An Ensign (62-0119)
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E-1
Thank you, Brother Outlaw. Thank you very much. Good evening, friends.
It's a… Certainly appreciate that fine introduction by Brother
Outlaw, and it's mutually felt between us. And I am happy to be here in
this tabernacle tonight, back here in Phoenix, and listen at these
wonderful songs and this lovely little choir. I was just looking them
all over. I'm so critical of some of the ways people do and dress in
these last days, I kind of have to admire this little clean-faced bunch
of women up here. And it look's real good to me. And I'm certainly
thankful for them. God bless them.
And to Brother Outlaw and his son, I remember when I was here, the boy
was just a little bitty fellow. And now here he is, I think, married
and perhaps got a family. And just shows that it don't take long for it
to pass, does it? We're just certainly drifting on down the way. But
there's one glorious thing that we are looking forward to: the day that
we will see our Lord Jesus and then we'll all be changed then.
E-2
They said Sister Waldrop was here tonight, the lady that was healed
with cancer. I called her name the other night. Where is she at? Is she
here in the building now, and…? Yes, Sister Waldrop, and Brother
Waldrop too. We're certainly glad to have you in the service tonight. I
believe I see Brother and Sister Evans from Macon, Georgia, over here
on the left hand side, all the way from Macon here.
E-3
And–and this little Greek brother setting here in front; I can't
think… He's all the way from Greece. So I met him not long ago,
and… Eddie, I believe, isn't it? or am I…? Dave, David. I
appreciate that Bible, and so forth, that you sent me just recently,
that book. And I thank you very much, brother. And many of our
friends… There's another group from Georgia, Brother S. T. I call
him, I believe, or T. S., on this side. And I was happy to see Brother
Williams' boy. How many times that he's requested me to pray for him,
and hear him stand up here testifying like that tonight, it certainly
thrilled my heart to–to–for that.
Coming in I met Brother McAnally out there, my old friend. I get to see
him pretty near every time coming down. There's just so many of our
friends here.
E-4
Hearing the testimonies from healings it brings me to think of this. A
few moments ago I made a long distance call to Brother Tommy Hicks,
who's in Washington, or in Oregon, rather. Wanted me to come take his
place this week. His brother, and his sister-in-law, and the whole
family was killed instantly this afternoon, down in Mexico. And he has
to go down to identify his brother and make all the arrangements and so
forth. And I certainly have a feeling for Brother Hicks. I had to do
the same thing a few weeks ago for my mother, and I know just how he
feels. And so, I believe at this time, as we are all associated
together as one great Christian body of people, I believe it would be
real nice if we would just bow our heads a moment and offer prayer for
the comfort of Brother Hicks in this hour.
E-5
Our heavenly Father, we are bringing before Thee now, as a group–a
group of people that are pilgrims and strangers, sojourners, professing
that this is not our home, we are citizens of another great Kingdom
that shall come, that Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy Kingdom come, Thine
will be done." Father, tonight one of our brothers, Brother Tommy
Hicks, Your servant, sadness is floating across the wires to his ears.
His precious brother (believing he was an unsaved boy) and his wife,
and little ones, all was just destroyed today by an automobile
accident. And our brother is in the air now, flying to meet up the body
of his precious brother. I pray for Brother Hicks, Lord. I pray that
Your Spirit be upon him, and help him. Comfort him. And may the great
hand of the living God reach down and give him sustaining grace in this
hour. Feeling the sharp feeling myself, Lord, of just a few weeks ago,
something similar happening, and I feel sorry for him. And I pray that
You'll comfort him in every way that You can, Father. We ask this in
Jesus' Name. Amen.
E-6
There's just so much to be said, so little of time to say it. We're
terribly sorry tonight, that and people standing inside, outside, and
around the walls of the church.
Now, this next week, next Thursday starts the convention up here at the
Ramada (I believe I pronounced that right), up on the right hand side
of west, or east VanBuren Street. And the Ramada; it's kind of a big
hall there with enough seating room to seat twenty-five hundred people.
And it has been deemed a great privilege to me to be invited here by
the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship, to which… I have spoken
over most of the world for them, and they invited me here to this
convention, Brother Williams, and the president here of this chapter
and many of the fine men.
And we're expecting a great time up there, and there's going to be some
fine speakers, as I understand, to be there. And I understand that it's
going to be my great privilege to speak to the Saturday morning
breakfast. And if that be so, I want to speak on the subject, "The
Worst Man I Ever Found."
E-7
So… And then Sunday afternoon I'm to speak again, to address the body
of believers there Sunday afternoon. All through the week I've got
church to church, church to church, sometimes two in a day, and so, to
visit my brethren. And I certainly deem it a privilege, friends, to get
to meet the different organizations.
And here a long time ago this would almost have been impossible to get
the people together of the different phases and organizations. But God
is so wonderful. He has just worked it around so that all of them now
are beginning to fellowship one with another, and forgetting their
little differences, and pressing on towards the mark of the high
calling. That's certainly fine. I'm very grateful to God to see that.
And now, may it just continue to grow is my prayer.
E-8
Brother Outlaw, as he just said, was the first one to invite me to
Phoenix. I come here many years ago with Brother Kidson, and we had a
great meeting. That meeting was a red letter mark in my life. They
didn't have tape recorders then. They had a little sound-scriber and
they made record. And I've still got the record that was from Brother
Outlaw's church, and from Brother Garcia's church over there, the
little Spanish choir that sang in Spanish, like these do in–in English.
And every once in a while we get kind of lonesome at home, and I kind
of get the blues to see the folks–folks out at Phoenix, and I put that
record on and play it, you know, and you… It's pretty near worn out.
But I just know it so well that I know every little time it's going to
jump and skip a line, and so forth. So I just stay right with it.
E-9
I've had a very sad experience in my life recently of losing my mother,
which was a very sweet Christian woman. But her–her going was quickly.
I haven't time to tell it tonight. I want to at one of the meetings,
some of the little breakfasts somewhere, and how that the Lord sent me
away for this to happen. He gave me a vision where to go and what would
happen. Then on the road back… And the sweetness of watching mother
come to the end of the road, and holding her in my arms, or by the arm,
and committing her soul to God, and seeing that dear, old, saintly
woman as she was going out when she could no more speak…
And I said, "Mother, does Jesus still mean the sweetness to you as He
did the day you received the Holy Ghost? You cannot speak, I know. But
if it's real, just bat your eyes real fast." And she'd bat her eyes,
and the tears would just run down her cheeks, and she went to meet the
Lord. That night He came to me in a vision and showed me her the way
she was then. I just can't keep from inviting people to press on to
that (See?), laying… Never miss that, friend.
E-10
And now, many times the way that we stand… We don't disfellowship
anyone because the way they believe, but being Pentecostal, and having
the Pentecostal experience… I've seen it come in my family, the ones
right down to the end of the road, and watch them until their soul went
out. And I tell you, I'm so glad that I've got that experience, I–of
being a Pentecostal experience in me. And I just want everyone to have
it. Don't miss it. Whatever you do, don't miss the experience.
E-11
Usually in my meetings, everywhere I go, it's always about praying for
the sick. I don't know. It's–it's been very successful. The Lord has
blessed, answering my prayers many times. And I wonder, just before I
spoke to you, was there any come tonight to be prayed for something? so
I could change my text around a little bit. If you was going to be
prayed for, I was going speak on something on Divine healing. And if
not, I was going to speak on something else.
Is there anyone here to be prayed for, would like to be prayed for?
Raise up your hand, so I can get just a general… Hmm. My, that's…
Well, I wrestled around about a half-hour awhile ago. Say, by the way,
is Billy Paul here, my son? Billy Paul, are you here? Got some prayer
cards out there? Go get some, while I'm talking a little bit, give them
out. See, if you don't sometimes they keep coming back, and back, and
back and forth in the line like that. You never get to the end of it.
So… and so…
If you're going to have that many… We want every one of them, but not
twice (You see?), 'cause many of the people here are–come from a long
ways. And I'll speak quietly just for a few moments on something
another that will try to help, and to bring faith up to that spot where
we can pray for the sick.
E-12
You got a wonderful pastor, and co-pastor here, wonderful board,
wonderful church, wonderful people. And the other day I was speaking at
one of the meetings out here in Phoenix, in the–the first meeting, and
I was saying, as the wife and I was going down the street, why, how
that this valley must've looked a few hundred years ago, and what it
looks like today.
And today we took a trip and went up on South Mountain, and way up
above the city there, out of the atmosphere of the city. We were
setting there together speaking about the Lord, and how good He'd been
to us. And just–the Holy Spirit just so sweetly moved into the car,
and just… And I looked down in the valley where little Joseph and I
went down not long ago when I was here. And he and I set down there,
and held each other's hands, and prayed (my little boy). And I asked
God when I left, Let me be able to lay my Bible in his hands, and let
him stay with it, just with the Word; and it'll be a contribution to
Him sparing my life and helping me.
E-13
Now, you know, if you get away… We know all cities… I think Phoenix
is–is a wonderful city. But I said to my wife, "Just think. Down in
there now, right at this moment, that little valley, the Maricopa
Valley here, as we can look through it, Salt River, through here, how
many people at this minute in that one little valley is taking the Name
of the Lord in vain? How many sins, adultery, and so forth, has been
committed in the last hour in this city, this little group of people?"
I said, "How many people do you think that's sinned in the last fifteen
minutes, since we've been setting up here in this city?" Think of it
tonight. I said, "It's a wonder that God just doesn't wash the whole
thing out, like that." It certainly is true.
E-14
But do you remember like it was in Sodom? There was someone down there
that had to be brought out. And I said, "Sweetheart, besides all of
that, remember, that in this valley since we've been setting up here,
there's been prayer after prayer go from a sincere heart." See? And I
said, "That's the reason we're here at Phoenix today, and in this
meetings around the fellowship with our brethren: is to put ourself in
with them to help to move this great load, to try to get others to see.
Now, someday I believe that the whole valley will be wiped out; the
whole earth will be wiped off. And there will come a great millennium."
And I said, "The warriors and heroes of the faith then will walk down
through the gardens of God, never to be old again, never to be sick
again, while anthems fill the air, the Angels looking down."
E-15
I think of a soldier coming home when he's been honored, you know,
overseas or something, and how that there seems to be such a great
honor the people pay him. But what is it? It's just a few honors out on
the street, and a few trumpets to sound, or bells to ring. And then you
go right back into the old grind.
But this way it'll be an endless eternity, how that the anthems that
the Angels was singing as these warriors, and their wives, and
families, walk through the paradises of God. Now, that's not some
mythical dream like Christmas, Santa Claus is. That's the truth,
friends. And–and we are looking forward to that. I'm looking with all
my heart to that time, that when Christ shall come and we shall be in
His likeness then. And there'll be no more old age…
What say? Come right here, Paul, if you will.
And you that wants a prayer card, as he comes down just to give you a prayer card, just raise your hands.
E-16
And I wonder if it would be asking a little too much, if we would get
this pianist and this choir here to sing? Well, let's have the
audience, put everybody in it, if they will, sing, "Close to Thee,
Close to Thee." You know the song? You know it? Everybody know it?
"Close to Thee?" All right. Some song… Let's just let the choir sing
one then, that's… I think that'd be better. Just let the choir sing
it. And that'll let you all be interested in giving out–getting your
prayer cards.
E-17
Brother Outlaw, would you come here again, if you will, if it's not
asking too much of you, my brother? And we'll have another chorus, or
whatmore, from the people. And then we will go right straight, quick as
we can, for a short message, and pray for the sick. The Lord bless you.
Pray for the little choir now, as it… All that appreciates a… you
Pentecostal people that appreciates a nice little clean-looking bunch
of girls and boys, like that, just raise up your hands. See? We Sure
do. There's one outstanding thing, many outstanding things, about this
church here; and one of them, they sure are singers.
[The choir sings–Ed.]
E-18
Thank the Lord for that. Amen. How thankful we are for a nice spiritual
lift like that, "… Was There When The Spirit Came." Now, we are
grateful for these services, again I say, and we're praying now that
God will heal the sick, save the lost. Now, you pray for me. Now, when
you come in just kind of unexpected, and we don't know no arrangements,
just drop in, and drop out, and like that, we can't feel like we–not
doing our very best for the Lord, but we try to do the best we can for
Him. So let us bow our heads once more now for prayer.
E-19
Our heavenly Father, it's tonight with grateful hearts that we face Thy
throne, not knowing just what Your will is, and what for us to do. But
Thou will lead us. You promised to. So we believe it. We pray that
You'll speak to the lost tonight and will heal the sick. Get glory unto
Thyself.
Bless this church, we ask again, Lord. Bless every church that's in
this city and in this valley, that the–there will come a time when
there will be a great pouring of the Spirit out upon all these people,
that people from all over the country will flock in to hear the Word of
the Lord.
E-20
Now, we realize, Lord, the reason that we can rejoice and sing songs
is, first, because we came to Christ, believing that He was, for faith
cometh by hearing, hearing of the Word. And as we have enjoyed singing
spiritual songs, and seeing the Spirit move in the audience, now may
You provide the Word that will condition the hearts of the people for
farther service, for the healing of the sick, and the spiritual healing
of someone who's been hurt, or a little tender conscience been bruised,
like the bruised reed. We pray that You'll strengthen it tonight, Lord,
and give it of Thy healing balm that will give the cure for all, that
this one that might've been turned out of the way will be turned back
to the way tonight.
E-21
We would also pray, Lord, for those that are in the hospitals, so sick
they can't even get to the services. We pray for them, knowing that
they would love to be here, but the enemy has bound them in such a way
that they cannot come. God, grant that their deliverance comes quickly.
We believe that it is written in the Word that "the people that's
called by My Name shall assemble themselves together and pray. Then
I'll hear from heaven." That's why we take this opportunity to pray
while all the church is assembled together, so that You'll hear from
heaven, and heal our land. We ask this now for the glory of God in the
Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
E-22
Now, feeling for those who are standing and legs getting tired, I'll
hurry just quick as I can. I would like to come back some time to
Phoenix, and where we could get everybody together, and have a good,
long, healing service in Phoenix, where… The Lord blesses some of us;
some of us are preachers, like Brother Outlaw. And many of the other
brethren here are preachers. I'm not much of a preacher. I–I just pray
for the sick. And yet, there's no man that ever preached the Gospel but
what loves to express his feelings to the people. There's just
something about it–you love to do it. And I'm so glad that you've come
to–to hear the little expression I have about Him, and trust that He
will do something tonight to prove to you that I–that I'm telling you
the truth and love you.
E-23 I want to take a little text here for a few moments, if the Lord willing, out of St. John, the 12th chapter and the 32nd verse.
And
for a little text to build upon that, I'd like to take the text of "An
Ensign." That's a very odd, strange thing to read a text like that, or
read a Scripture, and then take an odd text. But I have found out in
the years of ministry, that sometimes God comes in an odd way, odd
times, times when you're not thinking, speaks through texts that we
wouldn't think that He would speak through, use somebody that we would
think would be insignificant. But God works in mysterious ways his
wonders to perform.
E-24
And an–an ensign, of course we all know what an ensign is. It's
something that's in a commemoration lifted up, something to people to
look to; it's something placed before you. And God promised in Isaiah
the 5th chapter and the 26th verse, that there would be an ensign
lifted up. There would be an ensign lifted up.
E-25
Man down through the age is prone… It's inside of him to try to help
himself. Now, that's just the nature of man. Now, what we're trying to
do is set a base here for something that we're asking the Lord to do:
heal the sick, and to give confidence. And you can just not walk right
out and have faith for anything that you know nothing about. You first
got to have something that faith can rest upon.
When you married your wife, you had to have faith in her, she had to
have faith in you before you could make a home. And you just can't take
a haphazard something and have faith in it, because it's not proven. So
the most proven thing that we could take a base upon for faith would be
the Word of God. For faith cometh by hearing, and hearing of the word
of God, because it's God's Word.
E-26
And man, now, being that he is made, even in his fallen condition, yet
he's in the image of his Maker, God. And in one sense of the word he is
a son of God fallen from grace. He's fallen away from what God made him
to be. And in his fallen estate gives him them attributes to try to do
something to bring himself back up to a place where something inside of
him tells him that he come from; because he knows he's not in the right
condition yet, 'cause he sees death, sickness, and sorrows, and
heartaches, and disappointments. He knows he wasn't made for that. Yet,
no matter how far he is away from God, there's something with–inside
of him that tells him that, some inside something.
E-27
Now, a man is made up as a triune being: soul, body, spirit. Now, the
outside is the body. There's five gates to that body, and that's the
five senses, of course: see, taste, feel, smell, and hear. The inside,
like the seed that's planted… The inside of that is the pulp-like of
the seed, which is the soul. There's five gates to that you enter into:
conscience, and memory, and so forth.
But then inside of that little compartment is the third compartment,
which is the spirit. And that's what controls the rest of it. There's
only one avenue through that, and that's self will. You can accept or
turn away and that's the only avenue to that. If you accept the will of
God through that spirit, God's Spirit takes His place in your heart and
controls the rest of you. And if you do not accept that, then the enemy
takes that spot and controls the rest of you. So it lays in that.
And man, being made up in that fashion, then it gives him the–the
something inside of him that makes him want to achieve something by
himself. He's trying to do something to save himself. He wants to get
out of it, but he wants to do it himself. He wants to make his own way
about it.
E-28
Now, he's tried many achievements. He's tried to achieve this through
science, and every time that he moves through science he only destroys
himself. Every time that science makes something, he destroys himself:
gunpowder, and atomic energy, and–and nuclear weapons, and
automobiles, and all these things. Yet temporarily it helps him. But in
the long run it destroys himself, because he–it's something that he
has achieved while he's in God's workshop trying to make something,
pervert what God has made, and put it into his own ideas, and make it
up.
E-29
Now, as I said about this city, as this great beautiful city here… If
this city was just… It would be prettier than it was at the first
place, if up and down the streets went the people of God with their
hands in the air praising God for their home and everything. Wouldn't
Phoenix be a garden spot of the earth? But instead of that, like all
other cities, it's lying, stealing, cheating, gambling, smoking,
drinking, carousing, adultery. And it's become a stink before God. See?
So you see, what a man tries to achieve, he just makes a mess out of
it. He cannot save himself. And he tries by education. He's took that
route to see if he couldn't educate people into a saving knowledge of
Christ, or saving knowledge for himself, or to do something through his
education.
E-30
I was reading the other day in–in "Life" magazine where they had… I
believe many of you read the article where they'd done everything now
towards putting different elements together, or accumulations, until
they can almost make life. And they said they would make it. They can't
do that. Life is creation. So only one is a Creator, and that is God.
See? They'll never be able to make life, but he's trying to do that.
Wonder what kind of a species it would be if he could make it, if it'd
be after the intelligence of a man. So you see, he–he can't do that.
It's just not for him to do it. He's failed with education; he's failed
with science. He knows that he come from somewhere, but he wants to
find his way back.
E-31
Adam really expressed that, the first man on earth. After finding that
he had fallen from grace, he tried to take his own intelligence and
make a way back to God without an atonement. He tried to go back to God
without making an atonement, something to pay for his sins. After the
penalty of God was death, he tried to go back without a death atonement.
And men are still trying to do that, trying to make a religion without
an atonement in it. Adam made himself a covering out of fig leaves with
no blood shed for this covering, and God refused it. And He has refused
it then, and He always will refuse it, because without the shedding of
blood there's no remission of sins. He just can't get back because the
penalty is death, and something has to die to pay that penalty. So it
can only be substitutionary, or we're all in death if there wasn't a
substitute for us to hold on to. And man, in doing this, realized
that–that he needs something to hold on to, something that he can put
his hands on, something he can say, "This is it. I've got it. I know
it's it."
E-32
So Adam, to hold on to something made a fig leaf to cover his and his
wife's nakedness. But he found out that that what he had in his hand
did not work. On down through the ages we could count man if we only
had time. Let's take two or three of them anyhow.
Let's take Nimrod. Nimrod thought the same thing. After the flood he
was conscious that there was a God Who would judge the wicked, for they
had just come out of that flood. And he knew that it was sin that
caused God to destroy the world. Therefore, knowing that sin again
would make God do the same thing, he tried to achieve something to make
a tower, that men could run up in heaven if it got bad here on earth,
and live in heaven; and then come back down on earth, and sin, and go
back up into heaven again.
E-33
Now, that's been the idea of men all along the road, trying to sin and
live in earth and be in heaven at the same time. You cannot do it. You
can't do it. Jesus said you can't serve God and mammon. That's the
reason we believe tonight in a total abstaining from sin, getting away
from it. It's poison. Do not fool around it. Don't in-tolerate in it at
all. Have nothing at all to do with it. Don't see how close you can
come to it without sinning; see how far you can stay away from it.
Anything that looks sinful, stay away from it. Don't have anything to
do with it at all.
E-34
So Nimrod, with his great master mind, he tried to achieve this. And if
you'll notice, it's always been since man was created that the… If
you run the genealogy of Cain's children, they all become scientists,
mighty men, workers in the earth with metal, and wood, and so forth.
They were the smart intellectual side. But Seth's children were
peasants, sheepherders, humble.
Now, that's the same way it is today. Those who are depending upon some
manmade mechanical something that they can put their hands on, say,
"This is it, this is it," something that man has achieved himself, then
you find out mostly that's those kind who are trying to escape the
Blood atonement back to the right way.
Now. But Nimrod after while in the building of his tower, God set in
the heavens and laughed at him. And he come almost completing. I want
you to notice that he almost achieved what he started to do. But then,
all of a sudden God just turned the thing the other way, and the thing
went to pieces. It went into the dust. Just like Adam's fig leaf apron
went to dust, so did Nimrod's tower go to dust.
E-35
Then there come another, which was King Nebuchadnezzar, and he was
going to build a city. And if you'll notice, sometimes those spirits
that get onto man… And it's a day coming, and is at hand now, where
the Christian church, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ ought to be
so spiritual, because that Jesus said that the two spirits would be so
close till it would deceive the very elected if it was possible. The
enemy is so cunning.
Now, watch him with Nebuchadnezzar. He built a city just exactly a
pattern of heaven: as the river Euphrates flowed by the throne, like in
heaven the river of water of Life goes by the throne, swinging gardens
and everything, just exactly like it was, for before when–when Abraham
was journeying, looking for such a city… And if you're not
spiritual-minded, Satan will blind you on these things (See?) something
that looks almost like it, but it isn't it. If it's manmade, it's no
good; if it's Blood-boughten by God, it's the truth. That's… See,
it's true. But if it's manmade…
E-36
Now, he made this great city. And then, we find out that also he made
an image for people to worship, and brought an image worship amongst
the people. But in the midst of all of it, there come a supernatural
handwriting on the wall, an unknown tongue that no one could interpret
but a Spirit-filled prophet that was among them. And that kingdom went
to the dust, just exactly like Nimrod's tower, and Adam's fig apron,
just the same, because it's something that man achieved himself. It's
something that he wanted to do to show that he could save himself.
You cannot save yourself. There's not a thing you can do about it. The way's already made for you. You cannot save yourself.
E-37
We could call many other great things that taken place. Just recently,
France, after the first World War they wanted to build the Siegfried
line up there. And they turned all their guns towards Germany and said,
"Now, if the Germans ever would try to come this way again, why, we'll
be able to hold them off, because we've got a line here that we can
hold them off with it."
Just to show that manmade schemes cannot stand, the Germans outsmarted
them. They got behind this Siegfried line and said, "We can eat, drink,
live in adultery, dance, live in sin, do anything we want to, because
we are protected. We have done something that will protect us."
The Germans marched right around behind it and took them. See, went
right around behind, because they forgot to make their gun's turret to
turn any way. So the Germans just got out of the reach of their guns,
and went right around in behind, and the Siegfried line fell.
The Germans come around and made the Maginot line. And they thought,
"If the Yankees ever come over here, why, we'll just get down in this
fortified concrete, and we'll be all right." What happened? The Yankees
come over with blockbusters and busted them to pieces. She fell anyhow.
E-38
United States, here not long ago, thought they could build a ship that
no other ship builders could build. It was called the Titanic. One
night when she was steaming across the ocean with all of her engines
a-running, and the bands was playing jazz music, whooping' it up, all
of a sudden it turned to "Nearer My God to Thee." Why? She struck an
ice gorge out there, and knocked a hole in her, and busted up the
engines, and she went to the bottom of the sea. Why? God with His
mighty hand shows this world it cannot stand. Man cannot achieve
nothing by himself.
E-39
Now, today the great fuss is on about the nuclear weapons, and we're
spending billions of dollars to try to get a man over on the moon. What
good's it going to do after he gets on the moon? I ain't… As I said
the other night, I'm not worried about getting on the moon; I'm wanting
to get in heaven. So the moon's not far enough for me.
And then the Russians saying, "Oh, we put the first man in space." I
sure different with them there. That man went in space about two years
ago; and we've had One in space for two thousand years, building us a
home to come to. But you see, manmade achievements, what man has
achieved to do within himself, it will not work.
E-40
Now, we've tried to educate people to get what we would call the better
class of people through education. Our seminaries has sent our
ministers to school, which is fine; and learned an education by proper
speaking, speech, and so forth, and better grammar that–where that the
better class of people of the city, so-called, would come in to these
churches. And we've filled our church full of that.
Now, I don't believe there is a better class of people than the people
of God. See? And Jesus never worked upon such a class when He was here.
He went to the fishermen, the illiterate, unlearned, ignorant. And that
was what He chose. And God, if you could only understand Him, He likes
to take something that's nothing and do something with it. That proves
He's God. There's nothing you can brag on. He takes something that's
nothing, to make something out of it. That proves that He is God.
E-41
Now, we tried to do it then with denominations. We thought maybe if we
could get our denominations to grow… And what did we do? In making
our denominations (which is all right, nothing against them)… But the
thing that we done with our denominations, we just started pulling for
that denomination, and the first thing you know we didn't give the
other brother enough blanket to keep warm by. See? And we separated
ourselves then. You see? And in doing that, then we caused something to
happen among us, that should not have happened. And we find out that
that just don't work.
Our intellectual talks (which is fine–only wish I could do it), but
that ain't what counts in the sight of God; it's the Holy Spirit. God
never did ordain such. He ordained and commissioned His church to go
preach the Gospel. The Gospel is not intellectual. The Gospel came not
in word only, but through power and demonstration, manifestations of
the Holy Spirit. That's what brought the Gospel.
E-42
Here not long ago in Chicago, a full Gospel group called for a meeting.
And they went to a certain big Bible school, and they got a great
intellectual speaker. It was advertised all over the city, about this
great speaker from a certain great school, with such a name, my, And
all the degrees on the end of the name, until they thought that would
just be it. And when crowds gathered in to hear the man, when he raised
up in the back of the building with a suit on, the collar turned
around, and his speech under his arm, walked up and spread it across
the place…
And the speech, my, it was superb. There was no one could say a word
against that speech. It was perfect. The grammar was exact. His actions
and his pulpit manners were perfect. He never stammered, stuttered, or
slobbered like a lot of us do. But he brought his speech out with such
eloquence…
E-43
But he thought, "With this bunch of an illiterate people, I'll get up
there and show them what it really means to be a preacher." With his
chest out he walked up all puffed up and gave this speech. But he found
out that didn't set with that kind of a crowd. It went over the top of
their heads. So much great big, swelled-out words, they didn't get it.
So after while, when he seen he was wrong, he gathered up his speech
and put it on his arm. His shoulders dropped, his head dropped, his
knees hanging, he drooped back down, humble, humiliated, off of the
pulpit.
There was an old saint setting back there, looking around, touched
another one, said, "If he would've went up the way he come down, he'd
have come down the way he went up. "
So that's just about right. Until man knows that he knows nothing, and
he will humble hisself before God, and expect the Holy Ghost to do the
work… That's the thing. Man cannot achieve nothing by his
intellectuals. He must depend solely upon God.
E-44
Now, man doing this shows that there is an achievement somewhere for
this great cause of being redeemed. And God made that achievement. He
did that, and He made it so simple: it was by faith. God told… in
beginning it is always been by faith. Today you're not saved by works,
by good things, by joining church, by being educated. You're only saved
by faith, and that by the grace of God. You're saved by faith by
believing what God has already done.
E-45
God appropriated the ensign. God give you something to hold onto: an
ensign, like a flag hanging. And in Korea, and, oh, down in the
islands, during the time of the war, when the Americans had drove back
the Japanese… And they run up in Guam and different places, to the
top of the hill, the highest hill that they could find; and there, with
tears running down their cheeks and with shouts, they planted the
American flag, Old Glory, above the hillside. They had conquered the
land. What an achievement to lift up that ensign, that this belongs to
us. Oh, what a privilege it was for those soldiers to stand there on
the land that they had conquered.
I tell you, God gave the church an ensign one day, when Jesus was
lifted up on Calvary between heavens and earth, none other than God
Immanuel, bleeding out His Blood upon the ground. There was an ensign
lifted up to the people that we have conquered. We have–we're more
than conquerors because He conquered for us.
E-46
Now, we find that Noah, a man of God, had faith, and God give him an
ensign. And that ensign was the ark. And Noah built away by faith,
because it was a commandment of God to build this ark for the saving of
whosoever would enter into it.
Now, as Noah went along building on the ark, he knew that he was
completing an ensign that God had told him to build. Anything that God
says to do, hold on to it, because it's right. No matter how many
scoffers laughed and made fun of, Noah knew he had THUS SAITH THE LORD.
Compare Noah with Nimrod. Nimrod had his own idea about it; and Noah
had God's idea about it. Nimrod had something he could put his hands
on; and Noah had something he could put his hands on. It was an ensign,
something he could hold to. Certainly.
E-47
Then we find out after that… We will speak of another man quickly,
and his name was Moses. And he was just one man. But how would he ever
be able to deliver the children of Israel out of Egypt, out of the
bondage, after he had studied for school, had been trained in all the
wisdom of the Egyptians, and found himself totally defeated?
But one day back in the wilderness, God met him; or he met God. And God
give him an ensign: a stick to hold in his hand. What a simple thing,
but it done the work. "Take this rod before you." It was an ensign,
that Moses, when he had that stick, he marched forward with it.
E-48
I was studying not long ago of David Livingston, when I stood at his
grave in London. And more people visits Livingston's grave than any
other grave in the Abbey. Then hearing the story of Livingston, how
that he went down there as a doctor and a Christian, how he went to the
natives, and he couldn't get in because they were mostly savage…
So he got to the chief, and he said… The chief said, "If you will
drink the blood of the covenant with me, then you will be one of us."
So they got some wine in a cup, and they plucked each other's vein, and
held it over the cup and dropped the blood in there, and mixed it up,
the two bloods together; and then Livingston drinking half of it, and
the chief drinking half of it. And then they gave one another an ensign
that they were brothers.
And the chief asked for Livingston's doctor coat, and he took his coat
off and give it to the chief. And Livingston asked the chief then for
his sacred spear. And then when he went back into the jungles, and the
natives run after him, would throwed a spear through him, how well he
could feel when he lifted up this ensign, the sacred spear. And when he
lifted it up, like that, natives would fall on the ground and almost
worship him as God, because they knowed that that's–where that sacred
spear came from.
E-49
Now, that's the… today, the people of today fail to realize the great
ensign that God has given us. You say, "Brother Branham, do you have
power? I wish I had power."
We don't have power. We're not have power; we got authority. It's not a
power; it's authority. We don't need power. Christ has the power; but
we've got the authority. Amen. There's a lot of difference. He was the
One Who conquered. He conquered and gave us the authority. He's got the
power, but we got the authority, just like any ambassador going to
another country.
E-50
Here, to explain it to you: There's… Down… You go down here to one
of these crossings here in Phoenix along about five o'clock in the
afternoon. There's a policeman standing out there. Here's the cars
passing by at forty, fifty miles an hour. Well, that little bitty
policeman maybe not be five foot high, walk out there, and, why, he
hasn't got power enough to stop one of them cars. Why, one of them cars
may be three hundred horsepower. Why, they'd just pick that little
fellow up and crush him and go on. But let him raise his hand once,
blow the whistle; he hasn't got power, but he's got authority. That's
it. Brakes will slide, and wheels will squeak. Everything will stop
because he raised up his hand, because he has an authority.
E-51
And when a man or a woman is dressed in the full armor of God, it ain't
power; it's authority from on high when He says… Devils will scream,
and brakes will squeak. Even death itself will shudder, and graves will
open at the authority that Jesus Christ gave His church. All men knows
this, "These signs shall follow them that believe." Lift up the
authority, the ensign. His hand raised up with his white glove on, and
every car will stop. He hasn't got enough power, maybe, to–to stop a
bicycle; but he's got authority to stop anything that comes across that
street. Because why? The whole law of Phoenix is behind him.
E-52
And a Christian that's dead, and buried, and raised with Him in His
resurrection, in heavenly places… See, if we are dead with Him, then
we're also raised with Him; for the body goes where the head is. And He
is the Head, and this is the body. And not will be, but now we are
seated together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, with every power of
the devil conquered and under His feet. Authority, authority, there's
the ensign. That's the hand that lifts up that counts.
E-53
Moses went down into Egypt. There was the great seas out there. Lifted
up the ensign, and what happened? They turned to blood. Lifted over the
lands: frogs, lice, fleas, the sun refused to shine, death struck the
land. Why? He lifted up the ensign of God's judgment.
And when we lift up the ensign of God's judgment as a believer in
Christ, with a crucified life to yourself and your own ideas, and
raised, and His Word made alive among you, every devil's got to squeak
at it (That's right), 'cause it represents Christ. See? He died. He's
the one lifted up the ensign.
And Moses, with his stick, it looked like a little bitty thing, but it
was a stick. And it was God's ensign to Egypt, his judgment rod. And it
brought judgment. God always gives something that you can look at,
something you can put your hand on, something you can prove, something
that's right, after you have accepted Him.
E-54
The wise men, Magis… We read… Peter said that he perceived that God
would–would take any nation of people, anybody that believed Him. The
wise men, they were looking for a star to rise of Jacob, a star to come
out of Jacob. And they were given an ensign. When Jesus was born in
Bethlehem of Judaea, wise men came from India following a star. Oh, my.
What? An ensign, an evidence, a proof, a supernatural proof.
E-55
Unbeliever, I'd like for you to see this. Not altogether does everybody
have to see it. Nobody saw that star but them three men. He passed over
every observatory, a real living evidence, an ensign to lead them to
Christ. Nobody seen it but them.
"A little while and the world sees Me no more. Yet ye shall see Me, for
I'll be with you always, even to the end of the world," The Ensign,
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever, God's true Ensign.
The unbeliever may not see it. Jesus also said, "He that believeth in
Me the works that I do shall he do also." What would it be? It would be
a sign, an ensign. It was once asked Him, "Let my son set on–one on
the right hand, and one on the left."
He said, "Can you drink the cup that I drink? Can you be baptized with
the baptism I'm baptized with?" The same Holy Spirit was upon Him
without measure comes upon His church by measure; but it's the same
Holy Spirit, the same God. It's the Ensign.
E-56
We are God's ensigns to the world. That's the reason I'm always
scolding the Pentecostal church, getting after them, their ways of
living. That's the reason the world can't see Christ, is because we let
down the bars. We get away from that.
When our women dress and act like the rest of the world; when our men
go out–and dirty jokes, and smoke, and carry on like the rest of them,
married four or five times, and everything else; pulls, get them into
church, and things like that… Why, no. The world don't believe you've
got it.
Let me tell you, brother, when you are dead and your life is hid in
Christ through God, and sealed by the Holy Ghost, and God lifts you up
in heavenly places, you'll be an ensign that a work of God has been
committed in you.
E-57
Jesus said in Mark 16, "These signs shall follow them that believe."
What kind of an ensign is it? Some great stuffed shirt? No, humility.
The Fullness of God in Christ Jesus made Him walk like a humble
peasant, made Him wash the feet of His disciples, had not a place to
lay His head.
Some of us calling ourselves Christians, we go to a place, we got to
have the best there is in the country; got to be guaranteed so much
money or we won't go (the evangelist). Some pastors won't go to a
church unless it's a high class and big place. Oh, my.
We need another experience like Paul saw when he was on the road to
Damascus. Paul saw that ensign lifted up, and he said, "Who are You,
Lord?"
He said, "I'm Jesus."
What we need tonight is another Pillar of Fire hanging over the church
again tonight, that people's blinded eyes would be opened and could see
it. Jesus still lives and reigns, the ensign.
E-58
Now, He's the… God gave us this ensign. It's an eternal ensign.
Remember that all of Roman's ensigns, all of the–Nimrod's ensigns, all
of Babylon's, and all the rest of them are crushed and gone. We only
know them by history.
I stood in Rome to–where the Caesars once ruled the world, and you'd
have to dig down twenty foot in the dirt to find their–where their
palace was. Stood in Egypt where the Pharaoh's were, and it's gone and
turned to dust.
E-59
Brother, but there is an ensign that God achieved one day by lifting up
Jesus Christ from the dead and sending the Holy Ghost upon His church.
And heavens and earth will pass away, but His Word shall never pass
away. "Upon this rock I'll build My church, and the gates of hell can't
prevail against it." Why? The living ensign is in the church: the
ensign, the infallible, the perfect proof, something you can put your
hands on, something that you could look at.
E-60
See here, this young man, young Williams here stood up and testified
how his father and mother had prayed for him, and all at once he saw
the ensign. Something happened. He seen; he bid farewell to the old
house of clay, and then he went to running around the Milky White Way,
as the brother said. When men can see that: "If I be lifted up from
this earth I'll draw all man unto Me. Ye are My witnesses. You shall be
witnesses to Me both in Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, and the uttermost
parts of the earth. These signs shall follow them that believe. In My
Name they shall cast out devils, speak with new tongues, take up
serpents, drink deadly things, it shall not harm them, lay their hands
on the sick, and they shall recover." The ensign.
Let me get another one on top of that to seal it with. "This will all
men know you're My disciples, when you have love one for another." See?
You can't take part of it; you got to take all of it. And it cannot be
sealed until that all of it has come. That's right.
E-61
In the old country, old times, the seal was usually a ring. A man that
couldn't sign his name, he just had a ring. And he sealed it, his–ever
what he would–they'd wrote, why he'd just, instead of signing his
name, he put the seal on it. It was a penitentiary offense to ever copy
that seal.
Now, today, God has a seal. It's a penalty of death to copy that seal.
Listen, you Lutheran, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterian and
Pentecostals; don't try to copy it. Hold still, and God will put it on
you. And then you'll be an ensign, example of Christianity, and
manhood, and womanhood–the seal of the Holy Spirit, God's ensign,
pressed into you till you're look, act, walk, talk the Gospel
everywhere you go. No finger can be put on you. That's right.
God has achieved that by the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus
Christ, through the washing of the water by the Word. Through His Blood
today we are washed and made clean, given this great privilege of…
See, we would wonder what Jesus was, if we say He was the same
yesterday, today, and forever. Now, what He was yesterday, He is today,
and will be forever, that same ensign.
E-62
We find what the ensign was then to them people, to know whether He was
the right ensign that was looking to be come. We see in the Scriptures
where in there He never claimed to do anything. He never claimed… He
said, "It's not Me that doeth the works. It's My Father that dwelleth
in Me. He doeth the works. Verily, verily I say unto you, the Son can
do nothing, but what He sees the Father doing: that doeth the Son
likewise." It's what He saw the Father doing. In other words, He saw it
by vision what happened.
E-63
We find a woman touched His garment. He turned, and looked at her, and
told her… She had the blood issue, and it stopped. Her faith had
saved her.
The woman at the well… Said, "Go, get your husband."
She said, "I have none." Said, "Well, we…"
He said, "Right, because you've had five."
When He said that, she said, "Sir, we know that Messiah is coming Who's
called the Christ. When He comes He will tell us these things." See?
There was the ensign. He said, "I'm He that speaks to you." Oh,
brother, the water pot was left. She'd found a fountain filled with
blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins. She had found a fountain of
salvation. She'd found a fountain. She run into the city. See? She was
gladly pointing men. She said, "Come, see Who we have found, see a Man
that told me all the things that I done."
E-64
Look at Andrew that I preached on last night over there, how as soon as
he stayed all night with Jesus, and found out that that really was
God's witness, that was the Messiah, he didn't go say: "Simon, come
help me figure it out." He knew that He was Messiah. And as soon as he
come up before Him, and He told him who he was, and what his father's
name was… And Peter knew that was what was going to happen. Philip
did the same thing, and, oh, on and on, and on. The ensign.
Jesus said in St. John 14:12, "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also."
E-65
Now, look. We are sent. Listen here, friends, all of you. I'm talking
to you people now that's–right now to the people that's going to be
prayed for. Listen to this. You are a witness. If you've been saved,
and you know what the power of God is, you've touched that ensign.
You've got a hold of something, something that's not a Nimrod's tower.
Neither is it a Adam's fig leaf, apron. But it is a promise of God
that, "Heavens and earth will pass away, but My Word shall not pass
away." It's something you can lay your hands on. "These signs shall
follow them that believe. If they lay their hands on the sick, they
shall recover." It's an ensign, a real ensign.
E-66
And to you people, if there be one here that hasn't never accepted this
ensign, that don't know what makes these people cry, and shout, and
dance; and how it makes these women let their hair grow out, and quit
wearing them old dirty clothes, and–and looking sexy out before men,
and things like that, that old evil spirit gone out of them…
Don't tell me… You might be as pure as a lily to your husband; but
when you come to the judgment bar, you're going to answer for
committing adultery. That's right. The Bible said–Jesus said,
"Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her has committed
adultery with her already in his heart." And if you dress yourself to
present yourself before men, you're guilty, if a man never touches you.
When that sinner answers for his adultery, you're the one that
committed it. You've presented yourself. Yes, sir.
E-67
Brother, sister, you might think this is old fashion. I had a minister
not long ago, said, "You're going to hurt your ministry, Brother
Branham."
I said, "It isn't mine; it's His. That's His Word, and that's what He says. And I believe It. Yes, sir. Yes, sir."
So when you see one of them women get straight with God, you'll see her
come out like a saint. You'll see her act different. There'll be a
difference in her life. Holiness will speak everywhere. She'll be a
lady.
Watch that man, that drunkard out there on the street, staggering and a
bar fly, and his mouth blowed with fly-blows from vomiting from whiskey
and beer, and stuff like that. Let him get down at the altar and catch
a hold of that ensign one day, and I'm telling you he will be an ensign
to God, and a memorial to the saving power of Jesus Christ. Yes, sir.
He certainly will.
E-68
I stood down the other day here on the streets of Phoenix and seen a
little colored boy standing out there. Little guy, was nobody paying
any attention to him, had his Bible under his arm, and ever who was
coming by he was pointing the Gospel to them, just as hard as he could.
And I said, "Thank the Lord God. Oh, my. Scream it out, brother. Just
keep it going. That's all right: lifting up Jesus Christ."
E-69
Oh, if you don't know Him tonight, friends, receive Him. Won't you do
it while we bow our heads just a moment for prayer. Sorry the time is
getting so quickly away.
I want to ask just a moment, is there a sinner here tonight that
doesn't know Christ and have never accepted this ensign? If you've
tried to achieve… Say, "Now, Brother Branham, now just a moment. I
keep the golden rule."
Brother, if that would've stood, Jesus would've not had to die.
Say, "Brother Branham, I've become a member of a very prominent church."
That's all right, my brother; I appreciate that. And I appreciate you
keeping the golden rule. I appreciate you keeping the ten commandments.
But if the golden rule, a church joining, or any of those things
would've saved you, Jesus died in vain. Jesus said Himself in St. John,
3rd chapter, "Except a man be borned again, he will in no wise enter
in."
E-70
Life is like a leaf hanging on a tree. After while the life leaves the
leaf, and goes back to its roots. The leaf drops off. That life is
buried in the roots till the winter's passed. In springtime it brings
back another life, another leaf.
That's the way of a Christian that's on the tree of life. This old hull
here might drop off. That is true. But the life goes back to the God
Who gave it. See? If God give you your life, you're borned again,
there's only one life that can ever live, and that's God's Life in you.
And if that life is in you, then it will only go to where it come from,
back to God, to come back in that great millennium with a new leaf, or
new life, or new–or new body that will never fade and fall away.
E-71
Our seasons denote that God is with us, that God is here. He commanded
nature. And now, if you have never received that life, and if that
little leaf would drop off tonight, this little leaf that you are here
on earth, you know it would never raise again. If you're not born again
and haven't received the ensign in your heart, the evidence, the Holy
Spirit, not just imaginary… You can't imagine it.
I spoke somewhere the other night, and said, "What if the disciples had
waited nine days, and said, 'We'll accept it by faith that we got the
Holy Ghost,' and go on?" They wouldn't have had it. See? They stayed
there until they knew it was there. Something had happened, something
that they could put their hands on and say, "This is it"; just like
Noah could say, "This is it"; just like Moses could say with his stick
in his hand, "This is it."
"How you going to conquer, Moses?"
"With this stick I'll conquer. That's how I'll do it."
By Jesus Christ, by the Holy Ghost, I have conquered, I have…'cause
He conquered for me. And now my life is dead, and hid in Him, and
sealed by the Holy Ghost. It's there. If you haven't that experience
tonight, sinner friend, would you come while we bow our heads just a
moment?
E-72
Our heavenly Father, now I commit the audience to You. There might be a
wayward person here that may never have the opportunity again. We just
hear it on the telephone, a few moments ago, or awhile ago, Brother
Tommy Hicks, a precious servant of Yours, his brother that he'd cried
to, begged to, just a few weeks ago even sent him a letter and said,
"Brother, receive Christ."
But he was making so much money to buy him a $100,000 home, a new
Cadillac, he didn't have time to do it. "Think I'll do that later on,
Tommy." But it's too late now. It caught up with him down in Mexico. O
God, be merciful. Let people know that there's no more coming back to
try again; this is the only opportunity. And death does not change the
soul; it only changes its dwelling place.
Now, Father, I pray that if there's a soul here that knows that they
are made up of this triune being of both soul, body, and spirit, that
inside of the pulp that they live in is a spirit; inside the soul that
controls them is a spirit, inside the five senses is a spirit, and if
that spirit isn't the Spirit of God when this other drops away, it can
never rise again. But God, I pray Thee that they will receive You now,
and catch this beautiful ensign of the Holy Spirit in their heart and
be saved tonight.
E-73
While we have our heads bowed, if there's anybody'd like to be
remembered, raise your hand now, and say, "Pray for me, Brother
preacher. I…" God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless
you, you, sister. That's very fine. Someone else?
Now, don't be ashamed. Just keep praying, all Christians. These people
raising their hands… God bless you, little lady. God bless you,
sister. Someone else? Say, "Remember me, Brother Branham. I… Now I
believe. I just believe it somehow. I just believe it." Someone else?
God bless you. God bless you over here. Bless you, back there. That's
good.
Now, that's people that's raised their hands. They believe it. The
altar's standing full of children. They're all over everywhere. You
don't necessarily have to have the altar. Your heart is the altar. Your
heart is where God comes.
E-74
I was reading the other day in history, Broadbent's, "Pilgrim Church,
Nicene Fathers," that where in the early church they never even had any
ornaments, never even had an altar, because… The pagans being
converted, they used to fall prostrate at the altar. They just had a
plain little old building where they set on slab of rocks. They raised
up their hands after some godly man gave a message. And they raised up
their hands and praised God. They loved that after-effects of the Holy
Spirit bathing through them. That was the early church in the times of
Irenaeus and Martin, and so forth, right after the death of the Lord
Jesus, when the church going on before it went into Catholicism. Oh,
that's what we love.
E-75 Now, you in here make that altar your heart, now, and say, "Come in, Lord Jesus."
I'm
going to pray for you. Lord Jesus, I trust that, hurrying up real
quick, and throwing these words together, getting ready now… And
we're waiting to see what You're going to do in the prayer line, not
knowing exactly what You will do. But yet, there's been at least a
dozen hands went up of young and old that's longing to know You,
Father, longing to have that Eternal Life. Let it be a reality to them
just now. Grant it, Lord. May the precious Spirit of God bathe down
into their souls just now and make them new creations in Christ.
E-76
And now, Father, I pray that in the prayer line that You'll show
Yourself so visible before this audience tonight by healing the sick,
that they'll walk away from here saying like those who came from
Emmaus, "Did not our hearts burn within us?" because they seen
something done.
Those people at Emmaus, those brethren, they had walked all day,
Cleopas and them, talking to Him. But yet, they didn't know who He was.
But when He did something just the way He did it before His crucifixion
and burial, they knew that He had raised from the dead. Will You do it
again tonight, Father? Grant it, we pray.
Now, we pray that You'll take these precious souls, give them Eternal
Life. May, if they've never been baptized, may they find their way to
the rectory, or somewhere, and be baptized, calling upon the Name of
the Lord. And may You fill them with the Holy Ghost. And may we meet
them in glory in a better land where this night's meeting will be
brought into judgment. We commit it to You now, in Jesus' Name. Amen.
E-77
Now, after the hard-cutting message, let's just worship now.
Don't you love
that? All that… You that were Methodists, raise up your hands.
Baptists, Presbyterian, Catholic… Now, all that's borned again of the
Spirit of God, raise up your hands, whether you're Methodist, Baptist,
or Catholic, or what. Isn't that right? Now, while we sing it again,
real sweetly, as sister give us a chord now… Don't you love that? Oh,
my.
You know, when you get over in heaven, and get in your big mansion and
look down there, and you'll see my little place down there. One of
these mornings and you hear me come out singing it. Then you'll know I
got home. Amen. I just love that.
E-78
All right, all together now. Just in your… don't put… just be
yourself. I love good Pentecostal singing, don't you? I don't like an
over-trained voice, you know, that squeaks, and holds their breath, and
blue in the face; and you–you're just trying to put on something. I–I
like good singing, just real, free singing. Now, everybody together,
with the little choir, together now. All together now.
E-79 Now, real sweetly, while we sing again, let's turn and shake hands with somebody by your side, in front and back, now.
All you pilgrims–pilgrims, strangers to the world… Catholic, shake
hands with the Protestant; Protestant, shake hands with Methodists;
Methodists with Baptists, Pentecostals with…
Church of God with the Assemblies; Assemblies with the Oneness.
Now, with our hands up to Him…
Now, humbly, let's bow our heads and hum it. Father, we confess our
sins while the Word is still sowed over the people's hearts, that
ensign. Many of them have learned it long ago. Move among us now,
Father. You've saved the lost; now heal the sick, that it might be
known that Your Word shall not return to You void. It'll accomplish
that what it is promised.
E-80
Prayer cards now, beginning with number 1, start standing right
alongside of the altar like this here. Prayer card… Wait, till… I
better call them one at a time, so there won't be no confusion. Prayer
card number 1? If you will keep playing the song, sister… Who has
prayer card number 1? Right here. Number 2? number 3? All right, 3?
number 4, number 5, number 6, number 7. Just move right out, and come
right out here, just stand right out in this way.
[Brother Branham begins humming–Ed.] Now, all of the rest of you that's got prayer cards.
Yes. Oh, isn't He wonderful?
That sound pretty? [Brother Branham begins humming–Ed.]
E-81
Now, I just can't get away from that. I–I love that. I remember my
son, Billy, when his mama died. A few hours, his little sister died. I
put them both together up on the hill and buried them. Went up there,
and sat down, there was an old turtledove used to set out there and
coo. I honestly thought it might could be the immortal soul of them
coming back, talking to me. I was so brokenhearted. And it seemed like
coming down through those pines, there was a whispering, like.
E-82
Now, friends, on Divine healing, there is–there is no man that can
heal you, no more than any man can save you; because both healing and
salvation are past tense. When Jesus Christ died at Calvary, He was
wounded for our transgressions, with His stripes we were healed. It is
a finished work. Now, the only thing that you have to do to receive
either your salvation or your healing, is to accept what Christ did for
you.
As I said the other night, let's look at God just a moment, way back
there in eternity, when His–when a hundred billion suns would look
black to Him, when Angels looked dirty in His sight. That's Jehovah.
And then, He become a little baby over a manure pile in a manger.
That's still Jehovah. And here He is tonight. Through His grace and
through His Blood He cleanses His church and puts us in position to
receive all these blessings that He paid for for us.
E-83
Now, here stands a line of people. I never seen any of them in life, as
I know of. Now, many of you has been in my meetings and know what
discernment is. All of you know that, don't you? We know that. I've had
it over, and over, and over, and over. That is a gift.
That doesn't make the Holy Spirit in me any greater than anybody else.
That's just a gift to work with the Holy Spirit. See? No matter if it's
a little housewife, or the little boy, or the drunkard out there that's
just got saved and filled with the Holy Ghost, he's got the same Holy
Spirit that any of us has got. Yes. But God gives gifts with this Holy
Spirit to work. It's a confirmation to lift up an ensign. Who? The
preacher? No. To lift up Christ.
E-84
Now, I don't know what ever happened. When I was a little boy… You
know my story. I've just prayed for people. There's not a thing I do
but just pray, lay hands on them, they'd get well. See? So what could I
do? Not only me praying, but look at the others who are praying.
Everybody's praying. See? And just, I believe it. That's all I know to
do. I believe it.
Now, I'm uneducated, have not any education. And I–I think the Lord
just give me a little gift to work by. And–and now, when Jesus said
when He was here on earth, of the things that He did we would do
also… And if that is so, and He was God's Ensign by doing that, by
being able to tell Philip where he was at, tell a woman about her blood
issue and whatmore, and–and where the coin was in the fish's mouth, or
something like that, something that the woman that–she was living in
adultery, or anything like that–that sure was a confirmation He was
the Messiah.
E-85
Now, look at that staunch Jew, Philip. When Philip or Nathanael, came.
Nathanael was a scholar, a real orthodox. And when he seen Jesus, he
couldn't hardly believe Him. And He said, "Behold an Israelite in whom
is no guile."
He said, "When did You know me, Master?"
He said, "Before Philip called you."
He said, "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God, the King of Israel."
The woman at the well said, "I have no husband."
He said, "Yes, you have five."
She said, "We know when Messiah cometh He will tell us those things. But Who are You?"
He said, "I'm He." We know that that's going to be the ensign. And if
Jesus Christ is the same ensign yesterday, today, and forever, He will
do the same thing if He can get a hold of the human heart. Is that
right?
E-86
Now, this lady standing here, I don't know her, never seen her. We're
strangers to one another, aren't we? That's right. If God will tell me
what your trouble is, will you believe me? You know whether it's right
or not, won't you? Would you accept your healing then? It's in your
back. It's finished. You're healed. That's how…?… Now, go on. God
bless you. God bless you. Go believing…?…
Do you–you believe with all your heart? See? Just have faith, don't
doubt. Believe. Now, you see how simple it is? Now, if we just pray.
Now, see, He knows what–every one of you, what's wrong with you. You
believe that, don't you? You know that's right.
Now, if I just take this lady here, and say I won't say a thing about
it, but just pray, and lay hands on you, you believe you will get
healed? You believe you will be healed? All right. Bow your head just a
moment. Heavenly Father, I pray that You'll heal our sister. May she go
now. We see the ensign lifted up; we know that He will draw all. I lay
hands upon my sister in the Name of Jesus Christ for her healing, in
Jesus' Name. Amen. Don't doubt. Just believe with all your heart.
E-87
I say… If I wouldn't say one thing, just prayed for you, you still
would believe it, wouldn't you? You'd believe it anyhow. But if I tell
you, would it help you? Your heart trouble… That's right.
Would it help you if I told you what was wrong with you? You don't know
whether it would help you or not. Well, perhaps I'll just pray for you.
Heavenly Father, I pray that You'll help the woman. Give her faith and
strength in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Believe now with all your
heart.
What do you think, sister? I'm a stranger to you. If Jesus would tell
me what's wrong with you… I'm not? You know me, huh? You saw me when
I first come. That's good. I mean I don't know you. The first time?
It's been about fifteen years ago. Fifteen years ago. My, it's been a
long time. Lot of–lot of things has happened since then. Well, you
would have to be operated on. But if you believe Christ, that tumor
will leave you, and you won't have to be operated on. You believe it?
Then go, believe it.
E-88
How do you do? I have seen you. Do you believe if I ask God He will
heal you? Our heavenly Father, I pray that You'll heal her and make her
well, Father. I lay hands upon her in Jesus' Name. Amen…?… Believe
with all your heart, and you–you…?…
All right, come right ahead, sister. Now, you see, I cannot heal
people; and God cannot heal people unless they believe that Christ has
already did it. And now, you say… I preached tonight on something you
could put your hands on. He will say, "Here it is."
Now, see, if Jesus was standing here Himself, wearing this suit that He
put upon Brother Williams' heart to give me… But He… If He–if He
was standing here wearing this suit… Do you know, I believe he gave
it to the Lord when he did that?
E-89
How many ever read the life of St. Martin? He was a pagan, and he was a
soldier. His father wanted him to be a soldier. And he didn't want to
be. He… Just something called him about God. And one night passing
down, a real cold winter night, there was an old, poor old bum laying
in the street freezing to death. And people passed by who could've
helped him, they didn't do it. Martin had give everything he had away.
So he said, "There's only one thing to do. I got one coat." So he just
took his sword, cut the coat half in two, wrapped the bum up in it,
like that, and he went on with the other half. The people laughed at
him, and said, "How ignorant. Isn't he a handsome looking soldier now
with half a coat on?"
He never paid any attention, went on, 'cause he knowed it was what he
was to do. That night in the barracks he woke up, and when he did he
seen Jesus standing there wrapped in that piece of coat that he'd
wrapped the bum in.
And He looked around to the angels, and He said, "Do you know who wrapped Me in this?"
They said, "No."
He said, "Martin did."
There you are. And he become a saint, speaking in tongues, and casting
out devils, seeing visions: a mighty prophet of God. Yes, sir. Why?
When he wrapped that old beggar up in the street, he wrapped up Jesus
Christ. "Insomuch as you have done it unto the least of these My little
ones, you have done it unto me."
E-90
And to be sure that you wrap in the righteousness of Christ, I'm trying
to tell you tonight… If I had power to heal you, I'd heal every one
of you. See? But I'm trying to show you by a gift that what I preached,
that God is vindicating it to be so (See?), that I cannot heal people,
but to let you know that He's here.
You believe that, lady? Then your arthritis will leave you. Do you
believe it will? Then go on your road, and shout, and say, "Praise the
Lord. I believe it with all my heart."
That was a funny thing that I said arthritis to her, and you had the
same thing. Just go–just go on, and say, "I believe with all my
heart," and it shall–it shall be done.
E-91
Now, do you believe God will heal your stomach and you go home and eat
like you ought to? Then go right ahead home and eat like you ought to.
Believe now. Do you believe with all your heart? "If I–if I be lifted
up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me."
Now, do you believe the Holy Spirit's here? If I just laid hands on
you, you will be healed? In the Name of Jesus, may she be healed.
"These signs shall follow them that believe. In my Name…" Just
believe now, as you pass by.
Come right ahead, sister. In the Name of Jesus Christ… Everybody pray
now. See, too many of them visions break me down. In the Name of Jesus,
I pray that You'll heal our sister.
I seen you raise your hand there, that you believe. Believe now. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray that You'll heal her.
E-92
Come, sister. Father God, "nothing in my arms I bring; simply to thy
cross I cling." I ask for her healing in Jesus' Name. Amen.
Father God, in the Name of Jesus Christ, may our sister be healed. Amen.
Come, my precious brother. In the Name of Jesus Christ, may my brother be healed.
Do you believe that God will heal and make him well? In the Name of
Jesus Christ, may this child be healed. Now, just watch as he's been
prayed for now.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, may our sister be healed. In the Name of the Lord Jesus, may our sister be healed.
In the Name of the Lord Jesus, may our sister be healed.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, may our brother be healed.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, may my sister be healed.
E-93 Now, keep in prayer, everybody, real quietly. In the Name of Jesus Christ, may our sister be healed.
O God, give back to this little girl what Satan took away. Come out of her, Satan, in the Name of Jesus Christ.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, may our brother be healed.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, may our sister be healed.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, may our sister be healed.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, may our sister be healed.
In the Name of the Lord Jesus, may our sister be healed.
In the Name of the Lord Jesus, may our sister be healed.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, may our sister be healed.
E-94
Now, in the audience, everyone… I know you never got enough prayer
cards out there. I want you to bow your heads just a moment. I want to
ask you a question. Two thousand years ago there was a man… Four
thousand…?… about twenty-five hundred years ago there was a–God
came down represented in a man, and set at the–the oak tree of
Abraham, turned His back to the wall, or to the tent, told Sarah what
was the trouble on the inside. Jesus said as it was in that day, so
will it be in the coming of the Son of man. Jesus was God's Ensign.
"The works that I do shall you also." We see it. It's true, without a
doubt.
E-95
Now, the reason I didn't go no farther, I got so many meetings. I'll be
back to Phoenix someday, with a great meeting, the Lord willing. Now,
to you here tonight that's sick and needy, and didn't get a prayer card
to come to the altar, up here to be prayed for, I'm going to pray for
you now. I want you to be real reverent. I want each one of you
believers to lay your hands over on one another as a–as a sign.
Now, the Bible said… Now, this same God that made this promise said
this: "These signs shall follow them that believe. If they lay their
hands on the sick, they shall recover." Any believer, any believer
that's got the Holy Spirit, you have the power of God within you, or
the authority to pray the prayer of faith. I want you to pray, while I
pray for these people.
E-96
Our heavenly Father, we are happy tonight–preach the Word, and then
see God come down and confirm the Word. Then that–that's the ensign.
You promised.
One day a long time ago there was a little boy named David. He was
taking care of his father's sheep. He was given a charge to watch these
sheep, to keep the enemy from them. He had very little to protect
himself with, just a little slingshot.
But one day a lion came into the camp, and it took out one of the
lambs. David, being a true shepherd, he wanted to hold that father's
sheep. He knew that lion was stealing that sheep and he would devour
the sheep. And the sheep belonged to his father. He went after the lion
with bold courage. He slung a little rock, and it knocked the lion
down. And he slew the lion, and he brought back the sheep to the fold.
E-97
Now, God, we are your shepherds. We are not men of knife operations or
of–of medicine cures. We have a very humble little thing, a slingshot.
But that's what you've put in our hands: a slingshot of prayer. The
enemy has come in, and grabbed a hold of God's sheep. It's grabbed
fathers, and mothers, and children, dragging them out through the
bushes: retarded minds, and blind, and cancer-eaten, and devils.
Satan, this little slingshot of prayer seems very simple, but I know
what it'll do. I'm coming after that sheep tonight to bring it back.
Come out. Let him alone. Come out of that person, thou evil spirit of
sickness, and leave him. I adjure thee in the Name of Jesus Christ,
leave and don't come back to them any more. May God of heaven rebuke
thee, Satan.
Jesus of Nazareth said, "If you say to this mountain, 'Be moved,' and
don't doubt in your heart but believe what you said, you shall have
what you said." Therefore, in the Name of Jesus Christ I speak
deliverance to everyone here. By the…
Satan, you might say we have not the authority to do this. We're
holding up to you the ensign tonight. Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, is
here proving that this is God's ensign, and you've lost the battle.
Come out in the Name of Jesus Christ.
