<TITLE>05. Par 37-44</TITLE>L-37 And this Brother Evans, his brother is a sinner. And he's a great fisherman, and he went back in the swamps a few months ago. And they have what they call the ground rattler." And the ground rattler bit him, and he just barely lived. His limb swelled up, and they taken him to the doctors, and they gave him shots. Those things are deadly. And they have a lot of cottonmouths back there also: cottonmouth moccasin, alligators up to twenty-feet long.

L-38 And while we were fishing back there, I'd caught a great big bass. Oh, it was a real day of--of relaxation. And now, he was so big I couldn't get him out of the water, and he just straightened out the hook and went on, or pulled hisself free. And we had many bass, about a hundred and fifty pounds of big bass. And they, some of them weighing several pounds, and from four to seven, eight pounds. And I caught this big one, and I--he got loose.
And I threw back, and I--I caught another one, around six, seven pounds. And I had a long pole that you had to hold up over the lily pads. And Brother Evans had... We was all wet from wading in the water, because it's just marshes. And he'd pulled off his shoes, and rolled up his trouser legs, and was setting on a little dry place, kind of drying his clothes. And he seen this big fish wallowing around in the bushes, and I was wading towards him. He said, "Just a minute, Brother Branham; I'll get him for you." And he run out there. And I'd pulled it up, guess the fish was about killed, laying in the pads. And he run out to pick him up. And when he did, he let out a yelp, and here he come back. A rattler bit him.

L-40 And we looked at it, and there was the fang holes in his foot where the rattler had hit him, and it was hurting him so bad till the tears was in his eyes. Said, felt like that his bones was just paralyzing. And there we was, many miles back in the swamp. He's a big man to have to pack. And when a snake bites you, you get so sick in a few minutes till you just about dead. And Leo was standing present. And something came on my mind, "Thou art still God." And when he was holding his foot and gripping it, and those two big fang holes in there where the rattler had grabbed him, I laid hands on that place and said, "Lord, it is written in Thy Word, 'They shall tread on the heads of serpents and scorpions, and nothing shall in no wise harm them.'" And at that very instant every pain left his foot. Put on his shoes and fished all day, went in that night and told them about them; they said, "You better go to a doctor."
He said, "If God has protected me this far, He'll take care of me the rest of the way." We fished three days, no ill effect at all.
God still is God. He keeps every promise. And of all my ministry, that's the first time I ever seen God come to a snakebite, because it was the first time I ever had the opportunity to pray for someone snake bit. Just lets you know that He keeps all His promises, and His Words are good and true. Amen.

L-44 Remember the services tonight and this coming Wednesday. And pray for somebody now that really needs to be prayed for; that's me. And remember, attend Brother Roberts' meeting when it comes to town and greet him from the Tabernacle.
Before we read the Scriptures, I--I'd like for us to stand to our feet just a minute. And without the music, let's just sing a chorus or two of this glorious old hymn of the church, "My Faith Looks Up To Thee." All right. Everybody join right in with me now, and let's sing it. And don't think of how you're singing it, just sing it to the glory of God. Will you give us the lead on it, Brother Neville?
My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour Divine;
Now hear me while I pray,
Take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day
Be wholly Thine!
While life's dark maze I tread,
And grief around me spread,
Be Thou my Guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow, fears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From Thee aside.


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