The Resurrection Of Lazarus

1 Thank you, Brother Bosworth. Good evening, friends. We're very happy to be here this afternoon to speak to you in the Name of our lovely Jesus Christ. So happy to see you looking bright. This has certainly been one bright day for me. Although gloomy outside, but I'm beginning to learn more about the ministry of our Lord than I've ever knowed in all my life.

2 Last night I... It was last Tuesday night, Brother Beeler and--and you all, if you're taking recordings, I'd like to ask you and Brother Wood to be sure to keep last Tuesday night and last night for me. I want those recordings.

It was last Tuesday night, well, I've explained to you why I tried something. And last night I was watching the Holy Spirit as It moved around, and--and in this corner, somewhere over in this way, is a group of mutes setting. And I seen those--that hanging over those mutes. It would just go from one to another, like that. Well, I didn't know just exactly how to--to get it to them. And then I watched, and It went right back towards the back of the building then, over some lady was standing back in there. And It come back and went over in this corner here, just kept moving around. And I thought, "Oh, if I could just--just get that one thing for the people to believe, right now it'll happen, that--that'll be it, just... It'd be a climax like Vandalia, Illinois, was that time. So I just..."

And all of a sudden, why, I begin to see It, just look like drops a falling. I said, "If you'll just believe God, and listen now, you'll see something you've never seen before."

3 And then when I... The next thing I remember, the--the boy and them had me out somewhere else. So it was just--just so glorious. I believe that it's just coming to a place where we're just fixing to get somewhere in the meeting. The people are just begin to learn, catch on to what it means.

By the way, of speaking of Vandalia, as I got out of the car a few moments ago, there was a lady (which is in the building here somewhere now, she and her daughter) was giving me a testimony of Vandalia. She said she was... And now, if I get it right. I hope I do. She just told me a few moments ago, said, she was, when I was in Vandalia, she was washing her dishes. And she had a great big tumor, size of a grapefruit or, and said, she shook her hands, the Lord said, "Go up to Vandalia to be healed."

She went to her husband and he said, "We just can't do it, honey," said, "I only... We only got ten dollars, and so, I just got to have it for something else."

4 So that was on a Saturday, and she was so let down. So then she went ahead and went about, and commenced praying, said, "Now Lord, You done talked to me, now You talk to him awhile, so what to do with this ten dollars."

And said, after while, next morning, said, she come up, and it was raining. Her husband come, said, "Did you say you wanted to go to Vandalia?" Away they went.

And they got over there, they could... It rained us out in the tent, and they had us in an auditorium. And I was so completely gone, till I couldn't hardly stand up. So she said, she couldn't get a prayer card. And that's what she was relying on, getting up in the prayer line. I said, "Well, all of you line up, and all I'm going to do is just lay hands on you. Now, if you believe that what you seen happen, this is the truth, just lay your... I just lay my hands on you as you pass by. And each one of you be healed if you believe it."

Now, where I base that, friend, is on what He told me. He said, "If you'll be sincere when you pray, get the people to believe you, nothing will stand before the prayer." See?

Well now, the main thing, I said, "Well, I can't make them believe me, 'cause I have no education, very poor speaker, and oh my, no personality. I haven't got nothing. (See?) I'm just as blank." So I said, "How would they... how would..."

He said, "As Moses was given two signs of a vindication, so will you be given. (See?) And by this the people will believe you."

5 And so, at that time, the only thing I could tell was just what was wrong with a person, taking them by the hand, or holding their hand, or laying my hand on them like that. And then I just wouldn't say nothing, just let Him say it; whatever it was, is always a hundred percent right. Then He said this other would take place.

Well anyhow, the woman, she come by. And, "Oh," she said, "I just put my hand on her." She said, "She wanted me to stop and prayer with her. Tell her she had a tumor and all these things." Said, "She'd seen others, and she just wanted it done that way." But said, "It wasn't no choice; she just had to accept what come; that was all." So said, "Prayed for her." Said, "She went home with a let-down feeling."

Said, "You know, it was just about a month later, that she begin to notice that that wasn't sore any more, where that tumor was at in the abdomen here, wasn't sore." She goes to get examined; the tumor was gone. She hasn't had it since. The tumor's been gone, a tumor the size of a grapefruit.

6 Now, see, the lady herself, she didn't get it. See? But God knew it. See? She passed by. See, God was already speaking on this end of the line down here, on what to do. When she was washing her dishes, or whatever, some way she had her hands in water I believe she said. She shook her hand. And now, that was God speaking. Her life, probably that tumor would've become malignant and she'd died. So God didn't want her to die, so He just moved on her to go up there.

Well, then when He did that, well, then her husband... He had to move on her husband too. See, we ask God for things for--and sometimes we don't give Him time to answer us. Isn't that right?

Why, for instance, people say... You hear people don't even believe in Divine healing say, get down and say, "Oh, Lord, I pray that You'll end the wars over the world."

Well, my, my. For Divine healing you only got to change one mind. And for ending the war, look at the millions of minds you'd have to change. You see? So my, how hard it would be for God to do that. He has to work on this person, this person, this person, out there. In Divine healing, He just only has to work on one person; that's you. That's all. See? So it's easy to believe Divine healing, then ask Him to change--change the whole international program.

7 Anyhow, the woman, she... God told her husband. So they come up there, and that was God's program. Now, I told her, "If she'd just believe, when she come by, any of them, it would be ju... God would do just the same." And said it, that's what... I wonder if that woman's in the building? She was taking a picture out there a few minutes ago, a movie picture. Are you in here, lady? If you would, just raise up your hand. A--a lady that wa... Where? Oh, yes, yes, setting right out here. God bless you. That was the lady from... Stand up again so the people can see you. How long? That's been about seven or eight years ago, hasn't it, sister? No tumor, nothing, it's all gone; everything's perfect. Let's say, "Thank the Lord." [Congregation says, "Thank the Lord."--Ed.] Sure, He's real.

8 Now, what did that? The woman's faith in God. That's right. The woman's faith in God is what did it. 'Cause Jesus already had her healed all along. Don't you believe that? When He died at Calvary, just think what Jesus did. When He died at Calvary, healed everybody. Is that right? And when He died at Calvary, He saved everybody. There's no sinners after that. In the sight of God everybody was saved. He's the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. Well, you say then, "What do I do?" Then you... But it won't do you no good till you repent and accept it. Then if you accept it, then you go in as a Christian. If you don't accept it, you've already judged yourself. You don't have to be judged. If you go beyond mercy, it's already judgment. God done said, "The day you eat thereof, that day you die." So you haven't even got a chance. See? You've either got to accept it or go before God.

9 And you--you don't have to be judged, 'cause you're already judged. God done... He said, One time, "The day you eat thereof, that day you die." That settles it. And only the Blood of Jesus Christ stands between you and that. So we're happy today to be free in Christ.

Just think what's happened this week. People that was totally blind got their sight. Deaf, all kinds of things, is taken place, what our Lord has did. Oughtn't we to believe with all of our heart? I tell you, I feel like I'm... Brother Bosworth, I feel like I'm a new person to get started out in the ministry. I just kinda longing for the time to get back from overseas again to pitch back into some of these American meetings.

10 Now, I give out last night, I was going to preach, or talk on missions for this afternoon. But being that my time got away a little bit, I better just take a little subject and speak just a few minutes, and then go right on; because we got another service coming up right away. And I hope tonight is the greatest meeting that we've ever had yet. Don't you hope so? I trust there won't be one thing, but what God will heal every person in--in Divine Presence tonight. I believe He will. I'm looking for this.

And then tomorrow, we leave for West Palm Beach, Florida, to be there in the next meeting.

Now, there's not too many; I see only one wheelchair and a cot, I believe is what's left, as far as I can see. And to you this afternoon, I want you to look and live. I want you to have faith. And while I speak to you just a little bit on the Word of God, [Brother Branham coughs.--Ed.] pardon me, I want you to believe with all your heart that God will stimulate your faith.

11 You know, sometimes I think that... Wonder how the Lord feels about us sometime, when He does so many things for us, and yet we just set like we were in a subconsciously, don't we? Aren't we all guilty? I am. We just set and say, "Well, Lord, I--I wish You'd do something for me."

He can't do nothing no more for us than what He's already done. He's already healed us. He's already saved us. He's already give us joy. He give us His peace. He's our shield, our buckler, our... Everything that we have is in Him, and He's done paid the price of redemption to redeem us back as sons and daughters of God. There's only one thing in the world that--that is yet left undone, that is physical death. We've all got to die, because that was the only way God has of bringing us up home. That's the only avenue we can travel is through death to get home. So everything is under His feet, everything, except death. And death has done been... The penalty of death done been taken off and now we just go right into His Presence, and someday return back and be made immortal and live on this earth a thousand years with Jesus Christ. Amen. I believe that. I'm strictly a millennialist, I believe in the Millennium. I believe all these Hebrew prophets, and through the ages spoke on the golden age the Millennium coming, and I believe we're going to have it. We'll reign here with Him a thousand years.

12 Now, there's postmillennium, premillennium, no Millennium. And if you say, "I don't believe in any at all." That's all right, we're still brothers. We're brothers just the same, but I just kinda believe there's going to be that reign, that God... I wished I had time to get into it. I talk on it this afternoon, how that He unfolded, and then folds right back again. How that God unfolded Him before the beginning of time, how He--He unfolded Himself out of great something, that you see nothing, brought it into the Logos, and then into man.

And then how, last night I was talking, how He unfolds Hisself down through man, out of the Pillar of Fire, into the Son, out into man. How wonderful. Then how that man was brought from death, the penalty of death, how he come down: now, coming on his road back through justification, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, then back into the... From this mortal back into the immortal like He was in the beginning, and then back in the flesh again. Just like God brought Him in the beginning, to eat, drink. Oh, wonderful. See?

13 Man before he was this man, he was a spirit man. God made the first man in His Own image. How many says that's right? Well, what kind of a image has God got? He's a Spirit, is that right? So He made a Spirit man 'fore He made a flesh man.

Then He put man in five senses to contact his earthly home. He might've give him hands like a monkey, and foot like a bear, I don't know. But anyhow, that wasn't the image of God. God's a Spirit. But then God came down and was made in the image of man to redeem man back to Himself when He was made flesh and dwelled among us. And we go right out of this redeemed life, from this redeemed life into that immortal life again in the supernatural body, then back into flesh again, just like God, bring us right back to the garden of Eden again, just the same thing.

14 Could you imagine how beautiful that was that morning when Adam took Eve by the arm, went walking down through the garden? Oh, my. Those big birds a flying, and peace, and no sickness, never to die. She'd never have to use any of this here manicure you put on your face to make her look pretty. And she--she... That's wrong, I knowed, I... Somebody laughed. That is... what is it you call that stuff? Anyhow, it's--it's paint, you know, that you put on your face. Manicure, what, that's--that's in your hair though, ain't it? That's what you put in your hair. Anyhow, it's some way, I don't know, it's--it's something. I'm making it worse all the time.

Never will forget when my wife sent me to get a pair of socks one time, or stockings. And she was supposed to get them kind that's got the full style in the back of them, you know, it's got that little funny thing. And there's two different kind: one is called chiffon and the other is rayon. I believe the chiffon's the best. Is that right, ladies? Is--is that Chiffon? And I was going down the street hollering, "Chiffon, chiffon, chiffon, chiffon." Somebody, "Hello, Billy."

15 And I said, "Hello, hello. Chiffon, chiffon, chiffon, chiffon, chiffon, chiffon."

I got down; somebody got talking to me about fishing. I forgot it. So I went down to a girl I used to go with, and I said, "Hi, Thelma."

And she said, "Hi, Billy." Said, "What do you want?"

I said, "Hope wants a pair of socks."

Said, "Now, Hope don't wear socks."

I said, "She sure does."

"I beg your pardon," said, "she wears stockings."

I said, "Well, that's what I want." I thought, "I already made a... showed my ignorance," so I said...

She said, "What kind does she want?"

I said, "What kind you got?" I wanted her to say it.

She said, "Well, we have the--the rayon."

16 I said, "That's what I want." Oh, I didn't know there was two different kinds. I said, "That's the kind I want; I want it the full style in the back, that thing."

Then she got them for me, and I was supposed to pay sixty cents for them, and I think it cost me twenty. I said, "Well, give me two or three pair of them." See, I--I was...

So I went back up home to tell her, I said, "You see, honey," I said, "I--I'm Abraham's son. I'm little yiddish, you know, I just know how to get things." I said, "You women go to Louisville and look all around for bargains all day long, come back home, spend all your money, and don't have no more bargain you got right here at home. I just go downtown and get three pair of stockings for a pair of--price of one."

She said, "Did you get chiffon?"

17 I said, "Yes, ma'am." So I didn't know there was chiffon and rayon. All sound the same to me. After while she bought another pair of stockings. So I made a mistake, so I just thought I'd better leave away from that, you know. I... It's like this here stuff you put on your face and in your hair, and... That's for the women to discuss, isn't it?

All right, how many loves the Lord, say, "Amen." [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.] Let's read some of His Word here now and talk in His Word just a little bit, just on a little old... Now, I'm not, as I've said lots of times, and tell you, I'm not a preacher. I'm just one of these old fashioned sassafras, you know, backwoods, believe in an old fashion backwoods, sky-blue, sin-killing religion. You believe in that? Then we can get along.

18 I believe that it--it don't whitewash it washes white. Makes you clean from sin, straightens you up, takes all the crooks out of you, and put you off of--out of crooked street over on Glory Avenue. Don't you believe it that? Sure, the joy bells of heaven just ring, and you just walking every day in the Spirit. There's no condemnation to them which are... has joined church? No condemnation to them which has shook hands? No condemnation to them which has been baptized? Huh-uh. "No condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus."

How do you get into it? By one Spirit we're all baptized into one body. Is that right?

19 Saint John the 11th chapter. I want to read some Scripture, 18th verse:

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

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

.. Martha, as soon as she had heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him: but Mary sat still in the house.

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

But I know, that even now, whatever You ask God, God will give it thee.

Jesus said unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

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

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

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

She said..., Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, that was to come into the world--the Son of God, which is to come into the world.

20 Let's bow our heads just a moment. Now, Father, these few words, I pray that You'll bless them this afternoon, and give them the right place in every heart. And give them the right place in my lips, that we might glorify Thee and give faith to the people by hearing, for faith cometh by hearing. And may there not be any sick or crippled left in even for a meeting tonight, may they all be healed this afternoon. Grant it, Lord. May all the sinners be saved, the backsliders reclaimed. Get glory out of the service. We ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Now, we like to look at this for a few moments while you pray with me. And I'll try to watch that clock and--and let you out in plenty of time to get back for the services tonight. And I want to talk on--on Lazarus being raised out of the grave. In what manner was he raised? How did he come up from the grave?

21 Now, first we want to get the background of it and find out... And I want you to--to pray with me now, and give me your undivided attention just for a few moments.

I believe in the resurrection. I believe in a bodily physical resurrection. I believe in the physical bodily return of Jesus Christ. I believe that His Church is His representative on the earth now. I believe that the Church is washed with the Blood of Jesus Christ. And the Church is a Holy Ghost filled Church, preaches holiness to the very extremes. Don't you think so?

I think of in the Bible when there was a sin offering, they taken two turtledoves, or a cleansing for leprosy... Leprosy in the Bible was a type of sin. They used to take two doves, and one of them, they took and pulled its head off, and turned it up like this and bled the blood... let the blood come on the other live mate, take it to the window and turn the dove loose, the live one, and is--as it fluttered its little wings, why, the blood fell down to the ground off of its dead mate, and that blood hitting and splattering on the ground from the dead mate, cried to the Lord, "Holy, holy, holy, unto the Lord."

22 How perfect that is of the Church. How that Jesus Christ, when God came down and was manifested in flesh, took upon Himself the form of sinful flesh, was killed and crucified at Calvary, and the Blood of the dead mate is put upon the Church, the living Bride, and She goes across with her wings a flapping and the Blood of Jesus Christ crying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty," a perfect cleansing for leprosy.

Leprosy, there was no cure for leprosy. They haven't found it yet. Only God can cure leprosy. They haven't found even nothing for it, to help it. But it's a type of sin. It sets in so gradual; it's painless. Just moves right in; you don't know it until you're dying. Big white warts come out all over you, limbs drop off and everything, eat you right into the... Just--just eats you up, leprosy. Jesus was the only One Who could heal this leprosy. He's the only One today Who can heal this leprosy.

23 But now, in the beginning of Jesus' ministry, He's such a great Person, there never was no one ever on the earth like Him, and there never will be anyone like Him. He was--He was the only begotten Son of Almighty God. We are sons by adoption, through Him. But He is God's only begotten Son.

Adam was God's son. Do you believe that? He was God's creative son. But this is His begotten Son. God begotten His Son.

It's just like the blood. The bloodstream comes from the male sex; we know that. The mother is just the incubator for the child. And the mother's blood has nothing to do with the child at all. Although it's born in the blood of the mother, but it has nothing to do with it. It hasn't got one drop of the mother's blood in it; it's the blood of the father. And the life lays in the blood.

24 Here, many of you people round here, you--you're farmers, perhaps you go out on the farm to get your poultry and stuff. Look at a hen. A hen can lay the egg. And she don't necessarily be with the male to lay the egg. And it's a--it's a egg just the same, everything just like. But it'll never hatch. It'll just lay right there, and it'll rot. You can set that egg, but if it isn't fertile, if she hasn't been with the male bird, it'll--it'll never hatch, it's no good. For it hasn't got the blood in it. The blood come from the male. Well, that's... No matter, if the old hen can set there on that egg until she got so poor she couldn't get off the nest. Well, the egg won't hatch; it'll rot.

25 I've often made this expression, that's just about like the church today. And every form of godliness we have, go to church, pay your tithes, good church member and everything like that, but brother, they'll never be able to get anywhere, you'll just have a nest full of rotten eggs until they get in contact with the Mate, Jesus Christ, and be borned again. That's right.

The old church can hover it, till she gets so poor she can't off (That's right.), and don't know nothing else but churchism. But I tell you brother, until a man's borned again, it won't do any good, and he can't be born again until Life comes into him. That's right.

Now, looky how God planned that. Now, God is the male part of--that brought Jesus Christ here. Now, God's a Spirit, so there couldn't be any sex. There couldn't be any sexual desire. Because if it was, then Jesus wasn't born a virgin birth. So God is a Spirit, and He overshadowed this Mary and created in her the Blood cell that brought forth the Son of God. And it's through His holy Blood that we have access to life. And our sexual blood is dismissed, and we have the Blood of Jesus Christ that stands for an atonement, making an atonement for our sins. How beautiful the picture. You believe that? You have to be if you're saved. You can't accept nothing else and be saved. Only He was the virgin born Son of God. God Almighty just overshadowed the woman; she knowed nothing about a man. And so He just overshadowed her and created in her, this cell.

26 Not long ago up in the mountains, I think Dr. Akerman, if I'm not mistaken is setting here this afternoon. We was together up in the mountains not long ago. And a perfect infidel come to me and tried to argue with me, as a rancher up there, that there was no such a thing as that virgin birth, it was all nonsense, that there was just a little old slip-up like they always have in every age. Joseph was the father of that baby. I said, "Nope. God was the Father of that baby".

"There is no such a thing." he said, "There is no such a thing." Said, "It's all against scientific research. Corn won't even poll without natural male and female. And woman couldn't have a baby without actually being with the male."

27 I said, "Do you believe..." And he just got through telling me that the first man was a sponge, then he become a polliwog, then he become a frog, and then he become a tadpole, or something or another. He brought it on down to a fire eating dragon, and then finally a monkey, and then put a collar and tie on him and called him a man that was... Um, such nonsense.

And remember, did you ever read the ethics of Darwin on that. Why, it's crazy. And you people over here, this side of the river let them teach it over here in the schools. That's a weakness of Christianity. When you sch... Said that little old polliwog scooted around for a thousands of years on his shoulder, and he wore a little wart there and a arm come out. Then he quit scooting on that side, he scooted on the other side another thousand years and wore another wart, and another arm come out. Nonsense. Oh, my. Anybody could believe that could... I ain't got that much faith; I just believe what God said. That's all. I haven't got that--that much. That takes too much faith for me. I'd just rather believe what God said, that He created man; that's all there was to it.

So anyhow, that... And then I asked him, I said, "Then you believe that Jesus had a mother, but He had to have a father too."

He said, "Yes, sir."

28 I said, "I want ask you something then. Where did the first man come from? And who was his father and mother? According to science, he had to have a both father and mother. And who was the first man's father and mother? Let him be monkey, tadpole, sponge, whatever he might be, according to your statements, he had to have a father and mother."

He's never answered me to this day. He can't either. Oh, I'm telling you, folks; some people so narrow between the eyes, you lay a lead pencil like that, it'd blind them. That's the truth. That... It's the truth. Yes, at... They just jump at anything just for a conclusions. You don't stop and try to weigh it out. Weigh it against this: this is the only scientific Book there is in the world. This is the only thing... Here's the only Book that tells you where you come from, who you are, and where you're going. That's the only Book there is in existence, is that Bible. And I believe every word of It, just, I believe it just like it's just written there. I just ready to hang my soul on any phase and say it's THUS SAITH THE LORD. Yes, sir.

29 Some little fellow not long ago had went away to a school. And he'd learned a whole lot he ought not to learn. Now, I ain't got nothing against schools, and education, and seminaries, and so forth. But you take God call a preacher, and the first thing you know, they take him out to a seminary and--and they pump all out of him there is of God out of him, and then pump some of the theology in him, and send him off like that. And he's worse then he was when he went there. Now, that's true.

Now, look friends, I come up here to do, to talk about God and His--His work, and I--I don't know nothing but just hit the axe right to the root of the tree and let the chips fall wherever they want to. That's right.

And brother, that's true. They pump out of him what God put in him. That's... It puts in mind, going round like a big old morgue, you know, out there, cold, dead, place, the icicles, the spiritual thermometer about ninety below zero, and go in to it. A--a morgue, always takes a man that's dead and pumps something into him to make him stay dead. That's just about the way it is; they pump all that's in there could be life out, and throw the dead stuff in him. That's right; keep him dead. That's, oh, it's such a pity.

And this little old woman got sick, she got pneumonia. So she called for her son to come home; the doctor said she was going to die. Some little old Holy Ghost woman was led by the Spirit, went up and told her, said, "You know, you believe in Divine healing?"

Said, "Never heard about it."

30 Said, "The Bible said they'd lay hands on the sick and they shall recover." Why, she wanted to know all about it then. So they went, and said, "Let my pastor come up and pray for you."

So the Full Gospel pastor went up and prayed for the woman. And when he went up and prayed for her, God healed her.

A few weeks after that, the boy come home, said, "Mother," said, "you know what, the strange thing to me," said, "I, why--why, how'd you get well so quick?"

31 She said, "Oh, honey, I got something to tell you." She said, "That woman that used to come by here sell milk," said, "she goes to that little bunch of holy-rollers down there." Said, "You know they believe in Divine healing? And he come up here and read out of me," said, "to me out of the Bible in Mark 16 that, 'These signs will follow them that believe; they'd lay hands on the sick and they'd recover.' And he prayed for me, anointed me with oil, laid hands on me, and the Lord healed me." Said, "Oh, praise the Lord."

He said, "Mother, ridiculous," said, "you shouldn't get mixed up with that bunch of people, well," said, "you begin to act like them." Said, "That--that's a shame."

Said, "Why," she said, "honey, he read it out of the Bible."

"Well," said, "mother, we've learned in the seminary that Mark 16 from 9th verse on is not inspired."

She said, "Well, hallelujah."

Said, "Mother, what's the matter with you?" Said, "What are you doing?"

32 She said, "Well, I was just thinking, if He could heal me with uninspired Word, what would He do with that was inspired?" Said, "How, how much more... (That's right.) If he just... If the uninspired Word could do it, what would the one's really inspired do?"

So that's right friends, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

And introducing His Life to the world, we find out to go back to His Life just a few moments, and interview His Life. God spoke from the garden of Eden that He would send Him. Don't you believe that? He said that He'd put enmity between the woman's seed and the serpent's seed, and He did that in Christ.

33 Then when Jesus... About the time that God was going to do something... Before God does anything He always sends mercy before judgment. He always sends warning. And when man won't heed the warning, there's only one thing left, that's judgment. That's right. "If you die in your sins, where I am you cannot come." God sends preachers and everything and gives warning, sends His Spirit and warns the people.

Now, before He sent Jesus, He sent a warning to the people to make ready His coming. And may I stop here just a minute to say this with a deepest of sincerity: I believe the things that you're seeing taking place today across the world, is a warning: Jesus is coming.

Down in Korea, the Methodists and Baptists, and them down there are having such a revival, they're receiving the Holy Ghost and speaking with tongues, and having healing services, and everything else, in Korea. Let the pressure come on brother, it'll push you to God. You don't have to wonder whether you're a Methodist or Baptist; just start praying; God will take care the rest of it. You just start tak... Just pray, get close to God.

34 A minister just returned, said to me, said he went into this bunch of people, he said, "Well, are all those Pentecostal people?"

Said, "There ain't a Pentecostal in the bunch of them."

"Well, look at them all speaking with tongues and shouting."

He said, "Ha-ha. The pressure just pushed them into it." That's all. Don't worry God will do it. He will push it into them.

We thinking about, "This church is ours, and that church is ours." When Solomon built the temple, it was cut out from all over the world. And when it come together, one block turned this way, and one turned that way, but there wasn't the buzz of a saw or sound of a hammer for forty years. Every block just went right to its place, and the temple was built.

35 And that's the way it's going to be in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the pure in heart shall see God. But the reason we builders are not getting anywhere, the same way they did back there, the Chief Cornerstone was rejected. And that's what's the matter today with the Methodists, Baptists, Pentecostals, and all: the Chief Cornerstone, which is Jesus Christ, is rejected. We have all of our theology--theology and things; we speak of this, and what our church believes, and what our church don't believe. We teach it in, pump it in, everything like that. But the baptism of the Holy Ghost and the power of God to let freedom in amongst the people, is rejected. And that's the very cornerstone that'll build the church that'll go home to meet Jesus. Hallelujah. I believe it.

36 The cornerstone is kicked out in a bunch of weeds. They built their church, and they built their church; but come to find out, the place where they'd left undone, that cornerstone fit right into it. And today where all the power, signs and wonders is been left undone, you find out the Holy Ghost fits right in there; for He is the One Who brings the power of God into the Church. Amen.

God always sends His warnings. Just before the coming of Jesus, He sent an Angel down out of heaven by the name of Gabriel. Now, minor angels comes, my, yes, you see angels. Every one has a guardian angel according to the Scripture. Jesus said, "Their angels always beholds my Father's face which is in heaven."

37 Here some time ago, a minister told me, said, "Brother Branham, there is no such a thing as seeing angels. Angels don't lead the Church; the Holy Ghost leads the Church."

I said, "That's right. But we still have angelic beings as ministering spirits sent from the Presence of God."

He said, "Well, our church don't believe in that."

I said, "I don't know what your church believes; I know what the Bible teaches."

He said, "Well, Brother Branham, angels might have been back in Daniel's time and back there, but not since the Holy Ghost is come, no angels."

I said, "Do you believe that Philip had the Holy Ghost?"

"Certainly."

38 "Well, who was it come to him and told him to leave that great big revival they was having and go out into the desert to meet that Ethiopian? Was it the Holy Spirit? No, sir, the Angel of the Lord come to him." Is that right? Philip had the Holy Ghost. How many believes Peter had the Holy Ghost? You all do. Well, who was it that night when he was in jail, they was going to cut his head off the next morning. They was having a prayer meeting down at John Mark's house. Who was it shined in there, fire Light come and hung over him and touched him and raised up, dropped the shackles off of him, opened up the doors and set him out on the street? The Angel of the Lord. That's exactly. He had the Holy Ghost.

Who was Paul, that great saint, fourteen days and nights, no moon, stars, all hopes they'd ever be saved was gone. And he went down in the gallery to pray, and he come out said, "Wherefore be of a good courage, for the Angel of God, whose servant I am, stood by me last night, saying, 'Fear not Paul.'" Is that right? The Angel of God.

39 Look the Isle, over on the Isle of Patmos, the whole Book of Revelations was revealed by an Angel. "I, Jesus has sent My Angel to show you things that'll shortly come to pass." Is that right? The whole... And John started to worship the Angel. But a true Angel will never stand to be worshipped. No, sir. He say, "Worship God." That's true. Oh, there's false angels, true, just like there's false spirits and so forth. But a true Angel of God will always point you to Jesus Christ. Yes, sir.

Paul said, "If--if an Angel from heaven will come preach any other Gospel, then that which you've already heard, let Him be accursed." Is that right? So watch what the Angel teaches. If it's bringing along in the Gospel and sound in doctrine and everything according to the Bible, then believe it.

So God always sends angelic beings to warn the world. He... I believe that there's angelic beings in the earth today, are warning the world of judgment to come. I could go a little bit on your flying saucer here just for a few minutes, but I won't take that much time. But anyhow, did you notice, before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, which is a perfect thing of today, God sent Angels down there to call Lot out? Is that true?

40 Look, just before the coming of the righteous One, the great Son of God, God sent an Angel down. And that Angel come to a home that was a respected home. If you want Angels to visit your home, be like Zacharias' home. Him and Sarah was living upright before the Lord, keeping all the statutes and all the commandments of the Lord, living in perfect obedience to the Word in the light that they had. And Zacharias, his office was to wave incense, burning incense at the altar while the people were praying. And while he was waving this incense, standing on the right hand side of the altar stood Gabriel, the great Archangel.

Now, Angels can come, but when you hear of Gabriel coming, be ready, something major's on the road. Gabriel announced the first coming of Jesus. And Gabriel will announce the second coming of Jesus. That's right.

41 Notice, Gabriel come to Zacharias and told him... He was old, his wife had always prayed for children. What a difference today it is. It's a shame the way our nation is, the people is polluting the nation. There's nothing wrong... Someone said, "Brother Branham, do you think the communist will ever sweep over America and take America?"

No, sir. I don't believe it. It isn't communist that's going to hurt us; it's our own rottenness right among us is what's a hurting us. It ain't the robin that pecks on the apple that hurts the apple; it's the worm at the core that rots the apple. And our own demoralization that we got among us now, our women smoking cigarettes and drinking whiskey, and the barrooms and things filled at night, and cussing and carrying on, that's what is killing us. These churches around here having a form of godliness, denying the power thereof, that's what's killing us. Amen. That's exactly right.

42 Here was Zacharias standing there... I want you to notice. He said, "Now, after the days of this ministration here, you go home to your wife, and she's going to conceive and bear a son. And you'll call his name John." And look at that callous man now. That just goes to show about how callous people can get. He had plenty of examples, Hagar, and Sarah, and them. Sarah being a hundred years old and received a child. He said, "These things can't be; my wife's too old."

He said, "I am Gabriel, that stands in the Presence of God. My words will be fulfilled in their seasons. But you'll be dumb till the day the baby's born."

43 Oh, my. When God speaks, all Heaven records it. I tell you; it's got to happen. No matter how funny it seems, and how unreasonable it seems, it's going to happen anyhow. 'Cause God said it was. "And My Words will be fulfilled in their season."

After the people seen that he didn't come out, they looked and wondered what was the matter with him. After while he come out, they seen he was a mute. He couldn't speak, he--he beckoned to the people to go away. Went home, and his wife conceived. She hid herself. And then about six months later... I like to give this a little drama.

Let's go down in Nazareth, a wicked town, way worse than Evansville: wicked, really, the worse town in the world. And here's a little virgin living there. No matter how wicked the city is, and how other girls do, and how other men do, you can be a Christian anywhere.

44 Notice, I see her going down to the virgin springs. God willing, I want to pass through there next few months. And then with a--a big Oriental type water jug setting on her head, here she comes packing the water up; it's wash day. That's the worse day that I ever knowed of around the house. I still even... We got a electric washer; I still hate to see wash day come around at home. And then mom used to, down in Kentucky, we had an old boiler, or an old kettle set out in the back yard. How many remembers them old kettles? Look at the country folks. Well, I'll take off my tie now; I feel like I'm at home.

Look, brother, yes, sir, old kettle. And I used to have cut wood and pack that kettle and put under there and--and boil them clothes. And oh, my, that old home made lye, you know, and get that old soap and everything, scrub on a washboard, it was a sweaty day.

45 Now, I remember then, they come around and get a kettle in the fall of the year to cook preserves in them. You remember that? I used to have to cook the preserves. And I remember one time chopping an old locust post, old fence rails and things, trying to get that stuff to boil enough. It looked to me like it was hot enough to can. These little old yellow tomatoes, you know, gourd tomatoes. I... Did you know, they'd go right good now between hot biscuit, and some good fashion white country butter. Wouldn't that go good? My, I should say, that's--that's real eating.

And I remember mom would get a great big kettle of them and cook them. And I'd chop wood and put under there. I'd say, "Now, mama, them things are hot."

And she said, "Honey, you... they got to get hotter."

And I'd say, "Why do they have to get any hotter?"

46 She said, "They have to get so hot until they go to popping." Go pomp, pomp, pomp, like that. I said... Said, "Then they're getting sweet." Huh. Said, "Just keep pouring the wood on. They'll get sweet enough after while." Said, "That mixes all the juices and everything together, and that runs all the sugar with the juices, and that gets them ready for canning."

I thought, "That's about right with an old time Holy Ghost meeting too. Just keep throwing the old Gospel wood on there, brother, and let her get hot enough till you have a testimony meeting, pop, poof, pop, poof, pop, like that. Runs all the devil out and gets the Holy Ghost munching around with the people like that, sweetened up. Then you have an old fashion revival on. Just keep laying the wood on it, blowing it just as hard as you can, fanning it. God will take care of the rest of it. It'll sweeten up the preserves and you can can them down then." Yes, sir.

47 I can think of the Angel speaking to Gabriel, or Gabriel speaking to the priest. He went up home, and about six months later, here comes Mary with this kettle on her head, or pot of water, and right in the face of the road shined a big Light, shining down from heaven. Walking into this Light, came the great Archangel Gabriel, said, "Hail, Mary, blessed art thou among women."

Why, the salute kinda frightened the little virgin, she jumped back, she didn't know what it was. There stood the great Archangel, standing in her presence: told her all about Zacharias' wife, Elisabeth, which was her cousin. John and Jesus were half--were second cousins, or first, second cousins. Mary and Elisabeth were first cousins. And told her about that, and said, "You're going to have a Child, knowing no man."

She said, "How will it be?"

Said, "The Holy Ghost is going to overshadow you." And said, "That holy Thing will be born in you will be called the Son of God."

48 Now, I want you to notice the difference. Now, brother, get on your shock proof vest, listen to this. There a preacher that had all kind of examples to look to back there, disbelieved it, on something that he was going to live with his wife and she was produced a child in her old age, but this little woman had to believe something that had never happened. Never was a baby borned a virgin birth. And instead of questioning, she just took the Angel at His word and begin to rejoice.

I tell you what Evansville needs today, is like the rest of the world, is some more Marys who can take God at His Word and start rejoicing over It. Now, she didn't wait till she felt life; she didn't wait till she was positive. She just took God at His Word. Don't wait and say, "Now, when my hand gets a little better, and I'll believe it. When I can move my foot a little more..." Believe it now and start rejoicing. Hallelujah. Take God at His Word; It'll produce just exactly what He said. Amen. Brother, I feel like a holy-roller right now. Look, you're going to call me that anyhow, so you just might as well get started at it.

49 Oh, when people will take God at His Word... God said He'd heal you. Believe it. God said He'd give you the Holy Ghost. Believe it. God said He'd give you Eternal Life. Believe it. God's still got His Angels; He's still got His man. He's still got His ministry. He's got everything, just as He always had. And He's got somebody's going to believe His Word.

I can see little Mary going around saying, "I'm going to have a baby, knowing no man. I'm going to have it anyhow."

"Oh, Mary."

I can see the doctor saying, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, Mary, say, do you know you--you--you'll start a fanaticism. Why, they'll class you with them holy-rollers down there if you start testifying such stuff as that. The very..."

"Well, doctor, it don't make any difference whether I am now or not; I'm going to have it anyhow, 'cause God said so." Amen. That settles it. When God says so, that--that's the plumb line.

All right, I can notice her now, here she goes up into the country. Oh, my. She's going up to meet her cousin; she'd heard about her. You know, she wanted to find out how this was up there. So way up in the country she went to meet Mary, or Elisabeth. And Elisabeth had hid herself now for six months. And the baby had had no life yet. So when she seen Mary coming... Oh, I can see Mary just running, so happy, because she's going to the baby, no signs or nothing, but she believed it anyhow.

50 So she goes out to meet Elisabeth. And Elisabeth come out to meet her, you know, and throwed her arms around her, I imagine, and begin to hug her, and kiss her, saying, "Oh, Mary, I'm so glad to see you, darling," and them hugging one another.

Women used to do that. Men used to have a great fellowship. But that died out somewhere. That's right. We don't have love for one another no more, don't have no feeling for one another no more. Why, the only way you know you're neighbor's dead, when you read it in the paper any more. That's right. Nobody don't have any feeling for one another. Well, down in Kentucky, we used to go, and help shuck the corn out, and cut the wood, and everything, when somebody was sick. You don't know nothing about that no more. Nobody knows anything about it. Brotherly love just seems to be ceasing. It's too bad.

51 And I can see Mary and Elisabeth hugging one another. Here I'll tell this on my wife. I ain't spotted her yet; she's setting around here somewhere. She going downtown here not long ago, and we was riding along the street, and there was some girl said, "Hello, Sister Branham."

And I--I never heard her say anything. I said, "That girl spoke to you."

She said, "I spoke to her."

I said, "Well, I didn't hear you."

She said, "Well, I smiled."

52 A little silly grin... You know what? I like a good old fashioned, Methodist, pump handle shake like that, brother, got some feeling in it.

Paul Rader said one time, him and his wife was having a little spat, fussing, or something another. Said, "He setting at his table reading the paper, he'd always kiss her good-bye when he went out the door." And said, "He got up that morning, go out the door," and said, "she was standing at the door with her head down," said, "she puckered up her lips and he kissed her." Said, "She was always stand when he got out the gate, then he'd close the gate, turn around and say, 'Good-bye.'" Said, "He turned that morning, say, 'Good-bye.'"

She said, "Good-bye."

"Went on down the street, and he got thinking about it." Said, "You know what? What if something would happen to me today? And you know the Lord don't want me to feel that way about that." Said, "Maybe I was in the wrong."

53 He got thinking about it just as... Oh, he got so bothered about it till back up home he went, through the gate, rushed through the door; when he throwed the door open, she was standing behind the door crying. So he just re... Never said a word, just looked at her, pulled her around, throwed her up against him, and kissed her, said, "Good-bye."

She said, "Good-bye."

He went out the gate, pulled the gate together, said, "Good-bye."

She said, "Good-bye."

He said, "The only difference was, the last time had a feeling in it." And that's right.

Brother, that's what I think about religion. It's got to have a feeling in it; it's got to have something there, something positive, something real. Makes us know and feel that God is near, and this man's our friend, he's our brother, this is--this is friendship.

54 I can see Mary and Elisabeth out there, you know, just a having a great time rejoicing. I can hear Mary say, "Oh, Elisabeth, I'm so happy. You're an old woman here and you're going to have a baby."

"Yes." I can hear her say, "That's true. But you know, Mary, I'm just a little upset. I've hid myself now for six months, for you know, there's no life yet to the baby."

Now, that's subnormal. I want you to watch, the first thing that--about Jesus now. That's subnormal. About two or three months, life.

She said, "But this is six months and no life yet." Why, she was worried about it.

And then she said, "You know, Gabriel met me, and He--He overshadowed me and said that I was going to have a Child, knowing no man." And she said, "He told me I was to call His Name Jesus."

55 And just as soon as he said--she said, "Jesus," little John come to life, begin leap in her wombs for joy. Brethren, the first time that the Name of Jesus Christ was ever spoke by mortal lips, brought life to a dead baby. What ought it to do to a born again Church, that's borned of the power of God. If the first time it was ever spoke brought life to a baby, and that baby doesn't only receive life, it the Eternal Life, it received the baptism of the Holy Ghost in the mother's womb. Hallelujah. Oh, I feel religious.

Look, brother, I tell you, when he spoke that Name, that mother spoke that Name, Jesus, and Elisabeth got the Holy Ghost at the same time, she said, "When did the mother of my Lord come to me?" Said, "As soon as your salutation come into my ears, my baby leaped in my womb for joy." Hallelujah.

56 I tell you brother, if it'll do that to a dead baby, what will it do to a sick man or woman that's borned again of the Spirit of God? It'll give life too. It'll take death away every time and bring life. That great wonderful Name of the Son of God, Jesus Christ, how wonderful He was.

Oh, I wish we had time, but our time's getting away quick. Let's hurry. Let's go down here now just a minute. When this little old baby, John was born. He didn't go out to the cemetery, or seminary, all the same place, all the same thing. I've always felt a seminary preacher like I did about an incubator chicken. It just chirp, chirp, chirp, and it ain't got no mammy to go to. It was mechanically turned out.

57 That's what's the matter with a lot of these fellows today, you don't know nothing about God and don't--denying the power of healing and the power of God, is because you ain't got no real Father to go to. You got a seminary to back you up. I'd rather have the Holy Ghost at any time to back me up, and the whole world be against me. When God will confirm His Word with signs and wonders following, it shows where you come from. Amen. Amen.

"Amen" means "so be it." Nobody get scared, I've never hurt nobody yet. I slobber a whole lot up here, but I've been eating a lot of new grapes out of Canaan; that makes me slobber, you know. So I--like a horse eating clover.

But look, brother, I know where I'm at. I'm not excited. I know right where I'm--where I'm at. So I don't hurt people, just stand, open up your hearts and get into it. That's the way to do it.

58 When I was a little boy we used to go swimming. And I usually had less clothes then any of them, just had one old pair of overalls with a fodder twine around and a nail for a button. Did you ever have that, all you country boys? We'd all start running, and you know, barely make it, who'd be the last in. I was always the first one, 'cause I didn't have to pull off no shoes. Didn't have any to pull off. Only thing I had to do was pull a nail. Them clothes just hung in the air and I was in the water. Then they looked on to see what me... what... how the water was. If the water was cold, I'd hold up one finger, it was cold. If I held up two fingers, it was good, come on in. Then clothes go to scattering everywhere. Everybody'd be in the pool.

And brother, I'm telling you now, to you guys that has never been in the pool, I've got two fingers up; it's just right. Jump into it and find out. You'll find out it's just wonderful. The Spirit of God bathing through the people, Holy Ghost, sanctifying power, cleansing, healing. Oh, it's marvelous. Amen.

59 Notice, oh, I can just think of John when he was born. What kind of baby ought that to be? He didn't go to no seminary, but he went back out in the woods, out there, and stayed with God. Instead of studying genealogy, he went out on his knees and got some kneeology. He knowed what he was talking about. He came out of the wilderness, brother, with a--not with a tuxedo suit on, his collar turned around the back, eating fried chicken three times a day. No, sir, that boy come out with a big old piece of sheepskin draped around him like this. But he preached repentance. Hallelujah. And he preached such a message it stirred all the regions around about Jordan.

What we need in Evansville and everywhere else today, is some Baptist preachers that'll preach like that, not compromise with sin (That's right.), that'll preach the Gospel.

60 Old Herod come out there with Philip, his brother's wife, I hear somebody say, "Don't you preach on marriage and divorce?"

He stuck his finger right in his face and said, "It's not lawful for you to have her." Hallelujah.

How could a man that had the baptism of the Holy Ghost in him, do anything else but condemn sin when it was before him? Whew. I feel good. Look, brother, let me... "Oh," you say "I'm crazy." If I... Let me alone if I'm crazy; I'm having a good time. I lost my mind of the world to find Christ. Yes, sir. It always is silly to the world. But that don't make any difference how silly it looks to the world; I'm enjoying it. I'll tell you one thing: I'm having a lot more good time enjoying myself and having a good health, and prosperity, and everything with this kind of a mind then I had when I had the kind of mind the world's got. Amen.

61 All right, look at little old John. I can see him standing out there, just a preaching away. My, how he was laying that axe to the root of the tree. Every tree that didn't bring forth good fruit was hewed down and cast into the fire. Whew, what a Baptist preacher. Brother, that was one Baptist had the Holy Ghost. Yes, sir, he really preached it. And he didn't get It when he believed. He got It by unmerited grace. That's exactly right. That's the way everybody else gets it. Not when you believe, but, "Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?" The gift of God is Eternal Life. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost comes down and brings signs and wonders. Amen.

Oh, how I love Him. How God's always kept His Word. God will keep His Word every time, not ninety-nine times out of a hundred, but a hundred out of a hundred. God will keep His Word.

62 I thought when Israel journeyed, there when they come out of Egypt, went over into the promised land, God promised to take care of them. He's under obligation to do just exactly what He promised. I think when they crossed the river there with nothing to eat, no place--no place to go, just come out on bare Word that God spoke through His prophet, and said He'd take care of them. And there they was standing on the other side, the taskmasters all dead, laying in the sea, what a glorious time.

Here some time ago I was preaching on: "The Two Trees Out Of Eden," and I said that was a bunch of holy-rollers. And somebody called my hand. Said, "Do you mean to tell me that the great prophet Moses was a holy-roller?"

I said, "He sure was. He sure was a holy-roller."

"Why, Brother Branham, ridiculous."

63 I said, "I want to tell you something. After he passed through the Red Sea and seen all them old things that drove him and made them people do what they didn't want to do, drove them around like old dirty habits and show going and everything else, and going on, is making you do what you don't want to do. Right down in your hearts you know it's wrong to do it. You run out and do things, you're just a slave to it. And when he seen all them drown in the Red Sea, Moses threw up his hands, and begin to sing in the Spirit. And Miriam, his sister, the prophetess, picked up a tambourine, begin to dancing and running down the river, a dancing in the Spirit and all the daughter of Israel followed her. (Amen.) If that ain't a holy-roller meeting, I never seen one." Amen. Amen.

64 Remind me of what I said here not long ago about, up here I was passing through. I like to go hunting, 'cause I just like to get in the woods and be alone. I passed through a place one night up in British Columbia, about two years ago. I was hunting and I got lost out there. And this was old place was eleven hundred miles from the hardtop road. So was on a bunch of horses, and I was chasing a grizzly bear. And I got lost out there somewhere, and I didn't know which way to go. So I thought, "Well, Lord, You help me back, You--You're the One's with me."

I was riding along, got dark. I got down to an old blow-over where there was an old burn-over, rather, where it'd been a big bunch of trees standing way up high. And--and the moon was shining. And if you ever talk about a spooky looking place, you ought to get in one of those. Um, it's worse than a seminary.

65 So you get in there, you know, all these great big old spooky looking trees, and then the first thing you know, here come a big wind coming down. A rushing wind come out of the heavens, and when it hit them old trees, it made it more spookier than ever. They begin to go, "Umm, ohhh." I thought, "Oh, my." Oh, I said, "Well, what do you know? Look at those big old trees, why don't they... Why, they just stand there just as straight and starchy, you know, couldn't move. And the wind a blowing, they go, [Brother Branham illustrates--Ed.]"

And I thought of over in Joel, he said, "What the palmerworm left, the caterpillar eaten; what the caterpillar left, the locust eaten," so forth. And I happened to think of Joel's prophecy. That's right. What one left, the other one eaten. But I thought it was a very bad picture, until I thought over in the 3rd chapter of Joel, God said, "I will restore, saith the Lord."

66 I thought, "Lord, where does this part come in?" I happened to look down, and that wind come down through there again. I stopped my horse, just acting like a holy-roller, shouting as hard as I could right there, just a going on, my hands up in the air glorifying God. And I happened to look, the horse all, with his ears looking down at me wondering what in the world was going on with him? And I was just running around and around the tree just shouting and praising the Lord, having a good time, 'cause I seen something.

I seen them great big old trees standing, I thought, "Yeah, that's just like these great big old towering churches standing here, and every time God sends a rushing mighty wind like He did on the day of Pentecost, they... only thing they could do is stand there like a big old tombstone, go, "Umm, days of miracles is past. Umm, there's no such a thing as Divine healing. Umm, that's holy-roller. Umm, don't have no do with that. Umm," just a moan, moan, moan." That's all.

67 I thought, "Well, God, why'd You send the wind for anyhow?" Then I heard it come again. And I happened to look, coming up was a bunch of undergrowth, a little old bunch of trees. When that wind hit them trees, they were alive and flexible. They were just a dipping and a rejoicing. I said, "There's a holy-roller meeting; there it is, right down there now. 'I will restore, saith the Lord.'" Yes, sir.

They... Nobody can't say they're not churches; there nobody can't say... But, brother, the life's eat out of them. What the Methodists left, the Baptists eat; and what the Baptists left, the Presbyterians eaten; what the Presbyterians left, the Lutherans eaten. Brother, they got it down, one taken out healing; one taken out speaking in tongues; the other one taken out all these other things, till they haven't got nothing but a big old starchy thing that don't believe a thing the Bible says. Hallelujah. That's right.

68 Brother, God said, "I will restore." Hallelujah. Right down in there come up a bunch of holy-rollers that was just as green and flexible as they could be. Said, "Well, you haven't got no education." I'm as green as a gourd, but I can sure give to the wind. Amen. When God sends the wind, I like frolic with it. Let them say you're crazy, I don't care, just green enough to frolic with the wind. When the Spirit blows, just--just give with It. Say... Lord said, "I'm sending a revival, Holy Ghost power."

"I believe it, Lord, I believe it." Just rejoice.

"I'm the Lord that healeth thee."

"I believe it, Lord, I believe it." Amen. Whew. Wished I was twice my size. Maybe I could feel twice as good. Brother, if I did, I don't know how I'd hold it.

69 Oh, sure, yes, sir. God keeps His Word. He kept it with Moses. Always keeps It. And I think of that night when they went in there, didn't have no bread. The little bread they had on top of their head in this trough, it was all gone the next morning. All that day had nothing to eat. When they went in and laid down, it not their business to worry. Wasn't nothing to eat, no corn fields to get into. No place to grow any corn, there was nothing but a big old desert, not even a sprig of grass. "How we going to get anything to eat?"

That's not your question; that's God's question. He said, "I will take care of you. I'm the Lord. I'm Jehovah-jireh, the Lord's provided Sacrifice. I'll make a way when there is no way. I am the way."

All right. Next morning when they went out, there laid bread laying all over the ground: Manna. That right? They picked it up and begin to eat it. "Um," said, "tastes like honey." Did you ever taste any of it? Now, that was the beginning of the journey of the first church of the natural.

70 Now, look at the beginning of the journey of the second Church in the spiritual. When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they come out of their the churches everywhere, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind, filled all the house where they were setting. Cloven tongues appeared to them like fire. Looky...?... My, the first thing you know, the power of God got onto them, they forgot about being Methodists, and Baptists, and whatevermore, and out into the streets they went screaming and staggering: Mary with them, all the rest of them just shouting and dancing under the power of God acting like a bunch of drunks. The Bible said they did.

And them big old starchy self Pharisees stood around, said, "These men are full of new wine."

Peter stood up in the midst, said, "Ye men of Israel, and you that dwell in Judaea, let this be known to you, and hearken my words: but these are not drunk like you suppose, seeing it's the third hour of day, but this is that."

71 If this ain't that, I'm going to keep this till that comes. Amen. Yes, sir. Said, "This is that that is spoken of by the prophet Joel. It'll come to pass in the last days, saith God, I'll pour out My Spirit upon all flesh: your sons and daughters shall prophesy, upon my handmaids and maidservant I will pour My Spirit; I'll show signs in the heaven above and the earth below;" and so forth.

When they got down like that, the manna was just a pouring down on that old apostle. Yes, sir. They said, "What can we do?"

He said, "Repent, every one of you, be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For this promise is unto you, and to your children, and them far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."

What was it? That original manna fell back there. Every time they tried to keep some of it over, it got wiggletails in it. That's what's the matter with a lot of our Pentecostal churches today, got stagnated, wiggletails in them, trying to say, "Well, the Lord give me the Holy Ghost ten years ago." What about today? That's right.

72 Brother, we can't build a fire in the same place twice; let's move up. God has got something else for us. Don't you believe it? He told Aaron, said, "Go out there and get two big omer's full of it, several omers, and take it in behind the holiest of holies, we will keep it there, and every man in the priesthood that enters the priesthood from hereafter, can come in and have a mouthful of the real first manna that fell on the day, the first day."

Oh, how typical that was of Pentecost [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] comes of God. Now, they want the baptism of the Holy Ghost, the walls fall down, and you not only have a handful, or a mouthful, you can have a heart full of the genuine manna that fell on the day of Pentecost, the baptism of the Holy Ghost: not something that looks like it, but the--some of the original, some of the real with the same signs, same wonders and everything, that fell within on the day of Pentecost. We get it again when God gives us the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

73 How long was it to stay? That manna fell until they entered the promised land. And the Holy Ghost is here from the day of Pentecost, and will stay with us until the day we enter the promised land. Amen. That's what the Church needs today. Yes, sir. Not so much membership, we all got a million more for forty-four, and all these different slogans. Bring the people in, and shake their hands, and put them into the baptistery and baptize them, take them back out and they walk outside smoke cigarettes, go to shows, dances. Why, the hog goes to its wallow and a dog to its vomit. That's right. That's pretty strong; that's not skim milk.

But let me tell you something brother, that's what the church needs today, is a good old time Saint Paul's revival, and the Bible Holy Ghost is what we need.

74 Reminds me here not long ago, I was in a little old... Well, it's been some time ago. Lot of these people are going along, I thought, "Well..." I seen an old terrapin, and that old fellow was one of the funniest looking fellows. He'd make... To my brother and I, he was making them big old hang-legged walks like that. I said, when I got to him he went, "Schu," scuff right back up. That's just puts me in the mind of a lot of people that can't take it. Go to preaching the Gospel and say, "I'll never go back to that place again, huh-uh, huh-uh. No, I can't do it." Go ahead, close in.

I said, "I'll make him walk." And I went and got me a switch and I liked to beat him to death; he wouldn't come out. You can't beat them into it.

I said, "I'll fix him." I picked him up top of the shell like this, took him down at the creek and socked him down in the water. Just a few bubbles come up; that was all. He stayed right in the shell.

75 Brother, you can baptize them this a way, that way, face forwards, backwards, two times, three times, anything you want to, he just go down a dry sinner, and come up a wet one. No difference, a few bubbles will start and puff blow around about it, but he ain't changed, no.

You know what I did? I got me a piece of paper and a bunch of wood and made me fire and set him on it. Brother, he walked then. If anything you need today, what I need today, what the church needs, is not some arguing about baptism, not some arguing about this church or that, what we need is a pouring out of the Holy Ghost and fire, they'll walk when God pours the Holy Ghost upon them, they'll get out and start moving, don't you worry. Amen. That's right.

Oh, my, I can see Jesus coming back. My, our time just goes. I don't know, maybe I'm just long-winded. But look, brother, when I can see Him, here in the time of our text, He just had to leave the home because His ministry was so great. But when He left the home, sickness come in.

76 Let me tell you something here today, Christians: When Jesus leaves your home, sickness will be there, don't you worry. Trouble's on its road when you drive Jesus away. When you put a deck of cards in there, instead of a prayer--a prayer closet, put a card table, all right, trouble's on its road. That's right. When you take some of these old love story magazines and put it in the place of the Bible, trouble's on its road. Don't you worry about that. Yes, sir. When you quit going to church and blow up because the preacher told you it wasn't ladylike to wear shorts, you're on your road; don't worry, trouble is on its road. Just keep on, you'll find out.

77 This case, they hadn't drove Him away, but His ministry, He went away because the Father give Him a vision to go. Trouble come in. Lazarus got sick. We're told by historians that--that Lazarus had something wrong with his lungs. Doctors could do him no good. And they sent for Jesus to come pray for him. You think He come? Huh-uh, He went right on.

Well, they sent again. He didn't come; He went right on. Well, if that'd been you, brother, you'd have went from the Methodist to the Baptist, took your letter over there. "I won't fool with that old pastor any more." You'd went from the Pentecost to the Nazarene. "I--I ain't going to fool with them old people no more." That's the reason God can't do nothing for you. That's right.

78 You're packing your letter from place to place, till it's wore out. Why don't you put your name in heaven once, brother? It'll stay there. See? That's right. You won't have to pack your letter around. Say, "I come in by letter of profession of faith." Profession of faith, the devil believes hisself and trembles. That's no sign you're born again. That's no sign you're a Christian. Until you're filled with God's Spirit, you're still in darkness. That's right.

Notice, here He was. Profession of faith, packed the letter from place to place, brother, if that ain't a disgrace, I never told it. You need your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Then God will take care of it. Don't you believe that? That's what we need today, is one of those old time revivals.

79 I remember something about it, a turtle just happened to come in my mind. One time, oh, I caught a turtle on a line; I cut his head off. He's was old snapper. I didn't want to take the hook out and just throwed it back on the bank. My little brother come along, side of the pond; he said, "What'd you catch awhile ago Billy?"

And I said, "A turtle."

Said, "What you do with him?"

I said, "I killed him." I said, "I'm going to take some to the colored folks down there to used to make turtle soup, going to take..." He was a great big fellow there.

He said, "Is he dead?"

I said, "Sure."

He said, "Well, he ain't got no head."

I said, "No, his head's laying back there."

80 He walked over to where it was at; he got a stick, and he put that stick down there. And an old turtle snap after he's done had his head off, you know. So he had his head up like that, and he set that stick down, he went [Brother Branham claps.--Ed.] snap. Said, "Say." My little brother, said, "I thought you killed him."

I said, "I separated his head from his body." I said, "I suppose he's dead."

He stuck that stick down again, he went [Brother Branham claps.--Ed.] snapped at it again. He said, "He's just dead and don't know it, isn't he?"

That's just what's the matter with a whole lot of people today. They're dead and don't know it. Brother, Jesus Christ will make you alive. That's right. Oh, how glorious.

81 I see Him as He comes into the city now, triumph, went away, He's on His road back now. And here's little Martha. They'd buried Lazarus. He'd been dead four days, rotten already, or contamination, ever what you want to call it. My kids would know it better if I said rotten, so that's what it was. His body was rotten, so they just took it back, put him in a grave and covered him up, went on back. Four day is gone; all hopes was gone, the darkest hour that the little family ever seen. Then the first thing you know, they heard Jesus was coming.

Isn't that just like Him? When the darkest hour comes, then Jesus comes along. Was it that way for you? It was when I was laying yonder in the hospital, the doctor told me I had three more minutes to live, in Louisville, Kentucky, in the Jewish hospital. Then Jesus come along.

Little Georgie Carter, here at Milltown, nine years and eight months, laying on a bed. Her church taught days of miracles is past. God gave a vision, said, "Go down there." When it's your darkest hour, she was dying. Weighed thirty-seven pounds. Then Jesus come along. Yes, it's always that way; the darkest of hour, then Jesus comes along. I've seen in my own family when things get so dark I didn't know which way to go, then Jesus comes along.

82 Jesus come in town. Now, it seemed like that Martha had a right to upbraid Him, scold Him, say, "Here, what didn't You come to my brother?" If she'd have done it, the miracle would've never taken place. Watch on the platform those who come reverently, watch what they get. It's the way you approach anything. It's the way she approached.

Now, she had a right, look like. The way us American people say today, "Well, that pastor, I wouldn't have nothing to..."

I can hear them all making fun of her, saying, "Hey, where's that holy-roller preacher at was doing all that there Divine healing? Uh-huh, when his buddy died, away he went. There you are, where is that guy that you all come out of your church for, thought he was such a preacher? And when the real trial come, away He went."

83 But you know, Martha had read the Word. She read over there one time where the Shunammite woman, that God had give her a baby and Elijah told her. And the baby died. She didn't understand why that baby died, but she went to see Elijah. I like that. She said, "Saddle this mule, go forward, and don't you stop 'less I bid you."

Said she was going to Mount Carmel to find the prophet. She knowed that that prophet was God's representative. She didn't know why the baby was taken. She was barren, and Elijah told her she was going to have a baby; she did. And the little baby got ten or twelve years old, about eleven o'clock in the day it had a sunstroke, I guess, it begin to cry, "My head." The father sent it out of the field. So the mother, it laid on her lap and it died about noontime. She took it up and laid it on Elijah's bed.

84 Say brother, that woman knowed something, didn't she? Good place to lay it, in the prophet's chamber, on the pastor's bed. She laid him up there on the bed; she saddled this mule and took off. Now, God don't always reveal everything to His servants.

I can see Elijah, saw her coming, and he said, "Here comes that Shunammite," said, "she's got sorrow in her heart, but God's hid from me; I don't know what's wrong with her." I like this, watch. He said, "Is all well with thee? Is all well with thy husband? Is all well with the baby?"

She'd got to where the prophet was then, she said, "All is well."

I like that. Everything's all right. The baby a corpse, her husband like a maniac, walking the floor, her own heart breaking, but, "All's well, all is well." She got to God's representative. Like you should to your pastor. She run up there; she fell down at his feet, and she revealed the secrets, that the baby was dead. He said, "Gehazi," to his servant, "gird up thy loins and take my staff and go lay it on the baby."

85 Now, I think that's where Paul got laying handkerchiefs on the people. See? Because Elijah knowed that everything he touched was blessed. He knowed that in his body was the power of God. He knowed he was one of the branches off of God's tree. And he knowed God could only operate through him, for he was His representative. And what he touched, He blessed. He said, "Take my staff and go lay it on the baby."

Now, the woman's faith wasn't in the staff. She said, "As the Lord God lives, and your soul never dies, I'm not going to leave you till I know something."

I like that: determined to stay right with it. All right, he girded up his own loins, and here he went. Gehazi went ahead. I want you to notice something, pastors too. He said, "If anybody talks to you, don't talk to them. Don't say a thing, but go take this commission."

86 I think if we preachers would do that a whole lot more, go on God's commission, quit listening to what people is saying, we'd be a lot better off, get more done. And he said, "Don't you talk to anyone." So Elijah followed him.

Gehazi went in and laid this staff... Sure, it wouldn't work, certainly. The woman's faith wasn't in that; it was in the prophet. And when the prophet got there, notice, he never went in, begin to agonize with God. He walked in, walked up-and-down the floor, back and forth, pacing up-and-down the floor. "Lord..." He didn't know what to do. He went...

He knowed God was in him. So he laid his body over that dead baby, put his lips against its lips, his nose against its nose, and just laid there a little while. He felt the baby; it was warm. Walked back and forth, prayed, walked back and forth again, went laid his body upon the baby again, and it sneezed seven times and come to life. Is that right?

87 Now, look, Martha had read that story, no doubt. And she knew if God was in Elijah, surely He would be in His Son. Her brother was dead, but she wanted to see Jesus. Here she goes; she didn't come out to scold Him, she come out to worship Him. And she come running out; she fell down at His feet, and said... Now, watch how she approaches God. She fell down at His feet to worship, not to scold Him 'cause He didn't come do what she wanted to do. She come right. She come in the right mental attitude. That's the way you got to come. You've got to come to Him that way in the right mental attitude.

Fell down at His feet and said, "Lord," that's what He was, give Him His right title, what He claimed to be. Said, "Lord, if Thou would have been here, my brother would not have died."

Oh, watch, she's at the right place, before the right Person. Sorrow, heart, her poor eyes was streaked, beautiful girl, I guess. And oh, her eyes were streaked, the bread winner was gone, her brother was dead; he was buried, been dead four days, already skin worms in his body. Said, "If Thou would've been here, my brother would not have died. But even now (I like that.), even now, whatever You ask God, God will do it. Even now, Lord, he's dead, been dead four days, why, he's stinking. But even now, whatever You ask God, God will give it to You." That's right.

88 Brother, I can just see them cogs coming together like that. See? Something's got to happen. She's at the right Man, the right attitude, the right approach; everything's moving right. Can't you get that way just now too?

Said, "Even now, Lord, whatever You ask God..." Maybe God--the doctor told you you wasn't going to live, you got a cancer. What difference does that make? "Even now, Lord..." He's still hears you; He's sitting at the right hand of God. Don't you believe that, making intercessions? "Even now, Lord, whatever You ask God, God will do it."

He said, "Thy brother shall rise again."

"Oh," she said, "yes, Lord. I know he will raise in the last days, for he was a good boy; he will raise in the last days." They believe in the general resurrection (You see?), them Jews.

89 He said, "I am the Resurrection and Life." Oh, I like that. "I am the Resurrection and Life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth Me shall never die."

Brother, He wasn't very much to look at, but He had the Words of God in Him that meant truth. Said--said, "I am the Resurrection and Life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, ye shall he live: Whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

She said, "Yes, Lord: I believe every word of it. I believe that You're the Son of God that was to come into the world."

90 There's God's representative; here's a brokenhearted woman; there's a dead man laying over there. This brokenhearted woman with perfect faith, is coming, recognizing this gift of God here, the Son of God, greatest gift ever give to the world; giving Him His right title, giving Him His right worship, saying, "I believe that You're the Son of God, and whatever You ask God, God will give it to You." Something's got to happen. Said, "Yes, Lord, I believe it. I believe that You're the Son of God that was to come into the world."

He said, "Where have you buried him?"

Here He goes. Now, on this, some time ago, long time ago, I met a woman who doesn't believe that Jesus Christ was Divine. You know, that's a common teaching today in the churches? Do you all know that? They believe Jesus was just a prophet or a good man. If He wasn't God, He wasn't nothing. If He wasn't God, He was the biggest deceiver the world's ever had. If He was just a prophet, his blood was no more than my blood. He was God. He was more than a man; He was Divine.

91 This... I tell... I ain't... Now, listen, you people here that belongs to this church, I'm not making fun, and I'm not pushing this off at you, but it's Christian Science. And she said, "If I prove to you that He wasn't--He was just a ordinary man, would you accept it?"

I said, "Yes, if you can prove it by the Bible."

Said, "I'll prove it by the Bible that He was just a man."

I said, "He was a man, yes, but He the Son of God."

She said, "Well, He was just an ordinary man at that."

I said, "He was--He was--He was more than a man; He was Divine."

Said, "He wasn't Divine, Brother Branham." Said, "I'll prove it by the Bible."

I said, "Where will you prove it?"

92 She referred to Saint John 11. She said, "Going to the grave of Lazarus, He wept." And said, "That proves that He wasn't Divine, because He could weep."

I said, "My, my." I said, "That argument is thinner than the broth made out of a shadow of a chicken that's starved to death." I said, "That thing wouldn't hold nothing." I said, "Do you mean to tell me that that's the reason you believe He wasn't--that He wasn't Divine, because He wept?"

Said, "Yes."

I said, "When He went down to the grave, He went weeping, that's true. But He was a God-man, God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself." And I said, "He was a man when He was weeping, but when He stood there in the little bitty figure that He was, and a man that had been laying there four days, He stretched His little body and said, 'Lazarus, come forth.' Brother, that was more than a man, that was God speaking out of them mortal lips." A man that had been dead four days stood on earth and lived again. His dead... His body was four day's journey somewhere. I don't know where he was, and neither do you, so we won't argue about that. But anyhow, he'd been dead four days, and when He said, "Lazarus, come forth!" A man that was dead four days and skin worms crawling through his body, stood on his feet and lived again. Brother, that was more than a man, it was."

93 It was true He was a man when He come off the mountain that night; He was so hungry, He looked all around the tree. He couldn't find nothing to eat and He cursed the tree. He was a man when He was hungry. But when He taken those five biscuits and two little, three little pieces of fishes and fed five thousand, that was more than a man. That was God in Him. Truly. Yes, sir.

He was a man when He was laying out there on that ship that night. It floated around. Ten thousand devils of the sea swore they would drown Him. That little old ship bobbing up-and-down like a bottle stopper, the devil says, "I got Him now. He's asleep laying there. He's so tired from healing the sick till He can't move."

He was a man when he was laying there asleep; that's true. But when He put His foot on the brail of the boat, looked up and said, "Peace, be still." That was more than a man; that was God speaking out of His Son. Hallelujah.

94 He was a man when He cried yonder at Calvary for mercy, when He was dying, but when He rose up on Easter morning, He broke the sounds of death and hell. That was more than a man; that was God in His Son. Believest thou this?

I believe that that same Jesus that was yesterday is today and will be forever. Believest thou this? I believe a woman who couldn't get in the prayer line, touched the hem of His garment and was made every whit whole. Believest thou this?

I believe it's Jesus Christ that makes the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak. You, believest thou this? I believe it's Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever, that gives these people the Holy Ghost and makes them scream and shout and carry on the way it is. You, believe thou this? I believe the Holy Ghost is right here now. Believest thou this? I believe He's ready to heal everybody in the building. Believest thou this? I believe He's ready to fill every person with the baptism. Believest thou this? Hallelujah.

95 I believe He's here right now, don't you believe that? Believest thou this? Let's stand to our feet and give Him praise right now. I believe you'll receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Believest thou this?

Our heavenly Father, as You did last night, so be it tonight. May the power of the Holy Ghost fall over this building. God, take away doubts, fears, and give the baptism of the Holy Ghost just now. Grant it.

I believe He's here to fill every one of you. Believest thou this? I believe you'll accept your healing, you can get out of the wheelchair. Believest thou this? I believe you'll accept your healing, you'd get off the cot. Believest thou this? I believe He's here to give you that, heal that cancer. Believest thou this?