Speak To This Mountain

Thank you. You may be seated. I'm sorry to be late, but just as I was coming, an emergency came in and they were out here in the yard. And I just was ministering to a dear person just come for a mental condition in a hospital, desperately. And a little mother that went into a shock from losing her baby. And they just brought her from the hospital and she was so desperate I had to get her right at once. And I'm sure that God heard prayer just now, and she will be all right. Poor little husband's so shaky, and I know what that is; I've went through a lot of that myself, of losing my family and know what it means. As Billy's mother.... You have to go through these things to realize what they really mean. Those who suffer with those things knows how to sympathize with others.

And so now, any time that an emergency arises like that, well, remember, we try to catch it right away. Others we try to talk to that's able to sit up or stand at the meeting a little while. We try to talk to them in order to build a faith around them. Just watch: The greatest part of the testimonies that come to me in my meetings is from people who are healed right out in the meeting. There's not many gets to me here at the platform for me to pray for. I love to pray for people; that's my ministry. But there's not too many that I get to personally, but it's the Holy Spirit, their faith that these ... rises in them out there that they get healed.

After the services, my office could tell you, hundreds of letters pours in from places where we've been. People blind, maybe set in the meeting and went home and just thinking about it. A week later received their sight. Or be walking along the street, and something happen; and a cripple be sitting in a wheelchair and all at once get up and start running. You see, it just.... If you ask this blessing....

Sometimes God cannot answer spontaneously. How many knows that? Remember Daniel had prayed and I believe it was twenty, twenty-one days or something like that, before the angel could get to him. But He finally gets around; just leave it alone. And so many testimonies we could tell of the hundreds of hundreds of things that's happened that way.

Now, we're trying to place the revival just in the best setting that we can. We do not, what we call, major on divine healing, because divine healing is a minor. And you cannot major on a minor; we know that. So the great thing that we're after, for any revival, is to bring lost souls to Christ first; revive the church back into a spiritual condition, to where it should be, close communion with God; bring fellowship among the churches, third; and fourth, pray for the sick. That's our aim, our try, is sinners first, fellowship with the churches, and a close walk with the church to God, and then pray for the sick.

Tonight being Monday night, I tell you I didn't expect one third of these people here. That's right. I didn't think there would be over a couple of hundred, or three. Usually on Monday nights in the east, well, the meetings are pretty slow. But I believe there's more here tonight than there was yesterday afternoon.

And so, I said yesterday afternoon that tonight I wanted to give a night more, I would like to call it a consecration night. I would like to just get inside and let you know a little about the dealings of the Holy Spirit in my own life. And I hope in doing so that it'll let you prosper, get closer to God yourself. And on speaking of a divine gift that's now in the making of coming to the church. And I'm sure that all of us are interested in anything that God's going to do, and the promises of God being fulfilled. So, it's only been told once, and so that was at my own tabernacle in Indiana.

Then tonight I was going to try to tell you what happened just in the last few days. It's new, it's fresh, and I ... and that'll help you, I thought, starting tonight and beginning this week's meeting. It'll help you to pray for me and to pray for the church that we all might enter into this great thing that God has already confirmed, we could enter into it in this meeting. I want to see it happen so bad; I'm just like a child waiting for Christmas to come, just waiting with anticipation for it to happen. It will be hard on myself, of course, but it'll be a good thing for the church. That's what I'm interested in, God's people. Something to help them to believe on God, to take a new hope, and it'll be a great thing for the sick too.

And before we read some Scriptures here that I wish to refer to, I'd like for us to have prayer. And then I want to announce also that tomorrow night we want to make a special salvation rally, tomorrow night. And we want every one of you to bring, tomorrow night with you, some sinner if you can. Some sinner person that you know, invite them to come with you, because we're going to make a special effort for sinners tomorrow night to come receive the Lord Jesus.

And each night, of course, the Holy Spirit is here. Wherever you go, He's always there. You'll never get away from Him. David said, no matter where he made his bed, God was there. Because the angels of God are encamped about those who fear them. Just think, they just take their camp and sit right down by you, and watching you all the time. In our country, down in the South, we have a lot of colored people that's very spiritual. And they come to my meeting some time and used to sing a little song for me. Remember there used to be a old colored sister, if she couldn't sing that and just bring the Spirit of God into the midst of the people, “All day, all night the angels are watching over me.” Oh, if she couldn't sing that. So I always.... Just almost had to tie my hands to keep from ruining the meeting, just jumping up and down and screaming and running all over the place. You didn't think I did that, did you? But I do. I don't, but He does it in me. I believe if anybody felt the way I did, they'd do the same thing. It's just an experience. Yes, sir, it sure is. Now, so now remember these announcements. And now let us bow our heads just before we turn to His precious Word.

Dear Lord, we are grateful to Thee for the privilege of knowing Thee as our personal Saviour, knowing that we have passed from death unto life, and that the Spirit of Christ dwells in us and around us and among us, and we are His people that's called by His name. And the angels are watching over us. Day and night, they never leave; they're encamped about. And we can expect God to do most anything at any time because of the presence of the angels of God who are commissioned by Him to watch us and to care for us.

And now, Father, we pray that the angels of God will take their place tonight by the side of each believer and all around through the building, and may something be said or done that would cause this meeting to be a spot in our memories and our hearts, that we would remember all the days of our life, for the outpouring of the glory of God tonight.

Bless my ministering brethren who are sitting here listening, supporting by prayer, by every effort that they can. God bless these brethren. We pray that You'll just give them unction and power. And the desire of their hearts, may it be fulfilled in their life. Others, who are out in the audience, may it be the same way with them, Father. Forgive us of our short comings, for we have many of those.

And we pray that You'll take Your Word now and bless it to our hearts. I would ask Thee, Lord, may it not be thought by the people because that I am referring to an experience that You have given to me, and telling the truth, Lord, may it not be thought that it was meant personally, but that what You are fixing to do for Your people. And may all rejoice and all believe, and all benefit by it. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask it. Amen.

Now, some years ago.... How many is present in the building tonight who remembers when I first come up the West coast praying for the sick many years ago? Did you know San Jose was the first invitation I ever had west of the Mississippi. San Jose, California. I don't know who it was, but I got a letter from someone that invited me to San Jose immediately after Robert Daugherty's little Betty was healed that time with that St. Vitus' dance. And that was beginning of the ministry that I started on the fields.

And I remember, and many of you people can think, that in that day praying for the sick, I'd catch them by the hand and just stand there, and then the Lord would just speak—I wouldn't use my own thinking—just what was wrong with the person. Exactly what He told me would happen the night that I met Him at Green's Mill, at the camp, when He told me what would happen. And then He told me that “It'd come to pass that you'd know the very secret of their hearts.” And you remember me saying it it would happen that way. How many remembers, the old timers remembers me saying that it would happen? Well, you see it has happened that way.

Now, He promised that it would move again. Now, in the last time here, last spring, I was speaking to you all of something that was fixing to take place. I believe I.... Best I remember by the tape that I said I could almost reach out and feel it, it was so close. How many was at the meeting last year and heard that, see? Well, I want to tell you how that's progressed. That's what I want to do tonight. And before doing this, I believe that God can do anything that He wants to do. He's God. But I'm such a Bible believer that I believe that what He does should be recognized in the Bible. Don't you think the Bible ought to speak it first, then we know we're right, as long as the Bible.... It's a promise that God made.

Now I want to get, just for a moment, the infallibility of the Word to you. First, I want you to know that God is infinite. He's so perfect that He knew everything that ever would be. You believe that? He knew that before the world was ever created, that we'd be sitting here tonight, if He's infinite. If He isn't infinite, then He isn't God. So if He's finite, He's like we are. But infinite, there's no way to explain it. And whatever God says is perfect; He cannot improve it or take it back. It's perfect because God is perfect and His words are perfect. His promises can never fail. Now, you must have that kind of faith in God, when you read the Bible, to believe His promises. You must remember He's perfect, His words are perfect, they can never fail, they can never be improved, they are perfect to start with.

Now, we can build a better car today than we could ten years ago. You could probably make a better airplane today, scientists can; because we're finite, improving in the tree of knowledge. But God is perfect to begin with; when He says anything, it's perfect. It can never be improved. Therefore, when God makes a promise, that promise is eternally right. It can never do nothing else but be right.

And we want to think of that now as we read His Word. Turn with me to Mark the eleventh chapter, and let's begin reading at the twentieth verse of Mark the eleventh chapter. And as you're ... waiting for you to turn, I will give you the back part of the lesson. Jesus had just went up to the temple. And on His road up He went into the temple and begin to drive out the people from changing ... money changers and doing things that wasn't right, and told them that it is written that God's house was a house of prayer. But they'd made it a den of thieves, robbers, and misused God's house. And then when He was going He found a fig tree the next morning. That he had ... the tree had leaves on it, and He thought perhaps there would be some figs. So He went to get some figs. And there was no figs on it because it wasn't season yet. And He said to the tree, “No man eateth from thee from henceforth forever.” And here's where we start now to read at the twentieth verse:

And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

And Peter calling to remembrance said unto Him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursed in the way ... thou cursed is withered away.

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

For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them.

When I read this some time ago, it put a little damper on me, because I've always taught, and tonight the same thing, that no blessings can come only by the atonement. That the atonement made the way for every redemptive blessing that Jesus died for. Therefore this Scripture puzzled me. Now, you've heard me say many times in the meetings, and I would quote it again tonight, that divine healing is something that God has already done. Salvation is something that's already paid for. Jesus paid.... “He was wounded for our transgressions; with his stripes we were healed.” When He died at Calvary, He settled the sin question and every question there was in the line of redemption of man, even to the resurrection and all. And He proved that by His resurrection. Now, therefore that if person say, “I was saved last night.” “I was saved ten years ago.” No, truly you were saved nineteen hundred years ago. You just accepted it last night or ten years ago. See, it's already paid for; it's something you accept what He's done for you. It's your faith in God that brings the blessing that you are claiming out of His Word. Now, I believe that's just as sensible and sound as the Gospel could be preached, because it's what Jesus did for us. What we could not do, Christ did for us and by our faith in His finished work brings the blessing to us, whatever we ask.

And that's how I say on the line here, when the Holy Spirit begins to move and to give discernment, and that is to bring the presence of God among the people; just like singing a hymn, shouting, a message given in unknown tongues, or something, it brings the Spirit of God among the people. You've heard your pastor preach a many time on the Word until the Spirit got among the people and they just screamed out. They could not hold their peace any longer, because the Spirit of God.... “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” That Spirit of God takes the Word of God to the congregation and feeds them, and they grow spiritually on that Word. Now, that's the Gospel.

Then when I, one time read in the Bible about hell, and I begin to read that the word hell come from the word hades which meant “the grave”. And I was for about three years or four, I would not preach the subject of hell, because one place it looked like it was a burning fire, the next place was the grave. Until I found the truth of it. Then when I got to know exactly what it was, and by the help of the angel of the Lord that revealed it to me, because I did not get any schooling, and I just hold on to a scripture and pray and search the Scriptures until He comes and reveals it to me.

When He stands before me in that light that you see on the picture, and reveals it, it every time is perfect with the Scripture through and through. That's the reason I know it's the Angel of the Lord, because He bears record of His Word. And if that Angel told me one thing that wasn't Scriptural, I would not believe Him. It has to be with the Word first. God's Word is eternal. Because an angel could come and preach something else, Paul said, that wasn't right. But if it's the Word of God, the Angel of God will verify that Word every time to be the truth, if it's a true Angel from the Lord. If it's something off color, then don't you listen to it. But if an angel comes and speaks and says just exactly what the Word says, then that angel's from God.

Now, then on this Scripture I could not justify myself to preach on it. Did you notice Jesus said here, “Verily I say unto you, If ye shall say to this mountain, be plucked up, and cast into the sea; and don't doubt, but believe in your heart that what you have said shall come to pass; you can have what you said.” Now, I could not justify that, because I could not understand it. How then could it be that I would say something, as a man, and then how.... What if I said something that wasn't according to His Word and asked something wasn't according to His Word, then it would have to come to pass. Because Jesus said, “If you say,” not, “If I say,” but “If you say.” Placing it upon His apostles, upon the believers. “Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be moved; and don't doubt in their heart, but believe that what they have said shall come to pass; they can have what you said.” Not what He said, what you say.

Now to me, that took it away from the atonement and put it upon a person. I could not understand it. And it's been about three or four years ago when I run so ... just reading over it, I noticed that the tree withered. And I thought just a miracle of God, but yet, there was something begin to pull at my mind, “Have you examined that scripture, that you can have what you have said.” If you say it and then believe that you have it, you can have what you've said.

That puzzled me, I just bypassed that part of the Scripture. For I realize this, that I'm responsible to God for what I say before the purchase of His blood. I realize that God will make me answer for it at the day of judgment. Therefore, being sure as humanly possible, before I say anything, I want it to be right, and all through the Scriptures to be right. Not just right in one place, but right in every place. It must be exactly the same. It must come from Genesis to Revelation the same. If it doesn't, then I might be saying something wrong.

So I got the Lexicon, the commentaries, the different versions and even to the Douay version—everything that I could find. And every Scripture—the Greek, the Hebrew—all said the same thing: Jesus said it. There's no dispute, even through the Douay version, which is the Rome ... or, the Catholic Bible: Douay version. And none of them dispute it, but Jesus said it Himself. “Whatsoever you say, you can have what you've said, if you don't doubt in your heart.” He said, “Therefore when you stand praying, when you pray, believe that you receive what you ask for, and it shall be given unto you,” if you can believe it. Well, I see it base back to a faith then. So I don't want you to lose any of these words now, in this testimony. I want you to hold the Scripture with the testimony. Always examine anybody's testimony, or their preaching, by the Word. It's got to come from God's Word.

Then one day, in one of my meetings not long ago, there was a Jehovah Witness brother that had been a little skeptic of the meeting. And when he heard of it, then he came to Louisville; he had a boy that his legs was bent up from polio. But one night he saw a little boy taken from a wheelchair that was so braced up over his hips, and one leg was shorter than the other. The little fellow ran all over the place and jumped up on the platform and preached a sermon. That convinced him.

He was a contractor. His name was Wood, Banks Wood. He lives.... They are neighbors to me now. He was from Crestwood, Kentucky. Up in Ohio I had a big tent. He brought his boy and was sitting back in the tent. That night the Holy Spirit went back into the meeting and said, “The man sitting back there, his name is Banks Wood. He's from Crestwood, Kentucky, a contractor, Jehovah Witness by faith. But he has a boy with him by the name of David that's got polio. One leg's drawed up. 'Thus saith the Lord,' He's healed.” He didn't know what to do. In a few moments the boy's mother said, “David, stand up.” And when the boy stood up, he was just as normal and perfect as he could be. That convinced him. He stopped carpenter work, contracting, sold everything he had, bought a little house next door to me, has lived there ever since. Mr. Banks Wood. How many knows him? Why you, many of you know him here, why, from selling books. He sells books in the meetings with me many times.

His family all being Jehovah Witness, very fine people, just the very nicest of people. Honest, their name is above reproach in the state of Kentucky, fine people. So one of his brothers by the name of Lyle came down to visit him. Because.... They excommunicated him upon the basis of his faith then in God on divine healing, because they said it was of the devil. But the boy was healed. The boy now is a young man married and he doesn't ... he has to study to see which leg it was that was crippled. And he works for the supermarket, some kind of a buyer or something for the supermarkets, or he just has.

And now, this Mr. Lyle came into Mr. Woods house; he said, “Banks, you know as a brother we all love you.” But said, “How come you go off on a deep end like that? How come do you listen to some fanatic preacher and to give up the faith that your father has taught you?”

He said, “I haven't give up the faith that my father has taught me; I just believe more.” He said, “I believe that plus what I know now.”

“Well,” he said, “what kind of a quack did you get mixed up with?”

He said, “There he is, out there in the field cutting hay.” And he said, “Well, you want to speak to him?”

Said, “Yes, I'd like to talk to him a minute.” Said, “I'd like to just see what he's made out of.”

So he called me out there, Mr. Woods did. And I was dirty and, you know how'd you be, and hot and sweaty and overalls just white with perspiration, and where they'd been the day before. He come in, he said, “And you're the preacher that took Banks on this wild chase.”

And I said, “No sir, I'm not.” I said, “I'm his brother in Christ, that preaches the Gospel.” And he looked me all up and down a few times; we sat down to talk. Not an unreasonable person, nice. But he said, “Mr. Branham,” said, “we were raised strictly Jehovah Witness; our father's a reader in the Jehovah Witness.”

I said, “That's fine; I'm certainly glad to hear that. And you have a nice name and I sure appreciate a daddy that would raise you, and a mother to be honest and upright people as you are.”

And so while I was there, the Holy Spirit in the goodness of His mercy, a vision came over him. And I said, “Mr. Wood, I see you're a married man. You have a wife—she's a blond headed woman; you have two little boys about six and eight years old.” And he looked around toward Banks real funny, looked back. I said, “You thought Banks had told me that. He has not.” I said, “Perhaps maybe you know this. You have left your wife, or you're untrue to her. Last night you was with a woman that had auburn hair. She's much younger than you are. You were in a place where she and you were in a room together and there was a man knocking at the door. You slipped to the window, and it's a good thing you didn't go to the door; you'd got your head shot off cause he had a pistol in his hand.” He fell on the floor. He knowed that Banks didn't tell me that.

He said, “Mr. Branham, I want to know more about this.” Right there in the room the Lord Jesus saved him. Away he went to tell his daddy. His daddy said, “Now, you've got all mixed up.”

So here come his sister down. And she attended the first meeting and was converted, and I baptized her in the Christian faith. Then that blew the daddy up and here he come. And so, Banks was gone when wife and I had just arrived at the house and there was a car setting down the road and a elderly man standing in the yard. And so we spoke to him and he said, “I'm Mr. Wood.”

I said, “Yes sir,” I said. “My name is Branham.” I said, “I'm glad to meet you.”

And he said, “Well, I'm glad to meet you, Mr. Branham.” Said, “You know where Banks is?”

I said, “He's probably gone to the grocery. This is usually our time to go, and he and his wife's gone. Won't you come in?” And so, he said, “No, I'd better stay right out here.”

I said, “Come in, have a glass of water and refresh yourself. Banks will be in in a few minutes.”

And a few moments he come in, and he said, “I want to go fishing with you. Have you got time to go fishing?”

I said, “Oh, sure.” I wanted to work on him. So he said....

Well the next.... That night it rained like everything. And then the next day we went down to.... Said, “Well, I don't guess there's any need going; the streams will all be muddy.”

And I said, “Well, we can go try.” We crossed the river. And I was praying for the Lord to help me. I wasn't going to say one thing about religion. Let him name it. And so then if he's hungering, he will mention it. So then, when we crossed the river, I saw a vision. And I said, “Mr. Woods, that you might know,” I said, “today every stream that we pass will be muddy.” And I said, “Then when we get down to the lake that we're going, it'll be pretty and blue. We shall fish till about three-thirty this afternoon without catching any fish. Then I'm going to start catching fish. I'm going to catch about fifty pound. You're going to catch one. Your boy Lyle will catch one. We will stop fishing at midnight. The next morning we go back a fishing again. I will catch a large scale fish. These fish I catch will be blue cat. And the next will be a large scale fish. Then we will fish the rest of the day and won't even get a bite. That's ”Thus saith the Lord.“ He looked over at Banks and kind of grinned a little and looked around.

That's just exactly the way it happened. And when he left that night.... After the second night we fished all day and that man climbed every bank that he could to try to make a fish bite, and he couldn't even get another bite. And I had about twenty-five pounds of fish. Caught two of them ... five at eight pounds apiece on little number four hook without a landing net. That had to be God, if anybody knows about fishing. And he was setting there watching. He kind of talks down in his throat. And his son said to him, the next day, said, “Well Dad, what do you think about it?”

Said, “Well, I guess if anybody can see fish before they catch them, I guess that's all right.”

And so I said, “But I can't do that always, Mr. Wood. It was for your sake.” I said, “Now, without any disregards, the Bible said 'If there be one among you who's a prophet or spiritual, if this one prophesies and what he says comes to pass, then hear it.'” I said, “No disregard to Mr. Rutherford, but he said Christ would come in '14, then he turned all spiritual, which He come that way, on the Day of Pentecost. Now, if the other four things that he missed,” I said, “what about this?” And I baptized him about three Sundays ago, him and his wife in the Christian faith.

His son and I returned back ... the two sons, come to this spot now. And we'd been fishing again about a few weeks after that—we'd been fishing down in Dale Hollow again—and that night we caught a nice string of fish but had run out of bait. And we were standing, throwing our fly lines in catching little blue gill to bait with them. And Mr. Banks Wood said to Mr. Lyle Wood, which both of them was brothers, said, “We ought to go over here to (some old lady; she's about ninety years old).” Said, “When we were little Jehovah Witness boys, we used to go around there and she'd give us bread and butter. You remember that old homemade bread?” Said, “We ought to go to tell her that we are saved.” That was the right thing.

Now, this.... Please try to catch this. It's just the way you say things sometime that changes the whole setup. They said just the right thing. For just then the Holy Spirit dropped upon me from the heavens somewhere, and I said, “Thus saith the Lord.” And friends, I've got people that's been here with me since a little boy, from the city that I come from. I ask anybody, at any place, at any time, if they ever heard that prophecy made or any prophecy, but what come to pass just exactly the way it was said, see. On record anywhere. How many knows that to be true? Raise up your hands, that knows it's the truth, sure. It's exactly, because it's God. If it was me, it would fail every time. But if it's Him, it can never fail. It cannot fail.

Well, they said, “What do you think it'll be?”

I said, “There'll be a resurrection of a little life, of some kind of a little animal.” I said, “I didn't see just what the animal was, but it was something that sprung to life all at once.”

And we had been talking on this Scripture. And then, I thought, “Well, it must be a little cat that my little boy, I think, had killed.” We're kind of a little afraid of cats at our house. And my little girl came by one afternoon, she and little Rebekah and another little girl next door, and they had an old mother cat and they wanted to keep it, and I told them all right. And they put it in a box, and the next morning we had about eight or ten little kittens. So my little Joseph, he was about two years old then, and he wanted to see one of them. The little fellows didn't have their eyes open and he just picked it up and looked at it and squeezed it and throwed it down. So the poor little fellow just wiggled around, just as we was leaving. And I thought, “Maybe time I get home, the Lord will raise that little cat up,” like He did the mother possum. You've heard that story, because it went throughout the world. So then I said, “Maybe that little kitten will be what will come to life.” I thought that in my heart, but I didn't say nothing.

We fished that night, and the next morning.... We hadn't caught any fish that night on our lines, because we had changed the bait to them blue gill, and they wasn't biting on that. And about time it got daylight we had all of our trout lines run. We pulled into a little cove, and we were fishing with the fly lines for big brim. (That's a little larger blue gill.) So we were fishing for those brim on fly line, and Mr. Lyle Wood had a reel and pole. And he just dropped it in the water, with a great big long hook, and a poor little blue gill had swallowed it plumb down in the bottom of his little belly. And he pulled it up, and he said, “I wished you'd look at there; you can't even see the hook.” And he just grabbed the fish like this and just pulled the entrails, gills and all, out of it. And throwed it out on the water like that, to get his hook out of it. And the little fish quivered four or five times and spread his little fins out and died, laying there on the water. So he said, “Little fellow, you shot your last wad.”

And we went on. I said, “Lyle, you don't ... shouldn't take the hook out like that.” I was trying to tell him; I said, “Put a smaller hook on.” And he was just a farmer boy, you know, that never had fished very much. And so, the little fish laid there for about a half hour, and the wind got up and blowed it back into the drift, along some lilies, along the side of the bank. And we was fishing, and I was catching ... we was catching some pretty nice fish.

All of a sudden something happened. Now, I'm speaking these words with this Bible open. Something happened and like a coming down of a anointing that I'd never felt like that. And something said, “Stand up.” And I stood up. Lyle and Banks dropped their poles and looked. Lyle said, “What's the matter with him?”

Banks said, “Watch, something's fixing to happen.”

And something said to me, “Speak to that little fish and he will live again.” The gills was white, was hanging out of its mouth. I said, “Little fishy, Jesus Christ gives you your life.” And God in heaven, and who's my solemn judge, that fish turned over and swam down through that water as hard as he could go. And Mr. Lyle Wood just fell right over into the boat.

He said, “That was for me, because I said to the little fellow, 'You shot your wad.'”

And I said, “No, it wasn't that.” I said, “Now, the strange thing to me is this: that how God, the great Jehovah God, would use His power to bring a little old fish, (for we'd cut up two or three hundred of them the night before) but would use His power to bring that fish to life, and I've got at least three hundred spastic children on the list up there praying for them, to see a vision for them. Around three hundred spastic children.” I said, “That's one thing that I can't understand how God would do such a thing as that, on that little old fish, and human beings laying dying, cancer cases, leukemia, all kinds of sickness, around the world, from everywhere. And then He would bring to life that little fish.” Just about that time something said, “Mark 11:23.” Same Scripture. When lepers was laying all over the country, sickness laying everywhere, and God used His power to curse a tree. God is concerned about the tree, about the fish; everything belongs to God. And He was showing His power to show that He's God over the trees, He's God over the fish. And the little fish came to life. I just couldn't catch that; still the Scripture hanging with me. How could it be?

Fred Sothmann, a friend of mine, bosom friend from Canada (he's here in the meeting somewhere), was with me in a New England campaign just last year. And we went over in the Adirondack, where I was lost at that time, and the only time I was ever lost in the woods in my life. And I wanted to show Brother Fred where my wife and children ... or, Billy, was waiting for me to come back when I was lost in that snow storm that night. And when we were standing there by the side of a little lean-to where I'd had Meda and Billy laying in this lean-to while I was hunting bear....

Well, I stepped out to one side; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon me, and I begin to shake. And it said, the Spirit of the Lord said, “There is a trap set for you, and be thou careful what you say.” Fred, where are you at? Are you in the meeting here tonight? I know he come over. Yes, right back here. That's right. And we left there, and I told Brother Sothmann, “Something's fixing to happen.” And when we got to the meeting that night, I said to the audience, “Remember, 'Thus saith the Lord,' there is a trap set for me. And all of you pray that I will know to do the right thing when this comes to pass.”

And the next night it happened. The devil sent in two people, a young boy and girl, to break up the meeting. And that was in ... it was in, not New Hampshire, but Vermont. Freddy, you remember the name of the city? It was the capitol of Vermont. And we were just across Lake Champlain. And so when we were in the meeting this boy ... the girl looked like kind of a Mongolian girl. But the boy was just holding.... They were both at least twenty-five years old apiece. But such immoral acts in a church. They were sitting about like this from me. And when I started preaching, he would just grab her and throw her head back and climb up on her and kiss her, and carry on and just act awful in the meeting. And the ushers couldn't make him be quiet. And I said to him from the platform, I said, “Young man, don't do that; you're attracting the attention while I'm preaching.” And he just laughed right out at me. I thought, “Uh oh, there it is; there's the trap, right there.”

I went right ahead speaking just the same. And oh, he got so immoral with her, till I had to stop again. I said, “Don't do that, sir, please.” I said, “If you want to make love to the young lady, then you leave the building, but this is a religious meeting.” I said, “You shouldn't do that. Don't.... Please don't do that while I'm preaching.” I started again and he just made it worse.

And then when I was turn.... I said, “Don't....” And something said to me, “Say what you will, and it'll be done.” I stood there. Mr. Mercier, the tape boy, and all of them was standing, Brother Fred, and many of them standing present; the perspiration was just running from me. Something said, “Say, 'Blindness,' it'll be blind. Say, 'Death,' and they'll pack them out. Say what you will.” I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. And it just left. I thought, “God, what must I do?” And I turned, and he stood there, and his face white, looking at me. I thought, “What must I say?” Then I turned, and looked like, before I knowed what I'd said, I said, “I forgive you of your act.”

And it must have been just the right thing to say. It was God trying a reaction on an action. That night it was revealed to me that I'd said the right thing. I knowed it was all leading to something, but what was it? What to do? You know you have to watch what with a divine gift what you do with it. Remember what Moses did? So I must have said the right thing: “I forgive you.” For you know, John, young John, wanted to burn up Samaria one time because they wouldn't feed him. Jesus said, “You don't know what kind of a spirit you are. The Son of man came to save life, not to destroy it.” And them Scriptures just kept pouring over, all night. I didn't sleep. But that was a trap set that Satan would get me all worked up and then make me say the wrong thing. But the Holy Spirit was there and told me beforehand to be careful what I said. Oh, the goodness of God, how it was. It was just His mercy. “Be careful what you said.” And from then on there was a relief come. Then about.... I begin to notice the different things that I would speak out unconsciously, not knowing what I said, and it would happen that way. I begin to speak about it.

One day, this last fall, a few weeks ago, taking a little rest before coming to this meeting, I was squirrel hunting. Now, in our country, that's.... Rabbit and squirrels is about all they hunt. And the reason that I was doing that was to get some relaxation before coming to this meeting. Mr. Sothmann was with me that morning; he's come from Canada to visit us and stay with us awhile. Got him a trailer and living close to us, he and some more friends. And so, we were squirrel hunting together with Mr. Wood. And also, he just lives there by the side of me and just a chum to be along with me. And then, we'd went hunting and it was the last day that I would get to hunt, because I was staged to go to Wyoming the coming Sunday. And then the season would close on Tuesday. And then, this was on a Saturday, and it'd be the last time I could hunt in the state of Indiana for squirrels this season. Oh, we'd hunted quite a bit, and there'd been much hunting. There's many hunters there in Indiana for the squirrels; they was all thinned out.

That morning was a bad morning, windy, wind blowing, and they just won't come out on those days. And I went into the woods, and I walked till about nine o'clock, could see nothing. Went down on the creek bank; it was turning real cold in Indiana then. About the first of October, I think; to be exactly, it was the eighth of October. And I went down to some old sycamore trees. And squirrels don't live in sycamore trees; they stay in beech and oak and so forth, the thick timber where there's a lot of foliage. And I was walking down a creek, and I thought I seen a squirrel up on the side of a little ridge. And there's corn fields out there, and the farmers were gathering their corn. Many of them out there gathering corn. “Well,” I said, “there's no squirrels this morning.” And over here's nothing but a big locust thicket, which is nothing there for a squirrel. The old walnut trees, the leaves all gone, they were bare, and there was no squirrels to be there. And I said, “Well, I suppose I will just sit down here a little bit, kind of warm up.” Because I just had a shirt on and no coat. And I sat down between the two trees where the sun would shine on me, slipped my feet up on the other tree, and I was in quite a comfortable position. I thought, “Maybe I will take a little nap.” And I have a little alarm watch, and I thought, “I will set that watch now to alarm if I happen to go to sleep, and I will pick up Mr. Wood and Mr. Sothmann at the appropriate time,” because they were farther on the road in another woods. So I set my little clock and ... my little watch, rather, and sat down by this tree.

And just as I scooted down to kind of get myself warm, that Scripture came to me again, “Whatsoever you say, believe that what you say shall come to pass; and you can have what you say.” “Well,” I thought, “why does that Scripture keep coming to me when I can't preach on it because I don't know nothing about it?” I could not go before a congregation and try to explain that Scripture. Well, I sat there a little bit, and I thought, “There's only one thing to it. If I'm ever called on to preach on that subject, here's the way I will do it. I will say, 'Jesus told that to the disciples and gave them that authority. That was about a year and six months before the atonement was made. So if it wasn't in the atonement, it was the other side of the atonement.' So if anybody ever asks me that question, I will just tell them it was the other side of the atonement; it's the only thing I know. Because Jesus was still living, the atonement was not made and He was not wounded for our transgressions, nor by His stripes were we healed yet. So He just gave them that power the other side of the atonement.”

And then, all of a sudden something spoke to me and said, “What about the prophets?” Well, I begin to see then, it begin to unfold to me. “What do you think that taken place in the meeting when you're standing there, do you think you're the one who knows those people? Do you think that it's you that can predict and say to those people that you're going to do a certain-certain thing. And a certain-certain thing that has happened to you. And a certain-certain thing will happen to you. Do you think that's you saying it?” Oh my! It means so much, it's never left me.

And I thought, “Surely not, Lord. It's You.”

“Well then, do you think it's you talking?”

“No.”

“Do you think it was the prophets talking? Had not you just got through preaching on the subject that the prophets was so anointed with the Holy Spirit that it wasn't them that done the speaking, it was the Holy Spirit in them crying out? Then whatever you say if you're anointed wouldn't be you saying it; it would be the Holy Spirit saying it.”

“Well,” I thought, “If that may.... That's right. If the person, through the atonement, sanctified by the blood of Jesus Christ, can live into a sphere with God so close that he can be wrapped so completely in God, by the blood of Jesus, that it wouldn't be him talking, it would be the Holy Spirit speaking these things.”

And no more than I'd said that, till the anointing of the Holy Spirit struck me like I have never had before in all my life. God knows that. I raised up to my feet; I got scared. And something said to me, “Now, this is the beginning of your new ministry. Now, ask what you will, and it shall be given to you.”

I stood there; I don't want to be a fanatic, God knows I want to be sane and just and honest and faithful and true. Well now, I'm fifty years old, can't be too much longer that I've got to go meet Him. And I want to know that everything is perfectly right before I leave this world. And I thought, “I don't want to be off on a deep end of something,” I thought, “maybe I'd....” Now, I'd bite my finger, I said, “I'm not asleep, I'm not dreaming this, so something's wrong.” And I was real numb like all over my face and everything. I thought, “Maybe I just studying it so much till I got into a place I can't shake myself out of it.” And I thought, usually when anointing comes deeply, a vision follows it. I thought, “Well I will just wait here a minute.”

And I started moving my hands around like this and walking around, and something said, “Say what you will, and it shall given to you.”

I waited and listened, I thought, “Was that...? Where You at, Sir?”

And I heard it again, “Ask what you will, and it shall be given unto you. I'm confirming the things that I will do.”

And I said, “But what should I...?” I thought, “Who am I talking to?” I felt like I'd lost my mind. I thought, “Who am I talking to? I don't see a person; where's that Light at? It usually is the one to talk. There's no Light here. Who are you? What do you want?”

I thought something said, “Ask what you will.” That's right. I was thinking of that Scripture, Mark 11:23, “Ask what you will.” And I thought, “Well, what would I ask? There's no sick people here. What could I do?” I thought, “There's nothing out.... Maybe.... Am I beside myself?” I said, “What would I ask for?”

And something, just as plain as you hear my voice saying, “Aren't you hunting, and you have no game?”

I said, “That's right.” I thought, “Lord,” I said, “if I'm doing anything wrong, You forgive me.” Now, isn't that awful? If you're doing anything wrong. I said, “Lord, if I'm doing anything wrong, forgive me. But is this You? Is this the Scripture that You're trying to get to me? Is this that other step that we're coming up to? You give me a vision and said it be confirmed in a little building somewhere in a meeting when the tents get started.” I said, “Is this what it's leading to? If it is, Lord, then I will take You by Your Word.”

I looked around, I thought, “I will find something impossible.” I found that old locust thicket; I said.... I usually set my sights in for fifty yards. The Lord.... I'm not a shot, but if my gun won't drive a tack at fifty yards, it's out. So then, I was.... I shoot squirrels, never shoot one with his back turned, or head turned; I got to see him just right and shoot him in the eye with a twenty-two rifle. Now, if it don't, let him go. So then....

And I said, “There's fifty yards,” about the distance across this building, I said, “and there shall come a young red squirrel and sit on that old naked limb out yonder and I will shoot him from right here.” And there come the squirrel. I turned the gun, aimed up, through the little telescope sight I seen it's eye, shot it, dropped down. I walked over to look at it; I thought, “It's bleeding. A vision don't bleed.” And I looked at it, picked the squirrel up, felt it; it was a real squirrel. I got real scared. And I thought, “Well, you know, it just happened, that's all; it just happened like that.”

So I started to walk away, I thought, “But a squirrel out here in this locust thicket? Well, they'd be back over there in the woods. They wouldn't walk out there like that, and I've been hunting all morning.” So I stood there just a little bit, and I said, “Lord, if that was You, the Bible said, two or three witness is confirmation. It can't happen a second time.” So I walked up side the hill and set down, and I said, “Now, here I'm acting crazy.” And I said, “Well, I will just get ready and go home now.” I said, “It'll....” Well I thought, “Believe I will try it.” And I said, “And there shall come another squirrel and sit over there in them bunch of grapevines, right there.” I took my finger down and looked back; I didn't see any squirrel. I said, “Well,” Looked back, and I thought, “What is that there?” Pulled up my telescope, and there set a squirrel looking right at me, fifty yards away. I shot the squirrel. Walked over picked him up, see if it was a vision, but it wasn't a vision; it was a squirrel. I eat them. So they.... And I picked up that one, and I thought, “Oh my!” I just felt real funny. I thought, “Two, but You said three.”

“Well,” I said, “This.... I kind of believe it was You, Lord.” I said, “Maybe You're going to do something for the people now; You're going to help Your people. So I thank You very much, I thank You, Sir.” I took off my hat and I said, “I certainly thank You, Sir. I believe You now, and You're going to do something for Your people, so I sure appreciate it, Father dear.” And I said, “Now, I will be going home.”

He said, “But you said you wanted three.”

“Well,” I said, “yes.” Now, that seemed liked it was something inside of me—I didn't hear a voice—but just something inside of me said that. “Well,” I thought, “I will make this one so radical that it'll have to be something supernatural. And I looked out in the field; towards the field there's just a big old slick snag out there with one big old limb run out. And I said, ”And it shall come to pass there will be a young squirrel go out on that limb, sit on the end of the limb and look over at the farmers cutting their corn,“ shucking their corn, ”and I will kill him from this tree right here. It shall be that way.“

I stood there a minute, no squirrel, looked back. About five minutes passed, no squirrel. “Well,” I said.... I thought, “Well, this is enough. Anyhow, it's getting time for me to go.” I said, “I better go.” And I started to walk away; and as I did, something said, “But you've already spoke it. And the Scripture says If you'll not doubt in your heart but believe that what you have said....” Hallelujah! I waited up against the side of a tree; I looked off, looked back, there was no squirrel. I waited another ten minutes, no squirrel. I said, “How could a squirrel ever get out there?” So I said, “Well, I guess I will just move along, and I will be going on because it's time to pick up Mr. Sothmann and them, so I will just walk on.” I started to walk away like that.

Said, “Are you doubting?” God knows how to school you. “Are you doubting that what you said?”

I said, “No, I'm not doubting.” And just as I said that, coming out that limb come a young squirrel, walked out to the end of the limb and stood looked over at the farmers. I shot him from right there, making my three squirrels. And I said, “I'm going to see if there's another squirrel in this territory”—and I was about three hours late picking up Mr. Sothmann and them—couldn't even hear one. I went home. I told them. It bothered me. I didn't know what to think about it.

About two weeks later I was down in the state of Kentucky where squirrel season was still in, with friends of mine, Mr. Woods and his brother-in-law. And I was standing down there, and we went hunting that morning. And oh, windy, and the leaves all off the trees, a bad time to squirrel hunt. Good hunters wasn't catching over about one a day. And you had to have a shot gun to get them with it then, and me hunt ... [Blank spot on tape.] “...and you shall have them.”

And I thought, “Now, here, I don't know about that now. It's too unlikely this morning, sure enough, and not no squirrels in here at this time of year. And it so cold we had on so many clothes; I was just shivering as hard as I could. I thought, ”No squirrels.“ Leaves about that deep on the ground. You could hear you like a herd of antelope coming through.

And so I was walking along like that, and it struck me again, and said, “Ask what you will.”

And I stopped and put my gun down, took off my hat, and I said, “Heavenly Father, I'm down here in these mountains. What's these things about? Is that You speaking to me? Is it You, Lord. Where are You at? I usually see Your light. Where are You at? Speak to me, Lord. If there's anything You want me to do, I will do it. Have I found grace in Your sight?” I said, “Just speak to me.”

And said, “Ask what you will, and it'll be given to you.”

I said, “Then if that be You, I shall have my three squirrels this morning, gray squirrels.” That's red in Indiana. And I said, “I shall have my three squirrels.”

Something said, “Which way will they come from?”

I thought, “There it is.” I could hear it just as plain as you hear me. And I said, “One will come from this a way, one will come from back that way, and one will come from that way.”

I leaned up against a little tree and waited a few minutes. I didn't see any squirrels, getting late, time to go back almost. I looked back across the hill, and way up—about a hundred and twenty-five yards, I guess—I seen something looked like it was on a stump. A gray squirrel is very small. I looked through the little telescope, and I couldn't tell if it was a squirrel or not. I kept watching; it jumped off the stump, started down by the side of a tree. Well, that's an awful long shot. But I just knelt down on my knee and laid my gun across the side of my hand, killed the squirrel.

I said, “That then, the next one will have to come from this way.” So I just turned myself on the tree and I said, “It'll come this a way.” I waited about fifteen minutes, here come a squirrel. So I throwed another shell up in the gun and leveled down. Just as I started to level down the second squirrel come. I said, “Oh, praise the Lord, there's the second one, there they are.” So I raised up, shot the first one, killed him right dead, hit him right through the eye.

And then this other squirrel run jumped up on a log, and it run over the log, picked up a hickory nut and started eating it. Just a perfect shot, about fifty yards. I thought, “There's my second squirrel; that's one, two, three, just what I asked for.” I laid my gun down and shot, and I hit the log. Now, out of about a hundred and forty nine squirrels this year, I've only missed five shots. So then, I thought, “How did I miss that squirrel?” Never scared him, he jumped up, run back down at the other side of the log and stood and looked around. I put another shell in, I thought, “I will sure get him this time.” I leveled down, right across ... the hair right across his eye, pulled the trigger; I hit about two foot under him. I said, “My, this gun's out. There's something wrong with this gun.” Not thinking. And then he jumped off the log and run right broadsided from me. I said, “Well, I haven't shot a squirrel sideways in a long time, but I'm going to see if this gun's out or not.” I said, “I will certainly get him this time. Maybe I'm just cold and shaky.” So I got a little bush and leaned the gun against the bush and leveled down till it was right broad sided, not over about thirty-five yards away; the squirrel was running down the hill. Right across the mid center of him, pulled the trigger, and I don't know where I hit; it missed the squirrel. And I was out of shells in my little old gun, so the squirrel went up over the hill. And I thought, “There I missed three straight shots, and the whole season through and only missed five. How could it be?” Then I happened to think, “I couldn't have got that squirrel; I said the other one would come from this a way.” Two of them was there. But His Word is perfect, see.

Then I started waiting, almost dark. I said, “If the other squirrel comes, I'm going to have to shoot him real close to me because there's a thicket here, and he has to come down through this thicket; it's the only way he can. ”Well,“ I thought, ”well, it wasn't so this time. That anointing may be ... maybe I just happened to get those two.“ So I went over and picked my squirrels up and started home. And it was real dark in the hollow. And I started down through the hollow. Something said to me, ”What about that other squirrel?“

And I said, “Well, I've already got two, and so it's too late now; I can't even see through my scope hardly, see, too late to get one now.” And I started on down. Something said, “Turn and go back and get the other squirrel. You've already said it.” So I turned, and I hadn't walked about ten steps (Now, listen close.) and I seen a squirrel run up a tree about sixty or seventy yards from me. So dark it had to be just the light across the top of the mountain or I wouldn't have seen him. And I leveled the gun down; I couldn't see the squirrel, kept looking back and forth, and I thought, “Where's he at?”

After awhile looked like a knot on the tree stuck around; I thought, “That's his head.” So I shot. The squirrel run down the tree, and I heard something hit the leaves. I thought, “He must have jumped off.” And about that time, about fifteen yards from it, another squirrel run up a tree. I said, “That was that squirrel—I missed him. He run around, and run up that tree.” So I watched real close; it was so dark and the wind blowing so hard. I thought I seen some leaves with something moving; I thought, “Well, I'm going to shoot at it anyhow.” And I shot; I heard that squirrel hit the ground, “pal-lunk.” It really killed him right out. Well, I said, “I missed him on that tree, but got him over here, just a little bit out of line.” I said, “I will go over and get him.” So I walked on up the hill, and when I got to this first tree, there laid my squirrel. The first one, right in line, exactly way I pointed. God in heaven knows that's true. Right the way I pointed. Well, I went over; I said, “Well, that makes me four. He give me one for good measure. That's good.” I said, “I said three and I got four. That's good.”

So I went over to pick up the other squirrel, and it wasn't there. And yet I knowed I'd killed that squirrel. Well, I searched everything around there. Waiting, feeling with my hands in the darkness, through the leaves. And busted open an old log and everything. Thought he might of just hurt him and he pulled away. Finally I found a little hole in the snag. I begin to run my stick in there and pull around; I'd feel something fall off, and I said, “It's the squirrel, but the hole is too little to get my hands in. I have to get an ax or something to cut it.” So I put a big rock or chunk, against it and went on down.

And I told my brethren when I got to the bottom of the hill. They begin to praise the Lord and shout. That night I was telling a group of mountain people had come, gathered in. And we were all praising the Lord. And one of my deacons, by the name of Tony, that's in my church, he was with me. And that night when we started to go to bed, he prayed before those people; he said, “Now, Lord”—we asked him to lead in prayer—he said, “Now Lord, to confirm that our brother has told the truth, let him find that squirrel tomorrow in the log, so we will know he's told the truth.” It looked like my heart just dropped out of me. Know that I've told the truth? Something like that and would tell a lie about it? God forbid, such a hypocrite. And I thought, “How would a man that loves me and a man of that caliber, a man that his wife lay dying on the floor and the doctors had walked away from her; went over and offered prayer for her, she got up and went to church with me. How could he question my word? How did he say that?” And the other brethren caught it.

The next morning at the table, early before daylight, he said, “Well, Brother Branham, we will go up and get your squirrel—we will get one today anyhow—because it'll be in there.”

I said, “Brother Tony, you just didn't understand. When I spoke under the inspiration, I said three squirrels. That fourth one had nothing to do with it.”

“Oh,” he said, “he's in that log anyhow; we will know by that.”

I looked across the table, and I thought, “Brother Tony, would you doubt me telling you the truth?” And I never said nothing; the brethren looked at each other. We went on to the woods. And when we started to leave the cars for different ways, well, I thought I'd go up and get my squirrel, if he was there. And I thought, “I will go back and tell Brother Tony.” But something just kept pressing me on. And I went on to.... Now, that was just about a week before I come here. And I went on up, and when I got started up there, something said to me, “What if that squirrel isn't in there? Now, what? And there your own deacon will say that it's not right.” Now, the Lord knows, these words are true, exactly, perfectly, to the best of my knowledge in my heart. And I started walking on, I thought, “Well, I sure hope it's there. That's one thing sure: I certainly hope it.” I've never said nothing about that squirrel; it was.... You all understand, how many understand what it was about? Sure. The three squirrels is what I had spoke about. The fourth one had nothing to do with it. But the Lord knows how to train and what to do.

So going on up there, that anointing struck me again, and said, “If it isn't there, say it'll be there, and you'll find the squirrel.”

And I said, “Lord, I'm taking Your Word now.” I said, “And I shall find the squirrel.” On up the mountain I went. I thought, “No need me fearing any more, because I'm going to find it, that' all. I done said it. And the Lord said when that anointing was on me, when I said anything, it'd be that way. So I'm going on.”

I hunted all around; I looked, about fifteen minutes—time to get back down the mountain. I thought, “Better go get my squirrel.” I went up there and pulled the chunk out of the hole, begin to feel in there; I could feel that. Pick it up, feel like something fall off, like that, like the squirrel on the end of the stick and fall off. I had a big old hunting knife and got me a big rock and cut the hole big enough to get my hand in. I looked down there; I was picking up some roots that was falling, some roots that was laying in this old snag. I thought, “Oh my, and we're supposed to be there exactly nine o'clock, so I thought now with no squirrel.”

And oh my, that morning was terrible; it was a blizzard and going on. I thought, “That's terrible.” So I thought, “Well, there's only one thing I can do to prove it. Now, Lord, it wasn't Your fault. Because when You told me that, to speak, and I spoke for those three and the three was there. But Brother Tony just misunderstood it, that's all.” And I said, “I'm going back down and pick him up and the other brother and bring them here and show them where the stump was, to let them know that I thought I was right. I told the truth about knowing the squirrel was there.”

And I put it ... and started down the hill and something said to me, “But you said, coming up, that you'd find the squirrel.” Amen. Oh, you just don't know what that does to me. “You said you shall find the squirrel.”

I thought, “Where could I find him? Here's the woods, not a leaf on a tree, and they're all piled up around here. There's the tree where the squirrel fell. Here's just one thing he could have hid under could have been this log, and I've took every little piece away from it. Not another hole in the tree nowhere, and there's the only place.”

But He said, “You said you would find it.”

Well, I kicked around in the leaves and everything. I thought, “Oh, Billy, you've went off at the deep end.” And I started going on down, started.... Said, “But you said you would find it.”

I thought, “That's right.” I said when that anointing was on me, “I shall find the squirrel.” And if that's a confirmation of my ministry beginning again, then the squirrel's got to be here somewhere. I said, “I can't find it. Where's it at?”

Something said, “Look under that piece of bark.” And I went and picked ... started to pick.... I said, “Yes, praise the Lord, it's under the bark.”

And I went over to pick up the piece of bark and something said, “But what if it isn't under there?”

“Oh,” I said, “it'll be under there.” And I picked it up, and there was no squirrel. And I thought, “There's something funny.” Now.... But I said, “That was the same inspiration that told me the three would be there, the same inspiration was on me when I said that would be there, so it's got....” I looked down there again; I seen just a little, couple little gray hairs sticking out from under the leaves. I picked it up, and there was my squirrel.

Now, you talk about a little Irishman shouting, you ought to heard me going down that hill. I really was a happy boy. I went home and told the folks about it. And my, how we was all rejoicing. Brother Tony said, “Brother Branham, I didn't know I prayed that way.” And I said, “But you did.” And Brother Charlie and them was talking about it, how that he did pray that way.

So then, the day before I come here to the meeting.... We left Sunday afternoon. Saturday afternoon I was down to a man's house, that's got a crippled girl. And she's been bound of polio since she was a little girl. And she was about thirty years old. Oh, the most afflicted child you've ever seen. I've prayed for her several times. Seen cripples almost like her healed, sitting right by her. Fine family of people.

If I had time to tell you the story of her father when the doctors had turned him down, four doctors passed by, said, “There's not a chance.” I give him up, prayed and asked the Lord to take him. Went home and saw a vision. And there was a preacher there laughing at him because he was believing divine healing. He told me, “Tell Mr. Wright, that 'Thus saith the Lord,' he will dig the grave of that preacher that's laughing at him.” And he did. And he's living today, healthy and happy. And the things that's happened.

But that little afflicted girl sitting there.... I never could understand it, why He didn't give me a vision for that girl. We were ... Mr. Woods and I were eating dinner there. And I'd went down.... He makes a communion wine for the tables at the church. I went down to pick it up. And this little girl said to me, she said, “Brother Branham, would you get me a rabbit before you go back?”

And I said, “Sure, Edith. Brother Woods and I will go out and get you a rabbit.” And we picked up the gun and went out. And we was gone a little while and got two rabbits and come back. Mrs. Wright had dinner ready for us. Now, her daughter is a widow woman. They're poor; you just don't know how poor they are. You people around here in California don't know what poor people is till you get into something like that. She lives in a little two room shanty way up the head of the hill. Her husband was killed two years ago on his own tractor, an alcoholic. Turned over and broke his neck. And the little boy found him. And she's got two teen-age children that's kind of going astray, with no father. And that poor little old woman, quiet, humble, little Christian. Oh, I never heard her raise her voice in her life. And she was digging on them old hills up there, raising—that old crawfish ground—trying to raise a little patch of corn to take care of those children. Oh, it was such a pitiful sight.

And we were sitting at the table talking, and they just love me. They got a room up there that I just call my room when I go there. Used to pastor the Baptist church there at Milltown. And so I just had a room where I would stay with the Wrights. And I said, talking about visions, I said, “Now, you know....” I told them about what would happen. I said, “Now, like, it has to have something, the only thing I know, it'll have.... If it ever happens like that, it'll be a faith that God will have to give me. Because when that anointing comes on me, there's ... just seems like a super faith,” I said, “rises up in me. Something that there's not a shadow of doubt.” And I said, “Oh, how I trust.” I said, “Just like I've been having visions. When the Lord would tell me in a vision, 'Go do a certain thing, a certain....' Why, my! There would be no question in my mind, just go do it. Never fails, so it's just got to happen.”

See, you've got to believe that what you're doing.... You got to have faith and confidence; and I have, in the visions. When the vision.... Listen, this might sound radical, but if the Lord God who's here on this platform now, and can tell the secret of every heart in here, tell you what will be or what won't be. You know that, you see it night after night. If He'd tell me that George Washington was going to rise from the grave tomorrow out of the National Cemetery, I'd invite the whole world to come see it done. That's exactly right. I believe Him; He's never failed me. And I've seen visions since I was eighteen months old. And not one time has it ever failed and it never will, because it's God.

And so then, I was talking like that. And I said, “Now, if the Lord would tell me a certain thing would happen, like your little cripple sister sitting here, little Edith. And they were poor people, but I was welcome. Had big old bowl of beans, pinto beans baked with corn bread, and sliced onions. And can I eat that. Hmm. So I was raised on it. And I was just eating away and having a good time. And mother Wright had baked me a big cherry cobbler, you know, and out of the little tree that I used to help her pick it out of there. Mr. Wright's in his eighties, and she's seventy something with that afflicted girl. So I'd just do anything for those people I could. Poor.

And we was talking about building the new church up there, the tabernacle, and Mr. Wright said to me, “How's the pledges coming on up at the Tabernacle?”

I said, “Brother Wright, I'm not there enough to know.”

And said, “You know what?” Said, “Hattie wanted to pledge fifty dollars towards that church and Brother Roberson, the trustee of the church, one of them, the chairman, wouldn't let her give it.” Said, “Because that'd take her about six months to dig fifty dollars out of them hills over there.” And said, “But she give twenty, and, Brother Branham, she wants....”

I thought, “You know what? I got twenty dollars here in my pocket. Meda give it to me to pick up some eggs.” I said, “I will just give her that twenty before I leave back. And she's away from here, and you'll never know it. So I'd bought her ice boxes and things because I felt so sorry for her up there, that little old mother trying to work away on that hill.” And so, I thought, “I will just give her these ... this twenty dollars, is what I will do. When I leave I will just slip it so she will get it, and that's her twenty dollars she paid in on the church up there.” So I thought, “I will just give her that.” So when I said.... Something said to me, “But your Lord stood one day by the side of a wall and seen rich men putting thousands of dollars into a treasury. And a little widow come by and she only had three pennies, all her living. And now what would you have done if you'd a stood there? You'd see that little widow put them three pennies in, you'd run, say, 'Oh no, sister, don't do that, don't do that, because we got plenty in here; we don't need that.' But Jesus never told her not to do it. He let her go ahead and do it. Because He knowed He had something for her down the road,” see. Little something better, you see. So He just let her. God loves a cheerful giver. So I said, “Well, I will just keep my money in my pocket then, see. That's all right then; I will just let it go because maybe the Lord....”

And we was sitting there, and I said, “Now, these vision that come....” Now, listen close now, we're fixing to close to something else. Now, remember, this has been less than two weeks ago. Or just about two weeks ago. And I said, “The thing that puzzles me, Brother Woods....” And he was sitting, like here by the side of me, still at the table; little old porch of a thing out there, had been screened in; they'd walled it in to try to make another room out of it—an old clapboard shingles and holes all through it. And I said, “What's bothered me always has been this. On those squirrels,” I said, “where.... Brother Woods,” I said, “we're supposed to be good squirrel hunters. I hunted since I was a little boy.” And I said, “And you're an expert hunter.” And I said, “Since little boys we've hunted squirrels. Under those conditions, Brother Woods, where did those squirrels come from?” I said, “I can't never figure it out. I was standing right there looking over the grounds, and I said, 'There shall be a squirrel right there.' And I'd been sitting there for forty-five minutes. And no more than I took my finger down, there was a squirrel. And each time it was that way. The squirrel come from nowhere.”

And I said, “The only thing I could think it to be would be this: when God was trying to tell Abraham, how He was going to bless him.” I said, “If this be my new ministry that's coming in, something greater, that He will finally confirm in that little building.” I said, “If it be that, like Abraham, the thing that Abraham needed was a sacrifice, instead of his son. In Genesis 22. And then when God held his hand from sacrificing his son, there was a ram there. Where did that ram come from? He was a hundred miles from civilization. Three days back, a journey. Any man can walk twenty-five miles a day. I walk thirty and thirty-five lots of times. And today we travel by car and so forth. Them days their whole way of travel was either by riding a donkey or walking. And he was three days back, and then lifted up his eyes and saw the mountain far off. And besides that, he was up on top of the mountain where there was no water. And what would the ram be doing up there? And it'd been killed by wild beasts if it'd been away from civilization. Where did the ram come from? That's the reason Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah-jireh, 'the Lord will provide for Himself a sacrifice.' He's able to speak it into existence.”

I said, “If the Lord was confirming my ministry there, to let me know that He's going to help His people and let me do it,” I said, “then the same Jehovah-jireh—I was in need of a squirrel the same as he was in need of a ram—and I believe Jehovah-jireh placed it there—by His same spoken Word. It wasn't me anyhow, because I didn't know what I was saying. He said it Himself.”

And little old quiet Sister Hattie, sitting back there, little dust bonnet on like the country women wear there. And she had put on a little clean dress to come over to help her mother cook me a dinner. And she was sitting with her hand like this and she said, “That's nothing but the truth.” She said the right thing. Here's my Bible, and as a servant of God, I say this. I could hardly hear the last she said. Her mother was trying to say something, but I didn't get it. Just as she said that, she said the right thing. The Spirit of the Lord said to me, “Tell her to ask what she will and you give it to her.” I couldn't speak. That room, everybody, felt strange. I said, “Sister Hattie.”

She said, “Yes, Brother Branham.”

I said, “Thus saith the Lord, 'speak anything that you desire, I don't care what it is. If you want to know that God's give this ministry, speak anything that you desire.' Thus saith the Lord, 'if you'll speak it, I will speak it behind you, and you'll have it right here.'” Eight people standing there looking.

She said, “Brother Branham, what shall I say?”

I said, “It's up to you.”

There sat her cripple sister, her aged father. She was poor, she could ask for money. She could ask for anything she wanted to. I said, “Ask anything that's in your heart, anything that you want to, you ask it and 'Thus saith the Lord,' I will speak it behind you and you'll have it.”

She said, “The salvation of my two boys.”

I said, “You have it, in the name of the Lord.” And those two little modern teen-age snicklefritz boys, that had hated the very cause of Christ, grabbed one another and begin to scream the blessings of God. The power of God struck that place, Gramps fell into his plate. I don't know what happened for about ten minutes.

Friend, do you realize what that was? I have never in all my life felt such anointing. The first time it was ever performed on a human being. It bypassed aristocrats, it bypassed everything else, and went to a poor little old widow woman living up on the hill there. God knowed what she'd ask. Her two boys was gloriously saved the very minute it was spoken. If she'd've asked for ten thousand dollars, it'd've been given to her. If she'd've asked for her sister's healing, it'd been given to her. Anything she would have asked, it would have been given to her.

I believe that the church of the living God is moving into a sphere now that's going to shake the whole world. That's the first time it's been since the days of Jesus of Nazareth, to a human being. “Ask anything that you will, and it shall be given unto you.” Anything you desire. Don't you see the words of Jesus Christ being fulfilled? Oh, it's going to come to pass pretty soon. I'm looking for it to happen in this meeting. I'm wanting it to happen now. That that anointing will strike the whole church of the living God and she will rise to her feet like a mighty marching army. The sick will be healed by a word; the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will be raised up, and the power of God will shake the world with the church of the living God. We're in the process of it now. I believe it's soon coming to pass. I believe it will be just exactly that way. I believe it's going to strike the church of God. Soon it's going to start a revival that'll shake the world. I believe it.

The Lord God of heaven who made heavens and earth, whose servant I am, and stand here now before you, in the name of Jesus Christ, those words are true. Oh, we're near something. My heart's waiting with anticipation. I can't even rest in my hotel room. Last night I couldn't sleep at all. It's never left me. I couldn't sleep on the road out here; I didn't sleep for about two or three hours a night. I just can't rest because I know that something's fixing to happen. Our God is going to move on the scene just as sure as we're standing here.

Just as sure as He said back yonder about the discernment in the hand and the secrets of the heart, He's promised something else; and here it is already confirmed among the people. People standing there, and last Sunday morning in our church there at Jeffersonville ... or, Sunday a week it is now, when I told that, there stood the whole Wright family giving testimony. The blessings has never left that house. They said they just ... don't seem like the same place. That little woman that never screamed in her life, I guess, since she was a baby, you could have heard her for three city blocks screaming the praises of God. And the power of God had.... We was so numb till I couldn't say nothing; I had to walk out of the building. Anointed by the power of God. He's God. He lives.

I feel that one great thing is necessary—the Holy Spirit is speaking to me now about: I believe we ought to have a night, this night that we should consecrate ourselves. Don't you think so? Are you ready, church of God? Are you ready for such a move? Have you buried every sin in the blood of Jesus Christ? Have you confessed all your wrongs?

Oh, ministers of the Gospel, my precious brothers, I tell you the truth, so help me. God knows that's true. And we're just shadowing something near at hand now, I don't know just where, when, or how, but I've told you exactly the God's truth, and God knows that's true. The Holy Spirit's here now, healing, healing. Let's get our souls healed tonight. Let's get ourselves fixed in condition.

I told Billy not to give out any prayer cards tonight. I didn't want a prayer line; I want a consecration. I want this church to draw so close to God. I want it to get so close to God until when we might be in this meeting here, that that'll break forth through this church here. I'm telling you, when that takes place, the coming of the Lord is at hand. The enemy with their atomic bombs is coming in like a flood. The Spirit of God is rising a standard against it constantly.

And just remember, just as I told you about ... from the discernment, taking the hand, to the secrets of the heart, how them things is fulfilled every time, so has this happened just exactly the way it said it would be. And it's just exactly with the Scriptures. As it was proved to you about knowing the secret of the heart, how that Jesus looked upon the multitudes and discerned, and could tell the people that touched His garment, and so forth. How that that rain, latter rain, former rain and latter would be together, as we had yesterday. That's exactly.

Don't you fear, church of God. I know you got a lot of scruples among you. You've got a lot of upsets and down sets and everything else, but still you are the church of the living God; by the grace of God you are. No matter what you've done, or how you done, God forgives you of your sins, He wants a consecration.

How did Balaam look down upon Israel and said, “They done every dirty thing that could be done.” But he failed to see that they was the church of the living God. There was that smitten rock and that brass serpent before them, an atonement laying there for them. And every one of you that's been baptized with the Holy Ghost, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses you from all sin. Hallelujah! The Spirit of the Lord is here now. That's in the name of the Lord I speak. If anybody don't believe it, speak to God about your sickness and find out. Just see if it isn't the truth.

[Speaking in tongues and interpretation given.] Amen. I picked up that some was wondering. Let me straighten this: One was speaking, not too many words. The other one was interpreted, many words. The woman went from the interpretation into prophecy. That's exactly. Hit it right; that's exactly right. She spoke the truth. Amen.

The Holy Spirit is here, the power of the living God. Sick? There's no need of being sick. Do you believe? Where's somebody that's crippled, afflicted? What about you over there in the wheelchair? You believe? You do? There's a man sitting back there behind there, looking over towards him, wearing a red tie. The Angel of the Lord stands over that man. I don't know him. Got cataracts on his eyes, though. That's right. You're not from here. Salt Lake City. This is your last night to be here. You want to go back and get well? Rise and accept your healing then; believe it. Amen. “If thou canst believe.” Have faith in God.

You sitting in that wheelchair over there, you're dying. Death has you overshadowed with cancer. You can't live sitting there. Do you believe the Lord God, believe He's in the midst? Rise to your feet, scoot back your wheelchair and go home.

What about you here? Somebody out here? Mr. Hammond, what about you? Do you believe that the Lord God can make you well? You was sitting there praying. Believing He will make you well? If you do, believe and go home, get well. Hallelujah!

The Lord God is in the midst of His people. Do you believe it? Let us all rise to our feet. This is the hour of divine consecration. If you can believe. The Lord God requires a consecration. He cannot break forth upon us until we've been so surrendered to His will, to His power. He cannot break forth until we have our hearts so cleansed from sin and things of the world, until the Holy Ghost can ride in upon us and so surround us now, as He has me right now.

How do I know these things? It's not me; it's Him that's speaking. I've told the truth about Him. There is breaking forth something new, watch and see; it's already happening. It'll break forth just as certain as I'm standing in this platform. All right, be ready for it, to receive the Lord God in great blessings. You church of the God, church of the living God, each one of you, now, let's take this night for this: a consecration, a consecration to God. That you'd take.... You sick people, forget your sickness, for the God of heaven stands here. Where's He at? All over you, all through you, all in you. God of heaven. Sure He is. Raise your hands, raise your voices. Consecrate yourself to the Lord.

Lord God, I consecrate myself. Help me in this new ministry, Lord, that Your power and Your strength and Your mercy will anoint me with the Holy Ghost, and that You'll consecrate this church and these things that I've said about these animals that You spoke into existence. Lord God, take Your church into power, into Your custody, and fill with the Holy Ghost. O Lord, forgive the sins in the church. Forgive our differences, Lord, and pour out from on high the baptism of the Holy Ghost freshly anew upon Your people. Grant it, Lord.

Put your hands in the air, praise Him. Sing glorious praises. Consecrate yourself to Him. The man's out of the wheelchair, praising God with his hands up in the air. The man was in the wheelchair is out giving God praise. Hallelujah! Give Him glory, all ye people. Let the Holy Ghost take over the meeting and carry it into consecration. Each one of you dig down in your hearts and take out all the root of bitterness. Take out all the sin, all the unbelief, all the skepticism that you've had in your heart; throw it out. Get ready, the Holy Ghost is going to do great things in the midst of you.

Lord God, hear the prayer of Your children, consecrating themselves to You. We come believing. We believe you, Lord. With all of our hearts, we believe You. We repent of our sins. Lord, forgive me of all of my mistakes. Forgive my ministering brother for their mistakes. Forgive the church of their mistakes. Lord God, sanctify our hearts so deeply with love and with power and with consecration. Find favor with us, Lord. Pour out Your power. We would not do anything wrong. I believe every man in here would have made the same thing that night when it was given to speak evil to that boy. We would not use Your power for evil things. We would use it, Lord, only for Your glory to heal Your sick children.

Oh, Lord, send Your power, send it upon us, Lord. Not for our will, but for the glory of God. The heathens are raging; they say, “They imagine vain things.” But let the Holy Ghost shake this place again, where we're assembled together telling the stories of the power of the Lord God. Grant it, Lord. Let the rushing might wind sweep through every heart, burn out all sin, all iniquity, all doubts, all fears, and may every person become a consecrated saint unto Thee. Hear us, O Lord. May we go from here with boldness. May we go with a deep settled peace in our hearts, with a real faith that'll shake mountains, to where we ask. Grant it, Lord.

Bless my ministering brethren. Bless all that's present. Bless the sick people. Here You've healed the sick. Here's the afflicted, and sitting in wheelchairs standing up. Those with crutches throwing them on the floor. The sick and the afflicted with their hands in the air praising You. We love You, Lord. We believe You, we know that You're God. We know that these things that's asked, You say, “When you pray, believe that you get what you ask for, and it shall be given unto thee.” That's Your Word, Lord. We believe it, and our prayers.... Oh, thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your promises, for they're all true. They're yea and amen to each one. Hear us, Lord. Speak through us and use us for Your glory. We consecrate ourselves to Thee. We dedicate ourselves.

I dedicate myself anew, over this pulpit tonight, Lord. Lord God, try me; if there's any evil in me, take it away, Lord. If there's anything that You could use me for to help Your church and Your people further to a better ministry, to a better understanding of God. Here I am, Lord, speak and Your servant will hear. I will answer, Lord, just speak and I will do anything that You'd say to me to do. Lord God, may I have favor in Your sight. Not for self glory—You've tried in the fires of that, Lord—but for the help of Your church and the sake of Your people that's scattered throughout the world now. May they be come together as one church, as one unit, as one.... As one person may we stand in the power of the resurrection. And may You pour out Your Spirit and gifts upon Your church that'll be a outstanding thing to the world, Lord, that'll cause all men to know what they have left behind. Grant it, Lord. We give these prayers to You for answer, believing that You'll do it, in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

I love Him, I love Him

Because He first loved me, (Do you love

Him? Raise up your hands like this,

just raise your hands and praise Him,

all your heart. Just give Him praise.)

....Calvary's tree.

I love Him, (Do you really do it? Amen.)

Because (Because why?) He first loved....

(Do you really love Him? Just raise

your hands now. Praise Him.)

................Salvation

On Calvary's tree.

Oh, isn't He wonderful? Isn't He grand? Do you feel like the Holy Ghost, the blood of Christ, has washed your heart free from sin; you feel good now? How many's consecrated their lives anew to God? Raise your hands. “I consecrate myself to Thee, O Lord. Thou art my God. My Saviour is Jesus Christ. And I now give myself fully and completely to Thee for Thy service.” Let it be like that in your heart. I believe God's going to do a great thing among us. It's already started. And if it's started like this, what will it be after it goes a little while? Blessed be the name of the Lord.

All right, let us sing this good old hymn of the church now before we leave, “My Faith Looks Up To Thee.” That's where we stand; that's the only thing that'll move a mountain. That's when God has to anoint you to such faith that it cannot fail. “My Faith Looks Up To Thee.” Let's sing it now with our eyes, and our hands, and our hearts lifted to God. All together now.

My faith looks up to Thee,

Thou Lamb of Calvary,

Saviour divine;

Now hear me while I pray,

Take all my sin away,

Nor let me ev... this day

Be wholly Thine!

Let us bow our heads as....

.....life's dark maze I tread, (In the fields.)

And griefs around me spread,

Be Thou my Guide;

Bid darkness turn to day,

Wipe sorrow's fears away,

Nor let me ever stray

From Thee aside.