Calling Jesus On The Scene

God bless you, Brother. Let's bow our heads. Heavenly Father, we're so glad that we still have You, Lord. When we have all other things gone, we still have You. You're everlasting to everlasting. We do thank You, Lord, for these wonderful things that You have shown to us in this end-time. We thank You for this revival, and for this place here, for Brother Carlson, for all the ministering brothers around who are trying to hold up the thing that's right. We pray for them, Lord, with all of our heart, that You'll give a great awakening here in Chicago, Lord. Grant it. We are looking forward for it.

Now, forgive our sins and trespasses. And now, Lord, tiredly in physically speaking, but yet in spirit I feel fresh. And I pray that You'll refresh us all now, and make us ready for whatever You have for us tonight. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

This has certainly been a great time of refreshing for me. I have appreciated it so much. The Lord Jesus only knows how much that I.... I thank the Lord for what He has ... what He's done for us.

Now I want to thank this audience for all your kindness, and for your cooperation, for staying by, and listening to the Word. And yet, Sunday night, after having Sunday afternoon service, the place is practically packed out tonight again. We're so grateful for that.

Now, I want to thank you for your little tokens of gifts that you've sent me by Billy Paul: the box of candy, and the box of cookies, and ... you know, a box of walnut kernels, and all the little gifts and things. They just mean so much to our heart. We certainly appreciate it.

Usually ... I think they said they'd taken a love offering. That wasn't the reason I come. You all know that, after all these years. But what the love offering.... I don't even look at it, don't see it. It goes straight to the ... for the missionary trip overseas, which I'm fixing to take right away.

I'm going in to see, some of you fine Norwegians and Swedes, your original home where you come from—over in Norway and Sweden, and down into Denmark, up into Finland—and then over to see Brother Mattsson in Kenya and Tanganyika, visit his schools. The little brother has certainly worked hard in those schools. I'm going to visit him to place the ministry that the Lord Jesus has given me before those precious young men there, that's going out packing the gospel.

From there on down into South Africa, trying to come back around through China, Japan, and up across the other side of the world.

That's what we do with these love offerings. And we're.... Therefore.... The people are not able to sponsor the meetings, so I just keep holding back everything that people give me. Comes in, I don't even cash a check; it's stamped from the church. It goes into an offering and can only be used for that. It's only.... So, then I know it's got to go right. So, we're thankful.

And I'll certainly be glad. About 80% of our congregation around here in Chicago is usually Norwegians, or Swedes, and they're really lovely people.

Frankly, I'm leaving Chicago for Tucson, Arizona. That's where I live now, and I'm living.... My landlord is a little Swede. I believe she may be sitting here tonight, Sister Larson. I stay at her home in Tucson, Arizona. I haven't seen her yet, but she lives here in Chicago, and perhaps here at this time, if she's not, out in Tucson. Lovely, sweet little person, with a lovely husband. We certainly appreciate her.

And now, Brother Carlson, Christian businessmen, all the minister brothers everywhere: the Lord richly bless you. The Lord bless this place, and make it a great place of salvation where ... a refuge where the righteous run into and are safe. That's my sincere prayer.

And trusting with all my heart that in these sharp cutting messages.... If I have intentionally tried to hurt somebody, God forgive me. I wouldn't do that for nothing. But yet I'm a prisoner to this Word, see. I must stay right with it. I don't speak hard things to make people feel bad. I speak things sharp sometimes to make people look, see—an exclamatory “Oh, look!” see—to make them look at it to see. Then if you get them....

Maybe sometimes it provokes them. And about nine times out of ten, if they get a little bit provoked they'll go to searching the Scriptures, and God will bless that to them. Just only look at the Scripture. If I ever say anything that's contrary to the Scriptures, you're duty bound to come tell me about it, write me, or something, and let me know. That's the reason I feel duty bound to you to explain the Scriptures—just ... not try to explain them, just say them the way they are. That's what they say. Believe it, believe it like that.

Now I certainly appreciate the visit. I come to you tired. I've just been having interviews, and meetings and so forth, till kind of wore out. And two meetings a day kind of gets ... well, I'm just a little farther up the road than I used to be. I just passed twenty-five, you know—the second time. Well, there's only one regret: that I didn't know Him earlier in life.

I was preaching the gospel when I was about, I suppose, about twenty-two years old. And I wish I'd started preaching when I was able to talk, just a little boy. And I missed all those precious years. If there's someone young here, I trust that you'll take.... Where I made my mistake—from about ten years old on to twenty-one or twenty-two. I trust that you'll start earlier, so you won't have to look back to the regret that I look to.

Lord be with you is my prayer.

Now I trust that something that the Lord Jesus has let me do by a gift.... You see, I'm not ... couldn't say I'm a preacher, see, because.... First place, I'm not eloquent enough. I have no education. That's why I couldn't say it, just being a preacher; because when a man says “a minister,” right quick they look for a college degree, they look for some great doctor of divinity, or something. And then when you speak “preacher,” and then use my words, my poor grammar, then it kind of casts it down.

But the Lord sent me to pray for His sick children. And in there, what I do know about Him I love to express it with all my heart. If I make mistakes, you pray for me. I'm not infallible; I'm your brother.

And now I trust that God has done something. If He hasn't, may He do it yet tonight, speak some word or something that will cause you to believe on Him.

Someone wanted to give me a gift here not long ago, which ... it was quite a sum of money. And I said, “I can't take it.” I said, “I wouldn't know what to do with it, see.” I said....

They said, “Well, it....”

Well, it was a thousand dollars, see, and I said, “I wouldn't know what to do with it.”

They said, “Well, we want this personally. We don't want this to the church.”

This don't go to the church. This is a foundation, see. It goes to the church by the name of the church, but it's a set-aside fund for overseas only, see. And therefore, it's ... the gifts are untaxable. So then it must be used for that.

Trustee board, trustees are sitting right here tonight listening at me, and that's true. And I said....

They said, “We want this for you and your family.” It was a check. I couldn't take it, see. I said, “I can't do that.” I said, “Do you want to make me happy?”

Said, “Sure.”

I said, “Can I do with it whatever I want to?”

“Yeah.”

I said, “Then let me help pay my way overseas.” And I said, “We got clothes enough to wear. People give us a lot of clothes. And we have food on the table. I make a hundred dollars a week from the church.” And I said, “Then I ... we get along all right. Let me do with it what I want to.”

And he said, “All right, it's yours. Make yourself happy.”

And I said, “It'll make me very happy.”

...love. We are sure appreciative of you people. And now the Lord richly bless you. And if you're ever through Jeffersonville, stop and see me. If you come through Tucson, stop and see me, and I'll be glad to see you.

Now always....

Living in Tucson, the office, remember, remains at Jeffersonville. Billy Paul is right there all the time, knowing where to contact me at any time, see. He'll be about the only one who'll know, because I'm on the field—first one place, and another. Maybe be here, say, in Tucson, and an hour from then the Lord's give me a vision, I might be on the road to Hawaii, see.

Just wherever He leads me that's where I go—just nowhere else but right there, see. And you pray for me. And if I don't see you no more this side the river, I'll meet you over there.

Now before approaching the Word tonight, I want to take just a few moments because I met some of my friends out there from down in Jeffersonville. I met another group of them up on the street, and they're driving in tonight after the service. I was going to preach on the subject “The Countdown.” That's about two and a half hours long, so they wouldn't get to Jeffersonville before daylight in the morning. So ... and many of you people have to go to work.

You've heard me speaking this week, and enjoyed being with you. And now tonight, I want to try to do the best I can. Now, then I won't say that ... I won't say anything wrong.

Now we're going to pray before we approach the Word.

Merciful God, realizing that I've been looking upon people here that maybe some I'll never see again, this will be our last meeting time.... If I should come back in a year from now many ... maybe some would be gone anyhow, the elderly people. And Lord, I realize that there's some here tonight that's sick, and if You don't touch their body in some way maybe they won't be here very long either. And again, Lord, I may not be here very long. We don't know. Let us be sincere, then, and earnest, remembering the Word of God, that all things will work together for good to them that love God.

And I'll read the Word, Lord. That's all I can do is to read the Word, and we'll depend on You to say something, or do something, that'll save every unsaved person here tonight. May the Word of God be so real to some people tonight, Lord, that's not saved, until down in their heart they'll accept You as their Saviour.

May the Holy Spirit come among us, speak to us, and do the work of God by confirming the Word with signs following. Grant it, Father. When life's all over and we come to the eternal life, we'll just be so thankful, Lord, until that time. And then through the age that has no end, we want to sit at your feet, look upon the one that we love, and one that loved us. Until that time keep us healthy and happy serving You. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Let's turn now in the Scriptures to the 4th chapter of St. Mark, the 35th verse, to read. If you like to follow, or maybe keep it wrote down.... I know a lot of people ... they take and mark in their Bible a little text where a minister speaks from. And from there they like to refer back to it. And I like to read these little simple Bible messages, and speak of them. It just thrills my heart to do so. The 35th verse of the 4th chapter of St. Mark:

And the same day, when ... evening was come, he said unto them, Let us pass over to the other side.

And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there was also with him other little ships.

And there rose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.

And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleeping, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and said unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

And he said unto them, Why are you so fearful? how is it that you have no faith?

And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

For just a little talk tonight I'd like to take a text from that, and call it this: “Calling Jesus on the Scene.” Let us call Jesus on the scene.

You know, I can imagine about how He felt. He'd just had a great day and He was tired, and He had been speaking much that day teaching the parables, if you'll notice, of the mustard seed and different things. He had a great day of healing the sick, and teaching, and his physical strength was just about played out.

And if many ministers know, just in our little ministries that we've got, how it tires us, what must it have done to Him?

Remember, in flesh He was just a man; but in spirit He was God—but a man in flesh. Therefore His body was a human being that was subject to temptations, subject to sicknesses, and just the same as ours, as He had to put on ... be a man, a human. And then He was God in the spirit. He said, “I and my Father are one. My Father dwelleth in me.”

When John baptized Him on the River Jordan, we see God descending from heaven like a dove, and a voice saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am pleased to dwell.” Now, if you take the original, and really the way it's wrote, it's “...whom I am pleased to dwell in,” see. But they put the verb before the adverb, “...in whom I am pleased to dwell,” or, “...in whom I am pleased to dwell [whom I'm pleased to dwell in, see.]”

God dwelt in Christ, and in Him was the fullness of the Godhead bodily—God expressing Himself through Jesus, and Jesus was the vindication of God. Can you understand it now? See, not three people; three attributes of one God. Not three gods—three god's heathen, see. Not three gods. Not ... Father, Son, and Holy Ghost isn't three different gods; it's one God in three manifestations.

God the Father in the form of the Holy Spirit was in a pillar of fire that no one could touch around Him. He was holy. No sin offering was made—just a potential offering.

Now that same pillar of fire, the Fatherhood, came down and was made God in Sonship. He dwelt in a pillar of fire. Here He ... in the Shekinah glory. Here He dwelt in a body, which was His Son that He created and made in the form of a man. So that made Him the Son of God, second Adam.

Now. He had to come through the womb of a woman, not like Adam, because that's what He had to condemn—the birth of a human being by a woman, see. So He had to come that way. Now that's God, the Son—the same God. And now, He, through offering that body without sin, made a human offering.

Now the cell, or the spirit (life) lays in the blood. And when the blood cell of a lamb or an animal was broken, the life that was in that cell could not come back upon the worshipper because it was an animal—and we are a human being. We're different. The animal doesn't have a soul; the human being has a soul. So the spirit could not come back upon him after he made his offering. But yet, he made it sincerely, speaking with faith that he believed that that perfect offering was coming.

But when the blood cell was broke in Jesus Christ, God was released, see. He was God. That blood wasn't Jewish, that blood wasn't Gentile; that was a creative blood cell—God, Himself. And now through that blood making a propitiation for our sins cleanses the believer, takes all his sins away from him as if he never had sinned. God puts them in the sea of forgetfulness. And the same God that was upon Jesus Christ continues in the believer, doing the same work that He did here, for it's the same Spirit.

There's God. See, not three Gods. Oh, how many of you Trinitarian people got that mixed up; and how you Oneness people got it mixed up, too—Him being one like your finger. Both of them got it mixed up, see. That's right.

If He's one God like your finger's one, how could He be His own father, see? See, He can't be His own father. And if He had another father outside of the Holy Spirit, and if God is a man, a person, then He is a.... The Holy Spirit was His father, and God's His father (Matthew 1), so then He was an illegitimate child. So you can't make it either way. You're both wrong. He was God manifested in a flesh of His creative Son, see. Now, that's God created a Son.

And when you Catholic people say “eternal sonship,” where do you get such a word? It doesn't make sense to me. How can He be eternal, and be a son? A son's something that's begotten of. How can it be eternal? Eternal never did begin, never does end. So how can it be eternal sonship? Oh, my! If these denominations hasn't scrupled things up I don't know what has. No wonder people can't have faith; they don't know what to have faith in. What we need is a good old-fashioned back to the Bible. That's right. Exactly. That's right.

Now. Jesus being man physically was tired, weary, now laying there tired. Virtue had gone from Him. And then, Him being God He could only do.... What? Now you say, “How could He be God, and be man?” See, there is the mystery, see. In body He was man; in spirit He was God.

Someone asked me, said, “Then how did ... who did He pray to in the garden of Gethsemane?”

I said, “I'll answer you that when you answer this: Do you believe you have the Holy Ghost?”

“Yes.”

I said, “Then who do you pray to? Where's He at when you're praying to Him, when you claim you have Him and yet you're praying to Him?” See. People just ... they just get some little idea and run wild with it, you see. That's the way it goes.

Now in spirit He was God. Jesus said in St. John 3, see, “...when the Son of man which now is in heaven....”—yet standing here on earth. “... when the Son of man which now is in heaven....” How would you answer that, see? He said He was in heaven then, and here He was standing on earth, see. Oh, my! You see that He had to be God, omnipresent. Sure. He's present everywhere. He knows every thought. By being omniscient, knowing all things, He can be omnipresent, see.

So now we find Him knowing that He had a great job ahead of Him the next day. He was going into Gadara. And in Gadara there was a maniac, a man who had lost his mind and was out there living among the devils and cutting himself—a poor man who could not call for his own help. And now, we find that He is on His road over there. I believe He knew all about it. The Father had sent Him over there. He knew it.

And now tired and weary, He goes back and takes this opportunity for a little rest while the ship is crossing the sea. Great day. Maybe, about this time in the evening or a little later, they're crossing the sea. Now while Jesus went back to the hinder part, back in the stern of the ship.... Probably went into the little room back there and laid down on a pillow. And while laying there resting....

The disciples, they thought, “Now our day's journey is over—our work for Him. Now we can take up our regular task. Let's just start pulling the boat.”

Just about like the disciples today, after the revival is over. And we all know it's over. You might as well settle that. It's over. The great revival that we've had, we're just gleaning. So, being over, each man goes back to his own church and whatmore, to take up ... goes back to his old job again, whatever he's doing.

And we find out they did that while Jesus was taking a little rest. By now they must have begun to rejoice over the works that they had seen Him do, and discuss it with one another.

Oh, I like to think of it that way—that they were rejoicing over the revival they'd had that day.

You know, it's just like His disciples now. When you go home, if the Lord Jesus meets with us tonight and will do something outstanding, something like He did last night—make the paralyzed to get up and walk, and different things, see.... Now if He'd do that, or someone gets saved, or something, then you go home—and maybe the lady and her husband, the children, or so forth will sit down and talk about it.

That's what these disciples, I believe, were doing. They were talking about what they had seen done. Oh, they must have been rejoicing over it, and they must have discussed His acts, of how that He had made Himself ... proved that He was the promised Word of God, now, the Messiah, He had proved to them by His acts, by His word, by His action, that He was the anointed one.

Now the word “anointed,” or the word “Christ” means anointed one. Therefore, there would be one anointed above all the prophets, for the prophets had a portion of God; but He had the fullness of God, see. Now, so men could just have a portion; he had the fullness of the Godhead bodily.

Now, they were talking that how that proved that He was—because by the Word that they had knowed of, and heard Him explain, proved to them who He was.

Oh, what a great conversation that must have been amongst those disciples.

One of them would say, “Well then, we know we're satisfied. We believe He is that Messiah.” Now see, they thought He didn't understand it. He was back in the back part of the ship. So they said, “We know that He must be the disciples ... or, must be the anointed Messiah.”

Then they must have discussed the attitudes of the people. Now they must have said something like this. “If we can see that.... Yet we uneducated people, we fishermen from off the lake here, and we can see, and know, and read our Scriptures, and know that He perfectly fits that picture—and know that He is the identified by God, that He is that Messiah—why can't the intellectuals see it? What's the matter with them that they can't see it?” They discussed the attitudes. Some of them ... some people believed; some didn't.

Well, that's the same as it is today. Some people believe Him today; others do not. But that don't change Him a bit. He's still the same. It don't change Him.

Some people in that day, maybe their discussion was something like this: “Do you know, I spoke to a bunch of people down there today.... When he turned that fish back, He multiplied the loaves and the fishes. I was talking to some of them, and they said that could be nothing else but Jehovah, for Jehovah was the one who rained the bread out of heaven to the children of Israel.”

And they said, “Never a man spake like this. Why this man's got to be the Messiah, because we know Messiah is a prophet. And whatever He says, the Word of God is with Him; and whatever He says it has to happen. And this man is that Messiah, because whatever He says, it happens.” Amen! I like that. That's the reason I've got such confidence in this, 'cause this is what He said is going to happen. That's right. He ... this is His Word. Whatever He says, it will happen. “All heavens and earth will pass away, but my word shall not.”

And then, some of them took the negative side—the unbelievers. They said, “This man is only a fortune-teller. Now this man can do nothing. We know that he's only a fortune-teller.” Now they knowed He had a mysterious life, because He could look right into the heart of people, and tell them exactly what they were doing, what they had done, what was their trouble, and what would happen. And it never failed to happen exactly that way. And that can only be God.

Now, an old soothsayer, or fortune-teller, can come along and guess a little bit and make you halfway something. That's the devil. Anybody knows that. So you didn't see a soothsayer, or a fortune-teller out there making the Word of God manifest. No indeedy. They don't do that. They're off somewhere taking up an offering somewhere to deceive you. That's right. Then they live any kind of a life.

This man proved that He was Messiah. You see, the two spirits are so close together that it will deceive the very elected if it was possible. But if they're elected, it won't deceive them. But it's so close together—and especially in these last days. Jesus promised it would be. The two spirits.... Now, just the other side—way off on both sides—they're plumb out of reach.

Where the battle is, is right up there with Satan. Not somebody who kisses the babies, and buries the dead, and carries a penknife; but somebody with a two-handed sword right up in the front of the battle, that's the one. That's the thing that counts. That's where the heat of the battle is on. That's where the enemy stands. Way back, why, they don't notice it, see. You don't get no reproach. There's nothing come.... Just “Dr. So-and-so, we're sure glad to see you, our reverend brother, Dr. So-and-so, holy divine father,” see. Oh, my!

But when you look there, “That old Beelzebub, that devil, that hypocrite. He's nothing but the devil,”—starts a fuss every time. Yes, sir, see. There's where He's standing. And they knowed by that there was that Word vindicating, proving that it was.

And so, it ... you know, it might have been the young John that hadn't had his heart so scarred with so much theology, he must have said something like this, “Think of it. Right here in the ship.... This one that is identified by Jehovah's Word to be Jehovah's servant, in whom He's pleased, is right here in the ship with us.” What a secured feeling! Oh, if we tonight could only catch that vision. The very Jehovah that made the heavens and earth is right in this little vessel of ours while we're sailing life's solemn main. For the Holy Ghost is Jehovah in spirit form in you, see.

God, the Holy Spirit, is God, Himself, in you. Jesus said, “In that day you'll know that I'm in the Father, the Father in me; I in you, and you in me.” Oh, my! Then God, all that God was He poured into Jesus. And all that Jesus was He poured into His church, divided Himself on the day of Pentecost. That pillar of fire come down and busted itself up—the Shekinah glory—and put it in different ones. Tongues of fire was seen upon each one—the Holy Spirit, God, identifying Himself in human beings. Amen!

Talk about amazing grace, how sweet the sound!

What a security it is. How secure we feel to know that when we're driving on the highway, whatever we're doing, that Jesus lays in the ship. Amen! The One who can perform any miracle, can do anything that He wants done, doing it again; perfectly identifying Himself, He's in our little boat, as we're sailing life's solemn main. Same as He was then, so is He now. What a feeling of security while sailing the troubled waters of life!

When Mel Johnson, the able singer, the little Swede singing “When I cross over the river of Jordan....” Just think—when he come down there to the river, He'll be there. “I'll not leave you nor forsake you.” What a promise, sailing these troubled waters.

They were something like us today. Those disciples out there on that ship that night after the revival was feasting on the results.

Now, maybe between the revivals now we are looking for another stir, where.... There's got to be something happen, now, that'll gather the church together. There'll have to be some kind of a press. God always does it that way to run His people together. I believe that it's already being formed, that will shut out everything that won't agree with them; and then it's going to run the church together. And we're waiting for that to happen, and we're living on the results of the great revival that we've just passed.

And He's resting.

He was resting then like He did when He completed His work in Genesis. The Bible said, “And the seventh day God rested from all of His works.” And now Jesus had completed that day. And He was resting from the work that He had did that day, resting for a greater work to begin tomorrow, see, taking a little rest.

And that's what I think He's doing now. The stir is not among the people; you can't see the enthusiasm that once we had about ten or fifteen years ago, when the revival started—one of the longest lasting revivals we've ever had. History only shows revival only lasts not over three years at the most.

And we've had one in this last day now. For about fifteen years the revival fire's struck across the world.

But now it seems to be resting. We're wondering, each Spirit-filled servant, and looking up. “Lord Jesus, I know that something's going to happen. I feel the pressure coming on. I love you, Lord. And now I want to see You in peace, Lord. Help us. We're waiting for You.” That's just about the way the attitude is.

That's the way those disciples ... discussing what they had seen. And then all of a sudden trouble arose. That's Satan. He won't let you rest upon it very long. You go talking about the Lord Jesus, and about His Word, he's going to be right there to interrupt that. Then trouble arose all of a sudden. The ship began to rock, the sails blew off, the oars broke, and the water filled up the boat. Trouble at hand! See, it happened suddenly. All hopes of survival was gone. Though they had seen Him do so many great things, when trouble strikes they forget all about it.

Now, I want to ask you something as a brother. Isn't that about the attitude of the people today? We'll come to church here, and shout and praise God when our brothers, and so forth, speak the Word, and we can hear the promises. We just praise God for what He's done, listen to the testimony: that one saying, “I was once blind. My eyes were blind. Now I see.”; one saying, “The doctor gave me up with cancer. And in two weeks [or two days, or something], there wasn't one speck of cancer. That's been a long time ago. They can't find no more yet.”; “I laid bound up in a wheelchair, paralyzed. I walk as good as anybody else.”

We hear those testimonies.

But just like it.... Let it strike our house one time. Then we forget all about that glory that we've been enjoying, all those great things. Oh, it's us now.

See, folks, things happen for a purpose. They happen to try you, now, trouble that we can't remedy, seems like the doctors can't remedy, and there's nothing can remedy. They tried to pull their sail; it blew away. They tried their oars; they broke. They run to the middle of the ship; it filled up.

See, Satan was determined to take them. Now he thought he had Jesus asleep away from them, and then he could slip in on them.

Now that's the way it is today. When Satan gets a chance, here he comes, see.

And you go to the doctor. He says, “There's nothing to do. It's advanced.” Who ... “We haven't got nothing for nervous breakdowns. We haven't got anything for mental troubles. No, we can't do nothing.” Arthritis? “No, we can't do nothing for that. We can maybe give you cortisone, and that'll kill you. So we haven't got nothing for it.” Leukemia? “Nothing we can do about it.”

See, then you get all troubled. But look back. Hasn't He healed leukemia? Hasn't He healed cancer? Hasn't He done everything right? Hasn't He kept His word? We get troubled when it strikes our little ship. This little bark that we're sailing in is frail anyhow; gets filled up with doubts, world.

Notice ... trouble that they could not remedy. Then fear sets in, just like it is now. Even we've got fears in national troubles; we've got fears in church troubles; we got fears all around, everywhere. Now we say, “Well, now, what can we do about it?” If we can only remember that He is in the ship, see.

You say, “But is...?” Yes. “Is He in the ship?”

Here. This is Him. “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And the Word is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It still just takes this! It is the remedy, it's the medicine, it's the cure for every breakdown, it's the cure for every cancer, it's the cure for every ailment. It's God manifested in the Word. The Word is God. Jesus said it's a seed. The seed, being planted in the right kind of ground, it'll grow exactly what it is, and every promise will be produced.

We forget all about it though, that He's in the ship.

They should have known that He knew that thing was going to happen. Do you believe that? Certainly He knew it. He knew all the time it was going to happen. Why? He only did it to prove, to test their faith. And sometimes He does the same thing for you, me. He lets things happen just to see what we'll do about it. Do you believe that? The Scripture says that every son that cometh to God must be tried, chastened, proven. Satan will make you prove every inch of ground that you claim. Certainly will. So, sometimes God lets those things happen.

Now remember they were all excited. All hopes was gone. Their ship was ... their sail, what they'd been used to sailing by, it was gone. Their oars which they had pulled with, they were broken. The waves had upset and tipped the boat, and so forth. All hopes was gone.

And yet, right with them laying in the ship, was one who had proved He was the creator of heavens and earth. Amen! He had proved what He was by signs and wonders, that God had taken His Word that He said His Messiah would do, and had vindicated that man to be His Messiah. And He was laying just at the back of the ship from them, and yet they were scared to death. Glory! I feel like a (what you think I am), a holy roller. Well, now notice when.... I know that don't sound very clergyman-like, but it makes me feel good to say it anyhow.

Notice, their help was laying right there and they had forgotten all about it. Jesus had proved to be the very God that could create bread the day before that; the same day, create fish. Proved that He was the creator; and they were still wondering. Jesus said, “If I do not those things which are written of me, then don't believe me. But if I do those things that are written of me, they testify and tell you who I am.” Oh, my!

If you claim to be a Christian, the Bible here tells you what a Christian ought to be. Mark 16 will tell you whether you're a believer or not, see. It tells you what you should be. Jesus said, “Which one of you can condemn me of sin? [Sin is unbelief.] If I haven't proven just exactly to you what I'm supposed to be....”

Any great messenger like that is foretold us in the Bible. Always we can find the place of them in the Scripture.

That's the reason the Holy Spirit today.... It's foretold us in the Bible, and we know that it's here and we know it by Scripture vindication of what it is. We seen how it acted in the first, we seen how it acted in Christ, we see how it acts today, see. We know whether it's the Holy Spirit or not because it manifests and vindicates the Word of God—makes it live.

Now. “They are they that testify of me. Search the scriptures: they tell you who I am.” They should have known that He was the same God that could create bread. He also created the winds and waves. Certainly. He's just not part God; He's all God. He created the winds and the waves. If other things had to obey Him, and He was the creator, would not the winds and the waves have to obey Him also? Amen!

Notice. Let us remember, He also created our bodies. And won't our bodies have to obey Him? Amen! You surrender your faults to Him, surrender your life to Him, surrender your faith to Him, and watch that body obey what He says. If you're a drunkard and you can't quit drinking, surrender that life to Him and watch: you'll drink no more. If you are a habitual smoker and tried to give it up, and can't do it, just surrender that to Him and watch what happens. He will make that body come back in subjection to the Word. Yes, sir.

But you've got to surrender it to Him. You've got to believe Him. He made our bodies. They obey His will also. Do you believe that? If you're a Christian you have to.

You say, “He makes our bodies obey? Oh, I believe we have jurisdiction over that.”

Then you're not fully surrendered, for you're not your own. You are dead. You yourself are dead, and your life is hid in God through Christ, and sealed by the Holy Ghost. How are you going to get away from that? I think we need a revival. Our lives are dead. We are dead. Your own thoughts ... you think pure thoughts. Them old worldly thoughts that leads you off, you're dead to that and your life is hid in God through Christ, and sealed by the Holy Spirit.

What a position! What a security! Oh, my! How long? Till the next revival? Until the day of your redemption. Ephesians 4:30: “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby you are sealed until the day of your redemption.” What a secure feeling, knowing and watching the Holy Spirit change your nature from a vile person. Amen! Then we know we've passed from death unto life. We see the Holy Spirit living in us, His life.

Paul said, “The life that I once lived I live no more now. Oh, not me, but the Christ that lives in me.” That's it. He'd passed from death unto life if Christ was alive in him, safely secured. Christ was the one guiding the ship. Paul just had to sit still and obey Him.

Notice. God will make our bodies so obey Him that He said in St. John, the 6th chapter, “He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” Think of it! Our bodies obey. When we have no more control of it, it turns back to a spoonful of dust. God will speak to that body and it will rise up again in the likeness of the resurrection.

What are you worried about this? If it's in the hands of God, let go (amen), for He will raise it up by faith in Jesus Christ. Thus saith the Lord; it's written in His Word. What are you scared about this then, this little old ship? He's in it. If He isn't, don't leave tonight until He comes in.

It's a dangerous thing to try to sail without Him—you'll be sunk sure. But you can't sink. If you sink, He'll raise you up again. So what difference does it make? Eternal life. God, who could make all creation obey Him.... Oh, I love that old church song, “The winds and the waves obey His will. Peace, be still; peace, be still.” Everything has to obey Him. All nature has to obey Him. He's the creator of nature. Amen!

After the disciples found theirself at the end, it must have dawned on them.... After they'd seen they couldn't do nothing about it, it must have dawned on them, “Say, we're in an awful shape here. Oh, I'm going to die. I don't want to drown. I just.... What am I...?”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute! Did it ever dawn on you that He's laying right there? Here we've been talking all about Him, testifying about Him, about the great works and claiming Him to be the Messiah, and here He is, right here with us.” Glory! Oh, what a feeling!

Did you ever think you was at the end of the road? About eight months ago when I saw a vision at home (and you know about it), “Sirs, What Time is It?”.... When I seen that, heard that blast go off in a vision, seen seven angels come [unclear word].... I told you all this was probably the end of the road. I went to my wife and I said, “Honey, this may be my end. I don't know.” How many's ever heard the tape? Why, sure, you know, see. I said, “It's thus saith the Lord, something's fixing to happen. I know not.”

And then I went to her and I said, “Sweetheart, I'll tell you what I want you to do now. If this is my end.... God has showed a vision.”

He don't always tell you what it is. He never told the prophets of the Old Testament, or New Testament, what it was many times unless He wanted them to know. They just wrote down. So, it wasn't none of their business. It's God doing something.

If God hadn't come on the scene fifteen minutes the other morning before I left, this church wouldn't have been here but a little bit longer. Ask Brother Carlson. If the Lord God hadn't have spoke to me fifteen minutes before I come here, I'd say, in the name of the Lord, this church wouldn't be standing six months from now. You'd be scattered like sheep.

But the Lord God in His mercy spoke to me, not knowing one thing about it; and come told Brother Carlson. All at once there it unfolded, and there it was. Now here's Brother Carlson. Oh, I'm so glad that in the time of trouble He's in the ship. Amen!

How blessed be the name of the Lord! I wish I had words, I had the vocabulary, some kind of a word that I could express what He means to us. Yet it's without word. We ... He's....

The prophet said He's the “Counsellor, Prince of Peace, mighty God, everlasting Father.” And then he could ... run out of words. He said, “He's Wonderful.” He didn't have any more titles he could give Him—Counsellor, Prince of Peace, mighty God, everlasting Father, and Wonderful. Amen!

Oh, how we praise that great, mighty, Lord God Jehovah!

In the midst of idolatry, in the midst of worldlyism, in the midst of all kinds of confusions and mix-up, we still have Him in the ship in this day.

In this day when religions don't know which way to go, oh, how happy I am to know that that same God, with the same Shekinah glory, same yesterday, today, and forever, is in the ship! knowing I've got to face, if He tarries, the valley of the shadow of death. No wonder David screamed out, “I'll fear no evil, for you're in the ship.” Amen.

Oh, how they could see this. So much that they had seen, was not able to express it all, of what they'd seen. Now it dawned on them that He was laying right close to them.

Now He's a lot closer to you than He was them. Is that right? “I'm with you now, but will be in you. A little while and the world will see me no more. Yet ye shall see me; for I will be with you, even in you to the end of the world.”

“Brother Branham, can I rest assured on that?”

Jesus said so.

“How will I know it?”

And, “The works that I do shall you do also.” There you are. Do you believe it? All right. The same yesterday, today, and forever.

I think it's time, when trouble comes on, that we say to.... Those disciples, they must have said, “Let's go wake Him. Let's go call on Him. Let's call Him on the scene.” Oh, my beloved brother, my lovely sister! I love you, and remember I'm telling you the truth. If you've got trouble tonight, He's right at hand. He can be called on the scene with just the movement of your lips. He'll come on the scene. Amen! Call Jesus to the scene. Wake Jesus, for we have Him with us; and He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.

They had seen God's scriptural Word vindicated by Him. So have we. And He was not hard to be called on the scene. He was just laying there waiting for them to call Him. Now, I wonder tonight if He just isn't laying right in your heart waiting for you to wake Him up. That's right. Oh, I love that.

The people today said, “Well, now, if we could only know and be sure.” We hear say, say, “This is that, and this is that.” But, this is that. This is that.

Now, this is what He said. This is His Word. He and His Word are the same. Let His Word identify Him. That's the way He said could prove He was God, because that the works that God give Him to do was done by Him. “If I do not the works of my Father, then don't believe me,” see. That's how it identified Him. That's how it identifies you. If you say you're a Christian, and the identification of a Christian (the Bible Christian) is not worked in you, then there's something wrong, see. “These signs shall follow them that believe.” Yes, sir. Not maybe they will; they will.

If we could only realize that He's here with us, the same yesterday, today, and forever. “Lo, I am with you always. I'll never leave you, never forsake you. I'm with you to the end of the world.” Twenty-fourth chapter, “I will never leave you,” again He said. Again, “I'll never leave you nor forsake you.” I was just looking at the scriptures I had wrote down here concerning it.

How can we be sure? By His proven Word. He is now waiting for you to call Him on the scene to be proved. So, let us go and awake Christ in our lives. How do you wake Christ? By believing His Word. Faith brings Him on the scene. That's what brings Him on the scene—faith. Then call on Him to confirm His Word, and don't doubt in fear. Don't do that. Just believe Him, as it is written, and let it be done. And God will prove to you that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

We worship an invisible God.

If a man walked on this platform tonight with nail scars in his hands, and thorn marks across here, that wouldn't be God. We've had so much of that in the last days, see. Why, any hypocrite could do that. See, any impersonator, impostor, could do that. But the only way you would know Jesus was by His works. Now that man would be trying to make himself Jesus, and Jesus will not be seen in that kind of a body until we see Him coming.

“There will be false Christs rise in the last days,” He said, “and will show great wonders, great signs.” But still that isn't it. “For, as the lightning cometh from the east and shineth to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of man be.” But how are we to know then, that He is with us in the.... In what form? Not by intellectual conceptions? Don't prove in their life. Not by saying, “I believe”? That doesn't do it.

It's got to be something happen in you that.... The Holy Spirit, Himself, that is God's vindication. And if you say you've got the Holy Spirit, and then don't believe every word in here, there's something wrong with the spirit you've got. The Holy Spirit wrote the Bible, and He can't say, “I lied there, I didn't mean that.” Not Him; He's perfect.

Notice. How is He identified? What could He...? If the Bible said (Colossians 1:15) that we are ... we worship an invisible God.... God is invisible. Do you believe that? Then this person coming around here with nail prints, and smoke, and blood and everything else, that wouldn't make him God. We worship an invisible God. He's always been invisible until He identified Himself in Jesus Christ. Is that right? Now the invisible God identifies Himself in you, see. You are His temple. “Ye are....” Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Scripture says so.

The pillar of fire that Moses saw was not the invisible God. That pillar of fire was the Shekinah glory that represented that the invisible God was at hand. When John baptized Jesus, the Son of God, God, the invisible God, come down in the form of a light shaped like a dove, sailing down through the air—the invisible God identified in the Shekinah glory.

The same invisible God identified Himself in the pillar of fire, a Shekinah glory, when they dedicated the temple in Solomon's time. It come in and went ... the pillar of fire went in behind the curtain upon the holiest of holies. The Shekinah glory was identified.

Now, when Paul was on his road down to Damascus the invisible Jesus Christ identified Himself to Paul in the form of the Shekinah glory, a light that put out that sinner's eyes. Amen! That same Shekinah glory is here tonight, the same yesterday, today, and forever, representing an invisible God confirming His Word with the same signs that He promised to be done. He's been called on the scene.

Now can you call Him into your life, and say, “Lord Jesus, I take Him ... take You at your Word.”? “I believe that You're here. I believe that You're here tonight to help me. I want You in my boat. I want You, the great Holy Spirit, to come to me. I'm in trouble, I'm sick, I'm a sinner. I want You to come to me, want You to help me. I realize that You're just laying there waiting for me to call on You, and I'm going to call on You with all my heart.” Now let's bow our heads while we do that.

Be reverent. Pray like never before. Everybody stop just a minute, and think. Who are you? What are you? Where did you come from? Where are you going? If there's a sinner in here tonight that doesn't know Christ, and would like for Him to come into your ship tonight, and help you through the troubled waters, and you want to be remembered in prayer, would you raise up your hand? God bless you, God bless you, you, you, you, all around the building. Won't you just remember, now, when I pray for you, that you'll just open your heart? That's all there is to it. Just confess, say, “Lord, I'm wrong. I want You to remember me.”

Lord God, You've seen those hands. Those people.... I believe, Father, I'm standing here between life and death for them. And I realize at the day of the judgment I'm going to have to answer for what I do right now. And I'm asking in prayer for them, Lord, that the great Shekinah glory of God will appear to them this hour. It will never leave them the rest of their life. And all down through life in every little trouble, may that Shekinah glory be there, know it can be called on at any time. They said in the Scriptures, Father, that they took You the way You were, and put You in the ship.

Lord Jesus, You are Spirit tonight, here in the form and name of the Holy Spirit. Oh, God, by faith we take You as You are into our ship. Help us, God. Let the Shekinah glory appear to us and give peace.

I know nothing else to do, Lord, but to say this: that You said, “No man can come to me except my Father draws him first ... and all that the Father has given me will come to me.” And from the ... back of these hands—which, I do believe that were sincere that lifted their hands to you—I pray, Lord Jesus. And as your servant I give them to You as a token to this meeting here in Chicago, charging the devil not to touch them again.

They're God's property. Hands off, Satan, until they're fully established, and will know how to behave themselves and to resist the enemy. I charge the enemy, through Jesus Christ, to stay away from them.

May the loving Holy Spirit take them, lead them to water baptism, and to the baptism of the Holy Spirit; then sealing them into the kingdom of God, until the coming and appearing of the visible body of the Lord Jesus to catch away His bride. They are yours, Father. May the great God of the Shekinah glory be with them now, and forevermore. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

Now. Just a moment. That's the first thing to do. Now the second thing to do, if you have accepted Him, will be witnessing, for He is the high priest of your confession. He cannot help you until first by faith you accept Him, and publicly testify that He is your Saviour. If you'll testify of Him here.... If you'll be ashamed of Him here, He'll be ashamed of you there. If you're not ashamed of Him here, then He'll not be ashamed of you there. I think at the close of this meeting that each one of these people that's accepted Christ as your Saviour should come to this platform, and say what God has done in your heart.

Now, “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with His stripes we were healed.” Now there's no prayer cards. The people ... we prayed for the sick the other night, but I feel constrained to do this. How many sick people is in here? Raise up your hands—you that's sick and needy. God knows who you are. Just have faith.

Now, don't nobody move for the next few minutes. This is a big thing! It's so great, till if there's an unbeliever here that doesn't believe in it, I challenge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come here and do it. If you know some other way besides the Word of God, and what this is—the Word of God—I want to see it done. Then if you can't, then believe it.

Now let every person in here look directly this way, or look up. That's better. I'm afraid I'll draw your attention to something I oughtn't to. As Peter and John said, “Look on us,” I don't mean it that way. Let's look up, and I'll quote another scripture. He is the high priest of our confession (we know that) and He also is a high priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities. Is that right?

Now, I'm going to look and see who I see that I know, because I've got some people here, sitting in here, from the Tabernacle down home. And one of them I've just recognized ... that she comes down there is Mrs.... her name used to be Griffith. I don't ... forget her name now.

That's Sister Rosella here, she and her mother, sitting here, the alcoholic of Chicago. And the Lord healed her in the meeting. All of you, nearly, know Rosella here—missions, and so forth, of where she's went testifying—a total alcoholic, and now a lovely Christian. And was called just by the same Shekinah glory. It's lasting, too, isn't it, Rosella?

And now, looking around again, I'm not positive but I think I know this lady sitting here right here, the second woman right here with her hands up to her mouth. I can't call her name. Yes, you. Don't you come down to the Tabernacle? Is it Mrs. Peckenpaugh? Is that right? That's what I thought it was. All right.

And then right ... the third woman back is Mrs. Way, the wife of this man that dropped dead in the church the other day with a heart attack, and was called back to life, sitting here. Did anybody ever see anybody that was raised from the dead? If you never did, raise up your hand—never seen anybody that was raised from the dead. Stand up, Mr. Way.

I was preaching, just like now, the Shekinah glory present. And all of a sudden in a heart attack, his eyes went back.... Now, you can close your eyes, but you can't throw your eyes back. His wife, there, is a many-year registered nurse. She screamed when she caught his heart and seen he was gone. I quietened the audience, went down (I'd been speaking), laid my hands upon him and felt him. I looked up at her, and she said, “He's gone,” and I tried his eyes. I seen his eyes way ... the back part here, the skin part, turned back like that. He had no more pulse than this has.

I said, “Lord Jesus...,” and He come on the scene. I laid my hand upon him. He said, tried to speak, “Brother Branham.” He was so weak he couldn't get it. And here he stands tonight, talking of the grace of God. Now, that is at least five or six definite cases of being dead—sometimes for six or eight hours—that's come back to life by the presence of Jesus Christ through prayer.

I'm not too positive, but a little lady sitting here, I believe she's one.... I know you. I don't know what your name is, but know you, like. And then, Brother Brown. I believe that's right if I'm not mistaken, sitting.... Is that Brother Brown? No, I don't think it is. I'm sorry. All right, that's about it, I believe.

You pray now, say, “Lord Jesus, let me touch your garment. You're a high priest, and I know that Brother Branham, he don't know me. He don't know nothing about me. But You know me. And if You'll just let me touch your garment, I want to be well.”

Now you pray in that prayer,

and I'm asking God this, “Lord Jesus, that in closing of this meeting tonight that the people ... maybe strangers are in the gates and they may not understand. But let them know that the message is true. Come, Lord Jesus, grant unto us.... And may we submit ourselves, together—that the unbeliever, or these newborn Christians, might see that the Shekinah glory of God is here now, identified by a picture, also by science. In the churches around the world, You're the same yesterday, today, and forever. We believe You. Let the Lord Jesus [Sister gives message in tongues].... Praise the Lord. Now God's identified Himself here. Now I believe that to be true.

Now, let someone, through this section this way.... Then we'll come in this way, then, so forth around. And you just believe that ... Now, don't nobody move around now. Be real reverent. Now I don't say that He'll do it. I'm trusting He will. But if He will do it, won't that be the vindication of this Word, that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever? Was that how these people knew He was the Messiah at the beginning? Then He's identifying Himself in His church tonight, that He's the same Messiah, if you'll only believe.

Now just pray. I've got to consecrate one way ... concentrate, rather, one way, just to look at the people and see.

I ... yes, thanks be to God, here it is. In the name of Jesus Christ, I take every spirit in here under my control for the glory of God. Now you know what that means. Be reverent.

A light hangs over a little woman sitting right back here, a young woman wearing a pink dress. She's praying about her husband. He's backslid, sitting right back by a post. If you will believe it, accept it and ... God will perform that miracle for you if you'll believe it.

The lady sitting next to you is wondering about her husband. No, it's her brother. He's going to be admitted to the hospital tomorrow, Veteran's Hospital. If you'll believe also, it will work for you also, if you can believe it.

Here's a man. Lord bless you, just accept it. You can have what you ask for.

Here's a man that's been operated on for cancer sitting over here. If you'll believe, God will make you well. Do you believe it? Mr. Wilcox, stand up on your feet, accept your healing. The heavenly Father knows I never seen the man in my life. That's right. Don't worry, sir. Are we strangers? Wave your hand, one of them.

What is it? The Shekinah glory, Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.

A colored lady here with a hernia, complications, Mrs. Bernette. Do you believe that the Lord Jesus will make you well? Then you can have it. Amen. I never seen the woman in my life.

There's asthma ... sitting back there, suffering. That man, looking right at me. Oh, if I can [unclear word] ... the Lord'll tell me who.... Mr. McGill, stand up on your feet. Accept your healing in the name of Jesus Christ. I never seen the man in my life. God Almighty knows.

Right over here, here's a man over here, he's got a blood clot right around his heart, sitting on the back row there. Do you believe that God Almighty will heal you, and make you well? It's the only hope you have of living.

This man that's sitting right down here at the end is praying for a man that's in Norway, praying for his friend. The man himself is suffering with a back trouble. That's true, isn't it? Raise up your hand. That's good. You have what you want.

Oh! He's here. He's in the ship. Do you believe Him? Stand up on your feet then, and say, “Lord Jesus Christ, I call on You now. I believe You. I'm calling You in on the scene for myself.” Raise up your hand, and in your own way Christ will lead you. It's you, you, He wants. Here He is. He's properly identifying Himself. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Glory to God!

Heavenly Father, help just now in this time of need. I challenge Satan in the presence of the identified Jesus Christ for these handkerchiefs and for these people. Satan, you can't hold them. Jesus Christ rebuke you. The people believe that He's in the ship. He's here now. Through the power and glory of God, come out of here, Satan.