Where Is He, King Of The Jews?

Thank you; and I certainly appreciate that. That is my first Christmas present, so I'm very grateful. And, well, if I can just preach now without trying to open it! I'm just like a child with that Christmas anticipations of waiting for something, you know. You just feel that there is a little surprise and you just got to get into it. And, you know, even when we get old, I don't think we lose all of our childhood. Do you think so? We're just grown-up children, that's about it.

Well, the Lord be praised! We are happy to be out here again, on this fine Yule morning, looking forward to the blessings of the Lord to continue with us as we go on in the meeting, as I'm sure He has.

I think this morning they'll have some presents for the children, or [Brother Neville says, “It's already taken care of.”] ... already taken the children's presents. Well, that's very fine.

Now I would just like to give a little brief report on our last meeting, if it's all right at this time. You people are the one who prays and holds onto God, for me to go out into these services. And I would just like to give just a little summary of just the last meetings.

One of the outstanding events of the last meeting happened in Shawano, Wisconsin. It was at the high school auditorium, the new high school auditorium, when we were just about ready to pray for the sick. I had just made the altar call, and many had raised their hands, to accept Christ as their personal Saviour. And then it was that I noticed something taken place, which was right out in the audience, a little piece from me. And it was a man of about seventy or seventy-five years old. He fell dead, died with a heart attack. The froth poured from his mouth, and the water broke over his clothes. And his wife real frantically rubbed his face.

And I knew that was the trick of the enemy. He does those things just to get the people upset (see), and then, when he does that, it goes to a frantic. It's happened many times in the meeting. Just recently in New England, it happened like that again, just before that call.

And so to keep the people from being excited, I.... In those kind of times, you must keep your wits, to see what the Holy Spirit will say. Because, we are taught in the Scriptures, that “All things work together for good to them that love God.”

And there was many of God's children, lovers of Him. And I kept looking at the man, seeing he had done got frothy in the mouth. And as anyone knows, when death strikes a person, usually water breaks, you see. And his wife rubbing his face, and she was just going like that. Now, to keep the people from noticing her, I said, “Your husband, would you want someone to get him a drink of water?” to get her attention.

And she said, “Brother Branham, I just leave it all up to you.” And she was a Lutheran, by denomination.

And then I thought I would call the prayer line, and get the people up, to pray for them. But instead of doing that, the Holy Spirit begin to move out into the meeting, over the people, just calling them. And it passed over the old fellow, about twice. And then, all of a sudden, I said, “We will just pray.”

And when I started to pray, I heard myself praying, which said to this death, “Turn him loose.” And no more than it was said that, till the man came back to life again, and raised to his feet. And the whole city went like frantically about it, what the Lord had did.

And then, course, there was the other meetings. And one little case I would just like to quote, not to take too much of your time, but it was at Los Angeles just recently. I was staying with Brother Arganbright.

And many of you know how it is at the places: the people calling. They are people who are needy. We do not condemn people for calling and wanting prayer. That's our duty, is to pray for those people. And it was just terrible there, because we had had many great things that the Lord God had did. And, one: There was a paralyzed man, had been paralyzed twenty-something years, and laying on his cot, and the Lord God healed the man and he came walking from the meeting. And that started a little stir among the churches.

And then one morning, I heard the phone ringing. And Brother Arganbright, whom I was staying with, wasn't just in at that time, to pick up the phone. And I picked up the phone and answered it, and it was a little Mexican missionary. And he said, “I didn't know that you were in town, Brother Branham.” He said, “I know that you're going to have a meeting tonight, down somewhere towards the Cow Palace.” And he said, “I've got a little boy that's not yet five months.” And said, “He's dying, with cancer. And said, ”I know it's not customary to do this, but“ said, ”could there be mercy found, that you would come and pray for the little lad?“ Imagine, what if that was your baby?

And I said, “I'll have Mr. Arganbright come to the phone, and you just tell me ... direct him to where the hospital, because I don't know the city that well.” Four hundred square miles of city, I'd never find the hospital.

Mr. Arganbright came, he said, “Brother Branham, you....”

I said, “I feel definitely led that this is of the Holy Spirit.”

So we went down to the city, and there to the hospital. And a Mexican brother, though he wasn't dark, no darker than I am, and a man somewhat of my age. And his wife was a Finnish woman, a little blond, very lovely lady. And he was a gentleman. And we went into the hospital.

And, oh, I see lots of sights (we all do) that disturb us and bring our emotions, but that was one of the worst I ever seen. They had to bring the little lad to the ... near the nurse room, with a special nurse. And, when I looked, the cancer had spread his little jaws out, so far, they had to put a rag around its head, to keep from bursting its head open. And in its little jaws, where the doctor had tried to cut away the cancer, and made great ditches, back and forth, like this, all the way around its little throat. And it just aggravated the cancer, I'd call it that word, which “scattered” it, the right word would be. And it went into its little tongue, and a little baby mouth, not over that wide, the little tongue had swollen and run out about that far, and turned black, and which it shut off the air where it breathed down from its nostrils.

And that daddy walked around, the side of this little baby, and said, “Hello, Ricky.” Said, “Daddy's little boy! Daddy brought Brother Branham to pray for you, Ricky.” And the little baby recognized its father.

And it did not have any breathing up here, so they had to cut a hole in his throat. There was a little ... it just looked like a little round whistle that we used to have years ago, was in its little throat. And it was catching its breath through that whistle. And a nurse had to stay there all the time because the cancer, draining, would clog up this little hole. And she would have to pull it out like that, the cancer drainage from the cancer. And its little arms was in splints, so he couldn't catch this with its hands, to pull it out when it was strangling. And a nurse there all the time. When it started strangling, she'd reach down, to take things and pull the cancer stuff out of its little whistle there where it come through its throat.

And its little hands like this, reaching for its daddy, its little head back. And its little ... well, we're brothers and sisters ... and little diaper, it wasn't.... The little baby, altogether, wasn't that long. Not yet five months old, and that little thing recognized its daddy! And he said, “Ricky, daddy's little boy!” Oh, how it'd just melt the heart of an iron man. And he was trying to play with it or pat it like this.

And standing there, I thought, “Lord Jesus, if Thou art the fountain of all sympathy, and all mercy lays within You, would You get joy out of seeing this little darling lay here, dying like that? I just can't believe—and never will believe—that that's the will of Almighty God, to see such as that.” I thought, “You are the fountain of mercy. And if You be the fountain of mercy, then how could You be a merciful God and enjoy seeing something like that?” I thought, “What would You do if You were standing here?”

Well, I hope that my own little group here knows me well enough to know that if I am a fanatic I don't know it. If anything I want to be, is honest. When I meet God, I want to meet Him with an honest heart. And I've done the best that I know how to do.

But something spoke to me when I said, “Lord, what would You do if You were standing here?”

Something spoke back and said, “I am waiting to see what you'll do.”

And as I looked at that little thing, I took its little baby hand, not that wide, and put it in my fingers, like this, and held it. And I said, “By faith in God, I place between this cancer and the baby, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ,” and just turned around and walked out. The father came on with me. I just couldn't say no more.

And I got to the car, and he said, “Brother Branham, here is a little tithings I've been saving for you.”

I said, “Oh, merciful brother, don't do that.” I said, “No, I don't take money.”

Said, “But this is tithings that goes to the ministry.” Said, “I saved it up, thought I'd see you someday.”

I said, “Put it on Ricky's little bill in there.” I said, “He'll need that.” And so I went on up to the house.

And within two hours from that time, the little jaws had gone back, normal, the tongue come back down in his mouth. The loving mercy of a kind, loving Father had seen fit to heal the baby. The next morning, the baby was going to be sent home, for a well baby.

And as I was just getting ready to leave.... Of course, that spread the West Coast. And here some famous doctor had sent his grandchild way back over behind Pasadena, and put up a roadblock there, to pray for that child; where he had give it a shot of penicillin, caused the cancer to come into its side, a little bitty baby about two.

And so this little Mexican missionary called, and he said, “I've got to see Brother Branham before I leave.” And wife and I was already in the car.

And I had caught a fish, a couple years ago, down the River Of No Return, with the Christian Businessmen. Walt Disney, that group out there, had had it taxidermied, because it's a world's record of rainbow trout. And I was fixing it in the car.

And there was a little station wagon drove up behind, and out jumped this little Mexican father. And the tears running down his cheeks, as he run up and jerked off his hat; and his little Finnish wife. And he said, “Brother Branham, here is that tithings that the Lord sent to you.”

“Oh,” I said, “brother!”

Said, “You know, Ricky is going home today.”

And I said, “I am grateful for that.” I said, “But I told you to take the tithings and put them on Ricky's bill.”

He said, “That's just what I had to tell you about, Brother Branham.” He said, “When I went to pay the doctor this morning, I put this money over to him. I said, 'Doctor, I want to pay you some on the bill.' He said, 'Mister, don't even mention it to me. You don't owe me nothing.' He said, 'That's the greatest thing I've ever seen done in all my life.' He said, 'That's the phenomenon of phenomena!' Said, 'You don't owe me a penny.'”

It just goes to show that the living God still lives. And now before we open His.... Oh, there is many more things happened, I wish I had time to tell you, but time won't permit it.

And now, right after the first of the year, January, I'm leaving for overseas again. I'll be in Kingston, Jamaica, at the race tracks, in January, and from there to Puerto Rico and so forth.

So let us bow our heads just a moment, in prayer, to our great, loving Christ.

O Lord, Thou has been our refuge in every generation. Thou art a very present help in the time of trouble. And to know that Thy loving presence never does fail. It goes before us and we are taught that the angels of God are encamped about those who fear Him.

Bring upon us, today, Lord, that godly fear, that we might know that we are the subjects of Thy hand, and will stand someday in Thy divine judgment. And there is only one remedy that we know of, and that Your Word teaches of, that's the blood of Thy Son, Jesus, that makes intercessions for us this morning, in the presence of the Almighty, bringing us into reconciliation to Him, through His merits. And then it is given to us, unmerited grace, and we love Him for this. And as we....

In our mind lays hundreds of great things that You have done. And the greatest of all, we can think of, is when You saved us from a life of death, where in us dwelt death because of sin and trespasses. But by accepting His pardon, according to His Word.... For it is written, “He that heareth My words and believeth on Him that sent Me, has immortal life.” And we believe it and have accepted it, and witness the presence of the Holy Spirit.

And now in this last evil, last hours of this world's history, we are grateful to Thee, O God, to know that when there is so much confusion of mind, “And people running to and fro,” as You have said through the holy prophets, that in this day, “there would come a time that men would go from the east, from the west, and north, and the south, seeking to hear the true Word of God.” And we lived to see that time.

And You predicted that there would be a time, from Your crucifixion until Your coming, “A day that would not be night nor day, it would be a dismal, gloomy time,” just enough light to see how to get around. But You said, “In the evening time, it shall be light,” the same Son, the same Christ, that rose on the scene in the east. And geographically the sun crossing the horizontal part of the earth, and now setting in the west, but it's the same sun that raised in the east. So is the same Son of God sending forth His Spirit in these last days, to show that His Scriptures cannot be broken; every one must be fulfilled.

On the eve of this great Christmas, when, little do we know but this may be the last one of these we will ever sit together in. And we would ask that the Son of the living God would dwell in our midst this morning, and speak to us His kindness and His mercy, and give unto us pardoning of our sins.

And we would not forget, Lord, those who are afflicted and needy of Thy healing touch, the same God who let little Ricky to live, brought back the dead as Thou has promised that You would do in the last days. And Your words are truth. We believe that You are here this morning, omnipresent, and is more than willing to do the exceeding abundantly, above all that we could ask or think. We wait on Thee, Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus, Thy Son. Amen.

Now tonight, if the Lord is willing, I wish to have an evangelistic service. Just don't know exactly yet where my message will be, as our most gracious and beloved pastor has asked me to have the two services today. And I will try that by God's grace. And I want to speak on the coming Messiah, or something of that matter for tonight ... or, that order.

This morning, being that it was the Sunday just before Christmas, I would like to speak on something that I believe the little ones, who has just been dismissed and taken their positions in the church, would be able to understand; of a little, what we would call, a Christmas text.

And you who desire to turn in the sacred Scriptures, would turn with me to St. Matthew's Gospel, the 2nd chapter, as we read His Word.

And don't forget, the services will begin at seven-thirty. That's right, isn't it, brother? [Brother Neville says, “Yes.”] Seven-thirty, exactly, tonight. And will be about an hour's service, of preaching service.

And now you that has your Bibles open, I'd just like to read a verse or two out of this, for a text, and pray that God will give us the context.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.

Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

They must have been awfully tired. You see, the order was urgent, and it was the king's order. Therefore, it's got to be carried out. And it would seem strange, at such a great scene as we are looking at—the first Christmas—that such an order would be issued at that time. But, you know, the God of heaven has predestinated all things, through Jesus Christ, and that everything has to work just according to His great will.

And as they stood there, just on the west side of Bethlehem,

as you come up from down into Judea, you raise over a mountain, and a rocky, desert—desolate country. And leading out from one of the main streets of Bethlehem, there is a little path that goes up over the mountain, which is called The Road, and it's no more than just a little trail like we would find here, where animals had trod. Because, it was a donkeys' trail, where donkeys and camels pass, going down into Judea, out of Bethlehem.

And as you top, coming from Judea, up into Bethlehem, and break over the top of the hill, there is a great rock laying there, somewhat one-third the size of this building. And it must have been along about there where they had stopped after climbing the hill, to give the little mule a rest. And Joseph was very tired because he had been pushed hard that day, to get to Bethlehem.

Because, there had been a decree went out from Herod and Caesar Augustus, that every person must come back to the place where they were born, to pay taxes. And taxes has always been the ruin of all nations. Every nation that ever fell, fell by its taxes. And they had been taxed.

And, oh, it would take an iron-hearted man to cause a woman, in her condition, to have to be taken out of the house and away from home, in her condition, because (you see) that she was to be mother at any time. And she was merely a girl, approximately, believed to be in her eighteen, nineteen years old. And she was sitting on the little donkey,

and as the little donkey sighed when they stopped for just a moment's rest.

And Joseph walks over to the edge, from where they were standing, and looks down into Bethlehem. Little did the world know that that night would be sang upon the lips of people through the ages that was to come! And Joseph, as he looked and viewed the city and the brawling of the people, some against having to pay their taxes, and I can hear him say something like this: “Dear, you know, I doubt whether we'll find a place at the hotel tonight for you. I can see the people sleeping in the streets and anywhere they can find to sleep. The city is crowded. All the regions around about, has come in for this taxation.”

But strange, as he turns in amazement, to look, his little wife seemed not to be able to answer. And as he turns his head to see what had happened to her, he noticed there was a light in her face, like he had never saw before. And under her lovely brow, her eyes seemed to be setting upward, looking towards the sky, like there was a heavenly glow in her face. And he turns and touches her by the hand.

And finally she looks at him, and says, “Joseph, have you noticed that star hanging yonder? It seems to be the prettiest star that I have ever seen in all my life. It seems to light up all the village of Bethlehem.” And I can hear her say, “Since the sun went down, I have noticed that star, and it seems to have followed us.”

Joseph ... I can hear him say something like this, “Yes, dear, I do see something peculiar, for it seems to be the brightest star in all the heavens.” And truly that is right.

He is the lily of the valley, the morning star,

(as the poet placed it)

The fairest of ten thousands to my soul.

And as he takes his hands, in tenderness, around the limbs and the waist of his little sweetheart, and wife, he lifted her from the donkey, packs her over and sets her down on the rock, so the little beast of burden could rest.

And as she placed her arms tenderly around his shoulders, I can hear her say something like this: “Joseph, we are both aware that all this is mysterious. We just can't understand it. But, both of us being believers, we know that Jehovah has something in store. And that He has chosen us—and has chosen me, above the women of the world today—to have this message concealed in my heart.” You see, the world thought that was an illegitimate child to be born, but Mary knew what was truth.

And, today, many people think the same thing, that, people who has received this Christ, they think that they are some kind of a lunatic or a person of ill fame. But they who have cradled that Spirit and that faith in their heart, they know where they are; nothing disturbs that.

A good friend of mine called me a few days ago, and was talking to a person who studies psychology and the mind. And this person had read my book, and they said, “If he is a spiritual man, do know that there is just one little thread between deep spiritual people and insanity?” And the person was rather alarmed.

I said, “Don't think that strange. Our Lord was called crazy, all of His disciples were called crazy, and all that worshipped Him was called crazy. 'In the way that's called heresy,' said the great Paul, so worship I the God of my fathers.'” They are not crazy. But the world, ... the preaching of the Gospel is foolishness to those that perish; but it pleased God, through this foolishness, to save those who would believe.

And as this little couple, sat there and looked out across those valleys, and seen this great star shining in the east; way, hundreds of miles beyond that, back yonder across the mountains and the seas, over in India, there was Magis watching also.

Now these wise men that we are speaking of were called.... They're really Magis, which are “astronomers” who watch the stars; they were called then, “wise men.” And they still exist today. I have talked with them, many times. And they always go in three's, because the three has to agree. And three is a confirmation. And in India, recently, I'd see them sitting in the streets, huddled down together, dressed just exactly like these first Magis. They don't change.

And they are worshippers of one true God. They are children of Abraham, through another wife. And they believe that there is one true God. How many times have I seen the Mohammedan priests hit the big bong like that, and scream, “There is one true and living God, and Mohammed is His prophet.”

We say, “There is one true and living God, and Jesus is His Son.” And they say, “Far be it from God having a Son!”

I was privileged to see nearly a hundred thousand come to Christ, at one time, because of His presence and what He did in India.

Now, the Indians, which we call the wise men, were first (in the Bible) represented as the Medo-Persians. You'll find it in the 2nd chapter of Daniel. That's the reason that the missionary says, “It's so hard to turn a Mohammedan from his belief, to Christianity,” because they are from the old Medo-Persians, whose laws does not alter or break. Many of you Bible readers know that, the Medo-Persians, that they did not alter their laws. When something, a proclamation was made, it lasted eternal. Therefore, when a Mohammedan makes his break to Christianity, everything is dead to him, because he has broken their rules.

And these men, they waited on one true God, and they worshipped Him in the light of a sacred fire. And they would get around these fires and wait on the Lord. And many of them had observatories (something like we have today), and they would go to these places way up high in the mountains, and they would watch every move of the stars. They claimed that “Before God does anything on earth, He always shows it in heaven first.” And they are right.

Always, God shows it by heavenly signs first. Since when did He ever do anything that He didn't show a heavenly sign first? Think of it, in every age that you wish to, and God always does show signs in the heaven first, before He does anything on earth. It comes from the supernatural, drops into the natural and is made manifest; every age, every time.

And so this time was no different. And the Magi was watching those heavenly bodies that were visible: stars, moons, and everything that they could see with their eyes. And they knowed every position, just where every star sit. They knowed that astronomer calendar as well as we know the Scriptures. And if one little thing is out of shape, they know it, for it's a sign. And they were watching those signs closely, every hour of the night. They watched it. No wonder a stranger appearing in the skies would make them all bothered! No wonder the visitor shook them up a bit! Because, they knowed every one of those stars, and they studied them scientifically, and from every move.

And they'd gather around this fire and they'd lit it by sacred oils, and it burned. And they'd watch in there, because they believed that God was a consuming fire. And He is.

You see, in Acts, the 10th chapter and the 35th verse, the Scripture says that God is no respect of person, but He receives any people that will fear Him and will honor Him, no matter what they are. That's you Methodists, and Baptists, and Presbyterian, Lutheran, or Catholics, or whatever you might be. If you're sincere in your heart, God will give you a chance, to bring you into the divine light of His mercy. He is God, and He is obligated to His promise. Then it's up to you, what you do after you receive it; then you can stand judgment. But until then, you're not responsible; you are walking in all you know.

So these Magi.... And they would go up after the worshipping around the sacred shrine of the fire as it burned, and watching into its sacred blazes, and wondering if inspiration ... of that God who was a consuming fire! “In His presence, the earth will perish.” When he looked into that, then he would get his inspiration. Then he would walk up into the tower, and he would look around, to see if anything had moved. And they did this, year after year, day after day, hour after hour, millennium after millennium. They watched the stars, the body. And they'd bring out the scrolls and they would read them.

And it must have been on this certain night, that they had been discussing about the falling of empire and the collapse of kingdoms, and how that the world had raised up into places and collapsed again, and so forth, that there was a scroll brought out. And it must have been the book of Daniel. And they were discussing something there that Daniel said, “There would be a stone cut out of the mountain, without hands.”

And it must have been while they were thinking on this, and the sacred fires burning, that they happened to notice that there was a stranger among them, something that they could not account for. None of their scrolls told of it. None of their writings said anything about it, but there it was! They couldn't deny it. They watched the heavenly bodies, and they knowed that something supernatural had took place.

Oh, He is so good! He will catch the attention of every person that He has ordained to life, maybe in their own ways of worship. But He is God, and He knows the hearts of men, and He watches them, and He protects them, and He brings them to a place! When the deep calleth to the deep, there has got to be a deep to respond to that call. If a man is thirsting for something, it shows that there is something out there to respond, to quench that thirst.

As I have often said: Before there could be a fin on a fish's back, there was a water first for him to swim in, or he'd've had no fin to swim with. Before there could be a tree to grow in the earth, there must be an earth first or there would be no tree.

Some years ago, while studying it, I noticed a piece in the newspaper, where a little boy eat the erasers off of the pencils in school. And one day his mama found him out on the back porch, eating the pedal off of his bicycle. And she wondered what was the matter with the little lad. She took him to the clinic, for an examination. While checking his little body, the doctors found that he needed sulfur. And sulfur is in rubber. Therefore, before there could ever be a crave in his system, for sulfur, there had to be a sulfur to respond to that crave, or he'd've never had the crave.

And before there can be a creation, there has to be a Creator to make that creation.

What man or woman in here today, boy or girl, who doesn't long for life? Tell me the mortal today that doesn't long for life, to live forever, and I will show you an insane person that doesn't know, for there is nothing no greater than life.

What would you give today? If you owned the world and all of its goods, you'd proudly give it to live forever and be a pauper. Life! How many of you old people would give everything that you own to go back to a young man and woman again? Every man seeks for it. Why? It's somewhere, or you'd never crave for it. Why are you sick people in here for, today (if you are), what are you seeking for? What makes you come for prayer? Because there is something in you! No matter what church you belong to, what brand that you are branded with, that has nothing to do with it. You're a human being. You're a creature of God's. And there is something in you, that pulls you to somewhere. And as sure as there is a pull in your heart, after the doctor maybe has given you up, that there is still hopes; there has got to be a fountain of God's riches, of His healing power, open somewhere, or you would never crave it. It's got to be somewhere!

If you long to see that Jesus, if something makes you long to see Jehovah, He is somewhere, or you'd never have that longing. And God is just as good to you as He is to the wise men or to anyone. If you long for Him, “Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be brought to that fountain where they can drink the satisfying portion.”

There may be people dying here. You don't want to die; you feel there is something left for you. That's why you're here. There may be neurotics, where you can't even get your mind together; but something down in you is telling you, “There is something that can restore me back right again.” There may be prostitutes who has walked the street in shame; there may be women who has lived unrighteous to their husbands, and broke their marriage vows; there may be men who is drunken sots, that's done everything there is on the calendar of sin; but something tells you that there is a fountain somewhere.

You might be Catholic, you might be Jew, you might be whatever you are, but you're a human being that was made in the image of God. And He is pulling to you, calling you, and you are led just as those wise men were led.

And as they studied, and looked yonder and seen that light, they couldn't make out what it was. And let's think that they.... The next day they laid down, to go to sleep. They were bothered, and kept watching it. And one of them must have had a dream; Bildad—we'd say he had a dream. And he dreamed that there was a prophecy that said, “There will be a Star of Jacob rise. And somewhere across, among the Jews, there is a baby king that's to be born. And that light that you see now will bring you to the perfect light that will light every man that seeks for light, that comes into the world.”

No matter what religion there was, if they really fear God, God is obligated to bring them to this light. He brings them in their own way.

Sometime He brings them by affliction. Sometime He brings them.... You know, in this last days, He prophesied that they would come by affliction. He made the supper, and then no one come, and then He said, “Go into the highways and the byways, and get the lame, halt, blind, and afflicted, for My tables shall be filled!”

He is seeking them from every walk and every corner of life, everywhere, moving in the Spirit in this last days, bringing them together. All denominations, and all who long for life, has a right to receive it, to walk in His presence, of His glorious Being, for He is the Son of the living God, still the morning star shining among us, as He always shined.

He's that same light that struck Paul down, on his road to Damascus! Sincere in his heart, trying to persecute a bunch of people who were too loud; shouting, making too much noise. He went down to strike them down, and he thought he was right. And there stood that pillar of fire in his way, that struck him to the ground. He cried, “Saul, why persecutest thou Me?”

He said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Said, “I am Jesus,” the Jehovah that he was zealous of.

He was zealous of Jehovah. He knowed nothing about Jesus, only that He was a malefactor. But God sent him, and he become the greatest missionary that the world has ever seen. Why? He was sincere; he believed; God led him by the light.

What do you think that makes us feel today, as Christians, to see even a picture of Him? And I have one now that outstands that, by hundreds of times. But that same Jehovah God has sent His light, before the coming of His Son the second time, to lead us, to comfort us, and to bring us into that fountain; that we may wash from our sins, and be clean in the righteousness of His Son, the Lord Jesus; and become sons and daughters of God, born anew by the Spirit of God, which changes.

A birth means we have been changed from our thinking, changed from our attitudes, changed by something that took place inside. There is not a religion in the world, there is not enough water, there is not enough ceremonies or sermons, that could change you. It takes the blood of God's Son, Jesus Christ. You could no more clean yourself, by joining church, than a leopard could lick his spots off of him. The more he licks, the brighter they get. He only shows them up. By joining churches and trying to do merits of your own, you just show your lack of hunger on the inside, something that hasn't been filled yet. Quit trying; just receive Him. He leads you to the light.

And as these people with this dream, that they must worship this baby, they must go. And they were rich men. And they gathered up their riches and put them in treasures, of such as frankincense, gold, and myrrh. Three went for a witness. And they saddled up their camels, and they took out, following the star. They must have went up over the mountain, come down and crossed the Tigris River at the ford, and down into the valley of Shinar. And the star was leading them to Jerusalem.

For, Jerusalem has always been the religious seat of the world, for the great King lived there. It was in that same city where there was a King who met Abraham coming from the slaughter of the kings, and His name was Melchisedec. “He had neither father nor mother; no beginning of days, or ending of life.” Even the patriarch, Abraham, paid a tenth, a tithings, to Him. No father, no mother; no time He ever started, or no time that He will ever end. It's the great King come from Salem, which was Jerusalem.

And the star led these wise men right to the religious seat of the world, but the sad thing was: when they got there, they knowed nothing about it. And these wise men went up-and-down the streets. The star, as soon as they got to Bethlehem ... as soon as they got to Jerusalem, it went out, so it didn't guide them no more. What was God doing? Just showing how that people can get.

Yet, in all of our theology and our great churches, and so forth, today, when the great light of God has begin to shine, the church knows nothing about it. What does the Vatican know about these things? What does the church organizations know? Nothing! We're on another Christmas.

These men knowed that they had seen something. They knowed that there was something that had took place. For, they studied the heavenly bodies, and here was a stranger, and they had been strangely led by Him. And now in the city, they go up-and-down every little street:

Crying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? ... we have seen his star in the east,....

Now, they were in the east; they saw His star in the west. But said, “When we were in the east,” hundreds of miles. See, it taken them two years to make the journey.

I know that floors some of your teachings, but it's the truth. It taken them two years to make the journey. They never come like these so-called Christians today: have their little baby in a manger laying there, and the wise men coming. That's Christian nonsense. They never come to no babe in a manger. There is no scripture says they did. They come to a young child, two years old. He wasn't in no manger. He was in a house. Read the rest of that Scripture. But Christian traditions, oh, they've got the whole world scrupled up with their teaching.

Why did Herod kill the children, two years old, then, if He was just an infant? The Scripture said they came to a young child (not an infant), a young child, two years old. And Herod went to killing the children at two years old, to try to get Him. If it'd been infants, he wouldn't have had to take the two years old, just the infants.

Never found Him in a manger; they found Him in a house. “And when they came to the house, they found the Child and Mary.” But you see how they twist it around.

No wonder! A few nights ago, I was preaching what Jesus said to those Pharisees, “You've took your traditions, and made the commandments of God of noneffect.”

Then they cry, “Where is God?” How can you believe God when you won't believe His Word, then say, “Where is that God of the Bible?” Get back to Him the way He is; that's the only way you'll ever know Him. Here is the way.

They went up-and-down the streets, crying, “Where is He? Where is He that's born King of the Jews? For we seen His star when we were in the East, and we've come to worship Him.”

Oh, I can see some of the priests saying, “Say, sirs, you must have listened to a bunch of fanatics somewhere. You must be listening to somebody's petty theology.”

Them men could say, “No, sir! We saw it in operation. We know that it's real. And it's led us this far. But we can't find it no more, and this is the city of the king.”

Isn't it strange? The biggest church in the world, the most people, yet they didn't know nothing about it. And if that isn't the same condition of the people on earth at this Christmas, same condition! No one had the answer. They couldn't find the answer.

And finally it got so bad! These were rich men, you could tell the way their camels was dressed. And they never left out one street; every alley, they went screaming, “Where is He? Where is He? Where is He?”

And today with the atomic bombs hanging yonder in the hangers, today when the world is on the edge of complete annihilation, and this generation of people to be perished in a second, with the split of one pull, most any little nation can sink the earth.

In a meeting of scientists, the other day, they said there was a gloom. Why, the atomic bomb is a cap pistol, to what they have now. And other nations has got it. If the Pentagon would ever let loose what they've got, there would be no Christmas spirit left; people would be panickly running into the streets, screaming and crying. You couldn't hide; there is no way of hiding.

The end is now. We're at the end: signs and wonders appearing, the Messiah manifesting Himself in the Spirit.

That Spirit, coming down through the age, making Himself more and more, and finally was born in that perfect man.

Now through the ages of Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, and down to the end, and now here it is manifested just before He returns in a physical body—that perfect One—pulling His church together, bringing them out of every denomination, and everything, bringing them to Him, for He will soon appear. And the churches don't have the answer.

So the Sanhedrin Court was called in, by Herod the tetrarch, and the courts come together. They brought the priests and the rabbis. They said, “Read the Scriptures. Where is this Messiah to be born?” said the king.

And the strange thing, you know where they found Him? In Micah's prophecy. “Thou, Bethlehem of Judea, aren't you the littlest among all the princes of Judah? Aren't you the holy-roller? Aren't you the smallest of all of them? But out of thee shall come the Governor of my people.” That's where they found it.

And so the wise men, when they heard that, they struck out the gate. And as soon as they left that old, cold, backslidden, formal place, there hung the star again. The star was there. And the Bible said, “They rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” Oh, I might say, they shouted a little, when they found out that that blessed supernatural that they had seen; when they got out of them old, cold, formal ways, it appeared again. There it was.

And it led them to Bethlehem, where they found that One, where He who was Emmanuel, being raised up in a carpenter's shop, poor. And they unloaded everything they had, and laid it at His feet. And they worshipped Him, because they knowed the light had come; the Saviour of the world was being born. They gave, they gave everything they had, because God had give!

“God so loved the world” (Friend, that's you and I) “that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever,” Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, infidel, whatever you are, “whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have eternal life,” what you're seeking for. Have life!

And in the hours that we are now living, and the close coming of His Being again, to the earth, if you notice the Scriptures.

Look who Joseph was, look at the Spirit of Christ in Joseph. Hated of his brethren because he was spiritual (he saw visions), but loved of his father. Wasn't that Jesus? Sold for about thirty pieces of silver, by his brethren, like Jesus was. Betrayed like Jesus was. Throwed into a ditch, to be dead, like Jesus was; raised up and become the right hand of Pharaoh. No man could come to Pharaoh except through Joseph. And when Joseph went forth from the right hand of Pharaoh, they screamed, “Bow the knee, for Joseph is coming!”

The Bible said that “When He comes, like the lightning shineth from the east unto the west, that every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess He is the Son of God.” All nations shall mourn and tremble at that time.

What was it? It manifested closer, it come out into David, the king. Because, He was both prophet, priest, and king; and when David was dethroned and rejected, in Jerusalem, like Jesus was. David sat upon the mountain, a rejected king, by his own people, and wept over Jerusalem. And the Son of David came and sat on the same mountain, a rejected King in His own city, and wept over Jerusalem, saying, “How oft would I have hovered you, as a hen does her chicks, but you would not.”

What did they call Him? “Beelzebub, a fortuneteller, an evil spirit.”

When His ministry started, there was an old fisherman brought to Him, who couldn't even sign his own name. And looked at that old fisherman, and He told him what his name was. And He told him what his father's name was. That old fisherman believed Him, with all of his heart.

And another standing there, got converted, by the name of Philip. And he went around the mountain, thirty miles, and found one by the name of Nathanael, under a tree, praying. Said, “Come, see who we've found. I know you're a great believer in Jehovah. I know you are. But Jehovah promises a Messiah, and we found Him. He's just an ordinary man, nothing big about Him. There is nothing swell and educated about Him. He is a carpenter.” He was a carpenter, both of material and a man's soul.

Nathanael looked at him, said, “Now wait a minute, could there be anything good come out of Nazareth?” See, they was looking for it out of Jerusalem.

That's where many of you are looking today. Don't look there. The devil always uses a man's head and his eyes. God uses his heart. You look and say, “Oh, it just can't be. It's just unreasonable. See, I can tell, I can look at it.” That's where the devil lays. The devil uses a man's eyes. He did that to Eve, in the beginning, and he's did it ever since.

But God tells a man He lives in his heart, and the heart makes you believe things that you cannot see. Because, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence you don't see.”

Sure, this great church with all its great people of millions around the world, controls the world's powers. It should be great. Don't look at that.

It's the Spirit, the Spirit!

Nathanael said, “Could anything good come?”

He said, “You come see.”

And when He saw him coming, Jesus looked at him, and He was going to perform His Messianic sign on him. He said, “Behold an Israelite, in whom there is no guile!”

He said, “When did You know me, Rabbi?” That astonished him. “When did You know me?”

He said, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the tree, I saw you.” How could He see him, thirty miles around the mountain, the day before?

Who the miracle was performed on, he looked up and said, “Rabbi, You're the Son of God. You're the King of Israel.”

Jesus said, “Because I have did this before you, and you believe it, you'll see greater than this, for there will be a time coming when you will see the angels of heaven descending.”

There stood those by, though, that were smart. They belonged to the big church, they couldn't undo themselves. They said, “This man is a fortuneteller. He's Beelzebub. He's crazy. He's a Samaritan that's got an evil spirit on Him. He's gone mad,” declared Him insane, publicly.

And Jesus said, “Because you say that to Me, I will forgive you for it. But there will come a time when the Holy Ghost will be on earth, and will do the same thing that I am doing; one word against it will be never forgiven in this world or the world to come.” Think of that! One word against it, is all, seals you forever.

Where do we live? We're at Christmas again. I wonder if our religion has brought us close enough to God, that we can be led as much as the Magi's could be led?

Now, remember, there is only three peoples on the earth, anyhow: Ham, Shem, and Japheth's people; that's the Jew, Gentile, and Samaritan.

Now, both Jew and Samaritan was looking for Him coming, not we Gentiles. We were heathens, carried away with dumb idols in them days, stick on our back (a club), killing and eating what we could; Gentiles, dumb dogs.

But they were looking for a Messiah and failed to see, because they didn't recognize His sign. That's the reason Jerusalem didn't have the answer.

That's the reason, today, they haven't got the answer. God has the answer, alone.

Look at these just a moment, as they were.... There was another class of people looking for Him (that's in St. John 4); that's the Samaritans. They believed there was a coming Messiah.

So remember, He never done that sign one time before the Gentiles, just the Samaritans and to the Jews, to who were looking for Him to come. And they didn't believe Him, by it; some of them did, some didn't.

And when He come to Samaria, He sent the people away—His disciples—into the city. He waited. Because, He told them, “Go get something to eat.” It was around this time of day, I guess.

While they were gone, a lovely woman come out to the well, to get some water. Oh, we call her a prostitute. Maybe she was, see. Well, let's say she was a lovely-looking woman. She came out to this well to get some water. And she heard a voice, said, “Woman, bring Me a drink.”

And she looked around, and there sat a Jew. Now, there was segregation then, they didn't have any dealing. And she said to Him, she said, “Why You, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman? We have no dealings with one another. It's not right for you to ask me that.”

He said, “But, woman, if you knew who you were talking to, you would ask Me for water.”

She said, “Where could You get any water?” Said, “You have nothing to draw with,” and so forth.

And He went ahead with the conversation, as the course went on. Finally, He said to her—He caught where her trouble was—He said, “Woman, go get your husband and come here.”

She said, “I don't have any husband.”

Said, “That's right. You've been married five times, and the one you're living with now is not your husband.”

Watch what she said. They were looking for Messiah, you know. She said, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.” There you are. “I perceive that You are a prophet. We know, when the Messiah cometh, He will tell us these things. The sign of the Messiah, we know that the Messiah will do this when He comes. But You're just a ... got calluses in your hand. You're a Carpenter, and a Jew. But you must be a prophet, or you wouldn't be able to do this. But when the Messiah cometh.... We are looking for Him here. When He comes, He will do this.”

Jesus said, “I am He, that speaks to you.” Oh, my!

She dropped that water pot. Into the city she went, and said, “Come, see a man who has told me the things that I've done. Isn't this the Messiah?” And the entire city went out and believed on Him, yes, because that sign was done. The churches had not the answer, but the humble in heart look to God.

Today, I wonder if our religion has brought us to that intelligence, to realize it's not in our man-made perfumed theology that we're trying to teach, but it's in the power and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit in the land today. Brother, sister, in this last hour, as it's coming to the end of the time, search out your souls, find out how you're standing with God.

It's Christmas. All the tinsel up-and-down the street, of Santa Claus, a German fiction, a Catholic dogma; there is not one ounce of it true! And it takes the place of Jesus Christ, in the hearts of too many Americans. Christmas don't mean Santa Claus. Christmas means Christ. It's not some man with a pipe in his mouth, and coming down a chimney! Teaching your children such as that, what do you expect them to grow up to be? Tell them the truth, not on some fictitious story. Tell them, “There is a God of heaven who sent His Son, and that's what Christmas means. And He is near coming again.”

And there's a pressure begins to come to the earth. The devil has put out his things, by eyes, what you can see, the tinsel, and so forth. God has put out His, which is Spirit, that you can't see, but you believe.

Jerusalem had not the answers. Jeffersonville doesn't have the answers; Louisville doesn't, America doesn't, nor the world doesn't.

God has the answers, and He has promised that He would manifest them. And I declare to you that that same Jesus, who was born nineteen hundred years ago, lives today, from the resurrection, and is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Let us bow our heads.

Do you solemnly believe this with all your heart? If you do believe it.... And maybe you have never accepted it before, but, before He does one thing to manifest Himself, would you raise your hands? By raising your hands, while everybody with their heads bowed, would raise your hands and say, “Brother Branham, pray for me. I believe that that's the truth. And I believe that somehow another, mysteriously, I've been led to this little old place here on the corner this morning. And I believe that the Spirit of the living God is here now. I want to worship Him. I will raise my hand.” God bless you. That's good. Oh, my, twenty or thirty people, over the building.

Dear God, You see those hands, and You know each of them. And they are in need. And they never would have raised that hand unless something was by them, who was greater than they are; they'd have went on in their own ways. But they have believed, by hearing the Word. Our Scriptures tell us, Lord, Your Holy Writ, that “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing the Word of God.” And this rugged, yet simple way, the only way we have to present it to the people, they have believed it. Many, many hands has went up. I know none of them. Thou knowest them all. But I know that inside of them, they are governed and controlled by a spirit, and that spirit that's in them has said, “You are wrong.”

And there is another Spirit standing by them, saying, “Accept Me; I'm your Saviour.” And they broke all the scientific laws, by raising their hands. Because, there is a God in there, who made the scientific laws, and their hands went up; that they wanted to reach up, by faith, to take a hold of the Saviour, and accept Him as their Saviour. They've did that this morning, Lord.

And receive them into Thy kingdom, just now. They are the trophies of the message. I pray that You'll receive them into Thy presence, into Thy kingdom. And may they live happy lives here, looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus at any time, as they see the day approaching, and signs and wonders, because He is getting closer, closer. He is on His way.

As Rebekah got up, straddle of the camel and rode away to meet her lover, Isaac; and Isaac had already left the camp and was out in the fields at the evening time when he saw her coming, it was love at the first sight. She jumped off the camel, and run to meet him. She was taken into Abraham's tent, and there become an heir, and inherited all things.

God, we realize it's evening time now. You said it would be light, that the Holy Spirit would be here on earth and would be manifesting Himself into a little flock that You had chosen by Your grace. I pray now that You will manifest Yourself greatly to each one. And may they be saved from their sins.

And may they come somewhere to a fountain, an earthly fountain, after they've come to the heavenly, and be baptized in the name of Thy beloved Son, the Lord Jesus; and washing away their sins, calling on the name of the Lord. May they receive the Holy Spirit, and be put into the position to play out their part of this great drama that's fixing to take place.

We believe our gathering this morning, Father, was in Thy wise providence. There is nothing foolish to You. Everything, everything that You provide is perfect. Men and women came from different parts of the country, sitting in here. You brought them by Your Spirit, in a mysterious way. They've believed You. Receive them now. In Jesus Christ's name, I present them to Thee.

Now, Lord, let Thy Holy Spirit come to heal the sick, that these new converts, to Thee, might realize that we're not just speaking of a Bible that has been a history. It's a living, present tense, just now. He is the same Lord Jesus.

Now let Him come, Lord, and take over our flesh, our bodies, as we open our hearts. Take out all doubt and all the world, and just let the Holy Spirit move through us; that You might work Your will among us, as clean vessels; not because we are clean by our own righteousness, but because we have believed on Him who has cleaned us, the Lord Jesus and has performed and do the things that You did when You were here on earth, that these new converts might see that You are still the Lord Jesus. You're not dead. But You rose again, nineteen hundred years ago, and are alive today, fulfilling every promise that You made. Amen.

I know it's not a Christmas song, but it is a song of our hearts, that we love; now that the message is over, kind of cutting, and so forth, is the only way.

What our pulpits need today is not this here perfume religion; it needs the truth. The truth, preach it from the Bible! Don't make any different interpretations; just say it, what the Bible says. God is obligated to His Word. If He doesn't back His Word up, then He is not God, or it's not His Word, one. But He will take care of His Word.

Now just before we pray for the sick, let's sing this good old song, all you peoples together, all of you.

I will praise Him, I will praise Him,

Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;

Give Him glory, all ye people,

For His blood has washed away each stain.

Will you give us a chord, sister? Everyone together now, all, everybody!

I will praise Him, I will praise Him,

Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;

Give Him glory, all ye people,

For His blood has washed away each stain.

I wonder.... This isn't sacrilegious. This is just expressing. Children, we are children. When you get to think you are grown up, in God, that shows you haven't got anywhere. Always be a child, He can lead you. But when you know more than Him, you try to lead Him, see. Let Him lead. Let's just close our eyes and raise up our hands, and bow our heads, and sing that once more.

I will praise Him, I will praise Him,

Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;

Give Him glory, all ye people,

For His blood has washed away each stain.

From Bethlehem's manger came forth a stranger,

On earth I long to be like Him;

All through life's journey from earth to glory

I only ask to be like Him.

Just to be like Jesus, just be like Jesus,

On earth I long to be like Him;

All through life's journey from earth to glory

I only ask to be like Him.

“The things that I do shall you also.”

Wouldn't you have loved to be sitting there when He said to the woman with the blood issue? She come twisting through the crowds, she touched His garment, “For she said within herself, 'That's the Son of God, and if I can just touch His garment!'” Now, the Palestinian garment hung loose, and it had an underneath garment. He never felt that touch, for He proved it. She touched His garment, and she rushed back out into the audience.

Jesus stopped, and said, “Who has touched Me? Who touched Me?”

Peter rebuked Him, said, “Lord, everybody is touching You, shaking Your hands, patting You, and everything. Everybody touched You, and why do You say such a thing as that?”

He said, “But I have gotten weak. Virtue has gone from Me. Somebody touched Me.”

And He looked around, over the audience, and He found her. And He told her that she had had a blood issue and that her faith had made her well.

Wouldn't you love to be like that? Couldn't think of anything greater.

A man walked up to Him, said, “Your name is Simon. Your father's name is Jonas.” Oh!

I only ask to be like Him.

Is it possible? He said, “These things that I do! And yet a little while, and the world....” Now, the world there in the Greek word is cosmos, which means, “the world order,” not the earth—“the world order.” “A little while, and the world won't see Me no more; yet ye shall see Me,” that's the believer, “for I,” and I is a personal pronoun, “I will be with you, even in you, to the end of the world. The works that I do shall you also. More than this shall you do, for I go unto My Father.” Blessed, sacred promises cannot be broken. Jesus said, “No Scripture can be broken.”

So to be like Jesus, (is He here?) Jesus,

(just in an attitude of worship now)

On earth I long to be like Him;

All through life's journey from earth to glory

I only ask to be like Him.

Could you imagine Him walking in Galilee? There's those Pharisees, said in their heart, “He's Beelzebub.” They never said that out loud, but He perceived their thoughts. The Scriptures say that? He perceived their thoughts.

He said, “You speak that against Me, I'll forgive you. But there will come a time when the Holy Spirit will do these same things. Don't speak against that.”

Just to be like Jesus! How many in this little audience this morning believes that He is risen from the dead, He lives today, and He is the same, to keep every promise? Thank you. That brings His presence.

Many of you know the picture of the Angel of the Lord, there above where I'm standing. We got them from Germany, Switzerland, everywhere they take them. They taken one the other day, and it's the most outstanding thing I ever seen. I will get it to the church, the next time I come back. It's in the national authorities now, to examine for double exposure, put under an ultra-ray light, and so forth, to see it. The Angel of.... The greatest consolation I've had since He met me, to know that we're at the end time.

I'm a man, and there is no good thing in a man. But if a man can open his heart and let God cleanse him, then it isn't.... God only has hands, they're your hands and my hands, His eyes is my eyes and your eyes, because He is Spirit. But He can work through us, to manifest and to do His will.

I was going to call you up here in a prayer line. I've changed my mind. I believe that the presence of the Lord God is here. And I believe that He can do just the same that He did when He was here before, or He isn't God. How many people....

There is many faces here I do not know. I'm not here; even many of you might come to the church here, I don't know you. But how many in here, that's needy, and you know that I do not know you, raise up your hands; all is in the building, know. It's mainly here in front, pretty near everybody here in front, totally strangers.

Then if Jesus lives, and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and if you have a need of any thing, the Scripture says.... Now, not the Old Testament; the New Testament! The New Testament, the book of Hebrews, said, “Jesus Christ is a High Priest right now.” Anyone knows what a high priest is? “A High Priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities.” A high priest is to make intercessions in the presence of God. Jesus stands as a High Priest, to make intercessions, and He can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. Now if He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and if a woman touched Him back there, and He turned around and told her; and blind Bartimaeus standing at the gate, three hundred yards from where He was at, screaming, “Have mercy on me!”

And the people making fun of Him as He went by, Him with His head towards Calvary, going up to Jerusalem, to be offered up. And them priests saying, “Say, You that raised the dead! We got a graveyard full of them up here; come out and raise them. We will believe You.” Same group that said, “Come off the cross, if You're the Son of God, and we will believe You.”

See them critics? They've always had them. Don't cast your lot with that kind. God forbid! Get God in your heart so you can see Him and know Him.

But this poor, old blind beggar standing there, said, “Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.” And his faith stopped Jesus. Jesus turned around and looked till He found him, told him he would receive his sight.

That same Jesus lives! What good is a God of history, if He isn't the same God today?

What good does it, try to get a man warm by pointing him to a painted fire? A painted fire won't.... That's a historical fire. You say, “It isn't a painted fire, Brother Branham; it's a picture of a fire that actually happened.” You can't get warm by the picture. That's something that was. What about now?

He is the same yesterday, and today, or He isn't the same God. Don't you believe that?

Now every one of you just be real reverent. If it should be that I would speak, I have no way of knowing you. God knows my heart. But if Jesus will come and take over my flesh, and take over.... No matter how much He would take over mine, if He doesn't take over you, too! You have to believe it. For, remember, it's only as you believe. If the Lord Jesus will come and will do that, and you will touch His garment, saying, “Lord, I'm in need; let me touch You, Lord.”

Then if you touch Him, if He's the same High Priest, He will act the same way He did when He was here on earth. Is that right? If it acts any other way, then it's the wrong thing; you touched the wrong thing. It has to be the same, has to act the same way. Then if you can touch His garment, like the woman did that touched His garment, wouldn't He do the same thing?

If it happens to be that I.... If some of you people that come to this church, so that you would know, I won't say nothing to you. It would have to be your faith, because this is.... I want strangers. I'll get to you after a while, if the Lord willing. I'll bring you up here to the platform, pray for you.

I want strangers that's come from out of town. You out-of-town people, you're here in hotels and motels, and things, waiting. Sure, come from over the world, that way. They love the Lord. They believe Him. And they read in the Bible that He is supposed to do this in the last days.

“And no man can come to Me except My Father draws him,” said Jesus. You can't come, there is no need of trying to do anything unless God draws you. When God draws you, then you'll come. “And he that comes to Me, I will in nowise cast out.”

Now you just have faith and believe now. And be real reverent; sit still just a moment. Give God your attention. Pray, saying, “Lord God, let me touch Your garment. I'm sick. I'm needy. I have need. Brother Branham doesn't know me; this is the first time I ever seen the man. But I want to prove to myself that You're still Jehovah, that You are still Jesus that he speaks about. And I believe this mysterious light that the world is a-talking about today. I believe it's You. And You're the same One that led me here. Now what will I find? Let me find Him, Lord, the same Jesus that they found. Let me find Him.” Now just watch and look.

I have no way at all of knowing till God will reveal it. And when God does reveal it, then it's God that does it then, not me. How many will believe if He will do it? I'm waiting on Him. Raise your hands, and say, “I will believe it. Yes, sir. I'll believe it, with all my heart.”

All right. Now raise your heads, as you look and pray. Now real softly, this song; here is the old piano I first heard it.

Only believe............

Jesus come down from the mountain, His disciples was trying to cure an epileptic case. They couldn't do it, though they had the power. They brought it to Jesus. He said, “I can if you believe, for all things are possible. Only believe.”

And everyone, just as reverent as you can be. Just look this way, as Peter and John said, “Look on us.” Not to look to them for something, but to give attention. Said, “Silver and gold have I none.”

May the God of heaven grant it. See, His Word is at stake, not mine. I'm just responsible for preaching it.

It's hard; this is my own home town. You know, Jesus was told, when He went to His own hometown, He could not do many mighty works. All of you know that. And Jesus stood then and said, “A prophet will not be without reward, unless it's in his own hometown, amongst His people.” That is still good today.

But there is many here that's not of the hometown. [Brother Branham pauses.]

Right at the end of the row there, sir, looking at me, with glasses. I suppose we're strangers to one another. God knows us both. But you're aware that there is some mysterious something going on. If you could see what I see, right above you is that light. If God will reveal to me.... Now you're in contact with Him. He will have to use my voice, and my eyes. But you're in need of something. I don't know you. You know I don't know nothing about you. If that's right, raise up your hand, sir.

But you realize you got like a feeling on you, real sweet, humble-like feeling (isn't that right?) right now. That's the Angel of the Lord. It's right above you. If God will reveal to me what your trouble is (just like He did through His Son, the Lord Jesus; and He came to sanctify my heart, that He might live here to speak back to you), would you believe it's the same High Priest that you've touched? You're in contact with something. That's Him.

Your trouble is in your lungs. If that's right, raise up your hand. It's so bad you can't work. If that's right, raise up your hand. I do not know you.

How many believes now? Look here. You think I guessed that. The Spirit is still over the man.

Do you believe the God of heaven knows you? You serve Him? I say you serve Him. Yes, sir, you are a Christian. You come here for the purpose of being healed. You're going home, well. Your name is Mr. Raney. That's exactly right. Raise up your hand if that's true. You can return home. You're healed, sir. Your faith has made you well. God bless you.

I've never seen the man in my life, here is my hands, perhaps our first time. It's God. Now sit still, everyone be in prayer. You know that there is something here doing that.

Now, the Pharisees said, “He is the devil.” Then they got his reward.

Philip said, “It's the Son of God.” He got His reward.

Whatever you think about it, that's up to you.

You that's weeping there, you was aware that something struck you, wasn't you? If that's right, raise up your hand. The man that's weeping, sitting right here, we are strangers to one another. That's right. I do not know you. But God does know you. If God will reveal to me what's your trouble, will you believe with all your heart? If you will, wave your hand back and forth. All right.

You suffer with stomach trouble. That's right. Do you believe God will heal you? All right, you do? Do you believe God knows who you are? If He will tell me who you are, will it strengthen you? Just keep your hand up if.... Wave it back and forth. All right, it'll strengthen you? Mr. Fred Moore. That's exactly right. Go home, mister, that ulcer in the duodenal of the stomach has left you. It's caused a nervous condition that did it, but Jesus Christ healed you when He touched you there.

The lady sitting next to you there; oh, I know who that is. I know that woman, which her name is.... I'm not mistaken, I believe it's a Mrs. Greene, isn't it? I can't call you, Sister Greene, because I know you. But, here, wait a minute. No, it's not for you. You are praying for somebody else. That's right. And that person is in a great country away from here, where there is a lot of snowing going on. It's Nebraska. It's a lady with cancer, that you're praying for. If that's right, raise up your hand. It's a person with cancer, that you're praying for, in Nebraska. All right. God bless you.

Have faith! Believe! The lady sitting there, wiping the tears from her eyes, she is a stranger to me. I do not know the lady. That's her husband sitting next to her, the big man. Being strangers!

Do you believe that God hears prayer? Do you believe that this is the Spirit of God, lady? You are shadowed with death, aren't you? It's a cancer. We are strangers. If that's right, wave your hand back. That's right. I never seen you, in my life. You're not from this city; you're from across the river somewhere. That's right. Mrs. Sanders is the name. That's right. Hilda is the first name. That's exactly right. Stand up on your feet, lady, and accept your healing from Jesus Christ. God bless you.

Have faith in God; don't doubt. Some of you all over in these rows here, believe on the Lord Jesus and you'll be made well.

Now, it's Him. Do you believe that it's Him? See, I don't know you. “If thou canst believe!” It's up to you.

You seem to be praying, sitting right here, sir. Do you believe me to be His prophet? Do you believe that it would be Him? I'm a stranger to you; you're a stranger to me; this is our meeting time. But God knows both of us. Do you believe that? If those things is true, raise up your hand. Do you believe that you're going home without your back trouble, God is going to make you well? You do? Going back to Ohio, Hamilton. That's right. Your name is Mr. Burkhart. That's true. Jesus Christ has healed you now, and you can go home, be well. Amen. Someone else, believe!

Oh, are you aware of His presence? Do you realize that something has to do that? That's exactly what the Bible said He did first, and promised.... He did it before the Jew, before the Samaritan, and promised to do it before the Gentile. This is the hour! Not some historical God; but a God who keeps His promise, that's living right now; the Lord Jesus, the same One who heals the sick, the same way He did it, the same method, and promised it in the last days. This is Christmas again, His guiding light. “What are you watching, Brother Branham?” I'm watching Him. It's another world, it's another dimension, if you want to call it that. It's in the spirit world.

I see a man, real heavy-hearted, but I know him. Brother Funk, I didn't know it till just now: you're in trouble. A real dark shadow over your mother. And you know I don't know that; I just come in. But your mother has had an operation, with malignancy, cancer. You are worried about her, and you're praying. The God who restored your daddy to his right mind, give him back his health, can restore your mother. Do not fear. “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to them that believe.”

There He is, over another person, but I know her. But she is praying for somebody else. Mrs. Arganbright, if you'll believe that, that cancer will be healed! It's for some other person. You believe!

What about you? Do you believe, lady, and me be His prophet, His servant? You are suffering with the same thing the woman did, a blood issue. That's correct. You're not from this city. You're from Ohio, also. And you've just been healed in one of my meetings, of something, yourself. You had cancer, you were shadowed by death, and it's gone now. That's right. That you might know that I be His servant, the issue of blood is from your age. But you also have a rheumatism, or like an arthritis, it is, when you're getting up. You're stiff of a morning. You have trouble with your throat, also. Do you believe me to be His servant?

You got someone else on your heart, you're praying for. It's your daughter-in-law. She's got varicose veins. She is a mother of a big bunch of children. Isn't she? That's exactly right. Your name is Mrs. Alice Thompson. That's exactly right. Return, receive what you've asked for. So shall she be healed, because you have believed on the Lord Jesus. Now if we are strangers to one another, wave your hand back and forth like this—that I don't know you, know nothing about you.

I challenge your faith. I challenge any person in here, in the name of Jesus Christ, to believe His presence is here. I don't care what's wrong with you, if you'll believe it!

Remember, this is the last thing that He will do before His coming. You remember what He said, “As it was in the days of Sodom and in Gomorrah, so will it be in the coming of the Son of man.” What was the message?

There was three angels went down. Two of them, a Billy Graham and a Jack Schuller, went down into Sodom, and preached just the message of Gospel deliverance to the people. But one Angel stayed behind with the elected, Abraham and his group.

And the Angel had His back turned to the tent. And Sarah laughed, inside the tent. And the Angel said, “Why did Sarah laugh?” How did He know she laughed, in the tent behind Him? That was the last message that Sodom had before the destruction.

And here is the last signs that God will show before annihilation. Receive it, believe it, and be saved.

Let's bow our heads just a moment.

Are you aware of His presence? Do you want Him now, after I have preached the Gospel to you, and you have heard His message. Then you see Him come down and speak, Himself. A man can say anything; but unless God speaks and confirms that, it is no good. But when He comes—God—and makes the message real, and living again, then it's God. Do you want to accept Him now in full surrender of your life? Will you raise your hands just a moment, say, “I will raise my hands, I now surrender my all to Him”? God bless you. God bless you.

All that's needy for prayer, for healing, I believe that every one of you will be healed. Let us pray for the sick.

Lord, that none might be left out, that all might receive! We are aware, Lord, as I stand here weak and trembling, You are here. It's beyond any shadow of doubt. The people become stricken with the aweness of God's Holy presence, another Christmas, the same supernatural light shining. It's led many from different walks of life. They have heard Your Word read and preached, and now see You come and confirm the Word.

The Bible said, “The disciples returned, and preached the Word everywhere; the Lord working with them, confirming the Word with signs following,” the last things that was written in the Scriptures, outside The Revelation. Now we see it again. It's near the coming, Lord. Be merciful. Heal all the sick that's here this morning. Thy Spirit is right, it's powerful, and it's here.

And there is many here, Lord, who are people of the Tabernacle, who come here. Thou has been merciful to them, to call them.

And yet, Lord, it's over the whole audience just now. The great Shekinah glory, the great power of the resurrected Christ, the rainbow of many colors, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the morning star, the rose of Sharon, is present! Heal, Lord. We pronounce them to be well, through Thy grace. Give them faith to believe it, Lord, and accept it just now, for the glory of God. May every sick person be healed.

And every person that's wrong, lived wrong to their companion, may they be forgiven. Every person that smokes or drinks, may they be forgiven. May their sins be under the blood, by the omnipresent God who is here now; probably the closest they ever was to Him, in all their life. Grant now that this will be received.

Hear us, Lord, O God, our great King, as we call on Thy name, in this Yuletide season; not a Santa Claus; but a Jesus that has raised from the dead, and is living, showing Himself among His people. O Lord, Thou art God, and God alone, and there is no other but Thee. And we thank Thee that we have the privilege of sitting in His presence, in this little, humble place. He humbled Himself and come among us. We are so happy for this! Blessed be His holy name! We give Him praise, from morning until night, and all through the night seasons; our hearts sing the songs and the praises of Jehovah. Thanks be to Him, forever and ever!

Take these, Thy children, Lord, under Thy wings, hover them as a hen does its brood. Lead them into deeper life, and to happier life and to more full life; give them the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Regenerate their souls, Lord, into new creatures in Christ, that You might live and dwell in them, and work through them, as Your disciples. Grant it, Lord. For, we are believing that soon the sky shall break and our Lord shall come, and we shall see Him who we love. We thank Thee for this, through Jesus our Lord.

Now with our heads bowed, I turn the service to the pastor.