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Sermon Texts Beginning With F
From The Beginning It Wasn't So (59-1125)
| From The Beginning It Wasn't So (59-1125) |
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E-1 Thank you, Brother...?... You may be seated. I have noticed each night that many of the peoples have put their handkerchiefs up here to be prayed over. I certainly appreciate your confidence. And I do pray over them, and one of our--greatest part of our ministry is praying over the handkerchiefs.
E-2 And I remember one night there was an old Mexican dad come across the platform, and he didn't have on any shoes. His trousers were all torn off, and his--had an old hat in his hand, sewed up with twine cord, an old coat, no shirt on, gray beard over his face, and he was blind. And I thought when he come, "That's perhaps somebody's daddy, and maybe the enemy's been so cruel to him..." He... The people in Mexico don't get to live like we do here. Their economics are very poorly balanced.
E-3 And you know, you have to enter into the suffering of a person to have feelings for them. If it ever gets to a place that I can't feel sorry for the sick, then it's time for me to leave the platform, praying for them. It's when I get to a place that I can't feel the burden of sin on the people, then it's time for me to get away from here, because I could never do no--no good for God. It's the feeling you have for the people. You know, it's a love that you can project to the people that they know you love them and they love you, and you can feel it. And there's something that happens then.
E-4 And then, just a little after that, I was trying... Billy come to me, and he said, "Daddy, you--you'll have to say something yourself," said, "there's a little Mexican woman standing out there," said, "no one can hold her." Said, "There's twenty-five men can't even hold her." And she had a dead baby, had died that morning. And so the little fellow... It was drizzling rain. And the mother, young, beautiful little Spanish mother, looked to be in her twenties, twenty-three, twenty-five. And the ushers couldn't hold her; she'd climb right over the top of them, this baby under her arm. And so, I said to Brother Moore, I said, "Go down there and offer prayer. How long's the baby been dead?"
E-5 And so he started over; that's Brother Jack Moore. Many of you remember him, with me on my first journey up the coast here. And he went over to pray for her. And I looked out over that great audience there, out in the open, a big place like--about the size of the bullring, but it wasn't as--as... It wasn't there because the church wouldn't let us have it there. So then, I looked out and I saw a little baby that was laying on something, and it just raised up and started gooing and jumping its little hands up and down. I knew what was going to happen. So I said, "Just a minute, Brother Moore, maybe I'd better see her."
E-6 And I just laid my hands on the little baby. Now, the God of heaven Who's Book this is, knows that it's true. Laid my hands on the bla--the blanket; the little baby was beneath the blanket. I couldn't make the little lady understand what I meant. And she was a hollering, what is that? "Padre," is that what... "Pa--Padre, Padre, Padre."
E-7 And the next night, I could hardly see over the rick of clothes laying there to be prayed over, of those poor people. How they ever knowed which was which. Now, I've got a lot of Mexican friends setting here. I'm not saying this to make--look bad, but they're real poor down in that country. And the old ragged coats, and old shawls from the mothers, tore all to pieces, laying just piled in ricks that high, all the way up and down there. Just piled them on top of each other there, to be prayed over, because then, they believed.
E-8 Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a day that's set aside where our pilgrim forefathers set that day aside to give thanks to God for what we had--what He had done for us, for blessing them, giving them crops and so forth. It's one real American day. All the other days, like Saint Patrick's, and so forth, come from across the seas. But this is an American holiday: Thanksgiving Day. E-9 We're just a little late tonight and I'm changing my subject just a little bit because I don't want to keep you long. And we're going to pray for the sick. And just before we open the Bible, let's bow our heads just a moment to speak to the Author. E-10 Lord, that little woman laying that handkerchief up here a few moments ago brought back memories. Many of those precious people down there, I--I cannot even speak their language, but someday on the other side we'll all speak one language. I'll see them there, can talk to them. I trust, Lord, that You'll send me back to them, seeing they're so needy. Bless them tonight, Father, and around the world. I think of India, and--and of the Asia and Europe, and the islands everywhere, poor precious people, some of them not even knowing which is right and left hand. But to see them by the tens of thousands walk up and surrender their lives to the Lord Jesus when they seen His great living Presence. A God that missionaries had told them about, become a reality to them just in a few moments when they seen Him move on the scene and begin to show Himself alive after two thousand years; proving that He is their Redeemer. How we thank You for that, Father.
E-11 And here we are tonight, right in the midst of civilization, a great fabulous town here, a town of San Jose in the state of California. And civilization traveling from the east has gone westward and here we are at the west coast, last places. Then east and west will meet again. The prophet said, "There'll be a day when it won't be neither night nor day, but in the evening time it shall be light." And the same sun that rises in the east, sets in the west.
E-12 And now, Father, we pray tonight, that He will manifest Himself to us again tonight, saving the lost, filling with the Spirit those who are hungering and thirsting for righteousness, healing the sick and afflicted. Lord, last night when I was going from the building, seeing the first wheelchair that I've seen yet leave this building with someone in it since the meeting's been going on, my heart jumped. Right in the middle of the road I wanted to jump out and pray for the woman. But they tell me she was in the back and I didn't see her. I pray, Father, if that woman's here tonight anywhere, that You'll take her from that wheelchair as You have the others this week. May there not be one wheelchair, or cot, stretcher case, or anything left tonight. May they all be healed and go out of here rejoicing, shine forth Your Presence, Lord. Tomorrow make it a real Thanksgiving Day for them, something fresh and new that they have tasted the power of God and the resurrection of Christ.
E-13 May the Lord add His blessings farther as we go now. And we'll speak to you just a little bit from a text that's found in Saint Matthew 19th chapter and the 8th verse. And now, we'll try not to be but about fifteen or twenty minutes on the text and then go to the prayer line. I wish to read this verse, that is the 8th verse, reads like this.
And he said unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it wasn't so.
Now, I want to take that last part of the verse for a text: "From The Beginning It Wasn't So." You know when He came to the earth in His first visitation, He found that the teachers of His day was teaching things that wasn't so. I wonder if He returned tonight if He wouldn't find about the same, teaching things that wasn't so. Did you notice He said, "It--it wasn't so from the beginning."
E-14 Now, God, as we have taught Him that He is infinite. And Brother Gene, I hope you're getting this tape; it'll be short, but catch it please. That's my--one of my precious brothers, the tape boy. God is infinite. We all believe that. And when God says anything, it must forever be that way. Don't never lose that precious treasure from your heart. That when God says anything He cannot alter it; He cannot improve it; it's perfectly spoke; and it will be forever that way. If God is eternal and infinite, His Word is just like He is.
E-15 So when God said that at the beginning, it can never be changed by anything. Therefore, you can rest assure, that if you believe this Word to be God's Word, whatever God says it is absolutely perfect and can never be changed. Jesus said, "Heavens and earth will pass away, but My Word shall never pass away."
E-16 So Jesus found the teachers of His day, teaching things that wasn't so. And I believe if He come today He'd perhaps find the same thing going on. He'd find that there were people in the world... We're sorry to have to say it, but there would be people in the world trying to teach that, "Oh, them things was for another day." But they're not for another day. The Bible said that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. That settles it. E-17 Man perverts things. That's what man is. A man is a--in his fallen estate is worse than animal. Do you believe that? It proves it. Men will do things that an animal won't do. There is man. Now, man is not muscles. Say, "Oh, he is a man." I've seen men that weighed two hundred pounds didn't have an ounce of man about them. Man is not measured by his muscles; that's beast. Man is measured by character. A man is a man by character. That's the reason Jesus was the greatest Man that ever lived. There was nothing could ever measure to His character. But the Bible said, "There was no beauty that we should... when we looked upon Him, but we hid as it were our faces from Him." He wasn't a great stately kingly looking man but probably a little stooped shouldered Fellow. We--we hid as it was our faces. He was marred. But in His character there has never been nothing that could compare with Him. He was real Man.
E-18 You take the man when the white man first come to the west here, when he found the Indian out here living on his buffalo. The white man shot the buffalo just for a target. Just let a man get a hold of something or another, and he will pervert it. Just let God do something, then man comes around and perverts what God does. God set up a church once; man perverts it.
E-19 He takes the church of the living God, that Jesus died for, died that they might be borned again, might have fellowship, might be filled with the Spirit, might have the spiritual gifts working among them, and what does he do? He takes and sets him up a great big something somewhere, and explains all that away, and perverts it into no more than a lodge, a handshake, or a chicken supper somewhere. When God wants a church that's borned again, filled with the Holy Ghost and power, and signs and wonders following His Church.
E-20 Jesus met those people in His days and He said, "In vain they worship Me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men." In vain people worshipping... Someone say, "Well, Brother Branham, if you worship God truly is that--surely, He'd accept it." He didn't accept Cain. And Cain worshipped Him in just as much reverence as Abel did. Cain built an altar; Cain made a sacrifice; Cain worshipped, built a church, made his offerings, everything else, just as religious as Abel was, but he come the wrong way.
E-21 So man takes and builds churches and puts creeds in them. When Jesus came to the earth He found precious people trying to find salvation in the church. What was they getting? Ceremonies, pouring of water, washing of plates, and wearing of clothes. That's what they had, ceremonies. They didn't get salvation; salvation is deliverance. So they did not get salvation; they got a bunch of ceremonies.
E-22 Now, Jesus said, "In vain they worship Me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men." And they look to the church and they got ceremonies. You know, Jesus said, called them I believe there, "whited walls," how it was that they washed their hands oft, and they had traditions, and they were just as religious to that, just as pious as they could be; but when Jesus come He turned the thing completely around. And He preached something else to them. And the churches was against Him. And they cried out, "Well, why does the elders say this?"
E-23 Jesus said, "Upon this rock I'll build My church; and the gates of hell can't prevail against it." What kind of a rock was it? Our mother Catholic church said it was upon Peter the rock. If that's right, he backslid a few days later. If it was just... The Protestant said it was upon Jesus the Rock.
E-24 The people say today like they did then. They say today, "Oh, the Bible says so-and-so, but..." There's no but to it. Jesus said it would be the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Bible says it, and that settles it. There ain't no if, ands, or nothing else in the way of it. It's Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever. God's Word's eternal.
E-25 And if the Word makes a promise, God keeps that promise. If we haven't got faith enough to make it come to pass, then just say we haven't got faith enough, "Pray for me that I will have." If we haven't got faith enough to take a little evening stroll like Enoch did and walk up home with Him, I'd never stand in somebody's way that did have that much faith. I'd bless God for that man that had that kind of a faith that could walk home with Him. Yes, sir. I'd never put a stumbling block in his way.
E-26 But men say, "The days is gone." Then we are wondering today... Now, we've had great revivals in the land. Billy Graham, Jack Schuller, Oral Roberts, great men like that who's crossed the country. And they've preached, and they've preached, and they've preached their hearts out. Thousands times thousands come to the altar. And a week after that, thousands times thousands gone away. They don't know what happened to them. Then they wonder. Then we get to a place till we wonder, "How did they stick in the beginning?" E-27 "Well," I thought, "maybe, where did Paul go then after he got that one convert?" Paul went on to another city. But he took that convert so deep in God, till he was filled with the Holy Ghost, his heart was burning; he went out and made another convert. That's what's the matter, brother; we don't take them along deep enough in God. We just let them get all emotional worked up under a message somewhere, or some singing, but we should take them on till they're filled with the Holy Ghost, and dead and rotten to these things of the world, and borned again by the Holy Spirit of God. Then the Holy Ghost is burning in that heart; he can't set still; he's got to move and do something. God's all through him, all over him, all in him. His whole objective is God: get somebody saved. Long as Christ is in the heart, he will do the works of the Father every time. And the works of the Father and the will of the Father was to save people.
E-28 Then today, they have the nerve to say, "Where--wonder what happened to the God of the Bible? Where is that God?" Why, you choked Him out by your creeds. You've choked Him out by your traditions. You've tried to place Him back in history. He is a God of history. And what He's waiting on today, that same God of history. That when Moses called on Him at the Red Sea, the God of history rose and made a way. When Joshua called on the God of history at Jordan, He rose up and made a way. When Daniel called on Him in the fiery furnace, He made a way, or in the lion's den rather, and the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, He made a way. He's still the same God of history. He's waiting for His people to call Him up out of history. That same God remains God. He's God forever. But our traditions, we've taught it away from the people. What we must do is bring that living faith back to people, bring God back.
E-29 Christ wasn't to die and stay dead. He died but He rose again. He's as--as--as much alive tonight as He was when He walked in Galilee. He's just the same God. He's here in the form of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit of Christ come back in the form of the Holy Ghost to... And the death of Christ, the Blood of Christ sanctified the unclean and cleansed them through grace, that He might come, and live in the church, and manifest Himself, pour forth His own works, prove to the people that He still lives.
E-30 Being the Son of God He ought to know how to set a church in order. He said, "These signs will follow them that believe," these signs.
E-31 It reminds me of the mother and father, or foster father, Joseph, and Mary, the virgin. When they had went up to the Pentecostal feast at Jerusalem, they took their precious Son, the Lord Jesus. And I guess they got so took up among the people, talking and doing different things that--the regular routines, till they went three day's journey before they ever missed Him. I think the church has got caught up in that kind of a condition too. More than a three day's journey, it's got about two thousand year's journey, and now in the hour of crisis, you begin to wonder, "Where's He at?"
E-32 In this hour of crisis when communism is taking the world, when Russia, with their--all their free literature, is just having a revival that's sweeping the earth with communism, then we wonder where is that great God of--of--of heaven? Where is the Jehovah of history? Where is that God that opened the Red Sea? Where is that God could tell Nathanael, "I saw you when you were under the tree"? Where is the God that could open the blinded eyes? Where is the God that could speak and the earth would tremble? Where is that God?
E-33 Like Doctor Reedhead said to me, "Brother Branham, when I got my degree, Bachelors degree, Bachelor of Arts, I thought I'd find Christ, but He wasn't there. When I got my Ph.D., I thought He'd be there. He wasn't there." Said, "I've got enough degrees I could plaster your wall. And now where is He at?" E-34 Now, now, my brother, look. They w--searched all around, through their kindreds. We have a revival amongst the Lutherans, amongst the Baptists, amongst all the churches; where do we find that Spirit of power? Where do we find that? Where do we see those people like there was on the day of Pentecost, so drunk under the Spirit of God that they staggered like drunk men. And let me tell you my Catholic friends, the blessed virgin Mary was in there. That's right. And if God wouldn't let virgin Mary come to heaven until first she was filled with the Holy Ghost, dare you to try to get there anything less. But the Bible said that she was with them, and the same thing they were all doing, so filled with the power of God till they staggered and acted like a drunk--drunken people. The Bible says that. E-35 Where do you find it? Among our kindreds? Go out amongst the Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterian, and so forth, see if you find it. No, sir. You don't find Him amongst our kinfolks like that. The only way you find Him is the way Mary and Joseph found Him: where they left Him. That's where you find Him. Where did they leave Him? At the Pentecostal feast. Hallelujah. That's where the church will find Him again. Go back to the feast of Pentecost. Go back to the pouring out of the Holy Ghost. There you'll find the power of Almighty God; you'll find the risen Christ; you'll find signs and wonders of Him just exactly like He said would be. Go back to where you found Him; go back to the beginning. Jesus said, "At the beginning..."
E-36 John 15th chapter, Jesus said, "I am the Vine; ye are the branches." Now, the first branch that come out of that vine, they wrote a book of Acts after it. They had power to heal the sick; they spoke with tongues; they interpreted it; they had visions, prophets, power; they done the signs that Jesus did. And if that first branch come out of that vine was that kind of a branch, the next branch it bears will be the same; and every branch it bears will be the same branch. Amen.
E-37 That first branch that come forth was a Pentecostal branch, filled with Pentecostal power, so impact by the Holy Spirit till they staggered under the impact of the power of God. They went forth and saw visions, performed miracles, opened the eyes of the blind, healed the sick; joy was in the camp. They prayed in one accord, and all of them together, until the building shook where they were assembled together. Show me a church doing that today. Even the Pentecostals getting--so called, is getting so dry, you--why, they have a little ceremonial prayer. What we need is a prayer meeting that'll shake the shingles off the top of the house and bring God back into the church again.
E-38 Jesus said at the beginning, "The works that I do, shall you do also." That's the way it was at the beginning. What kind of a works did He do at the beginning? The same works that He's doing now. What kind of a church did He have at the beginning? A church that was filled with the Spirit, that healed the sick, and prophesied, and great signs and wonders. And it wasn't ashamed of their religion. They shouted and danced under the Spirit like drunk men, and had cloven tongues like fire set upon them. And they done signs and wonders, and exploits followed them. That's the kind it was at the beginning. That's the kind it'll be in the middle. That'll be the kind it'll be at the last.
E-39 I tell you God wants a people that's consecrated by the power of God, that'll surrender their intellectuals and let God come in and take over and give a new birth. That's what He...?... Let's go back to the beginning. If we want to see the sick healed, we want to see signs and wonders of the living Christ, go back to the beginning where we left Him.
E-40 Heavenly Father, we've got so much to be thankful for, not only for an inheritage of the American citizenship that we have, which we are grateful for, for we believe it's the last great hold that You have in the earth before the coming of the Lord Jesus. It's open yet for the Gospel. But we see it honeycombed with communism, because cold, lukewarm churches, many of them, Lord, even today are selling out to the devil, compromising.
E-41 And today, when we see men taking the commandments of God and making them of non-effect to the people, trying to place them off in some far gone generation, Lord God, we are glad to know tonight, that there is people in the earth who believe that You still live, that believe that You're just the same today as You was at the beginning. And I'm sure, Father, if You could stand in the midst of the world tonight, and they cry out, "Oh, we great church of so and so," You'd point Your finger as You did then, say, "It wasn't so from the beginning."
E-42 I do not mean to be a rude, hard-cutting person. But I know what the world needs. I know what the Scripture says. I know that that's the Truth. My hopes is built absolutely upon THUS SAITH THE LORD. What He says, I believe.
E-43 Now, that's what we're trying to get you to do, my brethren. Go back to where we left Him. Let me go with you. Let's take a trip back to where He was at the beginning. What did He do at the beginning? Now, there may be newcomers here. I want to say this. Go back. Jesus said, "At the beginning." That's where we want to start. And in the Christian church... He formed and founded the Christian church. Do you believe that? Certainly, if you're a Christian you do. He founded the Christian church. The Spirit that was in Him, through His death, brought grace back to the people to sanctify a holy church to send it through the world, to--that He might live in this church, continually bringing His same message to the people. Anyone knows that, that knows the Scripture.
E-44 As soon as His ministry started, Andrew went and found Simon Peter. His name wasn't Peter yet; he was Simon. He came to the Lord Jesus. And as soon as Jesus saw him, He said, "Your name is Simon, and you're the son of Jonas." And at that, he believed on the Lord Jesus, and Jesus made him a head of the church at Jerusalem.
E-45 The Samaritan is the next race. He appeared to the Samaritan people, a woman at the well. And He conversed with her for a while. And He said to her, "Go get your husband and come here."
E-46 Now, He never did that before a Gentile. Not one time, did the Scripture quoting, ever doing it to a Gentile. Why? It was left for another day. The unbelieving Jew stood there and said, "He's Beelzebub, the fortuneteller." E-47 Some time ago (Just before closing, I want to say this.) I went to India. When I went into Bombay, I picked up a paper, and I was reading there where the birds was returning back. A few days before that, all the little birds that had their nest in the crevice of the rocks... They don't have fences like we have, wire fences; they have rock fences, where they pick them up on the field. All around the big buildings, the little birds that had their nests in there, flew out into the field and set down. All of the cattle and sheep that stood around the side of the fence, they got away from the fence; nobody didn't know what was the matter. Instead of standing around in the shade in the afternoon, they went out in the middle of the field and stood right in the sun, together. They couldn't understand what was the matter. A great earthquake come, shook all the buildings down. The rock buildings fell. If the little birds had been in there, they'd been killed. If the cattle had been standing under these fences, they'd have got killed. But the Holy Spirit that warned the cattle, the birds, to go into the ark to escape the judgment of God, the same Holy Spirit drove them cattle, those little birds out into the field.
E-48 Well, if God thinks enough of His cattle and His birds to send them to safety, how much more can He send the Holy Ghost in this last days, just before the great judgment's coming, to send you into Christ to safety, the only place that you could be redeemed and resurrected. The only place there is salvation's in Christ. And the Holy Spirit is here tonight, trying to bring you and woo you out from the things of the world into Himself.
E-49 And we're right now seeing the very same thing that Jesus said would take place. His own Word spoke it, "as it was in the days of Lot, so will it be at the coming of the Son of man," the same thing. Look at your country here, how it's perverted. Look at the newspapers. I seen an analysis, where homosexual is on the increase about twenty percent over last year on the west coast, the sins of Sodom. Look how everything's--everything's being perverted. The waters, the streams, everything's contaminated. The diseases, viruses, that the doctors know nothing about... We're at the end time. Flee to the Rock. Flee to Christ, get into Him quickly, church.
E-50 We're going to pray for the sick just in a moment. If I can find Billy again, I'd forgot to ask him to give... You give out prayer cards? C-1 to a 100. He give out prayer cards, he said, C-1 to a 100. Where did we start at the last time? 25? Where was it before that? 1, we started at 1. We started at 25? Let's start at 50 then tonight. All right, C-50, who has it? We just start anywhere. Just so that you... You see, we just anywhere we can... Doesn't make any difference... Some people, you give them a prayer card, if it isn't number 1 they'll throw it down. So we might not start at number 1. Just wherever the Holy Ghost lays upon our mind when we get here... E-51 All right, want you look this way just a minute. How many doesn't have a prayer card, and yet you believe Jesus Christ will heal you? Let's see your hands, all everywhere now that doesn't have a prayer card. Amen. Have faith in God. Don't you doubt, but you believe. All things are possible to them that believe.
E-52 Oh, just think now, just in a moment. Think, in a moment the words that I've preached God has to speak if they're truth, or if He doesn't, then I've misrepresented Him. And if I've misrepresented Him, His Word has misrepresented Him. Did not Jesus say in John 14, "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also." E-53 "Yet a little while and the world (Listen to this.)--and the world sees Me no more; yet ye shall see Me." Now, watch. World, "cosmos," means "the world order." "The world will see Me no more." Now, if you're of the world, loving the things of the world better than you love the Word of God and Christ, then you'll never see Him no more. Is that right? Yet you may be religious, might belong to a church. "The world will see Me no more; yet ye shall see Me (That's the church.), "for I ('I' is a personal pronoun, that right?), I will be with you even in you, to the end of the consummation," the end of the world. The world's never come to an end yet, so Jesus is in His people. Jesus Christ, God's Son, by the Holy Spirit, is in the people working out. That's the Life, the Life that was in Jesus is in the church.
E-54 How many know that Jesus Himself as a Son, did not do one miracle? Jesus said so. "The Son can do nothing in Himself," John 19:5, the Son, Jesus, the Son of God. "The Son can do nothing in himself but what He sees (not hears), but sees the Father doing, that doeth the Son likewise." How many knows the Scripture reads that? Sure. Then He saw by vision what the Father was doing; then He did just what the Father had told Him to do by a vision. See that? E-55 But a little woman touched the border of His garment over in the--another land. But she believed Him. No doubt... She had a blood issue, and she'd probably sold all the implements off the farm and everything. And maybe her husband was gone, and--or the doctors could not help her any, and she'd lost all that blood. She'd had it for a number of years. And she said within herself, "I'm just a little insignificant woman, but if I can touch His garment, I'll be made whole." 'Cause the garment that holds over that Man, that was meek as He could be, yet could stand like the wrath of Jehovah and beat them, look upon them with anger, and kick them out of the building, plait ropes together... He was both God and man: God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. That's the reason He said, "It's not Me that doeth the works; it's My Father that dwelleth in Me; He doeth the works; not Me, but Him. He's in Me. And He that's in Me will be in you, after I die to sanctify you, so that He can come into you."
E-56 Now, are you--is... Did them other two... What was that? Forty, what--what was them numbers? 67, 68, and 69, have they come in yet? Huh? Well, okay...?... Now, watch this a way.
E-57 Now, here's a woman. I don't know this woman. She's a little older than I am, but this is... We're strangers, I suppose, to one another. We don't know each other. But here's a... When you go home you read this case right here now, you'll find it in Saint John the 4th chapter, Jesus and a woman talking. Now, she's not that same woman, and I am not Jesus. But His Spirit is here, His Spirit.
E-58 Now, if the woman with her hand up, both of us are past the middle age, knowing that we've got to meet God... Now, let her be the judge. If the Holy Spirit... How many seen the picture of it? Let's see your hand. Oh, they got--they got it back there, I think the boys has. They got it. Signed by the government, the only supernatural being was ever photographed in all the history of the world. That's right. They--they got it right here on picture now, hanging in Washington D.C. in the Religious Hall of Art, the same Pillar of Fire that led the children of Israel. Because the same One, Jesus said, "I came from God, and I go to God. If I do not the works of My Father, then believe Me not. But if I do the works, though you don't believe Me, believe the works." Now, do the same thing tonight. E-59 All right, may the Lord bless. Now, each one of you that hasn't prayer cards, look this way and believe. Now, tomorrow night we're going to change this kind of a prayer line altogether, I believe. The next night we're going to change it all the way around again. See? And whatever... If you have a prayer card and not called in the line, hold that prayer card, we're going to get to it. You just remember, hold it.
E-60 Now, I've made a statement from the Bible. I quoted the words of Jesus Christ, that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Now, first, here's a woman like it was at the well. We meet, know not one another. If the Holy Spirit can use me to tell her what her troubles is, like He did the woman at the well, how many in here would accept it and believe that it's the truth, if both of us with our hands up, saying that we never met before.
E-61 Our sister standing here now, if you can still hear my voice, she seems to be moving from me. I see her; she's suffering. She's got a growth on her body, and that growth is on the left breast. That's THUS SAITH THE LORD. That is true. You believe now? Let her be the judge. E-62 How do you do? We're strangers to each other. The Lord knows us both, doesn't He? If the Lord Jesus will tell me your troubles, then you'll believe Him with all your heart? You're not here for yourself. You're here for someone else. And you also come from Fresno. That's right. And you're standing for your friend that's got mental troubles, that you're praying for. Isn't that right? Do you believe now you're going to find them different? Go and find them that way, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Have faith in God. E-63 How do you do? We're strangers to each other, but the Lord Jesus knows us both. You believe He can reveal your trouble? That would let you know that He loves you. You're a Christian, a believer, and from San Jose. That's right. And you're standing for somebody else. That's your husband in a mental hospital. That's right. Take that handkerchief to him, don't... Believe, pray that God will send him home to you, well. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Have faith in God.
E-64 Are we strangers to each other, lady? We are. Just a moment, an evil something struck by this woman; it wasn't on her. It's a dark spirit. That's not what's wrong with her. Now, somebody in the audience, just a minute, here it is. Young lady setting here having epileptic spells. That's true, isn't it, lady? Raise up your hand if that's true. All right, go home and believe, and it'll leave you. What did she touch? What did that poor girl touch? The High Priest. E-65 Do you believe, sister? With all that's in you? I do not know you. Never seen you in my life. We're perfectly stran--strangers. There was an older person appeared here then: a vision. Let's see just a moment. The Lord God of heaven knows the secret of every heart. The Bible said, "The--the Spirit of God, and the Word of God, is sharper than a two-edged sword, discerning the thoughts of the mind." Oh, it's your mother that you're praying for. That's right. It's your mother. And she's not here. She's not even in this country. She's in a country that's real cold: Michigan. That's right. She has multiple sclerosis. That's right. Send her that handkerchief while the Spirit of God is on you; take it and send it to her, and believe with all your heart and she'll come out of it if you believe. God bless you, lady. You believe with all your heart? E-66 If God doesn't help, you must die; you know that: cancer. Now, just a moment, that hideous thing... Now, there's another demon like that in here screaming out. A woman shadowed with a dark shadow, but that spirit of cancer is screaming to something else for help. It's another cancer, laying on that cot. He thought he'd get by with that, but he didn't. Rise up, sister. Have faith in God. Go home; be well. You too, sister. Jesus Christ make you well. Let's praise God for His goodness. Hallelujah. What did she touch? The High Priest.
E-67 You believe, sir? With all your heart? If I didn't say nothing to you, you'd still believe you was healed, wouldn't you? Go home; eat your supper; that stomach trouble's left you, and you can go home, be well.
E-68 Have faith. Do you believe it? What about you out there with no prayer cards? Do you believe God? Have faith in God. Touch His garment. What did that poor little dying woman touch there?
E-69 Do you believe with all your heart? What about you, lady? We're strangers to one another. God knows us both, doesn't He? You're suffering with a nervous condition, real nervous. Let me say something too. You're Catholic by faith. That's right. That don't have nothing to do with it. You come here to believe that you was going to get well. God's going to honor... You believe--believe me to be His prophet, His servant? You do. All right. You come with somebody else. That's her setting right down there. She's got a rash all over her. That's right. She's Catholic also. There's three of you together. The other lady's setting right next to her. She has something wrong with her foot. She's Catholic too. That's right. You believe me to be God's prophet? E-70 Have faith in God. Do you believe Him? with all your heart? Then let me show you the glory of God. Lay your hands on one another right now while the whole building's filled with the power of God. Lay your hands on one another. Didn't the great holy Christ say this, the One Who knows the secret of the heart? "These signs shall follow them that believe." God bless you, sister. "These signs shall follow them that believe: If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover." Pray for the people setting next to you. E-71 Lord Jesus, we come with the Name of the Lord Jesus, presenting it to God our Father, praying that You'll heal the sick and the afflicted. Let it be tonight, Lord, that every sick person that's standing in Divine Presence, may go from this building tonight perfectly normal and well. They have their hands laid on one another, while they've stood here and seen the power of the resurrection of Christ to make well the people. Let it be so, Lord, that they will believe from this hour on, in Jesus' Name.
E-72 And while you have your hands bowed just a moment. Would there be in the church tonight in this building, someone who doesn't know Christ as their Saviour, would like to walk up here forward just now to confess Him in the Presence of the Holy Ghost, to take Him as your personal Saviour? Would you come while we keep our heads bowed and sing the verse of this song. Will you do it? "Almost Persuaded," while we sing that, would you walk up here, take Him as your personal Saviour right here tonight. You'll--this will be a thanksgiving you'll always remember. You'll have something to be thankful for. Will you come while we sing now?
"Almost..." now to believe;"Almost persuaded" Christ to receive;
Seems now... (Won't you rise up and come up just a moment?) Go, Spi... (Could you turn the Spirit of God away, Who's talking to your hearts right now? Now, don't say He isn't, because I know He is.)"Con--convenient day, on Thee I'll call."
E-73 With your head bowed now, listen. Christ, the Son of God, His Holy Spirit... In the Bible when He was here, the Holy Ghost dwelling in the fullness of His power in the Son of God done these very same things that you see do tonight, are being done, rather. You... He did these things, promised that in the last days, just before His coming again, that the church would rise in this same power and would do the same thing. Every Bible reader knows that Jesus Christ promised that.
E-74 Now, I leave it with you. Here He is. I'm willing to pray. He's present here. The whole building's charged with His Presence. The same kind of a service that taken place in the Bible is taking place here before your eyes tonight. The same Jesus, the same actions, the same fruits of the Spirit, everything, the same signs, the same wonders, the same miracles, the same Spirit and a picture of It here before us, and it's proving among us. I'm looking straight at it now. Here It is. Will you receive Him as your Saviour. If you will, come forward when I sing, just one more time now, "'Almost persuaded' harvest is past, 'Almost persuaded' doom comes at last." Will you sing it with me, and let every person that doesn't--is not sure of your salvation, come now.
"Almost persuaded," (Won't you come? Time is fleeting.)... is past!"Almost persuaded," doom comes at last!"Almost" cannot avail; "Almost" is but to fail!Sad, sad, that bitter wail, "Almost--but lost!"
E-75 Now, with your heads bowed, I'd like to ask you this question. Is there some in the building here tonight that would like to be remembered in prayer, just didn't even have the courage to come up? And that last word... Here comes two men, leading an old woman, coming to receive Christ as their Saviour. Some of the workers, come forward.
E-76 Lord Jesus, let the Holy Spirit now, come to this poor dear person standing here. May she receive that what she's asking for. When we were making calls for the sinner, she--oh, she had someone to lead her up. May she receive the blessing that she's asked for.
E-77 Forgive us of our sins. Bless us. We're thankful that we believe in our hearts, that You've healed every person. To see this stretcher bound woman, a few minutes ago, laying here, dying, now she's up, giving praise to You. From death unto life, You have brought her. Others in the building. When You said to Your great church, "These signs shall follow them that believe; If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover," these believers laid their hands on each other and have prayed. Certainly they shall recover.
E-78 The Lord bless you now. Let's stand to our feet while we sing, "I love Him, I love Him, because He first loved Me." All together now. You in the room, you standing there for the prayer line, just go back home, claim your healing; you're well. Go back home and say, "Thank you, Lord Jesus, for my healing." All right. All right. Everybody feel real good in your soul, raise your hands and say, "Praise the Lord." [Congregation says, "Praise the Lord."--Ed.] All right. All together now.
I love Him, (Let's raise our hands to Him.) I love HimBecause He first loved me...
God bless you.
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