Sermon Texts (Adding Now)
Sermon Texts Beginning With E
Expectation (55-1001)
| Expectation (55-1001) |
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E-1 If--if the Lord had never honored another vision that I had, and never done nothing in the world, that's worth all of it. Every toil, and every good-bye to the family, and every heartache I've went through, and everything else, that's worth all of it right there. And they said there was a lady setting in a wheelchair last night, was called out of a wheelchair here. And they have it... Her talking about her on the phone--on the program this morning. And, I wonder if she's back in the building tonight? If the lady's here... Would you raise your hand, lady, if you're here. There she is, without the wheelchair. Let's say, "Thanks be to God." [Audience says, "Thanks be to God."--Ed.] God bless you, my dear sister, for obeying Jesus Christ. May His blessings always be with you is my prayer.
E-2 Think of some night when life is finished; Jesus finally comes and we go to meet Him in the air, and that great table is set a hundred thousand miles long. And around there, the old veterans of the--the field, setting around, look across the table to each other, see there my brother and sister setting there. We're just a bound to shed a little tear once in a while, when I reach across the table and take one of them by the hand. The tears of joy rolling down our cheeks, and then the King in His beauty will come out, and walk down along the table, and wipe the tears away from our eyes. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] Let that be our motives in having meetings and gathering together and talking about Him, let that be what we think of Him, to meet Him that night.
E-3 Not long ago, one of my managers, Mr. Baxter... Many of you know him, I suppose. He was quoting a little story that I always like. They was all riding bicycles; he was a Canadian. And they would ride bicycles, and they got pretty good, that they could ride without holding the handlebars. So the Schwinn, Schwinn (I think that is) Bicycle Company was going to give a prize to any boy in Vancouver that could ride a twelve inch plank a hundred yards without falling off.
E-4 He said, "Fellows, I tell you what you did." Said, "When you got on, and they give you a push, and you started off," said, "you was watching like this, trying to keep yourself on the board." Said, "That's what made you get wiggly, and nervous, and fall off." He said, "I never looked down there." said, "I watched the end and just kept my eyes on the end, and rode steady right to the end."
E-5 The Lord bless you now, and I understand that awhile ago I think they took a love offering, my boy told me, for me. I didn't want that, friends; I didn't come here for that. God knows that. But it's been a long time since I've had a meeting, and my expenses at home run about a hundred dollars a day. And I'm probably way overdrawed in the bank. And I will assure you this. I don't have capital to work on; I just work. And what I don't have when I pay off my debts, if I have any left over, and God in heaven knows it goes right to foreign missions, but what my heart bleeds for. Wish I had a week to stay here and preach foreign missions for you, and so forth, to see how it's needy. The big churches and things we have here; they have nothing. And how the hundreds of thousands coming to Christ...
E-6 Now, these handkerchiefs here, we pray for them. Now, I'm going to say this. Now, I don't have any programs to support. You hear so many brothers, or that's got big radio programs, internationally and things. They have to have a lot of money to support their program, so they say write to us. I know that's to get your address. But you don't... It's... I have a hard time keeping my letters answered to send prayer cloths and things. It's not for your address, no.
E-7 Now, while we pray for these handkerchiefs, shall we bow our heads just a moment. Our kind heavenly Father, we have come tonight, at the closing of this lovely little service here in Shawano, among these brethren and sisters who we've learned in these three days to love with fervent love. And setting here tonight after hearing the broadcast this morning, hearing the tape played back of a woman, that the great famous clinic turned down to die... But then Jesus came along just in time. Here she sets tonight, healthy, lovely. Oh, we're so happy for that. We know all of her people are happy for that. We're so glad that... I'm glad to get to even see her Father.
E-8 And Father, You're still the same Lord Jesus tonight, that healed the sick. And I pray that You'll grant it, healing to every one. Bless these people altogether.
Pass me not, O gentle Saviour,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
May every one receive a Divine touch from His hand tonight and be healed.And if there be any here, Father, who is not Your children, may they see You tonight in operation, and action, and reality. And may You speak at their heart, and may they say, "I'm tired of sinful life, knowing that I've got to leave the world someday." And may they come to find You as their dear beloved Saviour this night. We pray in Jesus' Name, Thy beloved Child. Amen.
E-9 Now, I know there's some standing around, and I--I feel for them that has to stand, and I know what it means. But now, I'm--I'm happy that you're here. And we just haven't the room; it's just a small auditorium, and we just for three days. And if God willing, and you want me to, someday I hope to come back to you to be--stay longer to have a--a meeting here among you people here in Wisconsin and around. You're very nice, and I love you.
E-10 And I don't carry my test; I just talk a little on the Scripture here, and there, and so forth, I have been the last few nights. But now, in Chicago, the Lord willing, beginning tomorrow, I'm going down, if God willing, to preach some for the--the church down there. You that live in Chicago, and is not attending any of these other revivals now, if you're not attending these other revivals and live in Chicago, then drop over to the Lane Tech Auditorium this coming week. They're having a convention in the city, and I speak each night there, will be very happy.
E-11 Now, in the Book of Saint Luke, the Gospel according to Saint Luke, in the 2nd chapter, just a little familiar Scripture to read, I read beginning with the--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 Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and with the parents that brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him after the custom of the law,
Then took he Him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
Lord, now lettest Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy Word:
For my eyes have seen thy salvation.
May the Lord add His blessings to the reading of His Word. It's Simeon, and then an old sage of the Bible. And if we'd take what we'd call a little text for a context, would be "Expectation."You know, usually, people get what you expect, don't you? You take, some people come to meetings, say, "You know what, I don't believe in nothing like that. I'm just going down; I know there's nothing to it." Well, the devil will certainly show you something; you're expecting it; he will show you something that--that's not right, something that the--that the--just what you expected. But if you expect to go down and to get good out of the meeting, God will show you something too. So you usually get just what you expect. So let's have our expectations high tonight. I see some wheelchairs here tonight, and a cot or two. And let's you and I build up our expectations that you're tomorrow are going to be walking like the woman was that was in the wheelchair last night. And you that's on the cot, the stretcher tonight, perhaps a hopeless case, but so was this woman here on a stretcher and a hopeless case. And let's build our faith up tonight with a great expectations that tomorrow we're going to be walking around here giving God praise like she is. You see?
E-12 And you do the same here sister. Now, your arthritis is nothing for God to heal; He can heal it you know. He can make it well, and He--He can do anything that He wants to (You see?), or anything that you'll let Him do. Your faith has to let Him do it. And now, see, you're mentally right, all of you here. But this poor little sister over here wasn't mentally right. She had such a pressure; she was conscious, and unconscious, and the pressure on the brain, and everything wrong, even to the famous Mayo Brothers could do nothing for her. But Jesus could. Then see? And her laying there in that condition, the sovereignty of God...
E-13 Now, just believe Him tonight, and He will do you the same way. For He's no respect of persons; He's respecting faith. God only will honor faith. Even your salvation sometimes won't--won't atone for your healing. Not the merits of your salvation, you're not healed by that; you're healed by the merit of your faith. See?
E-14 Now, we're going to speak a little tonight about to be expecting, what you can expect to receive. And let's have our expectations high. And now, and the--for the next few moments I want to speak on that.
E-15 As I said today to a friend, "It's the atmosphere." That's what it is. You want to... If you want to get a great healing service here tonight, let's have a great atmosphere of belief, believing you're going to be healed. See? Now, no matter how real Jesus would be here at the platform, or out there, He couldn't heal you unless the atmosphere is right for your healing. See?
E-16 If... How many knows Brother Bosworth? I know you all do. He's quite a fellow for jokes, and not bad, good jokes. But it not--I mean what the world calls... The American people are a whole lot that way; they're looking for entertainment. That's the reason today our churches is got so much off of the line, is because they got a whole lot of Hollywood evangelism. That's right, a whole lot of glamour boys out, acting and going through a lot of going on, and trying to decorate up, and put on a lot of psychology, when I'm the one type that like the old fashion Blood-washed Gospel, that can really bring the Gospel out. That's right.
E-17 At Fort Wayne recently, they... You all, that take this "We The People," they wrote up an article, the Lord did, in my meeting up there for Him, of a little blind girl being healed. You Assembly of God people, it come out in your "Evangel" and so forth. And so that night we come from the platform, a little clubfooted baby was made straight, and a--and a little blind girl received her sight. And so they'd put it in the "Evangel," and in "We The People," that speaks on religions and so forth. It's a... Goes over the world and the events on things and it writes it up. E-18 Huh. I said, "Brother, you know what? I love you." But I said, "I tell you, them people don't care whether I say 'polpit' or 'pulpit.' They want me to preach the Gospel in the plainness and produce what I'm talking about." I said, "That's exactly what they are. And they know I'm just an old sassafras, farmer anyhow, so I--I can't be nothing that I'm not; so I just have to talk like that. So you excuse it like that; it's the only way I know." So, but one thing I do know, Jesus saved me, and I love Him with all my heart. And He promised me a home in glory, and I'm looking forward to it. And I want to take as many as I can, telling this good news of what He did."
E-19 Now, and now, you remember, that you don't have to wait now for a evangelistic service or a person coming through praying for the sick, you have a right yourself. Remember, gifts and callings are wonderful; but remember, here is the greatest thing that God gave the world outside of Jesus Christ, is the Bible. And do you know what? The Word of God will defeat the devil any place, anywhere, anytime, on his own ground. Did you know that? The Word of God alone...
E-20 And when He was here on earth, and He went in... After He was filled with the Spirit at the baptism of John, He went into the wilderness, was tempted forty days; coming out, the devil met Him. He was 'course, just the antetype of Moses. And he tempted Moses on his weak point. And Moses with his temper, he broke all the commandments. And it showed that the priesthood would be broken.
E-21 He took Him up on the top of the pinnacle of the temple and said, "If You'll cast Yourself down here, while, give the angles charge concerning Thee," and so forth.
E-22 Do you realize that the very earth that you're setting over tonight, is nothing more than the Word of God. Did you know God made the world out of His own spoken Word? If you didn't, where did He get the material? He said, "Let there be." And it materialized and made a world. "Let there be." And there was light. "Let there be." And He believed His own Word. And His own Word brought the earth into creation. He made the world out of things which was not and does not appear, yet He made the earth that you're setting over tonight. He made the chair that you're setting on tonight; His spoken Word brought the material into the earth, the Word of God. Amen. You begin to think how little we are, and how poorly, and--and--and how little it is to disbelieve God's Word, when everything that we see was made by His spoken Word. He spoke it into existence.
E-23 When standing not long ago, looking through a glass down there on Mount Palomar, I could see a hundred and twenty million years of light space. Break that down into miles and see how far it would be. And beyond that was still moons, and stars, and worlds. And my Father spoke those into existence, the same One that sent His Son here to die, that you might believe His Word. And you cannot believe His Word correctly until you're borned of the Spirit of God. That's deep, and it's hard, but it's correct.
E-24 Now, God is not known by intellectual faith. God is known by the experience of new birth, only alone. Jesus said, "Except a man be born again of the Spirit of God, he cannot even see the Kingdom of God." Now, any Bible scholar here knows that the word "see" there does not mean "look with your eye." It means "understand."
E-25 And then He will reveal Himself to you just as He knows you have need of. Now, there's two things in you that--that draws the opinion. First there's an intellectual part, which is your mental part. And the next is your soul. You have a soul and a mind. And the...
E-26 Now, your intellectual faith will reason. You'll say, "Now, I know the Bible teaches that, certainly. But let me think now, the days of miracles is past. Pastor said so, somebody said so. I--I believe that this day we don't have that." Now, see, you're using intellectual faith. And that intellectual faith will reason with God's Word, but a borned again experience from the heart will not reason; it will say, "God's Word's right. There's no more to do with it; it's right." Because something down here that says it itself; you have nothing to do with it. It's God in the heart.
E-27 But the trouble of it today, we've leaned altogether on education and have adopted it instead of salvation. We don't need today... You know what's happened? We've substituted then the old fashion upper room to receive the Holy Spirit, for a supper room to sell soups and things to pay the preacher with, when we don't need that. We need back to the Bible, to the old fashion Holy Spirit, good old time Saint Paul's revival and the Bible Holy Ghost, is what we need back in the church again tonight. It's right.
E-28 Here an experience I had recently with a woman. There was a woman who lived in a neighborhood. She was raised up a good woman. And she was raised in a fine home, although she went to church; but she never become what we'd know to be a Christian, being borned again, though she was very loyal in the church, and she was the pianist in the church. And she married a fine boy that hung around the church there, and he was a good boy. And they lived together for awhile.
E-29 The first preacher that ever gets a child is a mother. There's four, five Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and mother. And a mother should be a Spirit filled woman, who can teach her children, and teach them to pray and to know about God, and so forth. Instead of that, they give them to a babysitter and run all night long. And then go to Sunday school on Sunday morning and call themselves Christians.
E-30 And how today that we've got away from that. It's a... They go to the--the church. And this woman, she went into the church out there. She done a very good job; she was a piano player. And after while, she begin to notice the women in her neighborhood begin to dress immodestly, how they get out and mow their yards with them little old clothes on. I hope there's none of them here tonight. And it's a disgrace to you, sister. God be merciful to your sinful soul. What else would do that but an evil spirit full of lust. You don't want to think that, but that's exactly. The only person that ever stripped their clothes in the Bible was a maniac. That's right. Put on your clothes and act like a lady. Your husband ought to be whipped for letting you do it in the beginning.
E-31 That's what's the matter, pastor. What's the matter, our people will go to hell is because you let down the Gospel in the pulpit; that's exactly what it is. If you keep those little old rosary things out of the pulpit and preach the Gospel, the power of God unto salvation, have an old fashion altar call and have people cleaned up in their life, it would be different. It would be examples set forth in Christianity. That's right. But we've let down the bar somewhere.
We've let down the bars;
We've compromised with sin;
We let down the bars;
The sheep got out,
But how did the goats get in?
You let down the bars; that's just simple. That's the only thing it is. They could join church today and live any kind of life or anything. But I tell you one thing; you can't be borned again and live any kind of a life. You'll live for Jesus Christ when you're borned again. And you'll act like a man. And you'll conduct yourself as a real Christian, if you're borned again of the Spirit of God.
E-32 So this woman, finally, she got--fell in love with a man, neighbor. And she left her husband, and run off, and married this man, and continued playing the piano in the church. And after while, she left him and married another one. And she thought she was doing all right.
E-33 Now, she went on. And after while, she was called, or the pastor of our church was called to her bedside to pray for her. Well, she was laying there smoking cigarettes and everything, living in the house, a common law wife, and he said, "Sister, is everything all right with your soul to die?"
E-34 Now, the doctor can shoot a hypo in her arm and keep you from screaming. "Oh, she's excited"; said the pastor, "she's not lost. Give her a hypo."
E-35 That's what Simeon did, this old man we're speaking of. He was an old man, eighty years old, had a great standing among the people, an old sage, white beard. And just before the coming of the Lord Jesus, the first time, the church had got all formal and indifferent, just about like it has again.
E-36 Look at the virgin Mary, when she was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, what her attitude was. Look at the priest just before him, John the Baptist's father. When he was told in the temple that he--his wife was going to bear a child after she was old, why, he had plenty of examples. But he reasoned; he said, "How can these things be? She's old, and so forth, and it can't be."
E-37 But look at Mary, when the Holy Ghost told her, "You're going to have a child, knowing no man." She didn't reason it. She just took Him at his Word. There you are. And she went around testifying that she was going to have a baby, knowing no man, before she was positive of anything. Oh, I hope you see it. She took God at His Word. She didn't wait. Excuse this expression. You'd listen to a doctor; I'm your brother. She didn't wait till she felt life; she didn't wait till something taken place, that she could see naturally that she was going to be mother. She just took the Angel's Word. When the Angel said, "You're going to have this baby knowing no man..." E-38 The promise was given to Abraham. When he was seventy-five years old, he was living in Shinar there, come down in the land--the valleys of Shinar, rather, come from Babylon with his father, and was living down there, and--and the city of Ur in the land of Chaldean. And he was seventy-five years old; his wife was sixty-five, he had lived with her since she was about seventeen, and she was barren. And the Lord appeared to him and said, "Abraham, you're going to have a child by Sarah."
E-39 And Abraham believed God, and made ready for the birth of the baby. And the baby never come for twenty-five years. But instead of Abraham getting weaker, he got stronger all the time, giving God praise for the baby. And here he is now a hundred years old and Sarah's ninety. But every day that it went longer, the greater miracle it'd be. And the Bible said, "He got stronger and stronger, giving God praise." The...?...
E-40 Abraham going around testifying, "Going to have the baby anyhow. Coming..." Fifteen years passed, no baby yet. Twenty years passed, no baby yet. Twenty-five years passed, no baby yet.
E-41 You know, I feel religious right now; I really do. I wasn't expecting this. But to think of God... We call those things... Abraham called those things which was not, as though they were. He didn't look at the natural thing; he looked at the unseen. He looked by eyes of faith what God said. And what God said, God would keep. He knowed He could keep it. So he believed it and testified of things that he didn't see, as though they were already happened.
E-42 You know, some people has great big faith like that; they can be healed in a moment. Some has faith that much, can be healed in a week. Some has mustard seed faith; takes them a long time, but just follow it; it's genuine; it'll bring you to the Light; just hold on to it and keep moving. And it--it'll bring you out; you just keep holding on to that faith; it'll bring you through, if it's real mustard seed, you know. Mustard don't mix with nothing; it's genuine. You can mix kale with spinach and so forth, but you can't mix mustard with nothing. And when they... Mustard stays mustard.
E-43 So we--Simeon, he went along; he wasn't... Now, he had a great prestige, but he wasn't ashamed of his prestige if it was contrary to the people's ideas. Well, somebody'd say, "Looky, poor old Simeon, you know what? He's just a little bit off now. You know, here we are; we're in captivity. Look at the churches today. Why, we know the days of miracles is past. And here that old man, with one foot in the grave, eighty something years old, and still saying he's going to see the Christ, when even David hundreds and hundreds--eight hundred years ago, said he wanted to see Him. And--and Elijah back before that, and plumb on back to Adam, they looked for Him. And here he is with one foot in the grave and the church all tore up like it is now, and everything, and the days of miracles all ceased out and everything. And yet he says..." He believes it.
E-44 And have you got the promise? Absolutely. "The promise is unto you, and to your children, and them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." The promise is still the same. That's right. To "whosoever will, let him come and drink from the waters--fountain of waters of life freely." For it's for "whosoever will." You can, you're--you're invited to come, wanted, and expected to be here. That's right. See?
E-45 The red--Nobody else seen it, because no one was expecting it but them. They got what they expected. They was watching for the star where Balaam said, their prophet, that there'd be a star of Jacob rise, and they was looking for it. And so they followed the star and found the Christ. E-46 So after eight days, Jesus being born, well then Mary she come to the temple to offer the sacrifice, which was a custom after eight days every male child had to be brought and circumcised. And they had to offer an offering for her purification; that was according to the custom of the law. Let's take a little drama here so the little children can understand. It's Monday morning at the temple and I see the virgin Mary coming with her little baby, and she's got a peasants offering. A peasants offering was two turtledoves. Now, a rich baby could offer a lamb, 'cause they had flocks and herds. But Jesus, they had two turtledoves.
E-47 And now, all the babies coming along in their fine needlework, the mother's standing real finely dressed with little needlework with their babies, you know, little pink and gowns and so forth, on them. But there stood the little virgin with the baby wrapped in swaddling's cloth. You know what swaddling's cloth is? It's what goes on the back of a yoke of an ox when you're plowing with them; it's rags that's wrapped over the--the yoke. And they was hanging in the manger, so they just unwrapped that, Joseph and them did, and wrapped Jesus in it. Think of it, the King of glory, the King of [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... somebody. Would you think of it.
E-48 She held that baby in her arms. She didn't care what the people said; she knowed who's baby that was. In her heart she knew that that was God's child. And every one that's borned of the Spirit of God, you might be called fanatic; you might be called that insulting name of holy-roller. You might be called anything like that, but in your heart, if you've ever cradled Christ, you don't care what they say. Don't make any difference. They can say, "Look at them." Sure you're marked." Right. She was too. Kept their distance from her, "Back, don't get around her."
E-49 So the line moved on up; the babies being circumcised and the mother's offering for their purification, and her bring her little doves along, which probably cost a few farthings. And she brought the doves for the--her purification according to the law.
E-50 And all at once the Holy Spirit is absolutely obligated, if He give him promise to see the Christ, and the Christ is in the temple, He's obligated to bring Simeon before the promise, is that right? Sure. So I can see the Holy Spirit say, "Simeon, stand on your feet." Oh, my. You believe men of God are led by the Spirit of God? Sure, they are. Simeon stands up, not knowing where he's going, "Yes, Lord, I hear Your voice. What do You want me to do?"
E-51 How many believes in Divine healing? Why are you here tonight? Because you believe; there's something inside of you that tells you there's Divine healing, is that right? If it wasn't even written in the Bible, it would still be a Divine healing. If there's a deep in here calling, there's got to be a deep to respond to it. David said, "At the noise of Thy waterspouts..." the deep calling to the deep...
E-52 And here not long ago I read in the paper where a little baby eat--eat the... Little boy about eight years old, it was, eat the erasers off his pencils in school, eat his erasers up. And he come home, find him eating a pedal off his bicycle. And so they taken him down to a doctor, and they taken him into the clinic and examined him, and the doctor examined his blood and everything. And he come to find out his little body was wanting sulfur, and sulfur's in rubber.
E-53 When our forefathers, the pilgrims, landed over here on Plymouth Rock, they found the Indians; they were worshipping the sun. They were worshipping images. Why? When I went into the Hottentots of Africa, I found the little mud idols, the worshipping, sprinkled in blood. Why? They're human beings; there's something in them that tells them there's a Creator: deep calling to the deep. And if there's a deep calling, there's got to be a deep to respond to it.
E-54 And tonight you're craving Divine healing, because God's Bible said so. Something in you tells you there's a Divine healing. And as sure as there's something in you craving for Divine healing, there's a fountain open somewhere. And the same Holy Ghost, that give Simeon the promise and led him to the Christ, has led you here tonight, for Divine healing where the fountain is open for every one of you. Deep calling to the deep, there's a respond. And when you see it, oh, you'll bathe in it.
E-55 Simeon, led by the Holy Spirit, here he comes, not knowing where he's going. Men who walk with God don't care where they're going, as long as they're following the Holy Spirit. And he walked out into the building. I can see the old sage as he walks around; he--he don't know where he's going, so the Holy Ghost is leading him. I see him go over to this line of women. Here he comes down this line of women, looking at each little baby. He comes to this woman, standing by herself, that the rest of them's making fun of. He stops; he looks over in her arms. He picks up this little bundle of love, wrapped in swaddling's cloth, pulled Him up to his bosom, the tears running down his cheeks, and said, "Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your Word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation."
E-56 At the same time, over in the temple was an old prophetess, a woman, the virgin Ann. She was blind; she'd been blind for years. She was around eighty years old. And she stayed in the temple and prayed day and night. For she too, was looking for the consolation of Israel, the coming of the Lord. And there she is in the corner, blind. And the same time, her looking for the coming of Christ and blind and couldn't see, the Holy Spirit spoke to her, said, "Rise up, Ann."
E-57 Everywhere God moves, anytime through the Bible, you'll see healing, miracles, signs, and wonders. He leaves a track behind Him of the supernatural. I don't care what theologians say; the Bible is right. When God moves, the world shakes. And when He moves at every revival they've ever had, and the breaking out of the first reformation in Luther's day they had healings, in the days of Wesley they had healings, in the days of Calvin, Knox, Finney, Sankey, all the way down through; and today He's no less than He was then. If anything, He's greater today than He was then. Hallelujah. I'm not excited; I know what I'm speaking of: led of the Spirit.
E-58 And I was staying there that night, and I prayed. And the next morning when I got up, they told me, said, "Now, you be ready Reverent Branham; they'll pick you up, the limousine, at seven o'clock.
I'm people almost everywhere,
Whose hearts are all on flame
With the power that fell at Pentecost,
That cleansed and made them clean;
Oh, it's burning now within my heart,
Oh, glory to His name!
I'm so glad I can say I'm one of them.
E-59 Going along, I was just learning it. And I was going down the street sin--and something said, "Stop a minute." Well, I thought maybe it was just my thought. And it got a reality and I stopped. I thought, "What is it?"
E-60 And I got out there, and got down amongst the colored people. And I happened to come down the street, walking like that, and I seen leaning across a little old whitewashed fence, a typical old Aunt Jemima with a man's shirt pinned around her head; she was leaning across the fence, them big black cheeks looking up that way. When she seen me coming, the tears was in her eyes. She said, "Good morning, parson." That was in the South; they call a preacher parson. Said, "Good morning, parson."
E-61 And I patted her on her back, and her back was still wet with dew. I said, "Auntie, my name is Branham." I said, "I pray for the sick, did you ever hear of me?"
E-62 I looked at that, I thought, "What do you know." Then in the little old iron poster bed, was a great big boy, about a hundred and eighty pounds, going, "whuum, whuum, whuum." I said, "What's the matter with him?"
E-63 Oh, I thought, no matter how much disgrace he'd got into, how big and burly he was; he was, to mother's heart, still her baby. And I thought, "God, if that mother can overlook that and kiss him, and say it's her baby, how much more would You do us? When You said 'A mother may forget her suckling babe, but I can't forget you; you're engraved on the palms of My hand.'" I thought, "What love." She kissed him and hugged him. And I said, "Auntie, will you bow for prayer?"
E-64 And I got down, I said, "Heavenly Father, I don't know why I'm here; my airplane's been gone for about two hours now." And I said, "Why You led me down here, I don't know; this is the only place I've come to, so, surely this is where You've led at." I said, "I--I was expecting You to lead me somewhere, and she was expecting me to be here. So, I--I pray God, that You'll be merciful and spare the boy's life."
E-65 About six or eight months after that, nearly a year, I was coming through on a train. As you know in Memphis, how you pull up this way; I run up to get me a hamburger; it's too much... charge too much on the train to eat. So, I--I had to go over and get me a hamburger after the train stopped. And I run up there to get me a hamburger, and I was going up I heard somebody holler, "Hey, parson Branham." I looked out there and there was a redcap. He said, "Hello there," big black boy, his teeth shining; said, "How are you?" Said, "You don't know me, do you?"
E-66 Some of these days when life is over, my last prayer is prayed, I'm minutes from the last time to close my Bible, when the death angel's standing in the room, and the old vapor of the river Jordan's floating in my face, I'm going to expect Him to be there. When I go through the valley of the shadow of death, He will be there; don't worry; He promised He'd be there; and I'm relying on it. I am believing it. I will work till He comes. The Lord bless you while we pray.
E-67 While we have our heads bowed, I wonder, anywhere in the building, if there'd be someone, such a person, who really hasn't been borned again and would like for me to remember you. If He will help me here to make the cripple to walk and the blind to see and the deaf to hear, surely, He'd hear my prayer for your soul. And you know, you've never received Christ in that manner and been borned again, you want me to remember you in a word of prayer, will you raise up your hand, in the building? God bless you, you. Oh, my, just look everywhere, everywhere.
E-68 Now, while you have your heads bowed, I'm going to remember you in prayer, and as soon as this service is over, I want you to come up around the altar and speak personally to Christ about it, won't you? Christians, join with me in a word of prayer now.
E-69 Father, I pray that every one that raised their hand, that You'll give them an experience this very night of witnessing Jesus Christ resurrection from the dead; that He's alive, here among us tonight. And He will save them and fill them with His Holy Spirit. Many didn't have courage to raise their hand; I know that, Lord; Thou knows it too. I pray also that You'll bless them. Grant it.
E-70 And now, dear Jesus, as we go into the service to pray for the sick, may every person, now with these words in their heart, may the Holy Ghost come. May Jesus walk into this building just now. May the great Pillar of Fire, that led the children of Israel, sway over this pulpit tonight, come down, prove the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, that people will be without an excuse then.
E-71 May the Lord bless you all real richly is my sincere prayer. Tomorrow's Sunday; you don't go to Sunday school, probably till late. You Catholic people probably go to early mass and whatever it is, but you'll be able to make one of them. And I--I hate to hold you, and you're standing. But I just felt like talking to you. You're such a lovely audience, and I pray that you'll receive the words now and be expecting to be healed. I want to ask you something, just in a moment, while we--'fore we call the prayer line to be prayed for.
E-72 Now, for about two minutes let's go through it. What was His ministry? Did He go around, and say, "Bring me somebody, and I will heal them?" Never did He say that. He said, "I can't do nothing. It's not Me that doeth the works; it's My Father that dwelleth in Me; He doeth the works." Is that true?
E-73 He told the woman at the well, after talking to her, where her sins was and what she'd done, and--and so forth. He went in to the pool of Bethesda, where great multitudes of lame, halt, blind, withered was laying there (Saint John 5). And as He--He... A couple days before that a woman touched His garment and went and stood off out in the audience. Jesus looked around over the audience, He said--she--He said, "Somebody touched Me."
E-74 Now, your faith pulls from the gift of God, just like He was the great Gift of God. And this gift here is just a small amateur gift, but it's of God just the same. So your faith operates it, not mine; yours is the one who does it. It wasn't Jesus' faith that healed that woman; He said, "Thy faith has saved thee." Thy faith did it. Her--her faith operated the gift of God that was in Him.
E-75 There two different kinds of love spoke of in the Bible, you know that? In the Greek word, you that's scholars here, one of them is called phileo, and the other one's called agapao. Phileo is earthly love, we have one for another. Now, that would... You love your wife, but the love that you have for her would... If another man insulted her, you'd kill the man for it (See?), because that's phileo love.
E-76 And then He went through there, full of compassion, and He passed by those lame, halt, withered, moved right on through, till He found the man laying on a pallet, little quilt on the floor, little bed. And he had prostate trouble, or something, as we'd call it. He had it thirty-eight years; wasn't going to kill him. He could walk like other men. But He said, "Wilt thou be made whole?"
E-77 Now watch. Jesus knew that he was laying there, and He knew that he had been in this condition. Is that what the Bible said? Jesus knew. Then the Jews questioned Him. Saint John 5:19, I am now. Listen what Jesus said. Now, wonder the Jews probably said; like they would tonight, "Go and heal that one, and I will believe it." That's the same thing Satan said, "Turn this stone in--into bread. Come down off the cross, and we will believe You." "Perform a miracle before me, and let me see it." God never did or never will do that. No, sir; He doesn't do it that way.
E-78 But God didn't do it that way. He went to a man that only had a prostate trouble, or something that he had thirty-eight years, and healed him, and walked away. So they questioned Him. They do the same thing today. Now, listen to what Jesus said; Jesus said, "Verily, verily... (That word 'verily' is 'absolutely, absolutely'), I say unto you, The Son can do nothing in Himself, but what He sees the Father doing: that doeth the Son likewise." Saint John 5:19, is that right?
E-79 And what He did yesterday, He stood in the audience; what the Father showed Him to do, He did it; He spoke. He--He could... The... Jesus said that He knew their thoughts. Jesus perceived their thoughts, is that Scripture? Oh, why reason you? Your faith has healed you." Thy faith has made blind Bartimaeus there whole, all of these things like that. And when the people was brought to Him, He did just as the Father showed Him.
E-80 Father, now in the Name of the Lord Jesus, after the resurrection, Cleopas and his friend went walking down to a city. And on the road down there a Stranger stepped out and begin talk to him. They talked all day long, and He explained the Scriptures to them. They didn't know it was He. And when He drew near to the city, He made as if He would go on. But they bid Him to come in and abide with them. And when once in the house and the door shut behind them, He did something. It was different from what a ordinary man done. He did it His way, and the people knew that it was Him. And oh, how they run from Emmaus, all the way back up to Jerusalem to tell them, "The Lord has risen indeed, 'cause we seen Him."
E-81 Did you give prayer cards out over at the church today? [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] Look on the back of it; it's got my... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]... you... Just now take yourself, any of you out there, and put you here before this woman with about, at least fifteen hundred or sixteen hundred people setting here tonight, looking right down, and Satan, moving around trying to make one flaw if he can... Put yourself here in my position now.
E-82 Those tonight who held up their hands accepting Jesus, serve Him, maybe thirty, forty of them did. But look, friends, they couldn't have held up their hands 'less God called them. Jesus said, "No man can come to Me, except the Father calls him first. And all that comes I will give him Everlasting Life." Now, they're babies, just beginning. Now, they want to know Who this Christ is that they've accepted. They've heard of Buddha; they've heard of idols. They've heard of other religions, and so forth, outside of Christianity, but Who's This that they've just accepted, Christ? They did it by faith.
E-83 Now, here we are, in this little handful of people, but the resurrected Jesus Christ, Who represents Christianity, is here tonight to prove that our thoughts... All of you Christians, you're on the right side, absolutely. You can't fail; you're in Christ.
E-84 Now, this woman, believing her to be a righteous woman. And now, she is a Christian, or it done been told me. If God will tell me what she's here for, just like He did the woman at the well, like He did all through the Bible, will you believe then that Jesus really has risen from the dead and is here tonight? Will you do it? Will you just raise your hand and say, "I will do it, if I know... If it can be proven to me, it'll take all the skeptic out of my mind." Now, may the Lord grant it.
E-85 Now, sister, as I turn to you, knowing that you are a Christian, 'cause as soon as the Holy Spirit just a few moments ago... I want to ask you something, there was a strange feeling come to you there just kinda like a sacred feeling, isn't that right? Even to bring tears to your eyes... That's right. That's when the anointing struck me, the Angel of God you see on the paper, that He's here now. That's what you feel right now. Such a sweet feeling, no one, oh, if you could just only feel this wonderful, heavenly atmosphere. It's His presence.
E-86 Now, sister, being a stranger to you, never seen you in my life. Then if God will let me know what you come here for, and will tell me something that you know that I don't know nothing about, you'll know it has to come through supernatural power. But will you believe it's the Lord Jesus and will accept whatever you're after, as He gives it to you and will believe Him, that I've represented Him right? Now, I've been speaking about Him and telling what He is, now it's Him to reveal to me, isn't that right?
E-87 Now, I do not know what I said to the woman; that wasn't me talking; that was that Angel you see on that picture. Now, whatever He said, test it and see if it's truth or not. Now, if that anointing is here, and I lay my hands on the woman... When the last words that ever come from Jesus' mouth, He said, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel; he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. These signs shall follow them that believe." The last thing He said, "If they lay their hands on the sick they shall recover." Is that right? Then whatever it is, I pray for sister while you pray too. Would you come close, sister.
E-88 Lady setting right back there, right back at the end of the row there, has got heart trouble, setting there looking at me like that. Don't fear; your faith saved you just then. You believe with all your heart? Do you? If you do, you may have your healing. Thank you...?...
E-89 Now, the man before me, isn't Jesus the same? What happened? The woman's faith, she was praying; it touched Jesus, not me. But we are His... Our lips are the only lips He's got on earth. Our hands is the only hands He's got. "I will be with you, even in you..." manifesting Hisself to the world. "Things that I do shall you also." Just using our lips to speak...
E-90 Now, the man standing here, good evening, dad. We are strangers to each other, aren't we, brother? I have never seen you in my life. And I'd imagine if my father was living tonight, he'd be about your age. He was kind of a man about your size. Dad, I'd give the world tonight if he was standing where you are. I will never see him no more on this earth; he's gone on. But God rest his soul, his gallant soul in peace.
E-91 Now, this man, if the audience can hear me; I don't know how loud I speak, but I'm somewhere else. I know I'm on a platform, but I'm also standing at a hospital. The man has been operated on; it was for a--a hernia. And he had two operations. And one of them hurt him real bad, and that was the first one. The second one wasn't so bad. And you are a married man; your wife, she's here, and she's got trouble with her leg. And you got a boy, and the boy's a middle aged man, and he's had polio; and he's got crippled hand. And he's here with you tonight. Those things are true; do you believe?
E-92 Brother Wood, if you would come here and stand by me if you will for a few minutes, to kindy help, if they would.
E-93 Wouldn't hurt you, sir. I will show you something that you might not know. To the lady that had the trouble with her knee, lay your hand on the lady next to you, 'cause she's suffering with a gall bladder trouble. That's right, isn't it, lady? If it is, raise up your hand. All right. Now, lady, you lay your hand over on her. Now, in Jesus' Name may it never bother you again. That you might know too, the lady setting next to you has a neck trouble, back trouble. That's right, isn't it, lady? If that's right, raise up your hand? Amen. He's here.
E-94 Howdy do, sir. We're strangers to each other, I suppose, sir. I don't know you, but God does know you, doesn't He? E-95 Now, the man moves from me (if the audience can hear me). The man is here for somebody else. It's his wife, and she's in a hospital. And they's something--they got bandages wrapped around her legs. And she's got some kind of a breaking out all over. And you've come tonight to stand for her. And that you might know that I be God's servant, His prophet, you suffer also. And it's a stomach condition. Your stomach burns all the time. It's because you're so nervous and worried. It's an ulcer in the bottom pit of your stomach. Sometimes when you belch, you're--you get keep so sensitive, like that, with sour belches. And then you've got a stopped up tubes up in here, in your passage. That's the truth, isn't it? Do you believe you're going to go home and find what you've ask for? Then go and receive it, in the Name of Jesus Christ...?... God bless you. E-96 Thanks be to God Who gives us the victory. If you'll only believe, you'll see the lame walking in a few minutes, the | ||||||