heal you. God heals you. Doctor don't claim to be a healer. He might be able to sew up a place you'd cut, or take out appendix, pull a tooth, but he can't heal you. There never was a doctor ever healed you.

Let me stop here just for a moment, on that subject. There's not a medicine in the world that can heal you—never did claim to be. Medicine don't heal, medicine only aids nature while God heals. A doctor can set a bone if you break it, but what about.... If my lights was out at the house, and I'd go call an electrician, before he's proved to me he's an electrician, he has to fix my lights, or they're not fixed. But you go and break your arm, and take it in to the doctor, say, “Hey, Doc, hurry up and set my arm; I got to go plow the potatoes. Get my arm fixed. Heal my arm right quick, Doc.”

“Why,” he'd say, “what?”

“I got to crank up my car, out there; I just broke my arm. Heal it right quick for me.”

He'd know there's something wrong, see. Sure, 'cause he's not a healer. He just sets your arm, and then God does the healing.

“Why,” he'd say, “I can't heal your arm.”

“Well, I thought you was a healer.” No, no. He's not a healer; he's just a man. He can set your arm by his knowledge of your bones and so forth; he can set your arm, but he can't heal it. He can take out appendix, but he can't heal it, see. He could pull a tooth, but he can't heal it; God has to heal it.

Wish you could take a study ... we had time to go through the body, just what little of my ... that I know (by the grace of God), know a little about the anatomy, but how the blood cells.... And not another thing in the world could ever cut a vein. Stop a water vein up out here and watch what takes place. It'll go right straight back. And if that hadn't've happened to you, if God didn't bypass it, you'd die as soon as you scratch yourself; it'd be over, see. But God has made a way. What a wonderful thing God has made of us.

But now, for instance, all the fine medicines we got.... And I salute every one of them. Thanks be to God for them. But all the medicines we got, we haven't got one medicine that can guarantee to cure a bad cold. How many you think die every year in America with bad colds? Millions, with bad colds. We ain't got a medicine that could heal a knife cut in your hand. All the medicine we got would never heal a knife cut in your hand. If I cut my hand tonight with a knife, there isn't a medicine in the world can heal it. “Oh,” you say, “Brother Branham.” Well, that's exactly right.

Now, if we got a medicine that could heal a knife cut in my hand, it would heal a knife cut in my coat, or a knife cut in this desk. If it'd heal a knife cut, it'll heal a knife cut no matter where it's at. But it won't heal a knife cut.

“Why,” you say, “Brother Branham, now you're getting off the line, because medicine wasn't made to heal your coat and to heal the desk. It was made to heal your body.”

All right. I'll cut my hand tonight with a knife, and I'd fall down here dead; you'd take my body out and embalm it, and let doctors, the best in the world, come every day and give me a shot of penicillin, and put sulfa drug in it, and whatever they want to, sew it up, and embalm my body with a fluid and make me look natural for fifty years; in fifty years from now that knife cut would look just exactly like it was when it was cut in the first place.

Now, if medicine heals the body, why don't it heal the body? If medicine's a healer, why don't it heal? “Oh,” you say, “the life's gone.” Well, that's different. Now, which is the healer, life or medicine? Life is, and what's life? Life is God, see. He came that you might have a life abundantly, the abundance of life. And it's your attitude towards divine life what determines this.

Now, so therefore, don't look at your condition; look at the promise, what God says, no matter what the difficult it is. This morning sitting in a room where an elderly man, ninety, about ninety years old, lovely daughter that had brought him to Christ, and he was way up around ninety, and he was hard of hearing. Standing in the lovely office of some businessmen, just walked over, he wanted to have a prayer for the old fellow. I just got over there to him, just laid hands on the man and stood there, when the anointing of the Holy Spirit. I went ... after prayer, begin to talk to him. I said, “Are you from America, sir?”

He said, “No, I was born in Norway.”

I said, “How long?”

He said, “I come over here when I was just a few months old.”

I kept getting lower and lower, till I just barely whispered. There's people all standing around was watching it, see. God Almighty.... Not how old he is; that doesn't have anything to do with it. He's hearing perfect, see. Not how old you are; you don't look to how old, or how young, or how hard it is; you look to what God said.

Now, Abraham didn't pay any attention to how old he was, how dead his own body was, or the deadness of Sarah's womb, He just looked to what God said, and kept praising God for what He had promised.

You Pentecostal people that claim to receive the Holy Ghost—Baptists, Presbyterians, whatever you are, that has received the Holy Ghost—how did they get the Holy Ghost? They were up, and continued praising God for the promise before the promise was ever made manifest. They didn't have allotted amount of time. He said, “Tarry ye,” or wait, “in the city of Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high.” Just wait. And they were up there blessing God. They were praising and thanking God for the promise, and they know it would come, and it did come.

And it'll come tonight, if you'll take that same attitude. Your healing will come tonight, your salvation will come, if you'll take that kind of an attitude towards it.

Notice. Now, Abraham denied that he was an old man, he denied that Sarah was ... impossible for her to have the baby. They went on believing it. God appeared to him in the name of El Shaddai, the bosom, told him he was nursing from Him, drawing His strength out into him. I'm just giving a little background for the newcomers.

And then, when He met him again, He met him and confirmed the oath to him by telling him how He was going to someday take Christ, His Son, to the cross, and there kill Him. And the little white light passed through the pieces of meat that had been severed from the sacrificial animals. (And say, by the way, tomorrow night, we might speak on why he didn't cut that dove and bird ... them birds apart.)

Now, great spiritual meaning there of healing.

And then, how he went through there with a little white light confirming the oath that He had taken, and swore by Abraham that through his seed He'd save the world ... or, bless the world, people of every nation.

Then we find Him coming down again last night at the closing of our meeting last night, we found that God Almighty, great Jehovah, I AM, came down from glory, brought two angels with Him, and spoke three bodies into existence, and walked over, and sat down, and talked to a mortal man, and eat the flesh of a calf, drank the milk from the cow, eat some cornbread and butter, and ... hungry. And turned around, and walked over with human eyes, and looked upon the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, and went out of existence again, back into eternity: Almighty God, the Lord God omnipotent. Hallelujah!

And we find out that in doing that, He proved to Sarah and Abraham there, and turned them back to a young man and woman, and gave them this baby. Isn't that wonderful? And He has promised that all the seed of Abraham will be likewise in the resurrection. So, what do we care how old you get? What do you care what takes place here? It all lays whether your faith is anchored yonder in God, or not.

How that, after Gerar experience, how that Abimelech come up and took this beautiful, young, Hebrew girl, which was only a hundred years old, and (Isn't that something?) and fell in love with her and took her over and had, perhaps, all of his maids to get her all fixed up, and prettied up, you know. He's going to get married, and said his prayers, stretched out in the bed, and turned his feet up, folded his hands, and said, “Tomorrow I'll marry the prettiest girl in the world.”

And about that time, he fell asleep, and God appeared to him, said, “You're just as good as a dead man, 'cause you got a man's wife over there. And he's My prophet. And take his wife back to him, and restore. If you don't, you and all that you've got is going to die, and you'll just be no more; that'll be all.”

Him a righteous man, rose, told it to his little kingdom. And they went over to Abraham and took Sarah back, and reproved Sarah, and gave her back to Abraham. And Abraham prayed for him, and God healed him, and all of his land.

And notice, how that God in His sovereign grace did this. Then the time come for little Isaac to be born and God sent him just exactly like He promised. He kept His Word to the letter. He'll always do that. When you see God has made a promise.... You remember singing the old song:

Every promise in the Book is mine,

Every chapter, every verse, every line.

I'm trusting in His love divine,

Every promise in the Book is mine.

It's your possession. Jesus died, gave you a checkbook for your whole, earthly journey, signed His name at the bottom of every one of them for any redemptive blessings you have need of. Fill it out, hand it in. Watch and see if it doesn't come rolling down the horizontal rainbow to your soul. God's obligated to do it. The deposit's already made—the deposit for anything. Think of it. The trouble of it is with Christians; they don't know what they have.

People come to Christ today (lovely people), and accept the Lord Jesus, and say, “I love You, Lord Jesus,” and go back and think that's all of it. Why, you just entered the door to a great big compartment house—arcade. You know, if I inherited anything, if somebody give me a home, I'd sure look it all through. I'd go upstairs, downstairs, in the pantry, all around the house. I'd see what I owned. But the trouble of it is, is that today people just get saved and say, “Well, this is all of it.” Oh, my! You've got every redemptive blessing Jesus died for is your personal property. Amen. Get up and look around, see what you own.

God told Abraham, after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, said, “Stand up, look as far east, go this way, and west, look around; it's all yours.”

Abraham took a little journey to see what belonged to him. And if you've got a need tonight, take a little journey down in God's storehouse and see if you don't belong ... these things don't belong to you. Yes, sir, they're all yours.

God told.... Now, His promises is under condition: “If thou canst believe.” When God sent Israel from Egypt, four hundred years before He gave the promise to Moses ... or, not to ... beg your pardon, to Abraham, here, that his seed would sojourn, but would come again into the land, bringing great possessions. And when they started on their journey, He said, “Behold I send an Angel before you,” the pillar of fire, “to keep you in the way, to bring you to the place which I have provided for you.” Now, He said, “The whole thing's yours.”

And when they got there, they found it all fenced up tightly, with Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jubinites, and Jebusites, all different kinds, great high walls, city all fenced in. But God said, “It's yours.”

Now, God just don't go over there and say, “Here, all you Jebusites, and all of you, get out of here. I'm bringing Israel in.” No, you got something to do yourself. “It's yours; now, go possess it.” Oh, I like that. “It belongs to you, I've give it to you. Do you believe it?”

“Yes, Lord.”

“Well, go possess it.”

“Well, we can't do it.”

You can't when God said you could? That's the reason ten of the spies, when they come back, said, “We can't take it. Why, we look like grasshoppers upside them people.”

But old Joshua and Caleb said, “We can do it.” Why? “God said so.”

These other weaklings was looking through the physical side. “Oh, it's too great, we could never do that. We could never teach divine healing and get by with it. We could never have a old-time, Pentecostal revival. Oh, they'd count us fanatics.”

But, thank God, somebody went over and got the evidence and come back, “It's a good land.” Amen.

Went over; come back. Why? They wasn't looking to the physical side of it, they were looking to what God had promised. I don't care how high the fences is, what the doctor said; He's done the best he could. What mother said, what the pastor said: “The days of miracles is passed.” That don't have nothing to do with it. You look to what God said; God made the promise. We can take it. Amen. I like that courage, don't you? Courage to stand on what God said.

Now, listen. This may hurt just a little bit, ruffle the feathers up the wrong way, you know, but real children of Abraham, seed of Abraham, believe that. 'Cause you're dead in Christ, take on Abraham's seed, and are heirs according to the promise. The same Holy Spirit was in Christ is in you, and you believe the same thing. So, if you do not believe it, remember there's something lacking, 'cause the Holy Spirit will certainly agree with His own Word.

All right. When little Isaac come along, God fulfilled His promise to Abraham. Then he got to be about sixteen or eighteen years old, lovely, little boy, and here was Abraham and Sarah enjoying the blessings. Then God said ... give Abraham some testing. Do you believe that children of God have testings and trials? “Every son that cometh to God must first be tried, chastened,” chastised.

Did you ever have any of it? Child training, bringing you up, giving you a little protaplasma stimulation once in a while, by the Gospel. Making you, correction.... My daddy was awful good at that. Yes, sir. He believed in the golden rule. It laid up, over the door, had all the ten commandments out on it, a hickory stick about that long, a brush on the end of it. I tell you, that made discipline in the Branham home. But we love him. What would we've been if he hadn't a did it?

That's the way God is: He brings discipline to His children, trying them, whipping them when they're wrong. I'm happy that my Heavenly Father gives whippings to those who are wrong, and corrects me when I'm wrong, gives me whippings. Makes me straighten up, walk like you should walk.

So, He told Abraham, He's going to try him, or gave him trials. And every Christian ... every Christian has to be tried. Peter said, “Think it not strange, beloved, when fiery trials come upon you, for it's only done to prove your faith. They're more precious to you than gold.”

Look, when you're sick sometime.... How is it the righteous suffer? Wish we had a night to preach on it. But how God does it for His own glory. Turns right back around and heals that, and starts a testimony. Amen. God's wonderful.

Now. Abraham, God called him, and said, “Abraham, now, I've made you a father of many nations. You got a boy here, you waited twenty-five years for him, and now he's growed up into a young man. And now, I want you to take him out and kill him, put him upon the altar of sacrifice, and sacrifice him.”

Making what? Making double sure, making twice the strength of the old, making twice the strength of Abraham's faith. Did Abraham question God? No, sir. God had already said He'd be a father of many nations, and he believed God.

And he took the little fellow....

I can imagine that morning, when he got up, after the Lord had give him the vision, and spoke to him, got the little fellow and got ready. He wouldn't tell the mother, certainly not: taking this little boy out to take his life, little Isaac, their only son. So, I can see him get little Isaac ready, wash his face, and get him ready, and put the wood upon the mule, and taking two young men, and journeyed three days. He didn't know where he was going. God said, “I'll show you after you get there.” Three days back.

That's what you do tonight. Say, “Brother Branham, how could I ever get by with it if I accept Christ and be born again? My mother would turn me away from home. My husband would run me away. My wife wouldn't let me stay there.” Take the step anyhow; God will make the way after you get there. Take the step anyhow. “How am I going to accept healing when I can't even move head, hand, or foot?” Take it anyhow. God said so. Don't make any difference, He will provide the way. You just keep moving.

So, He taken him three days back. Then he lifted up his eyes and saw the mountain far off, way away from there. Now, an ordinary man can walk around twenty-five or thirty miles a day. I walked it for seven years, through the wilderness, thirty miles a day. And I'm living in a day when they got automobiles, and when we can travel. In them days they had no travel ... perhaps by riding a mule, or something, or, most of it was walking. And they could probably, at least, twenty-five miles a day.

And Abraham just with his new, young body again starting back, and it'd been turned back, went back.... Let's say he was around a hundred miles back after he saw the mountain far off. And then he got to the foot of the mountain, and he stopped, took the wood off the mule, laid it upon his own son—Isaac's back: beautiful type of Christ—laid it upon his back. And here's the word I want you to listen now, closely.

I'll never forget this. He said to the boys (the young men with him, probably the slave boys, servants), he said, “You stay here while the lad and I go yonder to worship. The lad and I shall return.” Oh, my! How? Dagger in your hand to take his life, and God commanding you to go do it. How are you going to return, you and the lad? How's the kid coming back, when you're going to take him up to kill him?

But Abraham, by faith, he knew that God had give him to him, this boy, as good as from the dead, and knew that God was able to raise him up from the dead. There's the faith. “You stay here. The lad and I are going yonder to worship, and the lad and I shall return.”

Laying the wood upon his own boy's back, leading the way up the mountain: perfect portrayal of Christ. God leading Christ to Calvary like a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The wooden cross on his back, the altar, going up Golgotha! What a picture! God acting out, through Abraham, the beginning of the faith, acting out through him what He was going to do to save the world.

Abraham, with this faith, walked faithfully up the mountain, rolled the rocks together, 'cause it was wrong to put a tool on a rock for a Hebrew altar. Rolled the rocks together, laid the wood down, took the fire, made the fire, and little Isaac kind of got suspicious. And he said, “My father?”

And he said, “Here I am, my son.”

He said, “Now, here is the altar, here is the wood, here is the fire, but where is the offering? Where is the lamb for an offering?” Listen to this.

The old patriarch looking back.... You know how that dad was feeling in his heart. That steady nerve, when the flesh looked down, his only little boy, and here he was obeying God's command. What a hard thing. He said, “My son, God will provide for Himself a lamb for the burnt offering.” Oh, what faith will do!

Then he goes around, takes the rope. “Isaac, put your little hands together.” See that little chubby-handed boy, taking his hands out like this. Wrapped the rope around them, probably with a double sheep-shank knot, tying them together to keep from him moving his hands. Picked up his own little boy, kissed him on the side of the cheek, and laid him up on the altar, and Isaac never said a word. Obedient! As Christ was obedient even to death to bring many sinners unto God. Obedient! “Opened not His mouth. Sheep before shearers is dumb, so opened not He His mouth.”

Tied his own little boy's hands together and kissed him, laid him up on the altar, moved back the locks off his face, and reached over and got the knife in his hand and raised it. And when he did, in obedience to what he'd been commanded to do.... By faith he did it!

And as he raised his hand, the Holy Ghost caught his hand. Said, “Abraham! Abraham!”

He said, “Here I am, my Lord.”

Said, “Stay your hand. Don't touch the boy.” Said, “I know now, you love Me; you wouldn't withhold even your own son.” Said, “I know that you love Me, Abraham.”

And about that time, Abraham heard something behind him bleat. And he looked around, and there was a ram, male sheep, caught by its horns in the thicket. Where'd that ram come from? Think of it! He was a hundred miles from civilization, and he was way up on top of the mountain, where there's no water or nothing for the ram. How did he get up there? Oh, it wasn't a vision. It was a real ram.

He picked him up, and he was kicking and a bleating, laid him up, and cut his throat, and blood run out. It wasn't a vision; it was a real ram. Where did the ram come from? No wonder he called it Jehovah-jireh, the Lord provided. Almighty God who could speak Himself into a body, and speak angels into a body, spoke that ram into existence. It come into existence one minute, and five minutes later, it went out of existence, for God is Jehovah-jireh. No matter what the conditions are, He will provide for Himself a sacrifice.

Atheists may rise, skeptics may stand, ages may turn, but God Almighty is still Jehovah-jireh. He can provide a sacrifice regardless of how deep you've stooped in sin, He's still Jehovah-jireh, the Lord provides ... will provide a sacrifice. No matter how sick you are, how bad off you are, He's Jehovah-Jireh. No matter what the doctor said, no matter what the people said, He's Jehovah-jireh, the Lord will provide in an instant time the sacrifice needed. Hallelujah! I love the Word.

He said, “Abraham, because you've did this, I will bless the nations by you, and your seed after you.”

Here you are, sick people. Listen. And sinner friend of mine, listen to this. Oh, my, how the time goes. I just getting to feel pretty good, like I could go to preaching in a few minutes, but.... I'm kind of long winded on this. I just love it: the Word.

He said to the seed.... Who is Abraham's seed? You who are born of the Spirit of God, you take on Abraham's seed, and are heirs according to the promise. Is that right? That's what the Bible says.

And he said, “Abraham, because you made this act, I will bless you and your seed, and your seed shall possess his enemies' gates.” Hallelujah! If sickness is in your road, you're the boss. “Your seed will possess the gates of his enemy.” Hallelujah! Oh, brother, I wish I was two times my size; maybe I'd feel twice as good as I do now. When I think that God's eternal promise: the enemy, I possess the gate. Hallelujah!

I've got a Lord Jesus who died for me. I'm no good, never was, and never will be, and you are not either, but Jesus Christ was God's perfect sacrifice. And through His shed blood and obedience to the Father, we can possess any enemy's gate, and stand triumphant. “Your seed shall possess the gates of the enemy.” Hallelujah! Through Jesus, I'm safe evermore. All I need is....

Just a little talk with Jesus makes things right.

When you feel a little prayer wheel turning,

You know a little fire is a burning,

Then just a little talk with Jesus makes things

right.

You go right in and take the enemy. That's right. So, Satan, you might as well get ready. We're coming in, right tonight. Amen.

I can see when that obedient Son, when he died, he went over there and knocked on the gates of the souls that were in prison, that repented not in the long-suffering of the days of Noah. Old Abraham and them was waiting that promise. And when He knocked on the door and all those wretched, maybe at one time, beautiful people, back in the haunts of hell, screamed and said, “I am He!” Hallelujah! “I am He that was prophesied by Enoch, that should come, and I've done it. And I've fulfilled every promise that was made of Me. And I am God's Sacrifice.”

On down across there He went, to the gates of hell. When He went to hell, the devil said, “Uh-huh,” said, “here You are. I thought I had You when I killed Abel. I was almost sure I had You when I killed John the Baptist, all these others, but,” said, “now, I've got You, here You are; I got You.”

I can see Him reach over and get the devil by the neck. Said, “Satan, you've been a bluff for a long time.” Hallelujah! “But I am the virgin-born Son of God. The sin question is over. My blood's still wetting Calvary's cross yonder, and the Father has accepted it. You've got no right to haunt and fool people anymore. So, give Me them keys of death and hell. I'm taking over down here.” Hallelujah! Slapped him over to one side and slammed the door in his face, started back up.

There's another group sitting over yonder waiting of the righteous in paradise.

I can hear Him [knocking sound] knock at the door. Abraham walking the floor. Said, “Sarah, didn't we have a good time down there? Sure did. Oh, how wonderful it was. [knocking sound] Say, somebody's at the door of paradise. Who is it? Open the door.” Abraham said, “That's my God.”

Job looked over and said, “Say, that's my Redeemer that liveth.” [knocking sound] Oh, my!

Adam shook Eve and said, “Wake up. Looky yonder.”

Ezekiel said, “I saw Him like a wheel in the middle of the wheel, turning way up in the middle of the air.”

Daniel said, “I saw Him as a stone cut out of the mountain without hands.” Glory!

The resurrection's on. He said, “Come on, boys. We're going up; it's getting daylight.”

On that morning when He rose from the dead, the Bible, according to Matthew 27, said that the bodies of the saints that slept in the dust arose and came out after His resurrection.

He had promised it through Abraham. I can see Abraham and Sarah coming down along the street, then beautiful forever, walking around. The Bible said, “They appeared to many.” Here's Caiaphas standing there talking to some of them, say, “Who is that young couple there? Look like I ought to know them.”

Abraham said, “Say, the old place has changed, hasn't it, mother?”

“Quite a bit.”

“Say, Isaac, come here. Looky here a minute.”

Oh, may the.... “Well,” said, “look out, we're being noticed.” They had a body like His own glorious body then.

Then on after forty days, He said, “Hang around and look the old place over, children, 'cause we're going on up a little higher in a few days. But I got to talk things over with these disciples, 'cause I got to commission them to go down to ... oh, to all the world, even plumb down into the San Fernando Valleys and preach the Gospel. I'm going to be with them down there. Got a lot of things I have to commission the people to do. So, stick around and look the old grounds over forty days.”

Then after forty days, on the day of the ascension, He rose up. And when He went on up, and above the moon, the stars, the Old Testament saints was with Him. I can see Him pass all the moon, and the stars, on and on, up higher, and higher. Directly He comes to the great city. I can hear all the Old Testament saints say, “Lift up ye everlasting gates, and be ye lifted up, and let the King of glory come in.”

I can hear the angels sing from back over there, “Who is this King of glory?”

They said, “The Lord of hosts, mighty in battle.” That's Him, God, Jehovah-jireh.

How's the gates going to open? The button pressed, and the pearly gates swung open. Here come Jesus. Led captivity captive, here He comes down as a conqueror, walking down through the cities of the new heavens. And walked up in front of the Father, and said, “Father, here they are. They all died under good faith, under the sacrifice of the lamb, but I present them to You.”

“Well done. Come up here, and sit on my right hand, for I'm going to send the Holy Ghost back down. And You sit here until every enemy is made Your footstool.” Glory to God! We look for Him to come again someday in glory. And those who are in the dust of the earth shall rise and be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, and be made liken unto His.... “They shall possess the gates of the enemy.”

When they were going to chop his head off, of Saint Paul, he said, “Death, where is your sting? Grave, where is your victory? But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Amen.

Oh, you think I'm a little crazy, don't you? But I sure feel good this way. Just let me alone, see. How wonderful! Good! Some glorious day, the last enemy I have, which is death, will be tramped right under their feet; as with the Conqueror, we shall march through the city.

Today while the harvest is on, let's go about gathering in the sheaves, everywhere. Whatever God's give you to do: If you're a little housewife, testify to the neighbors, or something. Do something; bring somebody with you when you come.

Must I be carried home to heaven on a

flowery bed of ease,

While others fought to win the prize,

and sail through bloody seas?

No, I must fight if I must reign,

increase my courage, Lord.

That's my prayer.

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,

Life is just an empty dream!

And the soul is dead that slumbers,

And things are not what they seem,

Yea, life is real! And life is earnest!

And the grave is not it's goal;

Dust thou art, to dust returnest,

Was not spoken of the soul.

(That's right.)

Lives of great men all remind us

And we can make our lives sublime,

With partings, leave behind us,

Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,

Sailing over life's solemn main,

For a forlorn and shipwrecked brother,

Seeing, shall take heart again.

Oh, my! How wonderful! How God enters poetry, how He enters songs, how He enters praise, how He enters worship! Yes, some glorious day, Jehovah-jireh.... How's He going to do it? He'll do it, don't you worry. How's He going to rapture the church? That's up to Him; I just believe He'll do it, that's all. And He'll do it, because He said so.

Let's speak to Him, just now, while our hearts are strangely warmed, by His presence.

Our Heavenly Father, we bow in humble worship, to express to You the very adorations of our hearts. Oh, how we are elated tonight, Lord, to feel Your blessings moving in our mortal beings. Expecting in a few moments to see the vital, the real presence of Jesus Christ moving among the people, giving them faith, and seeing great signs and wonders take place.

We thank Thee for all Thou has done. And, Father, there may be some dead in sin and trespasses sitting here tonight, that doesn't know Thee, has never knowed that You would provide for them. They can't come within themselves, Father. And You will knock at their door. You'll knock many times, but sometime, You will knock Your last time. For You said, “My Spirit will not always strive with man, seeing that he's flesh.”

So, I pray tonight, Father, that You will wake up somebody to the knowledge to know, that unless they're borned of the Spirit of God, has received, and then become Abraham's seed, that they'll never be able to make the rapture. So, I pray, Father, that You will give rapturing grace tonight, and also for the sick.

And while we have our heads bowed, I wonder if there'd be a person here tonight, no matter who you are—we'll never tell you what church to go to—I just wonder if you would raise your hand to God and say, “By this, Lord God, I now believe You.” God bless you, brother. Someone else, raise your hand, say, “Lord God, I now believe You, accept Jesus as my personal Saviour. I now believe.” God bless you, my sister. Oh, how wonderful! Someone else? “I now want to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. I raise my hand to Jehovah-jireh, He who will provide a sacrifice.” God bless you, my brother.

Though your hair be frosting, and you're turning across towards the setting of the sun, yet you're not too late; you're just in time, just in time to receive the robe, God's kiss of approval, be welcomed into the kingdom.

Some one else, raise your hand to God, saying, “God, by raising my hand, I now accept Thy beloved Son as my Saviour.” God bless you, my young sister sitting back there. That's very fine. God be with you. You're just in time, the old ship of Zion's passing by, life rafts are being sent out now. Can't you hear the water dashing? She's coming right by you. Let's get aboard.

Someone else? God bless you, my sister, back there. I see your hand, also. The Lord be with you, sister. Oh, I'm so glad to see you in your right mind.... God bless you, my dear brother. That's wonderful. In your right senses now, while you're well. You're not laying out here bleeding to death, and the siren's a going; you can't, between breaths, get your.... Oh, it's a horrible thing then.

I asked someone not long ago, a soldier.... There was men dying all around him. He was bleeding himself, a shrapnel went through his shirt, his heart was failing. I said, “Did you pray, brother?”

He said, “Brother Branham, I couldn't pray. I was so scared, I didn't know what to do.” He said, “I'm so glad I can do it now; I'm so glad now I can do it. I'm coming sensibly, sanely, in my mind, and I'm accepting the Lord Jesus right now. Say, you know what I done, Brother Branham?”

I said, “No.”

Said, “After I laid there, I couldn't talk.” Said, “I could use my right hand,” I believe he said, or his left hand, he took a clod of dirt, and wrote out in the dust, in his foxhole, “God, be merciful to me.”

Now, while you're well, you're not bleeding, you're all right now, won't you just do as much as say, “Lord Jesus....” That's the least you could do, just raise up your hand, say by this, “I love You, and I want to become Your servant.” God bless you, my sister, back there, sitting there, a Spanish sister, I believe, with her hand up. God be with you, my dear sister.

Someone else would raise your hand. Another.... Two over here. God bless you, a young lady and a man. God bless you, my dear children of the Gospel. And God bless you, my dear brother, laying there with a little one on your lap. Oh, that's a real thing to do, my dear brother, such a real thing. Jehovah-jireh.... God bless you, my dear brother, back there. And way back, God bless you. God bless you, my boy, way back at the back. That's a very gallant thing to do, son. The Lord be with you and bless you, is my prayer.

All right. Would.... Someone else would raise your hand, say by this, “I raise my hand. Not to you, Brother Branham, but to Jesus Christ, who may judge me before morning.” God bless you, my dear friend. May the Lord bless you, brother. Another one. That's fine. Some ten or fifteen has raised their hands. Would there be another one, just before we go to prayer now? God bless you, my brother. That's good. God bless you, sister. That's good.

That's two more in the kingdom. “What does that mean, Brother Branham?” Well, only thing I can do is like Abraham said.... God bless you, young man. That's fine. I see your hand. That's.... May the Lord richly bless you, son. I pray that He'll make you a blessing.

Someone else would raise your hand? Just say by this, “Dear God....” God bless you, son. That's fine. Three young men sitting together, all three of them, one by one, raising their hands, they want God to see their hand that.... That's.... You know, I just.... Maybe there's some more here, I'm just.... God bless you. God bless you, and you, young man. That's very fine. Whole row of fine, young men, raising their hand.

God bless you, lady. I see your hand this side. May the Lord bless you, my sister, my sincere prayer. See, it doesn't so much whether I see it, it's whether He sees it. See, you're raising it to Him.

Now, what did Jesus say? He said, “No man can do that except Father tells Him to do it.” It's against his nature. Something told him to do it. He said, “He that heareth My words, believeth on Him that sent Me....” That's the reason you believed: You raised your hand. What did Jesus say you had? “...hath (right now) everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, (or judgment), but has already passed from death to life.”

Think of it, around twenty or more people sitting here, that would have died the first of the meeting, would have been lost; die now, they'd be saved. That's His Word. That's all I have to say. Jesus speaking, “He that heareth My words, and believeth on Him that sent Me....” You raised your hands saying: “...hath, (because He did it) everlasting life.” Now, you need the Holy Spirit to be baptized. Want you to do it.

Now, is there someone just a little away from God, and just wants a little closer walk, raise your hand. If you believe God hear.... God bless you. My, just look all around. That's fine, that's good. If you believe He hears my prayer for the sick and the afflicted, and to show the needs of the people, then I will offer a prayer with all my heart for your continuation in the grace of God, while we remain bowed heads.

Dear God, sometimes my.... I just seem like I get a lump up in my throat when I see the young and the old raising their hands from the preaching of the Word, still the most mighty force in the world, and will always be: the Word. And they've accepted Thee tonight; that's all they can do, Father. “Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.” That's all, humanly, they can do, is to raise their hands to witness they're sorry for their sin, and ask for mercy, and believe that You give it to them. That's all You ask.

Now, Father, may this same group of people, along with many others, be baptized into Christian faith, and receive the Holy Ghost, and live a true Christian life, until death shall break the shackles and set them free to be with God in His kingdom, return to the earth again, in the great Millennium, to live here on earth with Jesus, and never die no more. Grant it, Father.

I commend them to Thee now, as I make this committal. And we know we're to commit these things to the Lord—a powerful weapon: commit it to the Lord. And I bring them before Thee. And by arms, and eyes of faith, I lift them right out of this audience, into Your presence yonder, at the throne.

And as a servant of Yours, I intercede. These people come out to hear the Word, and they've raised their hands to me, as Your servant, to ask for this mercy. And I know, Father, You'll grant it to each one. I hand them to Thee, in Thy hands, good hands, perfect keeping, until the day of judgment. May You lead them, and guide them, and may they be found there on that day, pure, holy, and not with any condemnation, because the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses them from all unrighteousness. Grant these blessings in Jesus' dear name.

[Blank spot on tape.] All right. What say? There's one missing in the line. Prayer card-number-14.

[Blank spot on tape.] Now, remember, every one remember this, there is nothing in any man that can heal you. Healing is already purchased; it's a redemptive blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ. “He was wounded for our transgressions, with His stripes we were healed.” Past tense. Only thing you have to do is reach up and believe it.

And now, if Jesus, to the newcomers, if Jesus will come to His church here.... Now, you have to do it; it's your faith. Remember, the woman that touched His garment felt virtue, but the one who put a rag around His head and hit Him on the head with a stick and said, “Now, if you're a prophesier, tell us who hit you.” He didn't get any virtue. No, Jesus never said nothing to him. But if Jesus will come and do the same things that He did when He was here on earth, will you believe with all your heart?

Now, how many out there doesn't have a prayer card, and you're believing that Jesus is going to make you well tonight? Raise your hand, say, “I'm praying, Brother Branham.” God bless you. Just look this way and believe. Remember He's, Jesus ... everywhere.

All right. Is this the patient, the lady? Get over there so you can help them. How do you do, lady. Now, I want your undivided attention for a few moments. The brethren will watch me. And to the one who goes at it scientifically, this is another dimension. To the Christian, it's another sphere of the Holy Spirit. It's only the same Holy Ghost that saved you young convert. It's yielding yourself to Him.

Now, and when it happens, I don't know where I am at that time. I'm in somebody's life somewhere else, talking. So now, you be real reverent, don't move around for a few moments. Then we'll ... they'll close the service, quickly, as soon as the Holy Spirit gets over the audience, and begins to bless the people.

Now, here stands a lady. I have never seen her in my life. I guess we're strangers, are we, lady? If we're a stranger, would you just hold up your hands to the audience? I have never seen the lady. She probably come in here a while ago, when they's giving out the prayer cards, somebody give her a card; her number just happened to be called and be the first one. We don't know. Sometimes we call from just anywhere along the line, just.... Tomorrow night we'll call from somewhere else, doesn't matter; just get the people up here.

Now, you're aware that I know nothing of you. Is that right? Perfect strangers. But you know that Jesus knows all about you, He knows about me. And you being a lady, me a man, both of us Christians, you are a believer, and then.... Now, how would I know that you was a believer, see? The same way that when Philip went and found Nathanael, and brought him to Jesus. Jesus said, “Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile.”

He said, “How did you know me, Rabbi?”

He said, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the tree, I saw you.”

What would the world say about that? What would Los Angeles say about that tonight? Mental telepathy, or spiritualism, or.... They said the same thing then; they said He was Beelzebub. But what did that man who the miracle was done on, Nathanael.... He said, “You're the Son of God, the King of Israel.”

Well, now, my contentions are, sister, that Jesus raised from the dead. And the reason I knowed you was a Christian, because you believe me, and you've got a Christian Spirit. I know it moving between us. If it wasn't, it'd turn dark, and it'd be refused. But you are a Christian believer, a born-again Christian. That's right. And, I can tell that by the feeling of your spirit.

But now, we're standing ... you being the first person, we're talking, just like our lovely Lord Jesus talked to a woman one time. You remember at the well, He talked to her, until He found just where her trouble was. She had a trouble, didn't she? And He found where her trouble was. And when He found her trouble, He told her about it, and said, “Go get your husband.”

She said, “I have none.”

Said, “That's right, you got five.”

Now, she said (What was her words?), “I perceive that You are a prophet.” Now watch what she said, and I want the audience to get this. “We know that when the Messiah cometh....” Do you believe Jesus was the Jewish Messiah of God? “We know that when Messiah cometh, He will tell us all these things.” But she didn't know who He was. Said, “Now, You must be a prophet, 'cause You don't know me, and how do you know what's wrong with me, unless You be a prophet? Now, when the Messiah cometh, these will be the Messiahic sign.” If that was the Messiahic sign in His day, and He's “The same yesterday, today, and forever,” it's the Messiahic sign today. Is that right? “When Messiah cometh, He'll tell us all things, but who are You?”

He said, “I am He that speaketh.” And upon this she left her water pot and went into the house.

Why was He talking to her? Now, the Scripture doesn't say. But from observation, from dealing with spirit ... and it's very little of flesh that I deal with; it's spirit, because it's the inside of the person. If it was something that I could do, I'd do it, but it's your soul that I deal with. And He was talking to her till He caught her spirit, and then the vision come. God told Him to go up there to Samaria. He was on His road to Jericho, but He went up to Samaria, said He had need. The Father sent Him up there, 'cause He said He did nothing 'less He showed Him. But He didn't know what was wrong with the woman.

Now, the Father sent me to San Fernando Valley, put me here to preach the Gospel, and here you've come, see. Now, the only way I know is to contact your spirit. And you being a woman, me a man, you a Christian, me a Christian, maybe you're in need of something, and the Holy Spirit is here, and you His child, to help you to get what you come for. And that would only bring your faith up. Is that right?

Does the audience believe that? That's the only.... Now, not that I could heal; her faith has to do that. “Thy faith has made thee whole.” Now, if God will reveal to me what you come here for, or something that you know I don't know, something like that, you will believe it. Will the audience believe it, and accept it? Now, may the Lord grant it.

It's a little struggling tonight, preaching hard like that and then turn around for anointing, because it's a different anointing. That makes me feel real good. I'm bringing in there, and this way it's giving out, see. There I'm preaching; it's the Holy Spirit blessing me.

Here is your faith pulling God's.... Just like the woman touched Jesus' garment, she pulled from Jesus what she needed out of God. That's what made Him weak, see; virtue went from Him. And this is different, you see. One's bringing in, the other one's taking out. And it's your faith that does it.

But now, to the audience, I only wish—and God knows I'm not a fanatic—but I wish you could only see what's taking place in front, right in my eyes now, as we're moving away, and I'm going with the woman. And I think that maybe the audience can still hear my voice.

The woman is having a trouble of nervousness. She's very upset, bothered. And she's got something wrong with her neck, and she's got a spinal trouble also, that's bothering her in her spine, makes it so she stiffens and can't get up and down, and things, makes it hard on her.

Now, to the audience.... Was that right, lady? Now, that wasn't me talking; it's yielding to the Holy Ghost. Now, the more you'd talk to the woman, more would tell her. But just like, you stand here, oh, till God got finished talking. But if that would bring her faith up, which I don't know what it was wrong with her; I couldn't tell you right now, I don't know. Only way I know is my friends here on that tape. I know that it said something to her, I seen her doing something, but I don't know what it was. But, let's just talk again, and....

Now, you're really believing now. I believe whatever was wrong with you, that you're going to be well, because it's real light.... Say, that's right, and I'm telling you....

Here's something that I see that's wrong with you: You have something wrong with your limb. It's your left limb. And I believe that was diagnosed as phlebitis—that's what he called it, phlebitis—of your left limb.

And there's somebody that you're interested in being prayed for. That's the man ... that's your husband. Your husband is suffering with something wrong with his eyes, and he's got a gallbladder trouble, and a rectal trouble. And you all are from this city called San Fernando; that's where you're from. That's “thus saith the Lord!” That's all true, sister. Go on your road rejoicing now, thanking God for His goodness to you. God bless you.

If thou canst believe, you can receive.

All right, would you come, lady? I just trust that God will be merciful now. Are you believing? With all your heart I want you to believe. Have faith. Now, the little lady standing here, I just want to talk to you a minute, sister. You're conscious something's going on. It's nothing to harm you; that's the blessed Holy Spirit, between you and I.

And now I see the lady is having some kind of a trouble. It's something like diabetes she's bothered with; it comes and goes. You get well and clears up, and then I see it goes back again. You're trying to accept your healing, and holding on for this diabetes. That's right. And you're suffering with a terrible nervous condition, got you all upset, all the time. Because....

And you're deeply interested in somebody. That's your husband that's unsaved, and you're praying for your husband. And say, a woman come with you, another woman that's with you. And she's got the same thing you have: upset, and nervous, and she's praying for her husband to be saved. That is right. “Thus saith the Lord!” You believe? She calls you Ethel; that's your name. So you can go on your road now, rejoicing, and be made well. Amen.

Come believing. Don't doubt. Have faith. “If thou canst believe, all things are possible.” Do you believe that? The Bible said, “If thou canst believe....”

Was that lady that just sat down there, was that the lady on the prayer line? I seen something.... Oh, it's the lady sitting there has got something wrong with her side. Do you believe, lady, sitting there, that Jesus will make you well and will heal you? Sitting there on the front row, yes, the lady with the little hand up there, with the gray hair. You believe that Jesus make you well? All right, then you can have what you asked for. God bless you. Go on your road, and rejoice, and be happy, and thanks be to God and praise Him for all of His goodness.

You're praying hard, aren't you, brother? The brother sitting there looking this way, he was praying, had his hands down. He's got a rupture, and he wants to be made well. Also seeking the baptism of the Holy Ghost, also. You have received a blessing of God on you, my brother. Go and rejoice now, and be happy; you can be made well.

What did that? His faith, that's what does it. You look this way and believe. I challenge your faith in the name of Jesus Christ, to believe it.

There's a little, gray-headed woman sitting right there now, suffering of a colon trouble, right on the end of the seat. That's right. Your faith touched Him just then, sister. I want you to stand up, the little, gray-headed woman. Now, it's over; you can go home, rejoicing. Have faith in God, don't doubt; believe, for “All things are possible to them that believe.” Isn't that right? “If thou canst believe,” Jesus said, “all things are possible.” He's such a wonderful Lord Jesus.

The Spanish sister, you got something wrong with your leg. You believe that God will make you well? If you could believe it with all your heart, Jesus will make you well. Do you believe He will? All right, you can have what you asked for then. God bless you.

Sinus trouble right there, too. Do you believe that God will make you well? When that lady put her hands on you, something struck your body; wasn't that right? That's when you were healed of the sinus trouble. God made you well. Amen. Just have faith, believe. “If thou canst believe, all things are possible.” But you must believe. Just have faith, don't doubt at all.

Excuse me, sir. I want to talk to you just a moment. Do you believe that Jesus, the Son of God, could tell me what your trouble is? Would you accept it if He would? Oh, you're standing here for somebody else, and it's a man. And that man has like a swelling, it's a dropsy, and he's your brother-in-law, and he lives farther north from here. He lives near a city called Fresno, but you're from San Diego. Your wife is here. She's all nervous and upset, and she wants me to pray for your mother-in-law, doesn't she? Well Mr. Baxter, you go put your hands on them and receive what you asked for, and be made well.

“If thou canst only believe.” Don't you believe now? Aren't you willing to believe the Lord Jesus, all of His mercy and kindness to you? Oh, how wonderful! How good the Lord Jesus is!

Do you believe Jesus will heal you of that neck trouble? The lady sitting there praying so hard, you was asking this in your prayer, “God, if You'll have Brother Branham to call me, then I will believe it.” That's right. Isn't that your prayer? If it is raise up your hand. Now, you've received it, you can go on your road and be made well. Just have faith, don't doubt.

As you point.... You think that rupture would leave, back there? You believe, right ... you believe God will heal you, sir, of the rupture? You pointed your finger over to him. All right. Do you believe that He healed you of it, brother? You believe that He does? The man right in behind the back part there, if you believe with all.... Yes, all right, you can receive it then. Go believe it.

A woman of sorrow, burdens upon her heart. As the Holy Spirit now has full control. No secrets can be hid now. A woman standing here, 'cause she's a believer. She's got someone in trouble; that's her husband. And that man has a condition of nervousness, and is in an institution, very bad. And he's calling for me to come pray for him. He keeps referring to you, “Have Brother Branham to come.” He's a Christian man, too. That's right. Let me have your handkerchief there.

Almighty God, I condemn the devil, and ask for freedom. May the Holy Ghost watch over this handkerchief for its intended purpose, as I send it for the glory of God. Amen. And write the testimony to me. Fear not, have faith.

We're strangers to each other, I suppose, lady, but not to Him, are we? Now, you're in trouble, and you're standing here weeping, because that something is taking place. You realize now where you're standing. You're in the presence of something besides your brother. You know that, don't you, lady? You're in the presence of Him, the great Creator, and not your brother. Don't fear now.

You've been.... Something's been wrong with you, but you've had TB, tubercular. You're suffering now with a nervous trouble, real nervous. Then you got a ladies' trouble, which is causing you trouble, female, drainage, hurting in your left side, which is caused from this abscess that's on the ovary. You are also ... you have a trouble with one of your legs, you're having trouble. And you've got a bladder trouble. And you're up for an operation. Do you believe, in His presence? Jesus said, “These signs shall follow them that believe; if they lay hands on the sick they shall recover.” Do you believe it?

Then, Heavenly Father, to this poor, little, nervous woman standing here shaking, tears rolling down her cheeks, Satan has bound her in some way, Thou knowest. But in Your command tonight, I come to represent Your vicarious suffering and death at Calvary, who stripped and robbed Satan of every legal right he had, and he's only bluffing, and he's exposed tonight. He's lost his hope. And I condemn Satan that's tormenting my sister, that you leave her, in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

Only the way as I did it, sister.... You feel now it's all right. It is, see? The reason I did it because you were so upset. Many times they'll receive it, but now, it's all over; you know that. So go, rejoicing, being happy, and thanking God.

Now, I'm not reading the mind of the people. That comes in once in a while. Don't believe that, my brother. I'm not. I don't ... it don't have to ... it ain't read.... Here, here's woman standing here. Just take a hold of my hand, sister, just for a contact. If God will reveal to me what's wrong with the woman here, without looking at her or anything, then it'll take all that doubt out of your mine? Do you speak English, lady? You here? Can you speak English? She speaks Spanish. Ask her if she will believe if God will reveal to me what is wrong with her? Ask her.

She's got something in the blood. I see it dropping as though ... oh, she's taking a ... it's insulin. She has diabetes. Can you speak that word? No. Tell her it's in her blood, she will under.... Yeah, diabetes ... diabetes. Hold up your hand if that's right. Do you believe now? Go rejoicing. Glory adios.

Do you believe? You're nervous. 'Course that's just the man of your age actually have that, a little prostate trouble, what gets you up, and so forth. And then you got arthritis. That's right. Now, do you believe He makes you free now? Go on your road.... Straighten out your hands like this, and just ... faith. That's it. God bless you, go on, praising God.

How do you do, sir. Do you believe God healed you of the kidney trouble while you were sitting there and give Him praise for it? All right, go on your road rejoicing, and say, “Thank You, dear Jesus,” and believe it.

All right. Will you come, sister? Now, wasn't it strange that as soon as I said “kidney trouble” to him, you felt the same thing leave you, kidney trouble? Now, go on your road rejoicing, and thank God for the goodness. You believe that with all your heart? Let's say, “Praise be to God.”

All right, come. You also had a kidney trouble, you had a ladies' trouble, and it's gone from you now. Now, just go on your road rejoicing, and say, “Thanks be to God.” Do you believe?

All right, come now. Let's you and I go up to Calvary for a blood transfusion for this anemia condition, and God will take it away from you. You believe it? In the name of Jesus Christ, I ask for the blessings of God to touch my sister. Amen. Don't doubt now; go believing with all your heart.

Great, strong looking man, sir, but arthritis will soon have you on the bed. Do you believe that Jesus will make you well now? Then receive it. Go off the platform, raise your hands up and down, jerk your feet up and down, say, “I believe with all my heart.”

Would you come, lady? [Just a minute, can't get my breath right. No, don't say nothing to the people, don't say nothing to them.] The audience is getting such a faith; it's just moving out whole audience. I'm not a fanatic. It must be near the time. They're ... [Wait. Let's have this woman up.]

How do you do, lady. You're next in line, I see. You believe? With all your heart? If you'll believe Jesus to be the Son of God, and believe me to be His servant, His prophet, and to believe the divine gift comes from God, I'll do all I can to help you.

And all I can do to help you would be offer prayer. That would be one thing. Another thing: to tell you about Jesus, and Jesus could reveal to me what your trouble is, couldn't He? And you believe then if He'd do that that you'd be all right? [A lady says, “Sure do.”] You do? Then you can go, eat your supper. You had a ulcer in your stomach, an old, peptic ulcer, so go on your road, you're healed now. Jesus make you well.

Let's say, “Praise be to God!” I know it's time for me to go, for my boy here, is pushing me in the side, which means that I must go.

Will you believe with all your heart now? Will you just bow your head? God bless you.