Sermon Texts (Adding Now)
Sermon Texts Beginning With L
Lamb And Dove (60-0805)
| Lamb And Dove (60-0805) |
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E-1 Gracious Lord, we are thankful to come before You again tonight, with thanksgiving in our heart, for what we know that Thou hast done. And for faith to believe that You will continue to do for us, exceedingly, abundantly. I thank You for what anchored in my heart in that emergency room, just now, upon those poor, sick and dying people. I believe You stopped death just a few moments ago, Lord. I am happy for that. God, I pray that You'll stop death and sickness over this building tonight, everywhere. May there not be a feeble one in our midst at the end of the service. Give us victory, Father. Bless Your people everywhere. Bless the ministers, your shepherds of the flock. We pray that You'll encourage their hearts greatly, to go forward, Lord, preaching the full manifestation of the Spirit. Grant it, Lord.
E-2 Bless every church and every person. Get glory unto Thyself. Here are many little parcels, laying here, Father. They're handkerchiefs and little pieces of goods, that they've laid up here to be prayed over. We're taught in the Bible, that--that they taken from the body of Saint Paul, handkerchiefs and aprons. Evil spirits went out of the people, and they were healed of diseases. E-3 We are very happy, indeed, to be back in the building tonight, with our brother, and with you people here, at--for the Kingdom of God's sake. Trusting, tonight, that we'll have a great victory tonight. I feel that we will somehow. And I--we had a wonderful time, last evening. The power of the Holy Spirit, oh I, just simply rejoice all--couldn't hardly sleep after I got home. Just to think of the Presence of the Lord, just beating out the enemy, bringing in the victory, and seeing the people go into seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and great things taking place. The glory of God upon the people, that's encouraging to me.
E-4 You know, I used to pastor the First Baptist Church at Milltown, Indiana. I stayed with some people out in the country, when I would be down there for my... usually a kind of a circuit like, and I'd hold a revival, and I used to stay with some people named Wright.
E-5 And most boys throw rocks at birds, but I imagine these two setting here on the front seat wouldn't throw rocks at birds. No, sir. And be sure not to throw rocks at my little robins. See? The robin is my bird. Did you ever see him with the red breast? Do you know how that got red? I'll tell you, so you won't throw no rocks at him.
E-6 And I just hope that when I go to meet Him too, that my covering will be Blood over the breast too, trying to pull the nails out. I think we all feel that way, don't we? [Congregation says, Amen--Ed.] It was my sins that put Him there, wished I had some way I could take it off, but He had to die for me.
E-7 Now, you that's got your Bibles, and would like to read with me. Let's turn to Saint John, the 1st chapter. E-8 Each night, we try to pray for the sick. If it's not too many, I can stand up in the line to, especially on those visions and I'm sure believers understand. This is just about the last round. If I'd get back again sometime to Yakima, I won't be praying for the sick like that. It'll be beyond that. See? It's just about the last round of it. I can feel it as it begin moving out. It's been a completely around the world, three or four times now. So it's a--won't be long till that ministry will be leaving, and it'll be a new one which will be far beyond this. And as I was here the first time, It told you this one was coming. How many's in the building, heard me announce that way back in the early days? Raise up your hands, wherever you are. Sure. Way back that this one would come... Did it come? Just exactly the way He said it would do it. Now, there's another one coming which will be far beyond this one. And it'll be great, I'm sure. Wished I knowed what it was, but I don't. I just--I know it's coming.
E-9 Saint John, the 1st chapter, and let's begin at the 29th verse. To read just a portion for a--to draw a text from.
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
This is he... whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me; for he was before me.
And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
On these symbols, tonight, I would like to take a subject of "Lamb and Dove."
E-10 You know, a sheep is a very sensitive and odd animal. And you know, a sheep never was asked to manufacture wool. He was asked to bear wool, because he is a sheep. And as long as he is a sheep, he will bear wool, because that's his nature.
E-11 And this, tonight, is an awful unusual text, but God is unusual, and He does things in an unusual way, at an unusual time, with unusual people. He's altogether unusual. And I think this is one of the most striking instance of all the Scriptures. When it so pleased God, that when He wanted to symbolize His Son on earth, it was called a Lamb, the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. And then when He, God, was going to symbolize Himself, He was represented by a Dove. E-12 Therefore, if you'll notice, the lamb and the dove has spirits alike and natures alike. If it would not been that way, if there would've been a crow flew down on the lamb, the lamb could've not have stood that. And if the--the dove would've flew down on a wolf, the dove could not have stood it. They're natures wasn't the same. So it had to be a lamb and a wolf--or a lamb and a dove symbolized together, God and His Son, so that they could live together.
E-13 Now, I've often wondered why God ever represented us as lambs. We are the sheep of His pasture. If you notice, a lamb is one of the most unusual animals. That lamb cannot find his way back when he's lost. I've raised sheep. And let a sheep get lost, he will stand there and bleat till he dies. He cannot find his way back. He's got to have the shepherd to lead him back. And we will never find our way back through any other way but though the Shepherd. The human race lost, it needs to be shepherded back.
E-14 The dove, he is a very unusual bird. A dove is the only bird that we know of, that doesn't have a gall. A dove has no gall at all. All the other birds have gall. But he has no gall, so in the dove, is no bitterness. And in God is no bitterness, or in the one that the dove lives in, and leads, there's no bitterness. Now, the dove, the reason he's made like that, it's because of his diet. Now, he could not eat the things that a vulture eats, because it would kill him right away.
E-15 As the old song used to go, "Give me oil in my lamp, keep me shining." God puts Holy oil inside. Oil in the Bible represents the Spirit keeping the church clean.
E-16 Now, in the ark the dove and the crow set on the same roost. Both of them were birds, one could fly where the other one flew. One could do just anything the other one could do. But when they were turned loose to take their choice, they turned the dove loose first, and the little fellow flew about, and the Bible said, "She could find no rest for the soles of her feet." Every time she could find something to set on, it was a dead carcass, an old dead something of the world, and she could not light on that. Why, it was against her nature.
E-17 Yes, but when they turned the crow loose, oh, he was just as happy as he could be, flying from one dead carcass to the other and eating his stomach full. That's the way crows do. And a crow is a hypocrite. I'm glad you got open season on him everywhere. And he is an awful fellow, long lifed, but he can set down on an old dead carcass, and eat just as much as he wants to, and fly right out in the field, and eat wheat with the dove. But the dove, eating wheat cannot fly back and eat with him.
E-18 I wondered about that one time. I saw a vision; it was made manifest how that the--a man went forth sowing wheat, when he slept why, then a enemy come forth, and sowed tares, which is Scriptural. And when the wheat come up, and the--got ripe, the weeds was up also, the tares. And when there come a drought, and when the drought come everybody was praying for rain. And a great black cloud come and rained down, and the little wheat had his head down like this. It brought it's little head up and begin to say, "Oh, glory to God. Praise, ye, to the Lord, for sending the rain."
E-19 Oh yes, the dove is a sweet bird. I've had a lot of dealing with them. One time, when I went to pray for Florence Nightingale, her great grandmother founded the Red Cross, and you got her picture here in the book, called "Prophet Visits Africa," by Julius Stadsklev.
E-20 And she started to cry, and I wondered where there could even be enough moisture that she could cry. She took glucose and all of her bowels was wound up with cancer in her stomach. How the woman was living, I don't know. I couldn't understand a thing; she was moving her lips, and the nurse got down to see what she said. And she said, "Have Brother Branham to pray to God to let me die."
E-21 And in England, if anyone's ever been there, when the fog comes in, you just can't see nothing. That was a very foggy day. The cab had to go just right along as easy as he could to get through the fog. And there had been a great wave of it come in; we were near the coast, and it was so foggy I could just see there was a tree standing by the window. When I knelt down by the side the window, the sill was about that far up, even with my face, and I started to pray. And as I started to pray, "Almighty God, the Author of Everlasting Life, the Giver of all good gifts. Send upon this poor, dying creature, here, Thy blessing." Just as I started to pray, a little dove flew in from somewhere, set down on this sill, begin walking back and forth, cooing, just about one foot from where my face was, praying. And I thought it was a pet there at the house, I'd just been in England about four or five hours, and I thought, maybe, it's just a pet at the house. It walked to and fro, up-and-down this little sill. And then when I finally prayed and said, "Amen," raised up, the little dove flew away. And I was going to say, "Was that a pet dove?" And the ministers was talking about what was that dove doing there. Well, I said, "Is it a pet dove?" E-22 You know my story of my little girl, my wife when they died? Every evening I'd go out there for long time at the grave, and set up there. Oh, I just couldn't give them up, hardly, I was just a boy, all my family gone, just Billy and I left. And I didn't... I'd go out there and set at the grave. And every afternoon, just as sure as it got around about five o'clock, here come an old turtledove, flying through the brush, set up in one of them old cedar trees out there, and just coo and sing. I'd raise up my hands, and praise the Lord, it sound like the wind coming down through them bushes, sing, "There's a land beyond the river, that they call the sweet forever, and we only reach that shore by faith's degree. One by one, we gain the portals, there to dwell with the immortals. Someday they'll ring those golden bells for you and me." The little dove, cooing, I first thought it must be the immortal soul of--of my little girl, but it'd of been her, she'd come talk to me. But the dove, God represented Himself in being a dove.
E-23 Now, the lamb... Now, the dove puts out a oil to keep hisself clean, and the lamb has lanolin to keep the weather off of him. And we are likened unto God's lambs.
E-24 Did you ever go around a slaughter pen? When they go to slaughter sheep, what leads them up the to the slaughter block? A goat. They have a goat there that'll lead these sheep till it gets right up there at a certain place, till he will jump off and let the sheep go on in. That's what always been; that's what led Him to His slaughter, the goat. And the... Well, if you ever come time to slaughterer's has told me, the butchers, that butchered them, said, "They had to kill the goat, then he really kicked up a fuss." But he wants to lead the sheep, always to the slaughter.
E-25 Want you to notice, not only that, but He was a willing Lamb, a willing Lamb. A lamb only has one thing, and that's his fur, wool on him. But he--he's a willing lamb, all that he's got, he's willing to forfeit that. He forfeits his wool. That's the only thing that he has, but yet, for your sake and my sake, he forfeits what he's got.
E-26 But when we get to know so much, we know so much theology, then the lamb can't lead us, because it's against our ideas, and we just won't put up with it. You've got to forfeit your idea.
E-27 So then we go along and say, "Well, yeah, we got churches, and we got great organizations, and denominations." But all having a form of godliness, but denying the Dove thereof, the Dove that does the leading. We have our religions, and we have our ideas, and we don't want nothing mixed up with it. They say, "I don't care what the Bible says." I've had people tell me that many times.
E-28 Not long ago, reading of Samson, and how that that man, he was something like a lot of today, a ladies man, and God could never use him. Why, he was willing to submit his strength to the Lord, but never willing to give his heart to the Lord. Now, he had a great strength. And many churches today, will lend their strength to the Lord, "Oh, sure, we'll build an organization that'll put a million in, and do all this, that, and the other." But you're never willing to surrender your heart for Divine leadership of the Holy Spirit to lead us to the fountains of waters of Life. We're never willing to do it. E-29 But I wonder sometime, in the face of all this, if God could lead us. I wonder if we haven't turned out to be goats instead of sheep. The Dove couldn't lead a goat. He would lead. No, no. He wants to lead. The goat will lead, but you can't lead him. And I may tell you something, brother, you'll certainly have to be a very smart shepherd, if you can hear the bleating of a goat, and the bleating of a sheep, and tell them apart. They both sound almost the same. And the Bible said that the devil in the last days here, would be so shrewd, that it would deceive the very elected, if it was possible. How shrewd Satan will come in. Just watch what's fixing to take place, now in the last days. Watch these elections and things come up. Watch how Satan will pull that--try to pull that wool, he tried once before and failed. He will try until he succeeds in doing it. He will do it. Yes, sir, he will do it. E-30 You remember, I predicted that in 1933. And it will be that way too. For I saw a vision before the end time, that great and powerful thing stood up in the United States, and she become as stubbles. So then, it's going to happen. I said, "Automobiles will--come like the shape of an egg." You know what a '33 car looked like. And I said, "There'll even be traveling on the road, they won't even have to guide it." They've already got that out; I seen it here not long ago. It'll be controlled by electronics like, or by a magnetic post, to cut their speed and so forth, and raise their speed. They can't hit against one another and so forth. And I've got that wrote in a book since 1933. And it'll be that way; we're coming to it now. We're right in it, because the Holy Spirit is the One that leads the church, and warns us of dangers that is to come. E-31 Now, we find in our churches, today, things that goes on. Now, it used to be a long time... Now, don't get angry with me now. I want to show you. Now, we're talking about out in denominations, now we're going to come home to Pentecost just a little bit. We're going to wonder what's happened in our pentecostal people. You know, it used to be a horrible thing for our women to cut their hair. It used to be awful. I can remember that, and I've only been with them just a few years. But now, it's all right to cut their hair. And the Bible said that the hair on a woman was for her glory. And the Bible said that if a woman cuts her hair, she dishonors her head, which is her husband. And if she cuts her hair, her husband then has a right to put away that dishonorable woman. That's Paul's teachings in Corinthians. You argue it with him. Now, I know that hurts.
E-32 Mama used to take us, and she used to tell me, every Saturday night we had to--an old cedar tub we'd take a bath in. And I was the oldest one, and there's eight got a bath in that same tub 'fore me, and they'd just put a little more hot water in. And then, every Saturday night, way we had to eat, we had to take a dose of Castor Oil. I can't stand it, yet today. And I'd come to her just gagging, holding my nose, and I said, "Mom, I can't stand the stuff."
E-33 They talk about juvenile delinquency; it's parent delinquency, what's the matter. Then talk about the literacy of Kentucky. Some of them old mammys out there, let their daughter come in the way some of the women do, five o'clock in the morning, and messed up over their face, and their hair bulled out like that. She'd take a limb off a hickory tree, and she'd take the rest of the clothes off her, and the hide with it. Then call that illiteracy. God knows we need some more mammys like that. That's exactly right.
E-34 I spoke that in one of the meetings on this, and a woman wrote me a big, long letter. She said, "Now, wait," said, "you're getting off onto man-made doctrine." Said, "What's a woman going to do when she's out riding a horse in a mosquito infested area, rounding up cattle?" E-35 And you know, I remember when it used to be a horrible thing for our Pentecostal women to put on this manicure, you know, on their faces. I got that wrong. I always get that wrong. What it... Make--make-up, make-up. Manicure is the fingernails. Is that right? I don't know nothing about that stuff, but make-up... It used to be wrong for a woman to put on painted make-ups. But now, they do it.
E-36 You know, an old Methodist minister used to sing a song, "We let down the bars, we let down the bars, we compromised with sin, we let down the bars, and the sheep got, but how did the goats get in." You just let down the bars. Many times, not these brethren, but many time, preachers think more of a meal ticket, than they do the Gospel. Evangelist go across... Be a shame, now a evangelist told me, a noted evangelist the other day, said, "You're going to hurt your ministry."
E-37 Listen sister, there was only one woman in the Bible ever painted her face, and she didn't paint it to meet God, she painted it to meet man, and her name was Jezebel. That's right. You know what God did for her? He fed her to the dogs. So you see a woman all painted up, you can say, "Howdy do, Mrs. Dog Meat." That's just exactly what she is before the Lord. That's exactly. "Well," you say, "other women does it." But if you're a lamb, forfeit your rights. God wants you to live like a woman ought to live, like a lady ought to live.
E-38 When God made a man first, he made him both male and female in spirit. He made him in His own image, and God is a Spirit. When He separated him, and put him in flesh, he put the masculine spirit in a man, and the feminist spirit in a woman. And if anything's contrary to that, there's a bit of perversion there. Exactly. You see a woman trying to act like a man, there's a little something wrong there. The cell's crossed up somewhere. That's right. You see a man so sissified that he won't preach against sin or nothing else like that, to hurt somebody's feelings, there's a cross up there somewhere too, not only his natural birth, but spiritual birth.
E-39 Well, you say, "Brother Branham, the rest of them does it." I don't care what the rest of them does, if you've got that gall of bitterness in you, there's something wrong somewhere, if you could stomach the world, and still say that you're a Christian, there's something wrong somewhere!
E-40 People go to rock-and-roll, dancing; our YMCA's endorse it, and teach rock-and-roll. Many of our church groups take the basement floor, or something like this to, a recreation room, and teach their people rock-and-roll. And the thing's borned out of hell; it's a African dance. Painting of the face is a heathen trait. In Africa (I'm a missionary.) them people back there that never knowed right and left hand, watch them women how they paint with mud and everything. It's exactly right. It's heathen. It's the devil, and it creeps into our churches, and we then, call ourselves the Lambs of God. I'm telling you. We need to find the Dove again. E-41 "I won't listen to that anymore. My pastor getting so..." Well, the dove just flies right away. That's exactly right. He will not stay where the world's mixed up, because He can't stand the smell of it. He can't stand it; He can't eat it; He can't tolerate with it. And when you go to mixing with the world, then the dove takes It's flight. And when churches begin to say, "The days of miracles is past. There's no such a thing as Divine healing. All that must be mental something. That's the devil doing those miracles and performing those signs. It's of the devil." just remember right now, the dove takes Its flight. For the dove feeds on dove food [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]:... "shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
E-42 [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] "That's my own American privilege to do as I want to. If I want a little sociable drink with the neighbor, if I want to go out to this, and do that, that's my own privilege." That's right; it is your privilege. Now, if you're born just of the national spirit, you'll keep on doing it. If you're borned of the heavenly Spirit, you won't do it no more. That's right.
E-43 Now, I don't blame sinners from doing those things, they're pig anyhow. That's nothing; I just let them go ahead. You see them down there drinking, and carrying on, and cursing, telling dirty jokes, and smutty things, and acting unwor--worldly, and saying, "I don't believe in no such a thing as Divine healing." Well, sure, that's all right. He's just a pig anyhow; it ain't strange to see him on an old dead carcass, the old vulture.
E-44 Now, we snort and blow, "Humph! No such a thing as Divine healing. I went down to one of them old meetings. You better keep away from there; that's of the devil. That guy's a fortune-teller. They hoodoo them people. That's all there is to it." That's the same old devil that said, "It's Beelzebub." the same old devil. He's trying to keep you away from it. Test it with the Word. God tests everything by the Word. Sheep food is the Word of God. His lambs feed in this shady green pasture.
E-45 There's too much world in our churches. If we're pentecost, let's be Pentecost. Let's act like Pentecost. Let's live like Pentecost. Let's stand for the Pentecostal blessing, and do the things that Pentecost promised us. We don't need the... Pentecost is not a denomination. Pentecost is an experience. That's when you become a lamb, and the Dove gets a hold of you and starts leading you. That's when we are--are Pentecost. That's what's happened up there, when God sent up His Lamb, and He--He died for our sins, and--and then the Dove came back down on the day of Pentecost, and led the church, the same Holy Spirit that come upon the first Lamb at Jordan. That's the same One that leads today.
E-46 And today, what we need today is another experience. What we need today is a re-coming again of the Dove, and settling upon the church, and leading it, and opening up our eyes, and getting inside of us, so we can see the manifestations of His Presence. Oh, if we could all, every one in here just set aside the old goaty, doubty feeling away from us, and let the Dove come in tonight... And when the Dove, feel It flutter down into your heart, take Its place. It hasn't gone very far; it's just setting up there on the roost somewhere, waiting for you to come back. It didn't go very far. It'll come right back.
E-47 "I'll dress the way I want to, that's my business." No, it isn't. It's God's business.
E-48 Oh, what a confirmation to see a lamb and dove come together. heaven and earth united; God and man united. And one of the--the sins of the world was kissed away, and--and all roughness, and all death, and all sorrow, and all sickness was kissed away, when the Lamb and the Dove become united together. And it'll do the same thing to you, when It unites with you. When the Dove and the Lamb comes together, their natures are the same.
E-49 Dove and Lamb... While you're listening, the most outstanding Scriptures, one of them, that I can think of, when Jesus said, "Father (think of it), Father, for their sake I sanctify Myself." Think of it. "Father, for their sake I sanctify Myself." What was He doing? Setting the example; He was a Lamb. What did He do? He had a right to a home; He was a Man. He had a right to be married; He was a Man. He had a right to good clothes; He was a--a Man. But He sanctified Himself; He forfeited. He could've--He could've come down the corridors of glory, a full statued man, with an Angelic band. Sure. But He sanctified Himself. E-50 Jesus was training some men that was going to take the gospel to all the world, twelve men. So He lived a sanctified life, and forfeited every worldly pleasure for their sake. We ought to forfeit our worldly dressing, and our worldly pleasures, and things like that, for the sake of the people we're trying to lead to God, the outside world. Let the Dove come in tonight. Sanctify yourself, that the Dove of real faith will come in and take His abode.
E-51 Our heavenly Father, this message of Lamb and Dove: how the Lamb, a little innocent fellow has to be led. He doesn't try to use his own thinking. He must be led. He was made that way so a shepherd could lead him. E-52 Father, I yield myself to You tonight for this healing service coming on. Let the Dove fly down, Lord. Let Him come into my heart, into my mouth, into my mind, into my eyes, my voice, and let them out there, Lord, know that It's You. Let Him come into them, and together may He condemn sin, condemn sickness. All the attributes of sin, may it flee tonight. May this church walk out of here tonight as a scoured out, sanctified, filled up, believing church, full of the Holy Ghost, and go forth from this night on, Lord, and a great revival break out through country that we're praying for. May we see souls around the altars again and the revival fires a burning, every church packed, till they have to built new churches, Sunday school rooms put on. O God, grant it tonight, near the coming of the Lord Jesus, for we believe that it's soon at hand. Let us forfeit every thing worldly, that we might find Christ in our lives, be led by His Spirit. Grant it, Lord.
E-53 Now, I know this little message, kindy chopped up, and me holding my voice back from being hoarse, I pray that somehow, it'll catch hold tonight. From right here on this spot, something deep and solid and sound, that every person in here will be a fruit bearer. Not try to manufacture anything, or make up anything, but just yield themselves to the Holy Spirit, and may they bear the fruit of faith, and peace, and joy, and goodness, and mercy, and temperance, and all the good gifts of God. E-54 God, if He could forfeit His own precious life, willingly go to the cross as a young Man and die for us, "Not My will, but Thine be done." God, surely, to enjoy His salvation, to enjoy Eternal Life through the ages that is to come, surely, we can forfeit our sins and our things of the world, that we might find that that He died for, that precious Lamb of God. Grant it tonight, Lord, quietly and solemnly anchored in every heart... I commit it all to You, Lord, as we call Your sick children to pray. Let the stripes on that Lamb tonight heal every lamb that comes into the line or that's in the building. We ask in Jesus' Name. Amen. E-55 I like the sweetness of the Holy Spirit, don't you? It just--just goes way down inside me. To think of... Look back at the pit where I come from, look back... I hate to condemn sin like I do. I--I... Sometimes I don't mean it personally, but as a minister, I--I... My office in life, I--I got to condemn it, friends. I--I can't keep from it. I don't mean to hurt anybody, but I aim to condemn it. Yes. But I want you to know, it's with sweetness from my heart. God knows that. E-56 Here not long ago, I was holding a meeting in the city; I walked into a place. We'd been eating across the street in a little Dunkard restaurant. It was up somewhere in Ohio. Honey, you remember where it was at? I forget. It was somewhere up in Ohio, there; we was in a big armory building. It was packed out, and thousands of people. They kept me out in the country, 'cause there's was so many down there knowed where I was living. And it... Went out in the country and we'd eating across, a little Dunkard Restaurant, very nice clean, little ladies, walking around there so nice and everything. And so then, Sunday, they closed up and went to church. And I hadn't eat for two days, so I had to preach that afternoon.
E-57 And I went across to a modern little restaurant across the street, or across the road where the highways cross, and went over there, and when I walked in there it was disgracefully. Standing, playing a slot machine, was a--a officer, police officer, about my age. You know, he's married, with his arm immorally around a woman, playing a slot machine, and gambling's illegal in Ohio. There you are.
E-58 I looked setting over to the right; there set a elderly woman, old enough to be my grandmother almost, setting there with purple stuff on her lips, and her toenails painted the same, with a little pair of these little immoral clothes, and the poor old thing, her hide hanging down like this on her arms, and setting there with little blue spots on her face like this, where she'd painted them, with hair that was colored blue. And I looked, and I thought, "Oh, my." And two old men setting there, and it summertime, one of them with a big army overcoat on, a scarf hanging down like this, setting there with that poor lady, and beer setting around there, drinking. And one of them looked up to the other, and said, "You think the rain will hurt the rhubarb?" And they excused themselves and went to the rest room.
E-59 I went back behind the door and stood there. I waited a little bit; a vision come: I saw a world turning. And around the world was a mist; that looked like blood, spraying around. And I looked in there, and there I was doing things wrong. Every time I'd do something wrong, my sins would start before God, and God would slay me for it, but Jesus was standing there like a bumper. He caught it. I'd see the tears run down His cheeks, and I'd do something else bad, His Blood would hold it, keep it from--from touching me, from killing me. God would kill me. Eat... "The day you eat thereof, the day you die."
E-60 He said, "Now, I freely forgive you for all that you've done." And then He turned, and I seen the woman. Said, "But you wanted to strike her off the face of the earth." E-61 I tell you, brethren, sometimes we have to speak against sin; it's not to hurt the person; it's to bring them to recognize, bring them to a spot to recognize. Like our Lord, we don't mean to hurt or be bad; God knows that. That wouldn't--that--never that being my soul, but it's to try to get people to recognize what's going on, what's happening. See? And I do this so that we'll forsake all unbelief, and the things of the world, and come back, and be a real sweet, humble Christian and live for Him.
E-62 Now, heavenly Father, I pray that You'll send the Dove tonight, and lead us all into that, quietly and sweetly up into that real place. Elijah laid in a cave, and in the cave the wind went by, the lightning flashed, the thunders roared, the earth quaked, but a still small voice attracted the prophet.
E-63 While we have our heads bowed, is there anyone in the building tonight... Or how many should I say, would like to lead that--lead that real peaceful, sweet life, and be led by the Lamb--or by the Dove? I'm not... I want everybody's head bowed and every eye closed. I'm not going to make an altar call; I just want to know your hearts. Raise up your hand, say... God bless you. Oh, that... Look all over the building everywhere (Sure.), everywhere. Sure, you do.
E-64 Now, I believe my son told me awhile ago coming in, when we met him out there, that he had fifty prayer cards lined up tonight, that he give to the people. We'll line them up and pray for them. I forgot what... C, Billy, I didn't...?... C, one to fifty. Now, we bring these... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
E-65 It was raining real hard, and--and the place was packed, and they were standing around the walls. And so they... It was... Billy had give out prayer cards, and then... And there was a little mother walking back and forth, had a baby in a blanket. And there was another little--little old woman setting there in one of them little gingham dresses, or ever what it is (you know), setting there, a little Christian saint setting in front. And she had... This mother had no place to--to--to set down with the baby. And this little mother begin to feel sorry for that baby, and that little woman, walking back and forth, and the Holy Spirit said to the mother, "Pray for that baby."
E-66 So the Holy Spirit kept dealing with her, and time lingered on. I hadn't come yet, and so then, the little woman said--well, just got so convicted, said, "Sister, would you like to set down with the baby?"
E-67 So she prayed for the little baby, and the woman give the lady with the prayer card, and the baby, the seat, and the little lady climbed up, and stood up in the balcony way up there. Well, after while, the rain let up a little, and I got in, come in, walked to the platform, preached a little while, called a prayer line, and I just called about ten cards, or something like that, 'cause it was all to be in discernment. And sometimes that way, when I get down to ten, I'm---I'm pretty near gone, if it's a fresh meeting. So then, when they--they... I told them; I said, "Now, friends, you--it's your faith; you got to believe it.
E-68 Now, that same Spirit that witnessed to you tonight, "I am the Dove; I'm here. You are My lamb. I want to heal You."
E-69 The Holy Spirit can just ever get a hold... You're trying hard; I know you are. See? You're trying to press into it, but if you just... Don't try to press; just let loose. See? Just let God do it. It'll certainly--it'll certainly be marvelous if you'll just let God do it. There won't be a sick person left among us. Now, if you all, now, will believe with all your heart, with all your strength, God will grant to you, you're healing. See? You believe that?
E-70 Now, how many's seen the picture of the Angel of the Lord here? We--we got it in here. It's in the books and so forth. Now, that's what I was looking at just then. It come from that way some where; It went around this a way, come around to this side. It always comes in the prayer line, always has, to my right side. That's the reason I bring the people that way. I never have a prayer line, 'less it comes from my right, coming left. 'Cause that's always where He's standing; that always where I see Him, on that side.
E-71 Now, ministering brethren, I want you all to believe with all your heart. I want you to have faith, and look--look at those people. Now, is God a Father? How many believes that God is our Father? It's the Father of Jesus Christ; He's our Father. We are adopted children. Now, He is the Dove.
E-72 You let someone start disbelieving; just watch how It leaves me, just--just as quick as It can. It won't--It just won't stay around where there's unbelief. It just won't do it. Very, very timid. That's the reason, my brother, my precious sisters, God bless your heart. Me speaking about women wearing, I... That isn't you. That's these modern that do the way they do. But look, I'm just trying to warn you, for your children coming on, and things. And--and watch every step; don't you do that. E-73 Now, is--did all of them get in? Is all the fifty there? There is somebody, somewhere, trying to have some faith out there, somewhere. It just... I... There's no need. If I told you I could explain this, you cannot. How many knows that? You can't explain God? That's the reason all of our trying and superstitions...
E-74 In the garden of Eden there was two trees. How many knows that? One of them was the Tree of Life, and the other one was the tree of knowledge. And when man left the Tree of Life to eat the tree of knowledge, he always destroys himself, separates himself from God. So you'll never know God by knowledge; you've got to know Him by faith, just to believe it. It doesn't come by knowledge; it's faith. See? E-75 God never destroys nothing. Man, by knowledge, destroys himself. Remember that. God doesn't destroy nothing. God's eternal; He doesn't destroy nothing. But man, by his knowledge, destroys himself. When we get to a place, you say, "Well, now, there's no such thing as the Holy Ghost; Divine healing's wrong." Just remember, you're destroyed by your own ignorance. You think it's knowledge, but it's ignorance. So you--you destroyed yourself; you sent your soul plumb away from God by doing that. See? Why, don't you just throw down your own thoughts and say, "Oh, Dove of God, come lead me." See? Watch where He brings you: right straight back to His Word. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
E-76 Now, I want to know how many in that prayer line, that doesn't know me, and I--and you--I don't know you, that doesn't know me, raise up your hands, you that...? How many out there that doesn't know me? Raise up your hands. Up in the balconies, and so forth? All right. E-77 And some of you all was preaching this Gospel when I was yet a little old sinner boy. Really it needs to be you up here. Well, what is it? You've cut down the bushes, and--and leveled out the road, that the running would a lot easier for me than it was for you. So I want you to know, that I know that in my heart. Some glorious day, when we shake hands across the table over yonder, we'll see where the crown goes: you brethren that you've really fought to win the prize, and made the road easy for me. You preached that these things would be coming long years ago, before I was to ever enter in the ministry, you preached these things would happen. Now, see, you paved the road. These is the people you preached to that come here and see exactly. Always honor your pastor. He's worthy of every bit of honor you could give him. The Bible said that. Yes, sir, and don't muzzle the ox that treads out the corn. E-78 Now, back long ago, when they was down on the corner, and run out of the city, and eat corn off the railroad track, or whatever they did, they was making the way for this, and don't never forget that. When these new evangelists comes along with a ministry way, don't... Remember, if you was going to be operated on, you want it... You wouldn't want to get a new student that hadn't had no experience. You'd want one that had some experience. How about your soul's going to be operated on? That's right, brethren. Sure is true.
E-79 Now, this is a gift. Let me explain it just for a moment now. This is a gift, just a--a way I have of just to give myself over to the Dove. Then I don't use my own thinking, my own sight, my own words; I just relax before Him. It's just a gift to know how to do it. And when it does, then that... I could... I'm relaxed right now. See?
E-80 And so then, I got other meetings, other nights, and I try to pull myself out... It's... The--the gift isn't for me; it's for you. I can... If I want to know something, I say, "Lord, what is it? What is it?" He don't tell me, 'less He wants to. But when I relax myself, by a gift, then you can use it. How many understands that? That's your own faith.
E-81 What if that Syrophenician woman, when He said, she said, "Lord, have mercy on my daughter; she's variously vexed with the devil."
E-82 Now, if you'll just approach God with that same reverence, you out there without a prayer card. I'll just pray for these in the line. Just to show you that--that it'll be--I'm will... Remember to get this watch off before. I--I might be... I'll just pray for these people in the prayer line, and then you are the one to do the discerning. You just--you just believe with all your heart. Just believe with all your heart.
E-83 Right back here, there's a man setting, and the man's got a heart trouble, been in the hospital. If you'll believe, sir, with all your heart, God will heal you. Mr. Howard, have faith. Sir, do you have a prayer card? You don't have no prayer card? I'm a stranger to you; I don't know you, never seen you in my life; we are total strangers. Ever what that said, is that the truth? If it is, raise up your hand. All right. Jesus Christ makes you well. Now, go home you're healed. See, what I mean?
E-84 What do you think, sir, back there with that leg trouble? You think that God make you well, and heal you? Young fellow setting there, looking at me, believe God will make you well? If you believe it with all your heart, you can have it. Amen. Don't doubt; believe. E-85 Come, lady. You believe me to be His prophet, or His servant, I meant to say? That stumbles some people, reason I say that like that. See? You believe it? We're stranger to one another? All right. We have never met before, and we--this is our first meeting in life. Now, I don't know you; you don't know me, and so here we are just for the first time, meeting. I have no idea what's wrong with you. I have no idea why you're standing here. I--I could--it might be--you might be sick; you might be standing for somebody else. You might have financial troubles; it may be domestic troubles. It may be... I don't know what it is. You're aware of that, that I know nothing about it. If that's so, as far as we know, raise up your hand so the people can see. See?
E-86 Now, here we are. Now, see? It's just a relaxation. I'm going to talk to the woman. Now, there's the woman; I'm a man. And we have just met for the first time in life, like Jesus and the woman at the well at Samaria, the well. Now, He talked to her just a moment in order to catch her spirit. See? Because now, it's just coming everywhere, like a heart beat, everywhere. It's just the--the people.
E-87 Now, that's the Scripture isn't it? Now, ministers, is that the Scripture? All right. Now, you're the audience, and a woman don't have to come tell you. You're here to look at her. Now, will you believe that the Messiah, the Son of God, in the form of the Holy Ghost is here, working through us, just like He promised to do in the Bible? Would you believe it? Then what would be to hinder you, just say, "I'm your lamb; You're the Dove. Lead me to health, Lord."
E-88 The lady suffers with an arthritis. I see her trying to get out of the bed. It's worse of a morning than any time, when you try to get up. Now, that's right. If that's right, raise up your hand. Now, she doesn't look like it, does she? But she's got it. What is it? That's--that's a vision. I saw her doing something, trying, I believe, was move from a bed or something that... Now, that's right.
E-89 Do you believe with all your heart? Just have faith. Don't doubt. Say, "Lord, I believe with all that is within me, I believe." How many believes now with all your heart?" Now, what's doing that? The Dove. The Dove. Now, be reverent. Just be... Is this the next patient?
E-90 Now, you're aware that I know what's wrong with you, but if I didn't say nothing, would you believe with all your heart? Let me just show you something. Come here. Lay your hand on mine. Just lay you hand... Got a lady's trouble, female trouble. See, I never caught that from vision; I caught it from here.
E-91 Now, if I don't say a word, lay hands on you, you going to believe? In the Name of Jesus Christ may the man be healed.
E-92 If I didn't say nothing, you'd believe you was healed anyhow, wouldn't you? You would? But you want the--the back trouble to leave you, and so you can be well. In the Name of the Lord Jesus, grant, Lord, that he be healed. Go now, believing you're kidneys will be all right...?...
E-93 All right. Come. Now, you know I know what was wrong with you. So you believe I could tell you? You got several things wrong, but the main thing you want pray for is your arthritis. Now, go and be well. Just say, "Thank you, Lord Jesus."
E-94 Now, let's pray. Come, sister. In the Name of Jesus, may she be healed. Amen. Go believe Him, with all your heart.
E-95 And if you'll have faith and believe with all your heart; you'll not die with heart trouble. You'll get well. You believe it? All right. Go believing. Say, "Praise the Lord."
E-96 All right. Come, sir. Father God, I pray that You'll heal this man. May this condition leave him in Jesus' Name. Amen. Have faith, now just believe with all...
E-97 The vision just nearly--it just nearly kills me. See? How many understands the Bible teaches that? Why, sure, anybody that knows the Bible knows that. It just--I can't stop for each one. But if you do, you must know that God's just the same, the--the--the Holy Spirit when He spoke to me up there... If you'll just give me a moments time to get myself back a little bit. He said, "You were born to pray for sick people. Your peculiar birth."
E-98 And--and that Angel of God, at five o'clock in the morning, April 6, 1909, at five o'clock in the morning, come right in and stood over that little bed where I was laying. They didn't know what... My people before me were Catholic. And so there was no Catholic churches up there, and so they taken me over to a little Baptist church. And there I made my first visit to a church. The Baptist church is called "Opossum Kingdom Baptist Church. Opossum Kingdom Baptist Church." There's where I made my first visit to a church. And from--when I was just about two years old, the first vision come, from that it's come on, and on, and on, and I'm fifty-one years old now.
E-99 But now, that you might know that It is God, It's His... It's the... Brother, sister, that vision, that Angel, God in heaven knows that's true. What good would it do me to stand out here, telling you people these things? I--I don't get paid for it. You know that. My church pays me. My love offerings is overseas missions; I--ask the secretary here, I... That's right. See? I never see it; it goes for overseas. I go over there and preach the gospel, over in other countries. The expenses is paid. The brethren, the chairman and them can tell you, I don't get money. I--I don't have it. I get one hundred dollars a week from my church. Well, I get that just staying home, and going fishing everyday, and pastoring a church on Wednesday night and Sunday morning (See?), at that little old Baptist tabernacle. That... It ain't money.
E-100 So what am I standing out here for? Why am I home having my family and everything, much better off, and live a life like that instead of gone from the family, and a toil, and a weary, and a crying, and pull and a persuade. It's because that I've got a commission. I must do it. Many times, doubters, people raising up, and--and--and people saying, "Oh, there's nothing to it."
E-101 Now, who is next? This woman here? Here. Like to this lady here. Now look, lady, we are strangers to one another. I do not know you, but you know that I know what's wrong with you. If I didn't say nothing about it, yet, you believe you'd be healed anyhow? You do? That's--that's the way to believe it. That's the way. You have complications, several things wrong with you. That's right. You've stiffen up in your joints. Been that way for quite awhile. I see a crash, or... Oh, it's a automobile accident caused that. That's THUS SAITH THE LORD. Is that the truth? Raise up you hand, if that's the truth? See? It's--He's just the same yesterday, today, and forever. Don't you believe that? In Jesus Name, go and be made well.
E-102 You believe with all your heart? Now, put your hands over on one another, all of you in here. Oh, Dove, come Dove, fall upon Your lambs, Lord. Oh, lambs, be led by the Dove. Be made well. |
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