1966or67-LV Principles of Faith #9 - God is a Good God

Just in case I back away, we can get a better tape. So we might be able to use this. All

right, it's just a matter of if we're able to tape a little more accurately, this is the best type of microphone to use. And then if I back away, although that's a very good microphone, there isn't any danger of losing.

There's going to even have a microphone with a built -in level, but we don't aspire to have all those expensive gadgets. This will do. If you don't hear too well on the tape, just tune up your hearing aid, turn it up. It'll be all right. We'll

review a little tonight, but not too much because I want to finish the section on the principles of faith and then be able to go into a couple, one, two, three, four or so topics. I don't know just what we're going to do here as concerning the future. And that is next week. I think I could finish a basic study of faith by Sunday night.

Faith in the Bible, faith that controls the faith of Moses, ones

which we use as illustrative to bring out the principles which are set forth in the Word of God on the use of our faith. It

used to take two weeks at a time, and I find people get tired these days. Even the fellow that preaches gets tired. It would be easy at one time to preach two weeks. In fact, I was kind of insulted if I didn't go to preach for two weeks because I wasn't able to cover enough material. But it seems it's not so easy to have a two -week meeting. worried about people coming every night. And although I try to get you out early, you stand around at the back and front quite a bit too, so I'm going to take all the blame.

Adam tried to put all the blame on Eve while Eve tried to put it on the serpent. It was kind of a community affair. And so I try to get you out each night. I get away early. But I don't know what to say about meetings longer than Sunday. You're

all good by Sunday and you may be such a thing as a... A few more days, I don't know. I just don't know how I'm going to get that lead myself. I just preach along and preach along, sort of, and go out of the way in the circumstances and all those things that work out. I'm going along anyway in the basic principles of faith, and I think we'll have had a good understanding before the week is over. Let's bow our heads in prayer. Father, we come to you again tonight through Jesus Christ our Lord, knowing, my God, that where two or three are gathered amidst, and together there are found amidst. O Lord, tonight that you said it to be agreed upon anything is touching your kingdom. It should be granted then. We are agreed tonight, Lord, that we need revelation. We need your word, Lord, become so real to us that we do become that living word. And as your servant said that the son revealed in flesh, the son of man revealed in flesh was that bride or that people who were the elect Joseph of that day. We would want to be in that position where we have not only sung, but people can truly see Jesus in us. and they will see it because we do not deviate from that word, even as the Son of Man came to fulfill that word. O Lord, tonight we humbly give ourselves over to you, asking, my God, that every thought and every word be exactly right from thee, and it be heard exactly right, as well as being expressed exactly right. O Father, help us tonight to bring every man in his objection, above all, every thought into captivity to the knowledge of Jesus Christ. It was given to this end. We believe that is true. We're trying hard to take every word of God's fact as it has been. Only that every word from God

tonight has power to us. That your spirit was sent to guide us into all truth. Show us things to come. Take the things of God and make them real. So Holy Spirit, you come indeed in such a way and minister in our lives. That such a reality be ours. That people will know that we have been with Jesus. Lord, tonight this which is so important to us. In

Jesus' name we pray.

Last night we... Brought you the first reason as to why the perfect gift from God fails. No one can deny that we have been dealt the measure of faith. It is the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ prophesied as the faith of God. A measure of faith. In other words, every single person has an exact measure. No one has any more than anyone else. However, in ministering in the realm of the Spirit, there is a proportion of faith. And that proportion of faith is that... A proportion is

to manifest in a peculiar or particular manner, such as we illustrated that tongues is very simple and will take the minutest proportion of faith. But when you deem in miracles, you would be dealing in the greatest proportion of faith that has ever come to any man. When we consider this age in which Brother Branham lived, and you know that he had the greatest ministry without doubt since the Apostle Paul. I make no apologies in saying this, but it is my studied opinion. having read as much as I have been able to read that Brother Branham's ministry eclipses in number all the phenomena that has taken place since the time of the Apostle Paul to this present day, because his visions were by the thousands, his miracles and healings by the hundreds of thousands, and nowhere in history since the time of Peter Have we had the magnitudes of healing line where Brother Brannon would take as many as 2 ,000 at one time and never have one miss? A man who could stand up and say, give me your worst case of cripples. I

will guarantee healing. Congregations say, bring me the 24 worst cases. I will guarantee all healed. Or you may have a fast line and at least 60 % will be healed. You never found anybody could say a thing like that. What a tremendous proportion of faith for a gift. ...of healing. ...greater even still, if it were deemed as... Imagine the faith of that man to simply say, let there be flies.

Myself, I don't want to downgrade me or anybody else, but I wonder if I could see the sun rise behind me. Let the sun rise. I just wonder if I might have hit him in the kickflips about that time.

Man moves. Let there be flies, and they came. Water turned to blood, and it came. Let there be death in the land, and death came. Wiping them out by the thousand. That's a proportion of faith, as in common distinction to the measure of faith. And everyone has been given a ministry by the Lord Jesus Christ. There isn't one of you who is in need tonight. You have the measure of faith, which will give you every promise in the book. Because remember, the promise is sure because of faith. And then you have the proportion of faith, which makes you an able minister. Paul said, who is able for these things? Thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Look in the book of Luke with me for a few moments. In chapters 19, I believe it is, and 15 through 27, you will notice that Jesus is likening his second coming to this particular parable. Or in verse 11 it says, As they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. And he said, Therefore a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. And he called his ten servants and delivered them ten pounds and said, Occupy till I come. The citizens hated him and sent a message after him saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass that when he was returned having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well done, or well, thou good servant, because thou hast been faithful. Notice, because thou hast been faithful in a very little over ten cities. The second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, You've been faithful, therefore be thou over five cities. Another came, saying, Lord, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin, for I fear thee, because thou art an austere man. Thou takest up that thou layest not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. And he said unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow. Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him that hath the pound, and give to him that hath ten pounds. And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds already. I say unto you that unto every one which hath shall be given, and from him that hath not even that he hath shall be taken away from him. But those mine enemies would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither, and slay them before me. Now you will notice in this illustration here, this is not the illustration of the talent, where God gave several talents to one man, less to another, and still less to another man. But this is the parable where each person got the identical measure which is the pound. And you will notice the pound represents faith because he said, thou hast been faithful. Now, every one of us is given the measure of faith. And God demands that we use this faith. Remember I said the other day that God is not pleased with those who do not use faith? Why? Because God cannot be God to a man who does not use faith. Faith is resting with God doing. Faith is allowing God to work on your behalf. It's fighting your battles. It's letting him take the brunt of it. It's letting God provide the way of escape and God doing multitudinous things which will give us peace. Remember that the scripture speaks of faith being a rest. Rest

means to cease. And we've not learned that, though we'll talk about it tonight quite a bit. But here, you'll notice that God has given each one this certain particular measure. And there's no place in the word that I can find that describes anybody getting one certain particular measure except the measure of faith.

God demands that

from the person who could have used his faith, would have accrued to him, and he gave it to another one. He doesn't cast him out of darkness. He doesn't destroy him. He rebukes him. But the enemies, he destroys. This man is not an enemy.

Wonderful gift that God gave him. So we see here an admonition tonight, one that we ought to learn, and that is that God is not pleased. In fact, there is the evidence here of a judgment. placing of rewards will

not use this God -given faith. You know, it's exactly what Jane said. Faith without works is dead. Like

the old lady, I know you must have read of her because she got in all the newspapers across America. They found her starved to death in a garret and she died of malnutrition. And somebody noticed a slit in the mattress. So they reached in and pulled out wads and wads of money. Here over multiplied thousands of dollars, the woman had died from malnutrition because she would not use. What was there for her to use? Usually a person like that would have to be mental. Well, let me say this. A person who doesn't use his faith can hardly be spiritual. And

the ability to lay up treasure on earth, then his heart follows it. But there aren't many people who really lay up a treasure in heaven. A

treasure in heaven is, as Paul said, you took joy with this falling of goods, knowing in yourself you had in heaven a better and enduring treasure. He's

his father, mother, sister, brother, and land. He said, I'll give him a hundredfold in this life and in the life to come. Life everlasting. In other words, you glorify what

God has given us. Now, we discovered last night, though this faith is perfect, the vessel is not perfect. That's the trouble. There's nothing wrong with your faith. There's nothing wrong with the Holy Spirit. There's nothing wrong with the various experiences you had as a Christian. There's nothing wrong with the good gifts God's given you. There is nothing wrong with the gifts of tongues and corn, except they begin to use them in a manner which was not becoming to God's children. There's nothing wrong with anything. things are pure in the pure in heart. That's the whole trouble. We get too many folks who aren't quite too pure, and therefore the operation of the thing involved becomes deteriorated. Don't ever look at your faith and say, well, I just don't think this faith is right. That faith will pull down any stronghold. There's nothing wrong with it. Nothing wrong with your faith. It's a perfect gift of God. What it is, the vessel is fallible, and the vessel doesn't know the of faith which will hinder and that which will augment. And the first law we learned was this, that until or unless or until you come to the place where you know that God is a good God, you'll never use that faith. Because, you see, faith reposes in God. But if he's not a good God, how can you expect something good? And that's what you're looking for. I said the other day that nobody expects to get sick if he's well. Or did I ask you, did I mention that? Well, if I didn't, I'll mention it now. Would anybody like to go up the building here and break a leg? You say, heavens no, I want to go to my rheumatism now. What are you talking about? Okay, you don't hope for a broken leg, that's fine. Does anybody here hope to go up and lose your father book? You say, my goodness, no, certainly not. I'm hoping to get out of debt, let alone get worse in debt. Your

family, you say, nothing doing. They have some scraps down there, no fun. I'm trying to get out of these scraps. You see, you're looking for something better. I mentioned last night that he... people committing suicide look for something better than they thought. Kill themselves. You see? The

use of that faith is to the end you will get something better than you got now. Even

good things always or he might double cross you. Now he knew exactly how I'd be preaching down here in this 20th century. So he put in the word of God make the tree good and its fruit good or forget it. He

doesn't bring forth pigs and the fig tree doesn't bring forth briars.

Hunt it as a partridge. He could have said, oh, oh boy, this religion. Long time to smarten up to this thing that Samuel pulled on me saying that God demoted me. Because if I were king, I should be at home in the palace.

Now, he didn't talk that way. Under Christian standards, he said, Saul isn't looking for me. You're here because you can't see them. The kids are playing around too in the bushes somewhere back there. No army out there, that's for sure, because you know there's no sin and there's no sickness. He didn't say that.

Condition. They

look exactly bad. It's a hunt. 100 % contrary to what you think would be in the face of God anointing me his king with his blessing on me. But he said, and I would have fainted. Except I believe, you see, the goodness in

the land of living and

evil in the hand of the Lord is

a good God. Putting it in the language that you love so well, all things work together for good to them that love the Lord, to them that are the elect, the called, the chosen, according to his purpose. And what's his purpose? He suffered a while. you'll enter into the kingdom of God. If

it doesn't work, can't.

Awful bad, but it's awful good. Do you realize what that means? It means God's got to give you a job. Work

I can't eat, you got to give me a job. You don't mind the statistics and all these things that tell you there's no jobs.

God owes you a job because he said, if you don't work, you can't eat. I'm

not going away from myself. You need to work to get a paycheck. This

morning we're pretty slick. When

I did work, I didn't go to find her. This,

though. You get in your car and take a calculated risk. And you go down that road because you want your paycheck. When

Shimei had cursed him, he said, let him curse. God told him to curse. God

told that wicked spirit to go down. Eat Ahab astray. Hopefully

God knows your daughter's got epilepsy.

That's not heaven. What

seemed to be 100 % opposite to the promise, he would yet gain that promise. And I'll tell you how Abraham did tomorrow night. Maybe even tonight. The

book of Psalms, that

he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord with exercise of lovingkindness and judgment and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. Psalm 119 .68 says, Thou art good. And Hebrews 9 .11 says that Jesus is the high priest of good things to come. He's

not so good.

Cover this microphone with water. Pour glue on it. This

is successful, of course. I'm trying to debilitate it, but just say it has this power of immutability. It doesn't change. It's a microphone. And I can pour some flour and water mixed together on it. And I can pour some concrete on it. And if it's really resistant, I can light a match to a fuse and then break it all off of it. Then start all over again. It doesn't change the fact that that's a microphone. Well,

that's simple. I can figure it out. I'll accept that. I wouldn't even care whether they took that thing with a bomb and blew it up. I'll still say it was a microphone. That's all it was. Why can't we say the same thing about God? God's a good God. You

say that there are wars and God could stop them. He's still a good God. Whether he starts, stops them, or anything else, he's still a good God. Nothing to do with it.

People destroy it. Happy that it hasn't got a thing to do with it. God's a good God. The

culture didn't fare too well. He's pretty, pretty shoddy. Pretty spotty. Until

the vessel lines up with the room. Got

to come to the place where God is a good God. If everything seems senseless and ridiculous, trust

him.

break your bone. Put it in a vice with a twist

this arm. You

won't be bothered with that bad arm

feeling the pain. They say, okay, you grit your teeth, close your eyes, they twist her. Why could you do that about God? A

great physician may need to twist your bones. And if you think I'm kidding, you should have had my bursitis. You should have had it right instead of me. Give it to you.

This is raising up. He

is a very fine osteopathic manipulator. He

went through all the muscles. he was leading to. And he said, this is going to hurt. And I said, sure, it's going to hurt. I think it's doing now. But I said, ring off at the socket, God. Give it a work. Years

ago, it took me two years to believe God. But on the shoulder spine, you see, I'm glad. That's what I'm trying to get across. God's a good God. And you may not understand the process which leads to his goodness. Like the person born blind, healed for the glory of God. But God is a good God. Now you're getting the point because I can feel the tension breaking. For a while you see, you were kind of scared I was leading you down a wrong path. But do you see what it is? It was

to be revealed that it was falling to compare the suffering to the glory which should be revealed. And

from what goes of

it, God is a good God. Walk

out of here in a white line and you get glaucoma. God's a good God. It has nothing to do with it. Or

the torment of a hell. That's nothing to do with it. God is a good God.

I'm not like his thoughts. Why, he gave us the Bible to make sure we'd get his side of it. Are

God's thoughts and ways about our thoughts and our things to do to get rid of an enemy? Kill him! God says no. You

and the chief. God then hit him so hard he'll be dead before morning. No, turn the other chief.

Save all you can or kill all you can. No! It shall be given unto you.

Children, ten children, one child, no child, no children. You've got to depend on what we tell you. Or I tell you. Boys and girls, you don't know if that's true or not. You've got to take my word for it. And if I said we had two girls and a boy, you still wouldn't know. You'd have to find out for yourself. You've got to listen to me. The

language of cock and bull stories and get swindled by it. But why not believe? You

can't deny it.

Because the joy,

that's the part of God raising the dead. Falling in ashes because you wanted one thing but God wanted another. Oh, how blessed you're going to be in the kingdom because you and God are here. Suffering all things lost that you may gain the excellency of the knowledge.

Because we refuse to see God as a good God simply because he said so about

himself.

You know that was a lie. I

thought to myself, I'm six foot two, weigh 280 pounds, I'm blonde, I got two sets of teeth. Might have one in the cupboard. I

should take what I said. Instead

of saying, that's that. And then if you've got to go so far as oral, you just say, the devil's a bad devil, I'll throw that in for good measure. The

devil's a bad devil. Fine, you go ahead and go on. I just leave it all up to God because he's running the universe. He kicked the devil out once, and he's going to do it again and again until it's all over. Just say God's in the driver's seat. He's sovereign. I have no problems there. God

knows all about it. I'm not letting the devil get turned loose on me. There's nothing makes me mad or new matters if I'm somebody's schnapper. Right back to you. That's my kid. Keep your hands off of him. And that's the way God does the devil, too. I

just said amen. You sounded kind of anxious, so I'll prove it to you. Just the same. In case your anxiety is a little bit nervous, let's get into it here. It says it here now. And have you forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children? My son, despise not thou that chasten the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked to him. For the Lord loveth whom he chastens, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Who's doing it? God's doing it. What will

God do? I tell the devil just how hard he can hit and where he can hit.

That's how he did it with Job. That's

what he says, because he's a good God.

You'll see God in the flesh. And I'll see him for myself. I won't have to have you come and say, there he is. I'll know him. Don't worry. He's a little bit snide. He's getting back at those boys. Read the Holy Ghost. Elijah

and Moses standing with Jesus. You just know them. That's all. Brother

Joseph laid back. It's

confusing if you look at the thing the wrong way. Great

men knew that God was a good God and therefore they could look for his goodness to come to pass and it would. God never fails. And he never is in the failing business. Let's look at the next part of another thought here, having to do with faith as a conviction of things unseen.

Now, to begin with, unseen things cannot mean only those things unseen due to their spiritual nature, but they also mean the things which you do not yet see in your possession. Now, to prove that, we'll turn to the Book of Romans, verses

24 to 25. For we are saved by hope.

Hope that is seen is not hope.

Why doth he yet hope? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it until when? Until you do see it.

Expectation. Expectation that is seen is no longer to be earnestly expected as seen. He's got it. Talk

about patience and faith.

Which we have with. Not

yet seen in your possession. In other words, conviction of the reality. God delivering his promise said that it would. Saying

at one time, you cannot be convinced you are going to be healed at the same time you are convinced that you won't be healed.

Convinced because the doctor said she was going blind, that she would be blind. You

will surely be healed. And that is exactly right. That

she would go blind and she has to turn around and be convinced that she wouldn't go blind. It's

a possession, but believe for it and you'll get it.

of a good God giving me good things. In

your possession, you have

a sublime disregard for good

conditions. You've

got what it takes to have

a sickness in your body. You have some condition in life that seems unbearable. You've

got in your possession that which is so deep and so strong that you can utterly disregard what is against you because you've got so much going for you.

illustrated by this man, Abraham. Chapter 17 to 25. Abraham is going to get this promise of becoming a father. I have made thee a father of many nations. Before him whom he believed, or before God whom Abraham believed, who quickens the dead and calleth those things which be not as though they were, hope was gone, hoped on in faith. He might become what God is

reading it, so you'll get it, that's all.

Weak in faith. How did he weaken faith? He had the faith of God.

the faith of God, how can God

weaken? God

said his gift and above is perfect. He

takes it back. In

faith he considered not his own body, now did, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving God the glory. Certainly he was strong in faith. He had

promised God was able to reform. It was imputed to him for righteousness. In other words, he got the desire of his heart. And this, of course, is based on Genesis 17, where God said, See, I have made you the father of many nations. and I will multiply you. Now you will notice here, that Abraham gives his whole attention to what he does not see. And he doesn't give attention to what he does see. He's

a man that's too old to have. He's way up in years, and speaking seminally, he is dead. Now

she said, we haven't even had conjugal relations. What

we're talking about tonight,

of life, is against you. And

yet all the

society here, a measure of perfect faith, It gives you the ability to cease from struggling and stop thinking and gouging yourself with these mental prods.

Straining is

so great. Don't

yet see in your possession that's yours and what's against you therefore doesn't matter. The scripture says here concerning Abraham he considered not his own body now dead. The word consider means to thoroughly perceive. Night after night and day after day. put down all the facts and figures, mulled over this, talked over that, fussed over this, growled over that, worried over this, and felt lower and lower. You wasted your time. To

bring

into your possession what God said. That's the rest of faith. He

would have fainted except, I believe, to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the many. He knew everything what was against him, but he knew something else, that God had said something was for him. and gave him what it took to get it. And he said, how can I think? Straight

into my possession, what I don't yet see is mine, but God said it. He was

convinced of what God said. Two

convictions at one time and in one subject, it can't be done. Get

it from God. I'm

a king. And again saying, God says I'm an overcomer. In fact, I'm a silvercomer. I'm a robber. So what do you know about that, Mr. Devil? So, ha, ha. What

happened, did they? Yes, Mr. Devil. Yes, Mr. Devil. I know God says I'm righteous, but you and I know better, don't we? You're right in God's eyes. Oh, yes, sir. He's a true God.

Yes, sir, you're right. Isn't

that how God is just about to do it, huh? Oh, come on, man. Come on, let's be honest tonight. This is one place we've got to be honest. We're in church.

Isn't that right? Yes, Mr. Devil. Yes, God's not right. I'm just what you said, and I'm not what God said. God said I'm his righteousness, but we know better than that because, you see, after all, we live around it all. Because, you see, Mr. Devil, I know what you're like the whole year, I'm 31, and you know what I'm like because I'm a bad one, too. But suddenly on that day, you'll want to say, Oh, God, yes, Lord, yes, Lord, you were right. Oh, God, you were right. And work, honey. God

said, I've rejected you. I'm

not talking about the elect. No, I'm not. I'm only throwing this at you to get a picture of faith, because I don't believe any of us is going to crawl up there to really elect, because we're believing, and we're seeing what Christ has become to us. But I'm using this illustration to help you to see. You can't have a double conviction. You don't go against what God said, because God's true, and every man's alive. And

David said, I'm the king.

Foxiest, smartest king in history. Not a man could lick him.

The sun turned and they did their best to destroy him. They said, listen, don't you know your dad is like a bear out there, a wolf? He's like a fox. He's too cunning. David the fox worked

together for good. A far more exceeding and eternal way to glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, the things which are not yet seen in our possession, or the things which are seen are temporal, the things which are not seen are both temporal. and eternal, because God says, I'll give it to you here, and I'll give it to you there forever.

He that observeth the wind shall not sow. The Bible said you're to sow and hope, but you won't even sow. God

shall not reap. It's

against you. Why? Because it's not against you anyway. God will turn it right around. He's

in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh, but shall inherit the parched places in the earth, in the salt land and mountain heaven. Now listen. It says here, Cursed is man who puts his trust in man, and his heart of faith goes away from God. It says that that man will not see when good comes. Good will come, but he won't see it.

They'll come, but he'll not see it. Because he's all the time

got his eyes on the plums. Take

their own mercy. If you look at symptoms, to

keep gazing at him. Don't take your eyes off of him, no matter how many times you're bitten. Pastor

Buck was so great that a crowd of witnesses, Let us lay aside every weight and the sin, which ye should be set to. What's the setting sin? Unbelief.

Patience, the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be weary and faint in your souls. Did you hear what was said? Jesus endured the contradiction, that which went against him. Looking

to God. What do you do when the chips are down in trouble? Do you look at your conditions? Or can you, like Abraham, tear your eyes away from it? Right now, somebody said to Brother Bill, you see, it's not half bad. You know, if it's just yourself, but you ought to know my wife.

He was barren, and he didn't look at her either. She didn't bother. Doesn't

hold you back. Hasn't got a thing to do with it. Because it says, Sarah herself be. And though she called her husband Lord, which is a whole lot more than most women I've ever called a man. The

result of Abraham hasn't got a thing to do with it. If it gives you trouble all day long, it hasn't got a thing to do with it. It

roughly hasn't got a thing to do with it. It's got something to do with anything. You've got that measure of faith.

Deuteronomy 20th chapter. Just keep your eyes on God, you see, that's what it does. Out

to battle against thine enemies, and see his horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou. Be not afraid of them. You know, just a minute, what's going on here? God

is with thee. Be up out of the land of Egypt, and it shall be. When thou come nigh to the battle, that the priests shall approach and speak to the people. Jesus is our high priest. He's going to come and say, Here, O Israel, you approach this day unto battle against your enemies. Let not your heart trouble, nor be faint, nor fear not, nor trouble, neither be you terrified because of them. For the Lord your God is he that goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to save you. I told you the revelation of God to Abraham was, I am your protector and provider. What more do you want? Couldn't get anything more than that. Second Kings. 15

to 17.

Servant of the man that God was risen early. That's Gehazi. Had gone forth, behold, and host and comfort the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant Gehazi said to Elijah, Alas, master, how are we going to do now? And he answered, Fear not. Be with us are more than they that be with them. I could just see that poor guy looking for a hole to crawl in and someone to look to help. But you imagine this old bald -headed prophet out there. Maybe a little old spinny boy might be a little bit toughy by now, an old age. And he said, don't be afraid, son. Oh, what do you mean, don't be afraid?

Tell him you're young to die. You're old.

Oh, he said there's 200 ,000 out there. I pray

thee, open his eyes that he may see.

And behold,

horses and chariots. Oh,

you'd be like maybe 20 ,000 or so men out there. I don't know how many there were. Let's just say he'd be real modest. What would we do if 200 men were out there?

Because some were put to the sword. Some were thrown to the line.

joy when you fall into divers temptations, knowing this is the trying of your faith, work with patience, but let patience have a perfect work that you may be perfect in entire, lacking nothing. If any of you lack wisdom or lack anything, let him ask of God to give it to all men liberty, and upgrade it not, and it should be given him, but let him ask in faith nothing wavering, for he that wavers is like the wave of the sea driven with the wind and cloud. For let not that man think that he will receive anything of the Lord. A double -minded man is unstable in all his ways. In other words, you can't have two convictions about the things of God. It's one conviction. And that is God's doing it. He's a good God. Everything's going to be all right because everything works for my good. Do

you need to tell me you're going to have a son? Yes, sir. You're too old. It's

a faith. Scripture

teaches us we can count it pure joy when we fall into diverse testings or the conditions of life are such that we need God to fulfill his promises in the face of conditions which are very, very rigorous indeed. any man counted pure joy when he falls into divers temptations or testings. Now listen carefully. I'll illustrate it by asking you a question. What a Savior before he died on the cross. The

answer, they get kind of panicky and they sit on the fence. They won't raise their hands. Somebody just, you volunteer an answer. The first one is, was he a Savior before he died and rose again? Before. Alright, you're right. He was a Savior after because God can't change. He wasn't a Savior before he died. He wasn't a Savior after he got up. He never changed. God was

a Savior. Remember, he always was a Savior. Being

a Savior, it was necessary that he predestinate a man who required salvation to give

himself a reason and purpose of being. He has no meaning apart from man. No,

sir. The angels are ministering to the

archangels. They only worship him. Purpose

of being.

Kindergarten theology. We're going to read the meat tonight. Your

brother says to be shrewd. He

moves it around.

Savior.

Predestinate a man, mankind. Fire salvation in order to give himself a reason and purpose of being. Before there was ever a sinner, there was a Savior. That is why your names were already in the Lamb's book of life before the foundation of the world. Before there was ever a sick man, there was a healer. Before

there was a provider, there

was a God of righteousness. Before there was answer,

there was already death. I

used to just let a preacher run around doing his reading.

There was a problem. The answer was already ahead of it. Listen. Answer is everything. Only

necessary. You say, well, why have we got it? Because the problem is necessary to point you to the answer. What

I'm going to do then is talk to you who have been in school. Did the teacher ever at any time give you a problem that didn't have an answer? The answer is no. Because then it's not a problem. You say, just a minute, the teacher said to me, which state, I mean, which state is Indianapolis in? And then the teacher answered it by saying it was in California. You see, there's no problem because, you see, there was no answer to that one. She

turned around and said it was in California. See,

because it didn't jive. There was a problem without an answer. The

problem was because there was the answer. Or she never would have given you the question in the first place. And

before there was a problem, in this world there was an answer. The necessity of the problem is to point you to the answer.

Because he has the answer.

God for the answer. It

reads to the buses. Don't jump on the sign and write it. You go to the bus. Write

your problem. It

leads you to the answer. Make

it so he can be God. I

think I'll make a God to my life. Oh, don't you try it because he's God and can't change.

Thoughts are so unfair you don't even miss it all out. You

can enter into rest. You

don't need them. I

yoke upon you and learn.

Then I'm a dumb sheep and I haven't got enough brains of you. I've gone your care. Then

I'm a poor captive who needs someone to help me.

We don't need to admire these great people who've learned these things. We can learn them ourselves. Faith

-worthy. You just never knew these things, that's all. Now that you know them, you've got to put them to practice. It

takes now to give you rest from yourself and your problems. Let's get a picture of how God provided. This isn't the real picture, but it's the best I can find in the Bible. It's Psalm 139. I know you all love that psalm, but what I'm going to show you tonight is a little different.

139th Psalm in verse 16. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect. And in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there were none of them. In other words, God, you had all the answers before there was even a speck of sky that was made.

You can see that Abraham, boy

him up and give him this serenity and call things which were not as though they were because they were. And

Abraham said, I understand it, Lord. I'll be glad to go to old age and then have that son. Your word says, oh, it's all right. God didn't give that promise in the book to you and me. There's not a word about you and I have shunning in the old age. That was Abraham specifically. The process of getting the promises of God made evident and real in our possession. The principles are the same. If

you're struggling because you have a tendency to hear it. I don't

know what your problem may be. It's the same as Abraham. The

answer is already there. Put it in the past tense. Get your eyes off it and hold them on to God.

Brother, they and I have heard night doing that. In

Seattle, Washington. near Seattle with cancer. The colon was so thoroughly infested, the doctor said, you won't live two months. You'll be dead. She phoned me and said, Brother Dale, will you pray for Clarence? And I said, sure, I can pray for her. Why don't you bring in the line? My brother Graham is coming to me for a meeting. Bring him there. I

don't think we can do it. The doctor said he's dying. I said, so let him die on the road.

Trust God to stay at home and didn't die without trouble. She said that. It. And the receiver?

Clarence Yarber. You could tell he was dying. All the symptoms of cancer were there. Brother Branham looked at him when the tragedy shook his head, and I don't want to tell you, the look on his face wouldn't inspire me to believe God for anything. He looked so far away and so funny and so almost, not disgusted, but foreboding. And he said, shadow that cancer be dead in two months, and it's gone easy.

Jesus healed this man. Like

chunks of stuff would bow who without pain he'd had in weeks. Next day his cheeks had a little change. Within the four days or five by the time his only cheeks were getting pink. And that man went on to perfect hell. Don't

live side by side. You're going to die anyway. Die with your boots on.

God's a good God. If you die trying, what more do you want? Dying

in the arena? Use

your faith. You'd be surprised if it'll work. The death you're going to die anyway is the death that you're dying. Learn to use your faith.

I think I died the day when God made me go preaching. I didn't want to preach. In an article I said, what

you tell me, but I do not want to go preaching. And I knew that Jacob had made a comment. with God for the tithe, I said, I will tithe and I will give and do this and that, but I don't want to go preaching. God wouldn't listen to me

preaching. I was disgusted. It's the funniest thing when you obey God, even though you don't want to obey God, a funny kind of a peace will come in your heart just the same. I don't know what it is. I can't understand it. Maybe just the fact of decision, you made a decision, causes you to feel better. But I said, all right, I'll go. I

was going to get there because I had no money. God gave me everything I needed,

you see.

of giving. If you're going broke, don't pray for God to give you money. You're wasting your time. Start giving. You say, but brother, then I got so little now. Give it anyway.

You haven't heard me ask for money. I thank you for what you're giving me. It's certainly more than I deserve. The fact is, that's not how I do it. I give, and it was hard to learn to do it. The

last few dollars are doesn't

give something.

I don't. Remember, the answer was for the problem. If there's anything in this life that you need and God can't supply it, he is alive and he's no longer God.

need that God can't answer.

Ever go to bed and toss and turn. I've done it and you've done it. God's not in it. I

won't need it until next year and I want to get a 67. That's fine. What are they going to put in that car that they've got to create? I

know one thing that that problem merely lets me know there's an answer and God wants me to have it. And I've got this right now. I've got the ability to get it because faith is my assurance. I can have what God said I can have. Now that's not what they said. There's no problem there. But it's also my assurance of rest. I don't have to worry about it. I don't have to fuss about it. Because, you see, I've got the conviction of what is not yet in my possession. So I don't have to look at what's against me. If it's a lack of money, forget it. Not

any thing in my name.

I'm 40 hours a week, and I only get so much per hour. Listen, kid, you've got an easy long time to preach. By

faith, we do live by faith. Anybody behind me on my... I want her to get behind me.

All I've ever known is just trust in God.

Ridiculous.

It may not be in dollars, but it could be in a coat or a car or heaven knows what. Or some business you've got to do. Smart enough and begin to trust God. Get your eyes off yourself and your condition.

Begin to see it in your possession. Don't

dance around. He leaves it and crawls off. You

only want to know something, don't you? Do you know the Bible says, what is the chaff to the wheat? You know what says that? No chaff, no wheat. Right? Did you get it? You've been hearing messages all... On the shuck shall not be air with the wheat. Is that right, the seed? But what is the chaff to the seed? Everything. The

chaff will be burnt up, right? Because, you see, the seed was necessary. I mean, the chaff was necessary to perfect the wheat. Is that correct? To perfect the right wheat, you've got some chaff called problems. You say, well, Brother Dale, if I'm real wheat, I'm going to do after. Oh, no, no. You're going to say, oh, chaff, chaff. I can't chaff, chaff, chaff. Just go ahead. That

was your problem. It

took God with the problem. He said, oh, God, I don't.

Dig him out of a mulberry bush for all he cared, and God's going to have a son. Then

God said out of their own bowels, Sarah, you're going to have a son. Well, that's different.

He said, what do you need a man? I told him, so let him take care of it. It

had a dream. She was the most peculiar girl, woman in the neighborhood had seen her in church. She was always stewing, and always fussing, and always frantic. One day she came to church, and she was sweet as could be. They thought, well, that's a strange. I wonder what happened to dear old auntie. Went on for weeks, and one day the preacher asked, you know, he's curious. He got so curious, he said, what happened to her? So he said this. Sister, I'd like to know what happened. Why hasn't he changed? Well, she said, haven't I told you? She said, it was this way. I was up in the garden. In my dream, she said, I had a little cord on me with little bundles called troubles. And he saw me, so he sniffed out my little problem. And as he did, I quickly picked him up and tied him back on again.

Realizing what she'd been doing.

Take your burden to the Lord and pick him up again.

Take your burden to the Lord and leave me. Why? You don't need them because they served their purpose. They took you to God. Problem

hasn't gone. disregard it. But I can't afford you. Yes, you can't afford you. Because the answer was there before the problem. I'm

not teaching you to be slovenly. Big brother there, that's your good. You say, I owe Mr. Smith some money and I'll just forget it. Oh, no, you don't. Oh, no, you don't. Pay

your debt. You go to God and you say, God, I've been a rotter. I say, Mr. Smith, I've been trying to gouge you as you well know. You

eat so well and dress so well, you're going to get yours back. I'm

not here teaching you awful things, I'm not afraid of you. The Lord knows you took a lot of time tonight. I hope we've got to our point. Remember, God's a good God.

a good God because the problem only points you to the answer. Go

beyond the curtain of time to get the full benefit of the answer. That's all right. And

the mind. Father,

we thank you for your word. Good to be in this thy house, Lord, with thy people. As I pray tonight, that you would take every thought and every word. Holy Spirit, give it. At the reception thereof, the people may receive it and know and be set free. And I pray that it's up to you to do. In each one, O God, around tonight.