It Is I, Be Not Afraid

Gracious heavenly Father, we thank You, Lord, for Jesus, Thy Son, who came to the earth and was made sin, taking our place, and dying at the cross, that we through his righteousness might be justified by our faith in his work. We thank you for this, that we have this privilege in the hours when there's no hope in nothing else. All hopes of national security are . . . all hopes of home life is broken, the nation honeycombed, nations against nations, kingdoms against kingdoms, nature itself crying out the end is at hand—earthquakes in divers places, tidal waves, sea roaring. We're so glad that there is a rock that's higher than I, a refuge in a time of storm. We thank Thee for this. We would ask, Father, that He would continue to be with us as we journey on.

Make it a special occasion tonight, Father.

We've given out many prayer cards this afternoon that these people are to be prayed for that's sick. May there not be a feeble person in our midst when the service is over. May every sinner—when our Brother David makes the altar call, as usual at night—we pray, Father, that sinners, every man or woman that's in here that isn't a Christian, may they accept Thee as their personal Saviour. May backsliders come home to God, realizing that the hour is at hand. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated. Thank you.

This has been an unusual day for me. I've had the grand privilege today to visit The Abundant Life and The Faith Digest Foundations, Oh, how fortunate you people here are to have such in your city! How that God has took boys that used to stand on the corner here at Sand Springs with the accordion, the two together, and have a street meeting; and today has the world in their hands, almost, with this great gospel. How I thank God from the depths of my heart that He ever sent those men. May the Lord continue to bless Brother Oral Roberts and Brother Tommy Osborn. Now, it always thrills my heart to see the Lord helping His people doing something that's a benefit.

I find some handkerchiefs laying here and letters. Now, we believe in that, praying over those cloths. Now, I've been reading some that said, “Would you anoint this handkerchief, Brother Branham?” Well, anointing a handkerchief is perfectly all right, and we believe that anything that God will bless, we're right for it; but if you notice in the Scriptures, they wasn't anointed. They taken from the body of Paul handkerchiefs and aprons.

I believe Paul was a fundamentalist, don't you? So, I think where he got that was in the story of the Shunammite's baby being raised, or little boy raised from the dead. Remember he told Gehazi take this staff and go lay it on the baby? He knowed that everything that he touched was blessed. But the Shunammite woman's faith wasn't in the staff. It was in the prophet, for she stayed with him until he went and laid his own body across the baby and it come to life.

Now we have a great ministry of this. Not a great ministry like the brethren here have, of course. I was noticing . . . when I come home I looked at Billy. I said, “You know, my office is going to look pretty little from now on.” I got two typewriters sitting in the end of a trailer. You can say they're mine. But I said, “It's going to look pretty small from this on.” But how . . . in there we pray over handkerchiefs, little pieces of cloth, and send them out all over the world everywhere, and the Lord blesses our feeble efforts to help the people.

And now, if you do not get one in the meeting and you'd want one, well, I'd be glad to send it to you. Just write me, and I have. . . . I'm . . . do good to get enough to pay for what we have working—a couple there at the desk—so we may be a little late answering it; but we'll do everything we can to get it right to you, without cost. So you send if you wish it.

Now, Brother DuPlessis is the speaker, and he usually speaks each night. And when I come in, it'd be good just to start the prayer line. Now, today we have decided . . . I told my son to come over and give out a group of prayer cards, that we might pray for the sick tonight by bringing them through the prayer line and praying for them. Each night we have depended on the Holy Spirit to move out, now, and to call the people, and let you know His presence is here.

Now, I do not believe that there's any person on earth that can heal you—that is even to a doctor. Healing belongs to God alone. “I'm the Lord who heals all thy diseases.” Now, we thank God for our doctors and our hospitals, and we by no means try to condemn them. But there's no medicine that will heal your body. Just remember that. There's not a medicine ever invented or never will be, that'll heal. You give it to one, it'll help him; give it to the other, and it'll kill him. So there's no healing.

For instance, if I cut my hand, there's not a medicine in the world to heal my hand, now—a common knife cut. If it'd heal a knife cut in my hand, it would heal a knife cut in my coat, it would heal a knife cut on this desk. Then you might say, “Brother Branham, medicine wasn't made to heal your coat. It was made to heal your body.” All right, if I would cut my hand and would fall dead, and they'd take me out to the undertaker's establishment and embalm my body with a fluid that would make me look natural for fifty years, every day the best doctors in the world could come, they'd sew that up, give me a shot of penicillin, put salves and so forth on it, in fifty years from now the cut would look just like it was when I cut it.

“Why,” you say, “certainly. The life's gone out of you.” Then which is the healer—the medicine or life? Life is the healer, see. Medicine cannot build tissue.

If I was cranking my car and I broke my arm, first thing I would do is say, “Doctor [go in and say], set my arm.” What if I went in and say, “Heal my arm, Doctor, I want to finish cranking my car.”

He'd say, “Why, you need mental healing, boy,” and he would be right, because he could not heal my arm.

“Why,” I'd say, “aren't you a healer?”

He'd say “Certainly not.” He'd say, “I'll set your arm, put it in place, but God has to heal it.” That's right. God is the only healer there is.

I've been interviewed at Mayo Brothers and many great clinics, and I've never had one yet to tell me they were healers. They . . . and the old Mayo where they taken me and showed me that big sign that he had said, “We do not profess to be healers. We only profess to assist nature. There's one healer: that is God.” That's true.

I made that statement one time, and someone after the service caught me and said, “What about penicillin, Brother Branham? Kills the cold germs.”

“Well,” I said, “Penicillin is just like you had a house full of rats eating holes everywhere, and you put out some rat poison and poisoned the rats. That don't patch the hole; that just kills the rats. That's right. That's what penicillin or any other drug does. It just . . . sometimes antibiotics and so forth kills the germ, but God has to heal it. That's right. It's . . . all healing belongs to God. So you just be kind to God, believe God, God will take care of the rest. That's right.

So we pray for the sick, we do not heal the sick. I've seen tens of thousands of cases healed—definitely healed, four with records of raising from the dead—in my own little ministry, but I have never healed anyone yet. It's their faith in a finished work that Christ did at Calvary. “He was wounded for our transgressions, with his stripes we were healed.” And now it's your faith in that finished work that does the work. That's the way it is.

You confess it, and He's the high priest of our confession. He cannot do anything to you until first you profess that you accept it. You confess what He said: “By His stripes I was healed.” Then He's a high priest to make intercession upon our confession. And if that ain't the gospel, I don't know it and I've been wrong. But I've seen Him do it too much.

A certain . . . a minister said to me some time ago, said, “I don't care if a shadow of a man with cancer'd raise up perfectly normal, I don't care what you'd say, I don't believe it.”

I said, “Certainly not. It wasn't for unbelievers. It was just for believers. That's all it was meant for.” Unbelievers will never see it, see. It wasn't meant for unbelievers. It was meant for believers. “He that believeth, all things are possible.”

So we have . . . America is full of Jewish believers. The Jewish people had a custom of laying on of hands. That never was to the Gentile church. No, sir, it was for Jews alone. If you notice, there was a priest said to Jairus, said . . . Jairus said to Jesus, “Come lay your hands on my daughter and she'll live.” She was very sick. “Lay your hands on her.”

But to . . . the Roman, a Gentile, he said, “I'm not worthy that you come under my roof. Just speak the word, and my servant will live.” See the difference?

In Africa, we brought a prayer line up, and about three or four people had passed over the prayer line (at Durban, South Africa, which Brother DuPlessis is from), and they estimated thirty thousand converts in a few moments after that. Thirty thousand people received Jesus Christ as personal Saviour; and thousands, Brother Bosworth estimated (old Daddy Bosworth, oh, nearly all of you knowed him), I forget how many thousand he estimated, of cripples and lames and blind and halt left their canes and crutches and cots lay right on the ground, and walked away because they believed it. They'd seen something real and they believed it. But somehow, and here at home, we want hands laid on the people. That's according to your faith be it unto you. So we're always glad to pray for the sick. But the real way for us to receive it is to know that faith cometh by hearing, hearing of the Word.

Now if you're keeping record of the little talks, just for about fifteen minutes I'd like to have just a little drama tonight to kind of feel around in the meeting; and I want to read from St. Matthew's gospel, the fourteenth chapter and the twenty-seventh verse.

And straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

How I like that scripture!

It must have been about sundown, to the best that I can imagine, when the big brawny-backed fisherman pushed the little boat out into the lake, climbed aboard himself, and up through the seats and found his place by the side of his brother Andrew, and sat down. As each one took the oar and began to pull, the little boat, on a smooth lake, sailed quickly out into the lake. After the last one had waved good-bye from the shore, waving good-bye to them as they were crossing over the lake, and they'd got out far enough to where they could not see or wave anymore, it must have been the young John who stopped a minute, and took his hand to wipe the perspiration from his brow, said, “Brethren, when I was just a little boy, I can remember how mother used to take me up in her arms and read the Holy Scriptures to me, how she used to read and tell me that when our people come to this fair land—coming up out of Egypt where they had been in bondage for four hundred years—that the great Jehovah God rained bread out of heaven and fed our people for forty years in the wilderness.

“And I can remember of how I used to say, 'Mama, did angels bake that bread and send it down to our people?'

“She'd say to me, 'Little Johnny, I don't believe that angels baked that bread. I believe that God, the great creator of heavens and earth, just spoke the Word and created that bread that fed our people.'

And now, brethren, what opinion did you have this afternoon when you seen him take those five little biscuits and two fishes, and feed five thousand? Surely we're not following a faker as people says that we are. That man has some connection with Jehovah God, because He could create bread right in his own hands. I do not believe,“ he might have said, ”that that man is a false prophet. I believe that we're following the Son of Jehovah God.“

“Well,” said Simon, the big fisherman, “truly just right over yonder, where Dad and I used to fish years ago, he said to me one day, 'I'm getting old, Simon. I've tried to serve God all my life, and have lived just as honest as I knowed how. And I have raised you, my boy, to believe this same God. But it seems like maybe that I won't see the promised One. But you're a young lad yet, you may see him. And now, Son, before I go away I want to instill this in your heart.'”

Peter might have said that his father was talking, saying, “Son, don't never get away from the Scriptures for anything that happens. Stay with the Word. Now Moses, the prophet, told us that the Lord our God would raise up a prophet among us someday among our people, and this man would be the Messiah. He's to be a man, just a common man, raised up among us. But how you'll know him, Son, he'll be a prophet, and you'll remember that that is the oncoming Messiah. Long has been the day since this land had a prophet.”

“And then when Andrew came that day and told me some of those stories about this Jesus of Nazareth, I doubted it, brethren. In my heart I really doubted it, and I said, 'Andrew, you're daydreaming. Get next to yourself.' And I treated him pretty rough. But one day he persuaded me to go, and when I come up beside the man, I noticed there was nothing unusual about Him. But He turned and looked at me, and said, 'Your name is Simon, and your father was Jonas.' Not only did He know me, but He knowed that godly old father of mine. That settled it with me, brethren. I believed right then, before I ever seen Him break any bread and bless it. I believed that that was the Messiah, for my father had read it to me out of the Scriptures, and I know the Scriptures don't lie. So I was satisfied that that was the Messiah.”

It must have been about that time that Philip might have said, “But, brethren, you should have seen Nathanael's face, Brother Nathanael, sitting there in the head of the boat. You should have seen his face that day when. . . . We'd been discoursing one with the other, and when I brought him up in the presence of Jesus. . . . And I told him about things was happening, but he said, 'Aw, that's just something that you're imagining.' But when he come in the presence of Jesus, He said to him that . . . what he was, that he was a honest man. A good man, and it astonished Brother Nathanael. But when He told him where he was before he came to the meeting, Nathanael was convinced that that was the Son of God.”

Then big Andrew, putting his arm around Simon, might have said something like this, “But how did we all feel when He sent us into the city to buy some bread, and when we come back we heard Him talking to someone, and we slipped up close to listen to what it was. And there was a woman marked with ill-fame standing talking to Him at the gate of Samaria, at the well. And we heard Him ask her to go get her husband, and we looked around to each other. And she said, 'I have no husband.' We thought right then there was a slip somewhere. 'I have no husband.'

“But He looked her straight in the face and said, 'You have said well, for you have had five husbands, and the one that you're now living with is not your husband.'

“Brethren, did you notice the look on that woman's face? Quickly she turned and said, 'Sir, you must be a prophet. We know the Messiah will come, and he'll tell us these things.'

“And then He gave that all-sufficient, satisfying consolation to that woman, and said, 'I'm he that speaks to you.'

“Did you notice her looks when she turned with that peaceful look in her face—running into the city, screaming from both sides, 'Come see a man who told me the things that I've done! Isn't this the Messiah that we're looking for? Is not this the prophet that Moses said would rise up in the last days, would be one among us? He's out there at the well now, a man who told me the things that I have done.' And did you notice, brethren, when those Samaritans come from the city, they never asked Him to repeat that one time. They were satisfied that that was the person, and they knowed it.”

The little boat, as it dashed on across the lake, it must have been about that time that Satan must have raised up and said, “Oh, I've caught them alone without him. Now's my time to settle the score with them. For they've been casting out my demons, and so forth, so I'll settle the score.” That's when Satan can settle the score, when he finds that you've gone off without Jesus. That's when Satan will get the church. When you get so interested in something else besides prayer meetings, when you get so interested that you're supposed to have a natural growth instead of a spiritual growth, then remember, Satan's on his road. He's caught you without Him.

O God, is my prayer, wake up the church again to old-fashioned, all-night prayer meetings, wake the people up to a spiritual atmosphere. Oh, it takes that to bring children into the kingdom. It takes the atmosphere right. This night, while we're sitting here, if this right atmosphere would take place, this entire group would be refilled with the Holy Ghost, every sick person would be made well. It's the atmosphere that does it. You can take a hen egg and put it in a incubator, and keep the atmosphere right, it'll hatch out a chicken, not an incubator, see. Because that it's the atmosphere that counts. Put a chicken egg under a dog; it'll hatch a chicken. It's the atmosphere. And that's what it takes in the church today. Not so much starchy creeds and theology, but the Spirit of the living God pouring out upon His people to bring a spiritual atmosphere. Not one saying, “I believe it's this,” and another, “I believe it's that.” It's hard for the Holy Spirit to work.

Do you know, when the Holy Spirit first came, it was on the day of Pentecost, when they were all in one place and one accord; and then there came from heaven a sound like a rushing mighty wind. They had to get the atmosphere right. That's what we need today, brethren. We're way behind. The church ought to be a million miles up the road. When we take like what happened over there in Africa the other day, when our precious brother, Billy Graham. . . . When that Hindu come out there and made a challenge like that against the Word of the living God, it shows we need another atmosphere. Instead of theology, we need the power of the Holy Spirit among us, men who's willing to stand on what God said to be the truth. It's atmosphere that we need. I . . . maybe in this great day of prosperity, that we've been so interested in prosperity till we've left off the main thing. Maybe we've gone off on some kind of a tantrum without Him. We mustn't do that. It's atmosphere. It's a place that we want Christ.

Now, He didn't go very far from them. He . . . but when He knowed they would need him. . . . I believe that He knows tonight that we need Him. We know today that we need Him. I need Him, you need Him, we all need Him. I need more of Him, you need more of Him. That's one thing that I can't get satisfied with —enough of God. Oh, as much as we can let ourselves go, then God can come in; but we've got to get ourselves out of the way, our own ideas. Let the Holy Spirit come in and show us things to come. He said He would do it, and bring things to our remembrance.

Now, Jesus knowing that them disciples were going to get in trouble, He climbed the highest hill He could climb—way up on top of the mountain—so he could see all across the lake, for He knew somewhere in there that they'd get in trouble, as soon as they got out of His sight, or out of His presence. He knew that Satan would be after them and He climbed the highest mountain so He could look all across the ocean and see them until they got to the end of the journey,

Not only did He do that for them, but has climbed the highest mountain could be climbed. He climbed Mount Calvary, and from there on up, in above the moon and stars, all up into heaven, so He could see from eternity to eternity; for He knowed His church would be in need, and He . . . His eye is on the sparrow. And I know He's watching this meeting tonight, trying to find somebody that's got faith, that'll believe Him; and not doubt and push around, and make all kinds of [unclear] things, but will believe God's simplicity in His Word, that what He said to be true.

He climbed to the ramparts of glory, went on in above the moon and stars in His resurrection. The prophet said when He got so high up there, that maybe Him and the Old Testament saints on the road up, why, I can see the angels looking over the gates. And they screamed out in there, the New and Old Testament saints, said, “Lift up ye everlasting gates, and be ye lifted up, and let the King of glory come in.”

And the angels beyond the gates said, “Who is this King of glory that's coming in?

“The Lord of hosts, mighty in battle.” And they pressed the button. The big gates flew open, and Jesus and the Old Testament saints marched down that street, conquerors. Oh, my, up to the throne of God, and said, “Here they are, Father.”

“Stand on my right hand until I make all the enemies your footstool.” And today, He sits over in power and glory, watching over it.

Just like the old eagle.

I was riding on top of the cliffs one day, searching out cattle, and I noticed a storm coming. And an old mother eagle had taken her little ones down into the valley, and they were down there just having a Pentecostal jubilee, turning over one another. First time they'd ever been out of the old sticky nest, and they were down there playing around like little children. And that old mother eagle flew all the way back up to a big high rock, and she folded those big wings—some of them fourteen feet across—and she watched down through there at them little babies. A coyote better not come towards one. She was watching over it. She was standing up there, and them big sharp eyes could see miles and miles. The sharpest eye there is, is an eagle watching down. Why, he can. . . . If a hawk tried to follow him, he'd disintegrate in the air. So the eagle is a special built bird, and it's got to have a special built eye that he can see where he's at. God is Jehovah-eagle and He sits on the throne of glory, watching His children—just free, having a good time.

And after awhile there was a storm started up, and that old mother eagle come off of that rock, flew down through there and let out a scream. All of those little eagles grabbed ahold of her wings with their feet, got their little bill and hooked it in a good tight feather. She raised with them big wings, bucking that storm, went right straight to the hole in the rock. I tied up my horse and run around and around the tree, shouting as loud as I could. I said, “Oh, His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.” Someday He'll spread forth His big wings and come down. I want to catch ahold of that old rugged cross and hold to that until the Holy Spirit pulls me out of this chaos that we're in today. If you're sick tonight, take ahold of God's promise of the cross on the resurrection. Hold there until He takes you out.

There he was, all hopes was gone. Maybe you are tonight. Maybe the doctor says you can't live no longer. Maybe you think you've crossed the separating line, you can't be saved. That's wrong. As long as you got enough God about you to come here to this church tonight, there's hopes for you to be saved, as long as the Spirit of God's dealing with you. And as long as you got enough faith to come here to be prayed for, to come under the atmosphere of the living God, under His protection and His wings, if you'll just use that faith and hold on to the promise of God, you'll get well. God promised it. It's what God says.

There . . . and I guess the storm flashing, and the lightning across the skies, and the big waves when the devil was blowing his poison out of his mouth like that, and bringing the waves all the way from the bottom of the lake, ten thousand devils setting clean around. . . . “We'll get them in a few minutes! Just a little while, we'll get them!” So has he blowed his poison breath to upset many a church, many a great congregation, many people, a fine American—trying to blow his poison into them, and say, “The days of miracles is past. There's no such a thing as the baptism of the Holy Ghost.” That's all he knows! That's all they know! I tell you, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever! He's the same.

When the great waves was going, pretty near all hopes that they'd ever be saved, they happened to look and they seen Him come walking on the water.

But the sad part of it was, friends, they were afraid. They thought it was spooks. And that's the same thing that's happened to the church today. They're scared of the only hope that can save them, the only hope that can help them. They're afraid. I believe if Jesus could come to this meeting tonight and appear in a physical form, in a body, He would say the same thing that He said there: “Be not afraid, it is I. Be of a good cheer.”

I believe that He's here now. I believe that His Holy Spirit is here, because it does the same things that He done. It produces the same kind of fruit that He produced. Don't be suspicious anymore, you only hinder the other believers. Get in one accord. Say, “God, we thank You for sending the Holy Ghost to us, and we believe it. And it's You, and we accept You. We don't think it's spiritualism, or some spook. We believe it's You, Lord, because the Scripture said so, and You promised it, and we're here to receive it.”

And when we pray for you tonight, when not only I pray for you but these group of ministers here, these here all around the place, we're not just one praying; we're all praying. If I was sick out there, coming into this line, I'd want you to pray for me, every one of you. And I'd certainly, if I had my baby out there, if I had my wife coming in that prayer line, I'd want every one of you to be dead sincere about it. If you were standing here to pray for my father or my mother, or my sister or brother, or loved one, I'd want you to be sincere, brother. And I want to be sincere, too.

And I'm not telling you anything but what's Scripture.

Christ has already healed every one of you. You've been healed for nineteen hundred years, since He was wounded for our transgressions, with His stripes we were healed. And if He was standing here tonight in a corporal body. . . . That body is sitting at the right hand of God Almighty. When it comes back, time shall be no more. There'll be a rapture, and the church will go up to meet Him, and be with Him. We'll meet the Lord in the air when He comes back. His coming will be as the lightning shineth from the east even unto the west, so shall His coming be, and every eye shall see Him, every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess Him. But His Holy Spirit is here.

Since the days of Luther they lived under justification. The days of Wesley they come a little higher. The church become in the minority under sanctification. Then come the Pentecostal move, which was the baptism of the Holy Ghost, or the restoration of the gifts. Now we're going just in above that to the capstone. The church has got to be like . . . the Spirit in the church, and the Spirit that's in Him, has to be the same.

When God confirmed the covenant with Abraham, did you notice what he did? Killed those animals and put the doves, and so forth, in there, and they made a covenant? What is a covenant? In America we say, “Let's make a covenant.”

“All right.”

We'll have a little lunch, we'll shake hands and say we'll agree. That's a covenant. Over in Japan, when they make a covenant they throw salt on one another. That's a covenant.

In the Orient, in the time of Abraham, when they made a covenant they killed a beast like Abraham did—divide the ram, and so forth, and the she-goat, or whatever he divided there, three animals and laid them apart. And then they wrote out their covenant on a piece of paper, stood in between these two, and made a vow one to another if they broke this covenant, let their bodies be like that dead animal. And they tore the covenant apart, like this. One took one piece of paper, one the other. To confirm this covenant both pieces had to come and dovetail the same. You couldn't copy it if you had to. There'd be no way of doing it. You had to be the same thing.

That's what God did at Calvary. God was showing Abraham that through his son Isaac would come Jesus. And God took Jesus to Calvary, and there He tore Him apart. And He raised the body up and set it on His right hand, and sent the same Spirit that was on Him down on the church. And at the resurrection, the Spirit that was in Christ will have to be in the church, or it's not the covenant. I hope you see it, brother, sister. The Spirit that was in Him has to be in you—that's His covenant, the same Spirit. “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also.”

He's here tonight.“

Let us bow our heads. Would there be in our midst tonight a man, woman, or boy, or girl that doesn't know Him in the pardoning of their sins? If they'd like to be remembered in this prayer that “God be merciful to me, and make me a vessel that You could work through,” before you've seen the Holy Spirit do one thing—would you just raise up your hand and say, “Pray for me, Brother Branham, I want to accept Christ.” God bless you, sir, that's a real. . . . Up in the balcony around to my right? God bless you. That's fine. Several in the balconies to the front. All right. Balconies to the left, raise your hand now if you're not a Christian. I'm just going to ask you. God bless you, God bless you, boys. Down here under the left on the balcony, God bless you, see your hand. Of course God sees you, surely. He knows all about you. All right.

Heavenly Father, they raised their hands. I believe they're sincere, Lord. We realize that there's not much time left. Jesus is coming. And we see the last sign that He gave the church. It's where He declared himself to be the Messiah. Here He is today, with His same Spirit in His church among His people, healing the sick, foretelling things that will come to pass, telling things that has been, making known the secret of the heart. Jesus perceived their thoughts. And now, Father, we see that that same thing has come again into the church. Surely Your coming is near. Help these people who raised their hands, that they might receive You tonight as their own personal Saviour, and be saved from sin and be filled with the Holy Spirit, that they might live the life of real devout Christians. Grant it, Father. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

Thank you for that twenty minutes. And now, you that raised your hands, when the altar call is made tonight by Brother DuPlessis, I want you to come up here. If you meant that when you raised your hand, and you really meant that from your heart, do you know that God took you at your word right then? Do you know you broke every scientific rule could be broken when you raised your hand? You say, “Brother Branham, did that do anything?” Yes, sir. Jesus said, “He that heareth my words and believeth on him that sent me, has eternal life, and shall never come into condemnation, but has passed from death unto life.” Jesus said that, St. John 5:24.

Now, when you raised your hand, say, “What did that do to it? Why, according to scientific rules, gravitation holds your hands down. You cannot raise your hands, but there was a spirit in you, a life, that had power over you, a spirit by you that witnessed that you're wrong. And you wanted to be right. You raised your hand toward your Maker. Science says according to . . . if there wasn't a spirit in you, your hand would have to hang down. But there was a spirit in you that made a decision and raised your hand. God saw that. If you really meant that, your name was put on the Lamb's book of life. That's exactly the truth, brethren, if you really believe. Now, as many as believed was added to the church.

Now after we pray for this prayer line, I want you to come up here, stand up here. And let us . . . let . . . publicly testify. If you will bear witness of Him, or testify of Him before men, “I will testify of you before my Father. But if you're ashamed of me before men, I'll be ashamed of you before my Father and the holy angels.” That's what Jesus said. So you come tonight immediately after this.

Now, how many in here that's gone away from God, that doesn't know God, and gone back on your promise to God? Now, I believe that as far as grace is concerned, you're still under grace, but you would like to come back to God. And you say, “If the Holy Spirit will come into the meeting tonight, and do just as you have said that He did back there, that they recognized Him, I want to come back to God and ask Him to fill my life anew, and send me out for a witness of Him while it's day.” You won't have no other time after this life is over to ever witness for Christ. You must do it now. Would you raise your hand, say, “Pray for me.” If I don't see your hand. . . . God bless you, sir. If I don't see your hand, God surely does. All right. God bless you. I pray that God will grant it to each one of you.

What was that prayer card? F? Prayer card F. How many did they give? Fifty. My son said. . . . I believe that him and Gene gave out fifty cards this afternoon of F. Prayer card F 1 to 50. Now we're going to try to pray for all that group tonight. Now, we don't want . . . you don't want to rush like an arena. You just want to be real reverent. Sit still until your number is called.

Who has F? F like in father. F number 1, would you raise up your hand? Come right over here, sister. Stand right back in here, come right around the curtain there. F number 2, would you raise up your hand? [blank spot on tape].

They believe it. It's not always we get the perfect faith on the platform. We don't do that each time. All right, 26. What's that? Who has 26? Prayer card 26, was that right? 23? 24, who has prayer card 24 then? Which was it, David? Well, 22. Who has prayer card 23 then, 23? Now if you got 23, lady, come around here. 24. Who has 23? You, lady? 23? All right, 24, 25. So we don't, see, we don't get them all crowded up together, and it doesn't get the people excited. You want to come to this reverently, quietly, knowing what you're doing. You're coming as to a living stone, Christ Jesus. 23, 24, 25? 25, 26? 26, down there. 27, 27. All right. I believe maybe they could go around this other way just as well maybe. 27, 28. Who has prayer card 28? 28? All right. You're all right. Come around there then. 28, 28. All right, 28. Can the woman walk? She can walk? All right, that's okay. If she could not, we'll bring someone to help bring her up. 28, 29. Prayer card 29. All right, young lady. 30, 30, 31. Who has 31?

I have witnessed to you something that's the greatest that could be witnessed: that Christ lives. Think of that. What does it mean to your soul? Do you know, there's many different religions, hundreds of them in the world, that would deny that? Buddhist, Mohammedans, and so forth. I suppose Brother Roberts, and maybe Brother Tommy Osborn too, is present, which are missionaries from the foreign fields. They can tell you right now that they'll stand right up and tell you that their religion's got as much psychology as ours has got, and it . . . you better know what you're talking about when you talk to them. They are not afraid. And, now, but our religion is the only religion there is—Christian religion—that can prove that their founder is living, after two thousand years, see. Because His life lives in His church. That's what He promised.

Now, then when I stand here with this, making this assertion that I do, do you realize what that means? There's at least a thousand people here tonight. I'd say easy a thousand people. And I've had that where there would be forty, yeah, a hundred and fifty, two hundred thousand people at one time, all mixed up and every way. He hasn't failed yet, and He won't fail, because He's God and He can't fail. So you have to be sure that you know what you're speaking about. Now, how you people out there that does not have prayer cards and wants to be prayed for. . . . Now this line here is not a line. . . . [blank spot on tape]

I just couldn't do that. It would kill me. How many knows that when Daniel saw one vision he was troubled at his head for many days? Raise your hands. All right.

How many knows that a woman touched the border of Jesus' garment? And she touched Him, and He turned around and said, “Who touched me?” And everybody denied it. He looked out in the audience until He found the woman, and He said, “Thy faith has saved thee,” told her of her blood issue had stopped because her faith, she touched Him.

Now, He did not feel that physical touch, because there was a lot of people touching Him. Peter rebuked Him, said, “Well, everybody's touching you. Why do you say such a thing as that? Everybody is touching you. Don't say that,” and he rebuked Him.

But He said, “I perceive that I have [what?] virtue has gone from me.” How many knows that virtue is strength? Sure. He got weak. Now, if one woman touching the Son of God made Him get weak, how could I stand it, a sinner saved by grace? Because He said, “These things that I do, shall you do also, and more than this shall you do.” I know the King James says greater but the real translation of it, if you look it up, is “more than this shall you do,” see, because the church would be universal and stand more. Now, but you couldn't do no greater. He healed the sick and raised the dead, stopped nature, and done everything that could be done.

You couldn't do any more in quality, but more in quantity, because His Spirit would come and be with the church. Right tonight, while this is going on here, in Africa it could be going on, in Australia it can be going on, everywhere.

But when God was here on earth in a human form, Jesus Christ was God made flesh and dwelling among us. Now, all the fullness of the Godhead bodily was in Him. He was God made manifest. No man has seen the Father at any time, but the only begotten of the Father has expressed Him. God was expressing Himself, what He was, through His Son, Jesus.

God overshadowed the virgin Mary, created a blood cell in the womb. And anyone knows that life comes from the male sex. Is that right? A hen can lay an egg, but if she hasn't been with the male bird, it will not hatch. No, sir, because it hasn't got the life in it. Life comes from the male. And then in this case, God was the male, and there was no sexual affair with it at all. God the creator created the blood cell. He wasn't either Jew nor Gentile. He was God. That's right, the blood of Jehovah God. Created Himself a blood to sanctify His people. And then, in that dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He had the Spirit without measure. We have it by measure.

Now, if I went to the ocean and took, like this little gift that He gives me, if I went to the ocean and took a spoonful out of the ocean, that's about in comparison. This little gift here is just like a spoonful of water out of the ocean, and his was the whole ocean. But, did you know, if you examine that little spot that you got in you, and that little spot I got in me, the same chemicals is in that spoonful that's in the whole ocean. Sure. It's the same thing, not as much of it. We have the Spirit by measure. God poured it out to us by measure. But He poured it out on Him without measure. So, the works that He did . . . His church, He separated and divided Himself among His people, that His work could continue through His church. If that's not love. . . .

No wonder people go crazy. . . . This famous song of “O Love of God, how rich and pure.” They tell me that that verse, last verse—or first verse, rather, I believe, or last one—was found penned on a wall of an insane institution. No one could ever figure with a pen, or no way, to try to express the love of God. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” What a invitation that Jehovah God gave to His people!

Friends, we should be ashamed not serving Him. Now, you understand it? This, I said, is a spoonful.

Now, He is here, present, now, in this meeting. Christ is here. Do you believe that? Now, since you might know, has anybody in the meeting here that's never been in one of my meetings before, raise up your hand, that's never been. Oh, my. Half the crowd—over half. [More than that each time?] Now, I just can't take the time. This . . . here, all you out there that believes in God that hasn't got a prayer card, let the discernment be out there. Do you believe you have faith enough to touch His garment? Do you believe it? Do you believe you have faith? If you believe it, all right, you can have it.

Now, if Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, do you believe that? Emphatically believe that? Well, is He a high priest that's sitting at the right hand of God now, and can make intercessions on our confession, and He's a high priest that could be touched by the feeling of our infirmities? Do you believe that? You newcomers believe that? Well, then, how would that high priest act if you touched Him tonight? If He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, He'd act the same as He did then. And that woman touched His garment, He seen who she was, and called her, and told her about what she had. Is that right? And pronounced that her faith had healed her.

Now, do you believe the same thing? You pray, you pray. Here's a challenge. Let the discernment be out there.

These are just people standing in the prayer line. Now, if you people standing here in the prayer line can look out there, you won't. . . . You realize that I just . . . I can only pray and lay hands on you. Jesus said these signs shall follow them that believe, “If they lay hands on the sick, they shall recover.” Not only my hands, but every hand in here, by faith is going to be laid on you for your healing. We're not here to show. We have . . . we're not a show-people. We are Christians, We're here to manifest and to give to you God's gospel.

God made the promise, sent the gift. Ministers in here, what is the gifts in the church? God has set in the church first apostles (is that right?) or missionaries, it's the same thing. Both of them means sent, one sent. Apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists, and pastors, God set them by His own grace and His foreknowledge in the church.

Now, in each local church there's nine gifts, such as speaking with tongues, and interpretations of tongues, and all these others, which you're taught for that. Now, that just manifests. Be on one tonight, and another one another night.

But, now, if Christ lives among us, let Him prove to us tonight that He is. Now, you have faith and you believe, and may it be at least two or three, to confirm that I've told the truth. Anywhere in this audience, you go to praying, and saying, “God, let the man speak to me, and I'll know it isn't him.”

There's not a person that I can see. . . . All in this prayer line strangers to me, raise up your hand. Every one of you is strangers. All out through the audience here that's strangers, raise up your hands, all that's strangers.

Now you pray, and see if the high priest still lives to make intercessions, see if you can still touch Him. You do that. That'll take all suspicion from you. Just pray.

We got the pictures of it here. It's been took the world over—in Germany, in America, and Canada, and everywhere. Scientific, it hangs in the religious hall of art up there, scientifically proved. George J. Lacy, the head of the FBI for fingerprinting documents, said (signed the document hisself), “The light struck the lens.” He said, “I used to disbelieve it too, but the camera won't take psychology.” It's not psychology.

Here, this lady sitting here with her head down praying, sitting right in front of me. You want to get over them hemorrhoids, don't you? Now, and you got little wens on your head, haven't you? All right, it's finished now. Go home and be well.

Do you believe? This woman sitting right out here at the end, with her hand up to her mouth like this, you want to get over that diabetes and be made well? You believe that Jesus Christ will heal you? All right, then go home and be healed. Jesus Christ will make you well.

This man sitting here with high blood pressure, you believe that God will make you well, sir, sitting back there? You believe it? All right, stand up on your feet, this man right here with the red tie on. I don't know you. You're a stranger to me, but go home and be well. Christ makes you well.

Now do you believe, you people here for your first time? Here, which is the first lady? This young lady? Come here just a minute. Stand right there just a minute. Are you and I strangers to one another? God knows us both, and we're strangers. Now, here's a woman—here's my hand that I never seen her in my life, as I know of. So that you'll see that the infallible proof that Christ, the Holy Spirit, is here, see. . . . Now if the Holy Spirit will reveal to me. . . . If I'd say, “Lady, you're sick,” well, that's all true. You probably are sick. But if He would say to me . . . I'd say . . . come lay my hands on you, and I'd say, “God will heal you,” I'd lay my hands on you, you got a right to believe that. That's true. That's right. I'd say, “The Holy Spirit is here.” That's right. I believe that. But now if He would tell you something that you've done, or something like I talked about Him doing tonight in the Scripture, then you know it would have to be some power, because I don't know you. I never seen you. Would that be right, audience?

To you people that's never been in the meeting before, raise your hand if that would be right, you think that would be right.

Now, here's my hand—the lady don't know me, I don't know her. We're just standing here. This is just a picture of St. John 4, when you go home. Jesus and a... met a woman at the well, a Samaritan woman, and told her what was wrong with her. Anybody remember that? We had it in the message tonight. Here it is again, right here tonight, right here, the thing. The Holy Spirit... The woman, I don't know, she might not be a Christian. She might be sick, she might be in financial trouble. I do not know her. I never seen her in my life. But if something speaks to her, then you'll know it's some power. Now it's up to you to believe what it is. It's up to you.

Remember, if you doubt it, then keep it to yourself, because one word against it will never be forgiven, said Jesus, in this world nor the world to come.

I don't know that He'd say it, but if the Lord will, well, you'll know whether that's the truth or not. You'll know. Now, you are a Christian. I'm not saying that because you're standing there saying something with your lips, praying. I'm not saying it that way because it . . . you could be saying that and still be just putting it on. But you are a Christian. That's right. Because I know that your spirit feels welcome, and you're aware that something's going on right now—a real sweet, humble feeling. Between you and I stands that light, moving. Now, you want me to pray for you for a growth, and that growth is under your right arm. It's a knot, like. That's right. Do you believe God can tell me who you are? Mrs. Lindsay, you can go home and be made well. Jesus Christ...?...

Do you believe now with all your heart? Now, let's just all be praying, be in a mood of prayer. Come, sister. Now, you're aware that I know what was wrong [unclear words]. You believe God will make you well? God in heaven have mercy and heal the woman. You want me to say what's wrong with you? You want me to do it? It's a ladies' trouble, female trouble. That's right, isn't it? Now just go on your road believing.

Now come. O Lord, I pray that You'll help our dear brother and make him well as I lay hands on him.

Come, my brother. Father God, make our brother well, I pray, in Jesus' name. You believe that God will make you well now when we pray? Our Heavenly Father, I pray that You will heal him and make him well, in Jesus' name.

[Blank spot on tape] ...telling him what's wrong. The vision doesn't heal you. It's your faith in God that heals you. See, He's still here. He didn't just hit that one and leave.

Here, come here, sir. You believe if God can tell me what your trouble is, that you believe it would be God, would you, sir? Of course, now, what you want me to pray for is that growth on your face. That's what you're wanting for. Now wait just a minute and see if the Holy Spirit would say something else, see. Now just . . . of course you see the growth on his face. Just as soon as he stood here I seen that was what he wanted, see, the growth on his face. All right, sir. Yes, sir, that's what you're wanting prayed for, is the growth on your face.

You seem to be a nice man. Yes, a minister. That's right. You're not from here, either. You're from another country. It's a wooded country all around. You're from Arkansas, and you... you're praying for somebody in Arkansas. That person has a cancer. You was once healed with a cancer, and the cancer was on your neck, prayed for, and it dropped off. That's right. That's at Jonesboro. That's right. That's “thus saith the Lord.” That's true. You believe God can tell me who you are? Reverend Mr. Shepherd, that'll leave your face if you'll believe it. Go and have faith in God and believe with all your heart. God bless you. Have faith for it, that's all, ask God.

Just everybody be in prayer now, everybody praying for these sick people. What if it was your mother, and so forth, coming forth? I pray that you'll restore the sight to our brother, and let him be made well in Jesus' name. [unclear words] of God lay hands upon the woman. May she be healed in Jesus' name. [Blank.spot.on.tape]

The blinded eyes come open [unclear words]. Let's give God praise, everybody! Bring the little boy on. If you can only believe, all things are possible. You believe if I'd ask...?... you are, in Jesus' Name...?... God bless you, friend. Believe now.

Come, mother. God is a great God. Father, in Jesus' Name...?...

Come believing. How do you do, sister. You believe he will get well if I'll ask? Kind heavenly Father, I pray in Jesus' Name, if you can restore the sight to blind...?... I pray in Jesus' Name. Amen. Don't doubt...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape]

You believe, all of you, with all your heart?

Was she prayed for? That can be. . . . You believe God can tell me something else about you? You believe? Would that make you believe more? Because that's a serious thing, you got to have just a little boost of faith. Do you believe that He can tell me? That growth is what you want prayed for, of course. You have a weakness, and you're all nervous about something. It's about . . . yes, you've got a loved one you want prayed for. That was your husband. He was here in the meeting, and he had to leave to go home. That's right. You believe God can tell me who you are? Mrs. Austin. And you can go home and be well. Believe with all your heart. Don't doubt; have faith, believe. Everybody believe now with all your heart.

[Blank.spot.on.tape] pray that she'll receive her healing too as she passes through this line. May the curse leave her in Jesus' Name. Amen. All right. Now, believe.

That's right, brother. Go, believing...?... believing.

Come, sister. Just believe with all your heart. Now, our kind Heavenly Father, I pray that you'll bless our sister and make her well in Jesus' name. As you pass through the line, just like you're under the cross, believe that you're passing under the prayers of these people. Father, in Christ's name, may our sister be healed, or you'll die with that cancer. Do you believe that God will make you well? Now, it's a frightful thing, but the darkness has left you. Now it's gone from you now. If you'll believe, the cancer will never kill you. Go on your road. Come, sister. We plead for mercy for her. Amen.

I believe the woman... [Blank.spot.on.tape]

Are you... Is this...?... Excuse me, sir. I thought they was all over. I was coming down to the lady.

Sometimes those visions make me weak, and it's just pulling from the audience and everything so much. Do you believe? That's very fine. That's very fine. That's . . . your diabetes has bothered you quite a bit. You believe that Christ will heal you of that diabetes? You have a habit you've got to give up too—smoking cigarettes. That's right. And another thing, you need Jesus as your Saviour. It's dark around you. You're not a Christian. Will you accept Him now as your personal Saviour? You accept Him as your Saviour? All right, Mr. Perry—that's your name, Mr. Perry —you're saved now. Christ forgives your sins, heals your sickness. Go on your road and be healed in the name of Jesus Christ.

You believe with all your heart? Everybody believe? Now I wonder if them people that raised their hands a few minutes ago, do you believe that God hears prayer? Would you come here and stand right here just a minute? Would you want to make your way right down here, while in the presence of the Holy Spirit, that you'd like to come right down while we sing a song? All you that have need of Christ, would you come right here just a minute, that you want to accept Him as your personal Saviour? Come here in His presence. You'll never be any closer.

I tell you, friends, I hope you don't count me a fanatic. I'm telling you the truth, the Spirit of God is in the meeting now. You know it beyond any shadow of doubt. Now, while we sing a song (what are we going to sing?) “I Love Him,” while we sing “I Love Him,” from the balconies we'll wait for you. Come down here and stand here just for a little personal prayer if you will, right down here. Come, let the people know that you really believe Him, and you want to accept Him right in His presence now. Come right down and stand here in this pit with me, just a few moments. Will you do it now, while we sing “I Love Him.” All right.

I love Him, I love Him

(Will you come right on now,

you that raised your hands.)

Because He first loved me

(Come right out of the balconies.)

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

Friends, I want to ask you, do you ever think you'll be any closer than you are right now, until you see His visible form? He's here. I'm your brother. I'm just a man as you are, but just being able to submit myself to the Spirit and relax, He does those things. Now I'm real weak as you can see, the perspiration running from my hands [blank spot on tape].

. . . salvation on Calvary. Won't you come now?

I love Him, I love Him

Because He first loved me

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

The Lord who knows the secrets of your heart, to make the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, His loving presence is here. Won't you come out now, if you are backslidden or away from God, cold in your heart, want a new experience with God, won't you come forward? Or even if you haven't received His Holy Spirit, why don't you move up right now? Come up here.

[blank spot on tape] now I don't know the Scripture. Don't apply the miracles of Revelation 11 in the Gentile age. That's to the Jews, and one of these days God's going to let me go to Jerusalem. That's going to be it. Just remember, if you believe me to be God's servant, when the Jews receive Christ as Messiah, the Gentiles are finished. It's your hour, you better come. Won't once more, so I'll be sure that I won't have to answer on that day, once more.

I love Him (Minister brothers, come out

and come here, will you?)

I love Him, I love Him

Because He first loved me (That's right.)

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

[Brother Branham hums “I Love Him”] Oh, the presence of His being! Come right on down. That's it, sister. Come right on, brother dear.

On Calvary's tree.

Heavenly Father, we now bring to Thee in the name of Thy Son, the Lord Jesus, these penitent ones who stands facing the audience. They are sorry for their sins. They are the trophies of this meeting, the trophies of Thy grace and Thy presence. It is written in the Scripture that “No man can come to me except my Father draws him first.” And then it is also written, “All the Father has given me, will come to me.”

What a privileged people this is tonight, to know that God Almighty has drawed them to His Son Jesus. They are love gifts that God is giving to His Son, Christ Jesus. “No man can pluck them from my hand,” said Jesus. They are there, safely secured. They come upon the conviction of their spirit, Lord, the Holy Spirit bringing them into Your presence. They are convinced that they're wrong and they want eternal life.

You said as many as believe, they receive this eternal life, and you said that you'd raise them up at the last day.

And to think, that as the warm sun has begun to bathe the earth, the little hidden lives of those flowers laying in the dirt, that. . . . No scientist could ever find that germ of life, but it laid in the dust, and just the right atmosphere of that sun brought forth the little flower. They're coming everywhere. That's when the sun, the s-u-n that raises botany life, brought forth the flowers.

Someday the Son of God will come, and these people tonight who are standing here to receive eternal life—before this audience, before Your servants, these ministers—they're now standing here to accept eternal life. And someday they maybe go to the dust. There may be a casket that they lay in, a mud be poured over their bodies, a tombstone erected; but they cannot hide eternal life. When Jesus comes, they will come forth, because You promised it. We give them to you, Lord, and they're trophies. May they live a long life here on earth, full of joy and peace. May they find a good home, a good church home, and there remain faithful at the post of duty until death shall set them free from this earthly course. Grant it, Father. They're Yours, in Christ's name.

You that's standing around the altar, you that come up to repent, do you now believe and accept Jesus as your personal Saviour, believing that you . . . that all you can do is to be sorry for your sins? He that asks, receives. If you believe it, would you raise your hands, that you now will forsake your sins and accept Jesus as your Saviour. Raise up your hands, all along the altar. Wonderful! The Lord God bless you.

Now, minister brethren, I want you to come up around them where they are. Lay hands upon them, and we'll pray for them that they receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost right where they're standing. Come right up around them, each one of you, come up around, every one. You ministers here, gather up around and lay hands upon them, that they will receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Now the rest of the audience, bow your head in prayer while they are praying also. Brother DuPlessis, come here and lead this prayer, if you will, while we pray.