Be Not Afraid

Let us remain standing just a moment, as we bow our heads before God. With our heads and hearts bowed, I wonder if there's special requests in the building tonight, that you would require a prayer for. Just let it be known by your uplifted hand. The Lord bless you.

Our heavenly Father, we are approaching the great throne now, in the name of the Lord Jesus, for we are told that if we come and ask anything in his name, it'll be granted to us. And we want to first thank You for this marvelous gathering these four nights, of Spirit-filled people that's gathered together here. And we found that the scripture again proves to be right, that “wherever two or more assemble together, I'll be in their midst.” And we have seen You heal the sick, pronounce the blessings, tell the people what will be. And we're so grateful for that.

And we, as brethren here on the platform, Lord, I'm grateful for this group of men that I know that.... These Christians, these newborn babes, that just come into Christ this week, Lord, I pray that they'll each find them a comfortable home here, a church home, and live for You, and work until Jesus comes.

And may this results of us gathering together cause an old-fashioned revival to come across the complete city, Lord. Many ... may it never end till Jesus comes. May there constantly be rev... be made known throughout the land.

Father, we pray for these who raised their hands. You know what was beneath the hand. We.... You know all about it, so we just commit it to You, and ask that You will grant to them their request.

And now, break the bread of life to us, Lord. We want You to speak to us through the Word, for faith cometh by hearing the Word. And we pray that You'll make it known to us tonight, your divine will. Show yourself again tonight among us, Father. We thank You for all that's been done and said, and looking forward to this to be a great climaxing time of the service. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

You ... be seated.

I deem this one of my great privileges, to have had this time of fellowship here with you fine people, here in this auditorium in Tucson. And I was here for just a few days, and I ... I've been here for a few days rather, and I thought maybe coming here and leaving without saying anything, or having a meeting, it would kind of look bad. And I didn't get a chance to visit all these fine brethren that I've met here since I've been on the platform. And I wish I could stay a week at each church. I would certainly like to do that.

But I'm so glad that you newborn babes, you that just found Christ this week.... If I was in your place, I'd find me a good church home among these men here, wherever I was the closest to, or chose to go to.

And I ... the churches that I did visit, there's some of the men here. I've been in their churches—real on-fire men for God, zeal burning, trying their best to hold the light of the gospel. I appreciate men like that. And remember, these men believe the same gospel I'm standing here preaching. They're my sponsors. They're the one who stands up here on the platform. They're not ashamed of this. They stand for it. They believe in it. And they're here backing me up, praying for me every night. And I think if you don't go to church, why don't you just go to one of these fine men here, and come into their church, and fellowship with them. If I was living here, and not a minister myself, that's what I'd do. I'd certainly find me a good church home with some of these men, and take my place in Christ.

And if you've never been baptized yet, you that's gave your heart to Christ, consult one of these men and you'll receive Christian baptism. And then, if you haven't received the Holy Spirit, they'll know how to instruct you, how you must receive it.

I'm going to speak on that in the morning at the Businessmen's breakfast, the Lord willing, on ... about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I've kind of refrained from a little of the doctrine here, because we're a mixed group in here. But in the morning, I want to speak an evangelistic message about the Holy Spirit, if the Lord willing. Now I think the breakfast starts at nine (eight o'clock, is it?), eight o'clock in the morning.

And now, I would like to page somebody that we've tried since we've been in Tucson to find. And maybe some of you brethren here ... the lady might belong to your church. I think she would go by the name of Charlotte Raney. Does anybody ... you know her? Is she here in the city? Charlotte, are you here? I ... she's a personal friend of ours and we couldn't find her. She's a nurse. [Someone says, “Her daughter is here.”] Her daughter? Well, my, my. I wonder how big she is. Stand up, Honey, wherever you are. I hope you're not too big that I call you Honey. Oh, my. Almost outgrowed that honey size, hasn't she! Thank you. You tell mother God bless her, and we love her, and we'd sure like to see her before we leave, and just to get a hold of any of the ... Billy Paul, or any here, and let us know where you live. We tried to find you through the phone directory. We've inquired around everywhere and couldn't find you. Thank you very much. Last time I seen you, you was just a little bitty tot.

This Mrs. Raney, her sister,

a very noted nurse, was one of the first cancer cases I seen the Lord heal. She didn't even know where she was at or anything, burnt up with radium. And the Lord had just called me to this ministry a night or two before.

Oh, it's many, many years ago, maybe twenty years, twenty-five years ago. And she was in Louisville, and on the cancer record in Louisville she's been dead twenty years. And she's nursing now, and just as healthy and strong as she can be. And this is her sister that came west here, and ... her and the little baby it was then. Since we've been here, we've been trying to find them. And I told Mede that I (my wife).... I looked everywhere, and I couldn't recognize her. And I thought maybe that she'd moved away or something. And I ... each night I thought I would page her. Then I wrote up some things down here I wanted to say on some paper so I wouldn't forget.

I'm getting old.

I was telling Brother Moore.... How many knows Jack Moore? Sure you do, you Christian Businessmen—a fine minister at Shreveport. Used to be one of my associates in the meetings.

I said, “Brother Jack, you know, it's getting hard for me to remember any more like I used to. Used to be, I could just remember anything right fast.”

“Oh,” he says, “that all the farther you advanced?”

And I said, “That's far enough.”

He said, “My.” Said, “I called a man up on the telephone, and said, 'What do you want?' ”

That's a long ways up the road. He's just about four or five years older than me. I hope I don't get that way. He was just saying that—an Irishman's sense of humor. But call a man up and ask him what he wanted, that would be bad. Now, another thing....

I.... Thank you, Sister, honey, and be sure to get a hold of us. Tell mother we want to see her, and we're going back to see Aunt Margie right away, Uncle Bill.

Now, I am grateful, very grateful to this group of ministers that sponsored this program here, and to the Christian ... Full Gospel Christian Businessmen here of the city. I am grateful. I try to get into every little place that I can, and we can't go to all of them. Here's the manager sitting right here, Brother Borders, that goes with me and makes up the meetings. And I have a book home, about like that, full of invitations world around, and they tell me he's got another one he has to give me in the morning. But I usually ... I go just where God leads. Then, when I go there, then I can come in the name of the Lord Jesus, because He sent me as an ambassador. And I did feel led while I was here in Tucson to have this meeting. I thought it would be fine, and especially to get ... to have fellowship.

And how many ever remember Fred Bosworth, Brother F. F. Bosworth, the great old saint of God? And he just went home to glory, eighty-four years old, just recently.

And he said, “Brother Branham, you know what fellowship is?”

And I said, “I think so, Brother Bosworth.”

He said, “It's two fellows in just one ship.” Got room for the other. So, I'm very grateful.

And, it always reminds me of a little story. I was coming in outside, one of the ushers met me, and shook my hand.

He said, “Say, preacher,” said, “I'm your fellow brother.”

I said, “I'm glad to meet you.”

And he told me his name, and he was an Irishman too. And so, somebody asked me one time, said, “What nationality are you, Brother Branham?”

I said, “I'm Irish. And if they can be saved, there's hope for the whole world.”

And so, he happened to be an Irishman also. And he said, “I like them stories about hunting.” He said, “I like to hunt too.”

So, well, you have to be all things to all men, you know, that we might win some to Christ.

And speaking of fellowship, I remember one time, I was up in northern New Hampshire. And I was ... that's the home of the white-tailed deer. And I was fishing for these little brown brooks and square-tail. And I had a place, packed out in a little tent, was way up high in the mountain. Oh, I seen a place where the water fell over....

And I know I got plenty of fishermen friends. I ain't found enough water in Arizona to go fishing yet since I been here. I drink all mine, 'cause.... That's the only thing.... I love this country, but I sure wish we had some lakes or ponds or something around here. And, I'm a Baptist, you know, and I kind of like a lot of water. And so, they....

Had this little pool I was fishing, you know. My, I just catch them, you know, just like to play with them, and then turn them loose. And if I'd kill one, then of course, I'd eat that one. And back behind my fly line, I'd been catching a bunch of little moose willow back there.

So, I slept all night in a little tent, been there a couple days. And the next morning, I took my little hand axe, and went out. I thought I'd cut those bushes loose, and play with those trout awhile. Sometime about tomorrow, I'd be going down again, my little tent on my back.

And, on my road back.... There'd been a mother bear, and her two cubs had got in my little old bean-sack tent. And so.... And, it isn't what they eat, it's what they destroy. Oh, my! They like to make things rattle. They're Pentecostal to the core that way. So they just love that. So they get in, and knock the stove pipe down, just mash it up. Now, talking about noise—well, I better leave that alone, see.

I can prove anything that hasn't got emotion in it is dead. So if your religion ain't got a little emotion in it, you better bury it. You have to have emotion to be alive.

And so.... Notice, this little old.... I come up. I heard a noise, and looked over. And there was old mammy bear and her two little fellows—had got in there, and they just tore up everything there was. So, I knew that was ... tear up camp then, and go. So then I looked, and the old mother bear, she run off to one side. And she cooed, you know. It was a black bear. They're just ... not very big. And so she run off and cooed to her cub. And one of the cubs come to her, and the other one didn't come. Well, I wondered, “What the world's the matter?”

And I had an old rusty pistol laying over there in that tent. But I guess it was tore up by that time. I had the axe in my hand, and I.... You know, an old mother bear with some cubs, she can get kind of angry, you know. And she can scratch you too, if she wanted to. So I was kind of watching her, you know, keeping a tree in mind all the time, that I could....

You heard about the preacher in the cinnamon tree? Why, any kind of a tree will do if a bear's after you. So I watched that tree, and I wondered what was the matter with that little old bear. And he was Just ... wasn't going to go. And his mammy kept cooing to him, and he just kept sitting there. He was all humped up, like this. And I thought, “What's the little fellow got?” I thought maybe I could run in and grab that old pistol. And I thought, oh, I wouldn't kill that old mother bear—she'd charge after me—because it would leave two orphans in the woods. So I wouldn't do that.

So, I thought, “I'll just watch this tree, and see what the little fellow's got.” And he was all humped up like this, and I seen him moving. And the old mother was cooing, and walking back and forth, kind of restless. And she was watching me too. And when she turned her back to look at the other bear, I'd step along sideways, like that, to try to get around, see what the little fellow ... had him so interested. You know what he had? He had my bucket of molasses.

You know, I like my pancakes. I know I got a lot of fellow citizens of that same appetite. So, and I don't believe in sprinkling, I like to really baptize them. I like to pour it on heavy, you know, put plenty of molasses.... The last time I eat down here at the Ramada.... The other day, we had the finest breakfast, and they had good flapjacks like that (We call them flapjacks in the South). But you ... if we have them in the morning, tell the waiter just a little more 'lasses, if you please. That wasn't ... that thing, I had to put sugar on top of them, you know, to finish out.

But ... however, this little old bear ... the little fellow had got his paw, and got this bucket open. And he had his.... They love sweet stuff, you know. And he got his little paw in this molasses bucket. He didn't know how to eat it with his hands, so he just smeared and licked, you know, and then he'd smear, and lick. And after he got the bucket all sopped out....

I said, “Get out of there!” I kept hollering at him. He wouldn't even turn. And after he got the bucket sopped out, he turned around and looked at me—and couldn't get his eyes open, you know. From the top of his ears plumb down his little belly, he was just full of molasses.

And I thought, “That's right. There's no condemnation. That's just like a good old Pentecostal meeting. When you get your hand right down in the molasses bucket, or honey jar, up to your elbows, just shouting and praising God, I don't care what goes on, you don't hear it.

But, you know, the strange thing was, after he got over it—and the rest of them standing out there scolding him—when he got over there, the rest of them had fellowship. They all licked him. Nature holds some strange things, doesn't it, brother? Licking all over. Now them people that didn't attend this meeting, they can just lick your molasses after it's over. All right.

We're grateful, thankful for this fine bunch of brothers, and for this fine bunch of people. And they ... I think that everything come out all right. And we don't ... we absolutely.... One thing we will not permit is finance, any strain on finances. Brother told me out there, said he had it all but a hundred dollars. I give him a check. I said, “Forget it, see. I'll pay it myself.” So then ... then we ... everything is fine and dandy. And we want....

If any of the staff of this Ramada Inn is here tonight I want to thank them, for they donated this building to us. I do think ... and I wasn't ... I know ... the only way I knew, is Brother Tony told me about it. I believe that it's ... that if somebody was in this city, or looking for a motel, I could certainly advertise and tell them the Ramada's the place to go.

If people has that much consideration for the ... for us and our religion and our Christ, I think we ought to have enough audacity to say something good about them. That's right. May the Lord bless this institution. We've always went into their places wherever we go across the country. We've always had such courtesy. And the Businessmen uses their halls—Phoenix, and everywhere we can, to have meetings and conventions. And I'd say this, gentlemen, if you're here, Almighty God bless you richly. And at the end of the road, I pray that God will open his doors, and make you welcome into his great kingdom at that time.

And then there's one more thing. (Now, I've got a bunch of stuff with some notes wrote here, and some texts I want to use in a few minutes.) But, another thing is, you people are very fortunate here in Tucson. Now, they always told me that Tucson was the closest place to Hades there was, 'cause it's so hot. But I'm telling you, I really enjoy this. Why, at my home if it'd be this hot, why, you couldn't stand here with a coat on, the air conditioner on, you'd just be sweating. Well I've never ... I've worked pretty hard, and I've never got up a sweat yet.

No, I like this. What do you go back East for in the summertime. Here's the place to come. This is fine. It's a lot better than our swamp back there anyhow. So, I like this. And I hope the good Lord lets me come back, and move out here somewhere and stay. I really like this place.

And one of the great things, the events ... or one of the great features of the place.... 'Course, it's the people what makes the place. I've even ... in your stores and everything—in a tourist city—I have had some of the finest treatment, the nicest people since I've been in Tucson, that I'd ever want to meet.

And then, when I come in, I tuned in on my radio, and I found a station here that constantly broadcasts nothing but Christian music. It's station KAIR. And I just learned today, that their headquarters is here at the Ramada. You know what I done (if some of the staff of KAIR is here)? I bought a radio, just to keep it turned on all the time, so that my children and my home could hear the right things.

For most all stations that you turn on, it's always some kind of this here boogley-woogley, or ever what that stuff is, and rock 'n' roll, and all this other kind of nonsense they have today. And you don't hear the thing. And I think that you Christians, you ought to do everything you can to keep that station there. That's right. And turn it on in your home where your children can hear the right thing.

Now, you'll hear all kinds of.... Of course, it's an interdenominational affair, and any kind of preaching. You might disagree with some of the brothers for their program. My, if we all sat down to eat tonight, and we all had pie—I might take cherry pie, and you take apple, but we're all eating pie. That's right. So just ... they're brothers. And they have a right to express what they think.

And so, just keep your radio on, and listen to that fine music. And I think ... I appreciate.... I wish I could take it home with me, KAIR, and put it in Louisville somewhere, a station like that, that broadcasts Christian music all the time. I like that. The Lord bless that station, KAIR.

And then, there's another station out there. I don't remember the letters to it, but it also has a fine lot of religious music. And I tell you, I hope I don't embarrass the man by saying I listen to Brother Gilmore all the time. He's on that station some of the time. And I just forget what the station is, but they also have ... KAIF? [man in audience says “No, KFIF”], KFIF. That's another fine station. We appreciate them too.

You know, it's just like the old saying, if we count our blessings, look around, it's kind of surprising to see how many good people's left in the world, and how many nice things we still have. The Lord be praised. I'm glad to be an American. I'm glad, as a missionary coming from other lands, and so forth, and coming in home.

Oh, it makes my heart ache to see the way ... how luxurious we live, and the rest of the world starving; and to see the fine places, the big fine church on every corner, and those poor people over there, many of them never even heard the name of Jesus Christ.

I have ... little black boys stand by the thousands, tears running down their cheeks, not even one stitch of clothes on, don't know which is right and left hand, just stay all day and all night sitting there—listen to me talk about the Lord Jesus. Never heard it before. Tell them that there's somebody that loves them. Oh, my. That's what they want to hear, something that ... somebody that loves them.

Who doesn't want to be loved? We all want that. We all need it. And then, the way to get it, is to love somebody else, then you'll be lovable. God bless you all.

I hope to see you in the morning at the breakfast, those who can. And I think they'll be selling the tickets at the office in the morning also. And if you come for breakfast, why, I'm sure we'll get a little more molasses if we have pancakes. And then ... and maybe some don't always require that many, you know. And so....

One time, I was preaching at a Missionary Baptist Church down in Georgia. It was a.... I preached way up in the night, and had a big altar call, and it was late. And I was sleeping on a back porch. And the wind blowing in an old screened-in porch. And I was tired. They get up at four o'clock down there, and the old colored woman come out. She called me three or four times. And I never forget it. She said, “Parson (that means preacher down there), Parson!” Said, “Honey, why don't you get up?” Said, “I done cooked your flapjacks four times already.” Bless her old heart. She was about seventy then. I guess she's gone on to glory now, and rest. “Cooked your flapjacks four times already this morning.”

Now, everybody love the Lord? So glad. Aren't you glad to know just you can be free, and feel happy, and no condemnation?

And I want to thank this little quartet here, for staying over. I know they were scheduled other places, and they.... I'll be listening to you on your records. I got some of them, and the tapes, and things. I think you're very fine.

And this little girl here! My, oh, my, she's part mockingbird. She just really can really sing, and the little boys also. And I told that little fellow, the little fellow wears the glasses.... I met him the other night, and I said, “Son, you're going to make a bass one of these days.” He kind of laughed, and looked over those glasses. I said, “You kind of wondered how I said it.” I said, “Well, you sound like a bumblebee in a jug now.” He got a kick out of that. And they're fine people. The Lord bless you.

I think I got the mother right. I had another lady the other night, and I suppose this is the father out here somewhere. Somebody pointed over here to the father, yes. All right. The Lord bless him. And I hope our paths cross again somewhere in life. If it don't, we'll be at the gate there that morning. That's right.

Now, before we....

After expressing ourselves the way we have ... and I believe that happiness goes with Christians. I've never been sad that I was a Christian. I'm always happy I'm a Christian. And, oh, joy bells has rung in my heart now for some thirty-five years since Jesus Christ came into my heart. I've never been able to express it. It's joy unspeakable, and full of glory. But now, as we approach the Word, let's just lay our little laughter aside, and let's look right into the Word now, just for a moment.

Lord Jesus, now You help us, as we read the Word. And may the great Holy Spirit that was sent to be our tutor, sent to raise us and teach us the things and the way of God, may He come now and take the Word, and deliver to each heart just as we have need. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Now, if you wish to turn to the scripture that I want to read, it's found in St. Matthew, the 14th chapter. And we're going to begin at the 22nd verse.

And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him to the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the winds were contrary.

And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the water [or, I beg your pardon], walking on the sea.

And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

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

Now, if I was going to call this a text (and I try to keep the little messages simple and like drama, so that the little fellows can enjoy it), and I'd call this text this: “Be Not Afraid.” Three words. I use them a lot of times: “Believest Thou This?”, then “Come See A Man.” And it's a little three-word text. And now, I want to use that for a text, “Be Not Afraid.” And then for a subject, I'm going to use this, “A Testimony Meeting on the Sea.”

It must have been kind of late in the afternoon. The sun was just about gone down, twilight was setting in, and they were all tired and worn. It'd been a great day for the group. The big, brawny muscled, bald-headed fisherman was pushing out the boat into the sea of Galilee. And as he finally got the bow floating he climbed aboard and sat down by the side of his brother, Andrew. It was called in the Bible a ship.

Now, a ship isn't what we call a ship today. The ships then were mostly propelled by oars. And they had.... The gunwales were high, 'cause the great waves come on the sea there quite often and they had to have high sides. And usually two men to each oar, sitting at one side of the ship, and one the other, and sometimes, six or eight men pulled in a ship. They were commercial fishermen along the Galilee. And they have it today. It hasn't changed one bit since that day. It's still the same—fish the same way, same kind of nets, and everything.

Now, and as they turned the ship around and started, the bank was full of people. And they would make a couple of strokes with their oars, and wave back good-bye to them; and everybody saying, “Come back and see us again, and be sure to bring your Master when you come back to see us again.” They was on the road across the sea, and it was quite a little distance. And they'd have to pull hard to get over there that night.

So, I can imagine, in one way, how they felt. It had been a great day. They'd seen great sights done. Many had been saved and believed on the Lord Jesus. And they'd had a very hard day keeping the people away from their Master, that He could minister to them, to bring life to the lost. And they were tired, and weary. But yet, to leave their friends....

There's something about leaving friends, when you have to say good-bye. That's an awful thing. And I feel that way, can feel that much of the burden they had, because I know how it is with me. About the time you get acquainted with a group of people, you just.... They begin to know that you're not some super human, you're a brother. And they begin to ... everything begins to feel good. And then, you have to say, “Good-bye. I'll see you again some time. I hope to.” That's a hard thing to do.

I'm looking for the time where we'll meet where we'll never say good-bye, over on the other side. And some of my precious old brothers here, and hunting partners, I'll meet you down along them big game trails back there, somewhere, where they never end. I'll be looking for you down along the road there, if I don't get back to see you again before we're taken.

And how that ... they must have waved, and they'd pull a few licks, and then wave again. And finally, as the sea calmed, just as the sun was going down, the little boat pushing its way across by the power of the oars, they'd take a few strokes, and then wave their hands good-bye. And then somebody else would recognize someone else, you wave good-bye to them. And that must have been the way the ship was moving out in the waters. And finally, the last good-bye was said, as far as they could hear.

And there must have been a long silence. Nobody said nothing, because they had to push the little ship on. And they kind of have a rhythm like, as they oar these ships all together, because you'd twist it if you didn't. And so, they was oaring in rhythm, and might have gotten pretty tired.

It must have been the young John who kind of give out first, and wanted to catch his wind, as we call it. He was young and tender yet. He wasn't strong like those old brawny fishermen that had been on the seas, and the storms, had pulled those boats. He must have got tired first. So he must have said, “Whew, brethren, let's rest just a moment.” And as he stopped, and brushed his black hair back out of his eyes, and the little ship was coasting along through the water, going along, I can hear him start to say, “I feel like I'd like to testify.”

I like that. I like a good testimony meeting when you've got something to testify about. Now, if you haven't got nothing, just stand up and say the same thing you said the night before and last year, that gets wearisome. But when you've got a real fresh testimony that you just can't hold it back any longer, the Lord's done something for you, and you just have to break it out, I like that.

We used to call it at home a popcorn testimony. Now, how many knows what popcorn is? I want to tell you what it does. You take a little yellow grain, and lay it on a hot stove, and it jumps way up in the air yellow, turns white, comes back twice it's size and half as light, half as heavy rather, as it was. It's a testimony, see. That's what a testimony does. A little yellow, afraid to do anything, and then, the first thing you know, the power and fire of the Holy Ghost hits you. It turns you white from yellow. And you feel so light you just.... See, you're not anchored to the earth anymore. So, I like the popcorn testimony.

And it must have been little John who wanted to give one. He raised up in the boat, and said, “Well, I want to testify first, and say this while we're resting. I'm perfectly satisfied and assured, my brethren. Today settled it in my mind that we're not following some kind of a fanatic, as the rest of the world wants to make us believe we are. We're following Him who the Scripture spoke of. It settled it today. Now, I want to give my testimony.

“I was borned and raised over by the Jordan. I can remember many years ago, when I lived on the banks of the Jordan, just close to the ford where Israel crossed with a mighty warrior, Joshua. He took the ark of the covenant, and the Holy Ghost opened up the sea, or the Jordan, and they crossed across, all of our people, on dry land when we come to this land.

“And I remember in the springtime, how I used to go out and pick little flowers along the bank of the Jordan along in the afternoon. I can hear my mother call me yet, and say, 'Now, come on in, John. You must go to bed. You've got to take your nap. Little boys must take their little nap in the afternoon.' And she would sit out upon the front porch, and rock me in her arms. And I can see her pretty face yet, as her big, pretty, Jewish brown eyes looked down at me, and she'd tell me Bible stories.”

And, you know, it's too bad that our mothers can't keep out of the tavern long enough today, and out of places they ought not to be, and rock their children again, and tell them some Bible stories. That's the trouble with our nation today. Any kid on the street can tell you more about Davey Crockett than they can about Jesus Christ. That's right. And how the commercial world takes that up. And my, bring up a child in the way it should go. It's true.

“Now, and she said.... She used to tell me stories. And one of the main stories I liked the best was, besides the little boy that the great prophet Elijah raised up from the dead.... I used to like that story, and wonder what kind of a man Elijah must have been. And she'd say to me, 'You know what, John? That same great Elijah and Elisha both walked right down that street there, arm-in-arm, going down to the river. Just think, not long ago they did that. Them two great prophets walked down to the river, and the river opened up. They passed right by Jericho.'

“Now ... but the main story that always stuck with me that she told me (I wanted her to tell it to me each day), that how that God brought our people out of bondage in Egypt where they were slaves, and brought them into the wilderness and kept them out there forty years, and fed them out of the heaven. Why, she told me that every night ... that they'd go out of a morning after Israel got all tucked in bed and was asleep (like she was fixing to put me to bed), you know what? Said Jehovah God came down, and the next morning there was bread laying all over the ground that would take care of them through the day.

“And I used to say to Mama, 'Mama, has God got a special chorus of angels up there that works at nighttime? and got a big bunch of ovens all through the heavens? and He'd ... 'Hurry now, these children are hungry,' and bake all this bread? And then, another group of angels take it down, and lay it all over the ground?

“She looked at me, and said, 'No, John, honey. You're just a little boy. You don't understand. Our great Jehovah is a creator. He don't have to have special angels to bake bread. He doesn't need any ovens in heaven. He just speaks the word, and the bread falls all over the ground. He's a creator.' And I couldn't understand how that was. But the story always stuck to me somehow.

“And I've watched our Lord in many things, of healing the sick, and so forth. But today, brethren, when I seen Him pick up those five biscuits, and them two fish from that little boy that was (lunch), that was playing truant from school. When I seen Him take those, and said, 'Cause the people to sit down in fifties'.... As soon as I got my fifty sat down, I climbed up on that rock, and watched to see what He would do. And when He took that piece of ... loaf of bread, and tore off half of it, and hand it out into the plate, and by the time He got his hand back again, there was another half-a-loaf of baked bread.

“Now, there's some connection between Him and Jehovah, 'cause He was creating that bread and that fish right there before me. No one else could do that but Jehovah. And that's the same God that my mother told me about in the wilderness back there, who brought bread down from creation out of heaven. We, with our own eyes, seen Him today create bread right before us.”

Did you ever think what kind of an atom He must have let loose? Where did the flour come from? Not only flour, but it was already baked in loaves, and ready to eat. He had fish. He growed the fish at the first place. But now, He breaks the fish half in two, and another fish could grow on there. But this fish that comes on there is already cooked, and baked, and growed too. What did He do? Oh, He's God! Just speak it, that's all He has to do, it's....

Now, the little boy ... that little lunch he had wasn't very much in his hands, but when he let what he had go into Jesus' hands, it fed thousands. And maybe what little faith.... You say, “Well, I wish I had great faith.” But what little faith you have got.... You've got faith enough to come to church. And then, if you've got that much faith, why don't you just give it over into the hands of Jesus, and it'll feed thousands, if you.... It's not much in your hands. But once in his hands, then it'll do miracles if you let that faith get in his hands.

Notice, and John was all excited. And I hear Andrew say, “Wait a minute, son. Don't rock that boat like that. Take your time. Don't get too excited about this, you know. After all, we're out here in this sea.”

“Well it just makes my heart so thrilled,” he said, “to see, and know that God has revealed Himself to us here, a man that we can touch.” He said, “No wonder the prophet said He would be Emmanuel, that God would be represented here in Him. And we see Him doing the same works that the Father did. No wonder He could tell those Pharisees, 'If I.... Who can condemn me of sin? Who can accuse me? If everything the Bible said that I would do, if I haven't done it....'”

You know, sin is unbelief. You know ... did you know lying is not sin? Committing adultery, that's not sin. Drinking whiskey, smoking cigarettes, cursing, using the Lord's name, that's not sin. That's the attributes of unbelief. You do that because you're not a believer. There's only one....

I said that one night in a Methodist church. And an old sister standing there, you know, with her collar up high, she said “Rev. Branham, pray tell me, what is sin?”

I said, “Unbelief.”

That's right. You do that because you're an unbeliever. If you do that, you're still an unbeliever. That's right. There's only two things: you're either a believer, or not a believer. So then, the Bible said, “He that believeth not is condemned already,” see. So, sin is ... the only thing that is, the attributes of unbelief.

And Jesus said, “Who can accuse me of unbelief?” And, “If I don't do the works of my Father, then don't believe me. But if I do the works, and yet you can't believe me, believe the works that I do.” So, you see, here He was doing the same thing that God did.

Now, I want to ask you brethren, if the life of Jesus Christ is in the church, then sure, the church would do the same thing He did, because the same life is in it.

If here stands a peach tree, and I take all the peach life out of it, and put apple life in it, what kind of a fruit will it bear? Apples. That's the kind of life that's in it. Well then, if the life that was in Christ is in us, it'll bear the fruits that He bore. It's got to.

And what a mix-up the people's got in today, that think that Christianity's one of the softest things. All they do is put their name on a book, and have somebody sprinkle them, or something another, and give the minister the right hand of fellowship, and that's all there is to it, go on out. That's not Christianity.

Christianity is self-denial. Take up your cross daily. Follow Him. Die out to the things of the world. And when all condemnation is gone, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.” How do you get into Him? By joining? No. Shaking hands? No. By a union? By education? “By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body.” By Holy Spirit baptism we're in Christ, and “There's no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, that walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Amen. Oh, that'd make anybody shout. Amen. To be in there anyhow, that's the good part.

All right. Now, we find out here that, then the next fellow to raise up to testify must have been Peter. I can hear him say, “Can I give my testimony next?”

You know, when you've got something to testify about, you've just almost got to get permission, because they was really a-going, and this testimony meeting was a-going. The old boat just a-rocking, and them brothers just a-patting their feet, and having a great time out there. Like to have been out there. Wouldn't you have liked to have been out there, and listen to that testimony? Little John had to sit down. He had said all he could at that time. Simon raised up.

He said, “You know, when Andrew began to go down there to that man that the country thought was some kind of a wild man—that John.... The church thought he was a man that went off on the deep end. After all, his daddy was a priest. And he ... you know, it's custom among our people for the son to follow whatever the father did. But, you know, his work was so great. Instead of going down there, and all that big school, and getting indocumented with that.... His mission was too great. God took him out into the wilderness at the age of nine years old.

And he showed hisself again at thirty years old, because his mission was to introduce the Messiah. And the Messiah was going to have a sign, and he had to know what that sign was. If he had got down there and had some of this denominational injection into him, why, somebody ... some great bishop would have said, or great high priest would have said, 'Now looky here, John, we know you're to introduce the Messiah, as it was told by the angel, and you're to introduce.... Don't you think that Brother So-and-So here just meets the ticket exactly?' He might have give in to it. But, you see, he separated himself from everything so he could just listen, and see what God said about it.“

Now I think that's a good lesson for us tonight. If we'll separate ourselves from all this man-made dogmas, and creeds and things, and look in the Bible and see what God said about it.... He ought to know what He wrote. It's his Word, his Book. That's the reason I like the full gospel—not half of it; all of it—the full gospel.

Now, and then he said, “The first thing you know, here come Andrew running in, and saying that this preacher said he saw the Messiah sign over a man. It was a light like a dove coming down, and the preacher saw it. And there was many there, and nobody else saw it but the preacher. So I couldn't hardly go for that. I hear all kinds of stuff, so I just forgot about it, you know. And one night, he come to me and said, 'You ought to just go down and listen at Him for once. He's going to be down here on the shore the next morning, and you ought to go down.'

“Well,” I thought, “poor old Andrew. He and I have pulled this boat for a long time.

“I remember one day I had a talk with my Daddy, and he was a good old Pharisee. He just lived in that church, a pillar in it. And his gray hair.... One night after fishing....

We were poor. We had to just live meager as we could.

“And many times, when Mother and Daddy was living, she used to gather us all around of a morning, before we went out to put our nets in the water. We owed debts, and we had to have some fish. And we would pray to Jehovah to fill our nets that day. And how Daddy would rejoice when we'd take in a great big catch of fish, and get to the bank, and get out on the bank, and sit down and thank God for giving us the fish for that day. And how we could go pay our debts now, and have something to eat for the night, and expect the next morning....

“And one night, after we got through thanking the Lord, I remember Daddy sat down on the side of the brail of the boat. And he called me over there, and he said, 'Simon, you know I have longed all my life to live to see the day when I would see the Messiah. And we've been promised Him for many years. All of our people has looked for Him. Moses told us He was coming. All the prophets has spoke to Him. But Simon, son, we haven't had a prophet among us for hundreds of years. And with ... the church has got off in cold, formal condition. But I believe it's nearing the time. If you see my gray hair.... I don't suppose I'll live to see it. I'm old now.

“'But Simon, before the Messiah comes, Satan will send out a lot of false stuff first. And there will be false messiahs come. But I want you to always remember, Simon, don't you never leave this Scripture.

“'Our people are told in this Bible, that the word of the Lord comes to a prophet, a prophet only. And then, first this prophet has to be a-vindicated by God. He has to tell the word, and the word has to come to pass, time after time.' ”

They're born. They're just not ... just somebody laid hands on them, made them a prophet; they are born. There's a gift of prophecy can come, but a prophet is borned a prophet. Jeremiah was. Why, God said, “Before you was even formed in your mother's womb, I ordained you a prophet over the nations.”

John the Baptist, 712 years before he was born, Isaiah said he was the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Jesus Christ was the Son of God before the foundation of the world. He was the woman's seed that was to bruise the serpent's head. Certainly.

God is ... God places these things. God has set in the church apostles, prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelists. All these things God placed in the church. Then there's nine different gifts that operates in that church. But these are offices that goes in the church.

“And, you know, he told me, said, 'Son. We've followed Moses and his law. Now Moses told us that this Messiah, when He come, would be a prophet.'

“So I just thought I would go down and see who this young fellow was, a-stirring up all this emotion down there. Said people's getting healed by Him. So I thought I'd go down. And one day when we got the nets all washed and laid out on the bank, He came down to preach. And I got me a chunk, and sat down upon a piece of driftwood upon the bank. And when He began to speak, I knew that there was something different about this man, because He talked like a man that knowed what He was talking about.

“And when I got up close to Him, He looked me right in the face, and He said, 'Your name is Simon, and you are the son of Jonas.' He said that ... take it. That was enough for me. Not only did He prove to be the prophet, He knew me before He ever saw me. He knew me, and He also knew that godly old father of mine that told me that would be the sign of the Messiah. That settled it for me.” Oh, my! How he was getting all excited, too.

It must have been Philip jumped up about that time, and said, “Let me testify. Wait a minute. Let me say something.” Said, “Now, Brother Nathanael, don't you blush.” He said, “I was standing there at that time, brethren, if you all remember. And I seen that done. And I knowed that's what was the ... was the sign of Messiah. And do you know, it hadn't been too long since Philip and I, there, had been studying that in the Scripture. So I run around the mountain over there, about fifteen miles, and told ... found Philip under the tree, praying. And I said, 'Philip, come see who we have found, the Messiah, and ... the one that Moses spoke of, and Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' And Nathanael, remember what you said?”

“Yeah, I remember. I sure do.”

“Well, you said, 'Could any good thing come out of Nazareth now?' And I said, 'Come see.' And when we went around, remember I was talking, and I told you about Him telling Simon that, and told you that He might tell you who you were. And you walked up there, and said, 'I'll have to see that to believe it.' And remember how you walked up with your hands .behind you, and as soon as you got into his presence, you know what happened?”

“I sure do.”

“He said, 'Behold an Israelite, in whom there's no guile.'

“And I remember how that deflated you. And you said, 'Rabbi, when did you ever know me? And here I am. I've just been brought to this meeting. And how did you ever know me? You've never seen me in your life. How would you ever know me?'

“Said, 'Well, before Philip called you, when you were under the tree, I saw you.'

“Oh, I remember what you said. Run up to Him, and said, 'Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.' ”

Must have been Andrew said, “Now it's my time to testify. Do you remember that time when we thought we were going down to Jericho? And we know, down at Jericho, how that old blind man come out there that day. And we couldn't even hear—him screaming. He was hollering, going on. And his faith stopped our Lord, and he got his sight.

“And you remember up at Samaria, when we stopped up there, to go down and get some food? And while we were gone ... wanted Him to go down with us and get something to eat. And He wouldn't do it. He just wouldn't go. He said, 'I have food to eat that you know nothing about.' So, when we all slipped back, we seen Him talking to an ill-famed woman. She was marked. And we thought, 'What's our Master doing up there at the well talking to this ill-famed woman?' So, remember, we slipped over around behind the bush, and listened to what they said. And He said to her, 'Woman, bring me a drink.' And we was surprised to think that our Master would talk to a woman like that.”

See, they hadn't yet fully been converted. We still have that type today, that thinks that a Christian oughtn't to talk to the drunk, or to the prostitute. That's the person he ought to talk to. That's the person he should.... That's the man that's down. That's the person that'll lift up. That's the one that needs God.

“So we listened to Him, and the conversation went on. And finally He said to her, 'Go, get your husband, and come here.' And she said, 'I don't have any husband.' ”

And Andrew said, “You remember how we all looked at one another? My, one time He was wrong. There's a slip-up somewhere, because here He tells her, 'Go get your husband,' and she says back, 'I don't have any husband.' And He tells her, 'You've told the truth.' And then we all were surprised. What were we going to say now? Now He's told the woman she has a husband, and she turns around and says she hasn't got a husband. And here's our Master, and here's that Messiahic sign that we was to look for, and here it had failed. And we were astonished, one to another, as we looked. And then He said, 'You have told the truth: because you have five husbands; and the one that you have now and are living with is not your husband.' And you remember how that woman looked at Him, and said, 'Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.'”

Now the great world council of churches of that day, when they looked at it, they said, “This man's a fortune-teller. This man has a devil, He's Beelzebub.” Would you think that religious leaders could draw such a conception as that, in the face of the time that it was supposed to happen, and according to the Scriptures? But they did it. And they still do it. Now, they said, “Oh, it's an evil spirit on the man, that's what He's doing. He's just a Beelzebub, that's what it is.”

But this little ill-famed woman said, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.” How'd she know He was a prophet?

Because He told her something was in her life. Said, “You are a prophet.”

And she said, “Now we know, we Samaritans, we know that when the Messiah cometh, he's to do these things. He tells us all things.”

And Jesus looked her in the face, and said, “I am he.” And that settled it. There was no more question. The sign had been given. She had received it. She knew it. She dropped her water pot, and into the city she went.

Now, according to tradition (and anybody that's traveled knows this), she wasn't supposed to do that. That's unethical for that famed woman like that, that type of woman, to say anything to a man on the street. No, sir. But watch, she had found something. She was like a house on fire on a windy day. You couldn't put her out. She'd found something real. She run through the streets, said, “Come see a man, that told me the things I've done: isn't this the very Messiah Himself?” Amen! God give us some more converts like that.

“You know we're looking for a Messiah,” she said. “We're looking for Him. And there sits a man right out there at the well now, that told me the things I've done. Isn't that the very Messiahic sign we're supposed to look for?” And they brought Him into the city. He never did it one more time. But the Bible said that the men of the city believed on Him because of the testimony of that woman. Amen! How God can do things! They believed it. And this man had never been in that city before, and stand there and tell that woman she had five husbands. And it was the truth. And it was the hour, and the time, and they believed it.

Why can't we believe it? Why can't Tucson believe it? Why can't the church world believe it? Why can't America believe it? Why can't the world believe it? Here's the Scripture says it's supposed to be here at this time, and here it is with us. You know, I'm afraid the church is full of ... told too many old love story magazines instead of God's Word. That's what's the matter. They can tell you more about who's the next movie star coming up, than they can tell you about the operation of the Holy Spirit. Amen! That's right.

If we put more time to staying on Tuesday night, and Wednesday night, and going to church to prayer meeting, instead of staying home watching television on “Who Loves Suzie,” or something like that, and staying away from church, we'd know more about our Bible, and know what we're supposed to happen in this day. That's right. But you see, we've got away. God's give us churches, and fine pastors, and Spirit-filled people, and we just ... we're so grossed in our souls, and fattened, and dead, till we just don't care for it no more. Oh, my! We need a shaking. We need a something to happen to us.

Well, maybe we got ashamed.

Now I come into this Pentecostal people kind of late. I'm one borned out of season. But, I remember of reading the history of it, the Azusa Street. And you remember when they used to have these great meetings, they'd pray all night. And your fathers, the old-timers in the work, and ... they'd pray all night, and they would fast for days, and they would wait on God until God answered. Today, we can't stay at the altar five minutes. Something's wrong. What's the matter?

I used to go around with an old Methodist circuit rider. He'd sing a little song for me. “We let down the bars, we let down the bars, we compromised with sin. We let down the bars, the sheep got out; but how did the goats get in?” We let down the bars. That's what happened—we compromised. And we've got to get away from that. The old Azusa Street meetings, the old-fashioned Pentecostal religion, backwoods, sky blue, gun-barrel straight, sin-killing religion—brother, they didn't white-wash it; it washed white. It done something to people.

And today, when we got away from that, we become loose. We become like the rest of the world. It's too bad.

And today, the most of the people don't want a man that'll stand and tell the truth about it. They want some little Ricky with a Hollywood haircut, and perfume all over, and walk right up here and talk about some theology they learned off of some cemetery, or semin... excuse me. It's all the same place, the home of corpses. So then, we find that everywhere. They want something like that. They don't want the old-fashioned gospel handed out in the power, and demonstration of the Holy Ghost anymore.

We need a testimony meeting, a great thing to happen. We need a prayer meeting. We need a digging down, tearing up. It's true. We need Christ back in our midst, know the Bible. We're just drifting looser, and looser all the time. We need to come back to the original foundation; come back to the place, the rock that we was hewed from and start over again.

Now, this little woman, she knowed where she was standing. There was nothing going to stop her. Yes, sir! She had the testimony. She had seen it, and she was looking for it, and she knowed the Scripture, and she knowed that was what it was. And as soon as it happened, flashed across her path, her eyes flew open, and she knew it. Nothing going to stop her. Whether it's traditions or anything, it's not going to stop her. Right. She's going to say it anyhow.

Oh, my, for people like that ... give us a half a dozen on fire like that, and I can tell you Tucson will be a different place in a few days. Each one of you want that in your congregation, don't you? Oh, my! Sure, that's what we want, somebody on fire. We kind of got ashamed of it somehow. We got to a place ... we just getting away from the old-fashioned Spirit-filled life that really kept us clean.

Now, Andrew got to testifying. And first thing you know, the boat got to rocking again. But they come to find out this time, you know, the sun had went down. You know, and when the sun goes down, it's time that evil starts. Somehow....

I was reading an article, I believe it was “Life” magazine, or something, not long ago, that some movie star made a remark like this: “Night was made to live in. Life begins when the sun goes down.” Death begins when the sun goes down. That's when devils prowl. Watch the lizards, snakes, scorpions, roaches, everything else. They got to get in the dark. It's in the darkness.

You're not of the darkness; you're of the light. “Walk in the light.” It reminds me: you can take an old apple core, lay it on the floor. It won't be nothing bother it in the daytime. Let it get night, and then the roaches, and everything around the place will crawl to it. And then, if you want to see them scatter, just turn on the light. They sure scatter.

That reminds me, like preaching the gospel. Just turn on the light. It don't take it very long till evil goes to scattering. The church needs a good revival, a real good Holy Spirit, God-sent revival.

When I was a little boy, my brother and I (the one that's dead), we was out at the creek one day, that run behind the place, and we'd seen an old turtle. I don't know whether you know what a turtle is, tortoise. He's got a shell, you know. It's shell outside, and turtle inside. And we noticed him walk, and how funny he walked. And when we got to him, he went “Shh,” drew up into his....

Just like a lot of so-called believers when you tell them about the baptism of the Holy Ghost, or something. “Oh, them days are past. Shh. No such a thing.”

A guy said to me the other day, said, “I don't care what you produce.” Said, “I don't care how many dead people you prove was raised, how many. I do not believe in it.”

I said, “Certainly not. It wasn't for unbelievers; it was only for believers. You're an unbeliever.”

Now, we wanted to see him walk, because we thought it looked funny to see how he ... throwing his feet. So I said, “Get away! get going!” He just stayed up in his shell. “Well,” I said, “I'll fix him, brother.” And I went over and got me a switch. And I really poured it on him. You can't beat it out of them. He just laid there.

And I said, “Why, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll make him walk.” And I took him down to the creek. And I said, “I'll ... he'll either walk, or I'll drown him.” So I stuck him down in the water, and I held him with my hands. And just a few bubbles came up, and he stayed in the shell.

Water baptism doesn't do it, brother. You can baptize any way you want to. That don't do it. No, no. That's right. You might get a few bubbles, but that's about all.

Then I seen a piece of paper laying over in a corner. I built me a little fire, and set him on that. Brother, he moved then.

That's what the church needs tonight. It needs the Holy Ghost and fire that can get a church to move for the kingdom of God. It'll walk then. A revival. Accept Christ, the Word. Believe it. Let it sink down below the fifth rib on the left side, till it anchors down in the bottom of the heart. Then floods of joy will spring up, and joy unspeakable, and full of glory. And the Holy Spirit'll make you sing, “Fill my way every day with love, as I walk with the heavenly Dove.”

It'll do something to you. What we need.... It'll put energy in there. It'll do something for you.

About the time these brethren.... The sun went down, and darkness began to set in. Satan must have come up out of his tormenting pits, and looked over the hill. Ah-h-h-h! He had to lay quiet that day, because great things had been taking place. So it got dark. And he looked over the hill, and the disciples had gone off without Jesus. That's just what he wanted. He caught them without Jesus.

And that's just where he wants to catch you. You don't believe that bobbing your hair is wrong, women. You should come back to the Bible and find out whether it's right or not. You don't think these things are wrong. He catches you away from Jesus, that's all. You live a good godly life, and watch what takes place. Some people says....

Woman said to me the other day, she said, “Brother Branham. I want to tell you right now.... You was talking about our dresses, the way we were wearing them, so tight the skin's on the outside.”

And I said, “Well, I want to tell you something.”

She said, “That's the only kind of a dress they make now.”

I said, “That's no excuse. They still got goods, and have sewing machines. You can't just.... there's no excuse for it at all. No, sir.” I said, “Go ahead. And some day you're going to answer for committing adultery. I don't care how clean you are, and how pure you are to your husband, or your boyfriend. You dress yourself all sexy, and start down that street, some sinner looks upon you in the wrong way, and on the day of judgment, he'll have to answer for it. And who did it? You.

Jesus said, “Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart already.” And you presented yourself that way.

God, send us a revival before we perish! That's right. We need an old-fashioned, God-sent, soul-stirring revival. Yes. Find Christ back among us. Find Christ in the old-fashioned altars, and meetings that we used to have years ago.

Now, Satan said, “They've gone off without him, and I've got them away. I think....”

Don't you believe, brother...? Now, we know there's all different denominations here, and I belong to all of them. So, but don't you think that this time of prosperity...? We've been building new buildings. We've been buying everything new, and all the congregation has got plenty of money, and dresses better. I think we kind of went off on some kind of a tantrum, and we've left Christ somewhere, see.

And now, he sees us sitting like this out here. The revival's over. We ... here not long ago, why, the revival was burning. And now it seems like it's kind of hard to get the church filled up. The pastors tell me that it's hard nowadays. And the people won't go to church. They'd rather stay home and watch television, or something. The love has gone out of their heart. And Satan has seen us go off on this tantrum, and ... went off without Jesus. And he thinks it's his opportunity.

He said, “Now I'll sink them. When I've got them off, I'll sink them. That's ... just be the thing that I'll do. I caught them now without Christ. They left Him behind.”

And see, they were so busy, and had so much to do, waving to the people, and so much social affairs, and everything, till they forgot to take Him along. And I think that's what we've got—so much of our programs, till we've left out Jesus. The things that our father and mother fought so hard for, laid out on the railroad tracks, and eat corn, and wheat, and whatever they could get, to preach this gospel. And today, we just slop along, see. It isn't right. We should be on fire.

Satan sees this, and it's just like it was then. He said, “I'll sink them out there tonight, because Jesus is away from them.” Now the winds began to blow. Trouble began to set in. And it seemed like nobody had the answer.

Now we've got hydrogen bombs, and astronauts, and everything else. But, seems like nobody's got the answer. They're having all kinds of conferences, and meetings, trying to figure out if they can't beat somebody to the moon. I ain't worried about getting to the moon. I want to go past the moon, when I get started up.

And they've hollered here (Russia did not long ago), about having a man in space ... having the first man in space. Oh, how far they are behind! We've had one in space for two thousand years. Glory! We're going up with Him some of these days. Him, sure. But you see, it's a rat race, like.

And here they began to carry on. And then Satan began to blow his old poison breath upon them, “The days of miracles is past; there's no such a thing as divine healing; where is your master now; here's somebody in your congregation that's sick and looks like you can't do nothing for them.” See, it's rockety-rock.

You know what? They had a meeting the other day, and we understand that they're going to take ... in our ministry, in our church, they're going to cross out divine healing. A lot of the churches are doing that, don't believe it any more. Many pastors don't do it.

How fortunate you people are to have Pentecostal pastors that will stand for the thing that Christ stood for.

One of our great Pentecostal denominations, just recently, made a statement that before they can send their missionaries out, they have to go before a psychiatrist to see if their I.Q. is high enough yet. Oh, that ain't Pentecost! I wonder how much education Peter would have had if they'd tried him. That wasn't ... that even wasn't considered. It wasn't how much I.Q. they had; it's how much power of the Holy Ghost they had to demonstrate the glory, what kind of a life they were living. Certainly.

Now, we find out that the poisoned winds has begun to blow. It's got the little ship off on something or another.

And now, remember, I do appreciate all God does for us. I appreciate we've got new cars. I appreciate we've come out of rags into good clothes. I appreciate that. But, you see, when we start getting those things.... We've got great big churches.

Used to be, your fathers, our fathers, our early fathers stood out here on the street, and laid the rest of the night in jail for having a testimony meeting. They had a little old store down there that the bugs had almost packed away, a rat-infested den. They'd let him have it for two dollars a week. Then he'd go down there and start up, and the sheriff would arrest the whole bunch before the night was over. That's the way they had to fight. Now, we've got the biggest churches in the town, the best-dressed crowd, and everybody else coming. But where is that old-fashioned, God-sent, Holy Ghost power? Something wrong somewhere. Somewhere, something wrong.

We're living too.... We're too soft.

Man's becoming soft. They're becoming hybrids. That's right. You take fifty years ago, the game of baseball, you never heard of an accident. Now they kill a dozen a year. Hit one.... It's just like a guinea—knocks him out, he's dead. Look at Bob Fitzsimmons, and Corbett, John L. Sullivan, and those men, who fought as many as 125 rounds in an afternoon. And a round wasn't two or three minutes; it was a knockdown. Knock one another down 25 times in an afternoon all along. They didn't have a feather bed over their hands like the boxers have today. They were bare-fisted—could take a four-inch punch and bust a two-by-four with their hands. They could stand it. They were men.

And now, these little so-called, vitamin-fed Rickys, they've got a feather bed on, and they've got to stop the whole boxing thing. It's got soft. Man's got soft. Nothing in him no more. He's a great big giant-looking thing. But what is it? A bunch of blubber. Just exactly what the Bible said, “They'd grow weaker but wiser.” It's true.

Hybrid! Anything I despise is hybrid. I've seen a piece in Reader's Digest. If they keep on feeding women and things this hybrid food, then in twenty years from now the whole generation of people will be ... become extinct. The women is getting wide-shouldered, narrow hips. They can't have their babies, and things. Hybrid. Talk about hybrid corn. There's nothing to it. What is it? A great big fine grain, but nothing in it. Take that hybrid corn and plant it back, you don't get nothing. It's done, crossing up anything.

And that's exactly what the church has become, a bunch of hybrids. It's the truth. They've crossed up the baptism of the Holy Ghost with church affiliation, and they've got a bunch of soft-peddled, so-called, professed Christians that know no more about God than a rabbit knows about snowshoes. You know that's the truth. What we need today, is a God-sent, back to a borned-again experience. [Unclear words.] Hybrid. You say it looks better. That's what they've got. We've got bigger buildings, better dressed crowds. But what have we got? We've got a bigger ear of corn, but there's no life in it. We've got a bigger church, a better educated class of people; but where's the life at? They can't reproduce themselves again.

Like a mule. I always felt sorry for a mule. A mule don't even know ... he has no pedigree. His mama was a mare, and his daddy was a donkey. He can't even have children himself. They can't reproduce them no more. You can't cross it back. That's not science. God said.... Evolution says that we come from a monkey. How could we? When they cross it up one time, they can't cross back again. That knocks their argument out. That's right. It cannot.

Notice, and this old mule, he don't know ... he don't know nothing. And all he knows is that he's just a mule. He always looks.... He sits there with his big old ears sticking up, you know, and you go to talk to him. You can't learn him nothing. You can't teach him a thing. He just looks at you, go “Haw, haw.” That's all he does.

Puts me in the mind of a bunch of people that sit there, like some of this mule hybrid religion we've got. “The days of miracles is past. Haw, haw, haw.” What does he know about it? That's right. He don't know who his papa was. Only thing he knows, they belong to some denomination.

But I love a genuine, thoroughbred, pedigreed horse. He knows who his papa was, who his mama was, who his great-grandpa, great-grandma. He knows who he was, 'cause he's pedigreed.

And I'll take a genuine pedigreed Christian. He knows where he come from—from the original baptism of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost. Glory to God! He's pedigreed, and sealed by the Spirit of God. Says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.” The old mule will holler, “Oh, in a way, in a way.” But a pedigree will say “Amen!” Do you believe in divine healing? “Amen!” A genuine experience with God will punctuate every promise with an “Amen.” Glory!

I didn't aim to do that. Let's start back. Where was I at? In a testimony meeting. Notice.... I'll leave that to your pastors. All right.

Notice, a great storm began to take place. Doubt began to come in. Flusterations began to come in. That's what's happened, see, hybrid back again. You know what? A genuine original plant, you don't have to spray it. No, sir. Bugs won't even get on it. It's that hothouse plant that you have to spray.

That's what's the matter. You have to spray, and baby, and pet around with so-called Christians. Tell them, “You can't do this, and....”

“Oh, well, now. I just tell you, I got a right....”

There you are, see. That's a hothouse plant. They can't stand nothing in the beginning, you see. What you need is an original, old digging out, and tearing down, and as I said last night, clean out the nest, and start over again. That's right.

You can make deacons out of them, and everything else. But it'll never do no good. Pat them on the back, and call them brother, but until they're borned again of the Spirit of God, they're just a nest full of rotten eggs. That's all. They'll never hatch.

We need the baptism of the Holy Ghost. I don't mean some dry handshake. Said, “Did you get the Holy Ghost?”

“Yeah, when I shook hands with the pastor, when I accepted Jesus as my Saviour.”

Brother, that ain't Bible doctrine. Paul found a bunch of good thoroughbred Baptists up there, and he said, “Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?” Not when you believed, but after you've believed have you received the Holy Ghost. It's a personal experience that comes. And when that great unchangeable God sent his message down, it never changes. Amen.

Now, we find there's trouble. What's the matter? Something's took place. The ship's a-rocking, the wind's a-blowing. Satan is buffeting the ship, blow after blow, wave after wave. And all hopes is gone to have another revival. Testimonies is dying out.

They'd rather stay home and see television, see. No more Wednesday night testimony meetings and things, no more prayer meetings, see.

The oars broke, the mast fell, the helm [unclear word] is all gone. All the winds has done knocked all the sails down.

And the cares of this world will soon knock all the testimony out of you, too. You feel ashamed to get up. Why? You know what you're living. You know you're not living up to that. Then, I tell you, what we need is a revival.

There they was, just like we are today.

But, you know what? He hadn't really left them. You know, the Bible said that He had climbed up one of the highest hills there was in the country so He could watch them. And that's what He did when He left us at Calvary. When they crucified Him, He never left us. He didn't climb the highest hill, but He climbed Calvary, and kept on climbing past the moon, stars, plumb on into the heavens of heavens. The higher you go, the farther you can see. And He got so high, till He has to look down on heaven, the Bible says—way up into the heavens of heavens, “ascended on high.”

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He's watching us tonight. That's right. He's looking down upon this need. He sees our trouble. He knows our flusterations. He knows how sick you are. He knows what you've been through. He knows what you're trying to do, see. His eye is watching you.

And He was standing up on top of that mountain, watching, watching. He seen their trouble. He seen the oars broke. He seen the congregation leave, as it was. He seen everything happen. He seen Satan begin to blow them around, twisting them around every way, where they hardly know what to do. And then what happened? When all hopes was gone that they'd ever ... could ever be saved, what happened? Then they seen Him come walking on the water. He come walking up to them.

Now, if He'd been in the ship with them, and went walking out, they could have accepted it. But, you see, He was away from them, and had to come walking in on the water. And the Bible said that they were scared. They were frightened. They said, “It's a spirit.” And the only thing that could save them, they was afraid of it because it looked spooky. They was afraid of it.

If that ain't the picture today, I'll never know. The only thing that can save the people, they're afraid of it. Jesus Christ, in this hour of tragedy that we're in, when the church is just about ready to go into the federation of churches, into the world council of churches and all these things, and our denominations are coming drained down, and each one.... And, you know, we all know that.

Our Baptist and our Pentecostal is getting the same way. We love our brethren in everywhere, no matter where they are. But never did a denomination ever denominate and fall that ever rose again. Now you just search history. When they go, they're finished.

And our Pentecostal denominations.... Now, the system, not the brethren, but the system of denominations has ... it's just ... it's warm, it's got lukewarm. And it's just getting to ice cold. See, it's leaving. And the people's getting cold and formal, and caring for the things of the world. And we're getting big fine everything, you know. And just getting everything handed to our hand.

God told Israel, “When you had nothing, I found you in the field bloody, and washed you off.” You appreciated God. But when they got big, and began to have plenty, then they forgot God.

And that's just the way it's beginning to get, see.

And now, see, when all the things.... Seems to be, that our ... we're ... begin to look about how many more members we can get, how much more congregation. Can we get a little bigger church than this other brother, on the other side of the city? How much Sunday school race can we have, and give them a gold pin for doing certain things, bringing so many to Sunday school?

The Baptists had a little saying in '44. Said, “A million more in '44.” A slogan. What have you got when you got in there? Sitting with Billy Graham, not long ago, he put his ... stood up there, and held up the Bible, and said, “This is God's example.” I was at his breakfast.

He said, “I ... St. Paul took this Word of God, and went into a city and preached, and had one convert. He went back a year later, and he had thirty from that one. That one convert won thirty.” And, he said, “He had thirty grandchildren then,” see, from that one child. He said, “I go into a city, I'll have 30,000 confessions. And I come back in a year, I can't find thirty.” And he said, “Now, what's the matter?”

I appreciate that evangelist. I think God's using him out there in that ... where he's at. Got to be somebody go to Sodom, you know. All of them can't stay with Abraham and his group, the pulled-out elected. But there was one stayed there, showed a certain sign, got them ready for the going.

Notice, and Billy said, “You know what's the matter?” He never pulled no punches. He said, “It's you lazy bunch of preachers.” He said, “I'll give you these decision cards, and you'll sit out there, and put your feet up on the desk, and won't even go bother them, and maybe write them a letter, and tell them you'd like to have them a member of your church. You ought to get out there and persuade them, to get them in the church.”

Well, I sat, and watched for awhile, you know. And I thought that sounds very good. And I thought, “Oh, Brother Graham. I would just sure like to ask you a question right now. But I'm just a little dummy, you know, and you're a great man, so I wouldn't do it. But I'd like to say, 'Brother Graham....'” Here's what if I could've asked him. Now I want him ... no reflection on him, cause I love him, and he's a great man. I pray for him all the time, and we must do it.

And now, I'd like to say, “Brother Graham, who ... what did this fellow, with this one convert that Paul won, what preacher took ... went to him, 'cause he had no pastor to be left with, see?” What was the matter? Paul didn't stop just at confession. He stayed with him till he received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. He was on fire. He like to burnt the city up. That's what's the matter.

That's what's the matter today. We just take them in as a confession, instead of taking them on to receive Christ, till they're borned of the Spirit of God. That's what we need today, is them all night meetings. Not just stay....

I believe in all of our things we do. I believe in shouting, I believe in speaking in tongues, I believe in interpretation of tongues, I believe in divine healing. I believe in all those things. But yet, it's something better than that. It's the birth itself. It's the Holy Ghost itself come in there. These things are fine. That's good. But it's like the colored man eating watermelon—there's more of it. You've got to go on until “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, patience....” The power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ burns into the life. Then we could have a testimony meeting about what God's a-doing in our midst. That's right.

Jesus come walking to them on the water, and they got scared. They said, “Oh, it's spooky. We'd better not go to that meeting any more. It's funny.” They seen Him return again in his power, just as He promised through the pages of these Bible—these pages in this Bible rather, that He would do this in the last days.

And it walks in, and many of the people say, “Ah, that's just mental telepathy, that's spiritualism, that's some kind of a....” See. That's the same thing. And the only thing that'll save, that'll help us out of this, is to accept Jesus Christ. That's right.

Notice, when He was ... all of them was scared, and they cried out, “Oh, what is this? We don't know. It looks scary. It looks spooky.” What happened?

Right in that crucial moment, there come a voice, “Fear not, it is I; be not afraid.”

Tonight, as I would say this, as we close our little testimony.... I've got to do it quickly. As I close their testimony, in closing this portion of the revival....

Friends, when you see Jesus Christ do something like He's been doing here.... Our meeting of four nights was too short. I would like to stand here and take this Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and prove to you that that's exactly the hour that we're living in, this is supposed to take place. According to the Bible, it's the last hour.

When Billy and I flew into India, just recently, they had a piece of paper (it's a bilingual country), and said, “The earthquakes must be over. The birds are returning back.” Now, in India, they don't have these fine woven fences like we have. They pick up rocks and make their fences, and build their houses, most of them. And for a day or two, all the little birds that lived in these rocks flew away, and went out. They wouldn't come back to the rocks, back to their nest. And then what happened?

All the cattle that used to come in the evening, when the sun would be hot, and they'd stand in the shadow of these walls to keep cool—and the sheep—they wouldn't do it. They got right out in the middle of the field and stood against one another.

They thought, “That's strange, what's happened to them?”

And then, all at once, an earthquake swept the country. All the walls fell down. And then it was down for two or three days, the earthquakes. Then, all at once, what was left standing up, the little birds began to come in again, come back. They said, “The earthquakes must be over.”

Don't you see, friends? The same God—in the days of Noah, who could take the birds and the animals, and put them in the ark of safety, away from destruction—that same God still can warn the bird. And the bird only has instinct to go by. And if the bird by instinct, God warning him to get away from the big falling walls, surely, that by the baptism of the Holy Ghost, that we can get away from these big old walls that's being (tradition, that's built around us) ... and get out there—if we have to stand one against the other and keep in the shadow of the Bible. That's right.

Don't be afraid. He promised it. He comes riding right into us, and does his works. And let's us not be afraid tonight.

If we could just open up our hearts, and say, “Lord Jesus....”

Look at the nights. Look, just look—our little nights, when we just never been here before in a meeting, and this is only the fourth night. Three nights has passed. And look, the Holy Spirit has not failed one time. I'm getting letters of testimonies coming back from places, and telling what would be when they got home, and so forth. And they said it was just exactly that way. Why, certainly. It'll always be that way, see.

Watch what it says. Just when you hear it talk, see what it tells you, see. I'm saying then what I'm looking at. Then wait, and see what He tells you to do. Whatever He tells you do, go to do it. I don't care what it is, go do it. It's not your brother here, it's Jesus Christ, see. It's Christ. Jesus said, when He was here, “It's not me, it's the Father,” see. The Father was working through Him. Now the Father's working through his church, see—the Holy Spirit.

And when you see it, don't be afraid of it; embrace it. Say, “Lord Jesus, I love You. You're here. Maybe I've never accepted You as my Saviour. Tonight, I'm going to do so. I want You for my Saviour. I don't want this meeting to close till I'm saved. I want You to save me tonight, Lord.” He'll do it. He'll do it. That just proves He's here. We're in the last days. These things are supposed to be.

And remember, the last sign that was given to Abraham, which was a type of those who'll go in the rapture (see, they was already out of Sodom), the last sign that was given to him was that very sign—God manifested in human flesh, that told Abraham what Sarah was thinking in the tent behind Him. And Jesus turns right back around, and says, “As it was in the days of Lot, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man.”

I presume that you people are spiritual. Please try to understand, see. This may be your last opportunity, see. Maybe you wasn't taught this in your churches, your big fine churches. Those men are ... nothing against your pastors now.... [blank spot] ... not afraid, “it's I, be not afraid.”

Now, heavenly Father, this rude little tore up testimony meeting that I was trying to explain, and trying to show the people that we could be having the same testimony in every one of these churches Sunday, these fine churches sitting here who are lighthouses.... There could be people standing in there on Sunday morning giving testimony of the same thing that they were testifying about that night on the sea. “Oh, did not our hearts burn when we seen Him do this, and we seen Him do that?” God, please, send a great revival, Father. Catch us, Lord. We're needing a great revival. Reveal yourself to us in a real way tonight.

Maybe, Lord, after this testimony meeting I've talked about, maybe there'll come such a hunger over the people's hearts. If You'll just declare yourself again tonight among the people, then they'll go away from here, and Sunday morning they'll pack those churches and testify. They'll leave here, go to their neighbors, and start winning souls, and try ... and getting down with their neighbors, and praying with them, and go and visit the hospitals, and sick, and afflicted, and tell them that Jesus Christ is alive, forevermore. Grant it, Lord. Hear our prayer. This is our objective of being here, Lord, and You know the motives in our heart. And so we pray that You'll receive it, Father, as we ask this blessing in Jesus Christ's name. Amen.

Now real quietly.... Now, we don't have a clock (would one of you brothers ... I broke my watch and....) What time is it? Oh, I'm later than ever. Tomorrow is Saturday. I'm sorry. I seen two or three get up to go out, and I know I've stayed too long. That was ... you're such a nice people, I just hate to think I'm going to have to leave you tonight. That's truth. In my heart I'm.... If I'm a hypocrite, I don't know it; but I like people.

When I was a little old boy raised up, nobody cared for me. Nobody liked me. And I joined the church, was ordained, a Missionary Baptist Church. I always had an idea that God was God. And I was kind of a black sheep, so to say, there.

Dr. Davis used to tell me, “Billy, you'll turn out to be a holy roller,” and all that.

But still, I believed, if God ever was God, He's still God. And I just ... my conditions led me that way, 'cause I'd seen that when I was a little boy. And many of you has read my book, my life story, and things. And God in heaven knows it's true. And I knowed there was something there, I could see it, that light. And it'd talk to me. And sometimes, a little baby boy, and I knowed it was true.

And he told me, said, “Oh, you just had a dream.”

I said, “If that's the way it is, I'll just give up my fellowship card.”

He said, Oh, don't think that way.“ But said, ”You'll get over it, Billy.“

But I haven't yet, and I hope I never do.

This is it. And as Peter said on the day of Pentecost, “This is that....” If this isn't that, just let me keep this till that comes then, because I love this. And I pray that God will let every person feel like that. And friends, I'm telling you what is the truth. So far.... Here lays this Bible, I've never closed it yet. So help me, with this Bible on my heart, that I'm telling you the honest truth.

And I do believe that it's Jesus Christ, in the form of the Holy Spirit, see, God, the Holy Spirit, coming down in the name of Jesus Christ to vindicate that we're in the last days, and his Spirit is on earth among his people. And that light up there, I believe with all my heart, that that's the same pillar of fire that led the children of Israel through the wilderness. I believe it was the same one that was upon Jesus Christ, the same when He went away. And that's, the same one that put the eyes of Saul out on the road to Damascus when he cried “Lord, who are you?” And He said, “I'm Jesus,” see.

I believe it's the same thing. It does the same works, so it couldn't be me. Just think, I don't even have a seventh-grade education. I know nothing about ... well, any education—no more than just barely can read the Bible. But I know Him.

Someone said, not long ago, said, “Brother Branham, you don't know your Bible.”

I said, “But I know the author real well. And I ... He'll let me know his Book if He wants to reveal it to me.”

And not one time has that angel of the Lord, standing there, has ever one time told me anything but what went right back in the Bible and proved it by the Bible. If it ever told me anything was contrary to the Bible, I would not believe it. This Bible is first. If it's an angel, or anything else that would testify anything contrary to this Word, don't you listen to it. I don't care how real it seems, this is right. It's always right.

Joseph Smith saw an angel. Now, I don't doubt that man's word at all. But the thing of it was, it was contrary to the Word, see. I ... it must be the Word. And I believe the man was a good man, certainly, and sincere. But I ... the one that talks here ... it must ... it mustn't be anything against this Word. It's got to be right with the Word.

And so help me (I haven't got time to stay here to tell you), and night after night.... But the things that you see done, I can prove it by the Scriptures. If you take the tapes you know it, that it's over and over again from Genesis to Revelation. It points exactly to this bride tree, this hour, this same Spirit to return back again, and the fruit of the Holy Spirit be manifested to restore the faith of the children back to the faith of the fathers again. It's just exactly the same thing, all the way through the Bible, predicted to be here. And here we are. Immediately after the baptism falls, and things like that, there's supposed to be a restoration at the last day.

And people, don't put it off and look way out here in the future. It usually goes right over top of your head, and you miss it. Be ready. If it's Scripture, take a hold of it. If it's not Scripture, leave it alone, see. But so help me, it's Scripture. See, that's what He did in the other days. If He's the same today, He'll do the same.

Now, I believe Billy Paul gave out prayer cards. What did you give out today? We've got the most.... B, 1 to 100? Well, let's start. Where was we at, first and last of the others, and through there? Was that right. Let's start back at the first tonight of them. B? B prayer cards. got a B? And let's just start from.... Well, let's start from number 1, 'cause we're going to get them all anyhow.

All right. Number 1. Who has B number 1, raise up your hand. This lady? Come over here now. If ... I see one lady in a wheelchair there. And if she ... when her card's called, if she has one, remember, just bring her right up on the platform, see. It's all right. B number 1, number 2? Number 2? Who has B number 2? Is hers number 2? Just a minute. Just a minute. We'll get it in line as soon as we call it. All right. Number 2, who has it? Oh, I'm sorry. He's behind the microphone. Over here, lady. Number 2, number 3? All right, lady. Number 4? Prayer card number 4? Who has it? Number 4? Maybe ... what is that in Spanish? Quatro. I know I didn't say it right. Only one way ... only one word I can say in Spanish, “Oya.” I remember in Jeff, people used to say “Oya,” and you'd say “Si.” All right. Number 4. Already 4, 5. Prayer card number 5? Way in the back. All right. A lady back here.

The boy brings these cards down now, and gives these out. He brings them up before the congregation, mixes them all up, and just gives you a prayer card. No matter where you're at or who you are, you get it. And then, one might get the number 1, the other one 15, the other one.... And then, they don't know yet where we're going to call from, see. And so, I just come here and....

What have we called? 5, 6, 7. 6? Hold up your hand if you got 6. Fine. 7, number 7? All right. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. 14? Now wait a minute, I seen.... I'm mistaken. A man and woman going the other way, I thought it was getting up to come up. 12, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. 15? 16? Well, let's just start at these, 'cause we'll get them all. We'll get every one of them, the Lord willing, just in a little while.... We'll just.... Let's just wait a few minutes till we can find out whether we can get it or not.

All right. Everybody feeling good?

Now, how many in here does not have prayer cards? Let's see your hands. All right. Now, be reverent. Watch this a-way, pray. Now remember, this is our last meeting. Now let's be real reverent. Watch this a-way.

And now, while they're making that prayer line ready over there, let's say this. Let's go back a few years. Let's see the Lord Jesus, one time, after He crossed the sea. He landed at the shore on the morning out of those boats, and He was going up into the country. And a little woman who had a blood issue, she had no prayer card. (Say, I believe we're ... somebody's turned the lights out. Is that for a certain purpose, or what? Or is it automatically going off? Did they ... is that for us to leave? Or some...? Oh, they're coming back. Somebody made a mistake outside, turned the switch. All right.)

Notice, now our Lord Jesus....

Now, how many understands this, we're not trying to say that we're the Lord Jesus. Anybody understands that. All right. We are your brothers, see. We are his servants. But it's just a gift to submit yourself. Now let's watch this. Here's men that are theologians, trained men in the Word. Now brethren, when you all start to preach a message, if you just try to make it up yourself, it doesn't do any good, does it? But when you get inspired, you're just ... something's just coming down. You don't know what you're going to say. Is that right? That's speaking by inspiration, see. That's the Holy Spirit. Now, I'm not eloquent enough to do that in that manner.

But now, what mine is, it's just ... it's a gift to know just how to, like pull a lever, and just get yourself out of the way. It's just a complete surrender. I can't explain it. No man can explain God. I can't tell you how I ... what happens, and what goes on. I just know it's a little gift. And I just have a way of just getting myself out of the way, and then all at once, I begin to feel something strange, sweet, humble. And look, I see that light circling around. Then I know it's all right. That's the reason I wait. And then when someone goes to talking....

That's the reason I have someone up here, more like a decoy, see, to get one person singled out so I can talk to them. And then, when the Holy Spirit begins to move upon this person, then it usually catches the audience. And then the audience begins to wonder; then they begin to get faith. Then whoever has faith.... Then you just begin to feel it here, there, everywhere then, see. Then, if there is ... it just proves it.

Now remember, it's a very hard, wrecking thing. Jesus had preached all day, and it didn't bother Him. But when that little woman touched his garment, and went out and sat down, it took virtue out of Him. Is that right? Well, anyone knows virtue's strength. Well, if it would do that to the virgin-born Son of God, what will it do to us as sinners saved by his grace?

Preaching—can do that all night, it wouldn't bother you. But just let one vision happen, see. It's something that's ... it's in another world. You see people, maybe when they're little bitty children or something, and you have to talk fast, because you know you're standing here; but yet, you're somewhere else, way back somewhere else talking. Then, when you come out of it, you don't know what you said till you listen to it on the tape, see. And it isn't a human. It isn't a person at all; it's God. It's always right. And He promised that, see—“perceiving their thoughts.” The Bible said that's what He did. Call it whatever you want to, but the Bible said Jesus perceived their thoughts.

Now, I want you to believe. Now first, I want you to see that ... see now, like healing.... We know the Holy Spirit's here. And I believe in laying on of hands. Somebody, oh, jumped on me kind of rough about that this morning. Said, “There is no such a thing as people laying hands on one another. Shouldn't be done.”

I said, “You just haven't read the Bible, brother, that's all.” I said, “The last commission that fell from the lips of Jesus Christ, was 'lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.'” Last words He said when He left the earth.

His first commission He give his disciples was, “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils,” the first group that set out, Matthew 10. And the last group that set out, “These signs shall follow them that believe; they'll cast out devils; speak with new tongues; take up serpents; drink deadly things; if they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover.” That's the last words He said. He was received up into glory. Certainly that's the great commission. What it does, I don't know—it's just carrying out what He said do.

But here, all of us, I guess 90% of you are believers, or more. You're a believer, and you have just as much right to lay hands on the sick as I do, or your pastor does, everybody. Lay hands, the believer, “These signs shall follow....” Not the ministers, but everybody that believes. You have a right, everybody. As I said, there's no great men, holy men; there's us. We're not any of us holy. We've got a Holy Spirit in us, but we're not holy. It's ... He's the one that's holy. It's his holiness, not mine, not yours. It's his.

But here, let's just close your minds to everything now, for the next fifteen minutes. And now, these men are sitting here, looking around. Here's a woman standing before me. I never seen her in my life before. Are we strangers to one another lady? [Lady responds.] You heard what she said? She's been in my meetings several times, but she's never even had the opportunity to say, “How do you do?” to me, see. Therefore, I don't know the woman. She's standing there. She's here for some cause. Now let's ... just think now. Take St. John, the 4th chapter, when Jesus met a woman. Now remember, He said, “The works that I do shall you do also.”

Now, here's a woman, and a man, meeting for the first time in her life. Now that's true. Here we are, here's God's Bible, there stands a woman, here I stand. I've never knowed or ever seen the woman in my life. I know ... that's all I know is she's standing there. Today, she was out here somewhere. Somebody gave her a prayer card, and her number was called, and here she stands, that's all.

There's many out there. Last night we just took those who didn't have prayer cards. How many was here to see that? See, a prayer card don't have nothing to do with it, see. It's your faith that has to do with it. Now, you say, “Brother Branham, can you heal the sick?” There's not a man on earth can heal the sick. They're already healed. You've just got to make them see it, believe it.

Now, if Jesus Christ will come on the scene, and work through that woman and me.... Now, if it works through me, and not her, it won't work. It's got to be both of us together, see. It's like you —if you've got faith, you believe it. Then see, it'll work between us, see. It's your faith and my faith. I'll believe it. If you'll just believe it with me, then we'll see the words and promises of Christ fulfilled.

Now, if anybody believes it's wrong, and you believe you can do the same thing, I invite you to the platform. So then, don't say nothing about it.

Now come here, lady, just stand here. Now I want to bring you out, because there's quite a bit of faith. And I just want to talk to you a moment, like our Lord talked to that woman. Now, not knowing you, never seen you in my life, and you're a total stranger to me. Now if the Lord Jesus will just do something here, like He did when He was in the Bible, the Bible days, wouldn't it make us feel happy and we could go home like those who...?

One day his ... after his death, burial, and resurrection, He was on ... some disciples was on the road to Emmaus (You remember, brethren?)—on the road to Emmaus. And they met the Lord Jesus and talked with Him all day long, and they didn't know Him. But when He got inside that night and closed the doors, He did something just exactly like He done before his crucifixion, and they knowed that was Him. How many remembers the story? Sure. They knew it was, 'cause nobody else did it that way. And their eyes were opened, and He vanished away from them. Now, He's alive tonight. Now, if He is alive then He'll do the same today like He did before his crucifixion, prove that He's resurrected. Is that right?

Now, He don't have no hands tonight but my hands and your hands. He has eyes in mine and yours. That's what He uses. He is the vine, we are the branches. Is that right brethren? And the vine doesn't bear fruit; the branch bears fruit, energized by the vine. Is that right? And if that first branch that come out of that Pentecostal vine wrote a book of Acts, if that tree ever puts forth another branch, it'll write another book of Acts, 'cause it won't put forth a pumpkin, and then a watermelon, and then a pomegranate. It'll put forth the same fruit every time, 'cause it's the same life going through the vine. Now do you understand?

Now, in the name of Jesus Christ of this Bible, I take every spirit in here under my control, to the honor and glory of God. Now if you're a critic, don't stay any longer. It's your time to go, 'cause remember, evil spirits goes from one to another. And many here's been in the meetings knows what's happened. If you are, just sit still. If you're not, if anything happens, I'll be responsible.

Now lady, now, something has happened. It's his presence. Now if the Lord Jesus will reveal to me something that you've done, something that you want to do, something you have or haven't done or ought to do, or something about you.... You know, just like He said to Simon. He said, “Your name is Simon. You're the son of Jonas.” He told him his name. He believed it. The woman, He told her, “You have a blood issue.” It stopped. Then He had the ... like the ... well, something that He tells to somebody, that something was wrong with them, like the woman had five husbands. Something, just something like that, you know it would be Jesus Christ. Do you believe it? It had to come from supernatural powers. You know that.

Now. Now, if anyone can see, the light is standing between me and the woman. She's just as conscious of it. I don't know the woman, but you just ask her this, listen to this. Just now, something like a real sweet feeling come. If that's right, just raise up, see. It's just right around her. Can't you see that? It's another dimension, see. I'm looking right at it. Now as I watch you, you are a believer. And you're suffering.... One of your great troubles is that you're real nervous. And through this nervousness has caused you to have a high blood pressure. It's exactly right. Do you believe now? Now, just to see now, that it just.... Just not....

See, I can just take that one woman and stand here, just keep on talking about it. But see, there's others waiting in the line, see. Others has got to come. So you see, it won't all be on one person. You've got to have someone else. But now, would you like to see if the Holy Spirit would tell her something else? Would you'd like to? Just raise up your hand. Just say, “It would help me much.”

Would it help you? All right. Let's see. I don't know what He told you, only thing I know it'll be on the tape.

Now just a moment, you just look to me and believe. Just like Peter and John said, “Look on us.” And that, in other words, give us your attention, see. And as He perceived they had faith, and I perceive that you have faith.

And now ... yes, I see. It's something around your arm. Oh, it's the high blood pressure. A doctor put something around your arm. That's right. Yes, sir. That's right. And said, you had high blood pressure. And there's something else. Oh, I see them. They're going to get something ready to make.... Oh, it's an operation. You're fixing for an operation. And that's on a female trouble. And that's to be in the next couple days from now. That's right. That's right. Now, see what I mean? Just keep telling her ... keep talking to her, more goes on. You see what I mean? See? Now it's not me. Ask the woman whether it's right or not. Question her, anybody that knows her, see. Look this way again. Do you believe God can tell me who you are? Will it help you? Mrs. Darling, you can go home now, and believe with all your heart.

You believe Jesus Christ now?. Perhaps we could raise up our hands, and worship Him. He's God. Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for this. We pray now, that You'll let the people see, that we can have a testimony that the same Jesus.... We can testify in the morning that we've seen Him. He was here with us tonight in the form of the Holy Spirit. We love You, Lord Jesus. Make all the people to see and believe. We pray, Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Now, just be honorable, reverent, and respect. Now, this lady standing here. Now, are we ... we don't know each other I suppose, do we lady, the lady standing before me? You don't know me, I don't know you, but ... never saw me in her life. All right. Now, are you ... do you still believe, everybody? Just be reverent. Just be real reverent. “If thou canst believe, all things are possible.” Amen. I seen something happen. I'm just going to wait a minute. All right. Look this way just a minute, sister, standing here on the platform. If I don't know you, but God does know you, if He'll let me know something about you that you know.... If I know nothing about you, you're just a stranger to me. But if He will reveal something to me that you know whether it's right or not, you can testify to that, if it's right or wrong.

But, you are ... one of your main troubles, and your main trouble is ... that's a nervous condition. You're bothered, which has given you stomach trouble. You have a stomach trouble and a nervous condition. And the nervous condition gives you the stomach trouble, which causes sourness in the bottom of the stomach. It's a peptic ulcer right in the bottom of the stomach. Grease and things makes you belch up stuff. And then, I see you turn away from many foods at the table. That's exact....

And you've had a great shock that's just come to you. You've had a sorrow. It's a death. It's your husband. He just went on. And it's made you nervous. That is right, isn't it? I believe you'll be all right now. Go eat your supper. Jesus Christ.... Do you believe? Just have faith in God. That's right.

Now, this lady here, would you look this way just a moment? We're strangers to each other. We don't know each other, but Jesus Christ knows us both. Well now, if the Lord Jesus will reveal something like He has, say to the woman who had five husbands and you're ... you have a tumor, ulcer, cancer, you've got domestic troubles, or whatever it is, you'd know it'd have to come from God, wouldn't you?

See, He just told that woman one thing, and the whole city repented. And here He is, doing more now for He said, “The works that I do shall you do also; and more than this shall you do.” I know the King James says “greater,” but the Emphatic Diaglott says “more.” Couldn't do any greater. He stopped nature, raised the dead. You just do more of it, see; quantity, instead of quality.

You are suffering also with a nervous condition. You have a lady's trouble which is female disorder. You also have a stomach trouble that's bothering you. That's right. Do you believe He can heal you? Do you believe He will? Got somebody on your heart, haven't you? Your husband. He isn't here. Do you believe I can tell you what.... If Jesus will reveal what's wrong with your husband, will you believe me to be his prophet, or his servant? He's real nervous, and it's caused him to have a prostate trouble. That's right, isn't it? Have faith, don't doubt, just believe with all your heart.

Here, just a minute. Something's going wrong. Yes, here it is. It's your mother, and that's her sitting right back there on the end of the seat. She has Parkinson's disease. You're praying for her. Isn't that right? Mrs. Harris (that's your name), you believe with all your heart, go back and lay your hands on your husband, your mother, and get well in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Have faith in God.

Do you believe God? Now, I think we just ought to worship Him. Don't you think so? Let's just praise Him, and say, “Thank You, dear Lord.” Heavenly Father, how we thank You, praise You. Blessed be the holy name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We give you glory, honor, thanksgiving, and praise, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Have faith, don't doubt, just believe what God has said is the truth. That's all you have to do. Now be real reverent, and watch this a-way.

Now, here's a man. We're strangers to one another, but Jesus Christ knows us both. Do you believe Him? Do you believe me as his servant? You will? Now when Jesus met a man, it was (we find Him doing a miracle on), was Simon, wasn't it. That's the first man He met. All right, He told Simon what his name was. Now the Lord help me to know something that's wrong with you, that it is.... Yes, I see it now. It's an intestinal trouble ... colon. It's an inflated colon. You're not from here either. You've come from the west this way, you're from California.

There's somebody with you. He's got a prayer card to be prayed for tonight. He's sitting out there now. He's your friend, and he's suffering with a nervous condition, like a nervous breakdown. Do you believe he's going to get healed? So do I. Do you believe now that Jesus can tell me what your name is? Mr. Hambrey. Then return back, lay your hands on your friend, believe with all your heart, and you can both go back and be well in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do you believe? Now pray with your man that's getting ... right now, pray.

We'll just start praying for the sick. Now, how do you do? Speak English? You do. You believe me to be God's servant? That's what the angel said to me, said, “If you can get the people to believe you....” Not believe me as Him, but believe He sent me.... It's for your little boy. That's right. Do you believe God can tell me what's his trouble? You'll believe it? He's nervous. It's caused from a scare, a dog scared him. That's right. He's going to get all right. Take him back, and believe with all your heart, he'll be all right—just shock. I'll put my hands on him, in Jesus' name. Don't fear, he'll get over it, be all right, see. Be thankful.

Do you believe with all your heart? Amen. “If thou canst believe....” This lady sitting there talking to the other one has that sinus trouble. And awhile ago, that something happened to you—that's your sinus, got healed. Amen. You believe it and go home now, and be made well. Do you believe?

Out there in the audience, do you believe? What do you think, with your hand up, sitting right there. Do you believe me to be God's prophet? Then that hernia won't bother you any more. Your wife is awful sick. The doctors don't even know what's wrong with her. Just lay your hand over on her. Believe with all your heart. He knows what's wrong with her. She'll get well, if you'll believe it.

Do you believe God heals your heart trouble, standing there? Then go back home and get ... be well.

Now, is this Jesus Christ in amongst us? What do you think about it, little lady sitting there looking right at me, there in the second row? Got chest trouble. Do you believe Jesus Christ makes you well? Stand up on your feet and accept it then. Amen. Have faith in God. Don't doubt it.

The lady there, looked over there, over there with a red sweater, sitting on.... Got sinus trouble. Do you believe the Lord Jesus makes you well? Just stand up on your feet and accept it, and get well. That's the way to do it.

Now what do you think about it, sitting there, brother? Do you believe me to be his prophet? Do you believe God can tell me your troubles? Your allergy is gone. Jesus Christ makes you well. Do you believe it with all your heart? Amen.

Now where'd we stop at? Card 15, was that what it was? Prayer card 15? How many more has got prayer cards in here? Let's get rid of these prayer cards. Line yourself up down here on the side. Let me show you ... just let me show you that healing don't only belong to one man. Let me show you what God can do through his humble servants here. Come here, brethren. I wonder if you brethren would walk right down here, right here with me. No, come right off the platform. Walk right down here a minute. Yes, all right. We're going to pray for them right here. I want the people to see that God uses his servants. Come. Come, you ministers, come right down here. I'm going down here with you. I'll show you that God heals the sick through your pastors. Doesn't matter, any way you want to. Amen. That's right.

All you people that's got your prayer cards, walk up here. Don't you doubt it. You believe it. Do you believe with all your heart now? Now pastors, some of you down there, I want each and every one of you. While I'm praying, I want you all to [unclear words] get in there, and be sure that your hand touches everybody in that line, see. I can't get there to every one of them but you can. Get down there, and get right among them.

All you people out there believe now. We'll get to you just in a moment. Believe with us now. Each one of you out here, remember, Jesus Christ knows you. He knows exactly what you're thinking. You know that. There isn't a one of you, but what He'd tell you just now. You see that? Then He's here. It's Him. It's not me. I'm just your brother. Now you believe while I'm praying. I'm going to pray for you and these pastors.

See, I don't want to leave the town, people saying, “Well, the evangelist was here. He did this.” I want you to know that your pastor has the same authority. He might not see visions. That maybe come one in a generation. But he's got the same authority from God to lay hands on you. It's just exactly the same.

Now, let's all pray. Keep your heads bowed now. And each one, when you feel that pastor's hands touch you, just remember, drop your prayer card, raise up your hands, and thank God for your healing, and walk back there and see what happens.

Our heavenly Father, we are assembled here now in the midst of this people, in the presence of Almighty God, O great eternal Jehovah, who brought forth Jesus Christ, your Son. I pray now as these ministers, the hands of God. As I lay my hands upon our sister here, I pray that you'll meet the Lord, every one, through the power of Jesus Christ. Come down upon this audience just now, as these pastors are touching these people. And may every one of them be healed in the name of Jesus Christ.

Satan, you've lost position. Jesus Christ is present to anoint these handkerchiefs, to heal the sick, to do the works that He promised to do. And we, as his church, challenge you, by the holy faith in his resurrection, in his presence now after two thousand years, working spiritually through his church. Come out of this people! In the name of Jesus Christ, let them go. Come out, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Now, while they're laying hands upon the sick, if there's a sinner, or a person that wants to be saved, that wants to come up around the altar down there, rise right up and come to the altar now. We're here to minister. If the personal workers will come with them, we'll rise up and come. Anybody wants to come up here now for prayer, come right ahead. Whether you have a prayer card or not, you're welcome to come right here now, and have hands laid on you. Come on now, while we're waiting.

If there's anybody else that's needy, needs the Holy Ghost, needs salvation, needs divine healing, we're here as ministers of Christ to serve you in the capacity of laying on of hands, and seeing you filled with the Spirit.

Everybody that would like to have this Jesus that knows the secret of your heart.... You people who doesn't know Him, and you feel that funny little feeling down in your heart.... I know you're here. The Holy Spirit's telling me so. Come up here now. Come up here. If you'll get up out of your seat and walk this way.... You say, “Lord Jesus, I come because I need You. And I'm coming to receive You.” God will grant you your request if you won't doubt, and believe with all your heart that the things that you see right now is the works of Jesus Christ. If you're Methodist, come on. If you're Baptist, Nazarene, Pilgrim Holiness, Roman Catholic, Orthodox Jew, a rank sinner, atheist—I don't care who you are, walk up here believing God, and see what happens right now. Come. I want to see you gather here.

I believe the Holy Spirit on this great crucial moment, this late hour when the ... when it's even past time, but yet, I believe that right now God's going to meet your request if you'll just believe Him. You've seen Him. Surely I'm telling you the truth. Now, surely you'll believe me.

Every one of you here now that has a need for God, come stand. Stand up around the side. Some will just raise to your feet to witness. Say, “I'm a witness, Lord,” that there's something on.... Stand where you are. Stand right up if you need God. That's right. If you can't get up, say, “I have need of You, Christ.” Now, please believe me. Do you believe that it's God speaking to me? If you do, raise up your hands if you do. Thank you. Now, because you believe ... if I've told you the truth, God has witnessed I've told you the truth. God is here witnessing I've told you the truth. Now I'm telling you the truth now.

If you will look up to God, and by faith say, “Lord Jesus,” if you're a sinner, say, “I confess my sin.” If you want the Holy Spirit, say, “Lord, I need your blessings to furnish me light. I want the Holy Ghost.” If you're sick, say, “I need healing, Lord. And I now expect it from You. I believe it.” If you'll do it, then you will receive it.

Now, let's just raise up our hands, each one in your own way. It's got to be your confession. And I'm going to pray for you here. Now you believe it, and you pray. I'm going to pray for you, and you pray for ... in your own self, just pray. Confess your own faults. Confess your weakness. Make your promise to God that you're not weak anymore; you're strong. You're not a coward. You're not going to be sick. You're not going to sow sin any longer. You're going to serve God. Make your confession and believe it. It's your soul. It's your responsibility. That's right.

Somebody struck fire. That's the way to do it. Just believe it.

Lord Jesus, this late hour's here. The great crucial moment, the last day of the feast is here, the last time, the last opportunity. These people are in need. Let the Holy Ghost fall, Lord. May the people feel, and know that it's God, Christ, in their life, trying to come in with his power. And give them the great deep desires of their heart. Grant it, Lord. Fill them with the Holy Ghost, heal the sick, get glory to thy name.

Now Satan, you've lost the battle. You've lost the meeting. You've lost the victory. I claim victory in the name of Jesus Christ. Come out of here, Satan. You can't hold them any longer. I claim them as trophies, for the Lord Jesus Christ.