Faith

Thank you. You may be seated. So glad to be here tonight in the service of our blessed Lord. Someone has taken my picture coming in out there, and I was looking in the camera and I didn't know it, and I can hardly see you.

We're so sorry that we do not have adequate room for the people to be seated, but we know that our Lord will meet our needs. And tomorrow, all you visiting people that are here in the city, that's from out of town and is going to stay with us for tomorrow's services, find your place in one of these fine churches here. These ministers here.... I think this is the ministerial role, the best that I know. And these are ministers that has churches throughout the country here. They'd be very happy to have you as their guest tomorrow at their church.

All the ministers that's around and close here, would you stand up to your feet so the audience can ... they have never ... if you will. That's right. Just so they can see where you are from. And all the cooperating ministers, would you stand to your feet, that the people might know who you people are here that's brought us here to this city. The Lord bless you. And now, if you're here, you go to their meeting. They'd be very happy to have you.

And now tomorrow morning I think I'm to go out to have a prayer at a dedication of a church. Tomorrow afternoon, if the Lord is willing, two-thirty, I want to speak on the subject, evangelistic subject, “When The Eagle Stirs Her Nest.” And then, tomorrow night, the Lord willing, I want to speak on “The Heart In The Middle Of The Heart.” That will be the closing services.

Then next week, we begin just your neighboring city over here in Ohio. And it's a Sunday through Sunday, with plenty of room there, I think, for the people. Then we go on to the New England states, back to Dallas, Texas; then to Durban, South Africa, and up into Switzerland, Germany, Holy Land, and aim to be back next fall again.

We are happy to be the servant of this great Lord Jesus that we so love. And so happy to know that we have this fellowship with you, His people. It gives us a great privilege to be here to minister in His name.

Now, just before we read a portion of His precious Word ... so we'll go straight into the service. I give out, I believe, or Dr. Vayle my associate has said, tonight we would have what was called “the faith line.” The Lord has been blessing us in the week, if there's any newcomers here. And we are having tonight “the faith line”. Those who are holding the prayer cards will be brought through the line. Tomorrow, if the Lord willing, the prayer cards will be give out at the afternoon service and at the evening service also.

Now, let us bow our heads just a moment for prayer. Gracious God, we are happy tonight for the privilege that we have of knowing that we are Your children by grace through Jesus Christ, our Lord. We are so glad that the blessed old Gospel has never lost its power, that Jesus remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. And we would ask this special blessing on these people, tonight. O God, we ask that You pour out Your Spirit upon them. Give us the exceedingly abundantly. Grant, O God, that there will not be one person that's in Divine Presence shall ever darken that smutty walls of the lost in hell. If there be a sinner man, or woman, boy, or girl tonight, may they think on these things and become Thy servant this night.

We pray, God, that You'll not let one person leave this building unless they are healed by Thy power, and have seen the vision and accepted it. And I pray, Father, also, for those who cannot be seated and be in comfort: they're standing, and their limbs are aching. We would ask that You would especially bless them. Make it easy for them now just for a few moments as the message goes forth. Speak through our lips and listen through our ears, Lord, and may Thy great name be honored. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

This week I have come to you not able to speak but just a little bit, because I hardly have had a night off since Christmas. Constantly speaking. And we started off at Chicago where the Lord gave us such a wonderful service. And it was in a blizzard, and every city that we have visited since then has been in a blizzard. And I told Dr. Vayle, which is just one of my new associates, I was going to call him “Blizzard Vayle” from now on, because every meeting we've had they've had a blizzard.

In the Chicago meeting, we're still getting great testimonies. Just one that I would like to mention just now. Billy was giving out prayer cards one night and there had been a little woman, little typical Swedish woman (and she was very poorly dressed), and she said, “Honey, would you give me a prayer card?”

And he said, “Mother, I have just give the last card out, I'm leaving.” Said, “However, tomorrow night you meet me here. I'll give you a prayer card.”

She said, “Bless your heart, honey, that will be all right.” So she goes in, must have climbed up into the second or third balcony. While the Holy Spirit was on ... in the building that night, anointing, it went up into the top of the balcony. Said, “The little lady sitting up there [which was the same lady], she is praying for her husband, who is a dispatcher on the railroad, that's deaf in one ear. He's just received his hearing.” She looked at her watch. And when she got home that night, her husband was standing in the door with his arms out, screaming. He had got his hearing just at that moment when it was saw by vision.

A colored lady sitting in a distance. The Holy Spirit moved to her and told her that she was from adjoining city, and that she was suffering with diabetes, and pronounced her healed. And said, “Also, your sister, a heavy-set woman, is in Arkansas in an insane institution, ten years an inmate. Maniac, butting her head against the wall.” And the lady witnessed that was true. And it said, “But, Thus saith the Lord, she just now come to herself.” And at that very same hour the woman came to herself. The next morning she was dismissed with a medical discharge that she was perfectly normal. Called her sister and greeted her on the phone. And the following night the woman, with her testimony, way she was described, was standing at the platform giving praise to almighty God. He still lives.

A man, for his friend (standing on the platform) up in Wyoming, who was paralyzed in his back for a number of years. Told him his friend would be healed within the next twelve hours. And at the end of the twelve hours the man raised from his wheelchair and walked, and come to the ... got on a train and come to the meeting, and testified to the glory of God.

Oh, aren't we happy tonight to know that Christianity is not a bluff. It's something that is real. God is so real. I want to read just one verse out of His Bible. And that is found in Saint Mark the eleventh chapter and the twenty-second verse. Just speak to you a few moments, and may God give us the context.

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

It's been said in the Scriptures that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” And then, if we were going to have a faith line tonight, I thought it would be appropriate to speak just a little on faith.

Now, many people thinks that ... doesn't know just how to take ahold of faith. Jesus had been speaking to His disciples, and He said to them, “Have faith in God.” But before He had done this, He had performed a miracle to show them that God still operated, that He still lives. He had said to a tree the day before, “No man eateth from thee from henceforth for a season.” And the next day Peter noticed the tree had begun to wither from the roots. He was showing there just what it meant. And Jesus, making not a raised voice, but just with real faith, said, “No man eateth from thee.” And the tree began to wither, the life went out of the tree.

Now, before He would teach His disciples what He did, He must show them first who He was. And that's the way He still does. As I have said before, when an occasion arises that needs to be God called on the scene, and the way God acts on that occasion, if the same occasion would ever rise again, God has to act in the same way that He did first—or if He did not, He did wrong when He acted the first time.

Oh, it seems to be such a hard thing for people to comprehend what faith is. Now, many people think that faith is just something like a rug, or touch a totem pole, or a certain mental emotion. That isn't faith. Many times that's excitement, sometimes it's hope. I've heard many people say, “Oh, I've got all faith.” But, then, them standing in a prayer line. If they had that type of faith, they would not need ... have ... be in the prayer line. See. It's just an emotional faith.

Now watch. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Now, if I was starving to death and you came to my rescue, and I said, “If I had one loaf of bread, it would spare my life”; and you'd say, “Brother Branham, I'll fix that for you,” and would give me twenty-five cents. Well, twenty-five cents is the purchase power of the loaf of bread. Now yet I do not have the loaf of bread, though I have the purchasing power of the loaf of bread.

Now, you people here that's real sick, I want you to listen closely. Now, that twenty-five cents is your faith. Your faith is the purchasing power of your healing. Now, if I had twenty-five cents, I could not eat the twenty-five cents. The twenty-five cents is not the bread, but it is the power that will purchase the bread.

Now, when you receive faith, faith is the purchasing power of your healing. Now, like this. If you give me the twenty-five cents, and maybe the grocery store was five miles away, but I can rejoice just as much with the twenty-five cents in my hand as I could with the loaf of bread in my hand, because I have in my possession the purchasing power of the bread.

Now, listen, friend. When you receive faith, if you really believe it, you're just as good as healed right then, though you might not be able to move. Now, it's not something that you imagine, it's not something that you work up to, it's something that you possess! You have it! I could show you my twenty-five cents. That is the purchasing power of the bread. And when you've got the faith, you prove it by the way you act. Now, I might have to go a long ways before I get the bread, but I can rejoice all the way. And getting more hungrier and weaker all the time, but yet rejoicing all the time because I've got the purchase power of the bread.

Here is a young man sitting here in a wheelchair. God only knows the man, as far I know; his friends know him, his people know him. Here is another man sitting in a wheelchair. A lady laying in a cot. A man sitting here with crutches, holding, supporting himself. If those people could only receive faith, then that faith.... If they couldn't even move one bit better than they could when they come in here, they could be ... not ten thousand doctors tell them that they wasn't going to be well. See? It's something you have, you posses it.

And now, usually, experience accompanies faith. And that's the reason that, usually, it takes a person that's acquainted with Christ—as the forgiveness of their sins, to know that He has forgiven you. You have an experience when you are born again, that Christ forgave you and you know it. Therefore, with that experience, it's easy, then, for you to believe God for anything that He promised.

Now, notice, it's not always the trained man. Here, let's take some examples for instance. Israel had been called out in battle against the Philistines. And the Philistines, just as it would be today, they had the great challenger named Goliath. Oh, he was a mighty man. His fingers were fourteen inches long and his spear was the size of a weavers needle, probably from here to the wall. And he made a proposition with Israel.

That's the way the enemy will do it. If he can see he's got the upper hand, he'll always proposition with you. But when he's in the corner, he's a coward: for the devil is defeated, he's nothing but a bluff. If this Bible is the truth—which it is—Christ stripped him of every legal authority he had at Calvary. He paid the full price for sin and all of its attributes.

But now, this Philistine come out. He said, “Let's not have a great bloodshed. Let's not have any trouble. Let's just you choose you a man and we'll choose us a man—and that's me—and let us come out here and fight. If I whip your man, then you all serve us; if he whips me, then we will serve you.” Sure. Who would tackle that great big giant?

If there was any man in the whole Israelite army that would been physically able, would have been Saul. Saul was the king. And the Bible said that he was head and shoulders above any man in his army. Not only that, but he was a well-trained man. He knew all the military maneuvers. He had been schooled since a boy, of knowing how to handle a spear or a sword. But he was afraid, because the giant had him bluffed.

But you know God's always got somebody that's not scared. Way back on the backside of the desert, herding his pappy's sheep, was a little old ruddy, stoop-shouldered boy that knowed something about God. He wasn't a trained fighter, but when he heard that giant make that expression, he said, “Do you mean to tell me that you'll stand here and let that uncircumcised Philistine defy the armies of the living God? If you all are scared, let me go fight him.” The most unequipped man there was in the group.

And many times ... when the devil has our people bound under superstition that divine healing is some kind of a totem pole, or something that was back in an age gone by. Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever! And the pitiful part, some of the best trained scholars we have is afraid to tackle the job—from the Lord Bishops and great scholarly men—because the only thing they know is the Word, they've never had a real experience with God. And David knowed what he was talking about. He wasn't so well-trained, but he knew who he had trusted.

That's what's the matter today, is men who are scholarly, great denominations behind them, but they're afraid to take that stand. Sometimes God has to get down and get some little ignorant, illiterate bunch of preachers, that hardly know their ABCs, to stand for what they know to be the truth—for they've had experience! No matter how well you're trained, if you're not experienced....

You wouldn't want a doctor to operate on you that never had an experience, you was his first patient. Certainly not. We need Christians who's got experience, who knows how to trust God.

And David, when he went up, they had brought him before Saul. And Saul said, “Why, you couldn't fight that man. Why, you're nothing but a little, ruddy kid.” And said, “You're just a youth, and he's a warrior from his youth.”

He said, “But Saul, there's just one thing you don't know. I've had an experience. Back on the backside of the desert one day, I was brought to a showdown. A lion run in and got one of my sheep. I knocked him down with a slingshot, and he rose up against me, and I killed him. And a bear got a kid, and I killed him. And the God that delivered me out of the paws of the lion and the bear will deliver me out of the spear of that uncircumcised Philistine.” He knew what he was talking about. He didn't have much training, but he knew the God of heaven. He didn't need any training. You don't need it, if you know God. And he conquered the Philistine because God was with him. What? He had an experience. Therefore he had faith, because he knowed what God had done God could do again, and the crisis was on, and God would act.

Oh, don't you see it? God's obligated to act every time! He's got to in order to be God—if you just won't doubt Him. He must act in order to stay God. See, we get smarter, the generations makes us smarter. We've learned the intelligence of our fathers. But God was infinite to begin with; He don't get any smarter. What He did the first time, he has to do every time because He was perfect to begin with. And His actions, and His motives, and His power, and all that He was was perfect to start with. Don't need any schooling.

Now, notice again. It was Moses that had been down in Egypt, and had all the scholarship, and was taught in all the wisdom of the Egyptians (which seemingly was far above our wisdom today). And he was taught in all of it till he could teach their teachers. If there ever was a man that was qualified by education, it was Moses. He was a military man. He knowed all the ways to fight, and all the answers; but he went at it wrong and he failed God. But one day back on the backside of the desert....

The only thing he knowed about God was what his mama had taught him. That's the letter, that's his education. But one day on the backside of the desert, he was herding his father-in-law's sheep, and he met God in a burning bush, a supernatural. And in five minutes in the presence of that supernatural Being, he was better equipped than all the wisdom that Egypt could have give him. Five minutes before he was a running coward, but after that experience of being in the presence and knowing that the God of the Hebrews lived, he acted different from then on.

Let's look at him. Here he is, an old man, eighty years old, whiskers hanging down to his waistline. And the next morning we find him on the road down to Egypt, where he was wanted for murder, going down to Egypt to take over. Could you imagine this sight? Just look what faith does. And it looks like it's the most radical thing. And God sometimes does things that seem silly to the human mind. But “by faith Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.”

Look at this scene: An old man, eighty years old, his wife sitting straddle of a mule, with a young'un on each hip; old Moses hitting a stick on the ground, going along praising God. “Where you going, Moses?”

“Going down to Egypt to take over. Going down to take over.” A one-man invasion. And the beauty part, he did it! Why? He had faith in the God that he had experience with—God, who made the difference. He didn't need his military training. He didn't need his scholarship. He needed an experience! And the burning bush had what Moses lacked!

That's the same thing tonight with the church. The Holy Ghost has got what the church lacks!—that's a burning, everlasting faith from [unclear words]. Certainly. It was wonderful to see how God could do those things. He turned it over and he made a different thing, because that God did it.

[Someone speaks in tongues and then someone gives the interpretation.]

“Going down to take over.” And he did it, because he had an experience that God still lived.

Abraham, coming down from Chaldea, the land of Ur. And after he had met God and had an experience, he was able to call those things which were not as though they were, because he had talked to God. It takes an experience. Certainly it does, to be delivered. Oh, how needful it is!

In the days of our Lord, before He left the earth, in Acts 1:8, He said, “Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” I misquoted the Scripture, that's Luke 24:49. Acts 1:8 says, “You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you.” And let's notice. There was a bunch of little cowardly people, 120 in a upper room, and they had the doors locked because they were afraid of the threats of the Jews. And then, “All of a sudden, there came a sound from heaven like as a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” Oh, they were afraid a few minutes before that, but here they were all out into the street magnifying and glorifying God. They'd had an experience that had set them afire, that could burn the whole world in that day. They had an experience. That's what we need. Experience accompanies faith.

Of course, when Philip had met the Lord Jesus—and had seen Him tell Peter, or his name was Simon, and told him who he was, and told him what his name was, and told him what his father's name was—it was after Philip had seen that done, that he could encourage Nathanael, that he found on his knees praying.

It was after Nathanael had come in the presence of Jesus.... And when he did, Jesus said, “Behold an Israelite in whom there is no guile!”

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

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

It was after that experience that he could fall at His feet, and say, “Thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.” It was after he'd seen the moving and working of the Holy Ghost in that man, and he knowed that was the sign of the Messiah.

It was after a little woman, who probably in her heart knowed she had done wrong, and knowed she was of ill-fame (living with six husbands), that she went out one day to a well at Samaria. And on the road up, no doubt that she was thinking about ... concentrating. That's why we miss God so much. We're thinking about other things instead of Him. Think on Him.

As she was going up thinking about it, “Oh, I'm so sorry that I have ruined my life, but some glorious day the great Messiah will come. And when He comes, He will straighten us out.” And while she went up there, she seen just an ordinary man sitting over against the wall. And the man was a Jew. And He said to her, “Woman, bring Me a drink.”

She said, “It's not customary for you Jews to ask Samaritans such. We have no dealings.”

He said, “If you knew who you were talking to....”

Oh, if this church tonight, if you only knew that the real Christ, the Holy Spirit, is on earth today just the same as it was in any day gone by, that He's still the same. If you could only let it get into you.

“If you knew who it was that's talked to you, you would ask Me for a drink.”

And the conversation went on, the little woman just as innocent of knowing who He was. After a while, when our Lord contacted her spirit, He said to her, “Go get your husband and come here.”

She said, “I don't have any husband.”

He said, “That's right. You have five and the one you're now living with is not your husband.”

Look what happened. Quickly she turned, and she said, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. We know when the Messiah cometh He will tell us these things. But who are You?”

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

It was after that experience that she could run through the streets saying, “Come see a man who told me everything that I've done. Isn't this the very Messiah?” After she had had the experience.

There was a little woman who believed in her heart that that was the Messiah. And she slipped through a crowd one day, with a blood issue, and she touched His garment. For she said within her heart, “If I could just touch His garment, I'll be made well—just touch His garment.”

Notice. And she touched His garment and she went away. And our Lord said, “Who touched Me?”

And they all rebuked Him and said, or Peter did, and said, “The whole crowd's touching You.”

Jesus looked around until He found where she was standing, and He said to her what she had, the blood issue, it was gone from her—for her faith had made her whole. It was after that, she had that experience, that she knowed that the touch of His garment would make her whole. You know the Bible said many touched His garments from then on. They went into the places, trying to find how they could do it, touch His garment.

It was after Jesus had cursed the tree, and the disciples seen His power, when He turned and said to them, “Not if I say it, but verily I say unto you, if you say to this mountain, Be ye raised up and thrown into the sea; and don't doubt in your heart, but believe that what you have said shall come to pass; you can have what you've said.” See it, what it is? Believe in your heart that that's coming to pass, what you've said, and you can have what you say.

The astonishing thing today is the behavior, the spiritual behavior, of the Christian church. How can we have faith, how can we trust God, when one wants to be above the other, when one wants to be a ruler over the other, when one wants to be a little greater than the other, have a little bigger campaign than the other? Jesus said, “How can you have faith when you seek honor one from another?” How can you have faith when you're trying your best to pull with your strength to be the state presbyter, or the bishop, or some kind of an overseer?

Oh, the conduct of the church is terrible! And trying to keep people away from the real thing of God. How can we have faith? It's after we have an experience with God, then we become conducted as Christians, as brethren, as men and women who know God.

Sometime ago, way in the Southland, they used to buy slaves. And they would sell these people for—they'd have just like a used car lot. It was in the days of the slavery. And they would take those slaves and sell them; and brokers would come by, and they would buy so many slaves, and take them over here and make a little money out of them and so forth. And that's the way they made their living, by selling slaves. And there was a broker came by a certain plantation one day. And he said to this man, he had a great bunch of slaves, so he said, “I would like to look your slaves over.”

Said, “Very well, you may do it.”

And he watched all the slaves to see.... He said, “I'll take this one, and that one, and this one, at a certain price.”

And the slaves, of course, they were away from their homeland. They would never go back again. They had been brought over by the Boers and had been sold to the Southern people for slaves. They was away from papa and mama, they were away from sweetheart, they were away from wife, they were away from their babies: they would never go home again. They had to remain a slave until they fell into the dust of the earth, gone. They were sad. They had to whip them to make them work. They didn't have no courage—just sluggish, we would call it—and they'd have to make them work.

But they noticed one certain young man, they didn't have to whip him. He had his shoulders back, his head up. He was right at the moment. They didn't have to scold him; he was a real worker. So the buyer of the slaves, he said, “I'd like to buy that slave.”

He said, “He's not for sale.”

He said, “Well, I notice he's so much different from the rest of them. His character and his conduct seems to be so much different.” Said, “What makes the difference in him? Is he a boss over the rest of them?”

He said, “No. He's just a slave.”

“Well,” said, “maybe you feed him a little better then you do the rest of them.”

He said, “No. He eats out in the galley with the rest of the slaves.”

“Well,” said, “then tell me, what makes him so much different than the rest of the slaves?”

He said, “I was....” Said, “I wondered myself for a long time, but finally I found out.” He said, “You know what makes him different? I found out that overseas his father is the king of the tribe. And though He's an alien, away from his people, yet he knows he's a king's son, and he conducts himself like a king's son.”

Oh, brother, if we're living in the end time where atheism and formalism and all kinds of things is in the world, and we're in a world's slavery and darkness, the Christian church should conduct itself like real genuine born-again sons and daughters of God. We should have that characteristic about us, for our Father is the King of glory, and we are His subjects, though we're in a sinful world. He is the King of glory.

Let us bow our heads just a moment. Blessed Lord, oh, we see the shadows falling, the hour is swiftly approaching. Yonder in Russia tonight is a bunch of missiles hanging. Only just one drink of vodka, and we would go into powder. And it's in the hands of sinful men. And You said in the Bible, “As it was in the days of Noah, and Lot, so will it be in the coming of the Son of Man. They were eating, marrying, building, drinking, giving in marriage, building houses, marrying wives;” and a very day like this. And we see the shadows hanging yonder. It could happen before morning. Just one touch of a trigger, and we would be no more. And it wouldn't, not in any way, take the Scriptures out of order.

And then if that is so close, yet, we know that before the rain could ever fall, Noah went in the Ark. And before fire ever fell in Sodom, Lot went out. And if the end time is so close to destruction, how close is the coming of the Son of God for His church? How should we conduct ourselves, Lord? As slothful, educated, scholarly? Or should we be men and women of faith, with the attributes of our Father?

O eternal God, You said in Your Scriptures that when the Son of Man shall reveal Himself from heaven in the last day. I truly believe that You are now revealing Yourself from heaven to the church in mercy and peace. And the next time You reveal Yourself will be in judgment upon those who's rejected. God, may we tonight take our stand, our position in Christ: there like men and women of God, sons and daughters of the Creator, who just spoke and the world came into existence. God, we call ourselves Christians and can't even believe for little healings, what You have promised to give us. God, forgive us of our stupidity. May we rise tonight like real men and women, sons and daughters of God, and go forth from here conducting ourselves in like manner.

While we have our heads bowed just a moment, I just wonder if there's one in here tonight would raise up your hands to God and say this: “God, I haven't been conducting my life like a son or daughter of God. Oh, I've been so curious and so slothful about things, and I want You to forgive me for it. I'm going to put up my hand to You tonight, and say 'God, if You'll forgive me, then from tonight on I'll ... by Your grace, I'm going to conduct myself like a real believer.'”

God bless you. God bless you. That's right. All over the building. Is there a sinner in here (now, with your heads bowed, every one) would raise your hand to God, say “God, be merciful to me. I don't want to die in this shape”? God bless you, sir. God bless you. Yes, that's right, you, you, and you, you. God bless you, sir. That's right. Back there, you, you, you. Oh my, everywhere, sinners. Oh, that's right. We haven't room to bring you up around the altar, but God will hear you right where you are.

What's happened? Jesus said, “No man can come to Me, except My Father draws him first.” Then God the Father is here drawing sinners to Him, knocking at the door. “All that comes to Me I will give them everlasting life, and will raise him up at the last day.”

Some other, raise your hand, and say, “God, be merciful to me just now. I now will believe on the Lord Jesus, and from this night on I'll conduct myself as a real son or daughter of God.” Someone that hasn't raised their hands yet, out in the vestibule. I see you way out in there. Yes, sir. Oh, God bless you, my brethren. Back in this way, all around. That's right. God be merciful to you. That's right, over there, sir; God sees you.

Maybe some lukewarm church member now, that's never really, you know.... You've tried to accept your healing maybe: and today you say, “Yes, I got it”; tomorrow, “I lost it.” You don't lose nothing. You can no more lose than Christ can lose. If you really believe it, it stays there. Nothing can take it from your heart. You say, “I haven't conducted myself, Brother Branham. I've listened to little old jokes. I've stayed home on Wednesday night and watched television instead of going to church. I've been wrong, but I am believing right now; and from tonight on I'm going to conduct myself as a real believer.” Would you raise your hand, say, “Be merciful to me, God”? Don't be ashamed. If you're ashamed of God now, God will be ashamed of you. God bless you. That's right. All over the building. Wonderful.

Now, let us bow our heads for prayer. Each one now, in your own way. Heavenly Father, trusting only in Thy merits. O God, I pray for every sinner that raised his or her hand. And may, this very moment, they realize that it was the Spirit of God who caused them to raise their hand. They could not raise their hand if some kind of a Spirit didn't make them raise their hand. As we have said before, gravitation holds our hands down. Then we defy the law of gravitation by raising our hand, because there is a Spirit within us telling us that we're wrong; and we raise our hands towards our Creator, and ask for mercy. [Blank spot on tape.]

I just got one more day to be with you people here, but I want to say this: I'm sorry that I've been hoarse. But this is one of the finest group of Christian faith that I have ever met in this United States. God bless you, my brethren, who has taught these people thus. God be merciful to you and grant that you'll grow in the grace of God.

You don't know how thankful you should be. Just as soon as the Holy Spirit begin to move in the supernatural form, each one of you believed it. You mark my words: Weeks after I'm gone from here you'll find out that people that was in chairs will be walking; people that were sick will come to their pastor, say, “That just left me.”

I haven't been able.... I've told my coworkers, “Each night, I've never been able to catch the people, so many. It was just one great blast of faith.” I've never seen such in America. It puts me in the mind of being across the sea, somewhere. Oh, you don't know what a heritage you have. Protect this. Protect it. Don't never let any fanaticism or anything creep into this. God grant it. Keep yourself virgin, unspotted from the things of the world. Stay right before God. Love Him with all your heart.

Now, tonight we have given out that we're going to have what we call “the faith line.” And that is to pray for those who have their prayer cards, by passing them through the line, laying hands on them without the vision. Now, we realize that tomorrow now we're going right back to the other line.

Now, it's very strange, my ministry in America doesn't have the taste to it, to the people, as it does in other lands. The American people (now, I am not talking about this group), but the American people are intellectuals. See, that's the reason....

I heard this famous preacher, Billy Graham (which I believe to be a man of God), and I heard him say at his Louisville breakfast over there one morning, he said, “This is the standard. When Paul went in, they had a conversion, he went back a year later and had thirty off of that one.” Said, “I can go in and maybe [I might not get the numbers just right, but say] have twenty thousand conversions; and go back in two months and not find twenty.” See. Oh, how I wanted to say something, but I was just a little fellow sitting back there.

Here's what it is. See, it's an intellectual conception of Christ. The intellectuals is all right, but, brother, you'll never know Christ until the Spirit of God has come down beyond the intellectuals. And it's an experience of being born again. That's the reason the people can't believe in the supernatural, and call it devils—is because it's only an intellectual conception. “My sheep know My voice. A stranger they will not follow.” That is true.

MATT12:24 MARK3:22 LUKE11:15 JOHN8:44

Not trying to say that Billy Graham's conversions is not right. I honor the brother and pray for him daily. God is using him. But did you notice spirits? God takes His man, but never His spirit. Do you know the devil takes his man, but never his spirit? The spirit that was upon Elisha, come on Elijah; and up from Elisha, come on John the Baptist. The Holy Spirit that was on Christ, come down through the church. Just exactly. The spirit was on those Pharisees in that day, intellectuals: knowed all the training like Saul, but when they seen Jesus telling the people where they had been, what they had done, and who they were, they said he was a fortuneteller, a Beelzebub. How many knows that to be true? Certainly. They believed it, their intellectual faith. Jesus said, “You are of your father the devil.”

Now, but the real elected Jew, they said, when a miracle was performed ... like Nathanael, he said, “Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel.” The little woman at the well (to represent the Samaritan nation), she said what? “Thou art the Messiah. Come and see this man. This is Messiah.” But the world said, “Away with such a man.” The world proved what they thought and what's in their heart.

They'd do the same thing tonight if they could. When they preferred a murderer instead of Jesus, it showed what the world was made out of. And the group that preferred the murderer instead of the Lord Jesus was a religious group—the very finest church, the Jewish Orthodox. The high priest and all of them said, “Give us the murderer, and away with that guy.” That expressed the heart of the world. But all men can't come to Christ. All will not believe, but there will be....

Jesus said, “These things that I do shall you also. Greater than this shall you do; because I go to My Father. A little while, and the world won't see Me no more; yet ye shall see Me: for I will be with you, even in you, to the end of the world.” How many knows that's true? How many knows that Saint John 5:19, that Jesus, passing through the pool of Bethesda where all the people were laying lame, halt, blind, thousands of them, went to a man laying on a pallet and healed him. For He knew that he had been that way, and walked away and left that group laying there. How did He say ... what did He say when they questioned Him of it? What did He say? “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing in Himself, but what He sees the Father doing.” That right? It was by a vision.

Now, I want to say something to you, you that's been here all week. Now, watch. Go back through your history, you historians, and look through the Scriptures and seek them out; and find out if Jesus, performing those miracles (by knowing their thoughts, telling them where they was, and so forth), when He said Himself that He was God—He couldn't lie—said, “I don't do nothing, till the Father shows Me first what to do.” And when He declared that sign before the true Jews, the real true Jews said, “That was the sign of the Son of God, the King of Israel.” Is that right [unclear word]? When He did it to the Samaritans, they declared, “It was the sign of the Messiah.” Is that right?

But remember, He said, “Don't you go to any Gentile.” And not one time did He ever do it before a Gentile. Why? This is the end of the Gentile age. That was the end of the Jews. This is the end of the Gentiles. Nowhere through history since. But now is the hour. And America, you're receiving your call. Mark it in your Word, in your Book, and find out. There's nothing left for America but judgment. They've sinned away the day of Grace. Exactly right. You believe me to be His servant, mark that down. [Blank spot on tape.]

... His servant, I yield myself to You with all that I've got. And I ask that this entire audience, Lord, I believe I speak for them, we all yield ourselves. Work through us now, Lord, to Thy good pleasure. For we ask it in Jesus' name. And these people who are standing, Lord, they'll feel their real reward is good. Amen.

I want the audience to be just quiet as you can. Just be seated, be reverent. With just these few prayer cards, I can run them through after a bit. About fifty prayer cards. We could even pick them up tomorrow night, if necessary. I've been getting to more than I thought, or maybe some of them couldn't get in.

Now, if the Lord Jesus was standing here with this suit on that I have on (He gave it to me), and if He was standing here, Christ the Son of the living God (which He is in Glory, we know), but if He was standing here, and you were sick, could He heal you? Be careful. No, sir. For He's already done it. How many knows that? “He was wounded for our transgressions.”

And you people was just saved, I'd say, “When did you get saved?”; you'd say, “Five minutes ago.” Oh, no, my dear brother, sister. You were saved nineteen hundred years ago. You just accepted your salvation. See, that's your faith. You believe it. That's the way it is now.

Now, I would like to say something to those people here that's got prayer cards. We'll get to you maybe tomorrow, or a little later. I just want people who does not have prayer cards. If the Lord Jesus will come and work through us, and will perform the same thing that He did when He walked in Galilee, how many people in here will hold your hand and say, “If He will do that, I'll....” Now, look, you don't ... you won't be on the platform, but anywhere in the audience. And you be the judge!

Every person in here is a total stranger to me besides this minister and my coworker right here. I think these are the ministers. Honestly, I may have met them somewhere, but I don't know one sitting there. Here's Reverend Hall back here, I do know him. But how many in here knows that I don't know nothing about you, raise your hands, all over the building, anywhere. All right. Now, if you're sick or if you have need of anything from the Lord Jesus, and if you'll look to Him and pray....

Now, let's see what the Scripture says in the book of Hebrews. It says, “Jesus, now, is a High priest that can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities.” How many knows the Bible says that? “He is now.” Does God keep all His words? He does.

Then if you touched Him, and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, how would you know you touched Him? He would have to act in the same way He did yesterday, to be the same today. Is that right? What did He do? He looked through the audience until he found that woman that had had the blood issue. And she'd denied it because she was scared, but Jesus knew her and told her that her blood issue had stopped and she was well, her faith had made her whole. That's true.

Now, if He still lives today, He is the same God that stood there when they brought a man to Him, and He knowed he was a righteous man, and told Him where he was before he'd come to the meeting. That's the same God today. Don't you believe that? And if He'll do the same thing, how many of you...?

You in the chairs.... Now, if I said to this man sitting here, “You're crippled,” anybody can see that. Sure. But what about this man standing here? He looks stout and healthy. What's wrong with him? It would be no miracle for me to say, “That man's crippled,” or, “that man's crippled.” They're both here in wheelchairs. Or say maybe, “This woman's crippled”—paralyzed, or whatever it is. You can see her laying there. Sure. That would be no miracle. But what about the woman sitting next to her here that looks good and healthy? There's the miracle.

Now, this.... If I said, “You're going to be well, everyone of you.” Well, you'd just have to take my word for that. But now, what if He goes back and tells you the things that's in your life, like He did the woman at the well, where her trouble was? Then you'll know whether that's right or not. Is that right? Oh, I know He's real and true.

I've stood with the Koran in one hand (that's the Mohammedan Bible, which exceeds us three times) and the Bible in the other hand, before 500,000 people, and say, “One of them's right and the other one's wrong. Let the God that is God speak.” But don't you think they won't challenge it. But I've never seen a time, witch doctors and everything, but what our God overthrowed it and was triumphant [unclear words].

Just recently in Bombay, India, if you got.... We're just about a half hour early. I just want to say this because I want to [unclear words] with these people. In Bombay, India, I just had got in, they took me down to the Jain's Temple. And, oh, they won't even kill a flea or a fly—they believe in reincarnation. And how could you preach to them a blood sacrifice? They made fun of Christianity. I'd've been a traitor to Christ if I hadn't of spoke my piece. I said, “How could you accept a blood sacrifice, when you won't accept killing a flea or a gnat?” Snakes and monkeys everywhere, they won't kill nothing. I said, “But the antidote is the blood, for life is in the blood.” Oh, they wouldn't believe that.

That night when we were standing there, well you ... there's no way to estimate the number of people. Just as far as you could see was one great big black circle of people. Thousands times thousands piled on each other. Just ricked like cordwood. There was no way to give out prayer cards, we just had to stop.

And a few moments, the militia had to bring two or three by, some lepers. The Holy Spirit began to speak to them and tell them. Just then somebody, you could feel it coming from those mystic men: “Well, that could be a telepathy.”

The next come by was a blind man. I couldn't do nothing, of course, till you see it done. Certainly. And this blind man.... It said, “Your name is....”—I just had to spell it. That was right. And said, “You're a beggar, and your wife is a little thin woman. You have two children, they're both boys.” Right. Exactly. And the mystic Hindus were sitting, watching. I thought, “O God, will You do anything?” I kept talking to the man for a few moments. After a while I saw a vision above him. He had been blind for twenty years: he worshipped the sun. Now, he thought if he watched the sun until he went blind, he'd go to heaven. He couldn't see sin no more, so he'd go to heaven. So he was a sun worshiper. And I said, “You did this through ignorance.” And I said, “What about it?”

He said, “The God that will give me my sight, let Him be God.”

I said, “Now, you Mohammedans, and you Jains, and Sikhs, and Buddhists, that I was interviewed with this afternoon, here is a man standing here that's totally blind. You said that Christianity was a bunch of people who was creating hydrogen bombs to blow one another up with.” I said, “A lot of that's true, but that's not Christianity.” I said, “That's so-called Christianity. Real Christianity is the only true and living God that there is. Now,” I said, “this man said he will serve the God that give him back his sight. He worshipped the creation instead of the Creator.”

I said, “What would you Mohammedans do to him? You'd proselyte—make him a Mohammedan. You Buddhists would make him a Buddhist. Sikhs would make him a....” I said, “It's nothing but psychology.” Right. I said, “In America we do the same thing. All the Baptists wants to convert all the Methodists to being Baptist. The Pentecostal wants to make them all Pentecost.” What is it? A change of thinking—psychology.

“But,” I said, “surely the God who made him can heal him! Now, if any of you Buddhists can come forth, or Mohammedans, and heal the man standing here, I'll serve your God.” Would I have said that? Not at all, lest first I saw a vision. Not at all. “But,” I said, “you can't do it, and neither can I. But the God of heaven has showed me a vision that the man is going to receive his sight.” I said, “If it doesn't happen, I'm a false prophet. You have a right to kick me out of India. If He does do it, you're obligated to the resurrected Christ, to believe Him.”

Now, it was a mighty quiet bunch. But when we prayed for the man (this is on record), I took him in my arms and prayed for him and asked God to give him his sight while he was hugged against my bosom. When I turned him loose, God Almighty my Judge, before tens of thousands times thousands, that blind man's eyes was opened; and he grabbed the mayor of the city and hugged him. That place went into a scream everywhere, and tens of thousands of Mohammedans came to the Lord Jesus at one time.

What was the matter? When I went over there, the Methodist bishop wrote me, said, “You're coming under the wrong denomination, we can't have nothing to do with it.” What happened? They've went right back out into Mohammedism, a lot of them, because the Christians conducting themselves like a bunch of puppets or kids. They wouldn't stay there to receive those people to take them and teach them the ways of the Lord. They'll be guilty of that in the day of the judgment. They're guilty—but God's grace is just the same.

Did you know the Holy Ghost goes ahead of the people? Always, down through the ages. You Catholic people, who call Saint Patrick your saint. He was about as much Catholic as I am; but you took him. You didn't believe him first; but after he was dead, then you wanted to make him a saint.

How about Saint Francis of Assisi? The world didn't know he was a saint. He was a walking preacher, with a Bible under his arm, that said to the birds, “You keep still, little sisters, while I preach the Gospel.” You didn't believe him then; but after he was dead, then you made him a saint!

Here, to you school children: How many remember Joan of Arc? She was a spiritual woman. She saw visions, and she was a spiritual woman. What did you do to her, the Catholic church? Burned her at the stake as a witch! a Beelzebub! The world's always done that. But after she was dead about a hundred years, you found out she was a saint; so you dug up those priests' bodies and throwed them in the river to do repentance. God is sovereign, He sends them anyhow. Then, after it's over, you say, “Well, I didn't realize that.”

God, just be merciful tonight. Let's believe with all of our hearts, everybody. Now, I'm asking you to be reverent and pray. Now, we're just exactly on time now. I don't know, if I call someone.... I'd have no idea, it'd have to go by.... How many's seen the picture of it, let's see your hands here, the Angel of the Lord. Yes, sir. All through Germany and everywhere, photographed, the only supernatural Being.

Now, how many sick people's in here wants prayer? Raise your hands now, everybody that wants prayer. Now, be real reverent. Look. If God will come and perform the same things that He did before He was crucified, will you ... said you would believe Him.

Now, let's pray just a moment. Now, Lord, help just now. The rest is Yours, Father. We commit all things into Thy hands in Jesus' name. Amen.

Now, look this way. Now, what am I meaning by that? Peter and John said, “Look on us.” When they raised up the brass serpent, they looked and lived. Now, don't look to me, just look this way. But look to Him who's a High Priest. See what He would tell us, see what He would say. Each one pray. And if God will do that, now if I.... Wherever that light leads, where the Holy Ghost....

How many know that Jesus is a light? Let's see how many knows that. Sure. He was on earth, He said, “I come from God, I go to God.” He was the pillar of fire that led the children through the wilderness. Do you believe that? And when He returned back to God, Paul met Him on the road to Damascus. A light put his eyes out. Peter was in prison, He come in as a light, led him out. He's still the same. That's His picture.

Now, be reverent. Let just take it by sections, just so it won't get all mixed up. So many pulling right now. You people—a lot of you people that's been in before have faith to believe. Let's take this section in here. Just somebody this way, just go to praying, just believe.

Now, you see where I'm standing? I'm either here as a false witness of Christ, or I'm a true witness of Christ. And if Christ don't back up what I've said that He said in His Word, then we're both wrong. If He isn't Christ, then He won't stay with His Word —but He is Christ. And I could fail, but He can't. He can't fail. My words is a man, but I'm quoting His Word: “The things that I do shall you also.”

Just.... I've been turned around. See, I was going to have a.... I stay in the room from about three o'clock on, praying and fasting and waiting on the Lord, when I come into these meetings. I'm believing this tonight because you're such a believing group. That's all. Remember, I don't want your prayer cards, anyone with prayer cards. Just be reverent.

Just imagine Him walking in among the people. The Pharisees, in their hearts, said, “He's Beelzebub.” They didn't say it out loud, but He knowed what they were saying. Just have faith now, believe, be just reverent. Mothers with your little children, whatever more, just be reverent. I can't heal you, but if He will prove that He's here, He's already done it. That's His Word.

Now, if the audience can hear me, look here, look right here. This light here, over this little lady right here. Have you a prayer card, lady? Little lady right here? You don't have a prayer card? Do we know each other? We don't. I've never seen you in my life. God knows you; He knows me. If He will reveal to me what you're here for, you'll know whether it's the truth or not. And if I don't know you and never seen you, and you never knowed me or never seen me, then it would have to come through supernatural power wouldn't it?

What am I doing now? I'm talking to you to find out what the Holy Spirit wants to tell you. You were just sitting there praying, “Lord, let it be me.” That's right. If God will tell me what your trouble, will you believe me to be His prophet—His servant? You're suffering with a nervous condition. If that's right, stand up on your feet. Is this our first time meeting? You've never seen me before; just raise your hand so the people can see. This is our first time. Do you believe that what you ... it knowed what your trouble was? Do you believe that to be the same God that knowed what the woman's trouble was at the well? You do. Does the audience believe the same thing? [Congregation says, “Amen.”] Thank you.

Just that you might know, this young woman's got something else on her heart. Isn't that right, young lady? If it is, wave your hand so the people would see it. If God will reveal to me what's on your heart, will it make you stronger to believe? It's about some of your people, your in-laws. That's your husband's uncle, he has cancer. And your husband also has someone else that he has been praying over, you too; and that's his cousin, and they have epilepsy. That's “Thus saith the Lord.” Do you believe, young lady? Whatever you've asked, go and have it just the way you believed. Do you believe audience? Now, after you have seen, do you believe?

What do you think, sir, sitting there next to her? You. Are you a stranger to me? Do you have a prayer card? You don't. Do you believe me to be His servant? If the God of heaven will reveal to me what your trouble is, you'll know whether it's the truth or not, won't you? Will you believe and accept it with all your heart? If you'd believe that, that diabetes would leave you. That's what you have. All right. Go home and be well in the name of Jesus Christ. Do you really believe?

What about back in this section? Do you all believe? All right, just be reverent. Here it is. Can't...? Of course you can't see it, unless God would choose to show you. See that light hanging right there. It's right over this lady with that coat on, sitting right there, with that little striped thing in her pocket. The red coat on. You. That's you. Stand to your feet just a minute.

Have you a prayer card? You don't. Do you know me? I don't know you. If that's true, let's just hold our hands up so the people would see. If the Lord our God, Jesus Christ, has raised from the dead.... And you're just a woman that walked in here and sat down. We've never met in life. If Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and wants to make known to these people that He is still the Messiah resurrected, He would do it in the same way He did to the Samaritan race: the woman at the well. Would He do it? I don't know your troubles, you know, if I don't know you. But if Jesus will reveal to me what your troubles is, will you believe it? Just like the woman said, “Come see a man who told me the things that I have done.” You're suffering, and your trouble is in your throat, also in your heart, and in your back. That's right. But now hear me. Jesus Christ makes you well. Do you believe with all your heart?

Just be reverent. Everyone, just believe with all your heart. Have faith, don't doubt.

I don't believe we've been in this section yet. Let's see. Some in here, pray. Here, here's a lady sitting right here, down here. She has a roaring in her head. That's the lady sitting right there. Stand up on your feet a minute. Have you a prayer card? You don't. Am I a stranger to you? You're bothered with a roaring, upsetting your head. Now, to heal you, I couldn't: Christ has done it. But to hide your life, you couldn't. Let me say this to you. There's somebody in this building right now that's connected with you that's praying. That's your mother. And that woman is dying with a cancer. If I tell you where that cancer is, will it help your faith? It's cancer of the stomach. That's exactly right. Now, go home, and both of you be well. Do you believe? Have faith.

Just believe, don't doubt. Have faith now. Just believe everything, don't doubt a thing. “If thou canst believe.”

Here, right here in front of me. Lady, just fell and hurt your back. Do you believe Jesus Christ makes you well? If you will then you may have what you've asked for if you can believe it.

Lady sitting right here suffering with a nervous condition. The little lady with the blue hat on. If you believe with all your heart. That's right. If thou canst believe.

What about the lady sitting right here on the end of the row? Right back behind this gentleman, tending the baby. You have more faith than you thought you had. Do you believe that hernia will be healed? You do? Wave your hand to God if you think it will be healed. Have a prayer card? You don't. You don't need any. Do you believe? I believe we've been over....

Here, about preachers. My brethren, you're not immune from the blessings of God because you're shepherds. How many of you men know that I don't know you? Raise your hands, you preachers. All right. Encourage your faith to believe. Just be praying, if you've got anything wrong with you you want God to heal.

Sir, you sitting right here on the end. Dropped your head then because you know something happened to you. I don't know you. If we're strangers, raise up your hand. You have heart trouble. That's right. You believe God will heal you? You're not from this country, you're from Pennsylvania. Your name is Mister, Reverend.... Do you pronounce that [unclear word]? Go home, in [unclear words]. Go ahead preaching the Gospel. Do you believe? All of you believe?

Now, is Jesus Christ alive? If He is, raise your hands. Sure He is alive. Now, if you will do what I will ask you to do, don't doubt. Just believe it, each one now. Lay your hands over on one another, everybody in the building. Just put your hands on each other. I'm going to quote to you the last message Jesus said. Jesus said, “These signs shall follow them that believe. If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover.” Now, how many of you will put your hands on the person, and raise your hands up and say, “God, I am a believer”? Everyone. Now believe. This is your hour, this is your time.

You people in the wheelchair.... Now, you lady, laying here on the cot, you have palsy, and arthritis. I cannot heal you, but if you'll believe—you can't hide your life—God will make you well. You can rise up and go home and be well.

Now, put your hands over on each person again, each one, right across from your hand. Now, let's conduct ourselves like real believers. The Holy Ghost is here, friends. You that's sitting out around the aisle, if you have need of anything, here you are [unclear words]. Don't you see Jesus is alive? He is here, that's Him [unclear words]. Pray in your own way.

Lord God of heaven, Creator of earth who made all things, help now. I rebuke the devil, the cries of these people. And Satan, [unclear words]. Jesus Christ, God's Son is here and [unclear words] you are defeated. I rebuke the devil, sickness, and afflictions from these people. Come out of them, Satan. In the name of the Jesus Christ leave out of them [unclear words]. Everyone of you that believe with all your heart stand on your feet. Give God praise and glory, and I say that you can be healed right now. Raise your hands and give Him praise....