Micaiah The Prophet

1 You can be seated. I--I tell you, if I'd ever live up to something like that, I'd be a good man. I just want to say that he just loves me a whole lot; that's what it is. He just thinks a lot of me. I could never live to a reputation like that. But I'm so glad to know that someone thinks that much of you.

2 One time, I, in my home church I'd been preaching just as hard as I could and trying to do something for the Lord. And I went out. Someone said, "I appreciated that message tonight, Brother Branham."

I said, "Thank you. Thank you kindly."

Someone, lady walked up, said, "Say, that was a marvelous message, Brother Branham."

I said, "Thank you. Thank you."

And somebody else said something and went down. There was a minister visiting there. He said, "Well," he said, "I don't like for people to brag on me."

I said, "Well, there's just one difference." I said, "I do." And he said... And I said, "I always like if somebody tells me whether I'm doing right or wrong. I like to know where I'm standing."

He said, "Well, I wouldn't want nobody telling me that I'd done good."

I said, "I do." And I said, "I believe there's just one difference between me and you."

He said, "What's that?"

I said, "I'm telling the truth; you're not."

3 We all--we all like for somebody to tell us if we're... And I think any good thinking person would appreciate good clean criticism if you're really wrong, somebody just tell you you're wrong and show you where you're wrong, I'd appreciate it. I want to be right, if somebody can make me to be right.

Oh, there's so many things that I want to say that... Thank you so much for the compliments, brother, and so forth. And everything's just fine. I love you the same way, Brother Joseph. I realize that Brother Joseph has been nation after nation, place after place, putting schools together, and sending ministers, oh, just a whole life worked up. I certainly have the greatest honor and respect for Brother Joseph Boze. He's my--truly my brother.

4 Then thank you for saying happy birthday to my lovely little wife tonight. She got in too late to get to the meeting, but I'm going to take all that warm welcome and tell her about it when I get home over there. How she'll appreciate that. She is in... And that's one thing: Brother Joseph bragged a little about me, but he didn't over brag it on her, 'cause she--she really is worthy of everything could be said. She's forty-two years old today. She's just a kid. You see? I married a child, and so...

She--she has stood by me, though, like a real, real chum. And Billy, when his mother died, I was about twenty-five, twenty-six years old. And he had no mother, crying, and no one to take him to. And she was just a little girl, like, then--about seventeen, eighteen. She taken care of him.

5 And later on in years, not even thinking no more about ever marrying that child than I would some strange person setting out there, not that much. Her father and I were hunting partners together, and we was just raised up. Why, her... I'd... She'd probably fuss at me, and I'd slap her for a piece of candy. So that's the way it was, you know, when we just come up, kids. So we just growed up together like that, and I never thought about marrying her.

But I tell you: it was certainly a God-sent gift to me when I--when God gave me my wife. And thank you so much. And through there He's given me three lovely children.

And she taken Billy Paul over. And usually a mother, a stepmother, to come in, you know how it is about that. I can say this (She's not here, but it's true. Anyone knows. My neighbors are here.), that she loves that boy and just been... She's better to him than his--his mother. I seen his mother give him a spanking when he wasn't six months old, but Meda has never touched him at all.

Just--just... She ought to have done a little more maybe, or maybe it'd been different. She left it all up to me. Some people say they don't believe in spanking them, but you know the Scriptures says you'll--if you spare the rod you spoil the son, so I--I believe in correcting children, making them mind. If we had more of that, we wouldn't have too much juvenile delinquency.

6 Now, tonight is a Wednesday night, and we're just kind of... a little night when I wasn't expecting very many people in, because of churches. Tonight is prayer meeting night at the churches, and I'm very thankful for the audience. And it's a good thing that all don't come the same night, 'cause we would--couldn't do nothing with them. I said awhile ago, "How many is here, they said, that hadn't been in the meetings before?" And over half the audience. Last night there was two-thirds of them had never been in the meeting before, and it continues on.

Now, there's so many things that we could say. I believe last night, if I'm not mistaken, in my message last night speaking of--of... Forget what text I preached on last night. Something another I was bringing in about... Oh, "The Forgotten Beatitude." I believe that's Saint Matthew, the 11th chapter and the--the 6th verse, or something like that--11:6, the forgotten beatitude, and "Blessed is he who is not offended in Me."

7 I was preaching on how people become offended in Jesus. And John had become... He didn't express it that way, but kindly offended because that things didn't go just the way he thought it ought to. Because he'd introduced a Jesus with a, or Christ, the Messiah, with a fan in His hand, and purging the floor, and burn up the chaff; and when He come, He was real meek, and lowly, and gentle. And so he couldn't hardly understand what--what that was. Look like he had a let-down, and he was kind of a little bit of an offense.

Yet he'd saw the Messiahic sign and knowed that it was Him. So he sent disciples to find out if that was Him. Now, that was terrible to say a thing like that, but John was anointed with the spirit of Elijah, and Elijah almost had a nervous breakdown, too, you know, under the juniper tree. And here was John... As long as you're standing there giving it out, it's all right; but when you have to take it in, then it's a little different. See? So, John in jail, his eagle eye had filmed over.

8 And so we seen that Jesus never give him any lectures, or tell him how to tell John to do it. He just said, "Stay till the meetings over and see what happens." And after the meeting was over, He said, "Now, go show these things to John. The lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, so forth; and the poor has the gospel preached. And blessed is he who is not offended in Me." Then I begin talking about an offense.

And then I was... I referred to a little child that was from Zion, Illinois, up here. And if I'm not mistaken, somebody told me, or said they thought they were, that that child was in the building tonight. Is that right? Is the mother here with that child from Zion City, Illinois, that had the crippled leg, twisted up under it, and is now walking? She was either to be here tonight or tomorrow.

That's the mother. God bless you, sister. Was you here last night? All right. It's all right. I didn't--I didn't--I... You understood what I mean. You wasn't bringing offense, but you was just... You just wondered what was going to happen to that child. Is that right? All right. The Lord did just what He said He would though, didn't He? That's wonderful. Thank the Lord for that. Have you got the baby with you? It isn't here.

9 Well that a... the little mother went out. She had her faith all built. Oh, my, just as soon as I laid hands on the baby, it was going to happen right there. But you see, that really, sometimes... If we--if that's true faith, there isn't nothing going to stop it. So out at the trailer, the little mother brought the baby next day; and she was kind of wondering, her and her little husband, and wanted to know why the baby's leg didn't come down.

Well, I never said nothing, and I thought, "She believes that. And the girl really believes it, so it--it's got to happen, as long..."

When she went out, she said something back to me, "Do you think, Brother Branham, it's the will of God for my baby to be a cripple?"

And I said, "No, sir, it isn't."

That was just what she was waiting for. See? So He honored it and healed the baby.

10 And coming in just a few moments ago... I may be mistaken in this testimony, but there is--if the woman is here... I thought I seen the car out there and the trailer. There was a lady came to my church recently, about, oh, it hasn't been over a year or two ago. That lady was way out, like this, with a tumor. Oh, you never seen such a tumor. The doctors couldn't even touch it; it was such a horrible condition, and so bad that she couldn't even walk. They had to pack her.

Well, she heard I was going to be at the church that night. You know how it is at that little Tabernacle there, so after service was over I did not pray for the sick. I just offered prayer, and--and I guess she was... kind of had an offense too. But however, one of the faithful deacons and some of them, they knew when I went out through the study room, or the deacon's office, at the back. They packed this poor woman around there, great big woman, and that big tumor, oh, horrible. And they laid her down there at the step, where when I come out I'd either have to step over her or something.

11 So then when I come out, she spoke the Word, and God gave me the word, and I spoke it back. And about--about last summer, I believe it was, she stopped out front with here husband, on the road back to California. And that woman was just a smooth... That tumor was completely gone. There isn't... And if--if that... I--I saw her at Bloomington the other day, and I said, "Sister, I'd like for--for you to stand up tonight." And some ministers got a hold of me, and I got to talking, and forgot about it. I think that's her car and trailer setting out here with a California license.

If that woman's in here, would you just hold up your hand, sister? Yes, there she is in back. That's right. Would you mind stepping out in the aisle there just a moment so the people could see? Pull back your coat, so the people could see your...? With a tumor so big it was way out... [Sister rejoices--Ed.] If you would've been you in that shape you could've felt like that too.

Now, remember, she was so big that she could not even walk around, like this. They had to pack her, with the tumor out like this. And it's every speck disappeared, went away; and it's gone. See? Now, we don't...

12 There's another lady, I think, in this building tonight, a registered nurse. I seen she and her husband the other day here. They're bosom friends of mine. To see how long it lasts... When on the records of Houston, Texas, she's... last hopes, dying, eat up with cancer. And they brought her to the meeting. And when my brother, Howard, was giving out prayer cards that night... He usually comes up front like Billy would do, and mix up the cards, and give the people the prayer cards. And this woman, sitting there, looked over to another lady worse off than she was, this--nurse, and having a feeling for sick people, she gets up and goes all the way to the back and finds her a seat all the way in the back.

That night when Howard came in, my brother, to give out prayer cards up in front, the Holy Spirit said, "Go back and give them out in the back tonight." And she got the prayer card, come in the line. The Holy Spirit told her about it, and absolutely, completely, healed her. And that's been about ten, twelve years ago or maybe more, and she's still a registered nurse, running a nursing home down in Texas. Bro...

13 Sister Harris, are you here tonight? She's a registered nurse, somewhere, a lovely, beautiful, woman from... Here she is. That's right, a registered nurse. The last cases of cancer... Doctors on the case down there knowed it'd laid her back. And now, they tell me that doctors, retiring and things, comes to her for help, knowing that she's a God-fearing Christian that gave her life to Christ and God healed her.

Oh, what am I trying to say, friends? Don't be offended. He's... No offense in Him. He's running right on schedule. Um-hum. That's right.

14 Then the Holy Spirit led us to say last night, that we are not way back behind; neither are we advanced. We're just exactly on schedule, this is timely message that we have today.

And if somebody said, "Oh, that's day's a past," and somebody like that, go tell John (your pastor, or ever who it is. See?), the lame walk, and the blind see, the tumors vanished, and the cancers are healed. How long is it lasting? Just as long as you believe it. That's right. That's--that's how long salvation's lasting, so just as long as you believe it...

So now be of a good courage; have faith in God. And Christ is not left us. Don't be offended. If He promised it, He will do it, and He's right on time, just exactly. He's right on schedule every moment. And you say, "Brother Branham, I feel tonight's my night I'm going to be healed." Don't worry. He's right on schedule; you just stay on schedule. And you believe this is your night, this is it. Let us bow our heads just a moment for prayer.

15 Gracious and holy, heavenly Father, as we approach Thy throne of mercy, give us of Thy grace tonight to preach the Word of God, so that people may see and believe, for we ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen.

While I was praying... The people that brought my--my wife up this afternoon, and my little boy Joseph, is here in the building somewhere. I suppose they got in. He was a Jehovah Witness, and his wife, I think, was Anderson Church of God. She'd been a tubercular. She was healed. And she had a crippled son: polio in his legs, drawed his leg. And they followed the meeting. They was at Houston, Texas. I believe that's where our Sister Harris (ever where she was at--it's dark in the corners, wherever she was over there) was healed. And they were there that night that the Light came down.

16 They were in Louisville. They lived outside of Kentucky, and they come in. And Brother Wood himself, I guess, not much on it--being a Jehovah Witness, and raised up in that kind of a family, and strictly to stay away from churches, and so forth. But he seen a girl that night that had been turned into--just petrifying. And for years she'd laid (plumb up around her hips) and couldn't move for years. She rose up from there, walked on across the platform, took her stretcher, and went on home, worked, run up and down steps the next day.

Little boy setting in a wheelchair, one leg longer than the other, raised up, come up to the platform and stood there. And the little fellow preached right off the platform, both legs the same. And that got them started.

17 So I went to Sweden and come back, and they was over here somewhere at a meeting, somewhere here in Ohio. And they were setting way back in the back of the tent. That night the Holy Spirit said, "A little boy back there with a sweater on, little yellow sweater, his mother and father..." And all about them. They never even... They knowed I never heard of them, nothing. And he was a contractor up in Kentucky. And said, "THUS SAITH THE LORD, the crippled boy's healed."

Well, he set there a little while and directly she said to her husband, "Have the boy stand up," something like that. And the boy stood up, and both legs was the same. That boy's a young man tonight, married, got a child. And if I'm not mistaken... David, are you in the building? David Wood, where are you? One leg drawed up under him and the other one... Are you here, David? There he is, standing in the door. Would you just walk down this way a little bit, David, so they can see there's not... Doesn't even know which leg it was, and it drawed up under him.

18 Now, the sister from Zion there with the little baby, you see what God did for one of those drawed up legs. You see what He does for yours. He's still God. He's right on schedule. The only thing for us to do is just schedule our faith with His being here, and it'll happen.

Now, just for a short message, and Billy complimented me last night, that I really got through in about thirty-five, forty minutes. I've been taking two hours or a little better. But he--he said, "You're doing good. If you can get it down to twenty minutes it'll be better for the people."

And I said, "Well, that's going be hard for me." And so, see, kind of hard. I got a lot to talk about, 'cause I got a great big Lord that's coming, and I love it so much till I just keep on talking.

19 But you that wants to look in the Scripture, if you'll get into I Kings, the 22nd chapter, the 14th verse, that one verse for a little text to make the context from, if the Lord helps us to speak just a few moments.

And Micaiah said, As the Lord liveth, what the Lord saith unto me, that I will speak.

Now, we got a great story here ahead of us, but not time to approach it in the right way. And tomorrow night, if I can, the Lord willing, or one night, I'd like to go back into the Old Testament here and pick up an article on prophets and bring them out, if He's willing. Then it seems like He's been dealing me--with me to take Thursday and Friday night and preach "The Mark of the Beast" and "The Seal of God," and it's a timely thing I think the church should know.

20 And now, in this we find that there was a king in Israel at this time by the name of Ahab. He was king of Israel, and at this same time Jehoshaphat was king of Judah. And Jehoshaphat was a righteous man, a God-fearing man. And his father, Asa, before him, was a God-fearing man. But we find that Ahab was kind of what we call a borderline believer, a just a fellow that kinda went... Any way the winds blowed, why, it took Ahab.

And he had a wife by the name of Jezebel, and he'd married this girl only to strengthen his kingdom. And she was an idolater, and she'd got Israel all tore up. And the--the preachers had all went... What was real good preachers had went lukewarm. And--and they had just about all of them went back. But there was on old man they couldn't turn. That was Elijah. He wasn't fooling him; so he--he stayed right with that Word. And so he'd prophesied about what would happen to Ahab.

21 So then one day Jehoshaphat was called down to visit this king of Israel, which, they were just like brethren. Methodist, and Baptist, and Presbyterian, Pentecostals, they were brothers. They was all the same race and same, supposedly servingly the same God. And Ahab was... Still he was a believer, a lukewarm, borderline believer. But his wife was... He was the head of the house, but she must have been the neck that turned the head, you know, so whatever she said... She was the system.

And, brother, let me say this with respect to some of you good square-backed Democrats: that's what we got now. He may be all right, but there's a system behind there that turns the head. And we've done the same thing just... We'll get to that later on.

So, however, this woman, she just run him. Whatever she wanted, she just got with him and made him do it, wrapped around his finger. And she run the throne. She was the power behind the throne.

22 And so Jehoshaphat was invited down to visit Ahab, and Ahab showed him all the finery that Israel had. Now, that's when a believer can get on the wrong company. When Jehoshaphat went down to fellowship with Ahab he got in the wrong pew. Now, there's so many times that people can do that with good intentions. People don't mean to do wrong. I believe there's many people tonight that's in sin that really doesn't want to do it.

Some time ago a beautiful young girl in a psychopathic room... And they had and emergency room, and I went back there... As pretty a woman as I ever seen... I looked around at some of them in the strait jackets. And she said, "Would you take me first, Brother Branham?"

I thought, "Take first? You're not one of the patients." But she was.

23 And she told me about how she'd lived, and I said to her, I said, "You don't want to do that, do you?"

She said, "No, sir, I don't. Something drives me to do it."

I said, "It may seem old fashion, but that's the devil."

And she said, "I've always believed it." And God delivered the woman. She's married and got children tonight. And she was a drunkard, alcoholic, prostitute, oh, you never... such a horrible life. But it just... They don't want to do it but something drives them to do it. They don't want to do it.

I've went down on the Bowery and picked up those drunks, and say, "Well, what's your name?"

"Will you buy me a drink?"

"No, I won't buy you a drink. I'm a minister."

And say, "Stand up and look this way and you can see the bank that I was president of." See? That's lots the truth. See? But they--they don't want to do it; something drives them to do it.

24 I've got a friend setting in here somewhere, perhaps tonight. She always comes; and all of you, nearly, are acquainted with Rosella Griffith. She was one of the biggest alcoholics Chicago had. Skid row had nothing on Rosella. And she came to the Hammond meeting, and there the Holy Spirit called her out and told her all about it. And she was delivered from that alcoholism, and now she works the jails and things with other alcoholics. Rosella, where are you at, sis? Are you in the building tonight? Yes, here she is, right here, and a saint of God. Lovely person who gave her life and surrendered herself to Christ, and now...

When I seen her come on the platform (excuse me, Sister Rosella) she was a batty-eyed, wretched-looking witch...?... Oh, you never seen such a looking person. And I want you... I don't say this to flatter her, but Rosella tonight is a lovely, beautiful, young woman. She's fifteen years, looks fifteen, twenty years younger than what she really is. And she--she's a lovely person, and--and never took a drink of alcohol. When hospital after hospital, and doctor after doctor, Alcoholics Anonymous of Chicago, all of them give her up as a hopeless case, and there she sets tonight, after years and years.

Amazing grace,

How sweet the sound,

That saves a wretch like me.

That's it.

25 Alcoholics, you see what God can do? Cancer cases, see what God can do? Short legs, cripples, see what God can do? He's God. He's right on time.

Now, we find out that this man got in the wrong company. And sinner, you hear those people shouting; you seen that woman run down through there and started this way without that great big tumor, so full of glory she couldn't even stand--could--couldn't even say nothing and started speaking in tongues? Why, she was so filled up with the power of God that had took that tumor out of here that she couldn't speak her own language. She was just praising God. See? You wonder what makes them do that. Well, you just get the same thing then, and watch what it does to you. See? It'll be the same thing. So He's right on schedule, "for the promise is unto your children, and to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."

You say, "My pastor, my church, don't believe that." Well, you're--you got in the wrong company. You got in the wrong company. You see? That's what Jehoshaphat did. He got in the wrong company. He got a lot of glitter, and Ahab showed him all the glittery things of the...

26 I guess Jehoshaphat might've said, "You still believe in Jehovah?"

"Oh, why, certainly, we believe in Jehovah, certainly, certainly."

"All right," he said, "now..."

When you see the world inviting you somewhere, remember, they got a axe to grind. See? And young lady, you here coming out of a Christian home, that's never smoked or drank, and that girl tries to give you a cigarette, she's got a axe to grind. That young man wants to take you out to dance, there's a axe to grind. See? Just watch. Keep out of that company. Keep away from it. No matter how good they seem to be, shun the very appearance of evil, the Bible said.

Stay away from it. Don't see how--how close you can get to it without sinning; see how far you can stay away from it. That's the thing to do. Don't never see how close you can go to sin; see how far you can stay away.

27 Like Scotchman was that was going to go over the mountain. They had three drivers there. One of them said; he said, "Well, that great cliff," he said, "is that the road up there?"

He said, "That's the road."

Said, "Well, how wide is that road?"

He said, "That road is just ten inches wider that the wheels of the carriage in places."

Said, "You better choose a good driver."

He said, "I must ascend the mountain, go over it."

One man said, "I can drive my horses at a gallop, and with a--take my whip and drive my horses at a gallop, and stay within two inches of that rim all the way around without falling."

The other driver walked up and said, "I can stay within three inches of that rim and go around it at a full gallop."

The other fellow was just standing there, picking on his thumbs. Said, "What about you, sir?"

Said, "Sir, I might be able to do that, but I don't want to take that kind of chance. I stay just as far against the side as you want to."

He said, "I'm your passenger." That's right. And that's the way it is. Don't see what you can do to get by with it before God; see how far you can stay away from sin, and all shapes, and orders, and unbelief. And abstain from everything that's ungodly. Get away from it. Stay away from it.

And I think if a man's ever been over in Canaan's land and tasted the good things of God, you don't have to worry much about he or she about it. They'll stay away from it, as long as they've ever tasted them good grapes of Canaan.

28 Now, Jehoshaphat come down and Ahab showed him all the glitter of the kingdom. And now, he had a axe to grind, and he said, "Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, up there. When Joshua divided the land... You're a witness of it. Yes, sir, that you're a witness that that was allotted to us. And the king of Syria has it, and it belongs to us." Said "Now, isn't that the truth?"

He said, "That's true, sure, that we're all Israelites."

He said, "Now, will you join your army with my army? And both of us together, we'll go up there and run him out of there, 'cause that's ours."

And, see, they can show, the world can... The devil can show you some mighty good shining reasons, and even bring it down into the Scripture. They'll say, "Well now, we're all just... We're all children of God. All men are sons of God." Oh, no, no, no, no. "We all believe the same things." Oh, we don't either. No, sir. We certainly don't.

And so, they... You know, Jude was told, said, commanded to earnestly contend for the faith, not a faith, the faith that was once delivered unto the saints. That's right. Not contend for a faith, the faith that was once delivered. And when you've got that faith, Jesus said these signs shall follow them that has that faith. So that--then you know where you're standing (See?), and then you know what kind of life you would live.

29 So Jehoshaphat said, "Why, sure. After all, we're the same people." Said, "My chariots is your chariots, and--and my horses are your horses, and--and my soldiers are your soldiers. Why, sure, we're all together." Said, "Why can't we just got up there, (Pardon me.) and we'll run them out?" But said... And then he turned around. He must've thought, "Well, wait a minute. We ain't asked the Lord about this." See, a real believer, before he does anything, no matter what--how good it looks, he will always consult God first. Amen. Yes, sir.

You know, I've seen... A lot of times people come to me and say, "Oh, Brother Branham, if you'll come over here, we'll have so much sponsorship; we'll do so much; we'll guarantee there'll never be a penny left unpaid; and we'll--we'll give you so much each night." Real shiny, but you know, monkeys jump at things shiny. So let's just wait. Fools' gold outshines the real gold.

30 You know, the other night I said that Christ is a glow, not a glare. We will never be able to convert the world by trying to shine up our churches, and make them bigger, and polish up our ministers with better education. They--they already got all that stuff. They got all kinds of psychology and ball games and everything. The world's got that. But we got something they haven't got: that's Christ. See? That's right. Just stay in your own territory. We got Christ; they don't have Christ. They got all the psychology. Don't try to match with wits. You can't do it. They don't--they can out-match you.

You go to a Catholic priest one time, and try to out-match him with wits. He's got six hundred books, just as sacred as this Bible, he's got to learn. So, brother, don't never try to match him with wits; I will tell you that. But if you'll just stay with the with the Holy Spirit, He will do the rest of it (See?), if you'll stay with that. See? But we're not supposed to match wits; we're supposed to have Christ. That's what we have. We got something that they haven't got.

31 So you ought to always consult the Lord before you do anything. And when you say you're going to do a certain thing, "If it be the will of the Lord," you must say. "If it's the will of the Lord." The Bible tells us that.

Jehoshaphat remembered his good teaching that his father had give him. He said, "Don't you think we should consult the Lord?"

I can imagine bishop Ahab saying, "Oh, oh, why, why, certainly. Yes. sir. I--I--I believe we should do that. Well now, I've just got the group right down here, because I've got a--I've got a whole school of preachers down here, prophets." Now, remember they were prophets. "I got a whole school of them down here."

"All right. What kind of prophets are they?"

"Jehovah's prophets. We got them right here. And... Well, I'll go get them up."

"All right, that'll be fine."

32 So all of them come up, and Hezekiah and all of them. He was the chief of the--among them, the chief bishop. So when they all come up before the kings, and they set with their royal robes on, you know, to make--out in a kind of out-of-way place by the gate... And the prophets come up, four hundred of them. Think. Four hundred students, not students, they were ordained bishops, big fellows.

They said, "We have prayed; we have fasted; we've got the will of the Lord. THUS SAITH THE LORD God Jehovah, 'Go up and take it over,' for it belongs to us, and it's ours, and we rightly have a right to it. Let's go get it." They say, "Let's figure that out now. Now, mentally, that's right. It was given to us. Uh-huh. That's right." And now them prophets, "Let's see now. In our psychology, our thoughts, our psychic mind that belongs to us. God gave it to us. It belongs to us. A heathen nation owns it."

"See my prophets? They're every one saying, 'Go up and get it'"

33 And, you know, a man that's ever once got in contact with God, he--he can kind of tell whether it's of God or not. You know, Jehoshaphat kind of felt a little funny. He said, "Have--haven't you got one more?"

He said, "One more? Why, there's four hundred of the best educated, best trained, best dressed, and, why, there is in the country, in the world. If four hundred with one voice saying, 'Go,' why do you ask for one more?" But there was a little funny feeling down there, you know. There was something wrong.

So now, you see now, when you go to think that--that if we all get together in unity, why, there's power; but it might not be the right kind of power. See? Where there's unity there's power, where's there's agreement. That's right, if it's agreed on the right thing, we'll go with that, but let it be back to the Word of God first. See? And so they said...

34 That's how our first organization was ever formed, our famous Catholic church. That's where they say to, in organization, "The Nicaea Council there, don't you think there a Nicaea that they ought to know? when they voted the rest of them out and voted this in?" Not still didn't make it right. No, sir. And it's right when God says it's right; and it's not right until He says it's right. That's exactly. No matter how great it is and how much it's weathered.

A priest told me not long ago, said, "Why, Brother Branham..." Or, "Mr. Branham (He didn't call me Brother Branham.)," he said, "Mr. Branham, it proves to you the Catholic church is right." Said, "Look at the storms it's weathered, all down through the ages, like that." My people formerly were Catholic, you know, so being an Irish-man. So they say, "All down..." Said, "Look what the Catholic church has stood, all the persecutions down..."

I said, "That's no mystery, the whole state and everything else behind it. But what about the Pentecostal, with everything against it and it still survives?" Amen. That's right. Everything against it... Sure, everything's for the Catholic church. Sure, it could survive that way, but what about everything against it, and murder them, and killing them, and everything else? How did it survive? And here she is today, shining like a dollar (Amen.), like the stars of heaven, and will forever.

35 Now, notice, this Jehoshaphat, he said, "There's a little something wrong." Down in his heart he felt there's something wrong. Said, "But have--have you just got one more prophet somewhere?"

Said, "Yeah, I got one. It's Micaiah out there. He's the son of Imlah. But," said, "I hate him."

Oh-oh. He knowed right then he was on the right track. He said, "Oh, don't let the king say that. Go get him."

"Well, what will we need with one more, when the--when the whole organization says it's right?" That still don't make it right, not a bit, not a bit.

He said, "No, I still got to see this other prophet." So he said, "What did you say his name was?"

Said, "Micaiah; he's the son of Imlah."

Said, "Well, go get him. Let--let's hear what he will say about it," 'cause there was some little funny feeling that didn't agree with the Word somewhere.

36 So they sent. Ahab dressed him up a soldier and sent up there, and found Imlah out there somewhere... Or not Imlah, rather, I mean Micaiah, the son of Imlah. He was out there somewhere in the jungle in a little hut somewhere. He said, "Now, Micaiah. You're the prophet Micaiah?"

He said, "I am."

Said, "Did you know you're going to be honored?"

"Oh, I am?" Like God hadn't already talked to him, you know. So he said, "I am?"

"Yes, yeah, you're going to be invited over to... a clergy association's going to meet together. And they've all met down there to the king, and you're going to the White House. I'm telling you, Micaiah, you wouldn't have thought you'd have ever got an honor like that, but you really got it. A little bitty, uneducated fellow like you setting back here, but they want to bring you up to the--before the king. And they--they--the... Now listen. You know where the big school of the prophets is, the great universal organization of ministerial association?"

"Yeah," said, "I know all... Yeah, know about them down there."

37 "Well, you know, you certainly know Hezekiah there, the great head chief prophet of all of them."

"Yes, I've heard of him, yes, great man they say."

"Yes, he is, and they say he's got a L.L., Ph.D., D.D.D., Q.S., all these things, you know."

"Yes, I know."

"Well, he with... All of them with one accord has come and prayed over a thing. They fasted and prayed. And he's made him two great big iron horns. He's positive he's got the Word of the Lord." So he said, "He come up before the king, and took these big horns, and said, 'By this you're going to push the Syrians right off the God's ground, and we're going to possess God's possession. Amen.'"

That's what we thought in our organization. We was going to push everything back and make them all oneness; we was going to make them all trinitarian; we was going to make them all Assemblies of God; we was going to make them all Baptist or Methodist. But our iron horns don't work. That's right. That's right. You don't do it like that. You don't push them around. No. "You're going to push it back and take over and possess the thing."

Our organization system is all right as long as you don't cut the other fellow out; but when you cut the next brother out, you're wrong. So that's what they done. That's what organization--the very background of it is, is cut the other fellow out.

38 So then, we find out, then he said, "Well, if all that ministerial association is saying..."

"Now, I'm going to tell you. I got a word from that chief prophet. He said, 'You say the same thing he said.' If you do, come down there, we'll take you into the association. We'll just make you one of us. We'll--we'll tell you, we'll join you right up with our groups, if you'll just say the same thing he says."

But, brother, he said it to the wrong man. Micaiah said, "I'll just speak what God speaks, and that's all." Amen. I like that. Yes, sir. "I'll just say what God says."

So they finally come down there and got before the king. And Micaiah taken the night before the Lord to see what he would say. So they walked out before the king. And here stood all the--the school of the prophets around, and they were all standing there prophesying. Now, remember, they wasn't heathen prophets. They professed to be Jehovah's prophets, but just watch now.

39 So they find out that after they said all the... All of them had prophesied, said, "Yes, the Lord still says go up, He's with you. Take the city."

Micaiah looked around, said, "Go ahead up. Take the city."

Ahab knowed there was a little something wrong with that. Said, "How oft do I have to adjure you?"

He said, "Sure, go on up. Take the city, but," he said, "I seen--seen Israel scattered like sheep on the hill, having no shepherd."

Ahab, that got his righteous indignation stirred. He said, "What did I tell you? He was going to prophesy evil. All he talks about is condemning our women with wearing shorts, and all these things he tells us about all of our... I knowed he was going to always say something evil about me. Soon as he gets up there, that's what he's going to say." What else could he say?

40 He said, "I saw the sheep of Israel scattered on a hill, like sheep having no shepherd." And--and oh, my, he knowed it meant his death.

And he said... Oh, he boiled about it, because he--he said, "I told you he'd prophesy evil."

Well, how could he do anything else? Because he tested his vision with the Word of God; and he knowed that the Word of God had said to--to Ahab through Elijah, who was really the prophet of God, that the dogs would lick the blood of old Ahab in the field, or on the chariot, that the dogs would lick Ahab's blood. And God was against Ahab, and how could this man of God bless what God had cursed?

How in--how can a minister stand in the pulpit and tell the people things that they do, and let them get by without saying anything about it? It's more than I can say.

41 You know, in China their great god down there is a ancient philosopher they call Confucius. Confucius is the word in China. In America it's confusion, instead of Confucius. Oh, it used to be that you'd get a picture... I went some time ago to a place to eat (somebody'd asked me), and it looked to me like that my little boy Joseph had got into a paint bucket somewhere of several different kinds of paint and messed the wall all up. I said, "A nice place like this with a dirty-looking, splotchy-looking thing like that hanging on the wall?"

"Oh (I asked the waitress)," she said, "Well that... that's on canvas."

I said, "It sure looks like it's been under the dripping of a paint on a ladder somewhere where they make some kind of a decoration."

She said, "Oh," she said, "sir, that's by So-and-so and So-and-so." Why, it didn't even look like a painting at all. And she said... I forget how many hundreds of dollars that painting cost, on the wall.

"Well," I said, "If it was me, I'd give that much to get it off of there," I said, "because it would worry me to death, it's so sickening looking."

42 You know, it used to be black was black and white was white. You mix it together and you got gray. So that's just the way it it. They're so mixed up. What is the drawing line between right and wrong? Methodists is right, what about Baptists? If Presbyterian's right, what about Pentecost? There's a drawing line somewhere. That drawing line is God's Word. That's the Word. God's drawing line is His Word. "Let every man's word be a lie, and Mine the Truth."

So how can we bless what God has cursed? How can you let the men be married two or three times and deacons in your churches? How can you let the women who wear bobbed hair and shorts, and dress themselves all sexy come up in the platform, and play the piano, and get out in the streets and walk around like that, and not say something about it? You can't stop it, but you can give a word against it. And ninety-five percent of them smoke cigarettes, and carry on, and drink beer.

43 I was in a college not long ago, and on the campus of the grounds young ladies walking around with shorts on, and beer cans laying everywhere, and ministers laughing and making fun of the Gospel. Well, how can you expect the next generation...? What are they going to be? Where's the drawing line?

I used to have an old Methodist friend, Dr. Spurgeon. He used to sing a song:

We let down the bars;

We compromised with sin.

We let down the bars,

And the sheep got out,

But how did the goats get in?

It's when you let down the bars, that's what did it.

Took away with some fantastic idea of some young whipsnapper over there in college that knowed more about it than--than God did Himself, and you start a doctrine on something like that. Come back to the Word! No matter, you say, "Well, it--it says this; it does this." It's got to be God's Word all the way through.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever, not a dead god; a living God, not one that healed the sick back there; one heals the sick now. What good does it do to talk about an ancient God, if He isn't the same God today? Certainly. Now, you can't get warm by a painted fire. So something that you say it was one time; we got to have something now. And that same God still lives, He still heals, He still saves, He still gives the Holy Ghost. And He... And it's the same Jesus Christ, yesterday, today, and forever.

44 Now, so see, Micaiah had based his faith upon his vision first; and then he took his vision and compared it with the Word of God. Then he knowed he was right. And now, that's the way we ought to do it. If our--if our theology will take the Word of God, and our--the things that we do, and it dovetails through the Bible, completely with the Bible, that's all right. And if you do that, you're going to be all right. But if it doesn't, leave it alone. God will only bless what He said He would do.

Now, we find out that Ahab was a cursed person, because the prophet... And he said, "I... Last in my vision..." He said when he saw a vision he saw God sitting upon the throne. And said the host of heaven was standing on His right side and on His left side, and they must have been having a council meeting. And He said, "Who can we get to go down there and deceive Ahab (Now, remember), deceive Ahab, and bring him out there in that field, so he can get killed, to fulfill the word of Elijah. Glory, hallelujah. How God will stand behind His Word!

45 That was a prophet said that; but Jesus said, "If you say to this mountain be moved, and don't doubt, but believe that what you said will come to pass, you can have what you said," when you know it's the Word of the Lord speaking. That's why I could say to that woman that had the big tumor, to the lady with the cancer here tonight, the different ones... Because first, it's a vision. It compares with the Word. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. There's the vision; then it happens. It's "THUS SAITH THE LORD," and it has to happen. Nothing can stop it. See?

Now, it had been a long time since Elijah had make this prophecy. He'd been in glory long. But he would--he'd made this prophecy, and he knowed it was coming to pass. And then Micaiah knew that Elijah was a man of God, and here was God up in heaven holding a council up there how to bring the word of Elijah to pass. And if you've got the Word of the Lord, and will speak the Word of the Lord, and don't doubt the Word of the Lord, God will hold a council meeting to make your Word come to pass; because it's not your Word; it's His Word. It's His Word, if it's THUS SAITH THE LORD, if it's truly THUS SAITH THE LORD.

46 Watch. Now, they had the council. And so one spirit come up--must've come from the lower regions, no doubt bowed down, and said, "God, I'll--I'll--I know how we'll do it."

Said, "What's your plan?"

Said, "I'll go down, and get in all them preachers, and make them prophesy a lie, because they don't know the Scripture anyhow." So said, "I'll go down and make them prophesy a lie. And by that we'll raise him out, and get him out there, and then You can have him killed out there to fulfill Elijah's word."

So, He said, "You will--you're... You'll persuade him."

47 And so when he said this, now you can imagine how that bishop thought when that little bitty two-by-four preacher standing up there saying a word like that. He walked right up and smacked him right in the mouth. And he said, "Which a way did the Spirit of God go when it left me?"

He said, "You'll see someday setting in a pen over there," said. Elijah--Elijah had prophesied it, and Micaiah's vision compared with the Word of God.

Now, if your faith says... Now, how many believes that there is such a thing as Divine healing by Christ? Raise up your hands. All right, how many believes that you could be healed tonight? Raise up your hands. Well, there--there's your--your revelation comparing with the Word of God. Then it's got to come to pass. Amen. He's--He's got to do it, if you really believe it. Just don't make-believe it, now. He won't bluff. Satan won't bluff, but you've got to have the goods.

48 Ten days after Jesus gave the disciples power to cast out devils, we find them over there defeated on a epileptic case. And I can imagine one of them, Andrew, saying, "Now, here's the way I done it down at Philippi. Here it is. Come out of there, devil! Come out of there, devil!" No, he wouldn't come out.

Peter said, "You don't know how to do it. Here's the way we do it at Capernaum. Let me show you how you do it. Get a hold of him like this, say, 'You know who I am? I'm Simon Peter. Come out of there!'" The devil just kept on going.

So after while the father looked up, and here come Jesus, come walking down. He said, "Lord, I brought my child to Your servants and they could no do any good for him." Said...

Jesus said, "I can, if you believe."

He said, "I... Lord, help my unbelief." Said, "I believe."

When Jesus went walking up, that's all He had to do. That devil knowed that there was something besides a man walking up there then. See? So then, now after it was all over, the devil left the child. And after it was over, then the disciples called Jesus aside and said, "Now, why couldn't we do it? Did You take the power back away from us?"

He said, "No." I can show you where He give power, but I can't show you where He taken it away. It's still there. You're just afraid to use it. See?

Said, "Is... Why couldn't we--why couldn't we cast him out?"

Jesus said... Now, didn't say, "Because I took the power back." He said, "Because of your unbelief." That's it. See? That's it, because you don't believe it."

49 Now, Micaiah could've not had faith unless his vision would've compare with the Word of God. That's the way in, when I was talking about Abraham and his seed after him. The only way I have faith with that vision of mine on that, that it's exactly the Word of God. And then, you've got faith: "I know it's so." When God says so, and He's promised it by His Word, and we're living in this day; He's running on schedule. Yes, sir. There isn't nothing going to stop it; it's going right on. And that's the reason I believe tonight that we're living in the shadows of the time just...

A minister here the other day... The boy's not here tonight. He's a Baptist and took all kinds of degrees. And they--His church turned him out, and His people sent him to the insane institution, him and his wife. He was here last night... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] I agree with the brother exactly.

50 And what it does, it never comes up to the great big ecclesiastics. It moves right down, like Jesus did, like the prophets did, like the rest of... Always right along, it's the poor people. And it happens, and it's gone. And they say, "Well, what happened? I didn't know it." Sure. He reveals it to those who are looking for Him, those who will set still and listen for it a minute, and tear out your own thoughts, and compare what you're listening at to the Word of God.

Now, if Ahab would've set down for a minute, or if that high priest, or any of those prophets, would've set down and compared... Not what looked right. It looked like that belonged to Israel. But it ain't what it looks like; it's what God said about it. See? If they'd have set down and compared it...

It looks like that we ought to take and have our schools and our--our churches so highly, Ph.D. and LL.D., and we ought to have the biggest, finest buildings in the world, and we ought to do all this--this reading, writing, and arithmetic. But that isn't what God said. He never said go educate the people. That's all right. I'm not supporting my ignorance now by educa--or--or using that for a crutch. But look. I'm saying this: education's all right, but it will never take the place of salvation. See?

51 Oh, ball games, and--and frolics, and so forth, that's all right; but it don't belong in the church. In the church we want Christ, not a form of Christ, or a picture of Christ, or a dead Christ, or a tomb of Christ. We want a risen Christ Who's alive with us, proving Hisself that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. That's what the church wants, what they ought to want. Depends on what their appetite is (See?), whether they will receive it or not.

Now, he compared his vision then with what the Word of God said. And he stood right there before the two nations and told them. He said, "You're not coming back. You're going to die on the grounds."

And you know what Ahab said? Said, "Take this fellow back, and tell the mayor of the city to put him in the jail, and feed him with bread of sorrow and with waters of sorrow. And when I return in peace," said, "I'll--I--I'll take care of him when I get back.

You know what Micaiah said? He turned around, looked at him and said, "And if you get back at all, the Lord didn't speak to me." Oh, he knowed where he was standing. That's the way anyone would.

52 That's what that little lady did about her little baby, when she was so sure if I prayed for it... That's what the lady with the big tumor back there, laying back there... No matter what she had to do--plow through, come through the roof or anywhere--just so she could get there. That's all she wanted, for it was her faith. It was compared to the Word of God, and she knowed that Jesus Christ still lived. Therefore she had faith, and it happened.

Now, we find that--that Mi--that everything that Micah had said, or, Micaiah said come to pass just exactly. And every prophet down through the age (now we're closing), down through the age, that ever done anything with God, took God's Word for the stand. Now, they didn't move from the Word. No matter what circumstances looked like, they didn't move from the Word.

53 Noah--God told Noah it was going to rain. Noah never moved from that. He stayed right with it. No matter... Maybe science, which they had greater then than they got now. So they could build things and do things then we can't do now in--in--in the science of this world. They built pyramids and the Sphinx, and so forth, that we couldn't produce like it. But he said, "Where's that rain coming from?"

Noah couldn't tell them that. He couldn't answer their question, but he knowed God had spoke to him; so he was staying right with the Word. He said, "God said so." See?

Abraham could not say, when he was a hundred years old, how he was going to have a baby by Sarah, and her ninety. "How you going to...? Prove it to me. Here she--she's old, her womb's dried up and gone. Why, you all even haven't a family relationship for twenty years, and here you are saying you're to have a baby. How you're going to do it?"

"I don't know."

"Well, how do you know you're going to have it?"

"God said so." Now, that settles it. Stay right with the Word. All true prophets stay with the Word. Sometimes it gets them in trouble. Most all the time it does, but it--but it--it's always the truth.

54 The Hebrew children said, "Our God's able to deliver us from that fiery furnace, but we're not going to bow down to anything else, that's one thing sure. We'd rather burn than take it back." So it cost them a few hours of prayer one night, and down in the fiery furnace the next morning; but they had a conversation with the One like the Son of God standing in there. See? But they stayed with the Word.

Daniel said, "I don't care how many declarations you make. I've got a habit of going to the window and raising it up towards the east and praying to my God." It cost him a night in the lions' den, but he stayed with the Word. That's right. He come out. God always takes care of His Word. Yeah.

55 David when he was up there that time before Saul, heard that big old Goliath come out there and say, "Days of miracles is past. There's no such thing." See? Now, no, that was the 1961 version of it. I beg your pardon. I'll go back. He said, "Some of you come over and fight me." See? So he said...

And Saul, head and shoulders above his army, and up there, and he said, "Well," he said, "I'll tell you, it's a bad thing. That man, boy, he will... Look what he'd weigh. He's got a... Why, his fingers are fourteen inches long," said. Well, what... That's what the Bible said. And he had a--a spear like a weaver's needle, which is probably across that room. And he said, "Why, who could ever go up and fight a guy like that?"

And here come a little old... And all the army backed up. The Israelites, you know, supposed to be God-fearing people, backed up. And said, "Oh, my. Oh, we can't do that. My, nobody would touch that fellow."

56 He said, "I tell you what I'll do. There's no need of shedding so much blood." Said, "Just one of you come over and fight me, and ever who... If you kill me, then our armies, we'll serve you." See, that's the way the devil likes to blow when he thinks he's got the edge on you. See?

So one day he said it one time too often. There was a little bitty old guy standing there, kind of, maybe stoop-shouldered, a little old kid, sheepskin wrapped around him like that, and a slingshot in his hand.

And Goliath come out and said, "All you over there that claim to be Christians (you know, so--so-on and so-on), well, come over and let's see this...?..."

David said, "Do you mean to tell me that you'll stand there and let that uncircumcised Philistine defy the armies of the living God?"

And his brother said, "Now, you're getting naughty. I'm going to tell papa on you when you go home. That's what I'm going to do. Now, you're trying to show off."

Said, "I'm not showing off, but there's a crisis at hand." Said, "There's something at hand. That man's defying the armies of the living God."

57 So they took him up to Saul. And I imagine Saul saying, "I admire your courage, son, but," said, "oh, my," said, "why, you're nothing but a kid, and he's been--he's been a warrior from his youth. You don't know how to use no sword or nothing."

He said, "But look," he said, "I got some experience I had one time. A lion come in." Said, "I herd sheep. A lion come in, got one of my father's sheep, and I--I killed him." And said, "Then a bear come in and got one. I killed him." And said, "Then how much more will God give that uncircumcised Philistine..." See? Said, "A lion took one of my father's sheep and run out." And said, "Then when he did, I went after that sheep and brought him back."

I like that courage, don't you? You know what? There's a many of you sheep out there, there's not a lion, but a cancer or tumor or some devil grabbed you and run out. We're coming tonight (that's right) bringing Father's sheep back. You be ready to yield yourself. The Christ of God is here. He will bring you right safe back to health again. Sickness, afflictions got you, last night, in the wheelchairs, and so forth, whatever. See? Affliction takes you, but Father is here to deliver you, the Holy Spirit.

58 David said... "Oh," said, "now you're going to have to have some theological training before you go out there to do that, you know." So he said, "You'd just better take my scholarship so it'll..." So he put his big armor on him like that, and poor little David went plumb down to the ground. He found out that the ecclesiastical vest of Saul didn't fit a man of God, so he didn't want any of his denominational papers.

So he said, "Take that thing off of me. I've never proved it. I don't know nothing about it. But I do know about this." He said, "Let me go with what I got confidence in." And he took that little slingshot and went out there. And God directed that rock and slew that giant. Why? He stayed with God. He stayed on his convictions. That's right. Every true...

59 Peter and John, when they passed through the gate called Beautiful, commissioned by God to go pray for the sick, there laid a man crippled from his mother's womb. He said, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have I'll give thee."

Said, "What you got?"

"I got faith in Jesus Christ. You got the same?"

"Yes, sir."

"Stand up on your feet then." Amen. Here he goes. They just picked him up then. He'd been wobbling, wiggling. Just kept holding him. Directly he begin to get a little better, and here he went walking right on. Stuck with it--he stayed with His commission. He stayed with the Word.

Jesus, when He was here on the earth, the greatest of all... There was never one like Him, and never will be one. But when Jesus was here on earth, He stayed with the Word. He defeated the devil with the Word of God. The devil said... He was tempting Him, and said, "Why, you know it's written, now..."

He said, "Yes. It's also written..."

He said, "Well, you know I'm a theologian."

He said, "Yes, and I am too."

Said, "Well, it's written he shall give his angels charge over thee lest at any time thou dash Thy foot against..."

"Yes," He said, "it's also written: thou shalt not tempt the Lord Thy God. So get behind Me." Here he went on. See, the Word of God...

60 All true prophets, all true Christians, all true believers, stay with that Word. No matter what anybody says, you stay right with the Word. They say the days of miracles is past. Don't you believe it, for the Bible said He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.

"Why," you say, "we believe that." Well, if He's the same, then He will act the same. He will do the same. When that... What good would it do me to stand here and preach that, if God wouldn't come down and say it's so? Now, you cannot say it's not the Word of God. So it is the Word of God. Here's evidences of others that's proved it. Do you believe it tonight with all your heart? All your heart you believe it? Let's bow our heads then just for a moment.

61 Our heavenly Father, I just now turned over the pages of the Bible. That is the written Word. Now, we want the Word that was made flesh and dwelt among us. May He walk down now in Person, and show to us His goodness and His mercy. May He show to us His resurrection. May He show His power that He's still the same. Now, we're just a small people, a persecuted, laughed-at people. And that's what it's always been.

And we like to stand with Paul tonight and say, "The way that they called heresy (crazy), that's the way I worship the God of our fathers."

And now, Lord, we're living in this great day that's been prophesied of unbelief on every hand. We have plenty of it. The world is just smothered down with it in this Laodicean church age, even when Your own church has been offended in You, and gone back, and took off after the things of the world. The church would've been better off if Jesus would've come forty years ago for it than it is tonight; 'cause it's all broke up in all kinds of conditions and traditions. And young ministers rising up out of the seminaries with their own mind and things, and not paying any attention to the Bible and taking traditions so forth. And they've gaumed it up just like they've always done it.

62 God, You still remain the same just as You did with back there in the days of the prophets. You're the same God today. I pray, Father, that You will manifest Yourself to let the people know.

Now, preaching--the world has been preached to death. The poor people don't know what to believe. They run here and there. Just as You said, in the last days there would come a famine, not for the bread alone, but for hearing the true Word of God. And if that time is nearing now, Lord, You said they would go east and west, north and south, seeking for the Word of God. Now, Father, it's truly that way now, hearing people say they would walk thirty miles over cobblestones, bare-footed, to get into another good spiritual meeting like they used to have forty years ago. But, oh, God, where do they find it? They get in a bunch of man-made dogmas.

But, Lord, You promised it would be that way. We seen You in the Laodicean church age. You were pushed out of Your church, the only age they put You out of Your own church--and You were knocking at the door. "If any man thirst, I'll open and come in." Father, I pray that there'll by many thirsty people here tonight that'll thirst. "Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." Now, we, as Your Church, submit ourselves to You. May You deal with us as Your children. We pray in Jesus' Name. Amen.

63 Where's Billy? Was there prayer cards give out today? Forget it. Well, let's not use them. Let's let God be your prayer card tonight. I just feel led to do this. Before we... Yes, these are cloths that we pray over according to Acts 19, 19:11, we find out. Now, how many here doesn't have a prayer card? Raise up your hands, you don't have a prayer card and you're sick? Well, how many's got prayer cards then? Raise up your hands. Oh, my. One, two... I guess there isn't over thirty with prayer cards, and about three hundred that's sick. All right, so the majority's on the other side. Let's just hold them prayer cards till some other night.

Let's just say this. If God remains God... And forgive me for making that sacrilegious remark. God is God. And if He's God, His Word still remains the same. And the Bible says that by His stripes you were healed. If that Lord Jesus would come tonight... Which, He would, it would be the end of time, we know that. But if He was to appear here tonight and was standing here on this platform, as you see me standing, and you come to Him and say, "Lord, will You heal me?" He could not do it. He'd be defying His own law. See?

He'd say, "I have already done it." By His stripes we were healed. He might kinda get onto you for not believing it, but He would, He'd... By His stripes you were healed.

64 Now, how many's been here and heard me preach last Sunday afternoon and the seed of Abraham, and how that...? You've heard it, and so forth?

Now, when Jesus was here on earth, let's just see what He was here on earth. When He was here on earth, He had prayer lines, I guess, sure. But many times He stood, look out upon the audience, and tell the people. Is that right? How many knows by Scriptural reading that was His Messiahic sign? How many Scripture, Bible readers know that? You mean there's only that many Bible readers in here tonight that knows that? About one-third of the people put up their hands. How many Pentecostals are in here tonight? Raise up your hands. Shame on you or your pastor, one. Don't know what the sign of Messiah was?

What did Moses say the Messiah would be? "The Lord your God shall raise up (a--a teacher?) a prophet, liken unto me." And when they seen...

And God said, "If there be a prophet, and he does the sign of the prophet, and it comes to pass, then you believe him, because I'm--I'm. Now, that's My Word. But if it doesn't, then don't believe him."

65 Now, when Jesus was on earth, the way He proved Hisself to be Messiah... Now, I want to show some of you Pentecostal people this. Look at that Samaritan woman. Now, as long as you've been in Pentecost, yet that ill-famed Samaritan woman knowed more about the Bible, when she seen Jesus, than you know. 'Cause when Jesus talked to her and said "Woman, go get your husband," she said, "I have none." She said...

He said, "That's true. You've got--had five, and the one you're living with now is not yours. So you said the truth."

And she said, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. We know when the Messiah cometh, He will tell us them things." She knew that'd be the sign of the Messiah. See?

And He said, "I'm He that speaks to you."

She run into the city. She said, "Come, see a Man Who told me the things I've done. Isn't this the very Messiah?" And the Bible said that that entire city believed on Jesus because that--of the woman's word. Now, how many knows that's the truth? See?

66 Well, if that was sign of Messiah yesterday, then... You can't find one Scripture where He did that before the Gentiles, or to the Gentiles, now, 'cause the Gospel hadn't yet gone to the Gentiles. But He did promise that at the end of the Gentile age, when the Gentiles now are looking for a Messiah... Are we? Well, then, if He appears in a different form than He did then, then it isn't the same Messiah. So He's got to come to the Gentiles in the same thing.

And Jesus said He would. Said, "As it was in the days of Sodom, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man." And we find out that when the Lord came down in human flesh before Abraham, the elected Church... When a modern Billy Graham and them went down and preached down in Sodom down there, to bring Lot and the church down there out... But to the elect bunch, the Angel set with His back turned to the tent and told what Sarah was doing in the tent. Is that right? And Jesus said the same thing would take place just before the coming of the Son of man.

67 Now, don't be moving around. Set quiet. Be reverent. How many out there believes that He's still the same God? All right, you pray. Just have faith. Don't doubt; pray.

And now, before God Almighty, Who is my Judge, by this audience of people, the purchase of His Blood, I'm going to see if there's anybody here that I actually know in the building. Now, if I'm not mistaken, right here on this end, this man sitting here, and his wife, I think I know them people. Is that right, sir? And I--I think this is our precious brother that always brings the flowers here. And the lady setting on the end, I think I know them. And right behind there is my good friends, the next two back, is Brother and Sister Dauch from up in Ohio. Isn't that right? Is that you, Sister Dauch, Brother Dauch?

Now, back down that way I don't see no one, and through here... This isn't Brother Stricker setting right here on front, is it? Right here with the yellow shirt on? Is your...? No. And I know Brother Stricker's here somewhere, because I seen him today, but I don't know where he's at, and... Oh, yeah, way back over in the corner, way back in the back. Well, just to see, I--I guess that's all that I know in the audience.

68 Now, you pray, and you believe, and you say this "Lord Jesus, I know that the--that man up there is just a man. (See?) But I do believe that we're living in the last days. And here I am setting here and I'm sick. And the Bible tells me that You're a High Priest that I can touch by the feeling of my infirmities." Will all of you agree on that? That's the Bible.

Well, then, when that High Priest was here on earth, a woman one day touched His garment. And she said, "If I but touch His garment, I'll be made well." So she touched Him, and went off, set down, probably like you are there, or stood up, whatever way it was.

Jesus turned around and said, "Who touched Me? Who touched Me?" And Peter rebuked Him and said everybody was touching Him. But He said, "I perceive I've gotten weak. Virtue's gone out of Me." And He looked around over the audience until He found the woman and told her about her blood issue, and told of her faith had saved her. Is that right? How many knows Jesus did that? Say "amen."

Well, how many knows the Bible said He's the same yesterday, today, and forever? Amen. Then the Bible said that right now, at this moment, He's your High Priest, setting at the right hand of the majesty, making intercessions upon your confession; and is a High Priest that can be touched right now by the feeling of your infirmities? Say "amen." All right.

69 Now, you just... I yield myself. It's a gift. Yes, sir, a gift of God, and it won't work without you. You're the one has to have the faith. Look. The Roman that put a rag around His face, and took a stick, and hit him on top of the head with it in the courts that morning, and said, "If you are a prophet, tell us who hit you." Jesus never opened His mouth. He never felt a bit of virtue; that Roman soldier didn't.

Jesus standing there, with spit all over His face and beard, bleeding, a rag around His face like this; and a Roman soldier standing there--half drunk, maybe--with a reed, saying, "Hey, they tell me you're a prophet, you can discern the thoughts of the heart. Tell us who hit you. Tell me who hit you, and I'll believe you." He never done a thing.

When Satan said, "If thou be the Son of God, perform a miracle right here. Let me see you do it. Let me see you do it. Perform a miracle and I'll believe you," He said, "Get behind Me, Satan."

You've heard them yet today saying, "Let--let me see these Divine healers do this." Why, sure. Certainly. Get behind Me, Satan.

70 Jesus still remains. We keep our eyes on Jesus, not on critics, on Jesus. You got you eyes on Christ--Christ, you won't see the critics. Just keep moving. I know He's the same. To me, He's my God. That's right, my Saviour.

Now, you pray, you out there, and let's see. If He will do the same thing, to all you newcomers here tonight that's never been in the meetings before, will it make you believe? Raise your hands and say, "I--I believe." About three hands. That's why America is in her gleaning. There was about two-thirds of the crowd said awhile ago they were newcomers. I said, "How many will believe, if Christ will appear here and do the same thing He did when He was living?" Three hands went up. Now, you can see why the tapes, and what the prophecies are saying. See? All right. You real believers though, start believing, start thinking, start praying. Makes me say things I don't want to say, and it bothers me just a...?...

71 Heavenly Father, I pray that You'll be merciful, God. I--I don't know. Maybe if--if it's not your will, then, 'course, Father, it will not be. But I pray that You'll grant it, that these people might know that... I've spoke of You; You speak that I tell the truth, Lord. You let it come back. I know You're here. Why, beyond a shadow of doubt, Lord, I know You're right here, and I pray that You'll grant it.

I've been preaching hard, and rebuking people, and telling them of their unbelief, and no matter how much they go to church, and how much they sing, how much they dance, and whatever they did, Lord, unless they are believers they are--they're lost. And I pray, Lord, that You'll let that be known truth tonight. Unbelief is the only sin we have, and I pray, Father, that You'll let it be known.

Let them not trust in their own righteousness. Them Pharisees and priests were just as righteous as they could be, so... They didn't do anything evil, wouldn't speak a bad word, wouldn't scold anyone, or anything. And You told them they were of their father the devil, because they didn't believe You, and knowed You was the Messiah. Father, with that, seeing your same Spirit come and do it tonight, I scream the same thing. Stand by me, Lord. I'm Your servant. In Jesus' Name I commit myself to You with this audience. Go through this audience, Lord, and pick out them there. Give them faith and let them touch You tonight with their sickness and their troubles. And You prove that You're God. And speak, Lord. We are waiting on You in Jesus' Name. Amen.

72 I know He's here. Thank You, Lord. That man setting over here on my right hand side, colored man, setting there praying, on the end of the seat, are you going to believe with all your heart, sir?

The woman setting back there with diabetes, setting right, the second one in there, looking at me, you believe that God will heal you and make you well of the diabetes? setting right here, looking right at me? If you will believe it, you can have it.

What about you, reverend? What do you think about it? Do you think that God make, take them spiritual problems away from you and make you to believe? All right, you can have you ask for then. God bless you. What did he touch?

73 This lady setting right out here on the end of the row, colored lady, setting right out there, with cancer, you think God will make you well, lady? Do you have a prayer card? You don't need one. You're healed. You ought to answered right there, lady. You missed it.

Here, kind of a heavy-set lady setting here looking at me, right down here, wearing glasses, hair done back, has a female trouble, setting there praying, you believe God will heal you, lady? Do you believe it with all you heart? You have your... You got a prayer card? Well, you won't have to use it. Your faith made you whole.

I'll turn my back. You've heard it, this side. There's a lady setting right back here that's got heart trouble, and she's got arthritis. Right here. Mrs. Brady, stand up. I don't know the lady. But they're missing it. What's the matter with that unbelief in here tonight? Shame on you.

Here, right down the row from the lady, about one, two, three, four ladies, a lady setting there that has weak spells, which is... Don't miss it, sister. Mrs. Rice, raise up and accept your healing. Amen. Do you believe with all your heart?

74 Here sets a lady over her in a dying condition with a cancer setting on her... Mrs. Sheldon, will you believe with all your heart? Rise up and receive your healing in the Name of Jesus Christ. Now, if I don't know you, lady, wave your hands like this? If we're strangers to one another, wave your hands back and forth if I don't know you. You see?

Don't you believe? What's the matter with you Pentecostal people? Don't you know what Christ is? You want to be healed? Then stand up on you feet and accept it. I challenge you to believe it in the Name of Jesus. Stand up, put your hands on one another, and accept your healing. Remember, it's you the one. Do you believe with all your heart?

75 Raise up your hands to Christ now, and let's pray. You pray yourself. Pray for yourself while I'm praying for you. Heavenly Father, I give to You this audience of people in the Name of Jesus Christ. Heal every one of them, Lord. Let Your Spirit and power come upon them and make them well. To the glory of God and for the glory of God I ask it, in the Name of Jesus Christ.

Every sinner that's in here that don't know God as your Saviour, would you come up here and accept Him as your Saviour now? Come right up here now. I challenge you to come up here now and receive Christ as your Saviour. Will you come? Unbeliever that was awhile ago and wants to accept? God bless you, sirs, come right on. That's it young man, that's it. Oh, that's right. You that didn't believe a few minutes ago and now you want to ask God to forgive you for your unbelief, come up around the altar. Come on now.

Only believe, only believe,

(God bless these men who are coming)

All things are possible, only believe;

Only believe, only believe,

All things are possible, only believe.

76 Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Catholic, Pentecostals, that's unbelieving, come now around the altar. Come so we can lay hands on you while the anointing... What else could do that? All those people that was called in that line, wherever it was, if you're strangers to me, raise up your hands. Them that was called in the line, raise up your hands. There they are. See? I don't know those people.

The Holy Spirit, you know what He said to me? "Make an altar call right now. There's a lot of unbelief in here." I couldn't even continue the meeting on until we get that thing out of here. What's the matter? Get away... You don't want a spirit like that around you. What if Jesus could come in Person tonight, you setting out there? You unbelieving, come on.

All things are possible, only believe.

Only believe, only believe,

All things are possible...

Come up. Come right on now, every one of you. If Christ is this close to you in that Presence, why would you stay back? If you had a little skeptic feeling, get it out of you. Come one now.

... for only believe,

All things are possible, only believe.

Only believe...

77 That's all He asks you to do--to believe. Just believe that it's Him. Just if you don't believe it, come up and repent of it and watch what happens.

... are possible, only believe.

Only believe...

Come on, sister, that's it. "He that goeth forth shedding tears will doubtless return again rejoicing, bringing in precious sheaves."

All things are possible, only believe.

Glad to see pastors come up and be willing to confess that they're wrong.

Only be...

God will honor pure unadulterated confession. He certainly will. What are you going to do when this same Spirit here tonight, you're going to stand in His presence to answer for it at the day of the judgment?

You remember, it's exactly on schedule. That's what He said He was going to do, and here it is.

... ly believe...

Will you come on now, some more?

Only be...

I offer you freedom. I offer you freedom from all your unbelief, if you'll come sincerely, and repent, and accept Christ. If you're superstitious, a church member, don't know whether you're right or not, you'd better come on.

Only believe.

78 Now, personal workers, you come. All the personal workers, you come right out now so... You know what to do with the people. You personal workers, come right out and gather around them now, these people around here, because we're going to have prayer. And if there's unbelievers back there and wants to come along, you come right ahead anyhow.

By your walking forward tonight, people, you have confessed that you have confidence that you have been wrong in your conception, and you're coming now to get an experience of the living God. This same God that you see here working right here at the platform and through the people out there, He's your God. If you... Maybe you just--you just haven't stopped just a moment to give it consideration.

79 He's here. He's the One Who called you to come up here. See? The same Spirit that anointed me to preach the Gospel is the same One Who went out through the audience there, that knows you. You can touch Him by the feeling of your infirmities. People, beyond one shadow of doubt... People I've never seen in my life, stand out there night after night through the audience, come up here on the platform night after night, day after day, year, week after week, revival after revival, and never one time does it fail. If that's right, church, say "amen." Then, why is it if the Lord...?

Let me tell you, THUS SAITH THE LORD! "You'd better repent, Chicago. Your hour is close at hand: repent. Come, believe, because there'll come a time that you'll cry for this, and it won't be there. You won't receive a real, so there'll be a false one give you. Jesus said, 'I come in My own Name, you receive Me not. Another one will come and you'll receive him.'" Remember, I quote His words. It's on tape, on record.

80 You better receive Him while you can, 'cause there is many things in the world that's ready to come to pass. Insects that's never been hatched out before will come forth. Now's the time to get right. You better do it before you... Then after while the mercy seat is going to move away, and there won't be any more redemption. So come while you can. If there's one speck of God calling you, move out right now.

So I'll be sure... Let me be sure. One more time, "Only Believe," all together.

Only believe, (I keep feeling there's somebody out there, there's somebody somewhere.)

... only believe,

All things are possible, only...

I'm not a fanatic, folks, say something I don't really mean in my heart. Surely you wouldn't think that after what the Lord has did. Here comes a whole group of young teen-age girls.

Now, all things are possible, only believe.

81 Now, I want you personal workers lay hands over on... Each one of you lay... Just put your hands on somebody else, just as our Brother Oral Roberts has said, a point of contact. (You don't have a room here to...?... ) In these kind of meetings, sometimes, when we got it, you know, set up where we can have rooms for fellowship...

I want all the audience to bow your head everywhere, if you will. You out there that's interested in these souls here at the altar, knowing that they've come reverently tonight to confess their wrong and--and ask forgiveness, for God to be merciful to them. Certainly.

82 I guess you wonder why I keep putting my hands on these here. I'm not superstitious. Every once in a while I look out and see a vision, and then when I see people out there that's believing and getting healed, and that's why I put my hands back on these just at that time. See, brother, sister, could you be mentally disturbed enough to believe that somebody could stand here and do some--go out there in that audience, a human being with a... Just a human being, go out there and know people is suffering and sick, and carrying on? Could you? That's--that's impossible. It's the greatest miracle that's ever happened in two thousand years. Certainly.

Well, you could thing of psychic condition, if a man raised up out of a wheelchair and walking away. That--that's been done. Sure. But tell me where a power... Show me where somebody with a Ph.D. can come here on this platform, and walk out there by the Holy Spirit, and tell those people those things just like the Holy Spirit did tonight, like Jesus Christ did when He was here. Tell me where he's at. Bring him up here at the platform tomorrow night. I'll be looking for him. It isn't here.

83 It's the Holy Spirit. And them sick people, them Christians out there, who are praying, and they're touching Jesus Christ. And by a Divine gift He is; I just look there and see them. There's a light over them. It just spreads forth, and I see what they are and who they are, just the same as I'm looking at you here. I see them somewhere else doing something, and then I just speak. And then when I get through speaking, I don't know what I've said. See, it's just like a dream that passed from me. But there it is. It's exactly what God said He'd do. I ask any clergyman to deny it. You can't do it, because it's right here in the Bible, THUS SAITH THE LORD. And here it is at the hour.

Now, you're standing here penitent. You want to be right with God. I want to meet you in a better land than what this is someday. And I tell you, my brother, sister: Christ still lives; Christ is here. It's near the end of time. To me, I believe He's coming in this generation. I believe this generation shall see Jesus come. I do it with all my heart. I somehow got a feeling that I may see Him come, and me an old man. I still believe I may see Him come.

84 Now, I want everybody in here to pray in your own way. Confess your faults. Say, "God, I'm sorry." And each one in the building, you that's sinful that's standing here, say, "God, forgive me. I want to be a Christian from tonight on."

And you that's here confessing you've been slothful and you--you haven't been able to comprehend it, say, "Now, Lord, here I am standing here. I've got my heart open, my arms up to You. My faith looks to Thee." And when you do that, then I believe God will fill you with the Holy Spirit and give you the real thing. If the Holy Spirit is in here, if you really had the baptism of the Holy Spirit, brother, it's got to bear witness of this, because it is the Holy Spirit. Now, take these...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]

85 All right. Now, we all want to bow our heads reverently now and be... Just pray silently to yourself just for a moment.

My faith looks up to Thee,

Thou Lamb of Calvary,

Saviour divine;

Now, hear me while I pray,

Take all my sin away,

O let me from this day

Be wholly Thine!

While life's dark maze I tread,

And griefs around me spread, (It's coming)

Be Thou my guide; (Take me now, Lord, be my guide)

Oh, bid darkness turn to day,

Wipe sorrow's tears away,

Nor let me ever stray

From Thee aside.

[Brother Branham starts to hum--Ed.]

86 O Father God, a Wednesday night service coming to the close. There are two hundred or more people, I guess, standing around this altar. They're repenting; they're needing grace. The beautiful old hymn is being played, "My Faith Looks up to Thee." They realize, Lord, that man cannot do these things; that it's You. And like Micaiah was tonight in our lesson, he knew his vision was of God, because it was according to the Word of God. So do I know, Lord, tonight; so do we know that this vision is of God, because it's according to His Word.

And here stands Abraham's seed, the elected Church, coming out, wanting to be ready to come to El Shaddai to draw the strength from God for the changed body to receive the Son when He comes. I pray that You'll grant it, Lord, to them tonight, every one of them. Give them the desire of their heart. Forgive the sinner, bring the backslider back, Lord, take all the doubt out of the believer's heart. Make this a great hour, Lord.

87 I believe You're here. I know You're here, and Your--Your Spirit is moving. We feel the sweetness of Your Presence. We see You moving through the audience, doing just what You said You would do. Now, Father, we thank You for doing this. We believe.

And I take every one of these souls that's standing at this altar. As Your servant I stand between them and death; I stand between them and the unbelief. And I pitch myself in the way, in the Name of Jesus Christ, and say to Satan that binds them, "You cannot hold them any longer." I challenge every devil that's present; leave these people. Come out of them. You cannot hold them no longer. Their sins are forgiven; their unbelief is gone. They're children of God from this hour on. Their ministry is in their life will be great. The power of God shall accompany them everywhere they go. They shall be God's children from this hour on. Satan, I'm talking to you. Leave them, in the Name of Jesus. Come out of them.

Now, everyone if you believe it, raise up your hands and give Him praise, and you can be--go from here free tonight in the Name of the Lord Jesus.