Why?

...standing just a moment for prayer. Let us bow our heads. Each that has a request, let it be known by lifting up your hand to God. Hold your request on your heart now as we pray.

Most gracious and holy God, we come into Thy divine presence now by the way of prayer, asking first that You forgive us of our trespasses as we forgive those that trespassed against us.

And there is many requests tonight, Father. You see their hands, and You know the desire of their hearts and what is in there. I'd ask, along with my hand up too, that Thou would give us the desire of our heart, and especially the healing of our bodies, and the joy of our salvation to be restored to us in such manifold blessings of God that we desire. And may it come upon us, Lord.

And we pray that You'll bless the ministers everywhere, all across the nation and the world. Tomorrow being the Sabbath, and there will be churches, and the doors open, and the people coming and going, and the ministers preaching and praying for the sick. O God, we pray that You'll anoint every one of Your servants tomorrow with great messages and hear their prayers for the sick and the needy. Save the lost. And get glory to Thyself, for we ask it in Jesus' name, Thy Son. Amen. You may be seated.

It's such a privilege to be back at the tabernacle tonight to continue on the second night ... or this, the third night of our gathering together. And we are sorry that we do not have the ample seating room to take care of those people who stand for hours, and we know their limbs ache. But I do pray with all my heart that the God of heaven will reward you for it in your.... And you standing and waiting the way you are, and many of you sitting here sick and needy.

Now, I just asked Billy Paul, my son, if Gene or any of them or himself give out prayer cards again; and he said they did not, because we're anticipating immediately after the service tonight a baptismal service. Down in the basement, I believe, is where the pool is.

I remember the last time I was here and they had a baptismal service. I believe they slipped me into some of Brother Lyle's coveralls. And he's a little taller than I am, so I had to roll them up at the bottom, and they stuck me down in this pool and got the water too hot; like to scalded me. But I did that what I thought was right and baptized all that I knew I could baptize.

Now, tomorrow.... I just learned from Brother Moore that I am to speak after Sunday school tomorrow morning, right after the Sunday school service.

Now, you here that have churches that you go to, we wouldn't want you to miss your own service. You stand at your post of duty. Always when your church has services, and you're here locally, why, it's your place to stay at your church, see. And if you have no church and would like to come, why, we appreciate it.

And then when we're praying for the sick, and if you have loved ones, I believe, if you'd just say to pastor, “Will it be all right for me to take Mama, Sonny, or somebody over to be prayed for?” I'm sure he'd say, “That's all right,” you see, if you're coming to have someone prayed for. But if you only would just believe it, your pastor has the same authority to pray for the sick as I do, see, or anyone else. You don't have to go to a special meeting to be healed. You don't even have to be prayed for. You just receive Him. That's all is necessary.

Last evening the Holy Spirit did something special. We didn't have any prayer cards, so He just went out through the building. Wasn't that a marvelous thing how He did that?

You see, divine healing does not lay in a man anyhow, see. It's in a finished work, your faith in a finished work. And a gift of healing is merely a gift of faith for healing, see. Now, a gift of healing does not have to even be a pastor. It can be a lay member. The laity can have this same thing, see.

I remember one time at Meridian, Mississippi, I believe it was. I was holding a meeting, and it was raining. I was there with a man named Brother.... He was one of the cooperating ministers or he was one that was sponsoring it through this other churches. Seems to me like his name was either Bigsby, or Busby, or something like that, down in Mississippi. Busby, that's probably who it was, a football player, used to be.

And it was in an auditorium, and there was a testimony came which was astounding, and the testimony was that.... I sent Billy down to give out prayer cards so that they won't have like an arena. It's a church, although it was a auditorium, but we're still.... It's church as long the church is meeting there. Wherever it is that's ... the people are the church, the called out.

And the testimony came in later, that there was a little lady sitting on the front seat, just a common little church girl that, (little mother).... And there was another lady walking back and forth with a baby. And the baby was wrapped up in a blanket, and it was raining. The little lady could have no place to sit down. It was just packed and jammed out into the streets, and the people standing with umbrellas.

And so this little lady sitting there, the Holy Spirit spoke to her (just a little member of the Body of Christ), and she said.... The Holy Spirit said to her, “Go, pray for that baby.” And when the lady turned, she was holding a prayer card in her hand.

“Oh,” she said, “Father, I cannot go pray for that baby. Brother Branham will pray for that baby tonight.” Like that had anything to do with it, but she said, “I just can't pray for that baby.”

And as she walked back and forth, it just kept getting on her heart more and more. “Go pray for that baby.”

And finally she said, “Perhaps maybe to get it off of my heart, I can just give the lady my seat anyhow,” because she looked like she was worn out, and said that the....

She said, “How do you do, Sister?” Said, “You look so tired with the baby and I'm not ... haven't got my baby, so would you just take my seat and sit down here?”

And she said, “Thank you, Sister. I don't want to take your seat.”

She said, “Yes, you must do it, because I see that you're tired and worn out.” Well, she sat down. She said, “Just before you sit down,” said, “I notice that you have a prayer card in your hand.”

Said, “Yes, the young man gave it to me a few moments ago as he went out the door.”

And said, “Well, Brother Branham is going to pray for your baby tonight.”

She said, “I hope so. I hope my number's called tonight.”

And she said, “Oh, I'll pray that Brother Branham will call your number tonight.” And then she said, “If I, being a Christian ... I just can't get it off my heart so if you will just excuse me, it would relieve my feelings if you would just let me say a little prayer for your baby.”

“Why,” she said, “Certainly, Darling. Go ahead and pray for the baby.”

And she held it out; and the little mother laid her hands upon the little baby crying, and said, “Lord, I do this, because to take it off my heart. I pray that You'll heal the baby when Your servant, Brother Branham, comes and prays for it. Let it be healed.” And she sat down, the other lady with the baby, and this lady goes and climbs a way up in the balcony. I believe it had two balconies, and she was in the top balcony.

About five minutes after that, I come in, and after I got through preaching I said, “I will call prayer cards number 25 to 50,” or something like that. You know the way I usually do, start along somewhere, where the cards are mixed up and just call a group out so that the people won't rally, “I got number 1 or number 2” or whatever it is.

And happened to be that this lady was about the third or fourth one in the line. Well, the little mother up in the building, you know, up in the top, she was so happy. She said, “Oh, thank you, Lord. Oh, I'm so glad for that little mother; that was on my heart so for that poor little sick baby.”

When the little baby got into the prayer line, come up close to where we were standing ... where I was standing, I looked at her. Now, we got it on the tape, you know, and said.... That's how I caught it, and it said, “Sister,” said, “your baby is suffering with a (I forget what it was, some kind of a disease or trouble.)” Said, “You've come from a certain place, and you are so-and-so, Mrs. certain name,” and said, “but your baby is already healed,” said, “because the Holy Spirit spoke to that little lady standing up there in the balcony. She's already prayed the prayer of faith for your baby,” see.

The compassion of that mother for the baby would've went far beyond what I'd have had for it. You see? So the gift of healing.... If God ever speaks to your heart to go pray for somebody, you do what God tells you to do. See, see? Always follow the Holy Spirit.

Last night speaking.... We believe that we are living in the last days (You believe that, don't you?) just ere the coming of the Lord Jesus. And then how that God in the beginning when Jesus came on earth, He said, “If I do not the works of my Father, then believe me not; but if I do the works of my Father, then believe the works.” If you couldn't believe Him as a man, why, believe the works that follows the man.

And we found out talking last night that God first revealed Himself in a pillar of fire. Then He revealed Himself in His Son. Now He reveals Himself in the church (See?), same God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit (See?) in the church. All right. God above us, God with us, God in us, is what it is.

Now, then we find out that when Jesus was on earth, He said, “I come from God, and I go to God.” That's right. Well, when He died, buried, resurrected, and ascended on high, we realize that God ... that the Logos, or the pillar of fire that followed the children of Israel through the wilderness, that was Christ. That was the anointing.

He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” I like that word, “I AM,” don't you? Not, “I was,” or “I will be.” “I AM.” You say the days of miracles is past, you make Him say, “I was.” But He didn't say that. “I AM. Before Abraham was, I AM.”

Now, we find out then that when He.... After His resurrection and ascension, He returned back to God that He was that led the children of Israel through the wilderness, and He was back a pillar of fire again.

Paul on his road down to Damascus, he was stricken down by a light, and none of the rest of them saw that light, but Paul saw it. And when he was stricken down, he heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why persecuteth thou me?”

He said, “Who are you, Lord?”

He said, “I'm Jesus.”

He came from God, and He went to God. We find out that in this last day the Holy Spirit has come back into the Pentecostal move. We have it's picture, the same pillar of fire. Now, that same pillar of fire that was then, that was manifested in human flesh and showed a Messiahic sign to the people.... Now, we know that the Messiah as we have studied, the sign of the Messiah, He was the God-Prophet.

That's what all true Israel looked for, was a prophet, because that God had said, “If there be one among you, who is spiritual or a prophet, I, the Lord, will make myself known to him, and if what he says comes to pass, hear him. I'm with him. If it doesn't, then don't hear him.”

And Moses said, “The Lord your God shall raise up a Prophet likened unto me.” And we find out that when Jesus came, that He done the sign of the prophet before a man named, let's say Simon Peter. His name was Simon then and He said....

As soon as he walked up to Him, He said, “Your name is Simon. You shall be called Peter. Your father was Jonas.”

Oh, that was perfectly that Prophet. And Nathanael saw it and ... or, Philip saw it and run told Nathanael, “Come, see who we've seen, or who we've found, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph.”

And he said, “Could there be anything good come...?”

He said, “Come, find out.” No doubt he told him the story about that as he crossed over.

Then Nathanael, being a staunch Hebrew and a believer, as soon as he walked into the prayer line, or the audience, wherever it was, well we find out that Jesus said, “Behold, an Israelite in whom there's no guile.”

He said, “Rabbi, when did You know me?”

He said, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the tree, I saw you.”

That did it. He said, “Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God, the King of Israel.”

Now, there's three races of people on earth. If you believe the Bible, there's only three races: Ham, Shem, and Japheth's people—Jew, Gentile and Samaritan. Peter with the keys at Pentecost opened it to the Jews. Philip went down and preached and baptized them down in Samaria. But Peter came down and laid hands on them, they received the Holy Ghost, and the house of Cornelius. He had the keys that opened it to these three people.

Now, there's two races of people looking for a Messiah to come: the Samaritan and the Jew. He only comes to those who look for Him. Is that right? Sun of righteousness.... Those who look for Him ... will appear in the end time, healing in His wings.

Now, notice. Now, when He made Hisself known to the Jews by His Messiahic sign.... He must pass by Samaria, He had need, though He was going to Jericho. And the woman come out. We know the story how He contacted her spirit first and begin to talk to her and said, “Bring me a drink.”

And the conversation.... They had segregation. She said, “It's not customary.”

And after a while He found what her trouble was. He said, “Go get your husband and come here.”

She said, “I have no husband.”

He ... she said, “Thou hast said well.” He said that to her. “For you've had five husbands, and the one you're living with now is not your husband; so you did well.”

She said, “Sir....”

Watch the difference between her and them priests, rabbis. They said, “He's Beelzebub,” when He did that, and they said....

He said, “That's unforgivable; to call the Spirit of God an unclean thing is blasphemy.” See?

But this woman knowed more about the ministry than lots of preachers know today. Although we think she was a harlot, but she said, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. We know that when the Messiah cometh, He will show these things.” She was taught, she knowed what she was looking for.

He said, “I'm He that speaks to you.”

Upon this she left her water-pot and run into the city and said, “Come, see a Man Who's told me the things that I've done. Isn't this the very Messiah? Isn't that what the Messiah is supposed to do?”

“Yes.” And the men believed Jesus because of the saying of the woman that Jesus was the Messiah, because He showed the Messiahic sign.

Now, not one time in Scriptures did He ever do it to the Gentiles. No.

But He said, “As it was in the days of Noah eating, drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage; and in the days of Lot....” Now we took it.... Notice. In the days of Lot there was three classes of people. There always is three classes. Everything's in a trinity and trinity by one.

Notice. There was.... In the days of Lot there was the unbeliever, the Sodomites. There was Lot, the lukewarm church and his family. There was Abraham, the called out, sitting out in the desert by a choice. Not because he had to, but by choice he took the way with the Lord's despised few.

When the angels came down and spoke to him, They were.... I believe it was a theophany; I truly do, because it was God. Two of them (a modern Billy Graham and so forth) went down into Sodom and preached to the Sodomites and to the lukewarm church. And they never done any miracles, only blinded them. And preaching the gospel blinds the unbeliever. We know that. Preaching of the Word blinds him that believeth not.

But watch the sign that this Angel done out there to the elect church. He had His back turned to the tent and was a stranger, and He said, “Abraham, where is your wife, Sarah?” Is that right? Told him he was married and his wife's name was Sarah. A stranger. And watch. The Bible specifically says, “She's in the tent behind You,” behind the man. God manifested in flesh, this man was. Abraham called Him Elohim, the Almighty, see. What He is going to do in the last days? “In the tent behind you.” What kind of a mind reading or mental telepathy is that?

And He said, “I am going to visit you.” Now, remember “I.” “I” was God that made the promise. This same man said, “I.” And “I” is a personal pronoun. All right. “I will visit you according to the time of life.” And Sarah laughed within herself in the tent, you know. And the Angel said, “Why did Sarah laugh?” Behind Him.... Sarah denied it. God would've struck her right there, but He couldn't, because she was part of Abraham.

Our sins would ruin us if we wasn't a part of Christ. He can't strike the church, because we're Christ's, see. Sarah and Abraham were one. Christ and His church is one. Our sins are covered by His blood, by His faith. Not ours we're trusting in, His finished works.

Now, remember, Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Sodom so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man.” Otherwise, a visitation of the same thing. Now, if God showed His sign at the end of the Jews and at the end of the Samaritan dispensation, and let the Gentiles get in just on common theology, He did wrong. He's infinite. His first decision how to do anything always remains the same. That's the way we have faith in His Word, because what He says He can't change it.

I can change mine, because I'm finite. He's infinite and cannot change His Word. Therefore when God says anything, lay your soul on it, because it's true. That's the only way you can ever have faith, is believe what He said. That's the only way you can please Him is to believe what He said.

And did you notice right now at the last hour, when we brought in where that this last great conference, where Khrushchev with five nations of the east; Eisenhower, the leader, five nations of the west represented; and the ten toes of the image; they would not mix. And Khrushchev took off his shoe and beat it. Spiritual mind would pick that up right quick (See?) on the desk, see. They will not mix.

Next thing is the coming of the stone that's hewed out of a mountain without hands, that'll roll into the Gentile kingdom. It'll be finished.

Just before that time, He's going to send this angel to what church? To Sodom? No. To the lukewarm? No. He sent it to the elected, called-out church. What kind of a sign did He show? The same thing that He did here last night: God, Elohim, manifested in the person of the Holy Ghost in His church. Oh, my. Why it ought to send us a million miles in the sky with shouts and praises of His glory.

These things was happening just before.... Not the water fell. He give the morals of the people which would be ... but in the Sodom, you remember, He left that alone. That's spiritual interpreted. We're at the end time, friends. Think of that tonight. If sin hangs on your life, think of it.

Tomorrow, if God is willing, I will send the boys over ... or tell from right here now to give out the prayer cards tomorrow evening about six o'clock, I think. Is that about right, Brother Moore? About six o'clock tomorrow evening.

Now, while we're here tonight, pray. Who knows what God will do? We don't know. He's God! And if God will do one thing supernatural to prove that He's here, infallible proof, then the only thing you have to do is say, “Yes, Lord. I believe it.”

South Africa where tens of thousands times thousands, were seated. One sign, and twenty-five thousand in wheelchairs, cots, and stretchers, seven big van-loads was picked up at one time. Thirty thousand raw heathens broke their idols on the ground and come to Jesus Christ.

Oh, my. We're so indoctrinated with everything, and so flusterated and afraid. Don't be afraid. The other night I preached on that, “Be Not Afraid. It is I.” The only thing that could help them.... They were dying, drowning; Satan was going to take them, and they thought He was a spook, a spirit. The only thing that could help them. And that's the way it is today.

The only thing that can deliver you from cancer, the only thing that can deliver you from heart trouble, (medicine has no remedies for that), the only thing that can help you is the thing that you're afraid of, afraid it's a spirit of some kind. It is a Spirit, a Holy Spirit, Christ made manifest in our lives. Believe Him now.

Now, tomorrow night we will pray for the sick. And tomorrow morning, if the Lord willing, if I'm to speak (Now this, if the will of the Lord), I wanted to speak on the subject after Sunday school, “It Wasn't So From The Beginning.”

Now, let us turn tonight to the book of Jeremiah, and I will just speak to you just a short time on a subject. Let's turn to Jeremiah and begin with the eighth chapter and the twentieth verse and read the twenty-second inclusive. And listen close to the reading. My words will fail. God's Words cannot fail. I'm a man. My words fail. God's cannot. They must be. The twentieth verse:

The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment has took hold on me.

Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

And if I should call it a text, I would like to take them little three word ... three lettered word, rather, “Why, why?” Let's pray once more, can we, just before we approach it?

Father, Thou art the stream of all our comfort; as blind Fanny Crosby said once, “More than life to me.” And we're sitting here tonight in this Life Tabernacle, a tabernacle that bears the name of Life. Not only does the name on the outside “Life Tabernacle,” but Lord, the people on the inside, we have eternal life, because we believe on Thee.

For it is so written in the Word, “He that heareth my words and believeth on Him that sent me has everlasting life, and shall not come into the judgment, but has passed from death unto life.” How we love these words, because they are life to us. Your Word is life. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.”

And it is so graciously written again in the book of Hebrews by Paul, we believe, the fourth chapter, that the Word of God (which is Christ) sharper than a two-edged sword, cutting to the asunder, even to the marrow of the bone, and (conjunction) a discerner of the thoughts of the mind. That the Word, the Word that is Spirit, the Holy Spirit, can discern the thoughts that's in our mind.

How we thank Thee for this, Lord: The Holy Spirit with His power to heal the sick, and to set the captive free, and to give deliverance to all who are in bondage. We pray tonight, Lord, that You'll liberate every soul from bondage.

Take the man or the woman that belongs to church and doesn't know You as their personal Saviour, may they receive You tonight as their Saviour, go back to their church tomorrow morning and take hold of the pastor's hands and say, “Pastor, I've been a member here for so many years or months (or whatever the case may be), but last night I truly surrendered my heart. I now am a Christian. Jesus is my Saviour. I found Him sweet and dear to my soul. I've passed from death unto life. My whole motive and my objectives are different now. I love Him, and I will be a better member of this church than I ever was before.” Grant it, Lord.

May many be filled with the Holy Spirit, the sick healed, God receive glory. Help us now as we meditate on the great word, question rather, “Why?” For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

Now, why? That's a question, and there's no one has a better right to ask it than God, and He asked it in the text tonight. If God makes a way of escape for His people, to escape a horrible thing, or sickness, or death, or the eternal death, and then the people fail to receive that, God asks, “Why? Why didn't you do it?”

Now, that's going to be a great thing on the day of judgment, when God is going to ask we, tonight that's assembled here, that will not accept Him as our Saviour and be filled with His Spirit, “Why didn't you do it? Why?” And we're going to have to give an answer to that. Just remember. We're going to answer for every word that God has written. Why didn't you? Why? And you'll have no excuses at that day. We will have to stand before God.

Now, just like the king of Israel when he was the son of Ahab and Jezebel.... He lived up in Samaria. He was a wicked man. He was like his papa ... or his mother. He worshipped his mother's god, Baalim. And one day while he was walking up on the porch, he fell through the lattice and hurt himself. He got sick, and then he called two of his footmen, soldiers, and sent them over to Ekron and asked to consult the prophets of Baal ... or Beelzebub, rather: “Was he going to get well or not?”

But you know you can't hide anything from God. Way down in the wilderness somewhere was an old preacher that knowed God. His name was Elijah. God reveals His secrets to His servants, and the Holy Spirit came to Elijah and said, “Go up and stand in the way and stop them.”

And Elijah took off up the hill on the road that passed over the mountain to the other city, and he stopped the soldiers in the road and said, “Go tell this king that he's not coming off of that bed.”

Why? Why would He send over to ask Beelzebub about anything? Is it because there is no God in Israel? Is it because there is no prophet down here? Is it because God has not made Hisself known in Israel? Is it because God has not provided a prophet to consult these things by? Then why would he send over there?

He wanted to know why, and when the men returned back and brought the message, the king said, “What sort of a man was this?”

He said, “He was hairy and had a piece of sheepskin, or leather wrapped around his loins; and the king knew that that was Elijah, the prophet who had the Word of the Lord.

It wasn't because there was no God in Israel. It wasn't because God didn't have a prophet for them to consult, but it was the king's own stubborn ways. He just didn't like Elijah. He didn't like him, because Elijah would always correct him in his sins, and a prophet of God is always truthful with the Bible, regardless of what it is. He's got God's Word, and he lays right with it. And it will stir up a man; and if the man is honest and sincerely, he will want to make that thing right. But if he doesn't, then he turns against the messenger, tries to drown the voice.

Sometime ago I read an article in a newspaper in Phoenix, and the paper said that there was a prospector killed because he had got some money and he was on his road in. And a foul man was following him and his dog raised up to bark, and the man was all day dreaming what he was going to do with the money when he got in, and he got his gun. He went to the door and shot the dog.

A little later on the outlaw came in and killed the prospector and took his money, many years ago. And it was confessed by the man before he died. What did the prospector do? He was so wrapped up in what he was going to do with his money, till he took his gun and stilled the voice that was trying to warn him.

That's the way men and women are doing today. They're going out, maybe join church to find out (if it just don't soothe them a little bit) and try to stop the voice of God that's trying to warn you of an oncoming judgment. Trying to say, “Why, it's fanaticism or it's something else.” Just won't sit still long enough to listen. No, it isn't because we haven't got a God. It isn't because He hasn't got salvation for us. It's because that we don't want to listen to Him.

Just like a man that goes ... that'll die with his disease on the doctor's doorstep. The doctor has a remedy to give the man for his disease, and he can help him with his medicine, but the man will not listen to it. He just refuses to take the doctor's medicine. Well, the man could be so close to the doctor till could ... he'd sit on his doorstep and die, die right on his office steps or live door neighbors to him, and die with the disease that the medicine is laying in the doctor's office to cure him with. Now, it isn't the doctor's fault. It isn't because there's no medicine there. It's because the man refuses to take the remedy. That's right. He dies because he refuses to take the remedy that the doctor has for his disease.

So is it in the church today. Men and women die in the pews in sin because they refuse the remedy. There is a balm in Gilead. There is a physician there, but people refuse to take the remedy. They don't want it. It's a dangerous thing to refuse a doctor's medicine. If you've got scarlet fever, or pneumonia, or whatever it is, and the doctor gives you the medicine, and you just pour it out, that's a dangerous thing (That's right), because you might die.

But how much more dangerous is it to pour out the balm of God, God's remedy. Make fun of it and call it fanaticism, blaspheme the Holy Ghost. There'll be no excuses when you're asked, “Why?” It's a dangerous thing to do that, dangerous to neglect your body. Well, the medicine, if the doctor's got it for your ailment.... More dangerous to neglect the balm for your soul, because God's got it.

Now, you can't lay it on say, “Well, it ain't.... It's the doctor's fault.” No. “They haven't got the medicine.” They got it. You can't say.... It isn't God's fault. It's your fault if you don't get it. It's here for you and an invitation to whosoever will: Methodist, Baptists, Presbyterian.

Pentecost is not an organization. I know they try to organize it, but you can't. Pentecost is an experience that goes to Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterian, Catholic, whosoever will let Him come. Black, white, yellow, brown, whoever he is. It's God's remedy. It's His balm for sin. There is a balm in Gilead. Some day we're going to ask why we didn't take it.

Now, sometimes in taking medicine.... Sometimes the medicine's not.... It's good. The Bible says it is. “A merry heart doeth good like medicine.” Notice, but sometimes medicine won't always work the same on the person, and you have to take a chance on that.

I was amazed here in Africa (if there might be a doctor near) how that God takes care of His people. A native told me that when they got a sore that wouldn't heal up, they would go out under an old wild orange tree and get an orange that was covered all over with mold and rub that mold in that sore. Penicillin. They knowed it hundreds of years ago, and we just found it out recently. Then we think they're dumb.

God takes care of His own. If we'd spend more time praying, there'd be more things done.

Now, we notice that sometimes we can give a patient penicillin for pneumonia, it'll kill the germ. And then sometimes we give it to another, and it kills the patient. You can't be too sure about it.

I was talking one time, making expression how that medicine did not heal; medicine is only an aid to nature—when I was interviewed at Mayo's. That's what they told me. Cut your hand. Medicine don't heal your hand. You put medicine on it to keep it clean while God heals it. God builds tissue. Medicine doesn't build tissue.

If I broke my arm and said, “Doctor, you're a healer, heal my arm”; he'd say, “Mr. Branham, you need mental healing.” That's right. The doctor can set my arm. That's what he does. He studies it how to put it together, but God has to heal it. That's right. Because He furnishes the calcium and the life that knits that bone together. God heals it. So Psalms 103:3 says, “I'm the Lord that heals all thy diseases.” That's correct. It's God. God heals every....

There never was a medicine that healed. Any medicine that'd heal a cut in my hand would heal a cut in my coat, as I've often said. You say, “Medicine wasn't made for your coat; it was made for your hand.” Let me cut my hand and die right here then. You sew my hand up, and take me down to the morgue, and embalm my body with a fluid that'll look natural for fifty years, and give me a shot of penicillin every day, and put salve on it; and in fifty years from now if my body was still there, the cut would be there too, for it won't heal my body. You say, “Life's gone out of it.” Then which one healed, medicine or life? Life. Tell me what life is, and I will tell you who God is. God is life, eternal life to help this life.

Someone said then, “What about penicillin? Shoot penicillin into you.”

I said, “Well, penicillin is just like rat poison. You got a house full of rats eating holes in the house. You put out some rat poison and kills the rats. It doesn't patch the holes. Penicillin kills the germ, but God has to heal the cells that's been damaged by it. So God is the healer. It's correct.

Some medicines will work on some people, where it will kill the next one. You can't be too sure about it, but I want to say one thing: God's balm for sin heals everyone. Whosoever will, there's ... whether he's ... what nature he is or no matter who it is, God's balm is the cure for sin, the double cure. I love that old song we used to sing, “Be for sin a double cure.” I love that.

Now, God's balm, there's no.... Don't have to worry about that, that'll take care of itself. I've often wondered.... And I've got many fine doctor friends, and they study the medical journals and so forth, and sometimes I get one to study. I like to think how God's doing in the medical profession.

You know how they find medicine? Well, science puts different chemicals together and tries it out; and after a while they got a formula built up; and that formula, they shoot it into a guinea pig. If the guinea pig survives it, they try you a round. Let's see how it'll work on you. They try it on a guinea pig, and if it works the guinea pig all right, then they'll try it on a human. Therefore all humans are not like guinea pigs. Therefore, so they kill some, makes the others well.

I've heard it said that, in the journal, that the heart trouble was number one killer in the nation. Not to be different, but not to disagree with those loyal men, but I'd say this. I differ this much. Heart trouble is not the number one killer. Sin killer is the number one killer. Sin! That's what kills soul and body. Sin, number one killer.

And you've heard the old expression, “I just can't keep from sinning. No one can keep from it. I've just got to smoke. I've just got to take a drink now and then. I've got to do these things.” You know why it is? Because they don't take God's remedy, His inoculation from it. God's got a balm that'll inoculate you. That's right.

They're afraid of it. They're afraid they'll do something unusual, afraid they'll get out of the regular routine, afraid the church won't agree with what they're doing, afraid their neighbors won't agree. What do you care about your neighbors as long as God agrees? As long as your experience agrees with God's Word, what about it? Stay with that.

Oh, it's the new birth. They're afraid of that. The new birth is like any other birth. It's a mess. I don't care what kind of a birth it is, it's a mess. If it's in a pigpen, or if it's in a barnyard, or in a pink decorated hospital room, it's a mess. So is the new birth a mess. It'll make you do things you didn't think you'd ever do, but out of that mess comes life. Hallelujah! That's it. Out of a mess comes life. Life comes out of a mess. Life comes out of death.

Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone. But as long as it dies and rots, then out of that rotten mess comes forth life. Until a man or a woman is ready to die to theirselves, die out to their creeds, die out to their own ideas, and out of that rotten mess bring forth a new birth of glories and shouts and praises of God that makes him act different, changes his nature, changes his life, changes his motives and changes his objectives....

But they're afraid of it, afraid it'll make them cry and ruin the make-up on their face, the women. Afraid it'll spoil the appetite of the cigar for the men, see. They're afraid of it. They don't want it, afraid somebody will call them holy-roller or a fanatic. If they'd called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call them of His disciples? Sure. If they didn't call me that, I'd get down and pray and say, “Lord, what's the matter with me?” The world knows its own, but you are bought with a price. You are a different people, a holy people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation; you are a kingdom.

Sometime ago I was going with my wife to the grocery and we found a surprise. We hadn't seen it in so long. Excuse me, sisters. There was a lady with a dress on. Hadn't seen it in so long. I said, “How do you know? If I had a camera, I'd take a picture. I ought to go shake her hand.”

And she said, “Billy, I want to ask you something. Them women, some of them, sing in choirs. They go to churches, and they say it's all right.”

I said, “But the Bible said that a woman that'll put on a garment pertains to a man, it's abomination in the sight of God.” Exactly what He said.

She said, “Well, why is it we do that and we believe that, we Pentecostals?”

I said, “Because we are not of their race. We're not in their kingdom. We are a different kingdom.”

“Oh,” she said, “We are Americans, aren't we?”

I said, “No.” I said, “We live in America. That's true, but we've been born.”

When I went into Finland, the brothers was all going to go down and take a sauna, one of the Finnish baths. I felt kind of funny. I didn't do it. Dr. Manninen said, “Come on, Brother Branham.” There was no soap, in them time right after the war....

I said, “Thank you. I don't believe I want to do it. I don't know why.” Brother Jack laughing, because he was there. Well, the brethren all went up there and went in a room, and I don't know why I didn't want to, but I just sat out there. Here come a little blonde-headed woman along with a big bunch of towels, going right in that room where those men was undressed. I said, “Hey [there, Lady]. Stop.”

She looked around and waved at me and walked on in. Here come about a dozen more taking those men out there and giving them a bath. After it was over, I said, “Dr. Manninen, that isn't right.”

Said, “No more than your American nurses do. They're trained from baby-hood to be scrub women.”

I said, “Anyhow, it's not right. It isn't right. God put clothes on people and separated them from that. It's not right.”

We go into Germany, we find people with a German spirit. Finland, we find people with a Finnish spirit. To my surprise, at San Angelo in Rome, (as low as that goes), there was a sign to the American women to please put on clothes in honor of the dead.

Used to be France led the fashions; we do now. They come over here to find out how these women are dressing. They're far beyond them. Oh, it's a shame. It's a disgrace. It's not because the Word hasn't been preached. God's got somebody that won't compromise with sin. There's the doctors, and there's balm. You receive the Holy Ghost, you'll dress different. You'll act different. You'll be different. You'll live different.

Because you refused the remedy, that's all. You refused the remedy, afraid of the new birth.

The wife said, “Well, what kind of a kingdom do we belong to.”

I said, “Each man in his own domain, in his kingdom, he acts that way. The people out there, Germans act like Germans. Swiss act like Swiss. French act like French, and Americans act like Americans.”

“Well,” said, “aren't we Americans?”

I said, “Potentially, yes. We live here, but when we're born from above, we have a Spirit that come from a holy place, where people are holy and a holy God, a holy Saviour; and you are a royal priesthood, a holy people. You are bought with a price. You're sure.... You're an alien.”

I wished I could sing this old song:

We're pilgrims and we're

strangers here,

We're seeking a city to come,

The lifeboat soon is coming,

To gather the Jewels home.

Oh, I love that. Pilgrims. Abraham, and Isaac, Jacob was seeking a city to come, confessing that they were pilgrims and strangers, but they were looking for a city whose builder and maker is God. They'd tasted of the heavenlies, and a man that's been born of the Holy Spirit is no more of this world. He's seeking a city and a kingdom where holiness reigns, where God lives, seeking a city to come.

Afraid of the new birth. It only makes you a different person. If you're not a different person, then you're not converted. You might be converted into a denomination. You might be converted into a different atmosphere or something. But when you're converted to God, then you live holy.

I believe in holiness. I can prove to you by the Bible—and I don't care what you do—you cannot offer God a gift without holy hands; He won't receive it.

The gifts in the Old Testament had to be sanctified at the altar. The priest, before he could go in to offer it, had to be anointed and sanctified, or the gift was refused. God will not accept the gift by unholy hands. That's right. It must come through holy hands or He won't accept it.

Afraid of the new birth. What makes it? Because it's kind of messy to them, but it brings forth new life. I'm so glad.

You know there was a time when there wasn't any toxin on the earth for smallpox. Many died with smallpox because there was no toxin. Diphtheria, no toxin, but now you can get inoculated from that. When an epidemic breaks out in the city, quickly you go down and get a smallpox vaccination or a diphtheria shot. They got toxin. I'm thankful for that. I'm glad of that. I'm glad we got it. And the Salk vaccine for little children, I thank the Lord for that. Pray that He will give us more and more.

I believe if we just warm up to God, there's things here for us. We was made out of the earth, you know. If we just warm up to Him, and pray to Him, and quit our wickedness and things, all these things would be found. That's right, but for you who believe, He's got a remedy beyond that. Certainly He has. Now, it's all made and ready for you.

There was a time when the toxin, there wasn't any; and many people died from the diseases. But now you can be inoculated. There was a time when God's balm wasn't perfect, because it was drawn from the veins of animals, and it only covered sin. It didn't divorce it, but there's no excuse now. God one day made a toxin.

I'm going to say something. He didn't try it on a guinea pig either. He gave it to His Son. He inoculated Him at the Jordan when the Holy Ghost came down upon Him. Every eye watched Him as He lived. He lived the life of God. He looked like God. He acted like God. He lived like God. He prayed like God. He healed like God. He raised the dead like God. He was God. God was.... He was inoculated from the things of the world, and they watched Him. In the hour of His death, the inoculation held.

When they knowed He was that Prophet, and a Roman soldier put a rag around his head and closed his eyes, and took a stick and hit Him on the head and said, “Now, if you be a prophet, tell us who hit you and we'll believe you.” The inoculation held.

He don't mind the devil. “I do what the Father shows me. I only do what the Father shows me to do.” Proved that the inoculation held.

When men, they reached over and got his face and jerked out big handfuls of beard, hawked, the big drunken spit and put it in His face, the inoculation held. When His own children cried for His blood, the inoculation held. What did He say? “Father, forgive them. They know not what they do.”

When He was riled upon, He riled not back. The inoculation held. All hell was looking to see if that would hold. He was making a way for you and I, making an example.

When He died at the cross, the inoculation held. On Easter morning (Hallelujah!), it proved it was so. The inoculation.... Death couldn't hold it. Life and death can't exist in the same place. He rose up on the third day. The inoculation held. And as He ascended on high, people begin to long. They wanted the inoculation, for there'd finally.... There had been a serum. There'd been a serum given by God that would raise up the dead from the grave, and they wanted inoculation.

When I first heard of it, I wanted it too. I'm so glad that we still have plenty of it: inoculation from sin. And when all....

There was a hundred and twenty become patients right away, for they seen it would hold in temptation. “I could speak to my Father, and straightway He'd send me twenty legions of the angels.” He could've done it, but you know like I preached here to you one time, “The Lamb and the Dove.” You remember it. The dove only had ... he led the lamb. The lamb can't lead himself. The dove led him and the lamb has one thing: that's wool. But he forfeits that willfully, the only thing He's got.

People say.... A lot of times women say to me, “Brother Branham, that's my American privilege if I want to dress the way I want to dress.” That's right.

Men say, “If I want to take a sociable drink, they sell it out there, there's no law against it. That's my American privilege.” That's right. But as a Christian you'll forfeit your American rights if you're a lamb. If you're a goat, you won't. But if you're a lamb, you'll forfeit your rights because you're of another kingdom. The dove is leading you.

They seen it held in the hour of temptation. It held in the hour of death, and when He was in the grave three days and nights, the inoculation held. On Easter morning an angel rolled the stone away, and the Son of God rose again, and He ascended on high.

He said, “Now, if you all want to be inoculated, go up there and wait in the city of Jerusalem. I will send the serum right back from headquarters.”

Oh, I'm so glad. Oh, that great inoculation, what would you give for it if it was in a doctor's office tonight? You'd go down and say, “Doctor, give me this shot, and after I live an ordinary life and die and all that....” First thing you know one morning, going to raise back again to a new life and never die with that one. “Give me a shot, Doc.” Wouldn't it be worth some money? But it's free tonight. You don't have to buy it. It's already paid for. There's balm in Gilead. Excuse me. I get beside myself when I think about it.

These people, when they become inoculated, they act funny. Usually they do when something happens substantially. Makes them become funny when they take this shot. Strange thing of it was, they all got drunk, look like, or they thought they were drunk. They were dancing and acting like a bunch of drunk people, and the people that wasn't inoculated said, “These men are full of new wine.”

Men and women, listen my Catholic friend. The virgin Mary was in there, and if the virgin Mary, the mother of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, had to go up to Pentecost and get so full of the inoculation of God's Spirit till she acted like a drunk woman, how are you going to get in it anything less than that? Just think that over. How are you going to make it? No matter what church you belong to. She belonged to a holy church too, but she had to get inoculated. That's the only thing that would raise up. There had to come life in. She became inoculated.

Now, when they got this inoculation, they went out into the streets and begin to act real strange—dancing, screaming, running around. People no doubt laughed and said, “They look like they're having a fit.” But they were branded.

I remember when I used to ride on the range. Out in Colorado we had cattle. Hereford Association grazed the Troublesome River Valley. Every spring we'd have to bring ... brand these calves. And when we went to branding calves, sometimes they'd get pretty good size cow before ... a yearling before he'd get branded. Maybe had to throw him down, take this hot branding iron and stick on him. The fur would burn, and oh, my. When they'd turn him loose, he had a running fit; but, brother, he was yours. He was branded. It hurt a little bit, but we knowed where he belonged after that. It might hurt your pride and burn a little of your ecclesiastical fur off, but you'll know where you belong from then on. Inoculation, certainly.

They was inoculated. They were doing something. They begin to speak with other tongues. Those men said, “Now, what meaneth all of this? Well, we hear them people, they're all Galileans. And why do we hear them speaking in our own tongue wherein we were born? That must be the wonderful works of God.”

And then there was a little fellow stood on a stump there and begin to preach to them. They had plenty of.... They said, “Can we get this inoculation? We'd like to have this. What can we do to be inoculated?”

Now, the new serum had just been poured out, so they had plenty of balm, and they had a doctor there. His name was Dr. Simon Peter. That ought to make some of you clergymen feel real good. Dr. Simon Peter, he spoke for the serum. They said, “What can we do to be inoculated?”

He said, “I will write you a prescription.” He said, “Repent every one of you and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall be inoculated.” That's right. He said, “Besides all of that, I'm going to make this a lifelong prescription. This prescription can't be fooled with no more. Don't nobody else try to write one like it. Keep this prescription, because it's for you and to your children, and to them that's afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” This same prescription's good for them. That's the inoculation.

If a doctor goes and writes a prescription, a real good doctor, he knows just how much of certain things to put in there. One has to upset the other one. If it don't.... If you go to putting some more in, or adding something to it, or taking some away from it, you'll kill your patient. Some quack druggist add something to it or take something away from it, might kill the patient.

That's what's the matter with our church move today, the reason we got so many old dead churches. They've tried to fool with that prescription. It's God's prescription. There is a balm in Gilead, and there's a physician there. Don't fool with the prescription.

Shake somebody's hands and take them into fellowship. That don't take the repentance. No, sir. Sprinkle somebody with a salt shake full of water, don't take the place of water baptism. Quit fooling with the prescription. There is a balm in Gilead. There is a physician there.

Now, what are you waiting on? Why are you going to turn the prescription down? The doctor's here: the Holy Spirit. He was the one who wrote the prescription. They used it all through the Testament, on down for three hundred years or more, unto the Nicene Council. Then they begin to get men into it, and begin to meddle here, and sprinkle and pour, and all other kind of forms and things. But back to the original prescription! There's the prescription. The reason people's so full of sin, they don't take God's prescription. They join church instead of being born into it, try to take something else besides Acts 2:38. That's God's prescription.

“Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there?” Yes, there's balm in Gilead. Yes, there's physicians there. Plenty of them. Sure. Tell you the truth about it. “Then why is the daughter of my people, the daughter, the little church on this day....” The prophecy goes to this time. “Why is the daughter of my people then, the daughter of my people, which was back in the beginning, who use this same prescription, why is the daughter of my people still sick? Why? Is there nobody to tell you the truth?” Sure. Is there no balm there, still the Holy Ghost? There's hundreds sitting right here tonight can prove the Holy Ghost is right. Sure there is.

Then, brother, if you haven't been inoculated from sin yet, take God's prescription, and there is a balm in Gilead, and there's a physician there. There's a tank of water downstairs and a altar here.

Let's bow our heads. Lord, You have been God of old. You're God and change not. If You ever write a prescription, You great physician, it cannot be changed. We remember the prescription that You wrote and said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name they shall cast out devils, speak with new tongues, take up serpents or drink deadly things, would not harm them. If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover.” Your last words to Your church....

Immediately after that, You spoke to the apostle Peter in the form of the Holy Spirit when it had been just first poured out. I called him a doctor tonight, Lord, just to make a point. It was the Holy Spirit, the inspiration, the knowledge that the Holy Spirit had wrote the formula, and we thank Thee for this.

There's people here, perhaps, in our audience that's never accepted this formula. They might belong to church or something, but as far as receiving the Holy Spirit and being inoculated—a Spirit in there that takes their old nature out, puts the new nature in—they've never did that yet. I pray Thee, Father, that tonight that they will receive it, that the sinners will come to You, and will receive You as their personal Saviour, be filled with the Holy Spirit. Grant, Lord, that those who goes into the water, not one of them will go into the water tonight without coming out with the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

May this be a memorial night that'll be remembered a long time because of Your presence and You, the great doctor, here to perform everything that You promised, giving life to those who are dying, healing sickness to those who our beloved doctors cannot touch: heart, cancer, blind, deaf, dumb, paralyzed. Something that You've not put into their hearts yet or in their minds what to take away that. Maybe there is nothing left but just the blood. But we know, Lord, that that inoculation there cures all. We thank Thee for it, Father. Pray now that You'll get glory out of the service. We ask it in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

I love Him, I love Him

Because He first loved me

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

Don't the old-fashioned gospel just scour you out? Feel clean? Let's just bow our heads reverently. Now, let's sing it slowly and softly now with a worship in our hearts to God.

I love Him, I love Him

Because He first loved me

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

Let's just hum it. [Brother Branham hums.] I wonder with our heads bowed as the music sweetly plays on, the girls if they will. Would there be in Divine Presence some sinner that would say, “I want to love Him, Brother Branham. Truly I do. I've always wanted to. I wished I had the courage tonight to receive Him as my personal Saviour.” Would you just raise your head ... or hand, rather, while nobody's looking? Way up in the balcony, way back in there. I believe I see some colored people back in there, way upstairs. Raise up your hand now. God bless you. God bless you.

God bless you. I see your hand. God bless you. “Oh, Brother Branham, if I could just be sure that Jesus is here. I believe you told the truth. I believe He did say that. 'The Works that I do shall you do also.' And you tell us that we're at the end of the road.”

Back over here in the wing to my right, raise up your hands. God bless you. God bless you. That's right. Way back in there. That's good. “I believe, Brother Branham, that it's true, yet I have never had just anything I could put my hands on to say it's supernatural. I've heard great messages on the Bible, but I never did see the Holy Spirit come and do anything. And especially when you were talking tonight, that that was the Messiah. And He showed a Messiahic sign, and you said He showed it to this generation; and He promised He would do it.... Like it was just at the days before the burning of the earth in Sodom, He would show that same sign. He'd work in human flesh and do that same thing just before the burning of the earth.”

“If I could see Him, something I could lay my hands on to know that Christ is right here, I'd receive Him as my personal Saviour.” Would there be another that hasn't raised their hand, raise your hand? I can't see too good in the balcony way up there. Seems like.... Yeah, I see the hands, the colored people. God bless you up there. Yes. Down in the lower floors here anywhere.... Standing in the galleys back there, back in the.... Round back in the wings somewhere, anywhere.... God bless you here, brother. God bless you. God bless you, little man. Bless you.

Our heavenly Father, now that the time has come that I have spoke of You, telling that You're the great physician, and You have the inoculating power to do things, that You are not dead, that You died truly, but You rose up again the third day, and You're alive forevermore.

And You commended ... or commissioned Your church to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature that would believe; and he that did believe and was baptized would be saved. And You said, “The works that I do shall you also.” And the way that You made Yourself known to the Jews and to the Samaritans....

Now, Lord, the Gentile church has had two thousand years of theology. They've never seen that until this age. The prophet said, “It'll be light in the evening.” We know that the sun rises, geographically, in the east and sets in the west. The same sun that rises in the east is the same sun that sets in the west.

The prophet said, “There'd be a day that would not be day nor night, a dismal day, just enough light to join church and a few things like that. But in the evening time, the evening lights would shine.”

You rose on the eastern people to the Jews, the Samaritans, shined that light upon them. Now, we've had this long two thousand years, the day of dismal wars and troubles; but the evening lights has begin to shine, the same Son of God with His same power, showing His same signs just as the sun is going down at the western horizon. We cannot go no farther, Lord. We're at the west coast. It'd be back east again. Lord, shine on us tonight. Show us Thy presence if it pleases Thee.

I ask that You will grant that the messenger of the covenant that met Abraham there before the burning of Sodom, when He had His back turned to the tent.... And the spirit that was within Him, who Abraham recognized to be God Almighty, the great El—Elo—Elohim, the self-existing one, manifested in a body of flesh that eat a calf, eat butter and milk and corn bread, and then vanished right in the sight of Abraham: Elohim.

When He was manifested in flesh by a virgin birth, promised that in the last days this sign would happen just before His return to the Gentiles. Here we are, Lord. You keep Your Word. I've told this people that they were saved when Jesus died for them. They were healed when Jesus died for them. Confirm Your Word.

If You will just do it tonight, Lord, the people will realize that You're here. You could not heal them, because You've already done it. It remains their faith to manifest it. Will you come tonight, Lord, and prove Your presence, if we, Your humble servant has found grace in Your sight?

If Thou would anoint me, Your servant, Lord, You'd have to anoint Your audience too, because it has to be through both. For we realize that when You were here on earth, when You went to Your own people, it said, “Many mighty works He could not do because of their unbelief.” So is it tonight.

Here, Father, we commit ourselves to Thee and humbly wait that You'll manifest Your grace and love to us. Then we will ask the sinners to come forward to receive the prescription. In Jesus' name we ask it. Amen.

Before God, the holy angels, I say I will go forward in spirit to challenge the enemy that is unseen among us; that is sickness, diseases. They are devils like cancer. Cancer is the medical word, I think, “crab,” you know, the sea animal, legs, but he has a life. A cancer is a cell, a wild cell, as I understand it (I'm not a doctor) ... but a multiplication of cells. So are you a multiplication of cells. Your life come through holy wedlock by the will of God, but where did this cancer come from to take your life? He's a devil.

Jesus said, “When the deaf and dumb spirit went out of the man (deaf and dumb spirit), he could speak,” see. Spirit. That poor brother might have went to a good doctor and he looked him over. He said, “Yes, sir. I find it. You got a dead nerve in your ear and that's what makes you deaf.” Now, why wasn't he dead nerved all over, see. It's like an unseen force gripping him. Something the doctor can work on, he can see with his hands.... He's got two senses that he works with: that's what he can see with his eyes, what he can feel with his hands. See, taste, feel, smell and hear is the five senses of the body.

Now, if he could see it, if he could work on it.... But see this thing has got that nerve killed; he can't see it, like a transparent band or something. Now, it's a deaf spirit. Take that off of there, nature will actually revive itself.

Just like a stalk of corn, this flower growing up. If it's laid on a clod and twisted over, just remove the clod, it'll grow back right. You have to have.... You have to find causes before you find cures.

If you go into a doctor's office and tell him, “I'm sick at my stomach,” and he gives you some aspirin and sends you home, he's either too busy to fool with you or don't care. A good doctor will take you in. It'll cost you a little more, but he will examine you till he finds the cause, and then go to working there.

Now, not as a medical doctor, but as a servant of Christ, I know the cause. It's sin. What is sin? “Brother Branham, I don't sin.” Unbelief is sin. “He that believeth not is condemned already.” Unbelief is the only sin there is. He that believeth not is condemned.

Lying, stealing, committing adultery, that's not sin. That's the attributes of unbelief (That's right), attributes of unbelief. If you believed, you wouldn't do those things.

Now, the Holy Spirit promised to come in the last days and show to the Gentile race that He was Messiah, that it would be.... God was above us in the Fatherhood, God with us in the Sonship, now God the Holy Ghost in us. You know that. “A little while and the world seeth me no more, yet ye shall see me, for I will be with you, even in you to the end of the consummation.” How long? To the end; the world ends, He will still be there in you. God in you.

Now, if the Holy Spirit.... If this is the Holy Spirit, and this angel of God that they ... science took the picture of, hangs in Washington, D.C., copyrighted, the only supernatural being that's ever photographed. I say to you in Christ's name, it ain't two feet from where I'm standing right now. That's right. That's right. That's the reason I'm saying what I'm saying. He's here.

There isn't a person I'm looking at in this building that I know. Yes, I do. I know this Brother Ed Daulton, this Baptist preacher brother sitting right over here from up in Kentucky, and them two boys sitting by him. Outside of that I don't see one soul that I know.

How many in here's sick and needs Christ for your healing, physical, or for some loved one, or something that you need of Christ; and you know I don't know you, know not what you're wanting? Raise up your hand. All right. Just have faith. Then in your faith believe God with all your heart.

Now, be real reverent. And then.... Now, just take your time, and don't be nervous. Then when you do believe that and to.... I will quote a Scripture out of the book of Hebrews as soon as I make this quotation.

Jesus of Nazareth, our Lord and Saviour, was on His road to raise up a little dead girl of a priest, and there was a woman who had a blood issue. She had tried to be healed through the physicians; and they'd tried hard to heal the woman, but they couldn't do it. She had an issue of blood, perhaps menopause or something; it couldn't stop. I can see the little pale thing; she said within her heart, “If I can only touch that man's garment, I will be made whole.” Do you remember the story?

And she touched His garment, and He said, “Who touched me?”

And Peter rebuked Him, saying, “Everybody's touching you. Why'd You say such a thing?”

He said, “But I got weak, virtue has gone from me,” strength.

Now, you say, “Oh, I'm sick tonight, Brother Branham. If Jesus is here, I'd touch Him right now.” Would you do it? Sure you would. All right. I want to tell you He's here, see.

Now, if He was standing here wearing this suit that He gave me, if you'd walk up and say, “Lord Jesus, will You heal me?”

He would say, “I have already done it. Do you believe?” That's where.... “According to your faith be it unto you,” He said, see. It's already finished when He died at Calvary, but He can make Hisself present here to show that He is alive and not dead. He promised that. That's our consolation.

Aren't you happy in these dark hours when the world and nobody knows what to do? Yet we know where we're standing. We know, see. He's here. We believe Him. Here He is, and scientific proved that He's here by their pictures and things. The church in the millions around the world sees His power, see it working, and there's....

Remember, there's something great that's fixing to happen. It ain't the hour yet. Something will take place, and you'll know one of these days, before long now. Don't let it be too late. You remember, lot of times these things pass over, and you don't know it. The Catholic church didn't know when they burned Joan of Arc for a witch that she was a saint. Didn't know Saint Patrick the same way. They didn't know Jesus was the Son of God till He was dead, buried, and rose again. They realized what they'd done. Don't turn this Holy Spirit away, for someday you'll realize what you've done, see. Don't let it be like that.

Now, He's here, and the Bible says if you want to touch Him.... Hebrews.... Any of the clergymen around knows this. The Bible says that He is right now a High Priest sitting at the right hand of the majesty of God, that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities. Is that right?

Does Hebrews 13:8 say He is the same yesterday, today, and forever? If He is the same High Priest, if you'd touch Him, He'd act the same way. Is that right? Same thing He did down there when that woman touched Him, He'd do the same thing, because He promised He would do it, according to what He did then when He was talking to Abraham, see.

Do you believe it with all your heart? May the Holy Spirit come by Divine gift, not nothing within myself.... Just like this microphone. It's a mute unless.... It's a dumb mute without something making the noise on this side of it. So am I a dumb mute; without something speaking through me, I don't know you. You touch Him, and when you do that, you set something afire that sends the Holy Spirit down.

If I can release myself and humble myself to get my own thoughts out of the way, your faith in God will turn Him around; and He will use this Holy Spirit in me to do the same thing He did to the woman that touched His garment. You won't have to have your prayer card and come up here, because you haven't any prayer cards anyhow, see. We're going to give them out tomorrow. Just have faith.

Now, listen. Don't no one disturb, make any noise. Just believe and pray now for a moment. As I turn my back, see if we're at the end of the road. God, it's to Your honor and glory we ask it.

Almighty and all faithful God, who keeps Thy Word in every generation, never failing but always there to prove Yourself alive. One day coming home from the resurrection, many did not believe on You, and there was one named Cleopas and his friend was on their road down to Emmaus. And when they walked with You all day, and You'd talked with them, yet they did not recognize You until You got them in the room, shut in.

There's many here tonight, Lord, that's walked with You through the years, and still they don't realize how You kept them from accidents and the different things that's happened, let them be alive to be here tonight. And while we're shut in like Cleopas and his friend was, do something like You did then. When You did something just like You did it before You were crucified, they knowed that You were the same Jesus, for no one done it that way but You. And they run quickly and told others, “Truly the Lord has risen.”

Now, Father, do tonight in this audience like You did in the days when You were here on earth, because it's just exactly with Your promise. Speak, O God, while we humble ourselves and submit our lives into Thy hands. If You'll only do it once, Lord, once more, then the people here will be asked for a reason why they didn't follow the prescription of the Bible, for they see that truly God is working through His church and through His people. May I humbly ask this, our kind, loving Saviour? In the name of Jesus Christ, I ask it. Amen.

All right. You can raise your head. I'm looking right down this way at a woman that's got her head up praying. I do not know her, I've never seen her in my life, but right over her hangs that light, the pillar of fire. And I'm watching it as it's moving. The woman was praying for me to turn and call her, and she's suffering with a rectal trouble. If you believe with all your heart, you may be healed.

Little lady is from.... She might know who it is. She's from Fort Smith, Arkansas. Stand up to your feet, little lady, with the little shawl on your back there. Your rectal trouble has left you—hemorrhoids by name. Now, I solemnly hold my hands. I never seen the woman in my life to know. You don't have a prayer card, do you? Because there's no prayer cards. I do not know you. If that's true? We're strangers. Raise up your hands so the people might see. I never.... Is what He told you, was it the truth? Wave your hand if it's the truth.

I want to ask the audience something. Who did the woman touch? She raises her hands; she's never saw me, and I've never saw her. And yet the Spirit of God is here to go back to her, the same one. She had faith like the woman that touched the hem of His garment. She never touched me; look how far she is from me. She touched the High Priest. That proves that He's here.

The lady sitting right behind there on the end, the little feathered hat, she's praying too. Do you believe me to be His prophet? You're suffering in the back from an accident, a wreck. That is right. Besides that, you have arthritis. That's correct. Complications.... You have a loved one that you're praying for. A son, nervous break. You have a husband you're praying for. He's an alcoholic. That's “Thus saith the Lord God.”

Do you accept Jesus Christ now? If those things are true, raise up your hand so the people will see. If I do not know you and you don't know me, wave your hands. I know it. Do you believe with all your heart now? Then go receive what you've asked for. Here she is. If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believes. If you believe.... You have to believe first.

See, now, see.... Only way I will ever know what I've said to the woman is on the tape. That wasn't me talking; that was Him. But there's something still hanging with the woman. She's wondering. Oh, it's a her ... a boy, nervously. No. Here it is. It's an evil spirit that caused the boy to have a breakdown, and it's on this fellow over here. He's just had a breakdown too. He's from Georgia. He's a minister. Rev. Farrell, your breakdown is over, sir. Your nervousness is gone. Jesus Christ makes you well.

Now, to this man, I never seen him in my life. We're totally strangers to one another. Ask him. Was those things true, sir? Wave your hand if that's true. Ever what He told you was the truth? I do not know you. No, sir. Now, who's here that knows him? Christ, is that right? Say, the man sitting by you there, also, that you might believe and know that I am His servant, not me.... You're praying for your wife also from Georgia. Have a good courage; it'll be all right, if thou believes, if you can believe. Do you believe? If thou canst believe, all things are possible.

Little lady sitting here praying with a spinal condition in the neck right over here. You're from Baton Rouge, Miss Hauntz. Stand up. Receive your healing. I don't know the woman, never seen her in my life. We're total strangers. If we're strangers, wave your hand, sister, so that they'll know. You have faith and believe.

There's that Angel standing right back here. See that light? Can't you see that? It's a woman's got a spiritual problem. Mrs. Hanes, her name. Mrs. Hanes, you believe with all your heart. He will be all right. You accept it now? I don't know you. I've never seen you.

A lady sitting by you there praying also. She has a bowel trouble. Do you believe God can tell me who you are, lady? Miss Jackson, you believe with all your heart. I challenge your faith.

Here if you people up in the audience back there in the back.... Can you hear me, you colored people? Raise up your hands. Way up. Third from the end out here, that colored lady's suffering with a kidney trouble. The one sitting next to her suffering with kidney trouble also. You accept your healing? Raise up your hands if you accept your healing. All right. Go home. Christ makes you well.

Have faith and believe. Don't doubt. God is here. You people in those chairs and things, I can't heal you. I can tell you what's wrong with you if you'll believe it: spastic, polio; it's right in your back. If you'd believe with all heart, you could move your chair, and go home, and be well if you believe it. But you have to believe it with all your heart.

Who is this laying here on a cot? That man? Yes. That's caused from an operation, run him blind. That's true. Tumor operation on the brain paralyzed him, made him in that condition. I can't heal, but the Holy Spirit is here. Do you believe the angel of the Lord is in the midst of the people? Do you accept Him as your healer?

Our heavenly Father, as I ask these people to lay their hands on each other and pray, I ask that You'll confirm Your Word further to say this: You said, “These signs shall follow them that believe. If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover.” I pray Thee, Father, just now while Your divine presence is with us, may each and every person that's in divine presence as I feel myself weakening, may You, Father, heal everyone of them. Let them know that it is Thee. “Be not afraid; it is I,” saith the Holy Spirit, the only resource of help in the time of trouble.

Come, everyone, receive the balm of Gilead. Be inoculated from all fears and doubts. Receive the Lord as your healer and Saviour. In Jesus Christ's name I ask it. Amen.

I charge every man in here, and every woman, boy, and girl, in the name of Jesus Christ whose presence is here that knows that no mortal man could do these things on earth. That's right. It's absolutely got to be the Spirit of God, and I charge any clergyman to deny that the Bible doesn't promise this will happen just before the end time, see. And the Bible is fulfilled tonight. Jesus Christ, the resurrected one, the one you call the third person is the same person that's in our midst now working in our flesh, as God worked in the flesh of His own Son, Jesus Christ, is working in the flesh of adopted children through Jesus Christ as He promised.

“A little while and the unbeliever will see me no more (not till the end of the world), but ye shall me, for I will with you, even to the end of the world.” Here He is tonight. I wonder tonight, in the presence of this great Holy One, how many of you would like to have the prescription said over you? Would you like to come and accept Him as your Saviour? Rise and go downstairs with us and be baptized. Would you do it while we sing a song? If you will, “I Love Him.”

I wonder if you'll rise and come up here and stand where I can pray and lay hands on you, that you might receive the Holy Ghost. That's how you receive the Holy Ghost is by laying on of hands. The Bible says that. Are you aware that Christ is here? Raise your hand. “What does hinder us?” Philip said to the eunuch ... or eunuch said to Philip, rather, “What hinders us? Here's water.”

Peter said on the day of Pentecost, “Repent, everyone of you, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” That's the one that you see working here. “For the promise is unto you and to your children, and to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Follow that correctly and find out what takes place. That's what I did, and that's what took place. You do it, and it'll take place with you.

I love Him, (With our heads

bowed now) I...............

Great Holy Spirit, Your presence is here, healing all over the building. Now, may those, Lord, who are without You, that doesn't know what this great Holy Spirit means, doesn't know even the forgiveness of their sins, may they come forward now, Lord. In the name of Jesus, I ask.

Won't you rise now and come here in the Presence? God's going to ask you at the day of judgment, “I appeared in Shreveport on that Saturday night. I preached the Word through a uneducated person. I preached My Word. I showed Myself alive to confirm My Word.” And you'll be asked to give a reason, why didn't you accept it.

God bless you, my brother. Come right here. God bless you, my sister. Someone else? If a person has never been baptized yet in Christian baptism, there's no other formula in the Bible, no place at all....

If you are a sinner, come forward. If you're a church member, come forward. If you've never been baptized by the prescription that Peter laid out in Acts 2:38, I charge you before God and the angels. Why is it you will doubt me as a prophet when I stand here and tell you the truth, and know that the prophet has the Word of the Lord? That's his divine office. I tell you the truth. I ask in Jesus Christ's name that every one without water baptism (You've been sprinkled or whatever way), come and be reconciled to God. Follow the prescription. “Upon this rock I will build My church. The gates of hell will never prevail against it.”

I love Him, (Rise to your feet

now and come, will you?)

I love........ (Won't you?)

Because He first loved me;

And pur.......................

Come now. Why? Why are you not coming? Why? Say, “My church believes in sprinkling; my church believes something else.”

I'm asking you why by the prescription that God gave. There's not another prescription in the Bible contrary to it. If there's anybody can show me a prescription contrary to that for salvation, come do it. It's not there. It's God's prescription. Why will you not...? Is there anyone here that has followed God in this order? Raise your hand. How many here has followed God in this order? Maybe all of you have.

If you haven't, then you're going to be asked at the judgment. Remember the same God that is upon me, the same Spirit telling me to ask this and to make this challenge, says to me now, “He will ask you at the judgment, which you may come before morning, why didn't you do it?” “Thus saith the Lord.”

We can't play church no more. God is in our midst. You feel that terrible awe? Are you aware of what that is? It's the Holy Spirit calling, moving, trying to move in. Once more so I will be sure that no blood will be upon my hands at the day of judgment. Remember I charge you before God: come.

I love Him...............

[Congregation continues singing. Brother Branham moves away from microphone and prays for the people, the words not always distinguishable] God, in Jesus Name...?... In the Name of Jesus Christ, may she healed. In the Name of Jesus Christ...?... In the Name of Jesus Christ...?...

Almighty God, Your promise of Your Word, may it be manifested in this my brother. May he receive the Holy Ghost in Christ's Name...?... Father God, in the Name of Jesus Christ...?... Fill my sister...?... Fill them with the Holy Ghost, Lord...?... In the Name of Jesus Christ...?... In the Name of Jesus Christ...?... as he's coming for his baptism,...?... water...?... In Jesus Christ Name...?... on my brother. May my brother receive the Holy Ghost, his faith is in You until death takes him...?... Father God, in the Name of the Lord Jesus...?... You Who are present now, may You send the Holy Ghost upon them...?...

Come, Sister dear. Come, come right up. Each one now, right up here so.... Yes, Sister. Our heavenly Father, by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, may our sister receive the Holy Ghost. As Peter went down and prayed for them and laid hands on them, and the Holy Ghost came on them, I pray that while she receives her water baptism, may the Holy Ghost come upon her. I pray in Jesus' name.

Would you come forward now, just stand real lovely and quiet just a moment. All right. Heavenly Father, as this strong looking young fellow stands here, may as the water covers him, may the Holy Spirit fill him. May he be used to Your glory, Lord. It's Your promise. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Have I missed one, someone? Laying hands on them, that's the promise. “Repent, every one of you, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; for the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to them that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” That's the prescription. Is there another before we offer this prayer and go to the pool, that's never been baptized?

Heavenly Father, under the unction and conviction of the presence of the Holy Spirit, this man comes with bowed head and heart. As he receives the water baptism, may he be filled with the Holy Ghost, in the name of Jesus Christ.

O God, creator of heavens and earth, author of everlasting life, and giver of every good gift, send Thy blessing upon my sister. May she receive this blessed Holy Spirit, as she goes to the water to obey Your commandment. Through Jesus Christ I ask it. Amen.

Oh, what a solemn moment! The awe of the Holy Spirit! It just seems like somebody's grieving it. I don't know. Maybe it's me, see. I trust it's not, because I made an awful statement just a few moments ago, not knowing. Even heard myself say it, charged this audience before Jesus Christ that they'll answer why at that day. No excuse, (See?) because He has done manifested Himself by His Word, through His Word, in His people, and He's here. Show me anywhere else. Is that all now? Another? Come, Sister dear. I'm so glad to know that you've come to Christ. [Unclear words.]

Our heavenly Father, the wait was worthwhile. I pray that You'll bless my sister now. Fill her with the Holy Spirit as she's obeying and coming down. She wants to be inoculated from the fears and cares of life. May the Holy Spirit, the great serum of God that takes away sin, may it come into her life and guide her throughout her journey, in Jesus' name.

Just remain right there just a moment. Is that finished? Everyone now? Remember everyone feels now that....

Just think of it, friends. I'm sure if we could've just had some kind of a something we could pinch with our hands and realize what's taking place here now.... We're unaware of it. I say these things, maybe in riddles to you; maybe you do not understand it. But I could only let you have what I know now, what I feel now and know what's present. A great hour of decision, this church has come to its hour. It comes to its Mount Transfiguration in this fellowship.

Things has took place that wasn't even ever thought of, but was prophesied a long time ago would take place. This is the hour of decision for many. I'm so happy that these come. Think of it. The great Holy Spirit of God that met Father Abraham out there has come down into our midst, working in mortal lives (each one of us walking through this building), just exactly what He said He would do.

We see the great meetings and conferences that was spoke of twenty-five hundred years ago just take place a week or two ago. We see the atomic age.

I was quoting last night a prophecy that was given me back in 1933 of seven things would take place: Germany, the Siegfried Line, and the president election, and all these other things. Five of them has already taken place, two left: the coming of the control of a woman in the United States to take over, maybe a church to take over to rule.... Watch. It's “Thus saith the Lord.”

And then I seen them create an automobile that didn't need a steering wheel in it. I seen that Maginot (Maginot Line, it was instead of the Siegfried) the Maginot Line eleven years and told the people. It's wrote on paper. He's never one time.... I charge any person in divine presence, or in the world, to ever tell me one time that the Holy Spirit ever spoke and said these things that it didn't come to pass, see. That's right. Oh, what an hour that we're living in. What a moment right now. A hush like a death somewhere, see.

Now, is there another? Is there someone else that would like to come at this moment, would like to walk up here and say, “I have never received the Holy Ghost, Brother Branham? I'm a church member. I've never been baptized in Christian baptism. I've been sprinkled, or poured, or what more, but I want to come according to the way the Bible tells me. I'm not ashamed. I want Christ. I'm coming right now.”

I'm just going to say.... One more time we will sing, and remember then till tomorrow morning then. Then we will take these audience here right downstairs. I think everything's ready, and the baptistery is filled, and we're ready to go into the baptism just....

Here's one more person. God bless you, sister. I like to lay hands on you because the Bible [unclear words]. Heavenly Father, may she receive the blessings of God. She's walking down now....