Jesus Christ The Same Yesterday, Today, And Forever

Let us bow our heads just a moment for prayer. Blessed Father, we are indeed privileged tonight to be here in this great city of South Bend. And a greater privilege than that is to be assembled with these people tonight, the purchase of Thy blood. And we would ask You to visit us with a great visitation of Thy presence. And make us all God-conscious tonight, that You are ever near.

Bless the pastor of this church, and the workers, the coworkers, the visitors, and all that's assembled tonight. May the sick be healed, and may the backslider find his way back home again tonight. May the unsaved become saved. Get glory to Thyself. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. May be seated.

About twenty-three years ago I was visiting in your neighboring city of Mishawaka for my first time to ever have any contact with Pentecostal people. And it was over at certain tabernacle; I was coming down from up at Dowagiac, Michigan, I think, which is near, with an old friend of mine where I'd been fishing. And I passed by and saw this great rally, and I stopped in.

And many of you's read my life stories, how that I was just a young Baptist minister at that time. And first time I'd ever been in a Pentecostal meeting to hear them clapping their hands and running all over the floor. And I thought, “Oh, my, what church manners.” Come to find out, I was one of them and didn't know it. I just fit there just like a glove to a hand.

And it was in that place there where the colored boy, when they was asking about me. I was next to the youngest minister in the whole conference, just gathered with them a night, and the colored boy said.... They kept asking where I was.

And I had a little T-shirt on, a little seersucker pair of trousers. That was during the time of the depression you know, and no one knew me to be a minister, so I was just sitting real quiet. And the colored boy said, “Do you know who he is?”

And I said, “Yes, sir.”

And he said, “Well, go get him.”

I said, “Look,” I said, “I'm him, but” I said, “don't say that, see.”

He said, “Here he is, right here.”

I never will forget my text. I preached on the subject, “And He Lifted Up His Eyes In Hell,” the rich man. And I said, “The reason he cried, because there was, well there's no God there, so he cried.” And I said, “There was no children there, so he cried. There was no preacher there, so he cried.” Then I cried. So, I just got all wound up in the Spirit, and that's when I found out that I was one of them.

I'm happy tonight to be here. Now, a few weeks ago I was sitting in a beautiful restaurant ... or, not a restaurant, it was the Marine Gardens in Chicago, having breakfast. And I had the privilege of sitting by your honorable pastor. And they introduced me to him, which I'd seen him before, and we got to talking.

And he gave me an invitation to come over with.... Saying that Brother Moore, my private secretary, had told him that someday if he would come down to his place, we'd come up here. So Brother Moore never fulfilled his agreement with Brother Summerall.

I said, “Well, I owe you a visit then.” And I said, “It's been so many places; it's booked so heavy to.... Would just about three nights be all right?”

And he said, “Anything would be all right.” So here we are.

I want to say one thing that.... Not because he's sitting here, but I'm certainly happy to be here, and can understand why a spirit like this would exist in a place. I have spoke about him to where I was going with many people.

But I want to say this to your pastor. Rather give him a little rosebud now, than a wreath when he's gone. I have got my first person to hear say one thing against Brother Summerall. That the honesty and such a wonderful man, I know he's a real preacher because I heard that morning. The people are all gathering tomorrow afternoon, my folks around here to hear him speak in these afternoon meetings. I'm sure you'll enjoy being here and hearing him.

And now, we are here to try to put in our little ministry with your ministry together to bring glory to God. The Lord has called me years ago to pray for His sick children. And that I reverently try to do.

And I do not claim to be a healer now. If anyone can hear that, I'm not a healer. I don't claim to heal people. I, frankly, I don't believe there's anyone can heal people, because that's God's job, and He's already did that, see. By His stripes we were healed when His Son, at Calvary, was wounded for our transgressions; and with His stripes we were healed (a past tense).

And so many times people speak of divine healing. There is no healing but divine healing. That's the only healing there is, no other healing, but divine healing. Never did medicine ever cure any case. Never did an operation ever cure, see.

Operation is an aid, and medicine is an aid, which we think they're fine. We thank God for every aid that we have, but God's the healer, see. Psalms 103:3 said, “I'm the Lord who heals all thy diseases.”

So, we know we have to agree with the Word. If the Word's out in one place, then it's out everywhere. It's perfectly in harmony all the way through. I just believe the Word. That ... it's God's program. I do not want anything more than the Bible teaches, but I want all that it does teach. I want it all. So it's God's Word. It must come....

Now, I know that God can do things that's not written in His Word. He's God. He can do anything He desires to do. But as long as I know it's coming out of the Word, it just gives me a good assurance that everything's all right. I like that real well.

Now, we're asking the Lord tonight to bless us. And now, just one more word on divine healing. Now, I never come to take the place of your doctor, see. No. I come to do this: I come to pray for God's child, the doctor's patient, my brother and sister. That's what I come for, see.

And now, in this you see so much when you speak of bodily healing, that there's.... The motives and the objectives of people seem to be so confused and wrong many times.

Now, you go to the medical doctor and he will say, “Don't you go over to that surgeon. He's nothing but a butcher. He will just cut you to pieces. He's a saw-bone.”

And then the surgeon will say back to the medical, about the medical doctor, “You don't need sugar pills. You need an operation.” Well, then both of them will say, “Don't have nothing to do with that chiropractor,” see. “It isn't nothing but just psychic, your mind.”

And the chiropractor will say to the osteopathic, “Your bones need adjusting, not your muscles rubbed.” And they're all against the preacher. So, there you are. But what I think that the motives and the objectives is not right, see.

If everything's right.... It's a money-making thing. If everything is right and a man has got his right motive and his right objective to it, I think this, that each of us, and all know that operations does good, medicine does good. Bible said so. And you know a chiropractic and osteopathic, many times helps people. We know that. You just.... That's a good aid, a help.

So, what we should do would each one of us join hands and hearts together and march forward to do everything we can for our people to make life a little more pleasant, this journey that we're here in anyhow, to help one another, to do all that we can to benefit and to make life more pleasant for each person that's traveling this journey.

It's to this end that I'm here, to try to do that, to join hands with your doctor, with your chiropractor, with your surgeon, with your pastor, with your neighbor, and all to try to make life just a little better.

And I'm sure already I feel that I have been blessed to walk in this church here, and feel this wonderful welcome spirit, and to get to shake hands with these minister brethren as we come in. Just the three nights, just a little get together, a little get acquainted. I've always longed to come here.

And then maybe later on, the Lord willing, we could do something maybe in warm weather, to put up a big tent here somewhere and have a good revival for it to take a long time.

Now, in this it's pretty hard to come in with a new type of ministry, and then try to introduce it in just three nights, when really it should take three nights of introducing before you ... to get the people to see that it's the Word.

We believe the Word of God is right. Jesus said, “The Scriptures cannot be broken,” so then the Word is right. And to come and try to start praying for the people right on the first night, it makes it hard. So I just ask this: for your confidence.

There's very few people that I really come up and contact by laying on of hands. My ministry is not that. We realize that that's a great ministry, laying on of hands. But ministry of laying on of hands was a Jewish sign. You know Jairus said, “Come, lay Your hands on my daughter, and she will live.”

But the Roman centurion said, “Just speak the word.” That's all, the Gentile, see. “Just say the word.”

Jesus turned and said, “I haven't found faith like that in Israel,” see.

“Just speak the word,” because what happened? Now, bear this in mind. That Roman knew that every sickness and disease was subject to His Word. Now, if you can realize that same, it's all over, see. When you can realize the same that every demon, every sickness, every disease, every affliction is subject to the Word of God. “Just speak the word, and my servant will get well. I'm not worthy that You come under my roof.”

And then, in the ministry, as I say that He has given me, I'm uneducated, and not a.... I don't even call myself a preacher, just kind of a spare tire like, you know. But in that to try to bring a ministry to the people that they might love the Lord Jesus. God be with you. And may God help you, and help us all now to magnify He who we come here to magnify.

I wish to read out of the Word of God tonight just for a few moments. And a new meeting, and coming in, and a little nervous to start with you know, but I don't know. I had lots of meetings around the world many times, but there's something about when you're facing something, that you realize the sacredness of it. God sent it. Satan's just looking for a flaw anywhere he can.

Now, if the people are not sewed down on the Word, yet they might not speak it out, but you don't have to speak it out, God knows it when it's in your heart. Then you feel that, you see. But now, if you'll just.... If you see me do anything, or the Holy Spirit do anything that's not in the Scriptures, then let us know about it, see.

A few nights ago over in Waterloo, and I was thinking.... One night there we had a ministerial breakfast, and there was a rather hard spirit. They seemed to not be able to just grasp it. It was amongst the Presbyterian, Lutheran, and so forth and it was a very hard spirit.

And I was just broke down with it, because the Lord was doing great things, but yet the people would just sit. You could pick it up in their mind, you know, what it was, what they were thinking. And that makes it awfully hard, if they're not all with you, one place in one accord, you know.

And while I was there on the platform, and just having prayer, I thought that a plane was coming over. And I looked around to Dr. Vayle here, and he thought the woman had reversed the air through the pipe organ or something. And it sounded like a thundering coming somewhere, like a thunder roaring, coming at a distance.

Billy jumped up. And I looked over to Brother Mercier here (which is the tape boy, he and Brother Goad, and my son, and them give out the prayer cards), he thought he'd done something. And he'd seen me look at him. He said his heart was about to fail. He didn't know what it was.

Then all of a sudden coming right through the building, come like a wind, only it wasn't a wind, it was a rumble like a wind, and just shook down, and went out over the audience, and you see them turning white as it just waved over the audience, just a repeat like Pentecost, like a rushing mighty wind.

But it wasn't a wind, it was just like an influence that went out like that. And I noticed the Bible said, “There came from heaven a sound as a rushing mighty wind,” see. And I begin to check, because I know the Holy Spirit never misbehaves itself. It's always right.

So, then I began to check it with the Word. Then I turned over to Saint John the 12th chapter where our Lord was praying one time. And while He was praying, around some of His critics, well, the God of heaven spoke back to His Son. And the people who stood by said it thundered. Some of them said an Angel spoke. And Jesus said, “It didn't come because of Me, but because of you,” see. So He's always Scripturally every time.

Now, to read His blessed holy Word, just to talk to you a few moments, and pray for the sick, and try to make this a night of getting together and getting acquainted. And if you'll just put all that you have in it in prayer and back it up, well, then we will.... I believe the Lord will heal all the sick and the afflicted and we will just have a wonderful meeting.

In the word of Saint John the 12th chapter and the 20th verse, a little familiar text.

And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:

The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sirs, we would see Jesus.

And then for a text, the regular campaign theme is Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ The Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever.” And now, upon this Word I would like to talk to you just a few moments.

It's a most unusual thing to think that someone or the world would question the words of the Creator, but it's because it's dominated by unbelief and spirits of the enemy which make them to disbelieve.

I don't believe that anyone ever heard that precious name of Jesus but what longed to see Him. I have had the privilege of preaching in many foreign nations, and great crowds of people come out to hear the Gospel. But I've never seen anyone in my life, that ever heard of Jesus but what longed to see Him.

There's just something about human beings that, seem like the old Missouri slogan, “Seeing is believing.” And we rely so much upon the sense of sight. As five senses control the body, and a sense of sight is the gate to the soul.

It's too bad the Protestant people doesn't know that. The Catholic caught it long ago, of little statues and monuments and so forth, of saints. But the eye, the gate to the soul....

And these Greeks had heard something about Him, and they came to find out who He was and what He was. And they said, “Sir, we would see Jesus.” Now, they didn't desire to see His works. They only desired to see Jesus.

And then, if Hebrews 13:8 (not if), but it is true: the same yesterday, today, and forever, it's seemingly then, that we would be able to see Him today just like they did then, if He's the same.

Now, if the Bible says that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, then He's got to be the same in principle, the same in power, the same in action, the same in motive and objective. He's got to be the same in every way, only a corporal body.

Now, the corporal body was a dwelling place of God. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. And this body was put to death at Calvary for an atonement. There's where He was wounded for our transgressions; with His stripes we were healed.

And God lifted that body up on the third day, alive again, and it sits at His right hand tonight in glory to make intercessions upon our confession. He is our High Priest. He is to intercede for us where we make a confession.

And anything that He did in His all-sufficient sacrifice at Calvary, anything that He did there in the atonement, He bought the price for us to accept it by faith and to ask; and He's before the Father to make intercessions upon what we confess that He has done.

Now, confess means “Say the same thing.” If the Bible said, “By his stripes we were healed,” to confess it, is to confess the same thing. “By His stripes I was healed. By His stripes I am healed. He was wounded for our transgressions; with his stripes we were healed.”

Now, in that corporal body, after He sits right.... The Holy Spirit was sent back to the earth ... the Spirit of Christ, to dwell in the church. Do you believe that? We are Christ's church. How do we get into the church? Not by denomination, not by any other way, but by spiritual baptism: I Corinthians 12. By one Spirit we're all baptized into one body. Not by water baptism, but by spiritual baptism; we're inducted into the body of Christ by spiritual baptism, and become members of His body.

Saint John 15, He said, “I am the vine; ye are the branches.” Now, the vine does not bear fruit. The vine only energizes the branch, and the branch bears fruit. And the church is the branch connected into the vine to bear fruit. You get it? And the branch cannot bear fruit until it's energized by the vine.

And whatever life is in the vine, the branch will bear the kind of fruit from the life-giving resource it's getting its life from. If it's a pumpkin it'll bear pumpkins. If it's a watermelon, it'll bear watermelon. If it's a grape vine, it'll bear grapes.

And if the church is in Christ, then it'll bear Christ-like Spirit, Christ-like works, Christ-like faith. If it's properly connected, a good healthy vine, not cut off, hanging down, or withering away. But real, good, healthy branch connected into the vine will bring forth the fruits of the Spirit. We know that to be true.

Now, Jesus said before He left the earth, “These works that I do shall you do also.” And He said, “A little while and the world will see Me no more.” Now, the world there meant “world order.” “The world will see Me no more, yet ye shall see Me.” “Ye” is a believer. The world is the unbeliever. “For I ['I' is a personal pronoun.], I will be with you [How long?] to the end of the world.” I, Christ, in His church, energizing it, bringing the same things that He did when He was here on earth. As He did in all the ages gone by. He's in His church tonight to do the same thing.

It's too bad that we've drawed lines, and barriers, and got different little sensations and isms, instead of just taking what God said was the truth. That's right.

Now, if He has appeared to us in these last days.... Now, remember, when He appeared to the Jew, He told His disciples, “Don't go to any Gentile. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” And we find out that Jesus Himself never manifested Himself in the presence, or to show Himself to the Gentiles, or sent His church to the Gentiles.

But that was to come later. The Gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles later. Paul said after he'd been turned down so many times by the Jews, “Lo, we turn to the Gentiles.”

Now, in order to find out what He was yesterday, His manifestation to see Him, what He is today.... Then if He's the same today as He was yesterday, His manifestation has to be the same.

Now, that may seem just a little unusual from the regular trend of school, but after all, Jesus said these words, “The works that I do shall he do also.” Saint John, I believe it's 14:7. “The works that I do shall he do also; greater....” The right translation is “more.” You couldn't do any greater. A greater in quantity, but not in quality.... He raised the dead, stopped nature. He just did everything. So it would more than this, because then the Holy Spirit would be working through the church throughout the universe. “More of the same works will you do; because I go to the Father. And I will come again, and be with, in you.”

Now, there's only one just way. If I'd say to you Presbyterians tonight, “Do you believe that?”

“Yes, I believe that.” Methodists, Pentecostal, and so forth, each one would believe it. You'd think your church was doing it. Well, that's right, I believe that also. I wouldn't discredit anyone's faith in God by any denomination, because Christ is no respect of person or denomination. He seeks what will worship Him.

But now, let's.... The only real true picture we can get of it for the Pentecostal, for the Full Gospel, Nazarene, Pilgrim Holiness, Methodist, Baptist, and so forth, if Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, let's go back and find out what He was yesterday. Then we will find out what He will be forever, and what He is today. Find out what He was in the days gone by.

Now, if you wish to follow this, you could turn and read tonight.... I will just quote it, and you can check it with me now. Let's go to the book of Saint John to start with, just for a little quotation. We find out after that the Holy Spirit had come upon Him, God dwelling in Him....

And Jesus never claimed to be a healer. How many knows that? He certainly did not. Jesus said, “The Son can do nothing in Himself. It's not Me that doeth the works: it's My Father that dwelleth in Me; He doeth the works.” And He said, “The Son can do nothing in Himself,” Saint John 5:19, “But what the Father ... what He sees the Father doing, that doeth the Son likewise.”

Now, is that the truth? Could the Son of God lie? No, sir. That's true. Then Jesus never performed one miracle without God showing Him first what to do, or He told something wrong in Saint John 5:19.

Now, people has always had it in their mind that God's prophets, and Christ and them, just healed wherever they'd take a notion to heal. No, sir. Never was that granted to human flesh.

Test the prophets. Get Elijah on Mount Carmel. When he laid all these things out, he said, “Lord, I've did this at Your command.” All ... God moving, showing His will on what do to.

Now, we find out in Saint John the 1st chapter, after He had received the Holy Spirit into Him, which was God in fullness.... Now, remember, Christ had the Spirit without measure. We have it by measure. The gift that we have in the church tonight is just so little up the side of what His great Spirit was. It's just like a spoonful of water out of a great mighty sea.

But if you should take a spoonful of water from the sea, and take it into the laboratory, and examine it, all of the chemicals that was in the sea would be represented in that spoonful of water. It'd be the same kind of water, yet not as much.

That's the way the Spirit is in the church. It's the same Spirit, but not in the fullness like He received it. His disciples had been completely defeated on a epileptic case. And just before that He'd gave them power to cast out devils, to heal the sick, to raise the dead. And they were totally defeated on an epileptic case.

And the father said, “I brought him to Your disciples,” and he said, “They could not cure him.” And he said, “Lord, if thou can, have mercy on us.”

Jesus said, “Bring him here. If you believe, I can.”

And when the spirit saw that great power of God, they knowed that was more than a spoonful that they had found in the disciples. And the spirit was defeated, of course. It threw the boy in the hardest fit he ever had perhaps, and wallowed on the ground. But yet, when Jesus said, “Take him up, give him some food; he's all right.”

Now, in the 1st chapter we find that there was a man who got converted and went and got his friend, his brother Peter—Andrew. And when Peter came up to the Lord Jesus.... Follow close, Saint John 1. When Peter came to Jesus, Jesus not only knew him, but knew who his father was. Jesus said, “You are Simon, but you shall be called Peter.” That's little stone. And said, “Your father's name is Jonas.” That's what the Scripture says. He knew Peter, knew his name, and knew his father's name.

What would that take place tonight? What would the world consider it to be? Just draw an opinion. What would the world think tonight if something like that took place? Just the same as they did then: a telepathy or something.

Then there was one by the name of Philip, the next few lines down. He got converted, so he goes over (he was from the same city that the other, that Peter and his brother Andrew was from) and he goes around the mountain and finds a good friend by the name of Philip ... or, Nathanael. He found Nathanael.

And Nathanael, he found him under a tree, perhaps praying, when he came up. And notice, when he got up off of his knees, I can hear Nathanael say to him ... or, Philip, rather, to Nathanael, “Come, see who we have found.”

There's just something about it. If a true conversion has found something real and has been converted to it, he can't keep it to himself. He's got to tell somebody else about it.

And he knew this man was very orthodox in his belief, but yet, he knew he was an honest man; and he wanted to get the message to him. He said, “Come, see who we've found: Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph.” In other words, the one the prophets spoke of. “We've found Him.”

Now, could you imagine the shock to this orthodox believer? I can see him as he raises up and brushes the dust from his knees, and said, “Now, can there be any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

As they would say today, “Could there be any good thing amongst them holy-rollers? Could there be any good thing come out of such a group as that?”

And I think Philip give him the best answer that any man could give. He said, “Come and see.” That's the most convincing thing. “Come and see.”

And on the road around I can hear them as they would be talking. And I can hear him say, “You know what? When Peter came up to Him and was talking to Him, He told him who he was, told him what his father's name was. Now, don't be surprised, because He might do the same thing to you.”

I could imagine Nathanael saying, “Now, wait a minute. What kind of a deep end have you gone off on? What's happened to you? Do you expect me to believe such a thing as that?”

“And Nathanael, come on, just come, see for yourself.”

So when our Lord was standing in the line, perhaps praying for the sick, and here comes Philip up with Nathanael. And as soon as the eyes of our Lord fell upon him, He said, “Behold, an Israelite in whom there is no guile.”

Now, that was strange, because the Greeks and the Jews, they all dressed alike with robes and beard and sandals. How did He know he was a Jew? How did He know he was honest? And it astonished him. And his attitude represented the whole Jewish nation that ever believed.

He said, “Rabbi, when did You know me? This is our first time ever meeting. Why You never saw me. You know nothing about me. And how could You know that I was an honest and just man?”

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

How many knows that's Scriptural? Certainly it is. That was Jesus yesterday. If He's the same today, He's got to do the same.

And, of course, there was unbelievers standing at the time. And we have the record of Mark. And those unbelieving Jews.... Now, what did Philip say ... or, Nathanael, rather? He said, “Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God.” They must've been looking for something like that. “Thou art the King of Israel.”

And Jesus said, “Because I told you that, you believe? Then you can see greater things than this.”

But how can the unbeliever say when these things were done? They were ashamed to speak it right out with their own mouth, but in their heart they said, “He's Beelzebub.” And a Beelzebub was the prince of the devils, like a fortuneteller. And anyone knows that fortune-telling's of the devil.

So he said, “He is a Beelzebub.” And they didn't say it out loud.

But Jesus perceived their thoughts. It's what the Scripture said. What did He say to that group of Jews that thought that? Said, “Speak that against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven you.” But listen close, “When the Holy Ghost is come,” (in other wise, to do the same thing), “one word against it will never be forgiven in this world or the world to come.” How many knows the Scripture says that? It's true.

There was a believer accepted it. His name's immortal tonight. There was the unbeliever who disbelieved it, and you know what happened to them. Now, if that was Jesus' attitude yesterday, today it'd have to be the same, and forever it'll have to be the same. Now, He didn't.... By that they believed. Now, watch. That's exactly how He introduced Himself to the Jewish people.

In Saint John the 4th chapter now.... That's one. Let's go to 4 just for a moment. He had need to go by Samaria when He was on His road down to Jericho. Jerusalem's on a mountain. Jericho's in a valley. But He went up around Samaria. Why? He had need. He sent His disciples away to buy victuals.

And while they were gone, no doubt a beautiful looking young Samaritan woman came out to get some water. Well, it might've been because she had been out all night or something, but she just come out at that time.

And the little panoramic, something like this here maybe, the vines growing around it. Jesus looked at her as He was sitting over against the wall. If you ever been in the Orient and see how they come to the well.... And He said, “Woman, bring Me a drink.”

Why, there was segregation in them days between the Jews and Samaritans. And she said, “Why, that's not customary for a Jew to ask Samaritans such a thing.” Said, “We have no dealings with one another.”

And He said, “But if you knew who you were talking to, you'd ask Me for a drink. And I'd bring you water that you don't come here to draw.”

The conversation went on. Now, you'll have to take my word for this, if you will. He was contacting her spirit. The Father had sent Him up there. There was a woman, but He didn't know what her trouble was. Then the conversation at length went on about worship within the mountain and some at Jerusalem.

After a while He found where her trouble was. And He said, “Go, get your husband and come here.” There was her trouble.

She said, “Sir, I don't have any husband.”

He said, “That's right. You've got five, and the one that you have now is not your husband. You said well.”

Watch the woman. This is not a Jew now; this is a Samaritan. She looked at Him. And she said, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. We know when the Messiah cometh, He will tell us all things.”

He said, “I'm He that speaks with you.”

Watch what they were looking for. They were looking for that sign that was the sign of the Messiah. Jesus did it before the Jew. The true Jew said, “You're the Son of God.”

And now, watch the Samaritan woman. She said, “Well, we're looking for the Messiah to come to do this, but who are You?”

He said, “I'm He that speaks with you.”

She left her water pot and ran into the city, and said, “Come, see a man that told me the things that I've done. Isn't this the Messiah?”

If that was Messiah ... or, the sign of Messiah yesterday, it'd have to be the sign of Messiah today. Notice, not one time was that did before the Gentile. No. This is the Gentile's day. This is the ending of the Gentile dispensation.

I'm not much of a dispensationalist, but the Bible speaks of it, that the Gentiles have come to their end. And anyone that don't have to pick up the Bible, just get a newspaper, turn on your radio. You can see where we're at the end. There's no hopes for us.

The church is going home soon, and the world's going to dust again, just exactly what God said would take place. She will rock her right in there, out of its orbit yonder around the sun. She will burn this time like she went out away from the orbit the other time and was destroyed with water. We're at the end. And we Gentile people's walking around with all of our degrees and everything, and thinking we're somebody, and don't know that our days are numbered.

And the Messiah, the Son of the living God has appeared to the Gentile church in the last few years thirty or forty years in the great filling up again of the Holy Spirit; and a revival that's swept the world around, and declaring Himself in the same measure and power and Spirit that He did when He was here on earth; and continually we shake our heads and walk away from it. What's left but judgment?

Mercy always calls before judgment. We must have mercy give to us first; and if we spurn mercy, there's nothing left but judgment. We bring it on ourselves. That was Messiah yesterday.

We see one place there is a woman that [unclear words] great bunch of people after He'd crossed the sea through the night, stopped the storms, there was a woman who had a blood issue for several years. And she'd slipped down by the ocean side, for she said within herself, “If I just touch the border of His garment, I will be made well.”

Excuse me, I don't mean to yell at you. I just, ever who's controlling it....

...touch the border of His garment. She really believed. And here she come through the crowd, and she touched His garment. And she went back out into the crowd of people, perhaps of this size. And when she went back out into the crowd, Jesus stopped and said, “Who touched Me?”

And Peter, rebuking Him, said, “Lord, well everybody's touching You.”

He said, “But I perceive that I've got weak.” Or, the King James said, “Virtue.” Virtue went out of Him, which means strength that made Him weak.

“I perceive that I have gotten weak. Virtue has gone from Me.” He looked around. What was it? The woman had touched God. And He looked until He found her standing or sitting back in the audience, and described to her that her faith had made her well.

That Jesus still lives tonight, if He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, or He's wrong in His words, in His speaking. “The works that I do shall you also.”

You say, “Brother Branham, does the New Testament say that?” Absolutely. The New Testament said, “He is a High Priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities.” How would you know you've touched Him if He didn't turn?

How does He work? Through the branches. As He did through the main vine then, He works through the branches, His church today. He's got many great gifts in the church that He sets in order to take care of this. Certainly. Reveals the secrets to us, and drops down His wisdom to us, telling us what to do and how to do it.

God is not a declaration of some sort of a creed, like a Mohammedan or a Buddha religion. God is a living God who isn't dead, but is alive tonight, just as alive as He was when He walked Galilee—like He lives in His church. And if He doesn't act the same, then you've got the wrong thing. For the Bible said, “He is the same. And the works that I do shall you also.”

Now, notice Him one more time. He passes down through a great.... In Saint John 5, the next chapter. Saint John 5, He passes through a great multitude of people, right after this miracle had been performed, His garments full of virtue. He walked among many times more people perhaps that's sitting here tonight. People that were called, I guess, fanatics, because they believed that God sent an Angel.

Do you see, God has always had some resource for divine healing, all the ages through. And He sent an Angel to this pool, and troubled the water. Many people were considered fanatics. Historians tell us that they stabbed one another trying to get in that water when it was troubled.

While people who were critical said “Oh, step in the water, but the wind hits the wall and blows the water back. Did you ever walk down into it, a pool that's...? The old place is still there. And said, ”It's just a changing of the wind.“

But to those who believed, it was an Angel. And the Bible declares it to be an Angel. So they wasn't wrong after all. But they'd step in, the first one with faith, stepping in would get healed.

And there, look what the Bible said. They were lame, blind, halt, withered. Such a condition of mass humanity, suffering. Old mother standing there, blind. “Oh, won't somebody help me into the water.” I've got little children at home.“ And another one standing with a big water head baby, an old dad standing, screaming for help.... And Jesus walked right by. And He never said a word to any of them. But He went till He found the man that He was looking for. Did you notice the Bible? It said, ”For he knew he had been this way a long time.“ ”I do nothing till the Father shows Me.“ He found this man laying on a pallet.

Now, I don't know whether you northerners know what a pallet is or not. I was raised on one. How many know what a pallet is? Well, what part of Kentucky you all from? A pallet. Oh, to lay at the door on a old straw pillow. I don't know if you know what that is or not. An old tick stuffed full of straw, and lay on a pallet.

And this man had been laying on a pallet. He might've had a prostate trouble. He might have had TB. It was retarded. He'd had it thirty-eight years. It wasn't going to kill him. And he wasn't blind. And he wasn't helpless. He said, “When I'm coming to the water, somebody beats me there. Somebody can run faster than me. And I've been there all these years.”

He could walk. He could see. He could talk. He could eat. But it's strange that the Son of God walked around every one of those people and went to him. Oh, He was so submissive to the Father. “That I do nothing in Myself.”

Notice. And as He said to this man, “Wilt thou be made whole?”

He said, “I have no one to help me to the water.”

He said, “Take up your bed and go into your house.”

The 19th verse He was questioned. And here's the answer of the Son of God to those Jews. “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? “I can do nothing in Myself until the Father shows Me. The Father worketh and I work hitherto.” See, Jesus never performed one miracle without God first showing Him, or He told something wrong. And He couldn't tell nothing wrong, because He was God.

And therefore, Jesus said these things: “The works that I do shall you also. A little while and the world sees Me no more, yet ye shall see Me, for I will be with you.” And “I” again is a pronoun, or a personal pronoun there. “...be with you.” In one place He said, “Even in you to the end of the world.”

Then if Christ has come.... If time.... You say, “Brother Branham, through the age.” That's right. No where you find it in history since the days of the apostles. Why? This is the last winding up of the message to the Gentiles.

We've had the reformation through Luther, and down through the Methodist age, and through the Baptist age, and into the Pentecostal age, and it's about gone now too. So it is the end of the age. And Christ promised to do it. And if He would not do it, then He done something for them that He wouldn't do for us.

As I've often said, if this generation of people, if this haughty America, as we all are citizens, if America escapes the judgment of God, He will have to raise Sodom and Gomorrah and apologize to them (That's right.) for burning them up. He's a just God. He's an honest God. And He deals with His children all alike, for they're all creatures of His creation.

And here it is at the end of the Gentile age. We're at the end: Christ manifesting Himself just as He did then, proving to be alive, proving that He hasn't died, but He's alive forevermore to manifest Himself in vessels that He can work through.

No matter what He'd do here at the platform, if your eyes are blinded to it.... If He would raise the dead on this platform, and you didn't have an open heart to it, you wouldn't believe it. You'd find a way to escape. You'd say, “Oh, well,” it's like the Jews back there, “Oh, it's some sort of a trick, or it's a telepathy, or maybe it's a spiritualist, or something like that.” That's what they said.

Don't you see, God takes His man, but never His Spirit. The Spirit was upon Elijah, come upon Elisha, on ... on John the Baptist. And many times those Spirits of the Lord is not known until the one who has it is gone. Did you ever think of that? God's just.

Let's take just a minute, put the prophets in the days gone by. They didn't recognize it. And to you people here tonight, recognize. Oh, God, open their eyes of understanding. We're at the end time.

They didn't know who John the Baptist was until he was dead and buried. Even the disciples said, “Why does the prophets say that first Elijah must come?”

Jesus said, “He's already come and you didn't know him.” Then they knowed that He spoke of John.

They didn't know who Jesus was till He was dead, buried, and rose again, before they knew who He was. They didn't know who Saint Patrick was until he was dead and buried two hundred years nearly; neither Saint Francis of Assisi.

And to you Catholic people, you didn't know who Joan of Arc was, that little woman that saw visions and was a spiritual woman. The Catholic church burned her to a stake like a witch. And two hundred years later ... or, years later, dug up them priests body and throwed them in the river to do a penance, after they realized that she was a saint.

And the Spirit of the living God is moving over the whole earth today, and people don't know what it is. But God is just. He sends forth His Spirit to declare something. We sit starchy and harden up our hearts, be indifferent. Then what's left for us but judgment? Christ is under obligation to His Word, but no more than His Word. He's obligated to His Word.

Now, I see the time's getting away. Not too long each night.... I'd like to ask you something. Upon the basis of God's Word, we realize that Christ made Himself known to the Jews by telling Nathanael where he was before he came to the meeting. Is that right? Made Himself known to the Jews many other ways, by them touching His garment and so forth. Always in a supernatural. But the supernatural is always with the Word.

I realize that I'm standing on the platform here tonight and two real scholars behind me that I know of, three of them. And I'd guess there's more than that out there. But I want to ask you something.

In the Old Testament they had a way of knowing whether a prophet told the truth or not, or a dreamer. That was the Urim Thummim. And we believe that that was the breastplate of Aaron.

And when the prophet was prophesying, if those conglomerations of those lights work together and made that big glorious light, the prophet was telling the truth. If it didn't work, then the prophet wasn't telling the truth.

Now, that priesthood ceased, and the Aaronic priesthood is gone. We have a new priesthood. We have a new Urim Thummim: that's God's Word. If a man tells the truth, the lights in the power of God's Word will reflect it that it's the truth.

And how was it? It was a supernatural reflection. How would a man talking make all those different stones send forth that rainbow color? How would it do it only when a prophet was prophesying? If he was false, it'd stay dormant. His words didn't come back. But if he was true, it recognized and sent forth a supernatural sign that the people would know that that prophet was telling the truth.

If God's Word prophesies something, and God takes the supernatural and proves that it's the truth, it's a Urim Thummim, people. Time to receive it and believe God.

Now, if He shall come tonight.... I don't say that He will. If He comes and performs, and lives, and acts, and does the same thing that we talked about Him, will you believe that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever?

How many in here will just raise their hands, say, “Brother Branham, it may puzzle me, but I will know that it's the truth if He does it, because the Word says so.” Would you do it? Just raise your hand and say it? Wonderful. That's good. Thank you for your attention.

Now, now, you see where I stand? It's up to God to act next. If it doesn't, then the Word declares something that's not so and I've been found a false witness of a false word. [Blank spot on tape.]

But oh, before half a million at a time I've seen Him do the same thing. When I did it one time in Africa, I saw thirty thousand raw heathens break their idols on the ground and receive Christ as Saviour. Thirty thousand one altar call, thirty thousand tagged raw heathens with idols in their hands....

But we Americans, we say, “Well, that could be something wrong. I just wonder if Dr. Philip Jones or whatever, you know.... You know he tells me that this is a lot of telepathy.” Oh, friend open your heart. Pray and say, “God,” you out there in the meeting, say, “God, speak at me. Let me know, Lord. Let me enjoy Your mercies in this last day.”

For we're at the end time. The handwriting's on the wall, notice in the sky with a sputnik, you see. We know that the world's really shook up now. And anything can happen. And what did Jesus say? “There'll be signs in the heavens and on earth.” Jesus said, “When the Son of man reveals Himself.” He is now in mercy to the church, and in judgment to the world for rejecting. Now, let us pray.

Lord Jesus, somehow I'm looking forward, Lord, to something real tonight. Oh, it'll be such a wonderful thing here tonight if You would just unfold Yourself, Lord, to these people and every heart would be open.

And let them know, Lord, that Your servant, a very poor, and very unqualified for the job, but, Lord, who is qualified? What mortal being would there be, what creature of time? But, Lord, it would not be us, it would be the Holy Spirit to do those things, to manifest.

Now, Lord, there are many sitting here tonight in this church, sitting ... standing here at this pulpit where great men have preached, and great voices have been carried through these microphones, many have predicted this hours of this coming.

And I pray, Lord, that You would send Jesus tonight with such a great outpouring, that there will be not one feeble person left in our midst, sinners may come to Christ, and that cripples may walk, and blind see, and sick be healed, that tomorrow this whole city will become a great place of testimony, that the Son of God might be revealed to them in this day. Grant it, Lord.

Bless us together. Shut off all unbelief now. Drive out everything that's contrary. Break the spirit of the enemy, and get glory to Thyself. For we ask it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.

Each day they come down just in order to get somebody here before me, to get started. Now, He's never failed me. He might not do it tonight. I don't know. Because it's just a gift. And how many believes that gifts and callings are without repentance? Do you believe that?

Does the Bible say, that in the church there's first apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, pastors? How many knows there's five ministering gifts? Certainly there is. An apostle, a prophet, an evangelist, a teacher, and a pastor. God set these.

Then there's nine spiritual gifts that goes into the body, such as speaking with tongues, interpretation of tongues, and wisdom, and different gifts. I Corinthians 12 there that sets the nine gifts. They might be on this person tonight, and on that one tomorrow night, and that one the next night, and all over the building. That's just for the local body.

But God by foreordination.... We don't want to call the word “predestination.” It's a bad word to use before the people. But God, by foreknowledge can predestinate: God is infinite. Do you believe that? And He knowed everything that would be on the earth before He created it. You believe that? If He didn't, He couldn't tell the end from the beginning.

He knows all things. Therefore He could love Jacob and hate Esau before either one was born. He's not willing that any should perish. No, sir. But His foreknowledge let Him know that they would perish anyhow, so He could predestinate everything to work to His glory.

Now, to get the people here to me ... up here tonight to see if the prayer line gets started.... Each night now, we've had ... we've give out prayer cards. The prayer cards, it's a little card with a number on it. That's to get the people lined up.

First when I first started in the ministry.... How many remembers years ago when I first started about ten years ago? Would there be anybody here? Well, look at the hands. All right. The way I do the people then would take them by the hand, just hold it till something spoke to me to.... How many knows that?

How many knows that I said He told me that I would even know the secrets of their heart if I'd be sincere? You same people raise your hand if that was told? Now, you might not have never seen it.

But listen. There's another move coming now, which will exceed this. Now, I believe it will take place soon. Now, God's church keeps moving up. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of God raises a standard against it. That's right.

Now, don't look for signs for you to believe. Now, we used to, we didn't.... You remember when I didn't have any prayer cards. I'd just say, “All you want to be prayed for, get up.” And, oh, my, have fist fights and everything else, and knock one another down, and push one another away. You couldn't do that.

And Brother Bosworth who just went home to glory.... How many knowed F. F. Bosworth? Greatest saint of the day as I know. He went home to meet Jesus the other day, way in his eighties. He's at home tonight. Before he died, about an hour, he went into a coma, and raised up, begin shaking hands with the people he preached to years ago that's been gone. Just rejoicing and praising God, saying, “I haven't seen you for years.”

Lives of great men all remind us we can make our lives sublime, with partings leave behind us, footprints on the sands of time. That's right. Yes. Let my end be like that.

Now, notice. He said to me, he said, “Brother Branham, you make it like a arena....” Said, “Don't do that.” Said, “All my ministry I've give out prayer cards, make them come and let them stay three times before I'd ever pray for them, three meetings for instructions.”

Well, I said, “We will just do that.” Printed up a few hundred cards, I said, “We will go down there.” And first thing you know we got somebody down there was giving out prayer cards, and selling them, so I had to stop that.

So then I said, “Well, I will just send to pastors, each one, so many prayer cards, that's cooperating.” Well, the first pastor got his group in, and that started it with hard feelings between the pastors. Couldn't do that.

So I said, “Well, I will tell you what, we will just go down and give out the prayer cards. And then I will get somebody.... I got my brother to go with me, which I knowed he wouldn't do that. So I sent my brother down. He'd give out the prayer cards, and they got to a place they found out [unclear words] I didn't get over maybe from ten, fifteen, not over twenty-five prayer cards. If their card went above that, they'd just throw it on the floor, ”I don't want it. I will never be called.“ See?

Well, then I said, “I will tell you what I will do. I will send the prayer cards down and give the whole thing out in one night, and I will just call them from that.” Then people coming in on the second night, never had a chance to get to the platform. See, that wouldn't work. Oh, we've had a time with it.

Then I said, “I will tell you what we will do; we will just give out the prayer cards...” had to have the prayer cards. I said, “We will have some little girl or little boy sitting in the front seat to stand up here and start counting. Where he stops counting, or she, that's exactly where we will start from. Strange as it was, mommy had junior to stop right at her number, and so that just didn't work.

So I didn't know what to do. So one night crossing over to Canada, the Lord gave me a vision, and said, “Go down and give out prayer cards every day, every day. And then when....” that night, the boys who were giving them out, they could be Brother Bill could give them out, or Leo, Gene, or Billy Paul, my boy, any of them give out the prayer cards.

And then they bring the prayer cards down and take them like this before you, and mix them all up together, walk right out in the audience, you want one, you want one. That's just all.... Anybody that wants them can have them till they give out. You might get number 1 and you get 50. Then when I come in I might start at 50. I might start at 10. See, nobody knows where they're going to start, and I don't either.

So we usually give them out in the afternoon because the cards are inexchangeable, and they must stand to hear the instruction meeting—be instructed on how to receive divine healing before you give them the cards. And then the boys are there to give out the cards.

And then I might start from five, and run from 5 to 10. And then next night I start from 95 and come back this way—just anywhere, wherever it comes on my mind when I'm standing here. That's just to all. That's right.

Now, the only thing that does is get the people here, a few lined up. That has nothing to do with if they're going to be healed, not a thing. It only gets the Spirit moving, gets the doubt out of the building.

Then the Holy Spirit goes right on out through the meeting to the people anywhere, where they ever may be, call them right there just as....

You just touch His garment, and see if He doesn't tell me, see. That's the way, see.

And anyone who's ever been in my meetings lately knows that there's ten to one healed in the audience and called out to what's on the platform. Anybody ever been in my late meetings, raise your hand if you know that's true? Sure, see. Ten to one.

The prayer card don't have nothing to do with your healing. Your prayer card don't mean one thing. It just means for you to.... You're called up here just to.... What was it? I don't operate a gift. Your faith does that, see.

Jesus, He was the Son of God, but that woman.... He didn't know who touched Him. He said He didn't. Is that right? What did the woman did? She operated that. See, it's your faith in a divine gift. It's your approach to it. Do you believe that?

What about that Roman soldier that put a rag over His eyes, and hit Him across the head with a stick, said, “Now, prophesier, tell us who hit you.” He never felt any virtue. There wasn't one thing told him. He's in torment tonight, I suppose, for an attitude like that.

Look at Martha, when she went to Jesus. And she come to Him, she said.... He had went away and left her when they was in trouble and Lazarus had died. But did you see, there's a case. The Father had already told Him what to do.

He said, “I'm glad I wasn't over there.” Said, “He's dead four days.” What the Father had told Him. He said He did nothing till the Father told Him. At the grave He said, “I thank Thee, Father, Thou has already heard Me, but I just said it for these who stand by.” See, He never said He got weak there, did He? No.

How much greater was that than it was the woman that touched His garment. But that's when God was using His gift, see. This was when the woman was using His gift. It's just.... Your faith does it. I could no more stop it, or no more produce it than nothing. It's your own faith in it.

If you don't believe that's so, just look at God. Don't be nervous. Just look to God and say, “Lord God, I believe that solemnly with all my heart to be the truth. And I have need of such and such a thing.” Watch what He will do. That's a great word to say here, isn't it? That's right.

But I know who I have believed. I'm persuaded He's able to keep that which has been committed. If God says anything, God keeps His Word. And He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. I will go on record through the tapes and so forth as that, but I say this, that the right mental attitude towards any divine promise of God, will bring it to pass. Remember that. If you take the right mental attitude towards it, the promise, it'll bring it to pass. May the Lord grant it.

Now, did you give them out? J-1 to a 100. We can't line them all up. We can line a few of them up. Who's got J number 1? Prayer card with a J and a number 1. The lady right there. Come over here, lady. Number 2, number 2, would you raise your hand? Thank you.

Number 3? Come right down here to this side, if you will. Number 4? Is it the gentleman back there? 5, who has number 5? Lady. 6? Just look on your card. You have number 6, lady? The lady coming here with the purple dress: Number 6? Number 5.

Number 6, does anyone have number 6? Would you raise your hand? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Prayer card number 6. It may be some.... Look, here's a lady here in a wheelchair, a little girl. Check her card there and see if that's it. Number 6. J number 6. All right. Is it here? Would you raise your hand?

Somebody that's maybe.... Look at your neighbor, maybe somebody's deaf and can't hear. They'll miss their card. Look at your neighbor's card. How many prayer cards in the building, raise your hand. Supposed to be fifty or something. All right.

How many's in here that doesn't have a prayer card and wants God to heal you? You raise your hand. All over the building, no matter who you are, where you are, see. There you are. See, who's going to be first now? See, you couldn't do it, see. About eighty percent of the crowd here is wanting to be prayed for.

All right. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 6, prayer card number 6? Look at your neighbor then and see if it's a deaf person. See if it's somebody who can't walk. If it is, just get somebody and raise them up, and get the usher, and come pack them up here. Number 6? All right.

Number 7. You're number 7, lady? Number 7. Number 8. 8, 9, 10, 11. Are you 11? 10, 11. Back there. 12, 12. Did I see the hand? All right. 13, 14. They're just all over the building, just anywhere. The boys just give them out to anybody that wants them till they're run out. Give a few here, and a few there, and everywhere, so we won't all crowd and rush towards one place.

All right. I think we got up to about 15 or something now there. How many is that, about 15, brothers? 15? All right. Let's start the prayer line and just ... and see if we.... All right. Now, just a moment. We will see how these come, and then....

Now, how many in here doesn't have a prayer card and say [unclear words] “Lord, I will believe You tonight. And I'm going to put my faith in You. I know that man standing there; he can do nothing for me. But if he has explained the truth that You're in Your church, he'd be a member of the church.” Just like you are, see. We're brothers and sisters, just a member of the church.

And the Holy Spirit loves every one of us just the same, see. And you say, “I will set my solemn faith in You, Lord. And You have the man to turn around and call to me and tell me what I'm praying about, tell me what something like He does ... like it did in the Bible.” Would you raise your hands, you that wants that to happen to you, raise your hand, just put it way up high, and believe with all...? No way of knowing. It's just everywhere. All right. Just believe now. Just believe. If you ain't got a prayer card.... 'Course you won't be called, but if you got a prayer card, we don't know just what will take place. Now, now here's the time. I want to say to you all, remember the services tomorrow afternoon.

How many here never was in one of my meetings, let's see your hands, never was in...? Just look. All right. And all right into the overflow over there. All right.

As I tell you, I'm not a preacher. As the Word who can handle it like your pastor and these men here, see. But I may not know the book too well, but I know the Author real well. That's all. I know Him. But now, here's where the time what I've said....

How many believes that what I've said tonight is the truth, that's the Word? That's the Word. Well, thank you. You keep a spirit like that and you'll see great things in these three nights. You certainly will.

Now, how many ever seen the picture of that Angel? Let's see if.... They took it down in Texas. The boys.... Have you all got them pictures here with you? See, if I die tonight, the testimony's still right. I will [unclear words] it to you tomorrow sometime if I can, see, see. It's a light.

How many knows that the children of Israel followed a pillar of fire? Sure they did. How many knows that pillar of fire was Christ, the Logos, the Angel of the covenant? Sure. Sure. All right. How many knows when He was here on earth, He said, “I come from God and go to God.” How many knows that?

How many knows when He met Paul on the road to Damascus, He was back to a pillar of fire again and put Paul's eyes out? All right. See, He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Now, if that Spirit, which I tried to tell the church.... When I was a little baby eighteen months old, (That's right.) when I first begin to talk, first thing I ever remember is a vision. It's been hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times, and never one time did it ever fail. And it can't. If it would, it wouldn't be God. But being it is God, it can't fail, see.

So I've stood before five hundred thousand at one time at Bombay, India, about two hundred thousand in Africa, heathens and everything; and challenge the Mohammedans, take the Koran in one hand and the Bible in the other and say, “One of them's right and one's wrong. Let the God that made the promise do the speaking.” That's right, see.

Listen, brother. The psychic word is all right, just to speak and preach and.... But listen. It's come to a time, see. It's come to a time where the God who raised up Jesus Christ manifests Himself. The God of Elijah still lives. Certainly He does.

Look after those people, and many of you folks have walked with Him daily and didn't realize what it was. Those who love Him, Cleopas and his friend going to Emmaus. They'd walked all day and talked with Him; they didn't know who He was. His resurrection day, three days before He was watching down the cross, and here the same man....

How many knows that God can shut eyes or open eyes? Certainly He can. Certainly He can. Now, let Him open yours tonight, see.

And after He got to Emmaus, made like He'd go on by, and some of them persuaded Him to come in. When He got them in the room and shut the door, got them closed in, like we are here tonight, He did something the very way He did it before His death, burial. Is that right?

And they recognized, their eyes come open, and they recognized it was Him all the time that they had been talking to. I pray tonight that our hearts when we leave here, will be the same way. “Did not our hearts burn within us as He talked to us along the road?”

May He do tonight just the same things He did before His resurrection to fulfill His Word. He don't have to do it to show His power. But He must to it to fulfill His Word. That's what He come.... He didn't have to heal to show His power. But He had to heal to fulfill His Word.

Now, be reverent. This picture has been taken. It's here, if you want it, you can get it tonight or tomorrow night, not the next, you see. Now, the boys have here with tapes, and the books, and things. Now, this is just flat what we get for them, just.... We don't get a lot of radio programs to sponsor.

I'm not here for money. You know that. You heard that.... One thing the critics can't say is about money, because I've never took a offering in my life. And I've been a minister twenty-six years. Never took an offering in my life.

I don't have any television, radio, and so forth to where I have to be sponsored. I can go and preach to the people that's got a church that has ten in it or a hundred thousand, if the Lord wants me to, see. So it's just wherever He sends me, I just feel liberty to go. I don't have any programs, nothing to....

We got some books, “The Life Story.” The boys get the tape here, and them boys sells them just so close. And then the picture, I buy them myself. They're copyrighted here in Washington, DC of a supernatural being. It's right under it as the only supernatural being that was ever scientifically proven photographed. They did it in newspapers, but this happened to be the association that did this.

And in Germany they got it coming down, when it was anointing, when it was going back. They got it in Switzerland. It's knowed the world around. And the fruit of that Spirit bears the life of Jesus Christ. Then it'd have to be the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

Now, as a man.... I'm a man. That's just like the rest of you. But now, if we can submit ourselves to a gift that the Holy Spirit would move, now the next is up to Him.

So, Father God, from now on, let Thy Spirit move. Anoint hearts to believe and anoint me, Lord, I see with these eyes that the things that You want these people to know. Work, O eternal God, for Thy glory in Jesus' name. Amen.

Now, the lady sitting here, I don't know her ... or, that's standing here, rather. That you might know this. There is not one person in this building that I know. How many in the prayer line would just raise up your hands that I don't know you, and know nothing about you, in the prayer line? See?

How many out there knows that I don't know you? Let's see your hands. Brother Summerall, and my son, and Dr. Vayle, and Brother McAllister here. And I seen one of my Mennonite friends somewhere awhile ago was at the Waterloo meeting. But I forgot where it was at while I was speaking. He's here in the building somewhere, a Mennonite brother from.... was at the meeting last week at Waterloo.

I don't know now. He might've went out. He was in here somewhere, a Mennonite brother. And he's from Pennsylvania, I believe he was. He's been at my home, and we've had fellowship together. He's somewhere in the building. But he's dressed with a Mennonite clergy coat on, if you'd know. No one knows.

So now, you look to Christ now, and say, “Lord, I just believe. I just believe.” Just believe it in your heart. Be real reverent, and pray for me, because I'm here to represent your Lord through His Word.

Now, I just want to talk to the woman just a moment. She's the first one here tonight. Now, if the lady is a stranger to me.... Now, what if.... Here's a perfect picture of Saint John 4, that I talked to you about, a man and a woman meets for the first time. The woman, the Samaritan woman.... And Jesus talked to her a few moments till He found where her trouble was. Is that right? How many believes that now? Jesus talked to her till He found her trouble.

Now, if His Spirit will come and find this woman's trouble the same way that He did then, how many would believe it then with all their hearts, say, “I promise I believe.”?

Now, first I say this, with my hands up, I don't swear, by the Bible, I've never seen the woman in my life. I don't know the woman. I've never seen her. And we're strange.... This is our first time meeting, lady? She saw me.

You was just sitting in the meeting? Went through the prayer line with her boy ten years ago in Phoenix, Arizona. And you can imagine what I'd know about her, see. I have never.... I've met many, even millions of people since then. I have no way.... If it was in a prayer line, I wouldn't know it anyhow. The only way I know what happens....

I believe I do see Brother Smith back there, the writer of a magazine from out west, Texas, I believe it is ... or, Oklahoma. Brother Smith. Yes. Glad to see you and your wife.

Only way I'd ever know what I said was catch that tape there. We know everything that's been said to people. Watch what it says. If He knows what has been.... If I'd tell this woman.... She may be sick; she may not be sick. She may be standing here for someone else. She may be here for financial conditions. She may be here for domestic trouble. I don't know. See, I can't tell you. But if I'd say, just say, “Lady, you sick?”

You'd say, “Yes, sir.”

I lay my hands on her, say, “Praise the Lord, you're going to get well. Hallelujah. Go believe it.” Well, she'd have a right to doubt that. Well, if she would or not, but she'd have a chance to question in her mind whether it was really so.

But if the Holy Spirit tells her something that's already been in life that she knows about, something she done a long time ago, or something she done first to come here, or something, let her be the judge whether it's right or not. And you do the same out there. Then we know, if He knows what was, He certainly will know what will be. Is that right? So that proves it. That's the miracle.

The woman looks like a big, strong, healthy woman to me. But maybe, she may be sick. I couldn't tell you. But whatever it is, if I'd say.... “There's a little girl, two ladies sitting here in a wheelchair.” Sure. “They're in the wheelchair and they're crippled.” Sure. Anyone knows that. That wouldn't be no miracle to say that.

But what about this woman? She looks strong. What about these women here, these men, or somebody out there, looks stout and healthy. There's the miracle of it. Now, be real reverent.

You say, “Brother Branham, you're stalling.” I know it. That's exactly right. I'm waiting for Him. That's exactly right. If He doesn't help, come to me, I will just dismiss the audience with prayer or [unclear words]. I'm waiting for Him.

“Only Believe,” if you will, sister. Just everybody real reverent. Be real reverent. Now, while we just talk to the lady a moment. Maybe He will speak.

Now, sister.... And ever who's on the microphone, watch now, because it's a vision; you're somewhere else; you don't know how loud you're speaking or how soft you're speaking. So ever who's.... The engineer, keep it stepped up when the vision starts if it does.

Now, oh, I believe you said that several years ago you was on the platform in Phoenix, Arizona. Them was great days. I remember them. I remember, I believe three thousand come through the line one afternoon in Phoenix, Arizona. He's still the same Lord God. He's great. He can do all things.

Now, in the name of Jesus Christ, every spirit's subject to the Holy Spirit. Be reverent. He's here.

To know you, I do not. If you were sick, to heal you, I cannot. The only way that I could do.... If our Lord Jesus was standing here with this suit of clothes on that He gave me, He could not heal you if you're sick. He could only do something to make you know that He's here in answer to His Word.

So He, being in a spirit form can use His servant's body for the same thing. You believe that, lady? Do you believe that I have told the truth from the Bible? You solemnly believe it?

And now, you're aware that something's going on. And you know standing here by your brother wouldn't make you feel that way, because between me and the woman there's that light moving.

And the woman is in a serious condition. First thing, I see her.... She's coming to me through a room. She's rubbing her sides. She's getting from a chair now real easy. She's suffering with rheumatism. That's right. That's “thus saith the Lord.”

Let her be the judge whether it was right or not what was said. Was that right, lady? If it is raise up your hand. All right. Now, what it was, I don't know. But see, if you take like the woman standing here, now whatever it was, you heard that voice but it wasn't mine.

Now, both of us with our hands up that we do not know each other, have never met each other, only she just passed through a prayer line. But now, ten years ago when maybe they was coming through as fast as you could herd cattle through.... See?

But look here. Here it is now. He tells her something, whatever it was that's on the tape. She witnesses it's the truth. It was up to you whether you believed or not, see. It's up to you.

But now, more you would talk to the woman.... Now, that's the same thing, the Lord Jesus found the woman's trouble, and that's what, ever what it was that was truth. She witnessed the truth. And the lady raises her hand. That's truth, is it, lady? There it is. Whatever it was is true.

Now, more you'd talk to the woman, more would be said. We realize that, see. Would you all desire it, being this woman standing here, just to talk to her just a little bit? Would you desire that? Or would you rather just pass her through the line? All right. Let's talk to the woman just a moment. Be reverent.

Now, lady, the only way that I will know.... You're catching it, Leo, there, see. All right. Only way I could know would be that. Whatever it's on that tape there. Now, you just look again and believe with all your heart.

I'm not reading your mind. No, sir. I have a thought come from the building. Now, don't believe that. I'm not reading the woman's mind, no indeed. I'm just contacting her spirit. She's a Christian woman, for her spirit feels welcome. She could be a critic, see. But she's a Christian, a real believer.

Now, if the voice can still be heard.... Yes, I see the woman. She's doing something. Yes, it's a rheumatism. It's rheumatisms in her body. And then I see her at a place where she's changing her underneath clothes. And she's bothered with a something in her.... It's in her breast. She has a growth in her breast: cancer, a dark shadow.

And the woman is not from this country either. The woman comes from a city that's near a great lake, a big place where there's lots of fruit that grows. And that's north; it's Benton Harbor, Michigan, the woman's from. And her name is Mrs. Mansfield. That's “thus saith the Lord.”

Do you believe now, lady? Whatever He said was truth. Is that right? Now, the lady says, “Every word.” Certainly. Now, whatever it was, let's pray. You're the church of God now. Whatever her trouble is, you pray with me for her, so she can be ... have whatever she's asked for. Now, your prayers is what's going to count now for her.

Heavenly Father, Your children are believing. Oh, my. The woman is in need. And we ask that whatever she's desiring, may it come to her just now, Lord, and make her.... Whatever.... If she's sick, heal her. If she has other desires, give it to her, Lord. We ask this in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

The Bible said, “These signs shall follow them that believe; if they lay hands on the sick, they shall recover.” Go, believing now. Do you believe with all your heart? As you have believed, you will receive it, just as you have asked for.

Are you believing with all your heart now? Be real.... Now, you out there, that's a wonderful spirit. Just keep that up, and you'll see the glory of God. You over here in the prayer line, just keep believing a minute. Oh, how wonderful now. Now, now, He's the Boss, now that His Spirit has claimed subjection. Now's the time. Oh, how wonderful. Just believe.

I suppose we're strangers to each other, lady. I'm a stranger to you. You've been at my home. God knows I don't remember you. I've never seen you, as far as I know of, you see. There's hundreds and hundreds and hundreds come there.

Well, let's see. I don't know what you're here for. I have no idea. You know that, as that part. If the Lord will reveal to me what's your trouble, will you accept it? You will? Will the audience believe?

And here's my hand, as far as I know I've never seen the woman. She says she's been at my home, but my, that's hundreds has been there, see. So I would never know who it was. But if the Lord will reveal your request, then you'll believe it?

You want me to touch that handkerchief. That handkerchief's not for you. But it's for some of your loved ones. It's a sister-in-law. And she's in a state hospital, not in this state, but in the state of Ohio. Then in the name of Jesus Christ, let it be so, Lord. Amen. All right. God bless you. Now, go and receive what you've asked for.

I suppose we're strangers to one another, sir? The first time we've ever met. Here's a man that I've never seen or met. Sir, you've sat in the audience? He's been in a meeting in Chicago and seen me from the platform. The first time we was ever together. I have no more idea what, who, or nothing about it (see), than anything.

I'm withholding some of these things because of the people knowing it, see. They said they'd been some place. If the audience would know that I have.... This being our first time to ever be together, I don't know what you're here for. You know that. It'd take God to do that. If He will reveal it, will you believe it?

You believe Him? You're praying then, weren't you? You're dying condition. That's right, cancer. That's true. But you touched Him then. You touched Him, and you never touched me. Have faith [unclear words]. Just have faith. Don't doubt.

You that's here, sitting by her; you looked over to her. I don't know you. You know that. You got trouble with your head [unclear words]. If that's right wave your hand back and forth like this [unclear words]. It's gone from you now. Your faith touched Him.

Just have faith. Don't doubt. Believe with all your heart. You can have what you've asked for if you will believe.

I'm sorry. That's just the way He leads. See, it's I have to.... It's the light, and I just follow the light as it leads. Oh, thank you, sir. That's mighty nice. You believe it? Then God can do it.

If the audience can still hear my voice, this man here is in a serious condition. He's shadowed with darkness, and he's just come from a doctor. And he's doing something around, beating on you here. They're putting something.... It's a heart trouble. That's what it is. It's a heart trouble.

And I hear him say, kind of a strong looking man, and he says to you that it would be weeks before you'd go back to work again. That's right. You've had several heart attacks: seven. And you just feel sick at times till you can't even put water on your stomach. You vomit it back up. That's “thus saith the Lord.” Do you believe?

Eternal and blessed God, who raised up Jesus from the dead, bless this man, who we bless in Thy name. And may he receive that which he's asked for. For it's in the name of Jesus Christ we ask it. Amen. Don't doubt now. Believe. I ask for your healing. Go believing.

Have faith. Don't doubt. Don't move. Now, just sit still. Be real reverent. Isn't our Lord wonderful? So good.

How do you do? I guess we're strangers to each other. But the Lord God Jehovah, He knows both of us. And if He will reveal to me your troubles, will you believe it with all your heart? This is our first time meeting, I suppose, our first time?

There's something keeps taking place in this direction. It must be back in behind the rooms there somewhere. Just keeps drawing me that way, just somebody that's really having faith.

You believe the Lord could reveal to me what's your trouble, and then you would receive it? Now, how many in the audience now, believe Him with all of your heart? Oh, see. Now, what is it? If He has to keep that word, He keeps every other word He ever said. He has to do it. How much greater is what He's doing now than what it'd be to heal your condition? He keeps His Word. He's bound to His ... duty bound to His Word.

The lady's not here for herself. She's here for someone else. And that person that she's standing here for, is not here either. Was that your mother? If God will tell me what is wrong with your mother, that you're praying for, will you believe it? Cancer. That's right.

Now, you did something just now that you didn't know any different, but it was wrong doing it. This prayer card that you received, a friend got it for you, see. That's right. That's not to be done in the meetings. You didn't know any different, because we hadn't explained it.

Someone got it. I see them giving it to you. That's not supposed to be. What's the matter, Billy? How'd you slip up on that? All right. But now, it's all right. You haven't sinned. You haven't done anything wrong.

Now, that little handkerchief that you hold in your hand, go lay it on your mother, put it on your mother and believe with all your heart. May God heal her [unclear words]. God bless you.

Let us believe now with all of our hearts. If thou canst believe.... What do you think sitting there, with a.... Do you believe it, right here, this elderly man kind of shaking his head like? Do you believe that God would heal that [unclear words] and He'd make you well? You believe He'd do it? Raise up your hand if you believe He will do it. All right. Then if you have believed it, let it be according to your faith. Amen.

I don't know you. We're strangers to one another? Never met before in life. Excuse me, there's something else taking place. They just have to watch where it's going to. All right. Here it is. Fighting each other, see. You have trouble with your back. Right there at the end also, back trouble. If you'd believe it with all your heart.... That's right. Then it's over.

You got trouble trying to hold that? The man was sitting there.... Awhile ago when I was speaking, sir, you were trying to believe. Wasn't that right, with all your heart? See, that's your faith was coming in, but I couldn't tell where it was at, see.

Like this, when this spirit here trying to hold the woman, the same thing begin to scream to each other, and a black streak running across this a way. I knew then what it was. And I saw the vision of the woman; I saw a man appear here before me too; and I knew it was sitting in here then. I know where it was at.

You believe with all your heart? You got a spine trouble. That was caused in an automobile accident. And you want to go back down to Kokomo and be made well? All right, go back home to Kokomo and be made well [unclear words].

If thou canst believe.... The Bible said, “If you can believe.” Do you believe it with all your heart?

You out there with the rheumatism, sitting out there, was caused by an automobile accident too. Yes, you really do believe it. Amen. Have faith. Rupture, sitting on this side. You believe the Lord Jesus make you well too?

How many will believe it right now? He can do it every bit right now. Do you believe it? All right. All right. Put your hands on one another. There's no need of going any further. Right here's the time for, all your healing. Lay your hands on each other and believe. You in the prayer line [unclear words]. We'd just do the same thing coming up. Just lay your hands on one another. Now, here you are.

I want every sinner, as soon as this prayer is made, to rush up here to the altar. The presence of the Lord Jesus is here. The Son of the living God is here.

Yes, that's right. You with the lady's female trouble sitting there, the Lord makes you well, sister dear. Don't worry about it any more. Certainly.

TB, God bless you. It's all over now. You can go and be made well. That's right. Just have faith now. Believe.

If God will hear prayer from here, He hears it out there. Does He do just exactly the way He did in the Bible times? Then He hears prayer. Let's put our hands on each other now and pray, all over the building.

Dear heavenly Father, oh, I am so grateful to know that there's still faith moving in the earth. Oh, this great hour just now, when we're expecting some great something to take place.... A believing people, they believe because You've told them these things.

And You said to Nathanael, “You shall see greater things than this. Grant it now, Lord. May they be conscious that Christ keeps every word and every promise. May the Holy Spirit come powerfully upon this audience just now. And if there would be a shadow of doubt anywhere....

Satan, you've lost the battle. You're exposed. The Son of the living God is here. And I adjure thee in the name of Jesus, depart from here. Let every sickness go, every affliction. I ask the devil ... or, cast him away in the name of Jesus Christ. Come out, Satan, and leave these people alone. In the name of Christ, the Son of God. Amen.

Stand to your feet. Give Him praise. You who's sitting here afflicted, put your fingers in your ear. Whatever it was give Him praise. God's Spirit moves over the place and heals the entire audience....