Be certain of God
You can find this sermon at ChurchAges.net
1 All things are possible,
only believe.
Let us remain standing as we bow our heads for prayer. O mighty God, that brought again Jesus from the dead, we are approaching Thee this afternoon in His name, knowing this, that You have give us the promise that You would hear. "This is my beloved Son, hear ye him." And we come in His name to ask mercy, and to ask healing and salvation for those who are hungering and thirsting for such; forgiveness of our trespasses. And praying that Your Spirit will cause many to come to Thee this afternoon, both in this visible audience and in the radio land.
We thank Thee, Heavenly Father, for the morning services all around the world. And pray that You will bless every service and every minister and every church this day, that's preaching the Gospel. Come, Lord Jesus, and receive us into Thyself. And while we're waiting Your coming, help us to be loyal servants. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. You may be seated.
Matthew 17:6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
Mark 9:7 And there was a cloud that overshadowed them: and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
Luke 9:35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
2 I was enjoying some fellowship this morning with the Armenian people of the city, at their church. And to my surprise, there was a lady who could interpret languages that... Last evening I was speaking here and was ... the Holy Spirit was speaking, rather, and was calling the people out in the meeting, and telling them of their different afflictions and their diseases. And sometimes I couldn't make them understand just who it was, and then the Holy Spirit would call their name out, as you've noticed Him doing that.
And then they were telling me this morning---which visions to me are just like a trance---and they were telling me of a woman that I had called back in ... somewhere in the audience, and had told her that a certain affliction had gripped her. But she couldn't understand me because she didn't ... she was from another country, a Finnish woman. And then the Holy Spirit, to show that He's no respect of person, spoke through here and called her name and told her to bless God, spoke in a language that I didn't know, and called the woman and give who she was and something about the Lord's blessings upon her, something another, in Finnish language. I don't even know English, let alone Finnish. So, it goes to show that God speaks in all the languages, and all human beings belong to Him. How wonderful.
3 He is doing the exceedingly, abundantly. I do not wish to take too much of the time, but just while this is on my mind... I remember, sometime ago, at the Sam Houston Coliseum down in Houston, Texas. And we were trying to (had such an overflow crowd) till we were trying to take care of part of them at the Coliseum and part over to Raymond Ritchie's. Now, I'm sure that the Angelus Temple knows who Raymond Ritchie is. He was a personal friend through the founder of this church.
Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
4 And I would pray over here for a prayer line, then go over to the Coliseum and pray. And one night when my brother was taking me from the prayer line, I heard a little Spanish girl weeping. And she would have been the next in line according to the numbers of the prayer cards I was calling. And she wasn't nothing but a child of fifteen years old, something. Well, my brother started pushing me on, and the man that was supposed to take me. But somehow, something told me, "See that child." And I said, "Oh, bring her here." And they brought her over and she gave her prayer card to the man, and so she came over. And I began to speak to her, and she just stood there. I thought she might be deaf and dumb. But find out, she couldn't speak English. She could not understand one word of English. And so, I asked if there was an interpreter. And they got a man and brought him up for the interpretation.
5 Well, I asked her a few questions, and she begin answering me through the interpreter. And then all of a sudden the vision come. And I said, "I see before me a little girl with little plaited hair hanging down her back. She's sitting by an old fireplace eating yellow corn from a cob that's been took from a kettle which hangs over the fireplace. And she's eaten too much of it; she falls violently ill. And she's taken to the bed by her mother, and is throwed into epilepsy." And then the vision left.
And the little girl turned to the interpreter and said, in Spanish, "I thought he couldn't speak Spanish."
And the interpreter said, "You spoke English, did you not, Brother Branham?"
I said, "I did."
He said, "Well, she said you spoke Spanish."
I said, "Stop the recorders, all along the row." And they stopped and we played it back; and every word was English. And then we had her to repeat what I said. And as long as the vision was going on, she heard every word in English.
"How hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?" God is still God. Now, when I begin to say words within myself, she didn't understand that at all. But the Holy Spirit speaking English was interpreting it to her in Spanish. God is a good God, as Oral Roberts places it. Certainly is true.
Acts 2:8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
6 And if we could only grasp that this afternoon, that His goodness to that little woman (Finnish, or whatever she was) last night, to be sure that her faith would be recognized, He called her in her own language. Wonderful. Now overseas, many times, we see that happen in the foreign countries. That, I will be standing, speaking, and it'll turn right back around and use my language and call people, their names, and everything (just like it does here) in their own native language. That's what I call pentecost, I believe that that's the Holy Spirit.
7 Now, the last few nights we haven't been giving out any prayer cards for a prayer line. So, I believe it would be in order tonight to have a prayer line, to pray for the sick. All next week, beginning Tuesday night, we expect to go all through next week. So, you come out each night, come praying, bringing somebody with you. The boys will be giving out the prayer cards in about thirty-five minutes, as soon as the service is finished here. And you who want a prayer card, just remain. Now, they'll bring the prayer cards up here and give them out to anyone who wants them. May the Lord add His blessings to all that we do, for we do it in His name.
8 Now to our subject and to our lesson for a few moments. Brother David read the Scriptures, because I had just met an old friend, that's sitting present this afternoon. About two years ago I was up on the River Of No Return with my good friends, the Christian Businessman. I love to hunt. And they had a new guide that year, and I kind of fell in love with this man, a young fellow that ... and he would... I liked him. There seemed to be something about him that was a little more than a cowpoke. And I had met his wife; she was a waitress at the restaurant, at the place where we were eating, up at North Forks near Salmon River, Idaho.
9 And on the road back, it happened to be that God let this young fellow become a chum to me, to hunt with me. And I remember getting a good shot one morning at my elk, way across the valleys, and got him very humane. And this young fellow was helping me skin him out. And I was noticing him, and I said to him, "Jim, are you a Christian?" And, I believe, he said he belonged to some church or something another. But there was something about him that seemed honest. That night when we went in, sat at the table, I kept watching him. While he was laying on his camp bag, sleeping, I passed by and laid my hand upon him, and asked God to save him.
And today, him and his lovely, little wife meets me back here in the back; they're both Pentecostal believers, has got the Holy Ghost, sitting present now. Prayer changes things, Brother Gillespie. Oh, He's so real. If we will just pray, and then believe that we get what we ask for.
So, that's why I had Brother duPlessis to read the Word for me; I just had to greet Jim and his wife. God's give them a lovely, little baby since then; we're happy.
10 Now, Brother David was reading out of the book of Kings, of Elijah, the great prophet. And it must have been a terrible morning, dry and hot. They hadn't had no rain for three years and six months. It was so dry and hot till the world was ready to blaze into fire. The people were starving in the streets and there was a cry everywhere. All this had been brought on because of the moral decay of the nation. Israel was loved of God. But when they got out of the will of God, the enemy taken them over.
God loves His church. But when we get out of the will of God, the enemy takes the church over. And Ahab, who was king of Israel at that time, and to my thinking, the most wicked king Israel ever had, because he married an idolater, Jezebel. She was a sinner and a ungodly person. And instead of being a man of his own house, he gave in to her. And through that they had caused the nation to come to moral decay. They'd went after ... brought the nation into idolatry, because that they'd went after her idols.
11 It's something similar to today. All the people agreed that it was all right for them to do that because the government---the king and the queen---endorsed it. And they was the most popular people in that nation. And because the king and the queen did it, the people thought that it would be all right. Now that's about the picture of our country today. Many people just follow one another. And they think because that the government has given the booze sellers license to sell whiskey, that it's all right to get drunk. It's wrong.
And many times good women think because that the cigarette companies puts these pictures out on these advertisements---the women smoking cigarettes, and the movie stars and many of them, and the popular women smoke---that it's all right. That's what's caused our moral decay in this nation. The backbone of any nation is motherhood. Break motherhood, you've broke the back of the nation. And I've got a statistics that shows that ... I believe it's about eighty percent of cigarette smoking mothers has to raise their babies on bottles. Because there's so much nicotine in their blood, it will kill the baby before it's eighteen months old.
12 You talk about a sabotage; that's one of the greatest sabotages the nation's got. And regardless of all of the warnings that the doctors put out---such slogans as "cancer by a carload," and all these warnings---the people want to follow one another. Because it's some silly woman, actress of some sort, advertises cigarettes and blows it through her nose and acts smart. But that's no place ... or no thing for a lady to do. It's wrong.
13 I was passing down one of your streets here a few days ago, and I seen in a barroom. It said, "Tables for ladies." I don't mean to be rude and I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but ladies don't go in places like that. They've never had one in there. [Audience applauds.] I'd imagine they've never had a customer and never will, because it's no place for ladies. But fine people sometime see those things and see people who are up-and-up (what we call) go into such places, and they think that's the thing for them to do. "Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 But you see, the king had said this is all right because his wife thought it was all right. And they'd caused a moral decay. And then they thought because they were prosperous, no wars and so forth, that that was the sign that God was with them. Prosperity is not always the sign that God is with you. Many times that's deceiving. "The rain falls on the just and the unjust. But it's by their fruits they are known." And so this nation was really corrupted, and God had sent judgment upon it. All the preachers had bent under the heavy load, because the members of the church had forced them to do things.
I feel sorry for a preacher that's got no more God about him than to let his congregation dict' to him, and get him off in a rut like that. I believe that we need preachers that's men, that's God-fearing, God-sent servants who's not afraid to call black "black" and white "white." The gospel's been handled too much now with kid gloves on. We need some old-fashioned preaching like Billy Sunday, and John the Baptist, and some of them old-fashion hell-fire and brimstone messages again back to the people. I know it's not popular. So when they got away from that, you see what a condition the nation's got in. So it takes that, brother.
Matthew 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Matthew 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Matthew 12:33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
15 And all that the pastors have give in, so they let the ... they'd had a social gospel, no doubt. And so, but there was one who didn't give in. There was a little, old prophet in the land in that day. He didn't bow down to any of their idols, for he knowed that Jehovah was a Holy God, and He required holiness, and cleanliness, and decency. For he knowed that Jehovah could not change. And if... Jehovah, to bring the children out of Israel, had to cleanse them and sanctify them. And when they walked disorderly according to His commandments, He placed judgment upon them. He knowed that Jehovah was the same yesterday, today and forever. Therefore, he would not give in. Oh, Jezebel hated him and all of her company hated him. But God loved him and respected him, because he never let down on the Word of God. He stayed with it.
God, give us more Elijahs in this cruel, evil day of corruption that we're living in, that's not a-scared to preach what's the truth, what the Bible says. "Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord." You must be cleansed from your sins by the blood of the Lord Jesus.
Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
16 Now. There was a woman in the land; neither one of these people know each other. But she must have been an honorable woman. She must have been the type of woman that Elijah was a man, because God chose that woman out of all the women that there was in Israel to entertain His prophet. And he would have never chose an immoral woman to entertain His prophet. And this woman was a widow woman. The drought was in the land. And she'd started out, after the death of her husband. She had a little baby to raise. And she was struggling to try to make a living for the little fellow. And finally the bread begin to cease. And it come to a place one day, when she went in to look at her little fellow, and she seen his little sleeves out, torn. She might have looked at herself in a mirror, and seen that how she'd left the table with something on it for the baby; and her own cheekbones a-sticking out, and her little, frail-looking arms. She didn't mind it for herself, but the little boy... She was try ... she didn't want to see him die.
17 So finally, one day she went to the meal barrel and there was just one handful of meal left. She goes over to the cruse to see how much oil, and just about a good tablespoonful. That stood between her and death. I suppose that night there was an all night prayer meeting. Isn't it strange how God lets us get right down to the end of the road? No doubt but she checked up, said, "Lord God, (something like this) I've served You. I've done all that I know how to do. I've met Your requirements. And here I've got one handful of meal and a spoonful of oil between death for my child and myself." All night long she must have prayed.
And when the little fellow would wake up, turn over and say, "Mama, would you go back to the cupboard and see if there's just a little bit of that bread left?" She'd go back, cry a little, and then she would come back and give him a little water to drink, for she knew she just had this little bit, and it had to maybe make the next day. And the little fellow maybe couldn't sleep good because of hungry.
1 Kings 17:12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
18 I've been through those places. No doubt but what there's many here been through those places. I seen my mother leave the table of a morning, set back in the house and cry, when she'd... What we had on the table was some stale bread. And she'd pour some coffee over it and some sugar over the top of it for us kiddies, and go back in the room and weep, say, "I'm not hungry," when she was hungry. And us trying to go to school like that.
19 And the woman as she seen that crucial hour coming, no doubt she checked up and said, "Lord, I've done all that I know how to do." When you've done everything that you know how to do, and met every requirement that God has required, that's where faith takes ahold. That's where faith comes in. If you've met every requirement that God required you to do, then sometimes God tests your faith, to see what kind of a reaction you'll have on your action. Oh, He's good at that. It just proves whether you really believe what you think you believe. You know He does that many times.
20 One morning there was some Hebrew children was going to be burnt up. And they knew that they had done God's will. And they said, "We're not afraid of the king's commandments. Our God is able to deliver us from this fiery furnace. Nevertheless, we will not bow to his image." Now, God was going to give them a test to see what their reaction to their action would be. And He let them walk right straight to the fiery furnace before He ever moved. But when all of God's requirements has been met and you're certain of God---that God will do it---stand still then, and God will do it.
If you sit in these meetings, and you seen the Lord God move out over the audience, healing the sick and afflicted, and yet, you seem to still have your disease. And when I ask for them to put hands on each other, and you've made your wrongs right before Him; you've accepted Him, and you've been baptized in Christian faith, and your heart's clean before Him, then sometime when God delays His answer He's only wanting to see what you'll react by. Just be sure that you believe that it's God and then hold on to it. Don't you move.
Daniel 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
Daniel 3:17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
Daniel 3:18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
21 If you've been prayed for, hands laid on you by believers, the Bible said, "These signs shall follow them that believe." That's God's requirement and God requires you to believe His Word.
Job. God let the devil test Job once. When Job went out and made a burnt offering for his children... They had a party, so, Job knowed in his days what teen-agers was like, what they were made up of, that mind that can't get settled. And so, Job said, "Perhaps, what if my children did sin, I will offer a burnt offering for them, anyhow." And when he was standing pat on that offering, what God required---a burnt offering... That's all He required, to confess and make a burnt offering. And Job knowed he did that. And then the devil was turned loose on him; and he begin to kill his children, destroy his goods. And he had some of his church members come to him and said, "You are a secret sinner. You've got something in your heart that you haven't confessed, Job."
But Job knowed that he hadn't done it. He was sure that he had met God's requirements and he stood pat on it. That's it. He knowed he'd confessed his sins; called for God to try him, search him and see if there was anything wrong, see. God was just waiting to see what Job would do, because Satan said, "I will make him curse You to Your face."
But God said, "There's none like him in the earth; he won't do it." God had confidence in him.
Job 1:5 And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
Job 1:8 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Job 1:11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.
Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
22 And maybe if your healing's a-lingered a little bit, God's got confidence in you that you'll hold on. If you believe that the Holy Spirit, the signs and wonders that He promised is being done here, then accept it and hold on to it. God's requirement. "I'm the Lord who heals all thy diseases."
Psalm 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
23 When you receive the Holy Spirit, get born again, and the devil begins to tempt you, "Oh, you're wearing the same clothes; you look like you used to." But you are sure that something happened inside of you; God changed your life. Don't make any difference what the devil said; just get away from it because you're sure that it's God. Amen. Amen means "So be it."
24 I'm sure the Holy Spirit is here now. I'm sure of it. And I knowed that what we ask, we will receive it. It might not come just right now, but it's got to come. God's promise is true. We ask Him for anything, we don't doubt; we believe that what we ask for we get, because we met God's requirements: Given our life to Him; surrendered our will to Him; our lives, our soul, all that we are we have surrendered to God. Then our heart condemns us not, we can have what we ask for. "If ye abide in me and my word in you, ask what you will and it shall be done unto you." That's His promise. Just be sure that you know God, and know that that's His promise.
Someone said to me many times, brother, said, "Aren't you afraid, Brother Branham, when you go there at night time, that maybe that Angel of the Lord might leave you sometime?"
I said, "I'm sure He won't, because He promised me He wouldn't do it. And I've got faith in God to believe that He will meet that requirement."
Matthew 21:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
25 That night at Portland, when that maniac run out on the platform to kill me---you've read the story---you better be sure of it then. But I was sure that I wasn't trying to speak of myself. When he called me a snake-in-the-grass, and spit in my face, and said, "Tonight I'm going to knock you all the way out into that audience," I just stood still. He weighed two-fifty or more---and I weighed one hundred and twenty-eight, had to look up to him---those great, big, giantly arms, and his teeth set, and his eyes, his fist drawed back, running towards me.
And the Spirit of God said, "Because you've challenged the Spirit of God, tonight you'll fall over my feet." That was God, that wasn't me.
So he said, "I will show you whose feet I'll fall over." And he drew his fist back to hit me.
And when he did, I said, "Satan come out of the man." And he fell and pinned my feet to the floor till the policeman had to roll him off of my feet.
26 Just be sure it's God and then hold on to it! Stay with it. When God says anything, He has to keep His Word. Just be certain that it's God. Take God's Word. If God whispers to your heart, "I'm the Lord that healeth thee," stay with it. That's God's promise. God promises to give the Holy Spirit, stay with it until it comes.
Exodus 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
Psalm 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
27 I was reading old, Uncle Buddy Robinson's book here sometime ago. And he was plowing corn, he said, with his old mule, Alec. And he got mad at Alec that morning because she was tramping down the corn. And he bit her on the ears, and she run off and looked at him. And he said, "Alec, I'm ashamed that I bit you." Said, "Looky here, me preaching sanctification with a teethful of mule hair." He said, "What a disgrace." And then he got ashamed of himself. And he got down in the row of corn, and said, "Lord, if you don't give me the Holy Ghost, when you come back you'll find a pile of bones laying here." Then he received it. Be certain it's God, then hold on to it.
28 She was certain she'd walked upright before God. And God proved it by inviting His prophet to live with her, see. God confirms things. So, the morning was breaking; the birds was beginning to sing as dawn begin to break. She looked at the little fellow again and she patted him. She knelt down and said, "Lord God, he will be getting up in a few minutes. I will go and prepare the last thing I got and give it to him. And then I will take him in my arms and we will die together." So she went and got the handful of meal.
Now meal was a meal offering, which means "Christ the Word." And when they ground the meal offering in the days of the Bible, they used a certain burr that ground every little bit of meal just exactly the same. There was no difference in it. Well, that types this. The same means "Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever." When God ground His life out of Him at Calvary, He gave it to the church, that He'd be the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
29 Then she goes and gets the oil. The oil represents the Spirit. That's why we anoint with oil; it represents the Spirit. And she put the oil and the meal together and begin to prepare it. And when the Spirit and the Word gets together, something's going to take place! She was at the end. So she got the Word and the Spirit and begin to mix it together. Now it's ready for baking. She goes out in the yard to pick up two sticks. Did you notice the Bible said, "Two sticks?"
Now in the old days... Jimmy, I guess we've done it many times ourselves. You take two sticks and cross them and you put the fire right in the middle. And as the sticks burn, you push them in, if you're camping out at night. It keeps the fire going all night long. Pushing it in; the fire was in the middle. If you notice, the two sticks represented the cross: self-sacrifice.
1 Kings 17:12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
30 Now, she'd mix the Word and the Spirit together and was ready to put it to the fire. And she goes to pick up these sticks. And, perhaps, she just got the last one in her hand and was starting back in the house, and she looked at the gate. There was a gentle-looking old man (perhaps bald-headed and whiskers hanging down) standing, leaning across the gate. He said, "Would you fetch me just a little drink of water?"
She looked at him and thought, "Well, I've got just about a half a gallon in the house. But the poor, old fellow looks so thirsty. I will be willing to divide with him." And she might have said, "Yes, kind sir. I will get you a little of the water, because the springs have dried up and everything. All waters had dried up." And she started in to get the water.
And he knowed...
1 Kings 17:10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink.
31 You see, God answers on both ends of the line. About two hours before that, the brook had dried up on top of the mountain where Elijah was. He said, "Elijah, go down to the city and keep walking until you find a woman with two sticks in her hand. She's going to feed you." God does things real. "I've sent you down there and she's going to feed you. She hasn't got nothing in the house, but I'm going to feed you."
And he walked down the street till he seen that woman packing those two sticks, and that must be her. So he had to catch her attention. He said, "Would you fetch me a little water?"
And she said, "I will."
And as she turned and started, he said, "And just bring me a little morsel of bread in your hand." Elijah, seeing that vision, already knowed what the conditions was.
And she said, "As the Lord liveth"---Elijah knew she was a Christian then, a believer---"As the Lord liveth, I've only got just a handful of meal and a spoonful of oil, that I've already prepared; I've dressed it, got it ready. And I'm taking these two sticks to make a little cake for my son and I, and we're going to eat it and die."
1 Kings 17:11 And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand.
1 Kings 17:12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
32 See, now here comes a great lesson. But Elijah said, "Bake me one first." Oh, what is it there? What lesson do we learn? "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." "Bake me one first."
And she looked. She said, "I wonder who that is? There's something about the man that seems to be different."
And he said, "Bake me one first and bring it."
And she started in to do what he said. Then she heard that comforting Word that always comforts, "For thus saith the Lord, the barrel will not be empty nor the cruse run dry, until the day that God sends rain on the earth."
1 Kings 17:13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
1 Kings 17:14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Luke 12:31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
33 What was it? That very dark, crucial moment come, but God's always on the scene. If you're sure that it's God, if you've repented of your sins, if you've met God's requirement, then be sure that God will keep His promise. Whew! If men and women could only realize that! God's obligated to His promise. And if you've met his requirements, if you've confessed your sins, and you've made your wrongs right, and you've done everything God has required, then hold on to God. You've got to see daylight; He's got to bring it through. Just be certain that it's God and He will take care of the rest of it. If you're sure that it's God!
34 Sometime ago, I was over at a little city in Arkansas---about fifteen years ago, not quite that long, I'd say twelve years ago. They have a terrible segregation in Arkansas. And I'd been into a little church, and the policeman helped me in and out. And I was coming out of the church and I could hear someone saying, "Mercy, mercy." I thought, "Where is that coming from?" And I looked over to my left. Standing over to one side stood a Negro man, way out from the white people. He had his little old cap in his hand, hollering, "Mercy, mercy." And something struck me, "That man wants to talk to me."
And I said to the policeman, I said, "I want to go over and see that man."
"Oh," he said, "Mr. Branham, you can't do that; you'd start trouble here in Arkansas." Said, "You can't do that." He said, "We just can't let you do that."
I said, "But the Holy Spirit is telling me to go."
He said, "Well, Brother Branham, you'll start a race riot." Said, "All these white people here to be prayed for, and you go over there to that colored man."
I said, "I can't help what kind of laws you got. I follow a law and that law is the law of the Spirit."
And he said, "Go to that man."
35 And I just pulled loose from him and I went over there. And I heard his wife say, "Be of a good courage, honey; the parson is coming."
And I got over there, and I said, "How do you do?"
He had his hands out like this. He said, "Is you..." I'm not saying this disregarding to my colored friends, either here or on the radio. But he had a real Southern talk. And he said, "Is this you, Parson Branham?"
And I said, "Yes sir, it is."
He put his hands on my face. He said, "You's a younger man than I thought you was." Him blind. And he said, "Has you got just a minute, I want to tell you somethin'?"
I said, "Yes, brother. I got as much time as you want to talk."
36 He said, "I's been a Christian since I was a little boy. My old mammy," said, "she's been gone for years." And said, "I's been blind now for several years. I got cataracts on my eyes. The doctor man said he couldn't take them off. They done wrapped around the optical nerve, and he couldn't take them off." And he said, "I never heard of you in my life, Parson Branham." But said, "Last night about nine o'clock I went to bed," he said, "I dreamed I saw my old mammy come up to my bedside. And she said to me, 'Honey, rise up and put on your clothes, and go down to a city called Moahart, and have Brother Branham to pray for you; you're going to get your sight.'"
He says, "Do you believes that, Brother Branham?"
I said, "I believe it with all my heart."
He said, "My old mammy never told me a lie in her life. And I got up and put on my clothes. And my wife helped me to the bus station. And we's went over to the auditorium and they told us you were here. And we come over here, and been standing here." And it raining as hard as it could rain.
37 I looked at him. I put my arms around him, and I said, "Lord God, I don't know, but somehow he's certain. And I'm certain that you let his old mammy come to him in a dream to tell him that he was going to get his sight. And he's so sure that he's going to get his sight, Lord God, let it be now." And I no more than said that, and he started batting his eyes.
He said, "Thank you, Lawd."
And I said, "Can you see, Uncle?"
And he said, "Shore I can see." Said, "I knowed I was going to see."
And his wife said, "Honey, can you really see?"
Said, "Shore, you see that red car setting there?" Said, "Shore I can see."
A great scream went up from everywhere and the people glorified God. What was it? He was certain that God had spoke to him in that dream. And if God's certain by a dream, how much more certain is He by His Word? Be certain. Hold on to it. God will bring it to pass. Let us pray.
38 Lord, when I think of many of the experiences... I don't know today where that man is; Thou knowest. I may never have the privilege of looking at him again on earth. But no doubt, sometime across the river yonder, when we have both climbed the golden stairs into Your kingdom, I shall see him there. Because he was certain; he couldn't read Your Word but You spoke to him by a dream and by his truthful mother. And he was certain that his mother wouldn't lie. And if You had sent him a dream of his mother, he knew that he was sure that he was to get his sight. I believe, Father, that's the reason You gave it to him. He moved from his bed; he went into action; he put his faith to work, and You confirmed his faith by giving him his sight.
There are many sitting here, Lord, today---many out in radio land---that's read the Word and heard the promises, but has never been just sure of it. God, let them be certain today that if God has said so, He has to keep that Word right. And sometimes He lets reaction come just to see what we will do. May every person now, that's both here and in the invisible audience, let them take ahold of Your Word, Your Promise; confess their sins and their unbelief, and hold on to that promise until daylight breaks for them. Grant it, Lord. May they be sure and certain that You will keep Your promise, everyone of them. For we ask it in Jesus' name and for His Sake. Amen.
39 God bless you. How many's certain God keeps His promise? We used to sing an old song over in the Baptist church: His promise is true; He will not forsake you, God is still on the throne. Did you ever sing it? Let's see your hands all that knows it. Give us a chord, sister.
God is still on the throne,
And He ever remembers His own;
His promise is true,
He will not forget you,
God is still on the throne.
Wonder, Brother Duffy, if you can help me lead it. All right, let's sing it.
God is still on His throne,
He never forsaketh his own;
His promise is true,
He will not forget you,
God is still on the throne.
How many believes that, raise up your hand? Let's stand while we sing it now, all together; lift up your hands to God as we sing it. All right, again.
God is still on the throne,
He never forsaketh His own;
His promise is true,
He will not forget you,
God is still on the throne.
40 Now turn around and shake hands with somebody near you. Let's sing it again now as we're shaking hands. All you Methodists, and Baptists, and Presbyterian, and Luthers, and Pentecostals, make up with each other; chew each other's chewing gum; just have fellowship; just really have a good time together. All right, sister. Let's sing it again, everybody.
God is still on.....
(Do you believe it? Raise your hand now.)
He never forsaketh His own;
His promise is true,
He will not forget you,
God is still on the throne.
41 All believes that say, "Amen." We're off the air now, so you can holler "Amen" real loud. Amen!
God is still on the throne,
He never forsaketh His own;
Though trials distress us,
And burdens suppress us,
He never will leave us alone.
Amen. He's Everlasting God; from eternity to eternity He's still God. When this old world's so heaped with sin till it's got a headache band around it, staggering like a drunk man coming home at night; some of these days sin is gone beyond the stars and the moon, and she will burst and fly into eternity, but God will still be on the throne. Amen. Amen. I feel Pentecostal right now. Amen. Old time salvation, the power of God, the Holy Ghost. God is still good. All right, Brother Duffy.