56-0801 The Arrow Of God's Deliverance Shot From A Bow

It's just a little bit muddy out here tonight, isn't it? But it's a lot cooler, that's one good thing. Very happy for that, that it's not.... Indeed, I realize that I have to cut a few days off on the meeting, but I'm glad that Brother Herhozer has come to help. And I want you, every one, to come and hear him and he'll certainly do good for you. He was praying for the sick before I was even in the ministry. And, so that's the same man isn't it? So, that's very fine. And then, here's the reason, I really promised....

[Blank spot on tape.] ... don't know what I got to do. And if I leave here on Sunday, I got one half a day to do it; and then drive thirty-five hundred miles to get into the meeting, and have a meeting in between there. You can imagine what, see. And I asked Brother Moore if we could leave just a couple days early like this, and he said, “Certainly, Brother Branham.” And that's what I love about Brother Moore and the church here is real Christians in understanding and things. I tell you, that's worth a lot to know that you got a friend that sticketh closer than a brother and people who understand.

Oh sure, I'd love to stay down here a month with you. I'd like to do it, but I can't do it. After all, friends, I just tell you something that you don't know. Have I gotten a black eye for coming down here, see. That's right. I had one hundred meetings ... more than a hundred meetings, that called in for the two weeks.... I've been from the convention. And people who ... places where I've never been said, “If you'll just come for one night, Brother Branham.” And been trying for me to come for ten years—month after month for ten years. Then see me come around and come to Shreveport where I've been the biggest part of my time, and put up a two weeks meetings.

They said, “Why do you go down to Shreveport? What's so important down there? What's so important down in Shreveport?”

So, you know, Jesus in His ministry here on life, He tried to kind of share the things around with everybody, and that's the way I try to do. And I know we've had a wonderful time—I have. I had some of the best anointings in one message especially, that the Lord gave me over there the other day, I have never had anything to strike me so in my life, a message to the church: The Lamb And The Dove. Don't forget it.

Now, last night here on the platform.... By the way, before I stop saying that, Brother Moore and I are to be in California together right away. And maybe, God willing, when I start to California, I'll drop back by and give you a little night or two as we go through to California. Will that kind of even up the score a little bit? That'll be fine.

How many understands and will pray for us? I just make sure. Thank you, brother and sister, that's fine of you. I love you for that.

And now, Brother Moore's going over to California. We're going to the International Azusa Street Rally. This is the fiftieth year. And I kind of got it on my heart, kind of like a revelation: the fiftieth year—Jubilee year of Pentecost. And while I was at the Westgate, a year or so ago, the Lord just seemed to put it on my heart, and I announced it out before several thousand people, and it just caught fire.

And now at the Angelus Temple there's going to be the great Azusa Street Rally. And this coming September the tenth, I believe it is; sixteenth, fifteenth, to begin. And I have the privilege and the honor of opening the services, the first two services. Brother Oral Roberts, Tommy Hicks, and, oh, many is going to be there in this great rally. And there will be many from different parts of the world will come to this great.... That's the beginning of Pentecost in America—the old Azusa Street. And this is fifty years; the Jubilee has sounded. You can go free now or stay back behind.

And so we're going over there. And then, Brother Espinoza who was with us down in Mexico a few months ago with Brother Moore, Brother Brown and all of us down there, where we had a marvelous time in the Lord. And Brother Espinoza was my interpreter, such a lovely brother, and he was so nice to me. And he wanted to know if I would come over and hold him a month's meeting. A month's meeting. Well, I just can't do that.

If my meetings was set up on a big scale, see, well then, it would be different. I might be able to stay a month. But work on a small scale—not too much finance included in it, no radio programs, no nothing else—I feel free to go just where the Lord will lead me, see. And dropping here and stay a few nights, over there a few nights, down here a few nights in a church, wherever it might be, it doesn't matter. And I don't need nothing but just what clothes I wear.

And say, by the way, some lady gave me a suit of clothes while I was here, and I sure appreciate that, my dear friend, ever who it was, the lady back in the back. God bless you, sister, for doing that. I certainly do appreciate it. Aimed to name it last night, and I do thank you. And that's the way my clothes come is people give them to me. And remember, I don't mind getting used stuff; it's all right with me. I was raised to that, so I sure appreciate it.

My Lord didn't have a place to lay His head. That's right. And the Lord has give me a little place to live there and my little family, and we're just happy. And as long as we have.... Not to.... I don't have our family.... Even if we could afford it and get a big love offering, we could afford to go a little in luxury, I don't do that. No, sir. If I have just a little bit over, I put it in foreign missions. God knows that to be true. And I ... 'cause I'm the steward of that when it's handed to me. And I've got to answer for it at that day. I want it to be that way when I....

I want everything clear when I come down to the river. I don't want no trouble then. If there's any trouble, I want to settle it now. That's right. Right now is when I want it settled up, 'cause that morning I want to have my ticket in my hand and ready when she pulls out. I want to have it all fixed up then. And I'm trying my best with all that I can brother, sister.

And now, there's many good Baptists and Presbyterians and all here. And I appreciate your efforts in coming out here and helping me win sinners to Christ. And I may not be able to speak like your pastor. I haven't the education. I haven't the ability, but you bear with me with what God has give me to win sinners by. And I appreciate that.

I want to show you an answer to prayer. How many was here last night? Let's see your hands. All over the building. Well, that's fine. Now, I want to say this, that, you remember, there was a lady somewhere (I believe the first woman or something) anyhow somewhere along in the tape will show it.... I asked a woman who was swollen up for some time with excess fluids in her body and told her that God had touched her some way.

And I said to her, “Lady, will you be so kind to do this,” or something on that matter.... They just repeated it to me cause it seems as a dream to me. I said, “Will you measure your body tonight, and put it on a string, and come back tomorrow night and show us how much it shrank?” And a long time this woman had been.... How many remembers me saying that to the woman? Well, she brought the string. Here it is. And she shrunk a little over an inch and a half overnight, that's about eighteen hours. Praise the Lord!

Is the lady here? Is the woman present that was healed last night? Right here, here's the lady here now. Let us say, “Praise the Lord!” God bless you, sister, for your doing it. This will be a memorial that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen.

How thankful we are. And I'm thankful for your loyalty too, sister. Now, it'll just keep going down just on and on. You get well now. The Lord Jesus....

Now, you say, “Look at there, a inch and a half in about sixteen or eighteen hours, I suppose, from the time she left here, when she measured herself to come back. And now, when Elijah saw a little cloud about the size of a man's hand, he said, ”I hear the sound of abundance of rain.“ Get ready.

So, oh my, I pray that this week that it'll be such a marvelous time till crutches and things will be hanging over these here posts around here. God will be glorified. I just trust that it will. And someday I hope to come to Shreveport in a meeting like this, where I'll just stand and pray for the sick as they pass by. I want to do that so bad, I don't know what to do. But yet, as my ministry's been given.... If I'd start into a meeting and don't start it, all right. But when it once starts that, I can't cut it off then. Every time I meet a person there it is again, there it is again, pulling from everywhere. And that's the reason my ministry has never been a good success in America. But, oh, how the Lord has blessed me overseas, see.

In America the people are taught, “you got to lay your hands on them,” or, “You got to anoint them with oil.” Now, that's what they believe and there's no way of ever moving that, see. It's already been grounded into them, and you can't do nothing about it.

And someday, if God willing, I'm trying to get out of it right now, and asking the Heavenly Father.... And by a vision He told me about a tent that Brother Moore and them is going to California now to see it set in order the first time to put a little place there where we can pray for the people, and I can get away from the people just a minute so that I won't feel that pull when I'm praying. That's what makes me weak. That's what takes me from the platform early. Don't lay it onto my kid; it's not my kid. He stays with me like ... sticks closer than anything I've ever had in my life. He knows just exactly what to move. If it wasn't for him, I'd be in the insane institution, 'cause they let me stay.

I've trusted it with preachers one time, and you hear that I was off the field and never got over it for two or three years. And my boy is loyal to me and I appreciate that. And so, he sticks right by me. And so, he stands on the platform and watches me, and he sees me get a little white around the mouth, he says, “Daddy, I don't care if there's fifty thousand there. If you don't come, I'm going to put you across my shoulder and you will come.” So, that's what his mommy tells him to do.

She won't let me go to the meeting hardly without him. She says, “Billy, you go. I know what will happen to daddy. He'll come back in all tore up and everything.” Said, “You go right there, no matter who says or not, when you see he's got enough, get him off the platform right then.” So, I appreciate that, my son, Billy Paul.

And now, friends, my ministry is this. My ministry isn't to touch people. And I find out that it isn't too much for the American people. But overseas the only thing they have to see is one supernatural thing performed, everyone of them will lay their crutches down, get up out of their wheelchair, go on home. If they have to have people to walk along for awhile till they get strength.

At Durban, South Africa, where one person ... that supernatural gift was in performance.... I believe, no, I beg your pardon, I think it was about four, four of them and one person on the platform. I turned and made a congregational prayer, and Brother Bosworth, just as honest a man as I know of in the world today, estimated twenty-five thousand outstanding healings in one prayer. Seven truck loads of crutches, and braces, and sticks, and clubs that they'd walked in on, was picked up off the ground when the meeting was over. They didn't want [unclear words] it was all they needed. Just see it once and, said, “Yep, He's God. He lives.” That's all there is to it. Just that simple.

But we're so educated. Oh, we got to have it just our way, see. That's where we miss it, right there. That's where.... Now, we know.... I'm an American, too, and it's the loveliest land in the country. Although in its backslidden state, this is my home. I love it. But yet, we are.... Oh, we are the most needed missionaries in this country than anywhere I know of in the world. That's right. Missionaries are needed worse here.

Just one supernatural there and all them heathens that's sitting there, don't even know which is right and left hand, stripped naked, not a stitch of clothes on, sitting right there, looking. Just look up through mud in their hair. And if you just act like you love them, they'll just cry. And then they see that Supernatural reach out there and call that heathen by his name, tell him what's wrong with him like that. My, they just ... that's all they want to know. That's good enough. “If you say, He's here,' that suits me.” And they just lay it down, walk away, just that simple.

But when we start to lay ours down, and say, “Oh, I wonder. Let me take a chance and see whether this is going to work or not.” It won't work. That's just all. You've missed it right there. And so, if God helping me, in America from henceforth, from after this, we get to the big tent, I'm just going to pray for the sick people, and go ahead while I'm in America. And then, just as the Lord will lead me to do certain things that way, and then leave this for the overseas. 'Cause in there ... win hundreds of thousands of souls, you see, and here it doesn't do much good.

So now, I'm going to read some out of the Word. We're going right straight into it and expect God to give us one of the greatest services tonight that we've ever had. And I trust that tomorrow night, when the brother walks to the platform, that the Holy Spirit just sweeps over this building and everything; every sick person that's under the tent will be healed and outside in the cars, too, will be healed.

Now, how many loves Him with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind? Amen. That's wonderful.

Now, be ready and be in prayer, now, while we read some of this blessed old Bible. Over in the book of Kings, we read this:

And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then said Elisha, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, This is the arrow of the LORD's deliverance....

May He add His blessings to the reading of the Word: The Arrow Of God's Deliverance Shot From A Bow.

Now, you know, no matter how mysterious it seems, God always keeps His Word. No matter how unreasonable it may seem to people, God keeps His Word. And if God makes a promise of anything, God will keep that promise. You and I make a promise, we break it, because.... We don't mean to have to do it, but sometimes circumstances causes us to do it.

But when God, being infinite, then He knows all the future from the beginning, and He don't make a promise 'less He knows what's going to happen. And He always keeps His promise. Sometimes it seems like it's ridiculous the way that He would go around about to keep His promise, but God always does it.

How strange that the people might've thought in the days of Noah, when he was building away on an ark to save himself and his household, that there'd be rain come down out of the heavens. But God rained it just the same.

And I think of Moses. How that Moses, standing up there on the mount by the side of this burning bush.... He'd lost all hopes of freedom. Didn't seem like that the freedom that the people he so gallantly stood for one time, was ever going to happen. But in the light of God, standing by that burning bush, everything in him changed.

And I think it's the same today, that many of us lose the sight of freedom. I think here, here's a little boy sitting before me, probably an infantile paralysis, little arms twisted up. I look at a lady here with a white cane sitting in front of me, probably a blind woman; lovely young lady laying here on a little cot. And maybe many of you there with cancer, heart trouble, and diseases that's going to kill you. But you lose all thought of freedom as soon as the doctor says, “It's incurable.”

Why, brother, if we'd ever come in the presence of God like Moses did, why, it was a revolutionary to him. Why, it was revolutionized. In the Light of that Angel of God, standing there on that mountain that day, everything that he once had thought never would happen, come to be a reality.

And I think if men and women today would ever step into the light of the Holy Spirit, under the unction of God's Spirit, and the light of God's Word, everything that God has promised will illuminate to you and be real again.

Why, the reason Moses failed in the first place ... here's what was the matter. It was a lack of having what the burning bush had. That's right. And what's our failure today, is lack having what the Holy Spirit has. And the Holy Spirit has all good things for us. And if we receive the Holy Spirit, then all things are possible; and not only possible, but promised to us. Jesus said, “Ask the Father anything in my name, I will do it. If ye abide in me and my words in you, ask what you will, it'll be given to you,” see. When we step into the light of God's Word, with the unction of the Holy Spirit to shine the light on it, brother, the impossible becomes little things then.

God asks us to believe His Word. He sends the Holy Spirit to energize that Word when He falls into it. When the Word's being preached and the Holy Spirit brings the Word, He energizes that and flashes the same light of God's blessed promise. God said, “I have remembered my promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and I'm sending you down there to do it,” see. Then, when God's Word and promise becomes enlightened by the presence of the Angel of the Lord ... stop Moses now. He's on his road. And God always keeps His promise.

And in our text tonight, it's a very outstanding text to me, that when.... They'd had a great line of kings since the death of Ahab. And Elijah had told him of how he was going to die, and what God was going to do because he was wicked. And how that Jezebel was going to be fed to the dogs because that she'd did the evil thing that she had done.

And remember, my brethren and sisters, you reap what you sow: that's God's law. That's God's law of nature. You reap what you sow.

So now, dear people, you here at Shreveport, let this be a warning to you. If you believe me to be God's servant, listen. The best thing for you to do around Life Tabernacle and everywhere else is keep an old-fashioned prayer meeting going, and keep the unity of the Spirit, keep looking up and watching for the coming of the Lord. Keep all the worldliness out of you; no matter how bad it hurts, circumcised by the Holy Ghost, will cut away the worldly things. Now, I begin to feel a lot of worldliness creeping into you. So now, get that out. No matter how bad it is. Life Tabernacle I'm talking to. Now, you Baptist brethren, talk to your people over there the same way.

But I begin to notice there's something different. It ain't the same Life Tabernacle I used to come to. And I want you to remember tonight, you keep that old-fashioned prayer meeting. Keep the old-fashioned Holy Spirit all in among you. Keep the world out. Seal Christ in. And you're letting down in Christ some way. Just remember, as you sow, you'll reap. Just remember that.

You've got one of the best churches I ever walked into in my life. Of anywhere, on any continent, Life Tabernacle's one of my favorites. It breaks my heart to see you letting the world leak into you the way you're doing. So, don't do that no more. Snap out of it. Pray out of it, and let God come back and take over. Submit yourselves to God and get the old-fashioned blessing back again.

And Shreveport, you dear, dear Southerners down here, who are the finest people I ever met. I don't say that to compromise with you, I say it because I love you. If you want to get some real good treatment, and real good, old-fashioned hospitality, come to Louisiana. I mean that from my heart.

And I tell you, don't let the world creep into you. Don't let the world get into your churches, brethren. Pray it out. Fast it out until God comes down and takes a hold. That's right. Keep the joy of the Lord among the saints. Keep them prayed up, and guard every little place. If Noah seen a leak in his ark, why, he put some pitch in it. And so that's about the best thing I know to keep the leak out, the world out, is to stop up the leak, is the best thing that I know to do. Only one way to do it: that's prayer. Prayer stops the leak. Prayer changes things.

Now, a long line of kings had come down. Ahab, the wicked one, had been shot by a bow and killed. And Jezebel was throwed out of the room as she tried to make love ... or, vamp Jehu when he drove down. And he had the eunuchs to throw her out the window into the street.

And did you know what? Let me tell you, Life Tabernacle. Seeing some of you women begin to wear your make-up and stuff like the rest of the women of the world. That nearly killed me when I walked in here the other day and saw that. Look. There's only one woman in the Bible that ever painted her face. You don't paint your face to meet God, you do to meet men. And the woman that did that, God fed her to the dogs. So, when you go to wearing that, just remember, God's turned you over to some dog meat, when you see anybody doing that.

Now, now, keep away from it. Shun the very appearance of evil. You may think I'm giving you a scorching, but, brother, I believe it needs it down here, see. Something is wrong. There's some.... Now, I don't want you to get angry with me, I'm your brother. And God's going to make me answer before you, at the day of judgment. That's right.

And the whole Pentecostal world, if they do let down, don't you do it. You stay true to God, pray up, live right. So think yourself with God and His people. And come out from among the worldly, ungodly things, that the Bible said. The Holy Spirit calls the people out. No matter what your neighbor does and how good she is, what this fellow does, don't associate with that unbelief. It'll leak right out on you. Amen. “Come out from among them. Be ye separated,” saith God, “and I will receive you.” Right.

That's the reason it's so hard to have a tent meeting down here. That's the reason it's so hard to have a meeting of any type, is because that we let down those things. We ought to have a real meeting here. Sure we ought to have, with such fine people. And you preachers, if you don't tell them that, God have mercy on your sinful soul. Right. Sure. There's something wrong. And you got to get the world out before Christ'll come in. He just won't associate with unbelief and things of the world.

Now, look, friend. Down along ... they come along after Ahab, of borderline believers, all the way down. After this, Ahab had left, then another one taken his place, another one, till we get down to King Joash, was king during this time. And he was a lukewarm, borderline preacher ... or, believer. Any way the people wanted to do, that was all right with Joash. Oh, he'd taken down a few of the high places, where the heathen worship was, and He done a few of these things, but yet he departed not from the sins of his father, and like that. Just any way the people wanted to go, that's the way he wanted to go.

Now, isn't that just exactly like preachers today? The way the congregation wants to do, that's the way the preacher preaches to them. I want to tell you, a God-sent, Holy-Ghost-born preacher won't compromise with any congregation. Right.

Could you imagine John the Baptist? When they brought out Herodias that night, and Herod. Why, John walked right to his face, and said, “It's not lawful for you to have her.” That man had the Holy Ghost. He didn't compromise; he told the truth. And what about it now? It's all over. What will it be at the day of judgment, when the head of John the Baptist rolls up before Herodias? What will it be then?

Brother, if you're ever going to make a stand for God, make it now. This is the time. Now's the time when we're in need of it. Now's the time when the church is weighed in the balance and found wanting. After all these great miracles, and signs, and wonders, that God has sent men across the country doing, and yet the church is in the poorest, backslidden state I ever run up in years. Right. I'm preaching to Pentecostals. Amen.

When I first come among your groups ten years ago, it looked like a church, but today it looks like the world. It's the truth. Something happened somewhere. You got to wearing better clothes, got to make you a little more money, and it just made a sap out of you, that's all. Now, that's the truth. That's right. You're trying to act like the rest of the world.

You just take.... Today is a compromising time. That's truth. You paint your steps red, and watch and see if your neighbor don't paint his steps red. Sure. You wear a little round hat to church with a little feather up in it, and watch all the women come to church with a little round hat and a feather up in it. That's right. Yes, sir. Oh, they want to look like one another.

It's a matching time. You know that's true. It's a matching time. Amen. That must've went home. Right. Listen. That is true. I'm going to tell you, my brother: I don't care whether my shoes match my trousers or my trousers matches my coat. I want my experience to match God's Bible. That's the matching time.

If you want to match something, match your experience against Paul's. Amen! That's what we need today, is a matching time with God's grace and the Bible. That's our example. Right. Real matching time. Don't try to match your neighbor; match some of the saints of the Bible. If you're a saint, act like a saint, walk like a saint, dress like a saint, talk like a saint, pray like a saint, believe like a saint, dress like a saint, be like a saint, live like a saint, die like a saint and go to heaven like a saint. Amen.

Separating time. This borderline believing, this half-way, lukewarm.... Do you know the Bible said this day would come? The Laodicean church age. He said you'd just be lukewarm. It makes God sick at His stomach. He said He'd spew you from His mouth. The Laodiceans: just enough religion to make you sick. We're still longing for the things of the world, say, “I'd better not do that.” Oh, brother, if I wanted to do it, I'd do it. But I know tonight that there's a good, old-fashioned baptism of the Holy Ghost that makes you love God so well you don't care to do it anymore. Amen.

It's joy unspeakable and full of glory. How the old saints of God used to sit around and sing the redemption songs, and sing of the blood and the power of God. And today it's as cold as zero, nearly. You don't have them old-fashioned songs you used to sing. You don't see their faces light up no more, and sing and clap their hands, and raise their hands to God and praise God, pray all night, and lay out in the corn fields, and things. Why, you can't sit in church thirty minutes without grumbling and growling. True. It's the truth. Borderline, lukewarm: Laodicean. My, shame on you!

Oh, what a day that we're living in. Like the day of Joash, borderline, half-way, lukewarm, blowing away, tossed about; winds, “clouds without rain, tossed about. Never learning, able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Don't be tossed about by everything. Don't be tossed about by what you see on the television. Why, some Christians today are sitting home on Wednesday nights to see the television. You know that's true. Why, you know that's the gateway of all Hollywood out there. Why, it's nothing else but a bunch of big prostitution, and some of the vulgar....

Look on the police records, I have them. Police records, where them movie stars ... and you want to act like them? What happened to Christ? What happened to the saints of the Bible? You're trying to pattern after Hollywood and dress like Hollywood and act like Hollywood. The reason of it is, you got a lot of Hollywood evangelistic preachers—jump up and down on the platform, and spend two hours for the offering. We ought to get out of that stuff and trust God. Lay on our faces and pray and cry out to God and repent, until God sends an old-fashioned, Holy-Ghost revival again. Amen. That's right. It's a shame the way we're acting. Get back to God.

Now, this old king, he thought he would just go any way the winds blowed. Tossed about by everything. Why, you're never stable. You don't know what you do believe. And the people today, they'd rather stay home and see I Love Lucy (or, what is that?). Lucy—Lucy something. They're very 'loosey.' I'll tell you that it is. It's loose enough to run you to hell. Exactly. That might be all right for the heathens, but that's not for Christians. Right. It's not for Christians. Christians won't say.... Love the Word of God. If you've got something in you feeding on such nonsense as that, you need to repent! That's right.

All your old rock-and-roll and boogie-woogie. Where did it come from? Out of the heart of Africa. I just left Africa. You women with that paint on, you know where it come from? That's a mark of heathenism. They paint their face and that's where you got it from. Heathens does it. Christians wash their face. Amen. That's right. That might kind of scorch a little, brother. You better be scorched here than burnt somewhere else. So, you better get right. Amen.

God loves the truth. And the truth shall set you free. God wants you to know the truth. Christ is the truth. The Holy Ghost [unclear words]. He's here now, the Holy Spirit. He likes you to take It in power, take [unclear words] His Word. And if the Holy Ghost is in you, He feeds on the Word of God, and not on televisions and True Story magazines and love books that you people calling yourselves Christians wrap yourself up in. Why do your children...?

Looky here. In less than three months time, every teen-age kid in the country from five years old to eighteen knowed who David Crockett was. Oh, out on the street singing, “Davy Crockett.” Some kind of a fiction story, nonsense; killed a bear when he was three years old. How crazy. But the kids will wear coonskin caps and everything else and guns on their side. Oh, a ten-cent store is just full of it, everywhere else. Nonsense.

And you Christians, with the message of God, if the world could put that over and sell a lot of nonsense and stuff to kids, how much more ought the Christians to put on the program of the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Ghost, the resurrection and eternal life and the coming of the Lord. There's a hundred ... thousands of kids tonight in America could tell you all about Davy Crockett, don't know a word about Jesus Christ.

What's the matter? That's why they're failing at home, stuck their head in the television instead of the Bible. Got nothing against the television if it's used for God's program, all right. It was God's way in the first way. Who made the airwaves and so forth? But the devil just took it and perverted it, is all it was.

Hollywood got a hold ... anything they get a hold of is rotten, 'cause they can't come from nothing else. I read in a crime magazine where those most famous women out on the street of prostitution at fifty dollars a night living with men and things all up and down the coast, and then run out there and some of them with four or five husbands. And you little girls want to pattern yourselves after that? When the men out there that's supposed to be such movie actors and so forth, when they live with women so much till the natural course of life is changing it, they become perverted. And then you want to pattern yourself after that?

Look yonder at Calvary where a man hung on the cross and died. The only real example that was ever put in the world for human beings to live by is the man Christ Jesus. Amen. Right. Then, we call ourselves Christians and harmonize our souls with such as that. No wonder the world leaks in. No wonder something's happening. No wonder you can't have soul-stirring meetings anymore, because the world leaked in. Borderline, halfway, wishy-washy. Oh my, what a condition.

In the face of all that, now, to show you there's a hope.... This old king Joash heard that the prophet was sick and he went down to visit him. And when he went to visit him, he didn't come irreverent. He come with respect. He walked up.... He had enough God about him to know that he must visit this prophet with respect. So, he walked up and wept over him, and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof.” And when he did....

See, that's the way you want to get something from God. Don't come around a meeting like this to make fun. Don't come around to pack some kind of a tale from one place to another. If you do that, you'll never get nowhere with God. Don't read the Bible to fuss about it. Read the Bible to live it. Right.

So then, when he went down there and he seen him, he respected him. He said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horse....” In other words, “My father, you're worth more than all the chariots of Israel and all the horsemen thereof.” And how true that is. I say tonight, though Elijah was considered a holy-roller, a fanatic, by the modern world, yet his presence in that nation was worth more than all of the horses and chariots they had. And I'll say tonight, that a good old-fashioned Holy Ghost camp meeting is more to protect us than all the atomic bombs that we could create in a million years. Right. Respects.

He didn't go to say, “Now, hey, holy-roller. You know what my pastor just told me about you?” Aw, he didn't do that. He walked down with respect and he wept over him. And because he come and approached it reverently, God had respect to him.

God said, “Now,” to Elijah, “rise up.” And Elijah rose up and they was just about ready, in their backslidden condition, to be besieged by another country, the Syrians. They were coming to get them and Elijah knew that. But because this one man humbled himself and come down before God, and said, “Oh, my father, how we need you.” God respected it. And he respected Elijah and God respected him. And if you'll respect God's Bible and God's Holy Spirit, He will respect you. Amen. Don't try to contradict it or say it isn't so. Just believe it. That's all.

Watch him now. And Elijah said, “Go get your bow.” And he put an arrow in it. Said, “Open the window towards the east.” The east is the way that Jesus will come. And he said, “Now, watch. Now, I want you to put the arrow in the place and draw back just as far as you can.” And he did. He said, “Shoot.” And when he shot, what happened? The arrow went out. He said, “Get the arrow.” When he come back, he said, “Strike the ground.” And he struck the ground three times. And the prophet was wroth with him. He said, “Why didn't you strike it more times than that? Why didn't you do something else about it? Strike it more times?” He said, “You struck it three times, which you'll only have three victories.”

That's just about the same has happened tonight in the Christian church. We have struck the arrow of God's deliverance, he said it was. God sent the arrow of deliverance to us. The arrow of deliverance is the Holy Spirit that's been sent, shot from the bow of God's love. Right. When eternity to eternity was pulled together by the cord of love, God shot the arrow of deliverance into the church on the day of Pentecost. Amen! And the church was given in her hand.... Hallelujah! The church was given into her hand the arrow of God's deliverance. Amen.

The Holy Spirit will deliver the church out of any kind of a chaos it could get into. But what did they do with it? They picked up the arrow and they struck three times. That's a backslidden king. They struck the arrow, say, “Well, we'll build a church.” That's all right. “We'll teach theology.” That's all right. “We'll teach psychology and have an organization.” That's just about as far as he struck. They struck short of many blessings.

And the church tonight.... Hear me! The church tonight is still striking short. The church has struck short of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. It struck short of deliverance from sin. It struck short....

Oh, you say, “I joined the church.”

Brother, when you got the baptism of the Holy Ghost, it takes that old temper out of you. It puts you on a dress and makes you act like a lady. It'll make you quit your smoking, drinking, lying, stealing and everything. Brother, when you've got the baptism of the Holy Ghost, it separates you. It delivers you from the things of the world. Amen. It makes you love God. It makes you go to church. It makes you worship Him. It makes you tell your neighbor about it. It makes you live above sin. Hallelujah!

But the modern church has struck short of it. Oh, they just struck.... Say, “We got a church. We got a good teacher. We got theology.” That's about as much as you know about. Every promise in the Book is mine. Every chapter, every verse, every line. Hallelujah! God sent the baptism of the Holy Ghost and put it into the hands of the church—the arrow of God's deliverance to deliver from sickness, from sin, from worry, from trouble, from worldliness, from everything else. But we've struck short of it. Amen.

Not that first bunch of Jews didn't, they struck it for everything God had for them. They had all kinds of signs, wonders, miracles, divers gifts of the Holy Ghost, everything. They had it. But we're striking short with it.

The baptism of the Holy Ghost in the last days has come to the Gentiles in the western country. And God shot the arrow of deliverance to us, and we have just about struck it long enough to make ourself, “Oh, I'm Assembly. Hallelujah.” “I belong to the Church of God. Glory to God. Hallelujah.” That don't do you a bit of good.

Now, brother, it's not an organization that God said strike with. It's given to each individual to strike against the powers of the devil, for it's sickness, sin, filthiness, backsliding, fussing, oh my, worldliness. Amen.

But we strike short. Oh, we go over to the church and we join the church and we think that's all right. That's not all right. Brother, don't strike short of nothing of God's blessings. The Bible said, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Strike it! Amen. Don't be afraid; God said so. “I'm the Lord that healeth thee.” Strike it! God said so. It's the arrow of deliverance. It's brought into the church tonight.

We talk about a historical God. That's what's the matter tonight. The church has been taught it's some historical thing and not put it down to a present day. What good is a God of Elijah if He isn't the same God tonight? What good is a God of Moses that delivered the Hebrew children out of Egypt? What good is that God in a history if He isn't the same God tonight? What good is a God that walked the banks of Galilee, back yonder, and opened the eyes of the blind, made the deaf and dumb to speak and hear, heal the sick, the lepers, raise the dead; if He isn't the same God tonight, what good is He? Hallelujah! Amen. What good is He?

What good does it do to give your boys an education of some great ... all the history, learn them all the theology, teach them the Bible. Then if you turn around and tell that same group of men that the days of miracles is past, and those things, what good does it do to know history? What good does it do to give your bird orthodox feed, the best you can give him, and then fasten him up in a cage and don't let him out?

That's the same way it is today with all of our education, with all of our theology, with all of our church denominations and things: We fasten people up by telling them that “the days of miracles is past. There's no such a thing today. They can't be healed. There's no such a thing as the baptism of the Holy Ghost. All this stuff they say is nonsense.”

What good did it do to preach them the Bible if you're going to keep them caged up and say that God left us many years ago? If He ain't the same God in deliverance back there ... now, as He was back there, He isn't worth nothing to us: He's a dead feature; He's some historical something.

How're you going to get a man warm by a painted fire? If a man was freezing to death, and you'd say, “Well, brother, look at this nice fire burning; it burnt two thousand years ago.” What good is it going to do this man standing here freezing? Sure. If Jesus Christ raised from the dead, and said, “I will be with you always to the end of the world.” What good does it do to teach him in some historical facts if he can't prove that He's the same today? Amen. If He isn't the same tonight in everything He was back there, He isn't God. Amen.

The Arrow of deliverance was give to the Church, but worldliness, unbelief, superstition, and everything else has creeped in, brought worldliness to the Church, brought fusses in the church, arguings, different denominational barriers. One say, “I'm this way. I'm that way. I'm of Paul. I'm of...” Oh, my. That's what's the matter.

But, brother, so yet the Arrow of deliverance is filled with mercy tonight, given to the Church. What we ought to do is pick it up and strike for the glory of God. That's right. And every Divine blessing that God promised is yours by faith if you'll receive it. Do you believe it? I believe it in the Light of God's Word, that God promised here that He'd do a certain thing.

And He met Moses up on the mountain. And Moses had tried with all of his doctrine, with all that he knowed about the Bible, all his mother had taught him, all the teachers had taught him, and everything. He tried to go out and do it in himself and failed. But one time when the Angel of God come down, and God spoke in the power of the Holy Spirit, God's Word become real. When the Holy Spirit revealed it to Moses, he was a different man.

I'll tell you, my brother and sister tonight, you might've thought this might be fanaticism or something, but if you once step with God, and take His promise, and reach right out there, and say, “Now, Lord, I believe in it.” The Holy Ghost...?... over that, watch what takes place. You'll be a different person. In the Light of God's Word, may you live and believe and serve the Lord Jesus.

Let us pray. Our heavenly Father, this is the night; this is the time when men must press to the Kingdom. This may be the last time that men here or women will ever hear. This may be the last opportunity. Death may take them before morning. This may be the last time that—that some people will ever set under a tent meeting. O God of heaven, speak will You, Lord. Oh, may the Holy Ghost take these few broke up words and sink them down into hearts. Then flash the Holy Spirit over the top of them that they'll come to life and live anew in every heart. Grant it, Lord, tonight. Get glory out of the service and save sinners; call home backsliders, and heal the sick. We ask in Christ's Name.

And with our head's bowed I'm going to ask you: Is there a man or woman in here tonight that's guilty of sin? I don't care how long you've belonged to church, whether you ever did or whether you did not, you're guilty, and you're got enough real respect for God... With everybody with their heads bowed, eyes closed, would you raise your hand to God, and say, “God, by... I raised my hand; I'm guilty. I want forgiveness.” Will you do it?

God bless you. God bless you, you, you, you, you. Yes. My, my, many. Way over there. And God bless you, young man. God bless you, young fellow. God bless you, young lady. God bless you, sister. God bless you, lady. That's wonderful. That's wonderful.

The Holy Spirit's here, speaking, bringing the glorious blessings of God down. Somebody on the outside, God bless you, young lady, I see your hand. God bless you, sir, I see yours. That's right, way out. Anywhere else? God bless you, way back in the corner. That's wonderful.

Somebody else? “Brother Branham, I know one thing; we got to face facts; we got to know this.” Might be a little rough and handled rough, but, brother, we're living in the last hour. We've got to quit this here handling the Gospel with kid gloves on. “Make me a little bitty thing to join the church.” Jesus said except a man be borned again, he can't even see the Kingdom of heaven. And a borned again person is God's sainted child.

If you're not in that state tonight, would you be honest enough with God to—to raise your hand, somebody that hasn't? There's been twenty people or more raise their hands. Will somebody else that hasn't raised...? God bless you, sir. God bless you, young man. God bless you, back there, brother. Yes, sir. That's fine. God bless you over there, little lady. I see you, and surely God does. I know He does. He even knows every sparrow.

You say, “Brother Branham, I'm guilty of the sin that you've preached against tonight. I'm guilty of staying home from my church and looking at television. I'm guilty of reading old lusty magazines. I'm guilty of looking at vulgar pictures. I'm guilty of watching women on the street that's immorally dressed. I'm guilty of all these things, when I ought to have turned my head and been a Christian gentleman or lady.” Are you guilty? Then answer before God by raising your hand, saying, “I'm guilty.”

God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. That's honest hearts. That's honest hearts. Certainly. God will honor that. Ten or fifteen more hands went up. Yes, sir. Guilty. I'm going to pray and ask God, and you pray and ask God, that He will take every bit of the guilt away tonight.

Our heavenly Father, O God, dear Lord, I've tried to declare tonight with all my heart. I see the sinking sands. I see Satan setting that trap here for these lovely people. O God, please somehow inject love into their hearts, to let them know that I'm... I love them. And I'm trying with all my heart to tell them what is Truth and what's right.

And many, yes, dozens has raised their hands tonight that they're guilty. God Almighty, would You turn a penitent soul down? No. “He that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out.” I pray tonight, God, that salvation will streak through every one of these hearts, and they'll be made whole, and go from this tabernacle, or the tent tonight, to never more indulge in those things.

When the heathen that presents themselves on the streets half naked, may that Christian gentleman, by the Holy Ghost turn his head. When that old television begins to move in, all kinds of old silly nonsense stuff of sinners that will go to hell someday without they repent, come on to influence and to throw their weights against the Christians of God, may the Holy Ghost speak to their hearts; say, “Remember that night in the tent when I condemned you for that and you raised your hands.” And may they never be guilty again. Grant it, God.

Now, that the people might know that You're still alive, that the people might know that we're not talking just to be talking, that we're not trying to introduce something we don't know nothing about...

I thank Thee, heavenly Father, by Your grace that I do know You in the power of Your resurrection. I've made many mistakes in my life, Lord. I'm ashamed of it. And many places I've should have done and places I ought to have went, I've went different and done different and I'm sorry of it, God. And I repent with all my heart and ask that You'll send me, Lord, into the four corners of the earth. And let me, while my life is, and I'm still strong, let me go forth and preach the Gospel like never before. O God, I renew my vows with You here before these people. Oh, I pray that in Christ's Name that You'll anoint me, Lord, with the Holy Ghost, that You'll show signs and wonders, and strengthen my body. Oh, renew the visions, Lord.

Bless this Life Tabernacle that's sponsoring this meeting, and the Baptists, and the Methodists, the Presbyterians, and whatever, that's gathered here tonight. May their churches be on fire, and the old fashion Holy Ghost revival strike here in Shreveport. May the Arrow of God's deliverance fall upon this group tonight, that it'll absolutely revolutionize the whole Shreveport, and it's rounds about with an old fashion Holy Ghost revival. Grant it, Lord.

Bless our gallant brother who should stand here tomorrow night to finish on in this meeting. O Father, send the Holy Spirit to make a living motion tonight that You're living and live forever more. In Christ's Name I ask this. Amen. Hallelujah.

We find many people who can't understand

Why we are so happy and free;

I've crossed over Jordan to Canaan's fair land

And this is like Heaven to me.

Oh, this is like Heaven to me, (for me)

Oh, this is like Heaven to me;

I've crossed over Jordan to Canaan's fair land,

And this is like Heaven to me.

Oh, when we are happy, we sing and we shout,

Some don't understand it, I see;

But we're filled with the Spirit, there isn't a doubt,

And that's what's the matter with me.

Oh, that's what's the matter with me, (Praise the Lord)

Oh, that's what's the matter with me;

I've been filled with the Spirit, there isn't a doubt,

And that's what's the matter with me.

Oh, don't you love Him? [Congregation worships] While we sing that again, let's shake hands with somebody around you, Methodists and Baptists... Just... You know, this old-time religion will make a silk dress and a calico put their arms around one another and call one another “sister.” It'll make a tuxedo suit and a pair of overalls call one another “brother.”

Oh, that's what's the matter with me (Turn around and shake hands with somebody),

Oh, that's what's the matter with me;

I'm filled with the Spirit, there isn't a doubt,

And that's what's the matter with me.

Hallelujah. I feel like singing a song. That be all right? All right.

It's the old-time Holy Spirit,

And the devil won't get near It.

That's the reason people fear It;

But It's good enough for me.

It's the old-time religion,

It's good enough for me.

It will do when I am dying,

It will make you stop your lying.

It will start the devil flying;

And it's good enough for me.

Give me this old-time religion,

It's good enough for me.

It's so good I want no other,

For it makes me love my brother.

It brings things from under cover;

And It's good enough for me.

Oh, give me this old-time religion,

Give me this old-time religion,

It's good enough for me. (All of us can sing it like...)

It was good for Paul and Silas,

And It's good enough for me.

It's the old-time religion,

Got that old-time religion.

Got that old-time religion,

It's good enough for me.

Amen. All that's got that old-time religion... Now, let's just raise our hands and say:

I got that old-time religion,

Got that old-time religion,

It's good enough for me.

Amen. A few minutes ago sinners that set right here, and had their hands up singing, “I got the old-time religion.” Amen. Sure, it starts the devil flying. That's what it does. Makes you love everybody, makes you—makes you love the Lord, makes you love your enemy, makes you love everybody, and it's good enough for me. It was good for Paul and Silas. It was good for the Hebrew children. It's good for pop and mom, good enough for me. Amen. Yes, sir.

“The Old Ship of Zion,” you know that song? You know it? Let's sing it.

It's the old ship of Zion,

Get on board, get on board.

It has landed my old father,

Get on board, get on board.

Oh, I love them old-time songs. I'm just old fashion. And I... raised on corn bread and black-eyed peas and used to sop the kettle and mom would make a pie or...?... you know, and sop the icing. And, you—you know us kid would get in our hair and on the eyebrows and everything else, but you know what I think tonight? The Christians need a good old kettle sopping time. Just get it into your eyebrows and all over you. Amen. Right. I feel religious. I really do. Just feel good in my heart to be assembled with such a group of people, heaven-bound, going to Glory. All right.

How many in here is sick and afflicted? Let's see your hands go up, if you can. Put your hands up, that wants God to heal you. Wonderful. All right. Now, if this good old fashion salvation of God is brought to us by the baptism of the Holy Ghost... In that baptism of the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost is none other but the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who came down on the day of Pentecost to dwell with us, and in us, till the end of the world. And if He's still the same Holy Ghost that fell on Pentecost, and He's got the same power tonight that He did on Pentecost... We wouldn't think our God got weak in two thousand years when He's going to live with us through Eternity.

[Blank.spot.on.tape]... when Messiah cometh, He will tell us all things like this. See? That'll be the sign of the Messiah. “But Who are You?”

He said, “I am He.”

Now, if He was Jesus that way yesterday, He's got to be Jesus that way today if He is the same.

Now, the only thing is different then, He hasn't got a corporal body. His body is setting on the throne of God. That's not Jesus' throne He's setting on tonight. The Bible said, “He's setting on His Father's throne.” Is that right? “He that overcomes shall set with Me on My throne as I've overcome and set on My Father's throne.” Now, His throne is on the earth. He's to be here with people.

Now, see, you'll never be an Angel; you know that. You'll never be an Angel. You'll never get old; you'll never be wrinkled; you'll never be sick; you'll never have a worry. And you'll never be a Angel. You—you'll be a human being, only immortal. You'll have a glorified body like His body. You'll both eat, and drink, and live, and love, and—and associate forever and forever. Not spooks flying around in the air, never, the Bible don't teach no... God made Angels. Yes. But He made—never made you an Angel. He made you to be a human. And Jesus came down... God came down, was made flesh, and made a—made a Man to dwell here with His—His people on the earth. And someday He's coming back in that corporal, glorified body.

Just a little thought before we call the prayer line. I want to ask you something. What do you think of the Hebrews down in Egypt? I want you to think deeply. What about the Hebrews down in Egypt? Every time that they had stripes beat on their back, slapped by the enemy, spit in the face, kicked over, whatever they would, coming down the street they'd look over in there, in the casket, that little red casket there, that the body of Joseph, the prophet; and they knowed by that sign that someday they were going out. They was going to go out someday. That was the sign that God give them.

Joseph said, “Don't you... The Lord will—will to—will to—come to you and He will visit you, but don't leave my bones here. But someday when you go out, take my bones with you.” Every time a Hebrew, no matter what trouble he was in, he could look at those bones and remember there was a promise that someday he was going to the promised land.

And tonight, I think of His glory. After we... We got a open grave here. We go out to the graveyards, ashes to ashes, dust to dust with our loved ones. We sprinkle the clods. I've done it on wife, baby, father, brother. I know what it means and how to sympathize with you as they sprinkle ashes to ashes and dust to dust. My heart would go with it. But then again on Easter morning I can pack a flower and set it on there, look a way down in that grave and know that down there somewhere they're in the Presence of God. “He that heareth My Word and believes on Him that sent Me, has Everlasting life. Shall never come into condemnation but's pass from death to Life.”

I think of that. And I think, “Oh, Hope, my wife is gone. Oh, Sharon, my darling baby is gone. Dad, Edward, Charles, my brother, you've gone on.” While I stand at the grave, look down there and see their names wrote, see their picture laying there, little flower laying there, I think, “In the Presence of God...” But I think, “I couldn't see you today because you're in a—a different body, a celestial body. I won't be able to see you there.” But every time, when they cry out, “Lord, how long?” the souls under the altar; they look setting yonder at the altar, setting there at the Throne and there sets the corporal body. Amen. When we see an empty tomb, that Jesus has promised they would come up from the grave again, down yonder, they still got a sign, God gives...?...

Everywhere God is a sign. You know that? Where there's God, there's signs. Signs... “These signs shall follow them that believe,” said the Bible. That's right. Signs everywhere. Everywhere there's signs, we shouldn't seek after them, but God gives them. That's His grace. He gives them. We go to seeking after them, then we—that's wrong. But when He just gives them by His grace, that's wonderful.

And there's a sign here that we're going away from here someday. We're going to go up from that grave again, 'cause there's an empty grave in Jerusalem. Amen. And then up there, there's one who come back and visit with us. There's a sign someday that they'll be made flesh, although their body's laying there, the cankerworms eat them up, but yet there's a corporal body that one day will raise up from the dead. Someday they're coming back to earth again. Oh, I want to be with them. Amen.

Job said, “Though the skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, Whom I shall see for myself, mine eyes shall behold and not another.” That's right. He knowed He was coming forth because God had promised.

And we got signs tonight. A—a missionary was crossing the country one time. And he said an infidel was with him, guiding. He said, “All you guys come here talking about something you can't see. It's all nonsense.” Said, “There is no such a thing as that. Why don't you all go get next to yourself and go to your home.” Missionary never said a word.

That night after they made their camp. Next morning when they got up, the sun was peeping up over the desert hill, and the man that was—was the infidel went out, and said, “Oh, what a morning.” He said, “Say, there was jackals around here last night.”

He said, “How do you know there was jackals?”

Said, “I see the signs where they was.”

Said, “I don't see no jackal.”

Said, “There was signs around here though. I know they was here.”

He looked up at the sun; he said, “Hallelujah. God still lives. I see the signs and He's still on the throne.” Amen.

And tonight when Jesus comes here to save the sinners, and to break forth His Word, and to show His signs and wonders, we just shout the praises of God. Our Christ lives tonight. Amen.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, now, the great strategic time is at hand. The time is at hand when... I have witnessed to You with all my heart. I've tried with all my heart to correct, and to exalt the Kingdom of God, and to bring down judgments upon the people. And they have repented, Lord. Many have raised their hands with honest confessions that they're ashamed of their sinful life. God, I don't believe one raised their hands that You didn't forgive.

And now, to show them that You're here, not that You have too any more, but may You appear in here in such a physical manner tonight that they'll see and be happy that they raised their hands to a God that lives. And when we're living in this great strange time, we look at the papers, we see the great Armageddon coming up. We see the tanks, the atomic bombs. We see the end of the Gentiles is at hand. We see the world ripe. We see sin on every hand. It's time now. It's at hand.

God, we're so glad that we've got a living God. We've got One Who promised us; He's right here with us, showing Himself visible among us. And we thank Thee for it. Will You let Your humble servant, by Your predestinated gift, represent You tonight before Your people, I pray, as I humble myself before You, in the Name of Jesus, Thy Son. Amen.

I... somehow, I just—I just feel so good tonight, of the glory of God being here. I wanted to see it break so bad before this. All right. What was them prayer cards, R's last night? Was that it, R's? I believe it was R. All right. I believe we called the last of them last night. Let's call the first of them tonight then. All right.

Somebody... Now, if you're not here, we'll see first, they might've not come back tonight. Anybody got R-number-1? Look at your prayer card. Yes. That's good, then. All right. Come over here, lady. R-number-2, number 3, number 4, number 5, number 6, number 7, number 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. There's about a dozen for the first hands that was raised up tonight.

Sometimes I do that, call how many gets saved that night, I call that many to the platform. As many as gets saved, I try to do that if I can, asking God to give me grace. You say, “Oh..?...” I just watch that. I have certain things to God. I say, “Now, Lord, if You'll save fifty tonight, I'll call fifty. And You'll give me strength for fifty. And if You save so many, why, You give me strength for that so many.”

And I—I—I—Now, I usually call it, and I judge about twelve hands that raised...?... to make it positive, I wasn't overshot. Let's—let's see, what was last called? 13, 14 and 15. Let R-12, 13, 14, and 15, let them come. That'll make it a even number. And maybe... I might have seen someone outside. Be sure that I was honest with the Lord. Now, don't you love Him? Isn't He wonderful?

Now, listen friends, while they're, the ushers are down there... Please, brethren, if you will, go down and line the people up so they'll come to their number. Now, while they're doing that, how many doesn't have a prayer card and you want Jesus to heal you? Let's see your hands. God bless you. God bless you, honey boy. God bless you. All around everywhere, that's good.

Now, you don't have to have a prayer card. You only have to have faith. Is that right? You have to have faith. That's all. God never said, “Whosoever has a prayer card...” Said, “Whosoever has faith, whosoever believeth.” Is that right? Prayer card don't have nothing to do with it. Prayer card is just praying for the sick.

Now, how many believes that gifts and callings are without repentance? Bible said so. God has set it in the Church, God.

Now, listen little children, let me give you just a little warning here now, Shreveport. Be real careful in the days to come. Now, everything that shouts and praises God is not God. Cain did the same thing. But they come from the Scripture. See? They come out of God's Word. See? Now, watch it. Because remember, when God sends a revival, hell sends one too.

And when Moses and Aaron went down to defeat the Egyptians, there stood Jannes and Jambres too, standing there and could almost impersonate Moses.“ Remember, they could bring diseases, but they couldn't heal diseases. There's no one can heal but God. God's the only Healer. That's right. God's the only Healer. Now, and the fruits of it proves what it is. See? ”By their fruits you shall know them.“ Isn't that right?

Now, I want you to love the Lord Jesus and, oh, with all your heart. All right? Now, I tell you what now; I just want to wait a few minutes. I maybe... I believe if I just pray for these people, they just pass them on through, it'd be all right. I believe so.

Just let the lady come. Stand here just a moment. Now, just a moment. Now, lady, now just to let you know that the Anointing of the Holy Spirit is here... I want you to believe. Will you do it? Is this your first time ever to be in one of my meetings? No. You've been in a meetings before. But I don't know you, do I? I don't know you. But if you'll believe God, that female trouble you got will leave you. You believe it? God bless her and heal her, I pray. Amen.

Lady, I don't know you. God does. But that shadow of death of the cancer, God can heal you, if you believe it. You believe it? Then go on home.

What if I told you, lady, without even praying for you, that God was there in the chair by you? Would you accept it? Then go and believe it, and you can be healed in Jesus' Name. Go.

Do you believe, lady, with all your heart? Then go and give...?... Let's say, “Praise the Lord.” [Congregation says, “Praise the Lord”]

You believe, lady, with all your heart? You believe God will make you well, take that diabetes away from you? You believe He'd do it? Do you believe He'd take it out of you? Well, all right. Amen.

Praise the Lord. You all believe? Only have faith. The Bible said, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible.”

How do you do, lady. Don't know you, do I? You believe me to be His servant, God's servant? Do you believe that—that we being strangers to one another, you think that God would—could reveal to me what's your trouble? Do you believe He could? You do? Would you accept it as coming from God? Would you believe it come from God? All right. Will the rest of you believe it?

A fellow said... Let's take the case of our Lord Jesus, just for a moment. Let's take the case of our Lord Jesus. Here He—He was setting at a well and a woman come up. You're—you're the same case tonight. See? Not that, maybe, the very same thing, I'm a long ways. I'm just a servant of the Lord Jesus. And you're... I don't say you'd be a woman of ill fame like that, but it's—it's again a man and a woman. And Christ said that He would be with us till the end of the world. Then if He is, it'd be a sign to the people that they don't have to worry. The very Christ that made the statement is here. Is that right? Will you believe it, audience? [Audience says, “Amen”]

If the Lord will reveal to me something about this woman here, perhaps, maybe more than what her trouble is, would you—would you accept it then, believe with all your heart?

Then look on me, will you, sister. Now, this is a gift. It's just a gift of God. I have no way of knowing you, know nothing about it. But you just look at me just a moment, and let's just believe while I just talk to you. See? Fine. Now... Yes, sir. You're in a dying condition. That's right. 'Cause you have cancer, not only cancer, but cancers. You have two of them, and their both on your breast. That's right. You're extremely nervous, aren't you? And you're not from Shreveport. No, sir. You're from Arkansas. That's right. Your name's Rosalee. Isn't that right? Now, go back to Arkansas and believe on the Lord Jesus and be made well. Amen.

What is it? Yielding to the Holy Spirit. Let's just yield ourselves to Him tonight. Oh, He is here. Yield, oh God, manifest hearts. Be yielded, yielded to Him, Lord...?... Amen. Now, visions is what weakens, certainly. Visions doesn't heal. Visions only vindicate God (Amen) and His goodness.

You believe God heals you of the gallbladder trouble, setting out there, lady. You believe that He will make you well? If you believe it with all your heart, you can have what you ask for. If you believe it. Amen. See? I doubt the lady... Do you have a prayer card, lady? No prayer card? Do you have a prayer card? You don't have a prayer card, do you? Yes. You have a prayer card. All right. Well then, you won't need it now. All right. You won't need it now. It's your faith touched Him. “If thou canst believe.”

Lady, second lady from the end there, elderly lady with a pair of glasses on, looking this way, got low blood pressure. You believe Jesus Christ would heal you, sister? You that's setting there on a pink cushion, looking at me with a spotted dress on. Say, looking up, yes, you there, you believe Jesus Christ will make you well? You... Raise up your hand if you believe it. All right. Accept it then. Amen.

See how—see how unconscious faith is? The woman is setting there thinking in her heart so much that she didn't even hear me talking to her. That's right. But you see, God spoke to her. Amen. If that ain't Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever, I... It's not... That's the Bible. Amen. “If thou canst believe, all things are possible.”

We're strange to one another, lady. Why, you look like a good healthy person. I never seen you. But the Lord Jesus knows you, doesn't He? And you believe Him? You believe me to be His servant?

My, what a faith moving in that audience. So... I hope you can keep that way.

You're extremely nervous because, yes, because you're suffering with a trouble in your colon. That's right. It's a tumor in your colon. That is right. Isn't that right? You got trouble with your stomach, too...?... stomach...?... That's right, isn't it? I'm not reading your mind, but that's what the doctor says that that's what it is. So you believe you're going to be healed now? All right. Then walk on your own in the Name of Jesus Christ. May God be with you. Amen.

You believing Him? Don't doubt. Have faith.

How do you do? Are we strangers to each other? We are. I don't know you. You don't know me. I don't know one thing that's the matter with you; you know that, don't know it. Frankly, there's nothing. The only thing you're here for, you're standing for somebody else. That's your brother. He isn't here. He's northwest of here—a place called Oklahoma. And he's a alcoholic and you want me to pray for him. All right. Go on your road. Lord Jesus, save the man, in Jesus Christ's Name. Hallelujah. Have faith in God.

How do you do? We're strangers to one another. I don't know you; you don't know me. God knows us both. You're here for me to pray for you. You got a growth over your left eye. It can't be seen right now, but it's over there anyhow. Isn't that right? You got skin cancer on your face. Isn't that right? You want to be prayed for. Is that the truth? Then come here and I'll do it. O God, in Jesus' Name, I pray that You'll take away this disease. Now, I curse it in Jesus' Name; come out of her, in the Name of the Lord...?... God bless you, sister.

Have faith in God. All things are possible to them that believe. If thou canst believest that the Bible said all things are possible. Are you believing that? Amen.

I see two little children standing here, right in here. Their mother is with them. They both got sinusitis. All right. You believe the Lord Jesus will make the children to be well? If you can, if you'll have faith and believe God, God will do it. Two, a little boy and little girl... Have faith, now, and God will grant it to you. All right.

Will you—you believe, little sister, with all your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? You do? I am a stranger to you. I don't know you, never seen you. You set in the choir...?... That's right. You're nervous, aren't you. And you believe that God will make you well, believe that He will make you, and heal you? The other thing's the desire that you got for somebody else on your heart. That's right. A woman that lives across the river somewhere, Bozier. And she's—she's got arthritis and rheumatism. Is that right? Amen. You believe me to be God's servant? All right. Then go and receive what you've asked for in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.

God can bypass that operation, take the tumor right away without even a operation and make you well. You believe it? All right. Then receive it in Christ's Name. Amen.

I challenge the audience to believe. I challenge everybody to believe in the Name of Jesus Christ. Look this a way, not look at me, but look at Him. Yeah, He's raised from the dead. Do you believe that? Pray. Don't doubt. Have faith. Amen.

Do you believe your high blood pressure will leave you, with your hand up? Do you believe He will do it? Yes. Do you believe He takes it away from you? You He'd do it? All right. You can have it.

What you weeping for, little Mexican girl, I believe. Spanish? You believe me to be God's prophet? Will you stand here a few minutes? You stand up just a minute? Look to me. I always have success with Mexican people because they believe. Look over here just a minute. There's something around you. I see dark shadows trying to follow you. You're a praying, only what you're wanting is for somebody else. It's your friend, is suffering with nervousness. Isn't that right, little lady. If I tell you what's troubling your heart, will you believe me to be God's prophet. You want to be saved and receive the Holy Ghost. Isn't that right? Isn't that right? That's what's you're called to right now.

Anyone here want the baptism of the Holy Ghost, want to be saved, come with her. Hallelujah. Come on up right now if you believe that Jesus is here, and God can save you...?... Come on. Come on, all, every one of you that wants the baptism of the Holy Ghost. We will pray for the sick, yet. Come on. All that wants to be saved. All that raised your hand...?... I believe God's fixing to do a great thing right now. Come on, every one of you, kneel around here. This is the time to come and receive Christ.

Come on, Baptist. Come on, Methodist. Come on, Presbyterian. I challenge you in Christ's Name. Come and try God. Come, give God a chance. Will you do it? Come right out right now, every one of you. Everyone, all of these who raised their hands, come up. Come on up. Here comes a little boy crippled to receive the Holy Ghost. Oh, you ought to be ashamed of yourselves, you...?... that wouldn't come to receive Christ. This is it. Will you come? Will you come?

Bow your head, everywhere. Let's have a word of prayer. I just feel the Holy Spirit moving in a great... Something's going to happen.

O Christ, I've done my best, Lord, to call up...?... And I've offered them to You, and You've come. I've preached the Word and I've told them that You've raised from the dead. And here tonight, we are, Lord, as Your witnesses. And here You are, doing the same things You did when You were here on earth. And You're here tonight in the form of the Holy Ghost. You're rebuking sin. You're calling a revival. You're calling Your people. The hour of deliverance, the Arrow of deliverance...?... God, I pray in Christ's Name, that You'll send multitudes, every one that's got a need for You to come to this altar tonight and receive Christ. Will you come?

That's right, lady. That's right. Move right out. Get up on your feet. It's the Holy Ghost speaking to you. My heart wouldn't feel like this if I didn't... I wouldn't say this if I didn't mean it. You expect me to stand here and do things in the Name of the Lord and be a hypocrite? Why, I wouldn't do it for nothing in the world. I feel led that there's people out there to come to this altar. That's right. So if... You know who you are. I challenge you to come to the altar in Christ's Name.

And remember, if I meet you at the day of judgment and you're condemned, it's not my fault. It's not God's fault. I've preached His Word. He's confirmed it with signs and wonders following. He's here tonight. He's raised from the dead.

Now, if you want Him, come. There is a fountain filled with Blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins, when sinners plunge beneath the Blood, lose all their guilty stains. And if you're not sure, my friend, you that's standing by a church creed, if your standing by a membership, you better come now. I may never see you again in this life. Your...?... may go out before we meet again. You may never...?... leading, but this is your night. God bless you, young man. That's right. Oh, the convicted... God bless you, lady. Come right up. Come up out of your seat. Come right up.

Remember, you have no option on life. You may die before morning. But there's one thing sure; you're going to die. Every one of you here is going to meet God. And you're going to meet Him at the judgment. And you're going to have to give an answer for this Message tonight. You're all going to answer for Him appearing here on this platform, right here in Shreveport, Louisiana, by the infallible signs says the Bible, infallible signs that Jesus is raised from the dead.

I'm His witness to say this, that He's calling you to come to the altar. Young and old, Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostals, Lutherans, whosoever will, come to the altar. There is a fountain filled with Blood...?... by my witness, that...?... sinners to come to...?... Come on. All you, hit the trail down here to the altar. Quit looking at the television. Quit looking at the things of the world. Look at Calvary tonight. See Christ. Look Who died for you. Look Who paid the penalty. Look Who won't...?... your sin. Get away from the things of the world.

God bless you, lady...?... the longer you might live. Come on down. Who else will come? Come on, everyone, everyone. Now, if you got a need of anything else from the Lord, come up to the altar right now. You that wants the baptism of the Holy Ghost, make your way to the altar right now. Make your way, you that's backslid, make your way. You that wants the baptism of the Holy Ghost, you that wants healing, make your way to the altar. God bless you. Whoever you are, make your way to the altar now.

Come to this place, where as God's prophet, I speak in Christ's Name that He's here with open arms, ready to give every person, every thing and Arrow of complete deliverance. God's Arrow of deliverance is in your hand. Don't be afraid to strike with it. This is your hour of decision. This is the hour time. Strike; strike; strike; strike it; strike everything that does cumber. Strike Calvary; touch the hem of His garment. Raise your heart. Raise your hands. Raise your souls. Raise your praises. Raise your worship. Raise your tears. Raise everything. Amen...?...

What a light, what a time, what a...?... What a people. Praise God. Heal every sick person. Satan, turn them loose. In Jesus' Name I condemn you. Come out, Satan. Deliver them from television from all kinds of things of the world. Grant it. O God, Grant Your blessings upon them. Glory to God.

Raise your hands and praise Him, and receive anything that you have need of. Everybody in the building, stand to your feet and give God praise, Hallelujah. Wonderful...?... [Brother Branham and the congregation continue to worship the Lord—Ed.]...?... the way to...?... the sick being healed, the glory of God is falling. Amen. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. How we love You. How we praise You. How we adore You. How...?... Glory to God. Praise be to God...?... Bless the Lord. Bless the Lord...?... Send the Holy Ghost...?... Heal every heart. Heal every critic...?... Hear, Lord. Fill with the Holy Ghost. Bring down glory. Bring salvation of the soul. O God, in Christ's Name, I pray Thee to...?... with all my heart, with all my strength...?...

The Arrow Of God's Deliverance Shot From A Bow

Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

56-0801