The Forgotten Beatitude

We thank Thee from the depths of our heart for the Lord Jesus, who is our life. And in Him we find no fault. But we find in ourselves fault when we look into his life, and examine ours by his. We pray that You forgive us.

We ask tonight that You'll meet with us. You promised that wherever two or more would meet together that You would be in the midst, and if we would ask anything that it would be granted.

Father, our motive and our objective tonight, and our longing in our heart, is to see Christ glorified. So we pray that our efforts tonight will be, as they continue, to bring people to a living faith in a living God that ... a God that is not dead, but is alive forevermore.

We pray, Father, that You'll stir our souls tonight with thy presence. Through Jesus Christ we ask it in his name. Amen. You may be seated.

Just a little late, and just a little tired. I've been going since Christmas without any let-ups, so I'm pretty tired. I was glad tonight to see Brother Joseph Boze, who I've been looking to see for some time, returning from the fields across the sea.

And sorry to say tonight that our precious brother and friend here, Brother Tommy Hicks, is leaving us tonight for ... or tomorrow morning, for Canada to have a meeting. I tried to get him to come out and preach for me tonight, because I was so tired, or either have the prayer line. He backed up on me, so.... And he said, “The next time, the next time.” He keeps telling me that.

And I know that Brother Tommy Hicks is ... I have ... the days that I've had with him, and the times and the fellowship, I certainly have a great confidence in Tommy Hicks, of being a servant of the living God, a great masterpiece that....

I don't believe that there would be anybody could say anything against the leading of the Holy Spirit to Brother Hicks, for he was just.... One day, when.... You heard of his message going to Argentina. He didn't even have the money to go, but the Lord sent him; and you know about the meeting. And a person that can yield to God like that....

You know, God can only use what part of you you yield to Him. You see, as I said, I believe, one day somewhere (I've talked so much in different places, in mornings and afternoon meetings, and whatmore),

but I said this: that God can use what you yield, like Samson.

Samson would not yield his heart to God; he gave that to Delilah. But he gave his strength to God, and God could only use his strength. That's all. But if a fellow could only yield his complete being to God, now, that's it.

If you can yield your body, God will use your body. If you can yield your mind, your heart, whatever it is, God will use what you give to Him to use with. He's seeking to find somebody that He can find yielded like that.

God be with you, Brother Tommy; give you a great, great, success. We'll pray for you in your services. And I'll be in Canada, too, in a few days, but up in the other end, so.... Give you a great success and safe journey. We thank you. Same to you, Brother Tommy.

We had a great time this morning in fellowship around the table of God, this morning, where we asked the blessing and had a ministerial breakfast—the first time I've been privileged to meet the ministerial group of this city. I certainly found some great men, great servants of Christ, with great hearts reaching out for God.

And I trust that we'll ... some time can get back where you can have a full place all together, and a big fellowship meeting, and have a great meeting all together here in Chicago.

Now, there was ... last evening I think we was praying for the sick, and Sunday afternoon I preached on the subject of Abraham and his seed after him. Last night I preached on the subject of the greatest news flash that ever struck the world in history.

And tonight, if you will turn in the Scriptures, if you care to, to Matthew the eleventh chapter, and the sixth verse, I'll read these words:

And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.

I'm going to call this subject “The Forgotten Beatitude.” We are all acquainted with the beatitudes. Over in the book of Matthew, the fifth chapter, Jesus taught the beatitudes when He'd taken the people, and went up on the mount just before the beginning, or just as his ministry started.

He became their leader, and He went up and taught the beatitudes, and began: “You've heard them say them of old time, but I say unto you,” and so forth.

Now, Jesus was a perfect type of ... or Moses was a type of Jesus. Jesus was a antitype of Moses.

Moses was a prophet. He was a law-giver. He was kind of like a king over the people in the wilderness, Israel. And he was born a prophet. He was hid from Pharaoh, just as Jesus was hid from the Roman empire. And he ... his ministry and life just typed right along. And Moses, when he got the children of Israel in the wilderness, he went up into the mount and got the commandments; came down and began to teach the commandments.

And Jesus when He came into his power, He went up on the mount, and sat down and began to teach the people. “Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God. Blessed are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you when you are reviled, and persecuted, and made fun of and so forth; for they persecuted the prophets which was before you. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, because great is your reward in heaven.”

He was typing Moses exactly ... or, Moses was a type of Him. And we are all acquainted with those types of what Moses was, and what Jesus was, teaching the beatitudes.

But this beatitude is on over in the eleventh chapter, and the sixth verse. And if you don't watch, you'll read right over the top of it, and you won't get it. It's wedged in between other words, but it is a beatitude.

And He said, “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me,” see. “Blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed are ... blessed are....”

Way over here He slips this beatitude in again, see. Blessed ... and, “Blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.” Oh, it was a great time in those days.

Now, we find that what caused this to start was just after the ministry of this great, rugged New Testament Elijah, John the Baptist. And that's who the message was sent to. And John had been placed in prison because of his ministry.

And oh, what a rugged fellow John was. And He was really truly the messenger Jesus said that “shall go before me.” And he was an outdoor man. And how.... When they caught him, he was perfectly like Elijah, who.... His spirit was anointed, he was anointed Elijah of the New Testament.

How that Elijah was kind of a man that didn't like the way Jezebel, immoral women, lived; and John, the same thing. And Elijah lived in the wilderness; John, the same thing. John was kind of ... stood by alone, just like Elijah did and ... that great rugged man from the wilderness.

And then had him down in an old musty, wet, damp jail. That must have been a horrible experience for John, a man that had been free out in the wilderness, having his meat with—the locusts and honey—and the wilderness journey out there, where he could kill what he eat, or take what he wanted out of the wilderness.

And now he's down in a little, old, musty, dirty jail—perhaps dark, in a dungeon somewhere—because that wife Jezebel, of.... Herodias had had him throwed in there because that he had told him that it wasn't right for him to take ... Herod to take his brother Philip's wife, and live with her. It wasn't lawful for him to do it.

And John was one of those men that did not hold back any punches. He just let her fly. It made no difference to him. If it was a head off, it was a head off (that's all), just like Elijah. He was right out forward with what he had to say. What was right, was right. If it was wrong, it was wrong.

God, we need more like that today, men who will stand on real genuine convictions of the Word of God. Speak it, and don't hold your peace. Speak it out.

And then, we find there that John, down in this little old, musty, dirty jail with some dirty bread they'd probably throw in to him once in awhile, he'd probably gotten thin. And no way to read his Bible, and he got kind of ... as one writer wrote about him one time said, “His eagle eye got filmed over.”

You know, the prophets are likened unto eagles. And God calls his prophets eagles. It's because an eagle is a most powerful of all the birds and the eagle can go higher, soar higher than any other bird, and he's got a better eye than any other bird. They talk about a hawk having an eye, or a hawk being able to fly up in the air. Why, if a hawk would try to follow an eagle, he'd disintegrate in the air. He sure would.

And what good is it going to do the eagle to get up there, if he hasn't got enough eye to see back down to the earth again? It's just like if ... what are we doing jumping high, if we don't know what we're jumping about? See?

And what are we testifying high, or making a lot of noise, if we haven't got nothing to make a noise about? See? And it's different, now.... The noise is fine, if you got something to make a noise about. But wait till that comes first, and it'll be a noise all your life then.

But we find that this eagle eye had got filmed over, because they had taken him out of his habitation from the wilderness, and had put him down into an old dirty, musty jail. And this great man who could be an eagle, to soar up in the air....

Now, higher you get, the further away you can see. They get up now in these balloons and things, so they can ... so high in the air that they can take a picture of the entire earth and its curvature.

And I suppose in this new gadget that Russia's got, can cross around the world in about an hour and forty-five minutes, why, they can take the entire movie of it turning. But, the higher you get, more you can see.

Therefore, prophets in the Bible were those eagles who could soar way up and above the congregation, and find out what “Thus saith the Lord” was, then come back down and bring the news, see. Therefore the Word of the Lord came to the prophets. And John, being caged off, why, it filmed that eagle eye over.

I felt so sorry one time for a big eagle. And I just can't stand to go to a zoo to see them poor things caged up—lions, and ... just in prison for life.

And little Sarah and I, one time at the Cincinnati Zoo over here, was walking around. And mother was getting our dinner ready. We was up with the children up there. They like to take the little boat rides, and see the monkeys, and whatmore. So we were walking around while mother was fixing the dinner.

And I heard a noise, and I went down at the bottom of the hill to see what it was. And they'd just caught a big eagle, and had put him in a cage.

And I looked at that poor fellow there, and he was bleeding all over his head. And the feathers was all beat off his head and off the ends of his wings. And I watched the big fellow walk across there.

Then here he come, trying to take off like the eagle does, and he'd hit his head against those bars; and knock him backwards and fall on the floor; and lay there and roll those big eyes around, look up like that.

Get back again, and here he come, and hit against them bars again, and blood and feathers knocked out of him. And he'd lay on his back, roll those big eyes, and look up. Why? He was a heavenly bird. He was looking up to where he ought to be. But some cunning devices of man had put him in a cage.

And I thought that was the most horrible, pitiful sight. I'd have bought that eagle if I'd had to take up my first offering to've bought that eagle, to've turned him loose. I thought, “That poor fellow.”

I thought, “My, if that ain't awful!”

That ... born to be a heaven-soaring bird, and here he is by the devices of man all caged up. And he was just beating his brains out. But he was caged. I thought, “That's the most horrible sight I ever seen.”

Then I turned around to walk away, and I thought, “Yes, that is a horrible sight. But I've seen something more horrible than that: to see men and women, who are born to be sons and daughters of God, caged in some kind of a cage; when they can look up and know there's a God of heaven, know that He's a great healer, and a great master, and a great saviour. And then put him in some kind of an ecclesiastical cage, where they just beat their brains out with all kinds of societies, and everything else; and never be able to get out of the cage. That's a pitiful condition.

Tell them all about a great God that was, and build them up under expectation; then knock the whole thing out from under them. He died, and put in a tomb, and that's all of it. He's not like He used to be. That's a pitiful sight, to see people, men and women who are born to be children of God, and be caged in to such things as that.

John, his eagle eye truly had filmed over, and John was ... become weary. He and Elijah was a great deal alike, because the same Spirit was upon the different men. See, God never takes his Spirit; He just takes his man.

God took Elijah. He took Elijah's spirit, and put it on Elisha. Then He took it off of Elisha, and put it on John, and promised to put it on again just at the end time—another one coming at the end time, another Elijah—which we all, as Bible readers, know that that's promised to us.

Now, we find out then that the devil takes his man, but never his spirit. And he just keeps coming right on down, just the same way. And we find out that those two are together.

And we find that Elijah and John was a great deal alike. They were real nervous men, both of them. Almost had a nervous breakdown, both of them. And men who live close to God are mostly considered neurotics, or something wrong with them. That's right. They are always considered that.

Paul (this morning when I was speaking to the ministerial group), Agrippa said to him, or Festus said, “Too much learning makes you mad, or crazy.”

He said, “I'm not mad; I'm not crazy. I'm sober, see. I'm all right.”

And they claim ... like, William Cowper, I believe it was, when.... I stood at his grave there at London. And he wrote that famous song: “There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins, where sinners plunged beneath the flood, lose all their guilty stains.”

That man was so inspired till he.... After he tried to take a rope and hang himself, the rope broke. He tried to go to the river to commit suicide; and the cab couldn't even find the river, it was so foggy. And just to show that ... how that that inspiration catches a man—catches him away. Then when he comes out of that....

Like Stephen Foster gave this nation it's greatest folk songs: “Old Black Joe,” “Down the Suwannee River,” “Old Kentucky Home.” Every time that he'd get inspiration and write a song, then he would get on a drunk. Finally he got out from under the inspiration, and called a servant, and took a razor and committed suicide.

And I think about Jonah, the prophet, God inspiring that great eagle for the air of that day. God inspired him so till he went down there, and laid in the belly of a whale for three days and nights; walked out upon the bank, and give a message that made even them people put sackcloth on their animals. And when the Spirit left him he went up on top of the hill, and sat down, and asked God to let him die. That's right.

We find this great Elijah, who John was a type of, the great eagle of that day, mighty rugged man, great woodsman—lived in the woods in a cave. And he came out, stomped out into ... amongst the people. And God'd take him up into places that Israel knowed nothing about. And declare the message, and say, “It's thus saith the Lord” and stomp back into the wilderness again.

We find that great eagle, when he stomped out there and told that king, “There will not even be dew come from the heavens but according to my word.” Walked right back out there.

When he walked down that Samaritan road that day, that stick in his hand, that piece of sheepskin wrapped around, that bald head a-shining, whiskers hanging down, them steps just as steady as they could be, coming down that Samaritan road....

But he knowed who he had been in the presence of. He wasn't afraid of what Ahab was going to say, because he had been in the presence of somebody greater than Ahab. He'd been in the presence, and he had “Thus saith the Lord.” Those old eyes setting back there with those wrinkles was looking right toward the sky. He was walking steady because he knowed he had “Thus saith the Lord.”

Oh, he was the eagle.

Went up on top of the mountain, and drunk at the brook there until it went dry; and went back down there and called a meeting. When God gave him a vision, went up on top the mountain and said, “Let's prove who's God. Let's see who's God. If He ever was God, He's still God.” That's right. Oh, I like them eagles. Yes, sir. Went up on there, and said “If He.... Let's prove God.”

And he said ... called the way that God told him in the vision. He said, “You take a bullock, and I'll take a bullock; and you call on Balaam, and I'll call on God. And ever which one answers by fire, let him be God.”

And while.... He was so certain of himself, so certain of his vision. While they were calling on Balaam all morning, and cutting themselves and screaming and jumping, he walked around. Said, “Say, maybe you better holler a little more. Maybe he's pursuing, or maybe he's taking a nap.” Oh, he knowed where he was standing. It was.

But after he had proved God, his eagle eye become filmed. And when Jezebel threatened that she would kill him, he run out into the wilderness. God found his servant laying under a juniper tree—running, after he had proved God to be God—nervous, upset. When he'd go up in those spheres, it does something to the human heart. When he come down....

You can't explain it. It takes you somewhere. There's no need of trying to talk about it: visions, and so forth that tear you to pieces. You can't tell the other people. They don't understand it. They've never been there, so how would you know about it? So it tears them to pieces.

God, so kind to his servant, though, to feed him, and encourage him and ... out under the juniper tree.

But after he'd had such confidence in Jehovah, so sure that he could walk up before the king, and said, “Not even dew will fall, but according to my word,” stomped right out of the king's palace. Anointed.

Then he had a vision of what to do. Then he went right out, down that mountain, and took and called down fire out of the heavens, proving He was God. Then called rain down out of the heavens on the same day. And then killed four hundred men—priests, pagan priests, cut their heads off. And then run when the vision left him.

Nervous, sitting out there, said, “I'm no better than the rest of my fathers. I'm no more than any other prophets. Now, Lord, take my life. I'm the only one that's left. I'm the only one that's preaching the right gospel, so just take my life. Let me go.” They get all flusterated like that.

But God said, “No, I've got seven thousand more that have never bowed their knee to Baal yet,” see. Said, “That's all right, Elijah. You're doing a great work, but I still got another bunch, see, that you don't know yet.”

“But take my life. I'm no more than my fathers was, prophets before me. Let me die.”

Here John, a whole lot like him, laying down here in prison, mustering out—after he had stood on the banks of the Jordan, come out of the wilderness, received the Holy Ghost in his mother's womb three months before he was born. Certainly did. How? When he first heard the name of Jesus Christ.

When Mary come up there, and she'd not yet.... She'd never felt nothing. The angel had just overshadowed her. The Holy Spirit had told her. She took off to Judea, and she told Elisabeth that she was going to be mother. And said, “God has overshadowed me, and I'm going to have a child.” And said, “I'll call his name Jesus.”

And little John was six months already, Elisabeth was, in her motherhood pregnancy, and she had not yet even felt life.

And so, while she was standing, looking at Mary's face, and Mary telling her what the Holy Ghost said was going to happen.... And had told about the experience that she'd had (an old woman and conceived), and then how her husband was stricken dumb.

And while standing there, she said, “I'm going to have a son, and call his name Jesus.” And as soon as that precious, glorious name of Jesus was spoke first on the human lip, a little dead baby laying in its womb jumped and come to life, and received the Holy Ghost in the mother's womb.

Said, “Whence comes the mother of my Lord? For as soon as thy salutation come to my ears, my baby leaped in the womb for joy.” And the Bible said he was born from his mother's womb full of the Holy Ghost.

A man called of God, come out into the wilderness at nine years old, no education, took off into the wilderness as a woodsman.

At thirty years old he came out of the wilderness, preaching such a message of a coming Messiah that he shook the regions.

And he wasn't afraid of their doctrine of the Pharisees. Said, “You snakes in the grass. Don't you come around here saying we have Abraham to our father. You generation of vipers! Who's warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Oh, my! He was rough!

He said, “I'm telling you of a Messiah that's coming with a fan in his hand.” Amen. “He will thoroughly purge his floor. He will take his wheat to the garner, and He'll burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.” He knowed what he was talking about.

Now, but when this Messiah finally came, when Messiah finally came, and John had the honor of baptizing Him, He came just exactly right. All the signs was right. He showed the Messiahic sign, and John knowed that, that He was the Messiah.

“That's the Messiah. There's no doubt about it.” John said, “I saw that pillar of fire light coming down upon Him in the form of a dove, a voice speaking from that pillar of light, saying, 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am pleased to dwell in.'”

He knew that was the Messiah. John said, “I didn't know Him, but He who was in the wilderness said for me to go baptize with water. Said, 'Upon whom thou shall see the Spirit descending and remaining on, He's the one that will baptize with the Holy Ghost and fire.' And I'm sure this is Him.” So he blasted it out.

But when trouble set in.... Jesus come and showed the Messiah ... that He was Messiah; but then something went wrong. John had introduced the Messiah with a fan in his hand, going to burn up the chaff.

But he found out the works of Jesus—He was meek and lowly. So it worried him. He didn't know what to say. He thought, “Now there's something wrong here somewhere.” Seemed he had believed the wrong thing. It seemed like it wasn't working right.

And there's many times that we think, too, that it isn't working right. But it's working right. As long as we know that He's here, what difference does it make? It's working right. Maybe it isn't working according to the way we think it ought to work; but it's working according to the way God wants it to work.

You say, “Well....”

John thought, “Well, now, I introduced the Messiah that had his fan in his hand. He was going to purge the floors, and take his wheat to the garner. And I told them the axe was laid to the root of the tree, and He was going to take all the trash and burn it up.

“And here He is. Instead of a great, mighty man like that, here He comes meek and lowly. Something must have went wrong somewhere,” he said. “There's no doubt but something's wrong somewhere.” He thought it wasn't right.

He become dismayed, like many of us do. When we see things going on that isn't what we think is just right, we become dismayed. Don't be worried. It'll be all right.

The devil got a hold of him in there. The devil thought, “Now, I've got him in the jail now. I've throwed him in jail, so I'll rough him up right good while I've got him in there. God isn't using him right now. I've got him in jail, so I'll just put every kind of a blanket over him I can. I got him all caged up. I got the eagle in the cage. So I'll just make him wish he had never preached the gospel.”

That's the way he does to many, and there's many a good man in that same shape today. That's exactly right. We think it ain't working right, but it is working right. Everything is all right.

Here the other day a little ... I see so many people that come in and say, “Well, Brother Branham, I was prayed for. I really didn't get any different. Well, there's something wrong.” No, there's not. There's nothing wrong with the system. There's nothing wrong with God. There's nothing wrong with the Bible. There's nothing wrong with the Holy Spirit. The thing of it is, there's something wrong with you.

Everything was running all right. It was just John. That's all.

So, there was a lady came down the other day from Zion City (she may be here now), about a month ago. That little woman, her little husband—a beautiful little couple, and they came down to my place. And they came down with some good friends of mine, Simms, from up there at Zion. And they may all be sitting here tonight, as far as I know.

And she had a little baby. I think it was born with its foot hanging up like this, and couldn't get its foot down. And she just said, “If I can only see Brother Branham put his hands on this baby, that foot'll drop down.” Well, she brought its shoes to wear home, and everything. Yes, sir.

So, I was praying up at the Tabernacle ... or, preaching. And then when I got through I was trying to make a way to get out to another meeting over into Bloomington, Illinois.

And then the first thing you know, when I started to leave the platform.... I believe we was going in to take footwashing. We're ... we believe in footwashing. I believe that the Bible teaches that, and we're supposed to do it until He comes. And so we try to keep every word that He says, and we was observing this at our church—which we always have, for thirty years now.

We were going in for footwashing, and my son come up and said, “Dad, there's people come from Zion there.” Said, “They was expecting to have prayer for the sick tonight.” He said, “They got a little baby that that woman believes that if you'd ever pray for that baby, that little leg would drop down. It's got a bad leg.”

I said, “Bring it here.” And a little ... beautiful little mother, she come up.

And she said, “My baby, Brother Branham.... We have believed, the husband and I, when you lay your hands on this baby that the leg is going to come straight. It's going to be all right.”

I said, “Do you require me to find a vision from the Lord?”

She said, “No, sir. Just lay your hands on him.”

I said, “All right. I'll do that.” Laid my hands upon it, prayed for it, went on in the room.

And the next day I was out at the office. When I was sitting out there and answering some calls, and doing some work there at the office, a car drove up and the little lady got out, her and her husband. Here they come.

Said, “Brother Branham,” said, “something went wrong.”

I said, “Oh, what do you mean?”

“Why,” she said, “the baby's leg's not down yet.”

And I said, “Well, what's that got to do with it?”

And she said, “Well, I believed, Brother Branham. I believed if you'd ever lay your hands on my baby, that God would heal it.” Said, “I believed it.” And said, “Something went wrong somewhere.” She said, “Maybe you better have a vision for it.”

I said, “No, there's nothing wrong. Not a thing wrong. Only thing wrong is you, see.” I said, “You just believe it.”

She said, “One thing I'll ask. Brother Branham, do you think it's God's will for my baby to be crippled?”

I said, “I do not believe it's God's will.”

She said, “That's all I wanted you to say.”

Out of there she went. And a few days ago they called up; and now, the baby's leg is back normal—come down. See, we just get flusterated. That's all. Everything's running all right. Everything's just according to time.

So we find out here that the devil tries to make the people believe ... or, disbelieve.

So the devil was trying to get John to disbelieve that He was the Messiah. So he got two of his disciples together, and he sent them out. Said, “Now, you go out and find wherever He's preaching. And when you do, you go out and ask Him, 'Have I been wrong?' [Could you imagine it?]

Could I have been wrong? Is He really the same one? I know the sign was right. I seen the Messiahic sign. I knowed that was right. But this meek and lowly, all this. I don't get it. I can't figure it up. I can't make ends meet with it.“

You're not supposed to make ends meet. If I could tell you the whole thing, and you knowed it all, and I knowed it all, it would no more be faith. Anything that I can perfectly explain is not faith anymore. By faith are you saved. By faith are you healed. You just believe it. You can't explain it; you just believe it.

So he said, “You go and ask John ... or, ask him if we should look for another. Is my faith, my confidence in my... ? I saw that Messiahic sign over him. And have I been wrong? Have I been mixed up? Now, has something went wrong?”

Now, when these disciples came to Jesus with this great prophet's message, Jesus never said to them, “Now, I tell you what I'll do. I'll send you back some literature to give to John. 'How to be Happy in Jail.' ” No. He never said that.

He didn't say, “I'll give you a book on patience. And you tell John how to be patient while he's in jail. It's a good thing. If he's in jail ... I hate to see him in jail, but I'll tell him how to do it, just to be happy.”

No. He never said that.

You know what He said? He said “Just stay till this afternoon's meeting. Just stay over. Then you can leave after that. Just watch this afternoon's meeting.”

After Jesus had the meeting.... I'd imagine those disciples of John sitting there watching every move He made, because John had taught them what that Messiah was, and told them what it was. And these were his disciples, and they began to see what was taking place.

So then, after the service was over, then when the two disciples went back to meet John, He said, “Go tell John the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear. And all that come to the meeting is poor. All the poor people's got the gospel preached to them.

“And tell John not to be scared; not to think anything different. I'm right on schedule. Everything's running right. Everything's all right. I'm right on schedule. Go tell him there's a healing service going on. The poor's got the gospel preached. The power of God's moving among them. I'm right on schedule. Don't pay any attention to nothing else. I'm right on schedule.

Oh, my! And blessed is he who is not offended in Me. Now don't be offended.“

I believe there's more people offended in Jesus than any other person that ever lived on earth. They get offended too quick. Jesus now, in this misplaced beatitude slipped over there so we could get it tonight, why, He said, “Blessed is he who is not offended in me. Don't be offended then. The more that takes place, I'm.... Everything's working right on schedule. So you just go ahead and believe it. That's all. Everything's all right. Just go ahead and believe it.”

You know, there, Jesus didn't rebuke John for that. He didn't say, “Well, I'm ashamed of my apostle. I'm ashamed of my prophet.” No, He never said that.

He didn't say, “What's the world going to say about this, when you come preaching, 'Oh, such a great Messiah! and such a great Messiah!' and then you send out to ask if I'm the Messiah?” He never rebuked him.

But when John said the worst thing that he could say to Jesus, Jesus said the best thing that John ever had said about Him. Yes. John said, “Go see if He is that one.”

And after they left, Jesus said to them ... He said after the disciples of John left, said, “What did you go out in the wilderness to see? Did you go out to see a man dressed up in fine....” You know, he was too far from Hollywood for that.

So He said, “Did you go to see a man in fine raiment?” Said, “They're of kings' palaces.” He said, “What did you go to see? A reed that just any denomination could blow any way it wanted to?” Oh, no. Certainly didn't.

Said, “What did you go to see? A prophet?” Said, “Yes. You went to see a prophet, and a greater.... He's more than a prophet. This is that Elias. This is that one that's said by the prophet, 'I send my messenger before my face.' ” Said, “Verily I say unto you, there's never been a man borned of a woman as great as John the Baptist.”

He never condemned him. He knowed that he was anointed with the spirit of Elijah, and that spirit was on him. That's what did it. He knowed everything was running all right; everything was running according to schedule.

John, why was he a greater than all the prophets? Now if you're spiritual, you'll catch something. Why was he the greatest? All the other prophets had spoke of the Messiah; but John introduced Him. He was the one that presented Him. So will it be in the end time. Everything's running according to schedule. Don't be offended. Just believe.

Today the churches are offended in Him. The churches are offended. The people are offended. They are all flusterated. They don't know what to think. Mental telepathy, something else.... No, don't be offended.

Our message last Sunday was trying to show you what God did to Abraham, and to his seed after him. And we found out at every junction He'd taken Abraham, He took his seed, through justification, through sanctification, through the baptism of the Holy Ghost, through the placing of a son. And then God came in human flesh, turned his back to Sarah in the tent, and told what she was thinking in her heart.

Don't get scared; He's right on schedule. He's here. Don't be offended in Him. “Blessed are they who's not offended in me.” If He was here to speak tonight, He'd say the same thing. He's right on schedule.

The prophet said there would be a time that would be not day nor night. But in the evening time it shall be light. He's right on schedule.

He's done come through justification (Luther age), sanctification (Wesley age), Pentecostal age, done placed his gifts into the church. And now appeared to us in our flesh, as Jesus said He would.

Don't be offended at Him. He's right on time. John, get out of that jail! Get out of that organization that don't believe in it. Pull the feathers back off your eyes. You're a free man, if you believe it. He's right on time. It shall be light in the evening time. Amen. The evening lights are shining.

What is He? The same Jesus. The same sun that rises in the east is the same sun that sets in the west. The Son of God rose on the Eastern people. What did He do to prove to the Samaritans and the Jews that He was Messiah? By showing the sign to them that He was the prophet that Moses spoke of.

The Samaritan woman witnessed the same thing, saying, “We know that when Messiah cometh, he will tell us these things. But who are you?”

He said, “I'm He.”

She run into the city, and said, “Isn't this the very Messiah? The man told me what was wrong with me, what I'm doing. Isn't that the Messiah?” And the people believed it.

He did that to the Samaritans and to the Jews, but not to the Gentiles. Before the gospel went to the Gentiles He was already glorified and in glory. But it shall be light in the evening time.

What did the church do? Went off into Catholicism, organized a church. Then Luther pulled out with justification for the seed, then Wesley come from Luther, sanctification. Then the Pentecostals ... and they organized. And on, and on, and on in their systems and on down.

Now we get to the last days. What is it?

But in the evening time, before the body was changed of Sarah and Abraham, to receive the promised son, He came—sat with them, talked with them, and done a sign before them. And Jesus referred to it.

We're not behind. Don't look back to what Luther said, what Wesley said. Look what Jesus said. Look at the sign where we're at. Don't look back what somebody else said; look what He said. He was the one said it. And the same sun that rises in the east sets in the west. There's been a dismal day. It certainly has been—enough light to see how to join churches, and make organizations, and so forth.

But that real power and manifestations of the presence of God has not been seen for years, and years, and years. We've felt it. We've knowed it's here, and we've seen gifts work with it. But when we see Him come visible among us, with power in his church to reach up on the hem of the garment of that master and touch it; bring back down his power here, and speak through his people here, and reveal ... making Him God, God with us. Oh, yes.

John, God open the prison doors tonight and let you out. “Blessed is he who's not offended in me”. Not a mind reading, or a telepathy; but a power of a risen Christ, who's soon coming. Let us pray.

Dear God, as the evening lights are shining, it puts the eyes of many out. But others are using it to walk in. I pray, God, that tonight that you will give the evening lights again unto this evening people, and may they see the power of your resurrection. For You said Yourself that “The works that I do shall you also,” and we wonder what works that You did.

Then we find in John, the fifth chapter, the nineteenth verse, that You said, “I do nothing until I see the Father doing it first.” Then You promised that. We know it's true.

Now, for once more, Lord, and then it's complete. And may many of the Johns that's shut up today in prison, fine men and women that know You as their Saviour, and they've been wondering, O God, may they see that You're right on schedule, that You're right on time. Grant it, we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.

Now, just before we have our altar call.... I was just a little late tonight. I thought last night I preached.... I'm going to tell Billy I sure made it tonight. He told me I couldn't preach less than hour and a half. But I sure got it out that time, by the help of the Lord.

Now, I believe we give out prayer cards yesterday. Did he give out any today or what was them? 1, 1 to 100 I believe he give out yesterday, wasn't it? What was that? A's? A's? All right. Where'd we start with? We started from 1 yesterday, didn't we? 1? Well, let's start from the back of them. Let's take ... let's start, and get about just a few up here, because our time.... Let's start from 80 [break in tape].

How many has never been in one of the meetings before? Raise your hands. Just look at there. Half the meeting. If Jesus Christ.... How many knows that Jesus Christ has already healed the sick, already saved the lost? Now He couldn't save you, or heal you. He'd just tell you He's already done it, and you'd have to believe it.

But He promised that the works that He did would we do also, and especially in this evening time. How many knows that? believes that's the truth?

Does it say He's the same today, yesterday, and forever? He certainly is the same yesterday, today, and forever. All right. If He is, then may He act that way.

Now all you in the prayer line standing there that's a stranger to me, that you know that I don't know nothing about you, raise up your hands. All that know it. Every one of you. All right. All out there, you people that hasn't got a prayer card, and you want to be healed, and you know I know nothing about you, raise up your hands. All the people.

Every person in the building that knows that I know nothing about you, raise up your hands, everywhere. I don't think there's a person that I can see that I know. If I'm not mistaken, this is a preacher from Arkansas, sitting right here, I believe. These lights, you see, I can't see too well but I think that's a preacher from Arkansas.

How many knows that.... One time there was a woman come in the prayer line. There was a lady come into.... She said in her heart, “If I can only touch the border of that man's garment, I'll be made well.” She had a blood issue. You remember that? And she slipped through the crowd, and she touched ... about like that.

Now, you'd never've felt that. And you know, Brother Tommy, the underneath garment of the Palestinian, then the big long robe. They wore underneath a garment, on account of the dust. The robe picked it up.

Now, if she touched the border of that garment, went back out in the audience, and Jesus said, “Who touched me?” Now, that was the Son of God. “Who touched me?”

and Peter rebuked Him, said, “Well, all ... why, the people will think there's something's wrong with you. Why, there ... everybody's touching you.” You know, “Hello there. How are you, Reverend?” and so forth, you know, “Rabbi.”

He said, “But I perceive that I got weak.” How many know that virtue is strength? Certainly. “Strength went out of me. Somebody touched me.” And He turned around, and kept looking over the audience, until He found where it was at. And He said ... told her about her blood issue had stopped, because of her faith had saved her. Is that the truth? Well now, is He tonight....

You minister brethren, that we eat with this morning....

This brother here, I believe, is the brother they talk about, all the degrees he got in the Baptist school—Dr. and PhD, and I don't know what all. He was telling us about it. But he had to forget it all like Paul to know Christ, so....

Then, but the Scripture teaches us over in Hebrews that He's a high priest now that can be touched by the feeling of our infirmities. That's right. How many knows that to be so?

Well, then, if He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, how would He act if you touched Him, see? He'd act the same, wouldn't He? “A little while and the world sees me no more; yet ye shall see me for I'll be with you even in you till the end of the world.” “The works that I do shall you also.” Is that right?

And He promised this would come to the Gentile people—not down through the Lutheran age, Wesleyan age; but at the end time it would happen. Now don't you see? He's right on time. And remember, this has done went around the world. So we're at the end. There's no doubt. No doubt.

But you touch his garment.

Now “What is it, Brother Branham?” It's not me. And it wouldn't do a thing to me if you didn't do it. It's you just as much into it as I am. It's got to be your faith that does his ... touches Him, so that He'll speak through me. It's just a gift to yield myself to Him: just give Him my eyes, my mind, my tongue, my being.

I don't know none of you, but it's Him speaking through there, see. It's Him doing that. So, it isn't me. So what caused it to do it? I don't know you. You said, “... about me, Brother Branham?” I don't know.

“... about me?” I don't know. But He does though. So, you touch Him; then He just uses me back.

So, see, it's you and I together as his servants, and He makes Himself known to his people that He's right on time. He's right with the schedule, just exactly, just before the end time, when the evening lights would shine.

Now, if He will do that, how many will love Him, and believe Him, and accept Him? God bless you.

Now heavenly Father, the rest is in your hands. I commit myself and this audience to You. Just one case will prove it, Father. In the name of Jesus Christ, let it happen. Amen.

Now be real reverent, don't get up no more. Sit still. Be real reverent just a few moments.

Now, one word from Him will mean more than I can could say in fifty, hundred, life times—just one word from Him.

Now, you out there now, that don't have no prayer card, or wherever you are, whatever your condition is, you just say, “O great High Priest, let me touch You. And Brother Branham don't know me. And then, You turn him around to me, and let him tell me what I'm praying about. Let him tell me what's wrong with me (He don't know me.), or something I'm thinking, or doing, or whatever it is. Let him tell me. I'll believe You, because the Bible said that's just the way He would do.”

That's the way He did do. That's the way He will do. And you see, friends, if one time made Jesus feel weak, what would it do to me, a sinner? You'll never know until we meet at the gate up there what the price is. But that's ... I'm not complaining. I'm thanking God, you see, just so that you'll understand.

Well, days we come down, and they give out prayer cards. And then along ... I pick up those prayer cards along down through the week of picking out some here, and some over here, and down here, so it won't ... everybody won't rally for prayer card number 1, see. So they....

And then the boy, before he gives them out, he comes down and stands before the audience, and mixes these cards up, mixes them all up. I guess you've seen him do that. All right.

Then he goes down. If you want one he gives you one. Then the boy can't say, “Well, now, I gave her number 1.” He don't know himself. He just passes them up, mixes them up. Gives you ... might give you 10, and the next one by the side of you 95.

So then, somewhere along through the week I keep.... I call from 20 to 30, or from 50 to 90, or 90 back to 20, or somewhere along like that, wherever the Lord lays upon my heart—because that way, why, then, just wherever the Holy Spirit leads to call.

It happens to be tonight, by that leading, this woman—a colored woman, me a white man. I'm a stranger to you. We do not know one another. This is our first time meeting, see, now.

Now, if the Holy Spirit still remains.... The Holy Spirit that was in Christ is in us tonight. If that's the same Spirit, then He'll do the same work. If this is truly the Holy Spirit, then He'll do the work of the Holy Spirit. It will do the work of Jesus. And that way you can be sure, then, what He was back there. You know what He is now.

So let's take St. John, the fourth chapter. There was ... when He, being a Jew, met a Samaritan woman, and He talked to her a few minutes to catch her spirit. And then He told her where her trouble was, and she said, “Sir, I perceive you're a prophet. We know when the Messiah cometh he'll tell us these things.”

And she said to Him that....

He said, “I'm He that speaks to you.”

And she run into the city, and said, “Come see a man who's told me the things I've done. Isn't this the very Messiah?” And all the people believed. And every one....

Jesus never done it to one more person, but the whole city believed on Him. He never healed anybody. Just went in there, declared Himself to the woman. The Bible said that the whole city believed on Him because of the testimony of the woman.

Now, if that was Jesus yesterday, and He come do the same thing—as an African girl, and an Anglo-Saxon man standing here—and if He can reveal to me something that you're here for, something that you have done, or something like that, you know whether it's the truth or not. You certainly would.

And then, if He can tell you what has been, certainly He can tell you what will be. Do you believe that? Will all the colored people here, and white too, and whatevermore, you believe that with all your heart?

Now, if any of you people don't believe this is the truth, and you believe it's psychology (I haven't got no PhD), you come here, and do it yourself. I'm waiting for you. Then, if you're afraid to come, accept it, or keep still about it.

I said that because I was led to do it. There's something going on that.... I know about it.

You're aware that something's going on here, too. One of your troubles is nervousness. You're extremely nervous.

There it comes. “He guessed it.” I could say, “Somebody out there's nervous. Somebody.... The Lord says something.” But who is that somebody? This is that somebody. Stand ... she's got a nice spirit. Just see if this is it.

Nervous. Got trouble with your shoulder, too. That's right. You got heart trouble, also. Is that right? You got a burden on your heart. Is that true? It's about a boy. He's in an institution, hospital. You're praying about him. You want me to tell you who you are? Mrs. Richardson. Go believe.

You'll never know what that does to me. It just kills the very life.... Now real reverent, every one.

How do you do, sir? We are strangers to each other. We are. But Jesus knows us both, and has ... us both. If God will just let me know what you're standing here for, so I wouldn't have to go in too much detail.... See, I still got a whole line standing there, and others out there praying. See what it does to me. But if He'll just tell me something about you, you'd believe?

Of course, one of the things that you're wanting to pray for is your eyes. 'Course you're wearing glasses; anybody can see that. That's not all that's the matter with the man. There's something else, because he's got a shadow over him to death. His eyes wouldn't do that.

TB, tubercular. You've had a operation for it; wasn't successful—hasn't done like it should've done. Is that right? You believe now it's going to be all right? Just believe with all your heart.

Would you believe that He is the Son of God and healed you? You would? Then just walk on by and say, “Thank you, Lord.” That ulcer'll get all right.

I don't know you. We're strangers to one another. Do you believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God? Do you believe He sent me as a messenger to the church in this last days, to produce this Scripture, and give a gift...? Not because it was me. Not because He had to get.... He probably ... usually does get somebody that don't know nothing, so He can show Himself, see.

Do you believe that these things that I speak of is truth by the Scripture? She seems to be so full of sorrow, is the reason that I was talking to her a minute. Yes. It is. The first thing is for yourself. You've had a operation, and that was a female, ladies' trouble—a clean out. All the inside of the female organs was removed. But it backfired. It done something. Now just a moment. It's a ... it's ruptured. It ruptured and you had to return. You had to go back.

But that ain't really your sorrow. Your sorrow is about a child. It's your child, and it's had some disease, or something wrong. TB. And now it has some kind of weak spells like. That's right. You got another one that you're bothered about, and it's got a ear trouble. That's right. Your name is Mrs. Smith. You go, believe with all your heart. Do you believe? Have faith. Just have faith. Believe.

How do you do, lady? We are strangers to each other. I don't know you. As far as I know, I've never seen you in my life. We just meet here for the first time. If I could do something for you, and wouldn't do it, then I'd be a bad person. I'm not ... I oughtn't to be standing behind the pulpit here as a minister.

And I could not help you.

And if He was standing here Himself, and wearing these clothes that He give me, He could only prove that He was Messiah that had did for you. But you'd have to have faith that He did it for you, or it wouldn't work anyhow. Isn't that right? But if He would stand here, and tell you something—what your trouble is, or what you have done, what you ought not have done, or something about it—then you would have faith to believe it, wouldn't you?

Would that raise the faith of the audience now? You're dimming out to me.

Well, you've had an accident. You're bothered in the head. Then you're having trouble in your left side. That's right. Complications, so many things wrong. That is true. If God will tell me who you are, would it help you? Mrs. Terry. God bless you. Do you believe with all your heart now?

He heals heart trouble, doesn't He? You believe He does? Just go right ahead, saying, “Thank you, dear God.” You believe He heals arthritis, and makes people well? All right. Believe it with all your heart. God bless you. A ladies' trouble, and heart trouble. Do you believe He'll make you well? All right. Go on down the road rejoicing, singing praises.

You're young to have anemic condition, but do you believe he transfuses blood? Go, say, “Thank you, Lord.” Go believing. Sinus. Oh, do you believe He heals it? Just go saying, “Thank you, Lord Jesus.”

You'll have to have an operation for that tumor. Do you believe God will heal you with it? All right. Just go on your road rejoicing, saying, “Thank You, Lord.” Come. Come, lady. Do you believe He heals nervousness? All right. Go on your road rejoicing, saying, “Thank You, Lord.”

What if I didn't say nothing to you? Would you believe me anyhow? In the name of Jesus, may she be healed. Go believing.

Come.

Just a moment, just a moment. Something happened somewhere. Did those people going by there, was in the prayer line, going back there? That might've been what....

Mister, sitting right back here in the row, sitting right here looking at me, you're suffering with a prostate trouble. Yes, sir. Sitting there, yes, sir. Yeah. Have you a prayer card? You don't have a prayer card, do you? You don't need it. Your faith heals you. This second woman from there is your wife. That's right. I see you in a home together, and she suffers with trouble with her liver. That's right. If that's right, raise up your hand. Go home. Jesus Christ makes you well.

That lady sitting there next to you has something wrong with her tongue. You believe, lady? If that's true, raise up your hand. All right. Go home.

You sitting on the end out there, what about you? There it is over you, now. Got bladder trouble. That's right. All right. You believe. All right, go home and be well. Do you accept it? What did they touch?

Here, here sit ... a man started crying, sitting right back here, this man, that young fellow. Now that man, I never seen him in my life. But listen, son, you got stomach trouble. That's right. But you was praying. The Spirit come upon you ... real wonderful feeling.

If I'm a stranger to you, wave your hand like this. I don't know you. If that's what the trouble with you, wave your hand. All right. You're healed. Jesus Christ makes you well.

This lady sitting right back here, suffering with epilepsy, do you believe that God will make you well? will heal you? You believe it? You'll accept your healing? Them spells will leave you, and you won't have it any more. Believe it.

The little lady sitting here looking at me, on the side with her hand up, like this. Something wrong with her ankle. You believe that God will make you well? All right. You can have your healing.

This lady standing here with your hand up, ready for an operation on that old tumor. But God will take it out and make you well. You believe it? Go believing.

This kind ... woman with a white band around her head here, colored lady, gallbladder trouble. You believe God will heal you? What about you in the wheelchair? You believe me to be his prophet? You'll die sitting there. You have one chance to live, like the lepers was that sat at the gate of Samaria.

I cannot heal you, sister. I'm no healer. But those Samaritans, they said, “If we sit here we'll die; if we go in the city we'll die. So the only chance we've got is to go to the camp of the enemy. If they kill us, we're going to die anyhow. But if they save us, we'll be alive.” They had one chance out of millions.

You ain't got that kind of a chance. You're invited tonight to the home of a real loving God. Stand up on your feet now. Let's rise, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Rise up. If you believe Him, stand up on your feet. In the name of Jesus Christ, accept your healing. Amen.