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Forsaking All
62-0123, Forsaking All, Full Gospel Church, Tempe, AZ, 120 min

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L-1 May be seated. I want to say good evening to all. So happy to be here tonight. Just deem this such a grand privilege to be here, this lovely new church to worship the Lord. We've been looking forward to this coming out here for some time, for a time of fellowship with the people and enjoy the blessings--and trust that we'll be a blessing to you people. And as the week is begin to go on now, and there--we know the convention's coming up now, beginning Thursday...
And I just heard this afternoon by Brother Williams that we have a grand surprise for Thursday night. Brother Oral Roberts is going to be with us to speak Wednesday night. That'll certainly be a grand surprise to all of us, because Brother Oral is certainly a forceful speaker. And it'd be good to get to see him myself again, shake his hand.
L-2 And we was last night at Tempe (at the Assembly of God, I believe it was, up there). And--and we certainly had a wonderful time last night at Tempe. And we've been having a good time in every church that we've been visiting here in the Phoenix area, and also up in Tempe. And we just appreciate these things so much that we can hardly express it.
Very seldom I get a chance to do this, just come in for a night in each church and speak to the people and the minister brothers. And it gives me a little opportunity to get to express my appreciation of these people, these different denominations, and groups of people, because it's a... They are great sponsors out on the field, in the foreign fields, and everywhere, and this way I can kinda get a little chance to express how I feel about them, in appreciation.
L-3 And we've been with the independents, and I believe Church of God, Assemblies, and every--every one; and overseas, the Foursquare, Church of God, Assembly of God, and the Jesus' Name, and all of them. They just all seem to be one when we come together to have a meeting over there on the battlefield. And you know, here at home there may be ideas that we might different in, but when it comes in the battlefield, why, there's no differences then. See?
I was raised in a large family. There was ten of the children. And we boys would get in the backyard, and we would fight one another, oh, my. Nine boys, one girl, and we would really fight. But no one better not pick on one of us out in the front yard, 'cause if he picked on one, they had--Branhams was coming from everywhere. So I think that's the way it is with God's children, the church.
L-4 Here some years ago I was in Houston, and we were having a great meeting. And over with... I had several sponsors there: Brother Raymond Richey, and--and the Assemblies of God, and the--and the Jesus' Name people, and all the different ones. And we were having a great meeting. And we were at the Music House. Well, we'd seat about eight thousand, I guess.
And there was a--a Baptist minister who wanted to challenge me in a debate on the Bible, that Divine healing wasn't right. Well, I've been through so much of that. Why lose a night on one unbeliever, when there's thousands setting there to be prayed for? You see? So then, he placed it in the paper that I was afraid to do it. And old Brother Bosworth, that's nearly eighty years old, he said, "Oh, let me do it." And I thought of Caleb, you know, "Let me take this mountain." [Judges 1:19]
L-5 So I said, "Brother Bosworth, I--I wouldn't want you fussing. Christ don't want us Christians to fuss with each other. If the man's an unbeliever, why, he's just an unbeliever, that's all. There's nothing you can do about it."
And so, he said, "Well, what it is," said, "if we leave after them putting that in the paper," said, "they'll say that we're just a bunch of... you know, don't know what we're talking about--just a worked-up emotion." He said, "I wish you'd give me the opportunity." And I looked at him standing there almost eighty years old, and just as confident in that Scripture...
I said, "Well, Brother Bosworth, if you'll give me your hand and promise you won't fuss..."
He said, "Oh, I won't fuss." So downstairs he went to tell the reporter.
And 'course, you know how the papers can...?... "Ecclesiastical fur will fly," you know.
L-6 We got the stadium, the stampede ground. And that night we had about thirty thousand people out. And then it went to show there that... People come in with planes, trains. I tell you; they were riding one-hump camels, two-hump camels, and three-hump camels. Why, they was all drinking of that well where there's room for all of us to stand. Everything was together. And it goes... I just got a great blessing out of that, to think now... You see, when really the strain comes, there was one thing we had in common, we all believed in the Holy Ghost and Divine healing. So everybody come in to give his share.
And so, we know what happened that night, how that the Holy Spirit taken over. And that's when the Angel of the Lord came down, they taken a picture of it. And--and then it went from there to Washington, DC, for confirmation. Then after that, it was took by the tests and stuff, and George J. Lacy, the head of the FBI wrote up the--the document on it. And he's the head of the fingerprint and documents of the--of the FBI.
L-7 It was absolutely a supernatural Being. The light struck the lens. It wasn't a psychology. He said, "I've often said your meetings were psychology too. I thought you was reading those people's minds." He said, "But the mechanical eye of this camera won't take psychology, Mr. Branham. It struck the lens." He said, "It's here." So then, it's been taken... It was taken before that and several times after that. Just... I'm so thankful to know. Many people here seen that picture, haven't you? I guess, oh, many of you's got it.
I'm so glad to know that... Even though that the Pentecostal move in this last day has been talked about, but I tell you, in taking Bible history...
L-8 I've just come through the--the history of the church (the last couple years) from the death of the last apostle, John, on the Isle of--when he left the Isle of Patmos, and came in, and--and finished writing the books, and putting them together. He was put out there because that he was taking the apostles' writing and making a Bible out of it. And that's why he was taken to the Isle of Patmos, after being boiled in grease for a day and night. And then put him out on the Isle. And he compiled the books together, and besides that, God gave him the last book of the Bible, the Revelation. [Revelation 1:9]
L-9 And then, coming back, I started from his history there, and then to his--one of his followers, Polycarp, Ignatius, and many of them on down to Martin, Irenaeus, Justin, St. Columba, and on through down into the dark age, and through and up into the Lutheran, and Wesley. And I've come to find out that even since the days of the apostles, in all those great workings of the Holy Spirit, there's none of them that outshines this last move of the Lord here in this last days.
We don't realize it, friends. There's things taking place now that can prove God, like that picture of--of Christ right with us, that they didn't have equipment to do it with in them days. But now, man tries to achieve something, to take away from God; and God takes that same achievement and proves Hisself by it. So it just... He will never get ahead of God, 'cause He's omnipotent, omnipresent, infinite. There's no way of getting away from it. We... Just be humble and serve Him is the best thing that I know to do.
L-10 I'm ashamed, but I don't believe I know the pastor's name here in the church. I... [Brother states his name--Ed.]
Brother Griffith, I'm certainly glad to meet you, brother, and a time of come here and this fellowship, to be with you, to... We always like to address it like this, to those who are sojourning in Sunnyslopes, because we are pilgrims here, strangers. We profess that this is not our home. We're Abraham's seed, seeking a city whose Builder and Maker is God.
This is a beautiful country. I don't think there's anything like it I've ever seen. And traveled pretty near every nation in the world, and I've never seen nothing in Europe, Italy, Asia, anywhere in the Orients, that ever compared with Phoenix, Arizona. Now, that's right. It's the most beautiful place I ever saw. But oh, it will look like a alley up beside of what it will be in that great millennium. So we're--we're... This is not our home; we're just sojourning here. And we're come to have this fellowship together. And it's a blessing for me to be here, and see God's church prospering, a new building, and so forth. God ever bless you people. Be loyal to Christ. Stay true to the pastor, and work together, everybody hand-in-hand, for I believe the coming of the Lord is soon.
L-11 Now, just before we approach the Word, let's approach the Author in prayer, while we bow our heads just a moment. Just before we pray, with your heads and hearts bowed, is there a request in here for prayer, and you'd make it known by an uplifted hand, just in your heart you have need of something, and say, "Lord Jesus, remember me." The Lord sees every hand; I'm sure.
L-12 Our heavenly Father, we are so happy that we can call You Father, the great Creator of heavens and earth, the great Elohim, the El Shaddai, the strength Giver, the Nourisher, the all-sufficient One. And through Your own beloved Son... He told us if we would come to You, and ask anything using His Name, that He would see that it was granted.
And, Father, we believe that that is on conditions. If we'd ask something that was wrong, we could not have faith to believe that it would be answered. But if we can search our hearts tonight, we are not asking anything which is wrong, but that which is right. That is, that You'll forgive us of all of our sins and trespasses. For truly, Lord, that's the first thing. We do not want to try to enter into Thy Presence with sin upon us. [John 14:13-14], [John 16:23]
L-13 Therefore, knowing that each day troubles and things that besets us, that might not even be noticed in our own thinking... But when we come to think of a holy God, Who even Angels are dirty in His sight, then we know, Lord, that we have not even a chance unless we come through the Blood of Jesus Christ and then we are children of God. Our mistakes are overlooked as we confess them.
And I pray tonight, Father, that You will bless this congregation that lifted up their hands. You know what was behind each one of those hands: the thought, the desire, and the motive and objective for raising it. I pray that You will grant each one their request. [Job 15:15]
L-14 And now, Father, we pray for this church. We're so happy that this place... When we read back in the early days, where the Christians were so hated that they could not even have a church, that they were so poor they couldn't have built one if they did have it, and to see that--or had the opportunity to... And now, today, to see great fine structures going up, clean, where people are--can come in and worship God, we're so thankful for this; and for the sacrifice that people, with their tithings and offerings and--and contribution, has built this house for the Lord.
L-15 Now, Father God, I pray that You'll bless its pastor, its deacons, its trustees, and every member that comes here. May it grow, and grow, and grow. And may from this church start an old fashion revival that'll sweep the valley through and through. May there be signs and wonders come from this church, of healing, salvation. May it be a lighthouse to all the nation. Grant it, Lord.
And may from this place go fine preachers, young men, the call of God in their life to go to the mission fields, wherever they'll be called. Grant it, Lord.
And tonight while we're assembled together, may the Holy Spirit come, get into the Word, and just plant the seed in every heart that's in here. May we with faith water it day and night, until it's growed into great trees for the glory of God.
Heal every sick person, Lord, that's here tonight. Save every lost person; bring back all the backsliders, and renew and refill those who have been filled before. Grant it, Lord, for we ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ, Thy Child. Amen.
L-16 Now, I am just a little late as usual. It was a little farther out here tonight than I was expecting it to be. And so we are... tomorrow night at some place. I guess they've already announced it. And now, if you have church at your own church here tomorrow night, don't come down. But if you don't have church, we'd be glad to have you. We always want the people to stay at their post of duty, regardless. When the church is open, every soldier ought to be in his rank and in his place.
L-17 And so, we're here visiting and having a great time, just prior the--the Business Men's convention. And as I have already announced, Brother Roberts is to be here to open the service for Thursday night. We'll be very happy to meet Brother Roberts. And then I think, maybe Friday, Brother Velmer Gardner is going to be here. Don't know whether he will be speaking that night or not.
And I think it's allotted to me to be there on Saturday morning at the breakfast. And if it's God's will, and for me to speak Saturday morning, I want to take the text (if it be--if it's God's will) "The Meanest Man I Ever Met." So... And--and then Sunday afternoon, I'm to speak again.
L-18 So if you're... Now on a Saturday morning, there is no church as I know of, and Sunday afternoon there's no church as far as I know. And now, before I start, I forgot I... No, I believe Billy did say that he give out the rest of those prayer cards. Is that right? Is there prayer cards give out here tonight? Well, he give part of them out at the other church last night, because I have... I've been keeping the people so long.
I kind of preach a long time, six or eight hours, or something like that, sometimes when I get wound up, and I don't... Tonight, I don't aim to preach over half of that, just... So I thought we'd give out prayer cards, and then we--you could go home by midnight anyhow. So then, after we have the prayer line... So if it's just half of that, and...
I don't know very much, but it just takes me so long to tell what I know. So what I know I love to tell it so well, I just take my time with it, you know. That's good. I was only teasing there, 'cause I'm... I will try to be out in another forty-five minutes, or something, to the prayer line.
L-19 I just got a little one Scripture here tonight I want to read, and take a text, and I pray that God will bless it. If you want to read it when you get home, it's in Mark, the 10th chapter and the 28th verse.
Then Peter begin to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.

Now, I would like to take a text to build a little context on there, of "Forsaking All." And then in a few moments we will pray for the sick. And now, you who are acquainted with Mark the 10th chapter... background it, just... Jesus had been talking previously on divorce. [Mark 10:28]
L-20 And then He also had a very striking thing to happen. There was a rich young man came running to Him and said, "Good Master, what could I do to have Eternal Life?"
And He told him, "Keep the commandments."
The young man said, "I've did this from my youth." Or, "What commandments?" And He told him what they were, and he said, "I've did this."
He said, "But one thing you lack: if you want to be--have Eternal Life, be perfect, then sell all you've got and give it to the poor, take up your cross and follow Me."
Let's follow that young man just for a few moments before we enter the text, to give a background. [Mark 10:17, 20], [Matthew 19:16-21], [Luke 18:18-22]
L-21 Now, you see, that young man was asked to forsake all, but he refused to do it. And sometimes, if we apply prosperity, and riches, and so forth, success... But this young man, was a successful young man and still didn't have Eternal Life. So sometimes, success doesn't always mean that God's a-blessing.
But let's follow him. We find him here now in his youth--young, perhaps a handsome, young, dressed fellow. The Bible said that Jesus loved him. He must have a nice, good, tender conscience. He must be a--a very fine something, or he'd never win the admiration of the Lord Jesus; because when Jesus looked at him He loved him. He must've had a kind expression, and nice look to him, a clean gentleman, straight-cut boy. And he walked up to Jesus, perhaps thinking in sincerity, and said, "I would like to know what I could do to have Eternal Life." [Mark 10:17, 21], [Matthew 19:16], [Luke 18:18]
L-22 And when the--he had to depart with what he had to have Eternal Life, then the question was at the gate: whether you can make it. And that question lays before every one of us.
And Jesus really asked him to forsake all he had, take up his cross, and follow Him. And we know the story. He went away sorrowful, because he had great riches. Then Jesus turned, and said how hard it would be for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of heaven, like a camel to go through the eye of a needle. But that would be impossible with man; but He said with God it's not impossible. [Luke 18:22-23], [Matthew 19:22-23], [Mark 10:22-23]
L-23 Let's follow this young ruler. The next time we find him in the Bible, he never... As soon as he rejected the opportunity to follow Jesus when it was laid down to him pretty stiff...
You see, we want to hold onto everything that we can and then follow Jesus. But sometimes Jesus wants us to turn loose of everything, so we can get both hands on Him. Sometimes we think that just because that--that we've got a hold... [Luke 16:19-31]
L-24 Reminds me of a little thing I usually tell on my two little girls. They're not so little now, and they're pretty good-sized girls. But when they were little... One of them is Rebekah; she's the oldest. And Sarah, she's the little one. And Becky has blue eyes; and Sarah has brown. But they're both daddy's girls, you know. And so, they wait up to see me come home, and they're always love to see me. And so, Becky is kind of--was kind of a tall, skinny sort of a girl; and Sarah was a little kind of a short little bitty fellow.
L-25 And so they were waiting up for me to come home one night. I'd been away on meetings, and they knew I'd be home, so they thought they'd just wait a little while, and if I come home, they wanted to see me. Well, the sandman must've sprinkled sand in their eyes, and they got sleepy, and finally they went to bed out in their room.
And I got in late. So I got in, was real tired, went to bed. And after the meetings and so forth, I get so tired I can't sleep after a few weeks of meeting. And I slept about two or three hours, got up, went in the--in the living room, and just set down in the chair. I was setting there in the chair early in the morning.
L-26 And after while Becky turned over in her bedroom, and she realized it was daylight. And she looked out through the hall, and she seen me setting out there in that chair. Out of bed she come just as hard as she could, those little, skinny, long legs just a-reaching for it.
Well, that--that alarmed Sarah. And I don't know whether your children does that or not, but mine. You get something for the oldest one, and the second one takes the hand-me-down. And Sarah was wearing Rebekah's pajamas, the feet way big, you know, and too big for her. And she... Out of the bed she come, and them big feet flying. And she could hardly keep up with Rebekah.
L-27 So Rebekah beat her to me. And she jumped up on my lap, throwed both arms around me, just kind of... She was on my right knee, and her long legs reached down to the floor. And she was pretty well-balanced.
It kind of reminds me of some of the greater first organizations, you know, that come along. You know, they been here a long time, kind of long-legged, and so forth, pretty well-balanced. And here comes Sarah along, the little young church, you know, that hasn't been out very long. And she kind of seen that Becky had beat her--beat her there.
L-28 So Rebekah had her arms around me. And she looked around, and she said, "Sarah, my sister, I want you to know one thing." She said, "I was here first." And she said, "I've got all of daddy, and there's none left for you." (They try to tell us that, you know, all the time.) Said, "I was here first, and I've got all of daddy, and there's none left for you."
Poor little Sarah dropped her head down, and her little lip fell down. She started to go away, and the tears in those big brown eyes. And Becky had her head laying over on my shoulder, kind of hugging me. I took my finger and reached like that to Sarah, and pushed the other leg out.
L-29 Here she come and jumped up on the other leg, and why, she--she couldn't balance herself. Her little legs wouldn't hit the floor. But she was on the leg anyhow. See? So she was toddling around like that.
Well, to keep her from falling, I just got both arms and put them around her like that to hold her. And I was holding her up close to me, and she put her little old head against me for a little bit. She raised up, and looked at Becky, and said, "Now, Rebekah, my sister," said, "I want to tell you something too." She said, "It may be so that you've got all of daddy. But I want you to know that daddy's got all of me." So that's...
So that's about the way we want... We don't want... We want Him to have all of us. So therefore, in all--to do it we've just got to walk out there by faith and believe Him, that's all, and just trust. We can't explain it. There's no way to explain it; we just believe it, and take it like that.
L-30 This rich young man, he would not give hisself to Christ, and so he went away. And we find him later that he was... He had prospered so much until his barns was so full, until he said, "Soul, take thy rest." Oh, he had prospered, everything. He had so much he had need for nothing. [Luke 12:16-21]
But something taken place. The next time we saw him, he lifting up his eyes in hell, had seen the beggar far off in the bosom of Abraham. That was because that he wasn't willing to forsake all to follow the Lord Jesus. [Luke 18:22-23], [Matthew 19:21], [Mark 10:21], [Luke 16:19-31]
L-31 Then, when this taken place, and the young ruler would not give up what he had to follow Jesus, it must've dawned on Peter (I believe it was him that made the remark, or asked the question, raised it), and said, "Now, we have forsaken all to follow You. We have forsaken all. Look what we have done. We left our homes; we left our families; we left our lands; we left everything that we had to follow You."
It begin to dawn on him. Maybe he'd been so carried away in the work, watching Christ, and so forth, that it'd never dawned on him that he'd left his home, he'd left his family, he had left his father, his mother. He'd left all he had to follow Jesus. [Luke 18:22], [Matthew 19:21], [Mark 10:21]
L-32 But that's exactly what God requires: forsake all and follow Him. That's God's requirement. We've got to do it too. Sometime we've got to forsake our very thoughts. If our thoughts about anything is contrary to God's Word, we've got to forsake our own thinking and follow Him. And the only way we can follow Him is follow His Word, obey It. And God's request, and God's requirement is that we forsake all and follow Him.
But in doing so we find out sometimes we have to forsake our friends. Many time that's a hard thing to do. Now, many people when they first come into Christ and be filled with the Spirit... Maybe like women has been having a--some kind of a party they've been going to every certain-certain night, where they been playing bunco in the neighborhood--acquainted with all the--the neighbors, and so forth, and belong to certain societies in the neighborhood, and they go play bunco.
And these women, you know, is going to say something about it. They're not going to understand it. But yet, you have to forsake that thing, because it's not right to gamble, play cards. And you've got to forsake that if you follow Christ. [Luke 18:22], [Matthew 19:21], [Mark 10:21]
L-33 Sometimes the women in our churches is used to wearing immoral clothes, like shorts, and--and these dungarees. And the Bible said it's an abomination to God for a woman to put on such. She's... No matter what she thinks, she's got to forsake that. Sometimes we find women when they come into the way and get saved, they've been used to cutting off their hair, and they want to be popular like the rest of the world. But they find out it's a hard thing, 'cause they'll call you old fashion whenever you go to dressing like a Christian, acting like a Christian, living like a Christian. They'll call you old fashion, but you've got to forsake all to follow Him. [Deuteronomy 22:5]
L-34 Jesus said, or the Scripture says, "He that loves the world or the things of the world, the love of God is not even in him." That's right. It takes forsaking all. There when you were willing to forsake all and follow Him, then "If ye abide in Me and My word in you, you can ask what you will, and it will be done for you." But you cannot, knowing that those things are wrong. You know they're wrong.
The Bible's against them: card playing, cigarette smoking, drinking, wearing immoral clothes, and then claiming to be a Christian. If that spirit in you does not condemn that, then there's something wrong with the spirit that's in you. Because the God Who wrote the Word is the Word, and the Word is in you, and It condemns you. It's got to. And if It doesn't, you're being deceived. How can the Holy Spirit write something, and you turn around and do contrary to it, and say the Holy Spirit is leading you? You can't do it. [I John 2:15], [John 15:7]
L-35 So smoking cigarettes, drinking whiskey, playing cards, cutting hair, wearing shorts, all these other things are wrong, sinful wrong, and you'll never get anywhere until you quit it. It's creeping into our Pentecostal move. Shame on you. You ought to be ashamed. No wonder we can't have a worldwide revival. No wonder we can't have a Pentecostal revival. Something's happened. That's right. We've let down the bars and things are taking place that should not take place. Therefore, you must forsake all to follow Christ.
L-36 You must forsake your own--your own ideas. You must cope with His Word. And never will the Holy Ghost ever deny any Word It ever spoke, and the Bible is wrote by the Holy Spirit. The Bible said so. And if the Bible Words is God... "In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." Now, the Word is made Spirit dwelling in us, for "I will be with you, even in you to the end of the world," the consummation. [John 1:1, 14], [Matthew 28:20]
L-37 Now, if that same God that wrote the Bible is in you, you're not your own. You're dead to the things of the world. You're dead to your own thoughts. And the mind that--the mind that was in Christ be in you, there then you're forsaking all to follow Him. Not your own thoughts; what He says. "Not my will; thine, Lord." Then you begin to line up with God's Word. Could stay there a long time, but I'll just run on a little farther.
But you say, "What do I get then, forsaking all? Forsaking all, what do I get?" [Luke 22:42]
L-38 You can expect the world to make fun of you. You can expect the world to call you all kinds of unhonorable names. They'll call you anything that they can call you. You'll be despised and rejected. Jesus, because of Him being Emmanuel, God dwelling in Him, it made Him so odd to His own church till His own church excommunicated Him as soon as He come in. They was the one who hung Him on the cross. They was the one who condemned Him. He loved people. His whole heart was for people. But He had to forsake everything in order to follow God. And so do we have to forsake everything in order to follow God. [Matthew 19:21], [Luke 18:22], [Mark 10:21]
L-39 Now. What do I get in return? We don't expect... Sometimes I think we ministers make it a little too much flowers for the--the convert. "Oh, come to Christ. Everything is lovely." But you see, it isn't like that in the way that--saying that everything's a flowery bed of ease, because no Christian...
The Bible said, "All that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." So if--if you're not suffering persecutions for Christ's sake, then there's something wrong. If the devil ain't after you, he's got you. That's all, because as long as he's after you, that's a sign he hasn't got you yet. But if he isn't after you, it's a sign he has got you yet. So just remember, as long as he's a-blasting at you, you're a few jumps ahead of him yet, and just keep on going. [II Timothy 3:12]
L-40 But all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. He said, "Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad for so persecuted they the prophets which was before you." That's right. Don't go with a hang-down face and say, "Well, I oughtn't to have done it, I guess they--the--I--they... I just can't stand for somebody to talk about me, and say I'm old fashion, I'm this, that, or the other." Oh, you--you all should be exceedingly glad, happy because of it, because you can bear the reproach of His Name. And by keeping His commandments, it caused you to do that. [Matthew 5:12]
L-41 But I want to say this too (hurry up as quick as we can), God will not, in no wise, be in debt to any man. God won't be 'debted to any man. If you have did that for God, forsaken all, God will repay you a thousand fold. That's right. God will pay it back. You forsake the things of the world, and the world, and the things of the world and God will repay you so many times. How many's a witness of that here tonight? Why, we all know that God will repay. [I John 2:15]
L-42 Now, let's take just a few characters that did forsake all. Let's take first the father of faith, Abraham. Abraham forsook his own land, the property he owned, and everything else. He was called out of Chaldea, the city of Ur. And he forsook his land, his home, his people, and all, and followed God. He had to forsake everything, leave it behind. He forsook his--his land, his property down in Chaldea, in Ur. He forsaken his property, and God gave him the whole promised land. God pays back with a lot of interest. He gave him... Up there that day, when He met him, He said, "Rise up, Abraham. Look east, north, west, south. I give it all to you. It's all yours." [Genesis 15:7], [Genesis 28:14]
L-43 That's the matter with Christians tonight. God gives it to us, but we're afraid to investigate it. When you become a Christian, you're a heir to every promise in the Bible. That's right. Everything that God promised is yours. It's just like a great big arcade. And by one Spirit we're all baptized into this arcade, which is Christ. Well, if I... If somebody give me something, I'm going to look around and find out what I own.
I think that's what Christians ought to do tonight: find out what you've got. If something gets just a little high up that I can't reach it, I'll get me a stepladder, and climb up to it. And if something seems a little out of reach in the Bible that God's promised, I'll stay on my knees, and climb Jacob's ladder until I reach it, 'cause it's mine. God gave it to me. [I Corinthians 12:13]
L-44 If Divine healing's promised in the Bible, and I'm sick, I'll stay there till God gives it to me, 'cause it's a promise. God promised... I'd forsake the world, He'd give me the Holy Ghost, I'll stay right there till He gives it to me, because He promised it. If God promised to give me the desire of my heart, and the desire of my heart is the right thing, I'll stay there till God gives it, because it's a promise. And I've forsaken all the world. I want to walk after Him. And He will pay. I know that to be truth. It's exactly right. [Mark 11:24]
L-45 What did he do? He forsook his land, his country. And God give him the entire province, or all, the whole continent of the--of Palestine. He forsook his little bitty piece of land down there, and maybe a acre where his house set, and his old house, to receive everything there was in Palestine. Good.
But the first thing he had to do was separate himself. He separated himself from his people, all of his loved ones, the old associates that he used to--to run around with, his boyhood friends that come down from the Babylon with him, and all of his brothers, sisters, and all of his friends that he knew, his associates. When God called him, He said, "Separate yourself from your kindred. Get away from all of it." Now, that was hard, but he separated hisself from all of his kinfolks. Why? Because they would not agree with him. [Genesis 12:1]
L-46 Could you imagine them agreeing... an old man, here, seventy-five years old with a sixty-five-year-old wife saying, "You know what? I met God out here, and He told me I was going to have a baby now by Sarah." Why, the--his doctor friend would've said, "The old man's off at his head." But he'd already bought up the pins, and birdeye, and everything else getting ready for it, because he knew he was going to have it. That's right. Nothing to it. Why? God promised it. Right. And if that bunch of people wanted to laugh at him, and think he'd gone off at his head...
They do every believer that way. All of Abraham's seed has the same thing. That's right. Sometimes your church will even turn you out, your clubs, your--your places you belong to, your fellowships in the neighborhood, your associates. Sometimes your boyfriend or your girlfriend will turn you down. But God requires you to forsake all to follow Him; forsake everything that's contrary to Him and follow Him. [Genesis 17:16]
L-47 Now, Abraham forsaking his people, what did he get in back of it? What come besides that? He become the father of many nations. God made him the father of many nations. What little he gave up, then look what he become. Jesus said, "He who will forsake... Me will have fathers, mothers," and so forth. Look what Abraham got by forsaking all and following Him. Yes, sir, the father of many nations... [Genesis 17:5]
L-48 But first he had to separate himself from all unbelief, and even from his cold, lukewarm, church member brother, Lot. He had to forsake himself for that. Everything that's got unbelief in it, you have to separate yourself. Anything, if it's a creed... If you're in a church, and all you're depending on is a creed, and don't believe the Word, and if the Word's contrary to--the creed's contrary to the Word, you'll have to forsake that. You'll have to forsake everything. [Genesis 12:1]
L-49 And God never did bless Abraham until he totally obeyed Him. Abraham wanted to take his daddy along. And the old man was a fly in the ointment all the time. Finally he died. Then Lot, there was strife and everything. And then, as soon as Abraham fully obeyed God and separated himself, and let Lot go on down there in the good lands, wherever he wanted to go, down in Sodom, then God appeared to Abraham, and said, "Lift up your eyes. I give the whole thing to you."
Abraham was the one who separated. He was the one who separated all to follow--to follow God. And he is the father of faith. He is the one that we believe to be the faithful one. The promise was made to Abraham and his seed. We being dead in Christ are Abraham's seed, heirs with Him according to the promise. [Genesis 14:14-15]
L-50 Israel forsook Egypt. They forsook the old lands down there in Egypt, to receive what? Palestine. They come from that horrible place down there in Egypt, taskmasters...
And there's many people today, young women out here on the street smoking, drinking, like we seen here in the--on the radio the other day. These police had to come arrest that bunch of young women down there out in the street, and got wild with... That old devil spirit got on them to do this new booglie-wooglie, or ever what they call the thing, and out there on the street, gone crazy in their minds... See, really, if a young lady's got a ounce of decency about her, her or a young man either one, that thing is a taskmaster that drives them to do that.
You forsake that, and God will give you a dance. Oh, my. He sure will. He will give you one, if you'll just forsake that. But you've got to forsake all those things to have it. You just can't continue with both of them. [Mark 10:21], [Matthew 19:21], [Luke 18:22]
L-51 He got Palestine, Abraham did--or the--Israel did. He got Palestine for a land. They left the old land down there and got Palestine, a land flowing with milk and honey. Yes, sir. What did they leave? They left the hot sun under the taskmaster down in Egypt.
What did they get for leaving that warm sunshine down there? They got to walk in the Pillar of Fire's light, leaving that hot sun down there to walk in the Light of God's Pillar of Fire, what an exchange. I'd like to take that exchange, wouldn't you? A Pillar of Fire. Walk in the natural sunlight, where they was driving under taskmasters, to come out there and walk in God's Light, under the power of the Holy Spirit, a Pillar of Fire that was leading them to a promised land.
Same thing today: walk out of the light of this world, the things that's of the world, to walk in the light of God. It leads you to the promised land. [Leviticus 20:24]
L-52 They also left the old garlic pots of Egypt, flesh pots down in Egypt. What did they get when they forsook them old flesh pots? They got to eat Angel's food, manna come down out of heaven to take the place of garlic. Now, if you have never eaten nothing but garlic, let me tell you something. God's got a heaven full of Angel's food to feed you. That's right. Angel's food, that's what they got instead of that, instead of the old garlic of Egypt.
They left the muddy waters of Egypt. What did they get out there? To drink from the rock that was smitten in the wilderness, of the pure crystal waters of God. They left the old muddy waters of Egypt, the old denominational upside down muddy waters. [Numbers 11:5], [Deuteronomy 8:15]
L-53 That's the way we have to do sometimes today: leave that old creed and denomination that says, "Days of miracles is past. Them guys are crazy. They're just a bunch of holy-rollers." Leave that thing behind and come over here and drink from a fountain filled with Blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins, where sinners plunged beneath the flood lose all their guilty stains. Yes, sir.
Leave that old water of mud, all mixed up with doubts, and flusterations, and arguments, and stews, and everything else; and going down at nighttime and have a soup supper, and boil up some old chicken and sell it for fifty cents a plate to pay the preacher, when, if you'd get over here under God's laws, and God's holy commandments, and walk with God, you'll pay your tithes and the preacher will get along fine, if you'll just take God's way of doing it. That's right. Old muddy waters to drink from the rock... [Psalms 103:3]
L-54 They left them boasting physicians of Egypt, saying, "We are the smartest men in the world today." They left the boasting physicians to be with the Great Physician. Amen. I'd like to see some physician today carry on like that Great Physician did. Them people was in the wilderness for forty years, and they come out without a feeble one among them. There wasn't a feeble person among them, forty years. There was over two million of the people that come out at that time.
How many babies is borned every night? How many sick? And they did... I'd like to go to Dr. Moses, and look in his satchel, and see what kind of prescription he give them. Wouldn't you like to see that? I imagine there's a lot of doctors would like to look in upon that prescription. Well, I can tell you. I've read it. You want me to tell you what it is? "I'm the Lord that heals all thy diseases." That's all he had. That's all he needed, for they forsook the boasting physicians to be with the Great Physician. Yes, sir. [Psalms 103:1-3]
L-55 They forsook down there the people that said, "The days of miracles are past. There's no such a thing as miracles no more." They forsook that, to do what? What did they do then? To be right in the presence of where miracles would happen day by day. Amen. The people today that says that there's no such a thing as miracles, there's something wrong with their mind. That's right.
L-56 A person told me one time, said, "I wouldn't care what you done. I didn't care. I can't... how much proof you got," said, "I just don't believe it."
I said, "Certainly not. You'd never see it. You're too blind to see it." That's right. I said, "It's not for unbelievers; it's for believers. The believers see it." That's right.
A fellow said to me one time, met me on the street, said, "You're wrong in your doctrine."
I said, "It's the Bible."
He said, "You're wrong." He said then, "I'm against you." Said then, "Smite me blind. Paul smote a man blind one time." Said, "Smite me blind."
I said, "I--I--I can't do it. You're already blind. You're--you're... How can I do what your father, the devil's already done?" That's right. "You're already blind." A man'd say a thing like that is--is so blind he don't know daylight from dark. He can't discern between the two: life or death. That's really being blind. Yes, sir.
L-57 Yes, the Great Physician was with them, and they seen miracles happen. Sure.
The disciples, what did they forsake? They had nets, fish nets. They forsook their fish nets to walk with Him, and see His signs and miracles, and His power of being the Messiah. Anybody that wouldn't give up a day's fishing to follow that, there's something wrong. They left their nets full of fish. They started to pull, and had the biggest catch they ever had. And they forsook every bit of it to follow Him, because they believed in their heart that He was Messiah, and they wanted to follow Him to see if the signs would follow Him as Messiah. And they got to see it. [Matthew 4:18-20], [Mark 1:18]
L-58 I'd forsake anything in the world; I don't care what it is, to see Jesus Christ manifest Himself; especially when it's manifested in my life, that I know that I've passed from death unto Life, and I know that He is the Messiah. I know by taking Him at His Word that He has saved me from a life of sin, and I know that the Holy Spirit dwells within me. I see His signs everywhere pointing, that I know that He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. Forsaking all, I'm willing to forsake anything. [John 5:24], [Hebrews 13:8]
L-59 I belonged to a fine organization, a fine church, one of the best there is in the country. But they said, "Billy, you're going to lose your mind and become a holy-roller."
Right there, I said, "You might as well take my fellowship card right now, because I'm going to follow the Holy Spirit." That's right. True. Then you have to forsake everything (That's right.), to follow Him. But he that will forsake all and follow Him, God pays off in the bountiful blessings of riches. There's--there's nothing to compare with it. All right. [Luke 18:22], [Matthew 19:21], [Mark 10:21]
L-60 Now, the disciples forsaken their nets and fish nets full of fish, their occupation. They'd forsaken their occupation to follow the Lord Jesus to see His power, see the signs. Those men were trained men. They knowed what the Messiah was supposed to do. They'd read back in the Bible; they understood just what Messiah was going to do. They knowed it was time for it to happen. And when they seen this Man rise on the scene Who fit the picture, then they were ready to forsake everything to listen to what He had to say; 'cause if it was the Messiah, then it was life for them; because they'd been invited to follow Him. So they'd forsaken everything. [Matthew 4:18-20], [Mark 1:18]
L-61 So is it today. If this is right, if this message of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in these last days (where He said He'd pour out both former and latter rain upon us), if these things are right, it's worth forsaking everything. Follow it. Jesus said, "These signs shall follow them that believe. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also." True. [Joel 2:23], [John 16:17], [John 11:25], [Mark 16:15-18], [John 14:12]
L-62 "Go ye into all the world to every creature. These signs shall follow them that believe. In My Name they shall cast out devils, speak with new tongues take up serpents. If they drink deadly things, it'll not harm them. If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover." That's what He said.
"As the Father sent Me, so send I you." The Father that sent the Son went with the Son and was in the Son. The Jesus that sends a man, goes with him, and is in him to perform and do the same works. "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. And the works that I do shall you do also." [Matthew 28:20], [John 14:12]
L-63 Brother, if that ain't better than old creeds and stuff of the world, and belonging to some another there that's denying all that... Why, I think we should be the happiest people in the world to see the living God moving around us like this, knowing that we have forsaken all to follow Him. Amen. That makes me feel religious. Forsaking all to follow the Lord Jesus. The same today, you got to forsake all. Just like they did back there, you have to do too.
L-64 Now. You talking about somebody forsaking something; let's look what for Jesus--Jesus forsook for us. Jesus gave up everything. He had a home in heaven. And He gave up His home in heaven and came to the earth, and did not even have a place to lay His head. That's right. He become so low, till He didn't even--so poor, till He didn't even have a bed to sleep in. He said, "The foxes has dens, and the birds has air--of the air has nests, but the Son of man don't even have a place to lay His head," See?
But what did He get for that? He got raised so high till He has to look down to see heaven. He came to the world took the lowest name that could be took in the world. He had the lowest name, took the lowest name, was called Beelzebub. Beelzebub, the... When they seen Him discerning the spirits there like that, they said, "He's a fortuneteller. He's Beelzebub, a devil." Fortunetelling is the devil. And they called Him a devil, the lowest of all. He had the lowest name. [Matthew 8:20], [Luke 9:58], [Matthew 12:24-27], [Luke 19:2-8]
L-65 He went to the lowest city. And the smallest man in the city looked down on top of Him: Zacchaeus (That's--that's right.) of Jericho. Way down--he sure did. He had the lowest name that there was in the earth. He was--come to the world with a... Illegitimate they called Him, because they really believed that the Baby was borned out of holy wedlock. He had that to contend with to begin with. Then called the name of Beelzebub, the lowest that could be got. He forsaken His heavenly place and came to take that.
But God gave Him a Name above every name that's named in the heaven, every name that's named in the earth, till the whole family in heaven and earth is named the Lord Jesus. Hallelujah. That's it. He forsook; He was rewarded. Sure He did. All right. [John 3:31]
L-66 He came to the earth, Creator of heavens and earth, and He had nothing to eat. Satan tempted Him. Fasting, for us, but He received food that the others knew nothing about. One day He said so. "I have food."
Said, "Why don't You come eat?
He said, "I have food that you know not of." That's right. He had food that they didn't know nothing of. [John 4:32]
L-67 Here on earth, He had no shelter, they said, no place, no house, nothing, belonged to Him. But you know what? He became a Shelter for every one of us. God made Him a Shelter for the whole human race. He had no shelter of His own, but He is our Shelter.
They've been talking so much about fallout shelters. Oh, my. We got one. That's right. Fallout shelters, go in some hole in the ground. And they tell me those bombs will hit, and blast a hole in the ground for a hundred and fifty feet deep, for a hundred and something miles square. Why, it would break every bone in you if you was a half a mile deep in the ground. Sure it would. Anywhere. But we got a Shelter. Christ is our Shelter. Amen.
L-68 As I said the other night, they've been... Russia has been boasting their great boasting, condition. "We put a man in space first." I different with that. We've had One in space for two thousand years. Amen. That's right. Yes, sir. An intercessor (yes, sir) that goes into heaven and back in a--just like a split second. Sure. We got a man in space. They haven't got nothing...?... All right.
L-69 We find He didn't have... He had to become a shelter for all of us. He gave up his Sonship between Him and the Father to be made sin for us. Did you know that? He knowed no sin; became sin for us. Our sins was placed upon Him. He gave up the Sonship to become sin; now He can make sinners sons. Amen. That's the good part. Take sinners and make sons, when He give up his Sonship to become sin. Now, He takes sinners and makes sons out of them. Amen. What a privilege. Yes, sir.
God won't be undersold on anything. No, sir. You can't do this, because God sees to it. His Son became sin offering that He might buy--now take sinners and make sons of God out of them. What a beautiful thing that is. Now. Yes, sir.
L-70 He--He gave his strength. He became weak that He might be our strength. He is our all-sufficient Strength. We don't need no other strength but the strength of the Lord Jesus. "He is my Strength from day to day. Without Him I would fall," said the poet. How wonderful.
What you forsake... What you receive for what you have forsook, my... Forsake the world. Forsake your own ideas. Forsake your doubts. Forsake your flusterations. Forsake it, and receive Him. Believe Him.
Say, "Now, is it so? Is the days of miracles past?" Forsake that kind of an idea. Believe it.
L-71 Somebody said, "Is Jesus really the Healer, or is this just a--a bunch of mental work-up that these people have?" [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.] Just forsake that thought one time. Now, how do you know whether it's going to be right or not? It's a promise--that's how you know.
You say, "Oh, I believe the Holy Ghost was for people way back a long time ago, just for the disciples only."
Oh, it cannot be. Then if it does, the Bible contradicts itself. Peter said on the day of Pentecost, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, to your children, and to them that's far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." Then it is God's promise that we can, as many as God calls to the Holy Ghost, you got a right to come. Just forsake your ideas of it, and take God's determined Word of it. [Acts 2:38-39], [Mark 16:17], [Mark 9:39]
L-72 You say, "Is there such a thing that people can speak in tongues, or is that just some foolishness, or some babbling they done?"
Just forsake your own idea. Jesus said this: "These signs shall follow them that believe. They shall speak with new tongues." The Bible said so. Yes, sir.
"Brother, could these signs that I see in the--in the meetings, could that be God?"
Certainly it could be.
"Well, I seen people that lived any kind of a life, and they went and prayed for the sick, and they got well. I..."
Jesus said, "No man can do a miracle in My Name, can right away speak lightly of Me." That's right. If the man's wrong, taking the gift of God and doing something wrong, God will deal with him. But it's God just the same. Sure it is. Because he's the hypocrite, it--it ought to make you shine good. [Mark 16:17-19]
L-73 You can't have a... Only way you can have a real--a bogus dollar, it has to be made off of a real one. And everybody say, "I ain't going to church. I don't want to go to church. There's too many hypocrites." Why, you're smaller than they are. You're trying to hide behind them. If you can get behind them, you're smaller than them. That's right.
L-74 I read a little article in the paper the other day, where an old man... He was both deaf, dumb, and blind, and he went to Sunday school every Sunday. And they asked him by braille and said, "Why do you go to church? You can't hear what the preacher says. You can't hear none of the songs. Why do you go to church?"
And he said, "I just want to let everybody know what side I'm on." Just want to let the devil and everybody else know what side he was on, I think that's good. Yes, sir.
L-75 What else did Jesus do? He gave and forsook His own Life. He gave His Life to save yours and mine. Because that He--that He gave His life... He didn't have to lay it down. He done it willingly. He didn't have to do it, but He done it willingly, because He could save you. And now He's the only one that can save you.
There's nothing else can save you. I know there's a denomination that says that their church saves you. You're saved by the church. You're saved by Jesus Christ or you're lost. Yes, sir. Nothing you can do, not one thing you can do, only repent of your sins. Jesus Christ is the Saviour. Yes, sir. He gave--He gave His life for you. Now, I think that today, while we're closing, we might say this: that it behooves us then, that we would give our life, and our all, and forsake everything that's worldly, everything that's ungodly, all of our unbelief, and everything, to get to follow Him like those disciples did. Wouldn't you like to do that, follow Him?
L-76 What for? To see His great signs of His coming. Now, remember. The Bible promises that in this last days, just at the close of time, it'll be another Christian light come forth--the former and latter rain will come together. The prophet said it will be Light in the evening time.
There'll be a day that can't call day or night. What kind of a day is that? Kind of a rainy, hazy, dismal day. There's... The sun's a-shining, sure, way and above the mists and clouds there's a sun shining. And through that, all that mist, yet it gives light, so you can walk, see how to get around. That's what we've had for years and years, for two thousand years. See? We've walked by faith, and we've thought, "Well, that's all right. Uh-huh. We believe, and we join church, and put our name on the book. And that's all right. We believe. We don't see these things like He did back in them days, way back there. They said all that's gone. It's back..." And it's been that way for--for hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years, just a dismal day. [Zechariah 14:7]
L-77 But He said, "In the evening time it shall be Light." Now, the same sun that rises in the east is the same sun that sets in the west. The same Jesus that poured out His Spirit in the east upon those people is the same Jesus that's in this last days poured out His Spirit upon the western people. He promised it. He made a promise.
He said, "As it was in the days of Lot, so shall it be in the coming of the Son of man," how that the... God manifested Himself in a human body, sat with--there and eat with Abraham with His back turned to the tent, and told Sarah what she was thinking in the tent: told Abraham what his name was, and what Sarah's name was, and how that He was going to visit them. And Sarah didn't believe it, and laughed in the tent, and the Angel said, "Why did Sarah laugh?" in the tent behind the Man. [Zechariah 14:7], [Luke 17:26-30], [Genesis 18:9-13]
L-78 Jesus said, "As it was in that day, so will it be in the coming of the Son of man." As I've often said, said last night, I want to quote it again: There's always three classes of people all the time, like Ham, Shem, and Japheth's people, the three sons of Noah. All the way down, there's--there's three classes of people. Now, we class them as this: unbeliever, make-believer, and believer. Now, that's the way it--how it tallies up. It did the same thing there. Jesus said, "As it was in the days of Sodom, so shall it be to this..." [Luke 17:26-30]
L-79 Abraham, that had forsaken all to follow, now here he is right down here. He'd held that promise for years and years, and twenty-five years. Here he is a hundred years old now. And he's up here in the fields, his herd's getting lean, and no water; and Lot living luxurious down there with all the things that he wanted.
And here was Sarah, once the most beautiful woman in the land; and here she is now, kind of deprived.
And maybe Mrs. Lot had these new water-head hairdos then, you know, and all this stuff. She was living just luxurious down there. She was the mayor's wife, and she belonged to a church that was a great church. Yes, sir. And no doubt she had all of her societies. She didn't ever want to live it--leave it, till... She kept turning back, and she had to turn to a pillar of salt because she'd loved the world better than she loved to obey that Angel's voice. [Genesis 19:26]
L-80 Now. Notice the three classes: the unbelievers, the Sodomites; the just halfway, lukewarm, church members was Lot; but the elected, called-out church was Abraham and his group. When these Angels, where did they come to? To Abraham and his group. Right. They went down, two of them went down there like modern evangelists. We've got great evangelists that's--that's going to the church denominational today. One of the greatest men in the land, that we know of, is Billy Graham. And he's certainly blasting the Gospel to those people out there, calling them out, "Get out of Sodom."
L-81 We don't have to holler "Get out of Sodom," to this church. It ought to be out already. If it's called by the Holy Ghost, it's done left Sodom a long time ago. That's right. It's forsook Sodom. She's living out here by herself (exactly), separated. The very word "church" means "called-out, separated." And if you separate your... "Come out from among them. Touch not their unclean things." If you haven't done that, you're down in Sodom. You're a church member, lukewarm. Then you ought to separate yourself, and get away from the things of the world, and come out, and live clean and holy, walk in the commandments of God. [II Corinthians 6:17]
L-82 Remember. Two of those Angels went down there. They didn't do many miracles. There's only one miracle that they did: was smite the people blind when they come at them. Well, that's exactly what the preaching of the Word does: smites the people blind. And these great evangelists today that we know of--many of them visit Phoenix here, and--and great evangelists that's went out into the field, don't perform miracles and so forth, but they absolutely blind them unbelievers, them Sodomites, with preaching the Word that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. [Genesis 19:1-2]
L-83 But then here's the church spiritual, not the church natural, nor the Sodomites, but the church spiritual, who believes in God, been visited by God like Abraham was, all the way down. Abraham is a perfect type of Abraham's seed after him in the church: a people out of the Gentiles for His Name, the royal seed, as I preached on Sunday. See?
Now. This church, it's called-out, it's separated, forsaken everything of the world, come out to walk with the Holy Spirit like Abraham did. We've seen all kinds of things, like Abraham did, come along. But what was that last sign that he saw before the end of the journey? What was the last sign before, that the expected son came on the scene? [Genesis 18:1-21]
L-84 Abraham was expecting a son. Is that right? Are we Abraham's seed? Then we're expecting a Son, a promised Son, the Son of God. And Abraham seen mysterious works of God when He called him in that little Light that time, and the sacrifice, and confirmed the covenant to him. And many times He met him in many different ways. But the last sign that He showed Abraham was when He come manifested in flesh and set with His back turned to the tent, and told Sarah... Abraham no doubt believed that that was God. Some people don't believe it was. But that--the Bible said it was God. Abraham said it was; he called Him "Elohim." Elohim is the great Creator of the heavens and earth. [Genesis 18:1-18]
L-85 Now, He made Hisself flesh for a sign, that in the last days... See the Sodomites, the unbeliever? See the church member? Now, watch the elected, called out. And in this elected He's manifesting Himself in the power of the Holy Ghost in human flesh. Amen. Can't you see it's the Messiah? God, Christ, represented in His church, the church doing the same life, living the same life, doing the same signs. "He that believeth on Me the works that I do shall he do also." [John 14:12]
L-86 If the spirit of a--a gangster was in me, I'd have guns on me. If the spirit of a painter was in me, I could paint the picture of a painter... he could do. If the spirit of a mechanic was on me, I could tell you what was wrong with your car. See? And if the Spirit of Jesus Christ is in me, I'll do the works of Christ because it's the life of Christ in you. See? Manifested in who? Manifested in who? He be--forsaken His Sonship and became sin and took our sins, that He might take sinners and make them sons. He became me that I might become Him. He become a sinner that I might become a son of God. Oh, it--it's striking what He done. See, He taken your place that you might take His place. You're joint heirs with Him in the Kingdom. He become a sinner like you, your sins placed upon Him that He might take you and make you a fellow citizen of heaven and set you with Him in God's Kingdom. There you are: put His Spirit in you. And if His Spirit's in you, the works that He did you'll do also. [John 14:12]
L-87 Now, look what He did when He was here on earth. How did He make Hisself manifested? You can't go around, hanging around, and going to pool rooms, and hanging away from church, and staying home on Wednesday night to see some kind of a filthy television play, or something like that, and forsake your church, and all like that and ever expect to see Christ.
You have to forsake those things to follow the Holy Spirit. Let Him manifest Himself as Messiah like those first followers did. They followed Him to see if He was the Messiah. What do you think--did when Andrew stayed all night with Him that night, him and Philip? The next morning Philip went one way, and Andrew another. Andrew took out after his brother. And as soon as he found Simon, he said, "Come, see. We have found that Messiah." He knowed He was Messiah. Why? He knowed what Messiah would be. He knowed Scripturally what the Messiah would be. [John 1:39-41]
L-88 Now, 'course the Jews in them days, they had it all figured out, those great big churches. "Oh, when the Messiah comes, there'll be a trumpet sound across the skies, and God will crank up something, and let the corridors of heaven drop down. And there'll be an angel salute blast across the earth. And the Messiah will come riding down them corridors like that with Angels and bands, and things like that, come right down to this temple, walk into it. And He will be Messiah. He will take a rod, and rule the earth."
Look how much different He come. But He did come Scripturally: setting on the foal of a mule come riding into Jerusalem, lowly and meek. That's right. See? They even turned the prophet around, John. He'd preached the Messiah with the fans in His hand thoroughly purging His floor. And when He come meek and lowly... But John knew that was the Messiah because he saw that Light over Him. And he knew that... He said, "He that told me in the wilderness, 'Go baptize with water,' said, 'Upon Whom thou shall see the Spirit descending and remaining, He's the One that baptizes with the Holy Ghost and fire.'" [I Corinthians 15:52], [Revelation 2:27], [John 1:23, 33]
L-89 Nobody else saw it. John saw it. The promise was to John. Nobody saw the star the wise men followed. And so it is tonight. You can set here double blind and never see the power of God. You could never understand it until God opens up your heart. "All the Father's given Me will come to Me." And, "No man can come except My Father's drawed him." That's all. That settles it. [John 6:37, 44]
L-90 Now, we find out that they forsook all, and they followed Him, and saw that He was the Messiah. Andrew went and told Peter, said, "You know what our father told us? (Something on this order, perhaps.) We know when Messiah cometh. Moses told us that the Lord our God would raise up a prophet just like him. And we know that we've been taught if there's one among us who is spiritual or a prophet, what he says comes to pass, then hear him. If it doesn't come to pass, then don't hear him. And we know that the Messiah will be the--not only a prophet. He will be the God-prophet. So this Man is that Guy."
"How do you know, Andrew?"
"Just come, see."
Walked over there, and as soon as he walked up in front of Jesus, Jesus said, "Your name is Simon, and you're the son of Jonas." He knowed right then that was the Son of God. [Deuteronomy 18:15], [I Corinthians 14:37], [John 10:37], [John 1:39, 42]
L-91 Here come Philip with Nathanael. Soon as Nathanael walked up to Him...?... no...?... might guess the great conversation they had, talking about it coming over, and how He'd told Peter these things, and give him another name, and told him who he was, and his father, so forth about it. "You know Messiah's supposed to be a prophet."
Why, here he comes up then, walks up in front of Jesus. And Jesus said, "Behold an Israelite in whom there's no guile."
He said, "Rabbi, when did You know me?"
He said, "Before Philip called you, when you was under the tree, I saw you."
He said, "Rabbi, You're the Son of God. You're the King of Israel." That settled it for him. [John 1:45-49]
L-92 A little old wretched woman, filthy, dirty, living with six men (She'd married five, and the one she lived with then wasn't hers.) went out to a well one day to get some water. And when she let down the pump, or the bucket, in the windled down to get the water... And when she started up with it, she seen a middle-aged Man setting over there, a Jew.
Said, "Woman, bring Me a drink."
She said, "We got segregation. There's no--no--not no customs here for you being a Jew to ask me, a Samaritan woman, for such a thing as that. We have no dealings."
He said, "But if you knew Who were talking to you, you'd ask Me for a drink. You'd ask Me for water." They just... They went on talking to one another for awhile. What was He doing? Trying to find out where her trouble was. [John 4:7-11, 19]
L-93 Now, Jesus had need to go by Samaria. Remember, He only identified Himself with Jew and Gentile. That's Ham, Shem's people. See? Japheth's people was left. We Anglo-Saxons, we were heathens worshipping idols in them days. Remember. Why didn't He manifest Hisself (Jesus, when He was on earth) to Gentiles in that same sign to show them? Because the Gentiles wasn't looking for no Messiah. The Jews was looking for a Messiah, and the Samaritans was looking for a Messiah. And He manifested Hisself as the Messiah in telling Peter (the one He gave the keys to the Kingdom) and to Nathanael, and blind Bartimaeus when his faith stopped Him, and the woman with the blood issue, and so forth, to the Jews. [Mark 10:46]
L-94 But here He is now before the Samaritan, and He comes to the Samaritan to make Hisself known as the true Messiah. Now, for hundreds of years both Jew and Samaritan had believed that there was coming a Messiah. So if the Messiah was on earth, it's up to the Messiah to manifest Himself.
Look at old Simeon in the temple, with a testimony that "I'll not see death until I see the Lord's Christ." And the very moment that Mary brought the baby in, the Holy Spirit spoke to Simeon, and he walked right over to where He was, like that, and lifted up his hands, and said, "Let Thy servant depart in peace according to thy Word, for my eyes see Your Salvation." Simeon couldn't live long enough to see Him perform His Messiahic works. But he had a record that He was. [Luke 2:26, 29-30]
L-95 But He made Himself known to the people as Messiah, to be that God-prophet. That woman, when He talked to her, said, "Go, get your husband and come here."
She said, "I don't have any husband."
Said, "You've said right. You've had five, and the one you're living with now is not your husband."
She said, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. We know when the Messiah cometh He will tell us these things. This will be the sign of the Messiah when He comes. He will be the One that'll tell us these things."
And Jesus said, "I'm He that speaks to you."
Quickly she left that water-pot, and run into the city, and told the men in the city, "Come, see a Man Who told me what I've done. Isn't this the very Messiah? Isn't that the sign that the Messiah was to show us?"
He never done it one more time before any of them. But they said the men of that city believed Him because of the woman's testimony that He was the Messiah. Amen. [John 4:16-19, 25-29]
L-96 Now, it's Gentile time. We've had two thousand years of scruples, ups-and-downs, organizations, ins-and-outs, and fusses and stews, and fuss and fight, and everything else, theologians and seminaries and whatevermore. Now, if He let those Samaritans and Jews come right down, who had forsaken the gods of the world to serve God, and looking for a coming Messiah--and the Messiah made Hisself known to the Jews in that manner in that day, and He cannot break His rules... He's not a Father that would do one to one, and one to something else, a different thing. He's the same Jesus. Right.
L-97 Now, here. We've had two thousand years. The Holy Ghost has fell upon us; we've spoke in tongues, and seen signs and wonders, and so forth. Now, the last sign that Abraham saw before the promised son returned was God manifesting Himself in a body that could eat; by predicting and showing the same sign that Jesus showed when He was here to be Messiah. Now, Jesus prophesied and said it would be that way.
L-98 And, friends, now it's the hour. Those Jews standing there, when they saw Jesus say that to that man, they said... They had to answer their congregation. They had... They knowed it was done, so they couldn't do nothing about it. They had to answer their congregation, so they said, "This man is Beelzebub. He is..." They thought that in their heart. "This man is Beelzebub (See?), because that he's a fortuneteller, some kind of a--a telepathist, or something. He is Beelzebub."
Jesus perceived their thoughts and He turned around to them. And He said, "You speak that against I, the Son of man, I'll forgive you. But otherwise... One day the Holy Ghost is coming to do the same thing. To speak against It, there's never forgiveness in this world nor the world to come." [Mark 3:22], [Matthew 12:32]
L-99 Oh, brother, I'm so glad tonight to have the Pentecostal blessing. Amen. No doubt but in here, brethren, you're setting in here from Church of God, Foursquare, Assemblies of God, and all different ones. That's wonderful. That's... Just keep right on going. Don't... Just stay right with it. See? But don't never think that the blanket don't stretch over your other brother also in another organization that's just as got as much Holy Spirit. God gave those the Holy Spirit who obeyed Him. So the other brother did too. You see? So just stretch it across. That's all right. And let's come together and rejoice.
L-100 We have forsaken the world. We're Abraham's seed; we are Christ's seed, the promised seed. And here we are right down... And what was the last thing now, that He gave our father Abraham? That sign before Sodom, before the burning, and the coming of the son... Now, just before the coming of the promised son, and the burning of Sodom... God promised through Jesus Christ that it would be exactly like it was in the days of Sodom.
Look in the world today. The history of the world has never seen so many perverts as we got today. And my mail is filled with mothers crying, from over here in California. Reading the newspaper that perversion, why, it changed in California, I think, on a around thirty percent over the year before: perversion. It's everywhere, filth. Schools, religious schools have to excommunicate people out of their schools, has a hard time picking out. Perverts, changing the natural course, just like it was in Sodom, we see it that way. [Genesis 18:1-18]
L-101 Look at Billy Graham, a messenger from God, down in there sweeping that Gospel. Now, what about the church elect? It's supposed to have a sign too. Isn't that right? It's supposed to have it. I trust tonight that we'll forsake all of our unbelief, and believe on the Lord Jesus, and follow Him, and see His signs of the last day, for He promised it would be here. Let us bow our heads.
L-102 Is there one in here tonight that doesn't know Him as your Saviour, and you would like to forsake everything just now, and follow Him. Would you just raise your hand, say, "Pray for me, Brother Branham. I would like to do that: be a real Christian." God bless you. Is there another? God bless you. God bless you. God bless you, sister. God bless you, and you, brother. Another? God bless you, sir. "I'd like to forsake everything. I--I'm going to do it, Brother Branham."
L-103 Now I want to ask something. Brother, sister, I--I don't--I don't mean to hurt anybody, but you see, you--you--you--you're responsible for the Word. "If--if ye abide in Me, and My word's in you..." Sometimes I have to say things that cuts me, especially sometimes to my sisters.
'Cause you realize that the woman was what Satan used in the beginning. God chose the man; Satan chose the woman. She was blessed, 'course, to be the incubator that brought Jesus Christ to the earth. Now, that was not her Son. You all know that. Jesus never one time called her mother. She never had no... It's a mixed audience, but you listen to me. There was no sperm come from Mary. It was altogether created, virgin by God. The Holy Ghost overshadowed her. That's the reason Jesus couldn't call her mother. He was no part of her, nothing. [John 15:7], [Matthew 1:20]
L-104 She was just an incubator that God used to bring the baby, 'cause if there was anything of that woman that belonged into that Boy, that Baby... That woman... You understand. You adults know what I mean. There had to be some kind of a conception, some kind of a sperm come from that woman, to just... Then it was absolutely like a sexual act with Almighty God: could not be.
God created the baby, both egg and blood. Both cell of woman and man God created. That's the reason that body was raised up. Certainly. He was the first of the resurrection. So He never called her mother. They said, "Your mother's out here looking for You."
He said, "Who is my mother?" Said, "They that do the will of My Father, the same is My mother." See? So He never one time called her mother. He called her "Woman." That's what she was. [Matthew 12:50], [John 2:4]
L-105 And some of you dear Catholic people make her a god, or goddess, queen of heaven. It's not right. No, it isn't. She was a good woman. Yes, sir. Exactly. But she was no more than any other woman that God chooses to use. He can use a woman for something else. He can use her any way. She was just an incubator, because that's what she was, to keep the seed warm, and so forth like that. And the life come into the baby. But the blood, the hemoglobin, we always know comes from the male sex. And He was the male, the Creator.
L-106 She was neither Jew... the Baby was... Jesus was neither Jew nor Gentile. He was God. That's right. God Himself created a body that He dwelt in; that was His Son, Jesus Christ. That holy virgin birth brought forth this human being, immaculate conception by the Holy Ghost. Woman had nothing to do with it, neither egg nor blood cell. The man has the blood cell; the woman has the egg. And this way, it'd have to be some kind of a desire, and a conception to make something happen. And in that case it was nothing but overshadowing of the Holy Ghost, and God created in the woman. That's my Saviour. Without Him, we're all gone.
L-107 Now, some of you people here... You women, you--maybe Pentecostal women has been guilty of wearing immoral clothes, cutting your hair, doing things... I notice here in California, there's not too many of them--or, here in Arizona, rather... not too many of them are wearing makeup. That was fought against too. Well, there's nothing in the Bible to say for you not to wear makeup. We just know it's wrong, 'cause it's of the world. But there is a commandment in the Bible that a woman cuts her hair is a dishonorable person. And if it looks that way to God, and you say you got the Holy Ghost and doing so, something's wrong.
To wear a garment that pertains to a man... Oh, sister dear, don't pattern after the world. Forsake the world; hold to Christ. You say, "What difference does it make?" [I Corinthians 11:5], [Deuteronomy 22:5]
L-108 "Blessed is he that does all of His commandments, that he might have a right to enter into the Tree of Life." Guilty of the least is guilty of the whole. You know better. If you've got the Holy Spirit, It'll surely tell you better. It will tell you better if it's the Holy Spirit.
Now, if you're guilty, and would like to make a start tonight, and say, "Brother Branham, I didn't realize that. I've been slipping along. I want to start anew. From this on I'm going to serve God," raise your hand, and say, "Pray for me, Brother Branham." God bless you. That takes nerve; that takes real... Now, God bless you, many of you. God bless you. [Revelation 22:14], [James 2:10]
L-109 Then if you know that something in you telling you you're wrong, then you know God's near you. But when you hear the Word so plain, and then you still set there and say, "I won't do it, that--that he don't know what he's talking about," and me quoting the Word right here (See?), then there's something wrong with what's in you. See? It same... But it's one thing: it's Satan, that's all. It's against God; it's against His rules; it's against His Word.
L-110 Someone said to me not long ago, a famous preacher, he said, "Brother Branham..." Called me into his room, laid hands on me, said, "You're going to ruin your ministry."
I said, "Why?"
He said, "You're always bawling people out for the way they do." Said, "Why don't you... People think you're a prophet."
I said, "I'm no prophet."
He said, "Well, people think you are. Why don't you teach them spiritual things, how they can receive great spiritual blessings and things?"
I said, "How can I teach them spiritual things when they don't even know their ABC's? They won't even have the common decency to line up with the Word, let alone spiritual things. If they don't believe earthly things, how will they believe heavenly things?"
He said, "Well, you'll just ruin your ministry."
I said, "Any ministry that the Word of God will ruin, it should be ruined." Come back to the Word. That's right.
L-111 Now, if you're smoking cigarettes, and so forth like that, and claiming you got the Holy Ghost, shame on you. You men... You say, "Why are you picking on the women?" You men that'll let your wives do that, oh, mister, and calling yourself a Christian, shame on you. I know this is rough, but brother, it's--it's trimming time. It's time for the Holy Ghost to come, take His bride. And if it don't line with His Word, then there's something wrong.
L-112 You who've fallen away, stay home on Wednesday nights, and won't come over here to church, watching television, and the other nights of church, think... You--you really say... And if you have to come to church you have to force yourself to do it, because you think it's a law you do it; you ought to do it, it's honorable to do it. And if you don't love to do it, there's something wrong. There's a Holy Spirit that makes you love to serve God.
Now, with that, while your heads are bowed, all that feel that they'd like to make a start to God tonight, raise up your hands. Just everybody in here now, just put up your hands, everybody all around. God bless you, and bless you, and you, and you, you, you. God bless you. Fine. I'm going to pray for you.
L-113 Heavenly Father, now I have spoke Your Words as plain and clear and cutting as I knowed how. Not to be different, if that would be my attitude, Lord, I should be the one on the altar. But if I see someone, my brother or sister, drowning in an old leaking boat, and I don't scream to them, or rebuke them, or somehow to get them out of that condition, then I don't love them. I'm trying to get them out, Lord, so that they can be safe.
Oh, God of heaven, I pray for each one that held up their hands. I seen many of those little bobbed-haired women raise up their hands, with enough of the--the grace about them till they know that they're wrong. There was many who didn't. Now, You're the Judge of that. But I pray, God, that You'll save those. Grant it. Ever those--those men raised up their hand, mighty fine young men setting with their wives, and so forth, raised up their hands. Old people raised up their hands. Now, Father, we got to forsake the world and the things of the world, or we cannot serve You.
L-114 I pray that You will manifest yourself tonight in such a way that the people will see that the Word that has been spoke... Men can say anything. But when God comes around and confirms His Word, proves that it is His Word, then we are then left without any excuse. I pray, Father, that You'll grant it tonight, and as soon as these people... Maybe many of them are sinners. Several raised up their hands as sinners. And I pray, Father, as soon as they see the manifestation, and trusting that You'll do it tonight, will show Yourself, that the end is here, the expected Son is soon to arrive to Abraham's seed, and that Sodom is to be burned. Someday there won't be one rock left upon another of Phoenix. The valley will be swept clean. In the city tonight where adultery, cocktail drinking, cigarette smoking mothers, daughters, dancing, twisting, carrying on, men living immorally, the sin of this city...
L-115 O God, but... I look down through it, and think what's the use of even trying? But then I look down through there and see a little light here and there, of consecrated Christians praying. All they that sigh and cry for the abomination that's did in the midst of the city, the Angel was commissioned to put a seal upon them and mark them. And they was the one who would not be destroyed. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
And they'll be without an excuse, for this message tonight will be throwed on the screen, the canopies of the sky. And we'll all answer. So I pray, Father, that You'll circumcise their hearts from any things of the world, that they might live godly in this present world. We ask it in Jesus' Name. Amen.
L-116 So sorry to keep you. We... I'm--I'm real late, and I--I don't... I'm supposed to be out... last... Every night I've got out around by ten o'clock at the latest. I wanted to get out tonight at nine-thirty. I didn't do it.
Now, just a minute to put the--the seal to what I've said. Now, really I'm not a preacher. Anyone knows that. I have no education, and use my old Kentucky words of "his," "hain't," and "tote," and "fetch," and "carry," and "them thar." And you know I'm not a preacher like that. I haven't the education to be.
But I am a Christian. The Lord Jesus saved me from sin. I know that. And He give me another Word to confirm what little I do know. The only thing... I don't try to put any private interpretation. I just read It, and whatever It says I say the same thing. See? That's all I know. See? Now, if it's interpreted wrong, I don't know. I'm just saying it the way it's interpreted here (See?), and He's always stuck behind it and backed it up.
L-117 I believe that Jesus Christ is coming soon. I believe that He is the same Jesus yesterday, today, and forever. I believe that He said, "A little while and the world (cosmos, the world order) will see us no--will see Me no more. Yet ye shall see Me (ye, the church) for I (personal pronoun), I'll be with you, even in you to the end of the world. The works that I do shall you also." You believe that?
We found out what works He done, how He manifested Hisself. I'm praying tonight that God will take this church... Now, no matter how much He would anoint me, He's got to anoint you too. See, no matter how much the Holy Spirit would try to speak here, It's got to have something out there to hear it. [Hebrews 13:8], [John 14:12, 19]
L-118 Jesus passed through a group of people one day, and they was hollering, "Rabbi, Rabbi, glad to have you over here, so-and-so." Jesus just walked on.
And there was a little woman who come around, and touched the border of His garment, and went back, and set down. Jesus stopped and said, "Who touched Me?"
Why, Simon Peter said to Him, as if he rebuked Him; he said, "Well, why would You say a thing like that? Everybody's touching You."
He said, "But I perceive that I have gotten weak. Virtue, which is strength, has gone from Me." He looked all around over the audience. There was somebody had believed Him. There's no matter... There might've been hundreds there, but there was somebody believed. He found that little woman, told her of her blood issue had stopped, and she was healed (Is that right?), and moved right on. See? He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. [Mark 5:30-31], [Luke 8:44-46], [Hebrews 13:8]
L-119 Now, we got prayer cards give out. We give out half of them over there last night, half of them tonight. Did we start from the first last night? Did we start about the first fifteen to twenty last night, from 1 to so-and-so? What's it? What say? 1 to 20. All right. A lot of them are here tonight. Let's give some from the back side of it then. Let's start... Let's see, we've got fifteen minutes, let's give fifteen cards then. Let's see, that'd be 85 to a 100. Let's start from 85 to a 100.
L-120 Who has prayer card 85? Raise up your hand. 85? A woman back there? Come up here, sister. 86? Who has 86? Right here. 87, 87? Somebody raise your hand, 87? This man? 87. 88, 88, 89, 89, 90. 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 95, 96, 97. 96, I didn't see it raise up. 96. Now, if you've got your card, come. See? 97, 98, 99, 100. All right. While these people... One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, there's about eight missing.
L-121 Now, listen. It's true; don't come up here with sin hanging on your life. You'd better confess it out there to God. But if--if you have--if you've confessed your sins, come ahead. How many out there doesn't have a prayer card and you want Jesus to heal you? Raise your hand. How many would believe if Jesus Christ would do--if He... How many believes this?
Watch. I'm going to ask these ministers behind me. Brethren, is it true, as ministers of the Gospel we believe that the Bible, the New Testament, the book of Hebrews, says that He is a High Priest right now, a High Priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities? Is that right, brethren? How many out there knows that the Bible says that? A High Priest. [Hebrews 4:15]
L-122 Well, if He's a High Priest that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities... Now, how did He... If He's the same yesterday, today, and forever, then how did He act when somebody touched Him with the feeling of their infirmities? The little woman with the blood issue, who touched Him because she had a need to be touched, He turned, and looked around until He found her, and called her. Is that right? Is that right, brethren? Now, if He's the same High Priest, He will have to act in the same way, because He's--He is the High Priest. Is that right? Well, He will have to act the same way. [Hebrews 4:15], [Hebrews 13:8], [Luke 8:43-46]
L-123 Now, you don't need prayer cards. No, you don't need the prayer card. The only thing that you need is to have faith in God. You have faith and just believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ heals the sick and the afflicted, and He will certainly will do it.
Now, let's bow our heads just a moment for prayer. Now, again before anything is said or done... Now, I do not say that He will do it. I'm trusting that He will. But I believe, and I'm trusting that He will do it. Now, if He will do it, how many of you will believe? Raise up your hands. May He grant it is my prayer.
L-124 Heavenly Father, now I have said what Your Word said, forsaking all to follow You. Those who forsook all got to see You. And no matter what You would do, those who will not forsake sin and follow will never be able to understand. Those who do forsake sin, unbelief...
We know that sin is unbelief. No matter how holy we live, what all we do, if we still disbelieve, we are sinners. The Bible says, "He that believeth not is condemned already." So we know that we must believe every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. That should be our daily bread.
And I pray, Father, that (as I have quoted from the Scriptures tonight) Your promises for these last days, and what we would look for in these last days. If that has been right, Lord, then confirm these words with signs following. Grant it.
I commit myself to You, and the Word, and the people. I pray, Father, that You'll circumcise hearts out there to believe with all their heart, and especially these that's going to be in the prayer line. And then let the people see that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, is with us tonight. He's in the church, the elect church, the called-out, Abraham's seed by the royal promise. Grant it, in Jesus' Name. Amen. [Luke 8:22], [Matthew 19:21], [Mark 10:21], [John 3:18]
L-125 Now, now, let me just look a moment. Now, we're just going to take our time for just a few minutes just very few, about ten minutes. Do you love Him? Do you believe Him? Do you believe these things that I have read you out of the Word tonight is the truth? Do you believe Jesus did that when He was on the earth? Do you believe He promised it? Do you believe we're in the last days? Now, that's His promise. He must live it. "If ye abide in Me, My words abide in you, then ask what you will. It'll be done for you." Now, your motive and objective has to be right. You have to believe that with all your heart. [John 15:7]
L-126 Now, I don't believe that there's a person in the prayer line that I know. We're strangers. I'm a stranger, out there strangers. All of you that know that I know nothing about you, you that's in this little bitty prayer line here, raise up your hand, knows I know nothing about you. All right. All out there that knows that I don't know you, or know nothing about you, raise up your hand, just see. There you are. Then it's a hidden affair.
Here's ones with prayer cards; there's ones without prayer... The prayer card's nothing but a little card with a number on it. Just give you a number, the boy comes down and shuffles them up, and anybody wants a prayer card can have it. And he don't know. Nobody else knows where... Well, he wouldn't know if the cards all shuffled up from one place to another.
L-127 They never know who is going to be in the prayer line, 'cause we can't tell that. A lot of times we take them down there... When I first started out, we had a man down there selling prayer cards. Somebody said, "I'll give you five hundred dollars to put my wife in the line," See?
I put my own son... Then I said, "Son, to clear yourself with the people so they know that you wouldn't sell a prayer card, get up before them, mix the prayer cards up like this, then give them out to anybody that wants... And besides that, son, you'll never know where I'm going to call from till I get down there." How many's seen that in the meetings, time after time? Just every time I'll change, and go here, and there. And then besides that, where one is healed on the platform, there's a dozen called out there (See? That's right.), without prayer cards.
L-128 So it's infallibly the Lord Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Will you forsake all to follow Him? Are you willing to forsake your unbelief to follow Him for healing? Forsake your--your worldly things to follow Him in holiness and move for Him? Do that now. I don't say that He will do it. If He does, then you'll know. [Hebrews 13:8]
L-129 This woman standing right here, this is a picture again, as I said last night, of St. John 4. Here's a man and a woman meets for the first time in life. And it was at a little bench... If you was ever over there in Samaria outside of Sychar there, there's the little well. There's a little panoramic, vines over the side of it like that. That's where the woman set, talked to Jesus. A man and woman met for the first time, and He told that woman what her trouble was. Her trouble was, she was sinful.
L-130 It might be her. She might be a sinner; she might be a hypocrite; she might be a saint. She might want healing for her body; she might want healing for somebody else. She might have finances. She... I don't know what she's here for. I just can't tell you. She's just standing there, a woman; that's all. That's the truth. We've never met.
But if the Lord Jesus will come here... Now, to heal her if she's sick, I can't do it. I can't do what God's already done. Now, the only thing... What if Jesus was standing here with this suit on? If she come up to Jesus and said, "Jesus, will You heal me?"
Why, He'd say, "My child, I've already done that. I was wounded for your transgressions. By My stripes you were healed." Is that right? It's a finished work.
You come say, "Jesus, will You save me? Will You save me?" That's not the question. He's already done it." Lord Jesus, I accept Your atonement. I'm a sinner." See? You were saved back there. You were healed back there. You just accepted it. [Isaiah 53:5]
L-131 By faith are you saved. By faith you accept your salvation. And anybody comes around and tells you they got healing power, and they can heal you, you be--you stay plumb clear of that, 'cause it's not... Healing power is in Christ already a finished work.
If a man tells you God has give him power to forgive your sins, and to do that, don't you believe it. They're already forgiven. Jesus standing here tonight... The only thing, it would declare that He was the Son of God. What if He was... What if now my hands was full of nail scars, and blood running out of them, and thorns across here? That still wouldn't make it Jesus. That would be my flesh. And we know that flesh is setting on the right hand of God, and when it comes, time will be no more. That's right. When Jesus descends, that's all of it. But He's here in the Spirit form, and then His life is in you and I, to give you faith and give me faith. [Ephesians 2:8]
L-132 Now, looky here. This--this microphone, if there wasn't a live voice here to speak into it, it would be a perfect mute. Is that right? Now, look--listen close, so you won't miss it now. This case, if God will do it, will settle it. Now, this microphone can no more speak than nothing, because it ain't got nothing to speak with. Is that right? Now, the only way that microphone can speak, is for something to speak into it.
Now, here I am. I don't know that woman, never seen her. That's my hands before God, and she raised her hands that we didn't know one another. I know nothing about her. But until something comes in here to speak what's wrong there, I'm a mute too, 'cause I don't know nothing. God knows that's right. See? It's got to be something do the speaking.
L-133 Now, you can take your choice. If you, like Philip, he said... or Nathanael, said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Thou art the--the King of Israel." See? Or you can be them saying it was Beelzebub. You see where they're at tonight? Wonder where Nathanael is tonight? Immortal. See? Take your choice. That's up to you. See? [John 1:49]
L-134 But now, I'm saying that, waiting to see if He will give me the anointing. If He doesn't give the anointing, then there's only one thing I can do, friends, is to apologize, that He hasn't met me tonight. And then we'll just lay hands on these sick people and pray for them, and ask the benediction, make the altar call, and go home. That's all we can do. That's all I know to do.
But if He does come, then I think each one of you that raised your hands that you wanted to see Christ, I think it's your duty just as soon as this is over, to come right down here and kneel down, and say, "Lord Jesus, I now surrender myself to You," because...
If I'm a liar... He will never vindicate a liar. He will have nothing to do with sin, God won't. But if I've told you the truth, then He's duty-bound by His Word to--to--to prove that it's the truth. God, grant it.
L-135 Now, just be reverent (See?), everywhere in the audience just be reverent. I might have to talk to you just a minute, lady, just something another. I do not feel the anointing upon me, and I--I don't know you, and so that's it. Now, only thing I want you to do, if I ask you anything, just say, "Yes," and "No," See? Now, the reason I'm doing this... Let's just take something, so that you.
L-136 We don't never want to leave the Scripture. Stay right in the Scripture. Then we know we're right. Now, for instance, Jesus... Now, He was down in another country, and He was on His road to Jericho, which was right straight down the mountain. But He had need go by Samaria, up this a-way. Now, the Father had sent Him up there.
Jesus said in the next chapter, the 5th chapter, when He healed a man that had a--some kind of a trouble... Thousands of people were laying there, multitudes of lame, blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. And Jesus came by and He saw a man that had a retarded disease, maybe TB, or prostate trouble, or something. And He made him whole, because He knew he was there, He knew he was that way. Went on, left the rest of the multitude there, went on away. We know that's the truth. Is that right? They found... The Jews found Him, and questioned Him. [John 5:1-10]
L-137 They'd question Him again tonight. What is it? If He's got compassion and loves everybody, why did He leave that whole multitude of lame, blind, halt, withered, laying there? Just healed one man that wasn't very sick--wasn't going to kill him. He had it thirty-eight years. It--it was retarded. He could walk. Said, "When I'm going down to the pool, somebody beats me there," See? "Somebody steps in ahead of me." But He made that one man whole.
And when He was questioned, here's His Words. St. John 5:19: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing in Himself; but what He sees the Father doing, that doeth the Son likewise." [John 5:19]
L-138 So when He went up to Samaria. The Lord led Him up there. Now, the Lord led me, His servant, to Phoenix. He led me over here tonight. Now, here I am making these claims. Now, when Jesus went up to Samaria, the first thing He found was a woman come before Him. He talked to her till He found her condition. When He told her, quickly she recognized it to be either a prophet, or the promised Messiah. He said He was the Messiah. See?
So we know the prophets were in the days gone by. Today it's Christ. "God in sundry times and divers manners spake to the fathers by the prophets; in this last days through His Son, Christ Jesus," which is the Holy Spirit in us. [Hebrews 1:1]
L-139 Now, He's here. You recognize that. I want to ask you, as one Christian to another, just as soon as I looked over there you could tell something had happened--a real sweet, humble spirit. Is that right? Raise up your hand if that's true, so the people will see. See? Now, right now looking at the woman, if you could see her, see there? An amber light is moving around the woman.
Now, she moves from me. No, it's to somebody else. It's another woman. It's... You're praying for a woman, somebody else. It's your mother-in-law, and she's got a kidney condition. And--and she's only got one kidney, and you're afraid that it's cancer. And that's why you're here to ask me to pray for her. That's THUS SAITH THE LORD. You believe? Go believe with all your heart, and they won't have to move it. Don't doubt. Take that little thing you got in your hand, place on her.
You believe with all your heart?
L-140 How do you do? We are strangers also, to one another, our first time meeting. And if God through His Son, Jesus Christ, has sent His Spirit... Jesus said, "Wherever two or three are gathered in My Name, I'll be in their midst." That's His promise, isn't it? Now, He cannot go back on His promise. The only thing that we're so dull in faith till we fail to see Him. That's the reason God sends prophets to the earth.
See, people won't read their Bible. And they--they don't... They just go... So God always sends them a sign, and usually a prophet is a sign. See? And today, the Holy Ghost is our sign, 'cause He's God's prophet moving through us. He's God's prophet, a sign of the last days. [Matthew 18:20]
L-141 Now, not knowing you, and knowing nothing of you... But if the Lord Jesus Christ, which I just said out of the Bible, would speak through me and tell me what you're standing there for, would it make you believe? Would it make the audience believe? Now, the Father's with me, I know. You're suffering with a nervous condition. That is right. If that's right, raise up your hand.
Now, somebody out there thought that I guessed that. And you can't hide it now, brother. It's coming in here. See? I got that. Don't you believe that. Don't you never believe that. That's sin; that's unbelief. God will condemn you for it. You'll answer at the day of judgment. I should call that, but usually I get in trouble.
L-142 I don't know what He told you. Just a moment now. There it is, a shadow. It's nervousness, weakness. Get weak by it, all upset--had it for a long time. You got some more trouble too. You got somebody you're praying for, your husband, in the hospital with a stomach trouble, and had an operation. Mrs. Goode, you go home, believe with all your heart, and put that on him, and he will get well. God bless you.
Does He know you? See? Sure, He does. I seen that. Don't you realize that the same Jesus that walked in Galilee is that same Jesus here tonight? Can't you realize that? Now, I don't know nothing about... I think that was the woman was prayed for just there. Is that right? Any of you people ever knowed that woman? Anybody knows that woman, raise up your hand. Was those things correct? Wave your hands, if it is. There it is. That's fine.
L-143 Come. Speak English? That's all right. Indian? I have a respect for you: a real American. I don't think... Me, just as one man, I can't make a decision. I can only make my one decision. I do think that you don't get the right deal. You know I don't. I think instead of sending millions, and billions of dollars overseas, they should take care of you people. That's right. That's exactly right. My heart always went for you. I was up on the reservation in San Carlos not long ago. How the Holy Ghost moved in there, healed them poor people.
L-144 I'm a stranger to you, sir. I don't know you. I've never seen you in my life. We're total strangers. That's right. We're two nationalities: I'm an Anglo-Saxon; you an Indian. I have a little of the blood in me from my mother. My grandmother was a Cherokee. I'm proud of it. But as my brother, I'd do nothing to harm you. I would only help you.
The Indian tribe used to be... If they had one among them that could predict, and show where the game was, he become a prophet among them. And they were... But if he predicted something that wasn't right, he had to die for it. He should've. That's right. They had no slip-ups with them.
L-145 If God is God... The nation might've give you a bad deal, but God will never give you one. He sent His Son for you. I just seen what's happened. You've just come from the hospital. You come here to be prayed for.
You got a stomach trouble, and up for an operation. That's THUS SAITH THE LORD. Come here. Heavenly Father, I condemn this stomach trouble. Satan, you've hid from the doctor, but you'll never hide from God. Come out of him, in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Don't worry about it. Go on. You'll be all right.
L-146 You believe? How do you do? This little lady setting right here praying, just behind this young woman setting in front, with a bladder trouble, you believe the Lord Jesus is going to heal you, lady? That's it. Tell me Who she touched. She's twenty feet from me. She touched the High Priest, (That's right.) that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities. Do you believe that?
You believe, lady? You believe God can tell me what your trouble is? It isn't you that's got trouble. It's your sister. She's got cancer. That's right. Don't... Believe; don't doubt. Take the handkerchief you got for her and place it on her. Believe with all your heart. She'll come out of it, if you'll believe with all your heart. Go on down the...?... Have faith. Do you believe it with all your heart? [Hebrews 4:14-15]
L-147 It's left the platform. It's in the audience. It's a little thin woman setting right back here that's got TB, setting back there praying. You believe God will make you well? You do? The little lady looking right straight through--way back at the back... Raise up your hand, back there, lady, right behind that man that's turning around. Believe with all your heart. Yes, little bobbed-haired woman. All right. That's it. Believe it, and it's over. What did she touch way back there in the back? I challenge you to believe it.
L-148 What about you, lady? Do you believe that back trouble left you since you've been standing here? Well, then, just go ahead. That's all you have to do. Just believe with all your heart. You had the same thing. So if you just believe it, just keep on marching on, saying, "Thank You, Lord. Make it well." Believe with all your heart.
You're afraid you're going to be crippled up with arthritis, aren't you? So if you believe with all your heart, go believe with all your heart and get well. That's all you have to do, is believe. You believe?
L-149 How about some of you people out there? Are you in faith believing? What if I told you Jesus healed you standing there, would you believe it? Just start walking on, believing with all your heart.
You want to go home, eat your supper? Believe that old nervous stomach's left you? Go ahead and eat what you want to. Believe. Do you believe?
What about that woman setting over there praying for that little--that child that's got a blood condition? You believe God will heal the child? All right, you can have it. That struck that lady...?... right next to you there. She's setting there praying for a nervous condition (That's right), next to you. Also, you got a brother that's got a mental condition. That's right. You got a mother that's got a bad eye. If you believe with all your heart, God will make them well. Amen.
L-150 You believe Him? What about you, over here in the wheelchair? Do you believe? That's your son, setting there that just said that then. That's your son. You got cancer on your face. You're hard hearing. You're seeking the baptism of the Holy Ghost. That's right. If you believe it with all your heart... You believe it for him, son? You believe it with all your heart? Tell him in his ear, lay your hand upon him, and let him receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost.
Do you believe Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever? Do you believe the Messiah, the great Messiah of God, moves among His people? Are you willing to forsake all and follow Him? If you are, raise up your hands to Him and say, "I'll follow Him. I'll follow Him. I'll believe Him. Every word that He says, I'll believe Him. I'll straighten my life. I'll work for Him. God be merciful." God bless you. [Hebrews 13:8]
L-151 How many believers are in here now? Raise up your hand. How many wants to get close to Him? Raise up your hand. All that wants to get close to Him and you accept Him right now... He's right here. This is His Presence.
That man back there with prostate trouble, it's over, brother. God healed you just then. Why, it's just going everywhere like that. There's a Light circling all around over the building. Anything can happen right now. We could have another Pentecost, if you'll just believe it.
L-152 Stand up on your feet, every one of you. Raise up your hands to God; give Him praise. Thank You, Lord Jesus. We worship You, Father, because that You are our Saviour and our God. You are here. You've vindicated the Word. You've proved it to be so. You're God, the Messiah, the same yesterday, today, and forever. Without a failure, without a doubt, You're the same Lord Jesus. Praise be to His holy Name.
L-153 Do you love Him? Say, "Amen." How many of you is believers now? Raise your hands. Now, Jesus said this Hisself: "These signs shall follow them that believe. If they lay their hands on the sick, they shall recover." I'm not the only one that's got the Holy Ghost. You've got it too. You are a believer, just the same as I'm a believer. Now, forsake all your doubts. Lay your hand over on somebody and believe that God's going to heal that person according to His Word. If He will keep this kind...
You lay your hand on somebody; go to praying for them. Say, "Lord, heal that person." Pray, and see what happens. You are a believer.
Almighty God, in the Name of Jesus Christ we've defeated the devil. We've rebuked him, and tore his power away from him. By the stripes of the Lord Jesus Christ we are made well. [Mark 16:17]

LWB is dedicated to all who are looking for the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ; to you we owe credit for the materials used herein."Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."[Heb 10:25]."So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."[I Cor 3:7]
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