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Being Led Of The Holy Spirit
E-1 To be in this--this evening to serve the Lord... Sorry that people
are standing, so we'll try to make the service just as short as
possible. And now, knowing that you've heard the services today
everywhere, and you've had two or three services in the church... I
watched your telecast today, and I thought it was real, real good. And
I'm sure you feel all fed-up now, and so we just talk just a few
moments and go right straight into the healing service, and--'cause we
want the Lord to bless us tonight in the way of this healing service,
if--if He will find in His great wise providence to do so.
I would just like to make this remark, that today while reading the
article on Billy Graham was just give me in "Look" magazine. And if you
haven't look--seen that, that's really an outstanding... I certainly
appreciate Billy Graham. The Lord is using our brother, and he's doing
a wonderful work. I...
E-2 This is his home town and some of his people may be here (I don't
know) from his office or something. If they are, I don't say it because
that I'm here in his home town or where his office is, but I'd say it
anywhere. And anyone knows that God is using our brother. And so we're
very happy that God is doing this. And we should support him with all
that we have and with our prayers. May the Lord bless him. And I
thought that he certainly gave a real answer to that guy, just the way
it should be. And he's smart man. And the Lord bless him.
Brother Moore just called me awhile ago and told me that Anna Jean, and
Don, and them was with him last week over in Korea or in China,
somewhere there where they're at. And they certainly enjoyed the
fellowship of being with Brother Graham.
E-3 Now--now, our next service begins at South--Sioux Falls, South
Dakota this next week. And we're to be there beginning on Wednesday
night and going through Sunday. And then we're going from there. I
think I'm to be at a breakfast somewhere up in--in Virginia in the next
few days. And then from there, oh, just on into Old Mexico, and back in
here, and into Canada.
Now, they say that... Mr. Moore told me today that they'd managed now.
I'm going into Switzerland, and to Germany, and on down into Australia,
from there on over into South Africa, back up into Tanganyika, and over
into India, back into China, Japan, around, and come in the other side.
They--they made the itinerary. So, you see, it's just constantly one
thing to another.
E-4 But I am hoping, and trusting, and waiting till the day that I get
my tent. I'm so alarmed about my tent. It's always been a problem to
me... If you'll forgive me for a few moments to just to little talk
before we read the text...
How many read the vision in the magazine? Have you... Did you read it?
Well, that's fine. That's--that was something that I have prayed for
for years. The one thing in my meeting has always been that I've never
been able to do the things that I really want to do, and think ought to
be done in my meetings, because of the--the absence of physical
strength in the time of healing services.
E-5 Visions are something that--that tears you to pieces. It's not
li... It's living in a different world. Could you just imagine being
asleep and then wake up all at once and be half asleep and half awake,
and then again and again and again and again, and imagine what it would
do to you? Could you just think when the great Daniel saw one vision
and was troubled at his head for many days (See?), just one vision. And
it's...
One time led me several years ago almost to a total break for life,
even to they rushed me to Mayo Brother's, and they said, "There's not
absolutely a chance in the world for you to ever live (See?) and come
out of it." But God's grace brought me out. I promised Him then I'd
watch...
Now, in the--in the prayer lines I don't get to too many people. And
I've had many critics on this. And they've wrote me letters and say,
"Mr. Roberts and many, Mr. Allen and them will pray for five hundred
people while you're praying for five." Well, I just have to do it the
way the Lord told me to do it. And that's...
E-6 Or, my ministry is not a contact for each person, but it's (See?)
just to represent the Lord Jesus in a--in a sign of a gift to everyone
because... No matter where they're... It isn't my hands that would
count. It isn't Mr. Roberts' hands that would count. It's your hands on
Him that counts. That's what... That's the One 'cause after all, He's
finished the work. The only thing that we can do is preach it by the
Word or some gift to represent its finished work.
And I appreciate Brother Gordon Peterson, the pastor of this church. I
think you got one of the nicest churches here that I've ever come into.
And I don't say that because I'm on your platform.
And my son, young Doctor Branham... [Brother Branham and congregation
laugh--Ed.] I hope he didn't hear that. He will never get up no more.
He came over, gave his testimony this morning; he said, "Daddy, they
got one of the finest young people classes and things you ever seen."
And I was so happy for that. And I... The Lord has been dealing greatly
with Billy right in this meeting. And I believe someday he will walk
along all right and follow right along. Well, I hoping so anyhow. He
might be listening, so I better cut off right here. So that's...
E-7 The vision, and it's... I'm watching the clock to get--get my time
started on time if I can at eight-thirty. But here's the vision. I had
promised people... Can you hear me all right? I'd... How about me
setting this just a little closer. Is that--is that better? Thank you.
And the vision was this. Years ago a vision started... The first one I
can remember, I was still in a little long dress. I don't know whether
you know what that means or not, a little boy, had a dress on. And we
raised in the mountains of Kentucky, and I... Little boys and girls
both wear little dresses until they're great big children. And I
remember that dress that I had on. It was a...
E-8 And I remember a preacher shooting at some birds and seventh shot
hit me in the leg. I sure remember that. And that I was... Mother said
then that I was... Well, I was... We come to Indiana when I was three
years old. So you can imagine. That was about a year later, so I
couldn't have been over two years old at the time when it first
happened.
But when I was first born, this Light that you see on the picture here
was standing over the bed, five o'clock one morning on April the sixth.
That's my mother and father's, and the ones' that was around testimony
in a little cabin up in Kentucky. They didn't know what it meant, and
none of the rest of us did. And I didn't know till just about ten years
ago. All my life, it was visions.
E-9 And then after He told me and sent me into the work, I knew that
there would be things that we'd have to watch. And one of them is
money, the other one's popularity, and women. There's three things that
man falls with, and ministers especially.
Now, notice in the Bible, seers. We find out that Balaam fell because
of money. Samson fell because of women, and Saul fell because of
popularity. So I had to notice those things. I knowed popularity,
and--and women I shunned, but...?... He... I don't... Sisters, I don't
mean a brotherhood, fellowship, but I mean in the--in the way when I
was a kid, I... A voice spoke to me. You've read my life story, all of
you, haven't you? When He told me, "Never smoke, drink, or defile my
body," well I, that I kept reverent.
E-10 And I didn't... wasn't much afraid of that, because... But the
test of money, that was the thing that bothered me. And I was raised so
poor, my, I thought money will just be... So I said, "Lord, going out
in the meetings, I'll certainly keep money in the background. And if
You'll help me, and if I'll never let anybody beg for money in my
meeting. And then if there's ever a time that You ever fail me, just by
taking up the offering, and You fail me, I'm coming off the field."
Well, for nine years He kept me going.
And then recently in California on a meeting, I lost five thousand
dollars in one meeting. The next meeting I lost ten thousand dollars;
I'm still owing it. So then, the... That the meetings didn't pay out...
Now, that... I come... I went home that night. I went to--went to the
cabin where I was staying, about two o'clock in the morning when we
finished up. I told the wife, "I want to go out and pray a little." So
I went out and prayed. I come back in, almost towards daylight. We were
leaving for home, face red, tear-streaked. She said, "Billy, what's the
matter with you?"
"Oh," I said, "I was just out talking to the Lord." And I couldn't have
the nerve to tell her I'd quit the meetings. And I told the Lord, I
said, "This is my promise."
E-11 On the road home I said, "When I get over and out of California,
I'll tell them when I get in Arizona," Billy and--and my wife. And
he's... And then I said, "I'll do it when I get over in Texas." And
then when I get to... Well, I told them when I come in home in Indiana.
And--and my wife couldn't understand it. She said, "Bill, I'm afraid
you're doing wrong."
And Billy Paul said, "Now look, daddy, that's what you promised God.
God never told you to do that."
I said, "Yes, but a man of honor will keep his promise." And that's one
thing true.
Said, "Well, you... I don't believe you... You just couldn't do it,
daddy." Said, "Don't the Bible say, Paul or somebody said, 'Woe to me
if I preach not the Gospel'?"
E-12 I said, "I'll preach the Gospel. So I'll rent the old theater down
there, and get a broadcast, and have the people come in here to
Jeffersonville and pray for them, whatever." I said, "But on the field,
no, where you have to have a lot of money through this time." And so I
said, "I'll pay this off, and I'm going back to work and get me a job.
I promised God I'd do it and I--I'm going to do it." And then that was
in my heart.
And then went to bed that night, and the next morning got up. I just
got off on the side of the bed which we never got in till rather late.
My wife said, "We got to get the little girl off to school, Billy." And
I said...
And so I got up on one side and she was getting out on the other side.
We always go and--and kneel and pray by an old chair there every
morning when we get up. It's been a custom all my life of doing that
since I've been a Christian, and it was she also. And so then when she
was just setting on one side of the bed, one side. And I was rubbing my
eyes like that.
E-13 And I looked coming down out of the wall, and here come two little
dark looking children half naked, pulling a little wagon with wooden
wheels. And I said, "Now, Meda, that's what I'm trying to tell you."
And I could hear her, yet I was done too far into the vision; I
couldn't--couldn't understand why that she didn't an... She come
around. And now, when them visions strike like that, well then, you're
just in a coma like. See? And so then, she went on out of the room.
And I started walking up, and I met Mr. Arganbright, and he told me
that the meeting was already in session. I should go in. So when I went
to the meeting, oh, my, I never seen so many people.
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... of people. And they looked like kind of
dark people and smooth though. And I thought, "Where are they at?" And
then there was someone else speaking in my place and in the vision. And
I said, "Who's speaking?"
And he said, someone, minister's standing there, said, "Oh, they put
him up."
I said, "Who's they?"
E-14 And just then he said, "You're all dismissed." And oh, about maybe
twenty, thirty thousand people started leaving. And I said, "Why, they
never made no altar call." And I said, "That's not right."
And another minister, kind of blond-headed, raised his hand up and had
some sack in his hand, said, "But we got the offering."
I said, "When did it come to a place that the offering was more
essential than the altar call?" And so then just then, well, I said,
"There won't be--there won't be twelve people out."
They said, "You're to speak this afternoon."
I said, "What time?"
Said, "Just anytime."
"Why," I said, "there won't be twelve people out." And I said...
He said, "Well, wasn't Christ left with twelve when He told them the
truth?"
E-15 And just then I was taken off into a--another place. I set down by
the side of a--of a--of a little place, and I seen a little baby shoe,
little moccasin. And I had a great big string almost the size of that
post there, trying to lace through that little eye of that moccasin,
trying to lace up the shoe. I hope this don't hurt anyone. I never put
it in the magazine. How many people here are saved, let's see your
hands, really borned again with the Holy Ghost? Yes, all right. Then
I'm sure you'll understand me. I never put--placed it out in the
magazine like that.
But I was trying to thread this little shoe up with this string and,
oh, the little eyelet was about an eighth of an inch and this shoe, the
string I had was about a half inch. And I was breaking the threads, and
it was trying to push it through just with all my heart. And a Voice
spoke from behind me. And It said, "What are you doing?"
And I said, "Lacing this shoe."
E-16 He said, "You're using the wrong end of the string." And I looked
down on the floor and there laid the, truly, there laid the--the
string, oh, went out to a nice eighth of an inch and taped down real
nice. And He said, "You can't teach Pentecostal babies supernatural
things." Said, "You'll cause carnal impersonations." Now, that's true.
I can only say what the vision said. See? "Can't teach Pentecostal
babies supernatural things. You cause carnal impersonations." And so,
and I--I stood there.
And just then, seemed like I went off into another dimension. And when
it was... Now, remember, watch these things. They'll come to pass word
by word. It's--it's perfect. And I was standing by a lake, looked like.
And He taken me and set me down there by this lake. There was lots of
ministers around a fishing. And I looked and there were great big fish.
And some of them was just catching little bitty fish. And just then I
said, "Oh, my." I said, "I'm a fisherman. I'll--I'll catch the fish."
E-17 So I picked up the pole that was laying on the ground. And just
then, this One said to me, said, "I'll teach you to fish," the One that
had been talking behind me to my right side.
And I said, "All right."
He said, "Fasten on the lure, but throw way out in the deep." And I
went way out in the deep. He said, "Now, when you do, let your bait
settle down. Pull slow first." He said, "The small fish will follow the
lure." Now, that's really fishing technique all right. He said, "Pull
slow." And said, "The small fish will follow. When you get a strike,"
said, "just jerk it a little bit, not hard." But said, "Don't tell
nobody how you're doing it." Said, "Keep it still. Don't tell nobody
what you're doing." Said, "Pull it slow. And then," said, "when you
feel your strike, just pull your bait far enough to scatter the little
fish. It'll make the big fish run for it, and then when you get a
strike, then set your hook for the catch."
E-18 I said, "I understand." And I threw it way out. And just as I did,
all these ministers and people run around, said, "Praise the Lord.
Brother Branham will really catch fish." They was just going on like
that. And I felt real big about it, because they were telling me I was
a fisherman. And so when...
I said, "Now, I'll tell you how it's done. Here's the way you do it."
And I said, "The first, you're supposed to pull slow. And then when the
little fish goes to following," I said, "you set it like this." And
when I did, I jerked bait, hook, and everything out of the water. And I
looked. I caught a fish, but I was wondering how he ever got the lure
in his mouth, 'cause it looked like just the skin of the fish stretched
around the lure. It was such a little fish. And just then I said, "Oh,
my, look."
E-19 And just then this One had been talking behind me stepped around
in front of me. It was the same Angel of God that's always spoke to me.
He said, "You've done just what I told you not to do, standing on the
platform, and trying to explain it, and telling the people, and I told
you to keep it to yourself." And said, "Look what you've done. Look at
the carnal impersonations you got rose." See? And I hear people say
that.
And I hear people say, "Brother Branham, oh, the Lord's give me a
ministry." You got probably greater that... Yeah. But just like that
no, never will be as long as I'm on earth. He told me that in the
beginning, never will be (See?) as long as I live. Now, He told me
that. And I hear people say that, and I know it's wrong, but I just
don't want to criticize, tell them that. But then when they...
E-20 He said, "You cause impersonations." And then I started weeping.
And I took the string and was trying to straighten it out. And just
then He looked at me. And I wondered what He was going to do. And He
said, "Keep your line straight in these kind of times."
I said, "Yes." So I got the line ready to throw again, and just as I
did at that time, He taken me away again, and He stood me up in the air
over a great auditorium up or--or big tent. Oh, I never seen such a
tent, spread way out. And in that there was a, look like I'd made an
altar call and hundreds of people, real softly and sweetly were
weeping, setting by the altar, receiving the Lord Jesus. And I said,
"That looks better."
E-21 And then He said... There was a nice, smooth spoking gentleman
stepped out and said, "Now, while Brother Branham's a resting a little
bit, we'll line the prayer line up." Said, "You all with prayer cards
beginning at a certain place line up to my right." And so, I looked
over, that would be to my left from where I was standing. And there was
a little building setting in there, little--little building that's
built like that.
And all the people were, oh, just looked like went around the tent, and
out a city block or more, a great line of people. And they were all
standing around there with their prayer card. And just then I seen a
woman in an ambulance stretcher was laying, and a man behind her was
standing on crutches. So they were standing there waiting for their
turn. There was a lady taking down their names and things. And then
there was a canvas stretched here that no one could get around that
tent.
E-22 And just then... Now, I want you to watch this and listen how it
is now. So you watch the difference. Then I heard something whipping
around. Whrrr, whrr, whrr, like that always goes every time we have a
healing service. That's just what happens. That's the way it has always
sounded. Sounded that way in the bush that time when I heard it. It's
always been that way. And I felt it. I heard it, rather, going, moving.
And I looked, and here went that real soft Light moving away from me
and went down and went into that little building.
And then there's something different between the Light and the Angel,
'cause He was still here with me, and the Light had went into the
building. And this Angel still speaking behind me, which is a big Man,
and He said, "I will meet you in there."...
So then I said, "I don't understand why in there."
E-23 He said, "Watch." And this woman when she come out of there on the
ambulance stretcher, she was pushing the stretcher out the other side.
And she said... The lady asked her with the--the... Said, "What--what
happened?"
She said, "I don't know. It just happened." She said, "I've been in
this stretcher." Said, "I've been down in bed for years." And here come
the man out packing his crutches. And they asked him what, said he
didn't know. And he was coming to the platform to testify.
And I said, "I don't understand that in there."
E-24 And watch, He's always Scriptural. He said, "Did not our Lord say,
'When thou prayest be not like the hypocrites that like to make a
show.' Said, 'Enter into the secret closet, and when you've done so,
close the door. Then pray to your Father what seeth in secret and He
that seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.'"
And He said, "You remember that name that you were hunting that time
that you dreamed about?"
And I said, "Yes."
He said, "I'll meet you in there and this time it won't be a public
show." And the vision left me.
E-25 Now, we got the tent in making. And then in there I'll be able to
carry a prayer line right on through. Now, you remember, I speak this
before it comes to pass. The exceedingly abundantly is fixing to take
place. I can't wait till I get into that place. I just... My heart's a
yearning and burning.
And these things here that you see now will be amateur to what our Lord
is fixing to do. You just remember that with all your heart. And live
for Him now and be reverent. And just be yourself. Just--just be Mrs.
Doe or Mr. Doe and--and love the Lord and just move on with a true
heart before Him, and love Him. He will take care of the rest of it.
You see?
E-26 But then it'll be no end to the prayer line for it'll go hours
after hours. And watch what our Lord is fixing to do. Now, the thing
that happens in there when He told it... Now, remember, the Bible is
laying open. I did it first, my hand over my heart. A human being in
this world will never know it. I made a show out of the other, but God
being my Helper...
The reason I waited till this night... It's the first time I've told it
in public. I waited till this night to tell it. God being my helper,
they'll never be a human being know this till death sets me free to go
home to be with God. I'll never make a show or a--a public thing of
this. It's too sacred for to be given out the way I did the other time.
E-27 And I ask the people, and trying to explain something that I
didn't know nothing about myself, you forgive me. You're not supposed
to explain God. You just believe God. There's no way to explain Him at
all.
So the Lord bless you now while we go right straight to the service for
about... I'm going to try to start the prayer line in the next fifteen
minutes, God willing.
But my words are the words of a man. And you can imagine with something
in my heart that's just a burning and a yearning, you can wonder why
that I--I'm--try to hold back prayer lines. And I wasn't even intending
to have one prayer line here in Minneapolis, not a one, or nowhere.
Over yonder I'm not having any prayer lines. See? Because here's what
it is. I come to visit. I come to have fellowship with you. I--I like
to go out and see you, got lots of friends.
E-28 But when I get in under this anointing of the Spirit, I stay there
and pray till I get to the platform. And in service, when we leave...
If you had to put up with me like the manager and Billy Paul and them
does, you don't even know where you're at sometimes. You become beside
yourself. You don't know you... Why? It's visions, and everybody you
start to talk to, there's a vision again. And you just have to wait
till you get out of it.
Now, most all seers and poets are considered neurotics. How many knows
that to be true? Look at--look at Elijah after he called fire down out
of heaven and his vision come true. Forty days and nights he wandered
out in the wilderness. How many knows that? Sure, the Bible said he
did. And God found him laying back in a cave. Was that right?
Look at Jonah, the prophet, after he give his prophecy, fulfilled his
vision. He went up on the hill and prayed for God to take his life.
E-29 Look at William Cowper, the great song writer that wrote "There is
a Fountain Filled with Blood Drawn from Emmanuel's Veins." Why, when
he--when he got through writing the inspiration out of that song, he
tried to find the river to commit suicide.
Look at Stephen Foster, gave the world its best folk songs, "Old Folks
At Home," "Suwannee River," "Old Black Joe," and them. Well, when
he--when he wrote "My Old Kentucky Home" and many of those songs, when
he come out from under the influence of that inspiration, he would get
on a drunk. And then when he... One time he come out, called a servant
and took a razor and committed suicide. See?
E-30 You don't understand. There's no need in trying to explain it. You
just believe it. I ain't trying to explain it no more. You... People's
going to believe or... Well, that's all I'm going to do about it.
That's up to God to do the rest of it. I can't take His job.
So have faith and believe. And if you're ordained to Eternal Life,
Jesus said, "No man can come to Me anyhow except My Father draws him."
That's right. And if you're ordained to Eternal Life, to see and
believe, you will. If you won't, it's just like pouring water on a
duck's back. It'll do no good at all. No matter how much you try to
explain it, those who God has chosen before the foundation of the
world... And if you are chose in God, you were chosen not here, you
were chosen before the world began. Do you know that?
E-31 And the beast deceived those all whose name was not written in the
Lamb's Book of Life from when? The foundation of the world. Is that
right? All the way back... And Jesus come to die for those that God had
ordained to Eternal Life. And those who know and God has ordained will
come to Him, the others will not. So when the last fish is caught out
of the pond, the seining's over. So we're trying to seine now. Shall we
pray just a moment.
Heavenly Father, feeling that this night is the time that I should have
said that and told the vision, I ask forgiveness with all my heart of
my trespasses of trying to explain. And I'm sorry that I did the way I
did and causing these things to rise up which has done great hindrance
and brought reproach on the Church of the carnal comparisons. So I'm...
pray, Father, that You forgive me for all my trespasses, this being the
first time that I have made it publicly known.
E-32 And I ask You now, dear Jesus, that You'll help us tonight and
bless us exceedingly, abundantly tonight and pour out Thy blessings.
And, God, hasten the day that when we can set up the tent, and get down
into the real services of the Lord again, and see Your great mighty
hand work among the people. Grant it, Heavenly Father. We thank You for
everything that You've done.
And I pray, God, that You'll bless my brethren throughout the nation,
throughout the world, everywhere. Anoint ministers afresh, Lord, and
let them be right on the--the firing line in this last day, seeing that
we just got a little while longer to work and then Jesus will come. O
God, may we rise in the power of the Holy Ghost, and go forward, and do
exploits in the last day as the Bible said the people that know their
God would do. We ask in Jesus' Name. Amen.
E-33 In Luke the 2nd chapter the 25th verse...
And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon;...
the same was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of the--of
Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he would not see
death, before he'd seen the Lord's Christ.
And he came by the Spirit into the temple:... when the parent
brought... the child,... to do for him after the custom of the law,
Then picked he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
Now, Lord, let... thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
For my eyes have seen thy salvation.
The Lord add His blessings now to the reading of the Word.
E-34 And just for a few moments I want to speak on "Being Led of the
Holy Spirit." You believe in it? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]
And you people that's standing, God bless you. I hope that someday (I
say this from my heart) you that's loyal enough, and love me enough,
and love the Lord Jesus first enough, and then respect the Word that I
preach enough to come and stand in the church, maybe from out of town
and drove today a long ways after service, and standing in the aisle, I
trust to God that He will bless you and you'll make heaven--heaven will
be your home. And we'll have all ages to rejoice together in.
And I pray while you're here on earth that God will anoint every one of
you ministers, and you housewives, and whatever you may be, and give
you a message to the dying world today that Jesus is soon coming. May
He bless you. If God hears my prayer, may He hear it for that. I pray
through Jesus Christ's Name.
May this church stand and be great, and a soul saving station, a
lighthouse until Jesus Christ comes, is my prayer. God bless you. Thank
you for inviting me, your humble friend, to this pulpit and to preach
the Word, and you come to hear me.
E-35 Now "Being Led of the Spirit"... It was in Jerusalem at this time
that the regular customs of the law, and they come in and they had to
worship, they had the temple. And all the people always met at
Jerusalem. Why was that, wonder? Did you ever think? Jerusalem was the
place where the sacrifice was killed, and no people had fellowship
outside of being under the shed blood of the sacrifice.
That's the only way today that we can have this wonderful fellowship is
when we are dwelling beneath the shed Blood of the Sacrifice. Is that
right?
E-36 Now, as Jerusalem had to meet at... I mean, the worshippers had to
meet at Jerusalem. There's where the lamb's blood was applied. They had
to come beneath the shed blood in order to have fellowship.
And that's the only way that we can have fellowship. We'll different,
split hair, argue, and fuss, and denominate ourselves until we come
beneath the Blood. And when we get beneath the Blood, I tell you, the
Methodist shake hands with the Baptists, and they grab the Pentecostal
around the neck and call each other brother. When they come beneath the
Blood, it's a fellowship. Oh, what a wonderful time.
And no wonder people loved to come to Jerusalem, because they had
everything in common. They worshipped under one supreme sacrifice, the
shed blood of the lamb, the burnt offering, and everyone having
fellowship.
E-37 Now, that's a wonderful thing, but yet in having that, many times
the people stray away and they make an idol out of the very thing that
God has ordained. Do you believe that?
Look at the serpent, the brass serpent in the wilderness. Did you know
the prophet had to tear that serpent to pieces? Why? Because the people
were worshipping the serpent. And they made an idol out of it. Do you
believe you can do that today? You can make an idol out of your church.
You can make an idol out of your pastor. You can make an idol out of an
evangelist. And I'm afraid that that's what a whole lot of it's being
done. They idolize the man.
I was in California speaking to the Christian Business Men. And they
were... I was talking on the subject of Paul said that one thing that
he feared, that is, that the people would over think of him and not of
the Lord Jesus. So he didn't come to them in excellency of words, but
he come to them in the power of the Holy Spirit. That he's--that he...
They would not worship him or believe too much above him, upon him, but
would believe in the Lord Jesus, that their faith might not be in Paul,
but might be in Jesus...
E-38 And today, that's the thing today when we see people, and people
are so subject in this day to jumping at little flowery thing, till it
makes you kind of wonder sometimes. Don't never think above--one man
above another. No, sir, no matter who he is, if he's just a little old
fellow out here giving tracts out on the street, and if he's a--a Billy
Graham.
No matter who he is, if he's God's servant, respect them all the same,
everyone. Don't have one above another and favorites. We don't have
that. Don't do that. And don't respect one person above another. Be...
Let--let everybody be on the level.
And brother and sister, in Jesus' precious Name, please think of your
humble brother as the lowest of those brothers. You see? Just as...
I--I don't say that to be humble. I say that from my heart because I
mean it. It's Jesus Christ that I'm trying to represent to you (See?),
Jesus Christ the Son of God.
E-39 And now, down along through that day they had a little remnant of
people who really were ordained to Eternal Life, that believed and were
waiting. And we'll find out just before that great epoch (if you'd want
to call it, or junction, as we spoke on the other night), the
supernatural begin to take place.
And we see a man by the name, a--a--a prophet, not a prophet but a
priest. He was standing in the temple of God waving the incense as he
burn it. And he was a good man, and he and his wife. And Zechariah, he
was a wonderful man. And he was waiting for the consolation of Israel,
believing. And his wife was old and past the age of bearing.
E-40 But while he was standing there, there appeared an Angel over on
his right side and said to Zechariah, "After the days of this time of
your burning the incense and your duty here, you'll go home and to be
with your wife, and she will conceive and bear a son." And he doubted
what the Angel told him. But then God struck him dumb, or the Angel
did, until the day the baby was born. And then he called his name John,
'cause the Angel told him to call his name John.
Then we find a little virgin also on her road down to the virgin's well
to get some water there in Nazareth, a little mean city. And it just
something was fixing to happen. Things begin to appear; signs and
wonders began to take place.
E-41 And while she was packing water, this same Angel met her. Maybe a
big Light shined before her like It did Paul on his road to Damascus
and so forth. And in that Light stood this Angel Gabriel and said,
"Hail, Mary, blessed art thou amongst the women. You found favor with
God, and you're going to bring forth a child, knowing no man."
And she said, "Be it unto me as God has desired." Now, she never
questioned the Angel. She believed Him.
And you know, sometimes as I said last night, and the woman that washed
the feet of Jesus. How did you like my story on the woman washing the
Jesus' feet? Oh, I--I love those old fashion, heart-rending stories of
the Bible, don't you?
E-42 And so, you see, women sometimes will catch it and... Now, you
have to watch this. Now, you--you all know that... You know my
doctrine, so you might as well... So you see, I'm against women
preachers, 'cause I don't think it's--it's absolutely the Bible. I
don't think it can be proved.
But anyhow, women is real receptacle to the--to spirits. And then if
you don't watch, watch who the medians are on the street. It's Madam
So-and-so. See? You just... And then the Gospel should keep the woman
lined up and in her place. See? So then, but she's more receptive to
the Spirit many times than men are.
E-43 So then we come to find out that little Mary was on her road,
and--and when she seen this Angel, she didn't doubt a bit. She said,
"Behold, the handsmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to Your
Word." And immediately, not waiting for any evidence, not waiting to
see some kind of a sign, not waiting till she knew that she was going
to be a mother, but she started right away rejoicing, and happy, and
praising God, because that she was going to have this baby, not knowing
any man, and yet would be a disgrace on her, but she was going to have
it because God had said so, and she took God at His Word. There's the
thing...
Oughtn't we to have more Marys here tonight? Oughtn't we to have more
in Minneapolis, all over the world, somebody who'll take God at His
Word and don't doubt nothing? Go ahead and say it's so before any
evidence at all.
E-44 You say, "Brother Branham..." I don't see any wheelchairs or cots
or maybe someone here that's sick. I don't know no one here hardly. But
say somebody setting here that's got a visible something made their
hands turned down. And you're prayed for. You say, "Well, my hand's not
any better." That's--that's not faith. Faith calls those things which
are not as though they were because God said so. See? It--It don't look
at your crippled. We look at the unseen. We look at things we don't see
at all because God's promised.
Abraham didn't look and say, "Well, Sarah, you're sixty-five years old.
He told me we'd have the baby. So this month's there's nothing
different, and so I guess we're not going to have it. I guess it was a
mistake. God didn't speak to me. The vision wasn't right." No, no. He
got stronger and stronger all the time and claimed the victory for
twenty-five years until the baby come. I believe if it'd been
forty-five years, he'd still been claiming it. He--he believed God. And
he counted those things which were not as though they were because God
said so. Now, that's good.
E-45 Now, why do--why do... You say, "Brother Branham, why do you have
such faith standing there? Ain't you afraid there'd be a mistake?" No,
sir.
"Aren't you afraid you'll say something wrong?" No, sir. God said so.
That settles it. That's just all there is to it.
"Are you afraid now you making this, concerning this new ministry that
you're entering, do you think that's going to be... You say greater?"
Yes. "How do you know?" God said so. Oh, I haven't got one bit of
doubt, my heart's just leaping and jumping to get to it. See? Because
God said so, that settles it. That's just--that's just all there is to
it. It's going to be that way. God said so, and that settles it.
E-46 And then I hear that it's in your prayer...
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] Yes, sir, because God told me I was wrong
doing what I did, so I--I'm sorry for that. What God says is truth.
Whether it's for me or against me, it's still right because it's God.
So we have to take God at His Word.
And then we find out that Mary went right along through the country
telling everybody that she was going to have a baby, and went up into
Judaea because the Angel of the Lord had told her that Zechariah...
Elisabeth her cousin was going to have a baby being an old age. And
when Elisabeth had hid herself for six months. It was six...
[Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] Mary and--and--and Elisabeth were first
cousins.
E-47 So could you imagine this little woman running up into the
country, and it was in a hilly country of Judaea from down in Nazareth,
run up in the woods and mountains up there and said... Oh, she seen...
Her cousin had hid herself, Elisabeth, she had hid herself. And she was
kind of afraid, because the baby hadn't never moved. It didn't have any
life yet. And it was six months past. So that's--that's altogether
subnormal.
And then she run up there to see her, and she'd hid herself, so when
she peeked out the window and saw little Mary coming up through there,
oh, her little face just a shining... She was about eighteen years old,
just so happy.
E-48 I imagine Elisabeth said, "You know, I... Maybe Mary and Joseph
really got married." But you know how she had to tell Joseph? She was
engaged to him, you know. And Joseph was a carpenter, and he was
building a house. And oh, he could build good houses. And so then he
was building one special, because he was going to live in this with his
little sweetheart Mary.
And one day little Mary walks up to the door and said, "Joseph, I guess
we'll have to break our engagement, because I'm going to have a baby,"
and walked away.
Could you imagine Joseph's heart? How it sunk within him. He didn't
know what to do. "What's happened? Oh, I can't believe that in Mary.
Oh, God, You got to help me."
E-49 I can see him go in the room, his little rooms, the doors made
just perfect and everything where the little bedroom was going to be,
and all about it, and all fixed up. And then when he went in the room,
and he just couldn't go home that night for supper. He just waited and
he prayed. He said, "God, I just can't stand it. I love the girl and
how does this come? I've been a true servant of Yours?"
And behold, the Angel of the Lord come into that room that night (He
will do it.), saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto
thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy
Ghost." Yes, sir. Oh, my. Joseph was happy about it. My, he seen what
was... This greater, oh, "All things work together for good to them
that love God," you know.
E-50 So up in country she goes, and she's going to see Elisabeth. And
when Elisabeth knows that she's--sees her coming. She sees her little
face just as--just as rosy and her little cheeks red. And it wasn't
cosmetics from Max Factors either, it was really Holy Ghost born.
That's right. And she was just having a wonderful time rejoicing as she
went up.
And I can see Elisabeth raise up the curtain, look out, say, "Oh, there
comes Mary. Oh," she says, "Zechariah, I tell you, when--when she comes
in, just go... can I go get her?" And just opened the door and run out,
and grabbed her, and met her, and began to hug her, and kiss her.
E-51 You know, people used to love one another. They don't no more, you
know. Little dry shake, you know, hold your hand out like this, you
know. "How do you do?" I don't like that. I like a great big old
fashion pump-handle shake, you know, like, kinda like this that you can
really feel it. Don't you like that?
Here not long ago Mr. Bosworth... We was in a meeting in Miami and
there was a Duchess there. Now, what it is, don't ask me. It was a
great big woman back there, and--and people, thousands, trying to be
prayed for. And after me coming out of the meeting now, been under the
anointing and everything, and Brother Bosworth grabbed me by the arm
and said, "Oh, Brother Branham, the Duchess who let us have this
land..." Said, "She's standing right at the door. I want you to meet
her."
I said, "What about them poor sick people out there? If there's anymore
strength left, let me see them?"
E-52 And she said... He said, "Oh," but said, "the Duchess is such a
wonderful woman." And three or four of the ushers, and away they went.
There was a great, big lady standing there. I guess Duchesses dress
that way, all the jewelry enough to pay a missionary a thousand times
around the world, preach the Gospel, great big earrings hanging down,
and--and she was standing there. And she had--had a pair of glasses on
a stick, looking at them like this. And they'll... I--I don't mean to
stay that for a joke 'cause this is no place to joke. But you know,
looking through a stick like that.
And she said, "Are you Doctor Branham?"
I said, "No, ma'am." I said, "I'm Brother Branham."
E-53 And she said, "Well, Doctor Branham, I am charmed to meet you,"
holding her hand up like this.
I reached and got a hold of her big fat hand. I said, "Get it down here
so I'll know you when I see you." See? So like that.
I don't mean to be joking. See? I'm just telling how that people try to
put on. See? And then you get cold and indifferent. I like real love,
genuine love, something that you can feel.
Paul Rader said one time, said, "Brother Billy, I was leaving my wife
one morning." Said, "We was setting at the table. And I'd--I'd got up
kind of on the wrong side of the bed, and I'd said something to her I
know that hurt her feelings." And said, "I never apologized."
E-54 He said, "She said, 'Paul, will you go with me somewhere
tonight?'" And he said, "I can't do it." And just went on like that.
Said, "I was just in a meeting, had me all stirred and I had to go to
the office." Said, "You know how a fellow gets."
Said, "I went out the door." And said, "She always met me at the door
and kissed me good-bye." Said, "She was standing there. And when I--I
kissed her I said, 'Good-bye.'" And said, "She said, 'Good-bye.'" And
said... Walked on out to the end of the gate, and said, "When I closed
the gate and looked back," said, "she always waved good-bye at me." And
said, "I turned around and looked and--and I said, 'Good-bye.' And she
said, 'Good-bye.'"
And said, "Went on down the street, and I begin to think about it."
Said, "My, how can I stand it?" Said, "What if something happened to me
today? That's my sweetheart." Said, "I--I, look, I said something I
oughtn't to."
E-55 Said his heart got to swelling big, turned around and runned back
in real quick, jerked the door open and looked around. He heard
somebody crying. She was standing behind the door crying. And said
he--he looked around, grabbed her by the shoulder, and pulled her
around, kissed her as big as he could like that, walked out and shut
the door, went out the gate, and said, "Good-bye." And she said,
"Good-bye." He said, "Just like she did the other time, but the last
time had a feeling in it."
So that's the--that's the way it is about knowing Christ. You can know
Him, but is there feeling, a feeling, a real love feeling, a real
fellowship? That's the way, that's the secret to the success. That's
the way, is a real genuine love that's not put on. It's real and God
knows it's real. And so does Satan know it's real, when you love the
Lord with a real genuine love.
E-56 So I can see Mary as she, her and Elisabeth a hugging each other
and saying, "Oh, oh, I'm so glad to see you."
And Elisabeth says... Mary says to Elisabeth, said, "How are you
getting along?"
Said, "Just fine." And they went to talking, you know. And after while
I can hear her say, "You know, I hear that you're going to have a baby."
She said, "Yes, that's right." But she said, "You know, I'm worried
about it?" She said, "The--the baby's six months now as it is, and--and
I'm kinda disturbed about it."
And Mary said, "The Angel of the Lord Who told me that, the great Angel
Gabriel, Who met me and he told me I was going to have a baby too."
"Are you and Joseph married?"
"No."
"Well, how are you going to have the baby?"
"He said I was going to have a baby, knowing no man. And it would be
the Son of God, and I should call His Name Jesus." And just the time
she said "Jesus," little John come to life and begin to jump in his
mother's womb.
E-57 The first time that the Name of Jesus Christ was spoke through
mortal lips, a dead baby in its mother's womb come to life and jumped
for joy and received the Holy Ghost. If it would do that then, what
ought It to do to a borned again church, a people who really believe
that they... and take that wonderful Name of Jesus and be led by it.
And then we notice that in the country... Wish we had time, but we
can't. I love drama, so I just can't get into that. But let's take
another fellow. There was a man named Simeon up there at the temple, a
wonderful man, good man. And he was old, and one day while he was
having a little prayer meeting by himself, the Holy Ghost came down and
revealed to him that he wasn't going to see death until he seen the
Christ.
E-58 Now, could you imagine an old man eighty years old, white whiskers
hanging down, real white hair hanging around his shoulders, and saying
that he wasn't going to see death until he saw Christ. Why, David
looked for Him; the prophets had looked for Him. But here this man says
that he isn't going to see death until he sees Christ.
Well, I imagine the folks said, "He's just a little bit crazy." See?
But God's always got a remnant who'll believe Him, that's led by the
Spirit, that'll be called crazy. Do you believe it? "Blessed are ye
when men shall say all manner of thing against you."
E-59 And notice him. And I see him going around about, just telling the
people. And some say, "Oh, he's a little bit off, the old fellow is."
But one day... You know, news scattered slow then. They didn't have
telephone, television, and what we have today. And probably if they'd
had that on news, they'd criticize him. That'd have been just about the
way they'd done it. They'd have criticized him. So they... But anyhow,
message traveled slow.
And eight days after Jesus' birth, He was taken up to the temple. And
he's going to offer the peasant's offering for the cleansing for the
circumcision of baby, the purifying of the mother.
E-60 And while they was standing in the row out there waiting for the
circumcision, someone way back in a little room, and old priest back
there by the name of Simeon, setting there reading the scroll, "All we
like sheep have gone astray. The Lord has laid upon Him, the iniquity
of us all," and reading like that.
The Holy Spirit said, "Simeon?"
"Yes, Lord."
"Stand up."
"Yes, Lord."
"Start walking."
"Which way, Lord?"
"You do the walking. I'll do the guiding." Amen. That's the way He does
it. "You do the walking. I'll do the guiding."
E-61 Here he comes walking out with his... great... Let's say it's
Monday morning. And oh, there's hundreds of little babies are borned
every night and they have to... There's mothers stand every day in the
line for the circumcision of the child and the offering of purification.
Down along the line, out here stands a little virgin. A lot of little
babies with little fine needlework and little pink dresses on, real
pretty little things you know, and here stands a little fellow down
there with a little virgin. Some of them say, "Hey, say, did you here
the scandal? You get the gossip? There's that woman and here's that
baby that's borned illegitimate. Her and Joseph is not even married
yet. And there she's got that baby. Uh-huh, I told you. Uh-huh. I know
it." See? That's the Devil. There it set. "And so keep your way back.
Get way back from her." That's the way they do yet today. "Just stay
far away from that crowd as you can," they say. See? So they get back.
E-62 And there she's stands. But, little Mary with a little veil over
her face, she knew who's baby that was. And every man that's borned of
the Spirit of God, he knows where he's standing. I don't care what the
world says. He knows what he's cradled in his heart, or her heart,
whoever it is. They know what's there.
No matter what the world says, you can call them anything you want to.
You'll never shake them. That's right. For he that's borned of God does
not commit sin, unbelief. See?
Now, and while they're...?... here comes Simeon out coming right down
along that row, hit that row and comes right down and stops in front of
that Baby, reaches over and takes It out of the mother's arms, the
tears running down his cheeks and dripping off his white beard. He
said, "Lord, let Your servant depart in peace according to Thy Word,
for my eyes has seen Your salvation."
Oh, my. That same Holy Ghost leads tonight. Do you believe that? He's
the same Holy Ghost here tonight.
E-63 I was just looking at Leo, come up the way a few minutes or Gene,
set down here, these boys. Just a little story, a little story that
happened not long ago. Many things happen along my life and your life
that we don't tell people. And we'll start the prayer line just
immediately after this little--little story.
We were setting... I call them boys. There were kinda... I call them my
students. That's all right brother, ain't it Gene? All right. And so I
call my students. I've met them, and talk about being mixed up, they
was. They didn't know whether they were Oneness, Twoness, Threeness,
Trinitarians, Jesus Only, or what they was. Then didn't know.
E-64 But the Lord has helped them and blessed them and wonderfully. And
they move right down in Jeffersonville like FBI agents following my
meeting, first, to see whether them things was really true, see if the
visions come at home, just the same as they come here, and to see
whether it was all right or not. And they rented them a little place
down in Jeffersonville and watched constantly until they were--knew
what was right.
And now, they're wonderful boys. Both of them here, they take--take the
recordings of the messages and so forth, will be with me in the tent
meetings as we go on, the Lord willing.
And now, they--they were setting on the porch this last (I believe it
was about July, wasn't it, or June, somewhere, June or July)... And we
were sitting out there and we were talking to them. And a young colored
girl a few days before that had--had gave birth to a baby. She didn't
want it, and she wrapped it up in a--a quilt, and took a cab and went
out on the bridge and dropped it over in the water like that, and to
get rid of the baby.
E-65 And so, we were talking about it. I said, "Just think of the--of
the cruel heart of a person that could smother a baby in a blanket and
drop it in the river." I said, "I don't know what God will do with such
a person. I pray for her sinful soul," like that.
And then Mr. and Mrs. Wood, which are book salesmens in the meeting,
they were there. And Mrs. Wood is a veterinary. And so then the next
come in was Mr. Gilmore, which was the milkman, a friend of mine was
standing there. And along up about ten o'clock in the day... Now, I
used to work in conservation, so I--I studied animal life. And I
live... And oh, that's my second nature is to be in the woods.
E-66 I'm going in to the woods in Mexico, and then up into Anchorage,
Alaska. Just can't hardly wait to get into it, 'cause there's where I
find God, out by myself in the woods. Be great. My mother's a pretty
near half Indian. And there's just enough about it to make me love the
nature and be out in the woods.
And so, I was looking, coming up the road. And I noticed coming from
the Arctic Springs about a city block below me, of woods, cross the
Utica Pike and coming up the road, passed four other houses, was a
opossum. And the opossum was dragging its side like this, as it come
along. And as it moved on up the road coming into the--the place, it
passed all those houses, who did not have any fence around them and
come to my place. I live in the parsonage there, which had a little
rock fence around it, and a board fence this other way, and turned in
the gate, and started up towards the house.
E-67 I said, "Look. There's a opossum. It's got rabies." See, it don't
travel. A opossum's blind in the daytime, and they travel at night. So
I said, "Looky, there's a opossum and it's--it's got rabies.
Something's bothered it." I said, "Look, it's all mashed up."
So I run out in the yard, keep it from getting to the house. And Mr.
Wood had been raking in the yard with a yard rake. So I picked up the
rake, and Gene and Leo, and them come out with me. And I throwed the
rake over the opossum. Usually they do what they say, "play opossum,"
just lay down. But not this one, it's... She grabbed it.
E-68 I looked all over her--her left shoulder here, and it was all
either chewed by dogs, or had been run over by a car. And excuse this
flat words, but fly-blows was all over it and maggots working
underneath here, you know, where the fly blows had come to it, and
green flies all over it. It was a horrible looking sight. And it was
pulling that leg.
And I said, "Oh, she's hurt. She's probably taken rabies after this,
and that's what's done it." And so she was biting at the--the rake. And
just as soon as I let her up, she started again. And I threw the rake
over her again. And I happened to notice. And her...
E-69 A opossum and a kangaroo is the two only animals in the world
that's got a pocket that they carry young ones in. And so, her pocket
had let down, and she had nine little, bitty slick babies just about
like that, little bitty fellows.
And I said, "Oh, that's why she's fighting. Look at her." And I said,
"Now, Gene, Leo, and you standing around," I said, "this mother opossum
has really more lady about her than that colored girl that tried to
drown her baby or did drowned it." And I said, "You see, that colored
woman with a fine, healthy baby smothered it in a blanket and dropped
it in the river because she didn't want it. She wanted to run around
and carry on. And this old mother opossum's probably got around twenty
minutes to a half hour more to live, and she'll spend that fighting for
her babies. She's a real mother."
E-70 And all of them begin to say, "Yes, that's right." And I let her
up. And when I let her up, she... Them little opossum's was gathered,
and away she went as hard as she could dragging that leg, and went
right up to my steps, and fell down and exhausted there, passed out. I
went up. We pushed her. That right? We pushed her and tried to get her
to move, and she just wouldn't. She just laid there.
Well, Mrs. Wood come up. She said, "Brother Branham..." And her
pocket... 'Course when she lay down, let out; the little babies was
there a nursing. And said, "Brother Branham," Mrs. Wood said, being a
veterinary, she said, "now look, go kill that opossum. See? Them little
opossums, just pick them up and throw them against the ground and kill
them," said, "'cause the poor little things," said, "that old curdled
milk and stuff, her dead," said, "they'll--they'll--it'll... She'll
die, or the little fellows will die, and die an awful death." Said,
"They're too little to put on a bottle. They got a round mouth anyhow.
Said, "You can't do it." Said, "You just might as well kill them."
I said, "I--I just can't do it, Sister Wood."
She said, "You're a hunter, aren't you?"
I said, "Yeah, but I'm not a killer."
E-71 And--and she said--she said, "Well--well, look, Brother Branham,
why don't you go in and get one of your guns and shoot them?"
I said, "I just can't do it."
She said, "Well, let Banks." That's her husband. "Let--let him kill
them."
And I said, "No, I don't want him to."
Said, "You mean you're going to let that poor thing lay there in that
sun, them poor little things nurse on that dead mother?"
I said, "She's not all the way dead." I'd kick her, and every once in a
while you'd see a little, kind of a little move in her jaw there.
Why, said, "Look at the poor thing. She's dying. She's passed out.
She'll never come to."
Well, I said, "I just can't help it. I just can't kill her."
E-72 And said, "Well, what are you going to do?" Well, I poured water
on her, and everything, tried to wash the fly blows off of her.
Wouldn't do any good. She just didn't come to.
So them poor little opossums just a nursing away, and I thought, "Poor
little thing." Then we went on all that day, people coming, and going,
and all that day and nothing... And she still laid there in the sun...
All and oh, she was really covered all over with fly blows at night.
So Mr. Wood come up and said, "Now, Brother Branham, you went far
enough today." Said, "You got to take a little rest now." He took his
wife, and I, and my wife, and went out a riding.
And on the road down, I'll never forget it; we passed a little old dog
laying on the road. And I said, "Stop. Let's get him."
And I went back, and the poor little fellow was one solid cake of
mange, and fleas was done crawling all over my hand. And I said, "Poor
little thing."
And Sister Wood said, "Now, I guess you're not going to kill that."
And I said, "Certainly I'm not going to kill him. I'm going to pray for
him."
She said, "Brother Branham," said, "don't you know that mange and the
poor... look, it's just so full of lice right now."
I said, "I'm putting him in my car." And I put him in my car.
And said, "Well, the lice will be all over us."
E-73 I said, "I'll put him in a sack." And I got him in a sack and tied
him up, and put him in the car, went home, prayed for him, worked with
him. Boy, he's a big fine collie now, just as a beautiful dog as you've
ever seen. There's no use doing that. Don't be so brutal about things.
And so the--so the next...
We come in at eleven o'clock; there was the little old opossum still
laying there, still passed out. And Brother Wood said, "Now, she'll
never move." Said, "She's dead now."
I said, "Maybe she is."
So then, Billy Paul had been out on fishing somewhere at the river, and
he come in after midnight. And when he did, there the opossum still
laying there. The next morning I got up. I couldn't rest all night,
thinking about the opossum. And the next morning I got up real early
about seven o'clock, went out, looked laying there, there laid the old
opossum. And my little girl, very spiritual, and she come out in her
little pajamas. And she said, "Daddy, what are you going to do with
that opossum?"
I said, "Honey, I don't know."
Said, "Is she dead?"
I said, "I don't know."
E-74 And I looked at her, and them poor little opossum still laying
there, you know. And I thought, "Isn't that pitiful?" And I thought, "I
guess the best thing to do would be kill it, but I--I can't do it
somehow."
And she said, "Daddy. that poor old mother," said, "is she dead?"
And I said, "I'll see." And I stomped on her a little like that,
pushing her back and forth. And no, she still had life. And so, I went.
I said, "I don't know, honey." I said, "You better run back to bed,
because mommy isn't up yet."
So we went in, set down. I went in my den room, right where visions
has...?... many. I sit down there, and I put my hands up like this, and
I thought, "God, what can I do about that old opossum?" I said, "I...
Today," I said, "it's laying there. I don't know what to do with it."
E-75 And just then... Now you, I don't know what you're going to think
about this; that's up to you. I heard a Voice, said, "You used her
yesterday for a sermon and said she was a real mother."
I said, "That's right I did." I said, "She is a real mother."
Said, "Like a lady, she's laid at your house, right at your door for
twenty four hours, nearly now, waiting for her turn to be prayed for.
She wants to live to raise her babies. And you've never said a word to
Me about her."
I said, "Well, I didn't know she was, that she come..."
I thought, "What's the matter? Am I talking to myself?" I thought,
"What's the matter with me?" And I raised up; I thought, "Wonder if
that--that must have been the Holy Spirit." And I... and Becky was
standing at the other door looking out, and I went out. Said, "Where
you going, daddy?"
I said, "Just a minute, honey."
E-76 And I went out there where this old opossum, God in heaven knows
it's the truth. I stood by the old opossum; I said, "Dear heavenly
Father, if Your poor servant is so stupid till I didn't realize that,
and You the loving God, that would lead an ignorant animal, because of
the love of her babies and want to raise them, and would lead them
here, and I neglected to pray for her. I ask You, forgive me. And I ask
dear heavenly Father that in the Name of Jesus Christ that You'll let
her live then."
And friends, as God in heaven knows this is the truth, that old opossum
turned over and looked at me, raised up, put her babies in her pocket,
looked around to me, as if to say, "Thank you, kind sir." Stuck that
tail up in the air, walked right down to the gate, and turned back,
just like, "good bye." and walked right on to the woods, not even a
limp in her leg. That's right... went right on down...
E-77 Oh, He leads. If God can leave a--lead a dumb opossum, who hasn't
even got a soul, how much more can He lead a man or woman that's borned
of the Holy Spirit?
That give me encouragement, God telling me to pray for the sick people,
not only that time, but many times He sent animals and so forth, send
some right to me in the woods and things like that. And that's the
truth. God knows that.
Here not ago, I've got hundred of letters. Mr. Boze and lot of them has
published it their paper. You might've read the story. And I was in
California not long ago, and there was a fellow standing up in a great
big banquet of a place, standing on a little chair hollering, "This a
way to the opossum story. This a way to the opossum story."
And people write to me from all over world saying, "Brother Branham,
pray for me like you did that opossum."
E-78 Now, look. The opossum doesn't have a soul; it had to travel
instinct. And the Holy Spirit had to lead it from the woods, up through
the road, across through there, and bring it into the gate. And if
instinct will lead a opossum, what ought the Holy Spirit to do to us
tonight? We are led by the Spirit of God. The Lord bless you while we
bow our heads.
Heavenly Father, my mind goes now to many instances of how You have
dealt with Your people through many different signs and wonders. Sure,
You knowed where the sparrows was. You said not one could fall, even
though two of them only cost a half--fourth of a penny, but how
insignificant that was. But yet You knowed the sparrow. You said even
the hairs of the heads of the apostles was numbered. You knowed every
animal, every... You're just all--all Life, Lord. And nothing can be
done, except You know it. You're omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent.
You're the... You're infinite.
O God, and our little finite mind sometimes can't comprehend what You
are, but we believe You anyhow, Lord, if we can't, discern it and know
it, just right.
E-79 So, Father, we pray that You'll bless tonight in a marvelous way,
and let Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who raised from the dead, that You
raised up, and comes among us in the form of a Light, the same Light
that appeared to Paul, who said it was Jesus that he was persecuting.
The Light shined so that It almost put the apostle's eyes out. He
suffered for it for a long time.
And, Lord, the same Light that was with the children of Israel in the
wilderness, and You've appeared three times in the world like that:
once to the children of Israel, once in the New Testament, and here You
are again today, infallible proof, doing the same things, that You've
raised from the dead.
E-80 You're concerned about animals. And if You loved that old opossum
well enough to respect her to send up there, Lord, to be prayed for, O
God, how much more do You love men and women tonight, whom You died
for. Oh, You never died for the animal kingdom; You died to save men
and women. But to show that--that how merciful You are and how--how
great You are, You do these things for examples.
Oh, You spoke through a mule one time to a prophet, who couldn't see
the Angel standing in the way. How wonderful You are, Father. You had a
fish to pick up a coin in his mouth and carry it up there to the bank
so the apostle could get it. You're so real, Lord, O God. And a sense
of humor, and so dramatic, and there's so much love to You, Father. We
just love You with all of our hearts.
E-81 And we pray now that You'll let Jesus come tonight. And may this
poor humble servant of Yours, Lord, unworthy, be able to yield myself
to the spiritual gifts that You have given unto me, Lord, to show to
the people these things. Like You said, as Moses showed the children of
Israel, that going home time is at hand.
Thank You, Lord. It's going home time. When Moses performed his signs,
it was going home time. And we know it's near going home time now.
You're calling out Your people. And we pray, God, that You'll speak to
sinners' hearts tonight and rend them. For we ask it in Jesus' Name.
Amen. All right. God bless you.
E-82 Now, if the Lord shall come and anoint... Thank you my kind
beloved brethren, and all of you that's cooperated to help us in the
meeting, and you fine Christian Business Men. I just fly across the
country and around the world to be with you. You're very fine. And God
bless you. And all of you of the members and the laity here, I thank
you each one. And perhaps they taken a love offering for me tonight.
You usually do. That's all right. If you did, I--I put it right
straight, what I don't have to eat with and to take care of my family,
I put it in foreign missions. I'll give it to the best of my knowledge
to the glory of God.
Thank you, Christian Business Men, for your offering the other day, got
it today in the letter. Thank you very kindly. I'll be as reverent as I
know how to be. And Brother Jack Moore sends his apology to all of you.
E-83 The little fellow setting here on the end, down at the end of the
row there, in the--the other morning setting there in the breakfast
meeting... I said, "You know, that I this morning I saw a vision. A
woods coming down, and the woods had been cut out, all clearing up."
And the Angel said to me, "Now, this is ten years you've been in the
service. And the road that you've long for, it's just about straight
ahead of you now."
Oh, my. And I said, "Where? Just then I looked, and I seen Brother
Moore, and he looked at me. He said, 'Mama, here comes my mama, Brother
Branham. That's the reason...'" Remember me saying over there the
little fellow at the end of the road...?... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
E-84 The woman's suffering, I see her very, very nervous. She's going
just place to place. She's suffering with a--a bladder trouble also.
She has a bladder condition. And I see her persistently going back and
forth in a building. It's a doctor's place. And they're performing an
operation. It's a cyst they're taking off of you. It looks like right
back and forth, time after time, week after week, that they're having
operations for little bitty growths, little cysts like that. That's
THUS SAITH THE LORD.
Do you believe now, lady? Come here just a moment. Look, sister, only
God can make you well. Do you believe it now, that It will speak for
you?
Our heavenly Father, with reverent heart bowed, heart and head, lay
hands upon the little woman that's suffering and ask for the mercies of
the resurrection to come to her. And, Satan, you are defeated through
Jesus Christ. We now pronounce this blessing to our sister that she
will be well in Jesus Christ's Name. Amen.
God bless you, sister. I believe that you're going to be well now.
Don't you believe that? You feel better about it now, don't you? You
was healed then. Go, rejoicing, thanking the Lord.
Now, you all believe now? Does that... All right. Now, just be real
reverent. Don't move around (See?), 'cause it--it interrupts the
service.
E-85 Now, the lady standing here by me is a stranger to me. I don't
know her, but God does know her. Are we strangers, lady, to each other?
Did you... Watch the expression of the people's face when they walk in
the Presence of the Holy Spirit. See? See the tears rolling down her
cheeks and watch how they'll change their color. See? When they walk
into His Presence...
A lady met me today from Shawano. She was in the--the service the other
night and got as far as the piano. She said, "You stopped the line,
but, Brother Branham, that close from the Presence of God," said, "it
settled it." Said, "A growth that I had on me has already gone away
from me, just dried up and went away." See? She believed.
Now, somebody else could walk up there and never do them, never bother
them a bit. See?
E-86 The woman touched His garment, virtue went out. But the Roman who
spit in His face, and pulled His beard, and hit Him on the head with a
stick like that, and said, "Now, if You're a prophesier, tell us who
hit You and we'll believe You," he didn't feel no virtue. He wasn't
looking for any. Come, believing.
Now, sister, if I--if I... If you're sick, I don't know whether you are
or not. And if I... If you are sick, and I could heal you and wouldn't
do it, I'd be a brute. I wouldn't even be a gentlemen if I could do
anything to help you, but I couldn't do it. I--I--I just can't, because
I'm not a... First place, I'm not a surgeon. I couldn't perform
operations. I'm not a doctor. I don't know nothing about that. And the
only thing that I am is God's servant.
And by trying to bring you to Jesus Christ through a Divine gift that
was given to me, well, maybe then something can happen. I trust that it
will. Will you believe? You will. I believe you will too.
E-87 Now, the first thing, the lady is suffering with a tremendous
nervous condition. She's just on the verge of a breakdown. She feels
like that she's about lost her mind. The reason this is, is because of
a burden. She's burdened about someone. She has a burden on her heart.
And that person is her husband. And the man has got something like a
stroke or something that's bothered him. And she's pulled around with
him until it's caused her to have a breakdown. That's the truth. Is
that right? If it is, raise your hand. Do you believe now with all your
heart?
Look. Satan is just... Now, you feel all right now. See, you feel
better because as soon as you accepted it, that feeling left you. See?
It's gone now. That's right. See? You don't feel it now, do you? It's
gone from you. If that's right raise up your hand, if that weary
feeling left you. See? 'Cause I seen it when it left. See? But that's
just a shadow. Now, it--it can't hurt you. It's the Devil. See? And
he--he--he won't come to you no more if you'll believe it.
E-88 You believe that you're standing by Jesus Christ now which is a
supernatural Being here that'll keep him away from you all your days of
your life? You're going out here happy and rejoicing and have... and
rejoice in the Lord. Do you believe that?
Then heavenly Father, I lay hands upon this little woman. And I say to
Satan, "You've lied to her, and keep away from her in the Name of Jesus
Christ. You're defeated, and we adjure thee by the living God to
depart." Amen. Now, go rejoicing, lady, be happy, just as happy as you
can be, singing hymns and praising God. You'll be all right. Amen.
Do you believe? [Congregation says, "Amen."--Ed.]
Lady, thank you. Jesus said, "If thou canst, thou... If thou canst
believe..." Is that right? You can receive if you believe. Is that
right?
E-89 You felt it then, didn't you, sister with the brown coat on?
You're arthritis left you. That's what happened. That's right. Setting
right there looking at me with her hair kinda up like that, you had
arthritis, didn't you? That's right. Amen. Now, when I looked, and all
at once around there something happened to you. Isn't that right? Raise
up your hand if that's right. See? See? It happened. Amen.
That sound pretty good to you, sir? You believe it to be the Lord
Jesus? Got something wrong with your back, haven't you? Uh-huh. That's
right. That's right, isn't it, sir? You believe me to be God's prophet?
You do with all your heart? Here's another thing. You're seeking the
baptism of the Holy Ghost, aren't you? Isn't that right? If that's
right, wave your hand back and forth like this. Then the Lord give It
to you. Amen.
Lord Jesus, may Thy grace and mercy rest deeply upon our brother, and
give to him that desire of his heart. His faith touched You, Lord. May
he receive It in Jesus Christ's Name. Amen. Don't fear, brother.
E-90 Does Jesus... Has He risen from the dead? See, the same faith that
that woman had, that man had and the lady had. See? It's the same Lord
Jesus. He doesn't--He doesn't fail. He's just the same. If thou canst
believe, all things are possible.
Do you believe, lady, with all your heart? If God will let me know
what's wrong with you, will you believe with all your heart that God
will make you well? You do? All right. Look on me. I mean by that, like
Peter and John passed through the gate Beautiful, you know, and said,
"Look on me," or "Look on us." See? In other words or "Give me your
attention just a moment." That's what I mean. That's what Jesus said to
the woman.
E-91 Well, you have a growth. It can't be seen with the eye, but it's
in the neck, and in the--in the cheek. And it's on your left side. Is
that right? All right. Go, believe now with all your heart. And God, in
the Name of Jesus, we condemn this enemy. Amen. God bless you, sister.
Go, have faith; believe.
Would you stand, sister, just a moment?
How wonderful our Lord Jesus is if you can believe Him. The Bible said,
"If thou canst believe, thou can have it."
You believe, lady? If the Lord Jesus will let me know what you're here
for, will you accept Him as getting what you're after? You will? You
have many things. One thing, you have a colon trouble. You have a gall
bladder trouble. And you're nervous. That's right. And then one great
thing that's a bothering you is demon oppression. You always feel
depressed like the Devil's got you or something like that. You're
having a spiritual battle, aren't you? Is that true? And especially you
get that in afternoon, after the dinner or something like that in the
afternoon. It's worse than it is in the fore morning. That's right,
'cause it makes you all upset. See?
E-92 It... What it is, it's nervousness. See? It caused it. Look like
there's a enemy fighting at you. Do you believe that God sent me to
cast it away from you? You do? Come here. Better bow your head.
Our heavenly Father, Satan here trying to come against Your Holy
Spirit, why, the evil one, come out of her in the Name of Jesus Christ
the Son of God, I adjure thee to leave her. You're exposed, Satan. You
go from this woman. You're trying to make her commit suicide. And you
leave her in Jesus Christ's Name.
Now, looky here. It's over now. Yeah. You know that. Is that right?
Raise your hand if every worry is gone. Is that right? You feel fine,
don't you? You're going to be all right; so just go rejoicing and
praising the Lord. The Lord bless you.
Let's say, "Thanks be to God." [Congregation says, "Thanks be to
God."--Ed.] Oh, my, how people ought to worship Him. Just give Him
praise and glory. He loves to be worshipped. Now, be real reverent.
E-93 Is this the lady? Would you come, lady? Now, please be real
reverent. Just a few moments longer. You're... Now, just wait just a
moment. Now, everybody get real quiet, real settled. Now, it's not for
a little baby, but just don't be moving around. See?
See, every spirit in here, I'm in contact with it. See? And I watch
what the Holy Spirit says do, and then I do what He tells me to do. See
what I mean?
Sinus is no problem for God though, is it? He can heal sinus, anything
He wants to, can't He? You believe that? Then you can have it; be
healed. Amen.
Do you believe, sir? You had heart trouble, didn't you? You had a heart
attack, haven't you? Bothered you a whole lot. That's right. Come
pretty near leaving this world, didn't you? You shouldn't leave in the
condition, because you need Jesus Christ as your Saviour. Will you...
That's right, isn't it? Will you now accept Him as your personal
Saviour and believe Him? Raise your hand up if you'll accept Jesus
Christ as your Saviour. Then your heart trouble shall leave you. It
clears all up around you. You are a Christian now, a believer in the
Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
E-94 Praise be to the living God Who gives us all things freely. Have
faith in God.
Do you believe that goiter left you, lady, as you had your hand up
right behind him there? Believe that Jesus Christ will make you well?
Do you believe? All right. That settles it then. It's gone. Amen. There
it is, not a sign of it.
See how the Lord's a doing? Don't you believe? Amen. "If thou canst
believe," the Bible said, "all things are possible."
What do you think, little lady setting there praying right back there
praying right back there over your mouth? Got heart trouble, haven't
you? Uh-huh. You got little blood pressure. Do you believe that Jesus
Christ the Son of God will make you well, lady? Then you can have it.
Amen. The Lord bless you and receive it. Hallelujah.
E-95 Oh, isn't He wonderful? Oh, I see a death spirit, real black,
hanging over that second person setting in right back there; it's a
lady with a cancer, setting right straight here looking at me, the
little thin like lady. Do you believe that He healed you, lady? You
accept your healing? You were praying then, wasn't you? I seen that
black raising back and forth, back and forth. Hallelujah.
Believe Him. It's right around you now. Do you now believe? All things
are possible. Have faith now. Be reverent. Believe. Don't doubt. Just
have faith in God. God shall bring it to pass, just what you have need
of. He will do it. Amen.
E-96 Lady with the prayer card in your hand, touch the lady. She's
looking at me now, right between there. You're setting there praying
for that high blood pressure. You think it's... That's right, isn't it?
See? Little red hat on, had your hands down praying with your hand over
your face, you accept it now? Do you believe that He healed you? All
right. Then go home. Jesus Christ make you well. Amen.
Have faith in God. Believe. You believe, lady? I'm a stranger to you.
Jesus Christ knows you, doesn't He? Just believe. Oh, I... If I just
didn't get weak like this. You see? You--you look to me now just a
moment. Oh, everybody in the audience is getting faith and it's just...
People are being healed and healed, but I just can't...?...
E-97 Look here. If I be a stranger... God knows you and He knows me,
doesn't He? If I will, by the grace of God and help of God, tell you
what your trouble is, will you believe on Him with all your heart? You
have female trouble, lady's trouble. It's cysts. You got cysts. Isn't
that right? That's right. That... believe that to be the truth? It is
the truth. Uh-huh. Yes, ma'am. Now, I'll tell you another thing. You're
not from Minneapolis, either. You come from Wisconsin. That's right.
Uh-huh. You're name is Mrs. Douglas Bohm, B-o-h-m. That's right. Isn't
it? Now, go back to Wisconsin and be well.
Let's say, "Bless the Lord." [Congregation says, "Bless the Lord."--Ed.]
How do you do, sir? Now, be real reverent. Just a few minutes, we'll
take me just in a minute, if you'll just be reverent. Set real still.
I can't deal with the audience when you all getting up, folks. Don't do
that, please. Just hold it just a few minutes, please. See?
E-98 Turn... This... I'd like to talk to you just a moment. We being
strangers to each other, I suppose? Only God knows both of us, doesn't
He? And He can do for you exceedingly, abundantly. Whatever He does,
that's up to Him. He's God. Is that right? And if I could help you and
wouldn't do it, I'd be a hypocrite. I'd be an impostor. I'd be a brute
if I wouldn't help you. Do you believe I could help you through a
Divine gift?
You're suffering with a nervous condition. That's right. You got a
throat trouble. That's right. You believe Him with all your heart now
that He will make you well? You should, and a Bible laying before you,
you talking out of it. Do you believe He's going to make well now? All
right. Go back to your church then preaching the Gospel; you're a
preacher anyhow.
Our heavenly Father, I pray that You'll bless our brother and give him
this great thing that he's asked for through Jesus' Name. Amen. Go,
believing now.
E-99 Do you believe? God can heal your stomach trouble and just make
everything well. Don't you believe that? He did. Amen. You have it. Now
go on your road rejoicing saying, "Praise the Lord." Amen.
Let's say "Thanks be to God."
All right, lady. Do you believe with all your heart? Oh, back trouble's
been...?... you know, kidneys then, but God can make you well, can't
He? Just go on your road rejoicing saying, "Thank You, Lord Jesus, for
healing."
All right. Would you come? What say? Oh, you was too sick to get up and
come up. Well, all right. You want to get over that female trouble? All
right. All right. Then just go on. It won't bother you no more if you
believe. In the Name of Jesus the Son of God, may this blessing come to
our sister. Amen. Go on, sis, it's gone now. Just go on rejoicing and
saying, "Praise be to God."
E-100 God heals your arthritis and everything else. You believe that,
don't you? Make you completely well? All right, go down there then and
say, "Thank You, Lord," and just raise up my hands, and it'll all be
gone...?... Say, "Praise be to God...?... trouble and so forth, and
lady's trouble...?... long time, but Jesus Christ can make you well,
can't He? Do you believe that? In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
may our sister be healed. Amen. Now, go on believing and rejoicing with
all your heart. You shall receive it. You believe now?
Something happened. Someone was made well just then. I don't... Our
Lord Jesus Christ, He heals back trouble. He heals stomach trouble, and
He heals nervousness; He heals eyes, and He can make you well of every
bit of it. Do you believe that with all your heart? You believe that
God gives it to you right now? You accept it? You feel kind of shaky,
don't you? But it's nothing going to hurt you. It's something going to
help you. Well, come here just a minute.
Our kind heavenly Father, I pray that You'll bless our sister and take
these evils from her in the Name of Jesus Christ God's Son. Amen. All
right believe now with all your heart.
E-101 Is this the patient? Do you believe? Look at me just a moment.
Disturbance in the audience...?... I'll be glad when I get my little
room to myself. They'll only hear through a microphone then.
We're strange to each other, lady. I don't know you. God does know you.
But you're not standing here for yourself. You're standing here for
someone else. That's true, isn't it? Perhaps what if I'd just talk to
you a moment, talk to you about yourself, or whatevermore to see what
the Holy Spirit would say. Would you believe? Would the audience
believe?
The audience... I'm late, and it becomes restless. And the people are
wondering at the time. And I feel that reacting against me. See? And it
makes it awfully hard, just going down, down, down, and down with me
quickly.
E-102 Now, just get this woman right before me so I can speak with her.
I believe you're standing here for someone else, and that someone else
is an aged woman. And that... She's in the hospital. She's got a
stroke. She's your mother. And there's something another about her. I
see a car mash her. She was in a car wreck, wasn't she? That's right.
And I see a man now, nearby you. It's a--a man. That's your husband.
He's here. He's got a back trouble, hasn't he? You believe now? Go, put
that handkerchief on him. He will get well. O God, in the Name of the
Lord Jesus I pray that You'll grant these blessings. Amen.
E-103 How do you do? Have faith now. Just be reverent just a moment
longer. You believe, lady, with all your heart? You're standing for
someone else too, aren't you? You believe me to be His servant of the
Lord Jesus? The person you are standing for is very, very sick. Is...
It's overshadowed with darkness. It's death on the person. And that
person is suffering with a hideous thing called cancer. And that person
doesn't live here. It's away from here. It's in a beautiful city, and
the city is by a sea coast. There's lots of ships in the harbor. It's
San Diego, California. That's right. That's right. You believe? If you
can believe with all your heart, you can receive that what you're
asking for.
E-104 You're asking for something yourself. It's because of a nervous
condition and your eyes. That's right. Uh-huh. You're also from
California. That's right. And you're... Aren't you a poet or something
or write kind of poems or something like that? That's right. And you
live... You got a street address called 1225 Hoover Street, National
City, California. Your name is Sophia. Is that right? Damsel is your
last name. That is true. Go on your road and receive that what God
Almighty has...?...
Do you believe with all your heart? Jesus Christ God's Son has raised
from the dead. I declare that on the authority of God's Word. Do you
believe that He is here and can heal--has healed, past tense, every
person that's here? Are you ready to believe that and accept it? Put
your hands over on each other.
E-105 O God, our Father, Who raised up Jesus from the dead, I pray that
in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, at this moment, that You'll heal
every person in Divine Presence, cast out every evil spirit. And may
the healing power of Jesus Christ come upon this audience just now and
make every one of them well.
Satan, we take the initiative and cast you out. In Jesus Christ's Name,
you are defeated. And Christ make everyone well in Jesus' Name. Stand
and receive your healing. |