Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; … Matth. 8:20
This is a very important day for me. Because, to tell what God has done to me, specially, how God could bring a person not knowing anyone, not sponsored by any church, not supported or backed by anything, how He could bring from place to place, and without asking any human being for any help, at the proper time send a person, send a help and take me around the world once, and brought me a blessing. And for the last seven years this was a burden in my heart, and everywhere I went they asked me not to tell. And at last my wife said, 'Why do you not type it out so that we will get it printed.' So, when we were trying to do that, something happened to the press man. Then I tried to do it myself and tried to type it out, I got a severe heart trouble-heart attack; and as I had gone to the table, I became fainted, because it was such a true experience.
Then when I came here, I was wondering whether I should give it or not, then our brother met with an accident yesterday, because he deals with the tape. But whatever it is, I know purposely… Because, I did not come into this ministry of my own wish. I never wanted to be a preacher. But God took me from that state and pushed me rather. Every time I went away from Him, He will just push me again. Many times I left the place and went and the next week I will be there again. So I believe today that those who believe Jesus Christ as our Almighty Creator, not only just believe Him, but must believe in His abilities, in His power, in His guidance. I would like to read a portion from the Bible which you please go and read in your home. Isaiah forty fifth chapter, second verse onwards to the sixth. Isa. 45:2-6;
2. I will go before thee, and I make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron:
3. And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LO9RD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.
4. For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called there by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me
5. From the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
6. That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me I am the LORD and there is none else.
Praise be to the name of Jesus Christ. When I was trying to read the word and stick to the word, persecution came. Then one day, I was going in the bus, I was very sorry because people everywhere started talking against and they even said whether I was in the will of God. Suddenly in the bus, the Lord spoke to me, 'Do you know that I have called you even from your birth? Do you know your name?' I said, 'What Lord?' 'Your name is not Lawrie, I have called you Paul-a-seer. Do you know the meaning of that name? Paul a seer. You have to preach the word and your ministry is not just preaching; wherever you go, you will be just a sign, so that the people will know. As you just go, speak what I speak and go away. I will teach you and I will bring judgement on the other people.' I could never understand.
And when I was a small boy, we were three friends. We got together and said, 'We will not drink, or smoke, or do anything-drink liquor.' From the small age we promised God. And that promise I am keeping today. That came automatically when I was a very small boy. And from that day, as we were growing my daddy dedicated me for God's work because I am the eldest in the family. His idea was that I would become a preacher of the Anglican order. But when I came to college, as I told you the other day, I had no desire on Christian religion because I could not find any example of good Christian in my country at that time. I thought Gandhi was better than anybody else, because of course, he was at least practicing what the Bible says. As things were going on like this, I have given you my testimony in the previous day. I came to the place where God gave me a vision on my dying bed.
Jesus appeared to me and spoke to me, and just like speaking to a man, putting his hand on my shoulder, when the vision was passing: When thousands of people of all colour, all nationality were perishing in the flames. He said, 'My son, I am going to send you to them. You do not worry. I will take you from place to place. I will meet all your needs. Do not ask anyone for your needs. You must be dumb and blind. Blind for the things of this world.' So I was wondering: How is it possible? Whether to work, I like to work, I am not a lazy man. I want to work day and night. So, at this time, God healed me and wanted me to sell everything I had. And I wanted to believe God literally according to the Bible. So, I sold everything, and went on with God. And a time came when we had nothing in the hand, and that was two years nearly, actually we had no proper food to eat.
That really taught us what hunger was, because in our family, we never knew starvation. We belong to a rich family. But when I left my job and everything for God, it was a real starvation from day to day, to know the people, to know the condition of the people, to know whether I would trust God. So, at this time, God was moving. And we came to a place, where the Lord made me to fast for forty days. This was to pray for a sick person who was devil possessed, for deliverance: she was a Hindu. On the twentieth day, God delivered her and I continued for forty days. On the thirty ninth day, I fell unconscious, and I was in bed, and all the believers were around about and praying God to give me strength to finish another day.
At this time, suddenly my spirit burst out. The Spirit of God started crying. Crying means, it was a terrible travail. And the Spirit of God was telling. 'My America, my America, you have left me!' So I was telling God, 'Why do you want to cry like that!' Then the Spirit of God said, 'I chose you to be a guide for the nations. I chose you as a peculiar treasure, but you have left me!' And then the Lord gave me a vision, that He was going in front of me and that I have to follow Him. And He said, 'I am going to take you all over the world, be ready. And wherever I take you and where they receive you, they will receive you. Where they reject you, you will be pushed out. So, do not worry. When you are chucked out, believe that they have chucked me out.' So this went away.
Next week my wife got up in the middle of a dream, she said, 'I saw you in brother Oral Roberts' meeting giving a testimony!' I said, 'You do not dream like that,' you know. Then she fell asleep. Then the next day she got up, 'Not only there, I saw you in some other place. Surely you are going out.' So, at that time, I was thinking: This is all a dream or something like that, how can a man without a penny go throughout the world? And then there was a international conference in Scotland. That was a conference of The Order of Saint Luke which belonged to all the Anglican and Protestant denominations. So somebody who knew me from India, they said, 'Brother Lawrie, why do you not go to that conference to know something about healing, because God is using you mightily!' So they invited me, so I started going. When I started to go, I had money in my hand, no passport. So, suddenly a man's son got sick. A superintendent of a hospital. So I went to pray for that child and that Superintendent, where I worked, he said, 'I will get you the passport, I will book the ticket for you, you just fly and go.'
So, they all came to the aerodrome. I had never been to the foreign countries, you know, I never knew it will be cold, I was not interested. I was not interested in the money from the foreign countries because I believed that this denominational Babylon has erected image of gold in India and made us bow to that image: Because we cannot do anything without that money. So, most of the Indian people who believe the Lord Jesus Christ, they have to depend on that and go away from the faith. So at this time, without any money, I got into the aerodrome. My wife came and said, 'You just go, we will see, God is taking you. I just landed in London. When I landed in London, I never knew an escalator, or how to go on a escalator, or lift, or anything. So, when I close the room, I will keep the key inside and close the room. Then it will be locked, I cannot open it and I will have to go to the man and say, 'The room is locked.' Then he said, 'You have never seen a room? English people's room is to be like this.
So I was just-because in India we could not get anything; not that we did not have any money, but because we could not get anything because it is a different country. So from there, early morning, I landed in Glasgow, I went into the conference, and they said, 'Mister Lawrie, glad to meet you, will you please pay so many Dollars?' I said, 'I just landed here. I do not have any Dollars!' 'For one week you must pay some money!' Then I said- at the table I said, 'Alright sister, the Lord will provide.' Then suddenly, Du Plesis jumped in: 'I will pay money for that man!' So, that situation gone, I was one week listening and I preached in the Presbyterian Scottish Church where Robert Bruce preached. It was a big church in Glasgow. After preaching, the meetings were over. I came to know people from all over the world. But when I finished the meeting, I went to the hotel; I had no money to go anywhere else. I did not know what to do.
And that was the time… And I was like a man because I was in Scotland side, in that area, I was the only black man there. So everybody looks at me when I go on the road. So I felt so inferior and I did not know what to do; because I felt like an English man in India. Then only I knew how they will feel in India. So I went to the hotel, it was so cold. I had no overcoat; I took that mattress and put it on my head and was just lying down. Then in the middle of the night, a man knocks, 'Will you open the room? Is Mister Lawrie here?' 'Yes!' 'I want to see you.' So, I thought something funny is going to happen, and so I said, 'You have seen me, what do you want?' 'No, no! I was sleeping, the Lord gave me a dream that His servant is here and told the name, in that room, to give you two Pounds. I wanted to give you more, but the Lord clearly told to give you only two Pounds.' So I said, 'Lord! You could have given more! You gave me only two Pounds.' I took the two Pounds, dressed and the next morning, went to the station, 'Sir, with this two Pounds, can I go to London?' 'Yes! To London, only two pounds.'
So I was thankful to God but I said, 'I can go without food, but, at least I must reach London.' So I go into the train, I was sitting there, suddenly a Welsh Pastor came: 'Hallo Brother Lawrie, I met you at the conference!' So, he gave me all the food. So the food was provided by God, So, when I landed at London, no money or anything else. At that London area, comes an old friend of mine whom I helped in India, just as if already arranged. 'Hallo Lawrie! How are you?' I said, 'Why did you come here? Do you know that I am coming?' 'No, I just came to the station and I met you.' Then he said, 'You helped us in India very much, and I am taking you to our house.' So, they took me to their house and there was a overcoat lying there, and he said, 'For one year it is lying there, it does not fit anyone, you better try,' It was exactly fitting me. And the shoes, they exact fitted me. He had another pair of shoes. So, I was very thankful to God, that the Lord is so careful, and went into the house, and the next day I started preaching on the roads.
Two police men came and said, 'Hey, you cannot preach here, if you want to preach here, you must go to that mountain, not here.' So I came into my room and said, 'Lord! You cannot preach even, here?' But at that time, the Lord's voice spoke to me, 'Early morning, go to Sharf's Toffee company and get a job there, and I want you to work for twenty one days, to teach you something.' I said, 'Lord, I never came to work!' No, but here, I want to teach you something.' So, I went there and the man said, 'Mister Lawrie, I want you to work from six o'clock in the evening, till morning six o'clock.' I said, 'Night duty?' I never liked night duty because I was a lazy fellow; I used to sleep. So, he took me in the night duty, and what is the work? To carry big loads. So, in the nights, I used to carry loads and go and put in the lorry and like that. It made me rather muscular and strong and I was able to pray throughout the night, I was having all night prayer.
So, I was going from one room, to another room, to another room, like that, I was taken on by God. The reason being: He was teaching me how a Christian should be. Because that Christian is like a God's firm and you do your duty, do not mind the other people, you just do your duty and go. So I could write a very big book on the experiences those days: Wonderful! Then it was as if somebody was teaching me. Then, the label is not of the man who is doing, it is the label of the company. Then, you put it on the lorry, then it goes. In the same way He said, 'My son, do not interfere in other people's affairs; just go. You do your duty, tell what I say, and do not say anything-and do not criticize, and go away.
And immediately with the money, He said, 'I want you to take a film with you to America, because that will help you.' I said, 'Why should I show a film?' Now for you a condition: You will not be accepted there, so this film will make a room for you.' It was a film of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Voice in the wilderness. See how the Lord is giving. At this time, when I came to a home, there was a letter. 'Mister Lawrie, I hear that you have come, will you take a film with you? So, immediately I went and got the film, and it was 'The Voice in the Wilderness,' and that lady gave me free. So I took the film and then went into Holland. As I went into Holland, I asked somebody whether there is any church here? They said, 'There is a Pentecostal church there,' I went into that church, and then some people were going for street preaching; I went for street preaching. It was all happening simultaneously, not with any effort. I need not go and ask anyone, it just happened: Somebody comes, I ask them, they put me on.
At this time, there was a chemist, 'Mister Lawrie, can I interpret for you?' So, I was preaching in Holland and there was an interpreter also. And he said, 'Come to my house.' We went to his house and he said, 'Brother Lawrie, there is a bed for you.' And he treated me very nicely. It was such a great relief-one Mister Outerlinder. And then he said, 'What do you want to do?' Early morning, a telephone comes, 'Mister Outerlinder, is there any preacher you can help us with?' He said, 'There is a Indian Brother.' So I am going. Then, I started preaching like that. Then suddenly one man said-Mister Van Amaram, he is in Africa, he said, 'Brother Lawrie, I will take you to a place called De Heissenberg.' And there he was driving the car and he said, 'There is no petrol at all; and it will not run five miles even.' In the talk he forgot because I was in the car-that there is no petrol at all; and it will not run five miles even.' In the talk he forgot because I was in the car-that there was no petrol. And he started driving; goes on forty miles. When he came to the fortieth mile, the place where I should go, in that healing home in De Heissenberg, the car stopped.
He said, 'This cannot be.' I said, 'What cannot be?' 'It cannot run forty miles, it has come!' I said, 'Why?' 'There was no petrol! It can go only five miles.' He could not explain, I could not explain: I said, 'This must be a miracle of God.' 'What miracle, Brother, it never happened like this! So I got in, thanked the Lord: A car running without any petrol for thirty five miles. It could go only five miles! Then I went into the healing home, there was one Reverend Plugg. He is a Dutch Reformed Church minister. When I went in there, 'Sister, I have come from India.' 'Yes, yes, a lot of people come from India, they deceive us and go. If you want, you can stay with us, and you can wash all the dishes.' So I was put to wash the dishes. Hundreds of dishes will come, and I will wash and take it to the table. So I became a dish washer and not a preacher.
So I was doing like that. And when I went into my room-and there was a key hole, and some lady was asked to watch who I was. I was praying in my room in the nights and all. Somebody watched me in the nights and said, 'That man is praying!' Early morning, after about three or four days, the lady called me and said, 'Brother Lawrie, you seem to be a wonderful man!' You are a praying man; will you please preach in our church, in our meeting? So, she arranged in allvthe Dutch Reformed Churches. Mrs. Plugg telephoned all these people and arranged in the Dutch Reformed Churches. So, I was going from church to church, and then they said, 'You must go to the Zendings Bureau,' that is the missionary training centre. And this lady telephoned, 'Reverend Lawrie is coming.' So they thought, I was an Anglican pastor from India, so they made big preparations. So I was invited; there is an evening welcome meeting and all these things, and lot of people there, dishes all there, tea party.
So, 'Reverend Lawrie' is going there. Brother Lawrie has changed into Reverent Lawrie. So, when I went and sat there, one of the pastors said, 'Where were you ordained?' I said, 'I was ordained by Jesus Christ.' 'What? Which church? I said, 'His church!' 'So, you are not a Reverend?' 'I am Brother Lawrie ordained by God!' Immediately the whole situation changed. Everybody got up, 'No, we do not want.' So, the principal came and told me, 'You are a fool man, you should have kept quiet, they would have given you a reception.' Then I said, 'I cannot tell a lie.' Then I had nothing, nobody wished me, and I had to simply walk out. So I said, 'Thank you Lord, I have learnt something.' So, from there I finished all the meetings, I had to come over to America.
When I wanted to come to U.S.A., I had not a Cent in my hand; because, everything hand to mouth business. So when I came to the ship, I told my friends in Holland, 'Why do you not book a ticket for me? I will give you the money.' He said, 'Brother Lawrie, this is not India, we must see the money first, then the ticket comes.' I said, 'Tomorrow morning I will give you when the mail comes.' Mind you, I did not know that. That is where I just said, 'Tomorrow morning something will happen. God will give us. 'So, Mister Outerlinder is there, the Pastor is there, the post man comes: 'There is a letter for you-registered letter.' Then I knew it is for me. And when I opened the letter, it is there. 'Brother Lawrie, I was saved in your meeting in India, I want you to go to America and come, here is so many Dollars for you!' Then the two Dutch people said, 'This is wonderful!'Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; … Matth. 8:20
And then they said, 'Now alright, give us the money; which ship are you going to take or plane you are going to take?' At that moment the Bible fell down. Now see, even the Bible falling down, there is a purpose. You know, when you are in God, even in something falling down, there is purpose. That is why I believe Brother Branham, in so many ways; because, I had visions-my own visions, so I believe that His visions are true. I believe in rapture because the Spirit of God took me three feet from the ground with such a power. So I believe, when the power o God falls, people will be lifted up not three feet, they will be lifted up faster than the rocket! So do not simply disbelieve. It happened. People may try to differ, but in my life, it happened.
And in my life I saw visions, like a cinema film, like a colour film; and the Spirit of God spoke to me, and I caught people in the very act of some trouble and it saved the situation. So I believe, it is not a lie, it is true. So I opened the Bible. If you turn to Isaiah fifty second chapter, twelfth verse, 'For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight:… 'What does that man? Take a ship!' Good. So I took a ship, there was only one seat for me, I got in. And I saw all the sins committed in the ship. You know sometimes, people say, 'Indians are natives.' Today only I saw in the dictionary, 'natives' means: Primitive, uncivilized, non white people; in the American dictionary. But my dear friends, India and other countries, they have some chastity; they have some… women is-they are alright. But what is the meaning of 'savage'-savage life? Savage people have no conditions. They can live like a beast.
So what happened in the ship was: There was a lady with her children, she is going to America. Every ship man was committing adultery with her; and one by one, they are coming in a que. And she comes and tells me. 'Mister Lawrie, you are a preacher?' I was put near her room, and one man comes in, he goes out; then he tells the other man, and the other man comes. And she is going to meet the husband in America-with children! So when this happened, it broke my heart. Then I told them. 'I want to preach today in the ship.' They said, 'No man ever preacher here.' 'I have got a film,' I said, 'If you have a film, you can show it.' But if I show the film, I should speak for at least half an hour. 'Alright!'
So they put in the ship, 'Lawrie is going to show a nice film.' So before the picture starts, I used to peach to them, and the picture comes. And they said, 'Wonderful!' They liked it. And the Baptist pastor said, 'I am pastor here, but I have never preached all these days. At least your film has done something good.' Then I came to New York. When I landed in New York, mind you, I do not know anyone. IF you know a church that has sponsored you, then you can… Now I have come hrere, Brother Coleman is there, I am happy. But that day I just landed from the ship, marched in, and I did not know… I know only the Assembles of God Pastor's address-of the representative in New York. So I went straight to him. 'Sir, I have come from India, I want to stay today.' He said, 'Who do you think I am? I am the window of the Assembles of God; I have nothing to do, you go to Springfield.' So when he jumped like this, I said, 'Alright, sorry, I will not trouble you;' and I came away.
Then it was evening and I had little money and, you know, I bought some peanuts. You know, when you have nothing, we know how to live. Little peanut and water is enough. So I ate the peanuts and was just going there was singing going on in a Pentecostal church. And as I was going there, I just watched that: Glad Tidings Tabernacle. So it must be good. You know, I am telling this not with an idea of criticizing. This message I am not speak to you only. I am speaking to everyone in America with whom I spoke that day; I am speaking to them through this message. And this is the day-then we should have crossed Jordan already. Now we should have been in Canaan taking every promise of God. And why still we are lingering outside Jordan? And there is no more time.
So my friends the meeting was about to close. I just went and sat and I could not do anything. I was just sitting; people were going out. A girl came and sang a good song and there was a lady preacher there, Mrs. Brown, and then they all went. Then I said, 'I want to place in sleep here; morning I will go away. Can I sleep here?' Then one man said, 'What are you talking man? You get out!' So I said, 'Sir, I have nothing, no money; but I just want to sleep here. Never mind this cold weather. I will just sleep on the floor and early in the morning I will go away and the Lord will do something.' Then another man came and said, 'You have no business here, you get out.' And the room they locked and went away-not a person who would take me in!
So I just went and sat in a bench there and started getting angry with God. You know, sometimes we get angry with God also. And I started, 'God, you are not a partial God; you say you are a just God. Why did you create me like this? Like a black men? If you had created me white, I would have been alright. Now you have created me like this!' And I said, 'In India-I will go back to India, and will do such a lot of damage to these people and see that all the missionaries are out!' You know, that was the determination coming in my heart. Human being-you know, I am human. So I sat on the bench, and as the time was going on, I did not sleep, and then somebody came and sat near me. So I turned this way. I did not want to talk to anyone.
And this man said, 'You seem to be very angry? When I was in this world, they treated me the same. If I come to America, they will do the same for me.' Then I said, "Who is this?' I turned and like this and He jumped. And when you see, 'Just like that picture-you can see that cloud picture, with a long robe, running there, Jesus Christ.' So I started chasing Him, 'Jesus, Jesus,' like a mad man. And there, He turned like this and said, 'Son, when I was in this world, I was not a white man.' Immediately I put a scream:' Jesus! I am very happy you created me like this. Because, if that is the case, you will be on the roads today just like me.' Then I was very happy, my attitude changed; I said, 'Lord! I will starve even any number of days because you have seen me, you have talked to me; that is enough,' That very day, the whole night I was praising God. You know, that was the church for me now. That bench was the church and I was the only member in that church, praising God. Hallelujah!
Then from there, I went to Springfield, Assembly of God. One friend of mine said, 'Come on here, they may try to take you in the Assemblies of God.' Marvellous God. He took me to every denomination! So I went to Assembles of God; I was given a room and I was taken to all the buildings and they said, 'This is our press, that is our building, that is our Superintendent,' everything. It was very wonderful. All the big, big buildings were shown to me. But I slowly asked a man, 'It is all nice, but where is the Spirit of God? Where is He?' 'Oh, we are all full of Spirit!' Okay. We came to a missionary meeting and the preacher came, telling how to collect money; the whole sermon was, 'How to send money-collect money.'
I was sitting and watching; and then, a we were going on there, I went to the chief man. Phil Ogan was there I think: 'Sir, I want to join the Assemblies of God.' 'You cannot join here, you have to go back to India.' I said, 'Why? I want to join here; I have just come here, I want to join.' Not that I wanted to join, I did not come for money. This is the word God put in my mouth; so: 'I just want to join.' Then they said, 'We will have to consult our missionary in India whether we could join you.' Then I said, 'You have the Holy Ghost, sir: you can know whether I am a rogue or a culprit.' No, no, no, no! Our missionary will have to testify it. But see, when I was in India, the Assembly of God wanted to join me there. But, when I went to join, the shutter of the train fell on my hand and I nearly broke my fingers; and so I said, 'Lord I will not go.' Then the Bible verse came, 'Woe unto you that you go to Egypt for help;' so I stopped.
But this missionary was very friendly with me. He took my hand and said, 'Brother Lawrie, you must promise me that you will join the Assemblies of God. A vow cannot be broken.' Mind you, a vow cannot be broken. If you are trusting God, God will know how to make you break a vow. A vow cannot be broken, but God will see if you are sincere and a vow which is made by mistake, He will break it in a wonderful way. So, the missionary said, 'Come on, hereafter you will join the Assembles of God.' And in my hurry I said, 'Alright.' without thinking. So, this missionary came and told me, 'Will you join me? I will send you to America.' 'No, no, no!' I said, 'I cannot join you.' Then he said, 'I will take another man and send him to America in your stead.' Then I said, 'My God is wonderful, and before that man could reach America-one week before that, I will be America.' He took a ship and when I reached New York, he came one week after me.
So when I came here, this missionary, the Chief Supervisor wrote to Edward, the missionary in India and he said, 'Do not join him. Let him come back to India, join our church in India, and we will send him to America.' Then I said, 'My God! Brother, do you think this is correct? I am in your head quarters! Why should I go to India and join them now and come back?' Then the missionary said, 'Do not take him there, send him back here.' Then the chief man said, 'Brother Lawrie, we are very sorry, our missionary does not recommend you, so you cannot join Assemblies of God here.' Then I said, 'Thank you sir, my God has broken the vow, praise the Lord!' God broke the vow. So when I came out, I was so wondering; from there as we were crossing that way, we came to Brother Bill Britain.
That man said, 'Why do you not see this man?' We went there, and had a cup of coffee, and we just talked about the whole thing and gave some tracts. And he was talking. 'Brother Lawrie, good that you must be going on with God.' Some encouraging words and I came out. But on the way to Chicago, we were going in the car, suddenly a man stopped the car and got into the car. He took the Bible and said, 'My dear brother, I want to tell you something.' So I said, 'Alright tell now.' Then he opened the Bible and said, 'Do you know the name of your God?' I said, 'Jehovah, Jes…' You know, I did not know what to do, because I was not taught anything; I was taught in the 'Father, Son and Holy Ghost.' So when he said, 'What is the name of your God?' I said, 'Almighty God, Jehovah…' all confusing; I could not answer it. Then he said, Are you not ashamed not to know your God's name?
Then he opened the Bible and in about ten minutes, he expounded the whole thing and he said, 'People have been fooled, Jesus Christ is that name.' Then my heart was full of joy and I said, 'Oh, this is a great truth!' Then he said, 'Now only that, I must show you the Bride!' He took the Revelations and said, 'Who is the Bride? BrideBride will be in New Jerusalem, and New Jerusalem comes down. So, when this thing is happening, Bride is up; so Bride is in New Jerusalem.' Then I was so thrilled, I just looked at the Bible, then this man stopped the car and he said he is getting down. So out of my joy, I was looking into the Bible; then something told me, 'I must thank the man.' So when I opened the car, he is not there.
I searched under the car, bonnet, everywhere, and told the driver, 'What is that?' The driver was shivering and he said, 'It is funny, he is not here.' He was just like a man with a tie and everything, he was sitting here; and when he went there, I said, 'What is this?' So that driver could not understand, I could not understand, we were searching whether there were any pits there in hiding. It was a plain land. So we could not still understand. I cannot still understand whether this man simply flew away-and there were no trees close by. With this thing, we straight came to Chicago, the great city of Chicago. And there is a place called El-Bethel; and somebody had told me and so I went and knocked at the door. Then a lady came and asked, 'Who are you?' 'I am from India.' 'Lot of people tell the name that they are Indians and come and play about here.' 'No sister, I want to talk to somebody here.' So, Mr. and Mrs. Wright came and said, 'Brother Lawrie, there is a prophet's room here; but the man who is supposed to come, he did not come today. You can stay for one day.'
So I got into the prophet's room and I was praying and praying. And then Pastor Meed of the Philadelphia Church called me. There is a Philadelphia Church in Stockholm. And there I was invited to speak in that church in Stockholm. But the Indian Pentecost Church of God, they sent him a letter: 'Be careful about this man, he is an independent man, he has not joined any denomination; so do not take him.' So the people who arranged the meetings, Samuel Noistraum, sent an urgent letter. 'Please do not come here, we do not want you.' Then, suddenly there was another man, one Mr. Rossiston, man from Holland. He said, 'You called us for dinner.' He said, 'We cannot give you any dinner, you better go away;' because I did not join the Indian Pentecostal Church of God.
So when I came to Pastor Meed, he said, 'Brother Lawrie, wonderful! We will take you out for a dinner.' So I said, 'Wonderful;' for a hungry man dinner is good. So he took me to a hotel, and before going into the hotel he said, 'Brother Lawrie, I want to ask you a question: Do you believe in tribulation before the rapture or after the rapture?' I said, 'I do not care when it comes, after or before, I am always ready. If the rapture comes today, I am ready.' He got so wild and said, 'You do not play the fool with me! You must know when it comes.' 'Sir! I am not worried. Tomorrow if the rapture comes, I will go.' Then he said, 'Wait and see.' Then he went away, no dinner was given, and he wrote to all the Pentecostal pastors in the Chicago city. Not to allow me in any church.
So that lady with whom I was staying in El-Bethel, she said, 'Brother Lawrie, I am afraid of Pastor Meed, he has given us orders not to allow you because we have got an association. So there was a Full Gospel businessmen meeting. I went there slowly, sat there, and was praying, 'Lord, break all this barrier, open a door! Do let me tell what you want.' Then there was one Mr. Aschroft, he said, 'Hey that is a wonderful testimony, come on!' And somebody said, 'Do not allow it.' And he said, 'No, no. no! He has got a wonderful testimony.' He put me on the platform and made me give the testimony. And when I gave the testimony, there was Mr. Avicola, Butazi, all the people who believed in Brother Branham's message, and one Mr. Nee; they put their arms around me and said. 'Brother Lawrie, if no one will receive you, we will take you to our house.' Now see: Where there is God I am taking you.
Then, next day, Bob Walker of the Christian Life Magazine-Editor, he invited me. He took about hundred photographs of me. And he said, 'I am putting the picture in hi-tech, that is the premier, so the next issue will have your photograph, so that… we want to help you and publish your meetings-publish about you.' He took about hundred photographs. I was sitting at his table, all kinds of positions. Then he said, 'But one thing, I am writing to my missionary in India to find out about you.'-After taking the photograph. I asked, 'Who is your missionary?' 'He is Mr. Bhaktsingh.' 'Alright, he is against me, he will write against us.' 'Alright.' Then he sent a letter and they said, 'He is a dangerous man; be careful.' And he showed the letter and said, 'I cannot allow you, Mr. Lawrie, we cannot publish your photograph.' So, from there I am coming out.
So, from here I went to Mr. Avicola. I could not cut my hair anywhere, so I was growing the hair like a lady. You know, if anybody had seen me then, they could have thought I was a Beatle. So, Mr. Avicola said, 'Why are you growing this hair?' 'I am going to take my hair back to India and cut my hair in India.' Then this poor man's family, what they did you know, 'Brother Lawrie, you must not get angry, we will cut your hair.' That is the love of God! So, they took me under the … and cut my hair. So I said, 'Alright Brother.' Then, when we were sitting there, you know what message he first played?' 'Jesus name.'
And they, believing the message, they never told me that they believed the message. They just put the tape, and watched, looking at my face. I said, 'It is good.' Then, the next message was 'Serpent seed.' Then they said, 'What is your opinion about that Mr. Lawrie?' 'Something nice, some nice truth.' 'Is it so? We can play some more tapes.' All the while, these people had accepted the message and had taken baptism, they never told. After giving me nice meals, they treated me very nicely. I came to El-Bethel, they treated me very nicely. Then there was one man, he is a poor man, he said, 'Brother Lawrie, do you like to come to preach in a church next Sunday?' So I thought, 'It must be a big church.' So I put on a tie and everything, and thinking that I had got a chance to preach, I am going there: How many member? Only one man! There was a Pastor, his wife and one man.
So, I went to the Pastor, 'Are there other people coming?' 'Where two or three are gathered, in my name, there am I'. So this is the Church of God. So I said, 'Alright, I will preach.' I was preaching for two hours for these three people. Power fell and we started dancing there. You know, dancing comes if there is truth. You can dance-like David before the Arc. So, with this Brother Van… and John Austin, we were going on the roads like… We just-they were so poor, they were giving me something. Then a man wrote to us: 'Brother Lawrie, a student wants to see you.' He was a converted Jew. So I thought, 'A student wants to see me, so we are going to get a soul.' So when I got into the house, an old man of about eighty five comes there. I said, 'I want to see the student who wrote the letter to me.' I am the student. Mr. Lawrie.' 'Eighty five years! Such and old man?' 'Yes, I am eighty five, I am just studying about the Lord Jesus Christ. You cannot study Hi, He is such a big ocean.' Then He sat there and taught me something.
And from here, the things were taking a different shape you know. And suddenly, I was at Los Angeles. And at Los Angeles, I wrote to Sis. Moore, of the 'Herald of His coming.' She used to write nice letters to me in India. So I thought they will be nice people, so I wrote to them. 'Sis. Moore, I have come to Los Angeles, I want to see you.' She wrote a letter. 'Please do not come and see me. I do not want to see you.' So I said, 'You look like angels from far but when we come near you are terrible.' I used another word. And this you go and ask her, she will tell you that I wrote it. Then from there, I went to 'Healing Hope.' There is another magazine called Healing Hope. It was edited by Sis. Lorraine Berry. So I went there, 'Hallo Brother Lawrie, wonderful to see you,' because, one of my friends it there.
Then she said, 'Come out, we will go out for a drive.' Husband in the front, she was driving the car. She was tall, six foot or something; the husband was a bit shorter. So the husband said, 'Darling, shall we take Brother Lawrie to that city and show all the places?' She said, 'You shut up.' Then after about two furlongs he said, 'Darling, shall we take him to that other place?' 'I told you to shut up! Shut up!' So I was rather scared, you know, because even the husband is in such a treatment. So I went in, and she said, 'Mr. Lawrie, will you please clean that room?' I said, 'Sister, I did not come to clean the room, I just came to preach the gospel.' She said, 'I thought of putting your name in my paper and telling to whole Los Angeles people about you, but you missed the opportunity. So I am sorry, I can not do anything for you, so please get out.' So, 'Good bye,' came away.
So as I was coming to Herald of Hope, I came there at about ten thirty; there was a service going on. I slowly walked in and sat on the last bench; the preaching was going on. Then a man got up, called Centrow, he prophesied: 'I have sent my servant from far away India, he has come just in, listen to him.' When he said, India, I just put my head down, so nobody noticed me. Then preacher, Mr. Smith stopped the sermon. He straight came, 'Is there an Indian here?' "Yes sir, I am an Indian.' 'Why do you not come and speak now?' He stopped his message, sat down, and let me give the message. So I preached till eleven o' clock in the night. And he said, 'Brother Lawrie, you can stay with me for one month, and there is a missionary meeting,' and it was a great relief to me. Even though he did not believe in the truth, at least, God made him recognise that I had come.
So we had a nice time there, it was such a comfortable time; and then we were to the Full Gospel Businessmen's fellowship. And when I went there, they were all big people there; I gave my testimony. Demas Shskarian, Richard Shekarian, all the other people were there. They said, 'Wonderful.' So I thought, God was moving there; they wished me. Then I went to Christian Businessmen's Fellowship. There also, I was just watching, they did not allow me to give a testimony. Then I went to one or two small churches.
You know it one church-everywhere: In one church a man was preaching, 'If you want a job, give me ten Dollars, you will get a job.' I got a had ache, I do not know why other people do not get a head ache. Then he said, 'If you give me fifty Dollars, you will get a better job, I will pray for you.' Then I left that church and to another church I went, there was a lean man trying to pretend Brother Branham, you know. He said, 'There is a man,' then he falls down; and I said, 'What is this? You know, a lot of limitations. So God brought me to all these places to teach me something. Then, from here, I went to Florida. There was a man who called me; because in Philadelphia, there is a group called, 'Order of Saint Luke.' It is a youth fellowship.
So when I came there, Alfred Price of the Order of Saint Luke, is the Pastor there; he is an Anglican-like the high Church. So when I went there, he said, Brother Lawrie, we will take you, but you cannot do anything because it is only for the priests. So my name was put in the paper, sharing paper, 'Brother Lawrie has come.' Not one letter came inviting me. So from there, I went to Florida. When I went to Florida, on the way, as I was going, I went to place called, Homa Arcadia. There a Brother took me into the church, the whole crowd got up and said, 'How dare you bring him!' and asked the Pastor to stop the service. And the man said, 'He is an Indian.' They said, 'We do not know who is an Indian or anything like that; and he said, 'Anybody who has not got a white colour is a black man.' Then only I knew that every black was a… Every man who is not a white man was a black man.
And in the Church, when this happened, I came out. Because I did not want to put anybody into trouble, I came out from that Clear Water Church. So Clear Water Church, then I went to… The water is clear. Then from there I went to the college where Billy Graham was studying, and I went there, and saw the students and came away. And from there, the Lord-suddenly in the morning I said, 'Today I want you to go to a neighbouring place.' And I saw the paper and Brother Oral Roberts was there. I never went to see him but it is coming on the way. So I went to the Oral Roberts meeting, had nothing in the hand; just managed to go to the place and walked about nearly four or five miles, and went to the tent there. And you could not eat anything in any hotel. I said, 'I want to buy something.' 'Show me your Passport.' 'Oh we do not want-we cannot give you anything to drink.' So, I went to about ten shops to drink a glass of milk, I could not get in.
So at last, I came hungry and had some ice cream in the Oral Roberts tent. I got something and I sat there. Then I said, 'I want to see Brother Roberts.' They said, 'Nobody can see him.' Then I said, 'Is he a god? Only God nobody can see, I have come from India ten thousand miles to see this man.' 'No, no, no; it is very difficult to see him.' I said, 'If I do not see him, I will go and tell everyone in India that he is a god.' So this man said, 'Alright, I will talk to him and see.' So, Hart Armstrong said, 'He will come to the meeting in the evening and I will make him meet you at the gate.' So he was coming, so I was meeting-it was like two people trying to meet. So, he shook the hand and said, 'Glad to meet you, Brother Lawrie.' And I said, 'Glad to meet you, Brother Oral Roberts.' And really I saw that man and went and sat on the bench and while the meetings were going on, they said, 'Brother Lawrie, you can give a short testimony.'
And the testimony was: You cannot give your own testimony, you have to answer what they ask you. So they said, 'What is your name?' 'Paulaseer Lawrie.' 'Where do you come from?' 'I come from India.' 'Do you know the Lord?' 'Yes.' 'Have you got anything to tell about the Lord?' So I said, 'This is the testimony.' And I also gave the testimony, and they took a photograph. And I asked Mr. Armstrong, 'I want a picture of the photograph while brother Oral Roberts was sitting, when my testimony was given.' He said, 'We do not give the photograph, brother, because they do business out of it.' 'So, you think that I am going to do business?' As I came out, the Spirit of God told me. 'My son, you are not doing business, they are doing the business. Tomorrow afternoon you will see their business.' So I sat there; I wanted to see something.
And then that day, I was sitting there and they said, 'Tomorrow afternoon you come and there is a mighty thing that is happen to you; and if you know that secret, you will be blessed.' I said, 'I better know that also.' So when I went there, they were questioning, 'How many of you will give thousand Dollars? How many of you will two thousand Dollars? How many will five hundred Dollars? How many will so many dollars?' And these foolish people were also putting up their hands and saying, 'I will give you, I will give you.' And they bound them and made them write, 'For three years I will pay monthly thousand Dollars.' So they went in, and all the 'Blessing pact' was finished and all; I was sitting outside. Then I told Brother Roberts, 'Brother Roberts, I have no place to stay, will you tell anybody to give a room?' So, he told and one brother took me to his house. I finished that meeting.
Then a brother said, 'Come we will go to Miracle Valley.' I said, 'What is that, Miracle Valley?' 'There is one Brother Allen.' And at that moment, the Spirit of God said, 'Do not go.' So, I just stopped there and said, 'Alright, I will not go.' And this brother pressed me and I said, 'I do not want to go, I do not have the leading.' And from there I straight came to a camp in Oklahoma, … Oklahoma. That was the Order of Saint Luke camp in Oklahoma. As I went there, they were very loving. Sometimes, you know, the people who do not have the truth are very loving. The people who have the truth are rough, because, they have to be rough because it is a rough life.
So when I went there, 'Brother Lawrie, come on! Wonderful! Wonderful!' But on the way, when I was coming, I had a terrible fight with a white brother's family. As I was looking for a bus, a sister in front of me said, 'Get behind, get out you black man.' Then I got so wild, because already I have been getting into all this hot temper and it has to burst sometime, you know. 'Will you please shut your mouth, white woman!' I said, 'You know, it was wrong, but I said that. Then she called the husband and said, 'See this fellow,' and a real fight was going on. He brought about five or six people nearly, to beat me. Then something happened. The police came, and the police caught me and took me to the station. 'Let us see your Passport.' 'Here it is.' 'Oh, you are an Evangelist? Where are you going?' I am going to the Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship's annual dinner meeting.' Then they all settled it and said, 'Alright, you go sit; but be careful that you do not get into this trouble.'
But I came to the meeting here-'Ardmo' Camp. And see, you have to be honest with God; let the other people do anything. But, this hatred was in me. As this hatred was going on, I got sudden pain in my stomach, and it became a stone in the kidney. I do not know how a stone in the kidney could come in one day. When you have hatred, disease comes into you. So, I came to the meeting, I saw Star Disley, Hanna Hanard, Tommy Tyson, all the famous people of that place. And they were all preaching and I was just listening and had a very nice time because they were very loving. They will give you everything to eat and they will talk to you nicely. So when I went there, one of the preachers was preaching; they did not know that I am suffering from pain; 'If you have hatred in your body, you may have even stone in your kidney.' So I said, 'Lord! Thank you for that.' So I said, 'Lord! Bless this brother. Take away the hatred out of me.' Immediately the pain went, I was healed. So, the Lord teaches us also.
So from there, there was a sister who took me to Oklahoma, and there was a loving family who have been going on with God. So, when I came here, this sister said, 'Brother Lawrie, you must come to our house and stay there.' And then is the time, in the Methodist Church, I preached a sermon and they were all blessed and they took me to their homes. And this lady said, 'Brother Lawrie, we love you so much. We are poor, we just have little salary; but anyhow, we want to give you a scooter, and we will pay by monthly instalment.' So, she immediately ordered a scooter, and sent it to Los Angeles, and then it was packed to India. And that scooter is still there, and I feel that it was God given-without asking. And this man, afterwards he resigned his job, and he is doing some work for God.
And from there-Oklahoma, I came again to Tulsa to see that great building of Brother Roberts. And Brother Roberts's secretary or somebody said, 'You stay in the Y.M.C.A., we want to talk to you.' So there was a big board meeting, all the big shots were there, I was sitting in the centre and everybody were with a note and a pencil. And they said, 'Brother Lawrie, we want to talk to you something about India. What do you think about India? Is Communism spreading?' So they were talking like saviours from Communism and saviours of India. So I said, 'Yes, it is spreading, people are poor; you will not understand that.' 'Do you think we can help you?' 'If you feel like helping, alright, any help could be done.' 'Why do you not join us?' I said, 'I have joined with Christ, I cannot join with anybody else.' 'No, if you be our representative in India, we can help you.' 'No, I cannot be anybody's representative, brother, I am representative of Christ.' 'Then we cannot help you.' 'So, thank you sir, for the nice hospitality you showed.'
So, I was shown all the big, big buildings and went away. 'At least when your team comes to India-your youth team, let us know, we can arrange some meetings for them. So from there, I gave a telephone call to Brother Osborn. So the man said, 'You cannot see Brother Osborn here.' 'Hey, I have come ten thousand miles, from India, to see this man; you will not allow me?' 'No, no, he is very busy. We cannot allow you.' 'Is he such a big man?' 'So, he telephoned Osborn and he said, 'Alright, let him come.' So, he gave me an appointment and I went there. So, we both were sitting in the front and I said, 'Brother Osborn, I am glad for your effort for India, for the native Evangelism. Will you please tell the meaning of 'Native?' Native: Does it mean a country-people of every country, or every country people other than America? Why do you call it Native Evangelism?' Then he could not explain, you know.
Then I said, 'I want some help.' Not that it, I just want it-God just put it in my mouth. 'I want some help, what can you do for me?' Because I am just coming from India. Do you belong to any American denomination? No sir!' 'I cannot help you if you do not join any American denomination.' 'That I can never do, sir.' 'Why do you not join with that American denomination in India?' I said, 'It is dead as a stone! You want me to beg them and get some money from there?' Then he said, 'I do not think I can help you, Mr. Lawrie.'
So he said, he sent lot of money to the Evangelists. 'Are you sure they are getting it? You send a hundred and fifty Rupees, that is you send twenty five Dollars to every man there, and those people take the money and give only five Dollars to the preachers, and they keep the twenty Dollars with them, and make them sign for twenty five Dollars! And this is your native Evangelism! Preachers do not get it! I can prove that to you; I can bring all the people to you.' He was rather a bit rude-or rather a bit worried, you know. So I just came away, I said to the friend of mine, 'Good bye,' and came away.
And from there, I went to Los Angeles, Red Life camp; that is also Order of Saint Luke. This all happened like a chain of events. So when I went there, they knew that I was a dangerous man or something like that; the reception was very great. And so many sisters came, brothers, 'Oh, Brother Lawrie, come on! Sit there, sit here.' So I thought, heaven was there. And then suddenly, the main preacher. Mr. Norman, was sitting there with the neck like this. So I asked somebody, 'It is neck always like that?' Then he said, 'No, no, no, he has got a sprain.' So I said, 'I can pray for him.' Sprain is nothing.' So I came there and said, 'What is this, sit?' 'Oh, I got a sprain, I do not think I can preach.' 'Wait Brother, I will pray for you!' In the name of Jesus, it went away immediately. 'It is alright!' But the thing is, about twenty people saw this; so the crowd started increasing. They said, 'Brother Lawrie, you are a mighty man of God, something is in your hand; you just touched, the pain went away!'
Then this man got up on the stage and said, 'We have got Oral Roberts and Osborn and other people, why do you go after an Indian?' And the secretary came and said, 'Brother Lawrie, fifteen minutes we give you, get out of this place immediately. If you do not get out, we will have to push you out.' So immediately, I said, 'I am glad, I am going.' About twenty five people in that camp came running after me, 'Brother Lawrie, this is what they did to Jesus those days. We are very sorry, Mr. Lawrie, we are helpless; anyhow we love you in the Lord. We will pray for you.' So, in the bus, they were crying and I said, 'Cheerio, and went away.'
Then I came to Los Angeles and I went to Full Gospel Businessmen's Fellowship annual dinner. And at this place, there was a big dinner going on and some of my friends were there. So Welma Gardener was there, preaching how to collect more money, and it was really appealing. You know, any foolish fool will go and throw the money out; so the appeal was so much. At the end they said to my friend-they did not know he was my friend; they said, 'Take care of this Brother Lawrie, he must not get in touch with any of the rich people.' So I was watched like a spy. So I sat in a corner.
Then they said, 'How many of you will give five thousand Dollars? We want sixty five thousand Dollars! How many of you will give?' My friend, who was a poor fellow, he said that he would give five thousand Dollars. I said, 'How can this man give five thousand Dollars? If he had five Dollars, we could have eaten something today!' So I came and asked him, 'Why did you put your hands up for five thousand Dollars?' 'No, no, no; they asked me to put my hands up so that, you know, others will follow.' So this man came to me and said, 'I cannot give; I just sign a form and give, but they will not ask from me.' So, when this happened, I slowly walked away thanking God; God showed me these things.
Then, as I was sitting there, a voice was heard. 'Go to Chicago, there is a family going to see Brother Branham, I want you to see him.' So I said, 'God spoke!' I straight came there. That was Brother Avicola. He was cleaning the car so I asked him, 'Brother, where are you going?' 'Is there room for me?' 'No brother, I do not think there is a room,' He got a sprain also. You know, God has a marvelous way of doing things. I said, 'You are not going, is it not? You have got a sprain.' He said, 'I have got a sprain. I do not think I will drive.' So I said, 'I will pray. God will heal you.' Then I got a place. They were three driving all were driving; I was one hour in this car; one hour in that car, and one hour in the other car. They were wonderful.
So, when we straight came to Brother Branham, about nearly five hundred people were there. Brother Branham brought a crocodile; crocodile-he took it from Florida and brought it there. So, I asked his son, 'What is this man?' My daddy is a funny man, he brings crocodiles.'-Small fellow, I do not know his name. So I said, 'What is he going to do with the crocodile?' 'That is the thing I do not know.' Then I went to the place where the office is and at that time, Leo Mercier, Gold, all these people were there. They were telling about the name of Jesus, explaining for two hours and all; and it does not get into my brain, you know. Already the Lord has shown to me earlier! So I was watching and I am telling. 'How to meet this man? Five hundred people are there and I am in the end.'
He came there like this: 'Lawrie, come here!' So I said, 'What is this? Did anybody tell my name or anything like that or …' Then I said, 'Lord, I am a sinner…' Then I started confessing anything … sin: 'Lord, I am a sinner, you must not tell anything about me bad so that these people will think…' So he straightaway said, 'I want to talk to you.' Then Leo Mercier said, 'Five minutes, sir' He said, 'What time, man? I want to talk to him for an hour!' So he closed the room and said, 'You are a man who will never be satisfied with any denominations. You are thirsting for God! No denomination will satisfy you.' Then I was asking all my doubts in the Bible and he was giving the explanation.
Then I said, 'Thank you Brother Branham, God bless you; and tomorrow's service. I will be there.' Then he said, 'We will take a picture of both of us.' You know, I did not want to take a picture. 'Come on, take a picture of both of us.' So he was hugging me. I was trying to leave him, you know; you can see in the picture, he was putting his arms around me, and that was the only man who embraced me and treated me like my own. I can never forget that. If he did not treat me like that. I would not have gone to that place also. God is marvelous! If Pastor Meed did not treat me so badly, I would not have gone to the Avicolas, I will be still in Philadelphia. So, when early morning came-the baptism service. And when the baptism service was going on, everybody was taking baptism. I was adamant; I did not want it, I said, 'How many baptism, man?' Child baptism, Father, Son and Holy Ghost baptism…
Then this thing came to me. You know, when a teacher comes and tells a child to draw a picture of a horse, the child draws a house, it is not correct. Then it draws a tree, it is not correct, third time it draws a horse and it is correct. So, all the three pictures are not correct; only one is correct. So, when this thing came to me: 'Yes, I want to take.' Then suddenly the voice of God came, 'My son! I brought you all the way from ten thousand miles; this is my place, I dwell here.' So immediately I said, 'Brother Branham!...' They were closing the baptism service, all had been baptized, about five minutes left. I said, 'Brother Branham, I went to take baptism!' Then they said, 'Oh, wonderful!' Then they all rejoiced and the people who came from Chicago said, 'Wonderful, Brother! Now only we are happy.'
And I said, 'Brother Branham, the water is very cold, chilly!' 'Dead body does not need hot water,' he said, 'I will never forget that chill, you know; I went in and came out. Alright, came in the service, then in the service he said… Then we had a communion service, and then he prayed for me and said: 'My son, I am sending you as a different man. Multitudes will come to your feet. The name of Jesus will bring it to you, and you will have all your needs met. So, do not ask anybody. Go back. Do not stay here. All your needs will be met there and signs and wonders will follow you. Thus saith the Lord!' So, I did not know what 'Thus saith the Lord' was, because I did not have any experience like this. Then I said, 'Alright,' then I laughed you know: 'Everybody says like this, Brother Branham, but nothing happens…' 'Do not distrust me. Go!' 'Then I went away, came back to Chicago.
At this time, there was a big meeting going on in Oral Roberts' flat; so the Spirit impressed on me, 'Go there.' So I came there and what happened was, he said, 'Now you cannot go and see everyone. All the people will come to this meeting; you stand at the gate and watch. If anybody invites you, go.' So I was watching there, everybody was coming: Tommy Hicks was there, Gordon Lindsay was coming. Morris Serulla, Davood, every famous preachers were coming, … all were coming. So I was sitting in the corner. No one would notice me. Everybody will say, 'Hallo, hallo…' and go away. I sat in a corner, and everybody-in the platform, Brother Branham was there. He suddenly noticed me and said, 'Come on!' So I said, 'My goodness, in this big crowd, he is calling me.' And all the big people are in the platform-Demas Shekarian, and other people. So I went.
When I went there, Brother Branham embraced me there in the crowd-in the platform: 'Lawrie! I told you to go! Why are you lingering about?' 'No sir, I do not have money! The Lord must give me. I cannot go.' 'That will be met, go!' I said, 'You know, I should not ask anyone.' 'Do not say and do not look at any denomination! Just go! The Lord is with you! God has raised you for some great purpose!' And he told me certain things personally in the room which I never told anyone, even my wife. Because in these confused days, you know, it is always better to keep the secrets of the Lord. So when I came there, what happened was, 'in that thing, I came out.
As I came out, I was going to a hotel, and sitting there, 'Lord, I do not know. You have to open the heavens.' Suddenly two ladies came smoking with lipstick, and finger paints everything, and they just sat in front of me; and not only sat in front of me, they were blowing the smoke on my face. Then I said, 'What is this sister?' 'Who are you?' 'I am from India.' 'Then who are you?' 'I am a preacher.' 'Do you like to have something to drink?' 'Yes!' Then they brought milk and everything and I was so happy. Then they said, 'We would like to give you something. Will you take it?' 'If you feel like giving, you give it.' So, I put the envelope here, thinking that it would be about five Dollars. But there was two hundred Dollars. (Disturbance in tape)
So, on the road, not in any church, on the road I prayed. 'Lord! You are a God of the roads. God of the roads!' So, from there I said, 'Lord, heal her!-Five thousand miles away in Davon. As I prayed here, I took the letter, noted the date, time, where I prayed, put in the envelop. This girl got the HolyGhost, got up from the bed, walked and started working the rest week. I did not know this miracle. She wrote to my wife, asking the address from somebody-my Indian address. And the letter is there, thanking God, that how she was healed miraculously from the thirteen years spinal breakage and thirteen years bed ridden state.
And my wife writes, 'Do you know, the girl writes like this? Do you know anything about her? So when the letter came, she put the time and the date. It was exactly, according to the variation of time, it was exactly what I noted here. On the very day! So, God's power has gone five thousand miles to heal! Without any advertisement, it is going on. So from here, when this money was there, I was very happy, and then I came to San Francisco. Many things happened-I cannot tell.
At Los Angeles, then we were preaching on the roads. There was a man called John Kluzit. He was a open air preacher. God really taught me open air preaching with him. I used to take him with me. He will just call the policeman, 'Are you saved? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ?' So sometimes these people come to beat him, so I also had to be beaten; so I used to run away because he will tell something funny, I do not know. So we were preaching in an open air service, and about hundreds of Americans were there; it was in Glendale. So I started preaching. As I preached, how the Lord is wonderful-his leading: One Muslim from Iran, he came straight to me and said, 'Do not cheat the people like this. You say your Jesus is wonderful? I will put my hands like this, can you pray and get so many Dollars in my hand right now?' Then all the Americans started laughing. I was a bit-but anyhow, God never failed. So I said, 'Jesus! Take care of me Lord! If you are here on this road, do something!' And nobody in the crowd moved.
There was a man, standing outside near a post, eating French fries. He jumped into the crowd, straight came, caught hold of that man, took the purse, 'Here! One, two, three, four, five, six…' put all the money there and said, 'This is how God leads that man!' And this man shivered and knelt down and received the power of God, and the Lord saved him right there. And the people all were shocked. Then I went and asked this man, 'How sir? How did you know this? How did you come to give this money?' 'No, yesterday night I had a dream, in which God showed me that a brother will be in this street. He wanted me to be with so much of money and watch there, when he is challenging, to drop in that man's hand. So, I was keeping the money all this while, while I was looking for the crowd. When he was challenging, I was just obeying God.' So, God never let me down.
So, got in there and when I came to San Francisco. I was a pauper except for the ticket. So, I said, 'Lord! Everybody comes to America and brings something back to India; but I am like a fool going back. Then, God spoke to me in that sea shore, 'My son, I am taking you all over India. Darkness will not come into India till you finish India once.' And he told me something which I should not revel to you know, because that is about the Indian condition, because it will discourage the people. So, I know what is going to happen to India. So, when God revealed this, He said, 'You go, I will be with you. Now I am taking you with double power and you will see what I will do to you; so do not look back to Sodom, Gomorrah. Go.'
At this time, in Pisgah paper; in 1959, I put in the paper: America will be destroyed. God told me. So, if you ask for a 'Pisgah' paper on that year, they will let you know that thing that God told me, that I put in the paper. I can post it to you. So, I got into the plane and came back to India. As I came back to India, I went to the Church of God. There, the Church of God, I wanted to join. But when I came to Assemblies of God, that day I said, 'I wanted to join,' my son was seriously sick in India and my wife wrote to me. 'What are you doing there? The son is dying. Do not join anything. The Lord will punish us.' So this gave me courage to refrain from joining anything.
Then, Church of God, I thought it must be wonderful to join; so I went to the Church of God. I was there for eight days-in the Bible school. They took me to all over the place. They said, 'Brother Lawrie is going to be a mighty man of God, he is going to join our denomination.' At this time, as I was coming in the bus, there was a vision in the bus in front of me that I was going naked, running about trying to hide, but I could not hide my nakedness. Then the voice came, 'My son! Take care of you, lest your nakedness will be seen. Make your garment spotless.' Then I said, 'Alright sir!' Then I told the people, 'I am not joining the Church of God, so I am going back to India. So when I went back to India, without any success, I got into the plane and came out to India.
When I came back to India I was very sorry. Because everybody comes and says, 'Brother Lawrie,…' You know, when you go back to India, everybody, they expect great things from you. So I was just like an Indian again. So sitting there, for two months, I had nothing; and Oral Roberts' team came. So, as agreed, I wanted to arrange a meeting for them. I arranged the meeting. Then there was a manager and there was some money to be given to me for the expenses. This man gives a cheque, asking me to sign it, without showing what amount it was. So he said, 'Sign it, sir!' I said, 'What is the amount there?' 'You just sign it.' Then we signed it and he took it away, then he gave me fifty Dollars for the expenses and took it away. And then I knew, that these people, all are money concerned.
My dear friends, today, if you want God, do not think much about money. God can meet y our needs! This money has corrupted America. Thank God for that powerful India because that money has not corrupted the poor people; their faith is intact. Even Hindus are mighty believers in their own gods. Only thing is: They have to switch on to the reality. Never! Who is a savage? Whoever does not know God and behaves in a beastly way. Indian people will not show their thighs-the girls will not show their thighs and go naked all over the streets! Can you show one girl there like that? They will throw stones and kill her. And you call them savages? Savages are the people who are naked.
And today, all kinds of people…. You cannot go on the road! And they call it: It is the custom of our country. If that is the custom, it is an adulterous custom! Bible tells: If you look at a woman with lust, you have committed adultery. But they say, 'It is our custom.' God is going to judge all the people. America, it may be America any country. So many countries have fallen down. Where is the glory of Egypt? Where is the glory of Rome? Where is the glory of Greece? Where is the glory of England? Where is the glory of India? All gone! Where is the glory of America some years back? Going down from bad to worse!
So from there, when I came back to India, the Lord told me: Go to Madras, I went there, just preached in a Church, revival broke out: Three months, every church was opened. I was preaching to a hundred thousand crowd on the top of the platform. And then the whole Madras was shaken; and for a day about fifty thousand to sixty thousand people gave their heart to God. The greatest meeting ever happened in India, even from any Western people; they spent so much of money but it never came like that. At this time, God filled them with the Holy Spirit; for a day, two thousand people, I have baptized with my own hands thousand three hundred people in one day. Just before coming here, two weeks ago, we baptized eight hundred people in water; all filled with the Holy Spirit. They came to the message and we baptized them. They all believed and were baptized in the name of Jesus; they believe the word of God. They have not joined any denomination.
So, when these things were going on, the Lord blessed us. And when I left Brother Branham, he did not give me any money. Brother Branham never gives any money for that purpose; but he gave one thing much more than money: A record player and thirty five or forty records, gramophone records, containing all the messages in 1960. I did not know their value, because I never listened to these messages. I thought, Brother Branham was not a preacher-good preacher, because in Bombay, he was preaching like this: 'God is love, God is love; go to any church you like, choose your own thing.' Like that. So I said: This man is a wonderful man, he asks me to go anywhere.
So I took these gramophone records and started listening and 'My goodness! This man did not preach like that in Bombay! It is a dangerous thing.' So when I listened to all the tapes it changed me completely. From every record I gave the message; then the people started coming out of the churches. When they started coming out of the churches, they walked out of all the denominations. Now they are waiting, marching on, they do not know where to go. So I have to go and tell them now the message-the present message.
Then in India, the United Pentecostal Church people-Jesus only people, they came running: Brother Lawrie, you are a wonderful man! So I thought, they are wonderful; I did not know what U.P.C. was. So I took them to my meetings. And when the meetings were going on, they took the photograph of our meeting and they said it was their meeting. And when I was baptizing, the missionary in India. Mr. Sham came to me, 'Brother Lawrie, if you give baptism like this, you will lose your gift. Better give it over to us, we will do the baptism, you go on preaching.' Then I said, 'Sir, I am not a fool to give these children into your hands.' So I baptized in front of them-all these people.
Then the other brother was very nice in the U.P.C.; so I said, 'I will go for a ride,' and he said, 'Come on brother, I will take you to a certain place, I want to talk to you.' You know, I get on the cycle and as I went, in the half way, there was an accident, the motorcycle knocked and he fell down, and I fell right on his back, I said, 'Lord, I am sorry I went with him.' So, I came away back to my place.
Then the Lord took me to many places. The Lord actually finished nearly three fourths of India. And front there, at this time, we were preaching for seven years; and this message, we were trying to put in press. And when we were trying to print, every time, there was an obstacle. Seven years it was obstructed but it did not get out of my mind. So before coming here, it was April, suddenly my wife again got up, and I had a vision one day. I said, 'I was in Germany and brother Frank was putting his hand on me and said: You are wanted in Europe.' So, I was just keeping quiet and my wife said, 'We were in Austria, we were in Switzerland, we were in Germany. Something is going to happen.' Next week, Brother Frank of the same message invited us.
Then we were trying to come to Germany; at this time was the war going on. A war not started, there was trouble in Israel and,… So when we landed in Germany, we found out, that Jerusalem came under Jordan border. Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles be fulfilled. If that physical Israelite could come to the boundary, then will the Church of God come to their boundary my friends. Now see, I have not come to teach you. You know more than I, of all Brother Branham's messages. But in the spirit, by experience, we know more than you all in reality.
But one thing I will tell you: What you need actually? Do you need the books only? Letter killeth! Without the power of God and His leading, this message is useless. When I come to America, I find the message of Brother Branham twisted and all kinds of shades given; and people do not understand. It is simple as anything. Simple people can understand. But my friends, the main thing is: What did Brother Branham say? 'Come back to the word of God!' He did not say: Come back to where I was living. 'Come back to the word of God!' Again he said, 'Be filled with the Holy Ghost!' He does not say: Do not be filled with the Holy Ghost. He does not decry the baptism of the Holy Ghost. He decries only lies, false experiences.
But if you believe on the word of God, God gives you all experiences; take it! I speak in tongues. But my friends, what is the use of talking in tongues and doing all things contrary to the Bible? So, do not weaken like this. When the Lord brought us, the Lord really blessed us in Europe-Austria and everything. And then we came to England, there actually we came to a place, where was a brother who invited us… Now see how this thing is coming: Word ministry is very powerful today. God wants everybody's obedience to the Bible. God is going to do mighty things in their lives. They are going to become very strong in the Lord.
So when I was having the last meeting before coming to Germany, suddenly the Spirit fell on us and we were able to call out for things just as it has all happened-coincidence. So we were wondering: What is this? It is all correct, what we say is correct; but we cannot understand, because we could not understand from the Bible. So when we came to England, I came into a certain house; he had no child for eleven years. We never prayed for a child-just: 'Lord bless the home, 'And his wife conceived. They said, 'Brother Lawrie, you can come to any house here, your very presence has brought to us blessings.' That is how the Church of God moves. My dear friends, people may talk many things; they may see, but God will bring it on His people! If God is with you, He will vindicate you!
So today, I am not only talking to you, but to the people of all these places. Many things I can tell you, I can tell you so many things. And I came to Pennsylvania, one Mr. Page, an old man: depend on God! That man, I stayed with him, an old man of eighty five, depending on God! And that man, I read one of this books, it was a blessing to me: The Life That Pleases God.' So, so, many things started happening and God blessed us.
So when we came to Germany, we were trying to read the Bible and tried to understand Brother Branham's message. You are lucky people, you get all the tapes, everything-you must build. You do not know the reality. We do not get tapes there; we do not have tape recorders. People are not living a true life. They are still money minded. They are still worried about how to have their own church. This is not a church age!! God has broken the denominations!! If you try to build, God will break. I have tried to build, God broke it into pieces. This is a time for every man to walk with God. Walk with God, do not look to any man.
Now, another thing I want to tell you, I am not professing myself to be a great man: Some dark man-black man, whatever you call, coming from India; but with the white God inside. A white man can have a black god inside. So, my friends, I come all the way…
One thing, now see: We are all in the Bride age. Josuha, when he came into Canaan, he took twelve stones and put outside, and twelve stones from out side he put it inside. Just read the Bible. Now physical and natural will work the same way. Now when they came to Jordan boundary, from inside-these spiritual people must put the boundary inside-from the Jordan. So, the twelve apostles doctrine-we have come people must put the boundary inside-from the Jordan. So, the twelve apostles doctrine-we have come to the apostles doctrine: The time is no more; the Lord has nearly crossed over. If you wait outside, you are gone, you are in death. So: Do not look behind; do not look at the people who did not come. You march on! And every promise of God is yours! That is your land! Now if you do not believe in divine healing for your own self, believe it now! If you do not believe in that, believe it now!
Now that is why… You may say, 'Brother Lawrie, why did you leave your job?' That is what God taught us. Now when He said, Jesus said, Let there be light-God said, 'Let there be light,' the sun started moving. Can a moving thing be held on a string? Suppose there is a moving fan, can you tie the fan on a string here? It will break. A moving thing will break! So, when God said, 'Let there be light,' it started moving. So, light came by the word of God. So, if you want to have the word of God in your life, you are a moving object. You cannot say, 'This is that.' Tomorrow, the Lord may take you and say, 'Go somewhere.' Are you ready? You know actually if a man is for God, he must be able to vacate his place within one hour. If God tells you to go to Florida, you cannot think about your thing this and that thing, and that loan, and that share and this share, and this bench and this chair. Leave it there and go. That is what we have taught people in our ministry. If God wants you to go there, leave your things and go and get new things there. The Lord will give you new things there.
So, when we started doing that, we have left many places; all our furniture, everything, we leave it in that place and come, to be enjoyed by the other people. So, now we have found, we have many places to go; everywhere, our furniture will be there. But new place, God gives new things. Do not carry your old things, old stinking thigs, with you. You test God and see, God will mightily move in your life!
Now the Bride-this is the Bride age for which there is no leader. Now listen: There will be many leaders calling, 'I am this, I am that,' and all. But actually, there is a leader? The Holy Ghost, Word. So, when you do that… Now, who is going to command God to do His work? We cannot command God! Now, this Bride age in Canaan, the Lord will take the Bride and use in whatever way He likes. Do not command God! But see and wait, for in this hour He is going to do the work. I believe that we are going to see mighty things, insignificant people moving mightily with God. May be in England, may be in America, may be in China, somewhere, God can do. But this is the Bride age, for which the Holy Ghost will do His own way, according to His own wish. We do not know what He is going to do; so do not stipulate and say, 'This is that.' That is a denomination.
Now, we have to come from a denomination and are trying to have a denominational mind! You have come out of Mystery Babylon and are with Mystery Babylon in the minds! You cannot order like that; you cannot say, 'God this is that!' God can change His plan tomorrow! God can do anything! Do you mean to say you know what He is going to do? But my friend, you be ready; 'God, I am ready to do what you say! If you want me to do like this, I will do!' Let us all be just servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let Him speak to us.-'Lord! Speak to us and we will do that!' And let us not be jealous of each other.
I was not a preacher, but when God used, the people said, 'Alright.' I was cleaning the Pastors shoes and all these things. I have gone to most of the Pentecostal churches. The Pentecostal church pushed me out. Every Pentecostal Church in India pushed me out. I went to North Indian Pentecost Church, I was there; they sent the police on me to catch me, trying to tell them that I was a thief. I came to other Churches; one man will say, 'Wash my clothes.' I washed. But today, when I am preaching to a crowd, they will come and say, 'Brother Lawrie, sorry, forgive us.' So my friends, if the Lord uses you, God bless you.
But today, my dear American friends, I am not calling you as Americans, you are my own brothers; because in Jesus Christ we are a family of God! God is moving a family! And all those who are not true to God, will be destroyed. Now see, this war in Jerusalem, why is it going to come? There are Muslims, there are Hindus and all these people. Is any religion teaching the other people to kill? No religion teaches to kill! Does any religion ask to kill another man? No! But these people, having the name of religion, they want to kill other people. So, God is collecting all these false people to be killed at Jerusalem; that is why all the false religious people, getting together under the name of the religion, coming towards Jerusalem. In the same way, all the false Christians who do not believe the word of God, they are gone in vain.
Today my friends, all the people in America, all the leaders of America, all the religious people of America: You religious leaders have led the people away from God!! If you have been true to God, if you have been honest with God, America would not have been destroyed today! If you had been praying to God, God would have shaken this country long ago! You never thought about the other brothers! What are the sins of Sodom, Gomorrah? Do you know that? Sins of Sodom, Gomorrah: You call India as Sodom, Gomorrah. No! Fullness of bread, pride, not helping the other people, needy people. So today, my dear friends, every country thinks about its own self. But our great judge is coming. Jesus is coming soon. Jesus is coming soon!
My dear brothers! Get ready for God! I am not come here as a leader for you. Out of love for you, coming from my country, so that I feel that you are all one in God. So, do not look here and there. Do not listen to this man and that man, Listen to the word! And that God-for God raising us Brother Branham for this age. My dear friends, that very love of that man will challenge anybody in this country. I am not boasting or trying to flatter this man. I am not a man worshipper. I worship my God but I let every man get his credit. When God chooses a man, who can be coming against that man?
But my dear friends-alright, now your country has so many sign posts; there are so many posts, having all kinds of letters. That is that-New York city, Manhattan, like that. So, when you go on the main road, you see a sign, you turn. You do not stop the car and go and garland the sign post and say, 'Oh, wonderful sign post, how nice you look…' You do not do that. You see the sign post from far and turn and go to your country. So, today, Government of God has missed its sign posts. Who are you to question the sign post? Today He will put a sign post here, and take it, and put another sign post here. You do not go and garland the sign post; you do not crown that. That is His duty-God's duty. He showed the people of God to march on to His kingdom. So, let us turn and go on to His country! If you step there you are gone.
Then, in the mount of transfiguration, Moses was there. Elijah was there, Jesus was there. Then Peter said, 'Let us all have 'Tabernacle.' A cloud came and hid Moses and Elijah, and Jesus alone was there. So, the people have to look to Jesus Christ. Another warning I must say, my dear friends. When John the Baptist was in this world, he said, 'Behold the Lamb of God!' And when he said that many people left John the Baptist and went and joined Christ,' and they became the apostles of Jesus Christ. But some people were fleshy, carnal; they were sticking on to John the Baptist. They were John the baptist's disciples, but they went after John; but you know what happened? They lost the rulership with Christ. After so many years Paul had to go there and find some people baptized like John. 'Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?' 'No, we are John the baptist's disciples.' Then they had to be filled but they never came in the twelve apostles' line. But, if these people had come with Jesus Christ, God would have made the Apostles line bigger.
So, my dear friends: Be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Be for Him. Another thing: When a prophet comes, that shows, the country has gone away from the word. If the country did not go away from the word, the Lord will not send a prophet. God sent the prophet to America means: America has gone away from the word of God. Leave alone India and other countries: America has gone away from the word of God. And if America has gone away from the word of God-I will read a passage to you, which you will remember. Come to-read Ezekiel thirty third chapter, thirtieth verse onwards. You go home, remember this and meditate on this: Ez. 33:30-33.
30b Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.
31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.
32 And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.
33 And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.
You will not know there was a prophet among you till this come, then the people will say, 'Wonderful Brother, wonderful! Things are lovely,' they will say. But they will not do. But my dear friends, we in India desire to do the things, even though we do not have the tapes or anything. We know, we can understand the word of God, because the Spirit will witness what the people has said. So, my dear friends, we have not come to teach; because you know more than us. I do not know much more than you. You know every verse from the tapes of Brother Branham. But one day's talk with that man, and a little blessings from that man, brought a blessings into my life. And today, my dear friends, we want to fight shoulder to shoulder with you all. Even though we are a rejected group, even though the people talk, I am very glad because you are all a mixed (coloured) group, because God likes this. You know mixed flowers are beautiful. If you have only white flowers it will not be nice; or only black flowers,… But when you mix all these things: Wonderful.
May God bless this assembly, and truth, and this message; now my heart is relieved. Now it is your duty. May God bless this and bring you to that land. And on that day when Jesus comes, it will not be this way, it will be going to receive Him with power-changing. And believe that my friends, because I have that experience: Spirit of God can take the man and drop like that. So, that day is coming. So let us all trust God. Believe the word. And not only that, pray more and try to meet God and-individually, not looking to another man's help. God is sufficient for us. Let us pray:
Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow,
Where He leads me I will follow,
I'll go with Him, with Him, all the way.
He will give you grace and glory,
He will give you grace and glory,
He will give you grace and glory,
I'll go with Him, with Him, all the way.
I'll go with Him through the mountain,
I'll go with Him through the mountain,
I'll go with Him through the mountain,
I'll go with Him, with Him, all the way.
I'll go with Him through the valley,
I'll go with Him through the valley,
I'll go with Him through the valley,
I'll go with Him, with Him, all the way.
Congregation sing the song along.
Loving Saviour, we thank you for this precious letter. Lord we thank you, after seven years, in this little assembly, you have brought me here to tell this thing. Lord, Father, let it be not thought that this is told out of pride. Lord, in all humility I pray, that those who hear this Lord, will come out before it is too late. Father, you have given them a last chance. Lord, the time of crossing the Jordan is going to be complete. You have given a little grace. Lord! Father we pray that-let the people of God march on through all the promises of God, so that when you come, they will be able to fly with Thee. Father, I pray that you will bless each and everyone there. And Lord, in the name of Jesus, heal their diseases! Fill them with the Holy Ghost! Lord, prepare them for Thy coming. Bless Brother Coleman and Brother Hunt, and every Brother and Elder here, Lord. Lord, we thank you for the love they show us Lord, to this most unprofitable servant! Lord, we commit them into Thy hands, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.