Then Jesus Came And Called

Let us stand for just a moment now as we read the Word of the Lord, in St. John the eleventh chapter, and beginning with the eighteenth verse.

Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:

And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

And Mary, or Martha, as soon as she heard ... Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask ... God, God will give it to thee.

Jesus said unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and ... life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

...whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

She said unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

Let us bow our heads now for prayer. Our heavenly Father, as we have assembled here again this evening for the purpose of serving You, reading thy Word—taking a text, and believing that You will bring to us and reveal the context of the text. We pray, Lord, for each need that we have here tonight. There may be some who doesn't know You. May they find You tonight as their Saviour, and accept it so. May they be able tonight, by something that's done or said, that would bring Christ a real reality to them—insomuch that their entire life would be dedicated to Him and to his service.

We thank You for the things that we have seen Him do, and for the hope that we have of life beyond this shadow that we live now, knowing this: that when He comes we shall be caught up to meet Him in the air. And with this, Lord, we pray that You'll instill this hope, this blessed hope, in everybody's heart tonight. Those who have been on the way a long time, and stood a lot of hard things, may tonight their faith be lifted up. Grant it, Lord, that they'll take a new view tonight, and renew their vows, and start new again. Father, we pray for those who are sick and afflicted. May this be the night of their deliverance.

Many, Lord, laying handkerchiefs up here on the platform, and we pray, heavenly Father, as I lay hands upon these in the box.... Now, we're taught in the Bible that they taken from the body of St. Paul handkerchiefs and aprons, and unclean spirits went out of the people and diseases were healed. Now we realize that we're not St. Paul, but You still remain Jesus. And we pray, Lord, that You'll heal every one that these handkerchiefs represent. May they each be healed for your glory.

Break to us now the bread of life from the Word, as we wait in Jesus Christ's name. Amen. You may be seated.

It's good to be back here again tonight and to be serving the Lord. Nice to see this bottom floor about packed out tonight. So we are very grateful for your attendance. And being the first time ever being here, I think that's real well.

Now, it doesn't matter how many we speak to, we speak the same thing. I've spoke in companies of just three or four; and then I've spoke five hundred thousand at one time, two hundred and fifty thousand at another time. And it don't matter what it is: what Christ sends to me to listen, I speak the.... I wouldn't change my subject one bit if this was a million people sitting here tonight—just the same. 'Cause I'm only sowing seed and it has to fall on the ground somewhere. And when that last seed has been brought in, there won't be any more. We know there might be....

We wonder why the revival's not going on right now, why we don't see the enthusiasm with the people. I don't know why, but let's just think. What if it's like this? Maybe there's a little boy in here tonight, or a little girl, was born over in Seattle, Washington. Now that book holds her name. He come to redeem whose name was on that book. “Redeem” means bring back from where it fell from, and in the human race she was fell. And she can't accept it now—she's too young. So the church will plug right along, just play along. We'll have meetings, and so forth, till that last person is brought in. Then that book is closed. There's no more added. Then it's all over until.... When that time will be, none of us knows, but let's just keep doing all that we can to his glory until that time is over.

We don't know who that person is. That may already be in. We're just waiting his coming. We do not know, and it'll never be revealed to man—the time of his coming—because not even the angels of heaven know when it's going to be. But we're just looking for it at any time, and waiting, watching, for his coming.

Now, you have to have faith in something. No matter what it is, you've got to place your faith somewhere. Your faith might be in a textbook, it might be in your creed. If that's ... your faith is in your creed, then that's where your faith lays. Say, for instance, a certain denomination say, “We got a textbook.” You believe that. Well, anything outside of that, you can't believe it, you see, because that's what you believe in, is that textbook of that denomination.

And it might be that you believe in certain things. You can have your choice. That's what your ... we're a free American to be. But to me, my faith is in the Word of God, what God has said to be the truth. All other things that's contrary to that, as though it is not so, see. I don't say it isn't so, but to me, if it's contrary to this, it isn't so. And we find today that so many people base their faith upon something, and upon some ism, or some happening, or some something. But to me it's got to be the Word of God, and the word that He has promised for this day—

not the law. The law was for the Jew years ago.

Today we're in the realms of grace, and we're living above the law. A man that's living in grace has no law. There's no law to grace. How can you condemn me for running a stoplight here, which the city has done give me the right to run any stoplight I wish to, see? You couldn't. There's no law to condemn me. So as long as I'm in Christ, I'm free from the law, see. I'm above the law, because I'm in his grace. He's put that confidence in me that I won't do anything that's wrong, or He wouldn't have give me that grace. That's the way He does to you, the same way. We're in his grace.

Now, my subject tonight....

Don't forget, tomorrow night, now, we're going to try to stay just maybe a teeny bit longer. I want to get here a little earlier tomorrow night, because I want.... Tomorrow night is kind of a night we give for salvation—just to make stress on an altar call, stress on those to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. And one night, or one day, before I leave I'd like to speak on the ... a subject of the blood, the token, the blood that's supposed to be upon the door, if the Lord willing.

And now tonight ... each night I've been late—each night. I'll try my very best tonight to get out on time. I realize that we haven't got very much time left, and I'm trying to redeem what time we have. So you bear with me. And I'll pray that God'll get.... Every soul that's under here that's savable, may He save it. I don't know how He does it. And it's our business to send the Word, or to preach the Word, and let the.... It is a seed, and when that seed goes to growing it'll produce just exactly what the promise is.

Now, from St. John 11 tonight we draw this text: “Then Jesus Came and Called.” Jesus came.

Now we get a background of this picture tonight. It was.... Jesus, when He was just a young man, He came to live with a family at Bethany. And it was Mary and Martha and Lazarus. And they had left their church, or their creed, of the Pharisees and Sadducees, and had taken up with Jesus and invited Him to their home. And Lazarus was a bosom friend to Him. And we're told that Lazarus also was a great listener to John the Baptist, that was speaking of a coming Messiah. And so when Jesus came on the scene and came to Bethany they always entertained Him in this home.

Now, we're taught that Martha and Mary made little tapestries, for the temple and so forth, where Lazarus was learning to be a scribe to write the letters of the law on.... They wrote it on skins then, like animal skin, parchments, and it was rolled up in a little scroll and stuck down in a little holder. And Lazarus was a very fine hand, and he could write these scrolls. And Jesus was staying with them. And they'd watched Him do so many things, had such confidence in Him, until they had just simply give their whole lives to Him, though He was....

See, Jesus of his day was more ridiculed and made fun of than the lowest cult there is on the earth today. There couldn't be anything was any lower and despised than Jesus, see. The churches hated Him. And they just didn't have no use for Him at all, because He was constantly rebuking them, and called them all kinds of names, and breaking up their congregations. “You just turn the world upside down,” as they say. They was trying to find some fault to accuse Him and they couldn't find it.

And yet He was ... to them He was a illegitimate. He was born out of holy wedlock. He was a odd sort of a fellow. He had no worldly education as to speak of, and yet called Hisself a prophet. And oh, my, such a horrible fellow He was! And every one of them was thumbs down on Him, everywhere.

Hasn't changed too much, see. As I said the other night, the devil takes his man, but not his spirit. The spirit of people that's in people has lived before. If we was to be here for a couple months, where we'd have a real study in the Scriptures, I'd like to prove to you that there isn't a cult on the face of the earth today but what I can't prove to you it started in Genesis, and show you its beginning.

It's a seed. Just like a vine growing up—all of them—and it comes right up to blossoming time now, and returning back to the seed again. So all these things that you see taking place on earth, they began in Genesis, for Genesis is the seed chapter of the Bible, the beginning. So you see, those spirits was upon those men back in those days, still live on men today, see. Satan takes a man, but the spirit lives on.

God takes his man, but the spirit lives on. That makes Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. He took Christ Jesus, but the spirit—the Holy Spirit—come back, and has been upon the people in the church all down through the ages, see, because God takes his man, but not his spirit. Satan takes his man, and you find them same spirits—watch their nature.

Identify yourself tonight in your present state now, where you're standing, with some Bible character. Where would you have been if you'd lived in Noah's time? Where would you have been ... where would you have been in the days of the Lord Jesus when He was here on earth in his flesh? What group would you be identified with tonight? Just think of it, see. What group would you have been identified with when Paul was correcting them, back there in Corinthians, for the things they were doing? What group would you be identified with, see? Just look back. It's a looking glass. We can see where we.... What ... whatever we were ... we are now, that's what we'd have been back there, because the spirit that's in us now, identified back there that ... that's the same spirit was on them back there.

My! That ought to shake us, and make us get out of our slumber that we're in—lukewarm. But you know the Bible says we have to get that way, so He can spew the whole thing from his mouth. Did He promise it? We all know He promised it, and He will do it. The whole church is to be spewed from his mouth. Then out of the church comes the bride. That's the elected.

Now, Jesus had gone from his home and was staying with Martha, and Mary, and Lazarus. And one day.... You know, He said in the Bible He did nothing until the Father showed Him what to do. St. John 5:19, Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in himself. But what he sees the Father doing, that doeth the Son likewise.” And if you pattern that scripture, if we had time to break it down, so it would ... it could look right to you.... You just run right ... it just weaves through the entire Bible, and every verse in the Bible has got it in it.

The Bible is in continuity. Every word blends together. There's no contradiction in it. It all runs together. If you get a contradiction, you got it out of the Bible, because the Bible doesn't contradict. It's in continuity completely.

Notice, now, this Jesus, when.... He was the greatest gift that God ever give the earth, the world. “God so loved the world....” John 3:16. Now, people had faith in it. Always God's gifts are looked down upon by the modern religious moves. Look back at any time—in the days of Elijah, the days of Moses, the days ... anywhere you want to. Wherever it is, it's always looked down upon—always. It never changes.

And then we see there also, that in that day when God, using Jesus.... Now there was a time that a woman used the gift of God through Jesus. She touched his garment. And Jesus admitted that He didn't know who did it. Now, I don't believe He was just ... He joked, or went on. I believe every word that He said was meaningful—had a meaning. And He said, “Who touched me?” He didn't know. And He looked all around over the audience until He found the woman with that faith, and told her about her blood issue had been healed because of her faith. Now that was the woman using God's gift.

Now you see, that one woman using his gift, He got weak from it.

But look at this case here when He raised Lazarus from the dead. There wasn't nothing said about Him getting weak there. How much more was it to call a man whose soul was four days' journey away, and corruption had done set in to the man's body—his nose, perhaps, in four days had already fell in—and there he was. Called him back to life again, and he lived, and eat, and drank, like any other man. How much greater was that, than it was the woman touching his garment. But that was God using his gift, see.

Now that's the difference here on the platform. Now, if you had followed the service, and see how, sometimes, how it tells things that'll happen—years before, weeks before, months before, where to go, what to do—that's God using it.

Here, it's you using it. It's not me. It just flows through, 'cause it's just a gift to un... to relax yourself, take it out of the human gear, that God can gear Hisself with it, and say things.

Now, your own faith ... you don't realize that. You're doing that yourself. Your own faith is a-doing that. Now, if God wants to do anything He just lifts you up and says, “Now it'll be you'll go to a certain place. While you're driving the street there'll be a certain thing happen here. There'll be a man with a brown suit on, he's got gray hair, and he'll meet you down there. And you go to him, 'cause his wife is very sick. She's at this other place. Here's what she'll look like. And go lay your hands upon her. And tell her to take that thing back that she took, here a few years ago, and do something another—do penance—and she'll be all right.” Then I tell it to the people, and we go—here it's commanded. That's just exactly what happens.

About different things in the nation....

About this Marilyn Monroe, when she died—they'll never believe but what that girl committed suicide, but she did not commit suicide. She died of a heart attack. I seen it days before it happened, and told them about it—but they wouldn't listen to me. When them fighters killed one another, six months before it ever.... Up there in New York, one killed the other. I seen them in the taverns arguing with one another and seen one kill the other one, six months before it happened.

All these things that the Lord shows—that's Him using his gift. It's not ... you don't get weak after that, but when.... That's what makes me weak is when you use God's gift of the Holy Ghost. I'm not his gift; the Holy Ghost is his gift. That's God's gift to the church, is the Holy Spirit. And you use it. And it just uses ... wherever you can get yourself out of gear (see what I mean?) and let the Holy Spirit go to using you.

Now in this case, Jesus had been told of the Father to leave the home and to go away, if you'll notice how it worked after Lazarus took sick. And no doubt many of them said, “Ah hah! Now let's see where that holy roller preacher is now, that's going to pray for the sick. He isn't on the scene.”

So He went away. And they finally sent for Him, for the doctor had give him up. They sent for Him to come, and instead of coming He just went right on further. They sent again. Instead of coming He just kept on going the other way, see. And then all at once He stopped, looked back to the disciples. After so many days, the vision fulfilled what the Father had showed him. He said, “Lazarus sleepeth.”

The disciples said, “Well, he does well.” See, he sleepeth—not dead. There's no such a thing as a believer dying, see.

And He told them, in their language, “He's dead, and for your sake I'm glad I wasn't there. But I go wake him. I go wake him.” See, He knew it was going to be done now, 'cause if He didn't, then He said something wrong when He said, “I do nothing till the Father shows me first,” see. He knew it then. Look at him at the grave. “Father, I thank thee thou hearest me already, but I say this for those who stand by,” see. “Lazarus, come forth,” and he did. See, he come out of the grave.

Now when Jesus left the home, why, that ... death and trouble set in. And just remember when He leaves your home, trouble is on the road. Now, he wasn't put out here, or He was ... just simply left because the Father had drawed Him away. All hopes was gone. Now what a sad little home. Many of us tonight knows how to sympathize with that home, when death has struck our home. And you'll never know what it is until you have to go through with it once. But you know when they had ... death had struck the little home, they'd sent for Him.

What a broken up home that was! The man that they had confidence in, the man that they loved, the man that they'd seen heal the sick, and make the blind to see, and prophesy, and know the thoughts of the heart, and tell the people what would happen every time—and He fit the Scripture to the dot. Just exactly. So much till them Scripture-loving people believed Him, see. And there was some of his most loyal friends, and He let that happen, see. He let that happen just to see what they would do. No doubt that was what was in the Father's mind about it.

Now all hope's gone. The man that they trusted in turned out that He wasn't what they thought He was, or, to be. And they were in desperate.... Lazarus, their brother, was dead.

They could not go back to the church because they had already accepted Jesus, the fanatic, and they had been excommunicated. They had their letter, as it was today, from their church that they could no more come back, and they were left without church. They were left without a friend, looked like. The people of the city had turned them down. Their good friends that used to associate with them at church had no more to do with them because they accepted Jesus, this radic, fanatic.

So then the man that they had confidence in had flatly turned them down, and would not do them a favor. And they sent the second time, and He still turned them down; and let the man die, and be embalmed, and put in the grave and buried.

Now you talk about a dark hour! That was the darkest hour that little home had ever seen. And then Jesus come along. That's Him. Them in that dark hour—see, He lets it happen sometimes—the darkest of hour. Then Jesus come along. His presence always brings new hopes.

This may be the darkest hour for some of you people. Maybe the doctor has give you up with cancer. And the man's done all he can do to save your life, but it's beyond his knowledge. He has no more to work with. He's done all he can do, and you're going to die. It may be the darkest hour you've ever seen. But just remember, it's in that dark hour when He comes along. He comes along. Then when He comes it brings new hope. It brings new hope when He comes. His presence brings hope.

Martha—she went out. She'd always showed her colors that she wasn't just exactly ... seem as loyal as Mary, because Mary was ... listened to the Word. But Martha, when she was cooking dinner for Him and things.... She showed what she was right then, 'cause when Jesus come back to town, no doubt but what many of them said, “Now, after the boy's done dead and buried, now this holy roller preacher slips back into the city.”

No doubt that when Martha started out some of them said, “Look. There she goes now. If I was in her place, I'd give him a piece of my mind. I'd tell him about it when I get there. Oh, I ... no doubt but what she will. We'll go watch her do it.”

If she had, this story wouldn't be reading the way it is tonight. Now watch her. Here she goes. She might have passed by the pastor of her first church, and he said, “Now, let's find out what happens now. See, he slipped away. When the hour, the crucial hour, come, he slipped away.”

Now, Martha, no doubt, was a Bible reader or she would have never accepted Jesus at the first place. She could not accept it upon the psychology of the people, or upon the basis of the religion of that day. She could not accept it upon the church, because the church hated Him, and the religionists hated Him, and all of them hated Him. So she must have been a Scripture reader.

And she'd read in the Bible, in the days of Elisha there was a woman by the name ... by ... a Shunammite woman. And she was barren, and she had faith. And a man, a prophet, was of that day and ... Elisha. And she'd built him a little place on the side of her house, where she and her husband had a nice home. They built a place and put a water bowl in there, and a place for him to wash and clean up, and just made it a real nice place—comfortable. And when he come by—he and Gehazi, his servant—and he said, “Look what kindness this Shunammite woman has showed to us.” Said, “Go ask her if I should speak to the chief captain. I know about ... I know him very well. Or should I speak to the king? I've also been called on times to talk to him and consult with him.” Said, “Now, I wonder if I could speak, when I go before him again, or when I'm called to one of these people.”

So Gehazi went and asked her. And she said, “No,” she said, “I abide with my own people. I don't have any reasons to ask things like that. That was just out of my heart, just 'cause I know he's a man of God and I wanted to show favor to him, that's all.

He said, “Well....”

Come back, and Gehazi said, “But her husband is old, and they have no children.” So Elisha must have saw a vision. And he said, “Go tell her, about the time of life, about a year from now, she'll embrace a child.” And she did. And she had a little boy.

The little boy was about twelve years old. He was out in the field with his father about eleven o'clock in the day, so it must have been a sunstroke. He cried, “My head, my head!” And the father had him sent into the home. And so they laid him upon the mother's lap. And about noon the little boy died, he got so sick. Probably a sunstroke, no breath in him—he had died. So she took him and laid him upon Elisha's bed. What a place to lay him! Oh my! Just exactly right. Laid him upon Elisha's bed.

And she said to the servant, “Saddle a mule now, and go forward. And don't stop till I tell you, because we want to go to the man of God.” She knowed if she could get to that man she would find out the reason why. If God could tell him that that baby was coming, and he would bless her with a blessing of God that her barren womb could bear a son, surely God could tell that man why He took him. She said, “Don't you stop till I tell you. Go to that man of God.”

Now when the rider got near the man of God.... He didn't know. God don't tell his prophets everything that's going to happen. He didn't know what to do, so he said, “Here comes that Shunammite,” he said to Gehazi. Said, “And she's sad, and God's kept it from me. I don't know what she wants.” So when she come up (I like this), when she got up close to Elisha, Elisha screamed out, said, “Is all well with thee? Is all well with thy husband? Is all well with the child?”

Notice. A husband walking before her, screaming—see, he didn't have the faith that she had—and he just screaming and going on, all the neighbors going on, and the baby hours before that was laying cold on the bed;

but watch when she got to this man of God. She said, “All is well. [I like that.] Everything's all right now. I'm in the presence of his representative.” Amen! There you are. “All is well.”

And then she fell down by his feet and begin to reveal to him—not him tell her—she told him. And then he said to Gehazi, “Gird up your loins and take this staff and go lay it on the child.” He didn't know what to do.

So now I think that's where Paul, another man of the Scripture, would have never, never, taken handkerchiefs from his body if he hadn't had scripture to do it. Elisha knowed what everything that he touched was blessed, but if he could get the woman to believe that. So I think that's what Paul did. Now we anoint handkerchiefs with oil. Now that's not scriptural, but it's all right. That's perfectly all right. But they'd taken from the body of Paul, the Bible said, handkerchiefs or aprons.

Notice. But....

And Elisha, he said, “Take this staff. Go lay it on the baby. And if anybody speaks to you, don't speak back. Just go on. Lay the staff on the baby.”

Now the woman's faith wasn't in the staff; it was in the prophet. She said, “As the Lord God lives, and your soul never dies, I'm not going to leave you.” And she stayed right there, persistent, until she got the answer of what she wanted to know. Well, Elisha didn't have the answer, so there was only one thing to do—go with her. So he girded up his loins and he went, and he met Gehazi coming back. Said, “Did you carry out my orders?”

He said, “I did. I put the staff upon the baby. There's no life or nothing yet.” That'd been hours and hours the baby was dead. Well, Elisha went in, and he didn't know what to do, so remember, he walked up and down the floor—just back and forth, back and forth, until the Spirit come on him. And when the Spirit come on him, he laid his own body upon that baby's body. And it sneezed seven times and come to life, because of that determination and that faith of that mother.

Now, Martha, knowing that this Shunammite woman had faith in this prophet being God's representative on the earth for that day.... If Elisha was the ... was God's representative of his day, she knowed that she'd seen enough out of Jesus that He was God's representative of that day. There you are, see. Make the scripture run true.

Then when she run out to him.... And seemed like she had a right to upbraid him, and say, “Why didn't you come? Why didn't you come? We sent for you. We left church, we done all this.” No, that's the 1964 version of it—not then, see. “We done all this, we did that, I give this, I give that.” You give what? God gave a Son!—for you, and me, the unworthy.

She must have went out there, and she knowed that God had manifested Himself. And watch when she comes. They followed her to see what she would say. Now, she went out there and she fell down before Him first, and said, “Lord [that's what He was], if Thou would have been here, my brother would not have died,” see. “My brother would not have died.”

And she ... He said, “Thy brother shall rise again.”

And, “Yes, Lord, he'll rise in the last day at the general resurrection. He was a good boy. He'll raise up at the last day.” See, they believed in the general resurrection.

Jesus said, “But I am that resurrection and life.” Oh, my! After turning her down! How could a man that's the resurrection and life ever treat a friend like that! Sometimes He's testing you—see what you'll do, see. Put the thing before you, and see what you'll do with it. He might do that tonight. He has been doing it, so, just to see what you'll do about it.

Then we find out that when this was done, she said, “I believe that you are the Son of God that was to come into the world [That's exactly what He confessed to be.]. And even now, though my brother's dead, though he's embalmed, though he's buried, though he stinketh in the grave, but even now whatever you ask God, God'll give it to you.” There you are. There you are—that's the keynote. She believed in what He asked. If He asked God for her, God would hear his prayer. “Even now, whatever you ask God, God will give it to you.”

Now could you have that kind of faith tonight in God's Word? Well, Jesus is his Word. Could you have that much faith in God's Word, when it's just as directly identified for this day as much as it was identified in that day? Could you believe that? “Whatever you ask God, God will give it to you,” see.

You say, “But the doctor turned me down, Brother Branham. Said he can't do no more for me.” “But even now, Lord....”

Say, “I haven't walked for years.”

“But even now, Lord, whatever you ask God, God'll give it to you.” He's sitting at the right hand of the Majesty on high waiting for you to ask. “Even now, whatever you ask God, God will give it to you.” Don't the Bible say He's sitting at the right hand of the Majesty? What is the right hand? Not a hand like man, mine; it's the power, the right hand of power. He's God with us, God in us, God here now—the right hand, the ever-living present. He's right here. When you need God you don't have to go to heaven; He's right here with you, the right hand of the power of his Majesty sitting here, ready to make intercessions upon your confession, waiting to be called on. “Even now, Lord....”

“Though the doctor told me I couldn't live but another week....”

“Even now, Lord, whatever you ask God, God will give it to you.”

No wonder He said, “Thy brother shall rise again.” He said, “I

am that resurrection and life. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?“

She said, “Yea, Lord. I believe it.” That's it.

Now when you have real faith, when those cogs go to meeting together like that, the wheels go to turn. Something's going to happen, 'cause there's power on both sides—power in faith, and power ... the little wheel turned by faith, the big wheel turned by the power of God. When them things goes to turning, something's got to happen. To make that light up there, it takes two pieces of material in a dynamo turning together. And it's just like you—it'll make light, it'll make faith, it'll make ... it'll make power, it'll make healing. When the believer and God gets turning together, it generates the power of his resurrection.

When believers takes his Word into their heart it begins to generate it. It brings forth faith 'cause He's promised. Everything's in line. Only thing you have to do to get electricity is push the button. That's all you have to do when this scripture's supposed to be fulfilled now. Press the button! Don't be afraid.

That's what's the matter with the people. I've often said—it's a little ridiculous to say it—I find two classes of people as I travel: the fundamentalists, and the Pentecostals. Outside of that I don't know about them. And the fundamentalists are people who positionally knows where they stand, but they haven't got any faith in what they're doing. And the Pentecostals is the people who ... they have ... has got that faith, but they don't know who they are. It's just like a man that's got money in the bank and can't write a check; the other one can write a check and hasn't got no money in the bank.

If you could ever get them together.... If you get the Pentecostals to wake up, that the Holy Spirit that you claim to have, that's Him identifying his name and his Word, then sign your name across the check and hand it in. Watch it be ... watch it be recognized by the banks of heaven. “Ask the Father in my name, anything,” see. Don't be afraid to ask it. If He promised He would do it, why, you don't have to worry about it—He promised it.

Notice, now. She was right when she knowed if God was in Elisha, he was ... he was Christ, too. Do you believe that? Jesus said he was. Said he was a god 'cause the Word of God came to him. And if God was in Elisha, how much more was He in his Son. And if God by that little portion could raise up a dead baby, how much more God in his fullness?

Well, how much more now, with God identified with us and in us? The atonement's made; it wasn't made then. They was still under the atonement of the sacrificed ram; and now we're under the atonement of the blood of God. Not Jewish blood, not Gentile blood—He was neither one. He was God's blood.

The blood comes from the male sex. A hen can lay an egg, but if she hasn't been with the male bird it won't hatch. It's not fertile. Fertility comes from the hemoglobin (that's blood) that's in the male sex. Always. And a woman's only the egg. And in this case Jesus was the blood of God—a created blood cell. He was neither Jew nor Gentile; He was God. The Bible said we're saved by the blood of God; not Jewish or Gentile—a creative blood. That's where....

If He was a Jew, my faith is gone. If He was a Gentile, my faith is gone. He was a God. He was the immortal God manifested in flesh, that He created a blood cell and made his own body. Amen! That makes devils tremble and run. That puts him on the move, when you see the real genuine thing. Praise the Lord! God manifested in the flesh—He is the blood of God. Therefore, the life comes from that germ. And now, by that blood....

On the old sacrifice, a worshipper put his hands upon a ram and they cut the throat. The priest got the blood and burnt it. And the worshipper, feeling the pains of the death upon the ram, his hands all bloody from the little dying ram, a dying ... a little sheep, as it died—but he went back out with the same conscience he had coming in. Because when that blood cell was broke it was the blood of some other male ram, see, and the egg from the female. And the life that was in that could not come back upon his life because it was animal life. Animal life doesn't have a soul, so it doesn't know right from wrong. So it could not come back.

But on this, when we really place our hands upon our sacrifice, Jesus, and feel in our hearts that we're guilty, and know what we're doing, the blood of that sacrifice.... The life that was in that blood was God himself, so He comes back upon you with the Holy Spirit.

You become a son of God then, with no more conscience of sin. “He that's borned of God does not commit sin.” He can't sin. The seed of God's in him—he can't sin. There's no more desire of sin at all. As long as you're desiring to sin, you're guilty of it. But when you have no more desire, if you do anything wrong, then you don't willfully do it. Hebrews 6 said if we sin willfully after we receive the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin—sin willfully. So if you continually want to sin willfully, there's something wrong with your experience.

Now when she heard Him.... She was right when He said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” “I am....” Oh, what an assurance of the promised word!—for He was that I AM that was in the wilderness with Moses, back there in the burning bush. Even when all hopes was gone, yet she was satisfied if she could only get Him to ask, it would take place.

Now, how we need faith like that today! Now, she had to believe for the impossible to the modern mind, modern way of thinking. She had to believe for the impossible. But impossible things are made real when God is took at his Word. The impossible is made realities when God's taken at his Word. Notice, how beautiful. “But even now, Lord, even now,” no matter what the situation is. “Even now, whatever you ask God, God'll do it,” in that dark hour.

Let's just review a couple of people here, or so, in the Bible just a minute—just to get that dark hour before we call the prayer line. Let's think of Job. He was the most righteous man on earth and Satan come upon him. And come to God first, and accused Job of being just God's pet. Said, “Sure—got him all fenced up. Break the hedge, and I'll make him curse you to your face.”

God said, “You can't do it,” see. And now Job got into all kinds of trouble. Remember, he lost all of his wealth, he lost all of his popularity.

He was a prince, you know, in the East, and all the young princes used to come and bow before him because he was a man of wisdom. He was a prophet, and everybody wanted to see him and talk with him. Just a moment, just a moment of his time would just mean so much.

And how he used to walk down the street with honor in his heart for God, because God had made him a prophet! And the wise men would come up and say, “Job, sir, we know that the great God of heaven is with you. Just one piece of advice we'd like to have. We've done a certain, certain, thing. What should happen?” God would reveal it to Job, and they'd go do that that way, and that was just the way it would be. That was fine.

But all at once all the people got against him. Everybody turned him down. Then the cyclones come—killed his children, and killed all of his animals. Everything he had was gone. Then come some of his very best ... maybe the deacons of his church, see, come to give him comfort. And they was accusing, “Now, Job, you know a man that was favored with God like you, and all this is happened to him—there's got to be something wrong. You've done something wrong.”

Job said, “I am satisfied that I never. My heart is clean before God, and I made my sacrifice.” Amen.

There you are. Then stand on it. If you've met God's requirements, stay right there. Don't you move.

Abraham called everything contrary to that promise as though it wasn't. He staggered not at the promise through unbelief but was strong, giving praise to God. Job stayed right with it. And after a while his own wife kind of turned against him. Job got broke out with boils. His own health failed, and he went out and sat on the ash heap and scraped himself with a piece of crock or something. Scraped.... You just imagine what a miserable shape that man was in!

I remember taking that, one time at my tabernacle years ago, and I was on it for a year—just the book of Job. That's the way we just break it down—just lace the whole Word together. And then I had him on that ash heap there for about five straight Sundays, and I never did.... After a while a little sister wrote me a letter, and she said, “Brother Branham, when you going to get Job off that ash heap?” But I was trying to make a point, see. I was trying to get this settled, that ... why he was there.

And his wife come out and said, “Job, you're miserable! Why don't you curse God, and die the death?”

Now look. He didn't call her a foolish woman. He said, “Thou speakest like a foolish woman.” In other words, you speak foolish. He said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord taketh away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Then he knowed he was going to die, and he said, “Lord [the fourteenth chapter of Job],” he said, “there's hope in a tree if it blows down.” He knowed it'd been ... it'd influenced people, his life had been useful. God never give us our lives just to hang around this, that; He give it to be useful for Him. Do something! Tell somebody else! If you can't talk, whistle a hymn, or something. Give some impression somewhere. And Job was a type of man that was useful.

He said, “If a tree goes down to the grave ... the scent of rain, the roots come out again. If a flower dies, the little seed lays there and bursts open. The pulp runs out of it. There'll be no way you can find the life in it. But when spring comes around, up comes that little flower again. Now there's hope if a flower dies, if a tree dies. But a man,” said, “he layeth down, he giveth up the ghost. His sons comes to honor him; he perceiveth not.” Job wanted to know: When they plant a seed in the ground and it comes up; but they plant a man in the ground and he don't come up.

“Now,” he said, “What about all this?” And he couldn't understand it. How a man ... much more glory than a flower; a man ... much more glory than a tree; in the image of God—and yet He planted him in the ground and that settled it. His sons come to mourn and he perceiveth not. “Oh, that thou would hide me in the grave, that thou would keep me in the secret place till thy wrath be past. Thou appointest me a time and place I could not pass.”

Notice, now, when all this distress come, and his friends turned their back upon him and accused him of being a secret sinner, wife had turned him down, everybody had turned him down—said his breath was strange to his wife—and all the things that happened to him.... And looked like God turned him down, and he's going to die and go into the ground.

God spoke to him, as much as if to say, “Job, now gird up your loins. I'm going to talk to you.” And then when He said, “You see, the tree never sinned. The flower never sinned. It served my purpose. Therefore it was germitized, one to the other. And it didn't sin, so it rises up again. But a man sinned; therefore he's cut off.”

So then Job began to wonder. And then he got in distress, just like Martha did. In the darkest hour, when all of his influence.... Had he lived it in vain?

How would He speak to Job? He's a prophet. How would He speak to him? In a vision. Then he looked up, and the thunders roared, the lightnings flashed—and Jesus came along. Then he seen Him in the last days. He said, “I know my redeemer liveth, and at the last days he'll stand upon this earth. Though the skin worms destroys this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see.” The darkest hour, then Jesus come along. Now that's the oldest book in the Bible—Job. It was wrote before Genesis was written, they claim.

Notice, now, Moses and his dark hour. He'd knowed his mother had told him how Jehovah had raised him up, how he was going to be the deliverer of the people. And he had tried to do it in a military standpoint, 'cause he was a military man—raised up with Pharaoh and become a leader. He was the next Pharaoh to be. And he went out to try to deliver them with his own hand. But God don't deliver like that. God delivers by his hand. So he got smart, educated, and learned all the.... Got his Ph.D and LL.D., and all the L.L.'s and D.D.'s, that went with it, I guess. So he thought, “I've really got her now. I'm just fresh out of the seminary.” So he goes out there—and he failed!

Then God took him out there for forty years and took all that education out of him, see—forty years. Now he's an old man, whiskers hanging way down at his waistline, a stick in his hand, all hopes of delivering the people is done gone; them poor Hebrews down there, suffering with them task masters, and beaten backs—and mud-daubers in that mud. All hopes of deliverance was gone.

And then one day, on the backside of the desert, Jesus came along—a pillar of fire. He said, “I AM.” That's what He was.

One day He was talking. They said, “Why, you say you've seen Abraham? Why,” they said, “why, you're not over fifty years old, and say.... We know you're mad. You've got a devil.”

He said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” So it was Jesus came along, in a pillar of fire, in his darkest hour. And he went down.

Then, you know, when Jesus gets ahold of you it makes you do things that sounds crazy to the world. Could you imagine that old man going down there to take that city over, or that country over? and he did it—with a crooked stick in his hand. But he himself was in the hand of God—that's what made the difference.

Let's talk of another character just a moment. Let's talk about Jairus in the Bible, the days of Jesus. He was a fine little fellow. He was a believer—a secret believer. I call him something like a borderline believer, like the spies that went over and tasted the good things, and come back and said it couldn't be done. But Jairus was a secret believer.

He believed the Lord Jesus, because.... He was a fine fellow, and he probably studied the scrolls and seen where Jesus met all these requirements, and He was that prophet that was supposed to be raised up according to Moses. But he couldn't make his confession because that anybody that made a confession that they'd been out with Jesus, well, right then they was excommunicated. And he was a priest!

But you know God has a way of forcing the issue sometimes to make you do it.

So you know, he had a little girl—his only child. And she got real sick, and he called the doctor. And the doctor done all he could do, and the little kid got sicker and sicker. Now the doctor had called him out and said, “Jairus, I hate to tell you this, Doctor, or Reverend Jairus, but you know what? That baby's going to die. It's just got about a hour more to live.” I can imagine all, hysterically, the people standing around, weeping. And they laid her out on a little cot, little sofa there, like.

And then I can see little Jairus go around and get his little ministerial hat, and pull it on, his wife say, “Where you going?”

“You know, I guess it's forced to me.” Then he walks out the door.

And said, “Where? ...”

His pastor, standing there, said, “Jairus, where you going?”

“Oh, I thought I'd take a walk.” You know, it's his darkest of hour.

Here comes somebody up the road, said, “Hey, Jairus! You know who's down at the wharf? Jesus of Nazareth! That prophet just arrived!”

It was his darkest of hour. Then Jesus come along, just at the dark hour. I can see him pull that little hat down over his face, and take down the road as hard as he can go. He said, “Lord, come lay your hands upon my child and she'll live.”

While he was on his road going back, the first thing you know somebody else said, “Don't trouble Him. She's already died. She died yesterday, and she's laying out now.” Oh, his little heart was about to break.

I can see Jesus look at him, and said, “Did not I tell you, 'Fear not and you'll see the glory of God'?”

I imagine his heart went back to beating right. Went up the road, watching every move. He got in the house and said, “Oh, she's dead.”

He said, “She's not dead; she's asleep.”

“Well,” he said, “now we've heard You were crazy; now we know You are.”

He said, “Get out, all you unbelievers! I can't do nothing while you unbelievers are sitting here.” He put them all out. Then He walked over to the child, said, “Rise up, maiden.” And she rose up. The darkest of hours—death done struck the home. Then Jesus come along.

Now we notice when his little girl was sick he didn't wait, like Nicodemus, for a private interview at night. The need was right then. He had to go to action right now. It's the same right now. If every time you want to get healed, right now's the time. Don't wait for some other time. This is the time to go in action. Yes, sir. He got desperate—then Jesus come and called her from the dead.

Blind Bartimaeus—one more character we'd speak of just for a minute. I'd like to give you his life story, how he was ... how he made his living by little doves a-tumbling. And so, in them days they had a lamb that would lead a blind man, just like they have today a dog that leads the blind.

And so one day, the story told about blind Bartimaeus, that (Jesus, before He'd come on the scene) that he had a little girl that was sick. And he told ... went out and cried, and prayed to the Lord, and said, “Lord, if you ... if you'll just give me this life of my little girl.... I've never been able to see her, but if you'll just let her live I promise you tomorrow that I'll give you my two turtle doves.” That's what he had to entertain the people. So many beggars, he had to have something unusual. So two little turtle doves that tumble over one another....

So he said ... well, he offered ... give the offering, because the child got well.

A few nights after that the wife got sick. And he made his way around the side of the house, and said, “Lord, I haven't got nothing else but my little lamb that leads me.” He said, “If you let her get well,” said, “I'll give you this lamb.” And so the next day his wife got well.

So here he was, going down. Said.... The priest said, “Where goest thou, blind Bartimaeus?”

He said, “I'm going down to offer this lamb.” Said, “My wife ... Jehovah healed my wife.” And said, “I'm going to offer this lamb.”

Said, “You can't offer that lamb, Bartimaeus.” Said, “That lamb is your eyes.”

He said, “But if Bartimaeus will obey his promise to God, God will provide a lamb for Bartimaeus's eyes.”

One day he heard a racket coming through the city, some of them hollering, “Say, you prophet of Galilee, they tell me that you raise the dead [That was the priest.] We got a graveyard full of them up here. Come up and raise some of them. They tell me you raise the dead. Let's see you go raise one of them. Some good men laying up there—let's see you raise them.”

Others said, “If thou be a prophet, tell me what I done yesterday.”

Some of them said, “Glory to God in the highest. Make way for the King of Israel.”

All kinds of fusses, and hundreds of them....

Now if you'll go ... ever go to Jericho and mark where he was sitting, he was almost two hundred yards from where they went out the gate. Now, no doubt people crowded over him, and the poor old fellow sitting there in the wind with ... shivering, the rags around him. And no lamb to lead him. No ... and no doves. And he has probably no fuel in for the winter. And it might have been around October and it was cold. And there he sat in that condition.

And some kind lady must have said to him, when he said, “Who ... what's all the noise about?” You know, there's something strange: where Jesus is, there's always a lot of noise. That's right. He said, “What's all the noise about? Well,” he said....

This kind lady (she must have been a follower of Jesus), she said, “You know. It's Jesus of Nazareth.”

“Well, who's Jesus of Nazareth?”

“Well, you know, the Scripture says that the Lord God's going to raise up a prophet.”

“Oh, yes. You mean the Son of David. Is He on earth?”

“Why, I have seen Him do just exactly ... He is the Word. That's exactly....”

He cried, “Oh, Jesus! Oh, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Now he knowed He's done got past. He knowed his physical cry could not be heard. But he knowed if He was the Word, and He was that Messiah, He'd have to be a prophet 'cause Messiah was a prophet. And he knowed that He could.... His faith in God.... No doubt but what he screamed out, “Jehovah, have mercy on me! Have mercy! Now let me be able to stop Him!” And he cried, “Thou Son of David, have mercy upon me!” Probably, all the screams, He couldn't hear it, but his faith stopped Him. Jesus said so.

And Jesus stood still. I want to preach on that, maybe one Sunday—“And Then Jesus Stood Still.” And He stood still. He looked around, and He said, “Your faith has made you whole.” At the darkest hour, then Jesus come along.

The morning just before that, there was a.... When He ... the morning just before He (come in) come out the gate that afternoon, He'd come into the city. There was a man in there named Zacchaeus, and he was a businessman in this city. And his wife, Rebekah, was a fine woman, a believer on the Lord Jesus. But he didn't believe it himself because the rabbi had told him, “There's no prophets. We ain't had prophets. That's a bunch of nonsense. Don't you believe such a thing as that. You're too much of a fine cultured man. Your business here.... Why, don't you never do that. Look at your standing in the church.”

And so he had told Rebekah, said, “Aw, that's nonsense. There is no such a things as prophets.”

But you know, Rebekah had prayed till his little heart was about to break. He wanted to see for himself. So he knowed He was to be in the city that day, so you know what he done? He was little in stature, so he couldn't be able to see Him when He passed by, on account of the crowd. So he said, “I'll find out whether He's a prophet or not. If I look at Him in the face. I'll tell you if He looks different from any other man.”

So he climbed up in the tree and pulled all the leaves around him, and things, and sat there. And said, “Now, you know, when He passes by, I'll see Him.”

So as He come around the corner (walking like this), walking down the street, got right under the tree and He stopped. Looked up, said, “Zacchaeus, come down. I'm going home with you.”

Oh, his darkest hour! Was He a prophet, or wasn't He a prophet? In the darkest of hour, Jesus come along. He knowed who he was. “Zacchaeus, come down.”

Zacchaeus said, “If I've done any wrong I'll pay it back. I'll do anything.” He was convinced. Jesus came along.

The woman with the blood issue had went.... The Bible said she had spent all of her money with the doctors. None of them could help her. No doubt the doctors tried hard, but they'd failed. They couldn't help her. She'd had this blood issue for years and years, probably since menopause—and she was an old woman now. And just kept going on—couldn't do it. All she had ... she was in desperate because....

No doubt that morning when the little boat pushed into the willows down there, somebody.... She lived up on the hill above. Probably her husband had done sold the horses and the farm was mortgaged and everything, trying to get his poor little wife healed. She had heard about Him. She said, “Who is that down there?”

Said, “That's that prophet from Galilee.”

She said within her heart, no scripture for it, “I believe Him, and if I can only touch that righteous man's garment, I'll be made well.” Hmm. If she could do that without a Scripture promise, what ought we to do with the Scripture promise?

She pushed through. There was the pastor, all of them, standing there to criticize her, making fun of Him and trying to get Him to leave the land. They didn't want their people all disturbed in their minds. They couldn't cooperate in the meeting. There wasn't nothing they could do.

But He come over to have a meeting, anyhow, see. So He was going to have it, anyhow.

So, we find out there was two or three there would help Him, so, bring Him across the river anyhow. So then we find out that on.... As He started walking up, this little woman, she said, “Well, such a man as that—so important—I'm too insignificant for Him.”

And many, some of them said, “Ahem! Introduce me to Him, 'cause I want to find out if He's a prophet or not. Ahem! So introduce me, Simon.”

So-and-so ... and everybody, “Hello, rabbi. Well, they say you're a prophet. Yeah, yeah.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Lord bless you.” Go on like that.

He went walking on. First thing ... this little woman kept squeezing between them men and around till she touched his outer garment. Now, the Palestinian garment swings free and it's got an inward garment too, to keep the dust from the limbs. And He'd have never felt that physically. Then she touched Him. That's exactly what she wanted to do. She went back out and sat down.

That was her darkest hour. All the money was gone, everything else—and Jesus come along. Jesus turned and said, “Who touched me?” He looked out there, and there she was. He said, “Thy faith has saved thee.”

The little woman at the well—morally she couldn't have been any worse. She had ... she'd just taken her sixth husband, so morally she couldn't have been any worse. Her darkest of hour—no doubt going up there and saying, “What a wretch am I. Now I'm a young, beautiful woman, but I'm beginning to age just a little bit. I'm getting into my twenties now. So my....”

See, so.... Now just remember, sister. When you leave that twenty, when you leave twenty-two years old, you're failing. No matter whether you think you are or not, you are. You're failing. Every man is too. You.... When you get about ... you're....

That's what I asked at a Kiwanis meeting one time. I said, “Tell me how it is that when I eat food it makes blood cells, and I get bigger and stronger. When I was sixteen years old I eat the same thing I eat right now. I got bigger and stronger all the time. Now, ever since I passed twenty-two, no matter how much I eat, how well I take of myself, I'm getting weaker and older.” Why is it? I renew my life now—every time I eat, I renew my life 'cause I put blood cells in—why won't it build me now like it did then? You can't scientifically prove it if you had to. It's appointment that God made, and you're going to meet it, too. Just remember that. You're coming to it.

Pour water out of a jug into a glass, and it gets half full. Then pour it faster, and it goes down. Tell me where it goes, and what happens. See, it's because God made the appointment.

And this little woman, she knowed her days was about finished up. Then her occupation would be ruined. So she was thinking about, “What will I do?” But she said, “You know, I've always thought that some day there might be the Messiah come along.” She walked up there to the well. It's usually when you're thinking about Him when He comes along, see. And so she walked up there. Darkness, all the women was gone away. And she was immoral, couldn't speak with them or nothing. Had the hooks and she let the windle down, and she started.... She heard a man say, “Go get your husband and come here.”

She said, “I don't have any husband.”

He said, “That's right. You've had five, and the one you're living with now is not yours.”

Then she got desperate. She said, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. I know that when the Messiah cometh, that's what He'll do.”

And He said, “I am he.” I am he. Oh!

The disciples was upon the sea one night, and all hopes was gone. Maybe you're sitting here tonight the same way—all hopes gone. Their little boat was water-logged and everything, and Jesus had.... They'd went away without Him. And then when they was screaming, and crying, and wondering what was going to happen, what taken place next? They seen Him come walking upon the sea. Do you know what? They were scared of Him. It looked spooky. Looked something like might be some kind of spiritualism or something, see. Here come a man walking like a shadow on the water, and they begin to scream out.

The only thing that could help them, and then they were afraid of it. If that ain't just exactly the way it is today. They're afraid of it. Afraid of it. But what happened? Just in the hour of their fear, a voice came, said, “Fear not. It is I.” Then Jesus came along. Oh, my! Jesus came along. “Fear not. It is I.”

Now, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I wonder tonight—I've got to omit some of my text here—but I wonder tonight, if we in this hour.... The Master is come, as He has promised, and is calling for his believing children to recognize Him in his Word, making it manifest. I wonder if Jesus has come to us.

This is the darkest hour the church has ever seen. Now you know what? Every church soon is going to have to belong to that world council of churches. And when you do, you'll forfeit your evangelical rights when you do that. And if you don't, then you can't be a denomination no more, 'cause every denomination has to come into it. You've read of it the same as I have.

It's the darkest hour the little church has ever had. Everything has went out for it. Pentecost, oh, wake yourself up! And right in this darkest of hours, then here comes Jesus along to vindicate He's with you. He's here, see—the darkest of hours.

I heard a little story—just take me a minute to tell it. A woman called the county to come to look at her, 'cause she was poverty-stricken. She had a son. He had went to India some time ago, and he ... a very nice friend, and fine boy. And so the woman just got so without food and everything, till the county had to come to investigate for county food for her. And when they was there, the man said, “Well, don't you have any loved ones to help you?”

She said, “Oh, I have a son.”

Said, “What does he do?”

Said, “Oh, he's a electrical engineer in India.”

“Well, who's he working for?”

Said, “The United States Government.”

“Well,” said, “don't he help you?”

Said, “Well,” said, “he doesn't help me, but....”

Said, “Well,” said, “why don't you ask him instead of calling the county?”

She said, “He's such a sweet boy. He writes me such sweet letters.” And said, “I ... you know, I love him so I can't tell him that I'm in need like this.”

And said, “He writes you letters, and you hear from him and everything?”

“Yes.”

“And still he don't help you?”

Said, “No,” said, “but he sends me some of the prettiest pictures I ever seen in my life.” And she said....

So the man said, “Let me see some of the pictures.”

She said, “All right, sir. I got them right here in the Bible.” And she opened them up, and begin to bring them out. And you know what they was? Money orders from India, with pictures. They all got pictures, you see. Money orders. She had thousands of dollars, but just didn't know what she was worth. It was all hid in the Bible.

I wonder tonight if Jesus wouldn't reveal to us what's hid in this Bible for us. We're rich in his grace and his mercy. I wonder if He would come and call for us. Let's look through the Bible and see what we have in Him, while we bow our heads just a moment.

Heavenly Father, let thy mercy.... You're here, Father. I'm just as conscious of that.... Why, you said, “Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst.” Now that's.... Heavens and earth will pass away, but that never will. Help us tonight now, as we pray for these sick people for the next few minutes. Make yourself known, Lord. Jesus, come and call the sick, will You?—that they might know that You're a ... You're omnipresent God. You're here, the same yesterday, today, and forever. Through Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Friends, it's just a moment or two till it'll really be dismissing time. But let's call just a little prayer line. Would you like to have it? Raise up your hand if you're willing to stay another ten or fifteen minutes. God bless you. Just.... Is it all right with the custodian? All right for us to have the...? Thank you very much.

Now, where's Billy? How many cards you got out? A, B, C. What'd we have out first? A's? Did we call from A's the first night here? Let's call some A's again. Let's see. Where did we start from? You remember? 1, wasn't it? Yes. 1 to 5. Let's call from somewhere else. Let's see. Where will we call from? Let's say 75.

Who has prayer card A-75? Raise up your hand. That's good. Fine. We got ... come right down here then. 75, 76. Raise your hand. 76? Right quick. All right. Can't get up? Or, no, it's way back in the back—excuse me. 76, 77? 77? Would you raise your hand, whoever's got the prayer card? Oh, someone here. All right. Right over here, sir. 77, 78? Quickly now, raise up your hand. 78? 78? 79, 80, 81, -2, -3, -4, -5. Let's just stand up there right quick.

Let's have a.... Now will the rest of you just sit real still, reverent. Don't move around now. Let those just was called—79, 80, 80 to 85. Doesn't look like ... there's not ... maybe someone.... Cards give out four or five nights ago, they might be not.... 85 to 90, how many will come up from that? In A's, now, A—a prayer card A from 75, 80, 85, 90. That'll be fifteen people. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, there they are. Fine. That's good. That'll be fine, just for a minute now.

Now, how many of the rest of you out there that believes that you could do like that little woman did—touch the border of his garment? Raise up your hand and say, “I believe. I really believe that I can touch the border of his garment.”

Now the Master has come. Now He'll.... He's ready to call you, if you'll just believe Him. Now don't doubt Him; believe Him. Just have faith. Be real reverent. Believe with all of your heart now, that the Master has come and is calling for you.

Now, as the prayer line lines up down there.... I think some of the brethren are helping to get the prayer line lined up, the way they're ... in their numbers. Now everybody's got a card. And how many more cards is in here? Let's see your hands. Now, hold them. We're going to pray for every one of them. I don't care who they are, if the Lord lets me live, I'm going to pray for every one before I leave Sunday.

Now remember there's a ministerial breakfast in the morning at ... (Have you announced it, where it's at? It's been announced. All right.) which, if you can, come down. We'll be ... [Brother Branham asks someone: “I suppose I'm supposed to speak in the morning?” Someone replies, “Yes.”] All right. Okay. Fine. All right. What you say? Never heard you. I called about, I think, fifteen. 75, 80, 85, 90, something like that. That'll be all right. All right, start sending them up if you're looking [words not clear].

Now everybody real reverent. Now. Now listen. I know you got to go to work in the morning. Your job's important. I know that. Your children will be.... The baby sitters expect you to leave at 9:30. But let's just wait just a moment. What's more important? To know whether this is the truth or not? What's more important than your soul? Now, if this Bible has promised this, God does it—that's the most important thing I can think of. (Had a chair over there at that sound system, and that's what was making that noise.)

Now look. Now remember. Let everybody rest secure now. I hope I haven't impressed you to make you think that I'm some kind of a cult or something—that I would be that person, the Lord Jesus. You don't believe that, do you? Surely you don't. I am his servant. I am a sinner that's been saved by grace. But in this ... the hour has come to where He's given a gift.

I just had an examination just recently, when a bunch of medical doctors taken me under advisement to put me on a test for a wave test. And you know what they come out and told me? Said, “I never seen such in my life.” He said, “You know, your....” Said, “A person, when your five senses that the body's controlled in,” said, “now,” said, “that's your first conscious. You live in it. But when your five senses become inactive then you have a subconscious, and that's way off from you. You have to be dead to this feeling, or anything here. You go back off here to this subconscious, and you dream.” Said, “There's some part of you that goes somewhere, and you ... when you wake up back into this conscious again—you're shook back to here—you remember what you dreamed.”

How many you ever had a dream? Sure. Years ago, all of you. Well, there was some part of you somewhere, 'cause you still remember it in your mind. Is that right? So that was your subconscious. He said, “That's the order. But,” said, “Reverend Branham,” said, “the tens of thousands times thousands of people we ever examined, we never found a character like you.”

I said, “Am I crazy?”

He said, “I don't think people come all over the world and talk to a crazy man.”

And I said, “Well, am I ... I know I'm nervous.”

He said, “No more than any other minister, or doctor, or anybody that deals with the public.”

I said, “What's so strange?”

He said, “You know what? Your two consciouses lay right straight together.” Said, “You could dream a dream with your eyes open.” See, he didn't know what he was ... what about it.

And I said, “Is that right?”

He said, “Yes.” He said, “You wouldn't have to go to sleep to dream a dream.”

I said, “Doctor, did you ever read about a vision? You know what a vision is?”

He said, “Is that a Bible term, Mr. Branham?”

I said, “Yes.”

He said, “Well, I don't know nothing about the Bible.” He said, “I wouldn't know what you was talking about.”

I said, “Did you ever read the Bible?”

He said, “Yes.”

“Read that in the Bible about the old prophets, of the Old...?”

“Oh,” he said, “that ... what ... they foresaw things?”

“Yes,” I said, “that happens to me, sir.”

He said, “That.... I'm glad you ... that settles it. That's it, see.” He said, “You know what? You ought to go in and let us examine.... This would be a great scientific research.”

I said, “Wait a minute, Doctor. Did you ever have a dream?”

He said, “Yes.”

I said, “Then dream me a dream. Tell me what's going to happen tomorrow. You couldn't do it if you had to, see. Ever who lets you have that dream has to do it. Neither can I see a vision. It's got to be Him that lets visions.... I can't see them till He tells me. I don't know what to say till He tells me to say.” But it's a gift, you see, that.... I was born with that. The first thing I ever remember in my life was seeing a vision—and not one time has it ever been wrong, see.

It's your.... That's the reason you see people....

We do have a lot of impersonations. That's exactly right. But we'll always have that. Sure. I read the story of Martin Luther. To you Lutherans—the history of Martin Luther said it wasn't so strange that Martin Luther could protest the Catholic church and get by with it, but he could hold his head above all the fanaticism that followed his revival, and still stay clear with the Scripture. That's it. Just ... that don't have anything to do with them. You're responsible before God, see. It's just a gift, see. You've dropped yourself over here, and then the Lord speaks.

Now here. Here.... Is this the woman? Now here, this ought to prove.... Now if everybody will be real reverent just a few minutes. May be newcomers here. Now here's a young woman. I've never seen her in my life. She's a stranger to me. I don't know her. But here we meet just like St. John 11, I mentioned there tonight, see, when ... or St. John 4, I mean, where Jesus met the woman at the well I was speaking about.

She was probably much younger than Him. And He told her where her trouble was, and by that she said, “Now, sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.” Now, see, a prophet is one who the Word of God has come to. The prophecy for that day, the word that's to be fulfilled in that day, come to that man and he is that living Word for that day.

She said, “I perceive that you are a prophet. Now we are waiting for that prophet.” If you'll run that reference back it refers you right back to that prophet. Said, “We know when the Messiah comes, that's what He'll do. He'll tell us those things.”

He said, “I am he that speaks to you.”

And she went and said, “Come see a man that told me the things I done. Isn't this the Messiah?” And all the people believed it.

Now, He promised that the works that He did, the believers would also. And now in this last days has vindicated his near-coming by it, when he reveals Himself in the same way as he did at Sodom. Have you been listening to the messages this week? You believe that to be the truth? Now we being strangers to one another ... that's right, is it? Just so the people see, raise your hand—so the people see.

I've never seen the woman in my life. I don't know no more about her than nothing, see. She's just a young woman, much younger than I. Born years apart, miles apart, and here we meet the first time. Here we both stand here, people all around, lights, everything else—we're standing here in the presence of God.

Now I'm talking to you to find out, first, if that anointing will come upon me, and if it does then I'll be able to do it. Without that I cannot do it. The only thing I can do is just pray and lay hands on you like your pastor would, or whoever it would be, and go on. See, it's a gift. I got myself, as far as I know, relaxed to it, but then I can't make it come. He has to come, has to come Himself. Now just be reverent.

It is here. Now in the name of Jesus Christ I take every spirit in here under my control, for the glory of God. Now sit quiet. If anything happens I'll be able to control it, if you just don't jump up and start carrying on. Sit still. Epilepsy and things sometimes get in the meeting and just swing out—a dozen of them like that. How many seen such as that happen in my meetings? Sure. Sure, but you just sit still. I'm responsible for that. But if you're arrogant, I'm not responsible, 'cause it's a punishment.

Now I have no more idea what the woman's here for. Now she knows, though, that now at this time something's going on, 'cause right between she and I ... she just begins fading out. It's that light coming in. Now the woman is ... really, her main thing that she's here for, she's standing for somebody else. She's got somebody she's praying for, and that's a person that's real bad off in a nervous breakdown. It's a sister. That's right. If that's right raise up your hand. With a nervous breakdown. Now look, I.... So that ... the people say, “You just guessed that.” No, no. Never guessed it.

Now watch. She's a very fine person, good spirit. Now just a moment. Now look on me. See, that's what Peter and John said at the gate, “Look on me,” see. There seems to be something else in her heart. Yes, you suffer yourself with some sort of a dizzy spells, like. That's right. You got someone else on your heart that you want to know about, and that's your brother. He's in the hospital here. You know how he came to be here? He was in an automobile accident. That's right. Now, do you believe you receive what you asked for? Then go on your road—it's all over. “If thou canst believe, all things are possible.”

How do you do, lady? Now do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the same yesterday, today, and forever? If He will reveal to me what your trouble is, if.... You believe that He could do that? All right. Now may He grant it. One thing that you're suffering ... yes, uh-huh. First, you've had some surgery, and you've had a breast removed, amputated. Then you hurt your breast, your other breast, and that's what your trouble is.

You're not from here. You're from around a river or some ... you're from Louisville, Kentucky, and your name is Mrs. Mumford. God bless you. That's right. I.... You have been in the tabernacle. I didn't recognize you, but that's exactly right. Go on your road believing now. God bless you. That's right. All right.

Come now. Do you believe with all your heart, sir? Do you believe me to be his servant? Do you believe that you, when you come, you're coming just like Simon Peter did that time? See, you're not coming to me. You're coming to Him, and I'm just his representative, see. He ... I ... we are the branches; He's the vine.

Now, if the Lord Jesus ... us being total strangers to one another—I suppose we are. And if we be total strangers, and the Lord Jesus can reveal to me something that—like He did to Simon Peter, some of the rest of them when they come—will it make you believe with all your heart? You'd believe it? Now, all right, sir. Now you look on me just a moment.

Now your trouble ... I see you ... it's something about the stomach. It's a tumor in the stomach. That's right—a tumor in your stomach. Say, by the way, you are a minister, too. Yes, sir. You believe God can tell me who you are? You believe God knows you? (Reply, “I do, with all my heart.”) With all your heart—all right, Reverend Brown, go on and be well. Jesus Christ makes you well. Believe now.

You believe God can heal your arthritis and make you well? Go, believe Him, and say, “Thank you, Lord Jesus.”

Come, lady. You suffer with a nervous trouble. You believe that God can make you well of that? All right. Just go, say, “Praise the Lord.” See, a little wheel turning way down here—it used to turn up here. Used to be a happy little person when you were young—full of joy and jolly. And all at once, something happened. Now just go up there and believe that again, and start, happy and rejoicing. Jesus Christ will bring you to it. God bless you. Go believe it now with all your heart. All right.

You believe? You're crippling up too. Do you believe that God can heal it and make you well? All right. Just go say, “Thank you, Lord Jesus,” with all your heart.

Do you believe God can heal that asthma and make you well, son? Go on your road rejoicing, being healthy and happy. Also weakness, prostate, and arthritis. You believe that God can make that well and heal you? If you believe it with all your heart, go on your road rejoicing, and saying, “Thank you, Lord.”

Just a moment now, just one moment. Something happened. Different person from this. Just believe now ... all your heart. This lady sitting right here, suffering with a back trouble. You believe that Jesus Christ make you well, with all your heart? You can have what you ask for. See, the Lord Jesus heal you and make you well. “If you can believe it, all things are possible to them that believe.” Do you believe that with all your heart? What do you think about it, sitting there suffering with that hernia? You believe that God will heal you of that hernia and make you well? You believe that He will? All right. You can have what you ask for. Lord bless you.

See, He's out there the same as He's here. That ought to just tear us to pieces, oughtn't it? You believe God will heal that diabetic and make you get well, and you go home, the blood condition will be...? Go to Calvary for a blood transfusion. It'll all be over. Go, believe it with all your heart. Don't doubt. Just believe with all your heart that God will make you well.

Come here. You got the most dangerous disease there is in the world; that's heart trouble. But Jesus lives in the heart. Do you believe He'll heal you in that heart? All right. Go on your road, saying, “Thank you, Lord Jesus,” and make you well.

Go eat your supper. Jesus Christ heals you from that stomach trouble and makes you well. Do you believe?

Do you believe if I don't say a word, just lay hands on you, you'll get well anyhow? Lord bless you. Just believe with all your heart. You believe if I lay hands on you, you'll get well too? Come here. In the name of Jesus Christ may she be healed.

Come. Now you know I know what's wrong with you. But if I don't even tell you, do you believe you won't have to have that tumor taken out and it'll just be all right from now...? All right. Go right ahead then. Believe God. You'll get well. If you'll just believe that, He'll take it out and you won't even have to have it no more. If you just believe with all your heart. Praise the Lord!

Now, do you believe God heals cancer, and makes people with cancer well? All right, sir. Go on your road and say, “Thank you, Lord. I'm going to be well,” and you'll be all right.

Now, Jesus has come, and calls for you. Do you believe that? Do you believe it sitting there, lady sitting with that sinus trouble? Do you believe God will make you well? All right. See, just looking there, just kept right on believing. The lady sitting there shook her head like this at me. She don't know what to think about it. If you'll believe, your arthritis will leave, too. All right.

Do you believe with all your heart? This elderly man sitting over here, from Okeechobee, over in that way—do you believe that Jesus Christ will heal your eyes that's going blind? You can have what you ask for, if you'll ask it.

The Master has come and is calling on you. Do you believe Him? Then just raise up on your feet and accept Him; and say, “I believe you, Lord Jesus, right now. I raise up my hands, and I believe that you now heal me.”

Lord Jesus, this audience is yours. We're late, Lord, but, “Pass me not, O gentle Saviour, hear my humble cry; while on others Thou art calling, do not pass me by. Thou the stream of all my comfort, more than life to me. Whom have I on earth beside Thee, or whom in heaven but Thee?” Blind Fanny Crosby made that statement. Lord Jesus, pass none of them by, but give every one of them their healing tonight. I commit them to you in the name of Jesus Christ.

Raise your hands now and sing the praises unto Him. All right, everybody. You believe Him? Now organist, “I will praise Him, I will praise Him.” Give us a chord. Everybody with your hands up now.

I will praise Him, I will praise Him.

Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;

Give Him glory all ye people,

For his blood has washed away each stain.

Now shake hands with somebody by you. Say, “God bless you, friend. I'm happy to know that you've accepted Jesus as your healer.” Now that's good. That's right. Shake hands and say, “Thank the Lord.” Now let's raise our hands up to Him, and sing again with all of our hearts. Our heads bowed, and our eyes closed, with all of our hearts now:

I will praise Him, I will praise Him,

Praise the Lamb for sinners slain;

Give Him glory all ye people,

For his blood has washed away each stain.

Is He identified among you enough that you could accept Him? Do you believe He's here? Do you believe that that's Him? Friends, if I could come down there in that audience and heal any of you people I'd sure do it. I would gladly do it—with all my heart I would do it. But I can't do that. I don't have any way of doing it. But the only thing I have is this little gift that I was showing you. And that identifies the Scripture promise that Jesus Christ is right here with us, keeping his promise. Oh, that ought to set our hearts afire! My!

Just think of Jesus, that wonderful name.

When.... That name was first spoke when Mary come up into Judea. And Elisabeth had conceived, and little John was six months old in his mother's womb and had not moved yet. Now anybody knows about three months, or four at the most, the baby's moving. And Elisabeth ... was strange it hadn't moved. She'd hid herself.

And when she seen Mary coming, her little face all lit up with the glory of God. And she said, “You know....” And she seen she was to be mother, and she said, “I suppose you and Joseph are married.”

“No, we're not married.”

“Well, and you're going to have a baby?”

“Yes. The Holy Ghost overshadowed me, and He said that thing would be born in me would be called the Son of God, and I would call his name Jesus.”

And just as soon as she said “Jesus,” the first time that the name of Jesus Christ was ever spoke through a human lip, the little dead baby in its mother's womb received the Holy Ghost, and begin to jump for joy in the womb of a mother. What ought the name of Jesus to do to a borned-again church? Glory to God! He's Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the life-giver. Amen. Let's give Him praise. Just raise up your hands. “I'll praise Him.” Hallelujah!