Works Is Faith Expressed (65-1126) |
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1
Thank you. Good to be here tonight again. I didn't know how they ever
found out I was going to pray for the sick. Everybody come in to be
prayed for. You know, I believe if you follow the leading of the
Spirit, it's all right. That's the best; that's a message that never
fails.
Now, I was setting in the room today, after a certain minister that's
just so dear to my heart (three of them), three of my real good
friends, they told me they was coming to go to lunch with me. And I
thought, "Well, that was just fine," you know.
3
So I–I just eat a little bit of breakfast, 'cause I was sure they was
going to pay for it (You see?), and I'd have a good full dinner. So
12:00 come, and 1:00 come, and 2:00 come, nobody there yet. So there
was… The police was chasing a criminal down there in the yard, and so
I went down to see that episode. I couldn't find Brother Jack at all.
So I come to find out, the hotel man had give him the wrong number; and
he was ringing the wrong door, all the time, where I–I wasn't at. I'll
let him pay for me, one again, though, sometime. Him and Brother Tracy,
I was sure glad to see them and Brother Brown tonight. That just seems
like we ought to go back in Arizona again.
4
I can remember coming across the desert the other day. I told my wife
back there, I said, "Here's where Brother Jack set in the back of his
little Chevrolet, Brother Brown and he argued all about the–the
original creation, whether it was done in six days or whether it was
done in six million." That was a good one.
They get so arguing; they'd get out and get a handful of rocks, and one
get behind one pole, and one another, and throw rocks at one another
just as hard as they could. They couldn't settle it that way, say, "I
can outrun you." Down the road they'd go; Brother Jack, a little short
fellow, just as hard as he could twist; and Brother Young with them
long legs, you know. I never laughed so much in my life.
Then Brother Jack got back in the car and pulled off his shoes. Brother
Sharritt had give us a big sack of oranges, and he half cleaned them up
'fore we got to Shreveport.
7
You know, them's golden days though. Yes, sir, they're golden days. I
know it sounds joking, funny, but it's the truth. But we… There's
something about that, as you get older and begins to linger on your
mind. You think of those days that you wished you could live again,
that's right, our younger days. And as we get old, they all become
pictures. I'm so glad it was pure, and holy, and brotherly fellowship
in love, knowing that we're going to a land where we'll never get old,
where–that great Land, yonder, where we'll never, never grow old or
never dying.
8
One of our precious brothers, so dear to us all, he just crossed over
in that Land. And every time I come to this platform, I–I guess I'll
think of Brother Lyle. I looked over last night and seen little Judy
setting over there, and my heart was just pounding; I was thinking of
how she felt. And I know when dad died how… But we only have to go
through those schools of sufferings to know how the other fellow feels.
9
I believe I'm looking at an old minister friend setting here. I just
can't call him. Is that right? You used to pray for the sick here, all
the time, years ago? Gerholtzer, that–that German name, I–I never
could get it picked up just right. Brother Tracy had met him out there.
And I knowed him about ten years, and I said, "You haven't aged six
months in that ten years." We are living in a world that must cease
someday.
10
Now, tonight, I was… Had you real late last night, I'm going to try
to not do that tonight. Finish my story; I was thinking about tonight,
preaching on a–a subject of the rapture to the church. How the
conditions, as I see it in the Scripture, what conditions the church
will have to be in for the rapture, and what'll take place just before
the rapture takes place, and how it will take place. And we all believe
in the rapture, don't we? Yes, sir. We believe in it. And then all at
once, Something just said, "Pray for the sick tonight." And I was just
eating dinner with a little Mexican brother there; I went down and
picked him up on the street. I guess he's here tonight, he and his wife.
And then someone come, give me a testimony. Said, "If… On the grounds
of the church," she said, "there's a man there that, I believe it was
about a year ago, that he had come into the line of discernment." And I
was thinking tonight of having just a old fashion prayer line, like
Brother Jack and Brother…
12
Brother Young Brown used to give out the prayer cards for me. And I
found him real honest and never catch him selling a card or doing
anything wrong; brother is real straight. And we have caught them
trying to do that, you know. So it–so we… Brother Young, he was
right on the job all the time and faithful. And I remember, he used to
stand and take up the cards and bring them through the line. I'd pray
for them and they go along, just that unadulterated faith those people
had, if they'd just get near you they'd get healed. And I think there
was twenty healings to the one to what we have now.
13
Then this story come in this afternoon about a man; he's probably here
now. That he was in the prayer line a year ago, somewhere, and–and
he'd had… Said in the discernment was told that he'd had the mumps.
And the doctors told him, after the mumps fell, that he could never
have a girl baby, and he always wanted one. I think he had a boy. But
in the vision from the Lord, it told him, "But you're going to have
that girl baby."
14
And he said he's got the little girl here tonight. I don't know the
man, might… Would–would he be in the audience, or the–the person
that I'm speaking of? or somewhere? I don't know, somebody just told me
about it outside. Oh, look, here's the baby hanging right–right in
here, setting right… That's fine. That's very fine. What a sweet
little fellow. It wasn't so far to walk over everybody to… Real cute,
little baby, I'd have her come out here and give the testimony. Maybe
she will by tomorrow or some time when we're having our services.
Now, tomorrow morning is the Business Men's Breakfast. Have you announced I guess it's all… That's fine.
16
And now let's have a little–a little lesson on Divine healing. How
many believes in it? Oh, my, going to be a great night, when you have
faith like that. People who believe it, that's what it takes. It's for
the believer.
Now, then I got me a pencil and begin to write down some texts and so
forth, and the–and then Billy knocked on the door and said, "Daddy?"
I said, "Wait just a little while, I haven't got it finished yet."
He said, "But Brother Jack's waiting on you." So I–I had to come on. I
stuck, didn't have no paper clip, and I got one of Meda's "johnny pins"
or some kind of a pin here that they called a "bobby pin." That's what
it was, "bobby pin," just some kind of a pin. And–and I don't know
much about them things, you know, and I just seen it laying there. And
so now to make a paper clip here, to separate what I was–had some
notes for in the morning, and separate them, one from the other one.
20
And as you get older, it used to be I could just remember them
Scriptures and things just so easy. But, you know, kinda hard to do.
You find that trouble, Brother Jack, yet? That's right, yeah. I told
Brother Jack, here not long ago, I said, "You know, Brother Jack," I
said, "I'm getting so I can't remember." I said, "I start to say
something, and I have to wait."
He said, "Is–is that all the farther along you are?"
And I said, "Well, isn't that far enough?"
He said, "No." Said, "I ring up somebody on the phone and say 'What'd
you want?'" I thought you was kidding me then, Brother Jack; I found
out that's pretty true.
Yes, sir. My, how you forget. But let us have all of our deeds done
right, because they're in a book, a record that's to be played at the
day of the judgment.
23
Now, we're like one big family. And I don't suppose we're hooked up
tonight across the country, as I was preaching my message last night. I
think it's just maybe the local assembly here. So last night, I sure
appreciate your courtesy of standing… I don't try… I didn't try to
take advantage of Brother Jack. But he's always told me, "Say what you
want to." And so I just come in the platform and preached a little
doctrine. But… so just a… we… It's been… Some of my
denominational brethren…
24
I had a dream, the other morning. I don't dream very often; I'm not a
dreamer. But I–I dreamed that I seen a man, a young fellow in
shackles, he was trying to get out, and–and I said… Somebody told
me, said, "Those are horrible people; don't have nothing to do with
them."
And I seen this young fellow getting out of his shackles, so I just let
him alone. I thought, "I'll just see what he does." So he got out, and
he was a nice fellow. I seen others trying to get out.
26
Now, this is only a dream. And I walked over this a-way and I seen a–a
Brother Roy Borders, a very good friend of mine, lives in California.
Looked like there's something wrong, his eyes was half closed, and
great big–maybe cancer or something over his eyes. Now, someone was
trying to pull me away from him. I screamed, "Brother Borders, in the
Name of the Lord Jesus, snap out of that."
And he just barely could speak, saying, "Brother Branham, it'll have to
take something more than this. I just can't grasp it, Brother Branham.
I just can't grasp it."
I said, "O Brother Borders." I love him.
29
And someone pulled me away, and I looked, and it was a lady standing
over here. The… When I was a little boy, I–I used to haul groceries
from the grocery store to the people. And her name was Mrs. Fenton; she
lives in Jeffersonville yet: a personal friend to the wife and I.
And she said, "Brother Branham, deliver us from this." Said, "This is a
house of hell." And said, "You've been misunderstood." And said,
"These… And you misunderstood these people too." Said, "These are
fine people, but…" I looked over there, and like a great big cellar,
or–or big walls, down beneath a great big cave, and great iron bars,
eight or ten inches thick. And people, out of their mind, twisted arms
and legs, beating their head like that. And she was crying, saying,
"Deliver the people, Brother Branham." Said–said, "Help us; we're in
trouble." She herself, I know her, she belongs to the–I believe the
Church of Christ, or the Christian Church, called Church of the
Brethren. So she…
31
I looked around, and I said, "I wished I could." And go on, looking
around; and I… My little, bitty body and–and them great, big iron
bars, and those poor people in there, and you couldn't get to them,
them iron bars was setting close together. And I looked, and they were
beating their head like they were out of their mind.
And I seen some lights flickering around in there. And I looked up, and
there stood the Lord Jesus with the–of a lights of rainbow around Him.
He was looking right straight to me, said, "Deliver those people." And
He went away.
And I thought, "Well, how could I deliver them? I–I haven't got strength enough in my arms to break those bars."
So I said, "House of hell, give away to the Name of Jesus Christ."
And all the creaking and popping, and–and the rocks a-rolling,
and–and bars a-falling; and people running, screaming, "Delivered!"
and screaming at the top of their voice, and was all delivered.
36
And I was screaming then, "Brother Roy Borders, where are you? Where
are you? God is delivering His people. Where are you, Brother Borders?"
I've wondered about that.
You know, Brother Borders is very scared. You know the prophecy
(all–many of you do; you take the tapes and so forth), about the west
coast.
38
There's a man setting right here tonight, that was there when that
happened (when we were standing there, on a hunting trip), a minister
who's listening in last night with a blinded eye, he just come up there
and he said–introduced himself. He had on colored glasses up in the
mountain. He said, "Brother Branham," said, "I'm Brother McHughes." He
said, "I–I helped sponsor one of your meetings once in California.
I said, "I'm glad to know you, Brother McHughes."
40
So there was about twenty men standing there. We was out javelina hog
hunting. And I said… the day before going up the mountain, I said to
Brother Banks Wood… All of you know him, a personal friend. I said,
"Brother Wood,…" Picked up a rock and threw it up in the air, and it
came down. I said, "THUS SAITH THE LORD, 'Something's fixing to
happen.'"
So he said, "What is it, Brother Branham?"
I said, "I don't know, but within twenty-four hours you'll see. Something's fixing to happen. It's a great sign."
43
And the next day… that was one late afternoon. The next day, about
ten o'clock, we were fixing to pull out. Everybody had their javelina
hogs, and we were standing there. And Brother McAnally, you know, and
all of them, they were dressing them out, and–and Brother Borders and
I, and Brother Roy Roberson, a crippled veteran, a very dear, precious
friend of mine, and he was standing there. I looked up, and Brother
McHughes said, "Brother Branham, does the Angel of the Lord ever appear
to you when you're on these hunting trips?"
I said, "Brother McHughes, yes. That's right. But I come out here to kinda rest.
He said, "All right, Brother Branham," said, "I didn't mean to disturb you."
I said, "You didn't disturb me."
47
And I just looked around, and I seen a doctor looking at his eye. Now,
I didn't know him; he had on dark glasses, which is awful bright and
sunny in Arizona. And I looked at it, and I seen a doctor tell him,
say, "Sir, I been doctoring that eye for years, two years, something
like that." Said, "The allergy that you have in your eye, you're going
to lose your eye. It's eating back into the sight, and there's no way I
can stop it."
And I said, "What you asked me that for, is because of your eye. Them sunglasses is just because you got a bad eye."
He said, "That's right."
I said, "Your doctor (described him), he told you, a few days ago, that
you're going to lose that eye because the–the allergy is eating into
the sight of the eye. And he's been doctoring it for a couple years,
and he can't stop it."
He said, "Brother Branham, that's the truth."
52
And I started to turn around and look, and I seen a–a woman much older
than he, kind of a dark complected. They're originally from somewhere
up here in Arkansas. And so she raised up her–her–her skirt and
showed her limb to her son, and she said, "Son, if you see Brother
Branham, tell him to pray for my feet." And had long tumors hanging
between her toes and things.
I said, "Your mother's a gray-headed woman, and she raised up her
skirt, pulled back her–her stocking and showed you her feet, and said
if you saw me to tell you to pray for her.
And he said, "Oh, mercy."
I looked back and I seen him standing there with no glasses on, vision,
I said, "THUS SAITH THE LORD, God healed your eye and heals your mother
too."
56
About that time, I turned around… Now, there's men setting here, was
standing there. I said to Brother Roy Borders–or Brother Roy Roberson,
put my hand on his shoulder, for he's a veteran, I said, "Brother Roy,
get under something, right quick, something's fixing to happen."
He said, "What do you mean, Brother Branham?"
I said, "Don't talk. Get under something, quick." And I turned and
picked up a shovel, there by the side of the place, and walked off from
them, 'cause I knew it would come where I was at.
59
Right beside a great canyon, eight or ten times higher than this
building, just a box canyon; like a fire come down from the heavens,
like a whirlwind, just a few feet above where I was standing, and
ripped the rocks right out of the mountain, went out through and cut
the tops of the mesquite trees off, for a hundred yards out. Everybody
running, and trying to get under trucks and everything else. It went
back up again and clapped like a great thunder, went back up in the
skies again, and come down again, and done that three times. And when
it was all over, they come over and asked, "What did it mean?"
I said, "I don't want to tell you, it was a judgment sign. In a few
days a great earthquake's going to strike on the west. And it won't
stop. California, Los Angeles will sink. It's going down. It'll slide
right into the ocean." And two days after that, the Alaskan earthquake
shook Alaska.
61
And then, the last meeting I had in California, while speaking, and
didn't know nothing happened till I got on the street, It told
California, said–said, "Capernaum, Capernaum, the city that's called
by the name of the angels (that's Los Angeles), you've exalted yourself
into heaven, but you'll be brought down into hell. For if the mighty
works had been done in Sodom that's been done in you, it would've been
standing till this day."
62
Now, the last few days, the great roaring and popping. Then, here come
out a paper of science, said, "It's all honeycombed; it's got to go
under." They just know it.
And you watch, the water will come plumb back into the Salton Sea. Los
Angeles is doomed for judgment. I tell you before it happened, that you
might know when it does happen. I never spoke that by myself. And I've
never had Him to tell me one thing but what happened. And you can bear
record of that. That's right. When? I don't know.
64
I went out, and they told me what I said. And I listened, went back and
searched the Scripture. You know, Jesus said, almost in them same words
about Capernaum; and Sodom and Gomorrah was–was in the bottom of the
Dead Sea, I suppose was then. And later, about a hundred years later,
Capernaum slid into the sea, and it's in the sea. The same God that put
Sodom in the sea for its sins, the same God that put Capernaum in the
sea for its sins, the same God will put Los Angeles in the sea for its
sins, that city of–of corruption.
Brother Roy Borders is scared to death. I don't know whether to–what that meant that, or what. I don't know. Let us pray.
66
Lord, it's so good to testify to real listeners. We believe, Lord; help
our unbelief. And we realize that we're going right down the road now
to the end of the world. Just what time, we don't know. But that secret
catching away of the Bride; one of these days, Lord, we'll be–we'll be
raptured, caught up with Him. And we're waiting for that day. Prepare
our hearts, Lord.
There's many, we look, laying here on these cots and stretchers, men
and women who are bound by the enemy. There's people setting out there,
perhaps, if You don't touch them, they'll die of a heart attack. Maybe
some of them is eaten with cancer.
And, Father, Thou knows the heart of every man. You know whether it's
true or not true. And we say these things because that we know what You
have done; Your great power has delivered so many. We're witnesses of
it, though they try to tell us that those things doesn't happen. But it
does Lord. We are witnesses.
69
I pray tonight, Lord, that somehow You'll build faith in these people's
hearts, that every one of them will be delivered, all these sick and
afflicted people. May it be so simple, Lord, just let us, as we try to
teach the Word. Let the Holy Spirit take my mistakes, Lord, and correct
them in the hearts of the people. And make it a real, real night that
the–that He can bed Himself into the heart of each believer here. We
set this night for that purpose, Lord. May those who are not saved,
above all things, be ready; get ready now, while the doors of mercy
still open. We ask this in Jesus' Name. Amen.
70 Now, we're going to turn to the Scriptures, to start with, and in…
Someone
laid a–a note here on the desk, and said they took up an offering for
me tonight. That wasn't necessary; don't do that. I can't take it back.
I remember one time in Calgary, Canada, they took up an–this offering
was taken up. Brother Jack was trying to tell me… My wife setting
back there; she, the children had an old two rooms we were living in,
she had to put a blanket in the door to keep the–the door shut so the
children wouldn't get pneumonia. And she said… He said to me, said,
"Brother Branham, that's not fair to treat her that way." So you
remember the case. They took up, I forget how many thousand dollars.
And I said, "Oh, take it back, Brother Jack."
He said, "Now, how we going to do it?" So I bought the place and it's
there. So to the glory and honor of God… We kept it for a couple
years, the wife and I, as a gift from the church the people.
And then I thought, "That doesn't sound right. I brought nothing into
this world; it's certain that I'll take nothing out." So I turned
around and 'lotted it, and deeded it back over to the Tabernacle. That
when I'm finished, why, some other servant of God, if there is a
tomorrow, will use it then. See? So thank you very kindly, friends. God
bless you for it.
75 Now, in James, the Book of James the 2nd chapter we want to read, beginning at the 21st verse.
And
now, I just about… A little while to teaching, and then we'll start
praying for the sick just as quick as we can, and get just as many
people through this prayer line as we possibly can. And let's too,
remember also… I don't want to forget Sister Anna Jean and Brother
Don, and them, I think they're over in Thailand somewhere. Aren't they?
To where? Bangkok, and in the mission fields. There's so many things
you think about in the daytime, you want to mention before the people.
Then when you come here, you–you can't think of it; you're reading
right down on that lesson.
77
And now, in James here the 2nd chapter, and we're going to begin with
the 21st verse of the 2nd chapter of St. James, and read a–a portion
of It: the 21st verse of the 2nd chapter.
Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness:
and he was called the Friend of God.
78
Now, my subject tonight… And hold your Bibles now, 'cause I got
several Scriptures written down here. If we don't get too long, I'll
refer to many of them. My subject is: "Works Is Faith Expressed." Now,
remember: "Works Is Faith Expressed." Works show that faith has already
took ahold. See? See? Now, we choose this because we… I believe that
it might help us to understand. Now, listen real close, and we'll go
into it like a Sunday school lesson.
Here James is expressing in his teaching from Genesis 22:1-9, what man seen in Abraham.
80 Let's just go back; I've got the Scriptures kinda marked out here in Genesis the 22nd chapter, and the 1st to the 9th verse.
Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and
offer him… for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I
will tell thee of. (See, He didn't even tell him which one it was. You just go ahead; when God speaks, you go on moving. See?)
saddled an ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his
son, and clave the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up, and went
into the place… which God had told him of… told him.
here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and
come again to you.
81 Now, he had in his mind now; he's going up to kill his son, 'cause God told him to. But look at the Scripture here:
burnt-offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in
his hand, and the knife; and they both went… them together.
said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold
the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for the burnt-offering?
him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order,
and bound his son… Isaac his son, and laid him upon the altar upon
the wood.
neither do thou anything unto him: for now I know that thou fearest
God, seeing that thou has not withheld thine son, thy… from me… thy
only son from me. (What a work.)
Now, we find here that James is justifying Abraham by his works.
83
But now, in Paul, in Romans, the Book of Romans the 8th–the 4th
chapter; 4:1 to 8. I won't read it all, but just read part of it.
Now, now what Paul is referring to here, is what God seen in Abraham.
85
Now, let's… if you… If we was not turning too much, we'd go back
again to Genesis the 15th chapter and the 6th verse; 15:6, I believe is
right. We'll begin at the 5th:
Look now towards the heavens, and tell the stars, if thou are able to
number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
86
Now, the two men that were talking on faith: Paul justified Abraham by
what God saw in Abraham; but James justified Abraham by what man saw
in–in Abraham.
See, now, James said, "He's justified by his works."
Paul said, "He's justified by faith."
But, see, Abraham believed God; that's what God saw in him; he believed
It. But then when he went to acting as though it was already done,
that's what man saw in him.
And that's the same as it is to us, because our works express what
faith we have. But if we're afraid to act on what we believe, then we
do not believe it. See, you've got to believe it.
91
Abraham's works was expressing his faith he had in God's promise. Now,
Abraham, remember he was ninety years old–a hundred years old, and
Sarah was ninety years old. And now they were well stricken in age,
past child bearing, had been for many, many years. And they'd lived
together as husband and wife since they were young and no children. But
yet, God told him when he was seventy-five years old and Sarah
sixty-five, "You're going to have a baby." And he believed God's
promise. He believed it. Now, see, he made ready everything for this
baby. See, that's what God saw, when he believed God; and man saw what
he did to express what he believed. And that's the same thing that
works tonight, the same way it is with us.
It had been revealed to him. See, it had been revealed to him, so he
believed it so, and was acting as though it had already took place.
Now, let's just stop there just a minute. Sometimes we misunderstand
this. People gets emotion, and they try to work on emotion. That won't
work.
93
Now, I'm like Brother Gerholtzer here, we're–we're old men, and we've
been in the–this a long time, and we've seen the pros and cons,
and–and everything. And praying for the sick, around the world, and
seeing the–the disappointments of people, and seeing the–the
"Hallelujahs" from every side. Then, all this we learn by. Now, when as
boys, when we started preaching this, Brother Gerholtzer, like we
started to swim. The first thing, you know, it used to be that I'd get
out, and I would… As Brother Jack, I've had Brother Brown to walk me
on the street, night after night, to try to get myself around to
myself. I'd stand there like a little kid, splashing the water, seeing
visions, you know. And I'd just stay there till Brother Brown…
94
I remember one night; I never will forget it, up in San Jose or
somewhere. He come to wake me up; I hadn't slept for several days, and
I didn't know I was talking to the man, but said that I told him,
started crying, said, "I'm going home." See?
"Why," he said, "you can't go home." There's a meeting going on down there.
I said, "Well, I'll be ready in a few minutes to go home. See, just beyond, beside myself almost. See, I was a boy then.
97
Like you're learning to swim, you know, you splash the water and go
across the pool, and "huhhh, huhhh, huhhh, I made 'er!" Now, after you
learn to swim, more graceful is the stroke, and it don't wear you out
so much. See, that's it; you learn how to do it; and cut every corner
and make it better, and that's more of a ease. See?
A little boy that never walked, would try to walk down this aisle here,
he'd fall down a dozen times and be wore out 'fore he got there. But
anyone who knows how to walk, an athlete, would walk right down that
aisle and never even notice doing it. Well, he had that to start with;
that's what he is now.
99
Well, that's the same way with preaching Divine healing or anything
else. As you go along, you begin to learn. If you don't learn, there's
something wrong. See? You've got to learn, and you've got to learn how
to accept God and what it really means.
We allow it, sometimes say, "Well, this guy didn't have enough faith;
this guy didn't do this and this. There's a reason there for that;
there's a reason. Sometime it's unconfessed sin. You could pour a
gallon of oil on a person, and scream till you got hoarse; it would
never move that devil. No, sir. You've got to confess that. That's what
discernment does, say, "Go make that right; bring that out."
But it's so slow doing that. You see? And then–then the rest of them
get impatient, and they say, "Aw, I never got prayed for." But we want
to find a way now, that–what takes place, the real basic of Divine
healing.
102
Now, a gift, just like I said last night, "A gift is wonderful, but you
can't base your Eternal destination on gifts." You cannot major on a
minor, and a–a gift is a minor. And Satan can impersonate any gift
God's got; he can make something just exactly like it (See?), exactly.
Therefore, we got to watch that.
Like sometimes I expressed about shouting; I've seen demons shout. See?
Speak in tongues, I've seen demons speak in tongues. Sure, he
impersonates It. It isn't a genuine, but it impersonates It (You see?),
makes it look like it's real. And people sometime, who don't know the
difference, declare this to be real when it isn't real.
And the same thing they do about Divine healing. They think, "Well,
it's a hocus-pocus or something like that." It isn't. It's a genuine,
unadulterated faith in what God said to be the Truth. And that anchors.
And when it anchors, there's nothing going to move it. It's going to
stay there. And therefore, cutting these corners…
105
Now, "faith" is a "revelation from God." Now, "faith" is a
"revelation." There's where I want to stay there just a moment. It's a
revelation. He has revealed it to you by His grace. It's nothing you
did. You didn't work yourself up into faith. You never had faith; it's
give to you by the grace of God. And God reveals it to you; therefore,
faith is a revelation. And the whole Church of God is built upon the
revelation.
106 A Baptist minister told me, not long ago; he said, "I just can't accept revelation."
I
said, "Then you cannot accept the Bible. You cannot accept Christ,
because He is the Revelation of God. He's God revealed in flesh."
Therefore, the whole church is built upon Divine revelation.
Jesus said to (I believe it was Peter.), said, He said, "Who does man say I the Son of man am?"
He was talking to His disciples. "And some said You're Elias, and Moses, or one of the prophets, and Jeremiah."
He said, "But who do you say?"
He said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."
112 Now, the Roman Catholic church says He was speaking to Peter, "Upon this rock I'll build My church."
The Protestants said He was building It upon Himself. Now, they could
be right. But to me both of them's wrong. It was upon the spiritual
revelation of Who He was. "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to
you, Peter. But My Father, which is in heaven, has revealed this to
you. And upon this rock (the revelation of Who He is. Upon the
revelation that He is the Word, and the whole)… Upon this rock I'll
build My church, and the gates of hell cannot prevail against It." It
showed the gates of hell would be against It.
115
Abel, by faith, revelation (no Bible written in those days)… But
Abel, by faith, offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than that
which Cain. Which God testified, "He was righteous." How? By faith.
How? By revelation. By revelation, Abel offered unto God a more
excellent sacrifice, because it was revealed to him that it wasn't
fruits of the field; it was the blood.
That's why some people can believe it, and some can't believe it, some try to make-believe it.
117
In a audience of people, where a prayer line comes through, you'll find
some… And they were all good people, we'll say. There's some that's
trying hard to believe it, trying to work themselves into it. Some just
can't do it at all. And others, it's just by grace; it's just given to
them. Now, there is the difference. See? That does it. That's the real
revelation, because faith is a revelation from God. It must be revealed
first.
118
Jesus clearly expressed this when He said, "No man can come to Me
except My Father draws him first, or reveals Me to him first." You
ought to read that. It's St. James–or St. John 6:44 and to 46. They
didn't know Who He was. They thought He was just an ordinary man. They
thought Him just to be, as people does today, some prophet. He was the
Prophet; He was an ordinary man, but there was more than that.
119
Just like last night, speaking… When you get the book, you're going
to see maybe a little confusion there of what I said, "The two books of
Life." It's the same Book, but one of them is your natural birth, the
other one is your spiritual birth. One leads out to the other one, just
like a stalk of wheat. Whenever you talk of me, you talk of me as a
living person. But there's a part of me here is that person, that must
perish. That's the book that the name comes off of. But the eternal
one, the predestinated one, the elected one, the name never can come
from there because it was always on it. It can never be taken off.
You'll notice it in the book, so we save your confusion. You'll find it
that way. Because I think, Brother Vayle, who put the right grammar to
it, reminded me of it today. I said, "That's right."
120
The Baptists believe there's two separate books. And in one way it is
two separate books, and another way it isn't two separate books. I'm
two separate people… I'm body and soul and spirit, three separate
people, but I'm… Only one makes me as a being.
There's only real one Book of Life. Like there was one germ of–of the
wheat that come up through the stalk, and went through the tassel, and
out through the husk, and into the wheat; all the way along there…
You say, "Now, that's a wheat laying there." It isn't the wheat; it's
the stalk, but together it's the wheat. See, it's the wheat because
it's all one stalk, but the wheat is what you're talking about, the
grain at the end of it. The others was a carrier; it must perish. And
that's the one–one place sounds like you can have your name taken off
the Lamb's Book of Life, and the other place you can't do it. So that's
where it is. It's all in that great revelation there, which was made
known during the time of the Seven Seals. Why–it is why some people
can't believe It.
122
Jesus said that "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him
first. And all that the Father has given Me, will come to Me." No man
can understand Who He is, or how It is, except it be revealed to you by
the revelation of God. And then faith in that, you act accordingly.
See? Here we see plainly that God is revealed in Jesus, and only those
who were foreordained to see it, will see it. Be sure to read this
Scripture; I omitted it then, of that St. John 6:44 to 46. I omitted it
because I thought maybe we'd have a–maybe not enough time to go
through, because that clock up there just keeps moving.
And so we… You notice, "No man, no man can come except My Father
draws him first. And all the Father has given Me, they will come."
They'll recognize it. No other man can do it, no other person, no
matter how good, who you are; it's got to be revealed to you. Then you
see Who Jesus Christ is.
124
Now, here, predestinated plan is in plain view. Just as other seed, the
Word of God is a Seed and must have the ground prepared beforehand. If
you sowed seed, just throwed it out there on the ground, it would do no
good; the birds would pick it up. You throw it among thistles and
thorns; it'll choke it out pretty soon. Jesus' parable said so. So the
ground has to be made ready first. So God, in sovereign grace prepares
the heart first. He prepared you before the foundation of the world to
receive Him in this age. He foreknew you by his foreknowledge and
ordained you to Eternal Life. He knew you; therefore He prepared you.
125
That's the reason you staggered out of these things and staggered into
what you have now. It was God leading you to the place where He had
ordained for you to be. It… Or if it–this ground isn't prepared
beforehand, it can't grow. That's the reason the seed of faith, when
you're preaching faith, see the discernments of the Lord, and see what
takes place, and all the gifts of the Bible working; people working,
said, "Oh, hallelujah, I believe It." And come up and find themselves
disappointed. See, the ground has to be foreordained. And you know when
it strikes it.
126
Like my little eagle, last night. He knew when he heard that scream of
that mother eagle, "there's a lot difference between that and the cluck
of the hen." See, because he was an eagle from the egg. Not… He
wasn't made an eagle right then; he always was an eagle. And a
Christian always was. That's the reason the divorce, when you're
divorced, because you were trapped into it (See?), by your first parent
Adam and Eve. You become a sinner by nature. You didn't want to be, but
now you heard the Gospel, and faith cometh by hearing, revelation comes
by hearing. There is a little something inside of you.
Another man setting right by you, say, "Aw, I don't believe that stuff. Nonsense. I don't believe that. Nothing to that."
128
Like they did on the day of Pentecost, they laughed and said, "These
men are full of new wine." Though it was… It was a great thing to
those it was happening to. Why? It was God revealing Himself to the
individual. While others laughed, these were rejoicing. It was an
individual revelation, which is faith; faith that's revealed. If it
wasn't faith, then it wouldn't even be there. It was faith.
129
Just seeds has to have the ground prepared first. "Therefore, all He
foreknew, He called. All He called… All He foreknew, He
predestinated." If you want to read that, Romans 8:28-34, and also
Ephesians 1:1-5. See, all He foreknew, He did call. All He called, He
justified. And all He justified, He has already glorified. There's
nothing out of order. We think there is, but look in the Scriptures.
It's just hitting exactly the way God's Word said it would. We see the
Message is rejected today. Isn't that just what the Scripture said they
would do? Sure, all these things are ordained of God.
130
Oh, It should make you walk happy. That's the trouble with we today, so
much difference than the Christians of old. When the real, true
revelation of Jesus Christ being Emmanuel dwelled in the hearts of
those men, they were rugged people. But today we're patted by
denominations, with, "Oh, I tell you, they ain't got the revelation.
You come over here." You're depending on their revelation. If their
revelation isn't according to the Word of God, then it's wrong; mine or
anybody else's, that's where the showdown comes. The Word of God tells
which is right and wrong.
131
Any seed has to have its ground, of course. "Therefore, all He
foreknew…" See, He already knew what was going to happen. Notice,
Jesus said again, about the Seed, "Some fell on rocks, others in mixed
ground." See, over where there's thorns, thistles, and everything else,
It couldn't grow. And others on good ground, good ground, good soil,
which has been prepared, already prepared.
132
All that the man out here, he's like as a chicken, he's looking along,
trying to find. He hits into this, and he hits into that, but after
while there comes a sudden scream from heaven. He recognizes It right
quick, "That's the Word of God." See, he knows It because there's
something in his heart that's been told to him, revealed to him about
It.
133
Notice, the prophet Isaiah said, "A virgin shall conceive." What a
strange saying. How a–a man in his right mind could say that? There'd
never been a virgin conceive. "A virgin shall conceive." Now, he didn't
worry about saying it; he just said it. How's she going to do it? And
that's not his business. He… It's just to say what God said that He
was going to do. God revealed it to him, showed him the vision,
revealed it, and it was right.
134
Just the same God that told me that little baby would be borned by that
man who couldn't have a–the child or have a girl. Like others and
things, how it sounds strange when the doctor says it can't happen.
But when God says it's going to happen, it depends on what kind of a
word that falls in. Remember, the prophet stood up there and His Word
went forth.
136
Like God in Genesis 1, He said, "Let there be light. Let there be this.
Let there be that." Created man in His Own image, image of God created
He them, male and female, and there was nothing on the earth yet. Then
we find out in Genesis 2 here He made man in His Own image. There was
no man to till the soil, after the rest the creation. What was it? It's
His Words; He was speaking It. And when He spoke, He said, "Let there
be light." There might've not been light for eight hundred years
afterward, might not have been no light, but He said It. And as long as
He said It, "Let there be a palm tree. Let there be an oak tree. Let
there be this," them seeds was forming down beneath that water. That's
right. And in the season, in the time, in its own season, it brought
forth. It can't fail; it's God's Word. It just can't fail; It'd been
expressed.
137
Now, one day, God talked to man, face to face. But in time of Moses,
when the fire was falling, they said, "Let God… Let Moses speak, not
God; we might perish."
Therefore, He said, "I'll not speak to them like that no more. I'll
raise them up a prophet." That's the way God's system always was.
Now, here's a prophet standing; now, he's under inspiration; he isn't
thinking about his intellectual, "Now, wait a minute. If I'd say that,
well, you know, the people would think I'm insane." See, that's his
intellectual; there he's listening to Satan just like Eve did.
140
And as long as the doctor says that you can't live, you can't get well,
you can't do this or that… As long as you listen to that, that Seed
will never fall in that kind of ground and do any good. It can't. But
when something tears all of that away, and It falls in that bedded
ground, there's nothing can tear It out.
Now, no matter how long it takes, it's going to happen. Now, He said,
"A virgin shall conceive." Did you know it was eight hundred years
before that happened? God foreknew the woman, who she'd be, what her
name was, where that Seed would fall into. Do you believe that? Sure,
He did. And from a literal womb would come forth this great miracle.
God knew about it. He just revealed it to his prophet who was faithful
and spoke the Word. Without even thinking about what It was, he just
said It. He never tried to reason It out.
142
If you try to reason out… What if this man, this woman, or this man
setting here, or somebody try to reason, "And I been crippled all these
years. The doctor says, 'There's not a possible chance'"? Well, there
might not be as far as he knows, and that's true.
But if something can tear away them weeds, if God by His grace, not the
preacher, not nobody else, but God could place into your heart a
revelation that'll pull, "You'll be well!" There isn't nothing going to
keep you setting there. There's nothing can hold you there; you're
going to be well. But until that does happen, you're going to set right
where the doctor says you're going to set; until that happens. It has
to be revealed. It's the grace of God that reveals it.
144
Now, notice, God knew the woman It would come to. Notice Isaiah, there
was no question. Isaiah didn't say, "Wait a minute, Lord. Wait–wait
just a minute. What did You say to me? A virgin's going to conceive?
Oh, now–now, wait, Father, there–there–there never was such a thing
as that done."
He didn't hesitate; he just said, "A virgin shall conceive." Right.
146
Notice Mary: "Now, now Lord, wait a minute. You know I–I never knowed
a man. This is impossible. Nothing like this never happened. Oh, oh,
no, nothing like this ever happened. How am I going to have this baby?
I don't know any man, so it can't happen. Uh, Angel, you're just
mistaken. I've got an optical illusion. You know, my church says these
days are gone." Nah! It would never have fell in such a place as that.
Mary never questioned.
She said, "How can it be? I know no man."
He said, "The Holy Ghost shall overshadow thee. That's how it's going to happen."
She said, "Behold, the handsmaid of the Lord": no question.
150
See, Isaiah, when God produced the Word by thought revelation into the
heart of Isaiah, It fell into the right grounds; it was a prophet. That
prophet didn't care for any man's wisdom. He didn't care for any man's
intellectual. He didn't care about the person of anybody. He was a
dedicated channel to God, and God spoke and he spoke. That's all.
Whether it hurt, whether it didn't; whether it sounded crazy, whether
it didn't sound crazy; didn't make any difference to him. It was God,
not the man.
151
And when that Word went forth; now It becomes a Seed; It has to fall
somewhere. If God said It, there's bound to be a womb somewhere for It
to fall into. Just as He said, "All things are possible to them that
believe. If you say to this mountain, 'Be moved,' and don't doubt in
your heart, you can have what you said." See, there's got to be
somewhere that's right.
Notice. Now, we find that Isaiah here spoke It.
153
The virgin Mary, as soon as… The grounds was already broke up. She'd
been a virgin. She hadn't run around. The grounds had been already
prepared, or predestinated by foreknowledge of God.
Even said, "She was a virgin." Right then God knowed what her name would be. Her name was on the Book of Life in heaven.
Then it was vindicated. Men–then to man saw the expression of It by
the works, when it was already done. Now, we look back and say, "Sure,
it was done," 'cause we see the works that was done.
156
Noah's works expressed to man, what his faith was in God's promise.
Now, God met Noah, and He said, "Noah, it's going to rain. I'm going to
destroy the whole earth with water." Now, it never had rained; that's
the impossibility. Well, now, Noah got… Said, "Prepare an ark at the
dimensions that I'll tell you about." And him being a carpenter, and he
went to work and begin to take his split axe, and everything to cut the
boards, and fix it up there with the shittim wood, and put the pitch in
it just like He said. And do you imagine what people thought about that
man?
They said, "That man is actually crazy, because he says, 'It's going to
bring water out of the heavens,' and there's no water up there." But,
you see, Noah didn't think about that. His works was expressing to the
people what his faith was and what God said would take place.
That's the reason the genuine Christian separates himself from
everything but the Word of God, no matter what the people think, what
anybody else says. He's separated because… He isn't just saying that;
if he is, it won't be long till his works will be make known. He'll
fall back and slip this a-way, join this, and this one, start…
He'll–he'll show what he is. But if he's a genuine, if the Word of God
has bedded into him, then It's going to bring forth Its kind; you'll
see that man preparing for that great hour. See, that's the way Noah
did.
159
Moses, with a stick in his hand, came to take the people from Pharaoh.
Now, could you imagine… Moses, the Bible said that he was taught in
all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was smart; he could teach their
intellect things. He was taught all their wisdom. He didn't need to
catch up on his education. Now, you think about a man out there in the
wilderness with all that education, and then God appearing to him and
said, "Moses, take this stick in your hand, and go down there in Egypt,
and bring my children out with this switch you got in your hand. Just
lick the whole thing with this switch."
Now, what if Moses would had said, "Here, just a moment; I thought I
was talking to an intelligent being, this great 'I AM' that you say you
are. Now, how in the world would I ever take this little, old crooked
stick I got here in my hand, and take over an army of million of men,
armed with spears, fighters? And I'm not a fighter; I'm a shepherd. How
can I ever do that?"
There was no question. Why? Why? The ground in his heart, he was a
predestinated person. "Gifts and callings are without repentance." God
had told Abraham that He would do that, and there was the ground
prepared.
162
And Moses took this stick, and went down there, and took that nation
out of a nation. When he come with a stick in his hand, and told
Pharaoh, "Let them go."… Pharaoh seen in Moses the works, that he had
faith in what he was going to do, or trying to do. He had faith in the
promise of the God that had made the promise; he went down to take it
over. No other man would've done that, and no other man could've done
it; he was ordained to do it. God, beforehand, had told Abraham that
that's just what would happen. Then when the time of the promise drew
nigh, there was a little boy born, a fair child. And the parents, Amram
and Jochebed, was not afraid of the king's commandment. See, there was
something; the grounds was already prepared.
O God, I hope I'm speaking to ground prepared tonight, that the Seed
can fall in the right place, and it's going to be some… If it isn't,
it won't happen.
That's the same thing. Well, you say, "Brother Branham, that kinda
takes it away from us. If it does, it takes it away from Christianity
too. See, you can impersonate anything. But if the–if it really falls
in, the Word of God falls in the right kind of ground, it's going to
bring forth its kind. It's got to, because It's a Seed.
165
Noah… Moses, his works, expressed faith in the promise of the God
that he believed. Pharaoh, the man, could see what was… Not… he
couldn't see how Moses was going to do it, but he knowed Moses believed
what he was talking about or he wouldn't be standing in the palace
there with a stick in his hand. Said, "By this stick I'll take them out
from you." An old man, eighty years old, not an athlete: and old man,
stooped shoulders, and whiskers hanging down to his–probably his
waistline, and gray hair, if he had any, and there with that stick in
his hand, saying, "I'm going to take them out, let the people go, THUS
SAITH THE LORD. And if you don't do it, God's going to judge you."
Amen. Why? That's… See, it… Was he afraid? Why, just one arrow, one
spear, anything else could've ended it. He was fearless. He knowed
exactly where he was standing; said, "God will smite thee, Pharaoh."
Yes, sir.
For God told him, "You will come to this mountain again," and he knowed
he was going there. Hallelujah. We know where we're going too at the
end of this journey. God has promised. There's a land beyond the river.
Be fearless in your testimony. Amen. If it's revealed to you, you are
fearless. You don't care if the whole world, what they say; you're
fearless. When it's revealed to you, "This is the Truth coming from
God," then you can be fearless. If not, you can't be.
168
David, with a shepherd's sling, expressed to the whole Israelite army
the faith that he had in their God. Now, there was Goliath on the other
side, and he stood out there and made his boast: many times bigger than
David; he had fingers fourteen inches long. And he was a mammoth, big
fellow, the Philistine giant. And you notice David, the smallest one,
he was even too little to be in the army, too much of a runt, they
couldn't use him. So his brothers was out there in the army. And then,
Goliath was making his boast.
But David, now remember; it was revealed to David. He thought, "Here is
the armies of the living God standing in their own land, and there's a
boasting uncircumcised Philistine out there." We'll call him cancer
tonight; we'll call him paralytic.
Why, David was no kind of a match for him, not with any kind of a
weapon; he was no match. That man's shoulders was probably ten, twelve
foot across; he was probably standing fourteen, fifteen foot high, a
spear like a weavers needle, probably twenty foot long, the blade on it
maybe four foot across.
171
And a little David standing there with a little piece of leather,
goatskin or sheepskin, with two pieces of string tied to it. But it was
revealed to him. Revelation struck him. Amen. He said, "The God that
took me out of the paws of the bear, that took me out of the paws of
the lion, how much more will He deliver that uncircumcised Philistine
in my hand."
His brothers, way more able to do it, Saul, head and shoulders above
his army. But, you see, it wasn't revealed to them. Amen. There it is:
they believed it could be done; they believed that God could do it; but
it wasn't revealed to them; but it was revealed to David. So there's
the difference, right there. If it's absolutely revealed to you that
God is going to heal you, you're–you're going to get it. [Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.]
You're going to get it. I don't care what's wrong with you, what the
odds, it may be worse than David and Goliath. But if it's revealed to
you…
173
And notice, when it's revealed, David become fearless. He said, "Today
I'll cut your head off." Amen. That's our God, by grace, in that
crucial moment when decision had to be made, that same God that
produced the grace in that day, and dropped that seed of faith in that
little hunchback-looking boy, seeing in his heart; that same God, in
this crucial moment, could take that woman from the wheelchair, that
man who comes to the…?… heart trouble. When that little grain of
faith is revealed to you… And I don't care how long it takes…
174
Now, notice the giant on the other side didn't believe it; neither will
the cancer. He laughed; he said, "Am I a dog, you'd send a kid out here
to fight me?" Said, "I'll pick you up on the end of my spear, and let
the birds eat your flesh." Why, he had all the–all, everything for his
side.
But, you see, that didn't shake David at all. Why? It was revealed to
him. He had faith in what he was doing. He knowed he was going to do
it. And he did it, is because that it was revealed to him, and he
knowed where he's standing.
And if God would just spoke that, right down in your heart tonight,
said, "You're not going to be laying in that bed. You're not going to
be setting in that chair. You're going to be well," there couldn't be
anything change your mind in it.
But until that's happened, every preacher in the world could pray… I
don't say it wouldn't help you; it would; it'd encourage you. But until
that faith… See, the healing power is in you. It don't come from the
preacher. It comes to you by revelation, by faith. "Not by power, not
by might, but by My Spirit," saith the Lord. "My Spirit, by grace,
reveals this to you." And there's nothing can take it away: by faith,
revelation.
178
Then, David to prove his works… Now, some of them said, "I know
you're naughty." His brother said, "You come up here to see the battle.
Now, you get on back over where them sheep was."
He said, "Let me speak to Saul the general." You see?
And Saul said, "Now, son, I admire your courage, but you see, you're
nothing but a youth. And he's a warrior from his youth, you're no match
for him."
He said, "I was tending my father's sheep…" He could base it on
something. Amen. O brother. And the God that saved your soul, can't He
heal your body? It's just the same, reveal to you, He's your Healer as
He was your Saviour. See? But it's got to be revealed first; that's the
difference. He had something to base his faith on.
Said, "Now, this never happened before."
But said, "The same God that delivered me from the paws of the lion, will deliver me from that uncircumcised Philistine."
"How do you know, David?"
"I believe it."
"Why?"
"It's been revealed to me." And he said…
He knowed what he was talking about, 'cause when the giant said, "I'm
going to feed you to the birds"; he said, "I'm going to cut your head
off." There's the difference. See? And he did it.
185
Samson, caught out one day off guard in a prairie, and here come a
thousand Philistines upon him. And he looked down on the ground, and
there's where a mule had died, and he picked up the old jaw, jawbone,
dry as it could be, and took out after those Philistines, beating them
over the head with this old dry jawbone of a mule, and as far as I
know, not a tooth ever fell out of it. And them Philistine helmets was
probably a inch thick ('cause they beat one another with war clubs in
those days) to keep a man from beating them on the head. But he took
the jawbone of that mule and beat down a thousand Philistines, and the
jawbone never broke. He just kept beating them, like that, as they come
up. The rest of them took off for the rocks (See?); they was getting
away from him. Why? He believed it.
Sometimes…?… I want to tell you something else. Work on that
pulsation, that spare of the moment like Joshua did, like Mary
Magdalene, all those. Just that moment when something is revealed to
you, grab it. Hold to it, that spare of the moment.
187
Yes, it was revealed to him. He went to meet these thousand
Philistines. Now, what do you think when those Philistines said, "Now,
look, coming there, that little shrimp; only about four feet and a half
tall to begin with; with seven little curls hanging down his back, like
mama's little sissy (See?), come along there with a jaw bone of a mule.
And look at us, what a great army we are. Isn't that ridiculous?" But
what was he doing? He was expressing to those Philistines what had been
revealed to him by God. He grabbed the jawbone and took off, because
that's what He put in his hand; He put that in his hand; that's what he
believed: he could do it. And by doing so, he was expressing to those
Philistines what God had put in his heart to do.
188
John the Baptist expressed his faith by his works, and when he said,
"There stands One among you now."… Just think of that. St. John, I
got the Scripture, St. John 1:26. See? He said…
They said, "You say the Messiah's coming? Why," said, "man, what's the
matter with you? We been looking for Him for four thousand years."
He said, "He's standing right among you now." Hallelujah. So is He tonight. (uh-huh)
He expressed his faith by his revelation, because it was revealed to
him that he knowed he would baptize the Messiah. He was a man thirty
years old. He knowed he had to be there somewhere; he'd never knew who
He was, and there He was standing right among them. He said, "There's
One standing among you now, Who you know not, and I'm not worthy to
loose the latches on His shoes, but He'll baptize you with the Holy
Ghost. And He's right among you now." He expressed it, his faith,
because he knowed in his day he was to see and baptize God's Messiah.
So, you see, the people could see the expression upon him; in the way
he was preaching and the way he was acting was expressing that he had a
true revelation from God.
192
Now, to prove that it was true, walking right out of the crowd come the
Messiah, just an ordinary young Man walking down through there, dressed
like other men. John said, "Behold, there's the Lamb of God that takes
away the sin of the world."
"How do you know Him?"
He said, "He that said to me in the wilderness, 'Upon whom thou shall
see the Spirit descending, that's the One that'll baptize with the Holy
Ghost.'" See?
See, he knew Him because there was supposed to be a sign about that
time. (Are you catching it?) John knew just about the hour, 'cause he
was a prophet. It was revealed to him, that he know would be about that
time he'd see a sign. And when he seen that sign, he said, "He's
standing among you." He knew it was there.
Oh, I see the sign that the end time is here. I see the things that's
promised for this end time Message, coming to pass, unfolding just
exactly like the Scripture said. And I know that the time is at hand. I
say that without hesitance. I believe it's right at hand, for I see the
signs that He said would happen just before that time. It's ready to
happen now.
197
John expressed his faith in what God had revealed to him. Therefore,
works is faith's testimony. When they see you acting like you're
healed, then they'll know you got faith that you are healed.
What does testimony say? Saying this: "I have it now, 'cause I received
God's promise. It is now working in me. I am making ready for it to
happen." See, that's what you testi–your works does. Why, sure.
199
Here, some time ago, next to my last trip in Africa; I was just over
there this spring, but trip before that. There was a little baby that
had club feet, and one foot–leg was shorter than the other one. It
never wore shoes in its life. Oh, it was a most horrible deformed. And
I prayed for the baby that night; they'd watched and seen those things
done; they prayed for the baby. And the next morning I went down,
walked by a shoe store. And I walked in there, and there was the man
buying the baby a pair of shoes to wear. He believed it.
Like this man over here, that believed that God would give him the
baby. Sure, he believed it was going to happen, made ready for it. "I'm
making ready." Although no physical results seen as yet, but that
didn't make a bit of difference. He believed it, like Abraham, called
anything contrary as though it was not so. There.
201
Therefore, if your intellectuals does tell you… Ohhh, here's the
stinger now. If your intellectuals does tell you that this is the
Truth, God is the Healer of sickness, your mind can witness that that
is the Truth; but if there is not the bedding ground in your heart,
faith, to fall in to express it, it will not happen. Though much–no
matter how much this outside man can reason it with the Scriptures, and
say it's right, that still doesn't make it right.
How many takes the tapes? Did you get my sermon not long ago, "The
Anointed Ones Of The Last Day?" Did you believe that? See, it said,
"There will be antichrists. Antichrists would almost deceive the very
elected, if possible." Can it through… It can't, because it's
impossible; they're elected. See? All right.
But He said, "The anointed ones…" See, "Christ" means "anointed," but
these were anti. They were anointed, but anti, against Christ in their
teaching. Now, they could do anything that the rest of them could do.
204
Now, remember, you're in a cycle of three, but you're one person. Like
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, cycle of three, but one Person, three
attributes of the same God: fatherhood… Three offices like:
fatherhood, sonship, and Holy Ghost. And you are body, spirit, and soul.
Now, the outside body has five inlets to it to contact your earthly
home: see, taste, feel, smell, and hear. The inside, which is a spirit,
it has five senses: conscience, and love, and so forth. But the inside
of that, the soul, has one thing. That's where you live.
206
The Spirit can come out here and anoint you to do certain things, and
you do it, but that don't mean you're saved. But think of it. Caiaphas
prophesied. Judas cast out devils. See, the Spirit anointed him.
There's rain falls on the just and the unjust; the weeds can rejoice
with the wheat. But it's what it is at the core. There's where you can,
intellectuals can accept and say, "Oh, sure, that looks good. I believe
that." That still don't do it. No, sir. And the spirit can actually
make witness of it, and still it isn't so. Because if that soul hasn't
come from God, it can make all the impersonations out here, but it
cannot be real. You can act healing; you can act like you have. You can
act like you receive it. Christians can act like they're Christians,
and act and be ever so good at it, but that don't mean they're saved.
That's exactly right. See? The Spirit can be there, the real genuine
Spirit. The Holy Spirit can anoint you; that still don't mean you're
saved. It's that inside soul that never dies; it's got Eternal Life. It
always was Eternal Life. See? It come from God; it goes to God; it's
the soul.
207
Now, notice that, it's got to be. Five, f-a-i-t-h, outside; spirit,
J-e-s-u-s; on the inside, y-o-u. See? That's how standing here looking
at you, I don't know a one of you. The spirit can anoint me, still I
don't know none of you. But when that inside of the inside breaks in,
that's God.
That's where the outside can reason. You take a man, say, "Well, you
know, I–I know I'm not supposed to commit adultery. But, you know,
then the spirit tells me I shouldn't commit adultery. But, you see, way
down in there is still that thing in there." See, it'll kinda govern
around, and better watch it.
But when it's directed from the inside, it throws all the rest of it
together. That's the guidepost. That's the control tower, the inside of
the inside. The soul controls the spirit, the spirit controls the body.
So an outside whitewash don't make any difference. Them religious
people back there, that Paul called "whited walls," and so forth, they
were outward just every way the–a believer, and they had prophesies
among them, and everything else but the inside of the inside… "The
soul that disbelieveth…"
That's the reason I say people can jump up and down, and speak in
tongues; people can shout, lay hands on the sick, and heal the sick and
so forth by faith; all these great things there by the Spirit, still be
lost. Anointed ones…
212
Notice Jesus has said, "Only believe, for all things are possible to
them that believe." Faith and works are husband and wife; they work
together. The husband works with the wife, the wife with the husband;
they identify one another.
Like a man says he's married and yet he can't produce and show that he
has a wife; you doubt his claim. See? A man said, "I'm married."
"Where's your wife?"
"Oh, I–I don't know about that." See, see? Be kinda hard thing for me to believe him.
I say, "Well, where is your wife?"
"Well, I don't know." I–I ain't going to believe it.
So you see, if you have what you say you have, "I have faith." How you going to show me you got faith? By your works. See?
"I'm married."
"How do I know you're married?"
"This is my wife." See? There you are.
"I am married, this is my husband."
"I am healed."
"How do you know?"
"My works shows my faith." See, see?
215 Now, what–what you're speaking of: your faith is what God sees in you; your works is what the other people see in you.
That's the difference between James and Paul here, explaining about
Abraham. They never contradicted one another; they was both the same;
married.
So is faith that doesn't produce works, anyone has a right to doubt
your testimony. Now, do you hear it, before we start the prayer line?
If your faith doesn't produce works with it, you can't make anyone
believe that you're healed. Say, "Well, I don't know." See? "Why, yeah,
sure, I got all the faith in the world." You don't. Because, if you
are–got faith, then works is married to faith. They're husband and
wife, one–one identifies the other one.
218
Let's think of Abraham for just a few minutes. Abraham got that holy
union in complete (See?); he got the whole thing together. He called
things contrary to his faith as though it was not; and acted on the
same principle. I can imagine, after about twenty years, somebody come
by and said, "Father of nations? Abram, you said your name was
'Abraham,' which means 'father of nations.' Just how many children do
you have right now, Abraham?" See?
That didn't stumble him a bit. The Bible said he staggered not at the
Word of God, through unbelief. He went right ahead making ready,
keeping all the booties ready and the bird-eye and everything; he was
going to have the baby. That's all.
220
Even Sarah said, "You know what's going to happen? You're going to have
the baby, but I tell you the way we're going to do it. Hagar now is my
maid; I'm going to give her to you." ('Cause polygamy was legal then.)
"And she'll have a baby, and I'll take the baby myself." But Abraham
didn't believe that. Nope, he wouldn't do it. But Sarah was inspired to
do it.
So God told Abraham, "Go ahead and listen to her," but He said, "yet
this is not what I promised you. This is not the way I promised it."
222
Now, watch, he called anything contrary, and his body then dead, and
Sarah's womb the same. Now, he was an old man, a hundred years old.
Sarah was ninety years old. Now, notice. The deadness of Sarah's womb
or the deadness of his body wasn't even brought under consideration.
Listen to this:
of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but
through the righteousness of faith.
Listen to this, now:
might become the father of… nations; according to that which was
spoken, So shall thy seed be.
Now, listen, 19th verse:
not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old,
neither… the deadness of Sarah's womb:
226
At a hundred years old? Look, his body now dead, his manhood, and
Sarah's womb dead… He's… It wasn't even considered. When it's
revealed to him, that dead is not considered. You're a paralytic, or
whatever you are, that isn't considered. The wheelchair's not under
consideration. Or the little boy, maybe paralyzed, whatever it is (I
don't know), it's not under consideration. Don't even consider it.
"But the doctor said, 'He'll never get out of here.' The doctor said, 'She'll never come…'" That's not even considered.
"Well, look, I'm an old person; I'm getting middle aged." Not don't even considered.
229
And we are the children of Abraham (Hallelujah.), not as Isaac was, but
his Royal Seed through Jesus Christ by the faith that he had. Abraham's
Seed coming forth in the last days to shine like the stars. Abraham's
children. "Considered not his own body now dead…" Neither even
considered it. It wasn't even brought into question whether God would
do it or not; God said he would do it. Why? It was revealed to him. Is
that right?
When it's revealed to you, when it really… something… You can't
make it happen; it's got to be revealed to you. Then you don't even
consider anything else: how impossible it is, don't consider what the
doctor said; you don't consider what mama said, what papa said, what
the preacher said, what anybody else said. You just consider what God
said.
231
"He considered not his own body now dead, neither the deadness of
Sarah's wombs. It wasn't even brought under consideration. Oh, my, that
just shakes me. Body dead, nor the deadness of Sarah's womb, not even
brought under consideration.
No circumstances will be considered when faith finds its bedding
ground. When a germ gene from a man finds the–the egg in the woman,
and both of them fertile, something's going to happen. Hallelujah. The
doctor can say, "You'll not have a baby. I can prove that there's–your
genes are dead in your body, and her eggs will never be fertile." But
let that fertile egg, let that germ twist itself to that egg one time,
watch what happens; that little boy or that little girl comes on the
scene. Why? Faith has found its bedding ground. Works goes to work,
cell on top of cell, and here comes the little fellow. Amen. God, have
mercy upon us. O God, to be rugged Christians like we should be. If we
were men and women, you could take God at His Word. You can't do it
until it's revealed to you. (I got to hurry.)
233
Notice, the holy faith of God was united with the holy works of his
prophet. Remember, God's holy faith was revealed to Abraham. He
received it, and by there he started with his holy works, by believing.
The seed of promise had a place to grow. What if he said,
"Abraham…?… Well, you know, Sarah, after all, it's been twenty-five
years since God made that promise"? Oh, oh. "If something would have
happened…" See? But it wouldn't. God knowed it wouldn't.
What if the virgin Mary said, "Well, now, wait a minute, I don't…
A–a virgin conceive? Well, they'll throw me out of my church if I go
in and say such a thing as that"? Now, she would've thought those
thoughts if it hadn't been that prepared bedding ground.
When that prophet said, "A virgin shall conceive," that settled it. See?
"These signs shall follow them that believe." If a bedding ground is
laying there when that Word drops there, it takes ahold. There's
nothing can stop it.
237
Now, quickly, while we finish. See, the Seed had a place to hide. God
knew it, or He'd have never give the promise to Abraham. Now, listen,
real close now. God knowed where that promise was going to; He never
even called Abraham till he was seventy-five years old, but he was His
predestinated servant from the beginning, so was Sarah.
Notice, remember, he had no Bible to read from. He didn't have it as
easy as we got it today to read His Word and see others who've took It.
Remember, he only had It by revelation, and that's the real thing. Same
as it was by Joseph, in Genesis, there was no Bible. Remember, Moses
wrote Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. None of those
characters in there had any Bible to read till after Moses. Is that
right? They didn't have a Bible that we got to help us along in our
crippled condition. They were rugged men who–was revealed to them by
God, and they stood right there. Nothing moved them. Now, do you think
that we can still have that rugged faith? If It's revealed to you.
239
Pardon the expression, or the testimony at this time, just before
closing. I remember that up here in Twin Cities; I think Brother Brown
and them was with me; and I was taking the life of Joseph in the Bible.
And I read that Bible; there was a man there was nothing against.
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all of them had something against them, but
not Joseph. What a man, a perfect man, a perfect type of Christ.
When I read that, I just got to crying one day in my little old hotel
room. And I went over in the closet where I had my clothes hanging,
pulled the door together; I said, "God, I want to thank You for a man
like Joseph, a man who once lived on the earth, a–a man in flesh like
I am, a man that could believe You and take Your Word." He was hated of
his brothers. He couldn't help being spiritual. He saw visions. He
could interpret dreams. All of them hated him for it. He couldn't help
that; that's just what he was.
241
See, it just wasn't to the others. They ought to have loved him, but
instead of that… When he told sometimes things against them, "Oh,"
they say, "here comes that dreamer." See? And they hated him without a
cause.
I said, "Why did they do that?" And yet that man never moved; he stayed
right there. See? I said, "Thank You, Lord. O God, thank You for such a
man."
Right then the Holy Spirit revealed to me, said, "You'll have a son,
and you'll call his name Joseph." I got up from there and thanked the
Lord.
244
Becky, setting back there, had just been borned about a–she was about
a year old. She was with caesarean; it runs in my wife's family to be
caesarean; 'cause they don't unhinge like the woman should; the bones
are solid like a man, and she had to be cut from her mother. And the
doctor told me; he said, "Brother Branham, don't you never have another
child by this woman." Said, "Her womb is as thin as a balloon." He
said, "You'd better let me tie those tubes."
I said, "No, I wouldn't–don't think about doing that, Doc."
He said, "Well, you–you–you'll… She shouldn't have another child."
Said, "You're going to ruin her"; said, "she'll die." Said, "We had an
awful time there," said, "you just… She just did come through."
And then the Lord told me I was going to have a son and his name would
be called Joseph. I never was scared about it. All of you, many of you
remember it.
248
I went forth announcing it, "I'm going to have a baby and his name's
going to be Joseph." How many remembers it? Sure. All around over the
country, everywhere, telling people, "Going to have a baby, his name's
going to be Joseph."
Just the same as that little boy was raised up in Finland from the
dead. Brother Jack was right there when it happened. Told you, two or
three years before it happened, "There'd be a little boy," how he'd be
dressed, where he'd be laying. "God said so."
"How is it going to be?"
"I don't know. But it was revealed to me that it was going to happen."
252
It was revealed to me, "I was going to Arizona, and there I'd meet
seven Angels. And they'd tell me then what–a Message that I was to
preach." And that was the Seven Seals. It happened. How many remembers
me saying that, the tapes and things before it happened? And it
happened. Magazines, everything else took the picture of It. That Light
there in the air, they can't even understand It yet. There it was.
I remember calling Brother Jack and asking him about that, Christ being
standing there, and Brother Jack said, "That's in His glorified state."
See? I love Brother Jack. He's one of the best theologians I know of,
but I just couldn't hit it just right.
I was standing there, I said, "Lord, how is this? Young man here" I said, "with hair like wool."
And He said, "He is wigged." Watch in the book, before it ever
happened, I said that. And that day when that happened, it went up. And
then you turn that picture sideways, if you've got "Look" magazine or
"Life" magazine. Turn it sideways. There He is, just perfectly
Hofmann's Head of Christ, looking right down where I was standing;
there It is in the magazine. How many's ever seen It? 'Course, you've
all seen. There, looking right back, proved exactly the revelation was
correct.
256
Why wigged? Why, the old English judges, the Jewish judges, used to
wear a wig, they do yet in England; when he's… That's supreme
authority; he wears a wig. And that showed Him standing there wigged by
Angels' wings; He is the Alpha and Omega. He is the supreme Judge, and
none other but Him. He is to look upon as Alpha and Omega. And there He
was a young Man, no more… thirty years old, wearing a wig of white,
showing that He was supreme, God, "The Father hath committed all
judgment unto the hands of the Son." Hallelujah. The revelation is
never wrong. Speak it anyhow, no matter what it sounds like: goes right
with the Word.
257 Now, remember, four years later, my wife, we knew we was going to have a baby. Everybody said, "Is this Joseph coming?"
I said, "I guess it is; I don't know, but I'm going to have Joseph."
When
it was borned, it was Sarah. Then a man called me up, and laughed in my
face; he said, "Say, you know what? You meant Josephine." The man died.
The man died.
I said, "Sir, I said, 'God told me I was going to have a son and I'd call his name Joseph.'"
There was three people that left a certain denominational church and
come to our church, and heard me saying that. When Sarah was borned,
they said, "Huh, he's a false prophet."
I said, "Wait a minute, lady, I never said when; neither did God say
when. He told me I was going to have a… he was going to… told
Abraham, he was going to have a Isaac, but Ishmael was borned in
between that time, but it didn't take it away." I said, "God said I'd
have this boy and then call his name Joseph."
263 The doctor said, when he come up; he said, "Reverend, I'm going to tie those tubes now." Said, "I…"
I said, "Don't you do it." I said…
He said, "Well, you might get married again and have that boy yet."
I
said, "I'm going to have it by her. God said so." I couldn't read it
out of the Bible, but it was wrote on my heart by revelation by faith;
God said so. Didn't want to stagger at the promise of God through
unbelief.
Some of them said, "You meant Josephine."
I said, "I meant Joseph."
Doctor said, "She can't have another baby."
I said, "She will have another baby."
Four years passed, finally she was going to be mother again.
268
Then a woman (a false prophecy sent forth across the country) writing
words, said, "Now, Meda's going to die, during this time, because I was
sent to lead Bill." And it said that "He won't listen to me 'cause I'm
a woman, and God's going to get even with him now by killing his wife."
I said, "God sent Jesus Christ to lead me." See? I said, "I'm led by the Spirit."
Poor little Meda. We had a nurse that'd been healed there in a
meetings; you all know, Mrs. Morgan, and one of Mayo's nurses, the
worse cases of… Well, she's on the record, dead, about twenty years
ago, of cancer, Sarcomas cancer, in Louisville, right on the Baptist
hospital record. She's nursing in–in Jeffersonville, in the hospital
now. She's been there for all these years, 'cause God said she'd live.
And so, Meda loved her, and she said, "I want Margie come with me, Bill, I don't feel like going to the hospital."
272
I said, "Don't make… We love Margie, but Margie's not our God;
Margie's our sister." And I took off up to Green's Mill. She'd got me
all tore up, 'course I love her. I went up to Green's Mill. And I…
And she said, "Bill, you think I'm going to die?"
And I said, "I don't know, but the baby's going to be borned anyhow. You're going to have a Joseph."
She said, "Is this him?"
I said, "I don't know, honey. I can't say, but God said you was going
to have Joseph, and we're going to have Joseph. I don't care what
anything says; we're going to have Joseph. Then the same God that's
told me all these revelations told me that, He never failed on others
and He won't fail on that."
I went up to the mill to pray. And I started there, there stood that
Light hang between two trees, said, "Go back to your work and to your
book." I went back to this…
278
The Bible and was… And laying in my car. And when I did, the wind had
blowed it over to where Nathan was setting, and David; said, "Go tell
My servant David; I took him from that sheepcote, from feeding those
few sheep of his father's, and I made him a great name like the great
men." (not all the–the greatest name, but just like great men; never
made him a Billy Graham, but a… give him a name, you know) Said, "I
done that, but" said, "I can't let him build the Temple, but his
son…" And just as soon as It said, "His sons," oh, my, there it was.
I said, "Joseph?" That's right.
Right there in the house I went. And there's the little fellow, so big
she a big old boy, she couldn't hardly walk, going out through the
field. I run, throw my arms around her, said, "Honey. Joseph is coming.
Joseph is on his road."
281 Anyone knows, with caesarean, you can't let the baby drop. That night the baby dropped. [Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.]… broke, everything else.
Next morning, at seven o'clock, we went over to the hospital, the doctor said, "Oh, mercy, goodness."
I
kissed her good-bye; I said, "Honey, it won't be long; Joseph will be
here." Run up the steps, she went like that on the operating table.
A few minutes, the nurse come back, said, "Reverend Branham?"
I said, "Yes, ma'am."
She said, "You got a fine, seven pound, three ounce, boy.
I said, "Joseph, son, welcome." Yes, sir. Why? Why? What is it? It
wasn't written in the Bible that would happen, but the same God of the
Bible that revealed it to Abraham, we didn't consider the deadness of
her womb, the impossibility to being that way. You don't stagger at the
promise of God through unbelief, but you give praise to God, know that
it's got to happen. I don't care what doctor says, everything else will
come in all kind of a way, but don't you believe it; it's a lie of the
Devil. Yes, sir, true. Faith goes about, together with works, to create
the promise. (Let's hurry.)
288 Just exactly as I said, "Rahab the harlot," James said, "was justified by works." But why? Her faith.
She
said, "I hear that God is with you." She didn't want to see how Joshua
wore his hair or how he wore his clothes. She said, "I understand that
God's with you." That's all was necessary; she made ready.
Just as true vision today (I'm closing just in a moment.)–true visions
from God today, it's a promised Word for the day. Say, "These visions,
Brother Branham, where do you get that?" People stumble at that. Did
not Acts 2:17, said, "It shall come to pass in the last days that your
young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams"? Isn't
that right? That's what the Bible said.
291
All right, now if that's so, also look at Malachi the 4th chapter and
find out if this isn't promised today. How can you have faith in it?
The Bible said so.
Now, you take Luke 17:30 and read it. Jesus said, "As it was in the
days of Sodom, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man." Just
like it was at Sodom. Now, look at the position of the world today:
Sodomites. Look at that Billy Graham and Oral Roberts, them two
witnesses, down there witnessing to the denominational churches. One to
the Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian; the other to the
Pentecostals. This one, that one, and the other one.
293
But remember, Abraham wasn't in Sodom; he was already called out. And
there was One stayed and talked to him. And the One stayed and talked
to him, showed him a sign. With His back turned, He said Sarah was
going to have the baby that he'd waited on. Amen. With His back
turned… And he called It God, Elohim.
Now, that brings to pass today, because we have faith. And I know this
is of God, is because this and other Scriptures point to this hour.
Revelations 10 said that in the hour of the seventh angel's message,
when he begins to sound forth his message, not in a healing service,
but the message that follows the healing service…
295
Jesus went forth and preached; he said, "He healed the sick, and
everything. O that young Rabbi, that prophet, He's a great fellow. We
want Him in our church."
But one day He stood up, said, "I and My Father are One." Oh, my. They didn't want Him no more then. Yeah. Oh.
"Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood." He
didn't explain It. Said, "Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man,
and drink His blood, you have no Life in you."
Why, I imagine some doctors and nurses said, "This fellow's a vampire,
trying to get us to drink his blood." See, they didn't understand it.
He knowed it.
But them disciples, they might not have been able to explained it, but
they set there and believed it anyhow, amen, for it was revealed to
them. Yes, sir. They knowed it; the Scriptures had declared it.
300
It could be asked then to me, this that you might say, "Why do you have
faith to believe in these visions, when–when there's so many false
impersonations goes forth?"
I'm going to speak a little something, strong, just for a minute now.
When so many false impersonations are around, remember, my brother,
they are also spoken of that they should be here at this same time.
That's exactly. Just as it was in the times of Moses… Moses went down
to perform the works of God before the people, and there was Jambres
and Jannes standing there. But who was first to do it? Then these other
ones was impersonators, 'cause there had to be a original first for
them to impersonate. If they'd been the original… (Uh-huh). No,
we're–we're not–we're not lost, we know where we're at. See? See, by
the Scripture and by the revelation of God, that's why you still stand.
302
"Why, this man, he sees visions and so forth. He does this, and he run
around with this man's wife. He believes in the–in three gods, and all
these things." That don't stagger it a bit. And here's one thing they
can't impersonate: the Word. Notice. They can have all these things;
they can speak in tongues; they can shout, dance in the Spirit, and
still be devils (Uh-huh). That's right. That's right. But this Word
measures them up. See? That's exactly right. This is where it comes to.
As Moses, and Jambres…
And remember, He said, "As Jambres and Jannes withstood Moses, in the
last days these impersonators would rise on the earth again." Did He
say it? Well, we got them.
303
But that didn't stagger Moses. When Moses turned around and done a
miracle in the Name of the Lord, and here stood these impersonators,
done the same thing. That didn't stop him, say, "Well, I guess I'd
better quit and go off the field." He stayed right there. For what? It
was revealed to him. Hallelujah. He knowed by the Word of God. He
knowed that the Word would finally catch up with them. He knowed
there'd come a time when the Word would manifest Itself, and they
couldn't go no further.
So have I knowed this, all these years. See? That's right, that the
time would come. When any miracle that God sends, a real miracle,
there's always a change in the whole system. If God sends something
into the church, and the old system's not changed, He sent it in vain.
When a message goes forth in signs and wonders, there is a message
follows that. When Jesus went forth healing the sick, then come His
message, "I and My Father are One. I am He." See? See, they–they
didn't believe that. They believed His miracles. Said, "If you can't
believe Me, believe those miracles, for they testify to you, Who I am."
Oh, my. Glory.
305
Who was first? Moses. Then they impersonated him. But the great truths
still remains the same between the right and wrong; they cannot accept
the message. They cannot accept the message that's unadulterated, from
the Word of God.
I don't care, Judas could've done all kind of signs and wonders; but
when he come to receive the Holy Ghost at the day of Pentecost, he
showed his colors. That Devil can come right up and impersonate right
to the very thing, till it comes to this Word; but he can't take all
that Word. He can bring it all up, maybe to one Word like Eve did, the
Devil did to Eve, but he can't cross it all. Because the only… The
whole thing is the Body of Christ. See, Word now…
Neither could… They could not, cannot take the message now, neither
could Jambres and Jannes take Moses' message. They could not do it.
Their works of impersonation was made known, because they could not be
able to follow God's Word vindicated by His anointed prophet. See?
306
They could not follow Israel out. Why? They were denominational
Egyptian babies. They could not follow that Word. If they did, they'd
have to leave Egypt, deny all was good to them, and they couldn't do
it. Although they could impersonate the work, and do what Moses did,
but their folly was made manifest when it come time to leave. Then God
really poured out it on them.
Same now. They might do all kind of false impersonations and things;
that don't do nothing but magnify the right thing. And any believing
child knows that's the Truth. Here you see in plain view then, the
works of their folly of their impersonation. If your–if your work is
the true Word and vindicated by it, by your faith, it will manifest,
and the–and the promise of God in its original written Word.
308
Jesus said, "If I do not the works…" (Listen close.) "If I do not the
works…" (Let me add this to It.) "That is, if I do not the works the
Scriptures tell you I will do, then–do that in My age, when I come,
what the Messiah was supposed to do when He come. If the things that I
do, if God doesn't vindicate that Word that He said would happen, if My
life doesn't make that Word live just exactly what It said It would
do…" Don't miss this. Jesus saying, "You know what the Messiah's
supposed to do. Then if that Word that's written, and then It don't
manifest Itself through Me, then I am not He. (Amen.) Then the day that
I speak of is wrong, what John said about Me was untrue. And then if
I'm not that Messiah, if those works that Messiah was supposed to do…
He is to be the Lord your God shall raise up a prophet like unto me,
and you haven't had a prophet for hundreds of years. And if them works
that I do, that God promised, if they aren't manifested in My present
life, then I am not He. But if the promised Word of this age is
vindicated in Me, then I am He and the promise is come to you." (Oh,
my, don't see how much plainer It could be.) "If the promise isn't…"
Oh.
309
"Then if the promise of that day is manifested in My ministry," said
Jesus, "then I am He. So if you can't hardly believe Who I am, then
look at the works that's promised for this day." (Amen.) "Look at the
works that's promised. If them works isn't fulfilled, every one of them
in Me, then don't believe Me, because I've told you wrong. If you can't
believe Me, just look what the Bible said will happen in this day. If
it isn't happening, then it isn't right. If these false things isn't
here, and all these other things, and things that's supposed to take
place; if it isn't here, then I'm wrong. But if it is," Jesus said,
"then I'm He. (Amen.) I am He that was promised to come." Oh, my, same
works that was promised in His day vindicated Him to be that Messiah.
Don't you believe that?
310
Well, now, brother, if the work of Luke the 17th chapter and the 30th
verse, the promise of Jesus Christ just before His coming, that the
world would turn back to Sodom, and the messengers would go out, and
the things would be done just exactly; if that isn't taking place, then
don't believe me that I've told you the Truth. But if it is taking
place, then believe that It's Him, "In that day the Son of man will be
revealed." Amen. The Son of man will be revealed in a body of flesh,
you people the church, just exactly like it was before the days of
Sodom, a called-out group away from all of them, setting out, believing
the promise of God. Glory.
311
Then the works that the Holy Spirit is doing today by these visions
never failing, promises never failing, all the apostolic signs promised
in the Bible of Malachi 4, and, oh, the Revelations 10:7, all of that
is being fulfilled and proved by scientific, every other way. And if I
haven't told you the Truth, these things would not happen. But if I
have told you the Truth, they bear record that I've told you the Truth.
He's still the same, yesterday, today, and forever, and the
manifestation of His Spirit is catching away a Bride. Let that faith,
revelation, fall into your heart, that this is the hour.
312
Now, let us pray. Dear God, Who was manifested in the flesh in the
Person of Jesus Christ, that raised up from the dead the third day,
according to the Scriptures, and ascended on high, and sent the
disciples out to disciple all the world, and said, "These signs shall
follow them that believe."…
God, to the Pentecostal church of this day, the restoration of the
gifts; may, Lord, those men, maybe some of them present here, some of
them hearing the tape around the world, may they realize that this is
the calling out of the Bride, not a Pentecostal message. The
Pentecostal message was to restore the gifts back in the church. But
this is a calling forth of the Bride, another message that was to come
just before Sodom was to be burned. Let them understand, dear God.
Faith, I believe this, because It's revealed by Your Spirit through the
Word of God and has been vindicated and made manifest to the whole
world. Certainly, Lord, in the minority, always your groups are that
way. But You said, "Fear not, little flock; it's your Father's good
will to give you the Kingdom."
314
So I pray, God, that men will look away from their intellects, will
look away from what they might think is right, and look into the
Scripture. And it was spoken last night, let the people here think like
the queen did in the days of the great destruction of Babylon; she
said, "There is a man among you named Daniel, was in your father's
kingdom. The Pentecostal father was in his kingdom, and He is a
dissolver of all doubt."
And now, Lord, let the Holy Spirit that was in the Pentecostal kingdom,
the kingdom that was in Martin Luther's, was John Wesley's, and–and on
through to John Smith, and Alexander Campbell, and down through the
age. He's a dissolver; He dissolved the thoughts. And the–the people
in the days of Luther, that man, "The just should live by faith."…
The Methodist, He dissolved all the doubts, that "They should–they
should be sanctified." And in the days of the Pentecost they spoke in
tongues, give the manifestations of the Spirit by Divine healing and so
forth; It dissolved all the doubt in the Pentecostal's heart. But, O
God, they denominated. They went right back out to take men's ideas.
Therefore, now when the Bride is being called as You've promised it
here in the Scripture, reading It before the world, night after night,
and we watch It with our eyes, God, may It dissolve all the doubts in
the people's heart. May they flee quickly to the open Son, to be
ripened, to be taken into the garner and not be left in the stalk to be
burned, but may they go to the garner tonight, in Jesus Christ's Name.
Amen.
316
Thank you for your attention. Let God deal with your heart. Now, do
you… We got prayer cards give out. Now, we're going to take about
twenty minutes now for a prayer line. We want to line up real quick,
and come across the platform, and pray. And now, I don't know how many
cards was give out. I never even asked Billy one thing. I just said,
"Did you give out… Go down there and give out some prayer cards." And
he come back and picked his mother and I and them up, just awhile ago.
Now, I… What did… What… Did you with a hundred, or 1 or 1 to a 100 or what? 1-50. [Brother Branham speaks to Billy Paul about the prayer cards–Ed.]
318
All right, now let's have prayer card number 1. If you got it, hold up
your hand so I can see. If you can't… If you can stand up… if you
can't, we'll pack you. Prayer card number 1, right quick. Who has that?
What's the letter? A-number-1. (excuse me) A-number… This lady here,
you have that card? Come right here, will you, lady? A-number-2. Have
you got it, someone? Raise your hand quickly. Right here, lady, come.
Number 3. Got a card? You got a card? You all don't have any cards none
of you? In this… in… All right, you don't have to have it. 3, 4, 5.
A-1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Let's see, there's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. A… All right, here
they… 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Now, just line up, just start lining up.
319
Now, if you can't come, wave your hand like that so they can pack you.
I've asked these people here, that don't have cards… Don't have to
have; I'm just asking you. Now, look, you–you crippled people here. I
suppose you had to come early, 'cause you just… I told him early.
Now, you don't have to have a card, if you've got that faith like I
taught. See, if it's revealed to you, all right. If it isn't revealed,
no matter if you be in a dozen prayer lines, it wouldn't help a bit.
You know that? You believe that? See? I might pray; I'd do all I could,
get down on my knees, and lay hands on you, anoint you with oil, anyway
you wanted to, and pray… Until God, by–by grace, reveals that in
your heart, that it's over, then it's done. You don't even have to be
in the line or nowhere; it's done anyhow.
320
All right, 4… 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10… 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.
All right, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Is anybody I called that's got a card
and can't raise up? Raise your hand, got a card and cannot raise up?
All right.
I can see poor, little old Anna Jean setting, playing that all night
nearly tonight. I want everybody real quiet and reverent in here.
Now, prayer cards 1 to 15, I believe it was
They're getting a little crowded here, so let's–let's just start. What do you say?
321
Now, you're getting too many; that's more than we called. That's all
right. Stand still, just where you are. Don't no one… Just… you'll
get… you get prayed for, but just… See, just wait till they call
your number and then, you know, you don't have too many standing here.
If the Lord should do something, you'd blind it off from the people and
they can't see it. You see? God bless you.
322
Now, let's pray for these handkerchiefs, while they're getting ready.
Dear God, here's handkerchiefs laying here that comes from the sick and
the afflicted. This faith that we just been talking about, Lord; I
remember You saying in the Bible, in the Book of Jude, "Earnestly
contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints." And
of–from the body of the saints they took handkerchiefs, not because
they were special people, but because they were believing people. They
were men of like passion as we are. They said, "Elijah was like that
and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain." And, God, he prayed
that so the people would repent. You revealed it to him to pray for
them, to pray in that manner to fulfill Your Word. No doubt You showed
the prophet a vision. And, Lord, tonight I'm praying for these people
to be healed. I'm not Elijah; he was taken into heaven; but his Life
and Spirit still lives on. So we pray, dear God, that You will honor
the prayers of Your people. And honor all of us now as we'll pray for
these handkerchiefs, that when they're laid on the sick they will
recover.
323
We realize, Father, that we're a dying generation of people. We're
heading, faced–faced with eternity. The world has gone insane.
Murders; little girls being cut to pieces and ravished. The people, men
wearing their hair like women, women like men; they're just perverting.
The race is dying. The world's a-dying. Everything's a-dying. The
church is dying.
O God, bring Life. Bring Life, O God, Life of faith. Reveal to these
people, Lord. I can only pray and lay my hands upon them. But You're
the One that can heal them, and You alone can heal them. I pray that
You will, Father, to each and every one. Grant it, with my hands upon
them, and asking with all my heart; in the Name of Jesus Christ, heal
these people. Amen.
325
Now, is this mike alive, brother? Now, can you hear that all right?
Everybody hear that? Raise up your hand. Now, some way, another, my
heart going for these people here, setting here in this–this chair,
cots and stretchers… They didn't even get a prayer card. See? But
listen, brother (See?), these people got prayer cards, but that don't
mean they're going to be healed. There's people setting out there in
the audience, maybe… That–that–that don't mean
they're–they're–they're going to be healed. That–that doesn't say
that–that they will or will not be healed. That all depends on their
faith in God. How many knows that to be true? That's all, just your
faith in God.
Well, now, how many knows that that's true? No matter how religious you
are, how good or how bad you are, unless the grace of God drops that
into your heart, you'll never get well. Now, how many knows that God
has done it, and's done it all along, great miracles, signs and
wonders? And now, you're coming tonight, standing in this line, not
because you were chosen to stand in this line by God; that isn't it;
you just got a prayer card; you just happened to be at your… [Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.]
326 Exactly like my honorable Brother Gerholtzer here, started his ministry many years a… [Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.]…
with faith in God, believing God, believing that God healed the sick by
faith. And it never has changed, but God has added in this last day,
gifts, gifts that He promised. God did it be–not 'cause He had to, but
because He promised to. And if He promised, then He has to do it;
because He has to keep His Word.
And He promised you the same thing, that is, "If you could believe that
it would happen…" If you can't believe it, it just won't happen. Now,
I can't make you believe; neither can you make yourself believe. God's
got to give it to you. It's a gift of God to believe. Not your faith,
God's faith. Your intellectual faith might believe it fine, but unless
the faith of God is down in your heart… See, your intellectual faith
can accept it; do that and just keep believing it with all your heart
until God does reveal it to you. See? Just keep believing it until God
does reveal it. But until He reveals it…
328 You say, "Brother Branham, what'd you say there?"
"Yes,
sir." God sent a prophet up to Hezekiah and told him, "You're not
coming off that bed. THUS SAITH THE LORD. You're going to die there on
that bed." That right?
But that prophet turned–that king turned his face to the wall, and
cried out in bitter tears, and said, "Lord, I need fifteen more years.
I beseech Thee, Lord, to hear me." Now, the king was the greatest man
in the world in politics; but the prophet was, in God's sight. That was
God's king; but it was God's prophet. So God revealed to the prophet to
take some… boil some… [Blank.spot.on.tape–Ed.] Now, you know? Understand?
331
Now, that you might understand now, because I've preached the
Scriptures here, "As it was in the days of Sodom, so shall it be in the
coming of the Son of man." In the days that the church is being
revealed? No. "In the days that the Son of man is being revealed." What
is "revealed"? "Made known." That right? Reveal. The days that the Son
of man is being revealed, it'll be a day like Sodom and Gomorrah. Is
that right?
Now, look what happened. They had two main messengers down there in
Sodom and Gomorrah, because there was a bunch of lukewarm Christians
down there. Is that right? And they had two main messengers (Now,
listen close.) down in Sodom and Gomorrah, preaching. But one of them
Who stood out here with Abraham's group. That right?
333
Now, look. We have never in all the history of the church ever had a
universal messenger to the church that his name ended in h-a-m, till
now: G-r-a-h-a-m, which is six letters, G-r-a-h-a-m. But Abraham's name
was spelled: A-b-r-a-h-a-m, seven letters. See? So the universal
church, being the letter of man (six, man makes a organization), yet
has received their messenger. They've had a Sankey, Moody, Finney,
Knox, Calvin, so forth, but never a "h-a-m." Is that right? But they
got it, and he's a messenger, sent from God, and he's battering them
walls as hard as he can, "Get out of here. Repent or perish."
But remember, the elected, predestinated, foreordained covenant Abraham
and his group got a Messenger too. See? Watch what He did. He gave them
a sign that the time was near for the fire to fall. Now, it's fire now
we're looking for, atomic fire, the wrath of God.
335
Now, that Messenger did something. He spoke about a woman that He had
His back turned to, and told her–and told her she was doubting what He
was saying, told her her conditions and what was going to happen. Is
that right? Did He say that the Son of man would reveal Himself in the
same way in that day? Well, do you believe that's the Truth?
Well, here stands a woman…
And in the invisible union of the church, the Bride to Christ, that
Messenger is here now, which is Jesus Christ, the same yesterday,
today, and forever.
Now, He only speaks through His prophets. The Bible said so. "He never
does anything but first He makes it known to His prophets," Amos 3:7.
He always has done it. He never changes His pattern. See? And the
prophet can only speak, if He's true, what God tells him. Is that
right? That's true.
338
Now, do you believe He could tell me what's the matter with this woman
'fore I even look at her? Do you believe it? Why, she's suffering with
cancer. That's right. It's on her breast. She's got a boy on her mind;
he's suffering with a kind of a mental condition, nervous condition,
and complications. That's right. You believe that? And that's true,
isn't it? You believe now that your faith by saying that, has anchored
that you got it, you're going to have it? Then go, and the Lord Jesus
will make you well. Amen. See? Do you believe? With all your heart?
Now, do you believe, without looking at this woman, the Lord Jesus can
tell me what's her trouble? How many believes that? Now, you know…
And I've never even… I… Only thing, I just seen a skirt. I don't
know, couldn't tell whether it was man or woman; but just standing
there. I want her to believe. Do you believe, lady? Here, the patient,
do you believe? Raise up your hand if you believe. If you believe with
all your heart, you can have that baby that you're asking God for. You
believe?
You have faith in God? Now, that don't heal; that just identifies.
That's the works that identifies the faith of the Presence of God, His
Word made manifest.
340
This woman is wanting a great thing too. That's not a baby, but she's
wanting the baptism of the Holy Ghost. I tell you what do. If you'll
get rid of them cigarettes, God will give you the baptism of the Holy
Ghost. Go, believe It. See? Do you believe? Have you faith in God?
This man standing here is a man I've never seen in my life. I don't
know him, but he's suffering with something wrong in his chest. He had
a fall that did that not long ago. He isn't from here; he comes from
Arkansas. He's a preacher. Go on home and preach the Gospel. I've never
seen the man in his face.
342
There's a woman standing here; I don't know the woman, never seen her
in my life. God knows her. If He can reveal what her trouble is, or
something about it, would you believe? All of you? This is only a work
identifying the faith that I had to preach what I've told you about
tonight. That's what God revealed, and this is the works proving It.
Now, you have to have faith to get well.
This woman here, I don't–I don't think I know her. Yes, I don't know
her but I know somebody she knows, 'cause I see him standing here
before me. She's suffering with a headache. Isn't that right, lady? You
believe that God will heal you? Pearry Green's sister. That's right,
and I never seen her in my life. That's right. I seen Pearry Green
standing here, looking at me, going like that. That's right. I don't
know where Pearry Green's at.
Do you believe? How much do you believe? If you can believe, all things are possible. If you can't believe, nothing can happen.
345
That little lady with gray hair, setting there looking at me, right
here, you believe God? You believe that God can reveal to me what
you're thinking about there? You got a tumor on the breast. You believe
God can take it off of you? That's right. Have faith and believe. Now,
what did she touch?
The woman that touched the border of His garment, the Bible said… You
that want to get the Bible; He said, "He's a High Priest that can be
touched by the feeling of our infirmities." Isn't that right? He's that
High Priest, and He's standing right here, now people are touching Him.
Here's a little thin woman, raised up her hand, setting right here. I
never seen her in my life, but she just then touched something. Here's
what it was. She's praying to God. She has trouble in her chest; she
also has a stomach trouble. God healed you, if you'll believe It. You
must believe. "All things are possible to them that believe."
348
There's a man setting way back in the back, looking this way (about the
second row, coming this way), suffering with asthma. You believe God
will hear you, sir? If you believe It, God will make you well. You can
have what you ask for, if you believe It.
Here's a woman setting right here, looking at me, across here,
gray-headed. If you believe with all your heart… You believe It? All
right, that gallbladder trouble will leave you then, if you believe It.
350
What do you think about it, laying here on the cot? You believe that
God can heal you? If God will tell me your trouble, will you believe
Him? If you'll believe, that cancer will leave you, you'll go home. Why
don't you rise up, and take your bed, and go home?
You believe? Do all of you believe? Well, now, what about right now?
Has God dropped that faith in your heart? Everybody in here, raise your
hand. If God's dropped that faith in your heart, let's lay your hands
on one another, right down along the line here. Put your hands on…
Right now, quickly, while the Holy Spirit is a-moving, put your hands
on one another. The man's up, running down the line, praying for
others.
351
Let's stand to our feet and give God praise, everybody. There's no need
of going any farther. Identified Jesus Christ, the same yesterday,
today, and forever; you, what your afflictions are, whatever it is, if
you believe Him, stand upon your feet, right now, and believe.
Almighty God, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob,
send forth Your power and heal this group of people just now, in Jesus
Christ's Name. Amen. Glory be to God. God bless you.