Why?

1 Thank you Brother Carlson. Let us bow our heads now for prayer. Our heavenly Father, we thank Thee tonight for this assembling together again. Night after night, in these revivals, we assembled. And we've did this, Lord, year in and out, and sometime we don't know when or where, but we know we'll have to assemble for the last time, and we'll be called to answer.

I pray, Father, that if there be some here tonight who does not know You as their Saviour, that this will be the night that they'll make preparations for when that call of summons to come on high to stand at the judgment, may they be ready to go, all washed in Calvary.

2 And, Father, we pray for those who are sick and afflicted that's in the building tonight and others outside. And here's some handkerchiefs laying here and cloths, that's to go to the sick and afflicted. We do this, because it is written in the Scripture that they taken from the body of Saint Paul, handkerchiefs and aprons, and placed them on the sick. Evil spirits went out of the people, and diseases left them. Now, we know that we're not Saint Paul, but we know that You're still Jesus Christ, the One Who healed the sick.

3 And we're told one time in the Scripture, when the children of Israel was following their commission, going straight in the line of duty, that the Red Sea got in the way of the line of duty of the children of God, going to a promised land, and God looked down through the Pillar of Fire and the sea got scared, and opened up a way, and they crossed over as on dry land.

Now, Lord, when these handkerchiefs, which are going in the line of duty, going from here where the children of God are praying, when they're laid upon the sick, may God not only look through the Pillar of Fire, but through the Blood of His own Son, Who was striped, and wounded for our transgression, with His stripes we were healed. May He look through that promise and that suffering yonder at Calvary, and every sickness and disease move back, that these people might move into the promise of God. "I would above all things," said the apostle, "that you prosper in health." Grant it, Father.

4 My brethren, are down there, standing by the organ, that some lovely family let us have to play the music of God. They're wanting to present this to You, Lord, as a--a public service. And we pray, heavenly Father, that You will bless it, and everywhere it is played, may the--it bring conviction. May the hands that plays it be filled with the Spirit, and may it play the songs of Zion. May it cause souls, may it never give an uncertain sound as Paul said, "If the trumpet gives an uncertain sound..." But may it give that certain sound of the mercies and grace of God. Bless the ones who are presenting it, all who are praying, and to all may God have glory, for we ask it in Jesus Name. Amen. May be seated.

5 Brother David, did you get through the snow all right? [Brother David answers, "Amen."--Ed.] All right. Called home awhile ago, and hear there's twelve inches new in Indiana now. Let's just stay out here. That'd be a good idea? [Brother Branham has a conversation with Brother David--Ed.] I think so too. He's good isn't He? Amen. That's very good. Well, I'll pinch-hit for you again sometime...?... I'll try it again. Well, that's mighty fine.

6 How many ever read my little book called, "Jesus Christ, The Same Yesterday, Today, And Forever?" Some of the old timers. I wrote it myself. It's a mess, but you just get it together, and the Lord can reveal it to you. Did you notice in there, that I seen a woman coming with a real, had been a white garment? And it was all spotted all over, and across her brow was wrote, "Miss Wesleyan Methodist." And I said, "What's the matter with that beautiful garment, all spotted up?" As a vision.

She said, "Well, I've..."

I said, "You Methodist oughtn't to have that like that."

And said, "Well, I've been so busy."

I said, "Yes, and so many societies, you've left off all the old prayer meetings, and Divine healing, the power of God that belonged in the Methodist Church."

She said, "You talk like that, I'll go wake my husband." And she went and got a spade, and begin to dig up by a grave, called, "John Wesley." And the vision left me.

Someday, the Methodist church's going to have a revival. I believe that. So Brother David, that might be right in line. One of the great men come just recently, was in a motel there at my place for several days, is writing a thesis on Divine healing for the Methodist Church, that's to go in the whole--in all the organization of the--of the Methodist Church.

7 Now, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, now, Saturday morning is the Businessmen's breakfast. It's--I just guess they've already announced it, and it will be, if the Lord willing, and they'll tell you Friday night, in full details, I guess, it's all set up. As far as you know, Brother Williams, where was it--right? That's right, for--for Saturday morning breakfast.

Brother David duPlessis, not just 'cause he's setting here, but I never heard him teaching only on tape, because when we're close to one another, we're together, and we're in a meeting. And so Brother David, I've heard him on the tapes and things from Angelus Temple, and places where we've been. I think one of the greatest teachers that I know of on the message today, and he's having services out at the--at Eleventh and Garfield, each morning at ten o'clock, I think. And if you've never heard him teach, I sure would advise you to go out and hear.

The boys tell me on the records now, I'll tell you how much it is. I think they've sold... Now, I may be wrong on this; I want to say, ten of my tapes and ninety of his. So you know where it's going to. So that's a... He's got a great ministry in teaching. So we had appreciate you going out and hearing Brother David.

8 Now, tonight I wished you to turn in the Scriptures for just a short time, in the Book of Jeremiah, the 8th chapter, and let's read the 20th, 21st, and 22nd verses of the 8th chapter of the prophet Jeremiah.

The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonish--astonishment has taken hold on me.

Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

I like to take a subject and call it, "Why?" You know, when God is so good to us to make a way for escape of danger, and we do not accept that way, then God asks, "Why?"

I think He has a right to ask, "Why?" For He's went to all His trouble to make this way for our good and place it before us, and then we turn right around and refuse it. He's got a right to ask us, "Why?" Why did we do it? Instead we'll try to make some way of our own.

But men are prone to make his own way, he proved that in the garden of Eden. He made hisself a fig leaf apron. And man has always tried to--to project his own ideas with God's, and make God's idea come to his idea. But we're not to do that, we're to take God's provided way, and ask no questions about it. Just go on and do it and live it the way God made it. For after all, He knows what's best.

9 One time, Brother duPlessis and I was talking sometime ago about the leadings of the Holy Spirit. And he gave me a word that stuck with me like a--something growed around me. He said, "Brother Branham, I've always found it this a way, that if I will just let the Holy Spirit lead me, don't take any thought. If He leads me contrary to what I'm thinking, just let Him lead you and be simple in it. Just follow the Holy Spirit and it always comes out right."

Then I thought, "Brother duPlessis, we are full-fledged brothers, for that's just the way I like it. Let the Holy Spirit lead, 'cause It's God's provided Agent to lead us."

10 Now, God makes a--a--a way to--for the escape, makes a way of salvation, makes a way for healing, all these things, and then we continue on, He ask, "Why?"

One time in the Bible, there in the Book of the Kings, there was a man who was king over Israel, and he was a evil man, son of Ahab, and his backgrounds had been evil to begin with.

And your life, today, will reflect in your children. You must remember that.

A few days ago, Demos Shakarian called me, and he said, "Brother Branham." We was talking about little Joseph setting in here somewhere tonight, my little son, and six years before he was borned, I saw him in a vision. We had a little girl, and the baby had to be born cesarean on because of the health of the wife. And so the doctor said that she could have no more children, said it was finished. And then, I said, "There'll be another one."

He said, "They--I--it just can't be, Mister Branham." Said, "You're going to kill your wife."

And I said, "But doctor, the Lord promised me a son, and his name's going to be called Joseph."

A couple of years after that, we knew we was going to have a baby at our house. And some of them asked me, "Is that Joseph?"

I said, "I don't know."

And when it was borned, it was a little girl. And now, if they didn't razz me. They said, "You meant Josephine."

And I said, "No, I meant Joseph."

The doctor says now, "It's impossible for her to have another one."

I said, "Oh, no. She'll have another one. She's going to have another baby, and it's going to be Joseph."

And then, when four years later, she was to be mother again. And they said, "Is this Joseph?"

I said, "I don't know, but Joseph is coming."

So that morning, the nurse came down and brought me, said, "Who--who is Reverend Branham?"

I said, "I'm he."

She said, "Reverend Branham, you have a fine seven pound, three ounce boy."

I said, "Joseph, you've been a long time getting here, honey. Daddy's kinda glad to see you." And so...

She said, "You called him, Joseph."

I said, "The Lord told me to call him that six years ago."

11 Demos ask me, he said, "Brother Branham, does your children see visions?"

I said, "Joseph has already seen visions."

He seen, about six weeks before it happened, a neighbor boy fall on a motorcycle and told us just how far he would skin hisself, what limb it would be. We thought the little fellow dreamed a dream, but he had not. And the boy fell at the spot he said, skinned his leg just the same way, just as perfect as it could be, and the child's three years old. See? It reflects.

12 Paul told Timothy to stir up the gift that was in him, that come from his grandmother, Lois. We find out that in the 7th chapter of Hebrews, that Paul speaking on tithe paying, that he said, Levi, who had an order from God to receive tithing of his brother, paid tithes, for he was yet in the loins of Abraham when he met Melchisedec, which was his great, great-grandfather. And it was accounted to him for paying tithing.

Your life will impress your children, and have--influence your children by the example you set before them. And I think it's a good thing that we put every effort we can before our children as godly parents. Make an example, be an example.

13 And this man had had a lukewarm father in the Gospel and a infidel or a heathen mother. And he couldn't be very much to begin with. And he become king by rights, and one day he was walking around, and fell through the lattice in his house, off of the porch down, and taken sick, and was going to die, he thought. So being an Israelite and king over Israel, he sent two obvious trusted servants up to Ekron to find out and consult Beelzebub, the god, up there, whether he was going to get well or not. You see, even a man when he's in a--a condition like that, there's something in the human being that let's him know that there's something supernatural somewhere. There's somewhere he could touch.

Now, he ought not have done that, but he thought no one would know about it but these two men. But somewhere out in a little adobe hut out there in the woods, God spoke to the prophet Elijah. He said, "Go up and stand in the road, and when these soldiers come by, ask them the question, 'Is there no God in Israel? Is there no prophet in Israel that you could consult, that you'd have to send up to Beelzebub?'"

14 What a reproach upon the nation. What a reproach it is upon the nation today, to find out that people, sometime who call themselves Christians, go to ouija boards, and spiritualists meetings, and all kinds of tommyrot like that, and fortunes, and telling fortunes and things like, which is of the devil.

Is it because there's no God in heaven? Is it because that He doesn't have prophets in His church? Isn't it because we don't have gifts and revelations and interpretations in the church to consult God? Why would we have to go to such a low, degraded thing as that? We... God is going to ask us, why? Why?

15 Now, it wasn't because there wasn't a God in Israel. It wasn't because He didn't have a prophet. But it was the king's own evil, stubborn ways is what did it.

And it isn't today, because the American people flock to seance meetings, and--and devil-possessed things like that to consult for the future. It isn't because that we haven't got a church that's got God in it; it's their own stubborn ways. They don't want to associate with them kind of a people.

That's the same thing that this king did not want to associate with Elijah, because Elijah always called out his sins. Sometimes it's rough to serve God.

There's only one thing to do, that's come to the hewing line. Toe the line with God. Leave your own thoughts go, 'cause God's going to ask for a reason for these things someday. And when we ask to give a reason, then what we're going to answer.

16 Now, and then it was his own stubborn way, that he didn't want to--to have any fellowship with this godly prophet. Yet, he was an Israelite. He was in the line to--to have a blessing of God upon him. And was under the blessing by his birthright, as being an Israelite, but yet, refused to accept God's way and went some other way.

God's going to ask us at the day of judgment, "Why didn't you receive the Holy Ghost? Why wasn't you borned of the Spirit? Why wasn't you this way and that way? Was it because we didn't have any church to teach it? Was it because there wasn't a preacher in the land that preached the baptism of the Holy Ghost? Why did you do these things?"

When God's made a provision, and them people refused to walk in it, then He's going to ask, "Why?"

17 It's like a man dying on the doctor's doorstep, because he won't take his medicine. The doctor has the prescription. He has the remedy for the disease the man's got. But he sets on the doctor's doorstep and refuses to take his medicine, then he dies on his doorstep. It isn't because the doctor didn't have the prescription. It isn't because there was no medicine for his sickness, but it's because the man's own stubbornness to refuse to take the doctor's medicine, and he die. So you cannot blame the medicine or the doctor, because both was there ready for service, but it was the man who refused.

And God's got the Holy Ghost tonight for every believer that wants to receive It. We've got anointed preachers in the land that preaches it daily and nightly. But it's the people's own stubborn way, that they love darkness better than light, that they'd rather live in the world than to walk in the Gospel Light. Oh, people, you don't know what a pleasure it is to walk in the Light, the Light of the Lord Jesus, have fellowship with Him. It's glory divine to have fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

18 Now, you cannot have fellowship with the world and with the Holy Spirit at the same time. You've got to abstain from the things of the world, live clean, honorable, upright, and holy, then the Holy Spirit will dwell with you, and will work with you, and will perform miracles through you, and will heal you, give you joy, peace, and love, and long-suffering, goodness, gentleness, matienc--patience, and faith. If you will walk in God's way, there's plenty of Holy Spirit.

I've often wondered why that people want to take a substitute for salvation, when the skies are full of the real. Why would you eat out of a garbage can when a nice clean table's set and ready for you? It shows there's mentally something wrong. I think that's what's the matter with the nation today. I think when a--a person will refuse to receive Christ, the Holy Spirit, in their hearts to walk, let Him lead them like He did in the book of Acts, there's something wrong with that person mentally. I believe it.

19 Now, they say, "Too much religion will make you go crazy." Too much of the wrong thing will make you go crazy. But the religion of Jesus Christ, if you are crazy, it puts you in your right mind. See? You are not right until you are borned again. You're not mentally right until you have been borned again. A man is not in his right condition until he's borned again. He's a beast at heart, until he has been borned of the Spirit of God, and the spirit of nature is taken out of him, and the Spirit of God takes It's place to rule. That leads him and guides him into all truth and light. That's right. And if a man does not do that, knowing without that he's hell-bound, there's something wrong with his mind. Why, doesn't the people receive it? Why?

We'll put the--a rodeo in town, there'd be in this city here of Phoenix (I suppose), half a million people or maybe more (I don't know the population,), but a--one-third or more of the crowd would come, and pay five dollars a ticket to get in. Which is all right, if you want to go. Then we could put some television star here with a rock-and-roll party, and I say nearly fifty percent of Phoenix would go.

20 And then, we put a gospel meeting here, where Jesus Christ comes in Presence with us all, to bless us, and to show, and prove to us by His Word that He's the resurrected Son of God, and we'll just get a handful out of the city. But what is it? "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him first." I feel it's the cream of the crop, the elected. "My sheep hear My voice, and a stranger they don't follow." Depends on what's on the inside of you drawing, moving. It's the elect always that God speaks to and sends His message to.

Now, they're going to be asked someday, "Why? Why, didn't you?" Was it because there was no meeting in Phoenix? Was it because the Holy Spirit wasn't preached in Phoenix in this generation, when it comes up to the judgment? Why, we're going to have to stand there. Every one of us will stand there, and give an account, and Phoenix is going to be left bare, because there's many, many churches in here preaching the Gospel, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, praying for the sick.

21 "Well," you say, "we've had a lot of..." I don't care what you've had. Surely, you got enough discernment to know what's right and wrong by the Word. See? Watch the Word.

Now, if the man laid on the doctor's doorstep, and died there because he refused to take the doctor's medicine... Now, if there's no medicine in there, that's different. But if there's medicine there, and a doctor who knows how to give it, then if the man's dies with his disease, it's not the doctor's fault, neither the medicine's fault. It's the man's own fault because he died. He don't have to.

22 Now, in medicine sometime... There was a time when there was no toxin for typhoid fever. There was no... Just recently they got the Salk vaccine for the--for the children, for the a--the polio. There was a time they didn't have it. They got it now. There was a time there was no a--inoculation for a--a typhoid fever, and tetanus, and typhus shots, they didn't have it. But we got it now.

And now, there was a time when the toxin of God wasn't too good. It was all right, but it wasn't perfect. But it's changed now; it's perfect now.

Now, why--how do they find medicines? How do they find about a remedy, how to give medicine? The first thing, they take it into the laboratories and begin to mix different chemicals together, and they come to an idea, that this thing tested against a certain germ, that it kills the germ, and leaves the good germ of life live. Sometimes, it kills off the antibiotics and so forth, to take off some of the good germs, the good and bad. But usually, it's tested to kill the bad germ for your body. And then, there--next thing they do, they get a guinea pig, and they inject this serum into the guinea pig, that's--they give him the disease, and see how it acts in the body of a guinea pig. If the guinea pig survives it, then they give it to you. And now, all people--it won't work on all people, because sometimes they can give you a--like a dose of penicillin, it'll--it'll help one, and kill the next one he gives it to. You--you have to take a chance on it, when you're taking medicine, because it's not perfect.

23 But I want to say tonight that the Balm of God, the Holy Spirit, it isn't a hit and guess, or a hit and miss, It is perfect. It's good for all. It is a Balm of God, Balm of Gilead. It's there for every sick sin, sick soul.

Now, they say today that number one killer in America is heart trouble. I different with them; number one killer in America today is sin, not heart trouble, but soul trouble. In--inside of the heart, the soul that's in the heart, that's the number one enemy. We have so many people. I hear them say, "Brother Branham, I want to live right."

I had a young girls, and the young boys to tell me, and old people, "I want to live right, but I just can't keep from drinking. I just can't keep from lusting. I just can't keep away from these places." There's just one thing, you haven't tried the Balm. When you take this Balm of Gilead, God's balm, it inoculates you from all sin and things of the world. It puts such a love of God in your heart, until the things of the world become dead to you. Certainly. It's the great Balm of Gilead. It's the Balm of God's healing Balm.

24 You say, "I--I wish I could." Well, you can, there's plenty of it. We've got--the heavens is full of it. We got preachers across the land preaching it. We've got people across the land being inoculated by it, and sin problem leaves them, because they've received God's inoculation. That sinners, drunkards, gamblers, gangsters, bootleggers, prostitutes, all of them, come to Calvary and are--are inoculated with the Balm of God's glory, and His power, and sin question is settled forever. "He that heareth My Words, and believeth on Him that sent Me, has Everlasting Life, and shall never come to the judgment; but's passed from death unto Life," because he's been inoculated with the Spirit of God that kill the things of the world and made him a new creature in Christ Jesus. A new creation, he's inoculated.

All the old things pass away; new life comes in, new desire comes in. And if you haven't got that, "Except a man be borned again, he will in no wise see the Kingdom of God." And then at the day of the judgment, the world's going to be asked for a reason, "Why didn't you receive it?"

25 Just as the people are dying on the doctor's doorstep, men and woman today are dying in the church pews. Sinners come to the place, like borderline believers. Men and women dying in the church pew, and going out in eternity to meet God without hope. It isn't because the Gospel isn't preached; it isn't because that there isn't enough Balm for them; it's because they refused to take the Balm. They refused to take the doctor's medicine, the new birth.

As I said, the other night, "The new birth is a mess." I don't care where you go at it; it's a mess, any birth is. It's a mess, and the new birth is a mess. It makes you do things that you didn't think you would do.

26 I remember one time I was preaching at my tabernacle, years ago, and there was... when the... I was a Missionary Baptist, and the First Baptist Church downtown, the Sunday school teacher was up there and standing on the outside. And I always did believe in holiness. I believe that a man, if he's borned of the Spirit of God, and led by the Holy Spirit, he will live right. He has to, because the life of God's in him. And then this little fellow was their Sunday school teacher, and we didn't believe our... Our church didn't have any baseball team. They did down there, because they'd bring them in playing Sunday baseball, and things. We didn't believe in it. So this fellow said, "Billy, I was up to hear you the other night."

I said, "Yes, I didn't see you."

He said, "Oh, I come up; I stood outside." Said, "It was a big crowd inside, and I didn't want to stand in." Said, "I stood outside," but said, "I appreciated your message, but I--I just simply couldn't understand what you were saying, because some woman raised up back there and started crying, run up there to the altar with her hands up, crying." Said, "I didn't get the last part of your message." Said, "And that woman started crying, she said, "I--I just felt..." He said, "I felt like I--I almost froze to death."

I said, "Brother, you better change a whole lot. If you ever get to heaven, you will freeze to death up there, because there's going to be plenty of screaming and shouting up there."

And he said, "Don't you think that's emotion?"

I said, "Sir, anything without emotion, scientifically is dead. And any church or any person that's borned of the Holy Spirit, says God, hasn't got a little emotion about them, is dead."

27 Watch when a baby's born, it doesn't cry, it doesn't whimper, it doesn't make a whine, what's the matter with that baby? It's born dead. That's what's the matter with church members tonight, a lot of church members, they're born dead. What does the doctor do to bring life to the little baby? Jerks him up by the heels, and gives him a little protaplasma stimulation (Right?), as hard as he can spank him till he squalls out. What the church needs tonight is a good old fashion God sent spanking to it, that'll call it back out again, shake life into it. That's what the church needs.

When a birth comes there's crying comes, there's slobbers comes, and--it's just a lot of things happen when the birth comes. But people don't want that; they think they're too classy, too stiff to receive it. And God's going to ask you, "Why?"

28 Person who will get a grammar school education, stick their hat on the side their head, and put a fifty dollar coat around it, and walk out here thinking you're something, remember, you was born just like anybody else was born. You had the same messy birth that anybody else had. Let me tell you: you're nothing anyhow to begin with. And then, if--the only way you'll ever get out of that condition is to be reborn by the Spirit of God, and It does something to you that makes your head in above the eagles, 'cause you're reborn. And God's going to ask you, "Why, didn't you receive it? What's the matter? What was the cause?"

Well, it's not going to be because you say, "I never heard it preached," because you have. If you didn't go to the church, you heard it on the radio sometime; you see it in the papers, on tracts on the street. You've heard it. God's going to say, "Why didn't you? Why? I made the way. I sent My man. I sent My apostles. I sent My prophets. I sent My Holy Spirit. I showed signs and wonders. I proved by these operations of these gifts, and by the preaching of the Gospel, through the Bible, that It was Me. Now, why, didn't you receive it?" There you are.

29 Reminds me like in... Someone asked me the question the other night about Hebrews 10, where they who willfully have sinned, willfully, and have to renew themselves unto repentance. Why, there's nothing left for them, but the fearful looking for the judgment. "He that despise Moses' law, died under two or three witnesses. How much sorer punishment, suppose though worthy, who has trod the Blood of Jesus Christ under their feet, and counted It an unholy thing, done despite to the works of grace..."

I said, "You read over in Deuteronomy 14, where that those spies, Israelites, went with Caleb and Joshua right up to the border land, and they tasted the grapes that come from the land. But when they went back, they were unbelieving and cowards, said, 'Oh, we can't take it; it's too much for us. Oh, they look like grasshoppers, we do, up beside of them. The cities are all walled in. We cannot take it.' But Caleb stilled them, and Joshua, said, 'We can take it. We're more than able. Yet, we being the minority, but we can take it.' Why? Those spies was looking at conditions, what the price they'd have to pay, but Caleb and Joshua was looking at a promise of God. God said, 'I have given you that land, go possess it.'"

30 Glory. The Holy Ghost is for whosoever's called to this wedding supper. I don't care what price you have to pay, go get it. God said it's yours. If you don't get it, then He's going to ask you, "Why didn't you get it? Why? It was there for you."

If they didn't possess the land, why? "There was too many against us."

He said, "Well, if God said, 'If I'm for you, who could be against you?'" It's there. What's the matter? There's something wrong with the individual.

Now, now, watch. He said, "Many..."

31 You take a young minister feels the call of God in his heart. He will repent of his sins, go off to school and get his education, which is fine. He will come back, and he will still smoke cigarettes, maybe. Maybe, he's still got a lustful spirit, and he will say, "Oh, I don't want that, Lord, take it away from me."

The Spirit of God will come and sanctify his soul, and take that desire away from him. Then he will be brought right up to the borderline, set right in the meetings, and watch the working of the Holy Spirit, see others get healed, hear them speak with tongues, and see signs and wonders done. They'll set around and watch it, but afraid to put their hand on it. That's that borderline believer; that's the fellow, if ever turns away, there's no more remission for him. Stand right up here, and even look over into the land, who's received the knowledge of the truth, had a knowledge of the truth, knowed that that was right, but because of prestige, "Well, if I do this, it'll do this. And if I accept that, it'll do this."

See? They refuse it, walk away from it. And he said, "And count the Blood of the Covenant, wherewith he was sanctified," that far to bring him up on a step to look over into and have a knowledge of it. He was saved and sanctified, but comes up here to look over to receive the Holy Ghost, that new birth, he wants nothing to do with it.

He will say, "Oh, I guess that's all right for them kind of people, but me, oh, it's all right, but I will someday." Now, there's the trouble, that man is sick and don't want to take the doctor's medicine.

32 Oh, my, reminds me when mama used to give us castor oil. We was raised out in the country, and had to take meat skins and boil them out in an old--render them out in an old dishpan, and make the bread with it. Had corn bread and black-eyed peas, I don't know whether you all know that is or not. How many southerners in here has eat that? Turnip greens? Oh, my, goodness. If I had a straw tick tonight to sleep on, I'd feel at home then.

Notice, and they take and make that, and every Saturday night, us little kids all had to take a bath. About eight or nine of them little Branhams standing up, and I was the oldest one, so I got the last bath, the same water, the first one had it. Just pour a little more in out of the old teakettle in an old wooden tub. And then--then every one us going to school, had to take a dose of castor oil, so we'd feel all right for school Monday morning. Our systems all a--that food we had to eat. And I got... I can't stand to smell of the stuff yet. And I--every time I'd come, I'd hold my nose, I'd say, "Mama..." I was the oldest; I had to take it first. I'd say, "Oh, mama, it just gags me; I just can't do it. I..."

And she'd say, "If it doesn't make you sick, it doesn't do you any good."

33 That's the same way with preaching the Gospel: If it doesn't stir you up to make you sick enough, it'll do you good. It's a doctor's prescription. It's what the doctor ordered. Hold your nose and take it. That's the best thing. It'll take starch out of you; it'll do that. It'll wilt you down. It'll make you do things that you didn't think you would do. It might make you a little messy, but it--it'll certainly straighten you out. That's right.

Oh, if a person... How will you give a answer to God, when He ask, "Why, didn't you do it? Why, didn't you receive it?"

I imagine to see the virgin Mary, to some of you Catholic people. It's kind of a bitter dose for her after giving birth to the Son of God, but yet, before she could ever go into heaven, she had to climb that little old outside ladder that led up into the upper room, and stay there until she was so full of the Holy Ghost till she staggered like she was drunk. And if God made Mary do that before she went in, how are you going in anything less than that? God's going to say, "Why, didn't you?" You're going to be asked to give a reason. "Why, didn't you?"

Think of that, but God's going to ask, "Why?" And you've got to give a reason why. What you going to say about it? Why? "Why didn't you do it?"

34 The doctor leave you medicine, say, "Why, didn't you take it?" The next day your fever's high, "Why, didn't you take it?" "Why, didn't you? How can I doctor you, unless you take my medicine?"

How can God save you, unless you take His medicine? How can He heal you, 'less you take the medicine?

As I said, "Heart troubles not the number one, sin trouble." And what is sin? Sin is not smoking cigarettes; sin is not committing adultery. Sin is not drinking, swearing. That's the attributes of sin. There's only one sin; that's unbelief. Any man, if he lives as holy, and pious, and as good as he could be, and yet say that the days of miracles is past, and deny the Scripture saying, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever," that man is a sinner, because he's an unbeliever.

35 Them Pharisees is just was holy as they could be. Traditions of the elders, they kept. Clean, upright, swell, fine educated, and Jesus said, "You are of your father, the devil." He was the Messiah. He was the One that showed forth the power of the living God, and fulfilled the Scriptures that was spoke of Him, and then they were asked, "Why?" Because their elders said, their elders said. But Jesus had fulfilled the Scripture. So will it be someday, when they're asked, "Why didn't they receive the Holy Ghost?"

The church is here; the preachers are here; the power of God's here; Christ is here. The signs and wonders that He promised in the last day is here, and we're going to be asked, "Why, didn't you receive the Holy Ghost?"

36 Why? God made a way. Then why don't you receive it? Now, you could kinda straighten this medicine proposition out. You could kindy wonder about that, because it helped some and killed some. It's not too accurate, because every person's body is not like a guinea pig, and we all are different one from another.

I want to get on that this week, if I could. How that one tries to impersonate another. You can never do that. God never made two people alike. You just go the way the Holy Spirit leads you. We might take the millions that's in the world, and no two of them's got the same thumb print. That's right. God made them different. He's a God of variety. He made them different. And don't try to impersonate the next fellow; you do what God tells you to do and stay with it, because there's no one in heaven, or in earth, can take your place. God made you for a purpose. Stay with that.

37 Now, we find out that this medicine, when they inoculate this guinea pig, that was a animal they inoculate, and then give the serum to a human being. It's not too sure. That inoculation might not work on you, but I say one thing, "God's inoculation will work on you. It's perfect."

Why? There was a sample of it given forth until the--the real Serum come, by the blood of bulls, and of goats, and sheep, and so forth. It wasn't too much, because it was animals. But one day the holiest Thing of heaven come, the Son of God. He wasn't Jew, nor He wasn't Gentile; He was God, neither Jew nor Gentile. So your race lines can't mean nothing.

38 We all know that the blood stream comes from the male sex. The germ of life comes through the--the male. And in this case, Mary had the--the egg, but the germ, the blood cell, came from God the Creator Who made it. So you can't say Jesus was a Jew, He wasn't. He was God. So then, God, the great Holy Spirit, overshadowed a virgin, and created a blood cell, not with any sex desire to it at all, but holy. And that cell formed in there, and brought forth the Son of God, and through that virgin birth, and that vicarious suffering, and death at Calvary, through the shed Blood, brings forth a sanctified church to fill it with the Spirit that created it. Amen. That's it. That's the Gospel. You're going to call me a holy-roller anyhow, so you might as well get started now. That's right. Oh, nothing but the Blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is that flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know, nothing but the Blood of Jesus. That's it. What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the Blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the Blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is that flow.

39 What healed me? The Blood of Jesus. What saved me? The Blood of Jesus. That's all my hope and theme; that's all my cry. That's all my plea: nothing but the Blood of Jesus.

Now, that's God's application. It makes you a different person. You're borned anew. Now, when God got ready to try His toxin, His Balm. Balm is the... He said, "Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Then why, why is the daughter of my people not recovered from her sickness? Why is she still in this condition? Is there no balm? Is there no physician? No one to help her? No one to tell her the truth? No one to give her the right medicine? Why is she sick like this?"

40 I wonder what God's going to say at the day of the judgment, if we keep separating ourselves from one another? What's the matter with the Balm? What's the matter with the power of God? with Jesus Christ, Who said, "This will all men know you're My disciples, when you have love one for the other."

What are we going to do with that? Is there no balm here? Is--there--is there--wha--what's the matter with us? Why are we--why's the church still sick? Not because there's not enough Balm to draw us together. It's not because there isn't a Physician, the Holy Spirit. But what it is, is because that we willfully reject It. That's the reason.

41 Now notice again, when that balm was... Balm, I'll call it toxin. When that Toxin was tested, God never give it to a guinea pig, He gave it to His Son, to Jesus Christ, at the bank of the Jordan. Down through life, it held, and a few minutes--a few days after God gave the toxin in His own Son in His own flesh. God made flesh and dwelled among us. Some people call Him Jesus, just a philosopher, just an ordinary man, just a prophet. He was more than a philosopher; He was more than a prophet; He was more than a man; He was God manifested in flesh, virgin born. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit overshadowed Mary brought forth a tabernacle, a man's body which was the Son of God, that God dwelt in reconciling the world to Himself. He looked like God; He act like God; He spoke like God; He healed like God; He was God made manifest in the flesh. He was more than a man. He was God manifested in the flesh.

42 And that death tried to anchor it's stinger low in that old flesh there, He found out then that there was something different from anyone else he'd ever stung. He could sting a prophet, and he'd die. He'd stung a prophet, and then he'd sting another one, but when he stung that Son of God there, it anchored that stinger and pulled it out of him. Today, death doesn't have any sting, because the flesh of God caught the stinger and pulled it out of him. The devil didn't know that was him. He--all the time he said, "If You're the Son of God, do this. If You're the Son of God, do this."

Put a rag around His face and He seen them visions and so forth. The devil had his agent put a rag around His face like that, and hit Him on the head, and said, "Now, if You are the Son of God tell us who hit You."

See? Jesus kept that to Himself. But He wanted that devil to anchor that stinger and then He'd take the stinger out of him. Oh, but when he stung Him there at Calvary, he hasn't got any stinger no more. He can buzz, and hum, and make a lot of noise, but his stinger's yonder. Hallelujah. It's anchored in Calvary.

No wonder Paul can say, "Oh death, where is your sting? Grave where is your victory? But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Oh, my.

43 When God got ready to try His toxin, He inoculated His own Son. When they jerked a handful of beard out of His face and [Brother Branham makes a noise like someone spitting--Ed.] right in His face, He turned the other cheek to them. I wonder if we've been inoculated like that?

When the devil tested Him, said, "Say, You're a miracle performer. Let me see You heal this one here, let me see You do this."

What will we do, if we had the power? We'd turn around and probably do it, say, "See, I told you I could do it."

But He was inoculated; it held. He done only what the Father told Him to do.

If we had that much power given unto us, I wonder if we wouldn't put our--our thumbs in our vest and say, "Now, do you understand here, you see, all you people, you have to come over to my denomination, because I'm the one's got it." See?

What about Him? He was inoculated. What did He say? "I can do nothing until the Father shows Me. Verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing in Himself, but what He sees the Father doing, that doeth the Son." The inoculation held.

44 When He went to Calvary, it held. When He went to death, it held. God proved that inoculation would keep you from sin. Not only that, but on Easter morning, blessed be the Name of the Lord, the inoculation held. After He was dead three days, and His body in a grave, the inoculation held. It rose from the grave on Easter morning by that inoculation.

All the people begin to look around, and say, "That inoculation looks good to me." The real believer.

So He said, "I'll tell you what we're going to do."

45 We find out there was one coming from Emmaus, two of them on the road, a Man walked out, walked along, talked with them all day, set down, act like He was going on by, and He done something just like He did before His crucifixion, before His death, they knew that was the Lord that had raised. "Oh," said, "did not our hearts burn within us as we talked to Him along the road."

We find Him doing things just like He did before His resurrection, before He had died rather. We found after His resurrection that He performed and did just like He did afterwards. They knew that was the Resurrection and Life. He is the only One, the only One. There's no church; there's no minister; there's no prophet; there's no--no nothing that's got Eternal Life but Jesus Christ, and He's the sole Giver of Eternal Life. "No man can come to the Father except by Me," said Jesus. Amen.

46 How you going to meet Him on a church creeds? How you going to meet Him on denominations? How you going to meet Him on handshakes and sprinkles? You know better than that. Got to be borned again. "Come to Me all ye that labor and heavy laden, and I'll give you rest."

No other one, never would asked, "Why?" Then a hundred and twenty of them become candidates for this. He took a hundred and twenty little cowardly Jews, after they'd seen all this go by. They'd seen His miracles. They'd see the inoculation holding on Him. They'd see that when He was riled upon; He riled not again. They seen His sweetness and meekness. They seen His power to heal. They seen His power to raise up from the grave, and in all that they were still cowards. The serum was there, but they had not received it as yet. They went upstairs and shut theirself in a room by a little old candle, oil candle burning up there, there for ten days and nights, waiting for the Doctor to come. Oh, all of a sudden they heard the sound as a rushing, mighty wind. Here come the inoculation, and He inoculated a hundred and twenty.

Brother, they went into a fit, nearly, when He inoculated them. Well, out in all kinds of shines, they jumped, and danced, and spoke in tongues, and run through the streets, but they was inoculated. That's what they're afraid of; you're afraid of the serum. It'll make you act funny but, oh, my, what a feeling, what a safety it gives you when you're inoculated. "Except a man be borned again, he cannot even see the Kingdom of God."

47 Mean they don't understand it; you think the people are crazy till they get into it one time. Did you ever see a fellow drunk on opium? Why, he can get a hold opium, smoke a opium pipe, I don't care how sick he is, or what about it, all the whole world's just his, that's all. Now, that's of the world, the doctor's opium, but God has an opium. Where do you get opium? From the lily. He was the Lily of the Valley, and at Calvary they crushed the opium out of Him. Now, you get a inoculation to every nation...?... Oh, these are not drunk on new wine; they're not drunk on strong drinks, but they're drunk upon this new wine, the power of God, the Holy Spirit pouring out upon them from on high. There's a way.

You said, "But, Brother Branham, that was for them people back there."

Oh, no, no, no, no. The people there said, "Men and brethren, how do we get inoculated?"

Now, they had a doctor in the bunch. Did you know that? Doctor Simon Peter. Yes, sir, "Oh," he said, "there's plenty of balm here. I'm the physician right now, give me your prescription."

"What must we do to be saved?"

He said, "Repent every one of you, be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, for the promise (the prescription) is good for you, and for your children, and for them that's far off. Even as many as the Lord our God shall call to be inoculated."

48 I tried His prescription. You can try His prescription. Repent and be baptized. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and see if the Holy Ghost don't come into you. How long will this prescription? Don't you never go to writing out any man's theory. If you do, you're going to get in trouble. You'll still be in sin, but you take His theory, His prescription, the promise.

Now, they say, "Oh, that old prescription was for a long time ago."

Oh, no. Doctor Simon Peter, Jesus' physician that He sent. He said, "I give you the keys to the kingdom. I'll give you the--I'll give you the bowl to stir it up in, and you just mix a little repentance, and water baptism, and all these things together, and mix it all up together, find out, take a big dose of it and find out what comes out."

49 Oh, my, the first thing you know, you talk about new wine, you drink that, something will happen to you. Oh, they were... They went forth everywhere preaching, the Lord working with them, confirming the Words with signs following. Oh, how glorious it is to know. God's going to ask on the day of the judgment, "Why, didn't you take the prescription? It's wrote here in the Bible, here is a reason, here's the Holy Ghost."

He isn't going say, "Well, Lord, I thought it was..."

"My physician told you that it was for you and for your children, and for them that was far off, even as many as got sick." Even as many as got sick, the healing balm is for them. There is a Balm in Gilead for the sin sick soul.

50 Listen friends, we're scattered about. You'll join the Assemblies, then you'll join the Oneness, and then you'll join the Church of God. Then you'll go to the Independents, then to the Methodist, back to the Baptist, back again around, around, and around packing your letter. Forget it. The thing you need is inoculation. Now, it don't make no difference what church you're in, you're inoculated. You're borned into the church of the living God.

The Pentecostal has a lot scavengers. That's exactly right. They all do. Jesus had one out of twelve. So we won't do as good as He did, I'm sure. We... Sure we got impersonators, actors trying to act like something they haven't got. But just the same, there's some that's got it. That's right. Do you see a counterfeit dollar? It shows it was made off of the real one.

51 Search the Scriptures, friend, join the church ain't enough. Now, joining the church is fine. I believe that every person should join the church. I absolutely believe that every person should stand at their post of duty, and--when their pastor's there preaching or evangelists or something, I think they ought to stand at their post of duty. They ought to support that church with everything they got in them with their tithes, with their offerings, with anything that they're called on to do. Be willing and happy, if your pastor ask you to do something in your church. You should do it. That's good. But don't let that just be the only thing. get inoculated first. That's what I'm trying to tell you; get the Holy Spirit first, then the rest of it comes on all right. Then you go get into whatever you wish to, whatever church that you--of your choice.

52 Now, this Bible has the treasures. This Bible said, "That Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."

Peter said, "The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to them that is far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."

Jesus said, "The works that I do, shall you do also." Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Sodom, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man." A ministry working through human flesh, like you. And you and I together will do the same thing. Just before the coming of Christ this would be taking place. All the prophets spoke of it. The Scriptures laid to it, and everything.

Don't stand off from it, say, "Well, I wonder."

Take the Bible. Jesus said, "Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have Eternal Life, and they are they that testify of Me." That's how you're going to know, search the Scriptures. Is the Holy Ghost for you? Is the Holy Ghost for these people? Is the Holy Ghost for this generation? The Bible said it was. Is this the generation that the--that the signs of the believers was to follow? Search the Scripture. It said it would be so. Both former and latter rain would be poured out in this generation.

"Yeah, well, what generation?" The one that sees the fig tree putting forth its bud yonder, Israel returning to be a nation. When all these things is taken place, then these things will be taken place in the church. Here they are.

53 Oh, you've got it, friends, and don't know it. You--you've got the opportunity. You've heard it preached. How many in here would be honest with me, say, "Brother Branham, I never did receive the Holy Ghost yet." Raise up your hands. Be honest. Just raise up your hands, say, "I haven't received the Holy Ghost."

God bless you, lady. That's it. God bless you. That's good. God bless you. That's right. God bless you. That's sincere. You know it. "Haven't received the Holy Ghost yet." Well, you can. For the promise is unto you. You say, "But, Brother Branham, I'm a Presbyterian."

I don't care what you are like that. You're a creature that Christ died for, and the promise is to every generation, and to every person, whosoever will come, let him...

54 [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... nothing, she'd sold her house, and she had sold all she had, and--and all of her goods, and she was on starvation. And so, the--the county come up to investigate the case. She wasn't old enough yet to draw the old age pension, so they just come up to investigate the case. And they--she said--they said, "Well, lady, do--don't you have any relatives?"

She said, "Yes, I have one of the most precious boys."

"Well," said, "where is he at?"

Said, "He's in India."

"Oh, over in India. What does he do over there?"

Say, "He's a business man."

"A business man in India?"

Said, "Yeah," said, "he's a darling boy." Said, "He's a business man." And said, "Doesn't he ever send you any help?"

Said, "No, he doesn't."

Said, "Don't you ever hear from him?"

Said, "I hear from him all the time." And said, "He sends me prettiest pictures I ever seen." But said, "I--I--He never sends me any money." And said, "That poor darling boy must be just so much burden, that he--that he a--that he just don't know how--he can't send me nothing, because he's so burdened with his business, and yet, he's such a sweet boy. He tells me he's just prospering, and--and how good everything's going on." And said, "But I know, because he don't send me any money, he can't afford to do it. But he sends me some of the prettiest pictures."

And the man said to her, said, "Well, lady, what kind of pictures are they?"

She said, "Oh, I haven't lost a one of them. I got every one of them." Said, "I keep them in my Bible."

55 And she went over and pulled out of the Bible about a hundred thousand dollars worth of Indian drafts from the bank. She didn't know what they were. They had pretty pictures on them, but she didn't know what they were. She was a rich woman and didn't know it. She found her treasures in the Bible.

And, brother, let me tell you something tonight. That woman had stuff to eat, clothes to wear; she was rich and didn't know it. And tonight you are rich and don't know it. In the Bible here, maybe hid from your eyes, that God has wrote promises here that'll make you rich in spirit, rich in life. Oh, it'll do things for you that you didn't think would ever be done. Now, they're in here, why not look them up and claim them? They're yours.

Every promise in the Book is mine,

Every chapter, every verse, every line.

I'm trusting in His love Divine,

For every promise in the Book is mine.

Whosoever will let him come and drink from the fountains of the waters of life freely, then we're going to be asked for a reason. What then? You've heard the old song?

What then? What then?

When the last is open. What then?

When the ones that reject the message...

will be asked to give a reason. What then?

56 Someday the trumpet will sound for it's last time. The Bible will lay closed on the pulpit. The mimic will make his last act. The sun will be setting in the west, and the arms will be stacked for the last time, and then we will be asked to give a reason for what we have done with these treasures that's been sent to us. It's a Book of treasures. Let us bow our heads, while we think of it.

57 Our heavenly Father, the ri--riches of God is sent to us by a letter, a message of the Bible, that the Holy Spirit was ordained of God, our Father, through the Blood of His Son, Jesus, to bring us this message. He is a true witness of Christ, for it is written, "When He, the Holy Ghost, is come, He will bring these things to your remembrance, that in here, remind you, that you've got treasures and riches untold in the pages of this Book."

Not only that, but He will show you things to come. And the works that Christ did, He said the Holy Spirit would do it in us. We're so happy to know these things are true. Now, You said, and it's been written in the Bible, "As many as believed on Him, to them, gave He the power to become sons and daughters of God.

58 Now, I pray tonight, Father, that You'll give power to these people, who has not received the Holy Spirit or those here that might not even be saved, to this night accept the message that's in the Bible, as Peter said at the day of Pentecost, "The promise is to you and to your children." The prescription, I made it that way, Father. The prescription would be good for each generation, and every one would have a right to receive it.

Now, Father God, I pray that Your grace and Your mercy will bring to pass and manifest this Word. May each of these people receive what they have come for tonight. May there not be one person go out of here but what will be made whole of their sickness, their disease, of the sin of their soul, of their unbelief, of their superstition, return to their church to be a better member of that church than they ever was, that they, too, might scatter light, that there is Eternal Life through the Name of Jesus Christ. Grant it, Father. Amen.

59 The great...

[Woman in the congregation speaks in tongues, and another woman interprets--Ed.]

Now, that message, just then going, was for a certain person, wasn't speaking to the church in whole. It went to a person. There's somebody... You--you'll feel it; you'll know.

60 The Holy Spirit is present. Now, I appreciate you people, and how that some of you--you come up under good training. I have noticed, many times, when the Holy Spirit would give a message, sometimes, people know... You feel so good in the message on your heart, but see how orderly that's been each night? See? They never interrupt the message, because if the message on the platform is anointing, let them hold their peace. Now, the spirits of the prophets if subject to the prophet. See? And then, after the message is over, did you see the Spirit speaking, give the interpretation? See? See? It's just exactly Scriptural and in order. That's the way the Holy Spirit, God granted it to be.

61 Now, somebody, in here, feels the effect of that message. Now, just while you're waiting just a moment. While I... See, there's no... I know it's right, and I do believe in altar calls, people come up and confessing and so forth like that. But In the Scripture it was as many as believed on Him. See? As many as believed. It might be somebody in here that's been halfway seeking the Holy Spirit, run around or some sinner that doesn't know God, and just maybe went and made three or four trials, and didn't--just kindly unconcerned. That message is sinking right down in their heart right now, ever who it is. This would be the hour for you.

Now, the Holy Spirit giving His messages, doing the work, doing the things that God ordained to be done.

62 Now, how many in here is sick and needy? Raise your hands, say, "I'm needy. Raise up my hands to God. I want to be healed physically of my sickness." All right. The Lord bless.

Now, that you might know now. Now, I don't feel it here tonight, but many times I have felt it, where people think you were reading their minds, mind reading. You look at somebody on the platform and talk to them. See? But anybody who knows one principle of mind reading, knows that that's wrong. Anybody that knows psychology knows that's wrong. See? Now, remember the two spirits is so close together, till it deceived the very elect. As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, that superstitions perceptions. See? Now, but you find out, we got a lot of things going on in the world today under the Name, but there's...

You see, no one can ever take the picture of a spook. It isn't there. See? But the Angel of the Lord, they've got the picture of It; you got it here. Many, many times, how many times, and of things that God does is lasting (See?) that you might know that the Spirit of God.

63 Now, the Bible said, now let's see, "As the days of Sodom," let's hold on that. Usually it's touch His garment. Let's a--let's think this, "Lord tonight for the sick people, let's take it as the days of Sodom, the Angel of God, that was in that flesh gave a sign of Abraham that the time was at hand, if the Sodom, the world was going to be destroyed." How many remembers the story? Sure you do in Genesis.

Now, Jesus, over in the New Testament, said, "Just before the end time, the coming of the Son of man, that same thing would re-occur. As it was at Sodom, so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man." See?

64 Now, I want you sick people, out there... Now, I do know there's somebody setting here tonight that I know. That's Brother Williams setting right here. And--and these three fellows setting right here, I know them. These three men from Arkansas, and right in here. These three man. Outside of that, Brother Gene Goad setting here, which him and Brother Leo are my associates. But out in there, as far as I could see, it's hard. Any of these ministers will tell you, that to even recognize anybody out in there (See?) from here. But let's pray, and let's just ask the Lord if He will help us, and let His mercy be upon us.

Now, the prayer cards, we don't have any of them, because they're... We taken them up, and they don't--we don't--and give out... And Friday night is going to be the prayer line again for everyone. We're going to give out a whole group of prayer cards. Anybody that wants them, bring them right across the line like we did the other night. See? Therefore, we get everybody prayed for. But now, you don't need that prayer card. You don't need it. The only thing you need to do is have faith that I've told you the truth.

65 God--when He said at Samaria, when this woman received this sign, what they going to do, if they didn't believe it? What's the Jews going to do when Nathanael said, "You're the Son of God, the King of Israel."

He said, "Because I told you where you were at? Or told Peter who he was and so forth, you believe?" See? "Then you'll see greater things than this."

And you people who will believe His message, and His Spirit today, will see a greater thing, 'cause you'll see a resurrection someday, and will see the Lord Jesus.

66 Now, I'm going to turn my back to you, while you pray. I going to talk to Brother duPlessis. I just want--that's all right, you're...?... You have a nice meeting up there today.

Looking at Brother McAnally setting back here. A--old friend. There--I'm... And as you as ministers I want you to pray for... Right now. You watch. Somebody in this audience is coming in contact with the Holy Spirit, behind me. Back in here. That you might know... Now, I want every sick person to be praying. Every one of you, sick, praying. Now, I can... I feel, in my own make-up that the Holy Spirit, somebody is touching Him. Yeah, there's plenty of them now.

67 There's a woman setting in this direction, right here, over here, that just contacted the Holy Spirit. She's suffering with a heart trouble. She's setting right down there. She's having trouble with taking salt in her food and things. You believe with all you heart, lady? Stand up. That's true isn't it? Now, it's all over now. You can go home, be well. Tell me what she touched? What did she touch? The Holy Spirit. Do you believe now? If thou canst believe.

I'll turn my back again to the audience. You pray. See, see brother, you don't have to be looking at people.

Standing here now, I see a woman; she's praying. She is wearing glasses, and she's praying for her eyes. Yes, 'cause they're getting dim. Here she is setting right here. Right back in here, glasses on. She's been healed once before in my meetings. That's right. That is right. Now, you... That's true what's she was praying about. All right. Now, you can go home, believe with all your heart, and be made well.

68 Now, I look in this direction. There's a man setting here praying, but it isn't that man. There's another man standing up here before me... He doesn't. If I can see him, he's got a bronchial trouble in his throat. He's setting way back there in the back, kind of a reddish looking shirt on, a praying. There sir. Now, you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ now? You should. All right, you can go home, and be well now, sir. Your faith makes you well. Have faith in God.

That lady setting right down here, has had the same thing, bronchial trouble and so forth too, setting there. Mrs. Metsine or something like? You want... you believe? That's your name. All right, stand up on your feet. I don't know you, do I? That's right. If that's who you are, there's your trouble. Your faith has made you well. Go home.

69 You believe with all your heart? What about somebody back in this way now? You pray.

Father, this is You--has to be You, 'cause the Angel of the Lord, He had his back turned to the tent. Let it be known that You're still the same God, that they can touch You, just--You know all things.

I'm looking at a man, and he's--looks to me like he's Spanish. And he's got something wrong with his side; he got a poison in his body that he got from a work that he's doing. He's also--he's got a message on his heart or something on his heart. He wants to preach. His sympathy is for the sick and afflicted, especially on hospitals. His name is Mister Lee. If you'll believe with all your heart, Mr. Lee, there you are. Jesus Christ gives you what you ask for. See, See? I do not know you. Is that right, sir? I'm a stranger to you. That's right. Go, receive what you ask for now. Jesus Christ makes you well.

70 Around the building, do you believe His Presence is here? You believe the Angel of the Lord? Now, there's the Word, there's the promise; there's a reaction of it; there's a promise fulfilled. Now, how many wants to get saved and filled with the Holy Ghost? Come stand here, just a minute now. If you really interested and want the Holy Ghost, and want to be saved, come up here now, and stand around the altar. God bless you. Come on up. If you want to come, I don't care who you are, just come up here. This is the time to get things right. Then we'll have prayer for the sick, the rest of them just the same, but I felt checked by the Spirit, that's enough. If it was these three, wasn't it... Oh, it was more than three wasn't it? Three's a confirmation. That's the way I like to see people come, with no altar call, you know, no--no singing or nothing, just rise up and say, "I'm a--I'm aware that God is present. I come. I come because I--I'm aware of God's Presence. I want to be right. I--I--I'm going to be asked for a reason someday, and I'm coming now to confess my faith in God, and believe that I'm going to receive it, right now."

71 Don't doubt. Don't have a doubt now, if you doubt one bit that you're not going to receive what you come for, it won't do you one bit of good. See? You've got to come believing. But right now, in the Presence of God, in the Presence of the Holy Ghost, that's here to confirm the Word, come because that you know He's here, and you know that He will give you the desire of your heart. That's what He's here for is to give the desire of your heart. Will you come? That's good. That's fine. That's right. I'm going to wait just a second longer to see what the Holy Spirit would do, whatever He would call. See? It seems to me, friend, if you were here with one speck of doubt...

Now remember, I'm going to look at you, and you're going to look at me one day for the last time. And the next time you see me, and I see you, will be in the Presence of God, then there'll never be another chance. You only get one; that's this. And if you've got one speck of doubt about your experience, or if you're not a Christian at all, or you're doubting your experience, why don't you come now. See? If a enemy, like I spoke on last night, the too many voices, if the enemy's trying to say,"You're too tired, oh, I won't get it." Tell him he's a liar. Tell him that you're going to get it tonight: "And I'm coming and go to--I'm going to determine I'm going to get it tonight." That's the way to do it.

72 Now, how many full gospel ministers are here, or a Presbyterian, Baptist, whatever you may be, that believes that people can receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost today, as well as they did back there, and the prescription is for them? Raise up your hand, Ministers. I know you're interested in souls. Come stand along here with them now, that you might help lay hands on them. Come right up. Stand right along in there and lay hands on them. That's good.

Now, what did I tell you? Is there no balm in Gilead? Sure. Is there no physician there? Look at the physicians coming. These physicians of the Word, they certainly believe it. Look at them. Isn't that wonderful? Look at the ministers, here in this little crowd of people, of three or four hundred people here tonight, look at the ministers: Twenty, thirty, forty ministers standing here, Ministers who believe it. Now, you--you doctors of the Scriptures, do you write--you prescribe the prescription that was give on the day of Pentecost? Do you prescribe that? Sure, it's a double cure, double cure.

Rock of ages, cleft for me, (Come up here...?... )

Let me hide myself in Thee;

[Brother Branham hums--Ed.]

Be of sin the double cure, [Brother Branham hums--Ed.]

With our heads bowed now, quietly.

ages, cleft for me...

73 Oh, in the hour of your death, in the hour of your death, how you long to hear that.

Let the water and the blood,

From Thy flowing wounds supply,

Be for sin a double cure,

Safe from wrath and make me pure.

You're here to die now. The only way you can be borned again is to die first, so that you can be borned again. We're going to offer prayer for you...?...

74 Now, our heavenly Father, I bring these people sweetly, and humbly to You in the Name of Your Son, the Lord Jesus, to be sure that my prayer is offered for them. To be sure that I have did all that I know how to do, that they will receive You, being that You have been so good to take these old, frail bodies of ours, and to let the Holy Spirit speak through them, it certainly taking a sanctifying grace of God to do it, because we are sinners, and of no good at all. But the Holy Spirit has taken the Blood of Jesus and cleansed our hearts, and sanctified our lips like You did the prophet at the altar. And now, the Word of God, spoken Word of God, flows forth to vindicate His Presence to this generation before it shall pass into eternity to give an account.

Many have come tonight around this altar to receive the Holy Spirit. Father God, we pray that not one of them will leave here until their filled with the Holy Ghost. May they be filled, every one of them, with the power and the resurrection of Christ. Grant it, Lord. And may the sick and afflicted in here, be healed. Whatever is wrong with the sick and afflicted, may the power of God come and heal each one of them. I offer this prayer to You sincerely, with all my heart. In the Name of Jesus, and for His glory.

75 I--I want the ministers to walk up close now, laying hands on them. Now, brothers... Brother David, and you brethren, come right down here along the altar. Now, there's no need of just playing with this; there's not a bit of need of that. You're here to get the Holy Ghost. Are you? Do you want it, really want it? Well now, it's for you. All right, if you've never received Christian baptism, will you promise God to be baptized if you haven't done it? Will you promise God that you'll let Him just use you in any way, no matter what comes or goes, you'll take His Word for it?

Now, how many believers are in the building? If they're going to receive the Holy Ghost, raise up your hand, you believe they're to receive it? Raise up your hand.

76 Now, I'm going to ask the pastor here, to lead this prayer, 'cause he's probably been in pentecost a lot longer than I have, and I want each one of you, pastors here, you preachers, evangelists, whatever you are, you members, all of us to pray with one accord, while brother leads us. And I want each one of you to pray now. I want you people to pray, and believe you're going to receive it now. All right. Let us bow our heads. [The brother prays, and Brother Branham speaks while he prays--Ed.] Oh, God. Yes, Lord. Yes. Fill with the Holy Ghost right now. Grant it, Lord. Come, Lord. Yes. Grant it, Lord. Pour Your Spirit, Lord. Balm of Gilead, be poured in...