It Wasn't So From The Beginning

1 That someday, if we shall pass beyond this vale of mortal ken, and have to go into that dark place called death. And when He comes and He calls, we'll come out from among those that are dead, for we know Him in the power of His resurrection. And we're so happy for that.

And we're so interested, Lord, in others knowing that way. That's why we have assembled tonight, that others might know, this perfect peace, this peace that passes understanding, that gives us that great hope.

2 Now, You seen the hands that went up, Lord. And Thou art God that knows the secret of every heart, knows the request. And we are asking Thee, our Father, that You will remember each one of those. And may their requests be granted, Lord.

Lord, heal the sick. Make the blind to see, and the deaf to hear, the lame to walk. And may there not be a feeble person in our midst when this service close tonight. May every cot be empty, every wheelchair empty. Every man or woman that's got a bad heart, skipping beats, may it be perfectly beating normal, all sickness vanished, all sin gone.

And may we go from here tonight, going on our way like those who came from Emmaus in days gone by, the first witness of His resurrection, saying the same words, "Did not our heart burn within us as He talked to us along the way." For we ask it in the Name of Him Who has redeemed us, Thy Son, the Lord Jesus. Amen.

3 [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] Just a little bit hoarse... I was preaching this morning at one of the churches here, Brother Fuller's. And we had a great time down there this morning in the Lord. And I just get blessed, and I just don't know when to stop. And we're thankful for the old fashion Gospel that's never lost its power, and shall never lose its power.

Now, tonight, we have give it out again, for a healing service tonight, or prayer for the sick. We never want to get that mixed. We can pray for the sick, but a healing service takes God to do it.

4 Now, remember, healing is something that's in the past. Salvation is something that's in the past. First thing, to make you recognize that is God's Holy Spirit. God has to reveal it to you. It will never be real until God reveals it to you. "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him first. And all that the Father has given Me, will come to Me." There you are. So what a privilege it is when any sinner ever feels that little tug at their heart. What a privilege of God giving a call to the greatest thing that could happen to you, having Eternal Life.

Now, tomorrow night is a--an off night for us. They're going to fight in this ring here, a different kind of a fight. We're fighting the enemy, Satan. But men are going to wrestle, or box, or something, here tomorrow night. And it gives us a chance to get just a night's rest.

5 And then we go through the rest of next week, on until next Sunday night, the Lord willing. Then we'll hurry off from here to--to Oklahoma, to start in Tulsa, about... Have about four days of rest, I think, and then start in Tulsa. And then, if the Lord willing, from there we may go... Planning, right after we leave here, we're on our way overseas, the Lord willing, for a complete European trip. And so we desire your prayers. Your fine co-operation in these meetings has been wonderful.

Tuesday morning; I couldn't take this man's place, but I'm going to try to; Brother David duPlessis, my associate and bosom friend, one of the outstanding teachers of this day... And I.. God is giving him a ministry that's unique: bringing the churches together in a fellowship. That doesn't mean just only Full Gospel. That's all of the churches, all believers: Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist. And many times when we may... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]

6 Sometime I have often been accused of--of saying things against churches. And remember, if I do that, I don't mean in that way. I'm--I'm meaning I'm hitting at the sin that's been permitted to operate in the church. I don't mean the church, no denominations. I love them, every one, because in every denomination God has children. See? They're in all denominations.

That's Brother David's great vision. And he's been blessed of the Lord to speak at Harvard, and many of the great universities here in the states, and different places. And God has give him favor among all different churches. He's been speaking over at Eleventh and Garfield, of a morning. He's to fly now to Indianapolis, Indiana, to be with the Methodist people there; then coming back Tuesday, sometime. And He...

I'm to take his place, or try to, Tuesday morning, to speak to the ministers. Which I love to do that, and have fellowship with the ministers and their wives, and so forth, on Tuesday morning. I think that service will begin at ten-thirty with our precious brother here, I've just learned to love more every day, our Brother Shilders. And so we are to be there Tuesday morning.

And Brother Borders, I guess, will remain here with us, and Leo and Gene, and the rest of the staff. And Brother David will be back for Wednesday morning to take his post again.

7 Now, I am trusting that the Lord will give us a settled faith tonight. I trust that this will be the night that that great thing that we have looked forward for--I have, myself, for the last two or three years to break right in on this meeting here tonight in Phoenix. Oh, may God in His mercy look down upon us. How I would like to say it started at Phoenix. One night this next week, the Lord willing, I will give you what I know about it, if the Lord's willing, of something I believe is... I've never... Well, we'll just wait.

Now, we wish to read some of the Scripture here tonight, because I do not think that any service is complete without reading the Scripture.

Seeing this group of people here tonight... Before we do it, I know that some... One has dismissed their churches for this service. The Lord bless you, my brethren, and your fine co-operation. God be with you.

8 And now, we wish to read tonight out of the book of Saint Matthew's Gospel. And I want to read maybe a few verses in here. And let us begin reading at the... Let's just read the 8th verse of the 19th chapter.

And he said unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.

Now, we are not going to speak on marriage and divorce, but I'm going to take those last few words in there for a text: "It Wasn't So From The Beginning."

When Jesus came to the earth to tabernacle with mankind, and as He... First thirty years of His life was... We have not much record of it. But when He began to go out among the people, He found very strange things going on. And He found the teachers of that day teaching things that wasn't just exactly right.

9 And I wonder, if He come today, if we wouldn't be kindy a little bit on the same way. I'm taking all of us together, the whole universal church. That if we wouldn't--He wouldn't say like He did in that day, "It wasn't so from the beginning."

Now, if you notice, He referred back to the beginning. And therefore, if we want to know what's truth, what right things are, we'll have to go back to the beginning.

Now, God is infinite. We all know that, that He cannot change. There's where our faith can rest so assured. If God says anything, it has to be that way forever. It can never be changed.

10 Now, God is omnipotent, omnipresent. By being omniscient, makes Him omnipresent; He--He knows all things. But God could not be just like the air is, because God has a dwelling place. God is not a myth. God is a Being: God, Jesus. He, God, (pronoun), He is a Being. Therefore He's omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, and infinite.

Now, to be infinite, it comes through a word "infinite," which "there is no limit." He is Eternal. Eternal is like a ring. It goes around and around, and you're trying to find where it began or where it ends. There is no beginning or ending to it.

God is like a great Diamond that sets like this. And the gifts of the Spirit is the reflection of this Diamond, that reflects rays of light off of this big Diamond. Like nine spiritual gifts in the church, is like nine rays that the Holy Spirit is reflecting into the church. What a Light to walk in, from the one great Diamond, God.

11 And God, being infinite, He knew all things before the world was ever created. He knowed every fly, every gnat, every time he'd ever bat his eye, how much tallow he had, before the world ever started. That's infinite. He knowed the end from the beginning, so that makes Him infinite. He knows. So then, He's omnipresent, by knowing all things, what's going on.

Now, whatever He says, it is forever the Truth. If God is ever called on the scene to make a decision, and He makes that decision, it has to be forever the same way. He cannot change that decision. Because if He says, "Well, I--I thought that then, but I know better now."... Well, if that be the case, then He is not God.

Now, I can say, "This year I believe a certain thing," and tomorrow I can come back and say, "No, I was wrong," because I'm finite. You are the same. But not God, His decision is always perfect. Now, if God made a statement, and--and gave a way of escape for sinners, and based it upon faith to believe, the next sinner comes to God, God's got to recognize him just like He did the first one.

12 And if God's based Divine healing upon faith in the shed Blood of the Lord Jesus, and the first man came received healing, like the man at the gate called Beautiful, through the faith in the Name of Jesus, the next man, on the same basis, will receive the same thing.

If God poured out the Holy Ghost on the people at Pentecost, and that was His decision, that how that the church must operate under the power of the Holy Spirit, He cannot change that. He cannot turn it over and say, "Well, I'll give it to bishop. I can give it to this, or I'll give it to that." He's got to still remain with that same decision. And if the church on the day of Pentecost received the baptism of the Holy Ghost; and the--the reaction that came from that baptism of the Holy Ghost, will be the reaction on every person that ever receives the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

Medicine, medicine, if it's given like a certain... not... a Salk Vaccine, or whatever it might be, if it's supposed to work, and operates on a certain person, makes them act a certain way, the next person that it takes a hold of, will have to act the same way, for inoculation.

That's the way it is with the Holy Spirit, with God. His Words are perfect. He is infinite. Now, when God says it must be this way...

13 Now, on the day of Pentecost, Peter was speaking. And the people were--been speaking with tongues, and making a noise, and--and speaking in other languages, acting like they were drunk men. And they were questioned about these things, and wanted to know how they could be saved. And Peter told them to repent and be baptized, every one of them, in the Name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of their sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." The promise is to whosoever will, let him come. So you see, God cannot change that. If that is the Word of God, It's perfect forever.

Now, we find out, that as the ages go on, men come in and pervert that Word of God to make it fit a certain tradition. Now, they'll come around and say, "There's no more need of receiving the Holy Ghost. It's just, you come in our fellowship." Now, if it would've been fellowship, the Holy Spirit would've not had to come.

14 Now some of them say, "If we keep the commandments, that's all we have to do." If keeping commandments was all that God required, Jesus died in vain. The Holy Spirit didn't have to come, because they had the commandments before the Holy Spirit came. But it takes the Holy Spirit to keep the commandments. You have to have It.

God's Word is always perfect, and always the same, each time. Now, men perverts It and changes It.

And when Jesus come, the first time, He found men that was doing this very same thing, perverting the ways of God. And Jesus said to them, "In vain you worship Me. In vain You worship Me, teaching for doctrine the commandment of men." Now, anything that's in vain, as... Well, there's nothing to it. It's no good.

If I walk down the street to pick up a dollar bill, and there's no dollar bill there, then I walked down there in vain. It's in vain.

15 And Jesus told those worshippers of that day, that they was worshipping Him in vain, "teaching for doctrine the commandments of men."

What am I trying to say? You've got to go back to the Word of God to get back. You've got to go back. The church will never be able to move forward any farther, until it gets to the Word and move on the Word. We've got to come to the Word. No matter what the sensation is, what it looks like, how big the church is, how mighty the people are; you've got to come back to the Word of God. That's God's eternal Word, and we have to come to It.

And Jesus said in them days when He come, He saw people looking to the church for salvation. Now, so many people do that today. They say, "Well, I belong to the church. I belong to this church." And they're looking to it for salvation. What did they find, what did Jesus find them worshipping? Not the Word of God, but tradition, creed. And if He come today, He'd find a lot of us in the same thing, taking creeds.

16 Now, if Jesus would come today, and you say, "Oh, Lord, my church..." The first thing that we do, we quote the apostles' creed.

Jesus would say, "It wasn't so from the beginning."

"Our church don't believe in Divine healing."

Jesus would say, "It wasn't so from the beginning." See? Just go back to the beginning.

"Our church doesn't believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost."

Jesus would say, "It wasn't so from the beginning." You got to go back to the beginning. Go back to where it started from. Therefore, Jesus said, "You take the commandments of God and make them of none effect by your tradition."

17 Taking the church, the commandment; the teaching of the Bible, and explained It all away, and therefore you make the commandments of God without any effect. You take the Word of God, and explain it all away into some sort of a creed. And then you cry, "Where is the God of the Bible?" You've explained Him away. You've took it all away from the people, when you tell them, that, "The days of miracles is passed. There is no such a thing as the Holy Ghost. There is no such a thing as Divine healing. There's no such a thing as visit of Angels. There is no such thing as miracles." When you do that, you explain all the supernatural away from the Bible, take God right out of the church when you do it, by tradition.

18 Now, I think that, for me, I want to worship, and to worship with a church who believes the full Gospel, and preaches every Word of it, and practices every Word of it.

Go's back to the full Gospel, back to the power of God, back to the Holy Ghost. Go back to the beginning, and receive it like they did at the beginning. And it'll bring forth the same results it did at the beginning, if you'll just go back to the beginning to pick it up.

Oh, today it reminds me, many get so upset by trying to find great big places, and beautiful pipe organs, and... Those things are all right. If a church has got a million dollar gold cross on the top of it, it's got a million dollar gold organ, and in that church the Holy Spirit has the right of way, praise God, I'd like to belong to that church. Right.

But I don't care what it's got, if the Holy Ghost isn't there, it's no place for me.

I want to be where they preach it like it fell at the beginning. That's where I know that they got it at the beginning. That's the only thing I know about. The Word goes back at the beginning.

19 That's the reason tonight, that I'm here in Phoenix, the reason that this crowd's gathered out here, is because we believe it like they got it at the beginning.

God is infinite. He cannot change. Man changes; time changes; kingdoms changes; worlds changes; churches changes; but Christ remains the same yesterday, today, and forever, and can never change. He's just like He was at the beginning.

All the... You say, "Well, our church has been in existence for years and years and years and years." That's good. That shows that it's held on. But brother, if they don't have the power of God, preach the full Gospel, it wasn't so from the beginning.

I got one little girl sitting here looking at me, little Sarah. And I got another little girl at home, Rebekah. Rebekah is quite a good size girl now, she'll--about fourteen years old, with a... Sarah is only about eight. And they're both Daddy's little girls. And so when I go out on a meeting, and start, come home, they usually set up to wait for me.

And I got a little parable, a little thing I want to tell you about.

20 One night I was late coming in. And mother and them had watched for a long time. And Sarah and Rebekah, they had on their pajamas, and they were waiting. This was before Joseph was born. And they were waiting for me to come in. And it got late. The meeting never closed till late, and I had to drive a long ways, and so the mother put the little fellows to bed.

And I never got in till around two or three o'clock in the morning. And I went in, laid down, went to sleep.

Long about five or six o'clock, being tired and nervous from the meeting and the visions and so forth, I got up. I went in the front room, set down in the--the chair.

In a few moments Rebekah woke up. She looked around; it was daylight. She thought, "Well, daddy's home now." And she looked over and seen her little sister, Sarah, asleep. Out of bed she went. Here she come through the room. She woke up Sarah. Sarah realized it was daylight, so here she come, behind Becky.

21 I don't know about your children; but the oldest one gets the clothes, and the next one gets the hand-me-downs. And--and so Sarah was wearing pajeck--Becky's pajamas, and the feet was too long, and they were too big for her. And she's a little, bitty short fellow.

And Becky could run pretty well, so she beat Sarah. And Sarah, them big feet slopping like a snowshoe rabbit, coming through there, falling over everything... And Becky run, got there first, and she jumped up on my lap, and throwed both arms around me, and she hugged me. And, oh, you know how it makes you feel. Oh, I wasn't half so tired after that.

And after a while, little Sarah arrived on the scene, after she got up two or three times. And she's standing at the door, and she looked. And Becky turned around, and looked at Sarah, and said, "Sarah, my sister, I want you to know something." And she said, "I was here first, and I've got all of daddy, and there's none left for you." Well, this... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]

And little Sarah, her little lip dropped down, her little brown eyes begin to water, and she turned around. I looked at her; I hope that's the way God looks at me sometimes. And she was so dishearted because that Becky had got there first; and she was setting right across my leg, and she had her arms around me. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]

Now, you can't claim every bit of God. There's room for some more, no matter who was there first.

22 And little Sarah started to go away. And I looked at her like that, and she looked sideways at me, and them little brown eyes watering. I motioned to her with my finger, while Becky had her head leaning up against mine. I held out the other knee. And here she come then, jumped up on my knee. And she was kind of the full Gospel type. She wasn't quite long-legged enough to brag about any... Way back to the beginning and things; she was kind of tottery like, and I had to put both arms around her to hold her, 'cause I was afraid she'd fall off my knee. But Becky was long-legged, and she was pretty-well balanced. And she could hold herself. But Sarah couldn't hold herself. She was wobbling. And I put my arm around Sarah like that, and I hugged her real close to me. She snubbed four or five times, and then she looked back, and she said, "Rebekah, my sister, I want to tell you something, too." She said, "It may be true that you've got all of daddy. But I want you to know one thing; daddy's got all of me."

23 That's the way it is with the Gospel, the old fashion Gospel. I may not have all the theology. But one thing I know, I want Christ to have all of me, that He'd hold me. No matter how misbehaving, and how I jump, and run, and shout, and slobber, that don't make anything to do with it. As long as He's got me in His full control, I don't care what else happens, how great, or whatmore. "All of me, Lord, just keep me wrapped in Your arms. That's what I--all I care for."

They ask today... After they explained away everything, and say, "All them days were gone. Why, our teachers, way back yonder, told us that them things ceased with the apostles, and so forth." Then they say, "Where is God? Where is that great God? Where is our people today in our churches, that's selling out to communism and everything else like that?" They didn't have it in the early church.

24 They was setting the other way, because they got something back there that made them ready to go to death for these things and these principles that Christ stood for, because Christ was in the heart. Oh, that's what we need, back... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... to the beginning...

It reminds me in the Bible. I told a story, read it in there, where at the age of twelve years old, Jesus was taken to the feast of Pentecost, with His mother and His foster father. And they went up to Pentecost for the worship. And, oh, they were so cutting up with their friends and everything; when their worship was over and they started back, they went three-day's journey without Him, just thinking He was somewhere amongst their kinfolk.

25 I just wonder if we haven't gone a little journey, just perceiving, "He's all right." Yeah. Wonder if this nation hasn't done like that. "Oh, we're a religious nation. God is with us. And that's all that makes any difference. He's helped us in the war, so makes no difference," just perceiving that He was with their relations. Finally, they got uneasy about Him. And they went back to their relation and did not find Him.

And that's the way it is today. We go back to our religious relations. What do we do? Go back to a certain big church. "Well, what about the God, that the power fell on the day of Pentecost?"

"Oh, that was in a--another day. That wasn't it." Where is the Divine healing?

26 The churches has begin to shake back, men of this day. Brother duPlessis could tell you the same, that great leaders among great churches, has beginning to look back, checking up. And men of Lutheran, Presbyterian background, are hunting for the real thing that fell on the day of Pentecost. That's right. They'll not find It in their denominations and things. But they're gathering themselves together and saying, "Where did we leave Him at? He's not among our relation. He's not among our acquaintance."

Where did they leave Him at? Where did--was Jesus left at? At the feast of Pentecost.

That's exactly where the church has left Him. They left Him at Pentecost. The only way they'll get the real Message, is go back to Pentecost, where they left Him at. Go back to where the Holy Ghost came like a rushing, mighty wind, and fell on the church. Their hearts were afire, and burnt with the power of God. They went forth, healing the sick, and casting out evil spirits, and prophesying, speaking with tongues, and showing signs and wonders. That's the only way, brother and sister, that we'll ever be able to find God back in the church, is go back where we left Him at, at the beginning.

27 As good as Martin Luther and many of the other great reformers in their day, as good as they had been, other great religious men, we cannot go back into them things and find it. We got to go back to the very beginning, back to Pentecost. That's where we left Him. That's where the church left Him. That's where great leaders, of Lutheran, and Presbyterian, so forth, are reaching back to their denominations and can't find Him. And they're going back to the full Gospel, hungering and thirsting for God. Hallelujah.

"All the Father has given Me will come to Me, regardless if they're Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, or Lutheran." God's got children in the Catholic church. He's got children in the Jewish orthodox church. He's got children in the Baptist church, in the Presbyterian, in the Lutheran. Right. And they begin to hunger because they've missed Him.

Our traditions, our church creeds will never satisfy a heart that's been called of God. You cannot make him say the apostles' creed, or be sprinkled, or something like that, and be satisfied with it. When the hunger of God's in his soul, he will go back to Pentecost, to the beginning, and find the real Holy Ghost that sets his heart afire. Amen.

28 That's what we need: back to the beginning. Jesus said, "It wasn't so from the beginning."

Jesus also said, "In that day..." He said, "I am the Vine; ye are the branches. I am the Vine."

Now, listen, friend, you orange raisers, and you are grape men here, that raises grapes, and whatever you raise. If a vine goes forth, and the first branch that comes out of that vine bears grapes, the second branch will bear grapes, the third branch will bear grapes, and every branch that comes out of that vine will bear grapes, right, because it's a grape vine.

And if the first church that come out of that Vine was a Pentecostal church, that wrote a Book of Acts behind it, the second church comes out will do the same thing, and the third church. And every church that rises out of that Vine will be a Pentecostal church, with the same signs and wonders that the first Vine produce--or the first branch produced. It'll be like Pentecost. Every church that rises out of that Vine will be a Pentecostal church.

29 Now, that sounds strange. But you know, there's a lot of other things goes on along the vine, that doesn't produce vines--doesn't produce branches, rather.

Now, there's a--a Jewish Pentecostal branch come out of that tree, or--or that vine, on the day of Pentecost. And we're at the end of the road now. The Gentile branch that comes out of that tree will have a Pentecostal experience.

O God, wished I could push that into hearts. I wished I had something another, that I could show the people, that the first branch out of the Vine bore Pentecostal evidence. The second branch will bear Pentecostal evidence. Oh, there you are, back to the beginning, back to where we started from.

That's the reason today, that through traditions and so forth, we explained away all the supernatural, that the Holy Ghost come, fell upon the people. They begin speaking with tongues; the people made fun of them, called them holy-rollers, and cast them out to one side. They kept growing, growing.

30 What's it coming to now? Greater things than this. Divine healing services started. Then the Angel of the Lord come in, manifesting the spirits of the gifts, revealing back again the very same Spirit that was in the church at the beginning, that knowed the secrets of the hearts, and could speak it out, which was the sign of the Messiah. The Bible said so. The Bible declares it. And if that was the sign of the Messiah at the beginning, it's the sign of the Messiah at the end. Oh, and if you could see it... "Let him that has ears hear, he that has eyes see."

If it was so at the beginning, that Jesus Christ made Himself known to the last age of the Jews and the Samaritans by a Messiahic sign, that same sign will take place at the end of the Gentile, 'cause it's another branch out of the same Vine.

31 Why, the life in the vine produces grapes, the second branch will produce grapes. Now, you can graft something in there. You can take a graft, and put it in there. It'll never bear the life of the vine. Right. No, sir. The life of the vine is grapes. It'll bear grapes. Every one it produces, every one it produces will bear grapes.

Man can graft anything in there. That's what's the matter today. We've grafted too much man-made doctrine. We've got wild gourds and everything else in it. But when the Vine itself puts forth a branch, it'll be a Pentecostal branch full of the Holy Ghost, doing the same signs and wonders that they did at the beginning.

Say, "Well, my church doesn't believe in that." It wasn't so at the beginning. "My church don't believe in shouting." It wasn't so at the beginning. "My church don't believe in speaking in tongues." It wasn't so at the beginning. "My church don't believe in water immersing." It wasn't so at the beginning.

All these great doctrines and fundamentals that the Bible teaches, it was so at the beginning. And every branch that comes forth out of that Vine, it'll be the same thing today, if the branch comes out of the Vine that's been brought up on the Vine. You got some man-made branches.

32 You see that around here today. They'll graft a tree, split off something on one, and graft it over here on the other one. That ain't what that tree produced. It's just giving enough life to hold on, but it isn't original fruit from the tree. But when that tree puts forth a branch, it'll be like the first one it put forth.

And when the church puts forth another church, it'll be a Pentecostal church with the signs of the acts in the apostles, doing the same thing with the same Jesus, working the same, because He's the same, yesterday, and forever. A Pentecostal branch, filled with the Holy Ghost, signs and wonders of the resurrection, great things taking place among them: they who know their God in the last days, shall do exploits. Yes, we're at the end time.

33 What's the matter with the world? I might close in saying this: What's wrong with the world?

It reminds me of something that happened here a few months ago, at--in the city of Louisville, Kentucky, just across the river from where I live. There was a lady who had a little baby, oh, just a little fellow. It was about three or four years old. And she was taking him into a ten cent store. Walking along there, and she'd pick up something and say, "Looky here, sweetheart. Looky, dear." And the little baby would just stare.

"Then picked up something else, said "Looky here, dear," and the little baby just stare. The people... She got nervous. The people begin to watch her, the people that was in the store, watching this scene, as she'd go from counter to counter, and pick up something, and say, "Look, honey. Does mommy's little boy see this?" He'd just sit and stare.

And after while, she picked up a little bell. She was picking up little trinkets and so forth, just like a little boy of that age ought to be attracted by. And she'd shake them. Finally, she picked up a little bell, and she shook it. And he just stared. Said, "Don't you hear that, honey? Looky here at mama. Darling, look. See that?" And the little boy just stared.

And she fell across the counter, said, "Oh, no, no, no, it isn't so."

34 And some of the people run around to find out what was the matter with the woman. And when they did, run around to see what was the matter with her, come to find out, that the little boy had just been to the doctor. And something had happened to him, and he'd lost all interest of anything like a little boy should at that age. He just set staring in space. Something mentally had happened to him, and he didn't pay any attention to things that was brought to him, like a boy ought to look at it at that age. And she said, "The doctor said he's better, but he isn't."

That's what's the matter, a whole lot like the church today. God has took the church in His arms, and He's shook an Oral Roberts, a Tommy Osborn, a Tommy Hicks, many others, gifts and wonders has He shook before the eyes of the people. And they who claim to be religious, and they set and stare, and acted like they didn't even pay any attention to it.

35 There is something mentally wrong with the church. Something's wrong. God displays His gifts. They'll walk around, say, "Oh, mental telepathy. Oh, they're just putting on the speaking in tongues; there's nothing to it." See people shouting and praising God with tears running down their cheeks. "Aw, she's just worked up. There's nothing to it."

See, a church ought to be paying attention to that, a Christian, because it's written in the Word. They did that at the beginning. There's something wrong with the church, something wrong with the people, something wrong with the nation.

36 We ought to go back to the beginning. Go back to where we left Jesus. Go back where the church left Him at. The church left Him at the Pentecostal feast, like the mother and them did. Like Mary did, like Joseph did; they were good people, but they left Jesus at Pentecost. People today are fine people, religious people, but they're leaving Jesus at Pentecost. They're afraid of it. They won't take a hold of it. It's a shame to think of it. But just the same, God is here; the Pentecostal blessing is here. No matter how much they try to explain It away, God goes right on giving them the Holy Ghost, who believes in it, showing His signs and wonders. So at the day of the judgment, He will not be responsible. But we'll be responsible for not taking heed to what He has showed us by His Word and by His Spirit. That is true.

37 God is here now. There's no reason for these sick people be laying here any longer. There's no need for people to be setting in wheelchairs, laying in cots, and--and the mutes, and so forth. God is here. God is here. The power of the Holy Ghost is here. The same Jesus that performed wonders at the beginning is here.

But you say, "Well, why is people still laying sick?"

There's many laid sick in His days too. He passed through by the pool of Bethesda. There laid a great multitude. Many... Two or three thousand people, perhaps, laying around there: lame, blind, halt, and withered... He went right through that audience till He found a man laying on a pallet. And He knew that he had been in this condition for so many years. And He said, "Sir, would you be made whole?"

He said, "I have no one to put me in the water."

Said, "Take up your bed and go into your house."

Jesus was questioned, no doubt, to why He didn't heal the rest of them. He said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in Himself, but what He sees the Father doing."

There's many people sick the day that the woman pressed through the crowd and touched His garment; there might've been hundreds of sick people standing around there. But she touched Him with a touch that brought God there on the scene for her.

38 That was God at the beginning; that's God today. He cannot change. He's the same God. He heals by faith. That's the way He said it at the beginning; that's the mark He laid down, not by your salvation, not by your goodness, not by your money, not by your affiliation of church, but by your faith. That's what it is. If you can believe it, He will make Himself known that He's here. He will make Himself known that He's alive. He will make Himself known that He's the God of Pentecost. He will make Himself known in His Church, that He's Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. But He will never touch you, until you touch Him first. That's right. He will show Himself, but you've got to do it. Amen. Do you believe that? Let us pray.

39 Heavenly Father, my words might be as a sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal, but one word from You, Lord, will change the whole scene. Let it be known tonight, Lord, that these broken up words are Truth. I pray that You'll bring them together in some way and sink them into the hearts of people. And let them know that You're still Jesus tonight, the great Son of God Who walked through Galilee and never made no respect of person. But whosoever had faith to touch Him, whosoever had faith, was healed.

40 Multitudes who passed by, who never received healing because they did not believe it. But those... When You went into Your own country, many mighty works, You could not do, because of their unbelief. So is it tonight. That's the way it was at the beginning; that's the way it is tonight.

But You walked through the people and showed the people that You was the Messiah. When You told Peter who he was, what his name was, he knew You right quick that You was the Son of God. When You told Philip, and Nathanael, and down through the Bible, the Samaritan woman, and many others...

And we're told in the Bible, that, the Word of God, which is Jesus... "In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelled among us. The Word (Jesus) is sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even to the sunder, and marrow of the bone, and a discerner of the thoughts of the heart. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever."

41 O God of heaven, seeing the evening shadows falling, the time coming close at hand. And You're so gracious, Lord. Let people see tonight that You are gracious, You're full of love, and full of mercy, and full of compassion. And now, let these people who are blessed by receiving Your Holy Spirit, these who are blessed to feel the call of God in their life, I pray, Father, that You'll give them faith to press in now and touch the garments of Him, the High Priest that sits at the right hand of God in the heavens, ready to be touched, holding out His--not only His garment, but His hand, to take every sinking person tonight, that's without hope, and give them mercy, and heal their bodies. Grant it, Father. In Jesus' Name, I pray. Amen.

42 My watch didn't go off. I had it set for twenty minutes, but I run a little bit... about twenty-five minutes. But I didn't mean to keep you so long.

But do you believe that Message is the truth? Do you believe it? Back to the beginning. Back to the beginning. If somebody says, "I don't believe in Divine healing," you say, "It wasn't so from the beginning."

"I don't believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost." It wasn't so from the beginning. "I don't believe in Divine healing." It wasn't so from the beginning.

43 For, in the beginning they believed in--in the baptism of the Holy Ghost, they believed in speaking in tongues. They believed in all the spiritual gifts. Paul wrote them in the book of Corinthians and set the Church in order. That's the way it was at the beginning. That was the will of God at the beginning. He's the infinite God; He cannot change. If that was His will at the beginning, that's His will tonight. Anything contrary to that, is thieves, and they're a man perverting the commandments of God.

Then we wonder, "Where is that spiritual church today? Where is that church that rocked the world at the beginning?" What's the matter?

44 I heard a noted evangelist not long ago, saying, "I went into a city and held a revival. In there we claimed thirty thousand converts in six weeks." He said, "I went back in another year. We couldn't find thirty of the thirty thousand." He said, "What's the matter? It's you lazy preachers, set with your feet up on the desk, and don't go out and see the people." Oh, how he did burn them up.

I thought, "Sir, that's true, a lot of it. But I want to ask you something. You said Paul went into a city and had one convert, went back the next year and had thirty from that one." What did Paul do? He led them to the Fountain, not just by shaking hands and putting their name on a book, not by making some kind of confession and promising you'll do better, but stay there until you are dead and your life is hid in God through Christ and sealed by the Holy Ghost. The Fire of God will burn in that heart till you'll make... when you...?...

45 If a person will accept Christ on those basis tonight, and I come back here a year from now, I'll have great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandchildren off of that. That's right. That's right. One will get another one, and another one, another another; another another one up like that. But what you got to do first, is come close enough.

The world trying to live tonight on a painted fire. They're trying to live, trying to get warm by a painted fire. You can't do that. You paint a picture of fire, and say, "Oh, sir, go there and get warm." That paint won't warm you.

You got to have a living fire today, not go back and say they had a great church one day, and a great church back there. We will need a great church today, because He's still a great God looking for a great people that'll serve Him with all their heart, that'll forget their creeds, and so forth, and serve God.

46 If you're a Methodist, stay a Methodist, but get the Holy Ghost. As Brother David duPlessis says, "God don't have any grandchildren." He doesn't. God has altogether sons and daughters. "No grandchildren," he's right. Yes, sir.

If you're a Methodist, and a son of God, amen. If you're a Methodist, a church joiner, you're a grandchild and not recognized with God.

If you're a Pentecostal, church joiner because your daddy was Pentecost, you're Pentecost, you're a grandchild and not a son. But if you're borned of the Spirit of God...

God don't have grandchildren. You're right, Brother duPlessis. Don't have any grandchildren... You're sons and daughters of God, or you're not even in the family. God doesn't recognize them.

47 Not because your father was something; it's what are you? Every man's got to be borned again, and this sinful nature killed in him, and a new Man borned in him, which is Christ Jesus, the Son of God. Then you surrender yourself completely to Christ, and Christ comes in, and writes a book of acts through you. How I know that's the truth, my friend, how I know it's the truth.

I've said, if you can only yield yourself. What did that woman did, that he touched His garment? She knowed how to yield herself. She touched Him by yielding herself.

48 What about the visions on the platform out through there, and over the country, wherever it is? It's yielding yourself to the Holy Spirit, getting yourself out of the way, your own ideas, and just be led by the Spirit. That's right.

I love Him, I love Him

Because He first loved me, (Do you do that?)

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

How many borned again Christians would raise your hands with me, sing that with me now?

I love Him, I love Him

Because He first loved me

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

[Brother Branham begins humming, "I Love Him."--Ed.] Oh, what the Spirit could do now. [Brother Branham continues humming, "I Love Him."--Ed.]

I love Him, I...

Because He first loved me

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

49 Sister on the cot, do you got a prayer card? You don't? Do you believe what you've heard tonight to be the truth? Do you have ever heard of these meetings before? Do you believe that you in your condition could touch the hem of His garment, the High Priest, that He would know, just like He would the woman at the well, what your conditions are, and would tell you...? Me being a stranger to you, and will tell you your condition, you think you could enjoy the meeting and be well? You do? I don't know you. I've never seen you. You're a stranger to me, but you're not to Him.

Now, here's your condition. Look at me. That's it. You believe me to be His prophet, His servant? You do. You accept that, believe that. See what I mean. He told me when... "If you get the people to believe you..." Like Peter and John said, "Look on us."

I have no idea what's wrong with you, but He does. But He can reveal to me, see Him turn around there. And put your hands down like that, started crying; praying. Now, I'm just a conversation with you. Now, we do not know each other. You're way younger than I am; first time ever meeting, but here we are.

There is some connection with this person here, with you. It's a mother. That right? True.

50 What do you think about it, lady? How did I know that that was your daughter, and you was the mother? God revealed it. Thank you, sister. Then you stop worrying about that cancer in your stomach. See what the Holy Spirit can do?

And you, young lady, yours is some sort of an allergy that gives you weakness and you can't walk at times. Forget it. Get up off of your cot, and go get you a seat somewhere and go out in the audience...?...

I love Him, I love Him

Because He first loved me

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

51 Praise God. Now, somebody out there... How many out there is sick? Wait just a minute, sister. Just a minute, young lady. Somebody out there that's sick, raise up your hand. If I can get somebody that's sick, needs healing of the Lord.

I need two seats, just a moment.

Lord, You give them, please, that the people might know that You're God, and these messages are true.

Got hemorrhoids... Do you believe God will make you well, setting there, yeah? Do you believe me? I'm a stranger to you, am I, young man? Yes, sir. I'm a stranger. You got hemorrhoids.

By the way, the man setting next to you has also, got hemorrhoids (That's right.) on this side. All right, you got hemorrhoids. How is your father getting along? Begin to see now, hasn't he? He was healed here at the platform last night; he's a preacher. I never seen you in my life. If that's right, wave your hand. Now, you just get away from your hemorrhoids. You and that man get up and give these woman your seat. Go back there and stand up, 'cause God has made you well. Go back take a seat. Amen.

I love Him, (that's) I love Him.

All right, you can have your seats over there.

'Cause He first loved me

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

52 Have a real strange feeling, don't you, sister? That allergy will never bother you no more. You can go home now and be well. Jesus Christ makes you well. See how good He is? Have faith.

This elderly lady setting right there, crying. See, there's that Light over her. That bronchial condition goes away, sister. You may go home too and get well. Jesus Christ makes you well.

The Message I have preached tonight that He's the same, go back to the beginning, you can touch His garment. He's a High Priest just the same tonight as He was then, that can be touched by...

Did he give out prayer cards too, back there?...?... He said he give out some more?...?... Let's get a few of them up here now, so the people got a prayer card. We don't need but a few of them. Let's start, so they can be prayed for, if we just run a little line through here, right quick.

Let's see. Where was we started? We went 1 to 50, last night, didn't we? Let's just take the last... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]

That's right. He said He would be here. "Wherever two or three are gathered in My Name, I'll be in their midst."

53 Now, is He the same yesterday, today, and forever? You believe Him to be the same, the same in principle, same in power? The only thing different tonight, that He's using your flesh and my flesh. Because His flesh sets at the right hand of the throne of God in majesty in glory. "And He that overcometh shall set with Me on My Throne, as I have overcome and set down on My Father's throne." Oh, what a wonderful thing. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, setting in the heavens, and all these mortal souls that's just under the altar, look up and see that body setting there, that corporal body. Oh, I feel religious. That corporal body...

You noticed, down in Egypt, they gave a corporal body, Joseph, which was a type of Jesus in every manner. That corporal body laid there. And every Israelite, beaten in the back, and--and striped from the Egyptians, walked down there and looked into that casket and saw that tomb. There laid Joseph's body. And knowed that someday they would go out of there. They were going out. When that body raised from that tomb, and they packed it out, they were going out with it.

54 That's the same way it is in heaven. Those souls under the altar, crying, "How long, Lord? How long?" They're like theophanies there. But now, they're looking to that corporal body of the Son of God setting there, "Someday He will rise from that throne." There you are. Them that are in Christ will God bring with Him at the resurrection. They'll take... This mortal will take on immortality. And then we will be like Him. We will see Him as He is, eat the wedding supper with Him, and all forever be with the Lord. Isn't that wonderful?

Sent His Holy Spirit down here to come into our flesh, which He has sanctified with His own blood... You believe in sanctification? "Be ye holy, for I am holy." Now, you cannot be holy. I'm not depending on my holiness. I have none. But I'm depending on His holiness. It's His holiness that I'm looking at. Not what... Well, not what I was, but what He is. That's it.

Go back to the beginning. There it is: Jesus Christ the same yesterday...

55 Get them all in a line. All right. Now, the Lord bless. Oh, my, that just sounds so good. Are you ready? Let's just stop for a minute with some of these people.

Are we strangers to one another, lady? We are.

I--I just feel so full of the Holy Spirit tonight. I just feel like bubbling over. It's just--just... Oh, I wish it would stay this a way. May it never leave. You're believing. This is a night that anything can happen.

Now, if I could heal you, and wouldn't do it, I'd be an awful person. But I cannot heal you. But if--if Jesus Christ, the Son of God, which has healed you... If you're sick, I don't know. But if He has healed you, and will come here and prove that He's standing here working through my flesh, through your flesh for you to believe that He sent this Message, and He's here to confirm this Message, and will do something here, like He did the woman at the well, would it make you believe Him? Would there be not a shadow of doubt then? If He knows what you have been, He surely know what you will be.

56 Now, this woman and I never seen each other, I suppose, in life. This is the first time I ever seen her. And she says that we are strangers one to another; I say the same. That's right, isn't it? We're strangers. All right.

Now, if Jesus Christ remains the same, yesterday, today, and forever, then He will act the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Now, go back to the beginning. What was the beginning, how He made the people know that He was Jesus Christ, the Messiah? He told the secrets of their heart. By that, they believed. Is that right?

The woman at the well, said, "Come... We know that when the Messiah cometh, He will tell us these things; sign of the Messiah." Said, "But Who are You. Are You a prophet?"

He said, "I am He."

She run into the city, said, "Come, see a Man Who told me about myself. Isn't this the very Messiah?"

And they believed. They had a revival after that when Philip went down there, 'cause they were believers.

57 If the Lord will tell me what's your trouble, then you'll believe me to be His servant? That I... Just a gift that He has to... If you... Now, I couldn't do it unless you believe me. That's the reason I'm questioning you. But it will help you, and it'll help the audience. Will it, audience?

Now, looky here. Here's the Bible. Here's the woman. Here's my hand; as far as I know, I never seen her. I don't know her. She does the same. We don't. She don't know me. I don't know her, no more than just name. but she knows... I don't know her name, of course not. But I--I just know she's a woman standing there. She might know that I'm Brother Branham, by being in the meeting.

Now, real reverent... Now, is Jesus the same from the beginning now? Now, the Bible says He is. Is that right? Now, is He, is the next thing. Now, if He is, He will do the same.

Your trouble is in your kidney. No wonder you didn't know me. You're from away, away from here. You're not from Arizona even. You're not from the United States. You're from Canada. Mrs...?... you can go back to Canada, and be made well. Jesus Christ... Another thing, I seen somebody else appear in the same country you're from, a sick friend in Canada, who you're praying for. You'll find them well, if you'll believe.

Is Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever? Praise His holy Name.

58 We are strangers to one another. God knows both of us. I do not know you. And perhaps you don't know me no more than by name. But Christ does know you. Do you believe He is able to reveal to me what your trouble is? Would it help you to believe? It won't heal you. But it will help you to believe. All right.

Now, if you know I don't know nothing about you, then if God reveals it, it'd have to come from some spiritual resource right here on this platform.

Think of it, church. Surely you won't turn the alarm off. No. I trust that the little buzzer will just buzz in your heart, the Holy Spirit now, and say, "Be not afraid, it's I." See? See?

59 You had an operation: a goiter. It wasn't too successful. The goiter operation was all right, but you had a bad aftereffect. That's right. And the operation caused you to have some kind of a--a aftereffect that settled to your stomach. You got stomach trouble.

And you've got something wrong with your arm. That is right. That's true. That you might know that I be His prophet, His servant... No more to be His prophet than it is His preacher or His teacher. I'm not ashamed of Him.

You believe you husband's going to get well too? You believe God can tell me what's his trouble out there? He's got an allergy. That's right. Go, and take that little thing you got in your hand, and put it in his pocket, and the allergy won't bother him no more if you'll just believe. Return, and be made well, for Jesus Christ makes you well.

60 Well, what if I told you that the heart trouble left you setting there, if you'll just believe it. Do you believe it? All right, just go on all right, say, "Thank You, Lord Jesus, thank You."

We are strangers to each other. I--I don't know you. God does know you. Do you believe God could reveal to me what your trouble is? Would it make you believe? Now, you see it's making me weak. But I just want to talk to you now.

Something what... In the church somebody was healed then. A great healing taken place somewhere. You might not know it right now, but you'll find it out. You felt it. See? Yeah. You saw light. Well, that's about when it left you and come back.

She saw the Light when it left and come back. That's right. It's standing right between us right now. See? You see that? All right.

61 Here you are. You are--you are suffering. You've had a... Yes, you've had an operation too. And it's caused something wrong in the tissue. It's in between the--about the kidney and the bladder. And the doctors want to operate again. That's right. You believe you're going to be all right. You believe God knows who you are? Mrs. Gray, you can go home and be well. Jesus Christ makes you well. Have faith in God.

We are strangers to each other, sir, I suppose our first time ever meeting. But God knows both of us. You believe He's the same God, that when Simon Peter came up before Him, He knew him, told him all about it. Do you believe it's the same Jesus?

Now, you're suffering with an ulcer. That is right. Besides that, you got someone you're praying for. It's a child, a daughter of yours. She's got some kind of knots on her chin.

You're not from here either. There's something strange about you. I see my friend, Mr. Norman, from... You're from Tucson. That's right. Mr. Jogman, you can go back home, and be made well. Jesus Christ makes you well.

This guy is connected to a friend of mine, was here, Mr. Norman, somewhere in the building, somewhere.

62 You believe Jesus Christ? What if I told you He healed you right there, would you take my word for it? Go on your road, and be made well. Jesus Christ healed you.

Stomach... Go eat. Jesus makes well. Have faith. Hallelujah.

You believe your back trouble and everything is going to leave you now, and you're going to go home and be well? Go on, rejoicing, saying, "Thank You, Jesus."

You love Him with all your heart? If you love Him...

What if I told you you got healed, coming up the steps, would you believe it? Just go on your road and rejoice, then, saying, "Thank You."

Study too much. That's what's made that peptic ulcer condition in your stomach. Now, go eat your supper. Jesus Christ makes you well. All right.

63 You're nervous, caused you have fluttering in your heart. Go, be well now. Go, believe the Lord Jesus.

Well, now, if you'd believe with all your heart, that back trouble will leave you. You won't get up like that the next time. You'll be all right. Go, believe with all your heart. Have faith.

Nervous, lady's trouble and heart trouble. Do you believe that God can make you well? Go on your road, and say, "Thank You." All right.

You believe? What if I told you you were healed, standing there, would you believe it? Go, and believe it. Be well.

You believe with all your heart?

64 What about you, lady? If I told you that you was going to get well, would you believe it if told you? You want me to tell you what's wrong with you? Would it--would it help you if I told you what was wrong with you? All right. You got hay fever. You got a tumor; supposed to be operated on, for it. You're not from this country. You're from this... You're from this state, but you're from Flagstaff. You got a boy up there. He's unsaved, and he's sick. That's right. Your name is Mrs. Earl. Go back home and be well, in the Name of Jesus Christ.

Do you believe with all your heart? How many in here...

65 Let's stand to our feet. Oh, my. What more could He do? Do you love Him? Raise your hands to Him. I--I will praise Him. I will praise Him. Give Him praise...?... sickness are healed.

I love Him, I love Him

Because He first loved me

And purchased my salvation

On Calvary's tree.

I want to tell you, my friend; if that part of the Word of God is right, the rest of It's right. How many believers are in here? How many wants the Holy Ghost in here? Wave your hand. How many wants healing for your body? Raise your hand. All right. I'm going to quote you His Scripture.

66 I'm no more than you. I'm littler, smaller than you. Many of you here had the Holy Ghost 'fore I was born.

Listen. Jesus said it with His own lips. Go back to the beginning. "These signs shall follow them that believe. If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover." They laid hands on each other to receive the Holy Ghost.

Now, turn right around to somebody and put your hands on them. And let's pray together, and believe that God's going to pour out the baptism of the Holy Ghost, He's going to heal all the sick and afflicted, He's going to get glory to Himself. That's it. Turn yourself loose. The devil's defeated.