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Time Of Decision (59-0418) |
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E-1
Lord, that this may be another night of true worship, that the Holy
Spirit may come into our hearts, as He has been through the week and
the days that we have been visiting here in this lovely Angelus Temple.
And we pray, heavenly Father, that You will bless this place, and may
it stand as a memorial until Jesus comes, the contribution to a woman
who believed You and served You. We thank You for all these things. May
this great ministry that she started never end until the coming of the
Lord. Get glory unto Thyself tonight, Lord, by healing the sick; and
those here maybe who does not know Thee in the pardoning of their sins,
may this be the night that they'll accept You. Grant it, Lord, for we
ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen. Be seated.
E-2 In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ… [Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.]
I
see they have begin to lay some handkerchiefs up here. Each night I try
to–to pray for these handkerchiefs. And now, if you do not get your
handkerchief up here, and you would like me to send you one (It will
not be a handkerchief, just a little piece of ribbon that I have prayed
over.), why, just write me at my home at Post Office Box 325,
Jeffersonville, Indiana. Any peoples… And I send out thousands of
those a week. They go all over the world. Now, I'm not giving you this
address to send to dun you or to… All these things are free. There's
no price on any of it. It's just merely to help you. We don't have any
radio programs. We have nothing, no soliciting, nothing to sell. The
only thing we want to do is try to help you. And so if you–if you want
one of the handkerchiefs, the little cloths that we have prayed over,
and…
Now, many people anoint those cloths, which… That's all right.
Anything that God will bless, I'm certainly for it. But if you'll
notice in the Scriptures, Paul never anointed them, they just taken
them from his body–handkerchiefs and aprons. And so, the sick were
healed.
E-3
And just thinking of a testimony I got some time ago from Germany. A
little woman had been–had arthritis, and she had been in a wheelchair
for, oh, several years. And it was rather cute when the–my German
office interpreted it and sent it to me, her letter returned. She got
that little cloth, and I have on there… We got a prayer band that
prays every three hours around the world. And that's around the clock,
of course. So then, she took this little cloth and put it on her, and
had the people and her pastor in, and they all prayed, and
they'd–she'd confessed everything that she knowed that she had ever
done wrong. So as soon as she got the little cloth pinned on her, she
said, "Now, you, Mr. Devil, you're finished." Up she got and went
running right over the house out of the wheelchair. Just that simple,
she–she said, "Now, Mr. Devil, you're finished." And she's went
walking, is all right. See?
Just… We try to make God so complicated, that people can't touch Him.
That's how they miss it. He's… It's so simple. God's made it so
simple. I believe the Scripture says in one places, "Though a fool
would not err." It's so simple. And when we go to making it
complicated, then we get plumb away from Him. See? His program is
real… just… God dwells among His people in simplicity. Just the
least that you can study, or try to figure out, why, you just don't do
that, you take Him at His Word like a child and go ahead.
E-4 I want to read just a–for a text tonight, the first phrase of the–um–the 48th verse of the 24th chapter of Genesis.
We've
had rather a hard day. We had a glorious time down at the–the
breakfast this morning, and–and we had just a grand time of
fellowship. May God ever bless that move, the Christian Businessmen,
and we love them. They've doing a great work trying to help the Church
(See?) to–to just kindly…
As I would call it, being a country boy, they… We used to take the
wagon up the hill and we'd, what they call, "scotch" the wheel. How
many knows what "scotching a wheel" is? Well, I could almost just take
off my coat and preach in my shirt sleeves tonight. Lot of country
folks here.
So scotching the wheel, that's what I think the Christian Businessmen's
doing, is scotching the wheel, just to help hold the load as the Church
pulls it up the mountain.
E-5
We been speaking in the last three nights on Abraham. And last night we
left Abraham on–on the top of the mountain with his little son, Isaac,
who had been spared from death, a very beautiful picture of God the
Father offering up His own Son. He spared not His own son. And how that
God had… The great Creator, Jehovah-jireh, had created a ram in a
moment in a twinkling of an eye.
Now, the ram wasn't there when Abraham was getting the rocks and laying
them together, or He'd have heard it. But just when he had got ready to
take his own son's life, then the ram was behind him, bleating with his
horns hooked into the–the vines, or the sh… shrubs, or ever-what it
was on top of the mountain.
E-6
And we discussed why… How did that ram get there? Why, he was at
least a hundred miles from civilization among wild beasts. And the ram
would not be up on top of that mountain where there was no water or
grass. So, you see, he'd have to be that God placed him there, because
He is Jehovah-jireh, the Lord will provide Himself a sacrifice.
And He's just as much Jehovah-jireh tonight as He was then. And if He's
Jehovah-jireh, He's Jehovah-rapha also, another redemptive Name which
is Jehovah, the Healer. Them Names are the compound Names of Jehovah,
and they are absolutely inseparable. He's Jehovah our shield, Jehovah
our buckler, Jehovah our banner, Jehovah our healer, Jehovah our
sacrifice. And you cannot separate those Names, for if He ceases to be
Jehovah-rapha, then He's not Jehovah-jireh. And if He's still
Jehovah-jireh, He's still Jehovah-rapha, both Saviour and Healer.
E-7
And then, tonight, we're going to take the subject of a "Time Of
Decision." And over in this 24th chapter, we're coming down to the
place now to where this boy, that was spared on the mountain, and a ram
was offered in his place, God speaking that He would offer up His own
Son.
Then this boy's mother had died, Sarah, and the father was getting old,
and there was a time when Abraham had to make a decision, what class of
people that his son would marry into.
And I think that's a good policy for the sons of Abraham to do the same thing.
E-8
Now, he did not want his son to marry into those Canaanite women. It'd
come a time when he had to make that decision. And there's times where
we are forced to make a decision. There is times when we are forced to
say "yes" or "no." It comes to all of us. Abraham had that time to
strike him: who he was going to choose for his son's wife, 'cause he
knowed that he was a promised child, and that blood stream must keep
clean until the coming of the Messiah.
Then he sent Eliezer, his faithful servant. And then, Eliezer, the
servant of Abraham, which had been his elder servant and a faithful
servant. And Abraham called Eliezer, and had him to put his hand on his
thigh and swear by the God of heaven, that he would not let Isaac marry
a Canaanite woman, that he would go to the Hebrew family, some of
Abraham's people, and select a wife.
E-9
And then when Eliezer got his camels together, and took the journey,
then he come to a place to where he had to make another decision. And
that decision was whether he was going to use his own judgment or
whether he was going to trust God's judgment.
And that's going to come to each one of us before we leave this
building tonight, especially you people here that's sick and afflicted.
It's… You're forced to a place.
And Eliezer, after he had got to the gate of this city, now was he
going to take his own intellectuals to try to pick out, perhaps, what
he thought to be the most suitable wife for his master's son's wife.
And was he going to use his own judgment, could he go into the city,
and look around, and find the most attractive woman, or what he thought
would–his ownself would be the–the best for him.
And I think Eliezer made a grand decision when he said he would trust God for it.
E-10
Now, you're going to be forced to the same thing. Are you, after these
about twelve or thirteen nights of constantly moving of the Holy
Spirit, proving by His Word, showing His visible signs that the Messiah
was prophesied that would do, in these days before the destruction of
the world. Every sign post pointing to it. And now, are you going to
trust tonight when you are prayed for, your own intellectual thinking,
or are you going to trust it to God? I believe, and I'm trusting that
you are going to put it in the hands of God. Make your decision now
that it's going to be God's wisdom that you're going to trust, not your
own thinking. If you'll do that, you'll never go wrong.
Sometimes God's ways are so hard that–to the human mind to comprehend,
you just think that it's ridiculous. And faith is ridiculous to the
carnal mind. It's crazy to anything except God and the one who has the
faith. Then by faith, we see, we believe things that our eyes, our mind
does not declare, just because that we believe it.
E-11
Reasoning? Why, it would never reason to be right. So we can't reason
it out, or study it? We'll just only muddle our minds up. And there's
only one way to do, is to have faith that what God promises, God's able
to perform. That settles it.
Don't try to… Say, "Well now, how could it be? We're living in a
modern time." Keep that out of your mind. Don't even take the second
thought. Just take Him at His Word. You make that decision right now,
that what God says, God can keep. It's not my business to figure it
out. Because if I do that, I'm working then in the intellectual realms.
God don't move in the head; He moves in the heart.
E-12
Now, we find out that Eliezer decided, that though he was a good man,
and he was on a great mission, and he was under oath… Now, when a man
gets to that place, it's time not to use his own thinking. So he knelt
down and begin to pray, and said, "Lord, if You have blessed me in the
way and have brought me here, let it come to pass that the first damsel
that comes from the city to get water…" Because it was in the evening
time that they had come out to get their water. And he said, "If I go
ask her for a drink (See him asking for the sign of God?), and if she
gives me a drink and said, 'I'll also water your camels,' that'll be
the one that You have chosen." He committed it to God. "Let it be Your
choice, Lord."
Oh, if we could only learn to be a trusted servant of God like that,
that we could commit things to God. It's the most powerful thing that I
know of is a committal. "Commit thy ways unto the Lord." Commit your
thinking to Him. If you're sick, and the doctors can't help you no
more, then just commit your case to God and act like it's already done.
Something will have to take place. It just can't keep from it, because
God is a Creator.
E-13
The Word of God is a Seed. And a Seed is planted in the ground. And if
that Seed is watered, it springs forth into life, if it's a germitized
Seed. Jesus said the Word was a Seed. Then if the Seed has fallen into
your heart, and you'll water that Seed by faith believing, it'll bring
forth just after its kind.
Ah, you can put me on record. And after thirty years of preaching, I
can say this: that I have never one time, sincerely, ever asked God for
anything and committed it to Him, He either give it to me, or told me
why He couldn't do it.
E-14
And if you'll take the right mental attitude towards any Divine promise
God has made, it'll bring it to pass. If you'll just simply say, "It's
God's Word. It's not for me to try to figure it out; that's God's
business. He spoke it, and that's all's necessary." Something will take
place. The success…
If there has been any to the glory and honor of God, you… I'm–I have
no education to be a preacher. And God knows I'm not a healer. But it's
just taking God at His Word. He said He would do it. Those visions is
because the Angel that met me and charged me to this commission, He
told me these things. And that's the reason He's never failed, and He
will never fail, because It was of God.
This is about fifteen years. And ever since I was about, a little over
two years old, I saw the first vision. And there's been literally
hundreds of them, and not one has ever failed. And it never will,
because it's God doing it and not man. If it'd been me, it would've
been gone long ago.
E-15
So as Eliezer believed and committed hisself to God, then they could've
searched the world over, they could've combed through every city, or
went to every house, and they could've never found a better mate for
Isaac than Rebekah was.
Even to this day when… And my old ritual that I use for marrying the
people, I use that. It's the old Wesleyan Methodist ritual: "As Isaac
and Rebekah lived happily together, may this couple." They were
sweethearts. And it was a type of Christ and the Church.
E-16
And you notice, after he'd just got through saying it in his heart,
finished his prayer, and here come the most lovely lady of all the
land, a beautiful young Hebrew girl with a water pot setting on her hip
under her arm, going down, perhaps, meditating on the goodness of God,
and what was she here on earth for.
All of a sudden, she went down into the spring, and–and got the water
up, and started back. And a kind old man standing there said, "Would
you give me just a little drink of water?" Would you not like to have
been standing there to felt the Spirit of the living God moving,
performing something? And she gave him the drink, and also drawed for
the camels.
E-17 And then the time came that she had to make a decision. He gave her bracelets, and so forth, and told her the story.
Now
look. The only thing that she had was the story of Abraham's servant.
So just, faith cometh by hearing. She heard that Abraham had a son that
was heir to all things that Abraham had. And these little tokens was
just a little bitty thing, just a little symbol of the great wealth
that Abraham had, that his son was going to fall heir to all of it. And
she believed the story. And the father and the mother believed the
story.
And he said, "Now, don't bother me now. Don't interrupt the–the Lord,
because I'm on my way, and let me take the girl and be going." Of
course, you know how that made the mother feel. She said, "Well, let's
just wait at least ten days."
Laban, her brother, also said, "Just give her ten days to make up her
mind. She's the one that's going to have to make up her mind. Give her
ten days." So the true servant, the model servant, said, "No. Let her
go now." So they decided for Rebekah make up her own mind.
E-18
And that's what you've got to do tonight. You've got to make up your
own mind. You can't take the mind of what somebody else has said. It's
going to be your attitude towards the message that you hear. You can't
take what… If the doctors turns you down. He said you're going to
die…
Now, you've either got to believe what he said… Your mother says
if–if you go down to that Angelus Temple and get mixed up with a lot
of that stuff they got there on baptism of the Holy Spirit and all this
religion, why, you're going to lose your mind. Maybe she belongs in
some of the great societies here. Or maybe your father discourage you.
But you, as an individual, have to make up your mind. It's not what
anybody else says, it's what you think when you hear the message that
Christ heals the sick. It's your own attitude your decision.
E-19
So they called in the young girl, Rebekah. And perhaps the conversation
was something like this. "Rebekah, we have fed you and raised you to
the best of our knowledge to be a–a virgin girl, and that you are. But
here comes a stranger among us with some evidence that there is a rich
man who's going to give to his son all these blessings. Do you wish to
go with him now, or do you wish to wait for about ten days till you
make up your mind?"
Now, remember the servant said, "I want to be on my way. God has give
me good favor, and I'm ready to be on my way." God… Don't never put
off tomorrow what you can do today.
That's the way the message is when it's preached. You hear of a King,
God, Who His Son, Christ, falls heir to all things. And we've got a
little foretaste of it by the Holy Spirit. What do you think about Him?
Have you got faith in Him?
E-20 Remember, she had to choose by faith. She'd never seen the man. But she had to choose by faith and the words of a servant.
That's
the same way you'll have to do. 'Cause, that's the only way there is to
do it. God sends out His servants and they preach the Word. Faith
cometh by hearing. What do you think about it? That's up to you to make
your choice. I would advise you not to put it off. You say, "Well, I
have always longed to receive the Holy Spirit. I better think it over."
Don't think it over. This is the time. It's the truth. "I believe that
God would heal me someday." As long as you keep that in your mind,
you're a defeated person. God healed you nineteen hundred years ago.
Now is the day of your decision when you hear the message that Christ
was wounded for your transgressions, with His stripes you were healed.
This is the time now to believe it.
E-21
You have to make other decisions. Before you get married, you have to
decide on what girl you're going to make your wife. And you women have
to decide on what man's going to be your husband. You better not put it
off too long; he might change his mind.
Like the woman was here some time ago; she had two men, they were both
good men. And she couldn't make up her mind which one she was going to
marry, and she lost them both.
So God wants immediate action. If you love Him, throw everything else
aside and take Him. If you believe His Word, cast everything else away
and take His Word. It's a time of decision. You have to make up your
mind.
E-22
In politics, you have to make up your mind who you're going to vote
for. Deciding on a car, the family has to make up their mind what kind
of car they're going to get. There's many times you're forced to a
decision, and you're almost at that spot right now.
Sinner friend here, and in radio-land both. You are now on the spot.
What are you going to do about it? You say, "Oh well, I don't care
about praying. I… My life is young, and I–I don't think I–I have to
do it now." Don't put it off too long.
E-23
Here a few weeks ago… Many of you in radio-land and in here are very
well acquainted with the story of that airplane falling up in the
eastern states there in New York, and drowning all those people trying
to go under the bridge.
About two weeks before that, there was a trial about some property down
in the… on the bowery. And they had a couple of little preachers down
there who could hardly sign their own name, not educated. And a great
lawyer by the name of Greenwall was just a working these little fellows
over. They had said, "Get rid of that. What could you do to it? You
couldn't embetter the place." But they had an abstract deed. So they
wanted to hold it. They said, "What can you do for it when you can't
hardly sign your own name? We need that for something else."
E-24
And the little fellows come to the stand. And one of them got up, and
he said, "Sirs, it is true that we don't have educations, and we
couldn't improve the property. But the Lord led us to take that place.
The Lord told us to do it."
And Mr. Greenwall stood up in his spirit, and he said, "We don't need
God in this. We don't have nothing to do with it. Don't you call God in
on this. We don't want Him in on this."
Two weeks later, he drowned in the water in that airplane wreck. I
wonder if he had time, or wanted to call the Lord into it then or not.
See, there's a time when you're forced, and be careful what you say.
E-25
Two years ago I was in Phoenix, Arizona. And Mr. Brown… Many of you
know him, Mr. Young Brown, Brother Jack Moore's associate. We were
trying to find a cheaper hotel.
I don't believe it's… I better not say that. Well, I started it, I
might as well keep it up. I–I don't believe it's good, and I don't
believe it's… It's all right. I don't say you're not a Christian, but
I don't think it's becoming to a Christian to try to have–have the
best.
I get so sick and tired of hearing people say, "Oh, I wouldn't go to
that place." I've never seen the place yet I couldn't go for the Lord,
care where it would be. If it's a little mission… If it's wherever it
may be, I don't care. I don't think we should try to put on a lot of
make-belief, what we call, it's a worldly expression, "put on the dog."
I don't think we should do that. Christians… That's not becoming to a
Christian. Our Lord didn't even have a place to lay His head. He had no
house to live in.
As I said this morning, my little boy said to me, a few weeks… About
a week before I come down to California, he was laying on the couch
looking up at the picture of Jesus, and he said, "Has Jesus got a
boat?" He loves fishing so well.
And I thought, "No. When He preached the Gospel, He had to borrow a boat." But He's the Captain of the Old Ship of Zion.
E-26
Whole lot of put-on, we don't need it. And the church being nice, they
put me up in a–a ritzy hotel. I didn't even know how to use the forks
at the table. And–and all them stuff laying out there, I–I had to
watch somebody else to see which fork they'd pick up. I–I–I didn't
know how to use it.
And I wanted to get out of there. And I was trying to find me a–a
cheap hotel. And I was riding around town, and I said, "Brother Brown,
stop there, and I'll go over on the side of the street, and we'll wait
for you." He said… I said, "Ask them if they got a room."
And it looked like kind of a third or fourth class hotel. And so he
went over and a few moments he come running across the street, and he
J-walked. I think that's what you call it out here and pay fifteen
dollars for it. But they… He J-walked across the street. And there
was a little policeman setting over there. Oh, my. Did he tear him up.
And he said, "Where you from, anyhow?"
E-27 And Brother Brown, just about like myself, can't talk good. And he said, "I'm from Louisiana."
He said, "Do you mean that they let you J-walk in Louisiana?"
And he said, "Just walk anywhere you want to."
So he–he said, "Walk across the street?"
Said, "Yes."
He said, "You're a lying."
Mr.
Moore said, "No. I'll voucher for him." Said, "We can walk anywhere you
want to in Shreveport where we live, as long as you're just watch your
traffic."
Oh, and that little policeman got arrogant. And Mr. Brown said, "Sir, I'm only telling you the truth."
He said, "You did that just to act smart, 'cause you seen me on the
corner and knowed I was a policeman." You know, one of these little
fellows wants a feather in their cap? So he said, "You're just acting
smart. I'm going to jerk you out of there and put you in jail."
He said, "Mister, you can put me in jail if that's your rules." But
said, "I'm a minister of the Gospel." He said, "I don't lie. I'm
honest. If I'd knowed you shouldn't done that, I would not have done
it." He said, "But I didn't know any difference."
E-28
Oh, and he got real nasty about it. And I told him I was a minister,
and Mr. Moore was a minister. There was two more ministers in the car.
Oh, he really got raw then. "Ministers, law breakers."
And I said, "We're not law breakers, sir." I said, "We're honorable men who preach the Gospel."
And he… Something said to me like this. "Be not deceived, for God is
not mocked. Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap."
I just quit talking to the fellow. Held my head down and let him go
ahead till he got all the steam blowed out. And then he threatened us
and everything else. And of course, they'd been brought before a judge.
And the man proved that he didn't know any difference. We hadn't been
there but two days. And we'd been… He'd been living out in the–one
of those side streets way out, King's Courts, or something like that.
And he didn't know any different. But the policeman, just to be
nasty… But you know, the Bible said, "Touch not Mine anointed."
I said, "Well, did you get the room, Brother Brown?"
He said, "Didn't have any."
I said, "Well, I will go back."
E-29
And we started driving out. And I took them back to their place about
six blocks away or a little more. And I come back around just in time
to see the man try to run around a man making a right hand turn, and
was crushed under the wheels. I stopped my car, and pulled over to one
side to be sure if that was the policeman, and it was. He'd run under a
truck making a right hand turn (Policeman's fault.), slid his tires
sideways, and went right under the big wheels of that truck. There he
was mashed up, legs broke, arms broke, couldn't scream, he's out
unconscious. Pulled him out. And I stood there and I thought, "Now,
what about it?"
See, you get sometimes in a tight place; be sure you make the right
decision. Put God in everything that you do. Make your decisions.
E-30
There's sometimes maybe when you have some money that you want to put
away. Perhaps maybe you and your wife saved up money and–and got
enough money to put away to kinda take care of you in your old days.
That's all right. That's a legitimate thing to do. But then, perhaps,
what if the time comes when you're to put it away, you've got to make a
decision where you put it.
Now, what if I come to you and say, "Say, here's a place you can put it
down here that's a… Oh, one of these here fly-by-nights, you know,
but… Get rich overnight. Put it in there. It's a little chance."
You'd say, "No, sir. I won't put my money in such a place, because it's just a new thing."
But what would you look for, to find a place to keep the money
that–that you knew if you lost it, in old age you'd probably be out on
the street begging. But with this money, if you put it in the right
place, you'd have a security of your old age. You know what you'd do?
You would find the best old reliable company that you could find and
invest your money. Sure, 'cause you don't want to be on the street in
your old age. You'd quickly decide. Though it didn't pay as much
dividends, yet you'd want your money safe.
If you think that much about your old age in your life here, what about
Eternal Life? What about the life you've got to live–live in
hereafter? You're…
E-31
The people today is something like Eliezer. There was many women in
that city, and young girls for him to choose from, but he didn't take
his own choice. He trusted God's choice. He took the one that had a
supernatural sign, a answer to prayer, a submitted to the Lord.
And today you want to find a place to put your money. Sometimes today
you want to find a place to put your membership, someplace that you
want to go to church. And there's plenty of churches to go to. There's
plenty of forms of religion to go to. But you've got to make a choice
whether you're going to submit yourself to a spiritual church or a
formal church. You've got to make your decision. You've got to take the
way with the Church that Jesus ordained on the day of Pentecost, or
you've got to take some of these man-made creeds that we worship today.
You've got to make your choice. You might think it's a little despised,
but it's reliable. If it wasn't, Christ wouldn't have ordained it. If
it wasn't so, Paul wouldn't have received the Holy Ghost. All the
Apostles would not have received the Holy Ghost, because the–the God
of salvation said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to
every creature. These signs shall follow them that believe."
E-32
Just as Eliezer watched that sign on the girl, you'll have to watch the
sign of the church, because Jesus said. I don't care what man said. I
know men say those days of miracles is passed, all these stuff is all
passed and are gone by days, it's no more.
Now, you've got to make a choice. Jesus said, "Let every man's word be a lie and Mine be the Truth."
Now, you've got to make up your mind. You've got to make a choice. And
this may be your last time to make a choice. Tomorrow may be too late.
God might have chose you to Eternal Life. But if you don't make up your
mind and accept it, somebody else will take your place. Maybe tomorrow
will be that time. God may be wanting to empty this whole row of
wheelchairs here tonight. I know He does. He may be… I know He wants
to heal every sick person here. Tonight you'll have to make your
choice. You say, "Well, Brother Branham, you're going to have a prayer
line tomorrow night." Let that be for somebody else. You must make up
your mind quick.
E-33
What did Rebekah say? She said, "I will go now." Praise God. That's
what we want to do. Now is the hour. Now is the time for the decision.
God has been here this week moving all kinds of signs, and miracles,
and promises He's been fulfilling. Now, what are you going to do about
it? It's up to you now to make your decision. The time of decision
comes for all peoples.
And when you want something that you can rely on, certainly you do…
Well, if you can rely… What would you rather rely on: a creed that
some man made up, or rely on the Bible, the writing of the apostles and
Jesus Christ?
I believe that the Holy Spirit that Jesus said would come upon the
apostles, and would come upon whosoever would believe it, the sheep of
other folds. I believe that that same Holy Spirit, you can rely upon
It, and It will produce in your life just like It did in their life.
Now, would I want to meet God… Would I want to meet Him… Would I dare to try to meet Him with anything short of that?
E-34
Today, we have many people saying, "Oh, I believe that you don't
necessarily have to receive the Holy Spirit." You do, or you're lost.
The blessed virgin Mary, as she is called the mother of God… If the
Holy Ghost Baptism is so essential to belong to the Church of the
living God, and It has no denominations…
I've been with the Branham family fifty years, and they never did ask
me to join the family. Why? I was borned a Branham. That's the way
you're a Christian. You're borned in the Church of the living God.
You're not joined in, or baptized in, or shook in, you are–or took in
by a letter, but you are borned with the new birth. That's my decision,
because Christ said, "Except a man be borned again he cannot enter the
Kingdom."
E-35
And if God required Mary, the blessed virgin… Read Acts 2. Before
Mary could enter into the Kingdom, she had to go up in the upper room.
And she had to wait there like the rest of them did. Not until some
minister came and put her name on the book, or not when there was some
kind of a communion given, or someone shook her hand, or wrote her a
letter for her church as we do today. But there came from heaven a
sound like a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where
they were setting. And they went from those rooms speaking in other
languages, so filled with the Holy Ghost until they were staggering
like drunk people. The Bible said so. And if Mary had to go get that
kind of a religion to be in glory, you'll never get there anything
short of it. Make up your mind. What's you going to do about it? It's
your time of decision.
E-36
When the lame man laid at the gate, been lame in his feet for years.
When the Apostle Peter and John passed through the gate called
Beautiful, there was a man lame, had been carried there for years. And
he asked an alm, and fastened his eyes upon Peter, him being the
spokesman, an illiterate man, not able to sign his own name. The
Scriptures said he was both ignorant and unlearned. I imagine he wasn't
very much to look at.
And as he passed through the gate, he thought perhaps maybe this old
fisherman might have an extra coin, and he li… raised out his little
cup. And Peter looking at him, he said, "Silver and gold have I none."
He couldn't have stayed in a very good hotel, could he? "Silver and
gold have I none. But such as I have, I'll share it with you." Said,
"In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."
What if the man would said, "But wait a minute, sir. You don't
understand. My case is different. Have I not tried to do that for forty
years? I was born from my mother's womb, I was crippled." That might
have flashed through his mind, but he had to make a decision. Was he
going to listen to what Peter said? Was it the truth? Was there
something about the man's voice was persuasive? He'd heard of that
Jesus of Nazareth. He'd heard of Him being a great man, and Jesus had
passed through that same gate. But now he had to make a decision
whether this man knowed what he was talking about or not. And when he
made a decision, he… Peter got him by the hand and lifted him up and
his… held him up a little while until his legs got strength, and he
went walking, leaping, jumping, and praising God. He made the right
decision.
E-37
You have to make a decision. Are you going to feel and say, "Is my
heart better?" Or, "Is my stomach not as quite as bad as it was?" "Can
I move my fingers just a little more?" Don't think about that. Make
your decision that Christ heals you and that settles it, and you're
well.
What if a farmer went and planted a great big wheel of feet–wheat, and
every morning he got out there and dug all that wheat up to see if it
was going to sprout or not. As long as he keeps digging up the seed, it
will never grow. Every time you dig it up, it delays it another day.
And every time you look at your symptoms, it delays you too in your
healing.
The farmer just commits the–the seed to the ground. He gets the best
seed he can find. He puts it in the ground, because he's made a
decision he wants a crop. So he goes and gets the best seed he can
find. Now, he wouldn't have very much faith in a crop that it might be
mixed up with jimsonweed, and–and white top, and daisies, and so
forth. He wouldn't have much faith in that kind of seed. But if he's
got the best seed that he can buy, germitized seed, a hybrid, and he
lays it in the ground, he just commits it to the ground and don't look
at it no more. He…
E-38
That's up to God to take care of the rest of it. And the best Seed I
can find is the Word of God, because It's eternal. Just commit It to
your heart, not to your head. You'll keep digging It around, turning It
around, saying, "Well, if Doctor So-and-so said so… My pastor said
days of miracles is past." Put It in your heart. Let It alone. Start
acting as if you already had your crop. Get your sickles all sharp. Get
ready to go into the field. Don't dig It up every morning, just leave
It there. If It's germitized, It will work. It'll raise a crop. If It
isn't…
Looky here if I ask tonight of cancer cases, blindness, crippled, lame,
halt, all kinds of diseases by the tens of thousands are healed. It'll
work if you'll put It in the right place. But if you lay It up on the
shelf, It'll never do any good. Did not Jesus say, "'Less a corn of
wheat fall into the earth and perish…" Unless you can take that
wheat, and don't try to turn it over and look at it, and guess about
it, just commit it to your heart and forget about it. It's your
decision that God will take the rest of it.
E-39
Now, just in closing, I'd like to say this. On our little subject
tonight, the decision… Eliezer… Did you notice, when he come…
Now, Isaac was a type of Christ. Through Isaac come Christ. And then,
Rebekah was a type of the Church. Did you notice the–the Bride… And
Eliezer found Rebekah in the evening time. The sign was performed in
the evening time. That's the time we're living in. I trust that you get
this.
It was in the evening time when Rebekah came out led by the Spirit. Do
you believe that? How otherwise would she have come? There might have
been many before her. But she was led by the Spirit in the evening
time. And Eliezer, the messenger, the minister, the true servant to his
master, was led in the evening time. And the true servant had left his
creeds and things behind him and made up his mind that he was going to
trust God in the evening time.
E-40
Wonder why that Rebekah came before any of the other girls. Did you
know that Rebekah and Isaac was blood relation? Cousins. And the Bride
of Jesus Christ is blood relation to Him: a Blood bought Bride. No
wonder she was led by the Spirit. There was a connection coming
together. There was a union coming together.
That's the reason I think today that the borned again, the–the Holy
Ghost filled people is connected with God and are led by the Spirit of
God. That's why they act so peculiar to the people. They've made their
decisions. They're going to go on out; regardless if the rest of them
don't go out, they're going anyhow. I like that.
Don't care if this one walks or that one walks, I'm going to walk
anyhow. I don't care whether this one… of what they say, I don't…
They call me anything they want to, I'm going anyhow. Why? The Life is
in the Blood. And the Life is in the Church, the Christian that's
borned again by the Spirit of God. That's the Spirit of Life, Blood
relation to Christ. The Spirit of Christ in the Blood of Christ leading
a child of Christ, the seed of Abraham. That's why they move
peculiarly. That's why the world thinks so strange of them.
E-41
And remember, Rebekah, hardly knowing what she was doing, yet she
watered the same animal, the camel, that was to take her to her
bridegroom, to her husband, her lover. And always a beast of burden in
the Bible represents a power. Like the beast come up out of the sea in
Revelations, it was a power that raised up among the people.
And this beast was being watered. Rebekah watering the same beast that
she rode on, that taken her away from her place here to her new home,
is a type of the Church today, watering and blessing the same Holy
Spirit that's going to lift It up and take It to Its new home. The
Church that's praising and blessing and watering with thanksgiving to
the Holy Ghost Who has brought the Word to you…
The camel packed the messenger, Eliezer, the true messenger who looked
for a sign to the woman that he was going to take. It was God's choice,
because he was going to watch for the supernatural.
E-42
I trust you'll do the same thing. Watch for the place where the signs
are following. That was the only difference you could make out between
Moab and Israel. Why, fundamentally, they were both right.
Fundamentally, Cain and Abel was both right. Cain built [Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.]…
church, Abel built a church. Cain made a sacrifice, Abel made a
sacrifice. Cain worshipped, Abel worshipped. So if going to church,
having a creed, worshipping, and paying in, making sacrifice, if that's
all God requires, He was unjust to destroy Cain. But there is a way
that seemeth right unto a man. Abel had the revelation.
And look here at when that same group. Watch them how Cain's people and
then Seth's people. Death of Abel and the coming of Cai–of Seth was
the death and resurrection of Christ. Watch how them two lineages run,
them two streams of blood. The side of Cain become smart men,
scientists, educated, scholars. The other side were humble peasants.
They tempered iron, and made metal, and great builders, science, very
religious. Still running the same way. See how–how it is? No wonder
Jesus said it would deceive the very elect if possible. Watch them two
trees coming up through Eden.
E-43
Here they come on over to–to Israel, a little old group of people that
was all–not denominated, just wandering around, tent dwellers. And
they come down there and stopped at the foot of the land and asked
their brother, Moab, a believer in God, if they–if they could just
pass through the land. They wouldn't do no harm; they just wanted a
campaign. That was all. And they wouldn't do no harm to them. And said,
"The cattle licks up some grass, we'll pay for it. They drink any
water, we'll pay for it."
But Moab went and called the bishop out and said, "Now, come here a minute. You got to go down there and curse them."
So they got him up on top of the hill and showed him the worse part of
Israel. And look. Balaam said, "Build me seven altars." That's exactly
what was in Israel. Fundamentally right. "Put me seven clean sacrifices
upon them." Exactly what was in Israel, just below the hill. "And put a
ram on each one." What was that representing? He was speaking of the
coming of Jesus. Both of them the same One. Fundamentally just as much
right as the other one was right, fundamentally speaking.
E-44
But what did he fail to see? He failed to hear the shout of the King in
the camp down there. They had a smitten rock. They had a Pillar of
Fire, a supernatural sign. They failed to see that. That's what's the
matter with the world today, they fail to see It.
"Oh, no," Balaam might've said, "Well sure, they've done all kinds of
bad things." What–but they failed to see that smitten Rock going
before them making an atonement for them all the time.
That's what it is today. They say, "Pentecostal people? Them that shout
and carry on?" That's the same kind they had in the Old Test–in the
New Testament. At the day of Pentecost they had the same kind of
things. "Those people speak with tongues, and they prayed for the sick,
they got Divine healers. And I know ornery things they've done." And
yes, the other side's done a bunch of it too, but you just don't hear
it.
But he failed to see that smitten Rock and those signs–the
supernatural signs. He couldn't curse it. Every time he tried to curse,
God blessed it.
You can't never smother It out. It's God's Message. It'll burn till Jesus comes. Certainly It will.
E-45
And so she watered the camel, the animal, the power that was to take
her home to her new home. And another thing. Did you notice, when she
went over now, being blood relation, just by faith she believed it,
only thing she had was a servant's message.
That's all that maybe you've got, my message. I want to be a true
servant to the Word. The blessings are for you; they're yours. I know
it's not popular. But I don't care about popularity; I want to be
honest to my Master as Eliezer was. I want a clean cut decision out of
you, like Eliezer. Come out and tell me whether you believe it or not.
See? I want a clean cut decision. A true servant requires that. If you
do, then act like it. See? Go on, put it into action. Come, go along.
E-46
And when they got over there close to the–to the land to where she was
to see her lover, she'd never seen him. But listen. The Bible said that
Isaac had wandered away from the tent and was out in the field. Do you
know the Church isn't going to meet Jesus in heaven? It's going to meet
Him in the air. He's already wandered from the Father's home now, I
believe.
He went out to meditate. And all of a sudden, he lifted up his eyes,
and he saw this camel bringing his bride. And notice, it was in the
evening time again, at the evening, the setting of the sun.
This message has traveled from the east all the way to the west, and
we're on the west coast right now. It can't go any farther, it'll go
back east again. It's evening time.
It's evening time in civilization. They've kept bitten, biting, and
carrying on, and taking… They bit off an atomic bomb off the tree of
knowledge. What are they going to do with it? Destroy themselves.
Civilization's at the end. The Church is creeded, and denominated, and
twisted, and turned, and all kinds of isms, and so forth, until it's at
the end. Human life's at the end. Why, they got no more respect for one
another. And–and motherhood's at the end. Everything seems to be at
the end. What is it? It's evening time. That's the time that the Church
is going home.
E-47
And Isaac is on his road. And as soon as Rebekah seen him, she flashed
those pretty eyes upon him, she put the veil around her face and jumped
off the camel and run to meet him. It was love at the first sight. He
seen her and he loved her, took her into his father's tent and the
wedding supper. Oh, we're in the evening time.
Have you made your decision yet? Have you fully surrendered everything
to Jesus Christ? Is He your King, your Saviour, your Healer? He's the
One, your Lover, the One you're looking for. Have you fully made up
your mind? If you've made up your decision, made your decision, made up
your mind to it, God bless you. If you haven't made up your mind, do it
right now. Make your decision.
E-48
Let us pray. O Lord, it's truly evening time. But You've promised that
the evening lights would be shining in the evening time. It'll be the
same light that showed in the morning, for it's the same sun,
mechanically speaking. And it's the same Son, God, spiritually
speaking, that showed His great Light upon a Church that He ordained on
the day of Pentecost. That same Son of God, His Light is shining upon
the Western people in the evening time with another Pentecostal group
of believers. O God, we know they're mixed up and called Baptist,
Presbyterians, Lutherans, and so forth, but they're a Pentecostal
experience. They're Your children. That's the Bride that You're coming
after. And it's just about time for Her to go.
God, grant tonight that out in radio-land, or in this visible audience,
if there are those here, or out there that have not yet made a
decision, may this be their hour of decision that they will sell out
everything of the world–all their lust, and their fashions, and their
pride, and–and just sell completely out and say, "Now, Holy Spirit,
take me. Just use me, and–and put Your faith in my heart. And let me
walk after You, not the things that I see, but the things that You'll
lead me to." For truly, I believe, Lord, that He will lead them to
Jesus Who we ought to see soon in His coming.
E-49
If they've been all mixed up and their minds so confused, may they look
back and take the reliable. Jesus said, "These signs shall follow them
that believe." How much more reliability could we place upon anything
than the Words of the eternal Son of God. Today, men try to twist that
around and say that was just for a certain people. God, I wouldn't want
any deposit upon that. Let me make my choice on what He says, THUS
SAITH THE LORD, believe that. As that blessed Scripture says, "He's the
same yesterday, today, and forever. A little while and the world won't
see Me no more. Yet ye shall see Me, for I'll be with you to the end of
the world. And the works that I do shall you do also."
"I am the vine; ye are the branches." And Lord, if the first branch
that come forth out of that Vine was a Pentecostal branch, filled with
the Holy Ghost, signs and wonders and fruits of the Spirit hanging on
that Vine in the branch, if the second branch comes forth, it'll have
to be a Pentecostal branch if it comes out of the same Vine.
O Lord, may men and women realize that and come back to a true
Pentecostal experience of being borned of the Holy Ghost, and believing
in the supernatural workings that God promised that His Spirit would do
in our midst.
E-50
If such persons are in the radio-land, and haven't received that
experience, will you, in Jesus' Name, bow your head out in radio-land
and receive Jesus just now. When He comes in in the fullness of His
power, He will come just exactly the way He come on the day of
Pentecost. There will not be one thing different. An enthusiasm that
will burn your heart, that will make you so happy and full of joy, till
you'll stagger like you were full of–of strong drinks. For the
Scripture has said, "Be not drunk upon strong drinks, which biteth like
a–an adder, and stingeth like a serpent, but be ye drunk on the
Spirit."
Radio friends, if you haven't received that, listen to me tonight as
your brother. I love you. Please, find you a little secret place just
now. Many of you fine church members out there that belong to different
churches, I–I'm not speaking against your church, my dear friend. I'm
not against any denomination. No. Protestant, Catholic, or Jew, or
whatmore, Jehovah Witness, or Christian Science, whatever you may be,
that–that doesn't matter to me. I don't think it matters to God. The
thing of it is, if you are borned again. If you have received the Holy
Spirit, then you're children of God. Receive It tonight, won't you?
And we're going to pray just in a moment for you out there, for the sick also. But first, we're speaking of the soul.
E-51
Now, I turn to this audience here. Hundreds are setting in the Angelus
Temple tonight. Looking across here seeing the majority of you, your
hair frosted gray. You're turning back now. But no matter. There's some
young people here, lots of them. You have no assurance that you're
going to be living in the morning. This may be the last time you have
the opportunity to make your decision. Make it now, won't you?
And all that's in here that has never received this great blessing of
the Holy Spirit, and would desire my prayers for you to receive it,
would you hold up your hands, all over the Angelus Temple, that has not
received the Holy Spirit? God bless you out through there. All out
through… Up in the balconies up… God bless you up there. I trust
that this will be the night that you will receive It.
E-52
You might say to me, "Brother Branham, does that mean anything when I
raise up my hand?" Certainly. You're making a decision. You've made
your first step towards it.
And you out in radio-land, I don't care where you are. Move over, get
out of your car, drive off the side of the road, kneel down, bow your
head over the wheel someway. Mother, quit washing the dishes, or… And
if the party's all listening in, and you're talking and making
sandwiches, lay it down. Somebody in the room, kneel and start praying.
Lead the rest of them; they'll follow you. Dad, if you're standing
there half drunk tonight, your poor little wife setting in the corner
crying with the kiddies, aren't you ashamed of yourself. Dad, do you
know you may not be here in the morning? I feel sorry for you. My
father drank. I know how to sympathize with a family that has to go
through that. Now, maybe it's the mother that's drinking. Whatever it
is, lay it aside now won't you, and come to Christ just now.
E-53
You say, "Oh, Brother Branham, I've tried that lots of times." But
wait, you never fully made up your mind. You might just been under a
little emotion of some sort. But if you really make up your mind and
make a decision, Christ is going to receive you.
And you in the hospitals out there, and in the sick beds that's not
able to be here tonight for the line of prayer, and the discernment,
and the things the Lord's going to do. Wish you were here, 'cause I
believe that God is going to do a great thing.
And I want you to remember in radio-land, tomorrow after noon is the
Life Story at two-thirty. Please try to be here. Bring sinners.
Everybody, bring a sinner with you tomorrow to that special service.
And then tomorrow night is the closing of the healing service. Usually
more healed then time, 'cause it's the anticipation.
E-54
Now, all in the building here, and out in radio-land, while we just got
a few minutes left in radio time, will you make your decision now, in
your own heart, that from this night, this very hour, this time, you're
going to sell out every bit of unbelief. You're going to sell out all
the things of the world. Lay it aside. The Scripture said, "Seeing that
we are compassed about with such a great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews
the 11th chapter, the faith warriors of the Bible), let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin that does so easily beset us, that we might
run with patience the race that's set before us looking to the Author
and Finisher of our faith, the Lord Jesus," His kindness, and mercies,
tenderness. And after two thousand years, here still alive tonight,
showing Himself alive.
And now, let us all pray. And you here in the Temple tonight, bow your heads while we go to prayer.
E-55
If our sister will, that's moving over to the organ just for this
special occasion, I want you to play, if you will, "I Am Coming, Lord,"
if you will. And now, make your decision. Get ready now for prayer, and
I'll pray with you, and we'll all pray together. And I'm sure the
Lord's going to answer. Might be a good time for you people in these
chairs, before the prayer line starts, you start making your decision
now that you're going to accept your healing right now while we bow our
heads.
E-56
Lord, may this song that's now being played, "I Am Coming, Lord, Coming
now to Thee. Wash me, cleanse me." Grant it, Lord. Out there in the
radio-land, Lord, may those that have obeyed the servant's voice of
this message of a rich King that holds Eternal Life, the greatest
treasure that could be given. Meaning by this, that to accept the
message they would never perish, but would have Eternal Life forever.
For our Lord said, "He that heareth My Word and believeth on Him that
sent Me has Eternal Life, and these signs shall follow them that
believe."
E-57
Now, Lord, maybe many people who has been deceived in their faith. We
realize that You did give Abraham credit, and he was justified by faith
believing on You, and that's all the man could do was to believe.
But You confirmed his faith by giving him this seal of circumcision.
And Father, may many in the land tonight who say that they have
believed on You, but You said if they believe, they would be–receive
the Holy Ghost, the Seal of circumcision of the heart, that God has
come in with His Word, and has circumcised the heart, and made Hisself
a dwelling place where He could control them in their faith, having
them to believe for their sicknesses and their diseases.
E-58
Grant, Lord, that all that's listening in tonight out there, that's got
an attitude in their heart to make this decision for You, may they
receive Christ in their hearts just now. And may they come over to the
Angelus Temple and tell us about it, that they received Christ as their
personal Saviour, and then be baptized into the fellowship of some good
church. Grant it, Lord.
And to the sick and the afflicted that's in the hospital listening in,
in the homes, or in the cars, or–or across the land, wherever it may
be, may the same Holy Spirit that led Rebekah out to receive the
message, may they realize it's–it's the same Holy Spirit that led them
to tune this station in tonight. And may they be healed of all their
sicknesses and diseases. Grant it, Father.
E-59
And all these that's in Divine Presence here, may You fill their hearts
with the Holy Spirit, and heal every person that's now in Divine
Presence. Grant it, Lord, for we commit it to Thee in the Name of Thy
Son, the Lord Jesus. Amen.
E-60
Let us sing that one verse of that song, if you will, "I Am Coming
Lord," would you… Billy, would you come here and help me to lead this
song, if you will. And in radio-land, trusting that you have made that
great decision now for the Lord Jesus, that you feel that you are
healed of your sickness, and your sins are under the Blood. May the
Lord God bless you as we sing this song. All right.
Let's raise our hands here in the Temple now as we sing.
E-61
How many in here now has made up your mind that from this night,
henceforth, you're going to hold on to God's unchanging hand until you
receive what you've asked for? God bless you. I believe you'll go from
this building tonight with whatever you ask for. It shall be yours.
E-62 Now, it's time to call the prayer line. [Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.]…
this group of Angelus Temple with me to Australia, watch what takes
place, or into Siam, or somewhere overseas. We see setting present
tonight, Brother Julius Stadsklev, Captain Stadsklev from Barstow,
Chaplain in the United States Army.
(Now, from 50 to 60, stand while they're ma… )
Brother Stadsklev was with me in Africa, and was there at Durban that
day when thirty thousand heathens received Jesus as personal Saviour at
one time. Where are you, Chaplain, are you here? Here he is,
standing… Would you stand up to your feet a minute? Well, Brother
Stadsklev was a witness of it there. He wrote the book, "A Prophet
Visits Africa."
E-63
Do you realize that was ten times bigger than Pentecost? Ten times
larger than Pentecost. Thirty thousand blanket natives received Jesus
as personal Saviour, broke their little old idols that they were
packing on the ground.
Dr. Baxter said to me, said, "Brother Branham, I believe they meant
physical healing. They didn't mean receiving Christ." Said, "You better
let that go through again."
I said, "I did not mean for physical healing. I'll pray for you later.
I mean those who wants to receive Christ as personal Saviour. If you're
real sincere, break your idols on the ground." It was like a dust
storm. See?
The Gospel is what attracts the attention of people. But of course, we
Americans, we're too intellectual to believe that, you know. So that's
something old fashion. They're getting it where we're leaving it.
That's–that's it.
E-64
All right. Anywhere from 50 to 75, now take your place. J's from 50 to
75, get your place back in that line over there. If you'll… Or maybe
you could go out around. I believe, maybe don't you think that would be
better to open the door and let them come down? Or come right through
here, Brother Mike says, to come right down this way and get your
position.
Oh, how happy I am to know that people still have faith in–in God. I
would not trade my faith in God if–if something would promise me that
I could live a ten thousand years here on earth, and have all the earth
in my hands, and do what I wanted to, I would turn it down flatly to
receive Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. It's… He's been my life.
He's been my hopes. He's… If the end of the world when Jesus come…
And I mean this, I'm not saying this just because I'm before you. At
that day, if I walk up before Him, and He says, "You don't deserve to
come to My Heaven." I'll say, "That is true, Lord, I do not deserve
it." And if He turns me down, I'll still love Him wherever I am. I love
Him. Something happened to me about thirty-two years ago, Christ came
into my heart. And it's been the most greatest thing.
E-65
Now, I think we're up to 75 now, Brother Mike? 75 to 100, now you take
your place over there. That's all with prayer cards now. J's, take your
position out there in the–the line: 75 to 100. All right. Pretty soon
the line will be… Lines almost all the way around the Temple now,
going out into the outer court, out into the aisles outside, the–the
prayer line being formed.
And in radio-land, I wish you could see this, to see people coming with
the great anticipations, marks on their face. Some of them are coming,
and perhaps think, "Well, I've suffered a long time, but this is my
night. I'm making my decision for Christ. I'm coming now to believe Him
as my Healer as I did for my Saviour."
Now, tomorrow night, as I say, will be the closing of this meeting. And I would like to see you in radio-land… [Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.]… many of you, sure.
E-66
That fellow that time they hired to come up and hypnotize me, setting
out in the line like that. They had them in these army camps to
hypnotize these soldiers and make them bark like dogs, and act, you
know, how they would do, just under hypnotism. And this fellow come up,
and the devil sent him around, was going to hypnotize me at the
platform. You remember when it happened in Montreal. And when he did
that, I felt that evil spirit, and turned around. I said, "Why has the
devil put that in your heart?" He looked at me real funny and ducked
his head down. I said, "You try to hypnotize a servant of the Lord?" He
thought it was a telepathy. And I said, "Because you've done this, God
will judge you for that. See you unto it." And they packed him out of
there paralyzed and he's paralyzed yet today.
E-67
We're not pray–playing church now, you remember. Remember the days
when someone tried to go out and tried to cast out an evil spirit in
the days of Paul? You know what happened to him? An epileptic and it
come upon them? Certainly.
So now, you remember, you in the prayer line, it… I'm not taking
discernment in the prayer line. I'm just going to pray for you. All
week long, discernment's been through the meeting here with people who
just gathered in. But tonight, it's just praying, unless the Lord would
stop me to say something to somebody.
E-68
But now how many's in the building tonight has never seen one of our
services before, let's see your hand. It's a good thing everybody don't
come to the Angelus Temple the same night. They'd be piled across in
the park. Just almost a new crowd every night.
That you might know, Jesus Christ did not claim to be a Healer. He
said, "I do nothing till the Father shows Me." But He could… He
knowed the people; He told them who they was, what their names was. How
many of you newcomers believe that? Told Philip–or Nathanael, where
Philip found him under a tree praying, told him what he was, told Peter
what his name was. And by this, they believed He was the Messiah. That
was the sign of the Messiah.
And when He went over to the Samaritans. See, He never went to the
Gentiles, nor He did not commission His disciples to do so. He said,
"Don't go to the way of the Gentiles; go rather to the lost sheep of
Israel." But the Samaritans was looking for the coming of the Messiah.
How many knows that to be true, say "Amen." Well, then if they was
looking, He had to make Himself known.
E-69
He passed by the way of Samaria, He found a woman, and she was living
in adultery. And He said to her, "Go get your husband and come here."
She said, "I have no husband."
Said, "That's right. You got five, and the one you're living with is not your husband."
She said, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet." Now, listen to that
woman's voice. "We know…" She said, "I perceive that You are a
prophet. But we know when the Messiah cometh, He will tell us all these
things."
Now, how many knows that's the Scripture, Saint John 4, say "Amen."
That was the sign of the Messiah. She couldn't understand Who He was.
She said He must be a prophet.
E-70
But how many knows that the Messiah was to be the God-prophet, say,
"Amen." Certainly. If you ever read the Bible, Moses said, "The Lord
your God shall raise up a prophet liken unto me. It'll come to pass
that whosoever will not hear…"
That's the reason they was looking for it. That's the reason the real
Jew believed Him when He done the sign of the prophet. The unbelieving
Jew, the, oh, the classical type, they said, "This man's a
fortuneteller, a Beelzebub." And anybody knows that fortunetelling is
of the devil. That's right. It's a perverted spirit. And said, "He's a
Beelzebub."
And Jesus said that would be blasphemy of the Holy Ghost. To speak one
word against the Holy Ghost would be blasphemy, would never be forgiven
in this world or the world to come.
E-71
Now, how many you people in this prayer line is strangers to me, and
out in the audience, raise up your hands, you know I don't know nothing
about you, that's strangers?
Here, this first woman, all the way down the line, strangers. Well then, if the Lord…
Come here, woman, lady. Stand right there by that mike, just right
there. Now, I want you to look to me just a moment. Is this our first
time ever meeting? If it is, just raise up your hand so the visible
audience can see. And the radio, hundreds and hundreds here are witness
the woman, a young woman with her hand up. We've never met before.
Here's God's Bible. I do not know you, perhaps you don't know me.
Now, if this isn't a perfect picture of Saint John 4: a man and a woman meeting for the first time.
E-72
Now, if I don't know you, and you do not know me. And then if the Holy
Spirit… There's Something that you're here for. I don't know what it
is, might be sickness, might not be sickness, might be financial. It
might be for somebody else. I don't know. But if the Lord will reveal
to me what you're here for, will you believe that it is the Spirit that
was promised in the last days to come upon the Gentile church just
before the destruction, as Jesus said, "As it was in the days of
Sodom," when that same sign was done, you'd believe it?
How many in the visible audience would believe it, if both of us with
our hands before God, we don't know one another? Just so it's you in
the line down there might know also.
Now, stand right where you are, just to talk to you a minute to get the Spirit of the Lord to anoint us.
E-73
Now, she's a woman, I a man. She might be a sinner; she might not. She
might be a critic. I–I don't know. But the Lord does know. He can
reveal it to me. And then it'd be up to you, what you think about it.
Seeming there's more faith in the audience than there is in the line here. Just when you… the anointing.
How many's ever seen the picture of that Angel of the Lord, let's see
your hands up. Of course… Sure. That's been traced. It's in the
Religious Hall of Art in Washington DC, copyrighted. The only
supernatural Being was ever scientifically proven to be photographed.
That picture that you see of the Angel of the Lord, before God Who I
stand, It isn't two feet from where I am right now. The same Pillar of
Fire that led the children of Israel, It was made flesh and dwelled
among us. It did these kind of signs.
He said, "I come from God (the Pillar of Fire); I return back to God."
On the road to Damascus, Paul met Him, and he was stricken down, a
great Light that put his eyes out that said, "Saul, Saul, why
persecutest thou Me?"
He said, "Who are You?"
Said, "I'm Jesus."
And here He is with His picture taken among us. Now, cameras don't take
psychology–the mechanical eye of the camera. There's Something struck
the lens.
Make your decision now if you believe it, if He will speak to this young woman.
E-74 Yes. There's her… The vision of the woman coming up… She's seriously ill. Frankly, she's pending an operation. [The sister answers, "True"–Ed.]
Did you hear her say, in radio land too, "It's true." Now, how was that
done? How did I ever know? I couldn't tell you now what I said. That
was the–a Spirit of Christ using my voice. The Holy Spirit spoke it
out, utterance that I don't know nothing about.
You say, "You might have guessed that, Brother Branham." Now, all
that's in the visible audience that heard that and seen that perfectly,
say, "Amen." [Congregation says, "Amen"–Ed.]
The radio audience, hear it. Now, if you think it was a guess, I shall
speak to the woman; she's weeping. Why? I'm looking at the woman and
all around the woman is that Light. What is It? To you scientists that
might be listening, it's another dimension. It's another world. Now,
let's see what taken place.
E-75
Yes, I see her at a doctor. He examined her? Yes, he said an operation.
And that operation is on the female gland. That's right. And I see
something or other; it's about your ear. It's your left ear. It's got a
growth in it, and it must be operated on, or as the doctor says so.
That's THUS SAITH THE LORD. Do you believe now, sister?
Do you believe out in radio-land. I know you do. Do you believe out
here? Now, see, that's exactly what Jesus said would take place just
before the end of the Gentile age.
The Messiah, not me, I'm a man. It's His Spirit. That same anointing
you feel, that's that same Spirit that's here talking. It's… it isn't
just a gift. You might be like Dr. Duffield here; he's a preacher. When
he preaches, he has that anointing. You ministers have that anointing.
You people who speak with tongues have that anointing if it's really
the Holy Ghost speaking through you. See, It's the same Spirit, only
operating in different forms to prove what the Scripture says is right.
E-76
Now, to someone on the radio out there, Paul said, "If you all speak
with tongues, and the unlearned comes in, the unconverted, they'll say
you're all mad. But if one will be a prophet, prophesy, and reveal the
things of the heart, then they'll fall down and say, 'Truly God is with
you.'" Now, you criticize the Pentecost for speaking in tongues, now
what about this? Make your decision tonight. Come to Him and believe.
Let us pray now for this woman. And then the rest of you in the line,
if the Holy Spirit should speak definitely to me for something,
I'll–I'll stop with you. If not… How many of you, if He doesn't say
one more Word, but just goes on, you're still going to believe that
Jesus Christ has made you well by His atonement, not because Brother
Branham prayed for you, not because we're laying hands on you, but
because that it's His promise: "These signs shall follow them that
believe." Are you going to believe it? Raise up your hands if you are,
along there. All out in the audience believes now. You've made your
decision. It's settled. You believe it. All right. The Lord bless. And
this great group here in the visible audience and also the invisible
audience until we go off the air.
I thought we were to going off at nine-thirty, as usual; but I see the light's still on and we're on the air.
So you be in prayer everywhere as we pass these people down the line praying for them.
E-77
Come, sister dear. Great Holy Spirit, Who has revealed this woman's
conditions, or her heart, whatever it might have been, I pray that
You'll grant to her her desire in Jesus Christ's Name. Amen. Bless you.
Go, believing.
Now, here's a woman coming. I don't know her; she's a colored woman.
But so that you'd know that the Holy Spirit's still here after talking,
the woman is going to die right away if God doesn't help her, because
she's shadowed with a dark shadow of cancer. Death is striking the
woman. Do you believe that God will heal you of that, lady? Come right
here. O Lord, I pray for this woman. Only You can heal her. And this
great church of the living God, out across the country that's in
prayer, let our sister live in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Don't
doubt, believe.
E-78
And just happens to be the next woman coming is shadowed the same way.
You have cancer. If you'll believe now that God will heal you, come
now. And don't doubt at all, but believe that you're going to be
healed. And Lord, I pray that You'll grant this unto her, and let her
be healed…?… in Jesus Christ's Name. Amen.
Now, don't doubt. It'll get… You're heart will be made well, and you'll be all right.
And if you'll believe, you who are coming… The arthritis will leave
you and you'll go and be well. Do you believe it? In the Name of the
Lord Jesus, grant the healing of this woman. Amen.
Now, come, sister. You believe that God can make you well? Come and let
us pray. In the Name of Jesus Christ, may our sister be healed. Amen.
E-79
All right. If I don't say a word to you, you know that I know what's
wrong with you. You're aware of that. But if I don't say a word to you,
do you believe your back will… You believe you'll get well anyhow?
All right, go ahead. I said it anyhow. See? God bless you and be
healed. Amen.
You believe you could go eat now and your stomach will be all right and
you'll be well? All right. Go get you a hamburger and eat it then, and
enjoy it in the Name of the Lord Jesus.
O Lord God, I pray that You will grant the healing of our sister in Jesus Name.
E-80
Now, pray for me here, you in the audience. Them visions are… I can't
get away from them. To do… I'm going to have to stop the line in just
a minute. You see? So it's just visions breaking constantly. So just
keep praying that God let me stand here.
Visions make you weak. How many understands that, say "Amen." [Congregation says, "Amen."–Ed.]
You remember the little woman that touched His garment. One woman
touched His garment, and He turned around and said, "Who touched Me?"
He looked around till He found the woman, and He told her of her blood
issue had… her faith had healed her. Now, if one vision made the Son
of God weak, what would it do to the–me, a sinner, saved by grace.
There's only one way I could stand here, that is because He promised.
"The works that I do shall you also, more than this shall you do." I
know King James says "greater." But you couldn't be no greater, it's
just more of it (See?), 'cause He raised the dead, stopped nature, done
everything. "More than this shall you do, for I go to My Father."
E-81 Lord, I pray that You'll heal our brother and make him well through Jesus' Name. Amen.
All
right. Come, sister. There it is again. Just strike as soon as she
moves. Now look. If you think… Look here. You believe God could heal
that tumor and make you well? All right. Go, believing. Lord, in the
Name of Jesus Christ, may she be healed.
Here it is again. See? Can you see that Light? Look, look here. See
here between me and the woman? Now, the woman, I see her backing away
from a table. See? It's stomach trouble. See, that's how I know. That's
right, isn't it lady. This is right. Go eat now; it's left you. The
shadows has gone from you. Just have faith. Now, come believing with
all your heart. Lord Jesus, I pray for the woman, that You'll heal her
in the Name of Jesus Christ. Grant it, Lord.
Come, sister. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we lay hands upon
her with this great ransomed church of God by the thousands praying.
She must be healed. Amen.
E-82
Come. Now, pray. This woman here. See, it's right here again. See, see?
Do you believe the heart trouble's going to leave you, you're going to
be made well? Lord, in Jesus' Name, heal her and make her well.
See, what it is… It's really not… What it is… It's just a nervous
condition that causes that flutters. Mainly after you eat it's worse
than ever. You–you call it that, heart trouble, but really is a
nervous condition. Go, believing now, and He will… That fluttering
won't hurt you.
Lord Jesus, I pray that You'll heal the man in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Come, sir. Come, brother. Do you believe now? Then go eat your supper
now, it's all over now, for the stomach trouble's gone. Believe now.
E-83
All right. Chinese? Japanese. All right. Your people behind you,
perhaps, come to worship Buddha. But do… You're Christian, believe in
Christ, 'cause I feel your spirit (See?) that you're welcome. Now,
you're shadowed to death, you realize that. But… with that cancer.
But do you believe that Jesus will heal you and then you'll take the
message to your Japanese people? I aim to visit your land right away.
God bless you. Come here, let me pray for you. O Lord, Creator of
heavens and earth, bless this woman and heal her in the Name of Jesus
Christ for Your glory. Amen. God bless you, sister.
Come now, believing. O Lord, I pray for our sister, that You will heal her and make her well in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Come, my brother. O Father God, In the Name of Jesus Christ, may our brother be healed. Amen.
All right. Come, my brother. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, may our brother be healed. Amen.
E-84 Now, come lady.
See, it–it's something another about it. If you don't say something to
the people, they don't seem to respond to it. Don't–don't look at
that. Each one… That doesn't heal you. Just believe that you're
healed.
Now, just look here, this woman. Now… Is this the next person? All
right. We're strange… The people can see that you got a goiter place
on your throat. Now, they can see that. But otherwise, you look
healthy. Now, let me see if the Lord will reveal to me what's wrong.
Yes, a female trouble. That's what you're here to be prayed for is your
female trouble. That's right. Now, go and believe and be healed in the
Name of Jesus Christ.
See? Uh-huh. See, it's… You could do it, but it weakens me.
E-85 Well, lady, come here now. Let's–let's pray. Lord God, in the Name of Jesus Christ, may she be healed. Amen.
Come, sister. Be praying all you church now, everywhere. In the Name of Jesus Christ, heal our sister. Amen.
Lord, in the Name of Jesus Christ, heal our sister.
Father God, in the Name of Jesus Christ, heal our brother. Amen.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, Father, I lay my hands upon brother. You said these signs shall follow them that believe. Amen.
Father God, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, may our sister be healed.
Father, it is written, "These signs shall follow them that believe: If
they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover." This I do in the
Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Now, don't get scared. See? You're afraid of heart attack. See? But
don't worry about that; you're not going to have one. God bless you.
Father God, in the Name of Jesus Christ, heal our sister. Amen.
The reason I said that, to both visible and invisible audience, is
because the woman was afraid she was going to die. See? She'd…
E-86
All right. Come. You're healthy looking man. But you're needing an
operation, a tumor. Do you believe God will heal you? All right. Then
go on and be healed in the Name of Jesus Christ.
Father God, in the Name of Jesus Christ, heal our sister. Amen.
Lord, in the Name of Jesus Christ, heal this, our brother. Amen.
Do you believe God will heal you, my little brother? O God, in the Name of Jesus Christ, grant the healing of my brother. Amen.
Lord, in the Name of Jesus Christ, heal this, my brother. Amen.
Father God, in the Name of Jesus Christ, heal my brother. Amen.
Just seems like that they need the… How would you all think tomorrow
night we'd just run a–just a few through the line of straight
discernment. Would you, would rather it be that way? See, or the…
Will you like this kind of a line better, where they all come through.
Raise your hands which one you like the best. The all coming through?
All right. That's fine. Then act now. Come up to believe it. See, the
Lord is here. The Lord does these things. God can grant it.
E-87
You come a long ways for this, haven't you, sister. You believe that He
will make you well? Now, anyone can see there's a growth there in your
eye. That's true. But I see you coming from a long distance. You're not
from the city here. No. Do you believe God can tell me where you're
from? Way away, about fifteen hundred miles. Out in Montana. That's
just about where you–you did come from, Montana. That's right. That's
a cancer. You've had an operation. It didn't do any good. And you drove
all this–come all this way here for me to pray for you. That's THUS
SAITH THE LORD. If that's right, raise your hand. We're total strangers
to one another. That's true. This is our first meeting time. Surely,
God will answer prayer for you. Come over here now. Let me pray for you.
Now, if the radio audience is listening in, this woman, I've never seen
her in my life. She just come up here, and I stopped a moment with her,
because she's got a–looks like a–something right in between her eyes.
And the Holy Spirit has just revealed these things. And I do not know
the lady, never seen her in my life. This is our first time meeting.
Isn't that right, lady? That's right. Say it so the audience, the
radio… See, we're on the radio. That's right. You–you love the Lord?
Now, we're going to ask God to remove this. Heavenly Father, cursed be
this enemy. Satan, you've hid from the doctor, but you can't hide from
God. Come out of there. In the Name of Jesus Christ, may you leave the
woman. Amen. Now, go rejoicing and be well. Write me your testimony and
give it to me.
E-88
All right. All right, the little fellows. Come right… Come right on
up. Lord, upon the little ones, it is written, "Suffer little children
to come unto Me, and forbid them not." Now, if You were here, You would
lay Your hands upon them, they'd be well. Your precious body sets at
the right hand of God Almighty tonight in heaven, and You sent down the
Holy Spirit to continue the work. I lay may hands upon them in the Name
of Jesus Christ. Amen.
And to this sister, in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. God bless you now. Go, believing.
All right. Come, sir. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I pray for my brother. Amen.
Come, my brother. Father God, in the Name of Jesus Christ, I pray for him for his healing. Amen. Bless you, sir.
Father God, in the Name of Jesus Christ, I pray for his healing. Amen.
O Lord, heal this man as he passes by. May he not passes by me, but under the cross of Christ, may he be healed. Amen.
Come, my sister. Father, in the Name of Jesus Christ, may our sister be healed as she passes under the cross. Amen.
Lord, as this woman come, may her decision be that she has made up her
mind now. In the Name of Jesus Christ, may she be healed. Amen.
E-89
See, how people… If there's nothing said to them, they dra… How am
I going to use my ministry. See? The way the Lord told me was to just
take the one, talk to them, and so forth. Let the rest of them believe.
See? And just have a congregational prayer. But you see how it does?
Now, here. Just so that you'll know that the Holy Spirit, this woman
and I…
You–you're the next person in the line here? We're strangers to one
another? Jesus Christ knows us both, do you believe that? If God will
reveal to me what your trouble is, you look like a healthy woman. But
if you… So the audience will see, we have never met. This is our
first meeting time. Is that right? If it is, just raise up your hand so
the people see. All right. And now, I do not have no more idea what
you're there for than nothing. But the Holy Spirit will reveal to me
what you're there for, will you accept it as being from Christ? One
thing is your eyes, then a growth on the head. That's right. Back in
your hair there, can't see it visible, but it's under your hair. Yes,
that's right. That's true. You're not from this city; you're from Long
Beach. Uh-huh. You believe God can tell me who you are? Miss. Wiggs.
That's exactly right. All right. Now, go home and believe. Now, the
same God that knowed who Peter was knows who you are. All right. Let's
fine. O Lord, in the Name of Jesus Christ, heal our sister.
E-90 Come. Do you believe with all your heart? Now, be praying for these people now.
In the Name of the Lord Jesus, heal Lord.
Come,
sister dear. Come, believing that you're going to be healed. Father
God, as she passes under the cross, may the God of heaven heal her
body. Amen.
Come, sister. God, in the Name of Jesus Christ, may our sister be healed. Amen.
God, in the Name of Jesus Christ, may our sister be healed. Amen.
God, in the Name of Jesus Christ, may our sister be healed. Amen.
Now, come believing, rejoicing. See?
In the Name of Jesus Christ, may our brother be healed.
Come, brother. In the Name of Jesus Christ, may our brother be healed.
God bless you. That's the way. Amen. That's the way to be healed.
Father, In the Name of the Lord Jesus, may our sister be healed. Amen.
Father God, I lay hands on my brother. In the Name of Jesus Christ, may he be healed. Amen.
God, I pray for our sister that You'll heal her in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
God, see this poor man coming with palsy. May he be healed as we bless him in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
God bless our sister, as she comes for her healing in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
E-91 Now remember, I'm not a healer. I just pray for the sick. God answers prayer.
Lord, in the Name of Jesus Christ, make our sister well. Amen.
If thou canst believe, that old nervousness would leave you. Do you
believe it? All right, go on rejoicing then. Lord, answer prayer as I
pray for our sister in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Come, sister. Father God, in the Name of Jesus Christ, may she be healed. Amen.
Come, sister. In the Name of Jesus Christ, may our sister be healed.
Father God, in the Name of Jesus, Thy Son, I ask for healing for my sister. Amen.
Father God, in the Name of Jesus Christ, I ask for the healing of my sister.
Father God, I ask in the Name of Jesus Christ for her healing. Amen.
Come, sister. You believe? I see you was a believer when you come here.
You've had your ups-and-downs in life. Want–want a greater walk,
closer walk, but you're fixing pending for this operation now. You
believe God will heal you? Take the tumor out, out of the uterus and
make you well? You believe that? Then go on and receive it in the Name
of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
E-92 O Lord, I pray for our sister. In the Name of Jesus Christ, may she be healed.
Lord, I pray for our sister. In the Name of Jesus Christ, may she be healed.
Come, my brother. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I pray God that You'll heal him. Amen.
Come,
sister dear. Lord, I lay hands on our sister in the Name of Jesus
Christ. Amen. All right. Do you believe with all your heart now? In the
Name of Jesus Christ, may they leave you. Amen.
God bless this little lady, and the one that Has brought her, in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. God bless you, sister.
The Lord bless and heal our sister in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
The Lord bless and heal our sister in the Name of the Lord Jesus. Amen.
Come, sister. In the Name of the Lord Jesus, God bless and heal our sister. Amen.
Now, brother, are you believing? In the Name of Jesus Christ, go and be well.
God, in the Name of our Lord Jesus, heal our brother. Amen.
Father God, I pray for sister in the Name of Jesus Christ for her healing. Amen.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, I lay hands upon our sister for her healing.
In the Name of Jesus Christ, I lay hands upon our sister for her healing.
That is the end of the prayer line at this time for this part. Now, the
great healing comes from the outside. I want some of you brethren
setting along there in the front… Are you believers setting there? Up
here in the front in these rows here. Ministers, so forth? Walk up here
and lay hands on these people right here, some of you believers in the
building. That's fine. Thank you, brethren. That's good.
E-93
Now, I want you to look how many's going to be praying for you. Now,
how many out there needs healing, raise up your hand. Now, everyone
that's got their hands up is believers, wave your hand like this. All
right. Now, you lay your hand on somebody that's waving their hand next
to you. If you'll do that, and believe now, don't doubt, but will
believe… Now, bow your heads everywhere. And you pray yourself. You
pray for the person next to you.
I see two or three women here that's got their hands up, nobody with
their hands on them. Put your hands on some of these women over here to
my left. Someone lay your hands… Don't pray for yourself now, pray
for the next person.
I want you to know that God answers your prayer. Now, as soon as you
feel that the person praying for you, that you're healed, I want you to
stand up. Everyone that feels that you're healed, as soon as you have
made your decision, and believe that you're healed now, I want you to
stand up, each one that believes when you're healed. Now, I'm going to
pray for the entire audience.
E-94
Lord God, I do not see why that every person should not be healed. O
Lord, we believe. We believe the Messenger. The Messenger is the Holy
Ghost. Our decision is made right now. We believe it.
Now, Satan, we come to you as–to say that you're only a bluff. You
have no legal rights to hold these people any longer. They are God's
heritage. They are His people. Come out of them. In the Name of Jesus
Christ, let the Angel of God Who's present, the great Pillar of Fire,
that's hanging here in this building now, that's proved Hisself to be
here before the people, showing the evidence of Him being here… Come
out, Satan, in the Name of Jesus, Who is alive tonight to make you
leave the people.
E-95
Now, all that accepts your healing, stand on your feet. Everyone in the
building that now accepts your healing, stand on your feet. Praise the
Lord. There it is. That's it. Amen.
Now, let's sing "I Will Praise Him," everyone to the top of your voice. Come, Billy. "I Will Praise Him."
Raise up your hands now. Have you made your decision? Wave your hand
and stand to your feet. If you've made your decision, wave your hand.
Let's sing it again, and lift it up now.
