As I Thought On My Way

 

 

59-0610

As I Thought On My Way


Missing translation...

1 Thank you very much, my brethren, and it's certainly nice to be here. Thank you. Thank you so kindly. I appreciate that, makes me feel good when you feel welcome. There's nothing more sweeter than to--to come into a place where you feel welcome and just at home. And I was thinking, just when I was standing there of the kindness of--of the people, the kindness of God and the people.

Just a few moments ago I heard that message go forth and the Holy Spirit speak back that--to listen to the message. And then I--then hear these brethren get up and say those things, it just makes me feel good.

2 Then today I happened to pick up some of the advertisements. As Brother Joseph told you last night, I just kind of run in this time. I was scheduled for overseas at this very time, but was turned down on account of some investigation from tax that I'm going through at this time at my church. And the foundation of the church, how we have to have a governmental numbers and so forth, that we didn't know, because the Tabernacle is a interdenominational tabernacle. We didn't know you had to go through all that rigamarole; we thought that you were just a church and had deacons and pastors and so forth. But the government changes. They changed in forty-nine, I think it was. Well, I was out on the field preaching then. I didn't know their changes and what the congress did.

3 As I said last night, we're talking about Sputniks and moons, but we can't even take care of what we got down here, let alone go to somewhere else, or I can't anyhow. From the looks of things we're not doing too good a job at it, but--as a nation, or a people.

4 But then, another great thing come, as I noticed that on the advertisement. I said to Joseph just a few moments ago, "Brother Joseph, I made a terrible mistake last evening. I don't like to have a meeting without having a healing service at least one time during the convention." And I--we placed it for Friday night. And then I picked up the advertisement, and Brother Grant, my gracious and precious brother and friend, was to have a service that night for seeking of the Holy Spirit. And my, I--I wouldn't want to take it from that. And Joseph said that Brother Grant had suggested that, and moved right in sweetly to give it away for a night to pray for the sick.

5 I don't know whether Brother Grant's even here; I haven't seen him yet. But the Lord God bless our brother for his gallant soul and the way he so graciously given that time.

I told him we could change it and have it on a Thursday night just the same as Friday. And let's go right ahead because I think it's more essential that the soul gets saved, than all the healing that would be done. That's right. The soul is--is the main thing, because you can be healed of your sicknesses, that's true, and your afflictions cured. I know that. But when that soul is healed, it's eternal. But when the healing of the body, you may get sick again. But the soul is the main thing.

6 For did you ever try to put a valuation on what Eternal Life is? What--what could you give for it. If I could be turned back to a boy of nineteen, twenty years old, and would have all the world, and live five hundred years without sickness or old age, I--or either live another one--or ten more years, and have all kinds of troubles, and beg for my food, and be persecuted and martyred at the end, but have Eternal Life, I'd take that. When five the hundred years was up, it would be--all be over. But it'll never end with Eternal Life. I'll live in the Presence of Christ forever. We just don't know what's wrapped in that treasure that God has given us.

7 Brother Rasmussen, it's sure nice to see you again tonight. We ain't had much fellowship if we had together, and different ministers. And I think we're to have a breakfast pretty soon, and--and we'll--may get to shake each others hands and--and have some time of fellowship with all this fine group of men who is constantly persuading and asking each year to come to their fellowship. It makes me feel real good.

8 My wife also wanted to thank you all for your welcome last night; she didn't get in last night. We've got a little boy, Joseph. How many of you remember me speaking that Joseph would come, years before he got here? Six years, the Lord showed me his coming. And he's all boy. She's a little woman.

9 Someone... I was speaking here some time ago, and... at a Spanish meeting, and I said, "This is an international gathering." I said, "I'm Irish; my wife is German; my baby's Indian; and I'm speaking to Spanish."

Afterwards, a little Spanish girl said, "Brother Branham, don't you think that your baby's a bit pale to be an Indian?"

I said, "Only a Indian by action": really all boy.

10 It's a little late, and so we'll not take too much time. And may the Lord bless us now as we bow our heads to speak to Him.

Most gracious Father, we just can't find any words to express our feeling in our heart. As it is said by one some time ago in the meeting, that he could speak in seven different languages, and he could speak it fluently. But when he got close to You one night, he couldn't find any words to express how he felt, so You gave him a new language to express his feelings to You. That's the way we feel, Lord. There's no words that we could form in our thinking to tell how we love You, and to thank You for what You have been to us. And we could not get reverent enough, neither could we even think enough deep thoughts to come to You to ask You to continue to be with us. Oh, we need You, Lord.

As the song writer has said, "I need Thee. Oh, I need Thee, Every hour I need Thee," that's the way we feel, Lord. So draw nigh unto us now as we sit after a great day of--of speaking and manifestations of Your blessings. And we come tonight to listen again for the Word. We would pray that You would take the words of Your servant and speak them to the hearts of Your peoples. And when we leave tonight, may our hearts be just so filled with Your love till we'll go from here with the determination to serve You more than ever in life.

11 And if there would be a sojourner, that has come into our midst tonight, that doesn't know You in the baptism of Your Spirit, or neither has knowed You by confession of faith, may this be the hour that they'll say that one eternal "yes" to God and surrender their all. And if that has been done, and they have not yet received the Holy Ghost since they have believed, may this be the night that they will receive the gift of God in their life.

If there be sick among us, Lord, may they go out of here tonight rejoicing and thanking God for new found faith and health. We're depending on Thee, Lord, for Thou hast promised that You'd fill us with good things. "Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Now, speak to our hearts as we have need; we ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen.

12 I've chosen for tonight a subject, "As I Thought On My Way." I would like to read some of the Scripture, or a verse of Scripture found the 119th Psalm, and the 59th verse:

I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.

David was in trouble at the writing of this Psalm. We're told that it was during the time that Saul was threatening to kill him. And his house was being watched. Saul's men were laying, watching to see David come out, then they would kill him.

And I can just imagine tonight, seeing David walking back and forth, up-and-down the floor wringing his hands. It's usually when a man gets in trouble that then he will turn to God. It's too bad that it has to take those things to bring a man to recognize that he's a sinner, or away from God's Presence and blessing. But God does it that way.

And I can see him as he--he's thinking. And all of a sudden, God's goodness bursts forth and he begins to sing out: "As I thought on my ways, I turned my feet to Thy testimonies."

13 A few months ago in our little city of Jeffersonville, Indiana, I was called by a mother to go down and speak to the judge of the--the court, which is a personal friend of mine, and to intercede for her son; for he was going to penitentiary for stealing a car. And I called up the judge, and I said, "Could I speak to you in the morning, privately, just a little before the trial."

And he said, "Sure."

And I went to his office and knocked at the door, and they opened the door. He asked the man to step out, and he gave me a nice big handshake, and said, "What's on your mind this morning, Brother Branham?"

14 And I said, "Judge, I star... I'd like to ask you something, knowing that you're going to stand someday before a just Judge yourself, and I know that you have to be honest in your decisions, the best of your knowledge. But the boy that you're going to try in a few minutes, the mother called me last night and said that her son sobbed on her shoulder, and said, 'Mother, if God will only let me out, I'll serve Him all the days of my life.'"

The judge looked at me, and he said, "Billy, you know what? I've never sent a man to penitentiary yet but what wanted to be a preacher before he left."

You see, it's when we're in trouble, then we begin to think about God. It's too bad that we have to have it that way. But it is that way.

15 When Israel got in trouble when they had forsaken God, and went off after idols, and doing things that they should not do, then they turned to God and cried out. They sacrificed sheep and--and animals and--and cried out day and night for mercy. And then the strange thing that was with Israel, so is it with the Church today, God will come to their rescue, and then after it's all over, they forget all about it.

16 If God was so merciful to forgive a man of his sins, and to give him Eternal Life, he ought to be so reverent before God all the days of his life that he will never turn his feet from God's testimonies. Should always walk upright before God.

But it's just that way; they do it that way.

It behooves us all, while we are not in trouble, to seek God. It isn't good to wait till we get in trouble and then seek God; it's best to find Him now. For it is written that He is a very present Help in the time of trouble.

17 I can remember a story. And my wife back there remembers it more than I do, I suppose. On our honeymoon I had to make a little double time. While we were on our honeymoon, we didn't have but just a little money, so I--I took her up into New York to see Niagara Falls. And while we was up there I went hunting. And I left her in a little lean-to one morning. And I thought I was too good an Indian to ever lose myself in the woods. And I wandered away, telling her I'd be back at a certain time, and her a city girl and never been in the mountains in her life. And I said, "You bake some potatoes over the fire and we'll have bake roasted potatoes, and salt and pepper, and put it on the little stick of butter." I said, "We'll just have a real jubilee. I'll be back at two o'clock."

18 And I put my hand on top of Billy's head, which was just a little tot at that time of about five years old, and took off down through the woods. Wandering along through the great giant forest, I was following a bear trail. After while I noticed something across the ridge. And I took across another ridge, and then another ridge, and I got down into the bottom, which is called the giants. It's in the Adirondacks. And I shot a deer, a great huge deer, and I said, "That's better than the bear. Now, I'll go back home."

And as I noticed, the storm clouds was hanging low. And I said, "Now, I come right down this a way."

Now, anyone knows that's ever been in the woods, it's time to sit down when the storm clouds come, 'cause it's foggy; you don't know where you're going.

But as I got further upward, thinking I was going right, I found myself walking too far trying to find a place to come out, I come back to where I shot the deer. I did that three times in succession. Now, the Indians calls that "the death walk." You're walking in a circle. You think you're going one way but coming back to the same place.

19 The storm was already on; the snow was falling. And I thought, "What can I do now? I got a wife and baby in this woods was never in the woods in their life, and they'll--they'll die tonight."

Ordinarily I'd have found a cave, and went into it, and waited till the storm was over a day or two, and come out, and found my position, and went on. But they didn't know how to take care of themselves.

And I said, "Now, wait a minute; you're just getting beside yourself." And when you do that you get a fever and then you're lost. Then you'll never find your way out: plunge yourself to death, mostly.

Well, I knew I was walking in a circle, but what circle was it? The wind was coming in my face when I went to shoot the deer, and then on the road back the wind was in my face again. So I couldn't tell the general directions because it was just twisting in the treetops.

20 And I said, "Well, I'm going one straight way again." And I said, "I'll not turn. I'll go straight, and I know that I'm right. I'm too good a woodsman to ever be lost in the woods."

And I started on, kind of spurning myself on, that's intellectually. "I can't get lost, because I'm too good a hunter." And I started on, and I begin to realize that I was lost.

That's the way we get sometimes when we think we join a church and we're all right, but there's something tells us we're lost. Wait till death strikes you, and then see what you think. Better be sure now.

And as I started on sincerely in my heart, I can hear a voice speaking to me, saying, "The Lord is a very present help in the time of trouble."

And I thought, "Now, I'm getting beside myself." Then I realized that I was completely lost. And I knelt down and--on my cap, and set my rifle beside of the tree, and said, "Lord God, I'm lost and I need You."

21 And when I raised up, I said, "Now, I'll go straight again."

And as I made two or three steps a hand laid on my shoulder, and I turned to see what it was just in time to see the clouds clear back and see the tower on top of Hurricane Mountain. I was going straight into Canada. And the Lord turned me back to the tower. I stood with my directions exactly towards that tower. I wept, and I shouted the praises of God. For I knowed He turned my feet towards the right path again.

That was a great minute for me, but not half the minute it was one day when He turned my face towards Calvary when I was lost. I can never forget that moment. Let's come while we are in our right mind.

22 Some time ago a young colored boy rushed into the meeting when the altar call was being made. He come from the outside. And he come up, and he said, "I want to become a Christian tonight."

"Why, certainly, we're always glad to see that."

And said, "The reason I want to become a Christian, I've been a rambler." And said, "I was out rambling around once, and--up in the north woods," and said, "I got without money." And said, "I hired myself to a lumber camp where there was an aged colored woman that done the cooking, and I was going to assist her and--and then to wash dishes and so forth for her, to get enough money to go on." Said, "We slept in a little back room with a large piece of canvas to separate her part from my part." And said, "One night with my head under the cover, I was awakened by voices that was speaking loud by my window. And I pulled my head out from under the cover," and he said, "I heard one man say, 'Jim, let's hurry back to the cabin as quick as we can, because we may be swept completely into eternity in the next few moments, for that tornado is headed right this way.'"

23 Said, "Then I could not but wonder when I jumped to the window and looked and seen that long funnel shaped cloud, and just one constant blast of thunder and lightning. And see when the lightning, the trees rooting up, and that great long serpent tail was coming right towards our cabin."

Said, "I heard the canvas rake, and the aged old woman said, 'Son, come over on my side; I've got a lantern lit here.'"

And said, "I went over, and she said, 'Are you a Christian?'"

Said, "I said, 'No, I'm not a Christian.'"

Said, "Did you ever pray?"

Said, "No, I've never prayed."

Said, "Well, you better be praying, for these twisters lay everything flat on the ground."

24 Said, "Reverend, I got down by the side of that old woman on that little box where the lantern set. But I was too scared to pray." He said, "I couldn't get my thinking right." And he said, "Every time I'd start to pray, a tree would root up and slam against the cabin; the windows would go out." He said, "I was too scared to pray." He said, "And now, the only thing I could do was sit and watch that calm old saint with not a bit more worry of nothing in the world, constantly speaking to Somebody that she was acquainted with." And I said, "Lord, I'm too scared to pray. But if--if You'll just let me live, I will pray after this."

25 You see, it takes trouble sometimes to make us realize, to turn our hopes to God, turn ourselves over to Him.

I believe it was Job who thought on his ways, and he wanted to make them sure, not only on his ways, but his children's ways. And he come God's only way that God ever did make for man, the burnt offering and under the blood. Many of you are sure that... You have read the story of Job. And he said, "My children's been out having parties. And peradventure they have sinned; I'll make an offering for them." He wanted to be sure while he was normally and right.

26 You know I think if mothers and fathers tonight in this fair land of ours, if they spent more time on their knees praying, bringing their children to God through prayer, instead of out in these parties drinking and running around, we'd have less juvenile delinquency.

27 And Job come by the way of the blood, the shedding of blood. That's the only grounds that God ever fellowshipped with man, is on the basis of the shed blood. There's no other way that God will fellowship with people, only through the shed blood.

In the Old Testament, Israel had to come to one place of worship. That was under the shed blood.

And then when trouble struck Job, he could scream out, "I know my Redeemer liveth, and at the last days He will stand on the earth. Though after the skin-worms has destroyed this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." And he could scream, "Though He slay me, yet I'll trust Him." Why? He knowed what path to turn to when he got in trouble.

28 Some of us go other paths in this neurotic age that we're living. So many people turn to the psychiatrist, to... Christians go to the psychiatrist. And the psychiatrist has to go to a psychiatrist.

Turn our path to God; He's our Healer. If our hearts condemn us not, then we have this assurance: God answers prayer.

And Job could say with a true heart, "I know my Redeemer liveth." And he thought on his ways, and turned to Him.

29 David, after he did wrong and taken Uriah, the Hittite's wife, the lovely Bathsheba, and was going to be the father of her child, and had caused her gallant husband to be killed in battle... But when the prophet, Nathan, come in and revealed his sins to him, then David thought on his ways, and he turned hisself to repentance in sackcloth and ashes. That's the way to turn. God heard him. God will always hear a man or woman that'll turn their feet to His testimony.

David was worthy of dying, and he pronounced his own death. But Nathan said, "Surely, you'll not die." For he knowed David knew God, and knew that he'd done wrong. He'd defiled his brother's wife.

30 I wonder tonight, and wouldn't say this, but maybe there'd be another David setting here tonight that's as guilty as David was. When you turn your light out at night, you see your brother's face, the man that you defiled his loving wife or broke up his home, flickering on the side of your wall. Or some woman see the woman's home that she broke up by running off with her husband. It ought to bring you to repentance in sackcloth and confession.

What the Church needs tonight is a confession and making right to come back to the testimonies of the Lord God. There's mercy, forgiveness. Seems that it would haunt people, going on, know that you're walking hour by hour in the face of death. Why do we continue on with selfishness, and greed, and ungodliness, and--and our eyes on things of the world? It's time we turn back to God's testimonies. "As I thought on my way, I turned my feet to Thy testimony."

31 It was the prophet Jacob who had done wrong and had lied to his blind daddy, because of a birthright. And one day his heart begin to yearn to go back to the homeland. And he must've thought all that time, it was covered up; but when he begin to get near home, he heard that Esau was coming out to meet him. Then he thought of his deceiving ways. And he prayed all night on the other side of the river. When he thought how he had deceived his brother, it called him to all night prayer. God knows that's what the Church needs.

32 I remember when the church used to call for a all night prayer meeting. And when the sermon went forth, there wasn't a dry eye the church. Everybody wept and cried out before God. And today it seems like it's so loose, that people just go on living any way they want to, and still say they are Christians. I wonder if we're not nearing home. We'd better think on our ways and turn our feet to His testimonies.

33 It was Moses, the mighty prophet, an old sheepherder he'd turned in to be, that was wondering back behind the mountain one day on a little old path that the sheep had made. Perhaps it was very familiar to him. But that morning was just a little different from other mornings. There seemed to be something around him.

You know, Jesus said once, "If they hold their peace, the rocks will cry out." I wonder if the Angels wasn't preaching to him.

All of a sudden he begin to think on his ways, how that he'd made a failure in life, and had tried to find safety while his people was in bondage.

God, grant that the heart of every preacher in here will get that burden. How can we rest in Zion when the world is covered with sin and church members living in sin? How can we hold our peace when the church is tore to pieces by creeds and denominations, and brotherhood is separated, and the people are becoming weary, when God requires holiness, or no man shall see the Lord?

34 Moses begin to think on his ways, how that he'd went off in his own schooling and training, and he knowed there was a call of God on his life. But he had tried to work it out his own way.

Many of us preachers get in that trouble. A call of God in our life and then go off and get a schooling that tells us that the days of miracles are past, and there's no such a thing as the baptism of the Holy Spirit: them was for days gone by. God, let you think on your ways. That same God wrote that Word still lives and holds you responsible to It.

35 It's wrong... God's infinite. And when He speaks, it's got to be perfect. He cannot change. We cannot alter God's Word; we have to alter our thinking to His thinking. Let the mind of Christ be in you. Then you'll think like He thinks.

And as he begin to think on those things, I can see him become all tore up. There's no man who can come into the presence of his own past but what gets tore up about it. I pray that the Holy Spirit will bring every human being in here now back to your past and look at it, then turn to His testimony.

36 And as he begin to think, I can see that old man with flowing white beard. But he said, "I've ruined my life. I'm eighty years old. And if I'd have thought of it when I was a young man and would've done the right thing, but now it's too far." And the great crystal tears rolling down his white whiskers...

And about that time, when he was thinking on his way, there was a cracking noise on the side of the hill. And while he was thinking on his ways, he said, "I'll turn aside to see what this thing God has done." I trust that God will bring that burning bush in the hearing distance of every person here tonight. We can think on our ways.

And it changed Moses when he turned his feet from the path of sheep and wild animals to the path that God had led him through the Red Sea and to the promised land. Thinking on his ways, it does us good to think on His ways.

37 After the cock had crowed three times and Peter looked up in the face of the Lord Jesus, he begin to think on his ways, and what he had done to our Lord. And the prophecy and the Word of the Lord came into his view, for he knowed God had said. That same God that told him that has told us what to do. What did it do when he thought on the ways that he had treated Jesus, and how he had denied Him before the classical people, and how that he'd tried to be one of the world, and tried to act like the rest of them. When he thought on his ways, it drove him into the darkness to weep bitterly.

I believe it's cock crowing time now for the church of the living God to get alone with God and weep in bitterness of tears, and say, "God, be merciful to me." No doubt but what there's men and women here tonight, boys and girls that need that same thing, all of us need it: alone with God. Think of our ways as we go, turn our feet to His testimony.

38 Yes, it was Judas that was standing by the high priest to receive his money for betraying the Lord Jesus. I'd certainly hate to take his place. But there's men in Chicago tonight is more guiltier than Judas Iscariot. He was taking a bribe.

Many men have taken a salary, and a Cadillac car, and big homes, selling out to the principles of God. They're ashamed of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They're ashamed of the moving of God's Holy Ghost. They're too classical. That makes them join the church. They do that because they're afraid of the new birth.

39 I say this in a mixed multitude, but I want you to understand me as your brother. When a baby's born, if it's on the floor, if it's on a straw tick, or if it's on--in a decorated hospital room, it's a mess anyway you take it. But it brings life. That's what the new birth is. It's a mess, but it brings Life. It brings Eternal Life. Amen. It brings Life. Life, I don't care what level it's on, I want to have that Life, while we live forever. Men join churches to dodge that; they sell their birthrights as Judas did.

40 And he heard the trinkling of that silver as it trinkled into his hands, and he cried, "I betrayed innocent Blood."

I don't want nothing standing between me and the Lord like that at the end of the road. I trust it won't you.

"I have betrayed innocent Blood." And he took the short route. He took a rope and went and hung hisself.

When you think on your past, it'll either drive you to God or drive you away from God. You might take the route of sin, backsliding, smoking, try to puff it away. You might go down to the saloon, and get a whiskey, and try to drink it away, when you defiled yourself, and defiled others, and lied, and stole, and cheated, or deny the Gospel that you're trying to represent, to have finery and look like the rest of them, and act like this people of today.

41 God wants you to be different. He requires different. You'd be just as guilty as thirty pieces of silver.

You can take the short route, sure, but there never was one. Look back in the Bible times. Those who came to Him when they thought on their ways like Peter, he found mercy. Those who took the short route is in eternity, out in yonder somewhere without God, without hope, without Christ. Take the road to Him; it's open. That's right.

The Roman soldier, after he had pierced His side with his spear and seen the water and Blood gushing forth, and seen the sun go down in the middle of the day, the rocks and the mountains rent out, and he hear the thunder and see the lightning without a cloud, he smote hisself upon the chest and said, "That surely was the Son of God." He thought on his ways. He seen what he had done. And down at the foot of the cross he went, so we're told. He thought on his ways, and he turned to God's testimony.

42 Pilate, after trying to wash his hands of Jesus, ten years passed, and he was still trying to get the Blood of Christ off of his hands. Maybe ten years from tonight you'll be trying to shake this message off your hands. But he washed, and he washed, and he washed, and there was no way to get it off, with too much pride to turn to the Man that he had killed. He finally plunged hisself to death over in Switzerland in a pool of water, which the legend is, that on every Good Friday the blue water bales up.

43 I wonder tonight, if you're thinking on your ways. I wonder if you've been thinking back down in your mind something that you've done and the path that you have trod. If you are, and you're condemned, don't take the short way to go join a church, or go do this, or drink yourself to death, or something. Well, let me tell you something.

There is a fountain filled with blood,

Drawn from Immanuel's veins,

And sinners plunged beneath the flood,

Lose all their guilty stains.

That dying thief (thought on his way) and rejoiced to see

That fountain in his day;

There may I, though vile as he,

Wash all my sins away.

Ever since by faith I saw that stream

Thy flowing wounds supply,

Redeeming love has been my theme,

And shall be till I die.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song,

I'll sing Thy power to save,

When this poor lisping, stammering tongue

Lies silent in the grave.

Run to Him. There is room at the fountain for you. Let's bow our heads. Think on your way.

44 Lord, what can we do? We either think on our ways now and make it right, or maybe before morning it'll be too late. Our hearts will be fluttering, death will be meeting us, and we'll be like the young colored man, and he--we couldn't pray. But while we're normal, while we're sitting here with the introductory song playing, "There Is A Fountain Filled With Blood," may we think on our ways and turn to Thy testimonies. Guide our feet to that path of life, that bloody path that Jesus trod all the way from Pilate's judgment hall to Calvary. May we deny ourselves, pick up His cross, and follow after Him. As we're thinking, may the Holy Spirit speak to our hearts, and may we turn from our selfish way to the ways of the Lord.

45 And now, with heads bowed and everyone praying, if you're thinking on your ways and you don't feel too good about it, let's come right now. Let's just stand right up to our feet, and say, "Lord, I'm thinking on my ways." God bless you, young fellow. "I'm thinking on my ways, and I'm turning right now. Oh, I've received the Holy Spirit long ago, but there's been so many things that I've done. I'm thinking of my ways. I know I've done wrong, and I'm turning my feet to Thy testimonies right now as I stand. I desire the prayer of this church to pray for me now. I'm turning to Thy testimonies, Thy Word, O Lord. And Thy testimonies is this: 'He that will come to Me, I will in no wise cast out.' It is also in the testimonies, 'If you hide your sin, you shall not prosper; but if you confess your sins, you'll have mercy.'"

46 You who wants forgiveness of all that you've done, and you make your promise of a dedicated life from tonight on to God, stand to your feet with these two young fellows that's standing up now. Lady, God bless you. God bless you all around everywhere; that's good.

47 I am standing myself, I want God to search me and try me. If there be any unclean thing in me, reveal it to me, I'll confess it and make it right, I'll go do anything that He wants me to do. For if I was dying, that would be my cry. If you were dying, that would be your cry. So why not turn now before the storm comes? that in the hours of your trouble you could say with Job: "I know my Redeemer liveth." Won't you stand? Will there be some more before we pray? "Remember me, O Lord." God bless you, ladies. God bless you all. Just remain standing for prayer. Yes, up in the balcony there, that's good. Faith cometh by hearing. "As I thought on my ways I turned my feet to Thy testimonies, O Lord." Danger may be laying at the door; it is. If there's one speck of condemnation, stand to your feet now for prayer.

48 While many are standing, more getting up, God bless you. That's sincerity. "As I thought on my ways... As I've thought of what I've been, Lord, how, I turn to You." I don't believe there's a one of us that lives daily but what we have to turn every hour to Him.

I need Thee, Oh I need Thee;

Every hour I need Thee,

Oh bless me now, my Saviour,

I come to Thee."

I come, Lord. I'm standing, that's all I can do. I'm standing because I'm convinced that I'm wrong, and I--I'm asking for Your mercy.

49 The reason I keep holding, because people keep standing. How do I know that just one minute longer might mean the difference of death and life. In an hour or two from now, some boy with a thrombosis, heart attack, knowing that he's going out to meet God, and on his bed screaming, "But what if I just have stood up there tonight at the church. I'm so bothered now; I don't know what to do." Stand now, friend of mine; come to this fountain. God will give you mercy.

50 Now, with our heads bowed, let us pray, each one in your own way, you that's standing.

Lord, reverently, and quietly, and silently, we come humbly to Thee, knowing that we are no good thing in us. There's no soundness in us at all. We are altogether polluted. For we are borned in sin, shaped in iniquity, come to this world speaking lies. And by nature we are sinners, and we need Thy grace, Lord, and Thy mercy, and Thy holiness; for we have none within ourselves. And neither can our churches or our creeds ever hide us; it's only fig leaves which was rejected at the beginning and so will it be rejected at the end.

51 But we are turning our feet to Thy testimonies, to Thy Word; and we're confessing our faults and our sins and asking for Thy forgiveness. Whatever our defilement is, Lord, may the fountain there that the thief rejoiced to see, may it wash all our sins away. Grant it, Lord. May we leave this building tonight like newborn babes--fresh and clean. And if You should call us from this earth tonight, we feel we'd be ready to go, because our feet are turned towards Thy testimonies. We was lost as I was in the woods, Lord, and how my heart rejoiced to see that tower that day. And our hearts are rejoicing tonight to see the tower of Calvary, where we know that there's safety, and--and there's where the lost come in and are found and directed home.

52 Bless these dear ones, these men, these women, boys and girls that's standing, confessing their wrong. It is written in the Word, "He that will come to Me, I will in no wise cast out." And they've been thinking of them. And as David was, they may be as guilty of other things as David was of taking Uriah's wife, but You heard him. You heard the prayer of David and You--although You made him reap for what he sowed, but he was still Your servant; You forgave him because he turned to You.

53 They never turned away from the Church tonight like Judas, but they have come to the cross. They're not going to try to drink this away; they're--they're going to pray it away. They're going to do like Jacob; they're going to cry until the Angel of God blesses them and takes away all the sin and the shame. And I believe You'll do it right now, Lord, for You promised it. We believe it in the Name of the Lord Jesus.

54 And while we have our heads bowed, I'm going to ask you that's standing to your feet, that's stood, that feels that you've turned your feet towards God tonight, raise up your hands to Him. And I'm signaling to him, "Lord I've turned my feet." God bless you. One hundred percent turned your feet towards God's testimonies. He will do it. He will take every sin away and give you peace and satisfaction, things that the world cannot do.

55 Now, the audience may raise their heads and look at the fellows and women who are standing by you. I want you when they set down, to shake their hands, "God bless you," and welcome them into the fellowship of Jesus Christ. Those who were standing, as they set down, let the Christians around say, "God bless you, brother and sister." If there was anything wrong, and feel now that it's all gone, God be merciful to you. Amen.

56 Is there any sick among you? Raise your hand. Now, lay your hands on one another that's got the sickness. As I said last night, I've been... I've prayed. I--I want this one thing in my life, that when I--when I pray I--I want to believe that I'm going to have what I ask for.

A fine little brother that belongs to the Assemblies of God in Louisville, Kentucky, Brother Rodgers... You Assembly of God people, you see him on your--your book of--of your minister, ever what you call it. He's a fine little fellow. He was in my study about three days ago, and we were praying. And he said, "Brother Branham, do you think we'll have a revival in Louisville?"

57 I said, "I hope so." And he turned to look at me. I said, "Brother Rodgers, I met God the other day at that cave. I can't say that I think so, because I don't think so. But there's one thing I can be honest about; I hope so."

I do hope we do. But to say I think it. I cannot think it, I--I'm neutral. I--I'd like to see it, but I ca--don't know whether there will be or not. We want to search our lives and see if there be any unclean thing in it. And if our hearts condemn us not, then ask; you can receive what you ask for. I'm going to ask for your healing. I want you to ask for your healing, and ask for the people's healing setting by you. God will heal the people.

58 Let us pray now. Lord, just the same as You were wounded for our transgressions, in Your testimonies it's written: "By His stripes we are healed." There are those who are physically sick that they cannot serve You just right because they're sick and feel bad. They've wearied and come to church, and they're setting in this convention listening to the minister, Your servant, speaking. They're in misery and pain. God, grant that this will settle it right now, that their hearts will turn to Your testimony: "I'm the Lord that heals all Thy diseases. And all things are possible to them that believe." And with no condemnation in our hearts, we now believe in You, that You'll heal us and take all of our sickness away from us. We ask this in Jesus' Name, and so shall it be. Amen.

59 There are letters here, Lord, and little cards and parcels that represent sick and afflicted. And we're taught that they taken from the body of Saint Paul, handkerchiefs or aprons. And we know we're not Saint Paul, but You're still God. Let it be so, Lord, that when these handkerchiefs touch the sick, may the enemy turn them loose and may they be healed. For we're following the testimonies of God, the testimonies of His Bible, and we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who cleansed us from all unrighteousness, and gives us the Holy Ghost, and Divine healing right now. In Jesus Christ's Name. Amen.