Blind Bartimaeus

1 ...?... You may be seated, if you will. Noticing many people putting up requests and--for prayer. Now, that's a... We appreciate that very much, because it... The Bible said that they taken from the body of Paul, handkerchiefs and aprons, and unclean spirits went out of people and evil sickness left them, and diseases. And God is still God; He's just as much today as He was in the days of--of Saint Paul. He just doesn't change.

Now, many people take those cloths, and anoint them with oil, and send them to the loved ones. Now, that's--that's just fine. Anything that God blesses, I--I'm right for it, aren't you? Yes, sir. But Scripturally, Paul didn't anoint them; they taken them from his body. Acts 19 said, "They taken from his body, and the--the evil spirits left the people." Now, I'm...

We know that--that Saint Paul... We're not Saint Paul, but He's still Jesus. So then, He's just as much Jesus tonight as He was in the days of Saint Paul. So He just honored the peoples' faith in His servant, and He will do the same for you. The greatest of the miracles that I have ever knowed of being performed, was when the people sent in little prayer cloths--or we sent them to them--and they were healed; send thousands of those weekly all over the world.

2 And I remember in South Africa, where we was having a great meeting at a big airfield; they'd let it--let us have it for the meetings. The people... It was in Cape Town; there was so many, we had no building to put them in. We had it out on the airfield. And there was a... I think they had... It was around... I forget how many sacks of just these great big burlap sacks full of mail, and--to be prayed over. And I went along praying over this mail.

And one of the reporters said, "Brother Branham is very superstitious." Said, "He was praying over letters to send out to sick people." Well, you see, the--the brother just didn't understand that that's a commission that's been left us of the Scriptures, that we should pray over those things.

3 And just a little instance of it, 'cause we want to... Tonight is... are... We have given the service mainly tonight for prayer for the sick. There was a... Sometime ago, I was reading one of the testimonies that returned back. A lady in Germany, she'd been crippled for some seventeen years, setting in a wheelchair.

And when I would send these out, we send little pieces of cloth when they don't send them. 'Cause I used to be able to put a handkerchief in, but when they're going to thousands, and handkerchiefs about fifteen, twenty cents apiece, you can't do it. And so, we just get hundreds of yards of ribbons, and cut them in little pieces, and I pray over each one. If you happen to need one, just send to the office; we--we pray over them and send them out. Then you'll have a little form letter, and people gets up all hours of the night, makes a chain around the world--prayer for the sick.

The Bible said, "We could confess our faults one to another, and pray one for the other." And so we... All around the nation and around the world...

4 So this little lady got hers, and there was an instruction there that says, "If you... If it's possible, call in your pastor. And then, if... Let him have prayer with you when you put the ribbon on you. And if you don't have your pastor handy, then call some good Christian neighbor. If you've done any sin, evil to any one, spoken evil, or done anything wrong that you know of, go make that right first before you put the ribbon on you. And then, get ready, and then when they put the ribbon on, then believe that God heals. Place it (I tell them.) on their underneath garment near their heart. And at so many hours: nine o'clock at morning, twelve o'clock at noon, and three o'clock in the afternoon, the world around, there's a prayer chain on that. People get up at two o'clock in the morning and so forth, to make that prayer chain around the world." And then, if maybe a million and a half or two million people praying at one time for each other, something's just got to happen. God just is bound to hear that. And then...

5 So on that, they would... This little German lady... It was very well; I wouldn't want to say like it was sacrilegious to say it, kindy cute. But she said, "I put the little handkerchief on me." She said, "There was... My neighbor lady come over to pray with me." And she said, "I had all my sins I confessed, and I asked the Lord to let me walk again so I could glorify Him." Said, "When all was done, Bruder Branham," said, "I put the little ribbon on my underneath garment, and I said, 'All right, Mr. Devil, you held me just as long as you're going to.'" She got up out of the wheelchair and went walking on. That's just that simple. If you--just being simple. You know, the trouble with we Christians--or we human beings--we make God so far away and so complicated. The simplicity...

6 I've been noticing each night a couple of Indians setting right along here; they're not here (I suppose) tonight. But someone told me that--that there was some singers had been singing, some Indian boys had been singing. I would like to have heard them before they left. But however, I was thinking of the first time I ever preached to Indians. It was the Apaches at--in Arizona, up at San Carlos. And so... The Indian is a very odd fellow. I found that out from going fishing the other morning.

I asked of one what he was using for bait. He said, "Just bait." He wouldn't tell me.

I said, "Thank you, sir." He sure was a fisherman. And so, I was... They're amazing.

7 I remember my boy one time was giving out prayer cards at a big tent meeting in Phoenix. And I found coming on the prayer line people with maybe a headache, and a bad tooth, and people setting out there with cancer, dying.

And I said, "Billy, don't you do that. You ask the people what's wrong with them." He usually just mixes up the cards and gives them to anybody that wants them. So then, I said, "Don't do that." I said, "Because you ask the people... There's too many real serious sick people there just to give a fellow a card that's got a--having a headache or a toothache, and a man setting there dying with cancer and wanting to be prayed for." I said, "Now, you shouldn't do that." I said, "Just ask them what's wrong."

8 So Billy goes down to the meeting that night, and he... (Just a little fellow then) and he got his cards and mixed them up. And he said, "Now, each one of you has to tell me what's the matter with you. My daddy said that--that not to give these prayer cards to people that just have toothaches, and headaches, and so forth, when people are dying with cancer."

So, the old chief... He was setting right down on the floor as usual, and he's kept his hat on. And so, he walked over. He begin to notice Billy's prayer cards getting smaller and smaller as he was giving them out. He tapped him on the shoulder; he reached out his hand.

And he said, "Chief," said, "my daddy said I'd--you'd have to tell me what was wrong with you. Are you very sick?" Said, "What's wrong with you?"

He said, "Me sick."

So he said, "Well, go set down, and you..."

9 He went over and started giving them out, and chief noticed that little bunch of cards was getting smaller and smaller. He came up again and tapped him on the back.

He said... He said, "What's wrong, Chief?"

He said, "Me sick."

So he said, "Well, I'll... Just a moment." And so, he was saying... Anybody that real sick with cancer or something, so he give him a prayer card. After while, chief saw it was just two or three. He run and grabbed Billy.

He said, "Me sick."

Billy said, "Take this card and write on it 'Me sick.' and go set down." 'Me sick.'

I got it--got him on the prayer line that night, and I said, "Chief," I said, "Are... You believe God?"

He said, "'At right."

And I said, "Are you going to be a good boy after the Lord heals you?"

He said, "'At right."

And everything I told him, "'At right." Come to find out, he only knowed about two or three words. And one of them was, "'At right." It was all all right then.

10 We went to the reservation. There might be people here was at the San Carlos reservation that night; thousands of them gathered out for prayer. And the Indian, he's not much to... He's got to know what he's doing; he just don't walk into anything. When I was speaking, I (kindy to find favor with them) and I...

If there's anybody, of any nation, of any people in all the world I feel sorry for, it's an Indian. That's right. They got a raw, dirty deal from us. That's exactly right. If there's any stain on the American flag, it's the way they do the Indian. Taking all the sheep away from him, putting him out in the poorest country in the world, and give him ten dollars a month to live on or something; that's not right. No, sir. After all, this is his nation. God gave him this; we took it away from him. That's exactly right.

11 And so, I always felt sorry for the poor people living out there, and I always wanted to pray with them. And so, I promised the Lord at Phoenix if He'd heal the alcoholic and a tubercular woman, that I'd go up to the reservation; and both of them brought back the certificates that they were healed. So then, I went to the reservation, and that night, they stood me up on a little Assembly of God doorstep of place, like--a little porch at the little Assembly. There was a lady... (Some of you Assembly brothers might... ) Sister Marshal, that's who the lady was; she was a--the missionary up there.

And I stood there and spoke to them all and they set around, thousands of them out there. And they... Beautiful to see them setting on their blankets and things, waiting for the service. And when I usually make an altar call, you'd have a stampede. But...

12 Now, I said, "Now, all that wants to be prayed for..." (You couldn't speak their language, and we... In them days, we didn't give out prayer cards anyhow.) So I said, "All that wants to be prayed for, let them stand up." There wasn't nobody stood up. And I thought, "Well, that's strange." It kindy surprised me. Nobody stood up. Well, I said (told the interpreter) I said, "Did you say what I said?"

Said, "Every word."

I said, "May I say it again? All that wants me to pray for them for their healing, may they stand up."

Nobody stood up. So Sister Marshal came from back inside with a Indian lady. The Apaches are a great, big people; they're husky, burly people. And a lady came out, and I was looking at her just a moment. And I said, "Now, the lady is sick. She has a venereal disease, but it's not because of immoral living. It's because she has to live the way she does."

And that lady looked at me as if to think, "How did you know that?"

13 And I prayed with her, and in a little while, that... A man came out; he had that glaucoma of the eyes. And then the next came out was a--a--a little girl, and she had her little head bowed down. And--and I said, "Well, can you look up this way, sweetheart?" No, she... 'Course she couldn't even understand what I was saying. And I said, "Well, the Lord can reveal it." And then It said she had a fever, and she went deaf in both ears. And she... Being deaf, she went dumb also; she could not speak or hear.

And I picked the little girl up in my arms, and I said, "Lord, if You please... I... We're not... We don't ask for miracles; we don't ask for those things. But if it would, it would help the people, and... If You'd just do it. I want to find favor with these poor rejected people."

And when I prayed for the little girl, I set her down. I said, "Look at me." Looked up like that. I'd say, "Do you love your mama?" like that, and she went to mumbling off something. And I knowed she could hear. I said, "Do you see she can hear? But she'll probably talk better."

And the mother standing with the little girl said, "Hm, her talk heap good right now." I just couldn't understand... couldn't understand what she was saying. Then--then talk...

14 There was a little cross-eyed boy was next. I've never in my life ever seen God turn a cross-eyed child down. I guess why, because when my baby... When I was just a boy, I lost my wife and baby, you know. And the little girl suffered so hard, till her eyes crossed, and I just passed out, almost, looking at her. And I never could stand to see a child cross-eyed; Lord always answers prayer for that.

And then when this little Indian boy's little eyes were crossed, and I--I took the little fellow up in my arm and prayed. I--I knowed God had did it, and I said, "Before I even turn the little boy around, if his eyes isn't perfectly straight, then I'm a false prophet." I turned him around there; then talk about a prayer line. We had a stampede.

And I asked the interpreter... Said, "They thought it was fake at first, but now they see it's real."

15 So then, the next in line was an elderly lady Sister Marshal was bringing out from the inside. And the poor old thing... If there's an Indian here, please don't think I'm saying this--casting off something about being poor. But probably the poor sister was so... She couldn't afford crutches, and so she had broom sticks with a--where they'd sawed off a little block and wrapped rags around it. And she was to be next: arthritis. And she was so stiffened up, she'd take these sticks, and put one out like this, and the other one, then make her steps like that; and then she'd set them out and make little bitty short steps, and when she got...

There is a--a custom sometime of Indians to plait leather in their hair, and she looked up at me, those little dark looking eyes, and them great, deep wrinkles in her cheeks, the--and the tears cutting their way down through like little ditches through her cheeks. She looked up at me like that and I thought, "Oh, God, somebody's mother. No doubt but that hands has raked back a many a little crying baby's eyes. And maybe never had very many decent meals in all of her life..."

16 And you have to enter in to feel for the people if you're going to pray for them. And so, standing there looking at that, she just looked up at me, and she started smiling; I never prayed or done a thing. She just got one crutch in one hand and one in the other, and handed it up to me, and went walking on off the platform just as good as anybody. Just that simple. See? Now, we--we try to make it complicated.

Is it all right for just one more little thing about... It was about three o'clock in the morning, I was still standing in the line.

And I said, "I'll pray for all of them," 'cause I had to leave the next day. And I noticed them all coming in wet way up around this a way. And I said, "What's the matter with... Why--why are they wet?"

Said, "Well, they've run out into the--the reservation and bringing their loved ones." And said, "They're not waiting to go down about ten miles to the ford." Said, "They're wade... walking right across the river with them--packing them on their back or any way to get them over there."

17 And then I... Coming along, pushing in from the side, coming in the back door and going out the front, there was a--a--a man that took a board and put two sticks across it. And he had an old gray headed fellow with his legs across his knees here and across his arms, and there was two great big, husky looking Indians packing him. And one was standing there, and his lips was real blue and just shivering cold, wet all over.

And I said, "You speak English?"

He said, "Leetle."

And I said, "Don't you think you'll take pneumonia, being wet?" (Seeing what he'd say, you know. I was testing his faith.)

He said, "Jesus Christ has take care of me; I brought my dad."

Said, "What's the matter with your daddy?"

"Him sick." And he was shaking; he had palsy, like that. And he... The old fellow laying there, you know.

And I said, "Does he speak English?"

"Nope."

I said, "Well, bring him here." They passed him by. I guess, his brother behind--he was a younger-looking man packed--passed by. I put my hands over on him, and I said, "Sir, may the Lord bless you." I said, "Jesus help this poor, dear man who cannot help hisself. Honor the faith of his son who's brought him." Said, "All right, pass him on."

And I... Just in a moment, I--I heard something screaming and hollering. I looked around, and the old Indian had the board on his own shoulder, going around waving at everybody and going like that...?...

Where a many a time us pale faced people (See?), we just set and "Well, pray for me again; I--I'll go back through the line, or..." Oh, my. They just believe (That's all.), just child-like faith. That's the way we have to do it. See? Just believe; it's not complicated.

18 Down in Mexico City last year, when General Valdena--the Ge... Many of you brethren (I guess) know General Valdena the--one of the outstanding generals in the Mexican army. I had the privilege of being the first Protestant ever invited to Mexico City to pray for the sick people or have a meeting, by the Mexican army; and that was through General Valdena. I just met him the other day at the convention, the Full Gospel Businessmen, shook hands with him. "Try and come back again."

We was only there three night. I'd went to the bull ring, but we didn't get that. So they had a great big place out there in the field--a big--another big arena like. And the people... Now, talk about wanting Christ, they come there at nine o'clock in the morning, no place to set down, and I didn't even arrive till nine at night. They'd just lean against one another, like sheep standing in a field.

19 And I remember the second night--pouring down rain--those poor people standing there in that rain, just... the Mexican people... And the night before, there'd been a great miracle done. There was an old man come across the platform.

And in Mexico, their economics is very poorly balanced. Maybe, say Pancho makes (he's a bricklayer) makes eight pesos a day, and he'd have to work four days to get himself a pair of shoes. Now, that's the balance of the economics in Mexico. But yet, they have to pay fifty cents out of that to burn a grease candle on a million dollar altar. But then when we come...

20 This old fellow come up there, and he was blind. He'd been about the age of my dad, if he'd (my father) would've lived. And he didn't have no shoes on; his poor old feet all scubbed up, and his trouser legs ragged and old, dusty looking shirt on, and an old hat (and it wound up with strings), and--and he was getting close and next in the line.

And so they told him, "Next." And Brother (one of the Assembly of God evangelists there) Espinosa: you all may know Brother Espinosa from California--he... He was my interpreter, and he told him he was next. And he reached down in the pocket and got out a little rosary and started to say it.

I said, "That's not necessary."

And he come up; and I looked at him. Oh, how a fellow would feel. A poor old man, maybe never had a decent meal in his life, and he didn't have no shoes on, there I stood with a good suit and a good pair of shoes. I put my foot up to the side of his to see if my shoes would fit him; I'd have give him my shoes right there. And his shoulders was way wider than mine; my coat wouldn't fit him. And then there he was in blindness.

21 And I just put my arms around the old fellow, and prayed, "O God, be merciful."

All at once, I heard a "Gloria a Dios." And there he was running up-and-down the platform, could see as good as I can or you can, just having a wonderful time.

And the next night, with a platform as long as this room is here, a rick of old coats, and scarfs, and shawls that high, laying there to be prayed over. How they'd ever know who it belonged to, I don't know. And then...

And it raining, and them getting wet, just right out in the open, a great big arena. And Billy come told me; he said, "Daddy? You... There's a woman down there has got a dead baby that died this morning." Said, "You can't do nothing with her." Said, "She climbs right over top of them ushers, walking on top of their shoulders with that baby." And said, "We've shoved her off the platform three or four times. If we can't do anything; you got to come over and see her."

22 How many knows Jack Moore? Brother Jack Moore from Shreveport, Louisiana? I guess many of you do. Well, he was with me. And I said, "Brother Jack, you go over and offer a prayer for the little lady, and (I said) for the baby." I said, "It's been dead since this morning." I said, "You--you--you... That'll kindy comfort her." I said, "I can't bring her up here; she hasn't got a prayer card." And I said, "It wouldn't be right to the people holding the prayer cards. They got the priority of getting to the prayer line. They stood here early this morning and got those cards."

And so, Brother Jack started over to--to see the lady. And I just looked out across the audience, and I seen a little baby in a vision, just gooing, clapping his little hands, little Mexican baby. I turned around.

I thought, "Well, I... Maybe I better go over there." I said, "Bring her up."

23 And so, they parted away. Beautiful little lady about (I'd say) twenty years old, she had a little blanket like this, and the little form was laying under the blanket. And she fell down on her knees and begin to scream, "Padre," you know.

And I said, "Just--just raise up, sister."

And I laid my hands on the little fellow. I couldn't speak Spanish, and--and I laid my hands on the little baby. God in Heaven, Who is the Author of this Bible knows it's true. Laid hands on that little baby, and the first thing you know, a squeal let out, and it started goo, jumping, and squealing.

And I said, "Now, don't say nothing about this. Don't you publish this in any paper, until you go and let the doctor sign a statement that that baby died this morning." See, there was about... From nine o'clock that morning, till around nine-thirty or ten that night, the baby had been dead. And they got their doctor's statement signed that he pronounced the baby dead that morning at nine o'clock. And that was ten... nearly ten o'clock that night--between nine-thirty and ten. And the baby's living today, just--just by simple faith. I had nothing to do with the healing of the baby. 'Course the vision come. But when the vision speaks, there's nothing can ever turn that around; it's always perfect; it's always perfect.

24 And in praying for the sick... Tonight as we pray for the sick, the Lord may come to us and give the visions. And if He does, remember the vision does not heal people. The vision is only a vindication that the Word is right.

How many knows what the word "prophet" means? Sure you do. A "prophet" means that--"a one that foretells or forthtells." And it is a Divine sign from God that this person that's speaking has the right interpretation of the Divine Word, because the Word of the Lord came unto the prophets. And the prophet foretold and done those signs, which is a vindication that he had the interpretation of the Word.

25 See, a sign has a voice. Moses was told... God told Moses, when He said do a sign with his hand; then do a sign with a stick. He said, "If they don't hear the voice of the first sign, they'll hear the voice of the second sign."

Each sign has a voice, and God's voice speaks to us. And if He does that, then I want each of you people to believe with all your heart that Christ, the Son of God, is here to make you well. And now remember, when He's speaking... When He speaks, it's not me.

26 Now, I took two nights of real stern, heavy preaching. And I--I wouldn't apologize for what I said, because it's the truth, friends. I--I--I'm zealous of the church. And tonight, to hear this group of men... I've set with men more in groups, but I never set with a nicer bunch of real believing brothers. That...

Put his arm around me coming in a few minutes ago, and said, "We appreciate that message last night."

I said, "It was very hard."

He said, "But it inspires us to move on too." I--I--I got confidence in men like that; yes, sir. Yes. When we take... If--if I was just saying it to be smart, then that would be wrong. I--I should go at the altar and get right with God. But when it's the truth, friends, then we ought to measure up to what God says. See, that's right. God knows.

27 One night this week, I want to tell you something that happened to me about a month ago. And you'll understand then about something that happened. It... Whether it was a vision or not, I don't know. I told the brethren at the breakfast, and I wanted to speak to the chairmen and some of the committee if it's all right to speak it here on the platform some night--something that happened (like a vision) to me.

And I--I love people; I just love people. And I--I want to live forever with them. I want to live in eternity with them. And I--I would rather kindy stir you up just a little bit now, then to hear you stand there on that day like a girl that died in the... our city recently, and...

28 There was a girl that come to the Tabernacle up there. She was a little old fashion girl. And--and so, this girl made fun of her--called her old fashion and everything. And--and she asked her to go to a dance with her, and the girl from the Tabernacle said, "We don't go to dances."

She said, "That narrow-minded pastor of yours, Mr. Branham," she said, "if he wasn't such a crank and a religious fanatic, you'd have more liberty."

She said, "I do not do this because of Mr. Branham's convictions; I do this on my own convictions of Jesus Christ." M-m. God bless that girl. This lady that said that to her was a Sunday school teacher.

Mr. Perkins works for a Miss--for the undertaker there in the city. About six months after this remark was made, this girl taken sick and died; they didn't know what it was. It was venereal disease. Mr. Perkins, when he was pumping the embalming fluid into the girl's body, he kept smelling something; it was leaking like. And he opened it up, and she had holes eat in her like that from a venereal disease. That's right. And a lot of room to make fun and say somebody's a fanatic.

29 When she died... (If it's all right, I'll tell you the testimony.) When the girl died, she brought all of her Sunday school class in; they was to watch her go home to heaven, of course. But she was very worldly--very, very worldly. And then when she got ready to die, she thought it was all right.

You know, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man. But the end thereof is the ways of death." Well, this girl, when she got ready to die...

Her pastor smoked cigarettes in a holder--long holder--wore one of these turned around collars. That's perfectly all right, if he wants to do that. But... If he'd just preach the Gospel. Jesus...

I don't think Jesus marked Himself any different from any other man; He dressed like ordinary men, and went among men. He was a Man among men. And so, He was our example when it comes to dressing or anything else. I don't think we have to dress... I think our lives tell it better than our dressing does of what we are.

30 And so then, this... (No disregards to that though.) But the man was out in the hall, and--and so when the girl got ready to die, when death struck her, instead of seeing angels come, she said, "My God, I'm lost."

And they called the pastor, and she said... He said, "Here, here, here, here, here," said, "you know you're all right." Said, "You've been a member of the church."

She--she said, "You deceiver of men; you're the cause of it. I'm going to hell, and you're the cause of it."

And she called for that girl that she had said that up there at the Tabernacle, little Mrs. Humes, but they didn't get her there in time. The girl died in that... And the--and the minister said she was in hysterics, and asked that the doctor come and give her a hypo, but she was gone before the doctor got there, saying all kinds of evil things against that minister.

Brother, sister, I'd hate to stand before one of the people I preached before and hear somebody say that to me. If I have to make it real rough sometimes, I--I'd rather be that way and be good and clean and straight with God when the time comes.

31 Now, before we open His Word, let us pray as we bow our heads. Most gracious and holy Father, we approach Thy Divine throne of justice tonight in the Name of the Lord Jesus, pleading His Blood upon our souls that we'd not stand in condemnation. But yet, without that shed Blood, we would all be condemned, and there'd be no way for us to ever approach Thee.

But we have this blessed thing from Him: "That if you ask the Father anything in My Name, He will do it." Then Father, we pray tonight that You'll forgive us of our trespasses, anything that we have done, or said, or thought that was wrong, forgive us for it.

32 If it be Thy Divine will, we are to pray for Thy sick, suffering children in just a little while. We are approaching a subject in a few moments to build a platform (as it would be) for the people's faith to rest upon this foundation of the Word--God's eternal Word. Will You supply us, Lord, with context of the text that I have chosen for this afternoon? May the Holy Spirit take the Word, and place it in every heart just as we have need of. You know our needs, Lord, and we pray that You will plant the seed of the Gospel in our hearts, until it'll grow into a great trees of salvation, and comfort, and health to each one.

And these handkerchiefs that's laying here, Lord God, I lay my hands upon them in the remembrance of Saint Paul, who done this commission, believing that he got it in the Bible. Where that Elijah took the staff and told Gehazi, "Go lay it on the baby." For he knew that everything he touched was blessed; and he knew that that staff would--was blessed, because when the Holy Spirit was on him, his hands was on the staff. And then to get the woman to believe it. I believe that is where Saint Paul must have got the Scripture.

33 Now, these handkerchiefs represent (no doubt) sick children, sick fathers, mothers, and loved ones, convalescent homes, blind daddy setting somewhere in a room beating a white stick against the floor, wanting to see the sunlight again, want to see the trees, the pretty blue waters, but the enemy has covered his eyes with cataracts... A mother laying there sick, a little baby with fever, waiting for the return of these handkerchiefs. O Lord, hear me, Lord, I pray.

It is written one time that the children of Israel was on their road to the promised land, and the Red Sea got in the road. And it's said by one writer, that God looked down through that Pillar of Fire with angry eyes, and the Red Sea got scared, rolled back, and Israel marched on to the promised land.

O Divine Father, may You not only look through the Pillar of Fire, but through the blood of Jesus. And when these little tokens are sent to the bedsides of the sick and the afflicted, or wherever they may be, may You look through the Blood of the Lord Jesus, and know that He died at Calvary and He was wounded for our transgressions, with His stripes we were healed. May the enemy get scared, move away. And may these sick people pass into that good land of health, which is written in the Scripture, "I would above all things that you prosper in health." Grant it, Lord; may every sickness leave the people. For we send them in the Name of Jesus Christ for that purpose, as this great church here tonight prays together with me. Amen.

34 Now, you may come and receive them just as soon as the service is over. And if you want one and don't have one here, just write me; everything's free; we don't have nothing that we charge for. Just write me any time to Jeffersonville, Indiana; we'll send you one. If you don't have no use of it, put it in your Bible on Acts the 19th chapter. And if sickness occurs in the home and you believe... Now, take that little handkerchief and lay it on them; it'll be... We believe that God will heal. If we had time, we'd tell many testimonies of that, but I don't have the time now.

35 Let us open our Bibles, you who are keeping the Scriptures down, to Saint Luke the 18th chapter, 37 and 38th verse, for just a little text.

And now while you're turning, perhaps maybe tomorrow night and on (We don't know; just as the Holy Spirit will lead.) we believe that maybe we'll be praying for the sick the rest of the week each night--getting a few each night--and what we can, and as long as sick people comes and wants the prayer cards to be prayed for.

The reason we give them prayer cards is to line them up. See? You'd say... Maybe say there's a thousand people here tonight, maybe five hundred of them wants to be prayed for. We can't bring them all up here at once; we know that. And for... On a line of discernment, we can just a get a very, very, very few, 'cause it just nearly kills you. How many understands that Scripturally? Sure you do. See? And so... And then we can't bring too many. But night after night, we'll try to get just what we can. All right?

And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passed by.

And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.

36 It was a real cold morning. He was tired; he had been up all night long. He must've dreamed all night that he could see, and he woke up late. And in them days, there were many beggars. They set along the street sides, and the people coming in, the merchants going to their work, perhaps had an alm to give to them. And the first beggar he met, he gave his alm, and that settled it for the day; he had nothing else he could give. So many of them had stalls like, or places where they'd set and waited for someone to pass by and give them an alm. And if they missed it, well, then they done without through the day.

Many time they had little things to give, little enchantments like. I was in India recently, and they... Each one's got a--a cobra snake, or a little monkey, or--or something another to attract the attention of tourists.

37 This must've been a cold morning, chilly; it was springtime, near Easter. And he was ragged, and he come in late. And his place was to set at the gate of Jericho. His name was Bartimaeus. And you... We're told that he was married and had a little girl. But being that he was up all night, did not get much sleep, he got up late, and he missed his--his time of begging alms. Most of the outside merchants that lived outside of the city had done went in; it was getting along up in the day.

So I can picture our scene tonight as it opens at the north side of the gate leading up towards--up towards Jerusalem, the north gate of Jericho. Many of the old stones was still laying there that was shook down during the time when the people shouted, and Joshua and the priests sounded the trumpets, and the walls of Jericho fell down.

38 Let's imagine Bartimaeus now setting on one of the rocks, near where the cobblestone highway still stands as it was in ancient day. It runs down, on down along towards the Jordan.

And as he set there, he must have been thinking, "Now, I'll probably have to do without something to eat, my family tonight. For I was too late; I couldn't get in. All the merchants has gone by, and I won't get anything today. But I couldn't help it; I was so tired and worn out this morning when I got here."

And he set down. Let's believe that he begin to think about, "Oh, if I could've only--that dream could've been a reality, that I could again see. I've been blind now for many years," he'd say. "And if I could just see like I used to."

39 Then his mind begin to wander back to when he was a little boy. He used to play out there in the springtime, which would be just a--oh, a few days later. And how on the hills of the banks of Jordan, little buttercup flowers bloom all up-and-down, and little blue flowers. And what a beautiful sight it is. And how it... That he used to think when he was a little boy, how he would roam up-and-down that hill and frolic and play with the other little boys.

And then, he remembers, that along after his sweet Jewish mother would call him in for his noonday meal; after he would have his dinner, she would get out on the porch, and she would put him on her lap, and stroke his little hair back out of his eyes. And she'd look at him, and he'd see how pretty she was, and how he'd...

She'd say, "Bartimaeus, your little eyes is as blue as the skies above."

Oh, he'd think about, "I could just once more live those days over, when I could see the flowers, and chase the bees around, and see--hear the pretty birds and see them, and see my lovely mother. But alas, old age struck her; and she wrinkled up and finally died, and we buried her many years ago. And here I am old, and poor, and poverty-stricken, setting here begging, blind."

40 And he used to think of how he cherished the little Bible stories she would tell him before he went off to sleep, as she would finally pull him up in her bosom and rock him to sleep. And one of the stories that he used to like, was the story that I was just referring to awhile ago, of the little boy that Elijah raised up from the dead.

How his mother used to quote that story to him, and say, "Bartimaeus, there was a great woman; she was a Shunammite; and she lived down in Shuna. And she had faith in a servant of God called Elijah, that great mighty prophet. And he came by her house quite often."

"And one day, she said to her husband, 'We perceive that this man who comes by this way is a holy man. He's a great man, because God works great signs and wonders through him. So I pray thee, let us show favor to him by building us--on the side of our house (building for him, rather) a little house that he might stop and would rest.'"

41 Now I can imagine her saying to Bartimaeus, "You see, Bartimaeus, we are supposed to treat all people good. We're not supposed to be evil to any one, and especially we are to honor and respect the household of God. So this woman... She was sure that this man that visited with her was a great, mighty prophet of the Lord."

And so, her husband consented to it. And when Elijah and Gehazi, his servant, came by again, there was a nice little room built out to itself by the side of the wall, a little pitcher with some water in it, and a little bed, and a footstool, and a place for him to rest. He was on his road to a cave up at Mount Carmel, where he went to fast and pray during certain days like new moons and holidays, before the prophet spake in the streets.

42 And when Elijah came in and seen all this that this kind woman had done, why, he sent Gehazi in and said, "Go ask her 'What could we do for her?' I'm a personal friend to the chief captain, and I'll also speak with the king. Could I speak in her behalf?"

And when Elijah asked her this, why, she said, "No, I abide with my people." And oh, she was a wealthy woman; they had need of nothing. They'd... She'd just done it out of the goodness of her heart. And that's the way you're supposed to do anything when you do it for God: Do it from the goodness of your heart. When you give anything, give it from your heart. If you can't do that, then don't do it, 'cause your gift won't be respected to God. And just do it out of the goodness of your heart.

43 Well... And when the servant came back and said to the prophet, "Well, she needs nothing; everything's all right with her. But I'll tell you one thing: She's getting a little aged, and her husband is an elderly man, and they don't have any children."

No doubt but what the prophet saw a vision, because no prophet (or anyone else) ever done anything of the Lord, for the Lord like that, except it be by a vision. Now remember, that's right. Find any place in the Scripture or anywhere; it's always first, God tells them. If God... Man can't do nothing at random; he's a servant to God.

Even Jesus Christ said, "I do nothing in Myself. But what I see the Father doing, that doeth the Son likewise." (Saint John 5:19.) And if the Son of God could do nothing without the Father showing Him first, how much less could we without God showing us first? Therefore, we boldly jump into things sometime not knowing what we're doing. But when God gives a vision, and speaks, and shows exactly what He's going to do, it's just a drama to act it out; that's all. Because God's going to do it; He's already said so, so that takes care of it.

44 Now... So he said, "Go call the Shunammite." And she stood in the door, and he said, "According to the time of life, you're going to embrace a child."

Now, she said, "I'm old." But Elijah's words came to pass just exactly like he said it. For in a certain amount months, she embraced a lovely little boy baby.

And I can see little Bartimaeus eyes, say, "Did she love him, Mama, like you love me?"

"Yes, just like I love you. He was a pretty little boy; she thought the prettiest there was in the world, like I think of you, like all mothers think of their babies."

And--and one day, when this little boy had grown up to about ten or twelve years old, he was out with his father in the field, 'cause his father was a rich man, and the harvest was going on. So he was out in the field with his father. And I suppose the little boy must have had a sunstroke. He begin to cry, "My head, my head!" It was about noontime. And one of the servants brought the little boy in, and he set on his mother's lap until about the middle of the day. And the little boy grew worse, and sicker, and sicker, until after awhile, the little boy died.

45 Now, I want you to watch, what when God begins to deal with a person, they do things sometimes that they don't even realize what they are doing. She took that little boy, and laid him in the prophet's bed. What a place to put him, just exactly right, put him on the prophet's bed where she had built this little house, and had took and put the little boy on the prophet's bed... And she said to the servant, "Saddle up a little mule and go forward. Don't you check unless I bid you."

Her husband said, "Don't go up to Mount Carmel. It's neither new moon nor Sabbath; the prophet won't be there."

But that mother's heart for her baby... She was... She was in distress. And she knew if she ever got to that prophet, that she would find out why God took her baby. If God could tell the prophet she was going to have the baby, and she had it, surely, God could tell why he took the baby away. She said, "All is well. Go ahead."

46 And the servant went on to the Mount Carmel, and Elijah was there. He stood out in the cave door, looked out. And he said, "Here comes that Shunammite." And said, "She's worried, but God has hid it from me; He's never told me what she's--her trouble's about."

You see, God don't tell His servants everything He does; He just lets them know what He wants them to know. See? It's up to God. There was this great man, but he didn't know what was her trouble. And so, he said to Gehazi, "Run out and meet her. And say, 'Is all well?'"

And he said, "Is all well with thee? Is all well with thy husband? Is all well with thy son?"

Look at that woman. "All is well." Amen! I like that. Why? Her baby laying a corpse, her husband wringing his hands and screaming, walking up-and-down the yard. But, "All is well." I like that.

47 Her purpose was to get into the presence of this prophet who had the anointing of the Lord upon him. And she knew that that prophet would know what to do, what to tell her. She knowed he'd have THUS SAITH THE LORD for her. And so, "All is well." If God took the baby, all right, as long as it was God's plan. God gave; God taken away; blessed be the Name of the Lord. See? But she wanted to know "Why?" Was something she had done, or what was wrong?

And when she run up to the foot of Elijah and fell down at his feet. And so Gehazi thought that was a little misbehaving for a woman to fall at his master's feet, so he jerks her up. And so, then she begin to reveal to him about the baby being dead.

Now, he said to Gehazi, "Take my staff, and go forward, and lay this upon the baby. And if anybody speaks to you, don't you speak to them. Somebody salutes you (That's 'How do you do?') don't say a word. Just put your mind on taking this staff to the baby and start going." I like that. We haven't got no time to fool around--the message is urgent. People are dying. Let's go forward.

48 And he took the staff and took off. Now, I believe if the woman would've believed that that would have done the work, it would have done it. But her faith wasn't in the staff; it was in the prophet. So she said, "As the Lord, your God, lives and never dies, and your soul never dies, I'm not going to leave you. I'm going to stay right here."

Oh, I like that. Hold on to it. When you take a hold of God for something, don't you turn loose. That's right. If you take Jesus for your Healer, don't you let no devil, nothing else ever back you out of it. Hold on. "I'll stay with it, stay right there. As the Lord, your God, lives and your soul never dies, I'll not leave you till I find out about the baby."

Well, Elijah couldn't get rid of her. So that's the way you want to be with Jesus. You want to just get on His hands, just stay there, cry out day and night. And that's the way. Yes, sir. Don't you turn loose; don't you back up one bit. If you believe it, stay there. There's mercy in the Lord. Stay with it.

49 So, I think that's why Mary--or Martha it was (that went out to meet Jesus) she knowed... She'd read that story of the Shunammite baby. She knew if God was in the prophet, surely God was in His Son. And she knew that she'd get her request, if she went with the right approach. That's the next thing: People approach God in the wrong way. You've got to come the right approach.

Not long ago, I had honor of praying for a king. They taken the cuffs out of my trouser legs, told me to never back--not to turn my back on him, after prayer and things, to back away from him. Never turn your back on a king. That's a very good thing; don't never turn your back on the King of kings then. See? And it's approach, a certain approach...

50 In the courts, there's a judge up on the stand, and if you know something back there, you say, "Hey, wait a minute, judge! I want to talk to you a minute!" You'll be called down. There's an approach to approach that judge, and you've got to come that approach. And there's approach you've got to come to God. If you come to a gift of God, you've got to come in the right mental attitude. You've got to come the right approach, or you won't receive nothing when you come.

And that's the way this Martha did when Jesus came; she came with the right approach. This Shunammite woman, she came with the right approach, with a heart burdened, longing for God. And she held on to it.

And Elijah said, "Well, I'll just gird up his loins." And he went after him.

He met Gehazi when he got there on his road back. Said, "I put the staff on the baby, and there was no life in him. And..."

Of course not; the woman didn't believe it. If she would've believed it, it would've happened. But she wanted the prophet; she didn't know about the staff. Elijah had faith for that, but the woman had faith in the prophet.

51 So when Elijah come to the room... I want you to notice: no prayer. Elijah went there... You talk about a condition. There was the people in the yard, all of them wailing and carrying on; and the father all tore up, and everybody screaming. And the little baby laying on the prophet's bed, been dead since that day at noon.

And Elijah went in, and he walked back and forth, the Bible said "to and fro" in the room. What was he doing? Waiting for the anointing. Amen. Walking back and forth (Oh, my.), just waiting for the anointing. After while, the anointing of the Holy Spirit come on him. He fell across the little baby, put his lips against its lips, his nose against its nose, its forehead against his forehead, and laid there. He felt it; it got warm; got back, walked again. Oh, my! I like that.

Walking back and forth, till he felt the anointing on him again. When the anointing come on him again, he fell across the baby again, his lips against its lips, its nose against its nose. And the first thing you know, the baby sneezed seven times and come to life. Amen!

52 Oh, how little Bartimaeus loved that story. I love it, too. "Oh," he thought, "you know what? That same great prophet, Elijah... And when he went up, he sent a double portion of his spirit back upon Elijah. And Elijah was a great prophet."

And then just about that time, he'd happened to think, "Not many years ago, that Elijah and Elisha walked down this same road where I'm setting by the side of, arm in arm, going down to Jordan to split her open, walk across." Amen. Oh, my.

Oh, the wind blowed and he put his old ragged coat up a little more. You know, kindy the sun was getting around on the other side of the wall.

He'd think, "No more than a few hundred years ago, Elijah and Elisha walked right down these same old cobblestones here with their arm and arm, going down. And Elisha took that mantle off and struck the Jordan, said... And the Jordan come open, and Elisha took it, and come back and struck the Jordan, and come back with it."

53 Oh, I can hear Bartimaeus now, scream out to himself and say, "Oh, if I would've only been setting here then. If I would've been setting here then, I'd have run out in the street and said, 'Oh, great holy prophets of God, pray for me, that the Lord God will make me to see.' And they'd have laid their hands upon me, and I... My dream last night of seeing again would've been true. I'd have got my eyesight. But alas, my priest tells me at the temple that the days of miracles is passed."

54 Oh, when was "The days of miracles is passed"? When the day of miracles is passed, the day of God is passed, for God is miracles. Certainly, the days of miracles never will be passed--never was and never will be. But they said that the--the days of miracles is passed.

About that time, he hears a--a little clicking coming down the street. He listened. "It must be a--it's a little mule. There's somebody running in front with sandals on. It must be a rich man coming." He couldn't see, but he could hear. "It must be rich man, because he's riding on a mule."

55 So he got up off his rock. Said, "Help me! I'm... My name is Bartimaeus. I'm a blind man. I have a little girl at home, a wife. Please, would you give me an alm? I--I--I was here too late this morning."

And the servant stopped, and said, "Master?"

And it happened to be, the fellow on there said, "Listen, out of my way bum, beggar! I'm a priest. I'm on my road down here to meet the ministerial association. There's a fanatic prophet in the land, claims to see visions and so forth, and heal sick people and so forth. He's a fanatic prophet from Galilee. I'm going to meet the ministerial association to see that none of that fanaticism ever starts around Jericho here. Get out of my way! I'm on my way." M-m. "I am the servant of the Lord (With an attitude like that?) on the way."

Bartimaeus found his way back and found his rock again, but the... You know, the sun had went around the other side a little, and it--it kindy got shady there. So he--he moved out in the sun again, found him another rock and set down, pulled up his garment again.

56 Thought, "Oh, wasn't that beautiful to think back when I was a little boy? When mother used... Oh, yes, I remember again. She told me how the great Jehovah led the children of Israel (my people) over into this promised land; of the great stories she told how Jehovah rained bread out of heaven and fed them; how He caused a great wind to blow in quails; how He brought water out of a rock. Oh, what's happened to that great Jehovah? But the priest tells me that the days of miracles is passed, so there's nothing I can do about it. Oh, if I could just have lived in that day. If I could have only lived in the day when Jehovah was really alive, and here on earth with His people. But they tell me that's all over, so I... There's nothing I can do about it."

And as he set there, he begin to think, "Yes, and I remember the great warrior, Joshua. How my mother used to say, 'Honey, just across there, just at the ford right down there below the city, Joshua, the great mighty warrior who took Moses' place... '" A type of the Holy Spirit now, taking...

See, Moses didn't bring the children into the promised land. He was the law-giver, but he didn't bring the children into the promised land. Joshua took them over. See? And the Holy Spirit's the One that's taking them over now. Christ made the way and the plans, and was the giver of the law and so forth. But the Holy Spirit takes the Church to the promised land, the rapture, taking it up, the Holy Spirit in the rapture.

57 And how that Joshua, the great warrior, stood on the banks over there after he had seen God moving with Moses. And he stood there, and there it was in the month of April, his mother told him. And all the snow waters up in Judaea in the mountains was melting, and Jordan was all the way across the plains here. But the great Joshua stood on the other side, and he seen God. And He told him to get the people together and have them to sanctify themselves, to get ready, because He was going to open up the Jordan. And how that the great Joshua put God first, put the priests and the ark of the covenant first.

That's a real lesson; wish we had time to dwell on it awhile. Put God first if you want to see something. If the doctor told you he's done all he can do for you, the man's honest. Then if he's done all he can do, put God out there now. Put God there and keep him there. Take God for your Healer and see what He does. The doctor's limited; God's unlimited. The doctor can do anything. He can-he can work on two senses: what he can see and what he can feel, the only two of his senses that would declare anything. God... My, He--He--He's un--untapped resources He's got, all things. He can just speak the word, and it'll be so. Put Him first.

58 Then they went to the Jordan; the Jordan opened. And he thought, "You know, the very stone that I'm setting on now, the power of God shook off the top of the wall, broke it down. The very stone that I'm setting on, the power of God shook it off of the wall there. By the people shouting and giving a praise to God, the walls of Jericho fell down flat, one on top of the other one." (Little shouting helps once in a while, I believe. It certainly does.) "And it... And when they sounded the trumpet and the people shouted, down went the walls. And to think that the very..."

Do you say, "Well, I wish I might go over there and set on one of those stones."

The very seat that you're setting on is God's Word made manifest. The very earth that you walk on is God's Word made manifest. The dirt on the ground is the Word of God. Amen. Oh, my. This building is the Word of God; this desk is the Word of God. God created it. He created it with His own Word.

There wasn't nothing to make it out of; He said, "Let there be," and He believed in His own Word. And there was a world come into existence. Oh, my. I'm ready to hang my soul on any phase of it and say it's the truth. Yes, sir. He said, "Let there be" and there was, because He's God. He made His own Word come to pass. He still makes His own Word come to pass. He always did, and He always will. He will stand by His Word; what God promises, God will do.

59 Abraham sojourned in a strange land twenty-five years, get--getting older all the time, seventy-five before God ever called him. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]

Could you imagine an old man and woman like that going down to the doctor's office and saying, "Well, doc, we want to make arrangements with the hospital; I'm going to have a baby."

He'd say, "Poor old fellow, something wrong with him."

That's the way every true believer of God is thought of. "Yeah, think there's something wrong..." There is something wrong--you've passed from death to Life. You passed from the things of the world to believing the things of God. The Christian looks at the unseen, not what he sees. He looks at what he does not see. You don't see with your eyes anyhow; you see with your heart. That's right. You look with your eyes; you see with your heart. It's truly. You don't...

You understand; seeing is understanding. You look right at the thing, and say, "I don't see it." You mean you don't understand it. That's the real word of it. Now...

60 Then Abraham, he went out and said, "Sarah, we're going to have a baby. I want you to go now, and we'll buy up a lot of birdeye and pins, and make some little booties, and get ready."

The first month passed. "Abraham, no different." See, she was way past menopause then. Said, "No different." Second month passed. "No different, Abraham. Just the same as it was."

"Hallelujah! We're going to have the baby anyhow."

"How do you know?"

"God said so; that settles it."

A year passed. "Anything different, Sarah?"

"No, nothing different."

"Glory to God. We're going to have... It's going to be a greater miracle than it was if it happened last year. A year older now; I'm seventy-six and you're sixty-six. Hallelujah. Greater miracle than it would if it'd been the other--a year younger. No different yet?"

"No different." Ten years passed. "No different yet."

"Praise God, we're going to have it anyhow."

61 And we're supposed to be sons and daughters of Abraham, that the children of Abraham. And if it don't happen in two minutes after we're prayed for, we say, "Oh, I didn't get it." Oh, you're a poor excuse for a son and daughter of Abraham like that. Abraham...

And instead of him getting weaker, the Bible said, "He got stronger all the time." Got stronger... When he was a hundred years old, he was still giving God praise. He was going to have it, and he did. They had this child, because God said so. God is to be took at His Word. What God says comes to pass, no matter how long it is, what it is. God said so, and you just hold on to it. That's all. Just stay with it; it'll bring you through.

62 There was Bartimaeus setting there, thought, "Oh, if this very rock hanging on the wall and the power of God by the people shouting, it fell off of the wall. What a wonderful thing," he must have thought. "That was a wonderful thing. Oh, if I could've only lived when Joshua crossed that Jordan. I'd run out there to Joshua and say, 'Joshua, thou great warrior of God, I know that you're a man of God. God has called you; you're a--you're a great man. Have prayer for my blinded eyes, Joshua. And I--I know I will see if you will just pray for me.'"

But alas, "The days of miracles is passed," said his church. "We don't have that no more. God doesn't heal any more; He doesn't do miracles. He's just God. He expects us to be very good clergymen, and have a good education, and know how to speak to the people, and say 'Amen,' real pretty, and you know, and such things as that, and--and intellectual."

That's got the same thing today; it hasn't changed a bit. You know, the--the devil takes his man, but never his spirit. And God takes His man, but never His Spirit. So they still war in human beings just the same. One will say... Oh, very religious, like Esau and Jacob and so forth, you know, very religious, but still don't believe the supernatural. But when the supernatural comes, it changes things. God comes amongst the people Himself and shows Hisself that He is God, that He is the Jehovah.

63 And then Joshua, after coming over to this side, one day he was walking around viewing the walls, seeing how thick they was and how great they were, walking around. And he saw a Man. And the man drew a sword, and started at Joshua. And Joshua drew his sword, and he started to meet the Man. Joshua said, "Are you for us? Are you of our enemy?"

And the Man that had the sword drawed, said, "Nay, I'm the Captain of the host of the Lord."

The great Joshua dropped his sword, threw off his helmet, laid down his shield, and bowed down at the foot of the Man: the Captain of the host of the Lord. Oh, my. "I'm the Captain of the Lord's Host."

64 Blind Bartimaeus must've said this, "Oh, think. That Man stood no more than a hundred yards from where I'm setting. If I'd only lived then, I'd have run out to this Captain of the Lord's Host, and said, 'Oh, great Captain of the host of the Lord, restore my sight to me that I can see to make a living for my family.' And the Captain of the Lord's Host would've restored my sight. But alas, they said the days of miracles is passed."

Little did he know... Little did he know, that less then a hundred yards stood the same Captain, coming again in the Name of the Lord on His road.

That's what I think now. These people on the beds, and in the chairs, and with heart trouble, and whatever you've got, and cancer, that same Captain of the Lord's Host is right here tonight in the form of the Holy Ghost. If you'd just open up your eyes and look, your understanding, that you might perceive that He's in our midst.

65 Notice. The first thing you know, he heard a noise coming. You Know there's something strange, everywhere you find Jesus, you always find a lot of noise (I don't know why it was), and it's never changed. You still find a lot of noise where He's at.

One time they tried to make them keep still. He said, "If they hold their peace, them rocks will immediately cry out." Something about it that's noisy.

And he heard a noise coming. And some of them was singing, "Hosanna, hosanna to Him that cometh in the Name of the Lord."

The others was mocking, making fun. Out of the gate they came. And here come a young Man in His thirties, walking with His head set towards Jerusalem, the burdens of the world, all the sins of the world laying on Him. That was the Captain of the host of the Lord; that was the same One was with Joshua yonder in the wilder--or with Moses in the wilderness. That was the same One with Elijah back there that raised the baby; the same Captain that was with Joshua, the same Captain that's here tonight. The same One that will be forever and forever the same Lord God; He doesn't change. He's the same Captain of the host of the Lord.

66 And here He was walking. And I can hear people hollering, "Hey, you! Let's see you do a miracle. Let's see you perform a miracle. We want to see it. We hear that you perform miracles." When you hear people saying that, you know what kind of spirit they got: it's the devil.

Look what Jesus, when He found... when the... Satan took Him into the wilderness. He said, "If Thou be the Son of God, turn these stones into bread. You're hungry, and You want something to eat. So just make these stones bread if You're the Son of God. And it will make me believe You, if You'll just do that."

Jesus don't mind the devil. No servant of God minds the devil. Jesus said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone.'"

67 When they had Him in a--in the courtyards of the Roman courts, they put a rag around His face and took a stick and hit Him on top of the head. Said, "Now, they say you're a prophet, that you can tell things that's--what people has done, and what people will do. Now, tell us who hit you; we'll believe you."

He could have done it, but He'd have been minding the devil. He didn't do it; He just set there and never opened His mouth. With a rag around His face and hit Him and said, "You're a prophet, uh? Tell us who hit you now; we'll believe you." That same devil lives in people today.

Say, "If you're... If there is a God, a Healer... If this guy's got a gift of Divine healing, go down and heal this one here. Let--let me see it. I'll believe it. Let me see." You know, churches put out that kind of a propaganda. You just remember, that's the spirit--the same spirit.

68 Them priests said, "If Thou art the Son of God, come down off the cross now. Pull Your hands loose and come down, and--and we'll believe You." Why, He could've done that if He wanted to. You know, they paid Him the greatest honor there He ever played to Him.

Caiaphas, the High Priest, and them said, "He saved others; Himself He cannot save." That was an honor. If He saved others, He--He could not... If He saved Himself, He could not save others. So He gave Hisself so He could save others. See? He had to give Himself so He could save us. If He'd have saved Himself...

Like Billy Sunday said... One of his writings, one of his textbooks I was reading here some time ago, said, "Angels was setting in every tree, saying, 'Just pull Your hand off the cross and point to one of us. We'll change this scene around here.'" He could've done it too. But if He would've done it, where would we been today? But He hung there with spit in His face, and nails in His hands, and thorns on His head, and the blood running down with tears mingled, dying as a malefactor because He loved us. That's right. And giving us the chance for salvation, giving us the chance to pray for the sick, and they'd be made well; giving us that opportunity... He did it for us.

69 And here was that Lord's Captain of the host coming out. I can hear that same priest that just spoke to him awhile ago, and said, "Out of the way. We don't want none of them healing services in our town, bunch of people all stirred up and everything like that, on a bunch of fanaticism, some prophet out of Galilee was borned a illegitimate birth, and he never went to our seminary. He don't know nothing about our schools. He never belongs to our denomination. We know nothing about Him. We'll stop that thing stop. We won't have nothing to do with that; I'm sure of that."

We could hear that same priest saying, "Hey. We understand that You raised a man called Lazarus. We've got a whole graveyard full of them up here; come out and raise one of them. Come on up here on the hillside. We've been burying them up there for hundreds of years. Come up here and raise one of them. We'll believe you."

70 But you know what? He never paid one bit of attention to it. He was on His road to Jerusalem to be offered up as a Sacrifice, the whole burden of the world upon His precious soul. He was facing Jerusalem, going right up the mountain then to Jerusalem to be crucified, for them same people that was making fun of Him. They was throwing overripe fruit or eggs at Him, making fun of Him, driving Him from the city. But He never paid a bit of attention to it; He just went going on.

Bartimaeus got alarmed. He said, "What's all this about? What's the matter? What's all this racket I hear?"

And someone said, "Out of the way, beggar." Others this a way, and that way.

And finally, I believe it must have been some precious lady... The old fellow had been pushed off the rock. And he said... She said, "Are you hurt, sir?"

"No, ma'am, I'm not hurt, but I can't understand. What's all this noise about?"

"Why," she said, "Jesus of Nazareth, the Galilean prophet, is passing this way."

"My good woman..."

71 She must have been a follower of Jesus, because the followers of Jesus is always considerate, and they're kind hearted and like to help people, like to do something to help somebody. All followers of Jesus act that way. Whether they're old people trying to cross the street, a follower of Jesus just doesn't go on by and let them stand there to get run over. He stops and helps them across the street. And if you see some poor old person with a big bunch of groceries, a follower of Jesus helps them pack them home. And--and if they see somebody in need, they go help them. That's what followers of Jesus does. They're always kind, tender-hearted, showing compassion, doing things for somebody.

72 Then this follower of Jesus said, "Why, sir, don't you understand the prophets?"

"Well," he said, "I was just setting here kindy dreaming of what the prophets used to--what my mother used to tell me about the prophets."

"Well then," she said, "you must understand that there is to be a Messiah come."

"Oh, yes, yes. We know that there'll be a Messiah come, because Moses said the Lord, our God, will raise up a prophet liken unto him. And everyone that doesn't hear this prophet will be cut off from the people. He will be a great prophet when He comes."

"Well," she said, "sir, this Man is that prophet. Why, He looks down upon the people; He discerns their thoughts; He tells them the very thing that's in their heart. He tells them things that they have done, things that will be. And every time, it's perfect."

"Oh, do you mean that that Man has arrived?"

"That's Him going by."

"But why is the people hollering like that, and carrying on, and making fun of Him?"

"Because they know Him not. But we know Him, because we are believers. We know Him; we follow Him daily. We watch and see the miracles that He does, and we are persuaded that this is--this is the Messiah. Why, I saw Him (here sometime ago) when He was talking to a woman at the well."

"He said, 'Go get your husband.' And she said, 'I have no husband.' He said, 'You've said well. You've had five, and the one you're living with now is not your husband.'"

"Why, she said to Him, 'Sir, I perceive that You're a prophet.' Why, He... she said, 'I... We know (we Samaritans) know when the Messiah cometh, He will tell us these things.'"

"And this Man said, 'I am He that speaks to you.' And she run into the city, saying, 'Come, see a Man that's told me what I've done. Isn't this the Messiah?' And the whole city of Samaria was converted."

"You don't mean... Well, if He's the Messiah, that's the Son of David."

"Yes, that's right. That's the Son of David!"

And he screamed out, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"

73 His dream could come to pass now. Maybe yours could, sister on the cot. Your dream of health again could come to pass. Yours in the wheelchair, yours eat up with cancer, your dream of going back to church and renewing your vows with God, maybe your dream is just about ready to come to pass. Maybe that Captain of the host of the Lord is coming by after while; I trust that He is.

"Thou Son of David, have mercy on me! Have mercy on me!" Oh, He couldn't hear him literally. He was out on the road, and hundreds of people swarming around, one screaming one thing and one another. And he throwed his old ragged coat back and hollered, "Oh, Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me! Have mercy on me!"

Let's just take a little thing that I believe he did; I don't know that he did. I can imagine he said in his heart, "If that is the Son of David, then I can stand right here and ask Jehovah. Jehovah will speak to Him. That's right. Jehovah can stop Him, 'cause He knows my condition. And I've been setting here longing to see Him."

74 You know, that's the way to get God close to you, is think about Him, talk about Him. Just keep Jesus... Don't talk about the things of the world; talk about Jesus. That's the way to do it. People may think you're a little funny, but that's all right. Just keep on, let your conversation be about Him. Here...

I want to stop here a minute. My son, Billy... He's around here somewhere. Here about three or four years ago, we were in a meeting. And he... They was playing some kind of music or something. We went in after service at Wood River, Illinois. And we went in to get some--some food. And they was playing some kind of a song. I don't know what it was.

And he said, "Daddy, ain't that a pretty song?"

I said, "What song?"

And I despise them little old jukeboxes, ever what you call it. I've went into a many restaurant and said, "Lady, I'll lay two dollars down here; I got my family, if you'll pull the plug out of that filthy thing there, 'till I can let my family eat. You just pull the plug out."

75 Them old rock and rolls, and boogly-woogly, and every that kind of stuff, it's a disgrace. It makes me so nervous, you can't eat. I--I--I don't mind it myself, 'cause I got a little gear I can pull myself in and just keep thinking about God, and I don't hear it at all.

So after awhile (He was single then, before he was married.), some little lady would tip by, and he said, "Daddy, hasn't she got pretty hair?"

I said, "Who?"

He said, "Daddy, all you think about is the Bible and God."

I said, "Thank you, honey. That's a very nice compliment. That's all I want to think about." That's right. Think... If I can just keep my mind settled on Him all the time, that's all that's necessary.

76 And there... He stood there, and he thought, "I was thinking of Him, and here He is near me now. But there's too many between me and Him. I--I--I don't know what I'll do. O Jehovah God, that is Your servant; that's You're Son. You said that, 'My servant, in Whom I am well pleased. I'll put My Spirit upon Him; He will show judgment to the Gentiles' and so forth. That's Your servant. O God, oh, let Jesus of Nazareth, let Him speak to me."

And about that time, He stopped. Oh, my. He stopped, turned around. He didn't hear him physically; He was too far from him. If you're ever at Jericho, look where the place take... what take... where it taken place at. In all that mob, He couldn't have heard him anyhow. But you don't... He don't have to hear you; it's your faith that stops Him.

77 Look at the little woman with the blood issue, coming through the crowd. And she said, "Oh, if I could only touch His garment, I'll be made well." And she pressed through, until she touched the border of His garment.

Now, the Palestinian garment swings loose. It's a robe, and it's got an underneath garment. Now, I would never feeled you if you'd touch my pocket physically. How much more a big loose robe? He never felt her physically. For He--He said, "Who touched Me?" And He looked around.

And Peter rebuked Him. Said, "Well, everybody's touching You. Why do You say such a thing as that?"

He said, "But I perceive that virtue has gone from Me."

And He looked around, and looked on the audience. And He found the little woman out in the audience. And He said she'd had a blood issue, and her faith had saved her.

78 Now, that same God down there, knowed... When He was the same Jesus going up, blind Bartimaeus couldn't get to Him. He was too far away from Him, but his faith stopped Jesus. Look. He had the sins of the world upon Him; He had the--the death of every creature that ever did die, or ever would die, laying on Him. He had every sin that ever had been committed, or ever would be committed, laying on Him. And He was on His road to Calvary, in the midst of howling mobs of religious people making fun of Him and daring Him to raise the dead or heal somebody. But the faith of that blind beggar stopped Him still in His tracks.

I want to preach one night (if I can) on "Jesus Stood Still". See how many times it happened. When Jesus stood still there, and He turned around. Said, "Bring him here. What would you that I would do?" Oh, I can see him. When you've found out that you've got His attention.

"Oh," said, "behold, He calleth thee. Be of a good courage."

79 He threw off his coat. And watch him. He didn't lay it down real nice to know he'd get it when he come back, so he could find it. He knew if he ever got in contact with Jesus, he'd be able to see his coat when he come back. So that's the way it is; that's the way. If he ever come and had an audition with Jesus, it would be different; then he could see from then on. So he just throwed his coat away. Away he went!

And He said, "What would you that I could do for you?"

He said, "Lord, that I might receive my sight."

That was what was in his mind. He didn't talk to Him how beautiful heaven was. But he had a need. "I want my sight! That I might receive my sight."

Jesus said, "Receive thy sight; thy faith has saved thee," the faith that stopped Him. And if our faith tonight can stop Him, if our faith tonight can bring Him down here, we can receive our healing, what we have need of.

80 A little story 'fore closing. I read a little fiction (It must have been a fiction. It was supposed to have been true, but I doubt it.) about Bartimaeus. It was taking the life of prophets and so forth. And I read an article on Bartimaeus.

They said he had been blind since he was a--a boy. And you know, in them days, the--the day when a man's blind... I forget what they call those dogs that lead them, you know... and... some sort of a dog that leads a blind man: seeing eye dogs.

In them days, instead of having a dog, they had a lamb that led. And Bartimaeus had a lamb, and he had two little turtledoves. And said that one night he had... He's got a little daughter, a little blond-headed daughter. And one night, the little girl got sick.

81 And he had... He went out and prayed. And he said, "Lord, if you'll let my little girl get well, I'll offer to You my turtledoves tomorrow."

That was the only thing... The little turtledoves tumbled over one another. And that little enchantments to attract the attention of the tourists, and they'd drop him in something for his--a coin in his cup.

And he said, "Lord, if you'll just let me get well, I'll take my two turtledoves to the church tomorrow, and I'll sacrifice these two turtledoves for You." And the little girl's fever broke, and got well.

A few weeks after that, his wife got sick. And the physician said there was nothing could be done for her. He had done all he knowed. And he went outside the building, holding along side the house. And he said, "Oh, Jehovah, if You'll let my dear wife live, I'll promise You... I haven't got nothing else to give You, so I'll give You my lamb" that led him up there.

82 And so the next morning, his wife was better. So he went on his road, leading... to take his lamb up for a sacrifice. They said he met the high priest. He said, "Blind Bartimaeus, where goest thou this morning?"

He said, "Oh, high priest of God, I go to the temple to offer my lamb for a sacrifice. My wife got well when I prayed for her, and I promised Jehovah I would give Him this lamb."

And the high priest said--reached into his bag of money, and said, "Oh, Bartimaeus, thou cannot offer that--that lamb." Said, "I'll give you money, and you go to the--to the buyers or the exchanges." And said, "You go up there and buy you a lamb to be sacrificed."

He said, "Oh, high priest, very much thanks to you." But said, "I never promised God a lamb; I promised Him this lamb."

That's so much of the trouble today, friend. Easter, we fill the altars full of lilies. God... The altar wasn't made for lilies; the altar was made for you. See, see? But we--we want to bring something else to substitute for us. We can't do that; our substitute's done been brought--Christ.

83 He said, "I never promised Him a lamb. I promised Him this lamb."

And the high priest said, "Bartimaeus, thou cannot offer that lamb. That lamb is your eyes; you cannot offer that lamb."

He said, "Oh, high priest of God, truly that's so. But if I will keep my promise to God, God will provide a lamb for blind Bartimaeus' eyes."

It was that cold morning that the Lamb God had provided for--the Lamb of God had been provided for blind Bartimaeus' eyes. I can see him after He said, "Receive thy sight," stand and in a few minutes, look at his hands.

"Oh, He told me I would get it. He said my sight would come." The crowd was going on down the road. After while, he seen a shadow. He said, "Oh, here it is! I begin to see my fingers move." And away he went, glorifying God. Sure. God had provided a Lamb for blind Bartimaeus' eyes.

84 That same Lamb is provided for you, sister, for you, sister; for you, for you, for me. For whosoever will, God has a Lamb provided for us tonight for our eyes, for our eyes, that our spiritual sight would come open, and recognize that it's the Lord Jesus Christ in our midst. May He grant it tonight, is my prayer.

Our heavenly Father, we thank Thee for these Bible stories. They are so much to us. We love them, because they are life to us. We see what You was; and what You was yesterday, You are today and will be forever.

And now, Holy God, the Creator of heavens and earth, send again tonight the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "When the Holy Spirit is come, He will take these things of Mine and show them to you. He will show you things to come; He will testify of the truth. He will testify of Me," said Jesus. And we know that it's true.

85 And I pray, Father, that tonight that the Holy Spirit will do the works here in the audience that Jesus did when He was here on earth, that they might understand and these people's eyes would come open, every one of them. Many of them are good, loyal, Christian people, and they love You. And they love You with all their heart. Now, Father, open up their spiritual eyes, that they might be able to understand, that these things are exactly what You said would take place. It's exactly Your promise, what You promised us. And may we see it tonight, the hand of the living God among us. And then all people's eyes will be opened. And then we will all receive our healing, our salvation, and the...

86 When the church closes tonight, may we go home like those who came from Emmaus, after He--You had been dead, and buried, and rose again, walked with them all day, and they didn't recognize You. But when You got them shut in with You alone that evening, You did something just like You did before You were crucified. They knew that You was not dead no longer, that You had risen from the dead. For no man could do those things the way You did them. And they run home, rejoicing, saying, "Did not our hearts burn within us, as He talked to us along the way?"

Grant the same thing to repeat tonight. Lord, come among us. Take our bodies; take this poor body of mine; if You can use it, do so. Father, You cannot use mine without using theirs. So use the sick people's body; use our souls and body tonight to Thy honor and glory, that others might see and be healed. For we ask it in Jesus' Name, the Captain of the host of the Lord. Amen.

87 If there was a possible way for me to perform a healing... If I could cause this lady here to get up off of this cot she's laying on and walk away, I--I--I'd take a quarter and push it with my nose around this city, just to see it done. I'd... What if I'd... What was that... What if it was my--my sister, my mother, my wife laying there? What if this was one--one of my re... What if you out there with cancer or heart trouble, what if it was my mother or my brother, or my son, my daughter? My...

But I wish I could, but I can't. And if Jesus stood here with this suit on that He gave me, neither could He; He's already done it. How many believes that salvation and every redemptive blessing is already purchased? Then what would He do if He was here? He would just act like He did when He was here on earth, do something that you would see that He was the living Jesus.

88 Now, how many knows this? That Jesus said that at this end time (We've been preaching on it this week.) that the Spirit of God would come on the earth, called the Holy Ghost, and would do the same works that He did. How many knows that? Show the same sign that He showed, He showed it to the Jews; He showed it to the Samaritans; but He never showed it to the Gentiles. It wasn't their day. Neither were the Gentiles looking for a Messiah. But today we are looking for the second coming of Christ. Now, we must receive the sign of the Messiah, which is the last sign.

And remember--remember He spoke of Noah? But He didn't say then. But it said, "As it was in the days of Sodom." He told what the morals of--of day of Noah: They were eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage. But "as the days of Sodom" He left that alone. See? That's revelations.

89 Watch the angels (how we've been speaking about) what they done, the ministries... Look at the Billy Graham today, just exactly... A modern Oral Roberts and Billy Graham, those mighty evangelists sweeping the world, calling out of Babylon, out of Sodom, everything they can. Is it getting any better? Worse all the time.

Now, watch the Church elect. You believe in the election? Sure have to if you believe the Bible. "Our names are put in the Lamb's Book of Life before the foundation of the world," says the Bible. See? We was elected by God; by His foreknowledge, He elected us. Now...

Now, and then, if we are called... You ought to be thankful to God that you was elected. That's what I'm so thankful about: that God called me, chose me. I never chose Him; He chose me. You never chose Him. "No man can come to Me except My Father draws him first. And all the Father has given to Me, will come to Me." That's right. So you see, if God calls you, He will knock at your door. That's the time for you to come.

Now, today is the Gentile's day. This is the day, the last message... And remember, Sodom was the destruction, when fire fell from heaven.

90 Have you all been reading the paper about this rally that's going on out here in California, how those men are talking about throwing off from one party to another... But of course, to me, I--I'm... I cast one vote; that was on Jesus Christ for my Saviour. I'm going to win. That's right. That's all right. I voted for the Lord Jesus to be my Saviour, and that's all. See? Now, I believe in voting; I believe you should do it. But this pulpit's no place to talk about that. You talk about that wherever you want to. This is the Gospel here. This is something that I know is straight and clean and true, and I know it's going to happen. That's all.

Now, when He's here... When Jesus comes to us tonight, I want you to remember that every redemptive blessing that He could ever give you, "He was--He was wounded for our transgression; He was bruised for our iniquity. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we were healed." Everybody was saved, everybody was healed, when Jesus died at Calvary. But you've got to have your own personal faith in Him to be saved or to be healed.

91 Now, if Jesus was here tonight, you'd say, "Lord Jesus, come down, and lay Your hands on me, and heal you."

You know what He'd say? "Child of Mine, don't--don't you believe My Word? Do you believe My Word? I was wounded for your transgressions; with My stripes you were healed."

Now, His Word should be a sufficient, but then... If you didn't believe my word, I'd probably just let it go. If I didn't believe yours, you'd let me go; but not God. If you don't believe His Word, then still He sent the Holy Spirit with gifts in the church. What's the first? Apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, pastors, all for the perfecting of the Church, to bring the Church to knowledge of Him. A teacher, a pastor, a evangelist, a prophet, all these things are to--are to make known...

92 How many Pentecostal people is here tonight? Well, you people believe in speaking with tongues. Paul said, "If there's one among you now who speaks with tongues and nobody interprets (Unless it's for edification, somebody to interpret it.) Unless it's for to edify the church, why, the people that's unlearned will come in, go away and say, 'Why, you're all crazy, all mad.' (Which "mad" means "crazy.") And say, 'Why, you're all mad.' But if one is a prophet and will prophesy and reveal the thing, then they'll have to fall down and say, 'Truly, God's with you.'" 'Cause that is God's last sign. We know that, and that's it. We're living in it today. The Lord bless you.

93 Now, I forgot... (Where's Billy Paul? Is he... Excuse me.) He's so little, I can't see him. (How many cards did you give out? Fifty? Did you start from 50, or... 1 to 50, all right.) We can't line all of them up at once, so let's just line them up as we can.

All right, prayer card number 1, who has it? (What's the letter? B?) B number 1? [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... to be real, or I am a false prophet and a liar, and the Bible's wrong. The God of Christianity promised that He would meet here. "Wherever you are assembled together, I'll be with you."

He sent an Angel and told me, "Do not fear. I've sent... You're sent to pray for sick people; you'll know the very secret of their heart." I...

94 Now, visions started coming... First thing I can remember in life was a vision; it's always been. You're born with these gifts. You don't lay hands on one another for these kind of gifts. These gifts God sets in the church. Isn't that right, brethren? See? God sets them in the church; you're born with them. They're natural, just natural like any other thing.

Now, I'm trusting that He will grant His Presence. If He does, may His great blessings be upon us. Be reverent; believe.

You say, "What are you stalling for, Brother Branham?" I'm waiting for Him. That's exactly... If He doesn't come, I can't do nothing. But if He does anoint me, I can do it.

95 And now, you watch, ever who's engineering this--this microphone here. Because it may be that I... My voice sometimes... It's a unconscious; you don't know what you're saying. It's a vision; you're seeing something that's taking place and--somewhere else. So now, if it happens not to be loud enough, say to some of the men...

Remember, all of you, see you tomorrow night the Lord willing. God bless you. Now, may the Lord Jesus bless while we softly sing "Only Believe," every one of us together now.

Only Believe...

I can see Him as He come down off the hill, an epileptic child there. He said, "Lord, have mercy on my child. He's variously vexed with the devil."

Jesus said, "I can, if you believe, for all things are possible, only believe."

All things are possible, only believe.

96 I take every spirit in here under the control of the Holy Ghost in the Name of Jesus Christ. Now... (Is--is this the man? Is this one of the persons to be prayed for?) How do you do, sir? Now, we are meeting (I suppose) for our first time in life. That is true? All right. We are just two human beings that comes together. I don't know you, and you don't know me. And perhaps you are here for some sickness, or some loved one, or some financial... I don't know what you're... domestic trouble... Whatever is, God knows all about it.

Now, it could be so that I'd walk across here after I'd told you these things that I have, and lay hands upon you, and say, "I will pray for you, my brother." And you'd go and be well. Or maybe I might do, as some of our ministering brother, just put my hands over on you, and rebuke the spirit and so forth, like some of those brethren who has real (what we call) "bulldog faith." Like Brother Oral Roberts puts his hands up on him and has a real faith and condemns the thing, and like that. That--that's Brother Roberts' ministry. See? And God--God don't deal with no two men alike. I can't take Brother Roberts' place, and he can't take mine. We both have ministries, and we have to do as God tells us to do.

97 But now, if I would come up here and say, "All right, brother--brother, I've got a--a ministry to lay hands on you." And I'd tell you that, and you'd go on. You'd probably get well. That's right. But now, you could have a little doubt about that? See? "Now, did he tell me the truth or not?"

Now, if Jesus Christ still lives like He did in the days gone by, and I can yield myself to His Spirit, not knowing you, then if something comes in me and begins to reveal something that's... something that you have done back in your past, like He did the woman at the well, like He told Simon Peter when he come to Him, and oh, so many places in the Bible... See?

If He begins to tell you what you were, well, you'll know whether that's truth or not. Then you'll be witness of that, and you'll know whether that's right or not. And you can witness whether it's so or not. Then if He tells you what has been, then tell you what will be, if that what has been is true, then what He tells you will be will surely be true. Is that right, audience? See? Then you don't have to guess. That's the Spirit of the Lord.

98 Now, I don't say that He will; I trust that He will. But if He will, the audience has already promised. This right here: If He would tell this man, just do the same thing like He did when Simon come to Him. Said, "Thou--thou art Simon, and you're the son of Jonas." Or told him who he was, or Philip, or some of the others like that that He did when they come to Him--why, it would make Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever, wouldn't it? Make His Presence here, the great Chief Captain of the host of the Lord...

Now, I have no idea what... He looks a healthy man to me; nothing about him would look unhealthy. But there's surely... He may not be sick. It may be something else. The Lord knows. Now, may the Lord help me. May the Holy Spirit of God come to me, and speak so the people will know--know it's some Spirit--and they'll be judged by what they call It. God, You're the judge. Let it be, through Jesus Christ's Name, for Your glory, Lord. Not for a show, but for Your glory. Amen.

99 Now, if the people can still hear my voice, the man's going away from me. He has got something wrong; his trouble's in his skull, in his head. He... That's where his trouble lays. Is... That's right, isn't it, sir? If that's right, raise up your hand?

Now, there's--there's some power that knows that about that man; I don't. You say, "There might be some new..." Is anybody here, never was in one of the meetings before? Raise up your hand. Never was in a meeting before... You might think I guessed it. All right, let's see. Let Him...

I don't know what it was. The tapes there has got it. That's why we keep these tapes, everything that was said. There's never been one thing ever said but what the Lord confirmed it to be true.

Yes, here it is. The man's suffering with something about his head. It's a... He got hurt. It was something about logs, or something about a log boom or something. THUS SAITH THE LORD. That's right. That's right.

You're not from here. You've come here to this meeting. You're from California. That's right. You think God knows who you are? Could He tell me who you are? Would it help you? Would you believe it would make you... You would? All right, Mr. Robinson, you can go back home and be well. Jesus Christ makes you well.

100 You believe on the Lord? Now, you see... Look friends, that isn't me. I... God knows; I can't tell you one thing that was said to that man. It's a vision; I'm watching what's taking place. See? Now, that's the same thing... How many in here (Believers) know that that's the same thing Jesus Christ did when He was here on earth, and promised that it would be a sign of the end time? Now, what more can we say? He's here; now, you believe on Him. That ought to settle it. The whole audience ought to rise up and say, "Thank the Lord. He heals me," goes on. That's right. It's all over. He's proved it.

How do you... Is this... I'm not beside myself. But visions... You have to watch. You--you're... You... You see, I look at you here, and I see you somewhere. You know what I mean--a vision. Do you believe me to be His prophet or His servant? You believe that? We're strangers to each other. I don't know you, but God knows you.

101 Now, this is another beautiful picture like Saint John 4 (you Bible readers): A man and a woman met for the first time in life, a woman of Samaria and Jesus of Nazareth. You remember that story? What did Jesus do? He had need to go by Samaria; God sent Him up there. I had need to come to Klamath Falls; God sent me over here.

A woman come out and was talking to Jesus. Jesus talked to her long enough to contact her spirit, and found what her trouble was and told her.

And she said, "You must be a prophet. We know that when the Messiah (Which is the Lord Jesus)--Messiah, when He comes, He will tell us these things."

Jesus said, "I am He that talks to you."

102 Now, if--if you was ever in Samaria, it's a well setting a little panoramic, just like this here. Here's a very kind of a story relived again. There she is; I do not know her, and we're strangers and meeting here for the first time. Have no idea what the woman's standing there for, but God knows what she's here for. He knows all about it.

If God will reveal to me something that's your trouble, just something or another wrong, or--or whatever you're here for, will you believe me to be His servant? Audience will do the same. The other one was a man; let all the women believe.

Now, the lady's aware right now that something's going on. Between me and the woman stands that Light. How many's seen It on the picture? Have you got... The pictures are all here. (Gene, are--are you all bringing the pictures to the platform? You should get one.) It's a copyrighted picture, hangs in the Religious Hall of Art in Washington, DC--the only supernatural Being was ever scientifically photographed. That's by the government. It was photographed over here at... (What's this place we're going next over here in California? Lakeport.)

103 You have kindy complications: heart, different troubles that you're suffering with. You're not from here, from this city. You come from another city; it's called Lake something. Lakeview is where you're from. That's right. You're interested in someone else you're praying for too. He has some rectal trouble also. It's something on the order of a--of a hemorrhoid, only it's more like a tumor. You have something in the nose also that's bothering you, in your nose. That's right.

You've got a daughter here. That's right. Some kind of a trouble like a skin, bad feet. That's right. That is true, isn't it? Your husband couldn't come, but he's sick also. You believe I can tell you by the Holy Ghost what's his trouble? Hemorrhoids. That's right. You believe God can tell me who you are? Would it help you? Would you go home and believe what I've told you to be true? You would anyhow. Well, Mrs. Trotzel, you can go home then and be made well. Jesus Christ heals you. God bless you, sister.

104 You believe on the Lord Jesus? That should settle it over the audience.

How do you do, sir? Do you believe me to be His servant? If you believe that with all your heart, you're... You're a mighty fine man; you're standing here for somebody else--got dropsy. That's right. Go believe now, and he will get over it. Amen. Just have faith in God. Don't doubt.

That lady setting right back there, she's the mother of some little sick children. You touched something then, lady. You believed, didn't you? You have hemorrhoids yourself that you want prayed for. That's THUS SAITH THE LORD. Your little children's sick; you got two sets of twins. That's right, isn't it lady? If that's right, raise up your hand.

What did she touch? Look where she's setting. What did she do? She never touched me; she touched Him, the High Priest. He turns around. Don't worry, lady, you are healed, and your children will be well. Your faith saves you, if you can believe.

105 Here sets a lady with her eyes bowed like that. She's praying for herself--got arthritis. Do you believe the Lord will make you well, sister, setting there? You were praying. You said, "Lord, let him call me." If that's right, raise up your hand if that's what you said in your prayer. How do I know what you said in your prayer? Have faith in God; don't doubt.

How do you do, sir? We are strangers to each other. I do not know you, and--and... But God does. If the Lord will reveal to me something about you, will you believe Him with all your heart? You would. Your trouble is in the he--in your head. You're having trouble with your head. You have spells, kindy like passing out and so forth. You're a little a doubt about your salvation, too. You're not so exactly sure whether you're exactly right or not. That is right.

And how this come about, you had a accident that did this. That is so. Mr. Woodland, do you believe that that's the truth? That's what it took, wasn't it? All right, go on. You'll be all right. God bless you.

106 Just have faith. Believe with all your heart. God will grant your request, if you'll only believe Him. Are you... believe? Now look, you're aware that something has to do that. Is that right? Now, what kind of a Spirit is it? Do you believe it to be the Spirit of God? Now, the Pharisees said to Jesus that He was the Beelzebub when He did it.

He said, "I'll forgive you for saying that, but when the Holy Ghost comes, if you speak one word against It, it'll never be forgiven." Is that right? Now, ask some of these people who the miracle's been performed on. Ask them, see whether it's real. God knows that it's so real.

107 How do you do, lady? Kind looking person. Just look, see how it puts yous... You just get so weak, the whole audience look like it's swimming around and around to me. Remember, Jesus saw one vision, one person touched Him, and He said, "I perceive that virtue's gone from Me." What is virtue? "His strength."

Some of you out there now that don't have prayer cards and so forth, you pray. You out there, you look up to God and say, "God, I believe You. This man don't know me. If You'll just touch me, O Lord God, if You'll just make me well... Just let him speak to me. I'll believe with all my heart."

I challenge your faith to that. Don't believe me; believe Him. 'Cause I'm just a man, just like this microphone. It isn't a microphone you're hearing; it's my voice. It isn't me you're hearing; it's Him.

108 Sir, setting there with your back trouble. Do you believe that Jesus Christ will heal you and make you well? Your wife sets next to you there. She's got trouble with her fingers. You believe God will heal her too? You believe, sister, also?

That alarmed you, didn't it, brother? You didn't know you had that much faith. Put your hands over on your wife. She's got some kind of an infections like; it bothers in her hands. Put your hands on one another now.

Satan, I rebuke you. Come out of these people. In the Name of Jesus Christ, may they be healed. Amen.

Now, to you two that was just called, do either one of you don't have a prayer card? You don't have a prayer card? You don't need one. All right. Now, what did you have? You had faith. You touched the High... I don't know you. If that's right, raise up your hands, if we're strangers to one another. And I've never seen you in my life. I guess you've never seen me. But that faith was kindy unbeknowing to you, but you touched something, and He rewarded you for it. Now, you'll be well. Don't worry; your faith has made you well.

If that isn't Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever, I don't know the Bible. That's right. It is true.

109 Excuse me, lady. I just look... It's your turn to be prayed for. I was just watching the audience, so that the people would see that it--it doesn't take a--a prayer card to heal people. You see? It--it--it takes faith in God. That's right. It takes faith in God to heal people. If you'll just have faith and don't doubt, God will heal you.

What do you think about that, Mr. Robison, setting there with a rupture? You think that God would make you well? You do? All right, sir.

I never seen the man in my life. Never seen him in my life, but he's setting there thinking about that. That's right, isn't it, sir? Raise up your hand. See, Jesus knowed all about what you're praying about and all about it.

Just have faith. If you'll believe with all your heart that it comes from God, whatever your trouble is will be gone. He loved you well enough to call you. When you'll call to Him, He answered you back. Isn't He wonderful?

110 Suffering with tremendous headaches all the time, setting right back there on the end. You believe that God will make you well? If you'll believe it, headache days are done.

We are strangers to one another. I do not know you. We are probably years apart, and--and miles apart, and--and here we are meeting. But Jesus knows both of us. That is right. If He, by His great power, will reveal to me something about you that you know that I do not know, will it just give you a great help? It would.

Try this once, one more. See--see if our Holy Spirit... Such a kind person waiting all that time. Then we'll have prayer for the rest of the people.

You're really here in behalf of somebody else. You are here for a person that's got a nervous (mental nervous) condition, kindy losing their mind. That's right. And you've laid a handkerchief up here to take to that person. That is right. You're not from this city; you come from a place called Grant's Pass, up the Rogue River. That's right. You have a kind of a heart trouble, complications. That is true. Got a daughter here tonight you're interested in. She's adopted daughter; actually, she's in the line to be--to be in the line to be prayed for back there. She has rheumatic heart, tumor throat.

111 You come here by a bus. You're to go back tomorrow; this is to be your last night here. That is truth. Say, you've been a minister, a woman preacher. That's a THUS SAITH THE LORD. That's the truth. Now, do you believe? Then go home and receive just exactly what you've asked for, and the God of heaven ever bless you. Just go on in, sister. It's--it's over; you're going to be all right. Just don't--don't doubt. Just go on and believe.

Now, I could not see the girl from where the woman was standing, but I seen her out here in front of me. Now, do you believe, all of you, with one accord? You believe on the Lord Jesus, every one? "Whosoever will, let him come."

Sir, if you'll believe God, the arthritis will leave you. Believe that? Then go on your road and rejoice, and say, "Thank you, Lord. You've been real good to me."

And you have the same thing. Another thing of a man of your age would have actually have a prostate, a little black out that make you nervous and so forth. If you'll believe with all your heart... Do you? Then go on your road, and say, "Thank you, Lord. I'm going to be well." All right, sir.

112 You're a mighty young woman to have heart trouble, but do you believe that God can heal heart trouble? Go on your road, and say, "Thank you, Lord Jesus, for ever making me well."

All right, come, lady. You're shadowed. There's a dark shadow following you, which means that you've got cancer. It's shadowed to death. You believe that God can heal you and make you well? Raise up your hand, and say, "I accept it, Lord." Go on your road and be made well. Believe with all your heart.

Come, lady, if you will. All right, you have back trouble. Do you believe that God can heal your back? Go on your road and be made well. Believe with all your heart.

You believe out there? All right, come, sir. You got a asthmatic condition. You believe that God can heal it? Go on your road, and say, "Thank you, Lord," and be made well.

Come, sir. You got diabetes. Do you believe that God can heal diabetes? Go on your road and be made well. Believe with all your troubles.

Your trouble's in your back; you was injured. Do you believe that God will make you well? Go on your road and be made well, and have faith in God.

113 Come, sir, this way. Just a minute, I perceive this man's got a deaf spirit. Bow your head just a minute.

O Lord God, Creator of heavens and earth, Author of Everlasting Life, Giver of every good gift, open the ears of this man and make him to hear, Lord. He cannot hear. It's faith coming by hearing; this deaf spirit on him. Open it up, Lord, I pray in Jesus' Name. Satan, turn him loose!

[Brother Branham speaks with the man--Ed.] How long have you been this way? A long time? Can you hear me all right now? All right. Do you hear me now? Do you hear me now? You say, "Amen." "I love the Lord." "Praise the Lord." They're separating now all right. You're healed. By the way, you was healed once before in my meetings. Amen. I seen it when it happened. Amen. God--God healed you years ago. God bless you.

Isn't He wonderful? Isn't our Lord wonderful? Now, tell me one thing that He doesn't do.

114 The reason I took that man there for that, I don't know how deaf it was. He said his eardrums was bursted by a dynamite cap. And so, I didn't know whether he could hear any or not; I just knowed there was a deafness on him. And that's the reason... If he can't... If he can't hear, well then, when I went to pray for him, I seen him standing in another line and I seen the Glory of God over him. And he was healed in another meeting, and so the man's all right now, perfectly normal. That's the reason you hold him like that and hold it till it happens, till he can hear! And then faith... He can hear. Faith cometh by hearing.

Do you all believe on the Lord Jesus? How many here believes now and is confidence that the Chief Captain, the Captain of the host of the Lord is in the building? Do you believe it? Now, lay your hands over on one another. Let's have a congregational prayer. Each one of you, if you believe that "these signs shall follow them that believe." Now, we cannot heal, but believe. Please believe. He's passing this way.

115 Jesus, Thou Son of God, have mercy on me! Thou Son of God, have mercy on me. O Lord God, Creator of heavens and earth, Author of Everlasting Life, Giver of every good gift, send Thy blessings upon this people who I bless in Your Name. God, I'm so weak; I can't stand here any longer. I pray that Your Spirit will come in great power and unction, and take a hold of this audience. May the people rise to their feet screaming, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!" O God, grant it. And may every person in here be healed.

Satan, I condemn you upon the basis of the shed Blood of Jesus Christ, in the vicarious suffering, the resurrection. Come out of this audience. Leave this people in the Name of Jesus Christ.