God's Covenant With Abraham

Thank you, sir.

Shall we pray just a moment before we sit down?

Our heavenly Father, as the song calls again—Only Believe—we pray, heavenly Father, that tonight will be an outstanding night, that many will believe on Thee. Grant it. May Thy richest of blessings rest upon us all. We're unworthy of what we ask, but we're asking because that You bid us to ask, and give us the promise that You would grant to us anything that we ask. So, we pray that You will save every lost soul, tonight. Bring back every one that has wandered from the straight, narrow way. Heal all the sick and afflicted, and rejoice the hearts of the saints. We ask it for God's glory in the name of His child. Amen.

Very happy to be here. Sorry that so many are standing but we.... Something that we just can't help.

Tomorrow, being the closing service of the little get-together, why, we are hoping some day to be back, if God willing, with a tent, big tent, so we can just stay a long time and be with you.

This morning, I had a lovely time meeting your Christian Businessmen, here, the Full Gospel Christian Businessmen's Fellowship, a lovely time we had in the Lord. And I met with my good brother, Brother Arganbright; he's here somewhere, maybe, tonight. And Brother Gardner and some more of our friends. Brother Lee Braxton—Braxton, I believe his name was—Brother Oral Roberts' associate. And certainly had a fine time of fellowship through the day, meeting these wonderful people, trusting that someday, in God's great appointed time, that we'll meet in His kingdom where we'll never have to part again.

And now, I see there's handkerchiefs sitting here. I'm so happy that you have faith to believe this, the anointing.... Now, many people anoint handkerchiefs and they say to me, “Brother Branham, will you anoint my handkerchief?”

Now, that's all right, that's fine. Anything the Lord does and blesses, why, I'm really for it. But, if you'll just bear me record, I believe you're taking the scriptural part of it from the 19th chapter of the book of Acts. Now, Paul never anointed the handkerchiefs; they taken from the body of Paul, handkerchiefs and aprons.

Now, how many like to think ... or, would like to have me to express where I think Paul got this, scripturally? Would like to do it? All right, I'll tell you where I think he got it.

When the Shunammite woman, in the Bible, when Elijah had told her she was going to bear a son, and she did. And when the son was about twelve years old, one day out along up in the day, he was with his father in the harvest field, perhaps had a sunstroke, began to holler, “My head.”

A servant taken him to the house and put him on the lap of his mother, and along noontime, he died. And she had built a little place on the side of her house to entertain this prophet. So, she took him, and laid him on the bed of the prophet and had a servant to saddle a mule and go right straight to Mount Carmel.

And I just love the way that woman acted, a woman in a crisis, but yet her faith was unmoved in God. She knew, if she could get to this man of God, she'd find out what her trouble was. So, she got over there, and when she saw Elijah ... Elijah saw her coming.... Now, God don't always tell His servants everything He is going to do. He just tells them in portion what He wants to do. So, Elijah had never heard from God about this matter. So, he says, “Here comes that Shunammite and she's troubled and God has kept it a secret from me.” Said, “Go ask her.”

And Gehazi run out, his servant, to ask. He said, “Is all well with thee, and is all well with thy husband, is all well with the child?”

Now listen. The child a corpse, and her husband frantic, and her riding at a breakneck speed, she said, “All is well.” I like that. She was before the servant of the Lord.

I think that's where Mary got the idea of meeting Jesus the way she did. Said, “Lord, if Thou would've been here, my brother had not died but, even now, whatever You ask God, God will do it,” see.

She knew that if God was in His prophet, surely, He was in His Son. So, she approached in the right way, reverently, and she got what she asked for. That's the reason today that we don't get what we ask for: we approach in the wrong way. We got to approach with a.... “He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Now, Elijah, after the woman run.... Well, if everything was all right, what's her trouble, what's she upset about? She run and fell down at his feet and began to tell him what had happened. And now watch what he did. He said to Gehazi, his servant, said, “Gird up thy loins and take the staff—this staff that I have handled —and you run before her and, if anybody speaks to you, don't speak back, and go in and lay the staff on the child.”

Get it? What he had been handling. See, he knew that what he touched was blessed. If the woman could only believe the same thing!

I think that's where Paul got taking handkerchiefs off of his body to send to the people. Now, we know that Saint Paul has done gone on; he's with Jesus, tonight. Paul is gone, and we're not Saint Paul, but He is still Jesus, and He is just as duty-bound to your faith as He was to their faith.

So, let us pray for these handkerchiefs now before we go forward.

My, if you'd only see these heartbreaking things. A few nights ago, I believe it was at Spindale, a little child laid his little toy automobile in to be.... And a little girl, here perhaps, has laid her little wristwatch, a little, looks like a little ten-cent store wristwatch.... She's needy. Wouldn't that just make you feel real funny?

Let us pray.

Our heavenly Father, O God, I know You understand. And tonight, as You look down upon these handkerchiefs and this little wristwatch and little trinkets, it shows that there's a living faith, even in little children. And we thank Thee for this. Maybe some poor old blind dad, sitting out here on the farm somewhere's waiting for a handkerchief to return. Maybe a little sick child in a hospital waiting for one of these handkerchiefs, a frantic mother walking the floor, but, Thou art God. You know all things. And Father, dear, with all my heart, if it's one of my own children, my father or mother, I pray that as sincerely, all I know how to do, and ask that You will heal every one of them.

And now, when Satan sees this token of faith according to the Word of God, may he be like every time that when he tried to block God's people. One time in the Scripture, we are told, that God gave the children of Israel the promised land and they were on their road. And the Red Sea got in their way, but God's path led through it.

One writer said that He looked down through the pillar of fire with angry eyes because there was a hindrance in the way of His children. And the sea got scared when it saw the angered eyes of God; and it got scared and moved back and opened up a path right through the bottom of the sea and they passed to the promised land unharmed.

O God! When these handkerchiefs rest their appointed destinations, may You look down, not as through the pillar of fire, but through the blood of Jesus. And may every disease, Satan seeing this token of the people's faith, may he get scared and move back, and may they cross to that promise, the promise of good health which we are taught above all things that we wish that we would prosper in. Grant it, Lord, I send it for this purpose, thanking You for the confidence of the people that believes in the praying for the sick. May they have their desire, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Now, immediately after service you may send ... come up and get them, or however they give them out.

Now, if you want one, we pray over ... send thousands of those monthly all over the world. And if you want one, just write to me at Jeffersonville, and we will send it to you. No obligation. Now, as I say, I don't have any radio program, nothing, I have nothing to get your address, I have a hard time even get people to answer letters that ... get it back to you. But you're just as welcome as you can be. You'll never be plagued with mail. We don't have nothing to sponsor or anything. Just your prayers is all we desire and it's just absolutely free. Send for it. You'll be more than welcome to have.... If you don't need it, send and get it, keep it in the book.

I had one here recently, a little child.... Now this, I can't say, I wasn't there, I do not know. But they said a little boy got run over on the street. And a mother went in, she had a handkerchief I had prayed over and had been ... not because I prayed over it, because of ... her faith was in God. And the little boy had been laid in the grass flat, and the ambulance was coming after him and he was, oh, said he was in a terrible condition. And they were having the police keeping them back.

And the little frantic mother screaming and carrying on. She run in the house real quick and got the handkerchief off of that book of Acts 19, and brought it out and laid it on the child, took her child by the hand and walked on back in the house with him before the ambulance got there. Now, that's.... Now, that was a faith, not my prayer, certainly not. But not me ... I had anything. It was the little mother's faith in God that did it. That's what does it. Always.

You know, sometimes we misjudge the common person and their prayer. Now, when I'm gone from here, don't quit believing in healing; just keep on, believe that much more. You don't have to wait till I or Brother Roberts or some other one comes through. No, sir! You just call your pastor, and if your pastor ain't close, call your neighbor, a good Christian person, or anyone. Pray for one another. That's what the Bible says, “The prayer of faith shall save the sick.”

I'm just reminded of a little incident, if you will pardon me for taking these testimonies, but it comes in my mind and it seems like I should say it. I was in Meridian, Mississippi, and one night (been about two years ago, I suppose) there was something happened that always just reminded me of how God, with the sense of humor He has, and how simple He can make Himself to reveal Himself to the people.

There was a little mother walking around packing a little baby; and there was another little mother sitting there, typical little Southern mother with a little gingham or calico, or ever what you call it, dress on. And she said (just a little housewife, but the Lord kept dealing with that woman), “Go pray for that baby.”

Why, she looked and the woman had a prayer card. “Oh,” she said, “I, I'd be afraid to go pray for that baby Brother Branham's going to pray for that baby, tonight.” Said, “The woman has got a prayer card.” And said, “Why, I wouldn't do it.”

And he turned ... she turned around, the Lord said to her, just revealed to her heart, “Go pray for that baby.”

Well, it just kept haunting her so much, she said, “Well, if the woman comes back through here again, I'm going to stop her.” So, she said, “Lady, would you take my seat and sit down here? I know you're just wore out with that baby and he won't be here for a couple of hours, yet.”

Said, “Thank you, sister,” said, “I apprec.... I hate to take your seat.”

Said, being that we got the conversation, “Would you mind if I just offer a little word of prayer for the baby? I see you got a prayer card. Perhaps, Brother Branham will pray for the baby tonight.” Said, “But, just to relieve my feeling, would you mind if I offer a little prayer?”

She said, “Why, certainly not, sister, dear.” And she held the little baby out and the little mother laid her hands over on the baby and prayed a simple little prayer.

And then the little woman didn't have no place to sit down, so she went way up in the balcony in the gymnasium. And so, she got up there and about a couple hours later, when I come in, the prayer cards was called, and the little woman was standing in the line. So, the little woman up in the balcony, she said, “Oh, my! Maybe I shouldn't have done that, but I felt better after I done it.”

When the little woman come up in the line with the baby, the Holy Spirit come, began to talk to the woman, tell her who she was and what was the matter with her baby, but said, “You know, your baby is already healed because a little lady has prayed for her, with a little calico dress on, is standing right up there in the balcony. God has already heard her prayer and the baby is already healed. You don't have to worry about it, it's all right.”

Now, what if the little mother had failed to do what God told her to do, see? Now, see? It wasn't the evangelist's place. God works in all the laity. We have certain jobs to do but you have to pray one for another, and God will take care of you.

Now, just.... I'm going to try to hurry real quick so that we won't have to keep these dear people standing very long. Remember, tomorrow afternoon, now, we are having it on the afternoon....

I appreciate that, and Brother Jeffries, because that it shows the fellowship with the ministers. We want every person to go to their post of duty, go to your church tomorrow and, if you're a stranger in town, find some good church and go to Sunday school in the morning. And then, we have it in the afternoon so that, pastor, you can dismiss your church in the afternoon and have them to come. Of course, you don't have afternoon services. Then, at night, well, then, they can go back to their own church. We want to be brotherly and, when we come the next time, the reason we didn't have all the ministerial meeting and so forth, we're just here with our dear brother to get acquainted with you fine people here in this state. And we just pass through with just the brethren that we had contact with and come right in, in these little auditoriums, just for that purpose.

Coming back, we want to make arrangements, if the Lord willing, about a year ahead of time, and get everything in order for a good four to six weeks' revival under a big tent, if the Lord willing. And we want every one of you dear brethren, no matter what brand you're wearing—Methodist, Baptist, whatever, it don't matter—we want you to help us win souls to Christ.

Now, last evening, I was speaking a little, and I never got to finish my text. I got talking about Abraham and it's kind of a.... [Blank spot on tape.] I love the Old Testament, so I'm going to read the same text and try to get to it tonight if God willing. It's in Exodus ... or, pardon me, Genesis 22:14. I wish to read the text again.

And Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

Now, may God add His blessings to His Word.

Now, pray with me, now, while we come to the climax of our text. Last evening, we were going back for a context on what the text was speaking of, this Abraham upon the mount, here, with his son to be offered up as a sacrifice. And we got over part of the way with Abraham, and the Holy Spirit kind of got in the Word. I got lost and I come to find out it was past time for the prayer line.

Now, notice, last night we left Abraham where God had confirmed the covenant with him that he would ... swore to him by an oath by Himself (There's no other greater He could swear by.), that He would keep His promise to Abraham and his seed, and the promise was given unconditionally. And what we were trying to do was to get the fear out of people's hearts and minds. That's one of the greatest curses that's in the church today is the people who are afraid to lay hold of God's Word, the promise.

How could God ever take back one of His words? Why, it would be easier, as we said last night, for all the stars to just vanish out of the skies—the sun, moon and earth to pass away—but God's Word can never pass away. It's eternal and it's forever right. And, oh, how I love to rest my weary soul upon every word of it. It just seems like when you could just hang it up there and say, “There it is.” It has got to happen because God said so. And if God promised it, God has to keep His Word.

At nighttime when these visions come, that's exactly my plea to God. “You have promised it, God.” Therefore, I've never had one minute's fear or worry, because that I know that God promised it. And in Africa, being challenged by witch doctors, and soothsayers, and, in India, by all kinds of hypnotizers, and fakers, and everything.... Never seen a time but what God stood right by His Word and brought it out in a great victory at every time.

Now, that's.... A few times like that, and you get a confidence in what God is saying, if you see Him answer it. That's the reason, if Jesus is risen from the dead, tonight, and proves Himself to be alive here with us, then we ought to have supreme confidence in every word that He said because His words are true.

And then, we found out that where God made the covenant with Abraham, and not only Abraham, but to his seed after him. And we find out that we who are Christians today, that's dead in Christ, are Abraham's seed and are heirs according to the promise. And the promise is just as sure to us as it was to Abraham.

Now, if be so that we are Abraham's seed, we have to have Abraham's faith. And Abraham believed God, and called those things which were not as though they were, because God made the promise. Isn't that marvelous? What if he went to the doctor? Number one killer: heart trouble. And what if the doctor said, “Lady, I am sorry to tell you, but the cardiogram shows that your heart is gone, you are finished!”

That's all the man knows to do. He looked at it, there's a cardiogram, that proves it, then you're gone. That's according to medical science, that's all can be done. But now, yet, down in that funny beating heart there is just something (you begin to read the Word, or something happen that you realize that Christ is near) and down in your heart, you feel that God is giving you that promise that you're going to be healed. Wouldn't do the doctor any good to tell you you are going to die, because you know you're going to get well.

Recently, I was called to a case like that—an old man. And his boy.... Oh, I said “recently,” it's been about six, seven years ago. And the boy was dying with black diphtheria. And so, I went to pray for the young lad. The old father said—a very fine old man—he said, “Brother Branham, will you come pray for my son?”

I said, “Well, sir, yes, I guess I could go over there.” So, wasn't any service right at the time. So, I went over to pray.

The doctor met me at the door, he said, “Now, just a moment.” He said, “You can't go in there. The boy has diphtheria, and it wouldn't do any good anyhow. Have your prayer out here, whatever it is, because you can't go....”

I said, “I want to lay my hands on him.”

He said, “Well, you're a father, you have children.” Said, “You pack that diphtheria; you can't go in there.”

I said.... (I understood that he was a Catholic, and I said, “Sir, if the priest was here to give the last rites, if the boy was Catholic, would you let him go?”

And he said, “That's different.”

I said, “No, it's not, no it isn't.” I said....

He said, “But the priest isn't a married man, he don't have children.”

I said, “I'm willing to bear the responsibility of that.” I said, “Why would I go to be praying for him if I'm afraid I'd pack it to my child? Wouldn't do me no good to in and pray for him then.” I said, “If you'll just let....”

And finally, we talked him out of it. And he dressed me up in a hood, and everything else, and made me wash my hands and put something over my face, and all down.... My, I looked like I don't know what going down through there. And the old father and the mother was standing by the side of the bed, the little nurse taking us in, the doctor shook his head and let me go in.

And so, got down there and the old father looked and he said, “Sonny, do you recognize me?”

And the little nurse said, “Why, sir,” said, “he hasn't knowed nothing since yesterday.” Said, “He's dying.”

I said, “Well, let us pray.” And I got down and started praying for the little lad; no vision or nothing, just prayed.

And I said, “Heavenly Father, You promised the prayer of faith shall save the sick and I'm offering to You with all my heart, in the sincerity, with the simplicity of my heart, all that I know how to do is ask for this boy's life. Why would You take a young lad like this? I don't understand it, Father, but if You want to show me anything concerning him, I might console his father. Why, behold, your servant stands here, but I pray that You will spare the boy's life; he's got such a fine home to be raised up in, Christian father and mother, pleading the promise.” And I had no vision, raised up and I said, “Well, Lord, I ask it in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Raised up, and the old father looked across at mother and said, “Oh, mother, isn't it wonderful?” Done, done, you know, as far as he was concerned. And he said, “Oh, I am so happy.” Said, “Brother Branham, praise the Lord, I am so glad that you prayed the prayer of faith. My boy is healed now.”

The little nurse looked at him real funny, and he said, “Praise the Lord!” And tears just rolling down his cheeks and the old mother ... they got each other in their arms and began to hug each other and said, “O Lord, we thank You for healing our boy.” And just, barely, his heart was moving.

And so the little nurse said, “Sir, how can you act like that and your child dying?”

“Oh,” he said, “madam, He's not dying, he's living.” And he said, “Why,” he said, “why, lady,” said, “Oh, I.... you don't understand.”

She said, “Well, look, sir,” she said, “this cardiogram...” ever what it.... I don't know, but said, “when that drops all the way down, it's never been known in medical history for the heart to ever come back again.” Said, “The boy is dying, a few more hours and he'll be dead.” Said, “He's just practically.... He's unconscious, now, since yesterday. And how can you act and be rejoicing? Look like you wouldn't take it so lightly.”

He said, “Look, my child.” The old man put his arm around the little nurse, he said, “You are looking at that piece of machinery,” said, “because that's all you know to look to, but I'm looking to a divine promise.”

That's right!

The boy is married, now, and got a baby. So, that just shows ... depends on what you are looking at. So, you see, you must look at God's promise, see. No matter what takes place, look at God's promise. Not how you feel, but what God said. Now that's Abraham's faith. When he was here, almost now ... he was seventy-five years old and Sarah, sixty-five. And He said they was going to have a baby. And Abraham was strong in faith, giving praise to God, for he knew that God was able to keep His promise. Amen!

How He child-trained him for twenty-five years. You know, God trains every child that comes to Him. And the Bible said, “Every son that cometh to God must be chastened of God.” And if we cannot stand chastisement, then we're not children of God; we become illegitimate children. A real child of God doesn't mind the whipping rod, the chastisement, doesn't mind the disappointments; he wades right on just the same. God said so. It's in his heart and nothing can move it, he's just there to stay. And Abraham, that's the way he acted upon God's promise, and that's the way every child of Abraham acts tonight. You believe it down here is this pit tonight?

Believe it! No matter what takes place, believe it anyhow. You see, Christians don't look at what they see; Christians look at things they don't see. And the things you don't see are more real than the things that you see. You see that microphone. It'll perish. I see faith that'll never perish, see. I see love, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness, meekness, gentleness, patience. Every shield of the believer is supernatural. Everything that belongs in the realm of Christianity is worked by supernatural.

An atheist once said to me, said, “Anything that can't be scientifically proven isn't real.”

I said, “Anything that can be scientifically proven isn't real.” That's vice versa.

He said, “There's something wrong with you.”

I said, “Yeah, I got saved, that's what's wrong.”

And he said, “Oh look.” He said....

I said, “Now, here you're looking at television you was trying sell me.”

He said.... I said, “That's wonderful.” I said, “You see, there's something that's supernatural. That picture's coming through us before it hits that screen.”

He said, “Oh, yes,” but said, “that's easy.” Said, “We've got a sending station and a receiving station.”

I said, “So have we.” Amen! We got a sending station and a receiving station. Certainly. Just tune all the static, the unbelief out, and watch what takes place. Watch the picture clear up, then you say, “Oh, yes, Lord, I see now.”

That makes the difference; it depends on how much static you let get in, you see. And don't let no static.... Just stay right with God and right with the Word and God will bring it right straight through to the positive every time.

Now, that's the way Abraham was doing. He stayed right with the positive. No matter if people said, “Say, do you know that old fellow sojourning with us up here? He's about half crazy. Why, his wife's an old feeble woman, and look how old he is and the gray whiskers and the hair hanging down to his waistline, almost, and then he says they're going to have a baby. Did you ever hear of such? Why, the old fellow's crazy!”

But he was taking God at His Word. And every man.... Here it is, now you can mark this! Every man that ever amounted to very much in this world were men who took God at His Word, though they had to stand alone on their convictions. Look at George Washington, Valley Forge, Abraham Lincoln, the great men of this nation; all men who trusted God. Yes.

And now, I want to ask you. If we're the seed of Abraham, then we've got to believe like Abraham believed. Now, we left him, last night, where that God had appeared to him after He had confirmed the covenant. And Abraham was getting old, now, real old: about twenty-five years after He made the promise to him, and Abraham hadn't got a bit weak. Some of us that call ourselves Abraham's seed couldn't hold on twenty-five minutes, and yet say, “We're Abraham's seed; we got our name on the church book.” But that don't make you Abraham's seed.

You're Abraham's seed when you are dead in Christ. All friction, static's tuned out. Your motives is one, your heart's one, and you're one with Christ. Amen. What He said is first and the rest of it's nonsense. That's all. You take His Word for it.

Now, there's an old man then.... God met him in the name of the Almighty God. Where we left him last night in Genesis the 17th chapter.... And “Almighty God,” the Hebrew word, we found, was El Shaddai, meaning “the bosom,” or “the breast of the woman.” And God appeared to Abraham as the breasted God, the breasted God. And He said, “Abraham, you're old, you're a hundred, Sarah's nearly a hundred—ninety. But yet you've took My Word for it, and you're weak, your body's gone.”

The Bible said that he considered not his own body now as good as dead.

Oh, I love that! He didn't even consider it. My! Don't consider the wheelchair, don't consider nothing, but consider what God said. Don't even consider anything else but what God said. “He considered not his own body, neither the deadness of Sarah's womb: he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief but was strong, giving praise to God.”

If it didn't happen this year, it'll happen next year. It'll be greater next year because it'll be one year different. He was one year weaker, one year farther. But he knowed that God would keep His promise. Amen! I like that. Keep His promise.... He's got to do it in order to be God. Abraham went right on praising God. “Sarah, how do you feel now? Been twenty-five years since God gave the promise.”

“No different, Abraham.”

“Glory to God, we're going to have it anyhow.”

Amen. Right.

“Baby is going to be born just the same. Keep all the Birdseye and the pins and everything laying back; we're going to have it.”

“Abraham, what do you mean?”

“God said so!”

That settles it, “God said so.” Oh, I love that. Brother, that'll make the devil get his tail between his legs and get away. “God said so!” That's where Jesus showed.... Christ had in Him all the qualities, for the Father was in the Son. The Father was in the Son reconciling Himself to the world ... reconciling the world to Himself, rather. And when He met Satan, He never used any of His power. He proved that the weakest of Christian could defeat Satan. When Satan come to Him said, “Now, if You are the Son of God, You are a great miracle worker, if You are. If You be, I want You to perform a miracle here for me, turn these stones into bread and eat. Now, You are hungry....”

Now watch, Jesus could've used His power but He didn't; He used the Word. He said, “It's written; man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

And He stood three times and defeated Satan all three times and “three” is a confirmation of a witness. Amen!

He defeated Satan on his own ground with the Word of God. And the weakest Christian here tonight can defeat Satan anywhere, any place, any time, under any conditions with “Thus saith the Lord.” Right. Just believe it. God said so.

“How do you know?”

“God said so.”

“What if....”

“By His stripes I am healed.”

What is confess? Confess is “say the same thing.” That's what a confession is. Confess is to say the same thing, and say the same thing He said. Say what He said, don't say what your feelings say, don't say what your neighbor says. Say what God said. Confess it and believe it.

Don't look at your symptoms; the symptoms is the worst thing the enemy ... God has to fight against. Symptoms. Everybody says, “Well, I was prayed for, but my hand's no better.”

It'll never be, like that. Never will. You are looking at your hand. Don't look at your hand, look what God said. What if Abraham said, “Now, Sarah....”, the first month.“ Now, he had lived with her for years, since she was about seventeen, eighteen years old, and here she was sixty-five now, many years past menopause, see. If she's going to have children, she'd a had it then. They were both sterile, and he said, ”Well, how could she have the baby....“ What if he had said that? Why, it's the first month past, said ”Sarah, how you feeling?“

She said, “No different.”

“Well, I guess, maybe it wasn't God talked to me.”

Oh, My! God couldn't have put His confidence in Abraham.

But, no matter what Sarah's condition was, it was not Sarah's condition he was looking at; it was the promise that God made he was looking at. It ain't the condition of your hand, or your ear, or your cancer, or whatever it is; it's God's Word you're looking at. God said so. Now, don't try to bluff it, it won't take bluffing, but if you got the goods, it'll recognize it. That's right. You got to have the real goods.

Now, don't look at your symptoms. You know, let me tell you a fellow had some symptoms, one time: worst case I ever seen in my life. It was a fellow named Jonah. And God sent him down to Nineveh, and he kind of got cold feet because the ministerial association had been against him down there. So, he went over to Tarshish, so easy over there, a lot of saints, you see. But on his road, trouble come up. You know, you usually get that way when you do something God tells you not to.

The sea got to raging, and waves a licking in the boat, and finally Jonah confessed that he was the cause of it. And they tied his feet and hands and throwed him out in the ocean. Now look, God had a big old whale around there, and he come and swallowed Jonah. And then, anyone knows that when a fish eats, he goes right down to the bottom and rests his swimmers on the bottom. Feed your goldfish and watch what happens.

So, this fish was prowling through the water for his prey. And God directed him over there. And here was a backslidden preacher. And he throwed him out, and he swallowed this preacher. Here, he was down there in the belly of the whale, backslid, seaweeds around his neck, laying in a big bellyful of vomit, in a stormy sea, many fathoms deep in the ocean, perhaps, and this whale went down after he eat Jonah and was down there. And if he looked this way, it was whale's belly; he looked that way, it was whale's belly; everywhere he could see was whale's belly. And backslid, and on a stormy sea and his feet, and hands, tied behind him. There's no one that bad off here.

But you know what he said? He said, “They are lying vanities. I won't look at this whale belly in my condition.” But he said, “Lord, once more will I look to Your holy temple. For when Solomon dedicated that temple, he prayed and said, 'Lord, if Thy people be in trouble anywhere, and will look to this holy place and pray, then hear from heaven.'”

And he had confidence in the prayer of Solomon, the son of David. And God sent an oxygen tank, or something down there, and kept him alive for three days. And, if Jonah could have faith under those circumstances, in the prayer of Solomon, who finally died a backslider, how much more ought we to have faith tonight in the true Son of David who's sitting at the right hand of God with his own bloody garments, making intercession upon our confession? Amen!

And seeing people healed every night right around us. Oh, they are lying vanities, ever what it is, it's a lying vanity. “I refuse to have it any longer. I'm going to look to the holy temple, God.”

Jesus, the High Priest, can't do a thing for you till first you confess it, and act on your confession. Hebrews the 3rd chapter said, “He is the high priest of our confession.” The word's “profess,” but “profess” and “confess” is the same word. “High priest of our confession.” He can't do nothing till first you accept it, and confess that He has done it. That's right.

Did you ever see somebody trying to get saved? Walk up and down the altar and cry and chew chewing gum. “Lord, God, I tell You, if You just don't take....”

Not enough faith of his ink to dot an “i.” Just walking up, “Lord, I tell You, I'm ... I tell You, I....”

Oh, you're telling Him, He knows all about it. You might do that from the time you're a young man until you're an old gray-headed man, you'll still be a sinner. But the simple way is to accept what Jesus said was the truth, and upon the basis of His shed blood and the bidding Spirit calling you to come, say, “I truly believe it, and accept it right now, as my personal Savior.”

Brother, the joy-bells of heaven will ring back in your soul. Why? He can't do nothing for you.... He said, “You confess Me before men, I will confess you before the Father and the holy angels.”

You believe it and confess it. That's the way it is, no matter what the symptoms are, believe it anyhow. God said so, that settles it. That's what Abraham said. Now, when God met him again, told him, “I'm El Shaddai.”

A few days before that, no doubt, he said, “Sarah, honey, how you feeling? You're getting awful stooped, a hundred years old, about. How you feeling?”

“Well, dear, there's no difference in me. I'm just the same.”

“No sign?”

“No sign at all.”

“Well, glory! Going to have him. Amen. He's coming, that's all. Get ready.”

Went out that day, and sat down out in the pasture field, and watched the sheep awhile, and the goats, and all the animals he had, coming back by the tree, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El Shaddai. Abraham, you are old and Sarah is old, but you're not looking at that, you're looking to My promise, so I am your strength-giver.” Amen! “Just lean upon My breast and nurse yourself back to strength.”

Like the little fretting baby, when it's crying, upset, and it's sick, the mother just pulls it up to her bosom and it just starts nursing. And it's nursing the strength right out of the mother. And while it's getting its vitamins, as I said, getting its vitamins from the mother, it's building up, and it's satisfied all the time.

And when a child of God lays a hold of any of God's divine promise, it's pulling the vitamins out of God's eternal Word. It'll build you up. Amen.

Watch.... I'm not “amening” myself but I just believe. Amen means “so be it,” and I really believe.

Notice. Now, we find him going on just a little farther. And as he goes on farther, we find out that Lot separated himself from him, and went down to take the well-watered places and become the mayor of the city, and his wife become, oh, the leader of all the great ladies stitch-and-sew parties and everything. They thought they were getting along all right.

And one day while Abraham sitting out under the tree, he saw three men come walking up. Abraham, being a prophet, he looked there at those three men and he recognized who they were. He slipped into the tent, he said, “Sarah, get some flour ready right quick.”

Went out in the herd and got a little lamb ... or, a little sheep ... or, a calf, and killed it, and dressed it, and brought it out, and give it to the men, and he washed their feet. They sat down and rested and then, when they got ready to go away, the two men went on to Sodom, and he talked with one of them. And the Bible said that it was none other than Almighty God.

He had his back turned to the tent. Sarah didn't come out. Women didn't run around in men's business then like they do now. So, she stayed in the tent where she belonged. And so, she was back there in the tent, and God said to Abraham, said, “Do you know what?”

I didn't mean that to do any harm, women; I don't mean you Christian women. But just to see women coming into politics and everything, it's a disgrace, it's a breaking of the American morale. And remember, this is.... America will ... a woman.... I better leave it alone. But just remember this. I predict this: that a woman will be president before we're annihilated. That's right. I said that in 1933 by a vision.

Sure, it's a woman's world. Where did it start from? Hollywood. All your dirty, filthy dressing and things. That's what's crept into our homes and things like that and now it comes through television, everything else. It's a disgrace! All of our revivals won't help nothing till we get back to the good old-fashioned foundation again. Oh, I.... Well, so much for that; the preachers will tell you about that.

But now, notice, when Abraham, talking to God, Sarah back in the tent, when God said to Abraham, “I'm going to visit you about the time of life next month, and you're going to have a baby.”

Well, you know what? Sarah laughed. God with His back to her, turned around and said, “Why did Sarah laugh?”

Sarah said, “Oh, no, I never laughed.”

Said, “Oh, yes, you did; you laughed.”

She was scared to death. See, it didn't break her. Now, she did wrong, but she wasn't lost; she just done wrong. She was scared.

Notice. And then when.... Started to walk away, this man vanished and Abraham said, “It was the Lord,” that he talked to the Lord God. And God was there.

I was preaching on that one time in a little book that I was going to put out a few years ago, and a minister called my hand. He said, “Preacher Branham, do you mean to tell me that you believe that was God?”

I said, “That's what the Bible said.”

He said, “Where did He get that body?”

I said, “Well look, you just fail to understand what a great God He is.”

What's this body made of? A little petroleum, some cosmic light, and a few things like that put together and held up with atoms.

Here, not long ago, I was trying to comb what few hair I had left. My wife said to me, she said, “Billy, you're getting bald-headed, honey.”

I said, “But praise God, I haven't lost a one of them.”

She said, “Well, where are they at?”

I said, “All right, dear, I'm going to put a proposition to you. You tell me where they was before I got them, I'll tell you where they are waiting for me to come to them.” Amen! I believe it! Right! Not losing nothing. They was not; then they was; then they are not; they are where they was and someday God will give them back to me with my strong physical body again. Amen! I prove that by God's Word.

Notice. Why, God, how great He is! I can see Him step over there and say, “Say, come here, Gabriel. Whheww!” Some atoms together. “Step into that body. Come here, Michael. Whheww! Step into that one.” Step in His own. Walk right out....

That's God. He controls all the light, everything else. Walked in there, had dust on His clothes. Not only that but He eat the calf, and drank the milk from the cow, and eat some cornbread. That's right! God Himself was hungry in the body that He was living in.

Then, aren't you glad that that same God saves you tonight from sin, and some day will raise you up? Roll them atoms back together. Oh, it's such a little thing how little ... little finite minds can try to comprehend the infinite mind of God.

Watch Him. A little while.... I want to show you, while we're on the question, something happened there. I'll probably get some criticism over this, but let's go with it anyhow. Are you willing?

You know, I told you, you don't read the Bible just like this; you read between the lines. God always writes His love letter, just like when I write to my wife or she writes to me, we know.... We mean what we say on the paper, but we love one another so well, we read between the lines. That's the way to get God, don't try to get stiff and starchy and have some degrees put on your name; just love Him real well, and He'll let you read between the lines.

Fort Wayne, Indiana: When a man was healed and he was sent over to the king's private secretary, when he was healed with multiple sclerosis, and then the secretary, sent for me come to pray for this King George when he had multiple sclerosis. And in that meeting, I walked back behind when, sitting there and I heard that “Only Believe,” and knowing right in that same room Paul Rader wrote that song there in the Redigar Tabernacle.

I walked in there and there was a man walked behind me. He said, “Reverend Branham.”

I said, “Yes, sir.”

He said, “Your grammar is terrible.”

I said, “Yes, sir, I know it is.”

And he said, “I tell you, a man that speaks to the crowds that you do and use the grammar that you do,” said, “you ought to be ashamed of yourself.”

I said, “I am, sir.”

And so, stood there he said, “For instance, tonight,” said, “you used some of the poorest grammar.”

I said, “Yes, sir.” I said, “You know, I was raised in a big family, ten children, I was the oldest.” And I said, “My father was sickly and I had to work, and go to work, and I was only about ten years old out in plants and things.” I said, “I had a hard time.”

He said, “That's no excuse, now.”

I said, “Well, then that's true, sir.” But I said, “Since the Lord sent me to pray for His sick children, I can't even get a time to lay down and go to sleep, hardly, I'm so busy.”

He said, “Oh, you could take correspondence, something.” Said, “You're terrible in your language.” He said, “You know, I noticed you tonight, you said, 'Now the people that passes by this polpit tonight....'”

And I said, “Well, what's wrong with that?” I didn't know what I said wrong.

He said, “The people appreciate you more if you'll say pulpit.”

He kind of pulled my ear a little too hard, you know. I said, “Brother, I don't want to give you a short answer, but them people don't care whether I say polpit or pulpit as long as I lead the right kind of life and produce what I'm talking about. That's what they want to know.” And that's true. Yes.

Now, Abraham.... Oh, my! I can see him. Watch between the line. Maybe tomorrow afternoon, I'll preach between the line we're talking about.

Notice. Now, what did God do when He made that promise there to Abraham? He showed forth in Abraham what He's going to do to every person that's a seed of Abraham. You know what He done? Now, Sarah was right on a hundred years old and Abraham a real old man. Now, we'll cut that off to begin with, the Bible said they were both “well-stricken in age.” Right. Genesis about the 18th chapter.

Notice. “Well-stricken in age.” And God stood there and turned them back to a young man and a young woman again. Just want to see where that went. He did it. I prove it by the Scripture. He turned them back showing what He would do for Abraham, and what He would do for all of his seed after him.

Watch. You see, you remember when you got married to mother and, you see, we grow. I asked the doctor the other day. I said, “Doctor, is it true that every time I eat food I renew my life, I put new blood cells in?”

He said, “That's correct, Reverend.”

And I said, “I want to ask you a question, then. I can't see it scientifically. How is it when I was sixteen years old, I ate the same kind of food I eat now, and every time I eat I build new blood cells, got stronger and more powerful; and now, I eat even better food and getting older and weaker all the time? Explain that to me. If you're pouring water out in a glass out of a pitcher and it starts filling up then all at once you start pouring more and it starts going down. Explain that to me.”

It can't be done only by the Word of God. God said! You build up from a child, when your first little cell begins to develop until you're about twenty-one or twenty-two, maybe twenty-five years old, you're your best then. That's the way God painted the picture.

The first thing you notice, a gray hair comes in. Mother, them beautiful eyes begin to wrinkle beneath. Look where they are sitting tonight; old, and feeble, and gray. Don't worry, that's death. Death set in on you after about twenty-five years old. You begin to get weaker, your blood stream begin to go down. No matter what you do, how much you eat, whatever scientific thing you do, it doesn't matter, you're going right down because God said so.

Now, Sarah and Abraham had got way down till they was a hundred years old. And I can see Abraham get up next morning, said, “Say, dear....”

You know, Sarah was a beautiful woman when she was young.

And said, “Say, dear, do you know what? Your hair is turning dark again. I see all the wrinkles going out from under your face since last night.”

“Well,” she said, “Dad, I noticed that your shoulders are straightening up.”

Oh, my! A few hours later, he went out to get a bucket of water, or something, maybe, come back, he said, “Sarah, you look beautiful!”

She said, “Why, Abraham, you look like you did when I married you.” He turned them back.

“Oh,” you say, “Brother Branham, that's foolish.”

Well, wait a minute, now, just a minute, see. Watch. The Bible said they took a journey from then and went all the way down to Gerar. Measure it on your map, it's about three hundred miles. That's quite a trip for an old grandma and grandpa, isn't it? Over the hot deserts down to Gerar. Not only that, but when they got down there, that Philistine king by the name of Abimelech, was hunting for a sweetheart. And all those beautiful Philistine girls around when he saw this old grandma, a little hat, little stooped shoulders shaking on a cane. He said, “That's the one I've been waiting for. I want her.”

And he fell in love with Sarah. Is that the Scripture? Amen! What happened? She went back to a young beautiful woman. Amen!

Look. It proves it, friends. If God was going to give her a baby and her a hundred years old, the first thing He had to do was stimulate that heart, or she couldn't have the baby. You adults know what I'm talking about. She was too weak.

Now, and another thing He'd have to do, He would have to create veins for the milk. They didn't have these health and hygiene bottles in them days. The women didn't smoke cigarettes then, and cause the trouble they're having now. The mother raised her baby like she should. And you know what? There He had to create veins because they were dried up. And He had to perform a miracle to make her womb fertile, because it was dead. Is that right? God won't patch up things, He just made her a brand new woman. Amen! Hallelujah! That's what He is going to do to every daughter of Abraham and every son of Abraham that'll take His promise. Sure He will. It proves it.

Sarah brought forth the baby, that's true, without any trouble at all, and raised him. Lived many years till he was about forty-five years old. And after Sarah died—look at Abraham, now, to show that he turned back—he married another woman and had nine sons besides the daughters. Glory! That's our God. That's what He did. That's what He will do to every believer, some day, when Jesus comes. Every wrinkle, every gray hair, every withered arm, everything else will pass away and God will bring it back in its beauty, in its splendor some day to live with Him forever.

Oh, I love Him. I'm glad, tonight, that I know Him in the power of His resurrection. Some of these glorious days, He will send Jesus. “Them which are dead in Christ shall rise first, and we which are alive shall be caught up with them to meet the Lord in the air and forever be there.” In His beauty, in the splendor of health and youth forever and forever will we reign with Him, because you believed on His Son, that He raised up from the dead. Amen.

Oh, my! I ain't to my text yet. We'll just have to let it go, maybe, I don't want to hold you, tomorrow's Sunday. Do you love Him? Do you believe Him? He's risen from the dead, the first fruits of those who slept. He's here, tonight. He's in His person, and His power.

The Bible said, in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.” Do you believe that? Then, if He said, “The things that I do shall you also, more than this shall you do for I go unto My Father,” He is obligated to that Word. Is that right?

“A little while and the world”—the church world and the rest of the world—“will see Me no more, yet ye shall see Me for I,” personal pronoun, “will be with you to the end of the world. And the things that I do shall you also. I am the Vine, you are the branches. If ye abide in Me and my Word in you, ask what you will and it'll be given to you.”

How beautiful. He become the vine, the first One who raised from the ground. We are the branches that come out of Him. And the vine does not bear fruit; the branches bear fruit. And if the vine has a certain kind of life in it, it's got to bear that kind of fruit. And if Jesus was the healer then, whatever He was then, He's got to be today, just exactly as He was then. So, I believe it with all my heart. Let us pray.

Our heavenly Father, knowing that, O God, the hours just go away so quick when we're talking about You, because we love You. Thou has redeemed us. We're happy tonight, to know that Jesus still lives and reigns. His Holy Spirit is here tonight, among the brethren and sisters, consoling us by His Word and His presence.

Dear God, there might be some here who are not just yet into the kingdom. We don't want them to be lost. We realize that when the last cast of the net goes into the sea, the last fish is brought forth for the Master's use, the door will be closed. Is there one here tonight, Father, that You are dealing with? If so, let them receive Thy promise, deny to see anything that's around them, like Jonah did, any obstacle, any hindrance. And may they look to Thee, just now, and believe. For Thou hast said in Thy Word, “He that heareth My words and believeth on Him that sent Me hath everlasting life, and shall never come into judgment but is passed from death to life.” Grant it, Father.

While we got our heads bowed, I wonder tonight, in this visible audience, here we're looking at, as Christians are praying. Sinner friend of mine, I know something great for you, my lost brother, my wayward sister, you ain't supposed to be in the condition you're in. God made you to serve Him. Sin is what has wrecked you like this. What if tonight's your last night? Look at the heart failures that's come in, all kinds of troubles. Hundreds in America will go to meet God tonight. What if you're numbered on that list tonight? You don't know just when you're going. But you would like to be remembered just now, in a word of prayer, saying, “Lord, I believe You and I believe Jesus Christ.”

Now, in here, raise your hand, not to me, your brother, but to the Lord, then I might see your hand, also, and pray for you. Would you raise your hand? Somewhere here on the bottom floor. God bless you, that's good. God bless you, and God bless you, and God bless you, and you and you. That's wonderful. God bless you, lady, God bless you, little fellow, God bless you, my brother back there, God bless you, that's good. Someone else? Raise your hand. Say, “Remember me.”

God bless you here, lady, I see you. Someone else down here on the bottom floor, now? Around the sides of the wall, I seen you, sir, standing over on the side. Somebody else? Some of you even sitting on the floor, would you raise your hand. You know that you're not right with God, you'd like to be remembered in a word of prayer. God bless you, that's right, thank you, sister, for pointing to her. Up in the balconies, anywhere up there around the box seats, somewhere, would raise your hand, say....

God bless you, sir, I see you back there, God be with you, that's the greatest.... God bless you, sir, see your hand. God bless you, lady, I see you, greatest.... God bless you, sir. God bless you. God bless you over there. Yes, God be with you. Greatest thing you ever done.

Say, “Brother Branham, what difference does that make when they raise their hand?”

Well, Jesus said, “He that will confess Me, I will confess him. He that heareth My words,” in my humble way I have tried to bring it, “and believeth on Him that sent Me hath,” right now, not “will have” but “hath,” (hath is present tense), “hath everlasting life and shall never come to the judgment.”

What has happened to you dozen or more that raised your hands? You've passed from death to life, you escaped judgment. Jesus said, “You'll never come to judgment, but you've passed from death unto life because you've believed on the only begotten Son of God.”

Is there another, just another that hasn't raised your hand? God bless you, little lady, see you. Oh, I just hate to ask again but, you know, someday when I meet you up there, you might say, “Brother Branham, if you'd have said it one more time, I was just ready to raise my hand; Satan was standing by my side telling me not to do it, but I believe, you just said one more time. Oh, I wanted you to say....”

“Oh Brother Branham, I'm glad you said it, I did raise my hand, accepted Christ as my Savior, and here I am today because I did that.”

Not to see you turned away into darkness. What if that little lady had just have missed it just then? Nothing can separate us from the love of God. You, from the bottom of your heart, that hand come up over a true, honest heart, you've passed from death unto life, according to the Word of God. That's the only thing that I can go by is His Word. It's where my faith rests is on His Word.

Is there another, just before closing. Now I'm starting the prayer line. All right. God bless you, that's fine, that's good. Anybody in the balcony, yet, up in there somewhere, maybe you.... God bless you, my dear brother, I see your.... My sister up there, also, I see you. That's good. Shall we pray, now?

Heavenly Father, so happy tonight, souls has been born into the kingdom. Surely then, Lord, You will show us grace to heal the sick tonight. The Holy Spirit takes the Word of God right into every heart, feed every soul on the manna. And while these people sitting there and the angels of God encamped about them, Satan sitting near, saying, “Don't you do it, don't you do it.” The angels saying, “This is your time.” Father, they had to make a decision, they had to do something about it, they had to say, “Yes, Satan, I'll go out with you,” or, “God, I'll take You.” And they raised up their hand, “God, I'll take You.”

And, Father, You said, “All the Father has given Me will come to Me. None of them will be lost, no man can pluck them from My hand.” We're so glad of that. I pray tonight, Father, that You will baptize them into the body of the believers, now, by the Holy Ghost, that they might be made workers in the kingdom. We ask this in Christ's name, Thy Son. Amen.

I've been so hoarse, not from cold, but from just over-speaking so much, four months straight. We leave right from here to Alaska.

Now, beloved friends, maybe tomorrow, I'll finish my text or either take a new one and just let the preacher finish that while I'm gone.

But, do you love Him and believe Him? Is all the scare gone, now? Look, you're Christians. How many Christians are here, tonight? All of you, now, that's Christians. Look that them hands that wasn't a few minutes ago, now they're up. Oh, praise God! Now you're Christians. Now you got eternal life. Now you're the seed of Abraham. Now you're secured with the church. “Those who He has called,” the Bible said, “He has justified.” Is that right? Those who He called and they responded, He justified them. And those who He justified, He hath already glorified. Your position is waiting for you in glory when you get there. Isn't it wonderful? No scare about it. No this, that or the other. You're already, in God's sight, glorified just as much as Jesus was slain from the foundation of the world, the Lamb of God. When God spoke it, it had to be so.

Listen, can you get that? When God accepted you, a few minutes ago, as a sinner with His Word that He accepted it, if you would witness, why, He would witness for you, He can never go back on that Word. Amen.

Now, you can mess your life up, backslide and go out and die this world young, and a lot of things can happen to you but, for God taking His Word back, He can't. “He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation;” never, “but has passed from death to life.” That's what He said, Saint John 5:24. Isn't it wonderful? Now, that's the same words that says in the Bible, that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

I want to ask you something, now, to you young converts, to you newcomers. If Jesus has raised from the dead, and if He is the same.... The Bible said that He is the same. Do you believe He's the same? Say, “Amen.” Because the Bible said so. Then how is He the same? He's got to be the same in principle; He's got to be the same in power; He's got to be the same in works; He's got to be the same in attitude; He's got to be the same in every way that He was then, so has He got to be now. He has got to manifest Himself in the same way, and He will do it. He promised to do it.

Now, did Jesus say He was a healer? No. Said, “It's not Me that doeth the works, it's My Father dwelleth in Me.”

Saint John 19, when He passed through the pool of Bethesda ... Saint John 5:19, rather, (5th chapter of John), passed through the pool and all those crippled and withered people, thousands of them laying there, He never healed a one of them; went and found a man laying on a pallet, the Lord showed Him ... or, God showed Him where it was at, healed that man, walked away and left the rest of them.

The Jews questioned Him. He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in Himself, but what He sees the Father doing: what the Father does, that doeth the Son likewise. The Father worketh, I worketh hitherto.”

He done nothing until the Father showed Him what to do. Search the Scriptures. There's no prophet, or no man at ever time, or ever will, in human flesh, be able to do any thing that he wants to do at random. It's always revealed to every prophet and everything else just according to the vision the Lord gives him. That's exactly right. If he does think.... Jesus said, “I do nothing....”

Now, He can't lie, He is God. If He lied there, He lied somewhere else, see. To me, it's all truth, or it's either all error. Now, He said, “The things that I do.... He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also.” The world will see Him in His manifestation of His resurrection, and I believe, if He will come tonight and do that, it'll make us all happy and rejoice over His goodness.

Now, heavenly Father, we commit ourselves to Thee and, especially, for these young converts. I pray, God, that You will thrill their hearts tonight, to let them know that their Savior, just now, has witnessed to them that He is the resurrection in their heart, and they've passed from death unto life. And now, Father, we pray that You'll make Yourself visible here, and prove to this audience that You are a living, resurrected God; not because that we need that, but because it might fulfill Your Word. You came that the Word of God might be fulfilled. Now, You are sending the Holy Ghost that the Word of God might be fulfilled. And it was fulfilled by the Jews in the eastern country, now it's being fulfilled by the Gentiles in the western country.

Now, God, You said ... the prophet did, said, “There'll be a day that it won't be night, nor day, but in the evening it shall be light.” Now, the evening lights have come; the same light that shined on the Jew at Pentecost has shined on the Gentile in these last days, by the former and latter rain together. Bless Your people tonight, Father. Now, I surrender all to Thee and may the Holy Spirit use these people and Your servants for Your glory, in Jesus' name. Amen.

How many has been in the meetings before? Let's see your hands. How many newcomers? Let's see your hands. Oh, it's such a pity, see, just for one night to run in—you know what I mean: on our part not able to stay. But, why, we'll call the prayer line, then, and then I'll talk to the newcomers just a moment. Did they give out prayer cards? Oh, a hundred?

All right. Got a hundred prayer cards out. Where was we at? Let's.... Is there a number 1? Let's see. Anybody got a prayer card number 1? Let's see. All right, that's good, we'll start from there, then. Come here. Number 1, number 2, number 3, number 4, number 5. Let's see if I see them. One, two, three, number 4? Who has prayer card number 4? Would you raise your hand? Maybe somebody can't get up. What about down in here? Somebody.... If you can't get up, raise your hand and an usher will come help you to bring you up. Watch your neighbor's card, it maybe somebody deaf and can't hear, they miss their place in the line. All right. Number 3, number 4, has anybody got prayer card four? You.... Pardon me, sister. Number 5, who has number 5? Prayer card number 5. Would you raise your hand? Is it in the balcony, there? Is that.... [Blank spot on tape.]

Well, I haven't heard the tapes, yet, of none of the meeting, but the brethren are telling me the Holy Spirit calling out to the meetings, and what all He's doing. You can't know all about it just in one night. Of course not.

But now, friends, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, when He was here on earth, there was a woman desired something from God, one time. And she believed that God was in His prophet, and his name was Elijah. And this Shunammite woman went to him, and stayed right with him, and Elijah went until he found out what the cause was, and the cure, and the baby was healed.

There was a woman, one time, who thought, if she could touch Jesus' garment, that she would be healed. So she pressed through a crowd and touched His garment and went out in the crowd, sat down, or stood up, or whatever she did (I don't know, the Bible doesn't say just what she did.) But Jesus said, “Who touched Me?”

And she denied it. All the crowd denied it. And the apostle, Peter, said, “Lord, say, 'Who touched You?' Why,” said, “the whole multitude's a touching You and why do You say such a thing as that?”

He said, “But I got weak, virtue (means strength) went out of me. I got weak.” So He looked around over the audience, and He found the woman. She'd had a blood issue. He told her, “Your faith has saved you.” Is that right? Then she confessed all.

Now, you say, “Well if He was here, I could touch Him, but He isn't here.”

But the Bible said that He is here, is that right? “I'll be with you, in you, to the end of the world.” And the Bible said that He's the High Priest that can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. Is that what the Bible said? [Congregation says, “Amen.”] He's the High Priest to make intercession tonight. Touch Him. Many things that He did... If He will come to this platform and do the same thing, will you receive Him and rejoice and be happy in Him? Say, “Amen,” if you will. [“Amen.”]

Now, let me explain the best that I can. Gifts and callings are without repentance. How many people know that? The Bible said it. Nothing you desire to be, it's what God made you, see. And God don't make everybody alike, He don't make every thing alike. He hasn't got a “Harmony House,” He's got.... What He's got, He's got big mountains and little mountains; He's got deserts and oceans; He has got white flowers, pink flowers, blue flowers. Well, He has got red-headed men and women, and black-headed, and blonde-headed, and some tall and thin, some short and fat and some.... He's just got them in all kinds of ways. That's what He likes, He is a God of variety. That's the way He made His creation. And He has different ministering offices.

Now, you can't help becau.... You can't make yourself a great big tall man, when you're a little short man. Neither can you make yourself a little short man if you're a big tall man. The Bible said, “Who, taking thought, can add one cubit to his stature?” Can't do it. God made you what you are.

Now He made.... Here sitting behind me is a bunch of scholars, ministers. I'm not.... I'm just a spare tire. A spare tire is when you got a.... Now, Brother Jeffries, excuse me, I didn't mean to say we have a flat. Now, don't get that, see. No. But you use a spare tire for that purpose.

But, look, I am here just.... I'm not much of a speaker, but God gave me a gift: is to see visions. I seen them since I was a little baby, see. It don't have to be.... It's not even questioned with the people. Call the mayor of the city where I live, any of the people, anywhere around you wish to. Examine it one time, find it, it's always perfect.

Now, I realize tonight, it's going to be hard. Now, these brethren can't help sitting there. But that just tears me up, but I want them to sit right where they are. Last night, what caused me, I lost two or three visions. See, people behind you, it's spirit everywhere, see. And each one of you has a spirit or you'd be dead. And those spirit is what we contact. See, we don't contact the growth called cancer, we contact the life that's in the growth that caused the cancer. It's a germ, a developing of cells, multiplication of cells just like you're a multiplication of cells. Cataract, tumor, anything is a germ, or while there're good germs....

That's all right, brethren, you don't have to do that. Sit there. I don't mind that. Stay there. That's all right, I'm just kind of hoarse, tonight, anyhow. That's what I call a loyal bunch of men. Isn't it? I think we all ought to say, “Praise the Lord.”

You people, here, ought to appreciate pastors like that, that's sincere enough for your healing that they'd move off the platform to stand back for the healing service. You say, “Brother Branham, that's psychology.”

No, it isn't. If it is, Jesus used it. He went into a house and put everybody out but Him, and Peter, and James, and John, and the mother and father. Is that right? To raise the child. It let a man outside. What is it? It's spiritual contact. Now, God bless you. Sir.... The ushers.... [Brother Branham coughs.] Pardon me.

Here's a lady. Now to you newcomers, this happens to be just a good place to place a scripture, see. Everything that we teach has got to come from this Bible, or it's not right. It's got to be a promise of God, or I wouldn't receive it. We'll never get from this Bible. If we do, you come show me. We never leave the lids of the Bible and it has to be, not only the Old Testament, New Testament, they both have to blend together. Not just one scripture and let it go at that, it has to be all the scriptures together. That makes the....

That's the Book of God, He's hid it from the eyes, and wise and prudent. Now, He said He would do that. You don't know it by scholarship, you'll never know it. You know it by knowing the Author. That's the only way you'll know His Book.

Now, this picture, tonight, is the same picture.... And I want to say this just before I [unclear words]. The obedience of that loyal bunch of ministers sitting behind me, each night, since being here, tired, weary and preaching, I've had to wait for the coming of the Angel of the Lord. You all know that, don't you? But right now, He's right here now. That's right.

That woman has already made a contact with the Holy Spirit, standing right there, because it's between her and I right now. Isn't that wonderful, how obedience.... That's it: It's respect. What if Martha would have run up to Jesus, said, “Well, You hypocrite, why didn't You come when we called for You? We'll go back to the synagogue.” The miracle wouldn't have happened. But she approached Him reverently. She said, “Lord, if You'd have been here, my brother'd not died, but, even now, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You.”

See, that's what she was supposed to do. She contacted with reverence, not like the soldier who put a rag over His face and hit Him on the head with a stick and said, “Say, You are a prophesier, tell us who hit You,” see. “Tell me who hit You.”

See, he didn't get nothing, neither will anybody else that comes criticizing. But those who come reverent, like those brethren, a few minutes ago, you'll get something from God. Not me, I'm just your brother. The rapture'd come tonight, all of you, perhaps, would go before me if it went according to honor, because I was born out of season to Him. But I love Him.

Now, here is a lady that I don't know, I've never seen her in my life. And we're standing, both of us, here before God, could be stricken down dead, paralysis could strike just right now. I've seen it happen in the meetings. How many ever heard of that happening in the meetings? How many heard of that guy come to hypnotize me, that night sitting up there in the bal.... Come down there, was going to try to hypnotize me and make me bark like a dog. And the Holy Ghost turned around and said, “You child of the devil.” And he's paralyzed since that time. That's been about three years ago, see. They packed him out of the building. You can't play with God. Got to believe it.

A minister brought a congregation, and I asked them to bow their head on an epileptic child that's chewing his tongue; they had a stick in its mouth ... or, a clothespin with a rag on it—Jonesboro, Arkansas. And he was trying to chew this tongue like that, and the child was having a fit on the platform. And I said, “Now, you all put your head down.” And I started to pray, and they wouldn't put their head down. I kept looking around and I said, “Put your head down, ever who it is got your head up.”

And I started praying, and wouldn't put his head down. I turned around, there was a fellow sitting there with his head back like that, about eight or ten people with him, or more than that. I said, “Sir, put your head down.”

He said, “This is a public place and I don't have to.”

I said, “All right, let it be unto you, then.” I said, “Father, don't let this innocent child suffer for that man's condition.”

And ask Richard T. Reed, Jonesboro Tabernacle, Old-fashioned Bible Hour Tabernacle at Jonesboro, Arkansas, this right or not. Ask G. H. Brown, 505 Victor Street at Little Rock, was there present.

And the epileptic left the child and twenty-eight people of a certain denomination ... pastor and all twenty-eight of them took epilepsy and fell over on the floor frothing at the mouth, right there in the audience. As far as I know, they still got it. Several of them come, I said, “I have nothing to do with that, that's a curse of God, so that's up to you. You was the one who disobeyed. I asked you, if you didn't believe, to leave the audience and you wouldn't do it.” I said, “Now, it's up to you. I have nothing to do with it; I won't pray for that sin. No, sir. It's up to you.”

So, here stands two people, here tonight. There's a woman I've never seen. Are we strangers, lady? We're strangers. I just wanted to know if I was strange to her as she is to me.

All right. Now, this is a picture, to you people who's never been in the meeting before. Now, Jesus is raised from the dead. Let's give this drama. This happens to be the first one in the line being a woman. Now, Jesus was going down to Jericho, so He had to go up around Samaria. Why? The Father sent Him up. He sat down on a well, and a woman come out, which was of Samaria. And Jesus said to her, “Bring Me a drink.”

And she said, “It's not customary for Jews to ask Samaritans such; we have no dealings with each other.”

Jesus said, “But if you knew who you were talking to, you'd ask Me for a drink.”

And she said, “The well's deep and You have nothing to draw with, how could You get any water.”

He said, “The water I give is everlasting life.”

“Why,” she said, “our fathers worshipped in this mountain, You say at Jerusalem.”

And Jesus said, “Salvation is of the Jews, and the Father is seeking such who will worship in the Spirit.”

Conversation went on at length. What was He doing? Now, you have to take my word for this. He was contacting her spirit. So, as soon as He found what that woman had need of, her trouble, He said, “Go get your husband.”

She said, “I have none.”

Said, “That's right, you got five.”

And she said, now what.... Listen. To you newcomers, what did she say to Him? She said, “Why, I perceive, Sir, that You're a Prophet.” She said, “We know, when the Messiah cometh....” That's Christ, is that right? “When Messiah cometh, He will do these things ... tell us all things, but who are You?”

He said, “I am He that speaks to you.”

Now, that was the sign of the Messiah, yesterday. And if He's raised from the dead, it's the sign of the Messiah today. He said, “The things that I do shall you do also.”

Is that right? Now, many other places in the Bible, the same thing repeated. You know that, don't you? Many places. When Philip got Nathanael and so forth, and a lot of places. He perceived their thoughts as He was standing in the audience. Said, “Why do you reason in your heart about such and such a thing?”

Now, if this woman being a stranger to me and I to her, then God will have to tell me something about her or I won't know. Now, lady, as you look this way, just a moment, to have a conversation with you to.... You're aware that something's going on. That's right. Ever since you just walked up to the platform ... because I am not a hypocrite, lady. I'm a Christian. And that light has been around you. The light that you seen in the picture, it's there. Now, if He will tell me what you're here for, you'll be the judge of that, whether that's right or wrong; then, will you believe His resurrection? And whatever you have need of, whatever you're wanting, if He will tell me what you're wanting, will, then, you receive it? You will.

Will the audience receive it and knowing this woman being a stranger?

Now, just look on me. I mean by that, like Peter and John passed through the gate, said, “Look on us.”

You know, that is just to give attention, you see, just a moment. Cause you're standing there weeping, you see, and I don't want you to weep but you can't help it, just now, because you just feel a real meek, humble feeling, for the Angel of God is not here by me, it's over by you. And that's the reason you're feeling that way.

You are suffering with a allergy. Is that right? [The lady says, “That's right.”] Raise your hand, if that's true. That's right. See, I heard what He said. That is true. Do you believe me to be His prophet? I believe you do. Now, you just feel way up, don't you? Nothing seems to be able to counteract that. They can't find nothing for it. But you're standing in the presence of Him who has got the remedy. Yeah, not the.... He's got the cure. That's right.

Do you believe that's Him? Let me prove it to you, it's Him. You got a fine spirit though you seek deeper things of God, deeper walks of God. You got a burden on your heart, too. That's right. It's for somebody else. That's right. Your husband. He's bad, family affair. He's alcoholic. That's right. Fullerton. Mrs. Gene Fullerton. You come from a street called like Sy... What...? Sycamore. And your number is 120 Sycamore Street. You believe He raised from the dead? The same One could tell Simon his name was Peter. You believe you're in His presence? You believe you receive what you come for? Then you shall have just as you have believed. God be with you.

Have faith in God. Don't doubt. Believe. Just have faith. I only wish my audience could know what a feeling this is. Oh, what a wonderful, wonderful.... How to know that the.... You Christians, aren't you happy that your Lord.... The only religion in the world that can prove that its founder still lives. The only One that had power to lay His life down and take it up again. Two thousand years has passed and He is just as live, standing here right now, as He was the day when He walked on the shores of Galilee. How it ought to make you love Him, and go to church, and quit the things you're doing, and try to get every body to love and serve Him.

Aren't you happy, young Christians? You who raised your hand, tonight, and accepted Him as Savior, raise your hand, again, that you're happy you did it. All around, everywhere, that raised your hands. That's wonderful, see. See. Your Lord lives, He is here, it's not ... it's not your brother, now. I'm just your brother, He is your Lord, but it's just me yielding myself to Him that's doing it.

Is this the patient ... or, the lady? I didn't mean to say, “Patient.” Some might not be a patient. But you seem to have a very fine welcome spirit, lady. And I appreciate your sincerity in Christ, your sincerity in me to believe that not by my choice, by God's election, a poor unworthy person was called, maybe, to deceive the rich, and wise, and prudent. Isn't He wonderful? How He does things? Looky, when Nicodemus came to Him, the aged come to the youth, a rich man came to a pauper, who had no place to lay His head. One who had a degree come to a man that professed no degree, to ask for help. See how God does things? Isn't He wonderful?

Now, you're coming to the same Person, Christ. I'm just His representative. He'll tell me what's wrong with you. Do you believe? You'd have to believe it, wouldn't you, sister? Me not knowing.

Now, you have an extreme nervousness that's bothering you. That's right. And then you are lame, kind of, it's.... Oh, it's arthritis. You have arthritis. I see the way you're moving, it's got the arth.... Because it's pretty good, sometimes, and then it gets bad again. You have spells, like, that it comes and goes. That has been for quite a little while, too. I see you trying to get off the side of the street sideways, when you're stepping sideways to get off the side of the street. Oh, it's an automobile. That's what it is. I see that you step sideways to get into the automobile. I seen it by the side....

And then you got something wrong with your ear. That's the bad part, there comes a dark shadow. You're scared. Cancer on the brain. Don't be scared. Standing in the presence of Him who knows you, could you ever be afraid? That's what did it. It won't bother you now. Go on your road. You're going to be all right now. Your faith does that, sister. God be with you and bless you.

Don't fear. Have faith.

Good evening. You don't look like a sick person. You can't always tell by looks. If I'd say to this man or this man sitting here in a wheelchair, “That man's crippled.” Anybody knows that. But to a healthy person, now, there's the miracle. You look healthy. Now, what's wrong with you? There's the thing. Anybody can see that man's crippled. That man's crippled and, perhaps, the little girl in the wheelchair—they're crippled. But, what about you? Is there anything wrong with you? May not be. It may be something that you're desiring of God. He knows it. You believe it?

One thing, your trouble's in your back. You had a kidney trouble. That's right. Causes the toxin poisons and stuff. That's bad. Could cause you a lot of trouble. So He says—doctor. Then I see, for some time, you're going to a hospital, or something, back and forth. Oh, yes. It's your eye. You're to be ... was to be operated on, and you just keep putting it off, because you're believing that, sometime, God will take care of it. That's right. All right. Do you believe it now? Go and receive it, then. In Jesus Christ's name may you receive just what you've asked for, my sister.

Surely, you're not doubting. Do you believe? If you can believe.... Lady, sitting there next to that little girl, you got high blood pressure you want God to heal, don't you? You were praying for that, wasn't you? All right, you've received what you asked for. Your faith touched Him. Amen.

See what I mean? You don't need a prayer card. You need faith. Have faith in God. Don't doubt.

Good evening. Somebody back in here pulling. It's a man. He's standing between some ministers ... or, he's sitting. Sir, you're having a very hard time. You have TB. And I see you've been to a hospital or something. They took one of your lungs out. You're a poor man. That's true. You believe? Your faith has touched Him. I can't heal you, but do you believe it? Then, as you believe, so will it be to you. Lay your hands on him, brethren, as ministers of the Lord.

O God, to that dying man, knowing that something's got to happen, Father, I join my prayer with those men. Spare his life, Lord. I pray in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

All right, sir. You have a prayer card? No, you don't have.... Well, you don't need a prayer card, see. Your faith caught.... You don't need a prayer card, see. It's your faith that done it. I was going to say if you had a prayer card, hand it over to some of the brethren, but you don't have one. See, you don't need one. You feel different, now, don't you? Come here a minute. Say, “Amen.” How do you feel, now? [The man says, “Feel better. God bless you.”] Amen! Oh, God! He's so weak, you couldn't walk, is that right? [“No, I couldn't walk.”] He couldn't even get his breath and staggering in the building, couldn't you? Look at him now. God bless you, my brother. Go on your road rejoicing.

Let's say, “Praise the Lord.” Ask him. Never seen him in my life. He probably come in the back way, or something. I don't know what he was doing back there. Maybe God placed him back there. That's what it is: for them preachers. Amen! Do you see what it was all about? See how God works everything right? Oh, isn't He wonderful? How could you doubt your lovely Lord Jesus, now? “If thou canst believe....”

Do you believe, now, lady? With all your heart? 'Course I couldn't heal you, I have nothing to heal you with. And if Jesus was standing here with this suit on, He couldn't heal you because He's already done it—if you're sick. And, whatever you have need of, He said, “If you ask the Father anything in My name, I will do it.” Did He say it? Do you believe that?

Do you believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God? Do you believe me to be His prophet ... or, His servant? Do you believe the statement that I make about when I was born, that light that you see on the picture, would come in a little window, and all these things that's been said and the book to always testify.... Do you believe that to be the truth? Do you believe it's to confirm the Word of God?

Do you believe that pillar of fire that you see in the picture, you believe that's the same pillar of fire that led the children of Israel? You believe it's the same pillar of fire that met Paul that day, when Paul didn't know who it was, it was a bright light? He said who is it that I persecute?

He said, “I am Jesus.”

Jesus said, “I come from God and I go back to God.” Then, here He is, the same by scientific proof: He is the same pillar of fire today, the same light that appeared to Paul, the same that was with Moses, the same as with Paul, and the same is with the church today. “The same yesterday, today, and forever.” Is that right? Then, He is the same in power.

Now. I see a aged woman. That's right. That woman is your mother, and she's suffering with something like a bladder trouble, and she's a cripple—your mother—and you're standing for her. You want to put that handkerchief on her. That's right. I'm not reading your mind. I'm only saying what I see. You're the judge whether it's right or not. [The lady says, “It's right.”] Is that right? [“That's right.”]

Well then, if you believe what you've said, and it's honest from your heart, believe me to be God's servant, I tell you something else, your desire. It's for someone else, too: brother that's a dope addict. That is right. Now do you believe that He is standing here who knows you, who has fed you. Now, it turns light around you. If you'll just believe it, you can have it. Let me have your handkerchief. God, grant it, I pray. In Jesus Christ's name, may it be so. Don't doubt now. Go believing and receive what you've asked for.

Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen! Jesus said, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible.” That is right, isn't it? But you have to believe. No one can receive anything without believing.

Sir, got your hand on him; don't weep, have faith. You believe God can heal heart trouble? You do? You want Him to heal you of it, don't you? If that's right, raise up your hand. I never seen you in my life, but you got a bad heart. The lady sitting next to you, she wants to be healed of nervousness, isn't it, lady? Is that right? Raise up your hand, see.

What do you think, young man, sitting looking at me? Do you believe? You want to get rid of a habit, don't you? That's smoking, isn't it? Do you believe me to be His prophet? There's some connection between you and this boy in the wheelchair, too. You're friends with one another. That's right. You know one another. I couldn't heal you, son. I can't do it. Neither can I heal them. But you got hurt, some construction work, hurt your spine; it has caused you to become paralyzed in your spine. That's right, isn't it? I see you when you got hurt. But I can't heal you. If you just believe, that'll just move right out. Take your wheelchair, push it on and go home, if you believe it, if you believe it. Do you believe? Have faith in God.

Do you believe, lady, right next to him? Got heart trouble, too. You believe God will heal you? What do you think, lady? You think God will heal you of phlebitis? Make you well? [The lady says, “Yes.”] You believe that child sitting there with epilepsy could be healed, too? Lay your hand over on her.

What about the rest of you? Do you believe? Put your hands on one another.

O God, who raised up Jesus from the dead, I pray, in Jesus Christ's name, that You will rebuke every devil in here. Come out, Satan, and may the kingdom of God be blessed [unclear words].