The Queen Of The South

Greenville, South Carolina, USA

58-0620

1
Thank you, Brother Joseph. Thank you, brother. May be seated. It's a privilege to be here tonight, but we just don't get to stay long enough when we come; we're just in and out. And I've heard Brother Joseph introduce me so many times at the platform, and I pull his coat and everything else to keep him from saying those things, but he just says them anyhow. I would rather give a person a little rosebud now than a whole wreath after they're gone.
2
And to this convention I want to say ... not just because he's sitting here; that would be a hypocrite. But Joseph Boze has been one of finest friends I've ever had. That's exactly right. He's a wonderful brother; I've found him just, honest, just as honest as he can be, and a real man who loves God. I'm not saying that because he passes the nice complements that he does, but I'm saying it from an experience, that I know what I speak of. And he's leaving Chicago pretty soon, and they're losing one of the best men that's ever come to Chicago when Joseph Boze leaves there.
3
And I certainly have appreciated all of our fellowship in Chicago and the great meetings we've had together. God only knows what it has meant. And someday in a world beyond here where time will cease and eternity will blend in with it, we will talk it all over, Joseph, about the great things that's been done. Got a lovely family, lovely children, lovely church, lovely members, and very fine preaching. Everyone use to say, “If Brother Branham's not in Jeffersonville, either call Chicago, Mattsson-Boze, or Shreveport, Louisiana, Jack Moore; I was at one of the two places, going back and forth. Because they were both my good friends, and just as soon as I'd have one night way down the line somewhere, that one would grab me; before I could get to another, another one would grab me. So I'd tell them ... I'd say, ”Brother, I got a lot of other fine brothers I just got to visit a little bit, you know, and talk with them.“
4
I certainly want to say, that I appreciate the privilege that's been mine to speak at this convention. This group represents what I stand for: a fellowship with all men. Regardless of creed, color, or race, or whatmore, we fellowship together, having no denominational barriers, just a group of men who fellowship. If you're Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, it's in Full Gospel nature. But if you're a Methodist and want to fellowship with them, see if they'll turn you down. Baptist, Presbyterian, or whatever you are, don't make any difference to them. They got hand out, a good handshake; I like that. And that's what I think the Lord loves too, is for all of His children to fellowship.
And I want to apologize to Greenville and to the convention, for having to come to you so tired. And when I'm tired you're not at your best. I've been going since Christmas, constantly. I will leave here in the morning, going right straight up to Green Pines, I believe ... Southern Pines, Southern Pines, North Carolina, I think that is, Southern (That ought to be South Carolina, oughtn't it?) ... Southern Pines, North Carolina. And be up there for four days, and then on to Philadelphia to the Full Gospel Businessmen's International Convention. And that's to be in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, beginning ... I will speak (supposing to speak) at the breakfast on the morning of the twenty-eighth. And then, I think, the first the convention starts. And then I'm to meet my good friend Oral Roberts, and Tommy Hicks, and many more of the brethren at this convention of minister brothers.
5
Billy told me just now that they've taken a love offering. Is that right? A love offering for me. I appreciate that. I didn't come for that; I never asked for that. I never took a offering in all my life. I've never took a offering. I've been a minister twenty-seven years, and I never took one offering in my life, or never had one penny of salary in my life. I just live by the alms of the people.
I worked seventeen years as game warden and for a electrician, as a public service company, and pastored the Baptist Tabernacle at Jeffersonville, taking what tithe that was giving in, never even seen it, passed right through the church, and built the church and so forth. And paid tithes and offerings to the church, seventeen years without one penny. And I wished I had a job that I could go to with a pick and shovel, or a hammer, or something another, is about all I got gumption enough to do, dig a ditch or something, work, some electrical work, and wouldn't have to take up an offering anytime. If I could do it, I'd gladly do it. I'm not as young as I was then.
6
I had a birthday the other day, and let's see; I think I was.... My wife's sitting here, so I have to be careful; I think I was twenty-five. I was just a little over twenty-five; I was born in 1909, so that makes me a little over twenty-five, doesn't it, just a little over twenty five? So I will hear from this.
I remember one night.... She always gets after me for saying this. We had a close time, when I almost had to take a offering once; we couldn't make ends meet. Did you ever hit that place? And so I said, “Honey, I'm going to take up an offering tonight.”
She said, “I'm going over and watch you do it.” So she sat down.
And I said, “Folks, I'm going to take an offering; I'm just in a little tight place. If you all got ten, fifteen cents you could throw in and help me get over this snag, I appreciate it.” I said, “Uncle Jim Wiseheart (one of the deacons),” I said, “would you get my hat?” We didn't even have an offering plate. He went over to get my hat. Little old woman, used to sit right down to my right, prayed for me all the time. She's in heaven tonight. She had one of them little old aprons on that you had the pocket on the inside. How many ever seen one of them, you Southern women? Sure.
Grandma used to have one; she carried her pipe and her tobacco on the inside there, little old cane and a long clay pipe. Did you ever see one? Sure, Grandma had one. The men folks would come, she'd stick it under here and hold her finger on it, and then, to keep it from burning her apron till the.... Didn't make any difference about the hand, you know.
7
But, this little old woman reached down there, and got one of those little pocketbooks that snaps over the top, begin to reach down there for those nickels; I couldn't do that. “Oh,” I said, “I was just teasing you.” That thing would've haunted me the rest of my life, if I took that woman's nickels. I said, “I was just teasing you, see what you would say.” And Uncle Jim standing there with my hat in his hand, he said, “What do you mean, Billy?”
I said, “Hang my hat up, Uncle Jim. I was just teasing you.”
8
An old man used to come to my house, rode a bicycle. He come from Benton Harbor, had long beard and hair. Old Brother Ryan, many of you might've knowed him. And he rode an old bicycle down there, and it backslid. And he give it.... It never backslid; it just wore out. It wasn't backslidden; it just wore out. So he left it there and give it to me. And I went down to the ten cent store, and got a can of paint, and painted it up, and sold it. Got the money at the end, and never had to take a offering after all. So, as close as I ever come to taking an offering.
Now, what's given to me, I place it, every penny that I can, and everything that I know, the best of my knowledge, to the kingdom of God. I got three children to feed and a wife. We have a lot of expense. My expenses at home's about a hundred dollars a day in my office. You say, “That's a whole lot, Brother Branham.” That's about the smallest of any evangelist on the field.
9
What do you think Oral Roberts has to have a day? Last I heard of him, was seven thousand, I think it's around ten now, ten thousand every day. What do you think Billy Graham has every day? I heard a estimation one time was twenty-five thousand a minute, on television I think it was, and his radio, takes a lot of money.
But I've kept my meetings small; I've never tried to get big, or some great big program, where I have to beg people for money. When it gets like that, I will fold the Bible and go back to my Tabernacle, see. I never have to do that; may God help me to never do it. I've never had big programs, so I can go to a church that holds ten and hold a revival. Or if the Lord wants me to preach to a hundred thousand, He sends somebody along to pay for it, so I go on and preach to a hundred thousand. So that's the way we live. So just don't have to have money. Just very small.
10
And so now, the Lord bless each of you; I'm happy to have been here in Greenville. And one of your pastors met me on the step just a few moments ago and invited me to his tabernacle: Brother Bigsby, I believe it is. Come from his delegation from down in the here somewhere, Charlotte, I believe it was. And they're all united.... [Someone says, “Columbia.”] Columbia, all united down there for a big revival....
Just got word from Madison Square Garden in New York, that the Spanish people will fill it every night, ten nights straight. There's about a hundred and seventy-five thousand Pentecostal Spanish right in New York City, see. Without a white person to be there, the Spanish will fill Madison Square Garden, and pay for it for ten straight nights, just to come to the meeting. Everywhere around is calling, and here I am tired and wore out. Brethren, pray for me.
11
I got to leave this world one of these days, but I want to leave it with a true heart, with doing the very best I can for the kingdom of God, and go in the harness; that's the way I want to go. May God help, and put little Joseph, my little boy here, in my place to continue on the ministry if Jesus tarries.
Now, tonight we're facing the closing of this convention. I think next year's to be at Evansville, down in Indiana. I got a first cousin down there. Mr. Bivard has a big Assembly of God church which covers pretty near a city block. And I hope to be there next year at the convention. God bless you, brethren; keep up the good courage. And you've had a good convention, and God has blessed you. And so may His blessings continue on each one of you, and may your ministries grow and be greater and greater all the time, is my sincere prayer. God bless each other church that's around Greenville here and whatevermore, give you the best in the kingdom, is my sincere desire and prayer.
12
Brother Mercier and Brother Goad is here somewhere, and this is the closing night; they have their tapes of the meetings, and the sermons, and the messages on both record and tape; the books and pictures are at the table in the back. You care for them, we do.... That's not a money making scheme that we have; I buy those books from Brother Gordon Lindsay at forty cents less, buying them by the thousands. Time I pay for them and send them around.... If I would sell them just exactly the way I bought them, I'd lose money. And anybody that's here that's poor and wants one of the books and hasn't got the money to pay for it, take it anyhow; it's my compliments. Picture, anything else.... The picture's copyrighted and so I have to pay for that. Just as we get it printed, we put it right back there and sell it. Make money out of nothing. We want to make converts to Jesus Christ; that's our goal of it, is converts. The Lord bless you.
I was looking a few moments ago.... My wife was looking for a friend here, Mrs. Downing from down in Tennessee somewhere, and they're supposed to be in the meeting, and I don't know whether Meda's found her yet or not. And if she's here, well, she's looking for you, Mrs. Downing, wherever you are.
13
Let us bow our heads now just for a moment of prayer before we bring the Word. How many wants to be included in prayer, would you just raise your hands to Christ and say, “Be merciful God; I'm here now, and I'm in need, and You help me tonight. You know what my need is.” God bless you, everywhere.
Heavenly Father, We thank Thee for all that we have seen, heard, and felt, during this convention. And we ask that Your blessings rest upon this group of men, who has purposed in their heart not to defile themselves with the things of the world, but to preach the unadulterated Gospel of the Lord Jesus. Bless them in their efforts. Bless the people who let them have the hall here, and the convention, and all the churches, the laity, and the people who's put in the offerings to make these things possible. Thank You for all of them, Father.
14
And now, we would ask that You would give us tonight one of the greatest blessings that we've ever had since we've been in Your service. Speak to us through Thy written Word; make it manifest by the Holy Spirit. Open the pages, Lord, and interpret the Word to us, as we humbly hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Save those, Lord, who has been ordained to eternal life; may the Holy Spirit speak especially to their hearts tonight, and this will be the time that they'll hear that knock at the door and open. Heal the sick and afflicted; and may this be a great night. And may there not be one feeble person in our midst when the service is over. We will go away tonight happy and rejoicing, trusting we will be saying like those who came from Emmaus, “Did not our hearts burn within us, as He talked to us along the way.” For we ask it in His name and for His glory. Amen.
15
Running like this, just as hard as we can, and sometimes I have to read a text over that I've read before sometime, and not chance to study much, and to get a little context, usually not the very same way, that I spoke of it. I could take one text, or any other minister, that the Holy Ghost anointed, and preach a hundred years and make it different each time, as the Holy Spirit leads.
But tonight.... Pastor Mattsson was up to my camp today, and he said.... I said, “Brother Mattsson, do you think that the people would desire me to pray for the sick again tonight?”
He said, “Definitely, Brother Branham.”
I said, “Billy, you boys better go down and give out some prayer cards then,” and I said, “because I don't know whether they continued the prayer line last night to get them all through or not. However, give out some prayer cards again. Those who have them, if they want to get another one, give it to them; we will pray again tonight.”
16
Now, I want you to remember that the very thing that we're trying to contend for: that is, Jesus Christ is not dead but is alive, and He's just the same today as He was when He walked Galilee, only He's not in a corporal body but in His church body, working through each member as He has ordained them to do. Do you believe that? So therefore, it would not be laying on hands.
And I want to say tonight.... How many of my friends here are from out of town, out of this city here? let's see your hands. Well, that's wonderful, ninety percent of the congregation; that's really fine, good.
17
Now, there's a change in my ministry coming. And how many.... Would there be one here that remembers when I first started on the field? Let's see your hand. Oh, my, there's several. You remember how it was given to me by the Angel of the Lord, that I would take my left hand and lay it onto the person was standing sick, and not use my own voice, and it would speak out and tell them what was wrong with them? You remember that? And you remember, I told you that the Holy Spirit told me that night when I talked to Him, what it would be. And said, “Then if you'll be sincere, it'll come to a place that you'll know the very secret of their heart.” How many of you that was in my first meetings heard me tell that before that ever come to pass? raise up your hands high. That's good. Now, has it come to pass?
Then He said, “If you'll continue to be sincere and humble, it'll grow greater and greater.” And now, this ministry is going to step higher now, into another realm, where it'll be far beyond what it is now. I don't know just what it is, but I'm warned of the Holy Spirit to quickly now close my meetings off (My last one will be in Philadelphia), and go into the hills and wait on the Lord to see which way to conduct this ministry. When I come out again, it'll be in a new ministry. This ministry will never cease; this ministry will continue on. The first will continue on; it's still just the same.
18
God gives gifts; He never takes gifts. Your gift remains, but if you'll be honest with what you got, God will take other talents and just keep pouring them on, if you just keep climbing on. He's always done it. Like in the Luther Age, to the Wesley Age, to the Pentecost Age, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on; there's no limit to it. God keeps on. So pray for me, for I'm badly needing your prayers.
19
Now, I wish to read tonight from Saint Matthew the 12th Chapter, the 42nd verse, for a little context, if the Lord will give it. Speak quickly and have the prayer line, for just one word from God would mean more than any preacher could stand here on the platform and preach for years. And I want to say: These handkerchiefs, I pray over them. But I want first, after the message is over, till I'm sure that the Angel of the Lord is near before—in anointing—before I pray for your handkerchiefs. I want to be sure of that. If it was my mother that was sick, or my baby that was sick, I want the very best that God had to be done for it. And you want to do unto others as you'd have others do unto you. And if you haven't got a handkerchief here, just write me at Jeffersonville, I will send it to you, free of charge, no charge to anything. This is the reading of the Scripture if you've turned to it:
And the queen of the south shall rise ... in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
Now, may the Lord add His blessings to the reading of His Word.
20
Jesus had just been upbraiding the cities that He had been in, and had performed His mighty miracles, and the people had not repented. Do you believe that history repeats itself? Certainly, it does. History proves that. And what do you think that He would be thinking tonight, as He now looks down upon Greenville, as He looks upon New York, Chicago, and many of the great cities throughout the world where His mighty works has been shown and the people are continually wading on in sin and unbelief? And He was upbraiding them and telling them what their destruction would be.
And some of you real shrewd historians now, look back in the history and look at the present day in Palestine, and every city that He cursed is sunk. And every one He blessed is still standing, just as He said in this Scripture, this same chapter, and the previous chapter that I've just read from. He said, “Thou Capernaum, thou art exalted into heaven, but you shall be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works had been done in Sodom, that has been done in you, it would remain until this day.”
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If the mighty works had been done.... And you see, the works of God had been manifested, but the people had turned it down, and had called Him Beelzebub. For we read last night the works that He did and how He did them. And in just a few verses behind where I read just awhile ago, we find out that the Pharisees had called Him Beelzebub. Now, they never said it right out loud; the devil's too smart for that. They never said it out loud, but they thought it in their hearts, and Jesus perceived their thoughts. Is that what the Scripture says? They never said, “This guy's Beelzebub.” But in their hearts they said it, and Jesus caught it. That's the reason they tagged Him as a fortuneteller or an evil spirit. He perceived their thoughts.
22
Now, we know that there is such thing as mind reading, they call it, or fortune-telling. What is fortune-telling? Fortune-telling is of the devil. And it's nothing but a perverted gift. Just like all unrighteousness is righteousness perverted. Did you ever hear of a fortuneteller preaching the Gospel, getting souls saved? Did you ever hear of a fortuneteller holding healing services and doing great mighty works for God, bringing souls to repentance? “By their fruit you shall know them.”
Jesus was preaching of His Father's kingdom and calling converts to Himself and to the Father. And they said, because He could perceive their thoughts, with the real gift of God, made Him a perverted gift, and He said, “To call the Spirit of God an unclean work would be unforgivable when the Holy Ghost come to do it.”
So He was very plain in what He said. So be careful, friends, what you say about anything that God does, because it's a dangerous thing to fall into the hands of the living God. If you do not understand it, just keep still; don't say nothing. Say, “Lord, make me humble so I will understand.” Come with that kind of an attitude; don't just go away with the crowd and pass your own opinion. Search it through the Scriptures; watch the working of it, the nature of it, and see if it is of God or not. If it is of God, stay with it. If it isn't of God, get away from it. If it isn't Scriptural, then it isn't of God.
23
So He had referred to them. And we know that any age, and all through every age, God has always had His witness on the earth; He's never been without a witness. And He never will be without a witness. And when God sends a gift to the earth, and the people reject it, that generation goes into a chaos of blackness, and darkness, and rejecting of God. For God judges that generation by the way they judge His gifts.
Now, Jesus was God's greatest gift. And He was trying to tell them that they had rejected His message. They rejected.... Sodom rejected the message of the angels. And in Noah's age, that age rejected Noah's message. And then He begin to refer back to some that did accept it, and He gave illustrations in it. And He said, “Then any generation that received God's gift ... or, God's message, that generation always prospered and become a great generation.” It's the attitude that you take towards any divine gift of God that brings forth the results that you'll get from it.
24
What if Martha, when she went out to see Jesus at the death of her brother, Lazarus.... Now, seemingly she had a right to upbraid Him and say, “Why didn't You come when we called You? My brother was sick, and he was in need of You. And we've left the church; we've turned our back on our old friends, because we believed in You. And we followed You, and we've been excommunicated from the societies, because we had confidence. And right when we needed You most, You turned us down.” That would've been no more than seemingly just.
But every person that comes to God has got to be tried first. And your faith has got to be tried. So if she would've come with that sort of an attitude, the miracle would never been performed. But no doubt, she read about the Shunammite woman, how she approached Elijah. So she approached Jesus the same way. If God was in His prophet, surely He was in His Son.
And she said, “Lord (His right title), if Thou would have been here, my brother would not have died.” That certainly made favor before God. She recognized Him no matter what He had done. Whether He come or whether He did not come, that didn't have anything to do with it. She said, “Lord (give Him His title), if Thou would've been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You.” There you are.
25
You might have pulled through every doctor's office there is in Greenville. You might have went through every clinic, and every doctor said that that cancer will kill you. But if you'll take the right attitude towards God's gift, the Holy Ghost here tonight, and say, “Even now, Lord, the doctor's give me up; everything's gone; but even now, Lord, sitting at the right hand of God, whatever You ask the Father, He will give it to You.” Something's going to take place.
Look at Jesus, what He did. He said, “Thy brother shall rise again.”
She said, “Yea, Lord, he was a good boy; he will rise in the last day.”
He said, “But I am the resurrection and life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?”
She said, “Yea, Lord: I believe that You are the Son of God that was to come into the world. Whether You come to my call, yes or no; that has nothing to do with it; I believe that You are the Son of God that was to come into the world.” That settled it; it was her approach. It's your approach. It's your approach to Christ what tells the difference.
26
And Jesus said—referred to the days of Jonah—and He said, “The men of Nineveh shall rise in the generation, because they repented at the preaching of this prophet Jonah.”
Now, many times we call Jonah, and like to refer to him as some backslidden prophet that didn't know his ABC's hardly, in coming to know Christ, and cast him off to one side. Well, let me tell you something; you're mistaken, Jonah was a true genuine servant of God, following every move of the Holy Spirit. Why, when he started down to Nineveh, God sent him to Nineveh. But he took, seemingly, the road of least resistance; he went to Tarshish. That was not providential; that was God's way of doing something.
27
If a good man that serves the Lord.... And the Scriptures cannot be broken: “The footsteps of the righteous is ordered of the Lord,” and nothing can turn it. And “All things work together for good to them that love Him.” That ship was set there by God just the same as the fish was prepared for him. Jonah out in the ocean, he was honest and just that he'd not went where God told him to, but it was all in God's working. Watch how He did it.
He tied his hands behind him and throwed him out into the ocean. A fish prowls through the water till it finds its bait, its prey, eats and goes down to the bottom, and rests its swimmers on the bottom of the water. You fishermen know that. You women know that from your goldfish. And this whale, coming through the water, got a great big mouthful and swallowed this minister into his belly, went down into the bottom of the sea, and rested his swimmers.
28
I've often thought: You take people ... maybe they got a tumor, or they're deaf in one ear, or crippled, or something, they think their case is impossible. And they keep looking; they'd be prayed for one night.... Oral Roberts will come through; they'll be prayed for, say, “Well, my hand never got any better.” Brother Allen will come by, “My hand's no better.” You're looking at the wrong place. Like as the old southern expression, when we used to coon hunt, “Barking up the wrong tree.”
29
Notice, Jonah never looked at those things. People look at their symptoms, but you should never look at symptoms; you should look at the promise.
Now, Jonah was in the belly of the whale, the vomit up knee deep, seaweeds all around his neck; if ever which way he looked, he see the whale's belly. And he was in the bottom of the sea, on a stormy sea in the belly of a whale, hands and feet bound behind him, and everywhere he looked was the whale's belly. There's not a person in here tonight in that kind of a condition, or half like that.
And you know what Jonah said about it? He said, “They are lying vanities I won't even look at it. But once more will I look towards Your holy temple, O Lord.” And when he did, he believed.
30
When Solomon dedicated that temple and said, “Lord (in his prayer), if Thy people be in trouble anywhere, and will look towards this holy place, and pray, then hear from heaven.” And that preacher believed that God would answer Solomon's prayer.
And if Jonah, under those conditions, could look towards a temple that was erected by man, and a prayer that was made by a man that later backslid, how much more ought we under these present conditions look away from our symptoms to the throne of God where Jesus sits at the right hand of God on a throne, by a temple that was made by God with His own blood to make good anything that we confess: to pray for us, make intercessions upon our confession, at the right hand of the Father.
31
Watch this whale. God did something to the whale; He carried Jonah for three days and nights, on over to Nineveh. Now, I'm told that the Ninevite people were heathens, and they worshipped the god of the sea and different gods. And the god of the sea was a whale, because he was the strongest creature in the sea. And all the men fished for a living, mostly.
And when the fishermen was out there with their nets, and here comes a whale making a beeline for shore, and opens up his mouth, licks out his tongue and the prophet walked out of the god's mouth, no wonder they repented. A preacher walked right out of the whale's belly, right out of the mouth, to preaching the Gospel. If their god delivered the prophet, surely, they would hear it. God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform. It wasn't providential; God had that all made out. He knowed just what was going to happen. And then people see their god run to the bank and spit the prophet on the bank, sure they would hear him. Because he come straight from god, their god, that they thought was, the whale, god of the sea.
32
And how God moves, and how that great city that they didn't know “gee” for “haw,” or right hand from the left hand. And they repented at the preaching of Jonah. And Jesus said, “A greater than Jonah is here.” An ignorant and unlearned people repented at the preaching of Jonah, and He said, “A greater than Jonah is here.” But He said, “As Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and nights, so shall the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth three days and nights.” Remember, they just asked Him, after all the signs that He'd done, He prophesied. Here's another good thought there.
Notice what He did. He said, “A wicked” ... or, “evil and an adulterous generation shall seek after signs. And there'll only be one sign given them, and that will be the sign as Jonah was in the belly of the whale.” Therefore the wicked and adulterous generation is this generation that we're living in now, the adulterous generation. History has repeated itself. And it said it would be given the sign of the resurrection.
And brother and sister, we are living today to see the direct witness of the resurrected Jesus Christ performing the same things that He did when He was here on earth. He prophesied.
33
Then He referred them to Solomon's age. Solomon was given a great gift. And the good thing about Solomon's age: all the people rallied around that gift. And it was the Millennium for the Jewish age; it was called the golden age of Israel. Why, the news of it spread everywhere. And all the people was with one accord. Everybody believed that gift that was in Solomon. Why, he had a gift of discernment; there never was such a gift of discernment as Solomon had, until that day. And all Israel rallied around it. It was the greatest age they had ever knowed of.
And friends, would not it be nice tonight, if all the church of the living God would rally around the gift of the Holy Spirit like they ought to do it? We could just ditch all the atomic missiles and everything else. It'd be the greatest defense that the world's ever had, if everybody, all churches, would just rally around the great Holy Spirit, be sincere, not notice your denominations, but just be sincere and rally around the Holy Spirit, what God would do. All the nations, everywhere, would recognize that this ... something's happened over here, if they'd rally around the gift of God that's been sent to them in this last day.
34
Now, notice, and the news went out to other nations. There was no war in the time of Solomon; everybody was scared. And the best defense that we have is America closing up the barroom, clothing their women, getting back to the church, and back to the Bible; it'll break all this here hoodlum, juvenile delinquency, and all that stuff up, and bring God back to the nation in an old fashion revival, if they'd just do it. But you're trying to figure something else. Man is always trying to work out his own way. God's going to have His way, regardless of what man does.
But all Israel rallied. And the news went far and near. Finally it went way down into Sheba, the Queen of the South, to the utmost parts of the known world of that day. And no wonder that little queen.... Everybody passing through would say, “Say, you ought to be up in Israel; their God has given them a gift up there in a man called Solomon; and there's nothing ever like it. That man has the power of discernment that doesn't lay in men; it has to come from their God.”
You know, “Faith cometh by hearing, hearing of the Word of God.” And her little hungry heart begin to call out for God.
35
Now, if we would only testify of the goodness of God, if we would only tell what He's doing, and not be ashamed of it.... “If I be lifted up from the earth,” said Jesus, “I will draw all men unto Me.” Then if we'd only tell of the goodness of God that He's doing for us in these meetings.... And it creates a thirst.
And the little queen, finally decided, after so many people telling her that this great gift was up in Israel, she decided she'd go find out for herself. That's a good thing to do.
Well now remember, she had a lot to confront her if she went. The first place: she was a woman. And a woman alone has a hard struggle. And the next thing: she was a pagan; she was a heathen. She'd have to get permission from her church to go.
36
So, I can imagine seeing the little queen after her little heart begin to beat, “Oh, is there something real?” So she goes over to her bishop, and she calls him out, and she said, “Bishop, have you ever heard over in Israel that they have a God over there that's give a man a great gift? And all the world is rallying in to see it?”
Now, I can hear him say, “Now, listen here; they got a revival going on up there, but we're not cooperating in it. Our denomination don't stand for that.”
“Well,” she said, “Listen, Bishop, I will go call for the archbishop or the State Presbyter, or somebody.” So she got them all together; she was queen. And they said, “Now, wait a minute Queen; surely, you haven't gone off on the deep end. You're too smart a woman to think things like that.”
“How long has it been, since we have had a great revival in our country?” she would say to them.
They said, “Oh, but now wait a minute; all that fanaticism of all those gifts and things, that's just people that don't know any better. You see, we are an educated people down here; we are smart, and we're intelligent; and we don't believe in a bunch of fanaticism like they have up there. And it's only fanaticism, so you must keep away from it.”
37
But I can hear her say, “I'm forty years old, and I heard my mammy talk; I heard my father talk; and you keep talking about a god, but all I've seen is a bunch of dead creeds. If there is a God that still lives, I want to know where He's at.” God bless that woman. “If there is a religion that produces a living God that's present tense and not some historical something, I want to find out.”
“Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”
Now, I can hear her say, “Listen, Pastor, all you keep talking about a god, but you put Him off in some other great age back behind. But they tell me that their God is alive, and He produces Himself through His servant by a mighty gift. And something down in me is hungering to find out for myself. I'm going anyhow.”
38
“Where the carcass is, the eagles will be gathered.” I'm talking about eagles now, not buzzards. I'm talking about eagles that like eagle food out of the Word of God; not out of some creed book or almanac, but out of the Word of God, that teaches that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He never fails. He just remains the same living God.
Oh, her heart was hungry, and she wanted to know about something that had some life in it, something that was real. She'd heard all kinds of history and all kinds of theology, but she heard that there was a living God, and she wanted to find it.
Oh, I can see the bishop swell up like a frog and say, “Now, looky here, Queen, you may be queen, but we're the spiritual men. And do you know I have the power to take your name off the book?”
She said, “Just rub it off then, for I'm on my way.” Oh, I like that. “Whether you're cooperating or not, I'm going to find out for myself. If you say it's fanaticism, I'm smart enough to know it. I will search their Scriptures before I get there and find out whether it's right or not.”
39
There you are. If the people of the United States would just be that sincere to find out whether God promised He'd pour out the Holy Ghost in the last days upon His people, upon His church, and that signs and wonders and miracles, and He'd call a people from the Gentiles for His name. But they take some old dead creed instead (That's right), some historical something. Then history.... If He isn't the same God today, then He isn't God; He died. But thank God, He is still the same God.
So she was going to find out. Now, she had a lot to confront her, to get ready to go. And when she did, she made up her mind; she said, “Now, I'm excommunicated anyhow, from this. So then if I go.... I've been supporting this so far; I'm going to take some gold along with me; and if that's the truth, I'm going to support it. If it isn't the truth, I'm going to let it alone.”
If people only thought that level today, instead of putting all their money on some kind of a dead ritual or creed (that's building million dollar churches instead of supporting missionaries and getting the Gospel to the people, a living God, a resurrected Christ), you'd be a better thinking people, friends. Don't stick your money on something that's nothing but a bunch of fanaticism; don't support something that's dead and smelling. Support Christ, the living God. Put your, not only your money, but your time, your prayers, your efforts, your talents; everything you got, give it to Him.
She said, “I'll laden these camels with myrrh and frankincense; I'll laden these camels with gold and silver. And if it is the truth, that that living God has a living witness, then I'll support it. But if it isn't, I'll bring my gold back.” It's a good thing to do; that's good thinking.
40
Now, remember another thing: She had to cross a desert. And it would take her exactly three months to cross it—three months across a burning desert. But she went, because there was something in her, moving her, constraining her. No wonder Jesus said, “No man can come to Me except My Father draws him first.” And she had three months to take ... ninety days, across a burning desert, not in a air conditioned coach, but on the back of a camel. And people in the United States won't walk across the street to find out whether it's right or not. If anything, the man that's supposed to be spiritual will pump some embalming fluid into their members in their morgue, and tell them not to go.
I know you think I'm rough, but I'm not rough enough. That's right. The hour is close, friends. Let's make it either right or wrong. If it's right, let's die by it. If it's wrong, get away from it. I want to find where the real thing is. If this ain't that, I want to hold this till that comes then. If God isn't God, who is God then? Show me something better.
41
I've stood with the Bible in one hand, and the Koran in the other hand, and challenged fifty thousand or more Mohammedans: one's got to be wrong. “If Mohammed is God, let Mohammed come forth and produce by his prophets what he promised. If Christ be God, then let Him produce what He promised.” Somebody's wrong; somebody's right.
Oh, they sit quiet. I say tonight, there is only one true religion; that's Christian religion. And Jesus Christ is the Author of Christian religion. And He is not dead like Mohammed in the grave, but He's raised again, and is right here tonight in the same power of His resurrection that He has always been in, doing, performing, acting, moving, everything. His every principle is just exactly like it was when He was here on earth. If that wasn't so, I'd lay that Book down and go find one that had truth in it. That's right. But this.... You don't have to look any further; the Bible is the truth of God.
42
Yes, she had to cross on a camel, three months across a desert. Now, remember, she was carrying tens of thousands of dollars worth of gold and silver. And remember, Ishmael's children was in the deserts in those days, robbers. How easy it would've been for a great group of them Arabs to dash down on that little caravan of people, a few camels and a few soldiers, eunuchs, four or five women sitting with her, up on top of this old camel, moving through a sun that would take the hide off of you.
But there was something in her heart, calling her. There was a living God in action somewhere, and she wanted to find where it was at. David said, “When the deep calleth to the deep, at the noise of thy waterspouts....” If there's any part of God in a man, and the supernatural God begins to move, something moves with him; it'll take him to it, just can't help it. David said, “As the hart longs for the waterbrook, so my soul thirsts after Thee, O God.” The hart's got to find the waterbrook or perish. And if a man's got God in his heart, and he knows that there's an open fountain somewhere, he has to find it or perish. He will deny any creeds, forms, and anything else, to find a drink of a true living God. That's what starts real things a moving.
43
A man set a hen one time; he didn't have enough eggs for a setting, so he put a duck egg under the hen. This is not a joke; it's to make a point; this is no place for jokes. And when that little old duck hatched out, that's was the funniest thing them chickens ever looked at. That's about like a real believer and a nest full of these chickens we have around here. All of them picked on him, “Why, he must be a holy-roller; that big long bill, what's that for? Why does he waddle when he walks?” and so forth. He was a funny looking creature.
No time, no time through any age has any man or woman rose up in Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, or anything else, that really loved God and on fire for God, but what he was called the ugly duckling amongst a bunch of chickens. And another thing, that little duck out in the barnyard couldn't stand to scratch on them manure piles like them chickens did. Ducks got duck food, you know. Chicken has chicken food. You could teach all the old dead theology you want to, but, brother, there's something on the inside of you is a beating for the true living God; there's nothing will satisfy you till that's filled up.
44
The old hen she ... even the clucking of the hen fooled the little duck. He'd go, “Quack, quack.” She'd go “Cluck, cluck.” Why, he didn't know that language. A believer don't know the language, “Come, in my dear friends; this is one of the greatest churches. We stand ten thousand members, and if you'll just put your name on this book, you have a ticket to heaven.” Huh, a duck knows better. That's right. A duck knows he's got to be born again, knows there's got to be something real.
This little old duck couldn't understand that. And they'd have a little soup supper, you know, and say, “All you people come down; there's going to be a great spiritual meeting tonight.” They go down there and boil up some old rooster and sell him for fifty cents a plate to pay the preacher. A real duck don't get that. Certainly, he don't. That's still scratching on the manure pile, like the chickens do, but the duck can't eat that like that.
45
And the first thing you know, the old hen wandered off one day, catching grasshoppers out behind the barn. Oh, that field was hot. And he got out there, and they begin to make it hot on the duck by taking him out in the field. They make it hot on you, “Now, you keep away from them holy-roller meetings or I will take your name right off of this book. If you cooperate with that, our church has nothing to do with it.” That ain't going to stop a duck.
The first thing you know, this little fellow got out on the hillside, and right down below the hill was a running stream of water. And he heard something down there going, “Quack, quack”; said, “That sounds pretty good.” And he raised his little honker up in the air, and he smelt water. Brother, it was born in him to love water. The old hen said, “Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, come back here.” He stuck his little bill up, said, “Honk, honk, honk.” Right straight to the water he went just as hard as he could go. Why? He was a duck by nature. And a man is a Christian by nature. Being born of the Spirit of God, he hungers for the supernatural and the power of the living God.
46
And this duck jumped down there, got into the water, and ducked his little honker down in there, got a big mouthful of water and he gurgled it up like that, shoveled his feathers around a few times, and joined with the rest of the ducks. That's the way it is with every believer. Brother, when he gets a mouthful and a heartful of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, there's something that makes him join himself among those of like fellowship. He's got real fellowship; he understands their language.
That's the way it was with this little queen; she didn't care what all them chickens was hollering about. She was a duck; she was on her road to find out whether there was a true God or not. She didn't care about whether Ishmael's children.... If God's doing the leading, God will see that you get there. “Now,” she said, “I'm not going in and jump into a bunch of fanaticism; I'm going to read their books and find out whether it's right or not.”
47
So she arrived at the gates, after ninety days of hard traveling. People, if it turns a little cold, little hot, they wouldn't come out and sit in this building like this, and fan like you all are; certainly not; they're not interested. But you who are interested are. It don't get too hot, or it don't get too cold, don't get too far away; you come anyhow. Why? There's something inside of you calling. What is it? When the deep calling to the deep, when the Spirit of God's in you, and something begins to noise around, “There's a great power of God moving,” you take to it as hard as you can, sit down, watch the Scriptures. Judge it and see whether it's right or not. That's what she did.
48
She arrived at the gate. Now, she didn't come just to stay one day and then.... Like some people do, “Well, I will go over and find out what it is, really I oughtn't to do it, but I will go.” Sat down. “If that preacher says one thing that's against my teaching, I will get right up and walk out.” That shows two different things: poor raising and devil possession. That's right. She wasn't that way. She come to stay till it was over. She wanted to stay till she was fully convinced; she didn't jump at the first conclusion; she sat down and studied it through. She pitched her camp out in the courts.
Now, the next morning, the meeting was going to start. And this little queen got herself ready, went way back at the door, because the church was all full. Pastor Solomon come out; he took his seat. And he begin to notice the people coming to him. And the first one come, such a power of discernment on that man. That little queen would scratch her head and said, “Wait a minute, I've never seen a man in my life could do that; that must come from somewhere.”
49
The next case come up, and she noticed every case was perfectly, exactly, right every time. So finally it come her time to come. You just wait long enough, it'll be your time. So it come right up in the line where Solomon was, and the Bible said that he made known to her all her secrets. And when she seen it, what did she do? When she was convinced, she went out and got all the money off the camels, and out of the courts, and so forth, and piled them down to support it; and she said, “All that I have heard was the truth and more than I heard is the truth.”
What did Jesus say about her? “She will rise in the day of the judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, for she came from the utmost parts of the world to hear the wisdom of Solomon, the gift of wisdom that God had given him; and behold a greater than Solomon is here.” And if that woman would condemn that generation, when Jesus coming on the scene for the first time, what will it be to this generation, that's had two thousand years of example and teaching, and then here in the last days see that same Jesus that's raised from the dead and in the power of His resurrection, manifest Himself to this church in this day? What will she do with these people who stand back on their theology? Stand back, say, “Oh, my church don't teach that; we're not cooperating; I believe it's fanaticism.” You owe it to yourself to sit down and search the Scriptures, and to test the Spirit, whether it be of God or not; you do it.
50
And, friends, I say unto you, that a greater than Solomon is here tonight. The Holy Spirit is here. When Jesus was here, which was far beyond Him, when He was here in His first form as a body of flesh, they called Him a devil. The Spirit that was working in Him, the Spirit of God discerning the thoughts, a million times more than there was in Solomon.... And I want you to notice, watch the things that Jesus done and compare it with one single meeting. There's more done in that respect in one night's meeting, than there is in the entire life of the Lord Jesus. Why? Because “A little while and the world seeth Me no more; yet ye shall see Me, for I will be with you, in you to the end of the world. And the works that I do shall you also, and more than this shall you do, for I go to My Father.” I know King James says “greater.” There could be no greater; the right translation is “more.” Because God's universal, now in His whole church, the world around. He was only in one man then, His Son.
And here He is tonight in the power of His resurrection, moving in a little bunch of people like this, performing, and working, and doing the very same things that He did when He was here on earth. And if the Queen of Sheba, when she stands in the judgment and condemns that generation, what will she do to this generation? Think of it while we pray; let us bow our heads.
51
Dear God, You are the same God that led the children of Israel through the wilderness. You're the God that sent Noah into the ark. You're the One was with the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, Daniel in the lion's den, with Jesus on that resurrection morning, with Saint Paul, and the apostles; You're the same yesterday, today, and forever. You're the One who raised on Easter morning, and appeared to the disciples, and went into a little room with them, and performed something, and done a work just like You did before Your crucifixion, and they recognized that it was You.
O Eternal God, I pray that You'll send Your blessings, by sending Jesus, the Holy Spirit, upon us tonight. And as we yield our body, and soul, and mind, all to Thee our blessed Saviour, anoint us with Thy Spirit. Go out in among these people, Lord, and let them understand that the Morning Star is shining over us. The Alpha and Omega is here, He that was, and which is, and shall come, the root and offspring of David, the Counselor, Prince of Peace, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father. He remains the same. Grant that His Holy Spirit will move in our flesh and will give to us of His divine promised blessings, as we wait further.
Then, Lord God, my voice could not speak to anyone to much avail. But Your voice can, Lord, and let every person, even to the children that's present tonight, understand that the Holy Ghost interprets the meaning of the words to them, that they would know that we're living in the last hours. These signs were supposed to be did just before the coming of the Lord Jesus, and the rejecting of the Gentile people, taking a people out for His name. God grant that people may see this tonight. I pray this blessing in Jesus' name. Amen.
52
I believe last night we called, in the prayer cards, from number 1, did we not last night? What? “M,” let's start from.... Let's start from 50 then tonight. Who has a prayer card (Look at it.) and it's got a M on it, like Matthew where I was preaching from? M, Mary, M-50, raise up your hand, M-50. Way back, a lady way back towards the back. All right, come over here, lady, to my right. M-51, raise up your hand. All right, over here. M 52, right here, over here. 53, M-53, would you raise your hand? Is this the lady right here? M-53? Go right over here, lady. M-54, the man? 55, M-55, would you raise your hand? All right, your place over here; 56, M-56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 60 to 65. I don't see but about three standing, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, in M, let them stand; 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, in M.
Now, if I get.... You notice, usually Brother Vayle usually watches me, and Billy Paul, my boy, Mr. Goad sitting here, and Mr. Mercier; they watch me. I don't know when the anointing strikes, I don't know how tired I am, but they've been with me so long, they know when I've got enough; they run in and pat me on the side. That's to let me know that I've gone far enough.
53
My wife is sitting present, and that's.... One time I almost went into a break, because I went too long. Now, if ministers are breaking down just by preaching.... Brother, sister, did you realize one vision will do more harm to you, tear you down more than two hours of hard preaching? How many knows that that's true?
Why, Jesus, one woman touched His garment, till He found out what was wrong with her; He said, “Virtue has gone from Me.” Is that right? Daniel saw one vision, said, “I was troubled at my head for many days.” Is that true? Sure. Elijah, come up on Mount Carmel and saw a vision, called fire out of heaven and rain out of heaven the same day, and then after the power of God left him, he wandered in the wildness for forty days and nights, and God found him pulled back in a cave. Did you ever know that? Jonah, after the inspiration left him from preaching his message, he climbed up on a mountain and asked God to take his life. Did you know that?
54
You don't understand; it's just not.... There's no need of trying to explain it; it's in another world; it's something that God knows what was, what is, and what will be. Don't you believe that?
Now, if the Lord Jesus will come on the scene tonight, and will perform and will do just as He did when He walked Galilee, how many of you say, “It'll make me love Him more.”?
Now, how many in here does not have a prayer card, but you want Jesus to heal you? raise up your hand. All right, it's just everywhere. Now, just believe. Remember, while one's being healed here, there's dozens healed out there. You remember this. You pastors, after I'm gone a long time, you'll hear women coming, men coming, “Stomach trouble left; cancers got well.” You just can't call them all; there's just so many. But God blesses; just keep believing. God will grant it. God's out there; this is just merely that you might know that He is, and a rewarder of those....
55
Now, how many know that Jesus Christ, when He was here on earth, that a woman touched His garment, and He turned around and said, “Who touched Me?” And all of them denied it, till he found the women, what her trouble was, and told her, and said her faith had healed her. How many knows that? Well, if He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, and the Bible said He's a High Priest, right now, that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities.... Is that right? Well then, if He's the same High Priest, He'd have to act the same, wouldn't He? All right, you believe it now with all your heart. Going to pray for these here. Now, let's bow our heads.
Lord God, I bring to You these handkerchiefs. People are waiting for them, Lord. We're taught in the Bible that they taken from the body of Saint Paul, handkerchiefs or aprons, unclean spirits went out of the people, and they were healed. We know we're not Saint Paul, but we know that You're still Jesus; and it wasn't Saint Paul to begin with; it was You, Lord. But they seen that Your servant had been blessed by You, and he was Your representative. They had faith. Lord, these people are just as loyal; they believe when they see these things happen. I pray God, that You'll bless these handkerchiefs for their intended purpose.
56
And one writer said, “That when Israel was cut off by the Red Sea from the promised land, that God looked down through that pillar of fire with angry eyes, and the Red Sea got scared and moved back; Israel went on its road to the promised land. God grant tonight that not only You will look through the pillar of fire, but through the blood of Jesus, and look at the enemy that's got these people cut off from health. And may the devil get scared when these handkerchiefs are laid upon them, as a token of this meeting tonight. And may he move away, and the people go on to that promise of good health. Grant it, Father, I send them for that purpose. In Jesus' name. Amen.
[Request is made: “Will the organist please come to the organ at present, please come to the organ.”] You may get your handkerchief immediately after service.
57
Now, here we are. Now, as soon.... If they take me from the meeting, let some of you minister brothers, now.... See, you have just the same right that any other man does; God answers your prayer just the same as He'd answer mine. He will answer anybody's prayer, that will believe what they're praying for, see. Now, usually I don't pray for the people; it's a divine gift to make people recognize that Christ is not dead but is living. Well, if He's living, surely He'd keep His Word.
Now, you out there that has not a prayer card, you just keep praying. Look this way and say, “Lord, I'm going to believe You with all that's within me; I am going believe. Let me touch Your garment.” If you're real sick, tell God; say, “The doctor says I'm going to die, but Lord, Your promise says I can live; so I am looking to You. Confirm it to me tonight. Brother Branham don't know me, but, just let him turn around, and You confirm it to me through him, and let him act in the same way that You acted when the woman touched Your garment.” See if He will do it. If He don't, I am a false prophet of His Word. If He does, I've told the truth, and He is alive. If He's dead, we can be a Mohammedan, Buddhist, don't make any difference, it's psychology anyhow. But if He's a living, He's a living God.
Now, just be real reverent and pray, don't doubt, but believe.
58
Prayer line...? Missing? All the people got lined up? All right. Now, as soon as this prayer line ends, I want the minister to come right up here, some of you brethren, continue on the prayer line, just as you go on, let everybody be prayed for.
Now, I suppose that everybody in here realizes that you're all strangers to me. The only person, really, that I could say I know is two men that I know of, one right here and one here; that's Brother Goad and the Brother here. I ought to know this man, but somehow I can't call it. I don't know you, no, I don't. Look like I'd seen you somewhere.
How many out there's strangers to me, and I know nothing about, raise up your hand. I do see Brother and Sister Wood sitting there, sitting back there. They're neighbors to me, sitting right there in the middle aisle. He was a Jehovah Witness. I wish we had time to tell what happened, Brother Banks; we haven't.
59
How many heard the story of the resurrection of the little fish not long ago, on the waters, raise your hands, read it in a book? Brother Wood, sitting right here, was present to see it take place, seen it told the day before. That right, Brother Wood? See, that's right. Seen many a thing....
You just see the little side of it, just what's right here. That would almost get you to wonder. You ought to follow along awhile. Look what the queen said about that gift there; she said, “Blessed are the men that minister with you, that see this great thing daily.” See, they go along and see what takes place.
60
But what takes place in the meeting, a amateur thing here. The great visions take place out of the meetings. You're doing this with your own faith; you're using God's gift here now. But when God uses His own gift, it's a lot different. The woman touched Him, and He felt virtue go from Him, but God gave His Son a vision, send Him away, because Jesus said, “I don't do nothing till the Father shows Me first.” Is that right? Saint John 5:19. Everything He did, the Father showed Him by vision what to do. Except the people that touched Him, like that, then their faith pulled it. Or the Pharisee's who criticized Him, He could perceive their thoughts.
That wonderful One, friends, is here tonight. How many has ever seen the picture of it? raise your hands. It's right here in the building; they got it. Gene, have you got those pictures? Do you bring them up here at the platform to show them? Oh, they never brought them up. Wished I had one here, but I haven't now; however, they're back there. That same Angel is not five feet from where I'm standing right now. And if I never see you again till the day of judgment, find out whether that's true or not when we answer at that day. Don't pay no attention to the messenger; listen to the message.
61
All right, which is the lady? This here? You? Come just a little closer; that's all. I suppose we're strangers to each other, lady. I do not know you, never seen you in my life. That's right, would you just raise up your hand so the people can see?
Now, here's a picture of Saint John 4. Now, everyone be real reverent. Whether He will or not, I don't know. If He does, I've read it to you from the Book. How many was here last night? raise your hand. Oh, the whole audience I guess. How He told just went word by word what He done, what He seen. Now, I'm going to review that again.
Here's a man and a woman just like Saint John 4, when a man and a woman met for their first time in life. Perhaps the woman was a lot younger than Jesus was, as it is here again tonight. A man and a woman meets.
62
Now, in Saint John 4 Jesus was sitting at a well, something like this here. And a woman come out to get water; He said, “Bring Me a drink.”
She said, “It's not customary for you Jews to ask Samaritans such.”
He said, “But, if you knew who you were talking to, you'd ask Me for a drink.” How many know that story? What was Jesus doing? Contacting her spirit. And when He found what her spirit, what was her trouble, then he told her what her trouble was. And then He said, “Go, get your husband.”
She said, “I have no husband.”
Said, “You've had five, and the one you're living with now is not your husband.”
What did she say? She said, “Sir, I perceive that You're a prophet. We know when the Messiah cometh, He will do these things, but who are You?”
He said, “I'm He that speaks to you.”
Now, that was the sign of the Messiah. Is that right? And she run into the city, and watch what she told her people: “Come see a man who told me the things I've done. Isn't this the very Messiah?”
63
When He did that to a Jew, what did that Jew say? “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You're the King of Israel.” But the big starchy church stood around and said, “That man's a fortuneteller, the devil.” They're in hell tonight. Nathanael's name's immortal; he is immortal with it; so is the woman at the well.
Now, if Jesus remains the same yesterday, today, and forever; I don't know the woman, don't know her nationality, don't know nothing about her, but He can tell me. And if He can tell me what's wrong with the woman, or something another like He did the woman at the well, let her be the judge. Now, if I said, “Lady, you're sick.” Lay my hands on you. Hallelujah, you're going to get well.“ She could believe that; that'd be all right; that'd be all right.
64
And if that's a gift God's give you brethren, stay with it. That's where God wants you. You'll never make a eye if you're a ear; you remember that. You'll only mess up the body until you get your right place and abide there in your calling. If you're a deacon, stay a deacon; you're pastor, stay a pastor. Don't try to be something that you're not; be just what you are. If you're just a finger or fingernail, be a good one. God will give you a place in glory.
Now, if the Holy Spirit will reveal to me what you're here for, what's your trouble, or something another that you know I know nothing about, then you know that'll have to come from the Holy Spirit, or some spirit, wouldn't it? It'd have to be. How many will witness that? It'd have to be from some spirit.
65
Now, if it comes, and after me preaching the Gospel, as a minister of the Gospel, right coming from the Bible.... Year after year.... I'm forty-nine years old. I saw visions since I was just a baby boy, not over two years old. Not one time has one ever failed out of the millions. Won't fail now, because it's God; can't fail.
Now, you know a fortuneteller guesses, telepathy. They say, “You take a number, and let me concentrate, and see what number....” That's nonsense. It ain't even ten percent right. That's right. God's perfect. This is not back in some room under a Ouija board; it's right out here in plain view of two thousand people, or more, certainly.
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Our first time meeting. God knows you, and He knows me. And if He will, by His mercy, let the blessed Holy Spirit, who we will stand in His presence someday to give an account of our life.... If He will let me know what's wrong with you, or something like He did the woman at the well, something that you know I know nothing about, you will receive, and believe that He's true, and it is Christ, will you believe it? May He grant it.
Now, if the audience can still hear my voice, the lady's plenty aware that something's going on. Between me and the woman stands that light like a pillar of fire, and it bypasses the woman. It stands out to her side; she's not here for herself; she's here for somebody else. That's right. And it's something about an accident; it's a automobile accident. It's a girl; it's your niece. She was in a automobile accident, is in a hospital now, and there's something wrong with her really bad with her head, and you've been sent here to stand in her place to ask for prayer: “Thus saith the Lord.”
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Now, you be the judge. Was that all right? If it is, wave your hand like this. Now, whatever you ask, the light, or what.... The light that was with you, who said that, has blessed the person that you're standing for; go back and don't worry. You have what you ask for.
Be real reverent. Does Jesus live? Do you believe that was the Holy Spirit? All right, then, you shall see greater things than this.
I suppose this is our first time meeting? We are strangers to each other; I do not know you; I've never seen you. If that's right, just so that the people would understand and know that I do not know you. If the Lord Jesus will reveal to me what you're troubled about, or something you know that I know nothing about, would you believe then that He's interested in your trouble? All right. Now, you can take your hand down just a moment. Now, just be.... Whatever it is, I don't know. But if He....
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If it's sickness and I could heal you.... You're a woman about the age of my mother, I suppose. And if I could do anything for you and wouldn't do it, I wouldn't be fit to stand behind this pulpit. No, sir. I love my mother, and.... And you're maybe somebody's mother. And here I stand tonight to do everything I can to help you. And only thing I can do is to say what the Bible says: Jesus is raised from the dead to make good any promise that He died for.
Now, if He will reveal to you just like He did in the Bible, then you will believe me to be His servant, and I have told the truth according to His Word, and He's confirmed it by making it real to you. Now, be real reverent. It's not yourself that you're wanting prayer for; it's somebody else. And that's a little child. And I see it, and it's in a terrible condition. You're the grandmother of the child. The child looks to be about seven or eight years old. And it's both deaf, and dumb, and mentally afflicted. And that child is from, not here; it isn't around here. You're not. This isn't the place; it's a level country, more.... It's Georgia; that's where the child is from. That's “thus saith the Lord.” You be the judge. You believe now? Go, receive it the way that you have believed it; may it be unto you, in the name of the Lord Jesus.
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All right, be reverent. I guess this is our first time of meeting. The Lord God knows, will judge us both.... [Says, “You don't know me, but I've been in your meetings before.”] I don't know you, but you've been out in my meetings just like out there. [“And in Chattanooga.”] Yeah, well, I wouldn't know you, I've no way of knowing you at all. No. All right.
Then if the Lord will let me know what you're here for, what's wrong with you, or something that you know that I don't know, then you will accept it as being from Christ. You believe me to be His servant?
You're not here for yourself; there keeps being a man come before me; and it's your brother. If God will reveal to me what's wrong with your brother, will you believe me to be His prophet? Your brother has lung trouble, and he's got something wrong with his lips. That's right. He isn't here either; he's in a.... It's Georgia too. That's right.
Not only that, but you got a younger man, a young man, looks like, coming before me, that's got something wrong with his blood. And he's not in this country, but a country something like it; he's from Tennessee. And it's your son-in-law, and he has diabetes. “Thus saith the Lord.” Believe now; go and receive what you asked for, in the name of the Lord Jesus.
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Do you believe? We are strangers to each other; I do not know you, but God does know you. Can He reveal to me what you're here for, would you believe it? Now, be real reverent. Lady, you're shadowed to death; only God can have mercy on you. You are aware of what your trouble is; it's a tumor. And the tumor is cancerous, and it's in the head. You got one in your mouth, and you got one in your stomach. But God is a healer. Do you believe that? Then believe Him now, and it'll all leave you. You believe God will hear my prayer? Then I curse the thing in the name of Jesus Christ, come out of the woman and leave her. Now, go rejoicing and thank God, get well.
If thou canst believe, all things are possible.
If thou canst.... Be real reverent now. I'm watching a young woman here; the light of God keeps hanging over the woman, but no vision breaks. You believe me to be His servant, Christ's servant? I've never seen you in my life, but God knows you. If the Lord God shall reveal to me what you're standing here for, will you believe me to be His servant? Will the audience do the same? Now, all of you.... I'm so weak until all of you just look like it's like one person sitting there. You can hardly differentiate which is vision, which isn't.
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Your trouble is back trouble. And it's rectal trouble. Your wife's here too, isn't she? She wants prayer too. She had a prayer card, but it wasn't called. You believe God can tell me what's her trouble? She's got trouble with her eyes, with her head; she's got hay fever. That's right, isn't it? You're not from here; a place called, something like, Camden, North Carolina. Mr. Duvall (that's what's your name is), return home; God has answered your prayer for both you and wife. Go and may God be with you.
Miss Borden, you're from Chattanooga; I don't know you, but you've got trouble with your feet. And you got low blood pressure. That's right. Don't you fear; you're already healed; Jesus Christ has made you well.
Your heart trouble has ceased, lady, go home, rejoice, saying “Thank You, Lord Jesus.” Believe with all your heart. Be reverent.
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Is this the patient? How do you do, sonny? You're a mighty fine little boy. You like Sunday school? You love Jesus? Now, when Jesus was on earth, He took little boys like you that were sick, and He would tell them what was wrong with them, and would bless them. And then if He laid His hands upon them and blessed the little children, why, they got all right, didn't they? But Jesus died, He rose again, went up into heaven. Then He sent back His Holy Spirit, and His Holy Spirit is here now, and He has to use somebody's hands; He has to use somebody's mouth; He has to use somebody's eyes. Do you believe He'd let me see what was wrong with you? Would you believe Jesus then, it's Jesus standing here? Not me, Him, you believe that?
I keep seeing two little boys. Here's the little lad sitting right back here; it's asthmatic condition with both of them. That's right. Stand the little lad up back there. That's right, dad. God bless you, your faith has.... Satan thought he'd get by with that then. That dark streak between the two children has left; you're healed; go on your road home rejoicing, both of you. God bless you, brother. That's the way to do it. Have faith in God.
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Oh, isn't He Jesus? What did they touch? What's the people touching? Not me; they're touching the Lord Jesus.
You believe that diabetes will leave you and you'd get well? Go on your road, say, “Thank You, Lord.” Believe with all your heart.
Come, sir. I do not know you. Just a moment. This man's got stomach trouble. That man sitting right back out there, praying, right in there, has got stomach trouble too. You were praying, and you're both healed. Jesus Christ makes you both well, go on home and eat what you want to; God has made you well.
And you had stomach trouble also, so you was healed the same time; just keep on going and praising God.
Oh, the Lord Jesus lives and reigns. Do you believe? Have faith now, don't doubt.
The lady sitting there, at the end of the seat, suffering with varicose veins, you believe the Lord God will make you well? You believe it; you can have it.
Sitting second in there, with the ... got kind of a heart trouble, and a tumor. You believe God heals you? All right, you can have your healing. Go on your road rejoice and say, “Thank You, Lord.”
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What if I told you you were healed, didn't say nothing about it, would you take my word for it? Go on, shout the praises of God.
Come, lady, what if I didn't say nothing to you, just said you were healed, would you take my word for it? Then the diabetes has left you, so you can go on and rejoice.
When you raised up from that seat, something felt funny to you, didn't it? Your back trouble left at that time, so you can go on your road, and rejoice, and say, “Thank You, God.”
You have a nervous condition which creates a heart condition. You're healed; go on your road, and rejoice, and say, “Thank You, Lord God.”
Your main thing is nervousness, which has caused you to have a peptic ulcer in your stomach; you can't eat right. There's a group of them out here suffering with the same thing, that nervous condition. Let me show you.
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All that's suffering with nervous condition, stand on your feet. Now, how would I call that in there? There you are. Just remain standing a minute. Stand right here, sister. Come believing. Same thing as that man, nervous stomach, just the same thing. Stand right here. Just keep raising up, having faith; don't doubt, believing God. If you believe with all your heart, all right, come right along, bring right along.
All right, sir. All right, lady, you standing right here, you won't have to have the operation if you really believe it with all your life; tumor will leave. Everybody with tumors out there of any type stand up on your feet, stand right back over in this side here.
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Do you believe with all your heart? Everybody's got anything wrong with them, stand up on your feet just a minute. Now, do you believe God? Do you believe that what I've said is the truth? Is Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever? How many in here is believers? Then raise your hands like this. Now, while you got your hands raised, lay them over on somebody next to you that's got their hands raised. Now, lay your hands over now; I want you to do just what I tell you. Right back.... The rest of you in the prayer line, lay your hands right on each other. Now, I want you to pray this prayer after me. While I say it, you pray it.
Lord God, [Audience repeats prayer.] Creator of heavens and earth, Author of everlasting life, Giver of every good gift, I truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; He has raised from the dead; He has sent forth His Holy Spirit to continue His ministry in the church, until He returns in a physical body. I now believe that He is present, and I am a believer, and He promised this: “These signs shall follow them that believe: If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover.”
Lord, I'm praying, for the person that I have my hands on. As I pray for them, and they pray for me, let Your Holy Spirit drive every doubt from my mind, that I may receive You as my healer. I will serve You all the days of my life; I will testify to Your glory. Lord, upon Your Word, and Your promise, I now believe that I am healed.
Now, O God, we command the devil to depart from this place, in the name of Jesus Christ. There it is. You have it now. You are healed, every one of you. I pronounce you well in the name of the Lord Jesus.