Sermon Texts (Adding Now)
Sermon Texts Beginning With J
Jesus Christ The Same Yesterday, And Today, And Forever (63-0604)
| Jesus Christ The Same Yesterday, And Today, And Forever (63-0604) |
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E-1 Thank you, sir. Very nice to be here tonight. I have waited for this time with a great anticipation. We come to your fair city about six months ago, right after Christmas, and we've been sojourning here with you. And one day while out with Brother Tony Stromei, I... We fell on the idea that it would be nice to get better acquainted before we had to leave. And we thought it would be nice to have a little campaign down here to get the--we all get together and have some fellowship around the Word of God. E-2 And I... Many of these brethren I haven't met. And I visit some of their churches and found such a wonderful welcome. And I think it's a grand thing that we can all meet together for these few nights now, to fellowship around the Word of God. We are trusting that it'll be a great success to the glory of God, and the upbuilding of the cause that Jesus died for; that is, that He might have a church without spot or wrinkle when He returns. E-3 Now, we don't represent any certain organization. We just come as a interdenominational to gather together with every Christian, that we might have this fellowship together. And we are going to pray for the sick people. And many times when you mention praying for the sick, then they say, "a Divine healer." No. I--I don't believe there is but one, and that's Christ. We... Sometimes they pin that on you as Divine healer, but--because you pray for the sick. But I do not believe that praying for the sick would make you any more of a Divine healer than it would make you a Divine Saviour to pray for the lost. So we know that we would not be a Divine Saviour or Divine healer. E-4 We believe that all these great benefits, that we enjoy today in this Christian economy we have, was all purchased at Calvary by the Son of God, Jesus Christ. We believe that He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we were healed. It's all a past tense. It's something God has done for us at Calvary. And as Christians we have the right to enjoy these blessings that He has purchased for us.
E-5 So, therefore, no man could save another. If it would've been so, Jesus would not have had to die. But when Jesus died at Calvary, He settled the sin question forever. And every man, every creature on earth, when He died, was saved at that very minute. Every... The price was paid completely. It was so met that God identified that it was true.
E-6 I believe in the Bible being the full revelation of Jesus Christ. Now, I do believe that God can do things that's not written in the Bible, because He's God. But as long as we can find it in the Bible as a promise, then we know it's true, because the--the Word is true always. And so we believe Him to keep His promise.
E-7 Now, because Him being infinite, omnipotent, omnipresent, He cannot be one without the other. And to be God, He has to be all of it. Now therefore, as being finite like we are, this year we can work on something and we think we got it perfect. Next year, or maybe tomorrow, we have to change our mind; it's different. We found something better, because we can--we're finite. But He's infinite. So when He says a Word, it's forever that way; it can never be improved; it can never be taken back. E-8 Therefore, when God made a remedy for man to be saved in the garden of Eden, He... They've tried to improve His remedy through six thousand years and can never touch it. He made it upon the basis of the shed Blood of an innocent victim, and He's never changed it. We've tried to educate people to Christ. We've tried to denominate them to Christ. We've tried all kinds of systems, but they've all failed. There's only one place that man can meet on a common ground and--of worship, and that is under the shed Blood of Jesus Christ. It's been that way from the beginning, 'cause He cannot change it. It's always the Blood, the Blood. E-9 And today when we think that we're different from the other fellow and so forth, it just does not work. We must still accept that basis of the shed blood. And therefore, when God was called on the scene to heal a man, He healed a man upon the basis of his faith. And when he's called on the scene again, He'll heal the next man the same way, or He acted wrong. If God ever did heal a man because he believed, and then the next man calls with the same kind of faith, God's obligated to do the same thing to the next man. If not, He's respecter of persons and acted wrong in the first place. So you see, back to the Word. I--I believe it with all my heart. E-10 Now, we are expecting God to do great things for us. And we want, when we leave, to see a blessing left in this city. And I know you'll be a blessing to me, for wherever two or three are gathered in His Name, He promised to be there. Now, if that isn't so, then we're all lost and the Bible's wrong. That makes Jesus Christ here now. If that isn't so, then what are we preaching? What are we believing. See? He's here. "Wherever two or three are assembled in My Name, I'm in the midst of them." Now, we must act then, and believe, and believe that He is here, and act like He's here. And remember, He watches us after we leave here also.
E-11 And we're trusting that every unsaved person will be saved during this campaign. We're trusting that there will not be an empty seat in every one of these churches here that's represented, from this time on. And I trust that there'll be an old fashion God-sent revival break out through Tucson here that'll just send thousands of souls into the Kingdom of God. I believe that's the will of God. That's His desire tonight.
E-12 Now, we will not try to keep you long, in the--each evening, because I know you must get out and go to your work. So we'll try each night to let you out early so that you can return the next night. And this is just a little visit, as we've come together. And we are just got the four nights, I believe, it's... I think that's right: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday (Yeah. All right.), four nights. And then we end here in this same auditorium for a Business Men's breakfast Saturday morning, which the public is invited.
E-13 Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who raised Him up from the dead and has kept Him alive all these years... And He's alive forevermore reigning in our hearts tonight, taking control to lead us and guide us. May we all be surrendered to His Divine will, that He might lead us in the way that He would have us go.
E-14 I thank You for these men, these shepherds of the flocks of this city, these minister brethren, who has their little outposts all along the city, where they're feeling constantly for the Spirit of God to come in on the--the waves of the--of the Holy Spirit, move into their midst and tell them what they must do, how they must lead the sheep. And tonight, it seemingly, Lord, as a message swept down through those waves, that all agreed that we must come together in this service. Now come, Lord Jesus.
E-15 Heal the sickness around here. May it come to pass that people will walk in this auditorium and weep under the power of the Holy Spirit. Grant it, Lord. We long for these things. And we believe it's Your Divine will to reveal it to us now, and to show us Your Presence, that You're here and ever alive, and with us forevermore.
E-16 Many people kind of take Scriptures that the evangelist would--would read from. And I wish tonight just to take a few verses of Scripture and try to explain them in my humble way, that you might see Jesus Christ. I want you to turn with me now to the book of St. John the 12th chapter and the 20th verse, if you'd like to follow me as we read: St. John 20, or St. John 12:20 and 21.
And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
And then in the book of Hebrews the 13th chapter and the 8th verse...
Jesus Christ the same yesterday,... to day, and for ever.
I wish to make this as a text, "Jesus Christ the Same Yesterday, Today, and Forever."
E-17 I was attending a church Sunday night here in the city, one of your fine churches. And here I've tried to visit as many as I could since we've been in the city, and found great fellowship and welcome with the Assemblies of God, the Baptists, and the Anderson Church of God, and many more that I visit. E-18 And I--I believe tonight, that every man and woman in here would freely feel that these Greeks expressed the feelings of us all. For they had heard about Jesus, and now they wanted to see Him. I --I believe that--that there's no man that can hear the wonderful story of Jesus Christ but what he longs in his heart to get to see Him. That's the--that's the--the believers' desire, is to see Him. And I don't care whether He's short, tall, or what He is; I love Him, and I want to see Him. And the One Who saved me and has done for me what He's done, I long to see Him. E-19 Now there's no doubt that these Greeks were proselytes to the Jewish religion, because we see it was the feast of the Passover, where the paschal lamb was killed. And these Greeks being among them... Now, the Greeks were a--of a very high talented people. They were leading the world in art, and they're highly educated in science, and they were great people. And they were scholars; they read many books. And--and something they had--must've got ahold of--of... Something that in the human heart, longing to find something that quenches that great thirst that comes in a human heart. E-20 Did you ever think why a man would do wrong? It's because he's trying to satisfy a thirst that God put in his heart to thirst after Him. And then he tries to satisfy it with the things of the world. And it'll never be satisfied until it's quenched by God Himself, till He can come in and satisfy that great longing and thirst in the human heart. There's just so much of a man that won't fill up. Nothing else can take its place until God takes His right position in the human heart. E-21 And these Greeks had heard, and no doubt had been reading the Old Testament. And they had heard about the coming Messiah and what He should be when He arrived. And they had longed to see what God would be when He would be manifested in the flesh, what a man would look like that would be filled to the capacity until the Fullness of the Godhead would be in Him. What would He be? And they'd heard about Jesus that claimed to be this Person, the Messiah, that the Jews for thousands of years had looked for this coming One, where God himself would be made human in the form of His Son in order to bleed and die, for there was no man could die for the other, because we were all guilty together.
E-22 One man could not save the other, and there had to be a Man Who was worthy. In the old laws of the ministers, those of the kinsman redeemer, it had to be... God had to become Kinfolks to us. And He crossed His--His tent and came down from being God, the great Jehovah, and was made flesh in the form of His Son, that God might be manifested, and be worthy, and Kinfolks to us--that He might die to take away our sins to save His own creation.
E-23 Now, we find these Greeks thirsting. They'd heard. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing of the Word." The Bible says so. Hebrews said, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing of the Word of God." Now, they had heard that there was to be a Messiah. So then they come to see. They--they come to see this Person that was to be that Messiah, Who was believed among the people was that Messiah.
E-24 Now, we find that these men hungering, they come to see what this Man looked like. And they asked the question, "Sirs, we would see Jesus." Now, they'd heard about Him, heard others speak of Him, read of Him in the Bible, but they wanted to see Him. E-25 Now, that's a great big statement. But if the Bible isn't right, then where are we at? See? But the Bible said He's the same. And He--He can't be just the same in some manner; He's got to be the same in every manner that He ever was. He says He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. And these Greeks wanted to see Him, because faith had come by hearing, and they come and was satisfied, went away knowing that that was the Messiah.
E-26 Now, if we are desirous tonight to see this One Who... We go to church, whether we feel like it or not, and where we--our church, we pay our tithings. Is--is it to a myth? Is it to just a--a building that we're paying to? Is this man who is our pastor, just an impersonator or something there's nothing to? Is the Christian religion like Greek mythology or Roman mythology or something, it's just a myth? Or is it a reality?
E-27 How many here would like to see Him, just--just for--say so, raise your hands. Say, "I--I like..." Now, there was two there, only two that wanted to see Him, and here's two or three hundred wants to see Him. Well then, why can't we see Him if He's the same yesterday, today, and forever? Now, that's the way we want to look at it. It's either the truth or it isn't the truth. And that's why I expressed it the first time. This Bible is either the Truth or it isn't the Truth. Therefore, when the Bible says anything you can just hold on to it, for God's obligated to this Word, for He was the One made the promise. If God said so, all right, it's so. E-28 Now, reminds me of a little story, and yet it's true. I live in Indiana. My native home, I'm a Kentuckian by birth, and we live by the Ohio River. Enough water goes through there a day to make lettuce grow all over Arizona. Millions of gallons of water pass down that dam, and it looks like that some way we could bypass it. We got more than we need there; it's almost a swamp, and--and you need the water here. But it will be someday in that great Millennium that is to come, when sin is taken from the earth and them things will be right.
E-29 There was an old fisherman lived down on that river. He was a deacon in my church. His name was Wisehart, a very fine old man. And there was a certain Sunday school in our city, a fine church, a great fine internationally known denomination, a fellowship, fine pastor, and fine people. And there was a certain family in our city that went to this church. And there was a little boy in this family who got real enthused one day, after hearing so many flannel-graph readings and so forth, till he said to his mother, he said, "Mama, if God is a great God, as you say He is, could anyone see Him?"
E-30 Well, the little fellow, it didn't suffice him. So he... One day he was with the old brother, fisherman, on the river. And they'd went up to what's called the Six-mile Island. It's six miles (an island), from Louisville, Kentucky, to this island. They'd been fishing up there, and they'd caught a good catch of fish, and on the road down there come up a storm. And there we have many storms that--that wet country, lightning and thunder, and great gushes of rain, and...
E-31 And the little boy, enthused, looked around to see what the old gentleman was looking at, and he noticed the old fisherman, the crystal tears dropping off of his white beard. And the little boy, setting in the bow of the boat, become so enthused till he rushed towards the stern of the boat and said to the old fisherman, "Sir, I'm going to ask you a question that my mother, nor my Sunday school teacher, nor my pastor could--could satisfy my longing to know something."
E-32 Now, but we're back to "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever." Now, how would--how would we know? If I said, "The Methodist people, do you believe that?" E-33 Now. Then if He is, what type of a person would we look for if we went to look for Him? Would we--would we try to find a man that was wearing a robe and had long hair and beard? Would that--could that be Jesus? Just anybody could wear a--a robe and have long hair and beard. Any impostor could do that. There's a many man wearing a robe tonight knows no more about God than a Hottentot would know about an Egyptian knight. Right. But it--it isn't that we'd look for.
E-34 We wouldn't want some dignitary, because He wasn't. What would we look for? For nail scars and prints of thorns? Any impersonator could dress hisself up like that. It still wouldn't be Him. And how do we know that He had a robe on and how He dressed? We only know it... Would He look like the pictures that we see the--the painters paint? No. That's the psychological painting that some man had, his conception of what Christ would look like. And if we had go to by that, which one would be right? There's Hofmann, Sallman, and how many more? All different descriptions of Him. So you'd be a bit confused what He would look like.
E-35 Well, we would identify Him the same way that He identified Himself in the beginning (That's right.) by His works, by what He done. "If I do not the works of My Father," He said, "then don't believe Me. But if I do the works, though you don't believe, believe the works: for they are they that testify of Me. They tell what I am." We'd have to find out then that... What made Him manifested? What identified Jesus Christ in yesterday would be the same thing that would have to identify Him today.
E-36 Reminds me, I was in Little Rock, Arkansas. There might be some of my fine Arkansas friends here. They... One night at the Robinson Memorial Auditorium there was a beggar set on the street, that had crutches, and he sold pencils. And he'd got healed, and the next day be was walking around with these crutches on his shoulder, testifying. And he was up in the third balcony, and he was just taking the whole floor up there. And we couldn't hardly preach because of the noise. And he was shouting and carrying on, been all up and down the streets, in every business place, testifying, setting on the corner. He was called out in the audience and the Lord Jesus made him well. And so he said, "I want to ask you a question, Brother Branham."
E-37 I used to herd cattle in--up here in the--where I worked on a ranch in--in--up in Colorado. And the Hereford Association grazes the valley there in the Troublesome River. And we got a drift fence, and where the herders put their cattle up. The ranger stands there counting those cattle as they go through. I've stood there many a time with my leg over the horn of the saddle watching the rangers. Now, there's all kinds of brands goes through there. Every brand on the valley goes through. The ranger wasn't noticing the brands, but he was watching for the blood tag. Now, that blood tag meant that that had to be a thoroughbred Hereford or it could not graze on that--in--from that valley. It could not go in without a blood tag.
E-38 Now. What... Now, if we can see how He identified Himself yesterday, then we'll know what He would be today, because He would identify Himself the same today that He was yesterday. Is that true? Then He would do the works of God. E-39 Now, let's find out then, how He was identified in that day. Was it by a certain fellowship? Was it by a certain form of education? Was it by a certain scientific mark that He had? Or was it by a Scriptural evidence that He proved Himself that He was the Son of God? "Search ye the Scriptures," He said, "for They are They that testify of Me." The Scriptures is what testifies of Him. So that's what identified Him was the Scripture. Do you believe that? That's what'd have to identify Him today then. Then we'd know whether we were right or not, whether it was Him. He was the same. He'd do the same.
E-40 Now, let's take... Now, we read from St. John and let's just take it quietly for the next ten or fifteen minutes, and then see if He'll appear and prove He's God (See?), see if He's still alive. We believe that He's not dead. That's one thing...
E-41 Now, we'll start out with St. John, being that we read in St. John. And every book in the Bible will declare the same message. It has to. If it isn't, it isn't Scriptural. E-42 And remember, He forbid the disciples to preach anymore, or do anything, until they went in the power of the Spirit. "Wait ye in the city of Jerusalem, until you're endued with power from on high." See? You're not to go out until it's not you, but God. The people can see the reflection of Jesus Christ in you. Then the people will believe then, because it won't be you, it'll be Him. And all that He foreknew, He'll call. They'll see it. "My sheep know My voice." E-43 Now, we notice that then immediately when He entered into his ministry... I'm going to call a few characters. I want you to remember one thing; there's only three races of people on the earth. Oh, we have many nationalities, but there's only three, and that's from Ham, Shem, and Japheth's people. That was Jew, Gentile, and Samaritan. And we find out when the Holy Spirit was given, Peter, given the keys. He opened it to the Jews at Pentecost at--at Jerusalem, to the Samaritans, and also to the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius: Acts 10:49. And from then it's been in the world for all the races. And he had the keys to open it to these races.
E-44 Now, the Gentiles were not looking for any Messiah. We were heathens, we Anglo-Saxon. We had clubs on our backs and worshipped idols. And we wasn't looking for no Messiah. But the Jews were looking for a Messiah. And the Samaritans were looking for a Messiah: which were half Jew and Gentile.
E-45 Now, He came to his own race, to the Jews. Now, let's watch how He identified Himself. The first thing we find was Andrew here and Philip. And Andrew had heard of Jesus. And they went down because they'd been disciples of John. And as they went now... And they had found His great works, and they went home with Him, come back the next morning fully satisfied that that was the Messiah.
E-46 He always does that. He always does that, but remember, where you see a bogus dollar, it's got to be a real dollar somewhere that it was made off of. When you see somebody playing the part of a hypocrite, just remember, there's a genuine article somewhere that he's impersonating. E-47 And all you Bible readers know that the Word of the Lord came to the prophets: that only. The Word came to the prophets only. And the only way that this man would be identified... It'd been four hundred years. Malachi would've been the last prophet. And now, he said, "This Messiah, when He comes... There may be false Messiahs raise up, there may be all kinds of things happen, but when He comes God will identify Him. He'll be a prophet. The Bible says He'll be a prophet. And the Bible says, 'If there be one among you who's spiritual or a prophet, I, the Lord, will make Myself known unto him, speak to him through visions (and so forth), and if what he says comes to pass, then hear him. But if it doesn't come to pass, then don't hear him.'"
E-48 Now that's just as honest and just as... That's sense. If what he says is right, it has to be right every time. You just can't guess at it. It's got to be right. If it is right, it's got to be God. And if it isn't right, then it isn't God. And so that's just... And so they knew to believe that. All Jews knew that, the true Jews. E-49 Now, notice this. Now, when Andrew was satisfied that that was the Messiah, the Bible doesn't record just what he did. But he went and got Peter, or his name was Simon then. And he said, "Simon, I want you to come and hear this Man. The prophet down on Jordan said this Man would come. And the prophet said that he saw the Spirit of God, like a dove, coming upon Him. And he knew this was the Son of God. I want you to come hear Him. There's a Light, a sign, that follows Him."
E-50 So I'd imagine Simon was a little reluctant about coming, but finally, when he walked up into the Presence of Jesus... Now, think of it now, we're going to find out the credentials, the identification, what He was. And when... I'm still in St. John the 1st chapter. And when Jesus saw Simon coming to Him, He said, "Behold, an Israelite." He spoke and knew him. He said, "Thy name is Simon. You are the son of Jonas."
E-51 Now, we find there was one standing there by the name of Nathanael, or Philip, I believe it was. Philip was standing by. And he saw this. So he was a staunch Israelite. And he knew where there was a brother that they'd studied together. E-52 Around the mountain he went. No doubt that he found Nathanael: come to his home and--and maybe he knocked on the door, and his wife said, "He's--He's out in the vineyard." He probably raised olives. And he went out in the vineyard. And being a Christian gentleman, he didn't bother him while he was praying. He was on his knees praying. Maybe he was praying like this, "Lord God, Jehovah, I'm growing old, and I've looked and longed to see the Messiah. Let me see Him before I go." And as soon as he said, "Amen" and got up, then stood Nathanael...
E-53 Now, I notice, not a whole lot of carrying on, he had a--he had a commission. The thing of it is today we got too much bypassing and doing other things. And let's get to the mark. Is He God or isn't He God? Is He the same yesterday, today, and forever or isn't He the same? Is He--is He still the Jesus? Is He raised from the dead? Has He raised? If He hasn't, then forget it. If He has, let's get our enthusiasm started. Let's get filled with His Spirit, get to praying, and start a meeting. Do something. E-54 Now, I'd imagine this very orthodox man brushed off his--his clothing from being kneeling in the dust, said, "Wait a minute here, Philip. I've knowed you to be a sensible man. But you've perhaps went off on the deep end," you know. "Now, here, we've studied the Scripture together. And we know that... What'd you say, Jesus of Nazareth? Now, do you mean to tell me that Almighty God would go to such a lowdown bunch as that down there at Nazareth (way worse than Tucson), and go down there and... (or Jeffersonville, where I come from), way down there to that mean city and pick up something down there? Why, you know the high priest believes that He'll let the corridors down out of heaven, walk right down in the yard, you know. And we've been taught that." E-55 But you know, He don't always come the way we think He comes. See? He comes so humble. The people's got it all fixed up the way they want Him to come. And we--we walk over humility. And there's where you find God. Scientists today can send a man into space in an orbit, and walk over a blade of grass that he knows nothing about. See? Oh, you got to humble yourself to know God. You've got to get rid of your own ideas and just open up your heart and life to Him. Then He'll make Hisself known.
E-56 Well, I can hear him say, "Could there be any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Could there be anything out of that holy-rollers, or whatever you want to call it? If anything is going to be done, it would be done in my denomination... and in mine." See? That's where it would come. See? Could there by anything good come from such a bunch as that?
E-57 Let's break in on their conversation as they went along the shores of Galilee, coming around. I can imagine hearing him say this, "Do you remember that old... You know we've--we've talked the Bible together. We've set together in heavenly places as we looked upon the Bible and know that someday... Now, Nathanael, I want to ask you something. What will Messiah be when He comes? How will we know He's Messiah?"
E-58 So we come to find out, that there... They went on the road. And as soon as Nathanael got in the Presence of Jesus Christ, what did he do? What happened when he got where Jesus was? He said, "Behold, an Israelite in whom there is no guile."
E-59 There was those standing by, of course, who didn't believe that. Certainly. They said, "This man is a fortuneteller. He's Beelzebub." And Jesus turned around.
E-60 Then one day He was going down to Jericho, but He had need to go by Samaria. Wonder why? They were looking for a Messiah, but we Gentiles wasn't. But now, we are looking for a Messiah. See? See we've had two thousand years, like they had two thousand years. See? But we've had two thousand years looking for Him. We've heard of Him, but now we're looking for Him to come the second time.
E-61 Now, we find out that she come up there about eleven o'clock in the day to get--draw water. And let's think, she was a very attractive woman. And she had her water vase on her shoulder, and it kinda comes up... I've seen them put one pot on their head and one on each hip and walk, talk like women can, and never spill a drop of it. And they... What a balance, I don't know how they do it.
E-62 And so we find this woman coming up to get her water, and she started to let down the pot. Let's think that she was thinking of the nights before, and--and she let--started to let the windle down as she hooked the hooks over the--the arms of the vase to let it down to get the water. And she heard a Man say, "Bring Me a drink."
E-63 And He was an ordinary Jew. He wasn't dressed any different. He was a Man, I think they said in St. John 6... He was only about thirty-two years old, but He--He looked--must've looked fifty, 'cause they said, "You're a man not over fifty years old and yet you say you've seen Abraham?"
E-64 Now, you have to take my word for this. He was contacting her spirit. See? Now, she was a woman, one woman, come out of Samaria. And said, "Our fathers drank of this well, and--and You say You got waters that's greater than this?" And she said, "And you say worship at Jerusalem, and our fathers worshipped in this mountain," and so forth. The conversation kept going on.
E-65 Now, watch that woman, that Samaritan woman, her respond to that. She knowed more about God than half the people of the United States. See? Certainly, she--including ministers sometimes. See? Look at those priests standing there. When they seen that done they said, "This man's a fortuneteller. He's Beelzebub," trying to figure out some way that He did it, some trick, some hoax. See?
E-66 That's how He identified himself with the Jews. That's how He identified Himself with the Samaritans. Now, that was the end of their time. E-67 He said in St. John 5:19... He passed through the pool of Bethesda. I'm still... That's 4th chapter of St. John. Now, I'm in the 5th chapter. In the 5th chapter of St. John He passed through the pool of Bethesda. There laid great multitudes. It takes two thousand to make one multitude, so there's multitudes of people in this great spiritual hospital, as it were, laying at the sheep-gate waiting for the moving of the water. God has always had a way of Divine healing for believers. See? And the Angel came down and troubled the water. Any of you know what a troubled water is. See? Is the current going one way and the wind whipping around another. It's a troubled water. And it was that Angel coming on the water, whirling it around. And the first one stepping in with faith took the virtue off the water and got healed.
E-68 Jesus passed through this group of people there and He knew where a certain man was laying that had had an infirmity thirty-eight years. He probably had prostate trouble or--or something. It wasn't going to kill him. It was retarded; he'd had it thirty-eight years. And He walked to him and said, "Wilt thou be made whole?"
E-69 They found him packing his bed on the Sabbath day. He was called in. It'd be the same thing tonight. [A Brother speaks out, "Brother Branham, I want the Holy Ghost."--Ed.] If--if... If a man tonight... (God bless you brother, to receive it.) If a man tonight was healed and could prove it, that he was healed, knows within himself that he was healed of prostate trouble, what do you think would take place tomorrow? Some of you'd be saying, "I know somebody sets on the corner. I know where there's a crippled person. I know where this is, or that is. Go heal them." See, that's that same devil.
E-70 Today He's still the same, the same God-prophet, the same Holy Spirit that's dwelling amongst the people. We have received Him in the form of the baptism. We've received Him in praying for the--each other. We've saw Him speak with other languages; we've seen Him interpret it. We've seen Him do these great signs of the day. And now we're moving on into something else. We've had a lot of impersonations. We've had a lot of these things. But that doesn't take it away from the Bible truth.
E-71 Now, I would ask you a question. If He will appear here in our midst tonight... Now, I want you to know this, that there is no such a thing as a Divine healer. No more than there is a Divine Saviour on earth today. He is here in the form of the Holy Spirit. And He's only here to confirm what He's already promised. He's here making His Word manifest. When He came the first time He proved that He was Messiah by what He was doing. It proved it was Messiah.
E-72 Now, Abraham was a hundred years old and Sarah was ninety. Twenty-five years they'd believed that promise of a coming son, holding on to it. That's where He comes, to those who's believing, holding to that promise.
E-73 And Sarah, in the tent behind Him... The Bible designates she was behind Him in the tent. She laughed to herself. And the Angel said, "Why did Sarah laugh? (See?) Why did Sarah laugh?", knowing what she was doing in the tent behind. See what I mean? E-74 I have no clock. I don't see... My watch is broke and I--I don't know what time it is, 'cause... Someone tell me what time it is. Fifteen till ten. I'm fif... I'm right now forty-five minutes late. I didn't mean to do that. I'm sorry. Forgive me. Let's bow our heads just a moment. I'm asking you a question. The Scriptures... Weeks from now we could be staying on that same subject. It's the identification that Jesus is here, "Sirs, we would see Jesus." And He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. If you could see Him move into our midst tonight and do just the same things right here that He did when He walked in Galilee, would you believe Him? If you would, raise your hand, say, "I would believe if I could just see Him do the same thing that He did there."
E-75 Our heavenly Father, it's such a lovely group of people, they're so responsive. And I--I... We're so happy, ministers, Lord, to see people who respond to the Gospel. It means that there's a sign, sound of a rushing wind in the air. It might be the thing that we prayed for here in Tucson, to see a great revival. We are here to identify ourselves as Your servants, as a true witness of the Bible. And we know that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
E-76 By doing so, Lord, I believe that the audience of people will receive Him. The ones that are not saved will want that wonderful Saviour to know that after two thousand years here's His promise, just as alive tonight as it was the hour He made it. And the sick will be healed; the saints will be blessed. We feel that the revival that we pray for will be on the way. Lord, this is as far as any man can go to just say what You have said.
E-77 Now, we give out prayer cards every day. And now, we can't take them all at once, and we're a little late. I--I believe that we're supposed to close this by ten o'clock. And we'll just call a few prayer cards and pray for some of the sick people. And maybe the Holy Spirit will grant something among us.
E-78 A-number-2? Who has 2? Number 2? I know it's... There's Spanish people here. Number 2. Would you hold up your hand so we can see where you're at? A-number-2. A gentleman back there. Would you come here, sir. Number 3, number 3, holding prayer card 3, would you hold your hand up? A lady. Would you come right over here, lady, if you will. 3, 4? Who has prayer card 4? Would you hold your hand up there? This gentleman here, right here. All right. Number 5? All right, over here. 6? Who has prayer card 6? Number 6? Somebody say it in Spanish. What... Seis, seis? Prayer card 6? I hope... See, look, at your neighbor's prayer card. It might be somebody deaf and can't hear. You see, they'd miss their turn. We want everybody to be prayed for. So now... See if--if you're holding prayer card... All right. 6? They might... There's some left here a few moments ago, so it might've been I preached too long, or talked too long, rather. I never preached, but they--they might've got weary.
E-79 Now, when you get prayer cards... Look, don't--don't--don't just take them (You see?), and--and don't come up, because you rob somebody of that place. You see? And you--you got to come and get your own prayer card. See, somebody come and gets one, and gives it to somebody else, and they get up and go out, and then (You see?) somebody misses that place where somebody could've come in.
E-80 All right, let's start here then (all right?), start the prayer line. Now, then... We're--we're rushed a little bit, so don't be nervous now. We'll be out in about ten, fifteen minutes. But I want to ask you something. That's it, brethren, and I wish you would, just little bit of room there, if you--if you possibly--possibly. Thank you. The brother just come and told me we didn't have to be out at ten, so that's fine. Well, we don't want to weary the people.
E-81 ...?... How many's ever been in one of the meetings before? Let's see your hand. Oh. Well, I thought I was before a strange audience, and then talk on something like that. See? Why, no. There's two-thirds in here's been in the meetings before. All right, you understand what--the way we do it.
E-82 Now, the thing of it is now, is Jesus Christ alive? That's what we want to know. See? And now, we can't even... There--there's many things that we could say, "Yes, I feel Him in my heart." The people say something else. And they say many things. They say, "It's psychology." But we want to know, is He truly alive to Scripturally identify Himself the same yesterday, today, and forever? That's what we want to know.
E-83 Now, therefore, I stand here with ministers around me, behind me, and out front, Christian people. And here we stand here. And I claim that the Bible evidence of Jesus Christ is a prophetic sign. The Bible says so. And He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, and promised that if we'd believe on Him, the works that He did we would do also. Now, is that true?
E-84 And if He will manifest Himself here, that He is here, and this very Holy Spirit that you receive, proves that it is Him... Pentecost is the only thing's going to prove Christianity. You can't prove it by science. You can't prove it by nothing, but by a Pentecostal experience. You Baptists know that, and you Methodists and Presbyterians and whatever you are.
E-85 Now, where is the... This lady? Now, if Jesus Christ proves that He's alive, how many's going to accept your healing right where you're setting? Just raise your hands. Say, "I--I... If He'll do just what He did here, I know He's alive. Brother Branham, I--I heard you speak. I know you--you're just a little baldheaded preacher standing there (See?) and I know there's nothing in you. But I--I do know, if you've told the truth, God will certainly testify of it. He's obligated to do that."
E-86 The lady here, I never seen her. She raised her hands a few minutes ago that we were strangers to one another. She might've heard of me somewhere in a paper, magazine, or might've seen me in a meeting. But as knowing anything about the woman, the first--only thing I know, I probably never met her before in life. She's standing here a total stranger. Say, this happens to be something I talked of a few moments ago.
E-87 Now, lady, I--I don't know you, don't know one thing about you. But I'm just speaking to you, in order--you being the first person, to catch the Spirit of the Lord. And now, I perceive that you are a believer, I mean a Christian believer, not a hitchhiker, because immediately, when I turned to you, your spirit vibrates welcome. See, I know that she's a Christian. Now, she could be a hypocrite; she could be anything; she could be a deceiver standing there. How would I know? I never seen her in my life.
E-88 Now, here I am with my hands up too. I never seen her in my life as far as I know, never seen her in my life. We're totally strangers one to another. Now, if the Holy Spirit can reveal to this woman something about her, something she's done, like that woman did at the well, then... Or something that she ought to have done and did not do, some trouble she's had, something that's on her heart, something she wants, or something like that, it has to come from some supernatural power. How many knows that?
E-89 Now. (If you who are controlling these microphones, sometimes when the anointing comes down, that... I--I don't know how loud I'm talking.) You see where I have to stand now? I either have to stand with this Word... And I've declared that It's the Truth. Now, I've got to depend on God declaring that back that it's the truth right here before these people.
E-90 Now, my sister, we are two people born in different parts of the world perhaps, and meeting our first time here now. And I--I just want to speak to you in order if He will reveal to me, as we're all waiting to see what happens. Now, it has to be Him, because I don't know you. I've never seen you, but God does know you. But now, if the congregation, who's ever seen that Light, that picture of the Angel of the Lord... How many's ever seen it? See? All right, here It is, right here between me and the woman right now. Can't you see that? It moves to her. You see it? See, the woman's looking at It herself.
E-91 I keep feeling that coming from somebody, said, "He guessed that." I didn't guess that. See, you can't hide yourself now. The Holy Spirit's here. Watch your thinking. I catch it. Jesus perceived their thoughts. You see? And I ain't Jesus, but He's here with us. See? Here, I don't know you. If Jesus would tell me who you are, then that ought to take the question out of it for all time, wouldn't it? Mrs. Heineman, go on your road; you're healed. Jesus Christ makes you well. Amen, amen.
E-92 How do you do, sir? Here's a man that I have never seen in my life. I suppose we're strangers to one another. That's right. So that the people know, just raise up your hand so the people can see that we're strangers. I've never seen the man. He looks like he--he was healthy enough. I don't know the man. I've never seen him. God knows all about him.
E-93 Now, here's a man. The other was a woman. I've never seen him, met him. We're just strangers here on earth. Now, sir, if the great Holy Spirit, which you're conscious right now... Something happened right then, didn't it? Now, that Light settled right over the man. Just ask him. I want you to know this. Just a second ago a real sweet humble feeling come over you. Is that right? Raise your hand if that's right. See? I'm looking right at It. See? There It is. All right.
E-94 Now, see, you don't guess those things. They're truth. Here, he's got something on his heart. You want to believe whether it's God or not. There's something else on your heart, something you're wanting. There's somebody out here in the audience suffering too. It's your wife. That's right. She's got complications: in misery and pain right now. Isn't that right? All right, sister, you're healed too. Both of you go home. Jesus Christ makes you well. Go on your road rejoicing. Thank God. Be made well.
E-95 This kind of Indian, or Mexican lady looking at me right here, suffering with high blood pressure, do you believe Jesus Christ? I don't know you; I've never seen you. Is that right? But you were setting there; you were believing that, wasn't you? Raise up on your feet if that's so, if you suffer with high blood pressure. Jesus Christ heals you.
E-96 There was a woman one time went through a crowd of people, and she touched His garment, for she said within herself, "I believe that the Man is truthful. I believe He's the Son of God. And if I can just touch the border of His garment, I'll be made heal--well." How many knows the story? Well then, if He... The Bible says in the New Testament, the book of Hebrews, that He is a High Priest that right now can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities. How do we know we touched Him? Because He acts the same way He did yesterday.
E-97 Excuse me. We're strangers one to another, but Jesus Christ knows both of us. You believe that He can reveal to me something that you have done, something that you're desiring? Would it make you know that... Me, just your brother, I wouldn't know that. It'd have to come from some power. Would you believe it to be Jesus Christ? You would do it. I believe you would, 'cause you're a Christian. All right, you--you believe me now.
E-98 Say, "You're looking at the woman. You're reading her mind." I'll turn my back to her then. See? Don't think I ain't catching what you're thinking, 'cause I am.
E-99 How do you do, sir? We're strangers to each other, I suppose. The Lord Jesus knows both of us. We are two men met here for the first time in life. But there's someone here... Don't... Shaking, that's just weakness. You see? I spoke for a hour or more; it didn't hurt me. But just one vision, that does it. See, see? How many feel you understand that?
E-100 I don't know you, but God does know you. But if He will reveal to me what's in your heart, then... He, Jesus, perceived their very thoughts. See? He knows your heart. And if He can reveal to you your desire, would you believe you would receive it? How many out there would believe you would receive it? That ought to settle it, if you believe it.
E-101 Do you believe? How many believes that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever? You believe He's here? Now, let me give you another Scripture. Jesus said, "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be damned. These signs shall follow them that believe (Is that right?): In My Name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; if they would take up serpents or drink deadly things, it would not harm them. If they lay their hands upon the sick, they shall recover." How many knows that's true? E-102 Now, are you satisfied Jesus is alive and among us? Say, "Amen." Why, He that made the promise is here. Now, you pray for the person that you got your hands on. See? You pray for them. See? Don't pray for yourself. You pray for them, because they're praying for you. See? Now, you know He's here. He made the promise. And if He'll stand out here before the people and confirm it and prove it that it's true, then you believe it with all your heart. Now, I'm going to pray for all of you. And while you pray for one another, let's believe now with all of our hearts.
E-103 Our heavenly Father, we are indeed, our hearts are thrilled. You are here tonight. There is no place too humble, no place too great, no place too far but what You'll come to Your believing children. O great God of heaven, You have sent Jesus Christ in the form of the Holy Spirit, which is here now, and identifying Himself the same yesterday, today, and forever, and the children are believing it. I've given them Your Word. You have confirmed Your Word.
E-104 Satan, turn them loose. Come out of them in the Name of Jesus Christ. Let this audience of people go for the glory of God. Turn them loose, Satan. We adjure thee by the Presence of Jesus Christ, the living One, the resurrected Son of God, leave them go, and come out of them, for the glory of God, in the Name of Jesus Christ. |
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