The Sin Of Unbelief

Let's remain standing just a moment if you will for prayer.

Dear God, we are grateful for this another privilege to be this side of eternity to preach the Word of Thy Son again. We would ask tonight that You would speak to us in a special way through Thy Word. [Unclear words] have the grand fellowship of the Holy Spirit in our lives, in our message tonight. And may those who are needy find that which they really need. We pray that You'll heal the sick tonight also, Lord. Get glory to Thyself, for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated.

After that wonderful time of fellowship this morning at the Full Gospel Businessmen's breakfast, we just had great fellowship. And we thank the Lord for that. Now tonight seeing that many of you are standing.... And when we come up, there were people out on the street, leaving without room to be in. So, we want to hurry up just quick as we can.

And I heard from my son, who was waiting for me at the door, that I'm to speak again tomorrow afternoon, I think, at this place. For just a short time, the Lord willing, I will speak on the subject then: “Why Must I Be Born Again?” Just a little gospel message shortly, not over twenty, thirty minutes ... Be out by three-thirty so you can go home and rest up again for tomorrow evening.

Tomorrow evening we expect to have a healing service. And then on through until the following Wednesday night.

I wish to read, tonight, a little scripture, just to get the setting of feeling of the meeting, found over in St. Matthew 12, the 42nd verse: just to get a background of what we want to say—a little context.

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

I would like to take the text tonight, if the Lord willing, on the subject of “The Sin Of Unbelief.” And there's really only one sin, and that is unbelief. Many times we think that sin is drinking and gambling, and committing adultery. But, that isn't sin; that's just the attributes of unbelief. A man does that and a woman because they do not believe the Lord Jesus. If they believed the Lord Jesus then they would not do those things.

So, sin, what we call sin, is the attributes of unbelief; and there's only two spirits that control a man: that's either his faith or unbelief. Each of us tonight is beset with one or the other of those spirits.

And unbelief is such a horrible thing. And Jesus here had just been teaching to the people and upbraiding them because of their unbelief. And in the previous chapter he had said, “Thou Sidon and Capernaum which are exalted into heaven shall be brought down to hell. For if the mighty works had been done in you, and to Sodom and Gomorrah, and the other cites.... If the mighty works had been done in Sodom and Gomorrah that had been done in Capernaum, then it would've been standing to this day.”

So why wasn't Sodom and Gomorrah standing? They had an angel, they had a message of deliverance. They had a prophecy, the warnings of God, and they failed to receive it. And today Sodom and Gomorrah lays in the bottom of the Dead Sea; not even any ruins of it left. That's the results of unbelief.

And Jesus said a greater than that message is here now, and still they don't believe

it. Then He referred to ... He'd just been called “Beelzebub.” And Beelzebub was supposingly to've been the prince of the devils. And because that He was able to discern the thoughts of the people—telling them where they had been and what they had done—they said it was a evil spirit in Him doing that.

Could you imagine men and women who'd be set under the reading of the Scriptures through the years, and had had the great schools of Spirit, and would be in a shape that they would see such as that and nail it down as a devil working, when the Scriptures had plainly quoted that that's what it would be? And they were so took up in their own dogmas, and in their own theologies, until they failed to recognize Him.

God in all ages has worked through men. And the reason that they didn't believe Him ... because He was doing these great works of God, yet being a man. But it pleases God to manifest Himself through His subjects, for God is a Spirit. And God was manifesting Himself through His Son, the Lord Jesus.

And they was trying to say that He made Himself God. And they said a man that would do this would be worthy of being stoned, or killed—capital punishment—which stoning was capital punishment. And they just couldn't see how Him being a man could do that. And the world hasn't changed too much. It's still hard for people to see that God is a Spirit that works through men. God always has worked through men—all ages. He manifests Himself through Moses, and through Elijah, and through Noah, through Enoch. All through the ages God manifests Himself through His agency: the man.

And He promised that in this Gentile age, He would manifest Himself through His subjects: the church. But the trouble of it is, today, that each one wants to say, “That church that He was speaking of means my denomination.” And you won't lie to the other fellow. But, God doesn't work through denominations, He works through individuals.

And we find out here in the previous verse, upbraiding and telling these people of their sin of unbelief, He said that ... spoke of Jonah. How that Jonah went to a city of 180,000 people. And God sent him down there with a message to those people. And most of us are familiar with the story: how that he took the ship to Tarsus, and on his road down, a storm came up.

Oh, there's many times that we like to say that Jonah was all out of the will of God, and he might have been according to the commission. But God makes all things work together for good to them that love Him. And he turned that disobedient prophet's journey into one of the greatest blessings that we can read of.

After the ship was about to sink, they tied his hands and feet and threw him out of the ship and a big fish come through the water and swallowed him. And anyone knows, after a fish eats, he goes to the bottom of the water and there rests his swimmers on the bottom. Feed your little goldfishes. Watch them how they go down to the bottom after they prowl through that water and get what they want to eat. Then they go down and rest their little swimmers on the bottom. All fish does that.

And this great fish that God had prepared, which we believe to be a whale, when he had swallowed Jonah, he took off down to the bottom to rest. For it must have been pretty rough swimming up there in a great storm, dashing the water from place to place; but he'd found his belly full, so he thought he'd just go down and rest.

And I've often thought when I hear people say that, “Well, I accepted Christ as my Saviour, but you know, I just can't live it.” Or hear one say, “I accepted Christ as my healer and, oh, I don't know. I just can see that my hand's any better.” “My stomach with the ulcers doesn't feel any better.” “My head has not ceased to hurt.” Then you, just in a mental conception, accepted Christ.

When you catch Christ in the heart, no symptoms bother you from then on. No matter what takes place, you still call God's Word the truth.

Oh, that little sacred place that where man can meet God as Moses had on the backside of the desert. After forty years of good schooling, the highest degrees that could be given, knowing his position as a deliverer, and as a Hebrew, and know that God had called him for the commission. And yet he knowed more about God in five minutes in the presence of that burning bush than all of his forty years of theology taught him. He was in the presence of God.

And every man that goes to the field to preach the gospel should never leave until he has that back-of-the-desert experience. No one could explain that out of your mind. No matter how much they twist the Scriptures and say this, that, or the other, if you have ever met God face-to-face in the true baptism of the Holy Spirit, there's not enough theologians in the world to ever erase it from your memory. Something happened. You were there.

When a man gets to that place, there is no one can explain it away from him. And when a person finds that place in Christ, that faith that says “By His stripes I am healed,” there could not be enough doctors in the world tell you you were fixing to die. No matter what your symptoms are, you still believe it anyhow.

Like Abraham, who called those things which were not as though they were. He took God at His Word, believing that He was able to perform that what He had promised.

The trouble of it is with the church today, we come with hope instead of faith. Faith is positive. Faith needs no booster. Faith knows what it's talking about. Faith is strong. Faith has hairs on the chest. It speaks and the rest of them shut up. Symptoms can't even speak at all when real godly faith speaks. It's got the floor. It knows where it's at. It's had an experience.

And I hear people say of their symptoms.... I think of Jonah. If there was any man who had a right to complain about symptoms, it would've been Jonah. We would think him to be backslid, because he was out of the will of God when he had failed to do what God told him to do. And then he had his hands tied behind him. He was in the belly of a fish, out into the stormy ocean with a big tornado on top of the ocean, in the belly of the whale with seaweeds around his neck, and vomit. And if he looked this way it was whale's belly; every way he looked it was whale's belly. You talk about symptoms, he had them.

There's no one here tonight in that condition.

But look what that fellow done. We think he was backslid and so out of the will of God and we're perfectly in His will. And under that kind of a setup, he said, “They are lying vanities. I won't even look at them. But once more will I look to Your holy temple.” For he knew that when Solomon dedicated the temple, and prayed this prayer to God, “If Thy people be in trouble anywhere, and will look towards this holy temple, then hear their prayer, Lord, and deliver them. And he believed in Solomon's prayer and a temple that was built by men.

And under those symptoms and them circumstances, if he could believe Solomon's prayer and a temple that had been made with men, what ought we tonight under these circumstances? Not look to a temple made with hands, or an earthly man who prayed, but to the throne of God Himself where Jesus stands at His right hand, with His own blood, making intercessions upon our confession, when He died for that purpose. We should look away from our symptoms and call those things which are as though they are not. God made the promise.

And look what God did for that prophet under those circumstances. He kept him alive three days.

Now we know that the people of Nineveh worshipped idols. And their god of the sea was the whale. And all the fishermen along the bank, and here comes the whale swimming right into the shore, and spits the prophet out on the bank. The god producing the prophet. Certainly they would hear it. And as he went through the city preaching, the people who did not know which was right and left hand, repented till they put ashes and sackcloth on their animals.

And Jesus referred to that, that the people of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah. And He said, “A greater than Jonah is here.” And they called him Beelzebub.

Then he referred to the Queen of the South; which we know to be the Queen of Sheba. And now if you'll measure on your map how far it is from Palestine down to Sheba. Now, in the days of Solomon, God was working again. He's never left His people without a witness. All ages, God has had His gifts in His people. Just get that again. In all ages, God has had His representative on the earth. Never without a witness.

And in the days of Solomon, God had give a gift to Solomon. And when God sends such a gift, and if the people turn it down, it becomes a chaos to the people. But, if the people receive such a gift, then it is a golden age for that people. And He was trying to let them know that that was their golden age, but they would not receive it. He said, “I've come and done the works of God before you and you don't believe me.” He said, “Watch what happened in the days of Jonah. And watch what happened in the days of Solomon.”

Now let's take that just for a few minutes and look at the days of Solomon.

When God gave Solomon a great gift of discernment, and all Israel rallied around it. Oh, would it not be a great day today if all the churches would rally around God's great gift, the Holy Spirit? Would it not be wonderful if we'd just forget our differences and denominations and just rally around the greatest gift that God ever sent to the earth, the Holy Spirit? His Son died that He might come. You say the Holy Spirit being a greater gift than Christ? By Christ came the Holy Spirit.

When they called Him Beelzebub, He said, “You say that against Me, the Son of man, I'll forgive you. But when the Holy Ghost is come and does the same thing, one word against it will never be forgiven in this world, nor the world to come.” And this is a greater day than that was. The Holy Spirit working universally in His church.

And wouldn't it be wonderful? It would be like it was in the days of Solomon. And anyone knows that that was Israel's golden millennium, in the days of Solomon. They built the temple. All the nations feared them.

And today, when we got so much fear, and sputniks in the skies.... I see where Russia's put up one successfully down there now that's over a ton. One of these days we're going to wake up.

And we're building shelter rests everywhere. What good's that shelter rest going to do you? When a hydrogen bomb as I was talking (the privilege) to some scientist recently. He said, “Brother Branham, that bomb will blow a hole in the ground a hundred and seventy-five feet deep for a hundred miles square. What if you was five hundred feet under the ground? Why, the concussion would break every corpuscle out of your body. What if you were hundreds of miles away? It would still do the same. God has made it.

There is no hiding place down here except one. And we've got a bomb shelter. It's not made of steel, or it's not made underneath the earth. It's made out of feathers. Under His wings we will abide, and be raptured before this thing takes place. Safety and secure.

And we see that Israel was safe as long as they were rallying around their God. And this must have started a great curiosity everywhere. People passing by would see the unity and the oneness of Israel. And that spread out from nation to nation.

It would be the same way in our great, beautiful, lovely country today of America. If all the churches would get together, and the Christians put their hearts together, and “The people that's called by my name shall assemble themselves together and pray, then I'll hear from heaven.”

Would it not be the greatest scare that Russia ever had when they knew that all the Christendom of America had united as one? Certainly it would be. No one can fight against God.

And Israel was united like that. And they had no wars. Everybody was scared of them. Not scared of Israel, but scared of their God.

And these passers-by from different parts of the world going from place to place, this news got plumb down into Sheba. Everybody coming by would say to the little queen down there, “Oh, you should be up in Israel. God has sent them a great gift. And it's working. I was present when I seen it manifested.” What a thrill that must have been.

And, you know, faith cometh by hearing; hearing of the Word of God.

And when this little queen kept hearing different ones say about ... there was a God up there who had anointed a man with a great gift, her heart began to yearn. The Scripture says that ye are the salt of the earth. And if you want people to thirst after Christ, just be salty. That's all the church has to do. Salt creates a thirst. But if the salt has lost its strength (the church has lost its strength and just become denomination), it's hence forth good for nothing, but to be talked about; trod under the feet of men. What a day that we live in. What a rebuke to the people. But, prosperity has did it.

Now, notice. And that made that little queen long to go up there and see about it. Now, remember, she was a pagan; a heathen. And, in order to go see about it ... cause something in her heart begin to tell her that that must be real. You see, she belonged to church. And she had priests, and bishops, and so forth. But all of her church was just an intellectual; just a bunch of theology. And she heard that there was a God who lived and manifested Himself.

God be merciful! What good does a historical God do you if He isn't the same today? If the fire of Pentecost ain't just as good today as it was then, what good does it do to talk about it? What if a man was freezing to death and you painted him a fire, and said, “One day the fire burnt.” That won't make him warm. He don't want a painted, historical fire. If he's freezing, he wants fire burning.

And if the people who read the Bible don't want something ... a God that lived in a day gone by. Let's have a God of today who's just the same as He was then. We need a God that's present-tense. What good does it do to preach the Bible if God's a mute and won't answer His promise?

What good would it do to feed your canary bird vitamin B, vitamin A, to make his wings strong, and keep him in a cage all the time? You don't let him out. What good does your vitamins do? What good does all of our seminaries and schools of theology, and our great preachers with DD., Ph.D. and double-L.D.? What good does that do if it's all on a historical God that doesn't live and act the same today as they teach about that did happen?

The Bible says that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is not dead. He is raised from the dead and is alive forevermore: ever-present, omnipresent forever. That's the God that we want to hear about. That's the God that every true elected son of Abraham wants to hear about and wants to know about.

When I landed in India, the bishop of the Methodist church, and many of them met us. They said, “Brother Branham, don't come over here as a missionary. We know more about the Bible than you Yankees ever will know,” and that's true. It's an Eastern book. We're trying to understand it with a Western education. He said, “But what we hear, that God has visited you Yankees with a gift that will make God real and make His Bible live again. That's what we want to see.”

That's when tens of thousands times thousands came to Christ at one time. They want a living reality. If God is so great in another age, why ain't He the same tonight? What good is He if He's history and not present?

And this little queen had the same subject. “We've got gods in the temple that was supposed to've been from some time. We've got the best educated priests there is, but they speak and their god doesn't answer. But I hear that there is a God.” Faith cometh by hearing. “I hear there is a God who loves His people, and is manifesting Himself among his people. I'd like to go see Him.”

Oh, that blessed, holy thirst in a man or woman's heart to thirst after righteousness. The Scripture says you shall be filled.

Now look what she had to do. Well, if she went to her priest and said, “Would you excuse me for a few months? I wish to go up in Israel to see if this God lives that they're talking about; that sent a gift in His servant called Solomon. I would like to go up there and see it, see it manifested.”

Well, of course those priests would not let her go. “You know, our church is not cooperating in that revival up there.” But if that great, holy thirst is in the woman's heart, she'll go anyhow. That's right. Nothing can stand in the way.

So, God had been speaking to the little lady's heart. And she knew that she'd be excommunicated. But what could she be excommunicated from? What did she have to lose? She only had a bunch of creeds. And now she's going because she's heard that there is a God who lives and acts among His people.

So she started making ready. Now, the first thing, she had a lot to come up against. First place, being a woman. Another place was ... another thing, that there was a long journey between her country and the country where the gift was. If you'll count the miles, it's estimated that it'd taken three months for her to get there. Not in an air-conditioned Cadillac, but on the back of a camel. No wonder Jesus said, “She'll stand in the judgment and condemn this generation.” We won't come across the street to hear it—with Cadillacs and all kinds of transportation. And each of us are going to stand in the judgment with that woman.

She had three months on the back of a camel. But she was determined to see whether it was right or not. If her priest told her they wasn't cooperating, well, that would've settled it. But she was going to see for herself. She was going to do like we said in the message last night, that Nathanael ... or, Philip told Nathanael, “Come and see if any good thing could come out of Nazareth.” Don't stay home and criticize. Come find out. Don't go critical. Sit down, take the Scriptures and see if it's right. That's the only way to know truth. “Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life and they are they that testify of me.” That's what Jesus said..

So the little woman said in her heart, “I'm going up there. And I'm going to find out for myself. And if it is so, I'm going to support it.” She took camels ladened with gold and stones and frankincense and myrrh and all kinds of costly gifts. And if it was really God, it's worth supporting. If it isn't God, it's not worth supporting. The woman had something. Now, it had to be real. She said, “I got some things in my heart. I'm going to find out.”

So she loaded up her camels and got all of her servants ready. Now, here's another thing confronted her: with all that gold on those camels, and all that costly stones. And she had the desert to go through for ninety days (three months) on the back of a camel. And in the desert, Ishmael's children was there, which was robbers. What a setup that would be for them. How easy could they run in on that little woman with her little caravan there of a few soldiers, eunuchs, temple guards, and just slaughter them down.

But you know there's something about faith: doesn't know any fear. If faith is calling you, don't consider any fear, any doubt. You just go on. God's calling you, nothing can stop it.

She never thought about the fear, because she was going to see a true and living God who was manifesting Himself.

And away she went on the camels. And when she arrived at the gate.... Now, she didn't come just to go over and.... She pitched her tents. And the next morning she took her position to watch the gift of God work. She said, “Now has come the time. I've come from a long ways, so I am coming now to see whether that gift really works or not.”

And she didn't come just to stay a couple of hours. She didn't come just for one meeting. She didn't come.... She said, “Now, I'll go in and sit down, and the first time that preacher says anything that my church doesn't teach, I'll get up and stomp out.” That either shows illiteracy, or not right kind of a raising, or a controlled mind by a devil. That's the only thing it declares.

She come. No matter how different it seemed, she was going to see if it worked. We can talk about a lot of things, but does it work? That's the next.

So she just camped out at the gate. I like that. Stay till it's over. Find out about it. I can see her with the scrolls, reading them down, seeing the promises that God had made. See if these things compared with it.

There she was.

What do you think they can place on the first morning that little queen way back in the congregation, when she seen a man or a woman or someone come up before Solomon—just a man—and saw that great gift of discernment go to work? She must've said, “That's just the way I heard it.”

And she stayed day after day till her turn come. And when she stood before Solomon, the gift of God worked on her, for she said Solomon made known to her every question in her heart. And she believed. And she stood among the people, publicly and openly, and said, “All that I heard about you is the truth, and more than that I heard is truth.”

Jesus said, “She'll rise in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because she came from the utmost parts of the world to see a gift like that.”

What about now, when we've got her experience? We've got thousands of years later, with all kinds of experiences of a living God. God still lives! He's just as real today as He was then!

When He made Himself known to Philip.... When Peter came into the meeting, and He told him, “Your name is Simon ... or, Cephas. And your father's name is Jonas.”

And when they went and got a man and brought him to Jesus, he said, “You are an Israelite in whom there's no guile.”

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

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

He said, “Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God. You're the King of Israel.”

What did those who stood by the Jews say? “That's Beelzebub. He's a fortuneteller.”

When He went into Samaria, and the woman come out to get a drink at the well ... or, get her water. When Jesus said to her, “Woman bring me a drink,” she said, “It's not customary for you Jews to talk to we Samaritans. I'm a woman of Samaria.”

And He said, “If you knew who you were speaking to, you'd ask Me for a drink.” He talked to the woman till He found what her trouble was, and said, “Go get your husband.”

She said, “I have none.”

Said, “You've had five, and the one that you now have is not your husband. You've said well.”

She didn't say He was a devil, or Beelzebub. I quote this again. She knowed more about God than ninety percent of the preachers in America knows tonight.

She said, “Sir, I perceive that you're a prophet.” Spiritual, she's used to it. Been taught it. “We know.... We Samaritans know when the Messiah cometh, He'll tell us all these things. But who are You?”

He said, “I'm He that speaks to you.”

She ran into a city of her own city, Samaria, and said, “Come, see a man who told me the things that I've done. Isn't this the very Christ?”

That was not done to the Gentiles in them days. It is now. That's the way He declared Himself then.

Now. And if the Queen of Sheba would stand in that generation and condemn them.... Oh, hear me people. If the Queen of the South, Jesus said, would stand and condemn that generation (and we've had two thousand years of teaching on that, and here He is doing the same thing tonight), what will she do with this generation when she testifies?

Think of it. We that say that we're good and go to church.... What is a sin? Is unbelief. No matter how religious you are: just so good you wouldn't do this, that, or the other? The Mohammedans are the same, Buddhists the same. Religion is one thing; salvation is another. Religion is a covering. Salvation is a gift of God.

She'll stand and condemn this generation. Why? She stood when she seen that gift of God working through a man. She said, “That's the truth.” And she accepted Jehovah as her God.

Then the eunuch, taking the message down after Pentecost to the people, of the birth, death, resurrection of Jesus: the coming of the Holy Spirit. Oh, what are you going to do if God makes His stand and if you make your stand?

Here, some years ago in middle-America, there was a preacher by the name of Daniel Greenfield, a great mighty minister. Many of you clergymen has read his book. And one night, he had a dream. And on this such night that he had a dream, he thought he died and he went up to heaven. And when he got to the gate, the gatekeeper come out and he said, “Who approaches this place?”

And he said, “I'm Daniel Greenfield, an evangelist from America.”

Said, “Just a moment, Mr. Greenfield. I'll see if I can let you in. If your name's on my book, all right.” He looked the book over. He came back and he said, “Sir, I'm sorry, but your name is not on the book. You must depart.”

“Oh,” he said, “surely you're wrong. I preached the gospel. I lived a good life.” Said, “Surely my name is on the book.”

“I'm sorry,” he said, “it's not here.”

He said, “What shall I do then?”

He said, “You might appeal your case to the great white throne judgment.”

“Well,” he said, “I have no choice. Then I must do it.”

And he said, seemed like he begin to move through the air at a terrific speed. And he came into the presence of a light. And as the light got brighter, he got slower, slowing up. After a while, he come to a still stop. The light was not coming from any certain place, but it was just all around him. “Oh,” he said, “such a feeling to stand in that presence.”

And there was a voice came from the light and said, “Who approaches My throne?” Like a great thunder coming out. And he said, “Oh, God Jehovah, I am the evangelist Dan Greenfield. I was turned away from the gates of heaven. And I was asked to appeal my case at Your justice.

“Very well,” He said, “I will try you by my law.” He said, “Daniel Greenfield, did you ever tell a lie?”

He said, “Till that time I thought I'd been at least an honest man; truthful.” But said, “Oh, then in that presence, I seen that I'd told a many little thing was kind of crooked, had a double meaning. He said, ”Yes, Lord. I've lied.“

He said, “Daniel Greenfield, did you ever steal?”

He said, “Of anything I'd thought I'd been, would've been honest. But in the presence of that light, I remembered a many a little deal that I pulled that was shady.”

Brother, sister, in your church, around your neighbors, in the presence of your pastor, you may seem pretty good, but wait till you're in the presence of that light, that perfect light.

Then he said he heard a voice come again and said, “Daniel Greenfield, my justice requires perfection. Were you perfect in your life?”

Said, “No, Lord, I wasn't perfect.” And said, “I was just ready to hear that great blast come.” Said, “Seemed like my bones had disconnected and I was shaking like I could not stop.” Said, “Then I heard a voice. It was the sweetest voice I ever heard.” Said, “No mother could speak like that.” And said, “I turned to look, and I saw the sweetest face that I ever saw.” And said, “He walked up and put His arms around me. And He said, 'Father, that's true. Daniel Greenfield wasn't perfect in his life, but there's one thing that he did in his life. He stood for Me down on earth, so here in heaven, I'll stand for him.'”

I wonder tonight, friend, while we're a group of people, maybe facing each other for the last time as mortals, if you should die tonight, who would stand for you? Your church? Your pastor? Your mother? Your father? Let me introduce you to One, if you'll stand for Him tonight, He'll stand for you then. Think of it while we bow our heads just a moment for prayer.

And just before we have this prayer, I want you to be real honest, young and old. And the sacredness of this minute. Have you never met Him face to face and spoke to Him about your sins and know that He has forgiven you of your sins? You may have joined church. That's all right. You may have been baptized according to your creed or whatmore. You might know all your catechism. And you might be a very good scholar of the Scripture. But do you know Him? If you don't, will you be real honest now with God? And if you haven't, and God is speaking to you now—God the Holy Spirit, which is present. If He's speaking to you just now saying, “Child, you know you're wrong. If you have a heart-attack tonight and die, you know you couldn't stand in My presence. Accept My Son now.”

And by raising up your hand, just say, “God remember me. I want your mercies now. And by my hand, I mean that I'll stand for You, if You'll help me now.” Will you raise your hand? All over the building. God bless you, you, you. The balconies to my left, up here. Raise your hand, “God be merciful.” The balconies to the rear, would you raise you hand, someone, and say, “God be merciful.”? The balcony to the right. Now don't be ashamed. If you.... God bless you, sister. “If you're ashamed of me before men, I will be ashamed of you before My Father and the holy angels.”

Think of it. No matter how good, how much you've done. That's won't mean one thing in the presence of God. You either stand for Christ or you don't stand for Christ.

Some twenty or thirty hands has been up. Would there just be some more, just for a moment? While we have our heads bowed, I'm going to ask the organist if he'll give us just a little chord on the organ. Let Christians pray. God bless you here, sister. Let no one look, just keep your heads bowed.

Now friend, in the presence of God, knowing this, that someday I'm going to have to stand right by his side and give an account for the message tonight. And you will, too. I'm offering you tonight, by the grace of God, Jesus Christ, who takes away all the sins of the world. Would you stand for Him tonight, that He would stand for you on that day? God bless you sir, over there. That's good. Someone else who would raise your hand and say, “God be merciful to me.”

Now, it's up to you. God bless you, sir. That's a good stand. God bless you up here, sister, young woman. God bless you, sir, back there. God sees your hand. “Be merciful to me, O God, I really need You.”

I want to say something. With your heads bowed, everybody praying. No one knows, young or old, when you're going. But it was appointed unto man once to die and then the judgment. Would it not be sad if you got up there and found out that you'd been wrong?

God bless you here, lady. He'll see your hands. I'm just waiting a minute. Don't be callous. Be soft in heart. You know the world's ... the so-called church has pulled its hearts through old television programs, and radio, and uncensored programs, and read old True Story Magazines till their heart's just callused and black. No more tenderness. No more tears. Women can't blush no more. There's no more shame before men. Isn't it a pitiful time? But this has to come just before certain-certain Sputnik does its work. God said it would.

Oh, if you're in that condition tonight, sinner friend, press your way beyond that, and accept Jesus.

Sometime ago I was speaking to a girl. I felt led just to say something to her. And I said, “Sister,” after the service was over, I said, “would you come to Christ?”

She said, “I belong to church. And if I wanted somebody to speak to me, I'd get a pastor that had some sense.” Said, “Don't you try to ever embarrass me.”

I said, “Very well. I'm sorry. No one knows this but you and I. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I only asked you because,” I said, “I felt led.”

Standing by the side of a little old rosebush by a Baptist church down in Nashville, Tennessee. I'll never forget the night, the wind blowing, the moon shining. And she turned her little painted lips up and her little nose and snickled away; met up with a bunch of boys.

About a year later, I passed through the same city. I was down there having a campaign. And as I was walking down the street, I seen a young lady walking down the street with her skirts terrible. I looked at her and I thought, “Surely that's not her.” And I turned and started following her. She looked at me as I passed. I caught up with her. She said, “Hello, preacher.”

I said, “How do you do? Aren't you...?”

She said, “I am.” She stopped and reached in her pocketbook, pulled out a cigarette and said, “Have one.”

I said, “Shame on you.”

She said, “Well, maybe you'd take a little drink out of my bottle.”

I said, “Does your father know this?”—a deacon at the church.

And she said, “I want to tell you something, preacher. You remember that night you spoke to me by that bush?”

I said, “I'll never forget it.”

She said, “That was my last call.”

And here's the remark that that beautiful young woman made. She got in this modern teenage rock-and-roll stuff. And she said, “Preacher, my heart is so hard till I could see my mother's soul fry in hell like a pancake and laugh at it.”

Done crossed the line between mercy and judgment.

Oh, don't do it, friend. Young people, won't you accept Christ tonight while we wait just a moment longer? Raise your hands. Will you say “Be mer....” God bless you. That's good. That's fine. Many more raised their hand. Good.

Let us pray then. Eternal and blessed God. Knowing that this is just not to be standing in this meeting, tonight. The Word of God has been preached and the Holy Spirit is present. And it's written, “No man can come to be except My Father draws him first.” Many hands has went up. That shows they've made a decision. Science says their hands has to hang down. But there's a Spirit in them that defied the laws of science, and raised their hands to a decision to their Maker. They are the love gifts of God. And they are love gifts to Christ, that God gives them to Christ. No man can pluck them from His hand. Thou givest them eternal life and shall raise them up at the last day.

Grant, Lord, that their souls may be sweet, and honeyed by the presence of the Holy Ghost, until death shall set them free and come into the presence of God, covered by His blood, washed and made new again. Lord God, let the Holy Spirit do that just now. And present them to the Lord Jesus as sainted, baptized people, into the body of Christ. We ask it in His name and for His glory. Amen.

Let's just sing one verse of that: “Saviour, Saviour, Hear My Humble Cry.” How many feels real good? just raise your hands, feel that God is here. Don't you just love the presence of the Holy Ghost? Now, real saintly, reverently, and spiritually, let's just raise our hands and sing Fanny Crosby's precious old song:

Saviour, Saviour,

Hear my humble cry.

While on others Thou art calling,

Do not pass me by.

Thou the stream of all my comfort,

More than life to me.

Whom have I on earth beside Thee?

Or whom in heaven but Thee?

Let's sing it now.

Saviour, Saviour,

Hear my humble cry.

While on others Thou art calling,

Do not pass me by.

Oh, don't you just love Him? This is the time the message is over. Now it's worship time. Let's sing this glorious old hymn of the church:

My faith looks up to Thee,

Thou Lamb of Calvary,

Saviour divine.

Now hear me while I pray,

Take all my guilt away,

And let me from this day

Be wholly Thine.

How many knows it? Let's sing it in the Spirit, now, of worship, while you just worship the Lord now. All right.

Saviour, Saviour,

Hear my humble cry.

While on others Thou art calling,

Do not pass me by.

Being it that went forth like that, I wonder if somebody is lingering in the building that should have raised their hands just a few moments ago, that now really wants God to do something for you; raise your hand. Will you do it? God bless you. God makes no mistakes, you know. God bless you, sister. May He grant to you that. See, God makes no mistakes. He's perfect in all His doings, if we'll just follow the leading of the Spirit.

Now, “My Faith Looks Up To Thee.” All right brother, if you will. Everybody together now.

My faith looks up to Thee,

Thou Lamb of Calvary,

Saviour divine.

Now (Let's raise our hands now)

hear me while I pray,

Take all my sin away;

O let me from this day

Be wholly Thine.

Oh, there's something about worshipping in the Spirit. The goodness and gentleness of the dove, the Holy Ghost, bringing peace. Oh, I just.... Let's sing another verse of that.

While life's dark maze I tread

(Just look to Him now.)

And griefs around me spread,

Be Thou my guide.

Bid darkness turn to day,

Wipe sorrow's tears away,

Nor let me ever stray

From Thee aside.

Lord God, as the music is sweetly going out, and the people humming this gracious old song that our fathers sang years ago, that's done gone up to glory and in Your presence; let the angels take their position, their places tonight along these lines of people. And help us now to recognize your omnipresence, the presence of the Holy Spirit.

And grant unto us, Lord, our desire in our heart. And may, when we get ready to leave the building tonight, may we be able to say like those who came from Emmaus, after the first resurrection, they walked along the road, talking about the Scripture and Jesus appeared. And they didn't know who He was. But he walked with them and comfort them by the Scripture all day. And when nighttime came, they went on the inside of a building and asked Him to come in.

That's what we've done, Lord. And when You got the door shut, and sat down with them, You did something, just like You did before Your crucifixion.

They recognized by that miracle that You did that it was You. And you vanished out of their sight. But quickly they ran and said, “Did not our hearts burn within us as He spoke to us along the road?”

They went to their own company and declared that they had seen that same Jesus that had been crucified, that had risen again, and was doing the same things that He did before His crucifixion. Lord, do the same for us tonight. Grant it. Give us a scripture, now. And work, Holy Spirit, by this scripture, for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

Now, if you will, for a few minutes, be real quiet. How many that's in Divine Presence has never been in one of my meetings before? Let's see your hands. My! Ninety percent of the crowd. I suppose Dr. Vayle, tonight.... I'm not a preacher, you know that. But God has given me another way to work with His church. And that is by a gift of the Holy Spirit. And I'm going to give you a scripture, which he has probably told you many.

How many knows that Jesus said, Himself, that He could do nothing in Himself, but what He saw the Father doing? St. John 5:19. Then Jesus never did one miracle until He saw the Father do it by a vision first, according to His Word. That's right.

When Philip came to Him, he went and got Nathanael and brought him back and told Nathanael who they'd found. And Nathanael could not believe it. But when he come into the presence of the Messiah, Jesus said, “Behold an Israelite in whom is no guile.” He could've been an Arab; he could've been a Greek. He could've been anything else. They all dressed alike. But, Jesus knew he was a Jew, and was an honest and just man.

And the man said to Him, “When did You know me, Rabbi?”

He said, “Before Philip called you, when you under the tree, I saw you.” That's fifteen miles away, a day before.

And when he did this, he said, “Rabbi, You're the Son of God. You're the King of Israel.”

He told the different ones. How many knows that that's the way He declared Himself in the days gone by? How many knows that He promised that the works that He did, His church would do also. “A little while and the world won't see me no more. Yet ye shall see me, for I (that's a personal pronoun) I'll be with you, even in you, to the end of the world. And as the Father has sent me, so send I you.” The Father that sent Him went with Him, and was in Him. The Jesus that sends the church goes with it, and is in it.

How many knows that that Jesus that was here on earth was the Angel of the Lord that was in a pillar of fire that led the children of Israel through the wilderness? All Bible students know that.

They said, “You're a man not fifty years old yet, and You said You saw Abraham. We know now that You're a devil.”

He said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” And that was the pillar of fire that was in the bush that talked to Moses.

When He was here, God and Christ was united in one: A body called Jesus. And then, when He worked on the earth, and done the things that He did, He said, “I came from God, and I go to God.” Is that right? Then whatever He was before He was flesh, He returned back to it. That's according to His Word.

After His death, burial and resurrection, and ascension, Paul ... Saul, rather, was on his road to Damascus to arrest some people that were making too much noise and carrying on. So, just before he got to Damascus, there was a great light that shined in his face and blinded him. And a voice cried out and said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?”

He said, “Lord, who are You?”

He said, “I'm Jesus.” Is that true? Then He had turned back to the pillar of fire again. Is that right? Come from God, went to God.

Now, if we see that ... and this picture is (I'd say, hide myself)—it's not me. It's Him. They told you about it. It's here in Washington, DC, as the only supernatural being was ever photographed in all the world's history.

Now, Jesus said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches.” Now, the vine doesn't bear fruit; the branch bears fruit. And the branch will certainly bear the fruit of the vine. Is that true? Grafted, or whatever it may be, it's got to bear the life of the vine, because it's living from the vine.

Jesus said, “The works that I do shall you also.” Well, then, “If ye abide in me, and my Word in you, ask what you will and it'll be given.”

Then notice, would a peach tree bear peaches? A grapevine would bear grapes. A watermelon would bear watermelon. The Spirit of Christ will bear the life of Christ. Does the Scripture say He is the same yesterday, today, and forever? If He declared Himself in thus manner as we have just said, before the Jews and the Samaritans, and forbid it to be done to the Gentiles.... Two thousand years of Gentile church theology, you see where we've got. But, isn't He obligated to declare Himself the same to the Gentiles as He did to them?

As I said last night, God doesn't get any smarter. His first decision is perfect and it's forever. When an occasion arises and God acts, and that same occasion would arise again, God's got to act in the same manner as He did the first time, or He acted wrong the first time. He can't be different; He has to be the same.

So let me give you another scripture now. Something comes on my heart. Last evening we called prayer cards up here. People who had cards with numbers on them. And they come up to the platform. And the Lord God was here to make known and to heal the people just like He did at the beginning. All that was here to see that, raise up your hands and knows that's true.

I'm going to give you another scripture tonight. And we'll ... different, the Lord willing. Now, there was a little weak woman in the Bible who thought and believed yet, without seeing Him, that He was the Son of God. So you see, it's your approach to God what brings the results. As I said, there was a Roman put a rag around His head and hit Him on the head with a stick, and said, “You prophesy, tell us who hit You; we'll believe You.” He didn't feel any virtue.

But there was a little woman who pressed through the crowed and touched His garment. For she said, “If I can just touch His garment, I'll be made well.” A little woman who'd had an issue of blood for many years. Nothing could help her. And when she touched Him, she went off into the audience. Maybe she sat down, or stood up, I don't know. But anyhow, she was out in the audience of people.

Jesus stopped and said, “Who touched me?” How many knows that's the Scripture? “Who touched me?”

And Peter rebuked Him. He said, “Why, everybody's touching You.” In other words, patting Him, and “How do You do?” And “Glad to see you, Rabbi. Have you come for a revival?” Peter said, “Everybody's touching You. Why do You say things like that?”

Jesus said, “But I got weak. Virtue has gone from me.” And He looked around until He found the little woman. And He said to her her trouble; that her faith had made her well. Is that right?

How many knows that Jesus Christ, tonight, according to the New Testament, the book of Hebrews, that He is now a High Priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities. Well, if He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and if He's a High Priest that can be touched, would He not have to act the same that He did yesterday? How many would believe that? The same yesterday.

Now, what you'd have to do would be, touch Him with your faith, like the woman did—not with your hands. It wasn't her hands that He felt; it was her faith that He felt. And he turned around. And if He's the same tonight, in here, the same pillar of fire, if this is Him, His picture, and if it is, it'll bear record of Him. If it isn't, it won't.

For God testifies of His own gifts. Hebrews 11:1 says so. Now, and if He's the High Priest.... And we don't call anybody up here to the platform. You just out there in the audience, and balcony, wherever you are, if you'll believe God with all your heart, don't doubt one bit in your heart, but just touch Him, He'll act tonight just the same as He did then, or He isn't the same yesterday, today, and forever.

You see, friends, it's too long that just theology and building churches and having denominations, and baptizing people forward, backward, up, down, three times, whatever more. That doesn't mean anything. What good does our theology do if it doesn't produce the Christ? He lives.

And if He will do such a thing tonight, how many will love Him and believe Him and accept Him? Raise your hands to Him. He knows every person. I can't see all your hands, of course. The Lord bless you.

Now, I suppose that every person in front of me is strange to me. How many knows that I do not know you, raise your hand, that I do not know you? The only ones I know is this brother standing here. I can't call.... White Cloud, or McCloud, or something like that's his name. We've got a White Cloud in Jeffersonville; I guess that was the wrong one. McCloud, Dr. Vayle, Brother Sweet, that's all that I know. But the Lord God knows you all.

And, now, what good would my message do tonight to telling you about a woman who came to see a gift that God had put in a man Solomon, that's going to condemn that generation, because Jesus was there, and claims to be the same in His Scripture, if He doesn't come to do that same thing tonight? How could she be condemned? But if He does it, and then you don't believe Him, then you will be condemned. For that's why He condemned that generation of doing the very same thing that I'm speaking of Him now.

Now I want you all to pray and to believe with all your heart, with all your soul, all your strength, that God is present. And now, don't move around now, please. Just be real reverent.

This'd be far beyond bringing you to the platform. How many here doesn't have prayer cards, let's see, and your sick? I want to see just.... There'd be no way of telling. I can't say. With or without prayer cards, you just believe. And God surely will answer prayer.

Jesus said, “If thou canst believe.” Just everyone reverent. I just touched.... Say, “Lord God....” Say this in your prayer: “Lord God, let me, O Lord.... I am in need. I love You. I believe what the man said is the truth, because it come from the Bible. And in the Old Testament when it flashed on the Urim Thummim, it was true. The Urim Thummim of that day, Aaron's breastplate, is gone away. But, God's got another Urim Thummim: His Word. And if it flashes from His Word to You, then it's true. ”If thou canst believe.“

Just be reverent, reaching up by faith and saying, “Lord God, High Priest, I'm sick and needy. Just touch me, Lord, and I'll never doubt no more. It'll take all fear away from me and will help me.”

See, it's anointing. I'm waiting and you're waiting. Something's got to happen, or the Word's wrong, or I'm wrong. The Bible said so, so it would make the Word wrong, too. He promised it.

I'm trying to just watch. It's the Angel of the Lord, the light, that I watch for. It comes to the person, then I watch, and a vision come. The same God that lived in the days gone by is the same God today.

Let's be in worship. I'm sure that Christians can appreciate me standing here. Please now, real reverent; real reverent. Be real quiet. Don't move around. You interrupt.... That's what hurts. Surely the God of heaven will overrule. He knows our love, and our worship.

Lord, I've just preached the Word, God. I'm not responsible for the Word. I'm just responsible for saying what You have said. And I'm asking You to perform that which You did when you were on earth, that these people, many fine Christians here tonight, who believe You, Lord, if You would just do it once for us. Just let the people know by a true token that You're alive. Speak to some heart, Lord, find faith here somewhere.

Reverently, here it is. The Angel of the Lord is hanging over a lady, right out here to my left. She's suffering with trouble with her feet and her legs. That is right. Mrs. Tilton. That's your name, isn't it? Stand up to your feet. I do not know you, do I? Never seen you in my life. You are healed. You touched the High Priest that can be touched by the feeling of your infirmities.

Oh, how we thank our Lord. Be real reverent. Somehow the light still hangs to the woman. She was sitting there praying, “Lord, let it be me.” If that's right, wave your hand back and forth, lady, so they can see you. There you are. God in heaven knows, with my Bible, I've never seen the woman in my life. How would He know her and what her trouble was and who she was? If that ain't the same thing He did in the Bible, then I don't know the Bible.

How many believes it? Say, “Amen.” Fine. Be reverent. You shall see more if the Lord wills. Up in the balconies, keep praying, all around, no matter where you are, just keep praying.

Somehow that light is still hanging over the woman. But it's something else that's wrong. No, it isn't. It's the next woman to her. And that woman has a growth on the breast. That's right, lady. Stand to your feet just a minute so I can catch your spirit. And that growth is on your left breast. That's right. You're Mrs. Woodward. Return home and get well. Don't fear about that cancer. Jesus Christ heals the sick and the afflicted, if thou canst believe.

There it goes to a little lady, kind of aged, with a little stripe around her hat, sitting just about two rows behind there. It's coming down to her at this time. She's suffering with gallbladder trouble. Do you believe, lady, that the Lord will heal you? On the end of the row. You've got heart trouble, too, sitting at.... Yes, ma'am. Do you believe that He makes you well? You were praying.... The reason you didn't get me, you were praying, suffering with gall trouble, and with heart trouble. That's right. Raise your hand if that's right. You were sitting there praying. It was a double thing. The lady sitting next to you has gall bladder trouble also, sitting next to you. Stand on your feet, lady, because it has left both of you. Amen. It turned light.

What did they touch? They touched the High Priest. Why, they're twenty yards from me. It isn't me; it's the Christ. He bears record of Himself. He's the High Priest. He still lives tonight.

You are praising the Lord, sitting there, sir. You have diabetes. I don't know you, do I? Stand to your feet just a minute. Just stay right there. There's something wrong in your.... Yeah, diabetes. Something wrong in your blood. Do you believe me to be His prophet, or His servant, with all your heart? I believe that. I cannot heal you, sir. I have no way of healing you. But you touched something that's brought.... You're aware that something's going on. Exactly. You're not from this city. You're not from this city. You're from a place called Pittsfield, Maine. That's right. Your name is Mr. Silas Perkins. That's exactly right. “Thus saith the Lord.” That's right. Do you believe. Go home and be well then. Accept your healing, and go home and be made well.

A little lady, there, with a little thing on her dark dress. She's suffering with ulcers. Do you believe me to be His prophet, His servant? You also have varicose veins. If that's right raise up your hand. Do you believe now? Get well. If Jesus Christ.... If you got faith enough to touch Him, surely you have faith enough to accept Him now. If thou canst believe.

What do you think, sitting there praying with that back trouble, sitting there, sir? Do you believe that God'll heal you of it? You do? Stand up and accept it.

Do you believe? There's a lady sitting in front with her hand up, like this, suffering with a chest trouble. That's right. You're praying for your husband sitting next to you, too. He drinks and you want.... That's right. That's “thus saith the Lord.” That couldn't be hid if it had to. That's right. Sir, accept it now. That thing will leave you. You don't want to do that. You're too much of a gentleman for that. Believe Him.

How many of you believe with all your heart? Do you believe His presence is here? Then the Christ that stood and said that the Queen of Sheba would stand in the last days and condemn the generation that seen Him do that, and here He is at the end of the Gentile age, doing the same.

Now, there's no man can heal you. Healing is already done by God. He was wounded for our transgressions. With His stripes we were healed. The only thing anyone can do is to get you accept something He's already done. Do you believe that?

The Scripture does say these signs shall follow them that believe. If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover. Is that right? Well, how many believers have we got? Raise up your hand. Then lay your hands on one another. If you're believers, let's prove it to God you are a believer.

Up in the balconies, you sir, that's got that prostate trouble, sitting out that by that post. It's all over now. You can go home. It's well.

That young lady there with that TB, it's finished.

Oh, don't you understand that His presence is here? You're in the presence of the living God. Not a man, but a real God who didn't live only two thousand years ago, but lives tonight, right here in this presence now.

Oh, Lord God, you see their hands laying on each other. And I pray that You'll give them faith. What more could You do, Lord. You've declared Yourself to be here. And I ask that a great spontaneous power of the Holy Ghost will surge through this people just now and heal every person that's in Divine Presence.

Satan, you have held them captive so long, but you're exposed tonight. Jesus is coming soon for a church and He's trying to give them rapturing faith. Come out of this audience, thou spirit of the devil that's bound them. I adjure thee by the Living God that you come out. In the name of Jesus Christ.

Every person here, no matter how crippled, whatever you was, if you believe Jesus Christ to be here in His presence, stand up to your feet. I don't care who you are. Stand up. Wave your crippled hands to the air. Now it's all over. You are healed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.