Gifts

You may be seated if you will just a moment. Good evening, friends. I'm happy to be here tonight to greet you again in the name of our lovely, risen Lord, who is in the glory of His resurrection, and He's present tonight to bless us. So happy to be here and to have this privilege.

My son just said a few moments ago, while standing in the room, while we were waiting to come in, when they started singing, “Only Believe,” he looked around at me and I was praying. I looked up, and he said, “Daddy, how many times has that called you to the platform?” Thousands across the world in all different kinds of languages.

I heard the natives of Africa with about fifteen different vocabularies calling it, all singing, “Only Believe,” at once. And had to keep them fenced off on account of tribal wars. And yet they all sang together “Only Believe.” What a wonderful....

I said, “Yes, some glorious day, if I go before Jesus comes, and when they're putting me down in the ground, they're going to sing, 'Only Believe.'” If you see it in the newspaper or something another, hear it on the radio or whatever, somebody tells you, stop just a minute and think of that song, “Only Believe.”

Because I believe that someday I'll come out of there just as sure as I going in.

Someone said, not long ago, said to me, said, “Brother Branham, I would like to talk to you about an insurance policy.” Now, insurance is fine. I have nothing against it, but I don't carry any of this kind of insurance.

And so the agent seemed to think that I'm a little off about it. But, maybe I am, but I was mistreated, my father was one time by an insurance company. He was sold a twenty year endowment was supposed to pay off so much at a certain time. When it come time, it was supposed to be worth five hundred dollars and he misread it. It was worth a dollar and fifty cents total.

And I just never taken any insurance. So then, seeing how my old dad had to work for that and then be like that, to my brother and I. And I said....

A friend of mine said, “Well, Billy, I just want to sell you some insurance.”

I said, “Oh, Wilmer, I don't want it.” I said, “I've got insurance.”

“Oh,” he said, “you have?”

I said, “Yeah, I got insurance.”

And he said.... My wife looked down at me as if to think, “Are you storying?”

And I said, “No, I have insurance.”

He said, “What insurance do you have, Billy?”

I said, “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.”

And so, he said, “Well, that's all right, Billy, but that won't put you in the graveyard.”

I said, “It'll take me out. That's the thing I want. I'm not worried about getting in there, it's getting out. So I'd rather have one that'll take me in there ... or, take me out of there instead of one to put me in there.

The blessed assurance Jesus is mine!

Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!

An heir of salvation, purchase of God,

Born of His Spirit and washed in His blood.

What a beautiful thing that is.

Well, now, tonight I promised by the grace of God, I'm going to let you out early. I am.... You know, I don't preach by notes. I don't premeditate anything I'm going to say. And it's just inspiration. And just as I see it, I just say it. And as long as it keeps coming, I just keep talking. So I just don't know ... I just don't know any better.

And so I ought to have mercy on those that were going to work, though, and things. My brothers and sisters, I certainly feel ashamed of keeping you that long, and I don't mean to do it. But I just love you, and I think you're very fine listening audience. And it's a pleasure for any minister to preach to an audience like we've had here each night.

And I appreciate that. And I'm not saying that complimentary. I'm just ... I'm saying that because it's the truth. And if it wasn't the truth, then I wouldn't say nothing at all, just go ahead. But, yeah, I think I'd rather give you a little rose bud now, than a whole wreath after you're dead, you see. So it's best to do it right now. And it's been a pleasure.

I've been a little nervous, because ... since I've been up here and I haven't been able to carry my text and so forth and to minister like I should. I have started something. My meetings has always been at low ebb for a long time. I've seen it.

So I asked the Father to help me, and I seen the dropping down in my mail, drop from fifteen hundred letters a day down to about fifteen letters a day, because no one could put their finger on me. I was gone somewhere and waiting till the Lord told me for a move before I'd ever move. And it wasn't an act of faith then, it was just simply just waiting, waiting, waiting.

And the Lord kind of checked me up on that, so I purposed in my heart, then, if He would help me that I was going to do different. And just as you start to do something for God, then expect all the guns of hell to turn right on you, see.

And I got poisoned the other night, and I almost slipped out of life. I've been real weak and nervous since I've been here. But the Lord has been good to me. I feel better, and kind of coming out of it now. I just been eating soft food or something, because it upset me all through. I was just poisoned, broke out all over my body and everything.

And I just trusted Him, and He seen me through. And I desire your prayers that He will continue.... Not that I deserve to live, but because of the Gospel is what I want to live for. When that time comes, I want to try to do everything that I can and put all my life in, and from henceforth, I've bypassed brethren....

My secretary called me; he said, “Billy, it's not fair to the people.” He said, “You got a ministry. Here's four hundred major cities in America calling you right now, right here on my desk.” And said, “Besides, pretty near every nation under the heavens is calling. And here you are a slip in, slip out, and turn them to this one and that one, just to make arrangements and just bypassing there. Nobody knows where to catch you, see. You're out in the woods or done somewhere, or gone here.” Something like that. Said, “Why, don't you settle yourself down and go on?”

So I prayed over it, and the Lord let me know that that was right. So He started right off, and I pray that God will help me, give me strength. And I'm depending on you all for your prayers for me.

Now, here's some handkerchiefs here to be prayed over. And tonight, I tried to give to preaching, if I could just for a little bit, just a little text to talk to you, to get you better acquainted with the ministry.

Tomorrow morning is the Christian Businessmen's breakfast. And I think ministers' wives and what more is invited; anybody that wants to come is invited. Many of you brethren, perhaps, are members of this fine organization of the Christian Businessmen. They have been very kind to me. I've spoke for them everywhere. And they have been very kind.

Demos Shakarian, their president, and Miner Arganbright, vice-president, and many of the others, and Tommy Nicholson as the editor of their paper.... And I'm always happy to get to help them because it's in the line.

Myself, when I was a Baptist and come to you Full Gospel people, the first thing.... Each denomination wanted me to come and join their ranks. I wouldn't do that, because if you do, what little influence I have, it throws it to one denomination. I've tried to stand right in the breach and say, “We're brethren, all of us; we're brethren.”

And I like to see a united effort for all churches for the Lord Jesus Christ. And now, that's my motive is to keep that that way and just stand in the breach and don't join any certain denomination, just stay in between, so we can be brothers and not have any different feelings, and say, “Well, now, he's a Presbyterian, or he's a Baptist, or Pentecostal.” I'm just your brother. That's all. And so....

Your denominations are fine; they're dandy; I love them, every one. But they're not what takes you to heaven. Christ is what takes you to heaven, your faith in Christ.

So now, on these handkerchiefs: The greatest ministry that the Lord has given me almost is on handkerchiefs. Oh, I could spend hours just on telling about it. And we send out thousands of those a month, all over the world.

And I'm glad to see that you believe the Bible. Now, a lot of people pour ... many people, rather, pour oil on them and anoint them. That's all right. That's fine. Whatever the Lord will bless, I'm for it. But if you'll watch in the Scripture, it wasn't that Paul anointed them. They taken from his body (Acts 19) handkerchiefs and aprons.

Now, you know, I believe Paul was a fundamentalist. I believe he was very Scriptural on what he done. You know where I think he got that at? I think when he got that out of the Scripture where Elijah, when the Shunammite woman come to him and asked about her baby. And Elijah told Gehazi to take his staff and go lay it on the baby. For Elijah knew what he touched was blessed, if the woman would just believe it the same way.

So I think that's where Paul got his Scripture for taking handkerchiefs and aprons from the body. However, these are some handkerchiefs that represent sick people.

Before we go any farther, let's ask the Lord to bless these in their effort. Thank you, brother.

Now, our kind, heavenly Father, it's a privilege tonight, to have ... to call You Father, to know that Father is “ownership.” And we love Thee because Thou does own us, and we're not our own. For we have been bought by a price, the price of the blood of the Lord Jesus.

And in that we trust, and we thank Thee for this Christian land where the doors are still open, and the Gospel can be preached in the freedom of speech and thought. And we thank Thee for that.

And now tonight, these people have a right to bring these handkerchiefs as tokens of their faith. Way out across the land, maybe some old dad in a little apartment's blind tonight. These handkerchiefs is going to him; some mother taking it to her baby that's raging with a fever. We don't know where they go, Father, but Thou does. And I pray that You'll bless them. Bless the people that packed them.

And now, we're taught in the Scriptures that one day when Israel had been cornered.... They were trying to follow God. The great pillar of fire had led them down to the river. And there they was with their leader, Moses. And they were cornered: the mountains, the sea, and Pharaoh's army coming, pursuing them. They were trapped; nature trembled. Oh, what a scene. But it's at that time that God likes to come on the scene.

The writer said, “He looked down through the pillar of fire with angry eyes at the Red Sea, because it was cutting off the people from the promised land.” And the sea got scared, and it moved back, and the children of God passed on through the bed of it on dry land towards the promised land.

Father God, tonight as we send these handkerchiefs, it's a token of our faith in the finished work of Christ at Calvary. And we thank Thee, that we have this faith and the people has faith.

And now, when they're laid upon the sick bodies, and they reach their destination where they are going, we pray that You'll look down through the blood of the Lord Jesus, and may the disease get scared, that's in the body, when they see this token. And may the people be liberated and taken on to the promise that God had said in His Word, “Above all things, I would that you prosper in health.” Grant it, Father, for that's the purpose we send them for. In the name of Thy beloved Child, the Lord Jesus, we ask it. Amen.

In the reading of the blessed Word of the Lord Jesus tonight.... I just love to read His Word. And Sunday afternoon I have a special message, if the Lord permits. I want to speak Sunday afternoon over at the music academy on, Why Doesn't People Keep The Holy Spirit? See, what happens? And why don't they receive it, and what kind of a time do they have receiving it? And bring out your unsaved ones for Sunday afternoon.

It'll be a regular Gospel message for Sunday afternoon. Then Sunday night's the closing of this part of the campaign. I think Brother Hutchins going on.

And now, ministering brethren, you that's here, and in your ... if you will.... I am hoping someday to return. Now, Brother Hutchins: The reason I'm here in this one church is because that Brother Hutchins is a bosom friend of mine. And he's tried for years to get me to come here. And I come, not because that I'm pushing someone else off, but just for love for Brother Hutchins.

And I hope that someday, you my brethren, and you the people of the churches that your pastor may not could be here tonight or anytime, give them my love and regards; and let them know that someday I hope to return in a great union meeting where we can have.... This is just the introduction.

And on Sunday.... If you will, brethren, announce it in your churches “Sunday afternoon.” So, usually we close our service on Sunday night, so that the church can go back to their places, in the big campaign.

But this Sunday afternoon, if you don't have a program, bring your sinner friends and bring them out to the meeting, if you will. I'd be very glad for you to come. We'll do all we can to lead them to Christ.

Now, and tomorrow morning's breakfast, all of you come, because I want to introduce to the businessmen a little drama that leans towards the meeting in Christ. I want you to—or, Christ in the meeting, rather—if you can, come.

Now, in the book of Saint Matthew and the 24th verse of the 12th chapter, I wish to read this for a way of text.

And the queen of the south shall rise up in the day of judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

And may the Lord add His blessings to the reading of His Word. Now, how many loves the Word? Do you love It with all your heart? Oh, that's where our faith is anchored: in the Word of God. And now faith has no other stabled, anchored place but in the Word of the Lord. And I'm so glad.

See, it can't be.... Faith can't find a resting place on the imaginary minds of man's self-made theologies. It's got to have its resting place in the eternal rock of God's Word. There it anchors, because God said so. He said, “Heavens and earth will pass away, but My Word shall never fail.” So we can be assured that His Word never fails.

Now, we're going to speak about gifts tonight, and that's the reason I took tonight for this purpose, that we could kind of explain and take my time, watching the clock and take my time, and explain to you what I think gifts are.

Now, the first place, the Bible said that “Gifts and callings are without repentance.” It's something that God by sovereign grace puts into the church, see. God does that Himself. It's a work and an act of God, and by foreknowledge He predestinates these things to happen.

Now, as I say, “God is not willing that anyone should perish.” But in the very beginning God knew who would be saved and who would perish. Foreknowledge let Him know that if He's the infinite God. Why, He certainly cannot.... He's not willing that any should perish, but He knew from the beginning. He knew every fly, every flea, every person that would ever be on the earth, He knew them before the foundation of the world, 'cause He's infinite.

And we know that He's omnipresent, that He's everywhere. He covers all space. He's omniscient; He's all wisdom. He's omnipotent; He's all power. And that's the kind of a God that we serve. It's not some pagan idol. It is a living, resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. And the Holy Spirit which is the Spirit of the Lord Jesus that covers the whole earth. And He can be everywhere; He knows all things. He's got all wisdom and all power. What a wonderful God.

And to know that it's not just some make-up. It's just not somebody's theology. But He lives with us, shows Himself, and proves Himself alive. Oh, should we not be the most happy people in the world? Our hearts should be racing swiftly.

And traveling around over the world and seeing the different nations with their gods, and their idols, and so forth, and all their philosophies, and then know that they're all foolishness. There's not a one of them.... Their founders are dead and in the grave and gone. And only one that can prove that their Leader lives and reigns. Now, they'll call your hand if you tell them you got ... that you can have joy. They have joy, too. You say you can shout. You ought to see them shout. And you can say how happy you are. You ought to see how happy they are.

But our Jesus comes on the scene and does the same things that He did when He was here before. So that proves that He lives. He is not dead. He's alive forevermore.

And don't be afraid. He's at.... No matter how many atomic bombs they have, how many hydrogen bombs, and how much they speak of this and this is going to happen. Don't be scared. God's at the wheel. He knows just how to steer. He knows just how it's coming out. So we don't have one thing to fear, but be just a lovely, little carefree child, who's looking up to Father every minute, and depending on Him to lead us, guide us, and to take us into our destination by His grace.

And by loving Him that way, you wouldn't do nothing to harm Him. Why, if you'd do anything to harm Him, well, all through the night, your hot tears would run down your cheeks in repentance. Because you wouldn't hurt Father for nothing. Would you.... You wouldn't hurt your little baby; you'd hate to do that. You'd hate to hurt the feelings of your wife or your husband. How much more your Lord and Saviour, would you, if you love Him.

If you love your wife, you wouldn't hurt her. If you love your children, you wouldn't want to do anything wrong to them. And how about your heavenly Father?

So you see, “Though I speak with tongues of men and angels, and though I have all knowledge and all wisdom, though I have faith to move mountains and have not love, I am nothing, see. ”Where there's tongues, they shall cease and where there's prophecy, it shall vanish. And knowledge shall vanish, and prophecy shall fail, and all these things. But when that which is perfect is come, it endures forever.“

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood

Shall never lose its power,

Till all the ransomed church of God

Be saved, to sin no more. (See.)

Ever since by faith I saw that stream

Thy flowing wounds supply,

Redeeming love has been my theme,

And shall be till I die.

That's my theme, is love. Law works fear. Law is negative; works is negative. But love is positive, see? It's absolutely positive. You can trust anybody when they love you, not because they fear you, but because they love you.

And that's how I trust Him, because I know He loves me. And it's a love affair, and not a works affair of fear, and “if,” and “if,” and “if,” and if, there's no “if” to it. God's done it, and that settles it. So I love Him for it.

Now, gifts and callings are without repentance. God all through the ages has been represented on the earth through His prophets, through His kings. And it's always been the Spirit of God. If we had the time tonight to go down like to Joseph, dig out those nuggets and polish them up. I love....

I'm a typologist, and I love to get the old types. Not having an education, then I have to go to types, because types.... If I saw the type.... If I was watching in my shadow, and I never seen myself, and I seen what my shadow looked like, I'd have some idea of what I would look like.

And that's what all the Old Testament was: a shadow of the New Testament to come. And if I see how God dealt with men there, I see how God will deal with men over here. I see what kind of a recompense of reward for disobedience, I know what it'll be over here.

So all the old things was a shadow of the new to come. And how we love to go back in the Old Testament and dig up those old nuggets, prospect, you know, dig them out, polish them up, look at them. And every one of them will point to Calvary, the finished work. Everything of the Old Testament will point to the finished work of the Lord Jesus at Calvary.

How Joseph was a perfect type of Christ. How Moses was a type of Christ. Moses the lawgiver, the priest.... How that Joseph was the prince of prosperity: everything he did prospered. When he was here on the earth, put him in the dungeon, everything prospered; put him in Pharaoh's place, everything prospered. Wherever he went, he was the prince of prosperity.

And when He comes again in His glory, the desert shall blossom as a rose, and we'll have no more deserts; and everything will prosper in the great millennium when the prince of prosperity arrives. How wonderful.

Notice how that Joseph was loved of his father, hated of his brethren, sold for almost thirty pieces of silver, throwed into a ditch to be dead, taken up, and set at the right hand of the greatest commercial city in the world. No man could come to Pharaoh, only through Joseph.

Jesus sold for thirty pieces of silver by His brethren and was taken up, sitting at the right hand of God, and no man can come to the Father except by the Son.

And when Joseph went forth, there was a proclamation signed, runners went before saying, “Bow the knee; Joseph is coming.” Oh, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess the Lord Jesus Christ. Whether you do it now or your works go on before you, whatever it is. Someday, you've got to bow the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Notice it, how beautiful. How that in Moses, the law giver, how that he was both a priest and law giver. And how he led the people. That was God in Joseph; that was God in Moses.

Look at David when he was dethroned and rejected in his city, and he climbed right up the Mount of Olives, and rejected by his own son. And his people had turned him down. And as he went up the hill, he went up weeping, looking back over Jerusalem, weeping. What was it? It was the Spirit of Christ in him.

When the Son of David came, some eight hundred years later, he sat on the same hill, rejected of His own, and wept over Jerusalem and said, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I have hovered you as a hen covers her chicks, and you would not.”

All the Old Testament, just a foreshadow of the New Testament, the things to come.

Someone was speaking.... I was in Africa not long ago, and they have a very funny.... It's a touchy thing in America even on baptism. They baptize three different times. One group of them baptizes three times forward. The other one baptizes three times backwards. And one they baptize one for the Father, one for the Son, and one for the Holy Ghost.

And when they do it, they simply bring their creeds into a pagan creed. There's no such thing, see. And then when they.... Then, that upsets the Jew. He says, “Which one of them is your God. Is God the Father your God, or is God the Son, or is God the Holy Ghost?” Anyone that knows God, and knows His Bible, know that those three are One. Not three gods, one God, manifested in three persons. In otherwise so that the ones, maybe, who doesn't understand too well, would know: It's three offices of the selfsame God.

God the Father was in a form of light. No man could touch Him. He come right down, condescending and come into the Son. It was God, the Son: the same God: “My Father's in Me; it's Him that doeth the works.”

God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. “I came from God,” said Christ, “and I go back to God.” He did. It's God all along only three offices, the Fatherhood, Sonship, the Holy Ghost dispensation. It's all the selfsame God.

Jesus said, “At that day, you'll know that I am in the Father, the Father in Me, and I in you and you in Me.” It's God in us, coming first into a virgin body, virgin born to make a way for the shedding of the blood to reconcile many brethren back to Himself. God represented in human flesh.... Do you see it?

Here, that was God in David. That was God in Joseph. That was God in Daniel. It was God within a measure. It was God in a measure. But when He came into Christ, He became in the fullness of His Being. In Him dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily. All the Spirit of God dwelt in Him.

It's like this. Now.... And as He goes out, one will fuss with the other one. “Did you speak with tongues?” Or, “Did you prophecy?” Now, there's where the people get these gifts all mixed up, see.

One will say, “Because you don't do this, you haven't got it; or you don't do this, you haven't got it.” Now, you're wrong on that. God is like a great diamond. Listen, so that you can really understand this. God is like a great diamond. And each diamond has a chip ... the diamond has chip places, this big master diamond. And lay it in the light, great rays of light shines off from it.

And those are God's messengers, gifts. All of it comes back to the selfsame God. The gifts of healing, the gifts of preaching, the gifts of prophesying, all the spiritual gifts of the body are just rays or reflections off of the selfsame God.

See the big diamond? For to one is given knowledge, to another, wisdom, to another, gifts of healing, to another one, gifts of prophecy, but all by the selfsame Spirit, the great diamond. And the big rays of light that we see shoot this way and shoot that way, all declare one thing: There is a God that lives and reigns. Amen.

And as long as you see those things in operation, know that God still is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

If I could go out.... I used to preach at the Baptist church at Milltown, Indiana, and I'd come home at night. There used to be an old nightingale sit out there, and he would sing. I noticed on a stormy night, he didn't sing as much as he did on a moonlight night. So I begin to study of the nightingale, and I come to find out that he looks up towards the heavens, and he watches. And as long as he can see a star, he sings, because he knows somewhere the sun is shining. Oh, my, what a lesson we could learn by that.

And as long as you can see the Spirit of God operating through one of these little rays of light, there's a God that still lives and reigns. That's right. The nightingale would throw his head up and sing to the top of his voice when he could see one star, 'cause he has to watch the star to sing by. And no wonder, then, it brings us joy. Oh, it's a well bubbling up.

When I was game warden in Indiana, I used to go to a certain place and drink. It was a spring, just bubbled all the time. I thought it was the happiest spring I ever seen in my life. It was constantly bubble, bubble, bubble, bubble.

So one day I sat down by the side of that spring, and I said, “I would like to speak to you, Mr. Spring. Every time that I come by here, you're so happy, jumping, bubbling, carrying on the way you do.” I said, “Maybe it's because that the animal, the deer comes by and drinks from you, what makes you happy.”

No, if he could talk, he'd say, “No.”

I said, “Well, maybe it's because, perhaps, some other animal would drink.”

“No, that isn't why I'm bubbling.”

Well, I say then, “Maybe it's because that you just bubble when I come by, and that's what makes you bubble because I drink from you.”

He would say, “No, that isn't why.”

I'd say, “Well, what makes you bubble, Mr. Spring?”

If he could speak back to me, he'd say, “Now, Mr. Branham, it isn't me bubbling; it's something behind me pushing me and making me bubble.”

So I think that's the way it is with the church that's born again of the Spirit of God. It isn't so much of the bubbling; it's something in there making it bubble: bubbling up into everlasting life. Fountains of the water of life, freshly, coming every day from the inexhaustible fountain of life, which is Christ Jesus, Who we're planted in Him through the baptism of the Spirit. Amen.

Now, we have the Spirit by these gifts, by portion. But Christ had it without measure. We have it by measure. To one is given knowledge, to another one is given wisdom.

There are in the church five offices: Apostles or missionaries, either one; both the same thing; word means “one sent.” And apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, and pastors, God sets them in the church. But because one would be an apostle, the prophet couldn't say, “You're not in it.” Or the pastor to the evangelist or so forth. But they're all little lines of God that's put into the church for the perfecting of the saints.

And in every local body is twelve spirit ... nine spiritual gifts (in I Corinthians 12)—nine spiritual gifts in each body. They operate separately, but of the same-self Spirit.

Now, but in Christ was the fullness. Now, if you see a man here prophesying; and another, a pastor; one, evangelist; and another, a teacher. Now, you can't say you're not in it, because it's just one of them rays off of God. It all points right back to God, that big master diamond. Don't forget that.

And now, if the Methodist is having a revival and they're getting souls saved, and you're a Baptist, don't say that they haven't got any light over there, because they're a light just the same as you are, see. It's all a light from God's big master diamond, the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, working, getting souls saved and ready for the coming of the Lord.

Now, now, in Christ dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He had all the Spirit of God in Him. “I and My Father are one,” said Jesus. That's the reason the people couldn't understand Him. Sometimes He'd say something, then look like He turn around and say something different. It was Him speaking, then the Father speaking, see.

They were.... And even the disciples could not understand Him. And right at the last, they said, “Lo, now speakest Thou plainly. Now, we believe by this that you know all things; no man needs to teach you.”

Jesus said, “Do you now believe?” After all that time, they couldn't get the.... Why? That sometimes He'd say this and then say that. It was Him and the Father speaking.

Now, notice closely. Now, God dwelling in Christ used His voice to speak by. Jesus said in His miracles, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in Himself, but what He sees the Father doing, that doeth the Son likewise.” Is that right? St. John 5:19.

Then He did not do nothing within Himself. No prophet ever did anything within himself, until first God showed what to do. What a mistake Moses made when he went out without the vision of God and smote down the Egyptian; thought he'd liberate them with his hands, because he thought he had a lot of faith and could do it, because he was called for the job.

No matter how much you're called for the job, God has to do the leading, see. He failed of all of his schooling and his military mind and his training as a great Egyptian leader. But yet it failed, 'cause God had a program and we've got to work according to God's program. No matter what we do, how smart we are, we've got to humble ourselves and work according to God's program. Amen.

So he failed and God had to keep him another forty years to educate him. So what it was, that he must forget himself, and it's not him, but it was God.

Now, notice, many times people misunderstand. Now, I have to bring this in here to compare something in a comparison. And I hope you don't think it to be a carnal comparison, 'cause I don't mean it upon the operation or something that I do or you'd do. But that it might increase your faith that Jesus has raised from the dead, and He's the same yesterday, today, and forever; and manifests Himself in the same way here in His church that He did when He was here on earth. Oh, I hope you see it.

Now, look, in Him dwelt the fullness. He was the diamond Himself. Notice, when God wanted to use His gift, He spoke to the Lord Jesus in the time of Mary and Martha's trouble when Lazarus was going to get sick.

Now, remember, Jesus, being questioned, said, “He did not do nothing till the Father showed Him first what to do.” Keep that. Now, that is God's eternal Word. And if Jesus told something that wasn't so, then He wasn't Messiah. So that has to be settled the truth.

When a man said not long ago, he believed the devil could heal, because what he could see. I said, “Jesus said he could not heal.” So that settles it. “If Satan could cast out Satan, his kingdom is divided.” So if Jesus said he can't heal, he can't heal; that settles it. You must believe God's eternal Word. Regardless of what things look like, you believe the Word anyhow. You don't look at circumstance.

What if Abraham would've looked at the circumstance? Isaac would've never been born. But Abraham called those things which were not as though they were. And if we're the seed of Abraham, we have the same kind of faith towards God's promise. Those things that's contrary to God's promise, we don't see them and ignore them. Amen.

Brother, that's the faith that was once delivered to the saints: to believe God's Word regardless of what circumstances. That has nothing to do with it.

Abraham called those things.... And as he got older, the promise looked like it was farther away and farther away. Abraham got stronger all the time, giving praise to God, more of a miracle. When He told him he was going to have a baby, I imagine he got the pins and the Birdseye and everything ready. But when the first month come along, there was nothing doing, “How are you feeling, Sarah?”

“No different.”

He said, “Glory to God, we're going to have it, anyhow.” God said so. That settles it. Sure.

Second month passed, “How are you feeling, Sarah?”

“No different.”

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

First year passed, no different, “Hallelujah, we'll have it, anyhow.”

Ten years pass, “Glory to God, we're going to have it, anyhow.” He got older all the time.

We claim to be Abraham's seed. But if God don't answer it just like that, to you: “Well, I guess there's nothing to it.” Abraham's seed, shame on you. Hold on to God's promises. Call anything else a lie. Keep God's promise in front of you. That's it.

After he was a hundred years old, he still said, “We're going to have it, anyhow.” And he did. Sure, 'cause it was God's promise. That's what Abraham's seed does. And if we being dead in Christ, we take on Abraham's seed, and are heirs according to the promise. Then what kind of a spirit should be in you?

I'm afraid, friends, as I talked to your pastor today, churches get the pastor's spirit instead of God's Spirit. That's right. We don't need one another's spirit; there's no need of that. We need God's Spirit. You go into a church and watch the way the pastor acts; watch the congregation act the same way.

That's the reason.... You know the Bible said, “I'll give you a new spirit and then give you My Spirit.” And many people gets that new spirit just to try to live right, and do right, and never get the Holy Spirit, and try to act by it. And there's the way you get in trouble. That's right.

The new spirit; it's a new life. That has nothing.... That's good, but God has to give you a new spirit so you can get along with His Spirit. The old spirit you had, you couldn't get along with yourself, let alone God's Spirit. So He gives you a new spirit. And you see people....

That's the reason, friends.... And as I do as evangelist, I try to stay in the Word, that you get the Spirit of the Word, not based upon some man's theology, but “Thus saith the Lord.” I've got to answer yonder in the presence of all of you at the day of judgment. You must take the Spirit of God.

That spirit of Abraham, the seed of Abraham, which is the Holy Spirit, we being dead in Christ, take on Abraham's seed and are heirs according to the promise. We have the same kind of faith that Abraham had. And call everything contrary to God's Word as though it was not. God made the promise; I accept it; that settles it. That's all.

No matter how I feel, what it looks like, or anything else; God said so and that settles it. There's the children of Abraham, that's the heirs according to the promise.

Now, notice when Jesus was here on earth, He said, “I do nothing till the Father shows Me.” He could look out over the audience, and when the Father would show Him somebody He could tell them, “Your blood issue.... You touched My garment, the blood issue stopped.” He could do those things.

Someone would stand before Him and come up to Him, and He'd say, “Why, you're a good man. You're a honest man.”

“How did You know me, Rabbi?”

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

Same chapter, come Peter, came up to Him, He said, “Why, your name is Simon.” Said, “You're the son of Jona.” He said, “I'm going to rename you, and I'm going to call you Peter.” How did He know him, where he come from, who he was? The Father had showed Him. He said so. Everything He did, the Father showed Him.

Now watch, when God was going to use His own gift, He knowed where it was at. Christ was God's gift. Now, I'm talking of Jesus, the body, the Son, now. And when He wanted to use His own gift, He called Him away from Lazarus. And they sent, said, “Come over and pray for Lazarus.” A people that had come out of their great orthodox church to follow, what was so-called, a fanatic, a holy-roller. That's exactly what He was called.

And all the early Christians was called heretics. That's “crazy,” see. So they were all called that, and they come out of the church to follow Him. And He'd live with them.

And then, when they sent for Him to come pray for the loved one that was sick to death, He refused to come. What would you do to your pastor? “Oh, I'll go join the Methodists, that's what I will do. If the Methodists does that, I'll go back to the Presbyterians.” That's the reason....

If you've got a good man of God and he's God's servant, stay with him. But if he isn't a servant of God, get rid of him, get somebody that is. That's the only way to do it. And have faith in your pastor. That's true. Then you'll see the miracles of God happen if you got faith in Him. But He can only help you as you have faith in Him to believe:

Now, Lazarus was dying. They sent again and Jesus just moved on. Why? He knew what was going to happen. Then when the fulfilling of days that the Father had showed Him, which He said, “I do nothing till He shows Me.”.... And then when He seen the days was accomplished, He turned and said to His disciples, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.”

Well, they thought he was taking a rest, said, “Well, he does well.”

Said.... He talked in their language: He said, “He's dead. And for your sake, I'm glad I wasn't there.” 'Cause they would be persuading Him to pray for him and do the very thing that God had told Him not to do, see.

God said, “You wait, now over here, until he's dead and in the grave four days. And come back and then raise him up from the dead.” And Jesus had to leave and obey the Father. Now, you believe that? The Bible said.... He said He did nothing until the Father showed Him, and here's what He was doing. See it?

And He seen then after the days was accomplished, He knowed if He'd have stayed there, they'd have been kept saying, “Oh, Jesus, You mean to say that You're going to let Your buddy die like that? The doctors has turned him down.” The historians said he died with hemorrhages of the lungs and so forth. So if he died.... “Oh, You're going to let Your friend die? And You mean You won't even pray for him?”

“No, I ain't going to pray for him,” see.

He said, “I'm glad for your sake, that I wasn't there, but I go wake him.”

Watch Him coming to the grave. When He come up to the grave, He said, “Father, I thank Thee Thou hast heard Me already. But for these who stand by, I say it.” He knowed what was going to happen. Him and the Father had talked it over; He'd showed Him, 'cause He said He did nothing till the Father showed Him.

He said, “I pray just for an example; for these that stand by, I said it.” Then He said, “Lazarus, come forth.” And a man that been dead four days, stood on his feet and lived again. Amen.

A woman said to me not long ago (some year or two ago), she said, “Reverend Branham,” she said, “you brag too much on Jesus.”

I said, “Oh, no. No, no, I don't.”

She said, “Yes, you do.” Said, “You brag too much on Jesus.” Said, “You try to make Him deity.”

I said, “He was deity.”

She said, “If I prove to you He wasn't nothing but a man, by the Bible, will you believe it?”

I said, “If the Bible said so.”

Well, she said, “I'll prove it.” She said, “In Saint John the 11th chapter when He went down to the grave of Lazarus, the Bible said, 'He wept.'”

Oh, I said, “What's that got to do with it?”

Why, she said, “He couldn't have been deity and cry.”

I said, “You fail to see who He was. He was both God and man.” That was a man weeping. But when He stood by the side of the grave, straightened His little figure up, He was the only man that ever could say, “I am the resurrection and life. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.” Said that to Martha. “Believest thou this?”

She said, “Yea, Lord, I believe that You're the Son of God that was to come into the world.” Think of that instance. She had a right to upbraid Him. But when she heard....

Now, Martha being kind of dilatory, but she showed herself there what she was really made of. She run right out to Him, passed all the critics, and she run, and fell down before Him. Now, if it'd been us today, she'd say, “Pastor, I want to tell you something. Why did you leave us in this kind of a shape? Now, my poor brother's laying down there dead four days.” See, that's the reason God can't do nothing through educated people, know so much, see.

Oh, you got it all worked out, you know where everything should be. But Martha just knowed to run to Him. Watch. She fell down in front of Him, she said, “Lord....” That's what He was, “Lord....” Amen. I believe she'd read the Shunammite woman when she went down to the prophet; she knowed that God was in that prophet. If she could ever get to that prophet, she'd find out why her child died.

That's the reason she said when she got to the prophet.... He said, “God's hid it from me. I don't know what she's worried about.” Said, “Is all well with thee and with thy husband, with the child?”

The woman said, “All is well.” Amen. I like that. She'd come to the spot. Amen.

Martha said, “Lord, if Thou would've been here, my brother would not have died.”

He said, “Thy brother shall rise again.”

She said, “Yes, Lord. I know he will raise again in the last day.” He was a good boy. The Jews believed in the general resurrection of the last day, especially the Pharisees. She said, “I know he will raise in the last days.”

He said, “I am the Resurrection and Life. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”

She said, “I know that whatever.... He's dead, he's buried. He's rotting out there in the grave. He stinketh now.” But said, “I know that even now, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You.”

Oh, my, something has to take place. “Even now, Lord, even now, though he's dead, though he's in the grave, though he's stinking. But I know that You're just exactly what You said You was.” There's a penitent soul before the Creator. The wheels are coming together. Something's got to happen. Faith in the Word is meeting. “Even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You.”

Maybe you've been at the hospital. Maybe the doctor says you're going to die. “But even now, Lord....” Can You speak to Him, He's sitting at the right hand of God making intercessions on your confession. “The doctor said I'm going to die, but even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You.”

You say, “They tell me I'll never see again. I'm blind. But even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You. He's the High Priest of your confession, sitting at the right hand of God, making intercession on what you profess.

And you've got a right to profess any redemptive blessing that He's died for. He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and with His stripes we were healed.

“Even now, Lord, I don't care what the doctor says, what the science says. But even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You.” Do you believe it? Even now, Lord, whatever You ask Him, He'll do. Something's got to happen.

There was a heart full of faith looking up. That beautiful girl with the tears rolling down her cheeks, mixed up with her hair, she said, “Even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You.”

Said, “Where've you buried him?” Amen.

Went down to the grave, weeping. That's right. He was a man when He was crying. But when He spoke to a man that had been dead for four days.... His soul was a four-day's journey. I don't know where it was, neither do you. But wherever it was, corruption knew its Creator, and the soul knew its Maker. And a man had been dead for four days stood on his feet and lived again; that was more than a man. That was the divine God of heaven speaking through His Son.

He was a man when He come down off the mountain, hungry, looking over a tree to find something to eat. He was a man hungry. But when He took five biscuits and two pieces of fish and fed five thousand, that was more than a man. That was God speaking through that man. He was the master Diamond.

He was a man when he laid out there on the ship that night with virtue out of Him from healing and preaching through the day, until ten thousand devils of the sea swore they'd drown Him. And that little old ship like a bottle stopper out there on that sea, the devil said, “We got Him.”

And the helm broke, and the sails down, and the oars gone. And they woke Him. He was a man asleep. But when He put His foot on the brail of the boat, looked up and said, “Peace be still,” and the winds and the waves obeyed Him, that was more than a man speaking. That was God speaking out of His Son. He was deity.

When He died at Calvary, calling for mercy, He was a man calling for help. But on Easter morning when the seals of death and the grave was broke, He rose; He proved He was God.

No wonder the people will say:

Living, He loved me; and dying, He saved me;

Buried, He carried my sins far away;

Rising, He justified, freely forever;

Someday He's coming—oh, glorious day.

Every man or woman that's ever amounted to a hill of beans in this world has been men and women who's believed Him to be deity. Certainly. Ask the poet; ask the prophet; ask Abraham Lincoln; ask George Washington; ask old, blind Fanny Crosby, “What does He mean to you?”

She said:

Pass me not, O gentle Saviour,

Hear my humble cry;

While on others Thou art calling,

Do not pass me by.

Thou the stream of all my comfort

More than life to me.

Whom have I on earth beside Thee?

Or whom in heaven but Thee? Amen.

There He is. He's deity. He was Emmanuel; God in the Person of His Son. God could use His gift. He didn't complain of being weak when God used His gift. But a little woman right after that ... or, before that, she wanted to use God's gift. So she sits up, and she said, “I believe Him to be deity. I believe what He says. He is the Son of God.” So she said, “I've had this blood issue here for many years.” About eighteen years, I believe the Scriptures says—I'm not mistaken on that—twelve years, she'd had this blood issue for twelve years. The doctors had failed.

And the critics were standing by, and the pastors and the deacons standing that morning. And here come the little woman squeezing around. “Here, you mean to tell me you're going to become a holy-roller? Why, you go back up.” She just brushed it aside. She had her heart set on meeting Jesus.

So brushing aside everything that was contrary, she got to where He was. She touched His garment and turned around, walked back. Jesus stopped and said, “Who touched Me?” He said, “I don't know who touched Me.” What was it?

God hadn't showed Him nothing. That's right. But the woman's faith had touched that gift. He said....

But Peter rebuked Him, said, “Everybody's touching You.”

He said, “But I got weak. Virtue went from Me, somebody touched Me.”

And He looked around, then where that weakness was coming from, a stream of current of spirit picked out the little woman where she was sitting. Hallelujah! “Thy faith has saved thee.”

Now, to you people that don't believe in divine healing, the Greek word used there is sozo, “saved, physically saved.” Just the same every time, it's translated the same thing, sozo, both physical and spiritual. She was saved from her blood issue. “Thy faith has saved thee.”

What was it? The woman, with her faith, had contacted God through the Son of God, and had drawed from the Son of God her desire. That was a woman using God's gift.

On the platform when God solemnly gives a vision.... Now, you said there that in that instance, He said that “I got weak.” But how much greater a miracle was it when God used His gift? Here it is. It's like a....

When we were boys, we used to go to the carnival ... or, a circus, it was. And say, for instance, I was a little taller than you. And there's a hole up here; we could peek through it. You couldn't see it, yet you were stronger than me. God makes us different ways.

And maybe I could stand on my tiptoes, and grab a hold of the top of the fence, and pull up real hard. I'm answering some questions now that you're asking.

“Brother Branham, how is it that these things happen? How can you say to this one out here?” Now, it's Scripture, you know Jesus did the same thing. It's not me; it's Him.

And if you didn't have the faith to reach and get it, it'll never happen. It's your faith. If you ever get anything from God, it'll never come through a preacher or a priest. It'll come through your individual faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary.

Divine healing isn't touching a totem pole, or oil, or something another. It's sovereign faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Certainly, It's Christ. It's all finished. It's your faith.

God give things after preaching His Word, sending preachers. He puts gifts. He's not willing that any should perish. He wants you to prosper. He wants you to be healthy. He died for that purpose, and He wants you to see it. And He does everything that there is, even appearing Himself to prove it to you. And still people sit back and say, “Well, it's mental telepathy. It's mind reading. It's of the devil.”

And the Jews said the same thing. When they seen it done, they said.... The woman at the well, He told her her sins ... or, sin that she was doing.

When He told Philip down there that He saw Nathanael under the tree, before he come over there. The Jew said, “He's Beelzebub.”

Jesus said, “I'll forgive you, but when the Holy Ghost is come and does that, you speak a word against that, it'll never be forgiven you.” Prophesying that the Holy Ghost would come, 'cause He's raised from the dead, and He's here in the form of the Holy Ghost, the same Jesus.

“The things that I do, shall you do. I'll be with you even in you to the end of the world.” God in you. Your faith looks to Him. And He's got gifts and so forth in the church that contacts that. That's why they pack me from the platform sometimes.

Not me, see? It's the physical part. It's a part that you do. God shows a gift, and it just shows us a place to go. Say, “You go....” Like here, not long ago in Denver. You all read in the paper; “Mysterious things happen on the street.” I was over there. That's what it was, see.

Nobody knew it. He just told me to go over there, many places. My followers and things know about it. He'll tell me to go somewhere, stand on the street a certain time; there'll be a certain thing happen. It'll happen just exactly that way. Nobody knows where it come from, what about it. Nobody knows. I just go ahead and do what He tells me to do.

Well, that don't bother me. But right here on the platform, just one vision will just take the life out of you. Why is it? It's you.

Look at Lazarus. He never said, “I got weak when I raised Lazarus.” But when the woman touched His garment for a blood issue, He got weak. Where a man was raised from the dead, after being dead four days, and never got weak. What was the matter? God using His gift, and a person using God's gift. That's what does it. That's the reason He could perceive. It was her faith moving and....

Just like here, Jesus was the whole ... all the water in the ocean. This gift is just a spoonful out of that. But if it's ocean water, the same chemicals will be in the spoonful that's in the whole ocean full. See what I mean? The same qualities....

What is it to do? To magnify some man or some church? No, sir. It's to magnify Jesus Christ. If it's given any other from that, God will make you answer for it at the day of judgment. I wouldn't say it takes a gift, 'cause they're without repentance: gifts and callings.

Well now, notice. Now, we're at the carnival. Maybe I was.... That's all of us here now; we're at the carnival. And maybe none of you see visions. I don't know. Maybe you'd be some other part, but we are all one big body.

Here's a lot of pastors sitting here, good preachers. I can't preach. I wasn't called as a preacher. They can teach. I'm not a teacher, see. I was called to see visions.

Well, now maybe here we're put it in a way you'll understand it. Here's one man standing who's short, strong. That's what he is. He can lift up a big something and walk away with it. I'm tall and skinny. I couldn't do it, see. But God made him that way for his work. He made me this way for this work. Now, we're trying to look behind the curtain of time. Well, perhaps I'd be the one to do it. Now, what will I do? I'd jump way up and grab a hold. And the little short fellow, he couldn't do that, and I couldn't lift his load. See what I mean?

Maybe you preach, maybe you're a pastor, maybe you're a teacher, maybe you're a evangelist. You don't see visions. I see visions, and I'm none of them, see. But God has set in the church all these things for the perfecting of the body. Now, do you follow me?

Now, I jump up tall, because I'm the tallest. I get a hold of it.... Now, here's on the platform. I pull real hard. I look through the hole.

“What do you see, Brother Branham?”

“A giraffe.” Whew. My, wears me out.

“Oh, giraffes?

“Uh-huh.”

“Do you see anything else, Brother Branham?”

“Well, no.”

“Look again.”

I jump way up, grab a hold, pull hard.

“What do you see?”

“I see a camel.” Whew.

“What else do you see, Brother Branham?”

Oh, my, see. Now, that's what you're doing. You are pulling. You got a.... Here's a person on the platform. What is it? We're standing there. I'm yielding myself. The Father just.... See, I'm just yielding myself.

And you are sitting out there in the audience, and you're saying, “God, let him speak to me. Let him speak to me. I know there's something wrong with me. I don't know what it is, but I know where my trouble is. If he'll speak to me, I'll believe it. I'll believe that You are the same. If he knows me, then I know the man don't know me, then I believe it's You.”

What's that doing it? Yes, the lady sitting here, she has a so-and-so. She was just praying for.... There, see what I mean?

But now, that's in the meeting. But when home: Here's two boys that formed a FBI outfit that come to follow me to see if that was right, these two boys sitting right here. That's right. Ask them what happened. Well, there's more visions at home than there is in the meetings. God using His gift then.

But now, standing here, you use His gift. I just yield to it, and you're the one that uses it, see. I just yield myself to the Spirit.

That's the reason that picture was taken. That's the reason it's hanging in Washington, DC in the hall of religions tonight. The only supernatural Being was ever scientifically proved to be taken. They've done a lot of bogus things, but there's a FBI documents of that, of George J. Lacy. He said, “The Light struck the lens. It was there.” That's all.

And He's right here now, see. And now the only thing, when I know it's close, I just yield myself, and then you pull. See what I mean?

But now when God.... Say now, God's going to use His gift; I take it back to the carnival. Then here comes the ringmaster along, say, “What's the matter?”

I say, “Well, I was looking over the fence.”

Say, “Well, you're a pretty tall guy, I'll just lift you up.” So then when he does that, he lifts me right up with his hands like this and by the nape of the neck and says, “You see, here's the carnival coming this way, and there's all these circus; and it's going to go through here and go out there, come back down.” I'm not tired when it sets down. He showed me the whole thing, see.

I'm not tired. He lifted me up. Then I come out of them kind of visions, it don't bother me. But when you go to pulling, you're pulling from the strength. See what I mean? Do you understand me now?

Now, that's what the woman done. Reason He felt weak: the woman pulled from God, the things that she wanted from Christ. Now, quickly, we're going right to the point.

Gifts and callings, set in the church, are to magnify and to make a people ready. Now, I'm coming to my text. I went way around it, but just about five minutes now and the text. Now, listen real closely.

Now, God gave a gift in the time of Solomon. And Solomon had a gift of wisdom. He was smart by wisdom of God, not of his own, but of God. He asked God for that, and God give that to him.

And any gift of God will be recognized to be the truth. And everybody going around was finding out what this was, and talk coming about it. Oh, you read II Chronicles the 9th chapter when you go home.

And then, way down in Sheba, the queen, a wonderful woman.... Listen close now. Everybody, perhaps, come by was telling her, “You should go up to Palestine; the great God of heaven....” Now, she wasn't.... She was a pagan.

“Well, the great God of heaven has blessed a man and give him a gift. And his name's Solomon. You should see the power of this gift of the God of Israel.” So many people telling her, you know, faith cometh by what? Hearing.

Everybody come by. A traveler passed by through Sheba, why, she'd hear of it. “Oh, we've come through Palestine. It's great. God has given a great gift up there.”

It kept on till the queen said, “You know what? I believe I'll go, see for myself.” There's the way to do it.

Don't stand off and say, “I don't believe it.”

See where her name is tonight? Immortal. She's saved, for her actions (watch) towards God's gift. That's the reason Martha got her brother restored back to life: her faith and actions towards God's gift. That was the way the woman got her blood issue healed. Her faith towards God's gift.

And the queen of Sheba, she said, “Now, it may be wrong, but all this, if it is the truth what I hear, it must be marvelous. So I'll go.”

Do you realize what that woman had to do? She was probably at least three months in the desert, a woman, not with an air-conditioned room, but sitting on a camel. Do you realize what a sacrifice?

And tonight, we can hear of God's gift and won't walk across the street. No wonder she'll raise up and condemn this generation. But she wanted to know. It was worth more than life to her. Not only that, but she took riches and gifts to give if it was so. Now, this little woman set out with all these riches, spices, and talents of gold, and everything to give to the cause of God if it was so. She didn't know it was so. She just heard. So faith cometh by hearing. So she goes to the meeting to find out. Look what she had to risk.

In them days them deserts was full of Ishmaelites and robbers. Why, they would tear that little guard down and take all that gold and stuff. But if you're really seeking God, God will see that you get there (See, there you are.), if you're sincere. She was. She said, “I want to see for myself.” So here she goes on the little caravan, night after night, day after day, the toils of the desert, the moans of the camel, the complaints of the servants, the hot blistering sun, its direct rays of that Arabian sun down in there; and that sun in Africa will just burn you up.

And she riding along, a queen; all the risks. She didn't care how long it took her. She wanted to see for herself. Oh, if people of the nations, when they hear that God has did anything, if they would just come and be sincere, and see for yourself. Do you get it?

Now, as she come, she came to Solomon. She didn't come just to stay one night. She was going to see the thing through. That's the way to do it. Stay with it. She was going to test it and examine it.

So it finally come her turn. And when she stood before Solomon, he revealed to her everything that was in her heart. Hallelujah! God's gifts always work right. Solomon told her the things that was in her heart, according to the Bible, told her every question that was in her heart: God working through His gift.

And when the queen got ready to return, what did she say? When she give all these gifts to Solomon, she said, “The things that I heard about was right and even greater than I ever heard.” She said, “Blessed be the God of Solomon who has give him all this wisdom and these things.”

And Jesus, because she did that, being a pagan, and come, and was reconciled to God by seeing the gift of God work perfectly, become a believer in God, Jesus said, “You bunch of educated, church-going hypocrites.” He said, “She will raise up in the day of judgment and condemn you, because she come from the uttermost parts of the known world at that day to see the wisdom of Solomon, and yet I say unto you that a greater than Solomon is here.”

And I say to you tonight, brother and sister, that in the day of judgment, the queen of Sheba will condemn the United States of America. She will condemn the so-called Christian world; because God can do something miraculous, and the so-called churchgoer will stand off on a side and because of personal praises of men or dignity of man-made, self-made things that they have; they'll criticize the Holy Spirit and the workings of the Holy Ghost and call it fanaticism and try to oust it out. And the very words before the Congress today is to stop such meetings as this.

Here's the only thing I can say about it. And I say it as a servant of God. I say this: that it's nothing in the world but unadulterated jealousy. That's right.

When Peter, James, and John had received power, Jesus gave them power to heal the sick, to cast out devils, to raise the dead. I can show you where God give that power to the church. And you that don't believe in divine healing or miracles, show me where He took it away from the church. But when they received this....

The church today isn't needing power. It's needing faith to operate what power it has. You've had so much embalming fluid pushed into you that the days of miracles is past and some old cold morgue with the icicles ... the spiritual icicles hanging down with ninety below zero.... And somebody in there with some dead fluid to pump into you to be sure that you stay dead.

It's become such a place till the Spirit of God has been grieved, and any church that denies the supernatural, it'll die as sure as I'm standing in this pulpit. He that cometh of God must believe that He is and a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. He is alive. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever in every principle and power: living Christ and not a dead Christ.

When these disciples had received that power, look at it, it just lays in men. Oh, they thought they were dignified. And they go right out a few days later and find themselves helpless before an epileptic. They could not cast the devil out.

And Jesus come along and He said to them, “Oh, you faithless generation. How long will I suffer you. Bring him here.” Oh, brother, when he come before that real Jewel, He cast the devil out of him.

And the disciples come to Him, and said, “Lord, did You take Your power back?”

He never said, “You don't have power.”

They said, “Why can't we do it?”

He never said, “Well, because you lost your power.”

He said, “Because of your unbelief.”

A few days later from that, they found a man casting out devils, who wasn't a disciple; and the man was getting the job done. He was actually getting it done. He was casting out devils. He stood around here....

Jesus said, “Whosoever will.”

He said, “That's me.” And away he went. He was getting the job done. That's right.

And they were jealous because they couldn't do it. And they told Jesus, they said, “We forbid him.”

He said, “Don't forbid him, for he that's not with us, scatters abroad. No man can do a miracle in My name can speak light of Me.”

And today, it's nothing but petty, child-like, juvenile jealousy among the high churches that won't bring themselves down to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost and practice divine healing and the powers of the Holy Ghost among the churches. Amen. It's the fact of the thing. It's true.

Jesus Christ, God's Son, has raised from the dead. That's either the truth or this Bible is in error. I know that it is the truth. He lives; He is not dead.

And if He doesn't make Himself the same as He was in the days gone by, then He is not alive, for He promised, “The works that I do shall you also. Even more than this shall you do for I go to My Father.”

And the world that's got the Bible, reads the Bible, and said, “You teachers produce it; we'll believe He raised.” Until that, Mohammed is just the same as the rest of them, Buddha and the rest of them. But thanks be to God; Jesus lives. He's alive from the dead. And it's not some fictitious make-up. It's not some man-made, homemade theology.

Those people that say the days of miracles is past, their argument is thinner the broth made out of the shadow of a chicken that starved to death. They haven't got a leg to stand on or a Scripture to stand on.

Any man that could preach anything against sin, has to recognize sickness as the attributes of sin; got to. Amen. I mean that from my heart. You can't deal with sin without dealing with its attributes.

If a serpent had its.... If a big animal had its paws in your side, you just don't have to cut off his paw. Just knock him in the head; it'll take care of the paw.

And when Christ died for sin, He knocked sickness in the head and everything that went with it, even death itself. And we are not dead, but we are alive. “He that heareth My words and believeth on Him that sent Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.”

He conquered death, hell, the grave. Paul said when He come to the grave, “Oh, death, where is thy sting? Oh, grave, where is thy victory? But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” He lives.

The world is hungering, but the pulpit is weak. We got the best doctors we ever had. We got the best hospitals we ever had. We got the best drugs we ever practiced with, and we got more sickness than we ever had. Why? We got the worst pulpits, the weakest we ever had, though we got the best churches and the best educated men we ever had. But we got the weakest churches we've ever had. We got more sin than the world ever knowed of: unbelief. What is sin but unbelief?

“He that believeth not is condemned already.” That's right. There's your sin. Not smoking, drinking; that's attributes of unbelief. But you're a sinner because you don't believe.

When Jesus questioned, said, “When I come to the earth....” He didn't say, “Will I find churches? Will I find sincerity? Will I find teachers? Will I find them preaching the Bible? Will I find them doing this?” He said, “Will I find any faith?”

You got the power. You need faith. Positionally know where you are in Christ, then yield yourself. Hallelujah. Don't think I'm crazy. If I am, leave me alone. I'm happier this way than I was the other way. That's right. I'm not crazy. That's true. I just feel.... “I know that my Redeemer liveth.” I know He liveth. Yes, for I can see Him as He moves and walks.

I know He's in this building right now. I know that His presence ... or, “Wherever two or three are gathered together, I will be in their midst.”

I don't believe my boy give out any.... I don't believe they give out prayer cards today. I told him not to, because I was going to preach. But I feel that the Holy Spirit is so close right at this time, I believe we'll pray for the sick anyhow. I believe we'll do it.

I see him come to the platform going to ask him just a minute, to wait a minute. We don't need you up here as a prayer ... we don't need you up here as a prayer card. You stay where you are. You believe the mission that's been preached tonight and the message that's been preached, and you'll see Jesus Christ move on the scene.

Don't need prayer cards when the anointing of the Holy Ghost is present. He's there to heal. He's there to give whatever's given. That's right. Listen.

One time when they was preaching down there when Jesus went going over on His road after the resurrection. Two people were going over on the road over to another place called Emmaus. And on their road over there, Jesus walked right out along the road and walked with them all through the day. And they didn't recognize Him. Is that right? They didn't recognize Him. He talked with them.

And many of you people that's went to church, and Jesus has helped you many times, but you didn't recognize it. He's helped you; He's blessed you; He saved you from trouble. And you don't recognize it.

Then when He got them into one room where He could gather with them and shut the doors, He done something just a little different from what a man could do. When He did that same like He did before He was crucified, they recognized it to be the Lord. He run away, got out of their sight.

They run back to Jerusalem light-hearted and said, “Truly, the Lord has risen.” If that's the same Jesus, He's here tonight, maybe He'll do something tonight like He did when He was here on earth.

If you could be the woman with the blood issue or whatever you have, if you can look, and yield your spirit to Him without any confusion, no prayer card, no way of getting up here. But if you can yield yourself to Him, and I can yield myself to Him, and pray, “Lord Jesus, knowing that I've got to meet these people in the judgment and stand here on Your Word that You've raised from the dead.”—see if He don't call you. See if He can't speak just like He always spoke. If you believe! That's the only thing you can do is have faith in God. He said, “If thou canst believe....”

Now, let us bow our heads just a moment. I'm going to ask the organist, if you will, young lady, I want you just to softly chord, “Only Believe,” while we have a word of prayer. I want everybody real quiet.

I don't know. I'm just asking Him. If you've got a need now for God, be just as reverent as you can and believe. And if He'll come tonight in this meeting, after this message.... You got to answer for this message. You might not have had to answer for it if you hadn't come to church tonight, but you're going to answer for it now. It's on your hands. You'll either have to wash your hands of it like Pilate did, or you'll accept it.

Now, I've spoke. That's a man. But I've spoke of His Word. Now, He's God, He'll confirm His Word, He's being God.

Now, heavenly Father, Thou who knowest all things, that Your Word might be fulfilled.... Here's a strange audience. I know none of them, but Thou does know them. And You who could sit there by the side of the well.... The woman come to You. You talked to her a few minutes, and You told her, said, “Go get your husband.”

She said, “I don't have any husband.”

You said, “You've got five.”

She said, “Sir, I perceive that You're a prophet; but we know that when the Messiah cometh (the Messiah) He will do these things. He will show us these things.”

And You said unto her, “I am He.” If that was the sign of Messiah then, it's the sign of Messiah today if He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. We realize that, Lord.

When the staunch, straight Jew come named Nathanael, and You told him who he was, told him where he come from, he said, “Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God. You're the King of Israel.”

But the unbeliever, many of them very religious, said, “That's Beelzebub. He's a fortuneteller.”

And You said, “If you call the Holy Ghost that, it'll never be forgiven you in the world or the world to come.”

And You said, “These things that I do shall you also.” You know where the fish that had the coin in its mouth. You know where two mules was standing hitched where two ways parted. O God, You know just as the Father showed You. And You said, “The things that I do (and in the same manner, by the same God, of course), it'll be done to the end of the world. Yet a little while and the world (the unbeliever), will see Me no more, yet ye shall see Me for I (personal pronoun.)....” Oh, God, You said, “I'll be with you to the end of the world. I'll be in you,” doing the same works, carrying on Your ministry.

You said, “I am the vine; ye are the branches. Now, yield yourself and bear fruit, and I'll purge you that you might bear more fruit.”

And, Father, I yield myself to Thee now under the mighty hand of the Holy Ghost, and ask that You'll help me and bless me, that I might show forth Thy resurrection to this people. And that we will praise Thee in Christ Jesus' name, we ask it. Amen.

While, you may raise your heads. I want you to be reverent and pray while I know that His presence is here. Now, you're audience, you're from me. The reason I say this way, I've got to wait for Him. And when He anoints, and if He strikes to you, then I just ask you if you have a desire for God in your heart....

If Jesus Christ has raised from the dead and standing here in His power, and you're out there in need, like the woman was that touched His garment, can you...?

Now, you say, “Well, Brother Branham, can I come up and touch you?” No, that'd be touching me. That wouldn't do no good. But you want to touch Him.

How do you touch Him? The Bible said that He's a High Priest right now, at the right hand of the Father, making intercession. He's a High Priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities. Is that right?

If you have an infirmity, pray to Him, and ask, and find out if God won't give you the touch and let you touch Him, if you just believe. [Someone speaks in tongues.] Be reverent. Be in prayer. Look, live, just pray.

Now, you're a total strangers to me. I know nothing of you. You know that. But now, you just pray and say, “God (in your heart, like this) I don't know this man, and he don't know me; but You know my desire, and You know my heart. And I want You to be merciful to me.” And if you'll do that, I believe He will. I'm yielding myself to see what He would say, to see what He would do, to see how He would do it. That's up to Him. May He grant it is my prayer.

Now, I see the Light of the ... that's left here now, and is standing over a lady. She's praying. And the lady sitting right back on the left-hand side here, she has on a little white tam, and she has a kind of a gray-looking tam (it is) with a gray looking suit and she's praying. She's sitting right behind a colored lady.

She moved her body just then. She's wearing glasses. She has dizzy spells. If that's right, lady, raise up your hand. Right straight behind.... That's right. You right here; you, right there.

Well, you won't have them no more, lady. Your faith touched Him. If thou canst believe.... That was caused from a nervous trouble, sister. A shadow was around you; it's gone. Now, be reverent. You're in the presence of Him who is life.

Here's a lady sitting here with a black hat on, looking at me, right here. And It's standing over her. She's got a checkered dress and wearing glasses. It's a.... She's suffering with something wrong with her head. It's a sinus trouble. She has a nervous trouble. Do you believe and accept it, believe that God will heal you and be made well? Do you? With all your heart? If you do, you can have it. Amen.

Be in prayer. What do you think, sir? Seems like you can't.... I can see a man looking at me there crying, nervously, watching that. Let me just talk to you a minute, you sitting right there with a blue suit on.

Do you believe with all your heart? White-headed, sitting next to the man with the beard on. Do you believe with all your heart? Yes, you I'm talking to. Maybe the microphones is not carrying my voice. When the anointing strikes me, I don't know what I'm saying.

But you seem to be sincere and you keep moving yourself around. I just like to.... You're right in the line with me. I'd just like to talk to you. You believe me being His servant? You do that with all your heart? You have a need of God, that you'd like for God to do, and you'd want me.... If I could reveal to you what you want, would you believe with all your heart that God would give it to you? You would? All right.

You look this way and don't look at your brother, but look at Christ. And He would heal you of that rheumatism that you have, wouldn't He? You have rheumatism, don't you? Yes, sir. And you have a bursitis, also, don't you? That's right. That's right.

You got someone else you're praying for too, haven't you? Uh-huh. That's a wife. She isn't here. But she was in a automobile accident and got hurt. Her legs and her body was hurt, and she's all shook up. That's “Thus saith the Lord.” That's true, isn't it? Raise your hand if that's true. You believe He raised from the dead? To heal you, sir, I couldn't, see, but it's Him. He is the Healer. I'm nothing.

Don't be worried, little mother, sitting; I see your hand up like this. Don't get scared. And you with your hand like this. Just believe. You know God can heal your heart trouble and make you well? You believe that? You do? You had heart trouble, didn't you? the little lady with a blue dress on; got her hair combed back.

You had a nervous heart, kind of a blocked heart. When you lay down at nighttime, it's failing, it smothers you. Wasn't that right? If that's right, raise up your hand. All right. Now, you can go home and be well. Your faith touches His garment.

Are you believing with all of your heart. How many over this way believes, somebody over in this section? Hard to get to the balconies, but just believe.

I see a little girl sitting with her head down, sitting right here. Look up this way, honey; you're just a child; the little girl with, like a pink looking blouse on. She's weeping because what happened. That Light just moved down over her just then. It was standing near her.

Honey, have you got a prayer card? No, you don't? Don't have no prayer card? All right, then you'd never be called up here then, anyhow. Do you believe me to be God's prophet? Do you believe that Jesus has raised from the dead? That's the mother of the child sitting by her. And you believe it, lady? Would you, sister?

Well, what you're here for tonight, you're praying for your eyes. That's right. That is right. Isn't that right? Sure it is. And let me tell you, that you might know me being God's prophet. You got a difficult at home: That is, your husband is not a saved man. That's right, isn't it, lady? He didn't even want you to come. That's right. I'm not reading your mind. But Jesus raised from the dead. Amen. He lives; He reigns.

Lady right behind the colored lady there. You have a stomach trouble, don't you, lady? That's right. You're not from this city. You're from a place called Albany. You live on 80th street, don't you? Your number is 80, and you live on First Street. Uh-huh.

The lady next to you is your neighbor. That's right. She lives on 64, number 64, First Street in Albany. She has a tumor, doesn't she? I mean, Mrs. Busby there next to you. Do you believe? How do I know you? I don't know you, no more than Jesus knowed Peter, but He knew who he was. All right.

Martha, you can be healed too, if you believe with all your heart. Shocked you because I know you? It's not me that knows you; it's the heavenly Father that knows you. You believe now with all your heart? You accept your healing?

Will you believe all over the building at this time? Is that the thing He did when He was here on earth? Then He's healing here with you. It's Him. Do you believe now? Then believe.

Let us pray. Our heavenly Father, may all superstitions leave the people. The devil tries to keep them in darkness. And truly they're desiring to be the seed of Abraham.

And I ask that You'll go, send away this evil, or give me the spirit of power.

Satan, I wish to speak to you. You see you're exposed. Your time is nearly over. And oh, your condemnation at that day. I stand here as God's servant. You're not afraid of me, but you are of Him.

But I represent Him in His death, burial, and resurrection. These people represent Him. And you got your demons all bound into these people, and you think you can hold them, but you're just a bluff. You're stripped of every privilege you have. You have no legal right. Jesus stripped you of every power you had at Calvary. And you're nothing but a bluff, and you ain't bluffing us no longer. Jesus is here. And you are rebuked. Thou spirit of doubt, come out of this people in the name of Jesus Christ. Leave this people, and go out of this building, and may every one of them be healed in Jesus Christ's name.

If you're ever going to believe, you'll believe right now. Rise to your feet; give God praise and glory and be healed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.