Inspiration

Thank you, brother. Good evening, friends. You may be seated. Very happy to be back again tonight in Owensboro to greet Sister.... Brother and Sister Rogers and the friends here of Owensboro. And we have thought many times of all of you down here, and how that the Lord Jesus has blessed you. And the last time I was here I don't believe you had your building sealed over here, and we were just.... Got hardwood floors in it now and just doing fine. That's very fine.

And we're happy to be here tonight, although the weather bad. And Satan said the other day to me, said ... or, yesterday, said, “You know it's too snowy to go down there. You're not going to get to make that.”

I said, “Oh, yes. Yes, sir.” The Lord has give us this promise: “Ask the Father anything in my name, I will do it.” That's our promise. It isn't our faith in our prayer then, it's just our faith in doing what He said do. “Ask the Father in my name, you shall have it, it'll be given. Whatever you ask the Father in my name you shall have.” Isn't that a wonderful promise? Just makes us feel wonderful to think that. Our kind, heavenly Father in His kindness has give us this privilege of having what we would want or desire, as long as it's in His will, of course. And we know whether it's His will, if it's according to His Word. Then we know it's His will.

A Methodist minister, I was just sitting in a car with a few moments ago, that came down with me, a very fine beloved brother, his wife and family. And we were speaking about that just before coming into the building. And he was saying that.... I said the first thing I always tried to find out, Brother Collins, was whether it was God's will or not to do a certain thing, and then test my motive towards doing it. If I have no selfishness, nothing, I know it's God's will and I'm doing it for that purpose because it is His will, He won't fail you then. But if it's His will and you've got a selfish motive in it, it's just the same as not being His will, because it won't work. But when all the lines are clear, see, and they're ringing through clear, all things are possible then to them that believe.

There's been much water go down the river out here since I seen you last. I believe it's been some about two years, or a year? About two years. I've been over to India, and Switzerland, Germany and many places seeing our dear loving heavenly Father bring lost sinners to His precious bleeding side, and also seeing Him heal the people and perform miracles, which, of course, is leading to the conversion. And then after coming back home, I was taking a little rest.

My next healing service, as far as I know, will be in Old Mexico now in a few weeks, down where they have that arena in Mexico City where they have the bull fights. We're to stay there from the 18th to the 25th. And so we're just kind of scatting around over the country visiting brothers. And your pastor here said, “Why not come down and have a meeting or two for us.” And I just turned ... Brother Vivert, my cousin across the river here, said, “No, Brother Vivert, I can't come.” And about two days after that I said, “Yes, Brother Rogers, I'll come,” because he wouldn't let me say no—Brother Rogers; and then Brother Vivert come tonight and said, “Brother Branham, what about this?”

So, I said, “Just a little later, Brother Vivert, we'll catch you.”

How many knows Brother Vivert? Well, that's fine. I never even knew he was my own cousin till here not long ago. He's my father's sister's child. So, I didn't know it. I just knowed his name was Vivert and he was a preacher down there, but.... Well, he said, “Don't you know me, Billy?” He said, “You know, your father and my mother is brothers and sisters.”

That's the Branham for you, see. And so, she married a Vivert and that's how it was—he being a Vivert and me a Branham. So we were.... There, he's a fine boy though, very fine, and a close friend to Brother Rogers here.

And talking to him from my room tonight he said, “Have Brother Vivert come up and sing.” So I said, “You might as well put your coat on, Brother Vivert.” He said, “Brother Branham, I got a men's prayer meeting I got to attend.” And so he asked to be excused for that, that he'd go back to the prayer meeting tonight. And so, he was very happy to know how Brother Rogers was going on for the Lord. Say, that's a baptistry over there, isn't it brother? [Brother says, “Yes, sir.”]

Here some time ago, a Methodist minister, sitting looking at me laughing now.... I was in a Methodist church and so the fellow, the Methodist pastor there in Howard Park ... or I calling it Park Methodist Church in Jeffersonville. I was over to visit him, was going to preach for him one night. He said, “You know, I was over to Billy's Tabernacle.” And said, “I took some people that wanted to be immersed.” And said, “We went into that ... that....” Said, “What is you call it?”

I said, “That's too much of a word for a Methodist to say: a baptistry.” He had a little bitty pool of water, about this big, sitting there, you know, that I could've drank dry, nearly, if I was thirsty, sitting there for the.... I said that baptistry is too much of a word for a Methodist to say. He just laughed, said, “I think we ought to have one of them in here.” I said, “Now, you're getting right.” So, looks like you've already gotten right, Brother Rogers. That's very good.

I tell you, the fellowship we have.... The brother ... a Main Street Methodist Church down in New Albany and so.... He and I were raised up here in Kentucky, just across the hollow from each other. And when I was pastoring the church, why, up at Jeffersonville, and I get someone come in, a convert, I'd say.... He'd say to me, “Now, Brother Branham, I want you to sprinkle me, because I tell you why,” he said, “all my people were Methodist,” and said, “I want to be sprinkled.”

I said, “Now, Brother, you'll never make me a good member,” see. I said, “But I got old Brother Lum down here, is one of the finest men you ever met.” And I said, “I will just take you down to him and he can sprinkle you.” And I said, “He's a good man.” I said, “It's awful dry down there, but a good church.”

So, he'd get a convert, he'd say, “Well, now, Brother Lum, I want you to baptize me cause my people were Baptist.” He'd say, “You know, you'll never make me a good member.” But said, “My Brother Billy up there at Jeffersonville.” Said, “You better go up to him.” Said, “I tell you.” Said, “He's a water-dog.” Said, “He'll drown you.” Said, “He'll hold you till the last bubble comes up.”

So, that's the way we got along. And if all churches could get along like that, wouldn't it be.... We'd begin the millennium just about this time, wouldn't we? When everybody can have fellowship one with another while the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all unrighteousness. Isn't that wonderful? And that's the way it will be.

It's too bad to think, traveling around over the world and seeing the conditions of things.... And tomorrow maybe, at the afternoon or evening meeting, I wish to speak on The Signs Of The Time, the Lord willing. And I trust that God will help us and be able to reveal to you so closely that you'll be sure to see that we're living in the shadows of the coming of the Lord Jesus. And all the things that He predicted in the Bible is right now fulfilled, and at anytime the Lord Jesus could come without breaking one Scripture, but fulfilling it. I believe it's even later than we think.

Here some time ago, up in Sweden, I was up there right after the war.... Or, I beg your pardon, it was Finland. And they'd had an awful time there, the Germans and Russians and two wars right together, and how they'd had an awful time up there and they.... The battle fields was used for battlegrounds, and they didn't get a chance to get their crops in. Now, they almost exist on wheat and barley, and it was getting along in the late fall and they was.... The women was out there.... They didn't have tractors; they were very poor. And the men and women would hook themselves into harness and was pulling the harrows, like something on the order of a little harrow-looked something, like a little disc, little wheels rolling just enough to kick the ground up. They didn't have time to plow it because the fall snow comes and then there's no more ... you see the ground no more till spring.

And they were just scratching the ground any way, scratching, hurrying. When nighttime come, no, no stop: harrow all night long. And even little children, like these little boys sitting here in front, run along in front of their mother, packing a lantern, and maybe a little girl at the other end of the row out there somewhere watching a baby. And her mother in a harness pulling the harrows, scratching the ground. Little boy run in front, packing a lantern at nighttime. Day and night, scratching the ground just enough to get the seed in. For if they didn't get the seed in before the snow fell, there'd be no crop the next year and it'd be starvation. They'd die.

And I looked at that and wondered, and looked, I thought, “O God, what a revelation it ought to be to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.” We got to scratch the ground everywhere. Maybe we haven't got time for full time revivals around the country. Scratch the ground somewhere and get the Word in, because the night cometh when no man can work. If we don't get the seed in now, there'll be no crop for tomorrow. Upon this thought then, let's bow our heads and pray.

Our kind Heavenly Father, we are grateful for this grand, glorious privilege that we have tonight to assemble together again, another night this side of when time will merge with eternity.

We thank Thee for the opportunity that we have of preaching the Gospel in a free nation where the doors are still open, and for people who love to hear the Gospel well enough to come out on a bad rainy, snowy night. Slick on the roads and so forth, but they come to hear the Gospel. Never has lost its power and never will. The greatest attraction the world has ever had, when Christ be lifted up to a fallen world. We thank Thee for these things Father.

We pray tonight that as we assemble ourselves together here in this church, that You'll bless every soul that's in divine presence. We don't know what they come for, Lord. Many of them maybe with burdens on their heart. Maybe many sinful and out of the will of God. Maybe many sick and need Your healing. Many are in trouble, domestic trouble, wives, husbands, little children. God, whatever it is, we've come to speak of You, and we pray that You'll meet everything we have need of tonight, that when these doors be open at the end of the service and the people walk out to go to their different places, may they say like those who came from Emmaus, “Did not our hearts burn within us.” Grant it, Lord. Speak tonight.

Bless the pastor here, our beloved brother, your servant, Brother Rogers, the deacons, the workers, the laity, and every visiting person from other churches. We pray this blessing in Jesus' name, Thy Son. Amen.

Tonight for a scripture reading we will turn over into the Old Testament and read just a verse of Scripture for a way of text, if we would call it that.

Coming down last evening there were.... Friday is always ministers day at the parsonage there, when we can have the ministers come and.... Oh, they were so crowded yesterday knowing that the great vision had just happened, and we're fixing to plunge out into the greatest thing I've ever knowed of in my life. And some of them stayed till almost one this morning and then I had to get up early. And coming down here then today, why, I got into the room and just closed the door and someone knocked and it was Brother Vivert. And, time he left we had to rush down to get a sandwich, and then I said, “Brother Woods, go up and tell me when it's time to come back.”

I took off my coat (hadn't even changed my clothes yet), took off my coat and sat down, pulled open the Bible leaves, and somebody knocked at the door. And it was Brother Woods said, “It's time to go on up to the church.” So, here I am. So you pray for me tonight as I speak to you.

II Kings the 4th chapter and the 30th verse we'll read just for a little text, and maybe God will reveal a context for us as we study His Word.

And the mother of the child said, As the Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee [think of it]. And he arose, and followed her.

May the Lord add His blessings to this reading. Our minds are brought back when we read from the Old Testament because the Old Testament has always been one of my favorite books to speak from, because it's a type of the New Testament. And then if you could bring the old and new together, even the children can get a mental conception of what God's will is and how that God works.

And now, as we're thinking tonight, this was the prophet Elisha. A few nights ago I was just speaking on it, and it come in my mind when we was coming in just a little bit ago. I was asking my little girl, little Rebekah, eight years old; I said, “Honey, what was the difference between Elijah and Elisha?”

And she said, “Well, Daddy, Elijah was the oldest.”

I said, “That's right.” And I said, “If you seen them walking down the road, what would be the difference if you looked at them, besides their age?”

And she said, “Well, I know the young prophet was baldheaded, which the children got.... He cursed the children for calling him 'baldhead.' And the old prophet,” said, “he would be an older man.”

I said, “Now there's something else about Elijah.” He was a hairy man, and he had about his loins a piece of leather wrapped around him. The Bible said that he was a hairy man, and leather over his loins. And the Spirit that was upon Elijah came to Elisha in a double portion. And then came again from those great miracle-working men, where it worked the first time, in miracles and signs, it worked a second time in a double portion of miracles and signs, and then came on another man and he done no miracles at all.“

Wonder if you little boys or some of you could tell me who the third man was that had that spirit? Could you do it? Huh? Any student there can raise their hand and tell me who the third man was that had that same spirit? Huh? John the Baptist. He came out of the wilderness; Jesus said, “This is the Elijah which was spoke of was to come restore all things.” And it made Elijah ... made John dress just like Elijah, perhaps acted like him, but John did no miracles.

And that same spirit is predicted to come on the earth today again the second time. And I believe that it's on the earth today. And it is preaching a great message of repentance through a mighty man of God who does no miracles, speaks not of miracles, but's blasting the world down with a message of repentance. And following John came Jesus, not preaching too much, not much of a preacher, but was performing signs and wonders as a vindication that John's ministry was in season and vindicated.

So, we're thankful to the Lord to be living to see the day that history repeats itself again. And we're living in that day.

Elijah, I always thought of him as a great, big man, tall, maybe skinny; and we see that he was a fearless man when the Spirit of God was upon him. He did not worry about what anyone thought about him or what the world had to say, as long as the Spirit of God was on him.

And you know, I kind of believe that's just about the attitude of the church now, or any time, or anybody. Sickness: Nothing bothers you as long as the Spirit of God is near and you know it. Let a person be ever so sick and let the Holy Spirit come into the room and anoint that person, you'll see a changed person in a few moments.

I went to a dying child a few nights ago, laying in a hospital, premature baby, had to be a cesarean. Baby been dead four or five days, uremic poisoning. Oh, such a fix, hard to give her blood transfusions, the heart had enlarged till it was many times, the doctors says she can't live two more hours, and she was backslid.

But while speaking to her and said, “Sister dear, you was baptized there and on a cradle roll in the tabernacle....”

Said, “Brother Branham, I've wandered far away.” She said, “But, oh, I've gotten married. I married a sinner boy.” And said, “I just couldn't live it.” She said, “Last summer I was just about to drown and I screamed out for mercy.” And she said, “Then God warned me to come back, that my time was at hand.” Said, “I didn't come.”

And said, “Now, here it is again, and I knew you was in town, so I sent for you, Brother Branham.” Struggling through her breath, under the oxygen tent. And then we got down, I said, “Sister, Jesus is just as willing to take you back today as He was the day He accepted you at the altar. More willing because you're still His child, just out of His will.” There, through struggles she turned her face towards God, the tears run down her young cheeks, eighteen month old baby leaving, and one dead within, and pray, and the prayer of faith. And in less than five minutes time the woman was sitting up under the oxygen tent saying, “Brother Branham, something's happened in my soul. I'm right with God again.”

And there, when the doctor looked at it, said, “Look, something's happened.” Said, “I believe in the morning we'll just take the baby for the operation.”

See what a difference it is when the anointing of God comes down? Means different. Where she was once scared thinking, “Oh, it's just.... This is it, this is it,” but when God spoke then everything let loose.

And Elijah, a fearless man. And Elijah done (I believe it was) four outstanding miracles in the days of his ministry. And Elisha done eight outstanding miracles because he had a double portion of the Spirit. Did you ever just look into those prophets and see what a beautiful type of Christ and the church is typed there?

When Elijah knew that he was going away, God was going to take him away, he went and found Elisha plowing in a field, because the Spirit of God had told him to go to Elisha. And when he seen Elisha, he just run to him and threw his robe over him. A sign. And then, when he did that, Elisha said, “Suffer me first to go kiss my father and mother goodbye.”

Did you notice the strange thing: he was permitted to go kiss his father and mother goodbye, but the man in the Bible wasn't permitted to go kiss his father and mother goodbye, in the New Testament. Said, “Let the dead bury the dead, follow thou me.” Something different. We won't have time to go into that though. Maybe we'll a little later on.

But he went and killed the ox that he was plowing with, the yokes of ox, and took up the instruments and piled them in the field and made a fire and burnt the instruments with a fire and roasted the ox and made a sacrifice. What was it? It was a sign to the world that he'd cut every shoreline loose. He was really going out in a full-time ministry. He was going out then as a prophet anointed of God, and he probably never would, in this earth, ever lay eyes on his father and mother again. That's why he kissed them goodbye. Not only that, but his working tools that he had, he burnt them in the field to make a sacrifice to God to show that he had really sold out to everything to be a prophet of the Lord. And what a lesson we could get out of that tonight, that every man that cometh to Christ, puts his hand on the plow and starts, and even turns to look back, is not worthy of the plowing.

Today the reason we're having such times as we are is because there's too much halfway conversions, intellectual conversion. There is two different elements in the human body that has a mind. And one of them are reasoning. One of them, the reasoning, is of the mind, which is intellectual. The other one is the soul, which does not reason, but believes the Word of God.

You know some time ago they said that the ... that science laughed at the Bible and said, when the Bible said, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”, he said, “The Bible's all mixed up, because a man has no mental facilities in the heart to think with.” But last year science proved that God was right. They found right down in the heart of a man, not in a animal, but in a man, there is a little compartment where even a blood cell doesn't even exist. And they say it's the occupant of the soul; that, man by his soul lives there.

Now, each one of you have had experiences to think that when.... Well, somebody say, “It can't happen. It won't be.” But something right down in your soul that tells you it's going to be. And it don't make any difference what anybody says or how unreasonable it seems to be, you seem to know that it's going to be that way. It's because your soul has testified, and reasonings has been cast down as the Bible said they should be: casting down reasoning.

I want each Christian here tonight, no matter what church you belong to, that doesn't matter. That has nothing to do with it at this time. We're too far up the road to go to arguing about what church you belong to, for the Bible plainly says: “By one Spirit we're all baptized into one body.” It's whether you're right with God or not, is the main principle.

Now, the mind will reason things. In revivals of healing campaigns, you see people get that in their minds. They'll say, “Now, looky here, this is all unreasonable.” Here sits a lady in a wheelchair. I don't know her, never seen her. But maybe she might be paralyzed. I don't know what's wrong with her, whatever it is. Say she was paralyzed, maybe been sitting there for years. But say, the reasonings.... The doctors says there is a calcium deposit over the bone, you can't move no more. Maybe the spine's broke, maybe there's something wrong in that manner. Maybe there's a blind man sitting here with his eyes blinded over. And he'd say, “Well, now....” Reason. “Now, the doctors.... I've been to the best and they tell me I'll never be any different.” Well, now mental reasoning would say, “That's right.” But now, as long as you dwell in that mental reasonings, you'll never be no different.

Now, the Bible said we've got to cast down reasonings. Then, when your soul says that Jesus is my healer and I now believe it and accept it, then reasonings move out. And your soul comes in first place and whatever God says it won't reason at all; it'll take God at His Word. That's what brings the results. Such a simple thing.

It's not something that someone would go to someone and say, “Now, I have power to heal you, I have power to do this, or....” That isn't it. It's simply taking God at His Word. And your soul will always agree with God's Word, but your reasonings will differ with it.

A man say, “I can't live the life.” That little girl, the other day, that was converted. She said, “I can't live it, Brother Branham.” That was reasoning, but when it struck her soul, something become a reality then. It's not reasoning anymore; it's taking God at His Word. Amen. Notice, when you get reasonings cast away, the soul will answer clear.

Not long ago I heard of a case where a woman that belonged to a certain church.... I've told this two or three times (maybe not here, because it just happened) of a woman who.... Well, she's lived around the church and she married a boy there. The boy was converted but the woman wasn't. So they moved away from the neighborhood. She was a pianist in the church. She moved to another neighborhood, and the ladies in that neighborhood wasn't as moral and clean as they was in this other neighborhood. So, they wore these little bitty short clothes, and got out and mowed their yard and those things which isn't right.

Anybody's that's born again know that's wrong. Why, it's only the devil that makes you strip your clothes. There never was nobody in the Bible, but just demon powers that does those things. And the world's just full of it. And it's even religious to do so. Well, certainly that's the devil.

So, then this woman, she said, “Now, wait a minute, my Mama was just an old-fashioned fogy Christian. And if these other women can be just as good standing in the church as I am, why can't I do as they do?” See, that was in her mind to begin with. She said, “I could be just as good as them, they're just as much thought of.” See, that's reasoning.

Now, her soul will tell her that's wrong. But she pushed it aside. And she went to doing it anyhow. “The ladies in the church, most of them, smoked cigarettes.” Which is one of the cruelest and worst things that women's ever done in this modern age. But she said, “If the other ladies can smoke, why can't I smoke?” So, she started doing that. Oh, so cute. Her husband tried to tell her, said, “Now, honey, we don't do that.”

She said, “Now, look, John....” See, she'd do it anyhow, see.

And this soul, the Bible said.... Listen. The Bible said, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” The word death means “to separate.” In other words, the soul that disbelieves the Word of God shall finally separate from you. Now, death.... If I die now, or any Christian would die, it wouldn't be separation from God, because “He that heareth my words and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life,” see. But you would separate one from another. Separation.

She kept grieving that soul, finally it begin to separate from her, and go away. And after awhile she got to a place that a young fellow moved in the neighborhood, a married man, and she begin to have a lot of friendship with this nice, slick little fellow, and they got to.... He picking her up, taking her places and finally it wound up to kissing her good night at the back fence. And after awhile she left her husband and he left his wife, and they married, which is contrary to the Word of God. But that soul disbelieving, it finally just moved away from God, see. Got away from it. She was going by reasoning. She was still playing the piano in the church, she was a good member, just as good as anybody.

She moved into another neighborhood with this man and continued on into the church, brought her letter to another church. And then the first thing you know, this woman finally, after that.... Well, if that man, and any woman or man either one ought to know it, if a companion will be untrue to a companion, he'll be untrue or she will to you. So, he took up with another woman. So, she takes off again, and runs around, and finally wound up with a common-law husband.

And it finally caught up with her. She begin to get some aches and pains in the lower regions; and when she went to the doctor, it was a dense malignancy. Doctor said, “Prepare for death, for it's coming.”

A certain minister, which is a friend of mine, went to her to talk about her soul to her. Why, she give him to understand (smoking one cigarette after the other), said, “I never sent for you and I'm just as good as you are.” Now, that very attitude proved what she was. She said, “I belong to the church. I was raised in church.”

He said, “Listen,” said, “I belong to the same denomination you do. I know that our church doesn't teach that, that you.... You've got to be born again.” Said, “What about that man?”

She said, “You get the door. If I'd have wanted you, I'd have sent for you.”

Said, “All right, I've done what I can.”

Then in talking with the minister, I said, “Watch her.” Now, he was trying to get her prepared so that I could go pray for her. And I believe the woman would've been healed. I said, “Watch her at the end of the road. That's the only way. Because she's just committed that sin and went to reasonings instead of listening to her soul. But that soul will catch up with her someday.”

And when she come time to die, yes, the pastor with her, the people in the room and everything, just as normal, thought she was all right, absolutely believed that she was all right. And when she come time to die, when the mental faculties that's operated by blood and nerves, which is in the brain, that will perish at your death. Your mental faculties and your reasonings will pass away, because reasonings could not come in the presence of God. It'd reason with God. It's the soul that lives.

And now when her.... The blood ceased to go through her brain cells, and the nerves ceasing her memories, her reasonings begin to cast away. Then what happened? That soul that she had grieved away, that had been dead to her all these years, begin to come up to her and she screamed, “My God, I'm lost!” And the pastor said, “Now, here, here, here, Dearie.” She said, “I'm lost!” And the doctor ran and said, “She's getting hysterically.”, and give her a hypo. And she still screamed it out. And he give her another hypo till finally dying with this on her lips, “I'm lost! I'm los...!” A hypo stopped the testimony. It sealed her lips to other mortal ears. But that soul that realized, that had been grieved away: It'll haunt her as long as there's an eternity.

So remember, don't go by reasonings. You be sure that you're right. And there's a way of doing that, and that's accepting Jesus Christ and being born again of the Spirit of God when your entire soul testifies the Word of God is right. And stay with it and believe every word, because your spirit bears record with His Spirit then. And the thing.... Here it is, get it: “If you love the world or the things of the world, the love of God is not even in you,” says the Bible. And now, that's not talking about Lutheran, or Plymouth Brethren. I'm speaking about Holiness people, Pentecostals and the rest. That's right.

Notice it. Elijah, he knew where he was standing before God, therefore he was fearless. And when he got ready to go and he put his blanket ... or, his robe, upon Elisha, Elisha cut loose every shoreline, everything, and killed the oxen, burnt the sacrifice, and separated from everything to follow God. That's the way we've got to do it. That's the only true way there is of coming to the Lord Jesus Christ. Exactly right.

Burn up the things behind you. Cut loose everything. If your associates ... or, associations, rather, is taking you into pool rooms, or taking you into beer parties, taking you into card parties, or all these other places, cut the thing loose when you come to Christ. Get rid of every bit of it. Come to Him with holy hands lifted up saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” No matter how long you come to belong to church, that doesn't have nothing to do with it. So many cruel things are happening to people today, and they are going out in that shape because they have trusted in the church instead of Christ.

Notice. Then the next thing taken place, to show that they were type and antitype, Elijah come back when he met up with Elisha, he said he was going to another place, to Gilgal. “Well,” Elisha said, “as the Lord liveth, and your soul liveth, I'll not leave you.”

Why? He'd done cut loose everything else. He only had one thing to follow, that was God. “I can't go back to my work, I've done burned it up. I've kissed my father and mother goodbye for the last time on this earth. So, I'll go with you.” That's the way man do when you cut loose every line. That's right. Went on. He said, “I will go up to the school of the prophets.”

He said, “I'll go with you.”

Said, “You tarry here.”

Said, “As your soul liveth, I'll not leave you.”

And he went to the school of the prophets, second stage of the journey. Then he went on to Jordan from there. He said, “Stay here while I go to Jordan.”

He said, “As the Lord liveth, I'll not leave you.” A type of the true church following Jesus Christ.

And when they crossed Jordan, which means the ... Jordan's always been the death sign. And when they crossed Jordan, Elijah turned around and said, “What would you that I would do unto you?”

Said, “That a double portion of your spirit be sent upon me.”

Said, “You've asked a great thing.” God wants us to ask for big things. My, God, He don't run out of blessings up there. You can't ask for too much. Could you imagine a little fish about that long, out in the middle of the ocean saying, “I better not drink much of this water, 'cause it might go dry.” Well, that's just as unreasonable as it would be ... or, more reasonable than to be to think that God's blessings would ever be exhausted to a believer. All heavens belong to you.

Then, when he asked a double portion, he said, “You've asked a hard thing, but if you see me when I go, you'll have it.” And when he was taken up—Elisha kept his eyes on him—and his mantle fell back, and a double portion of the Spirit come on him. Notice. Then when this double portion came, he went and done a double work. And that was a type of Jesus Christ. He said, “The things that I do shall you also; even more than this, for I go to my Father.”

And they seen as he was taken up and waited there in the same city until the promise come, and the Holy Ghost, which Jesus was anointed with, come back on the church in a double portion. So, if your soul has been stirred and your reasons cast down, there's nothing impossible to the true and living God. “All things are possible to him that believes.”

Elijah: No wonder he was anointed. And a very prominent thing: People know it when you're anointed with the Holy Spirit. They might, in their heart ... or, in reasoning, say, “Oh, that guy is crazy. Oh, I....” But down in their heart they admire you. That's right. Down in their heart.

They might fuss with you, cause they're trying to agree with their reasonings, but down in their heart they admire it, unless their soul's so seared till they have nothing but reasonings. For, if you're a real Christian, living a true life, and living, the Word of God's with you, everybody will admire it if his soul's still in touch with God. Amen. That's the reason I think fussing about denominations is uncalled for. Sure it is.

Notice. There was a woman, a Shunammite—not an Israelite—a Shunammite woman. And she was a great woman because she believed that there was a true and living God. And she believed that Elijah represented Him. She'd heard of the miracles of Elijah. And she'd know that the things that he had done ... she'd heard others testify. “Faith cometh by hearing.”

What the church is slack in today is testifying of our great powerful Jesus today. We try to limit Him, try to say, “Well, He was back yonder.” But today He's the same that He was then. And the church who's got a vision of this and knows it ought to not be slack at anytime, but telling everywhere they go, “Jesus lives and reigns.”

The woman, she realized that Elijah was a servant of God; and when they would come by that way, she'd always trying to do him a little favor—try to be kind to him.

And if there's anything that we ought to be, it's kind to one another. When you see a brother or sister in fault, don't never—don't never—breathe it to nobody. Keep it to yourself, and pray for that person. Be kind to them. And if the Spirit of God is in you, then you will be kind to one another. Jesus said, “I come to do thy will, Father.”

And we are about the Master's business as He was about the Father's business. And the same Spirit that He had to begin the works of the Father and to finish the atonement, to make a way that we could carry the message ... if that Spirit's in you, you'll have that same attitude towards people: trying to do what you can to help them, no matter who they are or where they are. You'll try to help people. Amen. That's kind of strong, but that's truth. That's right. Rather, friends, that the time is come where we're nearing the end. And something's got to be done. Notice. We got to have rapturing faith right away now. I believe it. And after tomorrow night I want you to reason about it, when I speak on the second coming and see how close you think it is.

Notice this now. As this Shunammite woman, she said to her husband, “You know there is a holy man that comes by to see us. And let us, I pray thee, build just a little chamber on the side of the house for him.” In other words, “We want to be just as close to him when he's in this neighborhood as we can be. We know he's a Jew and we're Gentiles. But yet he's a holy man and we recognize him to be that way. We believe he's a truthful man. And so, we've got enough money to do that, so let's just build us a little chamber on the side of our house, and put a little stool in there, and a little bed, that when he comes by ... and some water, pitcher and so forth, he can refresh himself, and lie down and stretch out.”

How God foreknows all things and making preparations for it. Amen. God knows all things. He's omnipotent. He's omnipresent. He's omniscient. He knows all things. When the world.... Before there ever was a star in the heavens, before there ever was a light in the firmament, God knew every prophet that ever lived or everything that men and women would ever do. He's infinite. And how that He warns His people and gets things ready, like in the antediluvian destruction. Like He's getting people ready today. Like He got that woman ready. Watch what that little bed did later. Hallelujah!

Notice. She built the bed because she was inspired to do so. And when God gives you a revelation to do something, and if it's the right thing for whatever you do, do it. Don't wait till tomorrow. Do it when God says do it. She was able to do it.

Now, the first thing, you just don't want to be a fanatic. But if it's according to the Word, do it. If God is speaking to you now, or will tonight, or tomorrow, or anytime in your life, you know you haven't lived where you should live, you know you're professing something that you really don't possess in your soul, and you're not hiding it from God. And you should be right. You should live in a place with God where every day the sun's shining. Then go down to God and ask God to give you that, and God will do it. For it's inspiration leading you that way, because that would be the will of God.

This little woman said, “I believe.” In other words, if I could put it like this (This may be drama): “Husband, this is a godly man, and something just tells me that I should do something for him. So, I'm going to ask you (You are the husband and the head of the house, so I'm going to ask you.) if you will permit me to have the carpenters to come and build just a little room there for this holy man. And somehow, husband, I think we ought to buy him a little bed and put it in that room. Wouldn't it be nice now? I just feel led to do so.”

Did you ever have that kind of leading? God leading, working in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform. What if she'd have failed to do that? What if she had've failed? There'd have been terrible blackness and tragedy. But because she didn't fail, and did as God led her to do, there was blessings and joy, see. Do as the Holy Spirit says. “What the Spirit says do, do quickly,” the Bible says. Amen.

Watch her now. She has the little room built, puts the little things in there, and every time Elijah would come by, he'd have a place to stay. So, one day along came Elijah. She was preparing for him, knowing someday that he would come.

And the same thing will take place someday for those (Here it is.) those who are prepared and waiting for the coming of the Lord. He will be along someday, so you'd better have a little place in here. Make it ready now, for that's the only thing that's going with Him. This other—our houses, our homes, our land, our popularity, our flesh, our clothes, everything—we'll drop and leave here on the earth. But just this that's on the inside will go with Him. Get it ready, prepare it now. Don't be deceived. I've stood by the side of too many dying people that thought they were right and found out they were wrong at the end. So, take a solemn warning before He gets here. Have a place prepared for Him.

So, along came Elijah, and the gate porter, perhaps, said (as you'd have to know the oriental customs as they do, how the man said ... would walk out and say), “Now, thou holy prophet of God, there is a place prepared for you here that my mistress has prepared. And she gives me the right to tell you to go in. You will find everything waiting for you, and I'll fetch a little water. You may refresh yourself. And soon as the baker, or the chef, gets the dinner ready I'll bring you some roast lamb and some bread, so you can refresh yourself. It is the kindness of my mistress.”

Well, Elijah'd say, “Well, that's wonderful. Tell her I said thank you.” He goes up, looks on the inside, and everything was so polished and clean. That's the way Jesus wants to find you when He comes: Polished up, not with a lot of worldly stuff, but with the Gospel, that cleanses. Doesn't whitewash but it washes white. Amen. All cleaned by the purging of the Holy Spirit in your life, separating you from the things of the world. Old things die and pass away and all things become new. You see it? All right.

Now, notice. And Elijah walks in and says, “Looky here, isn't it wonderful? And here is just the nicest little bed fixed up just for me, so I think I'll lie down awhile.” Slips off his sandals, as the servant had washed his feet, and he lays down on the bed and says, “Oh, this is wonderful.”

I wonder if Christ would come to our hearts tonight, if He'd find it with everything of the world gone. That He might fulfill where it's: “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden. And take my yoke upon you, learn of me; I'm meek and lowly: and you'll find rest.” Resting with Christ. What a wonderful thing.

The other night the Lord give me a message on resting. The whole Christian principle is based upon rest. I woke up about ten o'clock in the night. I didn't have no audience to preach to, so I just ... went over and woke up my wife and preached to her till one o'clock in the morning about resting. Good audience. But it was burning in my heart: resting. I said, “Why're we troubled?” “Let not your hearts be troubled,” He said. We're just resting. “Come to me and ye shall find rest. Take my yoke upon you, learn of me.” Finding rest.

Then, while.... I said, “When you once come to Christ, once believe Him, once accept Him, entered into the rest, all the things of the world seems to die away. You've got rest then, rest to your soul. And you enter into that state, and there you are. You're resting then with Christ.”

Now, as Elijah laid upon the bed and was resting, then the Spirit came to him and said, “Go, ask this Shunammite woman what we could do for her for all this kindness.”

Now, if you want to find a favor from God, be a favor to God. Come to Him. If you're a sinner and you want to be healed, come first and give your life to Him. Come first if you're just a church member and want to be a Christian, come first to Christ, then you can be a church member after that.

So, you see, Elijah found a place to rest and then the Spirit come on him; he said, “Go, see what we could do for this woman.” And he said, “Could I speak to the chief captain, could I speak to the king? In other words, they have me down to see them. I've prayed for them or so forth, and I'm acquainted with them. Could I speak to them?”

She said, “No, I just dwell among my people. I'm a Gentile, so not very much to me, but I....”

See now, a lot of people, when you do something for the Lord you want to ... oh, you want to sound a trumpet about it, see. “You know what caused that church to have those nice windows, you know what caused this? You know I was the one done that.” Keep it to yourself when you do. Jesus said so. When you do your alms, don't sound a trumpet before men, 'cause you'll be rewarded of them. But keep it in your heart, and “He who seeth in secret will reveal to you ... openly reward you.”

Now, watch. I love this. Oh, just the plain simple old Gospel, but its story will never wear out. And notice: After he was in this condition and this.... No, didn't want it. And Gehazi came to him and said, “She's without a child and her husband's old.”

So, he said, “Go back and tell her that about the time of life this year she will embrace a son in her arms.”

Well, I imagine the woman thought, “What about this? The greatest thing could happen to me. That I will bring life myself so how could this be? But I won't question.” And when it come to pass.... When a man is speaking under the anointing of the Holy Ghost, it will happen. That was the prophet.

And it happened just the way he said. She brought forth a child, and she loved it and so forth.

It come to be about twelve years old, and one day while he was out in the field with his father, probably in his seventies, an old man, and was out there in the harvest, because he was probably a rich man, he must have got a sun stroke or something. He begin to cry, “My head, my head.” And he had one of the servants to take him in to the mother, and the mother set him on her lap till it got about noontime, and the baby died, the little child.

Now, the baby's dead. What good did the baby do her if God gave her the baby and then here He takes it away from her? So you know what she did? If she'd been just a lukewarm church member, she would've got bitter right then. But being that she wasn't, she was blessed of God because she had made preparations. When that happened, she took the baby, (Look what she did.) took the baby out the door, down the street, and around the corner, and took him in Elijah's room and laid him on Elijah's bed. What a place to put him. Amen. On Elijah's bed.

Look, I'm trying to say that the woman was inspired. And inspired people through all ages act strange to the world, but they're always doing God's will. It was a strange thing that Paul taken handkerchiefs off his body, and aprons, and sent to the sick and afflicted. Something inside. Oh, I wish I could get you to see it. Something....

Now, what if the doctor'd stand there? Here come the mother with this stiff, dead baby. Fell in a sunstroke, and his eyes walled way back, and his mouth open, his tongue out. And here she comes packing him, dead, going around to lay him in the preacher's bed. Why, he'd say, “You fanatic.” She wouldn't have paid any attention to it. She was doing exactly what her inspiration was telling her to do.

May I stop here a minute? Did you know the church of the living God.... I'm going to say something. Look, the church of the living God is built entirely upon spiritual revelation. That's right. It began in Eden when Adam and Eve, and when Cain and Abel.... Both boys went up to God and built an altar and worshipped God, both of them, one a believer and the other an unbeliever. And if God only requires you to have faith in Him, to believe in Him, to join church, to make a sacrifice, God would be cruel and unjust to condemn Cain, for he done the same thing Abel did. See how the devil's got people today? They think, “Well, I go to church. Sure I believe in God. I believe Jesus is the Son of God.”

Every devil in hell believes the same thing and publicly confessed it. That's right. The devil said, “We know who You are. The Holy One of God.” Publicly, before thousands, confessing Him to be the Son of God. They wasn't saved. Conversion is an experience, born again. Notice how glorious. What a wonderful thing.

Now, when the woman realized that this inspiration was on her, she obeyed exactly, because she knowed it was in harmony with the supernatural.

Say, “What are you talking about, Brother Branham?” I'm trying to base your faith on a level with God being almighty and supreme and all powerful and omnipotent. And He hasn't changed. His nature doesn't change. My nature might change, yours might change, but God's nature will never change. If He's still the Great Jehovah God that created the heavens and earth and all power's in His hand, He's still the same Jehovah tonight. If He's Almighty God, He can do all things. If He can't do all things, He's not Almighty God. Inspiration tells you that. Reasonings will say it's not so, but inspiration says it is so. Inspiration from the soul, not from the mind.

It's mind reasonings, theology, manmade so called, will make you very religious, it'll make you just as religious and keep the Sabbath days and do all these other things, but will deny the existence of the Almighty to perform miracles and do supernatural. Didn't the Spirit say in the last days they'd be that way? “Heady, high-minded, having a form of godliness but would deny the power thereof; from such turn away.” Wake up, church. How did Abel know how to offer the right sacrifice? He was inspired.

Today the people in general, act like Cain. Cain no doubt said, “If we build a nice altar.... We'll make it beautiful for Jehovah. We'll worship in such a place.” He got the lilies of the field. He put them on the altar. He got the fruits of the land. He laid them there. He made them all nice, built him a nice church, a nice altar and knelt down and said, “Jehovah, this I offer to You.” And God refused it.

And today people are trying to go to the better church where people dress better, where the pastor's a little more formal and not so fanatic, as they call it. Do you know the mind of the world is an enemy to God. The wisdom of this world is foolishness in the sight of God. And God, by the foolishness of preaching, it pleased Him to save the world ... or, them that would believe. How one's contrary to the other. Now, quickly, let's come to this close or this conclusion.

Watch, just a moment. When Abel, by inspiration come, no beauty, but he come in inspiration. He had no Bible to tell him it was a lamb. But God revealed to him it was a lamb. No inspiration to tell him that it wasn't.... Cain said, “Well, now (reasoning) it's fruit. They must've eat apples, so I'll bring fruits and offering and Jehovah will receive this because it looks better than what that would be, so Jehovah will receive this.”

And today the people think the same thing and shun little missions and so forth where the Gospel's being preached. Shun people sometimes because they don't dress just exactly in the modern say, way that we call it. They want to act like the world, and be like the world, like the woman I just got through telling you about. Because it's reasoning, and you can't go by that. No, sir. It's by inspiration.

When Jesus come off the Mountain of Transfiguration.... Let's seal this right now. When Jesus come down off of Mount Transfiguration, He said to the apostles, He said, “Who does men say I the Son of man am?”

One of them said, “You're Elijah.” And the other one said, “You're the prophet.” Another one said, “You're Jeremiah.”

He said, “But who do you say I am?”

And Peter said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

He said, “Blessed art thou Simon: for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father which is in heaven has revealed this to you. And upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell can't prevail against it.”

That's what the Shunammite woman was going by. It was unreasonable to take a dead baby to that preacher's bed. But inspiration spoke. And if inspiration speaks to you and say that you've been playing church, if inspiration tells you tonight it's time to get rid of your dirty habits, listen to inspiration! It's the Holy Spirit speaking and making a way. Don't never turn it down, if it's anything.... Unless it's contrary to God's Word. And anything that you do clean and righteous is in accordance with God's Word. It's in accord. Amen. No matter what the people think, what others say, it's the inspiration leading you, if it's according to the Word. And if it's according to the Word, then the inspiration is a leading you.

And she takes the baby, she goes around and she lays it on her bed ... on his bed. What took place? Her husband came in. They were weeping and screaming and going on; the baby was dead. But the woman.... Amen. I love this. Her faith was in action. She was just as cool as she could be. Something had struck her in that crucial moment. Something had taken a hold. And if something would take a hold in the time of death in the family, what more ought to take hold tonight when the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is at hand.

Something struck her: inspiration. She walked around, she took the little fellow, laid him on the prophet's bed, and her husband said, “Oh, dear, oh, dear, what will we do?”

She said, “All is well, husband.” Amen. Her faith sprung her to action. And no matter how much, sister, you in the wheelchair, believe that God is a healer, if your faith can't go to action, you'll always be in the wheelchair. But when your faith can take action to a place that down in your soul that ... it's not reasoning, but something in here says so, then, brother, something takes place. You begin moving. Because it's impossible for it not to be. That's true.

Then notice what taken place. She said, “Saddle me a mule,” amen, “and ride towards Mount Carmel just as hard as you can go.” I like that. Said, “Saddle an ass and go forward and don't you even slack up lest I bid you to.” I like that. She was on the road to meet the man of God. She had a need, and she knew that Elijah was God's representative. She didn't know Elijah was going to give the baby back his life. But she knew that Elijah was supremely recognized and vindicated, that it was God's servant.

And tonight the Holy Ghost is a vindication that He's here, that His power is with the believer. If we could only recognize that by inspiration that leads us to make the ... in the crucial moment to make our decision according to the Word of God. Not according to what the neighbors is going think or according to what somebody else is going to say, or what my pastor will say, or my members will say, what my neighbors will say, but what God is leading you to.

Then she made the decision. They got on the mule and away they went. She thought, “If I can get to that man of God, I'll find out why.” And when she come.... God don't always tell His prophets everything that's going to happen. He just tells them as He wants to. God is sovereign.

You'll never be able to see men going around the world just healing people at random and everything. I've tried to knock that down as hard as I could in my life. That's the reason you watch in the campaigns, I watch solemnly everything to see first the vision, what God will say do. For you might stomp and kick and anoint and everything else, and if the devil has a right in there, anything in your heart's unconfessed, or any unbelief, or any doubting, anything in there, anything that you've refused to do or not, the devil will lay right there, 'cause he has a right to. That's right. Jesus never healed at random. He said, “I do nothing except the Father shows me first.” You'll never be on the plane with Jesus.

Here some time ago a minister of a certain denomination who doesn't believe in miracles, don't even believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he said to me, said, “Listen, preacher.” He said, “If you are an apostle, if you are a prophet....”

I said, “I have never said that, sir. I'm neither an apostle nor a prophet.” I said, “I am a servant of the Lord Jesus.”

He said, “If you be the healer....”

I said, “I never did say I was the healer.” I said, “The Lord Jesus is healer.”

Said, “But if you were like the apostles were....”

I said, “Never, only saved by the same grace.”

Said, “Well, you claim to have the same Holy Ghost?”

I said, “Now, you're lining up. That's right.”

He said, “Then if you are one like the apostles who have the Holy Ghost, then why don't you go over here to the hospital and say, 'Every one of you sick people get up and walk out.'” And said, “Everyone of them will obey, do what you tell them to do.”

I said, “Do you believe that Jesus still saves?”

“Absolutely.”

I said, “Go down here to the honky-tonks, to the race tracks, to the barrooms, say, 'Everyone of you is Christians, come on out and get away from the world.'”

He said, “I could if they believed.”

I said, “So could I.” That's right. Sure. That's it: It's upon the atonement, correctly.

He said, “Well, you remember, Mr. Branham,” he said, “the apostles never did make a mistake. Every person they prayed for was healed.”

I said, “You better not tell that to my eight-year-old girl. She'll make you ashamed of yourself, you don't know the Bible no better than that.” I said, “My, a man with a doctor's degree and know no more about the Bible than that. Why, I said, ”When Jesus come off of Mount Transfiguration, the apostles had been there trying their best to cast out a devil of an epileptic child. And the man come and said, 'I brought him to your servants and they could do nothing with him. And I brought him to you.'“

Jesus said, “How long will you disbelieve?” Brought the child up there, it was no question to Him: He was God. And He just called to the spirit, it left him.

The apostles said, “Why couldn't we do it?” They had failed.

Paul left his friend sick, Timothy, with a stomach trouble. Paul bested about, but they were doing the best they could with what they had to do with. Jesus had the Spirit without measure, we got it by measure. Said, “How can you condemn a man....”

I said, “Talk about some of the failures, why don't you talk about some of the success, if you're a Christian?” 'Cause his heart was away from God; his intellectuals was moving him by some theological experience he'd had. I said, “There you are.”

He said, “Well, if you're the.... I heard you say in one of your sermons that Jesus said, 'The things that I do shall you also.'” Said, “Let's see you break the bread then and feed the five thousand, and let me see you turn the water into wine.”

I said, “We are in our infancy. We are moving up. And quick as we get you bunch of formal fanatics out of the way, we'll be doing that, but we're doing the....” I said, “Now, healing's not questioned anymore, even the doctors recognize it. The best medical associations in the whole American Medical Association recognizes that divine healing comes through the blood of Jesus Christ. That's right.” I said, “If we can get you bunch of unbelievers out of the way long enough to get God moving through the crowd, you'll see such things take place. We're just moving up. Look at the miracles of Jesus started the same way. Moved right on finally to the resurrection of the dead.”

Notice, the woman went to the prophet and the prophet said, “Here comes that Shunammite and God has kept from me what's in her heart.” He didn't know. So he seen her way out there, so he said, “Gehazi, I'm kind of worried about this. Run out and ask her what's the matter. I see she looks like she's full of sorrow, her head's down, she's about rode that little old mule to death, and here he comes.... And go ask her what's the matter.”

And Gehazi run out and he said, “Is all well with thee? Is all well with thy husband? Is all well with the baby?”

Looky, here's a word that always startled me. She said, “All is well.” Amen. “All is well,” and her baby a corpse. “All is well with my husband, all is well with me, and all is well with the baby.”

Then she come up to where he was and she fell down at his feet. She begin to reveal to him. So, he said to Gehazi, “Gehazi, take this staff in your hand and you take off.”

Oh my! What the preacher needs today is a staff, and take off: Burn the ox and the implements, get ready. Said, “You'll take off. And if any man invites you over to a social party, don't you go. If they're going to have a soup supper, don't you believe it. If they're going to have to stop and play bunco in a church, don't you believe it. If any man salutes you, salute him not, but go straight and lay it on the baby.” That's the commission of the church today, to “lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us that we might run the race with patience that is set before us.” Hebrews 12 said, “Seeing we're compassed about with such a great cloud of witnesses,” how the miracles is done by faith, said, “let us lay aside every weight and the sin that does so easily beset us.”

We're stopping too much for little social things. We're stopping too much to tolerate with the world. We're stopping too much to see if we don't get a little bit too fanatically. I'm scared of.... I'm more afraid of the person that's afraid than I am the person that is a fanatic. That's right.

Oh my! I'd rather have a little wildfire than have no fire at all. Sure, I would. I'd rather be around a fire that's popping and jumping anytime that the world's cold than to be around an iceberg. Certainly. Don't paint a fire. You can't get warm by a painted fire, you got to have some real fire. Not what the apostles done, the Holy Ghost in the apostles, because the same Holy Ghost today, and let's move on.

Science a hundred and fifty years ago made a statement that if a man ever went the terrific speed of thirty miles an hour, gravitation would take him off the earth—because he was riding in an ox cart. Do you think science looks back to that today? No, sir. They're going sixteen hundred miles an hour in a jet plane and still going, moving further. We're up to the place where we can believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost, we can believe in healing of the sick, let's move on to the resurrection of the dead and the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

A scientist can only go so far till he falls back. We got unpacked resources. By a divine promise from the Son of God saying, “Whatsoever you ask the Father in my name, I will do it.” Amen. I feel religious right now. Oh my! To think of that. “All things are possible to them that believe.” God, I've got enough faith for the sick now, God give me enough faith for something else. I'm hungry, my gastronomics are swelling out. I want more of God.

So, the woman said.... She seen Elijah take the stick and go out like that; she said, “That don't satisfy me.” She knowed.... She didn't know whether God was in that stick or not, but she knowed God was in that prophet, so she said, “As the Lord liveth and your soul never dies,” said, “I will not leave you. I want to know what God wants me to do.” Amen.

If you won't take a little cold taters.... Excuse that expression. If the devil wants to tell you, “Well, you go join the church. Just stand over on the side. Some glorious day in the millennium there'll be healing for the sick and there'll be the experiences again.” If you want the devil to stick that down your throat and wait for something else, you're passing by pie and ice cream, fried chicken, and the good things. Amen.

I can't be satisfied with joining a church; I've got to get acquainted with Christ. No matter your theological sticks going around, “I don't believe that.” Your measuring sticks: if you do this, and if you do that, and if you do this. I don't like them old measuring sticks. Cast the thing away and get the Lord Jesus.

The woman said, “I'll not leave you, 'cause I know you're in this.” I don't know whether He's in the Methodist church or the Baptist church, or the Pentecostal church, or the Lutheran church. I don't know about that. But I know what: He's in my heart. Amen. That's His dwelling place. She said, “I'll not leave you. I'm going to stay right with you.”

Oh, she stuck to her point. She stuck to her faith to believe it. She come all the way through all the sickles and everything else, and all the persecutors and all the laughers and scorners. “Hey. You know I always thought there's something shady about that woman. Look where she's going now.” See, there you are. You have to cross through every barrier and burn every fence behind you to get to Christ. No matter what the world says, what the church says, what the people says, it's what Jesus said that counts.

So, Elijah goes with her. And you come to Jesus in that manner, He'll go with you down through life's journey to the end of the road. Yes, He will. Some of these days (Hallelujah) we all got to come there. I want to be.... I want Him to be my buddy then. My churches will be burnt and blowed up with atomic bombs and everything else, but my Lord will live forever. I want to be in Him. That's my motive, that's my heart's desire, is to be in Him.

Notice. He went to the room. Quickly now, as we close. He went to the room where the baby was, he didn't know, he walked up and down the floor, and up and down the floor, the people outside raging and going on. He walked up and down the floor, back and forth, until the Spirit anointed him real deep. He run over and throwed himself on that baby, put his lips against its lips, and his head against its head, his nose against its nose, his hands against his hands, and the Spirit of God come through him onto that baby, just like laying hands on the sick or whatever more. And the baby sneezed seven times and come to life. The woman's inspiration was paying off.

Someday, brother, when the sun refuses to shine, when the moon goes down and the stars hide their face from the earth, and the last sermon's preached, and the Bible's laying closed, the churches blowed into bits, and the rocks are convulsing and crying out, I want to know Him. Amen. As the poet in the song said, “I can see Adam shake Eve, and say, 'Eve, this is it, honey.' Eve reaches over and shakes Abel, and say, 'Abel.' Abel shakes Seth. Seth shakes Noah. Noah shakes Abraham.” Amen. The time has come. Know Him in the power of His resurrection. Know that my inspiration that's been leading me, and been classed a fanatic and whatever more, it's brought me to the line, brought me to the paying off place.

Mothers, you old gray-headed mothers and daddies here, don't worry; the inspiration that's led you to Christ.... And you come through many dangerous toils and snares. Don't worry, some morning it'll pay off. It'll pay off. Jesus will come. We'll be caught up with Him in the air.

Watch that baby laying stretched out upon the bed of that prophet, where the inspiration laid it there, prepared. And God has got His arms out tonight, and your heart laying there. He wants to prepare a place in there so He can come and reach down and pick you up and take you up in the resurrection. The same God Almighty, the great Jehovah, who walked up in the face of Abraham.... Somebody said, “Do you say that was Jehovah God?” Sure, the Bible said it was. There was two angels, walked over.... Said “How did they eat that cow and eat ... I mean, that calf, and drink the cow's milk, eat corn bread and butter? Was that God?” Yes, sir. The Bible said it was God and two angels. Oh,“ I said, ”you limit God with your unbelief.“ I said, ”God had nothing to do....“

He said, “Come here, Gabriel; come here, Michael; stand here by My side.” He said, “Wheww! Step in that body.” Amen. Reached over, “Wheww! Step in that body.” Said, “Come here, handful of atoms, and a few cosmic light, a little cosmic meters, some petroleums,” and things that this body's made out of. He formed it and stepped into it. Walked down and talked to Abraham, with dust on His clothes, and had His back turned to Sarah when she laughed in the tent. He said, “Why did you laugh, Sarah?”

She said, “I never laughed.”

Said, “Oh, yes you did.” Hallelujah! He formed Himself a body to appear before Abraham. And the very God that formed that body has our soul in His hands tonight. Let's stretch out a place and make a place for Him to dwell in. That some glorious day when He returns back to earth, He'll speak, and we'll appear in His likeness to live with Him forever. I want to see Him. I want to go with Him then. I don't care what the world says today. You don't either.

My sinner friend here tonight, if that experience isn't yours, God waits for you. Open up your heart, let Him come. Don't take reasoning. Don't say, “Well, I've been a pretty good man.” That's all right. It's a good thing to be a good man, but are you born again? Have you made a preparation that when He comes by, He'll resurrect your dead too, bring you to life again. I hope you have. If you haven't, may you be ready to do it now while we bow our heads. And if the organist will come, while we have our heads bowed just a moment in prayer.

Everyone in prayer, if you will. Solemnly, great moment, might be one little boy in here tonight that might.... God fixing to use in a few days as a minister. Might be some poor old sinner boy here that's never accepted Christ, or some woman. Maybe life will change for him in a few moments. Maybe some lukewarm church member goes to church, never really been a Christian. What about it, friend of mine? When you come to the end of the road, is your soul going to be like that woman that died over there in Louisville a few weeks ago? When your reasonings is breaking away, what about your soul?

Our Heavenly Father, in the name of Thy beloved child, the Lord Jesus, we present to You tonight this congregation. We present to Thee, Lord, that the searchings of the Holy Spirit will go out into this audience here and comb up and down these aisles. Don't know, this may be the last call.

Just reading a few moments ago, a big healthy bus driver drove over a million miles, come into the city, the station. Felt a little trouble and pulled out of the station, over to the curb, and there died. Don't know. Might be the hour. We don't know. But, Father, the net's in the water. O God, run the fish into it. The Gospel net. And save the lost just now, Father, and the backslider, and the lukewarm, and the weary in the way, for Jesus' sake.

And while we have our heads bowed, there a sinner boy, girl, man, or woman, in here tonight say, “Brother Branham, I believe that's the truth. I believe it with all my heart, and now I'm going to put up my hand to God, not so much to you, Brother Branham, I want to be remembered in prayer.” God bless you, son. Someone else? God bless you, yes. Someone else?

Just put your hand up, say, “Brother Branham, remember me now. I'm a sinner. I really want to be right with God. I know I'm not right. No need of me.... My inspiration.... Something's upon me, telling me, 'Boy, it's you tonight.'” He's talking to you. I've been speaking to you, the whole sermon was to you. You never prepared a place really to cut loose everything of the world. You still have desires of the world. “Oh, yes, I belong to church.” But is the world still there, the love of the world?“

Is there a lukewarm church member, anything in that line, that'd raise your hand say, “Brother Branham, remember me. God be merciful to me right now. I've never been born again. I realize I belong to church. I've lived a up-and-down life. But to really to clean out the house and make a place for the resurrection, to a new life, I've never done it, though I'm a believer; and I want You to remember me, God, right now that I desire that. Now, and also in the hour of my death, I want you to remember me.” Would you put up your hand to God and say, “This is my sign to Thee, Lord. I want You to remember me now.”

As someone who's hungering and thirsting for righteousness, I long to meet you in peace with an experience. Would you put you hand up anywhere in the building? The Lord be with you. Would you raise your hand? Someone else? Say, “Remember me, God, tonight, because I'm in need. I'm standing in need. I know that I....

Now, look, don't play with it, brother, sister. Don't just play. Don't trifle with it. Be sure. See, maybe your conscience has been seared a long time, but something down in your heart saying, “It's me, and I realize right now that I haven't played true to God. I haven't played true, and there's been something in me always kept me down. I didn't have that perfect liberty. I couldn't be hid away in the Shekinah Glory with God. I have the times when I feel like I'm gone. I have times I feel like I'm backslid. I just ... I just can't live it hardly, but I want You to help me, God. And I'm going to raise my hand to You that You'll help me.” Will you raise your hand? Someone else put up your hands, if you will. Just waiting a moment to see if someone else.... The Lord Jesus sees your hand. God bless you, sir. Someone else? God bless you, sir.

While we're waiting, the Holy Spirit's speaking. Are you examining yourself and seeing if everything's all cleaned out?

One day somewhere in a church, soft organ music will be playing, creaking over the floor will come a casket. That'll be you. Yes, sir. That'll be you. I wonder if your estate should be in then if you could get back, if you'd say, “Oh, let me jump up from here and kneel at the altar just a moment. There's lots of things that I'd like to make right.” It's too late then.

What about now? “Today is the day of salvation.” Will you.... Someone else? Four or five has raised their hands. Would you just say, “Remember me, God, I'm in need. I'm coming now by faith. I really want to surrender all to Thee, my blessed Redeemer. I give all that I got. You gave for me, I give to You. I now come by faith, through grace, believing the Lord Jesus will fill me with the Holy Spirit this very night.”

If you don't understand what I mean by being born again, I mean someone without the baptism of the Holy Ghost. That's the new birth. Would you raise your hand, and say, “I now believe, I want to receive the Holy Ghost. Remember me, Brother, preacher.” God bless you, sister. Someone.... God bless you, sir. That's good. What a time.

While we have our heads bowed just a moment longer, I'm going to sing. We'll sing this real softly as the sister's playing it. I wonder if you'd come up here and kneel down right here. Let me come down and pray with you, and lay hands on you. “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling” all right.

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,

Calling....................

God bless you, little girl. Would you come? The little lady said, “I've accepted Christ, but, Brother Branham, I haven't been borned again, I haven't received the Holy Spirit. I would love to receive it.” Someone else in that state? Sinner, whatever you are, away from God, without.... Jesus said, “Except a man be born again he will in nowise enter the kingdom.” Will you come?

Here comes a boy who had to get in a wheelchair to come up to give his life to Christ. Raised his hand as a sinner. God bless you, my brother. [Brother Branham prays with those at the altar.]

Listen, will you come? You that raised your hand? That ought to be a sign to every person: A poor boy had to leave in a wheelchair, and come, lay upon the altar, weeping here, tears running down his cheeks because he says he's a sinner and wanted to be remembered in prayer. Won't you come?

.................come home,

Ye who are weary, come home;

Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,

Calling, O sinner, come home!

How many wants to receive the Holy Spirit, would you come up here and kneel just at this time? Wants to receive God, the Holy Spirit into your heart to pass from death unto life, all things will become new. You know He's speaking to you. Look in the crowd. I'm even surprised, in a church here.... You know people's got so cold-hearted they can't even shed a tear no more. They're just ... they just become so indifferent. It's a spirit of the age. We're at the end time, where men's hearts failing, perplexed of time. Natural affections gone from people. The love of God seems to pull away. But to see you here tonight with a breaking up, and tears rolling down your cheeks, and mothers and daughters and fathers and sons weeping. Wonderful. The Holy Spirit is here.

Won't you come? This might be your time. Remember, at the end of the age, I've got to stand by you, my friend. Remember, it will not be my fault. I'm offering you tonight, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and an experience of being born again. Won't you come? Once more while we sing, will you come?

Softly and ten..............

Won't you come tonight? Right down to the old-fashioned mourners bench where your dad and mother used to go to pray.

Calling for you and for me,

(God bless you, my sister.)

See on the portals...........

[Brother Branham prays with those at the altar.]

God bless you, sister. Our Father, in the Name of Thy Son the Lord Jesus, You said, “Ask anything in My Name, I'll do it.” Give to her the Blood of Jesus...?... heart to be...?... Lord...?...

Won't you do as the young lady did? She belongs to church, but she realized that she's not up there in the will of God. Won't you come and accept it?

..........O sinner...........

Come, please, tonight, while I'm begging you, while it's day here this morning, around the bench. Would somebody now? Maybe just while you're there, some sinner's waiting to come with you, some person. Let some personal workers who will walk around the altar at this time, walk over here, perhaps maybe some sinner, or lukewarm church member will come along. God bless you, sister. With that much sincerity to pray for a lost soul.

Sitting in the building tonight, let me tell you something, men. I seen four or five men raise their hands awhile ago. There sits in our midst tonight, a fine Methodist preacher, that they was down to him here not long ago. Someone walked and spoke to him, and he come to Christ and tonight a wonderful God-saved man, filled with God's spirit, because somebody was interested in him, come, knelt and prayed with him. Won't you come do it? He's a minister tonight because he come. Once more, won't you? Come while we sing once more.

Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,

Calling, O sinner...........

See on the portals He's waiting watching,

Watching for you and for me.

Come home, come home,

Ye who are................

You feel it's settled, brother? Amen. The man in the wheelchair has just got saved, accepted Christ. Good time for him to be healed also.

Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,

Calling, O sinner, come home!

Are you a Christian, sister, in the wheelchair? Why don't you move your chair over here? Move in your chair and come.... Just set right there, brother. Just somebody move her over here. She's sick and needing healing. God bless you, sister dear. Good time for you to be healed, right now. Anyone else that wants to kneel around that's sick, let them come. Whosoever will may come and drink from the fountains of the waters of life.

God is here. Do you believe it? Somebody else sick and needy? Kneel around; we're praying now. Good time for the Holy Spirit to meet us. Why not tonight? [Brother Branham speaks to someone.]

Do not let the Word depart,

And close thine eyes against the light;

O, sinner, harden not your heart,

Be saved, O tonight.

(Bro. Branham goes down to pray with the sick.)

Then why not tonight?

O why not tonight?

O why not tonight?

O why be sick?

And why not tonight?

Oh, my Christian friend, won't you come? Someone want to kneel at the altar with us here? Praying for the sick. I went down there and a man dying with cancer, just knelt at the altar here to be healed, accepting Jesus as his healer. Down there just now, went and prayed and laid hands on him. I wish you could come up around. I believe God is going to give us a great outpouring just now and give us them things that we have need of.

Let's all.... Those who want to kneel around the altar, would you come just now and kneel, while we're in prayer? God bless you, my friend, and believe on the Lord Jesus. The God of Elijah still lives. He still heals. He makes well both soul and body. He's a full Gospel man. A full powerful man. Almighty God, omnipotent God, omniscient God. The same yesterday, today, and forever. Just come, believe. Thou shalt receive. God said so.

And now, while they're gathering up around the altar, everyone that's concerned, let's bow our heads. Everybody in prayer, while we kneel, or stand, or anyway we can, for prayer. Everybody praying now, in your own way. Pray the way you pray at your church.