Mary's Belief

...heads for a word of prayer.

O Lord, we are grateful to Thee to have the privilege of coming again to the house of God. I believe it is written in the Scripture: “I was happy when they said unto us, let us go to the house of the Lord.” And we know no greater privilege that we have than to come to Thy house and worship Thee. And we pray tonight, Father, that this will be an outstanding night because of the presence of the Holy Ghost.

May the sinners be saved tonight, everyone that's in divine order. And may all the sickness be healed tonight and God's name be glorified. For we ask it in the name of His dear beloved Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

You may be seated.

A few nights ago I was telling a story here of what happened in Los Angeles, both to the visible audience and the radio audience, of one of the most pathetic sights that I had ever seen; was a little baby dying with cancer in a hospital here. And I was staying with my good friend Brother Minor Arganbright. And it happened to be, as I was telling the story, that the father of the child was present. And I asked him if he would bring the little baby tonight, which is now about seven or eight months old. And the little baby was sent home from the hospital and eat its first food, and it's well now.

So the family is here tonight to present to this visible audience, little Ricky DePompa. And they'll bring him out at this time now. You'll be able to see the little boy that was dying with cancer in the hospital, and the Lord Jesus healed this little baby. Little nine months old, I guess, Ricky DePompa. Let's give God a praise for this great thing. That's little Ricky. I think that it's a miracle of Almighty God. I know you all are happy.

Let us just bow our heads and offer thanks.

Lord, a trophy of Your grace. Little Ricky is alive tonight because of Your goodness. He's here and we're grateful. Let the little fellow become a great man to take this Sword after his father has to lay it down. I pray this blessing for little Ricky. In Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

Thank you all so much for bringing him tonight; that's very nice of you. Thank you very kindly.

Radio audience, you should have seen this little fellow that had a head almost two or three times the size of a normal baby. And its little jaws were so cut through where the doctors had worked faithfully to save the little fellow's life. And there was nothing could be done. It had just made the demon angry, and the little tongue stuck out through its mouth and turned black, and it cut off its wind where it could not breathe through its nose or its throat. They had to cut down here in his throat, or chest, and put a little whistle in so it could breathe its breath in that way. And a nurse pulling mucus from that so the little fellow could keep its breath. And here he is tonight a normal baby by the grace of God. We are thankful to the Lord.

Now, to you who are suffering with cancer, take courage; God is a healer.

Tonight I wish to read some of God's sacred words found in Saint Luke the first chapter and the thirty-seventh and thirty-eighth verse. I believe I will read the thirty-sixth verse also:

The spring sun was rising high in the Judean skies as she started up the street that morning with the water-pot under her arm. And her little youthful mind was thinking of the day before; how that at the synagogue, where she and her espoused husband had sat and listened to a sermon from the Rabbi.... And how in his talk he had explained to the people why they were settled in that land, that it had been a promise that God had made their father Abraham hundreds of years before, that they should inherit that land; and how that when God made a promise that He could not go back on that promise, and that they had come through the Red Sea as on dry ground, and how that before that, that God has taken them out of the hands of the enemy.

And God loves to take His children out of the hands of the enemy. He's proved it the way He did little Ricky here.

Took them from the hand of the enemy, and by great signs and wonders, and fed them in the wilderness for forty years. And they came out of the wilderness, a forty-year journey, with not a feeble one among them. Even their clothes didn't wear down. What a great God that they had!

But at the end of his message he ruined what he had been talking about when he said that those great days of Jehovah dealing with people like that, it wasn't necessary no more. They had become settled down in their homeland, and they didn't exactly need miracles no more. They had good doctors for their sickness (which is certainly all right), and that they had ... they were better off, they had their homes, and they just didn't need the God of miracles anymore. But somehow that didn't satisfy the thirst and hunger of Joseph and Mary.

You see, they were engaged to be married soon.

And as custom was, that after service was over, why, he would go home with her sometimes to her home. For where her home was, it's just across the hill where Joseph the carpenter was building a special little house. You know it had to have that little special touch to it, because it was the one he was going to bring his little bride to. The doors had to shut just perfect, the windows had to be plumb; for that was where he was to spend his life with his little wife.

And after the noon meal they would go out on the front porch, perhaps, and look across towards that little home and dream of the time that when they would be together, happy, living at the house; and how the roses would be around the windows, and so forth. Then on this certain Sunday afternoon, Joseph said, “This seems to be a strange day.”

And Mary said, “You know, since I heard the Rabbi say that this great God that brought us here and made us what we are, then He doesn't have to do things for us now like He did then.... I've been thinking for a long time that if this God was as great in the days of our fathers as He was in the days of our grandfathers, then why isn't He just the same great God today?”

That's only good thinking. And she goes back into the house and said, “We will read some of the Scriptures, just wherever God will lead us.” And she picked up the Scroll of Isaiah. And she begin reading, we'd say something like this: Isaiah 9:6, “Unto us a son is born, unto us a child is given.”

And she looks over with her lovely soft eyes, and said to her husband-to-be, Joseph, “Who do you think the prophet was speaking of?”

“Why,” Joseph said, “Mary, I believe that he was speaking of the Messiah that is to come. And that's why that we keep our blood stream clean and don't mix with other nations, because someday God is going to send the Messiah among us.”

She was thinking on this as she went along the side of the street real early as the sun was rising. And she was going up to the public well to get her daily supply of water. Usually the women come just a little later to get the water, but Mary, somehow she was led to go early that morning. And as she walked along thinking on these things, she felt a strange feeling around her.

And you know, it's usually when we're thinking about God, and keeping our minds on God, that God comes close to us.

I think that's one of the great troubles of the people of this day. We have too many other things on our mind. Even when we come to a healing service, we seem to think, “Well, I did not get a prayer card tonight.” Or perhaps, “I will not be prayed for.” We will never be able to accomplish much as long as we keep those kind of thoughts.

This Angelus Temple is thirsting for a outbreak of the Holy Spirit. Not only that, but the whole United States, speaking of the Christian realm, is waiting for a revival in our time. But we're waiting for something to happen, and I believe that God has let it happen; and we're just so pushing it somewhere else until it'll pass over us and our time of Grace will be gone.

Let's be positive in our thinking. Let's believe that this night now the revival will break in Angelus Temple tonight. Let's believe that this is the night that God will do the exceedingly abundantly above all that we could do or think; He will do it tonight. Don't take no for the answer. It's when we think those things, you create an atmosphere around you.

And as she was thinking on this, she raised up her eyes and she thought that she saw a light flicker. And the little virgin perhaps rubbed her lovely angel-looking eyes, and she looked around and, “Well, maybe it was the sun that a-kind of reflected off of something.”

And she goes on and turns the corner, starting up towards the public well. She drops her little head again and pulls her little shawl around her shoulders. And she went on about her way thinking of, “What did this Isaiah 9:6 mean?”

When God puts something upon a person's heart, He's ready to do something. That's the reason that He's ready to give the Angelus Temple an outbreak of the Spirit, because it's on your hearts!

And as she thought on these things, after awhile she raised her head again. She felt a real strange feeling.

I just love to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. It just gives that blessed assurance. You don't always have to see it; it's there anyhow.

And as she moved along, and she raised her head again, and there stood this great light before her, perhaps the same Pillar of Fire that led the children of Israel. Come walking from that light came the great Archangel Gabriel, and he said, “Hail, Mary! (means to stop) Blessed art thou among the women.”

Hard telling, the other women went to the well that morning, perhaps thinking about the washing they had to do or some task or some society in the church they had to take care of; but Mary was thinking on the Scriptures! Was not it Cleopas and his friend on the first Easter morning, that they were thinking on the Scriptures when Jesus appeared to them?

And as she saw this great angel, it startled the little virgin, and she stopped. And he came close to her and saluted her. And he gave her a message. That was a hard message for that child to believe, for she wasn't nothing but a girl. And he gave her something to believe that was more outstanding and hard to believe than anything he'd ever give to anyone.

Six months before that He'd met Zacharias the priest at the temple. And he was an aged man, and had read the Scriptures, and had taught the Scriptures. And because that he was old and his wife was barren, the angel, same angel, told him that after the days of his ministration at the altar, waving the incense over the people's prayer, that when he went home his wife would conceive and bear a child. And that preacher questioned the angel! “How can it be? I'm old, and my wife is old.”

He had plenty of examples in the Bible. There had been Hannah at the Temple, that had Samuel the prophet after she was old. And there had been Sarah, who brought forth Isaac after she was nearly a hundred years old.

And here this little woman had to believe something that had never happened. A woman having a baby without knowing any man. She said, “How shall these things be, my Lord?”

He said, “The Holy Ghost shall overshadow thee: and that Holy thing that'll be born from you will be called the Son of God.”

Watch her. She didn't question that. She said, “Behold the handsmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to Thy Word.”

If we could just do that! That's the only thing. That's what God loves. That's the only way to get right with God, is take Him at His Word. That's the only way that there is to please God: take His Word. Don't trust your knowledge. You'll reason, “How can it be done? It cannot be done.” When you reason, then you lose the victory. We must cast down reasonings and believe what God has said to be the truth.

Mary took Him at His Word, and He changed the whole course of natural life for her.

And He will change the course of your life tonight if you'll take Him at His Word. If you are a sinner, He will straighten that crooked life of yours out. If you're vile and immoral, He will make you as pure as a lily if you'll just take Him at His Word. That vile conscience of sin that makes you look at immoral things and use the name of the Lord in vain, have temper enough to fight a buzz saw; He will change that course of life for you and make you a new creature in His Son Christ Jesus by just taking Him at His Word.

If you have cancer tonight, He will change that for you and give you health. If you have tuberculosis or sickness of some kind that the doctors cannot help, He will change that for you if you'll just take Him at His Word. This is His Word: “I'm the Lord thy God that heals all thy diseases.” Oh, how glorious and marvelous our Lord is.

Now, as soon as the angel had told her about her cousin, and she accepted the Lord's will to be done, the only thing she knowed would happen, that the Holy Spirit was going to do it.

Oh, if we could only get that settled in our hearts. How can a cancer be cured when the doctors give it up? It's not me to try to figure it out; it takes the Word of the Holy Spirit. He was the One who made the promise. He's the One who confirms that promise. He's obligated to keep that promise.

And I want you to notice another thing about Mary: she did not wait till she was positive. She didn't wait till she felt life, or some physical sign that she was going to have this baby before she said anything about it. She just took ... God's Word was good enough for her. And she started rejoicing right away.

Oh, if the Angelus Temple, if you people here tonight.... You know it's the will of God to break forth here tonight. You know it's the will of God to send a revival in this tabernacle tonight. God gives the promise. I've been asked to stay over another week, and I've accepted it to stay another week, because ... (Thank you.) because that I....

Before I left home I stretched the time out a little bit to take a fishing trip where I've always wanted to go, down in Mexico, and my good friend Brother Arganbright was going to fly me down there at his expense. And how I love to fish. But it was put before me. Reservations are made, the plane's ready to leave Monday, but I felt in my heart that God was going to do something here at the Angelus Temple. And I'm not a fanatic.

When I left home I said to my field secretary, Mr. Mercier, I said, “I believe I will stay an extra week at the Angelus Temple, for I want to see a revival break again in that Temple that'll send the power of God, that will sweep around the world.” That the reviving of the people of God are coming together again, bone to bone, and the sinew skin. I believe that God is going to do it! Somehow I feel I have a promise that He's going to do it. In my heart there's something moving in me, tells me something's going to take place! I've canceled everything to make ready for it, give it room to see what this is on my heart that's speaking for this.

Mary, she didn't wait till she was positive. She didn't wait till she seen some physical sign. If I look for a physical sign for what I'm led for tonight, I'd look for every seat in here to be taken up, when the place is only about two-thirds full. But that doesn't matter. We don't have to have a overflowing crowd. There was a hundred and twenty in the upper room, but they were all in the hands of God! God started a revival with them hundred and twenty completely surrendered into His hands that's never ended. A fire that cannot be put out.

What could God do here tonight with these hundreds in His hands? It's just getting ready, believing, holding His promise before Him.

Now, Mary could have waited till she had some kind of a sign that she was going to be mother.

And you could wait after the meeting's over until you feel that you could move your cripple legs just a little better, or you could hear a little better out of that deaf ear, or the cancer seems to be that it wasn't bothering you so much. That's not taking God at His Word. To take God at His Word is to hear His Word and accept it and start rejoicing with it.

We could see five hundred rush to the altar tonight, which would be a good sign then that the revival is going to break. We don't have to have five hundred at the altar; we just have to take God's Word for it and start rejoicing. Something will happen. That brings the Word to life, as we water it with praises. What makes a seed grow? Water. What makes the Word of God grow is the praises of God.

When Jesus told them to wait in the upper room in the city of Jerusalem until they was endued with power from on high, that Word fell on their ears. They was in the temple continually praising God day and night. What was they doing? Watering that promise. And all of a sudden there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. The Word was being watered, and it took life and started growing.

You're wanting a revival, start watering the Word, the promise. That makes me feel religious myself. If you want to come out of the wheelchair, start watering the Word. If you want to come from that cancer, start watering the Word. Little Ricky tonight here is a testimony that God heals cancer. He heals cancer, He heals all our sicknesses. Thousands times thousands of infallible proofs of it, we've seen.

Sitting in this audience tonight somewhere is Mrs. Upshaw, William Upshaw's widow. How was it down here at Copp Church the ... I believe called The World Church now. When Brother Copp was there that had the meeting that night, I never heard of William Upshaw in my life. And he would've been the congressman, I believe, for about seventeen years.

But when I walked to the platform, and it happened to be that he knew the old Baptist preacher that ordained me in the Baptist church, Doctor Roy E. Davis. Doctor Davis told him to come see me when I come to the coast, to have me to pray for him. And he'd moved in and was sitting in his wheelchair. All of a sudden I saw an old hay frame and a little boy fall, hurt his back. Begin to relate just what I was seeing. Someone said, “That's the old congressman sitting there, William Upshaw.”

And in a few minutes he asked me if he thought—if I thought he'd get well. And just in a few moments I saw him in a vision walking across the top of the people's heads, bowing hisself down as he did as the southern hospitality. And in one minute's time he was on the platform rejoicing and praising God, after being in a wheelchair for sixty something years, I think. It's the evidence that God heals from the wheelchair—after sitting there in that wheelchair, wheeled around for over a half a hundred years.

God does things in His own way when men and women will take Him at His Word. Congressman just said, “Something struck him that he knowed it was the truth!” I didn't know him. “And if God was that close to him, he would accept it.” And out of the chair he went. And that did it. Lived for many years testifying, glorifying God. And with an immortal body tonight is walking the streets of gold with the saints that's gone on before.

I was speaking to his wife the other day, and she ... wiping the tears from her eyes when she called him her prince. I said, “But he's just gone upstairs. He isn't dead; he's just gone upstairs, waiting up there to help you up one of these days.” God works mysteriously when we take Him at His Word.

Mary started quickly, testifying that she was going to have this baby. How is she going to have it? She's never knowed a man, there's never been such as that ever happen, but she just took the Word of the Lord at what it meant and begin to rejoice.

If each person in here tonight that's bound with sin in your lives, will just take Him at His Word and start rejoicing; because Jesus said, “He that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Though your sins be like scarlet, they shall be white like wool.”

There's no need of being bound down; you can be free tonight from your burden of sin. If there are those here tonight who are bound by sickness, just take Him at His Word and start rejoicing. You can be free; He said so. And He's no respect of persons. “Whosoever will, let him come.”

She was so happy about it, so happy God had permitted her, to let a first hand miracle be performed on her. She was so happy about it, and to hear about her cousin, Elisabeth, till she took off from Nazareth up into Judea, the hills. The little virgin going along the road, up into the mountain country.

Now, Elisabeth, it was six months with her as mother. And she was pretty well wearied about it. The little baby that had been promised in her old age, six months and there was no life to the little baby yet. That's altogether subnormal, for about three to four months life appears. But it was six months and there was no life. And Elisabeth had hid herself.

Somehow down in her heart she believed, though in her fearful condition, that if God had give this promise to Zacharias her husband, a just man, and she'd prayed for this baby, and the signs was a-showing it, she'd knit little booties and get ready.

That's it: make ready for it! Oh, you tonight, get your blanket off your body, get your foot on the floor, get ready, come out of the wheelchair, come off the bed, make ready for it. God who made the promise keeps the promise, if you'll water it with the praises of “Thank You, Lord,” positive that you know what you're doing, for you're standing on His promises.

South Africa recently, a man who had never had a pair of shoes on his feet in his life, been way back in the jungles, born back there years ago by missionary parents. He was born with deformed feet.

When he come walking up through there, clubbing his feet along, had a shoe box under his arm. And someone said to him, “What you got in there?”

He said, “A pair of shoes.”

Said, “What do you expect to do with them? Are they going to be your father's?”

He said, “I'm going to wear them.”

And when the service was over he had those shoes on, running down through that lot just as hard as he could go, praising God. What did he do? He took God at His Word. He said so much.... When he was asked, he said, “I seen others coming that was crippled, was healed. And I seen those who were blind could see again; God would not turn me down.” That's the way to believe it. “God won't turn me down.”

Mary knew that God wouldn't turn her down. And so up in the mountains she went. And I can see Elisabeth sitting back in a little room in the little adobe shack. And she brings back the curtain there, and she says, “It seems like that I ought to know that young woman coming there.” And she looks again, and she said, “It's my cousin, Mary. I've never seen her so beautiful in my life. Look how happy she looks.” So out of the room she went, and she grabbed Mary around the neck and begin to embrace her and hug her.

You know, people used to have a feeling for each other. But today they don't seem to care for each other. It seems like all that brotherly feeling has gone away from people. That's a shame.

I know my wife isn't in tonight, but here sometime ago she and I were downtown, riding down the street. And a fine lady that I knew in New Albany, she said, “Hello there, Sister Branham.”

And I never heard her say a word. And I said, “Honey, the lady spoke to you.”

And she said, “I spoke to her.”

I said, “I didn't hear you do it.”

And she said, “I smiled.”

Oh my, I don't like that little old silly grin. I like a real good old fashioned pump-handle hand shake. I like a feeling in it.

That's what's the trouble tonight with people. They got so dry and starchy. That's what's the matter with the Pentecostal church. You got too starchy, friends. That's what's the matter with the Baptist church, the Methodist church, the people in general.

Paul Rader, who perhaps preached right in this tabernacle at this same pulpit where I'm preaching tonight, gone on to glory. He said one time that he and his wife were sitting at the table and she wanted to do something. And, “Oh,” he said, “there's no need of doing that.” And so somehow he hurt her feelings. And he thought, “Well, if her feelings's that easy hurt, let them be hurt.”

So he got up and laid the paper on the table and went out the street. Her custom was that she would meet him at the door and kiss him good-bye. And when he went out to the end of the gate, he'd always look back and wave. Well, said she kissed him good-bye, and went on out to the end of the gate and looked back. And said she waved. And said, he started down the street, and something begin to condemn him, said, “What if she would die today while you're gone? Or what if something would happen to you? Would that little strange feeling, just a family affair...?”

Said he got so condemned he turned around and run back real quick. Jerked open the gate and went in, throwed open the door, looked around, he couldn't see her. He heard her; she was behind the door crying. Said he never said a thing, he just walked around there and looked her right in the face, and kissed her again. Turned around and went back out the gate; she was standing there and waved again. Said the difference of it was, the last time she waved had a feeling to it.

Well, that's the way it is friends. We just can't put it on artificial; we need Pentecostal fire and brotherly love back in the church of the Living God. Got too much artificial Hollywood make-up about it. We need an old-fashioned God-sent, sky-blue, sin-killing religion to start from the pulpit and sweep out.

Taking God at His Word.... Mary, oh how she was rejoicing and patting her on the back, and Elisabeth patting her. And I can hear Elisabeth say to Mary, “O dear, I never seen you look so happy. It must be that you and Joseph are married.”

“No.”

“Well, what are you so happy about?” She said, “I know what you're happy about. Because that I'm to be mother.”

Said, “Yes, that's part of it; I knew you was to be mother.”

“Well,” she said, “Mary, that's true. But I've hid myself for six months. And I'm kind of bothered, Mary, because that I'm going to be mother, and yet for six months that baby has not even moved. I'm just a little weary.”

I can see the pretty eyes of Mary sparkle, and said, “Elisabeth, I've got something to tell you! I'm going to be a mother too!”

“Oh Mary, did you not just get through telling me that you and Joseph was not married?”

“That's right, we're not married as yet.”

“And you're going to be mother?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, I'm....” She was so surprised.

But Mary said, “Wait a minute, Elisabeth. The other morning I was on my way to the well and the same angel that appeared to Zacharias appeared to me down there, and said I was to bring forth a baby knowing no man. And I should call His name Jesus.”

And as soon as she said, “Jesus,” little John begot a shouting spell and begin to jump with joy. And she said, “Whence comes the mother of my Lord to me? For as soon as your salutation come to my ears, my baby leaped in my womb for joy.”

And if the first time that the name of Jesus Christ was ever spoke through mortal lips brought life to a dead baby, what ought it to do to this Angelus Temple who claims to be born again of the Spirit of the living God. Take Him at His Word, start rejoicing. Start believing Him. God will do great things for you if you'll just believe it. Believe Him, take His Word. It's the most honorable thing that you can do, is to take God at His Word. Do not disbelieve Him, just believe Him with all that's in you. Believe Him, and God will bring it to pass. Do you believe that?

Let us pray.

O Lord, You know the weakness of human life. And You know the strength of the name of Jesus. For He told us when He was on earth, that to believe that what we said would come to pass and we could have what we had said. Give us faith tonight, Lord; give us faith as we claim a revival, an outpouring of Thy Spirit here in the Angelus Temple in these coming days. Give us of Thy blessings tonight to start at this time, and may men and women who are sitting here, that's longed and waited for a time to when they could reach out by faith and say, “Jesus, I now surrender my whole life to You. I now am sick and tired of just a half way living for You.” Grant tonight, Lord, that they may experience the great pouring out of the Holy Ghost in their life.

Give to that poor, wayward sinner, Lord, who's an alien from God, cut off without God, without hope, without mercy. And in due season Christ died for that person, and now has sent the Holy Spirit to bring them to Him. Grant, Lord, that that person tonight will be able to receive Thee as their personal Saviour.

And may the revival get on its way right quick, Lord. Let us be like Longfellow said, “Be not like dumb driven cattle, but be a hero.” Grant, Lord, that every Christian will pull up a little closer to You, take up his faith and present it to You, say, “Lord, help me to do everything that's in my power now, seeing that You're near.” That the great Jesus who walked in Galilee, sending the Holy Spirit, His representative, to represent Him through this age. Grant that they will accept Him tonight.

O Lord, we would pray also for those who are sick and needy, those that are bound in chairs and in cots and on stretchers. Thou art more than willing to set them free tonight. If that little spark of faith, which they're now fumbling around in their heart, let it catch fire, Lord, like a kindling wood, to the promise of God. May they rise from their chairs and from their sick conditions tonight—with heart trouble and different ailments—and be set free by the Son of God, there might be again an old fashioned revival in Los Angeles.

Those out into the radio land, Lord, who are sick and afflicted, as we hear from them daily. “Oh, how I wished I could get to the temple,” they say. Go out there now, Lord, on the ether waves of this radio. Go by that old dad laying there in the bed, mother there in the hospital, and the little baby, or whatever it might be; let the power of the living God come into their life and condemn their sickness in the light of Calvary. Raise them to health and strength again.

That sinner that might be listening in at this time, Lord, may they surrender their life right now. That wayward boy that mama could not get to go to church, but by chance is listening in; that girl that's in this teen-age rock-and-roll, God, let her know that that little body of hers will be eat by cankerworms soon. Then where will that wandering soul be yonder in the midst of demons of torment through all ages to come. God, may that child turn quickly to Jesus tonight. Grant it, for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

Just before.... I told Billy not to give out any prayer cards tonight. I had another thing on my mind. My soul is burning for a revival. That's what's burning in my heart. When I first come to Los Angeles, I'd heard of the founder of this temple, Mrs. McPherson, and I went up to East ... or, the Forest Lawn, I believe it's called, and visited her grave and stood there, bowed my head, and said, “Lord, thank You for a great life of this woman.” I didn't know her, never had the privilege of seeing her. I've got her tapes at home and her books and things that I've read. The lady perhaps made her mistakes as I have, and you have. We've all made them. But this Temple tonight stands as a memorial of her love to Jesus Christ.

And these nations that's around this world is also a memorial to God's honor of the work. Let's look it in the face, folks. That's exactly right. Long may it stand as a soul saving station for the kingdom of God till Jesus comes, is my simple and humble prayer.

You're waiting for something; you're longing for something. Every heart in here is longing for something. Hearts in radio land are longing for something. Take my word, as your brother. I know I can't talk good. The first thing, I have no education. I'm a Southerner; I mess my words all up. But don't pay any attention to that. Just overlook that. Look what I'm talking about! It's about Jesus; and He saved me in all of my corruption, and my wrong speech, and my unethical talking, and.... Why, He saved me, and it's ... and as someone said from the audience, “That's good enough.” It is for me. Long as I know He's in my heart, that's all I care about. The next thing is to please Him, to do all that I know how to do to please Him.

Now, being that I told Billy not to give any prayer cards, I thought tonight I would talk on close walk and get the people to serve God. Now, the Holy Spirit is here, the Angel of the Lord. And I've worked different types of lines here at night, taking one, just catching them down through wherever, the Holy Spirit directing me to move to talk to the people for a discernment. And as I heard Brother DuPlessis a few moments ago explaining that also. I've took the line where just taking one by one for the discernment, and then all different ways. And it seems like the people don't seem to catch it right in America. What's the matter, my beloved friends?

Look, if a man come in the door there tonight and he might be a Russian, a Siberian with big beard all over him. But if he give you a check, he was coming from the mail order house and a messenger give you a check for a million dollars, you could rejoice over the check just as good as you could over ... if a prince of some foreign nation would have brought it to you. It's the check you're looking at.

Now, tonight, Christ is present! You're looking for something way into the future, and I'm afraid you're going to pass over the top of it, just like it's been in all ages. Let me give you just a thought now to go with the word that I just spoke. Do you realize that's the way it's happened in all ages? You Catholic people call Saint Patrick a Catholic. Just about as much as I am. I'm the old fashioned Catholic, as I told you. But after he was dead, his ministry was finished; then he was canonized a Catholic.

Saint Francis of Assisi, the walking preacher with a Bible under his arm; who the birds was hollering, and he said, “Be still, my little sisters, while I preach the Gospel.” Then after he was dead, you made him a Catholic. How about Joan of Arc? Any you school children would have knowed of her. How that lady saw visions, performed miracles. And what did the Catholic church do? Burned her at the stake as a witch! As a Beelzebub ... [break in tape]. For she was anointed with the Spirit of God, and she performed miracles. And the church world didn't recognize her until she was gone.

Be careful that we don't do the same thing. The Holy Spirit's here now in its fullness, in its power!

Be careful, if you don't wait till.... All that didn't receive the seal of God got the mark of the beast. You know what the mark of the beast was: to reject the seal of God. In the Old Testament when the trumpet sounded—the priest sounded the trumpet—if a slave did not want to go free, he had to be sealed, bored in his ear with an awl. Then he was a slave the rest of his days.

“Faith cometh by hearing.” If you don't hear it and receive it, then you're marked on the other side. Then you can't come in.

Let's start tonight in a revival and open our hearts to the Holy Spirit while the hour is here.

If Jesus Christ, God's Son, will come to this audience now, and you sitting out there, if He will come and perform from the platform here, just as He did in the days of His flesh, how many in here will receive Him? Raise up your hands when you're just sitting out here, whoever you are. If it can thoroughly be proven one time that it's truth.

Moses had a sign to perform to the people, and he performed it. Israel followed him. He didn't have to keep performing that sign over and over and over again. They started following, and other miracles taken place.

Jesus had a sign to perform. Those true ones believed Him when He could perceive their thoughts. The others said He was Beelzebub because He did it. Now, which place would you want to take tonight if you had to take choice?

Now, I'm.... Every sick and suffering person, so we can get that off our hands. There's not one person in here I know except Brother Duffield sitting there. Brother David DuPlessis. And as far as I know that's the only persons I see in here that I.... This brother over here, I forget just what his name is, the teacher. Weston, yes, Brother Weston. That's the only people that I know in this audience.

How many out there know that I'm totally strange to you, raise your hand. Just raise up your hands, I don't know you. All right.

Now, if you're suffering, you believe God just now. This is a challenge! And if Jesus Christ will come....

“How is it done, Brother Branham?”

I wish I could tell you. I do not know. It's just ... I just yield myself to the Holy Spirit and your own faith does it. I have nothing to do with it; it's you that does it.

God, when He was going to use His gift, it was in Jesus; He showed Him that Lazarus was going to die; and He took Him away for four days, and He knowed all about it and told Him what would happen. And when He come back, He raised Lazarus from the dead. Said, “I thank thee, Father, thou hast already heard me. But for these that stood by, I said it.”

Nothing about Him getting weak.

But a little woman touched His garment and He got weak over that, from a blood issue. See, that was the woman using God's gift. That other was God using His gift.

Now, when God gives one of the great visions, sometimes it's hours. My wife has said I sat sometime and not even moved for quite awhile. What is it? It's something going on; He tells me all about what's fixing to happen. I will take anyone to record. As many times as you heard it, hundreds times hundreds and hundreds of hundreds of times, not one time has it failed! And it can't fail. I can fail, but it can't, because that's God. And I'm just a channel given a gift that I just yield myself to the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit begins to move on you for a certain thing, it begins to move in here, and it just takes my voice and goes to speaking. That's the way it is, that's all I can say about it.

You can't explain it. Man can't explain God; you've got to believe God by faith. You don't know God by education. All your degrees don't make you know God any more. God is knowed by faith, by faith alone! And your faith is the only thing that can touch Him.

Now, let us pray. You yield your spirit. Please, if He shall do it, don't you fail; you raise.... If you're a sinner I want you to come here at the altar. If you're a backslider, I want you to come as soon as this is over, if He shall do it. If you're a Christian, I want you to rise in Christian faith, pledge yourself that you'll serve God with all your heart and never cease praying until a revival begins to move.

Lord, I do not know these people, and Thou knowest it, Lord. But I pray that in the name of Thy Son, the Lord Jesus, that You will move on these hearts to have faith. Father, I realize it would make no difference how great You could anoint me; if You do not anoint somebody out there to believe it, there could be nothing done. For when You come to Your own country, there could not be many miracles performed because of their unbelief ... or, no miracles performed. Thou art the same yesterday, today, and forever. But when those who believe received You, then signs and wonders taken place. Let it be again tonight, Lord.

Thou knowest the heart of Your servants. We are not trying to be different; we're only trying to explain to the people, Lord, that Your desire is for them to rise in the name of Your Son. And Your presence is here to make them well, and to save them from their sins, and to heal them from their sicknesses. O Lord God, You sent Your Angel and commissioned this work; let it be again. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

Each one of you in the audience now be real reverent. Sit still, look this way and believe, and say in your heart, “O Lord God, if You will just this time, let it once more be for me. I know the man doesn't know me, he knows nothing about me, but just let him speak to me. I want to touch the garment of Your Son Jesus, the High Priest. Then if I did that, You speak back through Brother Branham like You did Your Son Jesus that day when He promised the things that He did we'd do also. Then if You've ... can make that promise true, Lord (You promised that, You promised to send it), and if You sent that gift to Your church, then healing's in the church also, and the promise is mine, and You're dealing with me.” I'm sure God will bless you if you'll do it.

Just as reverent as you can be, just quietly. I realize you ... you know where I'm standing at this time. I've got to be found telling the truth or a lie, right now.

Here's a little lady, sitting here with her handkerchief up to her nose, sitting out there wiping the tears from her face. She's suffering with a nervous trouble, aren't you sister? I want to ask you something: Do you have a prayer card? You do not. Well, of course, I guess we never give out any prayer cards; there's no prayer cards. But wasn't you sitting there praying to the Lord, “Let it be me, Lord.” If that's right, raise up your hand, lady. Now, if we're strangers to one another, wave your hand like this, that I know nothing about you, never seen you in my life.

What did she touch, friends? Tell me what kind of a power that she touched that knows the secrets of her heart, and He could tell what she was praying about, repeat her prayer back to her. Do you think that woman praying in the name of Jesus could touch anything else but Christ? Wake up people to the facts that Jesus Christ is here. Not me; I represent Him. Right through here stands that Angel. Can't you see that light?

It's right over a little woman sitting, looking right at me through this a-way. She's suffering with a lung trouble. Cleo is your name. Do you believe that Jesus heals you of that lung trouble? You're healed, sister.

I want to ask you something while you're on your feet: I do not know you, do I? Raise your hand that I've never seen you, or we're perfectly strangers. Is that right? But you were praying for God to touch you. That you might know that I be God's servant, you're here without money. You couldn't stay much longer. Isn't that right? And you go home now. You're all right; your lung trouble has left you. Amen.

You just believe Him.

Here, right back up this row here there's a little lady sitting there looking right at me. And she's suffering from an abdominal trouble; it's in her stomach, in here. You got kind of lumps on your body, like. That's right, isn't it? You're from Michigan. If you'll believe with all your heart and all that's within you.... If you believe with all that's within you, you can go home and be well. Do you do it, lady? Raise up your hand, say, “I accept it.” Okay. Go home now and be well, Jesus Christ makes you well.

I don't know you, do I, lady? I've never seen you. We are from different states and everything. If that's right, raise your hand, lady. That's right. But God knows you.

Now, do you believe, each one of you?

What about you, some out here in front of me? Right straight in front this a-way, you believe. Up in the balcony. Just don't be upset; just come reverently. Say, “Lord God, speak to me.” I don't care whether you're rich or poor, just as long as you've got simple enough faith to touch the High Priest.

Here. Here's the light hanging over a colored woman sitting right here on the end of the row. Right here. Mrs. Jones, that's you. People don't get it; you almost have to tell them who they are. Mrs. Jones, I don't know you, is that right? You got diabetes. You believe Jesus Christ will make you well? Raise up your hands if that's true. All right, go home and get well in the name of the Lord Jesus.

If thou canst believe. Here, I will show you. It attracted the attention of a woman sitting next to her. I don't know whether the woman can hear me or not; I pray that God will let me ... my voice come to her.

You're hard of hearing; it's your ears. That's right. You got a lump on the back of your hand. You are Mrs. Brooks. That's right. You can hear me now. Go home and be well; Jesus Christ makes you well.

Let's say, “Praise be to God.” “If thou canst believe all things are possible.” How about back over this a-way, someone?

Back over here in the middle of the aisle is a woman praying. She has high blood pressure. I see her putting the thing around her arm. This lady right down here, looking over sid... Miss ... Lord, help me. Mrs. Fry. Stand up, Mrs. Fry; Jesus Christ makes you well.

Do you believe?

That little lady, the woman sitting next to her, she's got trouble she's had for a long time. Do you have a prayer card, lady? No, of course you don't. All right. Stand up to your feet a minute. The Angel of the Lord is around the woman, that light. This lady right here. I tell you so you'll know you got the right one. This lady isn't from here; she's from Arizona. You had a car accident here some time ago; it's bothered you ever since. That's “THUS SAITH THE LORD.” That's right.

It's all over now! You see what she's doing? She's shifting her body. Jesus Christ makes them well. Do you now believe? Blessed be the name of the Lord! When you won't even ... can respond to it, God calls their names and tells them who they are.

How many people in here wants a good close walk with God and wants this same Holy Spirit that's here now to come be in your life? Would you raise your hands up? Would you stand to your feet? Every person that wants a walk with God. The Holy Spirit is here.

How many sinners and backsliders are there that'll walk out down here at the aisle and let me come here and pray for you right up here around this rostrum? Will you come out right now? Come right along. Walk right down while the organ's playing. Don't.... Just 'cause we raised the people up.... The healing service is going to take place just in a minute.

I want you who are not right with God, and you know you're not, come right up this a-way; that's right. Walk right up in this place here. Come right up, that's right. Come right on, sinner friend. I offer you Jesus tonight, the same Jesus that knows the thoughts of the heart. Why can't I call them all? My, just look at them coming, see. But He's the One who's telling me. He's the One who's saying, “Sinners are in here, backsliders; call them quickly.”

This may be the last chance you'll ever get. Take God at His Word! He's speaking to you now; now's the time of your redemption. Come, sinner friend. Come, backslider, wayward that's wandered away from God, come on back home tonight, won't you? I offer you Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who's present now, the very One that's talking to your heart. You be honest now, really. For this time in your life, be honest. The Holy Spirit is speaking now. Come now.

(Oh, blessed be the Lord, I feel

anointed deeply with the Holy Ghost.)

I cannot die. He gave me immortal life through Jesus Christ. You may read a true story some day that Brother Branham went away, but remember, I'm not dead. I can't die! He give me life! I accepted it, and the same Holy Spirit that bears me record right here tonight I'm telling the truth, the Son of God is present right now vindicating that I've told the truth.

Come, sinner friend, this is the place to find rest. If you're weary and tired of life's troubles, if you're confused and flusterated over dying, come let Jesus come into your heart and take every sin away. Backslider, you come now. Come around to the altar; let's pray.

All right, everyone now, are you finished? Don't let this go away this night. This is the night that something must happen. I've prayed all day long, “O God, do something tonight. I've canceled, I've turned down and everything else to get here to do this. I know that something's speaking to my heart. God's Word says so, His Holy Spirit here backs it up and says, ”It's the truth.“ What more can you want? What more can He do?

Remember, this is the ending of the Gentile dispensation. Remember, it's “THUS SAITH THE LORD.” It's time for the Gentile age to cease. And when the Gentile age ceases, then the gospel goes to the Jew, and it's all over then. Get into the kingdom right quick, children. Come on, Methodists, come on, Baptists, come on, Presbyterian. Only thing we're asking you to do is come to Jesus.

Pentecost is not a denomination. Pentecost is an experience! Pentecost is no denomination; Pentecost belongs to everybody. It's an experience you have. You can't organize Pentecost. Pentecost is an experience that God gives to believers. It's for you Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Lutheran, whatmore. I'm a Baptist myself, and I got the Holy Ghost. I'm a Holy Ghost Baptist, and glad of it tonight; that I've got an experience of being borned again of the Spirit of God.

How many now, standing in your seats, wants a deeper walk with God, raise up your hands—that's got the Holy Spirit and wanting a deeper walk with God. God bless your hearts.

That's it! Oh, I seen it strike a person right then just as certain as I'm standing here. He's here to do it if you'll just believe Him. Let's raise our hands now, each one now, while we pray for the sick, pray for the afflicted, pray for the Holy Ghost to fall. You pray for somebody next to you to get the Holy Ghost. They'll be praying for you. Let's see it happen now. The Holy Ghost is here!

O Lord, Creator of heavens and earth, send down the fire from heaven and fill this room and every heart with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. May He fall like a rushing, mighty wind. Sweep into every heart and they lose all pride and their selfishness, and fall into the arms of God and be filled with the Holy Ghost.